My First Week

School has started!  I am back at college after being out for twenty years.  I must say, it is so different and so much the same.  And, I'm enjoying it.

Computer Class:  Before my first class had even started on Monday morning, the guy sitting three seats down from me asked me how old I was.  Now, I'm definitely a mother, and the first thing I felt like telling him was, "That is a rude question, so remember not to ask people that in the future, unless they are your close friends."  I was not offended, but I do feel like this is something he needs to know.  However, since I am not his mom (and yes, I realize that I could be his mom, since every student in that class appeared to be under the age of 20 except for me), I did not respond that way.  I simply told him I was forty.  My witty and clever husband told me I should have said, "I'm 40.  How much do you weigh?"  He always thinks of the good things to say! :) And, another note I must add, this same young man helped me answer a question on our group quiz on Friday, so he has redeemed himself a little in my eyes at this point! :)

Parking:  On Monday parking was pretty uneventful for me, and I didn't think too much about it.  However, on Tuesday, after dropping Denise and Derek off at school at the earliest possible time and driving the hour drive to campus, I only had twenty minutes to spare until class began.  This is when I quickly learned, much to my sadness, that Denise and Derek are going to have to ride the bus on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I guess a lot of students like to take classes on those days, and parking was a nightmare.  I drove into the first parking lot, then the second, and then the third, where I actually got stuck behind five other cars.  There were hundreds of cars (OK, that could be a bit of an exaggeration, but there were a lot of cars!), and there were absolutely no parking spots!  I finally decided to go to the 4 story parking garage where I had parked on Monday, and thankfully there was a spot in there.  However, by this time my class had already started, and that parking lot is about a mile away from my class!  Yep, I was 15 minutes late to class on my first day, and I really don't like to be late!

Backpacks:  So, I quickly learned that Tuesday morning that carrying 20 pounds of books on my back all over campus is not for this chick!  Nope, I am way too old and tired to carry that much for miles on end!  Truthfully, all you mommies out there, it makes taking three babies to the grocery store seem like a piece of cake!  An enjoyable, delightful piece of double chocolate cake!  By the end of Tuesday, my shoulders ached and I realized that I would have to do something different.  This backpack-thing was not going to work out for me!  Yes, I am one smart cookie (Maybe I am feeling hungry for desserts or something!), and a light bulb went off inside my head.  A backpack on wheels!  I remembered that long ago Jeremy had gotten Daniel a light-up orange and camouflage backpack that is on wheels.  You guessed it!  As soon as I got home on Tuesday night I found that thing and loaded it up with my books.  I now wheel my 20 pounds of books around campus with that backpack, and I truly don't care if I look silly! :) I know, all those cool college kids carry their books on their backs, but I think I really am the smart one.  And, my shoulders don't ache any longer.  I cannot begin to tell you how happy Daniel's backpack makes me!

The Crying:  Well, Tuesday is my long day (from 9:30 a.m to 7:20 p.m.) and this first week of classes one of my Tuesday classes was cancelled because the instructor had surgery.  So, I had a 2 hour and 15 minute break.  What to do?  I do not like to waste time in this kind of a situation, so I decided I would go sit at the Plaster Student Union and read chapter one of my Education Psychology book.  Redeem the time, so to speak.  That was the class I would have been in, and we had been assigned chapter one, so why not sit over there and read it?  It began innocently enough, but as I got further into the chapter, I realized I may not be able to read this book in public.  I had gotten to about page five, and the tears started rolling down my cheeks.

The section I was reading was titled, "Do Teachers Make a Difference?" and the book began telling stories about real situations of teachers who had made a difference.  Things that may seem small to some, and yet they touched my heart in such a profound way that I found myself choked up, right there in my chair in Plaster Student Union, surrounded by college students laughing, texting and eating all around me.  The first story was about a teacher who helped several students that didn't speak any English when they came into her first grade class.  The second was about a 5th grade teacher who taught his very diverse class "process writing," journals, responsibility, fairness, science, social studies.  Common, teacher things, and yet the methods that he used impressed me.  Actually, maybe not just that, but his love for his students impressed me.  I think that was it.

The third was about a teacher who helped a student with severe learning difficulties become successful, not just in her classroom, but in life in general.  The next was about an advanced math teacher who showed his class how to rewrite a chapter that they thought did not make sense in their textbook.  The examples continued, but I am sure that you get the idea.  I kept reading, despite the tears, and then I got down to the bottom of page nine.  That was when I decided I would have to quit reading this textbook in public or someone was sure to think that I had just experienced a death in my family!  And, what did the bottom of page 9 say, you may wonder.

Advice a 1st-grade class of students gave their student teacher before she left :

(Remember that these are actually written by 1st-graders.)


1.  Teach us as much as you can.
2.  Give us homework.
3.  Help us when we have problems with our work.
4.  Help us do the right thing.
5.  Help us make a family in school.
6.  Read books to us.
7.  Teach us to read.
8.  Help us write about faraway places.
9.  Give us lots of compliments, like "Oh, that is so beautiful."
10.  Smile at us.
11.  Take us for walks and on trips.
12.  Respect us.
13.  Help us get our education.

Yeah, pretty precious, huh?  So, I closed my book and decided I was unable to read such material in the student union.  It just touches my heart too much.  The book did pose this question, "Does reading these examples make you nervous for beginning your teaching career?"  Nervous?  Are you kidding me?  Actually reading those examples makes me so excited to get into a classroom with some students I can hardly contain myself!

So, going back to school after twenty years is not the easiest thing.  It truly isn't.  And yet, I feel as if I cannot do anything else, because this is what I have to do in order to be able to get into that classroom and teach and love on those kids.  So, this is what I will do.  And, I plan to learn as much as I can.  And, now I have to go, because I have a lot of homework to do this weekend, and writing this blog is not getting that accomplished!  Love to you all!  Thanks for reading!  And, one final thought, sometimes the things that are the hardest to do are the most worthwhile in the end.  I am sure this is not an original thought of mine.  I have probably heard it somewhere.  I don't know where, but I have been thinking about it this week, and I know that in the end, going back to school will be worth it, more than worth it, for me, for my family, and for all the students that I will have the privilege of teaching.

Divine Protection

Diane, our 17 year old, and Daniel, our 13 year old, are on their way to Parsons, KS to visit their grandparents.  All alone.  All their idea.  It is so sweet that they want to go visit their grandparents.  However, there can be something very odd and unsettling for a parent when two of their children pull out of the driveway, alone, to head off on a road trip.  It takes a lot of trust in God to raise children, but it may take even more to let them go out into the world all on their own.  Good thing I trust God so much, and know that He is always looking out for my kids.  Good thing that He is so worthy of that trust, and more than able to take care of my kids.

A pastor's wife I knew told me that the minute her first child was born she told the Lord, "I can't always be with her to take care of her, and even if I could, I know that You can take way better care of her than I ever could, even when I am with her.  So, I'm putting her in your hands, and I know that you will take care of her each and every minute of her life."  She said she did that and she decided right then and there that she would never worry about her daughter.  She decided she would trust her life to the Lord, and know that He was more than big enough to take care of her.  I like that.  I like that a lot.

The kids heading off to Parsons reminded me of something that happened about thirteen years ago when we were on our way to Parsons from Broken Arrow, OK.  There's an account in the Bible in the book of Numbers about a time when the Lord actually caused a donkey to be able to speak to his master Balaam.  Balaam was upset with his donkey because the donkey wouldn't move.  His donkey actually saw an angel of the Lord that Balaam didn't see blocking the way, and Balaam kept hitting his donkey.  And, the Lord miraculously caused the donkey to be able to speak to Balaam and ask him why he kept hitting him.  The account is in Numbers 22 if you want to read it.

Back to our story...  When Daniel was a baby, Jeremy, Diane, Daniel and I all headed in our white Oldsmobile to Parsons, KS from Broken Arrow, OK for a weekend trip.  We were staying with Jeremy's parents and they lived on the south side of town.  I was driving and Jeremy was sleeping in the passenger seat beside me.  Daniel was behind me in the back, and Diane was behind Jeremy.  I decided I would take a shortcut to get to his parents' house.  I had to go down a country gravel road to do it, but since his parents lived on that side of town, it would take us right to their house, saving about 15 or 20 minutes driving time.  I'm all about short cuts!

So, I'm driving along on that gravel road and Jeremy is sleeping soundly beside me.  Suddenly, Jeremy bolted up and said, "Stop!  Train!"

I was so surprised, but I instantly just slammed on the brakes.  Right then a train whooshed by in front of us about 5 feet from our car.  It all happened very quickly, and we just sat there watching the train.

After my shock wore off, I began apologizing to Jeremy.  "I'm so sorry, honey!  I didn't even see that train."  Then I started thinking about what had happened, so I added, "I thought you were asleep.  How did YOU see that train coming?"

I looked at the surroundings.  There were bushes and trees grown up all around the sides of the track, and there was nothing marking the train track.  If I would have been guessing, I would have thought that track wasn't even used any longer.  But, obviously it was, since a train was zipping by in front of us!

Jeremy said, "I was asleep, Nikki.  I don't know what happened.  I just sat up and said, 'Stop! Train!' but I didn't know there was a train either.  I was asleep."

We thanked God for protecting us, and after the train passed by we proceeded the 15 more minutes to his parents house.  About five minutes later Jeremy said, "Well, I guess if God can talk through a donkey to Balaam, he can talk through me when I'm sleeping!"

Glory to God!  He supernaturally protected us that day!  He's such a good Father, and He takes such good care of His children.  And, He will always take good care of our children, too!  I believe it! :) And, I trust Him!

How Jeremy and I Met

Jeremy and I grew up in the same small town of Parsons, KS.  I lived there all my life; he moved there in third grade.  We attended different elementary schools, but in middle school everyone attended the same school.  We didn't know each other personally, but our school wasn't too big, so I did know of him.  Something interesting did happen our sixth grade year.  As a fundraiser, the student council had everyone in the school fill out a questionnaire answering various questions about themselves.  They sent them into a company that matched people of the opposite sex up by their compatibility.  When the results were in, we could purchase them for a dollar.  Of course everyone wanted to see who they were matched up with!  It listed your top ten matches.  Guess who was number one on my list?  A boy named (Drum-roll, please!) Jeremy Storment.  That was my first introduction to Jeremy.  He was number one on my list so I, of course, looked him up in our school yearbook to see who he was.  I really didn't think too much else about it at the time, but isn't that something?

In high school we also didn't have any classes together, though we did have one class together our Sophomore year.  But, he ran around with a different group of friends than I did, and we didn't sit by each other in that class, so we didn't really talk at all.  However, we did work at the same place, Wilson Art & Frame Shop.  I worked in the shop, helping the customers and doing various other things around the shop.  And, Jeremy worked in the garage behind the shop making the frames.  We still didn't talk though, because we didn't really see each other, even though we were there at the same time.  I do remember one day Jane,  the shop owner and my boss, telling me to go outside and ask Jeremy to carry some frames upstairs for me.  I was organizing the frame room up there.  So, I did that.  I was very talkative with Jeremy, but he didn't seem too interested in talking with me (He answered every question I asked him with a one-word answer.) so nothing really came of that encounter either.  He now tells me that he was too nervous to talk much to me that day, and was also too busy noticing my legs. :)  Mini-skirts were popular back then, and I had one on that day.

So, about two years later, during our second semester of our Senior year, Jeremy and I actually met and started talking.  We had Senior year Government class together, and I was already in the room that first day of class when he walked into class.  We could sit anywhere we wanted, and I had chosen a seat over in the front corner of the room.  Then I saw Jeremy walk in, and I remembered that computer dating match-up sheet from our sixth grade year.  I thought to myself, "I got him as number one on my list, and here we are, seniors in high school, and I've never even gotten to know him at all.  I think I'll move seats and sit in front of him."

So, I picked up my things and moved to the seat right in front of Jeremy, making an excuse about wanting to sit next to another friend of mine.  However, if anyone would have been thinking about it, they would have known that wasn't really true, because that friend was sitting a row ahead of me, so the seat I chose was actually diagonal from her.  Isn't high school fun?  I cannot imagine putting so much thought into where I sit now, but back then it was of upmost importance!  Well, I don't think anyone was thinking too much about why I was sitting where I was sitting, so it all worked out fine, better than fine actually.  And, Jeremy and I became best friends from that day on.  We seriously did.  And, we've been best friends ever since.

I am so thankful to God for the way everything started out for us, because neither of us were really living for the Lord back then, and yet God orchestrated everything and brought us together.  Another neat thing was that we just became best friends for a year.  We didn't actually begin a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship until a year later.  I highly recommend that, because we really got to know each other before we became romantically involved.  Our relationship was founded on a very solid friendship, and I know that has made a big difference our entire marriage.  He truly is my best friend and the love of my life!  Happy 19th Anniversary, Jeremy!  I love you!  The computer match-up list from sixth grade was right!  You are my number one! :)