Whats going on...

Considering I haven’t been in school for four months now one would think that I would have been blogging, but I haven’t. I’m still working on the goal of obtaining my CSW and the re-model is finally coming to an end! Michael spent a month in training and recently got a nice promotion!
Michael and I recently spent a week in Gulf Shores. Jacob loved building sand castles every day. I loved the hot tub and reading by the ocean. Michael loved the pier and watching others catching fish. We loved being together :)
We are looking forward to all of the fall festivities that is coming up. The Honey Festival is next week. Glendale Days is next month along with our yearly trip to the Orchard. Praise God, my brother recently re-dedicate his life to God. Also, we will have a new nephew next month. Michael’s sister Emily is having a boy and his name will be Eli. We can’t wait to see his face and hold him. Before you know it will be Thanksgiving and Christmas!

LIFE!

Waterslides, shopping, hanging out with friends, watching cartoons with Jacob, going to the movies with buddies! This is some of the things I have been up to since graduation. For the first time in a long time I’m really enjoying life. And, Michael and I recently enjoyed a trip to San Francisco!
Now this remodel that we are now doing is another story. I have realized that, yes I admit it; I am a wee bit over organized and anal about how I like things. However, I think it is better to be this way then just have sheer chaos, right? Considering that I have clothes EVERYWHERE and my living room furniture is in my kitchen, I think I’m handling this pretty good. We originally were going to remodel the entire first floor and build on. I’m glad that we have decided to just do half of the original thought for now. It is coming along and we have beautiful hardwood floors now!
As for our little Jacob he has been quite the smart mouth lately. Just this week he got put into time out for misbehaving. As he sat there all pouty he looked over at me and grumbled, “How bout I give you a smack!?” I find that frequently I have to turn my head to laugh before I must then go parent.
I have applied and paid the fees to take the CSW exam! I am hoping to take the test this month and get it over with. After I obtain this I am going to apply for a therapist position at my current workplace. I look so forward to making a difference again. I also look forward to obtaining my licensure, but I have to do this for two years to obtain my supervision hours first. Lucky for me, I love my supervisor :) I hope all of my readers is enjoying summer as much as I am. Besides, you know how I LOVE Fall festivities!!!

Graduation & Social Work

I took all of my class notes and read them into a voice recorder back in February. Since, I have been listening to them of every second I have been in my car, on the lawn mower, or when I was waiting for a meeting. The pre-requisite exam (PRE) is a requirement in the social work program that must be passed to be able to graduate. On April the 12th I walked to class with, I will admit it, some apprehension. The three hour test was grueling. Someone whispered, “If you get a phone call that means you failed!” After the test was over I waited in the hall for friends to come out and share their thoughts. The feelings appeared to be mutual. We just didn’t know. I was fortunate to leave class to meet up with my best friend for lunch, a movie, and some shopping! Later that night I had a missed call and a voicemail. As I listened it was my advisor! My heart sank. She said, “I was calling to let you know that you…PASSED, with an 81% Congratulations!” My heart jumped back up and I jumped up and down. I screamed to my husband, “I passed! I passed! I passed!” I later found out that my advisor calls all of her advisees. That was one huge sigh of relief. Now that the PRE is behind me graduation is coming up May the 14th. There is a private ceremony at 3pm and graduation is at 7pm. All friends and relatives are invited to come.

After graduation I plan to take the certification test (CSW-Clinical Social Worker) this will enable me to be certified by the state of Kentucky to be a therapist. After I obtain this job I will have to be under supervision for two years before I can take the licensure exam (LCSW-Licensed Clinical Social Worker). Many individuals do not know what social work is.

According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), (2010) “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well­being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus on individual well­being in a social context and the well­being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.
Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. “Clients” is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and implementation, education, and research and evaluation. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. Social workers also seek to promote the responsiveness of organizations, communities, and other social institutions to individuals’ needs and social problems.
The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of core values. These core values, embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective:
-service
-social justice
-dignity and worth of the person
-importance of human relationships
-integrity
-competence.
This constellation of core values reflects what is unique to the social work profession. Core values, and the principles that flow from them, must be balanced within the context and complexity of the human experience.”

Social work is a broad field. There are social workers that work as child protective services, therapists, work at the hospital, or in the military. Some social workers are college professors, or some write policy, or even go into politics, ect... Many ask me what I am planning to do? When I say be a therapist, many say, “Oh, a physical therapist?” And I say, “No, the head kind.” :D

I feel like my life is slowly coming back to me. I have put a lot of hard work into earning my master’s degree for the past two years. I look back and I honestly do not know how I did it. There were a lot of late nights, early mornings, coffee, and at times sheer determination. I am very grateful for the support my family has shown me during this process. I am grateful for the patience and words of encouragement from all of my friends. I couldn’t have done it without all of you.

Reference:

National Association of Social Workers. (2010). Code of ethics. Retrieved from: http://www.naswdc.org/pubs/code/code.asp

Jacob will be 3

It was almost three years ago that I lay in bittersweet agony for 16 hours trying to give birth to the most wonderful person that would ever grace me with his life. On March 25, 2007 at 7:50 pm CST my sweet baby Jacob was born. He was a whopping 9lbs. 12.5 oz. Oh, the relief I felt hearing his first cry. When I looked at him for the first time he had no idea how my heart melted, or just how much I needed him. How surreal it is for that moment to forever be seared into my memory. I knew that I loved and adored this precious child; but I had no idea how much joy and happiness he would create just for me. As the days so quickly pass, so do the special baby characteristics that he once possessed. Does he know that he is growing and changing too quickly for his Mommy? It is my only hope that through the years I can offer him as much joy that he brings to me every day. I am so thankful and glad to be his Mommy. His loveliness has brought me more bliss then I could ever find the words to explain.

She’s Just Tired

It has been an extremely rough week. I have had some gut wrenching assignments this week that I had a difficult time with personally. I also haven’t been feeling well and it is the middle of the semester. I always hate the middle of the semester, just because it’s the most stressful point of the semester. There are assignments due and assignments to be done, deadlines, and group meetings. All of this goes with all of the other things in life like work, birthday parties, grocery shopping and so on. I’m tired and, believe it or not, have finally decided that I’m tired of juggling so many things. I have learned to say no and gracefully bow out and away from responsibilities. Now graduation day is just around the corner and I am looking very forward to finally becoming a therapist, and living a much calmer life.

Snow

Life has been really fun lately with no school work, my new job, and this snowy weather! I must say I’m just getting the hang of not having so much to do all of the time, and I like it! We spent the weekend playing in the snow. Jacob’s picture made it in the top two pictures of the Southeast Snow on The Weather Channel! Which I think was AWESOME! I personally couldn’t get enough of The Weather Channel showing my little man every so often. It honestly wasn’t that big of a deal, but to us, it was!

Jacob had a blast walking through the woods in the snow, climbing rocks, and sliding down a frozen creek. He also enjoyed the four-wheeler pulling a sleigh and the ice cicles! He surprises me with just how capable he is of doing things. I frequently worry about some of the things he does, for a two year old; however, usually, he shows me just how much I underestimate him.

This is what life is all about!

I don’t know about you but our family is looking forward to some more snow!

Lovin Livin

Life is much simpler when you are not working, what seems like, three jobs. I didn’t realize how much free time was getting taken up just from going to school until Christmas break started. I must say, for the first time in a long time, I am very much enjoying life. Some of the things that I love to do right now:

Snuggling with Jacob in the bed of a morning and watching Max & Ruby!

Sleeping in!

Making lunch with my “Little Chef”!

Watching Christmas movies on random channels!

Listening to Christmas music and wrapping gifts, while Jacob pulls all the tape off the dispenser! Hey, he thinks that he is helping.

Spending time with family, in the middle of the day!

Baking!

Talking on the phone, making plans, and doing those plans with my best friend!

Planning fun days in the near future!

Eggnog!

Enjoying talks over coffee with my husband!

Feeling refreshed for church!

Teaching my child how to use the potty and watching his face light up over his progress!

Making hot chocolate for Jacob and hearing him say, “Mommy! This SO good!”

Just being.