Reflection

There is a verse in the Bible that says, "Be still and know that I am God."  To me that says to be still on the outside and on the inside.  Sometimes that is very hard to do.  Sometimes it is very hard to quiet our minds and our thoughts.  As I listened to Journey to Relaxation I was very distracted.  The sounds of the bells or chimes distracted me.  Maybe a softer, less annoying sound would have made it easier for me to relax.  I finally shut it off and turned on some quiet worship music.  That to me is relaxation!

My Family

My father-in law, Jerry, is a huge support for  me and the kids.  My daughter Danielle saw how fun Kaplan was for her sister and I and now she is a Kaplan student too.  This picture was taken on graduation day.

My grandson, Cameron, keeps my weekends  hopping!

Charlie, seems to understand everything I say and listens too!

Jayden, the soccer  maniac!  Loves to eat  great big cupcakes!

Donnie, my #1 son!!

Robyn, loves to bake great big cupcakes!

Crystal and I had graduation pictures taken to celebrate our accomplishments.

Napping Nellie!

Welcome to My Journey

Welcome to my journey!  This journey has taken curves and zig-zags along the way, but what a journey it has been.  I hope you enjoy this blog.  I have never done anything like this before; so again a new journey.

I am a 55 year old wife and mother of 5 great kids.  My husband (who is also a Kaplan student) and I have been married for nearly 27 years. It has been a very bumpy marriage, but we have kept the faith, hope, and love.  We have 3 grown children.  Crystal is 33 years old and a Kaplan student.  Danielle is 29 years old and a Kaplan student.  Donnie is 25 and lives in Clarinda, Iowa.  Then we have Robyn who is almost 14 and Jayden who is 10.  They used to be our grandchildren, however, we adopted them 4 1/2 years ago.  Now they are just ours!!  We also have a white toy poodle, Charlie and a yellow lab, Nellie.  They are just as spoiled as the kids.

My Kaplan journey began 2 years ago when I enrolled in the Medical Assistant Program.  November 13, 2011 I graduated as a Medical Assistant and was student speaker at the graduation ceremony.  Not all parents can say that they graduated college with one of their children.  I had the wonderful experience of graduating with my oldest daughter who is also a Medical Assistant.  She is also the biological mother of the two I adopted.  Crystal getting her life back on track and graduating with me made the journey so very special!  I am currently working on my Bachelor Degree in Health and Wellness.  I am enjoying this part of the journey.  I work full-time in a medical clinic, go to school full-time, plus being a full-time wife and mother, and do homework full-time.  Wow, that sounds busy!!  My two kids are both in activities that I have to keep up with.  Robyn plays volleyball, basketball and the flute.  Jayden plays soccer, basketball, and baseball.  Needless to say, homework goes to practices with me.

My weekends consist of soccer practice, listening to flute practice, household duties, homework, and my most favorite of the weekend, church.  I enjoy our church very much.  I sing in our choir and choir practice on Thursday nights is the highlight of my week.  Worship music is my stress reducer!!

Welcome to the journey with me!