It's more than just a headache...

Ok so here is the long story of why my face looks like I took a beating. I wish I could say someone knocked me out... I wish I could say I was in a horrible accident... I wish I could say Buster's tail whacked its last whack... I wish I could say its not as bad as it looks... but I can't! 

On Friday afternoon I came home from work feeling like I was getting a pimple on my eyebrow above my left eye. GREAT... another reminder that part of my body is hanging on to my least favorite years of life (adolescence)!! Starting early in life, probably around 12, I started breaking out regularly. These have not been your average breakouts... they have been UGLY. Often resulting in huge knot like zits that were OH so painful! They have been the cause of a few scars and many self conscious years. They have continued through college and into my adult years. I have dreams of the day that my skin will change but I don't count on it. I'm sure I'll always have issues... I just pray my kids don't have the issues I have had. 

Anyways -- (That was quite the detour...) 

So Friday I came home feeling like I was getting a pimple above my left eye. Total inconvenience but it is what it is. It became more and more tender as the weekend went on but never really 'grew'. On Sunday Andrew and I decided I would call a dermatologist and try to get my breakouts under control. Anyways When I woke up on Monday I had a HUGE headache and my WHOLE forehead as swollen. By the time I got to work it was down and around my eyes. The office administration and other teachers encouraged me to call my doctor and get it checked out. I called my general practitioner and they got me in that day. She gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and an ointment that would treat me for STAPH infection. (If there is ever an infection to freak out about ... Staph is it!! My face wasn't bad enough to take a sample to get tested so she was just guessing...)  She said to go home, take it easy and keep a warm damp compress on it, she told me to call her if it got any worse. 

This is what I looked like Monday when I got home from the Doctors office and getting my prescription filled... 

By Monday at 4:30 this is what I looked like. My head at this point is killing me. I've been taking 2 ibuprofen gel caps every 4 hours and it would give me at the most an hour of relief where I could stand to get up and go to the bathroom and rewarm my rag and such.

 I freaked out at that point! I called my doctors office and they had JUST closed their phone lines down. It was all I could do not to get in my car and drive there. If my head didn't hurt so bad I might have. Andrew came home early and took me to the ER here in town. We sat there for over and  hour and nothing... so we decided to go to a clinic in town. They were getting ready to shut down and we were the only ones in there so I got right in. The doctor there gave me a shot to treat me for a STREP infection. Apparently you can get strep in your skin. The shot was a booger! I can handle shots... they don't freak me out or scare me. Once I saw this one I started getting shaky. It was in my hip and for the next day it felt like someone had frogged me!! The shot itself was also painful. The needle was thick and long, and there was a lot of stuff in it! YUCK!
Anyways - by the end of Monday this is what my face looked like... a little better.

 Tuesday morning was fall picture day at school. I was kinda freaking out. Someone suggested big hair and jewelry! BINGO!! I can do big! Big will be distracting ...

 Ok so it isn't so distracting... but perhaps if I wear my reading glasses for pictures... will that help??

 Yeah that wasn't good enough. So I got resourceful! A paper sack. Did you ever make a face out of a paper sack and wear it on your head. I never did... so I thought today would be a great chance to do just that! Then I remembered that I teach PreK. And showing up with a bag face just wouldn't be acceptable.

 That night was a little better. My headache was getting much much worse. I could hardly stand to move. I managed to get a little sleep and this was what I looked like on Wednesday morning... This was as much as I could smile. It was not good.

This was Thursday morning. On Wednesday I was in tears and called the doctor to tell her about my headaches. She prescribed a pain medicine (loritab) that didn't help much the night before. She also said that she wanted to see me ASAP on Thursday.

So Thursday I went to the doctor and they gave me yet another antibiotic. The goal is for it to either dissolve, or all be localized so they can lance it. Whatever happens... I'll be ok with. I'm just ready for the headaches to go away. I'm tired of laying on the couch and balancing a warm rag on my head. Luckily the Loritab is helping me sleep some, however, it is making me quite loopy. I feel like I've had a glass or two of wine...

I also have a great friend Jamie who has brought me dinner 2 nights this week. She made my day! Tuesday she brought me Chicken and Wild Rice soup and tonight she brought us a fancy pesto lasagna and Caesar salad! It was delish!! I am so blessed to have such great friends here in Bartlesville to take care of me!! Thanks Jamie!!

House Updates

Ok here are the pictures of the living room, den and dining room painted. The before pictures are first... then the after. 

My mom and dad are ROCK STARS! They spent part of their vacation painting our house.

The hideous pink wall is now white... thank you primer!! 

Goodbye panelling! 

That light... GONE! 

The painter. He does a great job but... I promise, after this weekend of painting ... you can't afford him! 

PAINT! The weather was great so the doors stayed open most the time! 

Dining room almost done! 

Finished! 

I LOVE it! 

The blue color is called hazel... I LOVE it! 

With a little bit of tweaking... this might be my favorite spot in the house. 

I love this view. Once things get on the walls it will be perfection! 

And the hazel from a different angle. I LOVE it! 

My favorite bookshelf that dad has moved 12 times and each and every time he swears he won't do it again... well... this weekend me did it again. 

This is from the hallway looking into the living room. The wall by the window needs something... but still paying with it. 

You can't see it from here but the partitions that were between the den and the living room are gone!! It really opens things up! 

Entry way!! 

Mom and dad bought us new fixtures for our entry and hallway. I love them! 

They hallway with the new light. Love it... oh and there is a peak at my favorite wall!! 

The hallway! I'm going to put pictures up here. 

This clock is going on the HAZEL wall!! 

Yup, right up there! 

A crooked picture... love the color and window. Also note... the air holes in the top of the ceiling still don't have the vent on them! 

This mirror is going over the fire place. I spray painted it. I'm horrible at spray painting. But nonetheless... it will go over the fireplace. It will be fabulous! 

Ok so while mom and dad were here the AC was out. It wasn't too bad though. The high was maybe 80 and it was only that high during the afternoon for a few hours. The evenings were perfect! 

Ok so my Mac is on the fritz. Its giving me all sorts of a headache. Oh well. Maybe that means a break for a while. :) 

Its been too long...

Hi.
I know... I suck. Look down to my last post. It was at least 3 weeks ago.
Well I can't sleep so rather than spending HOURS on Pintrest I thought I would give an update.
We are doing well. Our Bathroom is still gutted... but it is coming along. Andrew and a friend of ours are making great progress on the vanity. Soon we will get the walls repaired and then get the tile put in. I have dreams of it being up and working by October soon.
My mom and dad are coming next Wednesday to help with the house. They are going to PAINT for us. GOD BLESS THEM! We were going to rip down our wood panelling, texture the walls and then paint. However, we have decided to just paint over it all. I'm sure someday we will go back and rip down the panelling and texture... but for now... we are just painting. Voice your opinions as you will have them, but I am ready to be done! I'm ready to have stuff up on my walls! I'm ready to NOT have a bright pink wall in my living room. I'm also ready to see my mom and dad! So that makes this deal even better!

Teaching is amazing. I love it. I am exhausted every night when I finally sit down. My feet hurt like I've never felt before. My shoulders are tight every night. My face is a constant break out and I have had a sore throat for the past 2 weeks. But... I wouldn't trade it for the world. I absolutely adore my babies. All 21 of them. The good, bad, smelly and sweet ones! Every day they remind me of innocence.

The second day of school, a fairly shy little guy started singing at the top of his lungs (while I was trying to get then whole class quiet) "Jesus Loves me This I know..." I just sat down, listened to the noise and enjoyed the song.

By the end of the second week, our PE coach had named my class 'the worse class in PreK'! If you know me... you know that is a HUGE blow. I was devastated. Until I realized that its ok. They are 4. They are going to be rambunctious. They are going to be 'wild monkeys' from time to time. The good news is that they are improving. We can now making 20 feet in the hall with our arms in a 'pretzel' and bubbles in our cheeks!

I have a fabulous aide that is just... well... fabulous!! She is easy to talk to. Fun to be around and a great help with the kids. She has been an aide for the past few years, so she is a little more familiar with 4 year old behavior than I am. She has been great at giving me advice and getting me off to a good start.

Everyone at the school is wonderful. I have 3 beautiful co-teachers. They all love Jesus! GLORY BE! On Saturday I get to go to Oklahoma City for a workshop with one of them. I'm excited to get to know her more. However, I am NOT excited about leaving at 6:15 (before I usually get up on a school day) and being in a workshop all day. I would much rather be going to play!

Andrew is starting a new job this week. He was approached about leading the High School for On The Rock Ministries a few weeks ago. After praying about it, we feel like this is a great step for him. It will only be about 10 hours a week and most of that will be on Thursday nights. I'm so excited for him. I know his heart is with youth and he will thrive in the environment.

Thats what is going on with the Schumachers right now. We are doing life one day at a time and trying to enjoy it while we are at it. Stick with us.. I might not get much posted right now... but I have faith that life will slow down one day. Or I know I'll get a break at Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I'll be sure to post and update then.
Hopefully I'll think about it and get before and after pictures of the house as we are painting!

Because I know Blogs are better with pictures... here are a few random ones that made me laugh ! :)

Yup... thats me up there. I was on a ladder and everything. Putting the ceiling fan together! :) Andrew did the electrical part... but I wanted to help too!! 

This picture remindes me of fall. We had just gotten engaged .... I think. Anyways. Its in Midland and I remember the air being cool but not freezing. It was so wonderful... its going to be here soon. 

This is one of our engagement pictures. I love it. It was taken just after Christmas in Siloam Springs Arkansas. It was bitterly cold but ... so worth it. I can't wait for winter. 

However, if my crazy husband makes me bundle up like so to walk to the grocery store... you might find his body buried in the snow along the way. I will be ok if there is only ONE big snow storm this year. One a year is fine with me! :) 

We love MOST drop by visitors...

Tonight Buster and Dudley were carrying on like their was something in the yard...

Yup... thats a skunk.
Our handy neighbor Joe came over and attacked it with a fierce rake!
Then with a shovel.
The skunk didn't live long.

The critter picker up people are here now to take care of his body...
Bad news... skunks travel in packs and will seek revenge! UGH.
We love drop by visitors... just not the stinky kind!

When opportunity knocks...

When opportunity knocks ... I'd like to be known as the person that answers.
Therefore ... this week, I took a step in faith and answered a knock at the door. Or rather an email. I'm scared. I'm stressed. I'm hungry. Anyways... lets start at the beginning. that will clear things up for you.

Monday the hubs and I started this fast. You can read more about it here. It is weird, it is radical ... and you are going to think I lost my marbles. Well I have. And I have to say that today... day 4... I feel normal again. However, the first three days I considered running away from home and taking a bite out of the first cow I came to.
Anyways... Monday night, I had a hard time falling asleep. I tossed and turned and tried talking to Andrew but he passed out... lucky him. So I decided to pray. During my prayer I prayed that God would revile to me the direction our lives are supposed to take during this fast. That He would really show himself to me. I'm sure it went deeper than that but I feel asleep and woke up with a killer headache. After explaining to my wonderful boss that I couldnt make it that morning and be worth anything, I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Then my phone started freaking out with email alerts. I decided to check it to see if there was anything important that I was missing.
Well... there it was. A request from a principle to come talk to him about a job that just became open that day. I was the first person he had thought about and he felt that I would do a good job adapting to that role.
After freaking out by myself I called my husband and freaked out with him. He said it wouldnt hurt to go talk to him and see where it leads.
I spent the morning in prayer, worship and slight hysteria. I felt a panicked peace about things. Knowing that God has this. God has me! God will take care of it! But knowing that school starts next week... PANIC!
Long story short... I decided to take the job. My last day at my current place of employment will be Friday August 12. And on Monday August 15 I will report to my school for orientation and getting things ready. On Wednesday August 17... I will once again have a class full of little ones.

When Andrew and I got married and I moved to Bartlesville I tried to get a teaching position. However, it was not in God's plans for me. For some reason He had me take the job I have. It had been a good job with beautiful people. I can't imagine what it will be like to be with out them in my daily life. I honestly didnt know if I would ever go back into teaching again. In fact - when we moved a month ago... I threw out half of all my teacher stuff and gave half of what was left away. I'm starting from scratch and I have 4 days to get it done. But I love it! My heart is at peace. I KNOW this is God's leading and direction that I was praying for.

I will be teaching Pre K. I taught Kindergarten for 4 years back home and loved it. I never in my life thought I would enjoy such a young age, but I did. It was amazing.
On Monday I will introduce myself to a couple dozen 4 year olds and "Mrs. Schumacher"! And saying that puts a smile on my face and makes my heart panic at the same time. But God is good... and He is preparing me for the road ahead.

SO pray for me... this week is going to be a doozy!!