Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Show and Tell Tuesday: When I Grow Up



When I created the Show and Tell List I was SUPER excited about this topic because I love seeing what people thought they'd be doing as an adult versus what they ended up actually doing as a career.  I actually blogged about this back in November of last year, so if it sounds familiar that's probably why.  But hang in there because there's new content at the end of the post :)

When I was in Elementary and Middle School I ALWAYS wanted to be a vet.  I even applied to the NC State Vet Camp and almost made it.  I didn't and I was CRUSHED! hahaha  I'm pretty sure that my parents even humored me and took me to several open houses at the vet school and I "just knew" that's what I was going to be. 

I hunter jumped horses and read all the Saddle Club and Thoroughbred books and wanted to be a veterinarian who lived on a horse farm.  I wanted Great Pyrenees dogs and barn cats and the whole shebang. :)


In High School, I decided that I still wanted to do medicine, but with people instead.  I set my sights on going to med school and explored that option through my High School's Clinical Rotation program where I earned by CNA license (Certified Nursing Assistant) by working in a nursing home for a semester and then had opportunities to shadow doctors in our local ER, volunteer in a free clinic and spend time shadowing several pediatricians.  I sat in on several surgeries and got to get a feel for the medical field.

I searched through albums for a pic of me in my scrubs, but I couldn't find one.  WHAT ON EARTH did we do before cell phone cameras?!?!?!    BUUUUUUUUUT I'm pretty sure the pic below was taken when we went out to celebrate me getting my CNA. :)  Holy braces, batman!


In college I majored in business with intentions of going to medical school and becoming a pediatrician.  I went to UTD on an academic scholarship that covered 8 semesters and I was determined to get my undergrad and at least half of my MBA in that amount of time.  Yes, people.  That's right.  I was crazy.  I took an insane amount of hours and worked crazy hard. I consulted academic advisors, but somehow overlooked consulting God ;)  After an almost-tragic white water rafting accident (that's a post for another day... but long story short I flew off the raft, got sucked into a rapid and was underwater for several minutes) I started listening more to God's plan and less to my own.

Throughout college I had been tutoring kids in Math (because I totally had time for that!), and while I was working on my MBA and working in Marketing and Advertising for a bank, I was approached about teaching.  Dave and I had only been married for a few months, but we prayed a lot about it and I decided to go out on a limb and try it - who knew (well, we know who knew) that I would find my absolute passion!  

You can read more about my road to becoming a teacher as well as my philosophy on education on this Teacher Tuesday post.

One thing that never changed from age 4 all the way to today - is that I wanted to be a mom.  SOOOOOOOOO thankful that I'm able to live out that dream!

So that's my story :)


Me in my classroom - before starting my first year of teaching - 9 years ago! :)

I don't talk about Dave's job very often, but he's the Service Director for a country club - and his story is similar to mine in that he ended up somewhere completely different than where he thought he'd be as well.  From a really young age, Dave wanted to be a police officer and he wanted to do that all the way into college.  He started working at Stonebridge as a bus boy/waiter his freshman year of college, while working on a criminal justice degree, and ended up finding his passion in an unlikely place.  Dave looooooves to serve.  I know that sounds weird, but he enjoys taking care of people and really excelled in the industry and decided to switch his major to business and pursue food service long term.  Being a manager at a country club is a FAR CRY from police work, and I think that there are days he would probably like to arrest some people :), but his job suits his personality well and is a great fit for our family life.

Since I've been teaching for several years now, I'm getting to see some of my former students "grow up" and have real jobs and it's been fun to see them become exactly what I thought they'd be or something completely unexpected. 

Dave and I often sit and wonder what our kids are going to end up being when they "grow up" and so I thought I'd record them talking about it themselves!!! (and yes, these videos are different than they were in November



Mason has said he wants to be in the food business for at least a year.  Chef, cooker man, griller guy - it's always food related.  I think he gets it from his daddy :)  Despite him always talking about working in food service, I think his expressive facial expressions and flair for the dramatic would be well suited as an actor.  Plus... we've caught him watching himself cry and make other faces in the mirror :)



If I had to place a bet on Luke's future career 100% I would put it on engineering.  He is analytical, logical and creative.  He has a mind for how things work and is inquisitive about the mechanics behind everything.  Whatever Luke ends up doing it will be done 1000% and will be done well.

I don't have a video of Griffin, but if we had to predict now what she'll be when she grows up, it would definitely be something where she got to boss people around OR a job where she gets to clean and organize.  She LOVES to wipe down the table and is a stickler for having things in their place.

So, back to you!  Are you in the profession that you planned on?  A completely different one than what you thought?  How has life turned out differently than your elementary, middle or high school self thought it would?


   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

62 comments :

  1. I love that you wanted to be a vet on a goes farm. For some reason I just can't imagine that?!

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  2. I loved everything about this post. God really knew what he was doing with you. I cannot imagine you as anything but a teacher! Loved the videos of the kids!!!!! And me? I was going to be an actress. Until I didn't get the lead in the musical senior year. I was broken-hearted (AND TICKED OFF!) :), and I realized I didn't want to deal with rejection like that for my entire life. My mom suggested speech pathology and I was like "Mmmm, okay!" I shadowed one of my high school friend's mom that summer at Our Children's House at Baylor, and I started at OU in the fall with "Communication Sciences and Disorders" as my major. God knew what he was doing with me too when he let that other girl get the lead our senior year. Thank you God!

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    1. Speech paths have the best jobs ;)

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    2. I'm going to need a musical performance of some kind next time I see you - I had no clue you were musical!!!

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  3. I met you just a few months before you became a teacher...and I remember thinking, "of course, she's going to be a teacher...she's the perfect teacher." Girl...it's so obvious that teaching is God's calling for you. You are amazing and your students are incredibly blessed.

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  4. That mason gets me every time! Hola amigo- that's Spanish.. Lol

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    1. The best part is that before that I had never heard him say amigo :) He's a mess!

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  5. That video of Mason has me squealing!!! Such a fun post :)

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  6. I am so glad that you ended up being a teacher!! You were meant to teach!! Love you! :)

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    1. Awwww! Thank you!!! Now I just need to get your kids in my classroom :)

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  7. So many favorite parts in Madon's video!

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  8. I love your journey to teaching! It really is a rewarding career that I too have chosen....except I teach in an elementary school. I love your teacher posts! They really show your love and passion for teaching!

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    1. Oh, girl! Bless you and the nose-wiping and hand-holding :) So much respect for elementary teachers!

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  9. Saddle Club! Brings back so many memories :)

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    1. Some of my most fond memories are laying in a hammock at my grandparents cottage reading saddle club :)

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  10. Love those videos!! It's inspired me to get a video like that of my son before he starts school. What a fun memory of their little personalities. It sounds like Griffin would also make an excellent Mommy since she likes to boss and is good a cleaning!! :)

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    1. She's going to be an AMAZING mom! And YES on the video of your little guy :)

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  11. Luke's sweet little voice just stole my heart.

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    1. awwwww!!!! He's the sweetest :) He was also EXHAUSTED after swimming and skating that day :)

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  12. This was such a fun link-up... loved writing my post now I can't wait to read everyone else's! Thanks, Andrea!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed it! Carving out time tomorrow to go through and read everyones :)

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  13. That video of Mason was the cutest thing I've seen in a while!

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  14. I never had a complete idea what I wanted to be in life, but I knew, like you, that I wanted to be a mother, and a wife, everything else I knew would fall into place.

    liz @ sundays with sophie

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  15. I knew I wanted to be a mom since I was 4 years old, too! Seriously the greatest.

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  16. I always wanted to be a teacher. And I became one. After 4 years, 2 of those being miserable, I decided to work at my family's business in the office. Everyone always says, things work out for a reason...and I'm still waiting to see whta that reason is.

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    1. Oh no!!! So sorry to hear that you had a bad experience ;( I'm sure whatever the reason is will be great in the long run.

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  17. "Can we ask the lady in your phone where do apple trees grow?" He's awesome.

    -Bradley Lindsey

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  18. Love this post! 💜
    I always wanted to be a musical theater actress on broadway. Always...since 4 years old. My dream led me to get a job at a bank since bankers hours were ideal to work during the day and perform nights and weekends. Now, 17 years later and several promotions, I still work at the Bank and love my job! As for musical theater, instead of lullabies at night, my kids get to choose from muscial theater songs before bedtime. Madeline (5) loves Castle on a Cloud, I Feel Pretty, Maybe and several others. Jacskon (6) loves Hard Knock Life, Fall of Rain, Any song from My Fair Lady and more. Every night before bedtime is so.much.fun! 💜

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    1. Best. Comment. Ever! I love that you get to "perform" for your kids every night. Thank you for sharing!

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  19. Love your post Andrea! I, on the other hand, have NOT grown up yet (at 50 years old), so I don't know what I want to be... ask me several times a day and I might have a different answer. LOL... Have a great day!

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    1. I love this...I was going to ask if I still have time to figure out what I want to be when i grow up... but you've got me beat by ten years, so yes, I still have time lol!

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    2. I LOVED your comment! There are a lot of thing I'd like to do when I grow up as well. :) Great perspective!

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  20. Mason. I. die. ;)

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  21. Andrea this is hilarious. I was more than a little horse obsessed too. I thnk I devoured the Saddle Club then moved on the Black Stallion (which is around 20 books so it took a bit) and I ended with the Flicka series.

    So I guess the summary of that is, "I was book obsessed." But I did love horses and rode a lot.

    Love that you included the kids. I need to do that for posterity. My oldest wanted to be a "Princess-Cowgirl-Rockstar" when she was 5 and I feel like that's what I should have been. It was my calling and I missed it. Alas. (#44 from the link-up today)

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    1. OOOH!!! Now I want to go read the Black Stallion series! :)

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  22. LOVED Mason's video!!
    "Because Mommy's my best friend." <3

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    1. Not sure how long it's going to last - so I'm soaking it up and loving every minute of it now :)

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  23. I don't know you in person, but you seem like a really great teacher!

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    1. Thank you!!! I love what I get to do every day, so that's the sweetest!

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  24. Why did you edit the part about being underwater for 4+ minutes? It sounded like God did a miracle that day!

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    1. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have posted an exact time since I technically don't know exactly how long I was underwater (I have taken the word of people who were there) and I received several comments today accusing me of being a fraud and a liar. When I posted about this back in 2008 I said 2-3 minutes and then today said 4+ because when I was discussing it with Dave back in November (when I did my original When I Grow Up Post) that's what he and I remembered and I didn't even remember posting about it back in 2008 (I wish I had because that would have been helpful. hahaha). Because of the discrepancy in the number of minutes I referenced I received some major criticism via comments about embellishing and making the whole thing up and so I thought it would be best to just remove the time altogether if it was going to cause people to miss the intention of me telling about the experience. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter whether it was 2, 3, or 4+ minutes - what's important is that it was an experience where I felt God spoke directly to me and it changed the path and direction of my career and life. God did a total miracle that day and I am proud to share what he's done for me. Sorry for the novel :)

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    2. Thanks for replying. I understand the criticism because it's the type of story that we love to embellish and those stories tend to get better year after year :) But, don't give the critical ones the ammunition. When you edit, they use that as proof that you were intentionally lying and got caught, which is not what I believe happened. Keep sharing God's work in you life!

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    3. Agreed. I feel like a lot of the time it's lose-Lose for me. If I leave it then I'm a liar and if I change it obviously I'm covering up that I'm a liar. I figured that for the long run this was probably the better choice. Thanks so much for the feedback!

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    4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  25. Sorry to hear people are so nit picky on your blog Andrea. Like you said the time doesn't matter! Oh but of course it makes you a liar by just that one circumstance. Sad.

    Keep your head up :) you're one of the most genuine bloggers/moms I follow and we do appreciate you sharing with us your experiences and beautiful family.
    - Petra

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    1. Thanks, Petra! It comes with the territory, which can be a tough pill to swallow at times. Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words!

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  26. Really? It breaks my heart how mean and rude some people can be. I don't know you at all but you are one of my favorite bloggers. Your heart for Jesus and your family is authenitc. Thank you for sharing your life!

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    1. Thanks, girl! I let a lot of criticism roll off my back, but having my integrity and intentions criticized was a little harder. It comes with the territory, though. Thanks so much for reading!

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  27. I just want to let you know that you have been one of my favorite blogs for several years and I have never once had a sense that you were dishonest or in the habit of embellishing your content. I’m sorry that you received such reproachful and disparaging comments concerning that frightening water incident. I think most readers understood the point of what you were trying to communicate. I’m sure the recollection of those who witnessed it was, that by all accounts, it was long enough that it could easily have ended tragically. I’m also sure no one was timing these split second life threatening minutes with a stop watch as they unfolded and it surely felt like an eternity. Whether that be 2 or 3 or 4 minutes by various accounts, in the famous words of Hilary “what difference does that make at this point?”. People can be so venomous. Natalie G.

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    1. Thank you so much, Natalie. You wouldn't believe the slew of comments that I've received. I so appreciate your kind words.... they mean the world!

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  28. I am so glad that I found your blog because it is definitely an uplifting space on the Internet! It is one of my favorites to read...thank you so much for sharing your life and your family with us. I am only 23 and I am applying for teaching jobs right now and I really look up to you! I will never understand why some people "hate-read" and feel the need to leave such negative comments. Your blog has certainly changed since I started reading but I love all the changes and if I didn't, I wouldn't criticize you...I would just read somewhere else. You started this blog to write about your family and however it changes is just right for you! You have many loyal readers (and bloggers who love your link-ups!). :) Thanks for sharing the good, bad, funny, and serious parts of life.

    kyliemcgraw.wordpress.com

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  29. I love your blog!! Please don't take the criticism to heart. Some people will find a way to criticize anything. At the end of the day, you know your intentions are in the right place. Honestly what could you have to gain by exaggerating by one minute? I know how much it can hurt when people (even strangers) criticize, so I hope you don't let it bring you down! :)

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  30. I love your Show and Tell Tuesdays! I'm a teacher too - just finished my 12th year - crazy! Thanks for "party!"
    ♥ Jen
    A Splash of Life Blog

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