"A problem is often God's blessing in disguise"

This title of my blog has been the story of my life for about 2 weeks. When I graduated from college, I knew what I wanted to do with my degree....work with adults. It was something about them that I liked and had a good rapport with. I found them so interesting to work with and I had found my niche despite challenging externships throughout grad school.

However, this summer I ran across the difficulty of finding an adult placement who would accept a new college grad to be supervised. That is how I landed the job with a school. I worried and feared in this awful economy that I wouldn't find anything, so I took it anyway. I thought that maybe it would grow on me or I would end up really loving to work with children in a school setting...and I just....didn't.

I couldn't sleep in fear that I had chosen the wrong career path (which isn't unusual) or made a really bad decision regarding this job...it honestly turned me into a different person. My relationships with my family and fiance were suffering and I wasn't sure if I could escape the problem. Everyone would tell me "oh it gets better..." and I believed it to a certain extent. But I believe in the philosophy of John Hagee..."Life is too short to waste it staying trapped in the problem. Time waits for no man and it certainly is not waiting for you."

So I thought...ok, I have two choices...get up everyday and hate going to my job that I just took for the heck of it....or risk everything and take another opportunity (which presented itself a week before school actually started) that I could potentially end up really liking. I absolutely HATE making major life decisions, especially those that are major life changes as well.

After many sleepless nights, distracted days, skype conversations with Jason, deliberations with my family, and phone calls to other people in the profession....as well as deep in prayer and my nose in Life's Challenges: Your Opportunities by John Hagee....I decided that God wouldn't have opened up this opportunity for me if I weren't supposed to take it. I believe firmly that God would've kept me in my job and nothing else would have presented itself if that is where I was supposed to be. But it didn't. I was offered and a way out of the problem and I took it....

I think the worst part about this situation is that I had to tell someone no and someone yes. I absolutely hate telling others no and I am a people pleaser all the time. I'm not sure why this problem presented itself, but I think God wanted me to know it was ok to tell others no and to do what is better for myself at the time. It also taught me to be bolder and that I can't let others dictate my happiness.

With that being said....go for it....if you feel it in your gut, but are scared to do it....its probably the right thing. No one makes it to the top without a dream, a risk, some difficult circumstances and a lot of passion and determination. Speech isn't my life and I don't believe jobs should be everyone's life...but I feel like I will eventually reach that place in my worklife where I feel more confident and have a job that I thoroughly enjoy going to everyday. I feel like this current problem was just a stepping stone to getting there....

Now if I could only dance for a living....man, now THAT would actually make my life a lot easier ;)

Keep praying this week as I finish out my school job and hopefully start with the nursing facility next Monday!

Love,
H.

T minus 11 days til I become an adult...scary.

So recently I've been in training for my position as a speech-language pathologist with Ft. Worth ISD. It is already overwhelming! There is SO much information, not just with the speech therapy aspect alone, but with paperwork, policies, procedures, etc etc and more etc... I'm hoping that after the first stressful month that it will go all downhill from here!

Our CF supervisors are awesome by the way. They are soooo nice and so willing to help. All the new SLP's got 13, yes, 13 binders FULL of information we can refer to for our job. Overwhelming, again, but so helpful.

I really feel like it will be a great CF experience having these people on board. I kinda feel like I'm at an extended work branch of ACU, which is nice.

I miss ACU...how crazy! I still feel like I should go back to grad school though...my professors claim I know what I'm doing by now, but I'm not so sure I believe them...or in myself shall I add.

I need more faith and trust in God that He knows what He is doing at all times and that every work situation will make me better and stronger. I reflected today on a previous externship experience that I had which was incredibly frustrating and tough and I thought to myself..."if I made it through that, I can do anything!" Haha. So I guess I'll have to keep reminding myself when things get hard.

The thing about me is that I am pretty flexible yet I hate change. I feel vulnerable and ridiculous and if I don't know everything I'm supposed to know (or think I'm supposed to know)...I get frustrated and want to quit. I'm definitely going to have to remember to take it one day at a time, as much as I would LOVE to get everything done in one day....it might take more than one day and that's going to be ok at first because I'm learning, right? RIGHT!

To end with a less stressful note, I have been offered to teach hip hop at a great studio in Benbrook, so we'll see if that all plans out, but it would be nice extra money & also making great contacts for future gigs and such! Well, off to Skype to talk to Jason, then to bed...and onto day 4 of new SLP training...yay for me....is Friday here yet?

love,
h.

dance, dance and these are the lives you love to lead

i absolutely LOVE the dallas dance scene. i never thought i would jump into it as quickly as i have, but God has opened up many opportunities for growth and exploration.

i auditioned yesterday for the Dallas Mavs Dance Team. i met my friend, Natalie, there and she had danced with me for a long time back in abilene. it was really fun gettin to see her and hang out with someone i knew there. we had made friends with a couple of other girls. natalie and i made it past round 2, then got cut right before the last round which completed day 1 of auditions. so we almost made it thru day 1. it was a fun, interesting experience; however, i'm not sure sports team dancing is necessarily right up my alley at this point in my life.

i'm ready to stretch and grow and i've found a wonderful place to do that at the Centre for Dance in Richardson, TX. next weekend, i will be performing in a hip hop revue called Futuristic Dance Party in downtown Dallas. the choreographer had needed another girl and i was offered the spot by the wonderful amber ford, whom i dance with now! i've met some great girls by doing this piece and hopefully my opportunities will only stretch from there!

and now i have 2 more weeks until i start computer training for my job. eeek! i'm somewhat ready to start working because i think it will be fun and i also would love an income :) so i can get an apartment, car, and start saving $$ for a wedding! of which i have brewing ideas for, yay!

i sure do miss my jason though. he has gone to another base for an assignment until aug. 30th. so i won't be able to skype him until then. and when we get on the phone we can't talk a long time because of the long distance minutes. on aug. 16th, he will have been gone for 3 months. it seems like he's been gone years though :( i keep thinking of the day when i'll be able to see him in person again!

well...that is all for now...i might possibly work out :) who knows? its not very sunny to swim today after all...bummer...

Heather Edmondson SLP-CF

As of today, I have my first job ever as a speech-language pathologist clinical fellow at Ft. Worth ISD. I will be at 2 elementary schools working with pre-K thru 5th grade, one of the schools has a life skills class, with special needs children of which I LOVE. The opportunity was too good to pass up! I don't know exactly how I got into the schools, but God knows what He is doing and He will definitely do good things through me and my help to those kids!

And...my birthday is Saturday and I am the big 2-4 :) I'm going to see Little Shop of Horrors at Bass Hall in Ft. Worth and then going out for a bday dinner. Possibly on Sunday going to the Dallas Bridal Show, but we'll see...I'm def ready to get wedding plans underway...now that I know I actually have a paycheck coming in Aug/Sept-ish ;)

That is all my exciting news for now... :)

Oh the places you'll go...

Well, I have been on the job hunt for about 2 weeks now. I have had 2 offers...one in a nursing home and the other in a school...but I'm keeping my options open as I go on another interview next Wed. for another nursing home. I am praying for wisdom and guidance as I make my decisions. I HATE decisions and confrontations. Well...hard decisions. I like the easy decisions, like if I want black pumps or brown flats or something, but not the hard "life changing" decisions like where I want to work and what I'm going to do in life. Anyway, I'll stress out about that on Sunday night when I have to tell the two offers my decision on Monday...yikes!

Today I got some great sun at the pool, its been SO hot here, good grief. And I did a little shopping at Hulen and TJ Maxx. Topped off the night with some Cousin's BBQ...if you haven't had it, you're missing out. If you're ever in Ft. Worth, Crowley, Keller or DFW Airport have some Cousin's (the reason I know where all the Cousin's are located is because I read the brochure :).

Tomorrow I'm going to layout for a while and go to the Parks in Arlington for some early birthday shopping (my birthday is NEXT saturday, july 11th....wooo...the big 2-4). I think my 4th plans include going to downtown Ft. Worth and hoping to catch some good food, music and fireworks. Happy 4th everyone! I love you Jason, my sweet soldier :)

So I made a move...

As of Monday, June 22nd I became an official resident of Ft. Worth, TX! This is the first time I've ever moved away from Abilene, crazy I know. I felt like a college student moving off for the first time, haha. Its taking me a while (and will take a while) for me to get used to all these new changes...not knowing where I'm going all the time is annoying. Living in Abilene for 23 years, I could tell you 5 ways to get to one place...and now I'm having to "Tom-Tom" and google map everything! Although I think I will enjoy it once I get out and "explore" and figure out where things are and how to deal with traffic. Haha. All you Dallas residents can relate. Ft. Worth isn't as bad though.

As far as job searching goes, I have a phone interview with EBS this coming Monday as well as contacting Ft. Worth ISD with some available positions open thanks to Dr. Austin. I'm also meeting with Britni's supervisor on Wed. for an available LTAC position at a nursing home in downtown Ft. Worth.

Things are looking up for me. At the beginning of the week I wasn't so sure I made the right decision by leaving. I left my hometown, my friends, most of my extended family, my dance home and I wasn't getting any luck with job offers. I finally stopped being stubborn and am now allowing God to place me where is best for me...and it may not necessarily be where I want to be. Thank you Jason for your kind words....I actually do listen to your advice, but may not always take it :)

Speaking of my Jason, he got promoted just recently while he is in Korea. I'm so proud of him. He's such a hard worker and even though his co-workers may not see the fruit of his labor, God will definitely reward his good works! I love you sweetheart, we can do this!! :) I'm ready for next August!!

Speaking of wedding planning...I'm ready to get the ball rolling...but the downside is, I def need a paycheck coming in...haha, it won't be too long though. If I take a school position, I'll be seeing that first paycheck beg. of Sept! I'm ready to start looking for wedding venues, caterers, etc...never thought I'd be much of a girly-girl wedding planner, but thanks to Lindsay I am now! Haha. Its fun...

Lastly, I'm going to make the big plunge and drive to Dallas next week to tryout some dance classes at Dallas Powerhouse. I'm scared of the drive, cause I don't know how to get there, haha, but I'm excited about new opportunities. I'm auditioning for the Dallas Mavericks Dance Team again in July as well...just for fun and a learning experience if not anything!

I think that's about it for now....gotta figure out what characteristics and qualities I bring to the workplace for the phone interview on Monday, haha. I hate selling myself.....oooh that sounded bad....well, you know what I mean....market myself! :)

Stay cool as it is steaming outside....and in my apartment...love when the AC is going out, yikes!

peace, love & dance,
h.

Schools out for summer....wait, for GOOD!

Since my life has taken a drastic change this semester, I decided to start a blog! This past semester I finished my Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology at ACU in Abilene. I also finished up a wonderful 20 years at Dance Discovery and with Chameleon Performing Arts Co. and Core Hip Hop Co. Not to mention...I got ENGAGED on March 28, 2009 after my last performance with Chameleon, which both were memorable. My wonderful fiance, Jason Knight, has been in South Korea for 3 weeks with the U.S. Army. He will be there until May 2010. I miss him so much everyday, yet my love continues to grow for him. We will be tying the knot on August 21, 2010 in Dallas, TX. Currently, I am in the process of moving to Ft. Worth with my parents for a while until I find a job in the Dallas area and then I will be rooming with Brooke Johnson, a friend of mine from grad school. We're looking for a job and a place somewhere in the Addison/Richardson/Plano area. I'm so excited, my first roommate, haha! That is my life thus far... :)