The Gosnells Move to Boston: God Gave Me a Teaching Position!

You've probably heard the saying, "God can make a way when there seems to be no way." I've always believed that was true, but now I've lived it! When we decided to move to MA in April, I immediately began applying for teaching positions and researching what I should do to transfer my teaching license. I was told that I would need to take two tests. Only after passing the first test could my license be considered "ready for review" by the MA Department of Education. This review process could take up to 33 weeks! Q: Can I be hired as a teacher during this time? A: "If the school is desperate enough..." I was so discouraged. I remember getting off the phone and breaking down in tears. I went ahead and began the process, but as I did I prepared myself for not being able to teach in the Fall. I started thinking about any other strengths I had and what else I might be good at.

I applied for several teaching jobs in the South Hamilton area, but they all required a MA teaching license and some even required a Master's degree. I applied for other positions as well - daycare provider, receptionist, administrative assistant, etc. A couple of places called me in for interviews after we arrived, but for one reason or another, nothing fit our needs.

Fast forward to last week: Adam's admissions counselor suggested that I contact his friend who is an Upper School principal at a private school nearby. The school had a Middle School math opening and they asked me to come in for an interview right away. I interviewed on Friday, July 27. By Wednesday, they had offered me the position. We had a short business meeting on Thursday and I mailed my Saturday morning! God is SOOO good!

A few specific praises:

• My position includes three sections of 7th and 8th grade PreAlgebra and two sections of Geometry.
• The principal and administrator who interviewed me are Gordon-Conwell graduates.
• The school is only 20 minutes away from our home.
• The principal reminds me of my principal in Arkansas, whom I highly respect and love dearly!

Our First Wedding Anniversary

One year ago, Adam and I experienced one of the best days of life. One year ago, our friends and family loved on us and supported us as we began a new stage of life. One year ago, Adam and I made a covenant with each other and with God to love and cherish each other 'til death do we part. One year ago, we said "I do." It's been an amazing year. I love you so much, Adam, and I pray for many more years together!!!



Adam and I spent yesterday in Boston proper. We had no schedule and no plan... just a short list of possibilities. The weather was pretty cloudy, so it was a cool day. We had such a great time! We drove in and parked at the Boston Common Garage which is located next to the Boston Public Garden. How cute are these "swan rides"?!

After seeing the Public Garden, we visited the Boston Public Library. It's HUGE and very beautiful. The John Hancock building is near the public library and it's also very impressive. There's also a large courtyard where we had lunch from a stand. I had a hot dog and Adam had "the true Boston experience" (according to our server) by eating a hot Italian sausage.

We then took the "T" to get to Harvard Square. The "T" is their Subway. They didn't ask me, but if they had I would have gently reminded them that the word "subway" begins with an "s"... just sayin ;) Adam did a wonderful job navigating us! The T was very busy and a little scary when it makes the screeching sounds. But it's relatively cheap and of course a great way to avoid driving in the city limits.

At Harvard Square, we visited the Curious George store and the Harvard bookstore. We also had ice cream at "J. P. Licks". (For the record, Curious George will be at the Curious George store next week. I wish we could take our nephew!)

I feel like I'm leaving things out, but this at least gives you a glimpse into our day! We also saw the U.S.S. Constitution museum, and the Constitution Marina (pictured below). We love being near the water and I especially enjoy seeing all the boats!

We took the picture below before having a bite from our wedding cake topper today. Let me just tell you, this poor cake survived for a whole year in our freezer... which included a two day trip in a cooler to Massachusetts. This cake was a trooper! But, alas, it's just a cake, people... It didn't taste very good! Haha. So we enjoyed the tradition, but chose not to indulge in very much of the cake ;)

Leftovers + Experiment = Success

I had NO idea how dinner would turn out tonight. We needed to finish some leftover taco meat, but we were missing a few "taco essentials"... And I just didn't want tacos :) So I used Pinterest to gather a few ideas and set out to experiment on my own!

First I boiled some macaroni noodles - in hind sight, there were probably too many noodles, but hey it was an experiment that turned out edible! I'm not complaining :) After they finished, I strained them, put them back in the pot and added the taco meat. Then I added a can of Rotel (undrained) and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Lots of stirring took place and, once it was all heated through, dinner was served! It was pretty good and my husband had two servings. I consider that a success!

The Gosnells Move to Boston: We Made It!

1600 miles, 3 travelers, and 2 days: we made it! After a long and anxious wait, we are officially living in South Hamilton, MA. We were blessed with wonderful driving weather, only 15 minutes of stopped traffic, and only one "travel incident" to speak of when I was separated from the boys. Overall, the drive wasn't nearly as bad as we feared. Between having Ryan to help us and running on adrenaline, everything went beautifully! Don't get me wrong, we were (and maybe still are) completely exhausted! But we are safe and our things suffered very little damage. We are so thankful!

Since arriving, people here have been so thoughtful and kind. Our resident life coordinator (basically the apartment manager) and his wife brought us groceries the day we arrived. Several people helped us unload the truck and someone brought us dinner that night! We were overwhelmed by their kindness and service.

We've spent most of our time unpacking and rearranging furniture. Our apartment is 1.5 times the size of our previous apartment and in addition to that we have space to store things in the attic. We love it! I have counter space and a shower that stays clean for longer than 24 hours - it's the little things in life ;)

Other happenings:

--We found a grocery store. There are two less than 5 minutes from our apartment, but Market Basket is supposed to be the cheapest, so we drove a little further to go there.

--We attended a cookout on July 4th with other seminary couples. Lots of new faces, but everyone was very friendly.

--Adam has already started his reading. He will be taking a Summer class during G-C's Summer 3 session.

--It's hot!!! The temperatures have been in the high 80s and low 90s, which we've heard is very unusual for this area in July. The sun is extremely intense though, so it feels like home - without the intense humidity :) We have had one overcast day and the temperature dropped 20-25 degrees and it's cool in the evenings, so I think most of their heat comes from direct sunlight. Someone mentioned that it has something to do with the angle of the sunlight here.

--I have job leads!!!! 1) I had a phone interview with financial services here on campus. I should hear back from them next week. 2) I've been asked to come in for an interview at Sylvan Learning - a tutoring program about 15-20 minutes away. 3) I have a meeting with Staffing Now, an administrative staffing agency, on Tuesday. Keep praying!!!

The Gosnells Move to Boston: Part 3

I wish I had a nickel for every time someone has asked, "So are you ready?!" We could probably pay for our move! Or at least a candy bar ;) My response is always the same, "Well, ready or not..." For almost a month now, we feel like we've been waiting on something to happen. We've enjoyed the time spent with our families, but we are anxious for what's to come as moving day nears.

Here's the plan... We'll load up the U-haul and secure one of our vehicles to tow at the back on Thursday evening, June 27. On Friday we'll head out for the first part of our journey. Adam's brother, Ryan, will be traveling with us to help drive and also unload when we arrive (that gives us 3 drivers for 2 vehicles). We plan to stay in East TN with a family member on Friday night. We hope to finish our journey on Saturday and unload/move-in on Sunday! It sounds so simple when you see it in black and white :)

How can you pray for us? We're so glad you asked!

--God's peace and assurance, both for us and our families.

--Safety and strength as we load, drive, and then unload. Also, Ryan will be flying back to AR on Monday.

--Confidence and extroversion as we meet new people and get to know our new surroundings.

--Jobs! (I had a phone interview last week and hope to hear a response by July 8.)

--Classes for Adam. (He will take a Summer Patristics class 7/22 - 8/16 and then the Fall semester will begin 9/9.)

Wishes

Following Rachel's lead, if I had a genie, these are my wishes...

1) To find a Summer sleep schedule that I won't feel guilty about.

2) To learn to relax without being completely lazy.

3) To have a job in South Hamilton.

The Gosnells Move to Boston: Part 2

   

The first stage of #gosnellsepicmove2013 is officially complete! After Adam's graduation, I had two weeks left of work at Ouachita High School. Those two weeks were bitter-sweet for me. I absolutely love Ouachita High School, my students there, and the wonderful support system that surrounded me. They were so sweet and encouraging as we said our goodbyes. Saying goodbye is always difficult, but we know that God has big plans - both for me and my students. While I was finishing, Adam slept in, read things not assigned to him (two of his most favorite things!), and packed most of our apartment. When I came home in the afternoons, he would say "Alright, X is packed, Y is ready to be packed, and I need to know what you want me to do with Z." I pretty much only answered questions; it was great! I'm so thankful for a serving husband.

We needed to be out of our apartment on June 1, so last Friday Ryan (Adam's brother) came to help us load up. We worked hard to fit as much of our things as we could into three vehicles and two trailers. It was exhausting, but productive! Adam's parents helped us make one last trip on Saturday and we turned in our keys Saturday night. Literally everything we own is now stored in half of the Gosnells' garage!

For the month of June, Adam and I are spending time with our families. We're planning to begin "the trek" up to MA on June 28. I can't believe that's less than a month away!

Please continue to pray for my job search. Because obtaining a MA teaching license is a much longer process than I anticipated, I have expanded my job search to school secretarial positions as well as substitute positions. However, I also believe that God is bigger than a teaching license or state department, so I'm still hoping and praying that I'll be able to teach in the Fall!

(Thanks to Brittany Green for taking the pictures you see of Adam and me in our very first apartment together!)