What's Going On with the Wooleys

I'd like to start out by saying that I'm really tired of all the rain.  It's so gloomy and the bottoms of my jeans get wet because I'm short and can't ever find any length that fits right!   So I'm thankful for the super cute rain boots that Josh got me for Christmas.

I also haven't been feeling very well since the beginning of last week: swollen lymph nodes, constant headache, and now my chest hurts when I breathe.  Going to get it checked out today and I'm a little peeved that I have to miss work. 




But I do have good news!  Josh and I found out this past Friday when we will be moving to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and also where we will be stationed after the five month training at Ft. Sill.  Josh has to report to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma on May 31st.  Which means we will most likely be moving around May 20th.  He will be going to Basic Officer's Leadership Course, or BOLC, for Field Artillery training.

Right now I'm really excited to be able to go to a new place I've never been before.  But at the same time, I know that it will be really tough to go so far away from Middle Tennessee where I've lived for the last 14 years.  I am going to miss my family so much.  And while I know we have modern communication with cell phones and Skype, it's just not the same as being able to drive 45 minutes to go have coffee, or a shopping date with my sisters.  It will be a huge adjustment for sure.  The reality is setting in that Josh will graduate in two months and then we will be moving across the country two weeks later!  We've got a lot to do between now and then with apartment hunting and packing.  There's also the Military Ball in April, then the commissioning and graduation ceremonies the first week of May.  I'll be sure to write/post pictures about those events! 

Josh's training will last about five months and then we will be moving to Ft. Hood, Texas sometime this fall, most likely in late October or early November.  I'm also excited about this move because I was born in Texas and my family still has many friends and family in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and I'll have the opportunity to see everyone again! Josh also has an aunt, uncle and cousins who live in the Houston area who I haven't met yet and I can't wait to meet them.  San Antonio is about two hours away from base and I have been promised by my sweet husband that he will take me there someday!  My mom says I have been there before but I was in the womb.....so I don't remember much ; )

It is just so good to finally know what our future is starting to look like and be able to plan accordingly!  I'm honored to have an amazing husband to start this journey with and also that I get to stand by his side!  I look up to him so much and admire the courage and commitment he has for the country he loves.  This journey will be far from easy but I know God will give me the strength I need to get through the good and the bad, and also to be the best wife I can be for my husband. 

My Worst Critic

Recently someone told me that I wasn't good enough. That I need to lose weight to be acceptable and prettier.  "Don't eat so much," they said.  Every time I tried to tell this person that I know I'm beautiful and I have a wonderful husband who thinks I'm gorgeous and loves me for who I am, this person pointed out something else in me that was apparently wrong or flawed and pointed out that there are hundreds of "skinnier" and "more attractive" girls that he could have picked over me.  Then I start to doubt myself, and compare myself, and think that maybe this person is right.  Maybe I don't measure up.  This person has been telling me all of this for years.  Probably since I was about 13 or 14.  "Who would do such a thing," you ask?  "Why would anyone say that? You need to stop hanging around that person."   Well, I've tried.  But as much as I've tried throughout the years to escape the lies and grip this person holds on me, somehow every so often it latches on again.   Because this horrible person who lies and insults me.....well, is me.

I can't ever remember a time where I wasn't conscious about my image.  My parents never once planted a negative thought it my mind.  My siblings, grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins and friends have always loved me and supported me.  But I know 3 people, who will remain nameless, who have said some pretty hurtful and unkind things to me over the years.   And I chose to believe the 3 instead of the countless others. As hard as I've tried to brush those comments off or let them roll off my back, they still find their way into my mind and taunt me. Isn't that exactly what Satan wants though?!  For us to believe the few instead of the many and then beat ourselves up over it!!  Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No can make you feel inferior without your consent," and I guess I've allowed too many people to make me feel less-than.  I never thought that I was necessarily fat, like obese, but I just wasn't as skinny as I thought I should be or wanted to be.

I have gotten a little better in the past two years since meeting my sweet husband!  And I think that God knew exactly what I needed when he sent Joshua Michael Wooley my way!  He is the most caring, thoughtful, sweetest man I know and he tells me everyday that he thinks I'm beautiful!  I'm crying as I write this though because it's such a hard topic for me to talk about. Not many people know of the struggles that I've had because I've tried so hard to hide it.  But with the love of my Savior and sweet husband, I am slowly overcoming!

I hate bathing suit season!!  And that I don't fit in certain types of clothing.  It doesn't help that every time you turn the TV on, there is some distorted image and perception of what beauty looks like.  And I've always looked at those women, and other women that I know, and compared myself.  For the longest time, logic has not been my focus.  I haven't cared that those women on TV have teams of people to make them look the way they do, or that a lot of the printed pictures have been edited so much that they don't even look like the actual woman they originally took a photo of!  And I've been "depressed" before, but never to the point of having the desire to hurt myself.  I must admit the thought of starving myself has entered my mind before, but it's never lasted more than an hour because I get hungry! Haha!!  My main problem is just plain old self-pity.  I heard Beth Moore talk about this before and she said that self-pity is just another form of pride. Not that I'm exalting myself and think I'm better than everyone else kind of pride.  But you're still putting all of your focus on yourself and what you think is wrong with you.  You focus so much on yourself that there's no room left for God.  I have to remind myself of this.  That I'm placing my struggles and image problems above God.  Now my main desire is to try harder to make time to spend with the Lord and reading His Word. To be able to believe what He thinks about me over anyone else, I have to know what He says first right?! lol   I'm slowly learning to accept what He thinks of me and that my self-esteem and sense of worth can only come from Him!

I have to brag on my husband again!  Sometimes it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how thankful I am to have Josh in my life!  To know that he truly does love me for who I am is such a wonderful feeling!  I can go several months without feeling down but then there's just one of those days that I'll break down and cry! And he has never once gotten irritated or told me I just need to get over it.  He always comforts me and gives me a huge hug! (I love his hugs!!) Reassures me that he thinks I'm beautiful and loves that I'm his wife!  And it he may think it's such a small gesture but, boy does it sure mean the world to me!  There's nothing that will bring a smile to my face faster than a compliment from him! I'm so glad he puts up with me! I'm not saying that I depend on him to feel worthy, but he sure does help!! And I'm so very grateful to have him in my life, and I fall more in love with him every day!!

  These next few videos are my favorites and have helped me in the past to get my focus back on track.

So, I can't believe that I just told the whole world about this, but I hope that it just might help someone else who is struggling too.

Missions Minded

I was 14 when I went on my first missions trip with my youth group to upstate New York.  We stayed in a highschool for that week, sleeping in school rooms and showering in the locker rooms.  But it was so much fun! Our group painted a house for an elderly couple and also held a small VBS in a local park for the kids in the neighborhood. And it was small. Somedays we only had 1 kid show up.  But if we made an impact on that one kid it was totally worth it!

When I was 16, our youth group went to Mexico. At the time, my brother Ben was in the Children's hospital at Vanderbilt and had just been diagnosed with CF.  I had been staying at home with my 5 other siblings while mom and dad took turns staying the night at the hospital. So while I was glad to have a week to go be with other teenagers, I also felt guilty for leaving my family. Nevertheless, it was a great week of outreach and VBS and I absolutely loved being with those precious children!  The last night we were there, the church  we had been serving at, had a big BBQ and invited the neighborhood families of the children that had come to VBS. During that night, I somehow ended up outside by myself with 10-15 kids playing "Pato, pato, gonzo!"  (Spanish duck duck goose!)  That blessed me so much! They even helped me with my Spanish!

The summer I was 18, I had the extreme privilege of going to a different part of Mexico called Cuernavaca for a whole month, and stayed with some friends who were missionaries there.  There was also a language school very near their house that I was able to attend for 3 weeks! I loved it because I was able to focus on only learning Spanish and didn't have to worry about taking English or Math...yuck!  I so wish there was a school like that here! (I'd love to get Rosetta Stone someday!)   While there, I helped Le'Ann, Haley, and Annie Downs teach English to several kids twice a week.  Going to their church on Sundays was a little difficult since it was entirely in Spanish, but it was a great adventure.  The Downs took me to several tourist spots as well and I got to see an active volcano called,  Popocatepetl!  We also hiked a couple miles to the top of a mountain to see an ancient Aztec temple. I'll post a separate note about that day, because it's a long story!  I was so thankful to the Downs for taking me in to their home and treating me like family! I truly enjoyed the time that I got to spend with them and wish it could have been longer! 

I haven't been on any missions trips in a while, but I still love to support others and have found another great outlet, Compassion International!  Josh and I recently started sponsoring a precious 4 year old boy in Haiti, named Berdley Bernard!  I wish I could find a way to post his picture on here!  I'm working on getting a letter ready to send to him and can't wait to start getting letters from him!  Such an awesome opportunity that you should seriously check into!

Lastly, I am so very proud of my sister, Mallory!  She is going to be traveling to Kenya, Africa this summer for 3 weeks to minister to the people there! I love seeing how much joy she has talking about going and just being excited to go where the Lord is calling her to go. I can't wait to see pictures and hear her stories about all the ways that God moved through her and in her!  She is such an incredible young woman of God and I am constantly inspired by her faith and love for the Lord!  I am so honored to be her big sister!  I encourage you to check out her blog she started to keep everyone informed about her trip!  Mallory Taylor - "The Least of These"

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

To have a degree or not to have a degree.....

I feel like sometimes there too many expectations for everyone to go to college for 4 years and get a degree so that they can get have a good career.  During the last two years of highschool, I just never had the desire to "further my education" and go to a 4 year school.  I was never pressured by my parents or family to go to college, but when I graduated I just felt like there were certain expectations from society that I needed to go to college.  So I decided to start out slow and attend a community college that way I could still stay at home for the first year or so and then maybe transfer. Well.....I didn't even make it to mid-terms before I dropped out.  I absolutely hated it! And after praying for several weeks I just knew that college wasn't for me, so I quit. 

I have always believed that somewhere deep inside me, God placed this innate desire to be the best wife and mommy someday! And after those few weeks of praying for guidance I decided that I didn't need a 4 year degree to be a good wife and stay-at-home mom.  I had 12 years of teaching and training on the wife/mom subject from my own, wonderful mother!! No college professor could give me that kind of training! 

I had started working in the office of Aaron Academy in September 2007 while also taking a couple classes at Vol State....by mid-October I was only working at the school!  (Told you I didn't last very long! 6 weeks tops!)  I decided to just continue working and save as much money as I could until God brought someone along!  I worked at the school for a little over a year until December 2008.  Then in January of 2009 I had the wonderful opportunity and pleasure of becoming a nanny for the Tabor family! They have two girls who were 18 mos and 3 mos at the time. Now they are 3 1/2 and 2!! I worked for them until March of 2010 because I had gotten engaged in September of '09 and was planning on getting married in August of 2010.   As much as I was excited to be getting married to the love of my life, my happiness and joy was mixed with the emotion of sadness because I would be leaving two precious little girls I had been with everyday for over a year! I love those girls so much, and still go to see them any chance I get!! I was so thankful to become part of their family! 

Right before I left the Tabors, my dad hooked me up with a connection of his: a sweet lady who runs a nanny agency. He contacted her and she said to have me call her.  I did, and we set up an interview for the 1st week of April.  She was wonderful and set me up with a few, one-time babysitting jobs to get me through the summer and then found a wonderful family in Clarksville for me to work for!  After Josh and I got married in August, we moved on campus at Austin Peay State University, in Clarksville,TN, to finish out his senior year of college.  And I started working for the Cox family the week after we got back from our honeymoon. Their dad/husband is a Major in the Army and is currently deployed to Afghanistan and will return sometime in April! It has been such a blessing to work with their family and especially get to know Alison to be able to talk about the military life whenever I have questions.  I also started babysitting several days a week for a friend of hers in the same neighborhood and have thoroughly enjoyed keeping their kids!  Between the two families, the kids range from a year and a half - 10 years old.  Good thing I have plenty of experience with all ages! (Being the oldest of 7, with the youngest being 5 years old has it's perks!) 

I enjoy being able to work and do what I love and still have time to come home do "wifely duties," like cleaning, cooking and doing laundry.  I know it's probably crazy but I actually enjoy doing laundry and going grocery shopping! I love being at home with Josh and having my own home to take care of, no matter how small it is right now! It's perfect for the two of us! 

I'm glad that I had the peace and discernment to realize that college is not meant for everyone. I'm so thankful to my mom for being such a wonderful, Godly example of what a wife and mom should be!  She was and is such a great teacher and I'm grateful for all of the training I got while I lived at home! She is one of my best friends and I love her so much!!  Thank you mom!

Shocking Discovery

Tonight I was in the mood to make chocolate chip cookies, even though I've been watching what I eat and exercising all the time, I wanted to be bad and have a cookie.  So I made a batch.  Now before Christmas I made some cookies and I it was all I could do to not eat 6 at a time!  The problem is....I've cut out 90% of sweets for 2 months and the only thing I've had for a sweet snack are almonds and dark chocolate.  I baked the delicious cookies and waited til they cooled off, because I'm the only one in the universe that can't stand warm, gooey cookies, and finally went and got a cookie to eat.  And to my dismay....it didn't even taste good.  I hesitantly ate the whole thing and now I feel yucky!   I would have NEVER thought that I wouldn't like a chocolate chip cookie!! 

Now I have to figure out what to do with the 23 cookies I'm not going to eat....

Caution: These contents do not contain political correctness.

I posted on facebook several days ago that I wanted to write about something I know will be controversial and may offend several people. I say it may offend people because it has to do with the topic of... Racism. Therefore if you don't have thick skin, don't read the rest of this, because it may not be "politically correct."

This topic just struck me the other day and for some odd reason set me off to where I wanted to write out my opinion and get it off my chest. So here goes nothin'...



1.  I get tired of people all across the board talking about racism, or being racist.  I don't like kids making racist jokes because they think it's "funny."  I don't like elderly white people (unfortunately I know several) making judgments based on the color of someone's skin or differentiating them from others by saying, "My black friend," or "That colored fella."  (It's just as easy to say, "My friend Bob Soandso," or "That guy in the blue shirt." )  And I don't like it when I hear an African American person get offended by something and immediately say "it's because I'm black." Please don't pull the "race card" out.  Racism would quickly die if everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, would just simply not bring it up and toughen up.  Instead of confining ourselves to white people and black people, why can't we all just be... people?  There are no individual races...only the human race.  The Bible says that God created Mankind in His own image.  The great President Abraham Lincoln fought for what was right in that ALL men are created EQUAL.  Everyone should be given an equal opportunity at everything.  White people need to stop racially profiling black people based solely on the color of their skin, and if a black person is turned down for something, or not given what they think they deserve, they should not automatically assume it is because of their skin color.

2.  I respect President Obama.  I may not agree with everything he does or stands for, but I respect the position that he holds and as a Christian, I know that it my duty to pray for him and his family.  But if you voted for him, let me tell you...he is not the savior of the world.  He is still human and will not be able to fix everything or give you exactly what you want.  I didn't support President Bush only because he is white, it was because of his values and what he stood for. So for someone to support President Obama because they have the same skin color is wrong.  You should not vote for someone based on their skin color.  All aspects should be taken into consideration to make the best decision. I would have had no problem voting for Obama if I had agreed with what he stands for.

My husband told me one day, after he got out of his military history class, something that the professor brought to everyone's attention; a story that she was trying to make an example of.  There was a female, African American soldier who was offended that there was not a picture of President Obama in order with the others in the chain of command at her National Guard unit.  Josh told me that every military post has a wall with a picture of each person in the chain of command.  This soldier was upset and trying to pursue a lawsuit against whoever was responsible for not having a spot for the President of the United States.  She felt like no one in her unit wanted to help her because the President is Barack Obama, an African American, and that she felt as if it was because her unit was in the South and full of white racists.  What she didn't realize is that there was never a spot for a picture frame of the president, because the chain of command only went up so far. There was never a picture of President Bush when he was in office, either.  This makes me think that she was only fighting for Obama because of the color of his skin and not for the respect of the position that he holds.  Otherwise someone would have been fighting for a spot for Bush as well. She had been in the Army long enough that she could have said something sooner during Bush's presidency.  Hmm...  I wonder why she didn't?

3. As far as having rights, there should only be human rights.  No special rights for having a certain skin color.  No one should ever think that they deserve more or that they are better than the next person.  Especially Christians. 
Matthew 5:46-47
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

And James tells us (Jam. 2) that it is a sin to show favoritism for those that are like us and that discrimination causes us to become judges with "evil thoughts." 

So the moral of this ranting soapbox is to grow up and stop acting immature.  Treat everyone the way you would want to be treated.  Don't get defensive or easily offended.   Just let it go and don't bring it up anymore!!   

Procrastinate No More

Two things I've put off doing...

1. Cleaning my bathroom.....which I will do tonight.

2. A writing project from high school about my Grandfather, Gary Moore.

The first has been put off for about 2 weeks now....the latter?!...about 4 years!  That's way too long!  I still have the original draft on my computer and found my outline of questions in a box buried in our storage unit.  My senior year of high school I started a writing project to write about the life of m grandfather.  I met him once a week with a recorder and my outline of questions and I would "interview" him about different aspects of his life.  In 2007 I stopped with 31 pages, and was only at the year 1989!!  Graduation and summer came, then jobs and I put off finishing the paper. (more like a short novel! lol)  So about 2 weeks ago I found the draft on my laptop and thought, Man I really should finish this before we move halfway across the country!  I emailed Grandaddy and we set up a time to meet last week!  I had a wonderful coffee date with him and intently listened as he told me stories about his life.  Such a special time.  I'm no where to being finished yet, but I think with a few more "dates" I should be able to finish writing this, and I'm so very excited! He is such a wonderful man of God and an excellent mentor/role model for me, and I have no doubt all the other grandchildren would agree as well!!

Oh yeah...I gotta clean out my car too.  : (

My Bucket List

I created this about a year ago, but I wanted to update it and check off things that I've accomplished! Plus I've added a few things since then!

take a trip to Europe
-make a huge homemade gingerbread house
-kiss in the rain
-be able to speak Spanish fluently
-take gourmet cooking class (be the next Julia Child ;) lol)
-go skydiving
-learn to ski
-run a 5k
-run a  1/2 marathon
-own a gun
-become a sharp shooter
-take ballroom dance lessons and excel
-take a helicopter ride over Hawaii
-visit the White House
-jump off of a waterfall
-go for real rock climbing
-visit the Grand Canyon
-visit Australia
-visit Mt. Rushmore
-study astronomy
-learn about cars and how they operate (other than press the gas pedal and go ;) )
-know as much about football as Josh!
-take up scrapbooking as a hobby
-participate in prison ministry
-sponsor a child through Compassion International and then meet them one day
-act in a play
-play the piano better - learn more classical pieces
-get married
-have 4 children
-learn to play chess
-Maybe adopt a child
-ride in a hot air balloon
-start a blog
-take a road trip across America from coast to coast
-learn to sew
-visit historical places in New England
-tour the Holy Land
-read the Bible all the way through
-ride on a real train
-participate in jury duty (weird, I know ;) )
-visit Prince Edward Island, Canada
-sleep under the stars
-grow a flower garden
-scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef
-go to the Olympics
-play in the mud lol
-go parasailing
-swim with dolphins
-Be kissed under mistletoe
-give up coke for a year
-read and record 1,000 books
-mentor teenage girls
-ride on a jet ski
-exercise at least 3 times a week
-go to the Kentucky Derby
-stay on a budget
-ride a horse on a beach
-learn to play guitar
-get a real fir tree for Christmas
-stay at a Bed and Breakfast Inn
-do a backflip without using a trampoline