Work – Life with us ~ The Wandering Workentins

Awake Staff Needed at BBYR

February 27, 2020 Ali

Awake Night Staff are responsible for knowing what children reside within the cottage during their shift, completing observation forms in accordance with overnight procedures, and conducting routine bed checks to verify each child is in their assigned room/bed. Awake night staff is responsible for waking the regular house parents to address any out of the ordinary needs of the children such as when a youth requires emotional support, becomes sick during the night, or is not in their assigned room.

Duties and Responsibilities:
• Assist in providing a safe, structured and nurturing environment for youth by providing a visible presence of safety/security throughout the night and alerting the regular house parents of any out of the ordinary activity during the night
• Possess general knowledge of children served, including any history of child sexual aggression, child behavior problems and/or victimization history
• Consult with daytime caregivers before each shift to ensure needs of youth are being met
• Provide daily documentation noting the events during shift
• Be able to complete in-service trainings successfully
• Be a positive role model for youth and co-workers while promoting positive work environment
• Must be willing to give and receive constructive feedback for professional development
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule.
• Responsible for obtaining and maintaining confidential information.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Working Conditions:
• Works in a “home-like” cottage/house setting located in rural south Texas, approximately 40 miles north of Victoria,
• Must be able to use a telephone and computer.
• Must be able to stay awake during all eight to ten hours of work time.
• Must be willing to interact positively with children displaying inappropriate behaviors
• Must be able to interact with residents and other staff from various ethnic groups in a culturally competent and professional manner.
Qualifications/Requirements:
• High school diploma or equivalent
• One year of experience working with children, families or other vulnerable populations preferred
• Must be self-motivated and possess good communication skills.
*Must receive favorable results on background check*

~~~ Contact us for more information and a complete job description ~~~

4652 US-77-ALT S, Yoakum, TX 77995, United States

Dog, Rest, Uncategorized, Work

Just Some Rambling Thoughts…

January 20, 2020 Ali

Oh where have I been…well last Thursday, January 16th was our 39th day of working without a day off…mostly our choice but still 39 days is a long time to work without any time off…oh, we did have an evening off in December when a local church had a Date Night…and for us it was perfect because it was on our 44th wedding anniversary so we joined some friends from our Sunday School class and went out to eat.

So Friday, January 17th after getting the kidlets off to school, stopping to have breakfast with a few people from our church we headed for home to rest and relax until the Candidate Forum at the Yoakum Community Center was to begin at 5:00p…well about 11:30a we got a text from our friend Donna that Joey needed help and a home and would it be possible for him to come and live with us. So the text conversation went like this…

…BJ wants to know if YOU want a dog, 6 years old?

…What kind? Is he house trained? Fixed?

…Yes is house broken and yes he is fixed.

…When does he need to find a home? Is he good around kids?

…Yes, he looks like Toto, he has papers but he is fixed so breeders don’t want him. He belonged to BJ’s girlfriend’s sister but she is headed to prison for 15 years…girlfriend doesn’t want to keep him as she already has 4 dogs of her own.

THEN the conversation with Ron

…Honey, Donna wants to know if we want a dog?

…Ron says: no, smiles and asks what kind? I show him a picture of Toto and I read him the messages between Donna and I.

And then Ron smiled real big

and showed me

and then we were off to Lampasas (3 hrs away)

where

Joey joined our family!!!

He is a Cairn Terrier.

Not sure he really knows his name is Joey,

and I have been calling him Sweetie

so in the next few days we will decide on a permanent name for him.

Any Suggestions????

So our first day off in 39 days was spent with being in the car for 7 hours!!!

Saturday was a day of rest, watching TV, getting caught up on NCIS, BULL, napping and lots of crocheting…trying to finish up a toddler blanket so I can get busy on one of the 15 other crochet projects I have on my list to do!!!

Sunday we went to Sunday School and church then joined some of them for lunch in Victoria at Grand Buffet….I filled up on sushi, even a ate a couple of Spicy Tuna Roll in honor of Max and then we headed for home. We got home about 3:20p and I laid down, only to wake up at 6:30p…I guess I was still tired…then it was time for Hawaii 5O and Magnum before heading back to bed about 10:30p…

and then this morning it was up, take the dog out to go potty,

get dressed, take the dog out for a walk around the big circle 2x, then in for some time with the Lord…and the message today was

Be Intentional!

Live each day as if it is your last!!

Prioritize People over STUFF!!

Live Authentically!!!

and then it was time to return to work and the kiddo’s…

first up was another two times around the circle with Julie, our Relief HP, to hear about how the weekend went, address some questions she had

and then chat with the kiddo’s…we knew the weekend was going to be hard as they had not been with anyone else but Ron and I for 39 days…

…they pushed some limits, tried some patience, and behaved great a a birthday party with total strangers so after Ms Julie left we had a little chat…okay AR would say a long chat…it doesn’t matter who is in charge of you, you have to follow the same rules,

thanks for being great at the birthday party,

now let’s work on following the rules whether it’s Ms Ali or Mr Ron or Ms Julie who is in charge…the rules are there for a reason, we discussed the reason and expectations and then we all went to our bedrooms, counted to 10 and came back together and began our day a new…you know the TBRI Re Do stuff…the kids played outside most of the day, Ron got a lot of the lawn mowed, I made sloppy joes for dinner, everyone got their showers

and slowly the kidlets are heading to bed.

Tomorrow is a trip to Seguin to see the dentist,

then back to school and back to routines!!

Oh and hopefully a trip to the vet for shots and then the groomer for a trim for Joey!!!

Behavior, Change, Family, Friends, God, Habits, Motor home, Travel, Work

U is for Unique

April 25, 2013April 25, 2013 Ali

U is for Unique

Unique is

one and only; single; sole: a unique specimen

having no like or equal; unparalleled: a unique achievement

highly unusual, extraordinary, rare

I remember hearing when I was a young child my mom saying “you are unique and there will never be another one like you” and then she would laugh and say that’s a good thing. At times I took those words as a compliment, that I was special and at other times I took it to mean “thank goodness there are not two of you – I (my mom) couldn’t handle more than one of me.

And then as I grew in my relationship with God I realized it is a good thing to be unique and to use the things that are special about me to bring Him honor by sharing who I am with others as well as working together with others to make a whole.

Romans 12:3 – 8 talks about being unique yet part of a whole. We are all uniquely made and each of us has strengths and weaknesses yet when we work together, sharing our individual talents we can become one wonderful body.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

What is unique about you?

What is unique about where you live?

What is unique about something you have done in your life that has left a positive impact on others.

What is unique about me? Some people would say having only one eye is unique. I would say that I am who I am today due to the many struggles and life issues I have had to deal with over the past 55 years. I have a heart of compassion and service which I use wherever the Lord leads me and I believe those gifts are due to the circumstances I have faced. I can see where my struggles have allowed me to become a loving and nurturing wife, mom, grammy, aunt and friend.

What is unique about where I live? Well we live in a 37′ Class A Motorhome and move our home wherever God opens the doors for employment for us. Most recently, with the closing of Branson View Campground the Lord led us to apply for work with Amazon in Coffeyville, KS. Right now our home base is at Big Chief RV Park in Liberty, KS which is right across the street from Amazon Distribution Center in Coffeyville, KS.

What is unique about something I have done in my life that has left a positive impact on others. I would have to say that I have turned a rough childhood and teenage years where I suffered lots of pain from abusive parents and relationships into being an encourager to my family and friends and sharing that no matter the circumstance you find yourself in you can always find something positive about it.

Change, Employment, Entertainment, Grateful, Memories, Motor home, Thankfulness, Travel, Work

T is for Travel

April 24, 2013April 25, 2013 Ali

T is for Travel

Travel is something we love to do.

It felt wonderful to get back on the road in the motor home on Sunday morning. It was a good day for travel as the sun was shining and there was just a slight breeze. Our trip for the day was to drive from Branson, MO to Quapaw, OK otherwise known as the Downstream Casino. It was 136 miles from Branson View Campground (hard to say good-bye and the campground looked so sad with not a camper in sight) to Downstream Casino. We left Branson at 10:04 a.m. and are ETA was 12:31 p.m. But that was not to be. Once we were on the road Ron realized there was a problem with the Jeep…it was swerving all over the place…something was wrong with the tow bar. And of course, no place to pull over, for eight miles 😦 I stood in the back of the rig keeping an eye on the Jeep and Ron drove very cautiously. We finally got to the Walmart in Branson West ~ big empty parking lot where I pulled forward, Ron worked on the tow bar, I pulled forward, Ron worked on the tow bar, I pulled forward then backed up a little and Ron worked on the tow bar. After about 15 minutes all was hooked up correctly and we were ready to get back on the road. Problem: the left tow bar would not catch correctly. Giving thanks to God that the Jeep didn’t let loose while we were driving, that no damage was done to the Jeep or the Motor home and all it took to fix it was a little time and no money 🙂

We drove about an hour and a half and then found a nice place to pull over and eat lunch. And what a delicious lunch it was ~ leftover rib eye steak sandwiches from dinner the night before. Thank you Renee for a special evening out.

We arrived at Downstream Casino at 1:01 p.m. just 30 minutes past our original ETA.

The view from our campsite at Downstream Casino. So peaceful to look out the passenger side big window.

Cost of camping: $0 – we signed up for a Qcard (free) and with it we each get one free night of camping. Along with the free nights of camping we also each received one free buffet meal ~ so we went there on Monday evening. Usually $16.99 per person. That is more than we would normally pay for dinner at a buffet but free was good 🙂

On Monday we decided to do a little sight-seeing and decided to go to the Precious Moments Chapel and grounds. It was beautiful.

This rig was parked a couple down from us at the casino – love the picture on the back of their rig.

Funny place to park a truck if you ask me 🙂 This was on the drive from the casino to the PM chapel.

I took over 150 pictures so put them into collages.

These include the signs leading to the Precious Moments Chapel and grounds.

The entrance and the fountains welcoming you.

Different scenes inside the Gift Shop and Cafe.

Walking towards the chapel.

Inside the main room of the chapel.

Bottom left picture is of the ceiling.

The four scenes with the red borders are the chapel grounds in Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter

In the picture above the ceiling one if you look close you can see little ones playing basketball in heaven.

The middle picture top row has 15 murals…Mr. B painted them all in 4 days.

This is the Remembrance Room.

The center picture top row look out onto the garden island.

The stained glass windows were original paintings the Mr. B’s daughter-in-law made for the hallway.

This is leaving the chapel and heading back towards the gift shop.

This is a planned development that has a chapel, gazebos, a few large homes and a huge horse barn. You can rent the chapel & gazebos for weddings and parties. The large white home in the bottom left of the picture faces a river on one said and has many large windows all the way around – what a pleasant and peaceful view.

The drive back to the campground. The skies got dark and the rains started.

Hope you enjoyed the trip to Precious Memories.

Tuesday morning we left Downstream Casino to head to our new home ~ Big Chief RV Park and working for Amazon.

It was not an easy drive as we battled wind and rain most of the way.

And no trip would be complete without some type of mishap 🙂

On the drive on Tuesday morning besides fighting the wind and rain we lost two totes on the road. And as you can see there really is not much of a shoulder to be parked on. If you notice the big white truck – the guy passed us, stopped and turned around and helped gather the stuff from one of the totes. One tote never lost its lid 🙂 You also see Ron heading back to pick up stuff. And then working to secure the remaining totes ~ it was windy and rainy ~ absolutely no fun. You can see the two totes and the Christmas bear and dog that got soaked. Put them on the counter/in the sink to dry. We did lose one thing – a ceramic angel with fiber optic lights that shone on the nativity scene. It was a gift from Ron’s sister, Judy the first year we moved into the rig. Ron said it was shattered into way too many pieces to try to fix 😦 All this happened 11.5 miles from the campground in Coffeyville 🙂

And then we arrived at Big Chief RV Park in Coffeyville, KS. We are parked directly across from Amazon. The campground has 132 sites. We are parked in the furthest corner from the entrance. The upper left picture if our rig as driving towards it. Our view is of the two far right bottom pictures. We are parked right next to the booster antenna for wifi – we have a great signal 🙂 The freeway is along the back side of our rig. But looking our our living room window on the passenger side we have a beautiful green field and some trees and no one will park on that side. It is very relaxing to look out the window. They have had quite a bit of rain so there is lots of mud around right now. The weather is supposed to be nice for the rest of this week, a little rain expected early next week and then we should be in for a nice long dry spell. One thing we don’t have is TV – we cannot pick up any channels with our antenna and there is no cable. We are going to check into Netflix. The downside is we won’t know who wins the Amazing Race or Survivor ;(

Well that end’s our trip from Branson, MO to Coffeyville, KS.

If you are in the area of Coffeyville, KS give us a shout out. We love to meet up with other RV’rs.

Stay tuned for our next adventure ~ working for Amazon.

**Edited on April 25th, 2013 ~ thanks Jw for letting me know about the name of the Precious Moments Chapel**

Devotions, Distractions, Habits, Projects, Quiet Time, Time management, Work

D is for Distractions!

April 4, 2013 Ali

D is for Distractions!!

One of the things I struggle with is getting Distracted.

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to distract me.

Like earlier today when I was working on a project at work.

I needed to find a picture on the computer and the next thing I knew I was scrolling through the pictures of my grandchildren.

I can look at their pictures for hours especially when I haven’t seen them in a while. The next thing I knew 30 minutes had passed 😦 .

Getting distracted doesn’t just happen at work.

When I am at home I can start one thing like putting the laundry away and the next thing I know I am cleaning out the closet.

The one area I get distracted in and is the one that frustrates me the most is in my quiet time.

I like to read my Bible, do daily devotions, study God’s word and spend time in prayer. Now I find that if it is not totally quiet without music or soft lighting I am unable to concentrate, remember what I have been reading or even give my total being to the Lord in praise and prayer.

So I decided that I needed to do something to keep my distractions at a minimum.

I found this poster and was excited to see so many solutions that really work for me.

1. Keeping a To Do List and Prioritizing It

2. Turn off the computer in the evening to allow quality time with my hubby, friends, and activities.

3. Setting the alarm and scheduling an hour of quiet time where the TV is off, Ron is still sleeping ~ setting the stage for what I need.

4. Finishing one project at a time. I have so many unfinished projects from crafts to writing to household obligations to redecorating parts of the motor home that I have made a list of all of them, choosing one, doing it and then choosing the next one to do.

5. Meal planning – this helps in a couple of ways. We eat healthier and we don’t go out to eat which saves us money 🙂

Do you get distracted? How do you stop distractions from taking you away from the things you need to do?