to all the jobs i loved before

my first teaching job was at a small private christian college in nashville, tennessee. i had just got married to my husband, steve, and was 24 years old. i taught biology, anatomy, and kinesiology. i taught these classes while working on my masters in nutrition and exercise physiology at middle tennessee state university. even though i was busy, i loved teaching subjects that at the time, were completely fascinating to me. i was younger than many of my students but found most of them respectful and eager to learn.

after finishing my graduate work, my husband and i moved to antioch, a suburb of nashville. while he was taking post graduate classes, i got a great job as a cosmetics and fragrances rep at a large department store (Castner Knotts). i was in charge of several lines - like aramis, calvin klein, and chanel and worked on commission. i got to meet so many people (including Barbara Mandrell, Diamond Rio, Dolly Parton, Eddie Rabbitt, and more) and loved the fact that i was handsomely rewarded for my hard work.

then we got pregnant with my first son, mason, and wanted to move closer to home - not ALL the way home, but closer.....so we moved to dublin (columbus, ohio) where my sister rhonda and her husband, mike lived. steve had trouble finding a job right away - but i got hired on the spot when i went down to sign my apartment lease. i was 6 months pregnant and landed a job as the apartment manager and marketing contact...another commission based job that i was pretty good at.

after a year of living in dublin, the pastor at the church where i attended as a child and teenager offered steve and i an employment opportunity that we couldn't pass up. but we had to wear many hats to make enough money to make ends meet. steve served as associate pastor of the church, day care administrator and history teacher of the christian school...while i taught music and 2nd grade. i liked teaching second grade so much, in fact, that i went back to school to get my elementary certification.

a first grade job came open at waverly, but instead i got hired to teach elementary physical education. i was disappointed at first - but soon realized how incredibly lucky i was to have a job where i could wear sweats and tennis shoes and play with little kids all day. i worked as a p.e. teacher for about ten years. during that time, my husband and i, and a group of friends, started River Valley Community Church, where Steve is still the lead pastor. i also finished another master's degree in fine arts - and had a couple more sons:)

then i was diagnosed with cancer and had to take some time off from teaching. as i suffered through multiple surgeries and chemotherapy, i had serenity like never before. so many people were praying for me - the peace i felt was indescribable. i had time and space to be truly introspective. it was during this time when i began to pursue my artistic passions of painting and photography. i became enthralled with capturing moments in time - and being able to preserve the beauty of God's creation. when i am interested in something - it's full tilt! i've taken thousands of pictures since then and read every photography book i can get my hands on. plus i study the work of those who are a lot better than me - many who are my contacts on flickr.

okay - back to my working history.

when i went back to teaching at waverly five years ago, i taught as a 4th grade intervention teacher. i never thought i'd like working with kids with learning disabilities- but i was dead wrong. i loved the challenges and rewards of the job and became great friends with the girl with whom i "team-taught" - nancy. she and i worked so well together.

this year, i am an intervention teacher for third grade students and have my own room.
this pullout model is definitely different and i miss teaching with nancy, but i still love getting to work with kids who are struggling in the regular classroom. it is very rewarding. every little success is a celebration.
everyday when i walk into work, i am thankful. i have a wonderful job. i am making a difference for sure.


okay - what about photography? i started my photography business (jaki good photography) about 4 years ago. it started out small and has expanded to the point that i could quit teaching if i wanted to. i have more than enough business.
although i love teaching and am excited about it 90% of the time, there are days i'd just rather stay home. being an effective teacher takes quite a bit of mental energy and some days i just want to skip school and hike in the woods......


but photography always ALWAYS thrills me....on any given photoshoot,
1. i get to spend time with people - some who i know, some who i get to meet...

2. i get approximately two hours of exercise as i tromp over miles of hilly terrain, in and out of barns, up and down city streets, etc.

3. i get to capture and create timeless portraits that people will cherish for years.

4. i make good money :) so mason can go to wheaton!


people always wonder and ask me how i do it.
they think i may be overextending myself....

but those who know me best realize what joy both teaching and photography bring me. what some people may not realize is that photography energizies me....when i am taking pictures of people, weddings, of frogs in my koi pond - i am in FLOW (Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi). It's a beloved hobby that has become a lucrative business. man am i lucky!!!
i am BLESSED - not STRESSED.

But with two fulltime jobs - something had to go -

so i chose housework :)

what a great trade -