My Journey

ByJennifer Saint Amour

Pompeii-Mt. Vesuvius in the background

Trip to Washington DC

Our Wedding Oct. 3, 1998

My 4th Birthday

I have always wanted to work with kids; I know...I know… it is such a cliché, but the truth is I have. I was always the teen to be organizing games with kids at the picnics or just interacting with them and keeping them busy while the parents chatted of old stories or new gossip. I knew I wanted to work with kids at an early age, but it wasn’t until I finished up my Associate’s degree in Early Childhood that I really knew I wanted to be a teacher in the school system. I then moved on to get my teaching degree, and finishing my Masters in Literacy & Language Instruction!

This picture was taken at the park during one my mom’s family work picnics. I am holding one of the twins.

FamilyA large part of who I am is attributed to my family. My parents and grandparents helped shape who I am to this day. I was immersed into literacy from a young age; watching & listening to them read, them stressing the importance of school and learning!

My husband continues to be one of my biggest supporters in all that I do, no matter what it is!! He is right there to help me look up information, helping me cut things out or lends a listening ear, so I can bounce ideas around!

Grandma & Grandpa Liddle

My Dad

My Mom Grandma & Grandpa Reimel

Bill, me, Naomi & Caroline

My two daughters and I were sitting in front of the Christmas tree looking at ornaments that were still on the floor waiting to go up on the tree. The twinkle lights were lit, the tree branches were bare just waiting for ornaments. Naomi, our oldest daughter who is very sentimental, was asking questions about each ornament to find out about the origins of it. Finally, we came to their box of ornaments. Their box of ornaments holds the ornaments that we get them each year. My husband and I started a tradition that each year we will give each of our daughters an ornament, so when they leave our house they can take these with them, and they will have ornaments already for their Christmas tree and can tell stories about each one. I look for ornaments that have to do with their interests for that year, that way they can someday show their children and tell stories about things they were interested in as a kid. They each put their own ornaments up on the tree and we talk about which one is their favorite and tell the meaning of some of them. They love to hear stories of when they were a baby, and why I picked out an Elmo or a ballerina ornament for Caroline (she carried the Elmo doll everywhere) and why I picked out Tigger or the little girl with the horse for Naomi (at 2, she bounced around everywhere that year like Tigger does). As they get older, they still ask why we chose a certain ornament, even though they have heard the same reasons each year or heard the same stories that help explain the ornaments. I have loved to pick out their ornaments each year and can’t wait for them to open them up on Christmas Eve and add it to our tree.

I also chose the picture of my two girls and I in front of the tree because my girls continue to be my inspiration. (I could have chosen any picture of my girls, but the idea of traditions are powerful in my memories as well). A large part of who I am is that I am a mom, and my girls continue to inspire me to better myself, continue learning, teach them traditions and show them how important family, love, support, and learning are.

Traditions…

Traveling

My husband and I both love to travel! We love to see other places and cultures and nature at its true beauty. We enjoy taking the hikes to the places that aren’t visible to the rest of the world by car. We like to take walks on the back streets to see the true life of individuals, not just the hustle bustle of the tourist areas. I love to take pictures so my students can actually see pictures of it and hear about it from my experiences, not just read about it from a book. When I taught 3rd grade, I made a slide show from the pictures of different landscapes that I took from my travels about the different geographic landscapes that we were studying about. Not only has my travels opened my eyes, but it helped me to see the differences and similarities of other’s lives.

Used to be the harbor at Pompeii

St. Mark’s Square-Venice, Italy

We saw a Mama Bear and her two cubs when hiking!

Washington D.C.

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Hiking BootsAs I look back at my scrapbook and think about the trips that my husband and I have taken, the trip to Arizona really stuck out in my mind for a couple of reasons.  First, it was the first real hiking trip I had done, and second, the Grand Canyon was breathtaking!I had my freshly broken-in hiking boots on (broken in by only a few short hiking trips on trails in several parks and back roads near home), and I was ready for the hike on the Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon.  I was on top of the world (at the top of the canyon, anyways), and I was ready for the challenge!  After two miles, 780 feet elevation drop on a difficult trail, and breathtaking scenery later, it felt great to sit down.  I felt exhilarated and tired!  As we were walking down a particularly steep section of the trail, that was only wide enough for a donkey to go down with no extra room, I could only hear my heart pounding and my breathing.  I was concentrating on my footing.  I really didn’t want to stumble into the abyss of the long freefall to the bottom of the canyon.  The view I could see in my glances up from the trail were incredible.  This part of the canyon was a horseshoe shape and rounded out perfectly from erosion throughout the years.  The colors of the rock differed at different elevations; it was really fascinating.  I wouldn't miss these times for anything! 

Hiking has helped me to learn things about myself.  I push myself to accomplish things.  I love learning about new areas and learning about geography and nature that I can share with my children and students (my camera always goes with me).  I love the adventures that come with hiking; I never know what I'll see next.  When I hike, there are times when I feel like I just can’t go any farther, but I think of the views I may miss, or the exhilaration I feel in that accomplishment after finishing the hike and it keeps me going.  It is even better to be able to share it with my husband, who got me started in this adventure!  I can’t wait for more!  

Grand Canyon

Hiking in North Carolina

Book ClubsBeing involved in book clubs for many years has opened my eyes to new genres and just made reading more enjoyable and fun. It’s fun to come together and talk about a book that we have all read together. I have read books that I wouldn’t normally pick up on my own and read them, but because I was involved in a community of readers, I did read the books, and I learned much from them, about them, and about myself through discussions and reflection. This knowledge about myself as a reader has helped me become a better literacy teacher.

All of my unique experiences and stories of my life have led me here to this moment and are helping me to be the best wife, mom, teacher, daughter, sister, and friend that I can be! Every journey is made up of small steps and experiences like words make up pages, pages make up books, and within books it is the library of shared experiences and stories. And my journey will continue…

Snuggle Up & Read

Me & Caroline

Halloween 2009-Kindergarten Class

Hiking in the Bruce Peninsula-Canada