Monday, June 22, 2015

TpT Seller Challenge Week 2: Dare to Dream

Just about everything we do has some sort of motivating factor behind it.  When I listed my very first product on TpT, my thought was that I could possibly make a little extra money on the side selling stuff I was making anyway for my own class.  Never could I have imagined that my store would grow the way it did, and even more so, I never would have imagined that I would grow the way I have.  TpT has almost become a new form of professional development for me.  I'm researching new strategies and activities to use in the classroom and make products for.  I'm working on building my social network knowledge, and have learned so much just over the past few weeks in reading blogs of other incredible teachers out there.

This week's TpT Seller Challenge was Dare to Dream.  What are my dreams for my Teachers Pay Teachers store?  I'm a dreamer, so this definitely was not hard for me.  So, here they are!


1. IVF- Payoff:  While growing up, I went through an assortment of things that I was going to be when I grew up.  It was an ever-changing list of doctor, fashion designer, teacher, etc.  One thing that always stayed constant though was my desire to be a mom.  I have always known that I wanted to have children and be a mommy.  I have PCOS though, and that dream was not an easy thing to make a reality.  It took us 3 years to have our first sweet baby girl.  It only took us about a year to have our 2nd baby girl, but it was a tougher journey.  To have baby #2 we had to undergo IVF.  This was one of the most spiritually and emotionally challenging times of our lives.  We were very blessed that this treatment worked though and now have a very spirited 2nd baby girl.  With that, we also had about $20,000 of debt for all my treatments that I'd like to get paid off sooner rather than later.

Here are my two baby girls!  Tenley just turned 5 last week, and Miss Beckett is almost 17 months!  They are my heart!!!















Aren't they precious?!  You can read more about my journey
with IVF on my personal blog: Choosing to Count.  I need to start blogging there again soon! :)


2. Student Loans/Debt Free: Like almost every other post college graduate, I have oodles of student loans.  I have my Bachelor's, Master's, and Specialist's and have loans for them all....I would LOVE to not be retired and still paying student loans! :)  We also have some other debt from moving, and extra expenses from when things got tight (money wise) through IVF and moving.  I'd love to have all debt other than our house and car loan paid off! :)

3. Networking: Another dream I have with doing the whole TpT thing is continued networking.  Unfortunately, I have not been able to attend the TpT conference(s) (including the upcoming one in July). I hope to next year.  I learn more and better myself so much more by working along phenomenal teachers than I could by any class or book.

4. Travel: If there is one thing I'm very passionate about, it's traveling.  I rarely get to travel due to lack of funds, but I desperately want to be a world traveler.  I believe that God made a big, beautiful world, and I want to see it all!  A few travel wishes on the top of my list include: an African Safari, Italy, Greece (I want to see where all my ancestors are from), London, Paris, and Australia!  I'm hoping and dreaming that'll all happen one day! :)

5. Bless Others as I have been blessed: Last, but certainly not least, I want to be able to bless others as I have been richly blessed.  I don't know what all God has in store for my family, but I want us to always be faithful and willing to do whatever He brings our way, including giving back.

Those are a few of my many TpT dreams!

~Kristyn

25 comments:

  1. Wow! You're girls are beautiful! It makes it all worth it to be blessed to be their mommy! Congrats! I know it's tough to have debt and bills. Hang in there! One of my life dreams (not TPT) is to travel when I'm retired. God bless!
    Heidi Neels
    Flipping for First

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  2. Let's go to Vegas together next year!!!! I really want to go, and would love to make it happen! Those girls sure are beautiful!!!!
    Chandra @ Teaching with Crayons and Curls

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    1. Thanks girl! I am hoping I'll make it next year!! I just think at the very least it would be so neat to meet people and put faces with the names! :)

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  3. I love how open you are with your IVF as having a baby is difficult for many and not talked about as much as it should be! You have inspired me to be very open in my upcoming post! Congrats on your two amazing children!

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    1. Thanks! I've always just thought if I have to endure a struggle, I at least want to be open about it and hopefully help somebody else that might be struggling too! :)

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  4. I love this! And I love your sweet little girl Beckett! That's my son's name too!! :)
    Travel is one of my goals too. I agree: God made a beautiful world and I want to see it! :)
    Good luck with your goals!

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    1. Thanks! I actually first proposed the name Beckett for a little boy. We ended up with another little girl and still loved the name! :)

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  5. I love your goals and respect you willingness to be so open. IVF bills are no joke! Good luck!
    The Full Spectrum

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  6. I'm so moved at your willingness to share your personal journey! Your last dream about blessing others as you have been blessed touched my heart. I would love to be able to do the same thing and I think it is a wonderful thing to work for/towards. Thank you for the inspiration!
    Primary Leaders and Readers

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  7. Your girls are so cute! I think all teachers want to be debt free from what I am finding. Teachers pay teachers is doing wonders for some people and hope we all see that eventually.

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    1. Thanks so much! Getting rid of that debt is definitely a top priority! :)

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  8. As someone who has suffered with both PCOS and Endometriosis, I can certainly relate. So glad IVF worked for you! Your children are beautiful!
    Lit with Lyns

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  9. Oh my gosh! Their names are gorgeous, just like them! My husband and I have faced fertility issues and continue to try and make decisions about what is best for our future. It's great that God blessed y'all with such healthy sweet baby girls. I want to go to TPT conference, but I'm just not sure enough of myself. Maybe we'll both go eventually! Good luck with everything and congratulations on all of the blessings that you already have. :)

    Simply Secondary

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    1. I hate you all are struggling with fertility issues. While God changed me SO much during that storm, it was definitely some of the hardest times of my life. Lots of prayers your way.

      Hopefully we'll both make it to Vegas next year! :)

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  10. Love your goals! I think everyone has such personal goals and it's so nice to see what people aspire to be and have. Your sweet girls are beautiful! You are truly blessed!

    I am also hoping to get to the TpT conference next year! We will have to meet up! ❤️

    Lindsay
    Just Keep Teaching

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    1. Thank you! I am hoping to go next year and meet up with all these amazing women! :)

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  11. Glad to find another one whose suffered from PCOS and endured the IVF journey. Best of luck to you!

    Whitney
    The First Grade Roundup

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  12. Hi Kristyn,
    Your girls are beautiful! So glad to find someone I can relate to. My husband and I struggled with infertility too. After over ten years and 4 IVF tries we were finally blessed with our little boy!
    I won't be able to attend this year's conference either. Maybe we'll get to meet each other next year!
    Antoinette :)
    Shoelaces and Sugar Cookies

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    1. What an amazing blessing! Hopefully the conference next year will work out and we can meet up! :)

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  13. Hey girl! Your post caught my eye on the TPT Seller challenge link ups - in particular the paying off IVF costs. You made me tear up! Your girls are so beautiful and I don't want to get into it a public post but it means a lot to me that you shared your story!
    Bex
    e:
    Reading and Writing Redhead

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