Family Fun at The Ranch

This weekend the whole family (minus Matt who had to work - missed you, Man!) loaded up & headed out to the"The Ranch" in Ben Wheeler, TX. The Ranch is 400 something acres in the middle of nowhere which makes for a peaceful place to run away to! I love the feeling of driving away from the city - it's like the stress just melts right off. We had a great time talking, hanging out, walking around, looking at animal tracks, playing with Lucy, watching the deer walk through at sunset, watching the stars with assistance from the pocket universe app (I'd forgotten there were so many stars out there - it was beautiful), playing Mexican Train Dominoes (Dad won first place, John 'won' last place), reading, laughing, eating amazing food (thanks, Mom!), being silly, and just enjoying time together. It was awesome. I put most of the pics on Facebook, so I'll just include a quick video here! Lucy got the chance to be a country dog & spent all her time running around & getting people to throw her ball...until she dropped it off the dock into the lake. oops. At least we all know what she's getting for Christmas now...

New stuff

I haven't touched the blog in a while, so I thought I'd post some pics of new stuff over the last month...

First, I recently visited our district's new career and technology center. It is seriously amazing & I am so proud to work for a district that works to provide the best for our students! I got the chance to walk by the classrooms & see engagement in action. This is truly learning at its best! I also had to take a picture of our vision & mission that was painted on the wall. So cool!

Next up: new car. John and I replaced my Camry & this is my new Rav 4. I love it!! The second pic is John driving it home!

Not quite as exciting as the car, but I got a new hair cut too. I've been growing it out for a few months & finally decided something had to be done. So, here's the result!

Finally, the gift that secured my 'cool wife' status. John got a bass guitar for his birthday. Here it is: A couple more pics of the new bass. Of course, Lucy had to check things out.

Peace & Rest

I'm slightly in shock that it's October 1st today. This year is seriously flying by. Usually that means it's super crazy & stressful, but not this time. I feel good. I feel like I'm in the groove with work, home, church, friends, family, etc. Of course there is always little stuff that creeps up. For instance, I had a late meeting yesterday, so my YAM girls had to let themselves into my (messy) house to start Bible Study...Another example: the fact that my staff shirt wasn't only clean this past Monday, but the 2 Mondays prior to that... There's plenty of stuff on the plate, but I guess the point is I don't feel stressed about it. I'm not saying stress doesn't pop up here and there - I guess it's just an overall feeling of peace (let me think...how do you say...gift from God??) I am so thankful for the people in my life right now. I have the best friends and family in the world & I just feel blessed. My prayer lately has been for God to help me trust in His perfect timing in my life & I can feel the prayers people are sending up for me. Along those lines, I was looking up 'Resting in the Lord' verses today, so I thought I'd share: Matthew 11:27-29 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Isaiah 40:28-31 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Catching Fire

Remember this post?

http://musicalhouse.blogspot.com/2008/11/impatient.html

Well, guess what? I made it to Sept 09 & the sequel came out!

I loved it just as much as the first book & couldn't put it down. I was also able to prepare myself for turning the last page & seeing: "End of Book 2", so it wasn't as traumatic this time.

I can't wait for third & final book of the series, but of course I will have to. It doesn't come out until late 2010.

Arg.

The Nose Knows

I'll keep this one short 'cause it grosses me out to think about it. We just had a spirit day for the high school our kids feed into. Teachers were offered old football jerseys to wear. I grabbed one & figured it was no big deal as long as I washed it. Took it home Thursday, washed it all by itself with plenty of detergent, etc. Dried it. Hung it up in the bathroom so it would be ready for Friday. Friday morning I get up & Lucy (as always) follows me into the bathroom. But this time, instead of lying down by the shower like normal, she makes a beeline for the jersey hanging on the door. She obsessively sniffs the armpits for a good 10 minutes. Apparently no amount of cleaning can fool her. Yuck. On a more positive note, if I ever needed to find the previous owner of this jersey, I'm betting I could just let Lucy loose at the high school. I'm certain she would recognize his armpits immediately.

Clean Slate

I always love the first week of school because to me it represents a clean slate - for me, for my kiddos, for the school as a whole. I love having a fresh start. Maybe that's why Lamentations 3:22-23 are 2 of my favorite verses. Anyway, I had a great first week. I feel like my kids & I just clicked from Day 1. This is my 8th year teaching & it's interesting how classes always seem to have unique personalities. Some are silly, some are tough, some are 'too cool', some just want to be loved... I don't know how to describe this class's personality yet, but here's what I do know: I LOVE my class!!!!! They are so sweet & fun, and I can't wait to get to know them better this year. I know there will be challenges & times of stress, but I'm looking forward to the shared journey with my new little family!

Back to school = Fun kid stories

Convo today while we were reviewing restroom expectations (yeah, that sounds weird to non-teachers, but I work in an elementary school): Kid:Mrs. M., why don't they have atomic paper towels here? Me: What? Kid: You know, they have atomic soap, why not atomic paper towels too? Me: Ohhhhhhh, you mean autoMAtic paper towels! Kid cracks up. Class cracks up. Teacher cracks up. Good times had by all.

Lessons Learned

I meant to post this one a couple weeks ago & just never got around to it... Recently I mowed the yard for the first time in...well, ever. John always takes care of the yard, but it was getting late, so I offered to mow while he edged to save time. Here's what I learned (other than how to operate the mower): 1. Wear eye protection - About the time I said, "Hey this is kind of fun!" a gust of wind blew all the dirt & grass clippings into my eyes. Lesson learned. 2. Keep the dog inside - I had Lucy inside to begin with, but when I went in to get the grass out of my eyes, she got out. So, as I mowed she kept dropping her ball & Frisbee directly in front of the mower trying to get me to play. I finally got rid of all the toys. Problem solved. 3. If you take Lucy's toys away, she will get even - So maybe she was oblivious, but was it really coincidence that right after I took her toys, she ran in front of the mower and took a huge dump right in my path??? Not cool. So in the end I mowed all but 1 little spot of the yard, & I did a great job! Oh yeah, and by 'great job' I mean I'm going to pretend I didn't notice John giving the yard a once over after I was done.

Summer Wrap up

Now that August is here, it's time to think about the upcoming school year (not that educators ever really stop thinking about it! ;o) So...before all the craziness really kicks in, I thought I'd sum up my summer. So, here we go: I LOVE summer! I think the thing I love the most (besides comfy clothes and flip flops) is the flexibility. Every day when I wake up I can just decide, totally last minute, what I want to do. So here's what I've been up to:

• Staying up late & sleeping in - woo hoo!
• Working out - I'm determined to keep this up even when I go back to work!!!
• Cleaning out closets - a necessary (yet gratifying) evil.
• Ranger's games - I'll admit, I used to think they were boring, but now I love going!
• Hanging out with friends & their kiddos.
• Sitting by Jana's pool. :o)
• Reading
• Shopping
• Church stuff - young adult girls biblestudy(with Lucy's favorite people), singing & having fun with the praise band, leading Kid's Connection on Sunday mornings, Jr. High mission trip, kidnapping church staff members for lunch...
• Family time with parents, siblings, nieces & nephews, cousins, aunts & uncles...it's been so great to see everyone!
• Quality time with John - we took a last minute trip to Galveston just to get away, but other than that, we've had fun running errands, working on the house, building stuff for the Jr. High mission trip, and being lazy together.

I think that's about it! It's been a wonderful & relaxing couple of months!

Lucy's Fashion Statement

Last week Lucy went to the vet for her annual checkup & they found a little growth behind her front, right leg. They did a scraping & said it isn't cancer or anything, but they wanted to go ahead & remove it. So, yesterday while I was working, John had to take Lucy for her surgery. He said it was the saddest thing ever & she kept trying to drag him back out the door until he handed her over to one of the ladies at the vet's office. They didn't put her totally out, they just drugged her up & used a local anesthesia. They removed the growth & are going to let us know what it is by Friday or Monday, but the vet said it doesn't look like anything bad, so we're not really worried. Lucy now has 2 staples from the surgery, so she has to wear a T-shirt to cover the area so she can't scratch it. Yesterday she was so drugged up she didn't care, but today she seems slightly annoyed by it. I keep telling her she looks fabulous, & I'm sure that's helping her adjust (right??) I donated my Lime green "Jesus Keeps Me Singing" T-shirt to her. I think it's from VBS, or something a few years back & hasn't been worn since. So, here she is: Notice the nice 80's style tie on the back to give it a little extra flair. Sorry about the picture quality - she didn't seem to want to be photographed & kept walking away as I took her picture.

And just to remind everyone how pretty she really is, here's a pic from last week without the T-shirt.

I don't get it.

I've been meaning to address this for a while, but I keep forgetting. However, this past weekend we were at Chili's & I remembered to take a picture, so now's the time! When we go to Chili's I always order broccoli as my side item. I love it & I figure I can eat whatever else greasy mess I want to & the meal still counts as healthy (right???) Anyway, a while back I put in the order for the side of broccoli & the waiter said, "I'm sorry we no longer have broccoli as a side." After overcoming my shock, I asked what they had instead. The response: mixed veggies. I decided to go with it & see what mixed veggies entailed. So in case you are wondering, here is the NEW menu item called 'Mixed Veggies', NOT broccoli, mind you:

Sometimes I get bored...

We're getting ready to go on our Jr. High mission trip next week, so we're busy running errands & such. Today John & I went to The Home Depot to get some supplies for worship. Let me clarify - the theme is 'Illuminate', so we're making some cool shadow boxes & stuff for response stations. Anyway...as John was perusing the lumber aisle for the 8th time, here's what I found:

MAH-BLE CAH-LUMS!!!!

You gotta get some Mah-ble Cah-lums!

Like this one!

Or dat one!

OK, they were really wooden, but whatever. So, for those of you who are completely lost:

The Transformer Saga

Last night we decided to go see the new Transformer movie. Long story short, John ended up working late at church & we decided the 10:30 showing would get out too late (John had to be at church before 8 the next morning). We got home at about 10:45 & were getting ready for bed when we heard a loud 'BOOM!' & the power went out. In the next 30 minutes we met some new neighbors, called the electric company, did a quick drive around the neighborhood to see who did & didn't have power, and decided to wait it out & get in bed. About that time we saw a person with a hard hat & flashlight pass by the bathroom window on the side of the house, so I went out front to investigate again. I talked to a couple neighbors while the guy checked out the transformer in our neighbor's yard. After a few minutes he confirmed the transformer would have to be replaced. He estimated it would take an hour to get a crew out & it would take them an hour to fix it. So estimated time of power return = 1:30am. At that point we went to bed. At 3:48am Lucy sounded the alarm letting us know there were strangers outside the house. By the time I got her calmed down, I was wide awake listening to the cacophony of rumbling engines, yelling workers, and the beep, beep, beeping of a truck backing up. At one point during the beeping I heard a man yell, "Hey, hey, HEY! Slow down!!" That's not what you want to hear as a large piece of machinery is manuvering past your bedroom (Did I mention the pictures on the walls were vibrating b/c it was so loud?) That was enough to get me out of bed to check out what was going on & I discovered I could see all the action through our window (the same one I climbed out of a couple weeks ago!) Here's a nice pic/diagram to help clarify. The Blue Star = our room The Gold Star = transformer box The Yellow Arrow = the path of what would later be identified as the EZ Hauler 4100. I watched the action for a while & from what I could tell they were having trouble getting the EZ Hauler to turn. At least that's what I gathered from the one guy yelling, "What the heck?!? The darn thing won't turn!" (I cleaned up his language a little.) That's when it turned into something like the middle of this scene: Except with this machine: Plus everytime it backed up it made the beep beep beep sound which added to the 'fun'. After a while I'd had enough excitement for one night & decided to get some sleep. At 5:45am the power came back on (woo hoo for AC!) & I was able to get a couple more hours of sleep before my alarm went off. Speaking of lack of sleep, I've now stayed up way too late writing this silly post, so it's time for bed!

Sleeping Late

I love it. It is one of the things that makes Summer my favorite time of year. I stay up as late as I want(lately it's been until around 2am), I don't set an alarm, and I sleep in every day until about 11 or 12. Pure bliss.

All I can say

These are the lyrics to a David Crowder song that has carried me through many a tough time. Just thought I'd share. Lord I'm tired So tired from walking And Lord I'm so alone And Lord the dark Is creeping in Creeping up To swallow me I think I'll stop Rest here a while Chorus: And this is all that I can say right now And this is all that I can give And this is all that I can say right now And this is all that I can give, thats my everything And didn't You see me cry'n? And didn't You hear me call Your name? Wasn't it You I gave my heart to? I wish You'd remember Where you sat it down Chorus: And this is all that I can say right now, I know its not much. But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything. This is all that I can say right now [right now], I know its not much. But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything. Bridge: I didn't notice You were standing here I didn't know that That was You holding me I didn't notice You were cry'n too I didn't know that That was You washing my feet And this is all that I can say right now, oh I know its not much. But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything. This is all that I can say right now [right now], I know its not much. But this is all that I can give, yeah thats my everything.

3am Wakeup

This past weekend we stayed with my parents b/c Amy & her crew were in town. I'll post more about that soon! Anyway, When are all staying at home that means there are also 3 dogs staying there. Tigger (my parents Schipperke), Seth (my Brother's lab/something mix), and Lucy (our crazy golden). When the 3 of them hang out they kinda take on that pack mentality which can range from crazy entertaining to well, annoying.

Example of entertaining:

We're all pretty sure they've chosen Dad as their pack leader & they all love him. I couldn't really get a good pic 'cause it was my phone & dogs move a lot, but here are all the beasties gathered around their favorite person.

BTW, Tigger would be the black blob on his lap. Some day I'll get a picture of where you can actually tell she's a dog & not the smoke monster from LOST.

Example of annoying:

I don't have a pic of this one b/c is was 3 am & I wasn't in the mood. Anyway, Lucy woke me up with the "I'm going to stand here with my nose .001 inches from your face until you sense something is going on & open your eyes" technique. I figured she had to pee, so I got up & opened the bedroom door where good ol' Seth was waiting ready to play.

They were all kinds of excited, but I managed to get them out the back door without waking anyone else up. I waited for a minute & called for them to come in. Only Seth came back. Annoyed, I stumbled out into the yard & looked around for Lucy (in case you're wondering, it's really dark at 3am). I finally heard her collar jingling in the direction of my parents bedroom window.

I kept calling her, but realized she was stuck behind the decorative fencing that lines the flowerbed by my parents room. I found a place where I thought there was an opening in the fence & called Lucy over. She got about half way & then just stopped & looked at me. She was stuck. I finally ended up lifting her back end over the fence & we were ready to go back in.

About this time I heard the door open & out ran Tigger going wild. Lucy had woken Tigger up by hanging out at her window & Tigger woke Dad up. The dogs couldn't have been happier. The people were not so entertained.

Eventually I got all the dogs back to their assorted sleeping areas, gave Lucy a lecture about waking up the whole house & got back in bed. I'm sure she'll think twice about waking us all up at 3am again. Oh yeah, and by 'think twice' I mean she had no clue what the heck I was talking about & will most certainly do it again.

Just say no.

I have to preface this by sharing the fact that I will do ANYTHING to avoid door to door salespeople. AN-Y-TH-IN-G. Last Wednesday I turned onto my street on my way home from work & saw 2 guys doing some sort of door to door sales stuff. I immediately made the decision not to answer the door if there was a knock. The only problem with my plan was I had a bunch of girls on their way over for Bible Study. So, about 10 minutes later when there was a knock at the door I froze. I figured Katie S. is usually the first to arrive, so I dialed her cell. No answer. I waited a little longer & decided to take a chance. I opened the door & it was Kelli. Whew! After 2 more girls arrived, I let my guard down a little, so when there was another knock, I answered it. DOH! It was the sales dude. After 15 minutes of him blah, blah, blahing about a home security system, & ignoring social cues (including me greeting Jessica as she is walking past us into my house) I was finally able to shake the guy off by saying that my darling husband makes those kind of decisions & he was not going to be home for a while. It worked. He left. But it wasn't over. Thursday night he came back. We didn't answer. So, Saturday we had just had lunch with M+L+R and right after we got home there was a knock at the door. We figured it was just M&L, so John answered it. Wrong. Security system dude was back. I didn't come out of our room 'cause I figured John would be able to shake him off. About an hour later - yes, I said an HOUR later, I started to walk out & tell John we had to leave for the Ranger game. I got to the doorway of our room & heard the dude say, "So when's your wife supposed to be home?" Crap. What was I supposed to do? I went back in our room before he could see me (they were now sitting at our dining room table) to brainstorm. I had my cell & my sunglasses, so I figured if I somehow was able to come in the front door, it would look like I was just getting home. I looked at the window in our room, but laughed off the idea & started reading a book. After 15 more minutes of hiding out in our room, the idea started to sound a little less crazy...I mean this guy was never gonna leave!

The door to our room was open, so I had to be super quiet, but I managed to open our blinds & bedroom window, remove the screen, & climb out. I walked around the front of the house, took a deep breath (& tried to stop giggling at myself & my dorkiness), and walked in the front door. After a quick, "Oh hey, what's going on here?" I quickly launched into a 'Well, now that I'm home it's time to leave for the Ranger game' speech. Security dude ignored me. To sum up it took 30 more minutes to get rid of him. Lucy even contributed by barfing next to his foot (yes, this was after she ate the Oreos, but before the black poo - see last post). In case you're wondering, we now know the guy's life story, & pretty much everything about a security system we're never gonna get.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!!

OK, so we don't have kids - we have a dog. A dog who gave us a precious home made gift for our 7 year anniversary. It's one day early, but hey, it's the thought that counts, right? Warning: if you have a strong gag reflex, stop here & do not read any further. Last chance to turn back... In case you like the gift idea & want to recreate it, here are the steps to Lucy used to make it: Step 1: Dog eats new package of Double Stuff Oreos. Step 2: Dog has black diarrhea all over the back yard. Step 3: Dog goes out the next day & eats all the black poo. Step 4: Dog pukes up all the black poo under mom & dad's bed. So...ummm....thanks Lucy, for the thoughtful and aromatic gift.

Happy Friday!

Here are some random observations/kid quotes/happenings this week:

• Kid quote 1: Ms. M! Your hair looks like Wolverine's!
• TAKS scores came back & I'm so proud of my kiddos! Thanks for the prayers, All!
• Yay for The Last Olympian! John & I both finished the book (last one of the Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan) & now my kids are all fighting over/mostly sharing the few copies in the classroom.
• Kid quote 2: Ms. M, I have a science question...are butts made of fat, or muscle?
• I got the chance to share what I've learned over the last year with 500 women at BSF Monday night. It was a very cool God Moment, and yes, I cried in front of all of them.
• Today was the "You're going to begin experiencing some changes" talk in 5th Grade. In case you're wondering, if some kid starts a question with "My mom has this friend..." Just stop her there. You don't want to hear the rest.
• We've been working on the yard a lot & it looks so pretty! I love when everything starts blooming & this year I planted all pink & purple flowers in the back yard. Girlie colors make me happy!
• I love my DBU group! We met this week to hang out & chat. I can't believe it's been a year since we graduated together!
• Only 1 week of school left!!!!!! Woo hoo for Summer!!!!!

Moses

I just finished a study of the life of Moses I started last fall with BSF. The study went through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy. It was the first time I had read a lot of those books & I learned a LOT. One thing I've learned is that I need to be more intentional about recording the things God is teaching me & the work he is doing in my life. Like the Israelites, I so easily forget the things God has done for me. I forget how faithful He is & the countless ways He blesses my life each and every day. I figured this is a good place to record this kind of stuff, so here we go... Moses had a hard life. I know, duh. But when you look at him as a leader & how much he went through with the Israelites(who seem to be slow learners, like myself), you start to wonder how he was so patient. After 9 months of walking his journey through the scriptures I think the thing that struck me most was the end of it all. Moses spent much of his life teaching & leading the Israelites. He devoted everything to this calling. So when you get close to the end of Deuteronomy when Moses is coming to the end of his long journey, God basically tells him that the Israelites are going to turn away from God (again) once Moses is gone. Reading that made me hurt for the poor guy. I thought - what the heck? He spent his whole life leading these people & basically he gets nothing for it??? Did he ever wonder if his whole life was futile? He didn't get to enter the promised land, & he didn't even get the satisfaction of knowing that everything was going to be ok with these people that he had investing in for so many years. I really wanted some sort of glorious ending for him. But God knew better. And I bet Moses did too. In Deuteronomy 34 Moses dies, and in verse 10, God put it all in perspective for me: "Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face." Face to face. Can you imagine that kind of closeness with God? Moses may not have gotten a bunch of earthly rewards - pats on the back, thank you cards, or even the satisfaction of " a successful ministry" all the time - but He got to know God face to face. He got to walk and talk with the creator of everything, the Alpha and Omega, the one and only God. Is there anything better than that?

Warning:This one's mushy.

So, I haven't posted anything 'real' lately & I guess it's because it's been so crazy. This has been a hard year & the past month has been the culmination of all the stress I've been feeling. The day after tomorrow is the science TAKS & I'm praying for my kiddos to do their best & not get freaked out. I really feel like they are going to do GREAT & I know they are ready for it, so if you think of us on Thursday, please say a quick prayer! On a more positive note, stressful times also make me realize how very blessed I am. I have an amazing husband who takes care of me, helps me, listens to me, loves me, and even does 'emergency' laundry loads of socks & undies when needed. In fact he's on the way home now with my P.F. Chang's to go (he doesn't even eat chinese food). Thanks, Baby! I also have a loving family that is so incredibly supportive. My Dad comes over once a month & takes me to dinner so we can enjoy some daddy/daughter time. My sister, Amy, & I talk more now than ever (except maybe when we were little & I followed her around 24/7). My brother, Matt & I hang out when we can & relate through texting, but hey - it works! My mom is always there - no matter what. It's pretty awesome to know that if I needed anything, she'd be there at the drop of a hat. Plus she loves me unconditionally, like only mommies can. Finally, I've got amazing friends. Friends who stock my freezer with Ben & Jerry's while I'm driving home after a hard day (thanks, MD!) Friends who will listen to me whine, cry, or just be silly for hours on end. Friends who encourage me & support me through it all. (Cue Michael W. Smith.) So, I guess this is turning into one big, cheesy, "I love you, Man!" speech, but hey, it's true. XXXOOO!

Is it just me?

I drove by the new Cowboy's stadium last night & for some reason was reminded of a movie I used to watch when I was little: Flight of the Navigator. Am I that far off?

Spring Break Project

One of my favorite things about Spring break is having the time to work on the yard & clean out the flowerbeds. John & I have been working all week & finally have it done (well, we haven't put in new annuals yet, but other than that...) So, for your enjoyment, here are some before & afters. Before #1: I like how Lucy looks so disgusted. It is pretty sad that the weeds are taller than she is.After #1: No flowers yet, but at least the weeds are gone!

Before #2: Not so pretty...

After #2: Much better. Plus, the new plantings should fill in & cover up the electrical box!

Before #3:

After #3: Before #4:

After #4: Lucy looks much happier (plus she likes collecting the big sticks out of the mulch to chew on!)

Hopefully over the next couple weeks I'll have time to add in some colorful annuals to brighten things up & fill in the gaps, but for now I'm pretty happy with the whole thing!

Disappointment

Today I have been working on the house & catching up on laundry. As I was running around the house, I had the TV on & Star Wars, Episode IV was playing (that was the first of the 'old' ones)...random, I know. As I watched the final scene, I was reminded of how I LOVED Princess Leia's hair when I was little. Not this hair: This hair: I thought it was the most beautiful hair EVER. Maybe that's why I didn't cut my hair from 1st grade-7th grade...who knows. I still remember the moment I saw an interview of Carrie Fisher on TV...with SUPER SHORT hair. I was immediately distraught, so I turned to my mom & asked what happened to her beautiful hair. The answer that followed may possibly be my number one childhood disappointment. "Her hair was fake, Katie. It was never really that long." NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

To Do Lists

Here's where I stand: -Round 1 of TAKS...check. -Camp for 50 5th graders...almost check. We leave Tuesday. -Update applications & resume...check. -Eat lots of chocolate & ice cream...double check. -Organize new small group at church... -Clean house.... -Clean out the flower beds & get the yard under control... -Go to the gym... -Laundry...I should be doing that right now... -Anything else not related to work... -Update blog...this counts right?

Whew!

I think things are finally starting to balance out. I always seem to forget how busy the spring semester is & how it flies by. On top of the normal work 'to do' list & TAKS insanity (In case you were wondering, TAKS is evil) I had a presentation for the school board last week. I was very excited about it & equally nervous. It went really, really well, so YAY! And, thank you to all of you who prayed for me through the whole thing - I am blessed by you! Another cool thing that came out of the whole process was the feeling of assurance I felt/feel - that I am where I am supposed to be & doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I got in my car & praised God for His provision & guidance in my life. Things at church are going well too. I feel like we're on the edge of a breakthrough, & we are experiencing so much spiritual growth in multiple areas - especially children, youth, & young adults. It's one of those times where I feel like I'm on the edge of my seat just waiting for what God's gonna do next. What can I say?? God is really, really good!

Serious Question

This is your chance to be 100% completely honest. I bought this long top/dress a couple months ago & have put it on several times. However, I've never left the house in it & I need your opinion - I mean am I just too old for this style? Is it that I haven't worn leggings since I was 8? Should I try the thing with jeans? Do I give it up all together? You be the judge.

Pose #1

Side view...

So...what's the verdict???

25 Random Facts

In honor of the 'snow' day, I'm finally gonna do this one! 1. I have the best husband in the whole world. 2. Lucy, our golden retriever, is pretty much our first born at this point & ridiculously spoiled. 3. Speaking of spoiled, I'm the most spoiled wife on the planet (well, next to Jana;) 4. I used to hate reading until I taught it 2 years ago, now I'm an addict. 5. I love kids books & young adult books & will read the same book 2-3 times in a row if I really love it. 6. I get to lead the children's worship service on Sundays & it's one of my favorite parts of the week. 7. I met John in the TCU drumline. 8. I love musicals. 9. If I go to a musical performance (symphony, musicals, etc.) I almost always tear up when the music starts. 10. Sarah once made me question the reliability of my deodorant (which wasn't as bad as the time she made me smell her vomit hair). 11. Wednesdays are my marathon days & I don't usually get home until around 10:45pm, but they are always awesome 'cause my church family rocks! 12. We just got a new comforter & I've spent pretty much the last week in my bed 'cause it's so darn comfy (well, and the being sick thing...) 13. I love teaching 5th graders because of their 'sassy attitudes' - that's the nice way to put it. 14. Ever since Kindergarten I've wanted red-headed children (ask my mom) & John likes to joke that it's the real reason I married him. 15. I have approached strangers to tell them I love their kid's red hair (I'm pretty sure that one couple never visited our church again...) 16. Scrapbooking stresses me out...even though I like it. I probably finish about 1 page a year. 17. I've prayed for twins at 30 since my sophomore year in college...yes I am crazy. 18. Seinfeld is distracting me from coming up with more random facts... 19. I don't eat at Wendy's b/c last time I was there, John smashed a roach on our table. Sick. 20. I'm left handed. 21. Heights freak me out to the point where I get nervous standing next to the railing on the second floor of the mall, yet I don't mind things like rock climbing & rollercoasters. 22. I love post-its (and pretty much all office supplies). 23. I LOVE the beach & the best vacation ever was the cruise John & I took around Hawaii. 24. My sister called me the other day to tell me she was leaving John C. Reilly's house - cause she's cool like that!! 25. I can spread my toes out really far.

Let me sum up...

This week has been kinda like a roller coaster - not a big one, but maybe like a mini mine train or something - the kind that just keeps dragging you along, shaking you up occasionally as you go. First of all I took full advantage of last weekend being a long weekend. It was fabulous & I even got somewhat caught up on work stuff. Tuesday - I watched the inauguration with my 5th graders. My favorite comments: "Hey! George Bush's daughters are hot! You think they'd go out with me?" "Who is that lady in the crazy hat???" (I can't really argue with that one though, that was one big bow, Aretha!) Also, when they were introducing the former presidents, I asked the kids why they skipped the 40th & if they knew who he was. They agreed it was Martin Luther King... After school I had a meeting to plan a presentation for the school board in February. I am really excited about presenting, despite the nightmares I had that night about not being prepared or just making a fool of myself. Wednesday & Thursday - I had more meetings, but got a lot of tedious paperwork out of the way. My kiddos are definitely rebelling to the lack of structure over the last few weeks due to testing, my being out at meetings, and other random changes in the schedule. A lot of discipline issues are starting to pop up again, so hopefully next week we can get back in the groove. Friday - I survived. My kids hurt my feelings (although they don't know that) 'cause they were being so rude all morning. We all pulled it back together and had a productive afternoon, & I left after school to go to the doctor. The Dr. gave me a prescription for antibiotics, but then told me it might be a virus, so I should wait a couple days to see if it gets better on its own. Seriously?? I don't like making decisions when I'm sick - I just want someone to tell me what to do...time to call my Mommy. Today I'm hanging out in bed with my mountain of Kleenex, Lucy (she's great company when you're sick!) & the laptop. John's working all day w/ church meetings all morning & rehearsals all afternoon/evening. I'm praying for a miraculous healing & the ability to sing at church tomorrow, even though I can't talk today. So, we shall see!

Shoes

So I wrote most of this post weeks ago, & am just now getting around to finishing it! Someday I'm gonna get back to regular postings!

I feel the need to preface this post with the fact that I don't often buy new shoes. Maybe once or twice a year I'll find a pair I really love & take them home with me. In fact I still wear 1 pair of shoes I've had since 10th grade (I'm waiting for Stacy & Clinton to come rip them off my feet).

It all started with a little after Christmas sale at Kohl's. I found these great skechers & snatched them up. Although they were available in brown, grey, & black, they only had brown in my size, so that's what I got. I love them & I've worn them almost every day since then (even when they didn't exactly match my outfit - gasp!!)

Well, for the last 4 days I've been in Los Angeles with my sister, Amy, seeing the sites & just having fun. Today we happened to run across a Skecher's store which led to a shoe-buying saga of epic proportions. It began with the whole 'buy one, get one half off' sale. John is seriously against this type of marketing & typically talks me out of falling into the trap of buying 2 pairs instead of just one. But today his logic was foiled due to the presence of my sister (that's what sisters are for, right?) We decided we would work together to take advantage of the sale by each buying a pair of shoes, thus sharing the discount.

The only problem with our plan was I couldn't decide which pair I wanted. After much contemplation, I went with a more practical pair of black sketchers over some flashier silver & navy ones. We finally checked out, but that was only the beginning.

In the end, after visiting 3 Skecher stores, with 4 of us looking at & trying out countless paris of shoes...here is the result:

Yeah, I mentioned 4 people checking out shoes, but they're all mine & Amy's. Sorry Mindy & John. You lose.