Back From The South

I got to go to Athens this weekend.  I had a grand ole time.  Guess how many pictures I took?  Zero! 
I was really excited to be there, though.  Especially because Cassie happened to be going the same time I was.  We both stayed at our old apartment and it was about as close to old times as you could get.  Except for the fact that the apartment was lacking important things, like, food for instance.  But no matter because we were well taken care of. 
I had to work Friday night so I didn't leave until Saturday morning.  That evening we got to have supper with a lot of people from the church.  It was nice to have that time rather than to try and catch up with everyone during church on Sunday.  Sunday after church I took Devin out to lunch.  Since it was a quick trip this time I didn't have a whole lot of time to spend with him but I didn't want to go and not see him.  He chose the Mexican place that he always picks which is fine with me.  He was acting really tired and shy and I could hardly hear what he was saying to me.  All of a sudden he got this weird look and said he needed to go to the bathroom.  He made it about ten feet from the table before barfing all over the floor.  UGH!!!  I felt really bad and offered to clean it up but one of the girls working did it before I could even try to take the rag from her.  Well, I was pretty hungry and we only had a half hour or so before I took him home so we just stayed and he watched me eat.  While I was paying he walked outside and puked again in the bushes.  At least that time we didn't have to worry about the mess.  After I dropped him off, everyone else was just sitting down at a different restaurant so I decided to take my time.  I stopped at my favorite ice cream place, got a cone and walked around town, enjoying my cone and the 71 degree weather.  It was beautiful!
Monday I spent the morning at the preschool but was really dissapointed when a couple little boys I love dearly and miss so much didn't come.  So after lunch I called them both up and met up with them.  One came into town and met me at Wal Mart where he got really shy and would hardly say a word.  But he sure was cuddly.  I just stood there and snuggled him for 5 or 10 minutes.  I could've done that all day.  The other I went to his house.  He was a lot less shy and I had a great time playing with him for a few minutes. 
After that I left, stopping in Nashville at a Jamaican restaurant I have wanted to go to for about two years now.  It just has never worked out to go.  When I got off the interstate there was a man standing on the other side of the road that I was pretty sure was homeless.  I had something I could have given him- a Bible, some socks and a gift card for a fast food place.  But there was a lane of traffic between us and it was my turn to go.  I found the place, ate (and loved it).  When I got back to the interstate the man was still there but this time there were four lanes of traffic between us.  I wish so bad I would have gone past, done a U turn and came back to him, then gotten on the interstate from the other way.  Sometimes when I see people like that they look like they chose to be in that postion.  Whether they're at the top of an exit ramp trying to hitchhike or whatever the case may be.  I felt very drawn to this man and when I got home and crawled in bed, the image of him standing there was burned into my brain and that's all I could think of.  Maybe because he was selling a newspaper of sorts.  He had just a few in his hand and was holding them up for those driving by, hoping to sell one.  Typically when I see people like that, they have a duffel bag with them.  Something told me that this man only had the clothes on his back and desperately needed help.  I've never seen someone selling things in the middle of the street like that in this country.  It's always in Jamaica or Mexico that I see that.  I regret not doing a better job of being the hands and feet of Jesus in that situation.  Now the best thing I can do for that man is just pray for him.  I realize that praying for someone is great, but I also know that many times we are called to do more than that.  But I guess for now the best thing is just to learn from that experience and be more alert about it the next time an opportunity like that arises.
Well I'm still pretty tired from the weekend after spending the morning with some family from out of town and then working tonight.  But I wanted to talk about it and I also thought it was high time to have something on here besides the Cat in the Hat!

We Have A Birthday Today!

In years past, March 2 would have most likely been spent eating green eggs and ham with my kids.  Actually, I would usually do a whole week or two with Dr. Suess activites but green eggs and ham was always saved for his actual birthday. 
I've always liked Dr. Suess.  Once in Jr. High I even did a book report on him!  When I was a kid my favorite book was probably Go, Dog, Go! because of the pictures.  Now?  I'm not sure.  Now I like them because they're fun to read out loud but I don't have a chance to do that very often anymore.  Probably my favorite one to read out loud is either The Grinch Who Stole Christmas or The Sneeches.  Or if I'm really feeling motivated, I like to read Fox in Sox.  Especially the last part abou the beetle battle.  Here- try for yourself!

Let's have a little talk about tweetle beetles....

What do you know about tweetle beetles? Well...

When tweetle beetles fight,
it's called a tweetle beetle battle.
And when they battle in a puddle,
it's a tweetle beetle puddle battle.

AND when tweetle beetles battle with paddles in a puddle,
they call it a tweetle beetle puddle paddle battle.

AND...

When beetles battle beetles in a puddle paddle battle
and the beetle battle puddle is a puddle in a bottle...
...they call this a tweetle beetle bottle puddle paddle battle muddle.

AND...

When beetles fight these battles in a bottle with their paddles
and the bottle's on a poodle and the poodle's eating noodles...
...they call this a muddle puddle tweetle poodle beetle noodle
bottle paddle battle.

AND...

Now wait a minute, Mr. Socks Fox!
When a fox is in the bottle where the tweetle beetles battle
with their paddles in a puddle on a noodle-eating poodle,

THIS is what they call...
...a tweetle beetle noodle poodle bottled paddled
muddled duddled fuddled wuddled fox in socks, sir!

Fox in socks, our game is done, sir.
Thank you for a lot of fun, sir.

One of my favorite activites to do was to read The Shape of Me and Other Stuff and then trace my kids profiles for all to see.  They always like seeing their profiles on the wall too.


And now in honor of Sylvester McMonkey McBean (the fix-it-up chappie on the beaches with sneeches)...

Sometimes

Sometimes I just miss them.

Actually, tonight I was more just tired of seeing toilet paper on my blog, but I do miss them too.  I know that soon enough I'll go back for visits and enough will be different that I won't miss them quite so much.  But while the kids I know are still at the preschool, I will miss them.  I had kids that I loved dearly before I ever moved but it was different down in Alabama.  It's a much smaller place and I got so much more involved with the families rather than just the kids.  I think that's part of what makes it harder.  I'm really not in some sappy depressed mood right now.  I just kinda miss 'em.

My job is, well, a job.  Still different that what I thought it would be, still different that what I'm used to, still not something I love yet, but I'm starting to get into a comfortable routine.  I don't know exactly how long I'll be there.  Maybe in a few months if you ask me I'll be so in love with it that I can't ever imagine leaving.  But either way, I want to do a good job while I'm there.  I want to be someone the residents feel secure with.  For now this is where God has placed me and for now that's where I'll be.  And that's okay.  If anything, it's nice to be able to start feeling a little more settled.  I have four w-2's this year.  Three of which are from August through December.  Not so much settled those few months:)

Since I didn't go to Jamaica this year, I didn't get my little tropical fix for the winter. I find myself day dreaming about beaches and palm trees more than I ever have before. Perhaps a picture will suffice for now...

Hmm...... looking at it just doesn't have the same effect as being there.  Oh well.  Time to quit wasting time and off to bed I go.

Upsides and Downsides

Before I go any further, I just want to say thanks for voting in my poll last week:)  Seems that most people agree that the cardboard should be eaten before the marshmallows.  However, marshmallows and cardboard together was a very close second.  There were a select few who thought Lucky Charms were gross.  I just don't understand.

Anyway, like many of you, we were snowed in here for a couple of days.  This snow drift was right behind the garage so there was obviously no getting out.  I had almost my whole leg inside that drift and still hadn't touched the driveway.  There's benefits and upsides to being snowed in.  I was forced to sit inside, clean my room, clean my bathroom and watch multiple movies.

However, there's downsides as well.  Sometimes you realize that you desperately need something but can't get out to go get that thing.  In this case?  We were rationing our toilet paper like none other!



My brother saved the day though.  He had come out to the farm and just happed to have a couple rolls in his truck that he was going to take to the pig barns.  Thank goodness!

Deep Thoughts To Ponder Upon

I'm sitting here at the computer, having just got home from Spanish class.  I'm indulging myself in a bad habit of eating a snack this late in the day.  As I was eating my Lucky Charms, or in this case, Marshmallow Matey's, it led me to wonder how other people eat theirs.  Personally, I like to eat out all the cardboard cereal first, leaving the marshmallows to soak as long as possible and therefore be as soggy as possible before I eat them.  So please, go vote in the poll along the side of my blog here and tell the world how you feel about Lucky Charms/Marshmallow Mateys.  I'll even cast my vote to get things started, even though I've already shared my preferences.  There's no time to waste!  Exercise your right to vote!

Alabama:)

Camera's in the car, I'm in my room, I'm NOT going all the way outside to get it when I just took one picture.  You can just imagine it when it's time.  I'll tell you when.

Got to Athens Thursday night and went to bed early.  Spent the day at the preschool- Loved it!  Since they've had so much snow down there though, a lot of the kids took the whole week off so I didn't get to see as many as I wanted.  Maybe next time? 

Friday night supper and games at Mark and Bekah's.  I did terribly at Ticket to Ride but me and Amber managed to pull off a one point win during the very last round of Dutch Blitz.  A nail biter for sure:)

Saturday I spent the afternoon with Devin.  When I told his mom I was coming she informed me he had a birthday party to go to.  Guess where I got to go?  Spent some good "quality" time at the bowling alley with some people I've never met while three rambunctious boys bowled.  At least I got a piece of cake out of the deal.  When I say I that you never know what kind of situation you'll find yourself in down there?  I mean it. 

After the bowling extravaganza I met up with Mark-n-Bekah-baby Natalie and Jessica-n-Amber for supper.  Japanese restaurant?  Yes please.  Cass, we did that in honor of you.  Well, not really.  But it sure was tasty morsels!  Here's where you imagine the picture.  It's of us at the restaurant.  Can you envision it?

Sunday was potluck Sunday.  I knew there was a good reason that I chose this weekend! 

Friday at the preschool I had a good laugh after a conversation with one of my kids.

K: My mom let me hold my baby sister while she was making cookies!!
Me: Hey, that sounds pretty fun!  Annnnd.... what kind of cookies did your mom make?
K: Uh... burnt ones!

I laughed.

2010 Review

January

January started off great with trip number ten to Jamaica.  As always, friendships were made, renewed and strengthened.  It was a great way to begin the new year.

February

In February, we had our young group invite down in Athens.  It was a great weekend, boxing clothes for Haiti and doing repairs/cleaning at the preschool.  Also, we had the rare snow day in Alabama. 

March

Apparently March was pretty dull.  Either that or I'm pretty forgetful.  I got nothin.

April

April was the dreaded 5k.  Which turned out to be a good enough experience that we all did another one just one month later.  The one where I got first in my age group......... out of 2 people.

May

My friends came to visit me!

June

June included a trip to Denver, LeaAnn moving in for awhile and Girl's Camp.  You'll just have to imagine the GC picture.  I don't have any real good ones.

July

July was by far the busiest month out of the year.  We had the Athens/Atlanta VBS, the crazy week of the preschool remodel, the tractor pull (yes, it's a big deal) and somewhere in there I squeezed in a trip to IL for my 10 year high school reunion.

(pardon the strange looks and chipmunk cheeks, we were in the middle of a late night bubble gum blowing contest)

A group from Rockville came and overhauled the entire preschool.  You've never met a nicer, more loving and more generous bunch of people.

I realize this isn't a picture of a tractor.  But while we were at the tractor pull, we saw Blake and we hadn't seen him all summer long.  It was the best part of my night.

How in the world has it been ten years?

August

Good times in AL while they lasted, but I had to tell my friends and kiddos goodbye:(  Not the easiest thing to do.

September

Labor Day weekend in Bluffton with Athens!!!

October

Roadtrip to Athens to see everyone.  Including spending a day at the preschool.  LOVED it!

November

Had a great trip to Mexico.  Good times on the bus, good times with Joel & Kristi, good times with the team and good times of feeling refreshed.

December

December is always busy.  But do I have pictures?  Nope.  Well, I have a few but they're still on my camera.  Friends, family and a new niece!  I didn't blog about it when she was born so if you're still with my after such a lenthy post, I'll tell ya a little bit about her.  Delaney (Laney) Kay was born on Dec. 28.  She had two holes in her heart.  One that should heal right up on it's own and one the doctors were worried about.  But there was no infection like they feared so they are just going to watch it close.  It might heal up on it's own but if it doesn't they can easily go in and fix it.  She's a chunk!  But a really cute chunk.  She weighed in at 9 lbs. 13 oz.  I can't wait to hold her!  We weren't able to in the hospital but she's home now so my time should be coming very soon:)