So, after two weeks of break, it is time to go back to work! I just am not ready for this! I love my kids, but I am just not ready. I SO enjoyed the time off! It was wonderful to be home with Ben and Rich when he wasn't working. I loved cooking, playing on the computer, making jewlery, and enjoying our time together! I hope I will be able to keep up my blogging.
The past three days have been enjoyable. On Friday we took Ben to Barnes and Nobles and Build a Bear. He had a ball! He got several books and has already finsihed reading one! He got some adorable pajamas for his Elephant Meso and also a jean jacket hoodie. I could have spent a ton of money there! What a fun place!
Saturday we just hung out as a family. I spent time working on report cards and jewelry. Ben sat nearby reading. Rich was busy all day on the computer. We had a lovely fire and enjoyed the day!
Tonight we went to the circuit pastor's Epiphany party. It was lovely. We spent a lot of time visiting. I made plans to carpool with several others to our Katie retreat in February. I love the pastor's wives retreat. It is so relaxing. I will be leading a workshop on making 23rd psalm bracelets.
So, now it is time to hit the sack and come to the realization that tomorrow is coming wether I like it or not. I am sure it will be great once I am there!
Happy Monday to everyone!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
Cords!
So do you have this mess? After Christmas it seemed as though cords had invaded our home! What was I going to do with them all? How would I know what goes to which electronic toy we had? Camera? Computer? Ipod? Nintendo DS? PSP? New Electronic Key chain? I bring my dilemma up to Sarah, a college student and counselor for our junior youth group. "Well, I used my label maker and made labels for mine." Of course she did! Why didn't I think of that? So off I went!
The labels were a nifty idea, thanks Sarah! Now what do i do with them? I mention this to my friend Jessica as we had dinner the other night. She said she was going to get a basket to put all of their cords in. What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that one too? Well....you know me....I have a few baskets around the house!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
A year of good health!
2007 was a tough year! I had a root canal, two surgeries, and the scare of a possible third!
Last year's Christmas was disappointing. We were supposed to go to St. Louis to celebrate with my family at my cousin Amy's house. On Christmas Eve I ended up at the Urgent Care Center with strep throat. So, no solo on Christmas Eve, no playing the piano for the choir, no directing the hand bell choir, and no trip to St. Louis.
I actually got to attend the Easter services, but that afternoon before going to my mom's for Easter dinner I had some terrible pain. I finally told Rich that he as going to have to take me to the ER. Come to find out, I had a 19 mm gall stone! They said it needed to be removed surgically. It went well besides being put out and coming to. They waited FOREVER to put me out and I had some terrible chills as I came to. Overall, it was an easy surgery.
In June I came down with another case of strep throat. For the second time in a year I had to have a shot AND drugs to get rid of it. My doctor said it was time to look into having my tonsils removed. I visited an INT and he said it would be wise to have them removed. So, on our 10th Anniversary, out they came. I was TERRIFIED of this surgery. Every time I told someone I was getting them taken out I got an "oooooooh". But everything went beautifully! So far, I've done great and have not even had a sore throat!
Then, in October, I was at the doctor for an infection. Come to find out, my blood sugars were WAY out of whack. My doctor put me on some new medication and took some blood samples. From those tests he found my thyroid counts were off. He ordered some tests for me. I was terrified that it could be cancer. My Aunt Marilyn had thyroid cancer. When I went for my nuclear pill the lady that gave it to me convinced me that I was going to have it removed with nuclear radiation and that I would have to be in a room by myself for about 11 days. I just knew that was how I was going to spend my holidays!
When the tests were finished they decided things were not NEARLY as bad as it could be and all that we need to do at this point is watch and do a series of blood test. On top of that, my blood sugar is improving every day! My endocrinologist will be keeping tabs on things and will possibly take me off of some of the diabetes medications.
So, we are praying that 2008 is a healthy year for me! I am working hard to make that a reality but making good life choices! You all can help keep me on track if I seem to slip! Thanks.
Thank you Rich, my dear sweet husband, for being so patient and heplful through all of this drama. You are WONDERFUL! I could not have done it all without your love and support. Ben, thanks for understanding when I didn't always feeling like doing fun things with you. You are the best boy any mom could dream of! I love you both!
Share with me your hopes and goals for 2008!
Last year's Christmas was disappointing. We were supposed to go to St. Louis to celebrate with my family at my cousin Amy's house. On Christmas Eve I ended up at the Urgent Care Center with strep throat. So, no solo on Christmas Eve, no playing the piano for the choir, no directing the hand bell choir, and no trip to St. Louis.
I actually got to attend the Easter services, but that afternoon before going to my mom's for Easter dinner I had some terrible pain. I finally told Rich that he as going to have to take me to the ER. Come to find out, I had a 19 mm gall stone! They said it needed to be removed surgically. It went well besides being put out and coming to. They waited FOREVER to put me out and I had some terrible chills as I came to. Overall, it was an easy surgery.
In June I came down with another case of strep throat. For the second time in a year I had to have a shot AND drugs to get rid of it. My doctor said it was time to look into having my tonsils removed. I visited an INT and he said it would be wise to have them removed. So, on our 10th Anniversary, out they came. I was TERRIFIED of this surgery. Every time I told someone I was getting them taken out I got an "oooooooh". But everything went beautifully! So far, I've done great and have not even had a sore throat!
Then, in October, I was at the doctor for an infection. Come to find out, my blood sugars were WAY out of whack. My doctor put me on some new medication and took some blood samples. From those tests he found my thyroid counts were off. He ordered some tests for me. I was terrified that it could be cancer. My Aunt Marilyn had thyroid cancer. When I went for my nuclear pill the lady that gave it to me convinced me that I was going to have it removed with nuclear radiation and that I would have to be in a room by myself for about 11 days. I just knew that was how I was going to spend my holidays!
When the tests were finished they decided things were not NEARLY as bad as it could be and all that we need to do at this point is watch and do a series of blood test. On top of that, my blood sugar is improving every day! My endocrinologist will be keeping tabs on things and will possibly take me off of some of the diabetes medications.
So, we are praying that 2008 is a healthy year for me! I am working hard to make that a reality but making good life choices! You all can help keep me on track if I seem to slip! Thanks.
Thank you Rich, my dear sweet husband, for being so patient and heplful through all of this drama. You are WONDERFUL! I could not have done it all without your love and support. Ben, thanks for understanding when I didn't always feeling like doing fun things with you. You are the best boy any mom could dream of! I love you both!
Share with me your hopes and goals for 2008!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Luther Rose Bracelets
I have been wanting to design a bracelet based on the Luther Rose for some time now. The difficult part has been finding the Luther Rose charms. I have found them, but they are not cheap! The bracelets will have a Luther Rose charm hanging from it. It will be attached to a card with the Luther Rose on it and an explanation of what the colors and symbols stand for. Which design do you like the best? I just cannot decide. I like one a bit more than the others, but I am wondering what everyone else thinks.I will be at our Katie Retreat (Indiana District's Pastor's Wives Retreat) and I want to debut them there. I am also hoping to get them into the CPH catalog. I am not so sure how that will go, but what do I have to lose?
Tell me what you think! Thanks!
My Second Favorite Gift This Year!
The first kitty in the picture is Elle....which Ben named because he is big and gray like an elephant. We have had him for about 5 years now. Hard to believe. He is a really nice cat. He doesn't get into anything and is quiet, but he is not loveable. He WILL NOT sit on your lap and let you pet him. Occassionally he will hop up on the bed and let you pet him, but that is about his limit. He is VERY independent.
I was longing for a lap kitty. I wanted a sweet kitty that would sit on your lap and let you love it. I had asked for one for Christmas. I had actually been asking for one for months. I was pretty sure Rich did not have it in his plans to get me a kitty for Christmas.
In late November this sweet little orange cat started showing up around church and school. He would follow everyone around. At first I thought he probably belonged to someone who lived on our road. There are a lot of cats out here in the country. Weeks went by and you would see him around at all hours of the day. He would greet you as you came to school in the mornning, he would greet you as you left choir in the evening, he would be back by the dumpster when you threw out the trash, he was always around. One night, after choir, we decided we would bring him home and put him in the garage because it was going to be very cold that night. He let us pick him up right away. He was not afraid at all. When we arrived home I brought him in to give him some attention. He sat on my lap for over an hour and let me pet him. He was just so very sweet.
We then decided to keep him and named him Luther, although Ben was the only one that called him that, Rich and I call him Orange Kitty. He is quite plump and very soft. I began to wonder if we were wrong, that this cat may be a girl. I invited our friend and fellow teacher over to take a look. He knows a bit about all animals and most plants too. He agreed that it was most likely a girl. This puts the Luther name out of the running! Ben decided we should then name it Katie since it was a girl and that was Luther's wife's name. We agreed, but we all still call her Orange Kitty!
She is sweet and will let you pet her for hours. Elle and she irritate each other. Often she lays in front of the door to the room where the food is so he cannot get in. He will chase her endlessly so that she cannot relax in "his" spots. They do seem to have fun together too. Elle enjoys the company I believe. Orange Kitty seems very happy to have a family!
Now, we must get her to the vet and have everything taken care of. We are pretty confident she is not pregnant. She is getting smaller instead of bigger. I believe she had just put a warm layer on to keep herself warm. I also believe that her size had a bit to do with the hot dogs she was given after basketball games and the sandwiches the janitor was sharing with her! I pray she is not a momma....I wanted a new cat, but not new cats!
I told Rich she was sent by God to our church so I could have my Christmas wish. He says she was dumped by someone that felt guilty getting rid of her and knew someone at the church would have a soft heart! Whatever the case may be, I love her and she is a favorite gift this Christmas!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Sky is Falling!
We just got back from shopping. While we were out it snowed. A whopping 1/4 inch I would guess. The people here are FREAKING OUT! It has cracked me up for the 10 years we have been here in Sunny Southern Indiana. People were going about 30 mph on the interstate. Craziness! I suppose, in their defense, there are a lot of hills and twisting roads, but come on! If we weren't on Christmas break, I am sure that we would be tuning in to the TV to find out if school was going to be canceled in the morning. I am confident we would at lest be on a 2 hour delay. I will never forget the winter when we had a snow day because it was supposed to snow! No kidding! It never snowed. These southern folks just don't get snow. I miss Chicago! I really do. At least in the winter. Sorry southern friends....love you all...but that is just the way it is!
My Favorite Christmas Gift This Year
My favorite gift this year was from one of my students, Kassi. First of all, Kassi is a cool kid! She hums all the time. I am confident she knows all the words to EVERY Christmas carol. She carried my class in the Christmas Program. She is just neat!
On the first day of school I always have my second graders bring a bag to school with three items in it.
1. Something that shows what they did over the summer.
2. Something that shows a hobby or interest they have.
3. Something that shows what they would like to be or do when they grow up.
We look at the items and try to guess who the bag belongs to.
One of the items in Kassi's bag was a beautiful large shell that she had found on the beach in the Carloinas. She was very proud of it. She said no one else had found a shell that big. I mentioned that I was going to have to take a trip to the beach to find some beautiful shells like that because I was in the middle of redecorating our bathroom in a beach theme.
So, on the day of our Christmas party, there are gifts under the tree to me from the students. I ask every year that they don't do it, but they always do. One of the gifts is wrapped, a loose term here, in a piece of our classroom graph paper. There is TONS of tape, and my name is spelled wrong :0) Kassi proudly hands it to me and tells me it is from her. I cannot imagine what it could be, but Madison informs me that I am going to LOVE it. I open the crumbled graph paper to find THE shell that Kassi had brought on the first day of school. Tears immediately sprang into my eyes. What a wonderful gift! I couldn't have loved anything more! I told her that she did not have to give it to me, but she insisted I have it. I was touched and will cherish it always!
On the first day of school I always have my second graders bring a bag to school with three items in it.
1. Something that shows what they did over the summer.
2. Something that shows a hobby or interest they have.
3. Something that shows what they would like to be or do when they grow up.
We look at the items and try to guess who the bag belongs to.
One of the items in Kassi's bag was a beautiful large shell that she had found on the beach in the Carloinas. She was very proud of it. She said no one else had found a shell that big. I mentioned that I was going to have to take a trip to the beach to find some beautiful shells like that because I was in the middle of redecorating our bathroom in a beach theme.
So, on the day of our Christmas party, there are gifts under the tree to me from the students. I ask every year that they don't do it, but they always do. One of the gifts is wrapped, a loose term here, in a piece of our classroom graph paper. There is TONS of tape, and my name is spelled wrong :0) Kassi proudly hands it to me and tells me it is from her. I cannot imagine what it could be, but Madison informs me that I am going to LOVE it. I open the crumbled graph paper to find THE shell that Kassi had brought on the first day of school. Tears immediately sprang into my eyes. What a wonderful gift! I couldn't have loved anything more! I told her that she did not have to give it to me, but she insisted I have it. I was touched and will cherish it always!
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