Amazing, just amazing how time flies! Last Tuesday, I was finishing up my last day of work for 2009. Today, I am sitting in my robe at 8 am wondering what the day will bring. Christmas is over, the tree is down, and the gifts are almost all put away. Sometimes I look back and marvel at the difference a few days make. I have a deep thought in there, it's just having a hard time surfacing. LOL!

As we took the tree down yesterday, Evan and I looked at all the ornaments and decided which ones to keep and which to give away and which ones to pack away. Next year, we want to do the Christmas tree in red, white and silver. So, needless to say, most of my eclectic ornaments got put away! We have been to Dillards, Target, and Wal Mart to buy half price ornaments and decorations. Maybe I'll be more excited about Christmas next year!

I have talked to my mom a bunch of times over the last two days. She's trying to get her laptop set up with a wireless internet thingy that connects to her USB. I've tried to help over the phone but without seeing the screen, it's hard to help her sometimes. I hope she gets it worked out. Of course, they are enjoying the very warm weather in Florida while it's very cold here. Oh well, have a great time mom and Jim!

I've been reflecting about how fast this year has flown by. It's about time for my year in review of what each one of has been doing this year.

I'm glad that Evan is home this week and DeWayne is on second shift (so it's like we have the day off together).

I got a new flash for my camera for Christmas from DeWayne. It is amazing. I have messed with it a little bit. It will do some wonderful things. I'm most excited about the range. I need to take a bunch of pictures in lots of different settings to see all it does.

Time to get to work doing something productive. :D

Christmas Eve

Here I sit at 6:30 am on Christmas Eve enjoying my coffee, watching Miracle on 34th Street and getting to attack to kitchen to cook all day. We are having half the Whitlock family here at 3 for Christmas get together. I have much to do.

I'm excited about the day and tomorrow. It's a new season in our life. We only have one child that lives at home and one who has his own home and family now. Sad and happy all at the same time.

I just wanted to check in and wish everyone in Blogger land Merry Christmas. I will post a year end up date in the next few days to catch up on all we've done this year.

Saturday morning and coffee. What a great combination and what makes it better is that I am watching White Christmas. I just love Christmas movies. I'll have to round out my day with Christmas Vacation and the day will be complete. LOL

It has been a very fast week. We typed and typed in 1st and 2nd grade to get our letters to Santa in to the newspaper by Friday's deadline. Some of the letters were very sweet and funny. One little girl told Santa that the only thing she really wanted was for Santa and Mrs. Claus to have the best Christmas ever. Isn't that sweet? I loved it.

My friend Stevi, that I work with, showed me a book tracking program from Apple. I have SOOOOO many books that sometimes it is hard to remember if it's on the shelf or I have loaned it or I just don't own it. This program, called Delicious Bookshelf 2, is only for Mac computers. It uses the iSight camera built in to my computer. All I have to do is turn on the camera and hold the bar code on the back of the book in front of it and it scans it, finds it on the internet and loads it in my library. If it doesn't find the bar code all I have to do is type in the ISBN # and it finds it that way. Or if all else fails, I just type the title in and choose the one on the list that is mine. The books then show up on "wooden" shelves with the covers showing. Then when I click on a cover, it gives me a synopsis of the book, the books details and even reviews from Amazon. Isn't that SOOOOOO cool!!!! It cost $40 but it was well worth it. I have thanked DeWayne about 100 times for buying it for me. Oh, and I forgot one of the best features. If someone wants to borrow a book, I just add their name to my friend list. I click on the book, drag it over to their name and it then shows a little calendar of when the book is "supposed" to be returned. It tells me who borrowed it, when, and how long they've had it. This is also way cool! This fabulous program doesn't just do books. It inventories movies, games, Video games, gadgets, tools, and clothes. I can then print out a list of all this inventory and put it in a safe place in case of disaster. Still thinking that I got a deal for $40!

We have decided to put the Christmas tree up this Friday after Evan gets home. That's only a week but that is long enough. I really want to paint or at least start peeling wallpaper during the Christmas vacation.

This is one of those weeks that I have a lot to do and it's all crammed in to just a few days. Madison and Mallory will be here tonight. I am looking forward to two days with teenagers. They haven't stayed here by themselves since they were little. Tomorrow is Delaney's birthday party. DeWayne and I have tickets to the dinner theater at mom and Jim's church. I have to bake cookies for Tuesday evening's cookie walk at Lisa G.'s. And Monday night is Home Group here at 6 and I have to cook a meal. Plus sometime in there I have to clean the house. It will get done or it won't. NO stress!

Well, I have to be at a baby shower in a few hours and I still have to go to Wal Mart before. I guess I better get moving!

The last few days have all run together. I don't remember even teaching last week. (I was only at work 3 days) but still it's all a blur.

Christmas is going to be here before I know it. We have decided to wait until Evan gets home to put up the Christmas Tree. That means it will only be up for about a week. That's probably long enough anyway! I would really like to get the living room ready to paint over Christmas break anyway.

I did some Christmas shopping last Saturday. I think I got almost everything that I needed to get except for a few small things. I can finish up maybe next weekend.

I've been working on typing letters to Santa in the computer lab today. It amazes me sometimes at how much the children DON'T retain. Shift, space bar, delete, return, the comma and the period seem to elude some children. I said the same things over and over alot today! I'm tired of my own voice. LOL

Just wanted to check in. I'll post more later in the week.

Awwwww!

That is my big sigh of relief. The wedding is over...let the marriage begin!

After a few stressful moments, the wedding was beautiful and very tender. My big boy Dane got married. Married? Yes married! And yes, he cried when he saw Jean walking down the aisle with her dad. Of course, she was crying too. (It's kind of funny because they had spent the whole morning taking pictures together but seeing her coming down the aisle with her dad was different.)

I sat back and let my friends and family serve me this weekend. I have such a wonderful support system. It takes my breath away and amazes me. God is faithful and VERY good. My good friend Mel sought me out Saturday morning while I was getting dressed (in my secret bathroom at church) and prayed for me and over the day. It calmed my whole spirit. I love her. Her son James is one of Dane's best friends and he was in the wedding. They are so much a part of our family.

The reception was wonderful too. We danced and danced! Even my mom and dad chicken danced and hokey pokied and did the YMCA. They did it all. I laughed and laughed and it was all good. Of course, the big question is the Hokey Pokey REALLY what it's all about? LOL

DeWayne and I are taking the tuxes back to Paducah today so I took the day off. Time to get moving. More later...along with a few pictures!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving! I love today. It is truly a day where everyone stops and takes a breath and realizes they have a lot to be thankful for. (Well, I hope everyone)

It is a little different this year. There is no cooking going on at my house. I am not at Marsha's baking and cooking early. No, we are too consumed with the wedding. Which is ok since it's day after tomorrow!

Wedding, wedding, wedding! It's exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. There are tuxedos in Dane's closet for the guys. There are decorations for the rehearsal dinner in my living room. Every conversation is about when, where, what concerning the ceremony and the reception. By Monday, it will be over.

Back to Thanksgiving.

There are so many things in my life to be thankful for. DeWayne, Evan and Dane top the list and this year I have Jean to add to that list. They are so precious to me. I could list all my family but it would take pages and pages so I will just say my family. At the top with DeWayne and the kids, I am so grateful to Jesus for being my Savior. We have jobs and a home and cars to drive and food to eat and money to buy all these things with. My blessings abound. We have good health and a healthy attitude. I am thankful for all of my friends whether they are close or just acquaintances.

Mom and Jim were here yesterday because Jim helped DeWayne move the back drop pieces to the church. Jim had said the other day that he had signed up for Facebook but couldn't figure it out. So, we sat on the couch and uploaded a picture for him and added some friends for him. Then they went home and he was on there last night even writing on my wall and chatting. I think he got it!

Angela was here last night too. I had missed her! She and Evan and I played cards. We played the same games we played in Florida. There was a lot of laughing going on. DeWayne had to go to work so he missed the crazy card games. Good Times!

We are decorating the church at 9 am, eating dinner at mom's at 2 pm and decorating the reception hall at 4:30. Busy, Busy day!

4 days. It's almost where I can count down in hours only! Things are coming together (I think) and I keep telling myself that if things don't turn out the way I plan who will know but me. So, everything will be lovely. My wonderful son is marrying a woman after God's own heart. What more could I ask for?

I have watched the 4 minute wedding video about a thousand times. I haven't cried yet,well....not much. I cry at other times. Like when I think about the past and the events that have shaped his life. I miss him. I miss having him in my house. I miss his humor and his laundry. I just miss him. Maybe after the wedding madness (next year sometime LOL) I'll get to spend some time with him.

Today was early dismissal at school We got out at 2 p.m. This is a tradition at our school. When there is a holiday we ALWAYS get out at 2 the day before. I am going to rant again about those parents who must never look at a calendar. Who never look at a note that comes home. That don't put the school important dates on a calendar in their house somewhere. What's wrong with these people. At 2:15 we still had 20 children who had not been picked up. There are a few that are waiting for the Middle School Shuttle but the rest, their parents were completely clueless. The classic statement was: "I didn't know school let out at 2, I didn't get a note." OK they got a calendar the first day of school, they get a monthly calendar the first day of every month, and every teacher in my building does some kind of newsletter EVERY week. OK, I'll get off my soap box now! LOL

Today was also PBIS reward day. Students against the teachers in dodgeball. Fun, fun, fun! It's fun to be able to smack some of those kids with a ball. :D I had a great time.

Evan is home and Jackie is here. What a GREAT evening!

One More Week...

Only 7 days. Only 1 week. Only a few hours really. Then I will be a mother-in-law or the other mother. Time really does fly. It seems that I was just saying there were around 100 days until the wedding. Now only 1 week. I'm glad I am an early planner. I like having all things put together. I am not a "last minuter girl" LOL I only have a few things left to do.

I have been in Springfield for the Illinois Educators Technology Conference this week. I really like this conference because educators from all over the state present workshops about what is working is their classrooms. I have come home with a lot of information that I need to process. Web sites, lesson plans, new equipment...etc.... I need to go online and print out handouts from the presenters. Maybe tonight.

Today I am going to Olney to my great-niece's birthday party. Ally is one! Amazing! She was born last year right before Thanksgiving and now she's a year old. DeWayne and I are riding with my mom and dad there. We are picking Evan up in Grayville. I am just glad to be spending the day with my family. Yay!!!!

There are only two days of school this week and on Tuesday we get out at 2. There will not be a lot of learning going on this week. I've got several projects I need to tie up though so maybe I will get them finished.

It's shotgun deer season this weekend. DeWayne has been hunting twice. He's hunting this morning. He has always hunted. He deer hunted before I even knew him. When we first got married, he usually went to "deer camp" with his dad and brother and uncles. After he started at the coal mine, he would save vacation days for deer season. Now, he hunts when he can and takes his vacation days for kayaking. :D The deer are so plentiful so just any deer will do. It doesn't have to be "the one". (and really I think he likes the hunt and sitting in the tree stand as much as the kill)

Funny story about the conference:

The conference was held at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. Yesterday after the luncheon session, people poured out of the ballroom (where we ate) and headed to the escalators and elevators. There were so many people on the escalator that it shut down. Funny site to see people just standing on the escalator like they were stuck in an elevator. Then they got it and started going down the stairs. I was laughing out loud because these are the "techie" people of their schools and they acted like they didn't know what to do. LOL

The Whirlwind

Well, the final countdown to wedding has begun. Today it is 21 more days or 3 weeks from today. I find myself feeling sad and happy all at the same time. My precious son is grown up. He is a man and he's getting married. I am so proud of him and the choices he has made for his life. He has chosen well. Jean is a woman after God's own heart. What more could a mom want. (OK, if you are reading this you know me and sometimes I WANT my way but I'm getting past it o.k.? :D)

I feel guilty about not keeping up with blogging but I just haven't had the desire. I want to say I haven't had the time but I blogger friend of mine just wrote that everyone has 15 free minutes a day. So there are no excuses except I haven't felt like it.

Work is going great. I really like my job. I had a class of preschoolers this week that really put my job in perspective. As the children leave I squirt hand sanitizer in their hands (to try to stop the spread of nasties). As one little girl passed she said, "I love you!" and I just smiled. As the next little girl passed she said, "I hate your computer lab!" (She struggles with using the mouse to drag and drop so it's not fun to work. ) I just had to laugh out loud. It just made me think that everything is like that. Everything in the whole world; from church to your home to your work. People are going to see and hear me say the same things and some are going to love me and some are not. All I can do is honor God in every word and action and hope that the ones who "hate" me will see God and soften. And perhaps finding the humor in every situation will keep my light shining!

I am working on the rehearsal dinner decorations for the tables. It's just a matter of putting them together. I'll work on them a lot this week when DeWayne is on second shift. I ordered black aprons for my friends who are serving at the rehearsal dinner. I'm having a friend embroider their names on the front in ivory. It will be their thank you gift for helping me. My thought was that everyone can use an apron!

I also have to start cleaning my house. UCK! I hate to clean but it has to be done.

Evan really likes her job at Steak and Shake. She's the hamburger dresser. She can practice art by artfully placing the condiments. LOL! I'm proud of her. She is so grown up sometimes. (Which is probably a good thing since she will be 20 on her next birthday!) Her friend Jackie, who is practically my other daughter, is turning 20 this week. The teen years are over. This of course is another reason why I seem to be in a reflective mood. DeWayne and I got married right before we turned 20. Seems like a REALLY long time ago!

OK this is the only Saturday that I don't have any commitments so I better get to work!

More another day!

I stand amazed at the beautiful colors of the leaves. Every year, I think they have never been prettier. Today as I was driving I couldn't get over the richness of the color. This has been the best weekend for color so far. The maple trees have really popped. Maple trees have all the colors - red, yellow, orange and brown. Some of the trees have all the colors. God is amazing! How can I not worship Him every time I look around. How can I not worship His magnificent creation! Thank you God! I don't want to miss a minute of worshiping You!

I am still babying my ankle. Yesterday I thought I could go a whole day without my "boot". Boy was I wrong. After grocery shopping (Walmart, Kroger, and Aldi) and putting up all the groceries. Then on to Addie's wedding; I was very ready to put my "boot" back on and leave it on. It's not as swollen it just hurts. Not when I put pressure on it but when I touch it or move it the wrong way. I go back to the doctor on Tuesday. We'll see what they say about it then.

Evan was home Friday night late and yesterday for the wedding. She went back yesterday evening. She and DeWayne carved her pumpkin before she went back to Evansville. I haven't had a Jack-O-Lantern at my house in a really long time. It is really cute. She probably won't be home for awhile. She got a job at Steak and Shake. She will probably have to work on the weekends. I need to go over there and get the rest of the stuff I for the rehearsal dinner and the groom's table. That's ok. I can spend time with her.

The wedding Evan came home to attend was our friend Addie Gulley. She is a year older than Evan. Her wedding was very simple and it was outdoors and at the Gulley Farm. It was such a beautiful day and the wedding was so pretty. They had hay bales set up in their front yard and the aisle runner was burlap. (To the wedding people on TV it would probably be classified as redneck but I thought it was lovely) The arch was made of grapevines and had small roses twined in it. The reception was a very simple buffet. The drinks were in a watering trough. And their was no cutting of the cake. They served chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. I will keep saying it; it was wonderful! I think Addie and Jake were of the right mind. They spent more time on the details of their marriage and let the wedding be simple! I wish I had known that when I was 19 and getting married!

It is the last week of October. How does time seem to fly by? Where do the days go? I have nothing to show for this month. (Well, maybe I do. LOL)

What a Week!

It's been a week since I posted. My wonderful day out with DeWayne and Evan was wonderful right up to the moment that I was walking on the path at Garden of the Gods and rolled my ankle. I wish I could say that I was doing something spectacular like skydiving or rock climbing or even hiking. I was just walking on the path and missed a step down and rolled my left ankle. It made a really loud snap sound and I thought I was going to throw up. Evan laughed REALLY loud until she saw my face. I declared I was not going to be a baby and I walked out the park and to the car. I even walked around Wal Mart a little bit when we got back to Harrisburg. By Tuesday morning I was hurting really badly though. I went to the doctor and they x-rayed my ankle and couldn't give me a "for sure" that it's not broken. So I am wearing a very nice boot on my foot until next week. Needless to say I have had to learn to walk at a much slower pace. Today, it hurts to touch the ankle area. I think I tried to do too much yesterday. I want it to be healed before the wedding so I am following the doctor's orders and keeping the boot on. Maybe I need to keep it up more too. :D

Yesterday was the bridal shower for Jean. Showers and gifts mean that the wedding is getting closer and closer. Just a little over a month. My Aunt Jean and Uncle Phil were here this weekend from Texas. It was their 50th class reunion. She had great advice for me as a mother of the groom. "Wear beige or taupe and keep your mouth shut!" I'm working on it!

The weather has really changed! It is officially feeling and looking like Fall. It makes me want to build a campfire and roast marshmallows and have a hayride! I love the colors of the trees. All the reds, yellows, browns, and oranges. Fabulous. Just fabulous. God is amazing and I am so thankful that he lets me live in a place where the leaves change with the seasons.

Colombus Day

Well, thanks to Colombus, I get to spend the whole day with DeWayne and Evan. DeWayne just happens to be off today and Evan is on Fall Break. Yay!!!

Saturday, Evan and I went to Olney for Will's 4th birthday party. What a fun day! Will is turning in to a very comical preschooler. His personality really shined through. He's very dry witted. And Alayna's Ally is so big. She will be a year old next month. Amazing! I remember when Alayna was born like it was yesterday!

Of course, there are only 40 something days left until the wedding. The invitations are out and the shower is this coming weekend. I think I have all the decorations I need for the rehearsal dinner tables. I just need to order the grooms cake, napkins, and get plates and then I think we're set. (Of course this is probably not true...there are always last minute details that are forgotten!)

Off to spend the day with my family!

October

It's October. Not just the first day either....It's already the end of the first week of October. Where have I been? What have I been doing? You know, I don't know. It's not like I've been super busy or anything. I just haven't felt like writing anything.

There aren't many days left until the wedding. Plans, plans, plans. Swirling, swirling, swirling. My friends ask, I tell them about the rehearsal dinner. And I fill them in on what I know about the wedding. During this planning time, I have come to the definite conclusion that I am ADD. I get sidetracked so easily. My focus is shot. I can't make a "for sure" decision about the table decorations for the rehearsal dinner. ARGH!!! I like too many different things. I am tempted to make all 14 tables different because that is how my brain works! I need help. Maybe even drugs. LOL! I want pretty but not tacky. Classy but not formal. Again...ARGH!!! (Calgon take me away!)

School is going really well. Sometimes I am amazed at how responsive the children are. Some of them "get it" so well and it surprises me because I am teaching them. I love kids. I like their giggles and their smiles. I like the way they say my name (not very well sometimes). I like the hugs and the high fives. I'm not crazy about being "poked" by little fingers on the arm or leg though. :P I love the sound of "wow...how cool" when I show them something new on the computer. I'm glad God has put me in this place at this time. He is truly awesome and I say, "WOW, how cool!"

And 10 Days Later...

What in the world?!? It's already half way through September and I have only posted a few times. Oh well! DeWayne asked me about posting Thursday and I told him I didn't think I had anything relevant to share. His response: "That's what random is. It doesn't have to be exciting or relevant." Thanks DeWayne. You motivated to post some more nothingness. :D

School is going so well. I really like my schedule. There are some days, Thursday in particular, that I feel like I don't work at all. I don't know if it is the schedule or the children. It feels easy! I love it. I REALLY like my job. (Have I said that before? Oh yeah, You'll hear it ALOT) I have only a few children that push the limits in the lab. Most of them really want to be there and participate so they follow the rules so they can stay in their seats. With the short day schedule and Labor Day, this past Monday was the first time I had seen one Kindergarten classs. I always start them on the carpet talking about the rules, about computers in their homes, and just an overview of the computer parts. I also read a book called Arthur's Computer Disaster. After reading it 8 times, I was ready to put it away until next year.

Today is International "Talk Like a Pirate Day". ARGH!!! For the last 2 years it has fallen during the week and so the 1st graders have heard a pirated story and drawn pirates ships in Kidpix. This year since it fell on a Saturday, I didn't celebrate it. My nephew is having a pirate themed birthday party. I can't wait. I love the pirate stuff. Dane always wanted to be a pirate when he was little. I dug out his little costume that my grandma made him when he was 4. (I had forgotten how little he was.)

DeWayne and I went to a Freshman football game Thursday evening to watch the boys play. They beat Massac County pretty badly. That was also the night that the little cheerleaders from my school performed. So about 100 little girls were waving a screaming at their parents and "Mrs. Whitlock". Evan always participated in the cheerleader clinics when she was little. They take it so seriously and try so hard. The highschool cheerleaders did a good job with them. It was very cute.

Last night DeWayne and I went to Evansville to eat with Evan and go to a UE soccer game. Her room mate ate with us. She is very nice. I like her. She is from Uganda and has a British accent (sort of). UE won 1-0. It is a tournament and the teams were very physical. (It made it a good game. :D)

The wedding plans are coming along. I have to plan the rehearsal dinner and get all the details worked out for it. (It's my baby) I need to sit down with my "Committee" and figure out what I am doing. I have some ideas of what I want. I need a working plan. It's time to start making a notes and getting it together. Two months and 9 days. Not very long!

9-9-9

What a fun date to type or write. I love this new century where we can have these fun months for several years (until 12-12-12).:D

I haven't posted in a LONG time. Sorry about that. Sometimes I feel like I have talked out when I get home. I do a lot of talking in the computer lab this time of year. Going over the rules, talking about the computer and just giving a lot of instructions. There have been other days this school year that I really don't have anything life shattering to share.

There are just over 2 months left until the wedding. Lots of plans coming together!

This past weekend was LCC's Liberty Fest. For the last 3 years I have worked the lemon shake-up stand. This year I chose to "jump ship" and help in the donut making tent. My Book club BFF's were all there (well, almost all of them). We cut, fried, and coated about 10,000 donuts. WOW!!! DeWayne helped fry the donuts and Evan came home for Saturday and helped glaze them. We have very good time. The crowd was pretty large both days. It rained off and on all day Saturday. And Sunday morning started out with flash floods and thunderstorms but it cleared up by 3 or so. Good times!

I promise not to take so long to post again.

Getting ready for another week in the computer lab.

Everything seems easy this year. I wonder if I've finally got the groove?

I forgot to post from a month ago (practically) that I finished Pride and Prejudice. It was really good and it really was very similar to the movie. I was pleased that they were so close! It's hard to read but I would recommend it to others!

Today was better that awesome!

I led the iPhoto inservice after school. There were about 10 teachers there. I didn't take a count. I started with the basics of downloading pictures from your camera and importing from a disc. Then I went through some of the more advance features. Events, Faces, Places, etc. I even added in a little of the editing tools. I know that they needed a handout but I didn't have one. That's the only thing that kept it from being perfect. :D

I will probably do iMovie and iDVD next. Maybe I will get to iWeb before the end of the year!

Evan got all moved in to here room Sunday. The school remodeled her dorm this summer and now the rooms have less storage. She knew that lofting her bed would be an option and thought she would not want to do that but after getting there and seeing how much room it gave her. She decided to loft her bed. It's really high and she has to climb up to get in. So far she is ok with it but she's only been there 2 nights! Her room mate is from Uganda. Her name is Yvonne. How funny is that Evan and Yvonne. Anyway, she hasn't shown up yet and classes start tomorrow.

I'm working on my birthday calendar for school. I make and sell a birthday calendar to raise money for the computer lab. They seem to be selling pretty well. I just now have to finish entering all the birthdays and other information, run them off, and assemble them. I will be handing them out next Tuesday! I've got to stay late and type, type type!

I start with real computer lessons tomorrow. We've just been reviewing the rules and getting our seating chart fixed. Tomorrow I have to "know " what I'm doing!!! This is the beginning of my 5th year. I hope I have it by now!!!!

First week of school down and now it's time to move Evan back to Evansville.

This week seemed to really fly by. We had a lot of technical difficulties this week and all the other things I talked about in my last post but all in all it was a productive week. I have a before school hall duty. It's funny to see the first graders come down the hall and not remember where their classroom is. So every morning I have to ask them who their teacher is and send them down the correct side of the circle. (Our building makes a big circle with the media center and computer lab in the middle.) Very cute and very funny! The saying is that first graders are just "left over" kindergartners and second graders are just "left over" first graders. They haven't got it all figured out yet. Which is a good thing. The kindergartners start coming on Monday. I probably won't have any classes of them until Friday. Which is also a good thing!

I truly like my job. I love working with the children and I love working with the adults. Of course, there are those few that make it a challenge (children and adults! :D)

I'm leading a short inservice about iPhoto this coming Tuesday. The teachers who are new and those who aren't so new need to know how the features in their 09 software work and I'm going to show them all at one time. I'm excited!!!

My living room looks like an explosion again. Of course, I know that by tomorrow night it will be all gone. Evan moves to school tomorrow. We are sorting out all here stuff and getting her ready for the school year. Fun, Fun, Fun!!!! Her roommate this year is from Uganda. Should be an interesting year to say the least. Evan is 5'2" and her roommate plays basketball so she's probably pretty tall. I can't wait to meet her!

LCC is gearing up for Liberty Fest again this year. It will be on Labor Day weekend. I'm not sure what I'm doing this year. For the last 3 years I have made lemon shake-ups but I'm not sure I'm up to the 10,000 we did last year! I would like to just enjoy the day but chances are I will be working somewhere!

It feels like fall today. The temperature this morning was in the 50's. Wow! pretty unusual for August. It will make moving Evan much nicer tomorrow!

Back to School!

Where does the time go? I posted about our trip to the zoo and then vacation was upon me and I haven't posted since. Sorry about that!

We left for the beach on the 9th and came home on the 14th. We had 3 full days on the beach and one half day. I could have stayed another week. I love the laid back, no rush of the beach. I like not getting in a hurry. I like getting up early and watching the sun rise across the beach. I like staying out on the beach until the sun dips in the west. I like the sand, the water, the sounds and the smell. Ok...I like it all!

DeWayne found a different place for us to stay this year. Same beach, Seagrove Bea

ch, but a different condo. We really liked it a lot. We will try to go there again. We stayed at The Palms.

Vacationing with Evan, Jackie and Angela is so much fun. They are a photo "op" waiting to happen. I took over 900 pictures! Of course, after I got home and started sorting them I deleted about 200 of them. But still, 700 pictures! CRAZY! I've already ordered my photo book.

We had planned to take family photos while we were there when we thought Dane and Jean were going with us. The girls had bought black dresses and the guys had black polos and khakis. Well, our family pics ended up being DeWayne and the 5 girls. It was fun to be dressed up in our black dresses on the sand.

School started Monday. The teachers had to be at work. We had children for a half day yesterday and today we had a full day (with 2 pm dismissal). I had classes today. We always start by going over the rules and I usually read them a story. I love the children at my school. They are so fun. Kindergarten, First and Second Graders seldom have a bad day! So when my days start bad, I know I can eventually be cheered up by a small person.

The wedding plans are coming along. I feel out of the loop since we've been gone and school has started.

Evan leaves for school on Sunday. We are moving her in to her dorm. She doesn't start class until Wednesday though.

Busy, Busy, Busy. Everyone is busy!

Family

What a fun day! Today is my niece's birthday. She is 7 today. My mom planned a trip for us to the Evansville Zoo. She planned a GREAT day. My sister came down from Olney and met us there. She brought her twins, Madison and Mallory, along with her oldest daughter Alayna. Alayna has two children, Will and Ally and they were also there. So altogether we had mom, Jim, Paige, Marsha, Madison, Mallory, Alayna, Will, Ally, Evan and me. Mom packed us a picnic lunch and made birthday cupcakes. We had a great morning exploring the zoo. And then we had a nice relaxing picnic lunch at one of the park shelters. I hadn't been to the Mesker Park Zoo since Dane and Evan were small. The zoo has become very nice and they are trying very hard to modernize it. Some of the exhibits were old and closed but the zoo backers seem to be working hard to get it up to date. We really enjoyed the Amazonia area. We explored it twice! Paige told us over and over that it was a "great birthday". That made me happy.

Dane called last night and he got called out on storm. He is in a town close the Bloomington, IN. They got to sleep last night before they started working today. So that's good. I haven't heard from him today. I'm anxious to hear how is day has gone.

I'm working on my school stuff. I have put off all summer sorting through all my papers and STUFF! I really do have several things that I need to do at school but I will do that on Monday when I go back to school. I am kind of feeling a little panic but I know it will all get done. Tomorrow I have to start pulling out things for Florida. We leave on Sunday. I think I have all my groceries. I just have to do all the laundry and get it ready to go. We have internet at our condo so I will be able to post while we are on vacation. AWWWW...VACATION! I am soooo ready!

Saturday...

Well, once again I let a project consume me. LOL!

I volunteered to make the wedding video. So I've looked at pictures once again. After my quiet time this morning, I didn't even leave the office. I just rolled my chair over to the picture cabinets and started looking and picking pictures of Dane. (This is after I had pulled about 35 pictures off the external hard drive last night and not going to bed until after 11) I started at about 8:30 and at about 10:30 I looked up. I had pulled about 60 pictures. I know this was too many so I woke Evan up and had her help me pick and choose. My song is about 4.5 minutes so I knew about how many pictures I needed of Dane, of Jean and of them together. Jean's pictures were a little trickier. Her family's home burned when she was in college so there really aren't a lot of pictures of her when when she was little. (Of course, she is child #4 and sometimes that says alot about how many pictures there are of a child! :D) So I have worked on the movie all day and I think I have the first cut finished. It needs the bride and the groom's approval and we'll see!

DeWayne went kayaking yesterday because it had rained about 2 inches. Today he went rock climbing. Tomorrow we are hosting a kayak rolling party. We are X-treme Sports!!!

The wedding plans are coming along. Sometimes they consume me too! If we could find a location for the reception it would all be grand!

Saturday afternoon I watched the movie, Pride and Prejudice. I think my sister recommended this movie to me but I hadn't watched it yet. I REALLY liked this movie. I liked it so much that I dug out the book and started reading it. I don't think I would have read much of the book or even finished it if I hadn't watched the movie first. (I am usually a big fan of the book and not the movie of most books.) The language of the book makes much more sense. Because this book was written originally in the 1700's and in England, the language is very formal. The relationships between the men and the women. The class differences. The whole formality of it. I like very much. The friendships can't be formed until the "lesser" party is introduced formally. O.K. I'll stop now. I'm going to say it again. I like this book and I really like the movie. I recommend it with two thumbs up! :D

It's been one of those weeks that I'm wondering what I am accomplishing this summer. Monday was Dane's birthday and I baked cookies, brownies, and chocolate sheet cake. We had a small get together with my mom and dad; Jean's mom and Dad and DeWayne's mom. Plus Denise's kids and Evan. Not very many and not overwelming for the first "in-law" meeting. Just comfortable!

Only a few more days until the beach. And only a few more days until school starts. And only about 120 days until the wedding. ARGH!!!!! I need another slower moving calendar. :D

I woke up at 5 am this morning thinking about some things for the wedding. I think it's because Evan and I looked at wedding pictures from all over the country last night until after 10. So I played out wedding things in my head!

Only 2 more days until book group. Yay! I miss my friends and our get togethers even though I see them at church. The laughter and the crazy stories are awesome!

7-27-87
Today is my son, Dane's, Birthday! He is 22 years old. Amazing! Just amazing! He is an amazing young man. I am so thankful that God blessed me with a son. (I am also thankful for my marvelous daughter, Evan. :D) Dane is grown up. He has a job. He has a vehicle of his own. He pays his bills. And most of all, he's going to get married in 123 days! Of course there are people twice his age who have these same characteristics and I wouldn't consider them "Grown up". He takes his responsibilities seriously. I love that about him. Happy Birthday Dane!
We are having a small family get together tonight for his birthday. Just cake and ice cream. Grandmas and new in-laws-to-be. Should be an interesting evening!
Friday when Marsha was here we went shopping for my wedding outfit. I went to Paducah with the idea that I was going to buy a dress. A little black dress. And I was going to look fantastic! Well, we started at Dillard's and I picked up a few things to try on. Marsha had another idea in mind. So I went to the dressing room and they brought me things to try on. I tried on 2 black dresses first. They were ok but not FABULOUS. So Marsha brings me a jacket with a matching camisole underneath and black pants. Not just any pants. These are palazzo pants. Very soft and very flowing. They sort ot look like a long skirt when my legs are together. Well, I ended up with the pants and the jacket. And...I look (in the words of my husband) "HOT." :D I also found shoes that were very comfortable. So we all have our outfits. I also ordered Evan's shoes. We just have to order tuxedos and we're set.
I loved having Marsha and her girls here! We ate at Morello's on Thursday for lunch. We met our cousin Nadine there. We laughed so hard and just little things. It was good to be together.
Thursday evening we went to the Saline County Fair. WooHoo!!! I saw several children from school and they saw me. "Mrs. Whitlock" made an appearance! For awhile Marsha, DeWayne and I just stood in one place and watched the people. Very interesting to say the least. There are quite a few characters in Saline County. Sadly, I know most of them. :D
Only 14 days until the beach. Only 21 days until school starts. I have so many things to get done to start school. I feel like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind: I can't think about that today...I'll think about that tomorrow!

I haven't blogged this week and DeWayne let me know that I was taking too long between blogs. :D So here I go.

More randomness!!!

This morning in my quiet time my praise prompt was God's faithfulness and then in my INDEED devotion book today's entry was also about God's faithfulness. I love it when that happens. I always feel like I am on the right path when that happens. God is faithful. I know through everything that has ever happened to me and my family that God is always right there. He never leaves us or forsakes us. I am so thankful for His faithfulness! Even in our roughest times, He is there! All I can say is Thank You! and that seems so lame sometimes.

Marsha, Madison, and Mallory will be here tonight for a couple of days. I am so very happy they are coming. We have a lot of catching up to do. She's also bringing many wedding ideas. Fun,Fun,Fun!!!

DeWayne's friends, who are really Dane's friends too, have been here a lot this week kayaking. Or really practicing their kayaking moves. There is an art to kayak rolling. Monday I think they were in the water for four hours straight. Good times.

We leave on vacation in 18 days. I am ready for the beach. I've got my books ready that I want to read. Quiet, we are seeking quiet!

Dane got me a pedicure for my birthday from Mirage in Harrisburg. I think I will make my appointment for the Saturday after we get back. Then my toes will be beautiful to start school. I need to make that appointment this week.

Friday when Marsha is here, we are going to go to Paducah to look at dresses for me for the wedding. She and my mom and Evan and the twins. Yay! I hope I can find something that looks FABULOUS!

Book group is next Thursday. I am ready to hang out with my friends. The book we are reading is not that great but I only have to talk about one chapter (chapter #2 is mine). I am also excited because it's my turn to pick the book. I already bought it. It's a very simple fiction by Karen Kingsbury. I will read it first on the beach then move on to the rest of my list. :D

Another week! I looked at my calendar and I go back to work in 30 days. Well, let's just say that again this summer I did not paint. Oh well, there's always next summer! Probably because for the last few weeks all we've talked about here in our house are wedding plans with vacation plans thrown in.

I'm really excited! My sister and her twins are coming Wednesday evening and staying until Saturday morning this coming week. YAY!!! We haven't been together in a long time. I think I will camp in the basement with her so we can stay up late and talk. She's bringing her party planning "hat" and we are going to brain storm about the wedding. She's a great organizer. I might even have to get all my "posse"together with her so we can all plan together.

It's also Saline County Fair week. Jean will be busy with her nieces showing their livestock and I think she might even have to judge some events.

We leave for vacation in 21 days! I am ready for the beach. I am going to have to shut my brain off that week. No school and no wedding! Just relaxation!

I got a new car this week. My husband decided that we needed to trade my Saturn for a Corolla. So I have a brand new (and I mean BRAND NEW) 2010 white Toyota Corolla. I haven't had a new car in a LONG time. It smells so good. And it only had 4 miles on it when we drove it off the lot! It still only has about 175 miles now. It's very cute and fun to drive. He told me it was for my birthday but it really is for us. :D

I'm thanking God for His faithfulness and His goodness today!

Wedding

Everything here in my home right now is consumed with wedding plans. Where and when are taken care of: Little Chapel November 28, 2009. The rest is what we all talk about. Music, attendants, dresses, tuxes, colors, decorations, where for the reception, cake, food, etc.etc.etc.... It just goes on and on. It's all very exciting.
Last week I cooked at Jr. High Camp. We had about 74 campers. They were awesome. I had the best time. Cooking is exhausting work but there is reward! This week is Jr. Camp. They have over 130 campers. Unbelievable! I might have to sneek down there this week and help!
Friday Evan and I went with Jean, my other daughter to be and shopped for wedding dresses. Very fun and very tiring. I can honestly say they did not all start looking alike. Each one had its own selling point and each one had its bad points. Jean did decide on bridesmaids dresses and Evan tried hers on and it's ordered. Yay!!! Jean and Dane chose persimmon for the color to go with black and ivory. Very pretty.
I'm trying desperately to catch up on sleep and laundry! The laundry is all put away but I still feel like I could sleep everyday until noon!
Book group is coming up in a couple of weeks. I need to finish my book and study the chapter I will be talking about. It is a really hard book to read. It's my turn to choose and I'm choosing something EASY and FUN!

It's Official!

Well, it's official...I'm going to be a Mother-In-Law!!! Dane and Jean got engaged last night! Dane wanted to do something very romantic so we helped him pull off the details. They went to Paducah to eat and kill some time while Evan, DeWayne and I went to Cave-in-Rock to set things up. Dane picked out the spot and we took a blanket and some candles and flowers and set it up overlooking the river. He texted us when they got close and we pulled away as they drove up. It was very romantic.

Now for the wedding plans! They want to get married in November (yeah, of this year!). Thanksgiving weekend. So we have our work cut out for us!

I'll probably post many details later!

Birthday Time

Well, my birthday is in just 4 days. I will be 46. I don't really mind being 46 but I look at age so much differently that when I was younger. I can remember thinking my mom was really "OLD"! and she was probably younger that I am now. Oh, well! I ask Evan a lot if I am acting old. Most of the time she tells me no. The only thing that keeps going through my mind is "I am not too far away from 50." Fifty, what am I going to do at 50? We'll see what God's got for me!

Since it's my birthday I have to have my driver's license renewed. I haven't done the picture thing in 8 years because I am such a good driver they sent me a sticker the last time. Needless to say the picture of me on my driver's license is me looking way younger. :D I'm going to the facility at McLeansboro because they are nicer and faster. Sad that I have to drive 30 miles to be treated like a human.

Last night some of my book group friends got together. We had a little cookout. It was fantastic. The weather could not have been any better. We actually sat outside on Jeri Lyn's patio with blankets and jackets. She grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs. Everything was wonderful. I love being with these women. They make me laugh. They make me think. They just make me feel normal! Thank you Lisa G., Kerri G., Terah, Brigette, Jeri Lyn, and Darla. You are my BFF's. :D

Since we were together we made some book group plans for the rest of the year and for next year too. We've all had a rough time with this latest book. It's really deep. I have to lead discussion on chapter 2. I loaned my book to one of the other members so I have to get my book back and finish reading it.

I finished sorting pictures for now and got everything put back in the cabinets. I will get them all out again towards the end of the month maybe. They are better than they were. So that makes me feel like I accomplished something!

Next week I will be at church camp cooking. Sunday through Thursday late. So I probably won't be posting till the end of the next week. I haven't cooked at camp in a few years. I'm pretty excited about going. I love camp. I love just being where there are that many kids seeking Jesus. I know already that I will be exhausted when I get home but I don't care. It's a good tired!

I'm sitting here trying so hard to think of something so amazing that it will blow you all away... I got nothing!

Saturday again...and it's still hot outside. You would think it's August already as hot as it is. Oh well, I'm glad my air conditioner works and I have a cool place to hang out!

Everyone is gone but me. I seem to spend a lot of time by myself these days. Seriously though, I don't mind. I sometimes like the quiet of my house. I can remember days that I didn't think I would ever see a quiet house. Well, they have arrived! :D

Yesterday was interesting. The farm next to our property is for sale. DeWayne helps take care of the house and some other neighbors farm the ground. The family decided to sell the ground this past May and they actually solicited some Amish families in this area to see if they would be interested in buying the farm. Well, yesterday one of the families went to see the house and actually came by our house to talk about it. Buggy and everything! The family looking to buy the farm are a young couple with a little 16 month old daughter. (very cute little girl) If they move next door maybe I will learn more of their customs and why they believe the way they do. The man driving the buggy lives closer to Galatia and he had his little 4 year old little boy with him. The little boy was also very cute. I'm looking forward to more encounters with them and maybe not being so awkward the next time. Dane and Evan say I am completely crazy because all I want to do is take their pictures. :D But I will try very hard to restrain myself!

I am going to cook at Jr. High church camp this year. I haven't cooked at camp in several year. I actually haven't been to camp in a few year. I am excited about it. Jr. High kids aren't my favorite age group but I'm going to see what God has for me there this year! I will be there during my birthday (46). That should be really fun. I have spent many birthdays at camp and so has Dane. July just seems to be the month for camps! The Jr. Camp week is the one I really wanted to be at. Those are mostly children that just left West Side and are going in to 3rd grade. They are still for the most part very sweet!

I think I am going to work on sorting pictures again today. It's a cool, quiet job that needs to be done. I better get my picture boxes, my albums and my ink pen out and get to work!

I'm home! Yay! I never know how much I like being at my house until I'm gone 2 or 3 days. I've been to St. Louis to an Apple OS X Server Training. Sounds intimidating, huh? Well, it was as intimidating as it sounds. Yesterday, I sat through a training on how to set up the server. Oh my, let's just say that the guy called on me when he saw a confused look on my face. I wasn't even embarrassed. I knew I didn't have a clue. LOL. I followed along and acted like I knew what he was talking about. I went with my friend and co-worker Sherri. She gets it. I think I was there for moral support mostly. HA!!! Today, the session was about Collaboration. Setting up the wiki and blog server and the podcast producer. I truly enjoyed these sessions. These are things that I would like to see our school district using. Of course, teaching everyone how to do this is the real trick. Baby steps, baby steps; I have to remember that I can accomplish everything in a day.

I saw on the Facebook news feeds that Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died today. Two 70's icons gone. Everyone in Jr. High had Farrah Fawcett hair or wished they did. And then the crazy glove thing that Michael Jackson did in the 80's. Oh well. It's sad for their families mostly because they have put all their hope in earthly things and not in Jesus, the reason for my hope.

I'll try to add more tomorrow...

It's so hot today. It's in the high 90's. I think this is the hottest day so far this summer and yesterday was the first official day of summer.

Tomorrow I'm going to St. Louis for a conference again. I'm going to learn about servers and other geeky stuff. I can't wait. :D

DeWayne had to go in to work. Evan is with Jackie in St. Louis at the orthodontist and Dane is with Jean. I seem to be spending a lot of time by myself these days. I'm reading a lot of books though. :D

Jeff talked about The Bride and the Bridegroom yesterday at church. I loved it! The Bride is the church and the Bridegroom is Jesus. Too many people consider themselves ready for Heaven because they know the Bride but really they will be unknown to Jesus in the end. I want to be known. I want to hear "well done good and faithful servant" and I don't want to hear "I never knew you."

I'm still working on that salt thing. I want to be a fertilizer and a disinfectant to the world. I want everyone who sees me to see Jesus!

It's one of those rare Friday evenings. DeWayne is at work and Dane isn't home yet and Evan is in Florida. I'm all alone. I can read, I can watch whatever I want on TV and I can be on the computer. How cool!
Evan and Jackie left yesterday to visit Angela in Orlando. They flew out of St. Louis. Jackie drove up there and I drove home. I don't think it matters when you go to St. Louis or how you get there; there is ALWAYS traffic. We went north and hit the bypasses so it was easier. I will go that way again. :D
DeWayne is going kayaking tomorrow in Missouri with friends. He is so excited. He got a new paddle. A really nice one. He's gathered all his gear. He's ready to hit the water. I'm glad he has friends he can hang out with. :)
I worked on a web site for my computer lab today. I was only playing to begin with to see if some things would work and when they did I decided to add a bunch of stuff. So I spent about 2 hours typing text and adding pictures and links. I'll work more on it tomorrow.
The hummingbirds are back. They are so fun to watch. They really fast. I try to take their pictures and they don't stick around very long! Pictures don't capture their magic anyway!

Back to Salt

I got my notes out from Sunday and I think I'm going to add to what I posted yesterday.

Ed started out by reading the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) which are the verses right before verse 13 where Jesus talks about us being the salt of the earth and what good are we if we lose our saltiness. (Just a sidebar - everything that I am going to type will be from my notes and it is what Ed spoke. I will let you know if it is an original thought of my own. :D) The heart of being the salt of the earth is having the attitude of the beatitudes. (love it!!!) I can effect my community by being salt. Remember I said that it's not the same concept that we have of salt. This reference is to the salt harvested out of the Dead Sea. It's potash and it helps good things grow and keeps bad things from smelling. I must not live a compromising life. That's how I lose my saltiness. I must be able to relate to the culture of this world but there must be a contrast between the church the world. When there are too many other particles in the potash it makes it ineffective. Just like when there's too much of the world it makes me ineffective.

My prayer must start being - "Draw me Lord, change my heart. I want to be salt - I want to effect change around me. I don't want to be thrown underfoot and be trampled on because my saltiness is gone. (Matt. 5:13)"

I must go before the Lord and ask and seek out what has caused my life to become unsalty.

5% of the Christians in this country/world living out loud as real salt the culture of our country could be changed. We live in Saline (Salt) County, how cool is that!

5% of Saline County would be about 1300 people. If 5% of Saline County were to be of one mind for God's purposes, we would be able to do anything spiritually! We could change the whole culture of our county!

So, many people made a commitment Sunday to begin to truly pray and seek the Lord that 1300 people would be brought in and that 5% of the county would truly be salt in their WHOLE life.

I want to see lives changed. I truly want to live as salt. I do not want to become absorbed by this world and good for nothing.

Rainy Monday

Well, we were supposed to go rock climbing today with a bunch of home schooled kids but the rain canceled that trip. Oh well, there's always next time.
DeWayne, Dane, Jean and I ended up in Paducah to try to find a kayak paddle for DeWayne. He needs a new fancy one so he can "roll" his kayak better. We didn't find one. He's going to have to order one from the internet. We went to Gander Mountain and the Mall and we ate at McAllister's Deli. We switched cars before we left and I misplaced my phone. Needless to say, I was a little worried because I thought I had lost my phone. No lost phone though, it was in the backseat of my car here at home. Yay! I was afraid I was going to have to pay full price for a new phone. YUCK!!! But I don't and all is good.
It's a lazy afternoon because of the rain and I'm a little off schedule because of going to Paducah early this morning. "I feel funny!" :D
Church yesterday was awesome. Ed spoke instead of Jeff. He was talking about us being the salt of the earth. I learned some really cool things about salt and what kind of salt the Bible passage is really talking about. I've always been taught that it's talking about table salt and how we are to add flavor to the world and preserve our Christian walk. NO, it's talking about the salt that the people of that day harvested from the Dead Sea. It was potash and it was what people used to fertilize their fields and cover up the stench of the manure pile. It has to have the right amount of ingredients to be effective. Just like me as a Christian. I have to be salt to the world and not be worthless and not of any use even to the manure pile. (I'm writing this without my notes and I probably could do a better job if I looked. :D)
Last night instead of going to LCC, DeWayne and I went to McKinley Church to their book group meeting. Their group just finished "The Rain". We read it for our March Book. The author of the book works at EEI in Joppa where DeWayne used to work. One of DeWayne's friends, Mike, still works there and his wife is in the book group. They set it up for so we from LCC would be able to sit in on their discussion and to meet the author too. It was really interesting to hear about his stories and how they came about and how he went about getting published. I really enjoyed it and I was thankful that my friend Lynette invited us to be a part of their group. I'm sad that I won't be able to attend book group this month. I will be in St. Louis at a tech conference of sorts. I get to be more geekier that I already am. :D I'm most sad that it will be my turn to pick the book and I won't be there. Brigette will get to go next then it will be my turn. I already have my book picked out!!!

It's been a long time...

I'm back!!!

This has been the longest that I have gone without posting. I finished school on the 5th completely exhausted. I love all the women I work with but they sometimes wear me out. :D

My computer lab is clean and polished and ready for a new group of little people next year. Yay! We start back the 17th of August and it will be here before I know it.

I made a list of things I want to get accomplished before I start back to work. A "home" list and a "work" list. They each have several attainable items on them. My biggest goal is to paint the living room/kitchen and the bathroom here at home. Getting the wallpaper off will be my biggest challenge. It's been on for 13 years and I'm sure that it's more that a little STUCK. Ugh! Oh well, I just need to jump in. Maybe I can get my sister to help me on that one. She helped me hang it. :D

Today marks the end of my official first week off. I went to an Internet Safety Training class on Tuesday. The curriculum presented was very good. I think we might try to implement it. It will take some planning and commitment from everyone on all grade levels not just from me. The class was 6 hours long. The guy started at 9:30 am and didn't break until 12:30. OK, I'm a baby. I eat lunch at 11:15 and by 12:30 I was STARVED! and I had to go the bathroom. I also felt like I had sat through a 3 hour informercial. But that was what he was there to do, introduce us to the curriculum. I learned some very useful information. It's called iSafe. I think that it could be used in church settings also for youth groups or church camps. The whole basis is to educate kids about the choices they make and not punishment for the places they might accidently have tripped upon on the internet. Of course, we also talked about sexting and using the cell phone inappropriately. We have 1st graders at our school who have their own cell phones. It is never too early to tell children how to make "Better" choices when using their "tech" toys. Talking about the choices and the outcomes of these choices. I liked that guy who presented. He was obviously a Christian by the way he spoke and his attitude. He made reference to the Sunday School class that he taught. He had some very profound thoughts on pornography. Cool guy!

I'm pretty excited about my Bible reading plan. I will be halfway through at the end of this month. That means I will have read the entire New Testament and the book of Psalms plus Proverbs 6 times. I really like the way this plan is broken down. It doesn't feel like a burden to read. It usually makes me want to read more. I am so thankful that God gave us The Word to get us through the day. Every day it is new and refreshing. I can read the same passage two (or more) different times and each time it is applicable to what is happening that day. How cool is that?

Monday we are taking the home schooled group rock climbing. It has turned in to quite the outing. Dane is off on Mondays so he and Jean will be going with us. Evan and Jackie will come down when Evan gets finished with school. I can't wait to hang out with my family and a bunch of fun kids on Monday!!!

I'm still here. Just trying to make it to the end of the week and the end of the school year. Only a few more days. Perhaps then I can start posting more regularly!!!

Rainy Sunday

Here I am again and it's a rainy Sunday. Nice day to read, watch a good movie, drink a cup of coffee and blog. :D 

Jeff talked about fear this morning. What am I fearful of? Well, the list consists mostly of critters: mice, snakes, and spiders. The mouse fear is mostly about not being startled. I know they have no power because they are so small. I also don't like the mess they make and leave behind. So my fear of mice is really a "hatred". ha!!! Now spiders and snakes... I don't like at all and I really am afraid of them. Not heart attack fear but just a general dislike. I guess my fear of them stems from being bit. Oh well. I can remember a time when DeWayne and I first got married and we were robbed. I lived in fear of just going in to my house. I was afraid when people drove down our road. I was afraid when people would visit us at night. (We didn't go anywhere without a gun and I didn't walk through my house without knowing where a gun was. That's not REAL heatlthy.) Looking back, as soon as I started growing closer to Christ and allowing Him to be in charge of my life, the fears in my life subsided. I can't remember being scared about the dark or traveling in a long, long time. I don't like coming home at night by myself when it's dark but I'm not scared. It's kind of funny, I remember the fear being very strong and I don't remember when I released it. It's just not there anymore. (Thank you Jesus!) Jeff was talking about how we as Christians can't live in fear of the end times. Bad stuff is going to happen. It's going to happen to the earth. It's going to happen maybe to me. It's going to happen possibly to family members. I have to live in a strength of faith that allows me to face the fear. I have to live strong in Christ. Bad things have already happened to people in my family. I have had not great things happen in my life. Did I live in faith or did I live in doubt? Did I trust in God or did I trust in man? What I show to the world defines me as a Christian. 

No school tomorrow for the holiday. DeWayne has to work second shift though. I think we are supposed to have a picnic somewhere before he goes to work. 

Dane and 4 of his friends sky dived yesterday. DeWayne and I went and took pictures of Dane and Lee. We only got to stay to see them because DeWayne had to go to work. I have no desire to jump out of a plane, but they looked like they were having a great time. Dane said it was amazing. I took a little video and lots of pictures. Oh to be young again. Not!!!

Sitting and Waiting

It's Thursday and I'm sitting here in the "Procedure Waiting Room" waiting for DeWayne to have his "procedure" done. He's only been back there for about 15 minutes so I will probably be here for another hour or so at least. And the only good thing is they have public internet here at Deaconess, Yay!  We weren't sure where this clinic was because it is a Deasoness Clinic. It's in the old Welborn Clinic where I came for ob/gyn appointments. It's also where Dane came many times for after-hours doctor appointments when his asthma flaired up. The building has been remodeled but it's the same parking lot and building. 

School is crazy right now. The kids and the adults are ready to be out. The kindergarten teachers are working like crazy to get their memory dvd's finished. I burned and labeled 2 teachers yesterday. That means only 6 more to go. A few of the second grade teachers are also doing dvd's; so they also need help. It's just hard to be in 4 or 5 places at once. :D Makes me feel needed! The newer version of iMovie (09) is awesome and so much more user friendly. The same teachers who made movies last year can't believe how much easier it is to make their movies. I have started two "test" movies to just show some of the features of the program. The nice part is that I can burn it to such a small file that I could post a short movie here. ( I think I might before the summer is over..:D) Another aspect of our crazy school is the schedule for next year is being working out. Everyone wants their specials (art, music, pe, media, and computers) in the afternoon so they have the morning free for instruction time. I understand the teachers wanting this but oh, my. There are 8 kindergartens, 8 first grades, and 7 second grades. This does not even count the 8 pre-k slots. There are not enough afternoon slots to put people in. It's a mess. Someone or several someones are going to have to be flexible. :D

Evan is working like crazy to get here yard sale stuff priced. We'll have to move it all to Jackie's tonight. I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I hope they make good money. I think they are going to use their money for a short trip to Florida to Angela this summer. (Angela is going to work in Orlando this summer. 

We've had a change of vacation plans. We had planned to go to Gatlinburg for a few days in August. DeWayne checked all the prices and found we could go to the beach at Seagrove Beach for 5 days just as cheap. Sooooo...we're going to the beach!!! Yay!!! We leave on the 9th of August and return on the 15th. I start school on the next Monday. So we'll be tanned and rested to start back to work and school. Sleep, eat, and play, my 3 favorite things. :D

I went to a mother daughter banquet with my mom Tuesday evening at her church. It was very enjoyable. The lady who spoke talked about different kinds of shoes and how your personality and your attitudes change with what kind of shoes you wear. I had heard the same analogy at a women's retreat with my sister's church. They both brought something different in to it though so they were both good. 

More another time.

Just a quick note to let you all know that I haven't completely disappeared. :D  

It's the time of the year that every week has been "one of those weeks."  The weather has been crazy. I have a lot of things to accomplish at work and it seems like not enough hours. And I have a lot I want to get accomplished here at home. So, it's really one of those months. 

Evan had been slowly going through her stuff this week. I can see a path in the living room. And I can see the floor in her room. Hopefully we'll spend a little more time working on it tomorrow. 

I'm ready to dig a little deeper and post something that actually has purpose. :D

Just Another Monday

I am truly sorry that I haven't posted in over a week. Last week was one drama after another! I went to St. Louis to an iLife 09 Summit. It was awesome, great, and quite overwelming. A lot of information was given to me in 7 hours time. 

I took Friday off for Evan's birthday and we went to O'Charley's in Marion to eat lunch. After lunch Evan, Jackie and I went to Carbondale's mall to shop. It had rained like crazy while we were eating but as soon as we got to Carbondale it started raining again. It didn't just rain though. There was a tornado (actually an inland hurricane {whatever that is}). We had to sit for about an hour in the tornado hallway at the mall. We could hear the roof rumbling and the walls were a little shaky. I wasn't too scared just concerned about getting home and the kids at school who were probably getting ready to go home for the day. After we got to leave our little hallway we were hoping and praying that our car was not covered in debris. Thankfully it wasn't but there was a lot of stuff all over the parking lot. There was obviously no power in Carbondale so the stop lights were a trick. After we left Carbondale, there was power until we got to the airport. Then from the airport to the east side of Marion it took almost 2 hours. UGH!!! The damage was unbelievable. I wish I had had my camera. By the time I saw the semi turned over on the highway about 5 miles from home, "I JUST WANTED TO BE HOME!!!" We had no damage to our home. Only one tree down and the gas grill blown off the deck. Thank you Jesus!

Saturday Dane and Evan and I worked on cleaning out their rooms and sorting out stuff. The throw away, give away, and sell piles are huge. Evan and Jackie are going to have a yard sale in 2 weeks. So yay!

Mother's Day was grand. Saturday evening we went to my sister's and had graduation and mother's day celebrations. It was great to all be together! Sunday Dane and Evan went early to church with me to cook breakfast. Dane bought Evan and I a Wii and a Wii Fit. So we played and made fun of each other all evening. :D

I will update more later.

It's Saturday and it's just me and DeWayne and two computers. He's on one and I'm on the other. I'm blogging and he's planning our summer mini-vacation to Gatlinburg. We've only been there once when we first got married so we thought it would be a nice short trip for this summer. We REALLY wanted to go to the beach but there is no way that it was in our budget. Maybe next year! He's planning a white water rafting trip and a kayak clinic (for himself). We'll all go rafting and he will kayak. Evan and I (and Jackie is she goes with us) will shop. I am most of all just looking forward to getting away. We'll go in August before Evan goes back to school and before I start back to work. Should be a blast.

Tech testing is almost over. I only have 5 more second grade tests to give; four this week and 1 next week. Yay!!! I now have to get my scores tallied and posted in the spreadsheet and sent to the Tech Coordinator for our district. Basically testing is the easy part. Now I get to stare at my computer screen for several hours. UGH!!! 

Evan will be home this afternoon for a few hours. It's Harrisburg's Prom and I volunteered to take photos for a friend. She is going to help me. I'm praying that the rain holds off and I can get some good shots outside. So far so good.

Book group Thursday was awesome. Because of the rain we only had 6 there but I still laughed until I cried. Lisa G. is SOOO funny! She tells the best stories. We have decided the read The Last Lecture for our next book. I had already bought it on Amazon but I had put off reading it because I knew that was the book that Lisa G. would pick. It was her turn and she did.  So I will keep you posted about it. Right now I'm reading a book that Evan bought, hypocrite in a pouffy white dress: tales of growing up groovy and clueless. It is one of the true story books like The Year of Living Biblically. I have laughed out loud many times. The lady is only a few years younger that me so I relate to her memories. I'm about half way through it. It's a good read! :D

Evan's birthday is this week and she will celebrate her 19th year. Wow! My baby is a grown up. And so is my big kid. Dane will be 22 on his birthday. Unbelievable. They are both such awesome people. God has truly blessed DeWayne and I with fabulous children. Out of all they have accomplished in their lives; they both have a heart for Jesus and that makes me the most happy!

I better get on the laundry...more later!

Still Wondering....

I still have more ideas in my head. I am just letting them swirl around for awhile. Sometimes it takes me awhile to work it all out where it makes sense. 

I'm liking this week. The weather is warm but rainy and I still like it. It is so Springlike. The irises are blooming and so are the pink bushes I have in my backyard. (No, they are not azaleas. They haven't bloomed yet) I even saw a hummingbird yesterday. Very cool! 

Evan only has a week left of her first year of college. I am glad she will be home for the summer. I am wondering what we are going to do with all her stuff though. Sort and pitch probably. And then store the rest until August. August will be here before we know it. Time marches on and seems to be double time!

Tomorrow night is book group. We will be discussing "The Priest". I am going to review my notes tonight. I'm anxious to see what they pick for us this time. I'm not sure who's turn it is to pick. I think Lisa G. We'll find out for sure tomorrow. I'll keep you posted. I added the gadget at the bottom of my page that lists the books I've read in 2009. I'm just going to keep a running list. Maybe I'll add a rating system. But like I said  before, I generally don't finish a really bad book. I just set it aside and eventually I finish it. 

I have reconnected with one of my best friends from Jr. High and High School on Facebook. She and I remained friends even after we had children until she moved out of state. I haven't seen her to talk to her in probably 10 years. We chatted forever last night. If nothing else, Facebook lets old friends reconnect. I love it!

Tech Testing is almost over. Two more days of Kindergarten and First Grade then only 7 more 2nd grade tests and we are finished. Then I have to tally all the scores. We test our children to see what they know and use the information for our Tech Grant. The tech grant is how we fund our lab and my job and all the tech equipment that comes in to our district. So I really have to teach the K through 2 crowd "something". :D  I think they are doing all right this year. There are always a few children that test like they have never been to class before. Oh well!

Ed used these verses Sunday night and I really, really like them so I'm going to share them with you. 

Isaiah 49:15

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Isaiah 62:4-5

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate; But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah, for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

What Would People Think?

I think this is going to be more than one part. If I don't break it up, it will probably go on and on and on. My mind just keeps going and going on this subject. Last weekend at the women's retreat that I attended the main speaker, Lynn Reese and my sister both said the phrase, "What will people think or What would people think?" This truly made me reflect this week A LOT! 

When I was growing up, my grandparents lived in Broughton and we lived in Eldorado. My grandpa's family had owned several businesses in Broughton and were very well known. My grandparents owned a trucking business. So needless to say everyone in this small town knew my sister and I and who we belonged to. We were "Freddy Griswolds's daughters." Broughton is a small town. It has always been a small town. It was just thriving more in the 40's and 50's; so by the 60's and 70's there wasn't much there but the post office and a couple of little stores. The population was and still is today holding at 250. 

I loved going to Broughton. I had the run of almost the whole town even at a very young age because, of course, everyone knew who I was. This "knowing" also came with some headaches. I would be dying to get outside to play with my Broughton friends and my grandma would always stop me. She would always and I mean always stop and ask me if I had washed my face, my hands, and my elbows. (Yes, my elbows!) I don't remember one time that I was Marsha and just did it. I argued and argued that I was going out to play why did I need to clean up? Her response was always the same. "You never know who you might see and what would people think if they saw you dirty?" Because of who they were in the pecking order of the town, I had to be clean. They didn't want us to appear "poor and dirty". The up side to this is that I got to wear my shorts and t-shirts and not a dress. :D 

I went from being a small child always worried about "What would people think?" to a teenager and even a young adult worried about the same thing. Sometimes in there I worried a little about "What God would think?" but I was really more concerned about other people's opinions. In the back of my mind I figured if I had people's approval I also had God's. Is that a messed up view or what? I tried to live up to everyone else's expectations of how I was "supposed to be" instead of what God intended me to be. What a waste of 20 years or so! Needless to say I was never good enough or pretty enough or popular enough. (My daughter loves Hawk Nelson and they sink a song called Everything You Ever Wanted. It is speaking about my life and I really like it. Look it up on iTunes!) 

Since I was so concerned about what others thought of me I became very good at covering up. I lied, I cheated, I made excuses, I blamed others, and I wasn't a nice person. (OK, I know I am not perfect now; but I am letting God control the big parts now!) So, people saw me but they saw the fake me. The one I wanted the world to see. The one that tried to please everyone. The one that was obedient on the outside and VERY disobedient on the inside. I am very sorry that I lived my life that way. I think that is one of the reasons that I was so hard on my own children while they were growing up. Not about what others would think of them but always reminding them that God was the one who mattered. 

So "What would People Think?", I hope when they see me now they see the true genuine person that God created me to be. 

So much floating around...

I have so many thoughts floating around in my head right now. I went to the Women's Retreat at Flora with my sister's church (and others). It was AMAZING!!! This is why so much is going on in my brain. My friend Brigette and I got up very early Saturday morning, left here at 5:45 a.m. and got to Flora around 7:45. We, as always, talked non-stop. The funny, amazing, God-led thing about it is that almost every topic we touched on during the drive was somehow re-spoken during the day by someone. I can't say it enough...I LOVE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS! The women on the ministry team that Marsha worked with had been so faithful to God in all the details that He really blessed the day. A big thank you to all who were involved in the preparations and the carrying out of the day!

I'm trying to get my thoughts together about how I want to respond to the bits and bites that I walked away with. I will be posting about it, I hope, pretty soon. 

Yesterday I started Tech Testing in my computer lab. Each grade, Kindergarten, First and Second,  have a little test on Appleworks and Kidpix. These are our word processing and drawing programs. The second grade has a two part word processing test and first grade just has one part. Kindergarten only tests on Kidpix. First and second grade test on Kidpix too. We won't be finished until May 7. There are days I don't feel like I have taught these children anything but when I see them do the tasks I ask them to on their computer I know that all is not in vain. :D So I am keeping a very cheery attitude. :D

I promise I'll post my thoughts soon. (You can see this as a blessing or a threat. HA!!!)

It's Thursday and no new Gray's Anatomy. Hum...I wonder why? Maybe next week. Oh well. I know, I really shouldn't watch that show; but I really like it. 

I have worked out at Curves everyday this week. I think I'll take the day off tomorrow and not work out. I feel so much better when I exercise, though. Now if I could just stop eating chocolate I could lose another 20 pounds. :-D

I've been reading some other blogs. Some of them are so serious and some are fun and some are a little of both. I don't think my style fits any of them. I know, that is why I am "random". I'm not going to copy someone else's style because I think that's how it is supposed to look. I just want this to be silly and serious, useful and not so useful information at the same time. I think maybe so far I'm succeeding. What do you think?

We had Celebrity Readers at our school yesterday. This is where someone from the public, "A Celebrity", comes in to each classroom and reads to the children. They usually bring a snack and sometimes a small activity. All of our readers showed up this year or they got their own replacements. That was refreshing! Of course, there were cupcakes, sugar cookies, candy, juice boxes, chips, and ice cream. Which means ALOT of sugar! We even had 2 dogs. The readers usually dress up too, that's part of the entertainment. It's always a really fun day.

Yesterday was also the "Tea Party" Day at the Harrisburg Court House. I didn't participate but DeWayne did. It's makes me sad that the people in leadership of our country see this as a threat to "Homeland Security".  I wonder if I don't agree with everything that is presented to me in the years to come if I will be considered a huge threat. I'm am very proud of the people who participated in this event. This is just the kind of demonstration that our forefathers were in favor of. There were no ugliness. Only people who made speeches and informed the people. Our country is in really bad shape. It's not President Obama's fault and it's not even President Bush's fault (even though EVERYONE wants to blame him). The fault lies with us, the voters who continually put up with our lawmakers making bad laws, not reading what they push through and vote on,  allowing our government for the people,  by the people to seemingly have disappeared. I'm not usually very politically informed. I am a conservative because it seems to line up closest to Jesus. But there is so much junk that I SO do not agree with going on that I just have to say SOMETHING!!! We have got to vote. We have got to make our voices be heard. We have got to stand up and call for changes. The "Tea Party" just allowed concerned citizens to be heard. 

Enough said! (For now!)

Friday tomorrow! Saturday I'm going to a Ladies Retreat in Flora with my sister's church. My friend Brigette is going with me. It starts at 8 a.m. and it takes almost 2 hours to get there. So we will be getting up and leaving here VERY early. I'm looking forward to the retreat. My sister always puts on a good program. I'm very proud of all the hard work she does as the head of Women's Ministries at her church. Go Marsha!! 

Is it really over?

I cannot believe that I went a whole week and didn't write anything! And now Spring Break is over and I went back to work today. Fun!Fun! 

Last week actually didn't fly by like I thought it would. We had a nice leisurely week. DeWayne was on second shift all week so I  think that is why it didn't. No getting up early. Being able to stay up late. Eating lunch together everyday. The evenings were very quiet. All in all it was a very nice week. 

Monday I painted the downstairs bathroom like I planned. It turned out much better than I thought it would. We went back to Lowe's and bought a black vanity and mirror. So now the bathroom is black, white and gray with a few red accents. I only have to paint the 3-drawer chest black and it will be complete. (oh wait, DeWayne hasn't hooked the water up to the sink yet. :D  but he's working on it.) I can't believe it snowed this day too!

Tuesday I voted. YAY!!! The school board election went the way our teachers wanted it too. So we do have a voice and so do the parents of our school district. 

Wednesday and Thursday were days filled with laundry, dishes, just stuff. Nothing too hard. Evan got home very late Thursday after a late night concert in St. Louis with her friends. 

Friday just hanging out together. 

Saturday we went rock climbing at Jackson Falls with the Owens' family, David, Brigette, and Kaylynn. It was the first time the four of our family had been rock climbing for a long time. Dane climbed. Actually, everyone but me climbed. I, of course, took a lot of pictures. Fun day! 

Sunday we ate lunch with my mom and Jim. My sister and part of her family were there. Marsha, Randy, Holly, Madison, and Mallory. I love to be with her. I miss laughing at the most ridiculous stuff!

And today...I went back to work! It was a very laid back day. The kids were all really good. I ate too much chocolate though. Our P.E. teacher brought a lot of chocolate to fill up our "chocolate container" that everyone eats out of. Soooo...I ate a lot of chocolate eggs. They were really good. Evan and Dane both had off today. They both had business to take care of so that worked out. Evan has to start back to school tomorrow and Dane has a new job to start. He got transferred to a new company starting tomorrow. He will be working out of Evansville for a few months. He only works Tuesday through Friday, 10 hour days. He is excited about working a four day week for awhile and being in the same town as Evan. She has only 3 weeks of school left too. The Spring has really flown by!!! 

I finished The Priest. I am so thankful for Jesus. I am so glad that He is our High Priest and there is no longer any need for the sacrifices in the tabernacle to atone for our sin. I am so glad that He is the spotless lamb that took death for my sins. Most of all I am thankful that He sits on the throne next to His Father interceding on my part. What a SAVIOR!!!

A Good Day

DeWayne and I had the best time yesterday. I love to just drive around Southern Illinois and explore. We started at Alto Pass at the Bald Knob Cross. The initial plan was to then follow the River to River Race  route. When we got to the top of the hill (a really big hill), we ate our lunch while overlooking the Big Muddy River to the west. The view of the river bottoms and the lure of the Mississippi River made us change our plans. We drove over to Highway 3 and went to Grand Tower. It is right on the river. It's a very small, very old town. It's called Grand Tower because there is a tower of rock in the river. Very cool! There is also a suspension bridge holding the gas pipeline crossing the river there. It is also very cool. We then drove on north and crossed back over to Murphysboro and then came home. All in all this took all day. The weather cooperated and we had a beautiful, wonderful day. It was the perfect start for Spring Break. I needed a day of doing nothing taxing!!! 

I'm going to paint the downstairs bathroom tomorrow. Can't wait, really! I'm hoping that it motivates me to paint the other rooms that I need to paint. 

I've only got about 40 pages left to read in my book for book group. I really like it. I'm reading  Deuteronomy right now too so it's all going together. I love the way the Holy Spirit does that!  Very cool!

Dane has a new assignment for work. He goes back to Cape this week and next week he starts in Evansville for a new company. He will only work 4 days a week. He will be staying in a hotel too because they pay for his living expenses. So he will be bringing his camper home and parking it for awhile. He's very happy that he will be working 4 day weeks for awhile. He will also get to hang out with Evan if he wants!! :D

I love the rain. It makes it the perfect Sunday afternoon. Rain, coffee, a good book, and a blanket! Ahhhhh!