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!