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?