2009

I can't believe that it's New Year's Eve and we are about to ring in a new year. It seems like only a few weeks ago that I was writing my resolutions and attempting to motivate myself to make 2008 MY year, to follow through with my goals, and change a lot of things in my life. Unfortunately, discipline isn't a virtue I was able to teach myself this past year. Many things I wanted to change have remained unchanged and many things I wanted to complete have remained incomplete. Today, as I think about the year to come, I am determined to take control of my life. For too long, I have been complacent and content to allow fear, worry, doubt, and plain ole negativity take me down for the count. I vow to you, my fellow blog readers, that I am going to try my hardest, through my God, to refuse to let Satan tempt me to do that for even one more day. So many aspects of my life that I want to be different are within reach and I am going to pray fervently that this will be the year it will happen. I pray for more faith- in God and in myself because I have Him fighting for me. I pray for discipline and self-respect. For self-control and contentment. For HOPE.... Here's to 2009! Happy New Year to you all!!!

Tacky Christmas

I can't believe I never had a tacky Christmas sweater party before last night! It honestly was one of the funnest, most hilarious parties I've ever been a part of. I was extremely impressed with my friends' creativity and willingness to play along with my silly idea. We laughed SO much and thoroughly enjoyed the night. Here are a few pictures from our night-o-fun!!!

Cupcakes!

Tomorrow night I host "Tacky Christmas Sweater Bunco" at my house. I've been busy cleaning, painting canvases for presents, and preparing the meal. The main course will be poppyseed chicken casserole, homemade macaroni and cheese, pan seared asparagus, and cornbread. For dessert I wanted something festive, and since cupcakes have been on my mind (see Haley's blog), I decided to make some! They're Christmas ornaments! The cupcake is a cake mix but I made the icing myself. I put an entire bottle of red food coloring it in to try and make it red, but this is as red as it got! The hook is made of a pretzel inside a Reese's peanut butter cup. The dots are mini M&Ms. I'm a little disappointed in the way they look- they aren't as cute as I wanted them to be. I must say though, that icing is yummy!


More pictures will be coming soon of everyone's tacky Christmas outfits. I can't wait to see what everyone came up with!

Extra! Extra!

Oh, the joy of living in a small town! We had our family Christmas at my Grandmother's house this past weekend. She lives a couple hours away, in a VERY, VERY small town. I happened upon the town newspaper, published weekly and only about four pages in length. When you live in such a small town, not much is newsworthy. Hence, the need for something to take up space. The back page of their paper is a section entitled "Around Town." Citizens call or write in and tell what they did the week the paper is published. These are actual entries in the newspaper. Yes, actual entries, no lie.... Only first names will be used to protect the identity of the victims' families.

"Audie gave Carolyn some really nice pecans. It was a nice surprise. Thanks, Audie!"

"Mary, STACY, and Russell carried Ora Mae out to eat at Ryan's on Thanksgiving Day."

"Howard talked with Ora Mae on the phone Sunday afternoon."

"Lessie, Viola, and Nomie shopped Friday."

"Shirley made a trip to see her doctor last Tuesday."

"Braxine enjoyed a telephone conversation with her brother."

"Margie's son carried her out riding on Thanksgiving Day to several places. She really enjoyed the outing."

"Violet visited her brother Bug in the hospital several days last week."

If you've blown your nose in the past week, or maybe taken a shower or eaten a meal or two, call 555-867-5309 and have it published.

I thought you were supposed to find GOOD deals on "Black Friday...."

Updates

First off, I want to thank Martina, Julie, Andrea, Jennifer, and Katie for their great ideas for my new weekly posts. I think I'm going to use all of your ideas and have a weekly favorite, whether it be a quote, song, item, etc. I'm excited!

I'm soooo glad to be off this week for Thanksgiving break. Haley's readers already know we had a girls weekend this past Friday through Sunday. We had such a great time- eating, shopping, and decorating the house for Christmas. It was a much needed break for me. I laughed so much I cried (imagine that) and thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with some of my favorite girls. Here are the before and after pictures of Haley's mantle that we decked out with Christmas decorations.



Haley and I decided to try our hand at painting Christmas canvases. I came straight home and painted my first one last night. Here's the finished product.



I'm excited about spending time with my family later on this week. Cort and Trey are coming home Wednesday night. I always look forward to seeing them. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing sister and a wonderful brother in law that makes her so incredibly happy. The entire family, nine kids and all, will be together Thursday. I will try to post pictures next week. Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday. Happy Turkey Day!!

________________ of the Day

Alright, so I'm wanting a weekly post to publish on my blog. Katie has her weekly random knowledge, Julie has a weekly poem...and I have nothing. I've been thinking about what to do for a while, but nothing has come to me yet. I'm begging for ideas. What can I post weekly that would be interesting and fun to read? The person with the best idea gets a shout out in the next post. Hurry! Think, Think, Think!!!!!

Harvest Festival

Our annual Harvest Festival was last night. We invite everyone in the community to come out and dress up, trunk or treat, play games, and enjoy free food. This year I think we hit an all time high in attendance. Last year we had around 3000 people and just judging by the looks of the number of people there last night, I'd venture to say we had even more this year. My job each is always the same...to paint faces. There's no telling how many little cheeks went home with my "masterpieces" on them. It was lots of fun!


Love this girl...

Thanks for the cute ghost tattoos, Katie!

Loyal fan... :)

My sweet little witch!

Charlie Man!

Southwestern Soup Recipe

Well, if you're like me, the changing of the weather brings about cravings for some good soup! I got this recipe from a friend and made it last night. It's soooo easy and very good. I thought some of you in the blogging world might like to try it too.

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can pinto beans (Of course I left those out!)
1 lb. Velveeta cheese (If you like extra spicy, get Mexican Velveeta.)
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes

Brown ground beef with chopped onion. When finished, add corn and beans. Melt Velveeta and mix with rotel and diced tomatoes, then add to beef mixture. Stir and cook until warm. Serve with crackers or Fritos.

Hope you enjoy! If anyone decides to try it, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HALEY!!!

So you know I had to post this! :) I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. Girls weekend soon! Hope you have a wonderful day!!! I love you.

Tagged

7 Things I Want To Do Before I Die...(taken from my life list post in April)
1. get married and have kids (can I put those together?)
2. ride a gondola in Italy
3. see Gavin Degraw in concert
4. go to Los Angeles
5. take a cooking class
6. be debt-free
7. visit all 50 states

7 Things I Can Do...
1. cook
2. sing (decently at least)
3. crochet
4. take pictures (love photography)
5. love
6. take things way too personally
7. analyze

7 Things I Can Not Do...
1. drive a stick shift
2. laugh without crying
3. be without my family for a long time
4. eat a bean...of any kind
5. touch a cotton ball
6. listen to someone reading- at church or school, etc...IMPOSSIBLE
7. be patient

7 Things That Attracted Me To My Hubby...
***So obviously I can't complete this part. If anyone reading wants to stop and send up a prayer asking God to please be sending a husband my way it would be much appreciated...seriously!

7 Things I Say Most Often
1. "That's hilarious"
2. "Oh my word"
3. "No way!"
4. "I just got that out of my mouth"- to my students
5. "No talking in the hallway" - once again, to my students
6. "huh?"
7. "God, please, please, please....."- as I'm praying, of course

7 Celebrity Crushes
Wow- this is so fun! Can I list seven here, too? Okay, I totally have a crush on Mark Sanchez, too. Go to Haley's blog to see his picture. Currently, I have a crush on Dan from Survivor. He's not exactly a "CELEBRITY" I don't guess, but he's on tv.

I also have a crush on Maksim from Dancing with the Stars. I think he probably knows he's hot though...

And last but not least.....


I tag Cortney, Paige, and Ginger.

Nicholas Sparks

For those of you that don't know, Nicholas Sparks is my all time favorite author. Even as a reading teacher, I have to admit that I don't spend a ton of my time reading unless I can find a really, really good book. Well, Nicholas Sparks is amazing! In case you're not familiar with who he is, he wrote The Notebook, which is one of my favorite books of all time. I'm sure you have all seen the movie, which of course was taken from that book. He also wrote Message in a Bottle, which was a movie, and recently Nights in Rodanthe was released in theaters.

Three of my friends and I heard Nicholas (I love how I am calling him by his first name now...) was going to be doing a book signing a couple hours away, so we took off work and headed to see him. We arrived an hour or so early to take our place beside the table where he would be. The crowd grew, the vast majority being women of course. We waited patiently for him to come out of the elevator that was facing us. Finally, the doors opened and there he was! He looked exactly as he did in the pictures on the back of each book. Actually, he looked a little younger in person than in pictures.

He stood up on the table so we could all see him and talked with us for a few minutes before the actual book signing began. He told us about his passions, which of course is his writing, his track team (He coaches for a local high school.), and the Christian school he and his wife opened. The maximun enrollment is 300 and the curriculum includes world travel, which the students do during the school year. Needless to say, I was really impressed. When I finally got up to talk with him, I told him I wanted to teach at his school! He joked and said I'd be forced to travel the world if I did that! Ummm, can you imagine being paid to do that? It's not a bad idea. Probably the most exciting thing he told us that day was that the next movie that will be made from one of his books is Dear John. Next to The Notebook, that is one of my favorites. If you haven't read it, go get it now! He also said Disney has purchased the rights to his next book, but he hasn't even started it yet! They already know it will be a movie starring Miley Cyrus. So, ole Nicholas is doing pretty well for himself.

Here are some pictures from our day. It was a really neat experience! I'm excited to go back to school and tell my students how their teacher got to meet one of her favorite authors!

My new favorite song

While I'm Waiting
by John Waller

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

FIREPROOF- Please go see it!

Fuel has now been added to the fire!

If you're just tuning in, read the post below and then come back to this one.

Yes, I'm writing this from school. I'm very frustrated at this point. I just got off the phone with the manager at Heavenly Ham. I first asked him what time they closed. His response was 9:00. I then asked what time they stopped serving sandwiches. To that, he said usually around 8:30. I shared with him what happened last night and to my surprise...and disgust...he defended the worker and what she did. He said that most of the time the mall is dead from 8-9 so because of that and the increasing cost of the economy and running the place an extra hour, that they most certainly do start shutting down early. I explained to him how confusing that was to customers, because when a store's hours are posted, we expect to be able to be served up until then. He tried to make me understand the process they have to go through to get everything cleaned up and shut down, attempting to make me understand that's why they stop serving early. Now, am I wrong or isn't that process supposed to begin AFTER closing time? He again explained that if they haven't been busy then they wanted to go ahead and get things cleaned up so they could go home. Oh my word! I can't even believe it. I'm so thinking of calling the Heavenly Ham Headquarters (haha) or whatever they're called. Am I the only one that thinks this is just wrong? Maybe I should just tell my students this afternoon around 2:00 that they can leave if they want, because I have copies to make and plans to write. UGH!

Not so Heavenly Ham

Eating lunch at 11 is way early, and waiting until 8:30 to eat dinner is way late. Needless to say, I was ready for dinner tonight! I planned today to go to use a gift certificate at Heavenly Ham after church. I thought it would be a somewhat healthy option, at least better than a greasy hamburger and french fries. So, off I go. I parked and walked up to the entrance outside the mall. Strange...it's only 8:25 and the door is locked. I walked inside the mall to go in that entrance. The big chain linked "door" (no idea what those are called) was a little less than halfway down. I walked in anyway and asked the girl so diligently scrubbing the counters if they were closed. She said no, but they stop serving sandwiches at 8 or 8:15. Now, aren't sandwiches the only thing they serve at Heavenly Ham? Last time I checked that was true. Umm, all the chairs are already up on the tables so if I wanted to go in and sit down for some reason I couldn't do that. SO WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THEY DOING STILL OPEN?? UGHHHHHHHHHHHH! This is a huge pet peeve of mine. If you say you're open until 9, stay open and serve people until then. If you're going to stop serving and all but shut down the place, lock the doors! I am most definitely annoyed. What did I do? I was oh so tempted to go get some greasy french fries, but no. I came home and had a oscar meyer ham sandwich with stale wheat bread...not the dinner I had in mind all day long.

I can't wait until opening time in the morning. Guess who's calling the manager??? I will get revenge...and maybe a free meal, too! :) I'll let you know what they say.

P.S. How 'bout these two posts in one week????

What's a girl to do?

Choices, choices, choices.........Yesterday was "Pamper Yourself" day for Bridgett and me. Since we both got paid on Friday, we were searching for a way to treat ourselves (which I shouldn't have done but actually have yet to feel a bit of guilt about). We went to the mall and decided to get a manicure and pedicure...great decision. We both decided we wanted to choose a fall color, since summer is quickly coming to a close. Seriously- for two indecisive people like we are, how are we supposed to choose from all these colors? Besides, this wasn't even half of them! There's another section on the opposite wall! Finally, we made a decision..one in which we were both very happy with. The pedicure was great. Most of you know I hate feet: don't want to touch anyone's and don't want them to touch mine. However, I'll let it slide for a pedicure. It was so relaxing! We sat next to each other in the massage chair and between wanting to fall asleep and laughing at how much we DID NOT understand a word they were saying, we had a great time. I think we are enstating a monthly "Pamper Yourself" day. I'm excited.

Updates...

1. Thanks for your comments on my last post. I feel like I found clarity and peace on this subject. I know God is at work in my life and as long as I stay close to Him, his purposes and plans will prevail...no matter how specific they are.

2. My feet have continued to hurt. I finally broke down this weekend and paid way more money than I should have for a good pair of shoes. I bought some Merrells- which have been wonderful! They feel so great and my feet have felt much better since I started wearing them

3 I have gotten to keep sweet Macy Brooke twice so far. She's absolutely precious and I LOVE her to death, as I do all the rest of my precious kiddos. Here's a picture from the mini-shoot we had when I kept her. :)


4. Gavin Degraw is now on tour. Anyone remember my life list? Yeah, well going to one of his concerts is on there. The problem is, he is NOWHERE around here. Ugh- I so wish I had the money to fly somewhere to see him.

5. Haley- this is for you.

God's plan....

Alright, I've been thinking about this a good bit lately. After reading The Shack, which I strongly urge everyone to do, my thoughts have somewhat changed and I am now questioning how I really feel about the following.

I used to think that every single thing in life happened for a reason. I believed that God had a purpose behind every decision, every action, every word. I thought that His plan for me, for us, was very specific and that as long as we stayed close to Him, He worked through us to carry out His will...a very specific will. I still believe this to a certain extent. However, I'm now thinking more about our own free will and our ability to choose. I definitely still think God is in ultimate control and can use any situation for His own purpose. But, I'm wondering if His plan for us is way more broad than I once thought it was. I don't know anymore if every single thing happens for a reason. I don't know if every decision I make is the one God wants me to. I believe that many times, God says that He'll bless us either way if we follow Him. I'm stuck somewhere in the middle here.

Honestly, I want to believe that God is in control of every little aspect of my life. I want to believe that He won't allow me to make the wrong choice or mess things up. I just don't think that's the case, though. Wouldn't we be like robots if life were like that? I think God trusts us to make our own choices and although He knows which ones he wants us to make, we may not always. A part in The Shack that I love says, "...Your choices are also not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome." I LOVE that statement.

Bottom line- I'm just scared for God to give me too much responsibility. I'm scared that I won't do something I'm supposed to do to carry out that plan He has for me. Or, I'm scared that I will do something to keep myself from living the plan He has for me. I know He is perfect, He loves me, and He is in control. I guess I just doubt myself.

I hope this makes at least a little bit of sense. I was reluctant to even write on this because things seem so jumbled up in my head. While I'm somewhat confused about this issue, one thing I know for sure is that God is faithful and He will never, ever leave us! I find so much comfort in that, especially lately.

Help!!!

Okay, either someone is playing a big joke on me, or since turning 32 I'm seriously starting to fall apart. MY FEET ARE KILLING ME!!!! I have no idea what has happened. Honestly, I think it's a combination of being on my feet all day and wearing cheap, Target flip flops with no support. When I wake up in the mornings, it hurts to walk. Both feet are sore, mostly the balls of my feet. It hurts all the way up to my knees. Any suggestions? I DON'T want to go spend a fortune at the doctor. I keep hoping it will go away. I've even been wearing some big, fluffy slippers to teach in lately. Could my arches have fallen? Do I need to purchase some old woman naturalizers or those plain white nursing home shoes? I think that's what it's coming to. Comments or helpful hints would be appreciated here.

P.S. On a side note, today we were discussing the presidential candidates and what my fourth graders thought about a woman possibly becoming the vice-president of the United States. Several were for it, several were against it. When I asked why, a little boy said, "If a woman becomes vice-president, then she might want to turn everything in the country pink and make men wear lipstick." He definitely made me laugh. Kids truly do say the funniest things!

A few things I'm excited about......

Satan works hard to steal our joy. It makes every day so much better when you focus on what makes you happy instead of analyzing your worries or focusing on your sorrows. That's what I've tried to do today, think of all the ways I am blessed. Here are a few things that are making me smile today (in no particular order)...

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

1.The Hills season premeire tonight. I LOVE this show!


2. sweet Macy Brooke Bowerman, the newest addition to my amazing family (I will wait and let Paige post the first picture!)

3. a great book so far...

4. this weekend- We have been invited to sing at a church's Homecoming a couple hours away. I have so much fun hanging out with the "Tonerangers" and look forward to this a lot!

5. new cell phone- Tomorrow I am finally eligible for an upgrade and I'm really excited about picking out a new phone.

In this crazy life and through these crazy times.....

Inside her mind is a picture
Inside her mind is a frame
Inside her mind is a memory
When a better day - one day - came

Inside her heart is a hope
Inside her heart is a plan
Inside her heart is a God
That with just a quick nod -can

Inside her spirit is a God
Inside her spirit is a Son
Inside her spirit is a girl
That decides everyday on the One

Inside her soul is a joy
Inside her soul is a grace
Inside her soul is a time
That feels sometimes out of place

Inside herself is a girl
Who dreams of a different space
And she wakes up wanting
But in Him is flaunting
A heart that's in the right place

- Gena Killen

Here we go.............

Well, the time has officially come. I have been slaving away in my classroom (above) this past week to prepare for tonight. We have Open House and I will meet all the parents of my students and send them home with a plethora of information about the adventures on which their child and I are about to embark. Am I ready? Yes and no. I am NOT ready to get up early. I am NOT ready to write lesson plans and grade papers. However, I AM ready to get back on a schedule and I AM ready to be around so many people that I love so much everyday. I'm blessed tremendously to be able to work in such an amazing environment with people I consider to be my family.

I am going to try to pray more about my job, how I affect the lives of these children and that God will speak to them through me. I want to be more patient and be able to see how they need me, not only as their teacher but as their friend. I truly, truly want to make a difference.

Good luck to all my fellow teachers out there in the blogging world! How many days until Christmas break???

Last few days of freedom....

The time has come, my friends. I have officially gone back to school. Well, maybe not officially, but my free time is over. I had an AMSTI workshop today and again tomorrow, then will have to spend the rest of the week preparing my classroom for our Open House Monday night. Ugh... I'm not ready. The main thing I dread is getting up early. During the summers I really love staying up until 1 or 2 and sleeping until 10 or 11. I am NOT a morning person, and love staying up late. No more of that as of tonight...unless it's the weekend. I'm blessed with a great job, though, with people that I love and enjoy hanging out with outside of work. That means a lot to me, so going back to work won't be so bad...hopefully.

I went on my final road trip of the summer last week. I went to Birmingham to see Haley, Chad, and Mary Ella, then went and visited Cortney and Trey. I had so much fun!

Haley and I went to eat at PF Changs. Note: try the carrot cake dessert shooter. It's only $2 and is delicious! Our waitor was very persuading and could have made dirt sound appetizing, so Haley and I both gave in and ordered dessert. That's one thing I can count on- spending way too much money on food when I visit! It's worth it though. I had a great time with Haley and Chad, and of course little Mary Ella. She's so precious- ugh! I already miss her.

Next was Cort and Trey's house. I still can't believe they're married! It's so crazy but so, so wonderful. I am so absolutely thrilled for them and how deliriously happy they both are. Spending time with them, I was assured of how in love they are and how right they are together. It's not that I doubted it before, but watching them together and hearing Cort brag about what a spiritual pillar he is for their family already made my heart smile. They're crazy in love and made me hope even more that I find that one day.

So, here's to the end of summer. It was a good one, a busy one....and it's over. Goodbye freedom, hello responsibility.

Random, Random, and more Random Thoughts

It's 1:30 am and I'm bored. If nothing in this post makes sense, that's why.... It's been a long time since I've posted anything more than a couple sentences. I couldn't think of a decent topic, so here's what's been floating around in my mind lately.

1. Why do adults over 75 seem to forget how to drive?
2. Psalm 34:18
3. I'm not ready for school to start.
4. The joy of the Lord is my strength- or I'm learning how to let it be anyway.
5. It's way too hot outside.
6. I need a second job.
7. I am becoming a new fan of Jon and Kate Plus 8!
8. It's way cool that Beyonce has heard me sing- that's right..My friend is a producer/writer and needed to record some background vocals for this song that one of his friends wrote. He called Bridgett and me into the studio and we recorded a demo that was sent to her manager. The song is called Rockin the Club (ha). I don't think they know yet if she's going to record it or not, but they do know for sure she has heard it. I thought that was pretty cool....
9. I'm excited about football season starting...War Eagle!
10. I'm blessed- regardless of what Satan throws at me.

So, I'd love to hear your random thoughts. Should I tag someone here??

Introducing.......................

My fabulous sister has joined us in the blogging world. Read her new blog here!

Yay for new layouts!

So I must say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this new layout. It was actually really easy to do- maybe I'll add some pictures soon. Hope everyone is doing well. New post coming soon.

I was tagged......

Since I was tagged by Haley, let me say how proud I am of her and Chad and the beautiful baby they brought into the world yesterday. I was so honored to be able to be in Birmingham and share Haley's last night before becoming a mommy. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory then came home and packed Mary Ella's bag for the hospital. Haley was so calm! We got up the next morning and got ready for the big day. She and Chad left for the hospital as Haley's mom and I stood there crying! It was so special to me to get to experience that with her. The baby is precious! Everyone make sure and check her blog in a few days. I'm sure she'll post lots of pictures. I'll refrain myself and let her be the one to introduce Mary Ella to the blogging world. Get excited- she's beautiful!

Now, on to business.....

10 years ago I was:
taking some classes at UNA and preparing to transfer to Auburn- one of the best decisions I ever made.

5 years ago I was:
I believe this was the summer before I began teaching at Mars Hill. I had just come back from living in North Carolina for a year, starting graduate school, and babysitting in Moulton. I never planned on going back to my alma mater to teach, but God had other plans.

1 year ago I was:
spending a summer off much like I am now....nothing too exciting.

5 things on my TO DO list today:
1. color my hair (cover the gray)
2. eat lunch with Amy
3. clean
4. pay bills
5. upload pictures to shutterfly

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. wheat thins
2. cheese its
3. cereal
4. fruit gushers (ha)
5. baked lays

If I were a billionaire I would:- very similar to Haley's actually...
1. give to church, charity, etc. i would like to buy random people a tank of gas or secretly pay for someone's meal at a restaurant, etc.
2. share with my family
3. buy a HOUSE!!!!!!!
4. adopt a baby (or two) from China or another country
5. travel everywhere

5 bad habits:
1. letting unimportant things consume my thoughts
2. not following through with things
3. not being disciplined
4. charging things i don't need
5. watching days of our lives

5 places I have lived:
1. florence,AL
2. greensboro, NC
3. myrtle beach, SC
4. valdosta, GA
5. vernon, AL

5 jobs I have had:
1. tee jays mill store
2. church secretary for the summer
3. nanny
4. 7th grade math teacher
5. 4th grade teacher

I TAG PAIGE, BROOKE, AND ANNA!!!!

Wedding Pictures!

So, we're still waiting for all of the wedding pictures to arrive on Cort's photographers website, but here are a few shots she put on her blog. Pardon me for being negative for a second, but I HATE every single picture I've seen so far of myself. I have never been one to enjoy having my picture made and I certainly don't enjoy looking at myself in pictures, but I was hoping that her nice, expensive camera would somehow make me look better than I really do. WRONG! So, I'm not giving out the blog address. All my faithful readers will just have to look at the photos I've chosen for you to see and trust me on how bad the others are of me! Cortney and Trey on the other hand, look amazing and all the pictures I've seen of them are absolutely beautiful! Alyson (photographer) did a great job! I just wish that camera could have done a few favors for me!
Cort and bridesmaids
Are they not the cutest?
Trey and his groomsmenThis is one of my favorites!
and this one....

Ahhhh- I can finally breathe!!!!

Yes, I know, it's been a very, very long time. But friends, there is a reason. I have barely had time to breathe the past three weeks. This summer has gotten off to a crazy busy start. I can't believe it's almost halfway over. I'm at the beach now with the family recovering from the madness, so I thought I'd take a minute and update the ole blog.

After school was over, I went right into wedding mode. I made list upon list of things that had to be done, what I needed to get, where I would get my dress altered, what I would wear to the bridesmaids' luncheon and rehearsal dinner, etc. Although I wasn't working everyday, I didn't really have time to relax yet. The week of the wedding came. I enjoyed a couple calm days before the storm hit. To be honest, the wedding ceremony itself and my amazing sister were beautiful, but the combination of the stress I'll go into in a minute makes me want to consider eloping (if/when the time comes). I hear people say the time and money are not worth it all the time, but I lived it a week ago.

It all began when we found out a week before the wedding that Trey's dad had to have triple bypass surgery. He went in on Friday morning and PRAISE GOD, did amazingly well and was able to not only attend the wedding, but stand next to Trey as his best man a week later. We were so thankful but were definitely stressed and worried about him. In addition, most of you know Cortney's one wish was to have an outdoor wedding. I've never been much of a risk-taker, especially when it comes to a day as important as your wedding. We had heard however, that it hadn't rained in many years on June 14 in Florence, so we were hopeful. As luck would have it, the rain won. We got up Saturday morning and had to make a call by 9:00 am in order for the florist to do what he needed to do to build the outdoor arbor. At 9:00, it was storming so we had to move the ceremony inside. Oh, but of course, by 4:00 it was beautiful outside but by that time we couldn't go back. Not only did we have to move the wedding inside, but Cortney's AND Trey's wedding cakes were messed up. Her's was supposed to be square and his round, the caterer reversed it. She took it like a champ, but still....Not only that, but Cortney started feeling sick at the reception so I went with her to a classroom in the church building to sit down and rest a minute. Five minutes later she was throwing up. That continued until 4:00 the next morning, and she didn't feel good for the most part of the honeymoon. There you have it...S-T-R-E-S-S! Bottom line though, they're married and to those that witnessed the day from the outside, it couldn't have been more perfect. As for me- I may have an appointment at the courthouse one day.

Here's a picture of my beautiful sister on her wedding day.



I left the day after the wedding to go to Impact. It was good, as always. The theme was "Day of Reckoning" and I have no doubt God was in that place and worked in the hearts of tons of people. It was good to get to see lots of old friends.

I left Impact and drove straight to the McKinneys' house (so strange to say that!) to spend the night and leave yesterday morning to come to the beach. That brings me up to date. I'm sitting on the balcony as we speak listening to the sound of the water and kids playing. It's so relaxing- and so welcomed for me right now.

I hope you are all doing well. I'll post pictures of the beach when I get home!

SCHOOL'S OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm breathing a little easier now! Today was my last day of school. Although I have to go back in the morning to meet with my principal and go over our end of the year checklist, the majority of my "teacherly" duties are done. I had a great class this year. The kids were so smart and really sweet, overall. (Sugar buns boy is off to middle school. I tell ya, what entertainment he was.)

Summer always goes by really fast so I'm going to try and enjoy every minute. June is CRAZY busy, but busy with good and exciting things. First comes Cort's wedding. She gets married June 14. I leave the day after to go to Impact for a week. I leave Impact on the 21st to come home and turn right around that very day and leave with my entire family for our annual beach trip. Twelve adults and all eight kids will be making the trek to Orange Beach for a few days. We're all so excited and are counting down the days.

Hopefully, July will be my month to sit back and do NOTHING! I have to have some of those days in order to feel like I've had a vacation.

So, congratulations to me. I've made it another year. Praise be to God for giving me all the strength!

Here you go, Paige!

*Maybe I should...start going to bed before midnight on a school night so i won't be so tired the next day.

*I love the smell of ...men's cologne, downy, babies, candles, mineral spirits used to clean gym floors...ha!

*People would say that I...overthink things way too much and am very paranoid.

*I don't understand why...gas keeps going up. i'm starting to get really mad about it.

*When I wake up in the morning...i hit the snooze button about five times before i finally get out of bed.

*I lost my will power to...follow through with most of my new year's resolutions...a long time ago.

*Life is wonderful with...my God and my amazing family and friends.

*My past made me...most definitely nuts, but i can't use that as an excuse for the rest of my life. God used it to give me strength and to teach me lots about life so it's a blessing.

*I get annoyed when...the same parents come in my room everyday and ask random questions that their kids should already know the answer to IF THEY WERE LISTENING.

*Parties are not...fun unless I'm there....hahaha

*Dogs are...cute if they stay little and have no ticks.

*Cats are...sweet but i'm allergic.

*Tomorrow I am going to...try and get memory albums finished that i'm giving my students for their end of the year present.

*I have a low tolerance for... dishonesty.

*I'm totally terrified of...so many things i can't even list them all.

*I wonder why I thought my life would be...easy.

*Never in my life...have i wanted to travel as much as i do now. many of you say you want to accompany me to mark off some things on my life list. the thing is, i'm serious. who's ready to go because i want to make some flight reservations!

*High school was something that...i absolutely loved.

*When I'm nervous...my heart beats a million times a minute and my face gets flushed.

*Take my advice...try a hazelnut java chiller from sonic.

*Making my bed is...a rare occasion, unfortunately.

*I'm almost always...analyzing something.

*I'm addicted to...the Hills.

*I want someone...to marry.

I TAG Meredith and Haley.

Leona Lewis

This CD is really, really good! Usually there's only two or three songs on a CD that I listen to regularly, but I actually enjoy almost all of the ones on her's. Most of you have heard "Bleeding Love," which is my favorite! If you get a chance, listen to some of the others. I think you'll like them!

What's on your Life List?

"One rainy afternoon an inspired 15-year old boy named John Goddard sat down at his kitchen table in Los Angeles and wrote three words at the top of a yellow pad, "My Life List." Under that heading he wrote down 127 goals. These were not simple or easy goals. They included climbing the world's major mountains, exploring from source to mouth the longest rivers of the world, piloting the world's fastest aircraft, running a mile in five minutes and reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. Now, a generation later, he has accomplished 109 of these quests, and has logged an impressive list of records in achieving them."

What's on your Life List (or Bucket List as it's come to be known lately)? Have you ever thought about it? I thought I would begin one of my own. I'm sure it'll grow as time progresses, so check back if you wish. There may be new goals to come!

My Life List: (in random order)

1. Visit Los Angeles/Hollywood/Laguna Beach
2. Visit New York City
3 Travel to (or at least through) all states in the U.S.
4. Ride a gondola in Italy
5. Take a cooking class
6. Go to Paris
7. See Gavin DeGraw in concert
8. Go on a mission trip
9. Get married
10. Have children
11. Buy a house (by myself or with my husband- preferably the later)
12. Be debt-free
13. Attend a taping of a daytime talk show (Oprah, the View, Regis
and Kelly, etc.)
14. Learn how to drive a stick shift
15. Go camping
16. Go to the Mall of America
17. Visit Washington D.C. again, and this time appreciate what's
there

There will be more to come............. Now, I'm ready to check some of these off!

Another funny story from the classroom....

Everyone remember the sugar buns boy??? Here's another story....

We were sitting in the kindergarten class as my students were reading with their book buddies. The "sugar bun boy" was sitting near me. I thought I heard him say my name but I didn't want to look at him because I knew if I did he probably wouldn't repeat what he said. Since it came from his mouth, I knew it would be funny and definitely worth hearing. I kept listening, and he said it again. "Ms. Browning is my true love." As if that weren't funny enough, he proceeded to tell me that the girl he was reading with (as she was reading a book about insects) was comparing me to a butterfly. "Sugar bun boy" said, "You're much prettier than a butterfly. You're as gorgeous as a pretty bird." As he said it, he was waving his hands in the air pretending to fly...like that pretty bird.

We come back to the classroom and I was told there was a note waiting for me on my door. I went to look and a little piece of paper had been folded up to fit inside a ribbon holding up a sign on my door. Here's what he said (and how he spelled it):

"Oh baby, if only I wasn't ingaged you and me would be together baby. Oh I love you. Sorry I'm ingaged." Signed: Sugar bun boy.

Now, this is getting borderline inappropriate. He's definitely a ladies man and there's at least one or two other teachers that he behaves this way with. I think I'll go show the note to the principal. It may be time for sugar bun boy to pick on girls his own age!

If only he was 20 years older............

The Bachelor- what else?

Is anyone watching this season? If so, are you as disappointed as I am? Until last night, I searched and searched to find even one girl that I thought was decent. Was there just one that didn't play the clarinet or break out into some operatic mess? I think I've found one I want to like, friends. Holly.....

Why do I like Holly, you ask? First of all, I think her career is awesome -she writes children's books. Second, her personality seems real and she doesn't seem materialistic or fake. Third, she certainly doesn't seem to be there for the media attention and acts as if she's truly there to find love (that sounds so funny). I think her feelings for Matt are genuine.

I don't just love Matt, either. I guess I still have time to become attached but I'm not expecting it. All two of my regular readers know I have tendencies to fall in love with these silly guys on the show myself. Not gonna happen this time I'm afraid.

So, what are your predictions? Have you found anyone to like? Who will he pick?

A few things that make me happy this week...

1.

2.
Series returns TONIGHT at 9- finally!

3.
I just discovered this and it's amazing...and cheap!

So, here's to trying to make a week last forever........Happy Spring Break to me!

Whirlwind.....

I guess I've been waiting for something noteworthy to write about, which is why I haven't posted anything for a while. I decided today that if I keep that up, I may be waiting a long time. So, here goes...

On one hand, nothing has been going on in my life. Work is the same, church is the same, home is the same, etc. Praise God that He's given me so many blessings and thankfully, I've lived another day. On the other hand, so much has been going on(not all of which I care to go into on this blog). I guess that "so much" is just called life. I feel so overwhelmed with confusion and mass chaos inside. I feel like I don't know where to let my thoughts rest and I feel like I've let what's really important slide to the back of my priority list. The crazy thing is, I'm so confused that I don't know where to begin to get things back together again. Does that even make sense? Do you ever feel like you can't feel? When that happens, how do you find the knowledge to go about fixing things and making things right again when you can't see or feel what exactly would make things better to begin with? Any suggestions?

I hope I haven't concerned anyone by what I've written. I'm doing this on impulse and probably shouldn't even be sharing this via my blog. But, there's nothing else earthshattering to report, so I might as well be real. I'm totally fine and completely and utterly blessed beyond reason. I realize that, but life gets hard sometimes. We all have that in common. I hope this finds you all in less of a state of confusion as I. Hopefully soon this whirlwind of a life I've been living will settle down and I can think clearly once again.

Happy Hump Day!

????

Is it normal for a fourth grader to call his teacher sugar buns??? Just wondering.....

I'll be back for a more substantial post later.

My latest read

If you know me at all you know Nicholas Sparks is my absolute favorite author. I just finished reading his latest book, The Choice. I have to admit, it started a little slow. The first several pages I was thinking good ole Nicholas was letting me down. But, oh no. Did he ever come through! This book was so good! I can't even begin to give you a brief description of what it was about. He manages to capture my interest so well by writing of situations that are so fun for me to live through vicariously, as well as some that I wouldn't want anyone to experience. His imagination must be incredible, as he can certainly dream of some of the most fantastic storylines. So, if you're looking for a new book to start off the new year, I definitely recommend this one!