My Valentine

Yep- for this girl, Valentine's Day is dreaded every year.  With each passing one, I hope the next will bring something different.  So far, it hasn't, but my faith isn't in myself or a man- it's in MY GOD!  That's the love I chose to celebrate yesterday.  Although I woke up in a terrible not so good mood, my heart was full and content by the end of the day.

It started off before school when my sweet co-teacher brought in the cutest notecards and a precious note that made me feel special.  Then, it continued around 9:00 am with office aide #1 bringing in a bright red wrapped gift.  I was very confused when she said, "It's for you."  I read the note and tears came to my eyes.  The gift was a coffee pot (notice the note), in which Scarlett had heard me say recently that I didn't have and needed to purchase due to my new craving for coffee.  She's so thoughtful and creative!  I LOVED it! 

Later yesterday afternoon, office aide #2 comes in with three roses and a bright pink bag.  Again, "It's for you."  What in the world?  Inside the bag was a candle, chocolates, and a heart-shaped soap.  This note was one of the kindest and special ones I've ever received.  I will keep it forever.  I still don't know who sent it, but I think God used them yesterday to fill my heart and provide me an earthly representation of HIS love.  I will never forget it.  The note says this:  Amy- Thank you for being who you are.  You are someone that can turn a bad day into a great day.  You know how to make others feel special simply by how you treat them.  You are a fantastic teacher and I know for a fact your kids adore you.  On this day of love, I want you to know so many love you and that's because you show love to others.  Most of all, thank you for showing others that being a child of God is so special.  God has blessed my life (along with others) for knowing you.  MHBS is very lucky to have someone like you. (Please believe I shared this not to boast or be prideful of myself.  I, in fact, feel very undeserving of the words this person spoke.)

After school, I come to my car to find this.  It's a gift basket for my mom and me from my precious friend, Amanda.  Inside was chicken salad, chocolate covered strawberries, homemade heart cookies, plates and polka-dot napkins, and more.  Overwhelmed....that's what I was.  Another reminder of how blessed I am by the absolute best friends in the world. 

My day ended with dinner with my sweet and precious Mom.  She is the most incredible person and is my rock.  I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's date. :)

I don't know what I did to deserve all my "happys" yesterday.  Somehow that dreaded day turned out to be such a blessing.  I'm seeing God more and more lately and I think yesterday was just another way He made His presence known to me through some truly awesome people.  THANK YOU- to everyone who played a part in making my day so special. I will have a new perspective next Valentine's Day.  I will make sure those closest to me know they're loved, like I knew yesterday.  Although, it wouldn't hurt to have a husband for next year either.... :)

In Recent News....

This post has been a long time coming.  I have logged in numerous times only to sit and look at the screen in hopes a blog topic would grace the presence of my brain.  Obviously, it never happened.  I typically don't write about my life because...well...there just isn't much exciting about it.  I work, I go home, and I work again.  It's a monotonous, BLESSED, and sometimes boring cycle.  But then I thought, you know....this blog is for me and it's always fun to look back over old posts to see what I was up to at that time.  Hence, this post. Lately.......

I'm still obsessed with my precious niece.  She's just the best thing that has ever happened to me and I think about her nonstop.  She's starting to talk more and more now and we just all think everything she says and does is the cutest.  I miss her from the moment they walk out the door to head home until the time I see her again.  She's my sweet angel. 

I've been spending a lot of time rehearsing for Winterfest.  If you remember my post from last year, it's a youth conference my friends second family and I sing at in February.  Last year was our first year and boy, was I nervous!  We sing on stage in front of 6500 people and I'm certainly not used to that type of audience!  It was such a blessing last year and I absolutely cannot wait to go back next weekend.  We're learning new songs that are amazing.  If you're interested, download Stronger by Hillsong, Awakening by Chris Tomlin, and Mighty Fortress by Christy Nockels.  If you love Christian music, you will LOVE these songs.

I started the low-glycemic index diet again two weeks ago.  This is the same diet I was able to lose over 20 pounds on a couple years ago.  I did well until Thanksgiving and well, you know how hard it is to be on a diet around the holidays.  I've prayed about this for a while and thanks to God found the strength despite my hesitation, to start it again.    It's basically leaving out all carbs (unless they are natural carbs found in fruit), no processed food, etc.  This diet makes me feel SO much better.  I love that what I am feeding my body is all-natural and HEALTHY.  It's not always easy, but the reward outweighs the struggle.  I covet your prayers to stay strong and keep this lifestyle up.  I've lost 5.6 pounds the first two weeks and am hoping to lose lots more.  For now, my new favorite foods are a Jennie-O turkey burger between two pieces of lettuce, Carb-balance tortillas and natural peanut butter wraps, and peanuts.  I can't do without those staples!

I can't believe school is nearing an end.  Summer break is still over three months away, but time is flying!  I'm excited to go to the beach again with my family this summer.  We're moving the party from Gulf Shores to Destin this year.  That will be a nice change.  I'm super excited to go to Minneapolis as soon as school is out to visit Josh and Ginger, the boys, and new baby boy Willingham.  I've always wanted to visit the Mall of America so Lord willing, this summer will be my chance.  Don't count on me to ride the roller coaster in there, though.  I was the one scared to death on the kiddie coaster at Waterville in Gulf Shores.  If only I had a video of my face.......

I guess that wraps it up!  I will post pictures from Winterfest when I return.  I am going to try and post my dieting progress again occasionally, just in hopes of keeping myself accountable.   If it bores you, feel free to pass on those posts.  I hope this finds everyone doing well....and doing a snow dance by the way.  What's winter without at least one snow day?  That's what I'm hoping for.  Happy Hump Day!

Amateur Design Challenge

If you're a regular reader (anyone?), then it's no secret that the bare wall in my living room has been an eyesore  since I moved in.  I wrote a plea for help a few months ago in which I explained my debacle.  I decided that Santa's task this Christmas would be to save me from this design dilemma.  I asked for Hobby Lobby gift cards, money for furniture, and a bookshelf I found online just hoping I could find something, ANYTHING, to fix this wall that bothered me daily.  Well, Santa delivered.  I in no way claim to be Candace Olsen or a female version of Nate Berkus, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.  It's still not 100% complete and there are a few things I am still searching for, but it's much better than before.  Here's the before and after. (Thank you, Picnik.)

As you can see, the television table was too short to fill the wall, but too tall to place a picture above it.  I didn't know what to place on each side.  My symmetric mentality limited the possibilities.  I felt like what went on one side needed to go on the other.  Finally, I gave that up and decided to go with a chair and bookshelf.  The chair is a brown chenille wingback from Kirklands.  It was $329, marked down to $229, and the day I went in.....it was $185.  I checked my phone on a whim for a coupon and found a 15% off so I used it right away.  I ended up paying around $160 for the chair.  You can't beat that!  Santa (aka my mom that went all the way to Decatur for me) bought me the bookshelf for Christmas.  I searched all over for the perfect one.  This one came from BIG LOTS for $60.  I loved the open back and the criss-cross pattern on each side.  The curtains are from World Market- one of my obsessions, and the cross is from Hobby Lobby.  

It's a work in progress, but I have had so much fun designing my own little space.  Next, the bedroom.  :)

Playing Around with Picnik

What do you get on a night when nothing is on TV?  A new blog design!  I had so much fun playing around on Picnik making this new blog design.  True, it's nothing in comparison to Haley's (She designs them for anyone, so send her an email if you're interested.), but I was pretty proud of myself!  Now, on to some "pinteresting" and shopping around on Ebay.  What would we do without the internet??

2012...I'm coming.

I Am the New Year


I am the new year.  I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.


I am your next chance at the art of living.  I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.


All that you sought and didn't find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.


All the good that you tried for and didn't achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.


All that you dreamed but didn't dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have- these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.  


I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."


Happy New Year, friends.


Am the New Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bible Illustrator

All I want for Christmas Is.........

....this perfume!!!  I wear perfume every single day of my life.  I have a really strong sense of smell and LOVE to have a few nice scents to choose from in my repertoire!  My current favorite is a scent I first found at a store during my visit to Missouri.  I loved it immediately and knew I would be pleading with Santa to bring me a bottle.  The brand is Lollia and the scent is In Love.  I tracked down a salesman at the store to get more information.  She said that this brand was actually on one of Oprah's Favorite Things shows, although her favorite scent is Wish.  I like In Love much better.  You can find this perfume at Anthropologie or Neiman Marcus.   Trust me on this one....Amazeballs.

What.A.Day.

Welcome back to school to me! I tell ya- when it rains, it pours. Here’s a rundown of the stressful and chaotic (yet always blessed) day I had at school.


First off, I’ve battled a cold/sinus infection since Wednesday night. My throat was a little soar at first, then that grew into sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head…wait a minute. HA! But seriously, those were many of my symptoms. By Friday morning, I had no voice whatsoever. It came back Friday afternoon, only to disappear again. This morning I could talk but as the day grew on, I started losing it again and coughing a ton from talking and teaching so much. I feel better, but still blah and have that “I would much rather be in bed” attitude. These kinds of days make it hard to be a teacher. Unfortunately, I can’t hide behind my desk or inside my cubical and not talk. I have to pretend to be chipper, happy, and attempt to be just as effective a teacher as when I’m not sick. Lucky for me, they had a language test today that allowed me some quiet time while they worked.

I got myself ready and got to school a few minutes early. I walked into my classroom to find every.single.desk piled on the carpet in the corner of my classroom. The chairs were in the middle of the room with neon green tennis balls inserted onto the botton of the chair leg. First of all, while that is an effective way to keep noise down and pencil lead from sticking to the bottom and making a huge mess, I think it looks awful. As for me and my classroom, I have always chosen to risk it and deal with the noise and the mess instead of be blinded by bright blurbs of cork on my floor. Somehow, this decision was chosen for me. I knew who the culprit was though- our precious, sweet custodian. How could I be mad?...I guess. But to me, if you’re going to do something nice for someone, clean up the mess too! it’s like someone coming to your house, cooking dinner, but yet leaving all the mess for you to clean up. The desks were in a pile, bags the balls came in were left on my bookshelf, the walmart bag they came in was left, and my classroom in general was left in shambles. Needless to say, it didn’t make for a happy morning when 18 kids came in and didn’t know where their desk was. Imagine the questions I had to answer.

Next, I was reminded early this morning that I have an essay to complete by Thursday for our school’s application to become a blue ribbon school. Yes, I am honored I was chosen as one to turn in the information and entrusted to write it correctly, but I’m also frustrated because that’s about the absolute last thing I want to think about on any day, let alone one like this.

I think the weather across the state is about the same today- COLD and RAINY! I don’t mind it when I can stay inside and admire the weather from afar. But when we get an unexpected fire alarm going off in the middle of class and have to take every single elementary student OUTSIDE in it, it’s not so fun. Yep- that’s what happened. Many of my kids were in short sleeved shirts. (Which by the way, do parents not look at their children before sending them out the door? I have students today, when snow is called for tonight, in summer clothing. I don’t get it.) Fortunately, I had on my anorak and could cover my head with my hood. I had nothing to share with the kids and felt bad they were cold and wet. It wasn’t long before we heard the sirens coming down the street. We were told it was a false alarm coming from the cafeteria and it was safe to go inside. Not so easy to calm kids back down to work after standing out in the rain and freezing.

As we were coming back in from the fire alarm, I met the sweet custodian who “rearranged” my room over the break. I felt the need to thank him, even though I didn’t like what he’d done, because I felt he probably believed he’d done me a huge favor. As I opened my mouth to tell him, he said, “Those tennis balls came from Mrs. X’s room, so you may want to check with her and see if you owe her anything.” UMMMMM- excuse me? Now I need to pay for something that I not only didn’t ask for, but don’t like? Not gonna happen, folks.

Thankfully, even though I experienced some definite stress throughout my seven hours at school today, I’m still ever grateful for my place of work, for my friends that are more like family that I work with, and for the fact that I feel extremely comfortable and relaxed in the place I call my home away from home. Today was just a typical day in the life of a teacher, and I know you all experience days similar to this at times, too. Praise be to God for the good days AND the bad. I am reminding myself of this as I type. Here’s to a better day, tomorrow!