Life as we know it

What A Year It Has Been

2012-01-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

So every time I check in and read my friend Dawn's blog I see the last post I have posted on her side bar and today realized it has been a year! This year has been crazy! Last December my mom ended up getting very sick and needed emergency surgery right before we were supposed to drive down to Texas to see Jeremy's family for Christmas. She came through the surgery and we decided we could still drive down to TX. It was a fun trip! On the long drive though we talked about my mom and how we should probably some day move to NJ to be closer to her. Well when we arrived back home around New Years we were surprised to discover I was expecting again! Payton was born August 22nd. =) We just love her and Chloe loves being a big sister! She always wants Payton to play with her. Well in January we found out my mom needed someone to live with her full time so Chloe and I made the move to NJ. Jeremy did not move down here until Payton was born. 2011 flew by for me! During that time Chloe turned 1 in Feb, then we moved to NJ, came back to Syracuse to finish teaching so I could keep the health insurance for a little longer at the end of April, right after school ended in June I was in extreme pain and had to have emergency surgery while pregnant to remove a cyst, my sister was married 2 weeks later, and Payton arrived a little over a month later!

Chloe went from just walking to running in a few months time. Saying a few words to talking in full sentences. I will never forget her first time telling me what animals say when she was only 14 months old. =) Earlier this week she called me into her room because she had garbage. When I walked in there she had taken off her socks and was cleaning the lint between her toes!

Payton is now 5 months old and is rolling over and has just begun eating cereal. She smiles all the time and loves to laugh, which I make her do often!

Walker

2010-09-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Chloe loves her walker from Grandma!

Pulling herself up

2010-09-13T05:56:00.000-07:00

Chloe has now pretty much mastered crawling, but has decided she would rather walk by holding our hands. Everytime I try to have her sit down on the floor she will not bend her legs and I feel like I am telling her to "sit" like I tell our dog Annie. This past week she began to pull herself to a standing position. I will try to get a video of it sometime this week if I remember when I am home from work.

It has been an adjustment going back to work. I miss my little girl so much! Each day gets easier (meaning I am no longer crying) but I am counting the weeks until I have a day off (4 weeks). =) At least I know I pretty much have at least one day off a month except for March to spend with my little angel. It is amazing being a mom...I love her so much!

Just Wondering

2010-08-28T19:16:00.001-07:00

I really only know of 1 person who reads this because she is the only one who posts comments (Hi Dawn!). I have the live traffic feed and it is interesting to see all the different places people are from who are reading this blog. So I guess I am kind of wondering who you are and if I know you. =) Please leave a comment if you feel like it. Otherwise I will just keep wondering...

Pictures

2010-08-23T04:11:00.000-07:00

I went and finally had Chloe's 6 month pictures taken! I had a very hard time picking out my favorite one so I ended up getting 4 different poses. Chloe did such a great job and didn't fuss at all. She actually ended up falling asleep in my arms as I was trying to eliminate 67 pictures. I was able to keep the cd of pictures so I will post a few favorites!

These were taken at the very end when she was getting a little tired. I brought a second outfit for her to change into and then at the end the photographer asked if we could put her in the tutu and pearls. Of course I said yes!

Here is one of her precious smiles!

Arizona

2010-08-20T06:12:00.001-07:00

We are finally adjusting to being back home after visiting my dad last weekend. Chloe did great on the plane and pretty much slept the whole entire time. Jeremy and I were able to sit in the bulk head for all of the flights so that was nice to have the extra leg room which Jeremy definitely needed. We had a wonderful visit with my dad and sharon, we also were able to see my cousin Josi and her husband Justin as well. I will not be traveling to Arizona in the summer again! I was begging for some humidity because it was so dry and hot! I felt like I was baking in an oven. 112 degrees is not for me! I tried to post some pictures but blogger keeps telling me there is an error. So if you want to see them you can look on facebook. =) My dad took us to Tortilla Flats, Frank Lloyd Wright's Talesin (his school and winter home), Cave Creek and we hung out at Josi and Justins. Overall it was a lot of fun!

6 month appointment

2010-08-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Chloe had her 6th month appointment at the doctors today. She wouldn't nap before hand so we had a cranky baby by the time the doctor came to look at her. She said everything looks good! Chloe now weighs 15 1/b 2 oz and is 26 1/2 inches. We have a lightweight on our hands right now. She did well with the shots considering she was crying before but fell asleep as soon as I put her in the car.

This afternoon I'm having a few friends over to hang out and then Jeremy and I are going to visit/work at a couples house from our church. Jeremy is going to work and Chloe and I will just visit with Grandma Becky. I'm looking forward to actually talking to people today who can say words back instead of just smile and blow raspberries at me! =)

6th Months!

2010-08-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Chloe's half birthday! I cannot believe 6 months have already gone by. It seems as though we were just coming home from the hospital with her a few weeks ago. She is cutting her first tooth too. I felt a sharp little piece when I checked this morning. She is growing up so fast!

The last couple days Chloe and I spent down in NJ with my mom, sister, grandma and aunt. It was so great to see my family! They spoil Chloe and I don't know why I pack clothes for her when I end up returning with twice the amount of stuff I brought.

Here is a video of Nana and Chloe going for a ride. =)

Here is another video of Chloe in her jumperoo. Sorry it is sideways. You're just going to have to cock your head to see it! =)

Bad at Blogging

2010-07-27T06:11:00.000-07:00

Well I think it has been about 6 or 7 months since I last blogged. Maybe I can force myself to blog at least once a month. I doubt anyone even reads this but it will be nice to look back at over the years. Growing up I was never good at keeping a diary or journal so why should a blog be any different. =)

So over the past 6 months I have been enjoying being a mother to my beautiful daughter Chloe! She is absolutely a wonderful gift from God and I am truly blessed. Right now as I sit here and type this she is sitting in my arms and just looked up at me and smiled. My heart melted. I doubt she will want to stay here long because she likes to get into everything and soon I think might begin to try to crawl. Right now she does a scooting movement to get her where she wants to go but sometimes it is not quick enough for her and she has a mini meltdown.

This past month she has begun eating solid food. So far she has eaten bananas, peas, carrots, green beans, sweet potato, prunes, squash and peaches. Each time I feed her she makes a look like she is going to gag but then keeps opening her mouth for more and becomes very impatient when I am not quick enough to feed her. I think she is going to be like her mother and love to eat! =)

We also traveled to Louisville, KY for a LIFE conference with our church denomination. We brought 8 teens with us and had an amazing time. Chloe did really well traveling the 12 hours in the car. The teens kept marveling about how good a baby she is. Thank you Lord! I was worried it was not going to go as smoothly as it did. She also met a few more cousins at my family reunion. It was a lot of fun showing her off and then wondering who was holding her as the day went by. I felt I was playing a game of Who Has My Baby?

I am really enjoying spending the summer with her and am not looking forward to being away from her during the day once school resumes. But I know she will be in good hands and it will make our time together a little more special. Well that is all for now. =) I will end with a few pictures of the past few months.

Time Flies

2009-12-21T06:22:00.001-08:00

Wow time is sure flying by! At the beginning of the pregnancy I thought the end would never but the end is approaching. Things have been busy at work and at home. Although I think I am ending my working soon. My doctor wants me to stop because I could go into preterm labor. I don't mind ending early because the fibroid is causing so much pain that it is hard for me to get through the day. The only time it does not hurt is when I lay down. This past weekend I just layed on the couch pretty much the whole weekend and it was wonderful not to feel any pain.

The nursery is coming together and I have posted a few pics of it on Facebook. I love it and cannot wait for my little girl to arrive! =)

We hosted the youth group Christmas party at our house last night and it was my last night being with them until after the baby comes.

Well that is really the latest news. Jeremy and I are staying here in Central NY for Christmas and I think this is my first time in my whole life not going down to NJ for some part of Christmas. It is a little weird. Although this year we are not so focused on Christmas. We only put up a few decorations and not a tree. We decided we will look forward to Easter where we see the purpose for Jesus coming to this earth. =)

I probably will not post again until after Christmas so I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and to reflect on the true reason for the season!

Grounded!

2009-10-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I had a doctors appointment and received some good and bad news. The good news is that my baby has doubled her weight since the last appointment and is now 2 lbs and is in the 60th percentile. Which isn't a suprise since Jeremy and I are both tall. The bad news is that I am not allowed to leave the Syracuse area. I have a few complications (a fibroid and two cysts) so most likely I will go into preterm labor. Plus the baby is breeched right now which is normal but they are not convinced she will have enough room to turn around. So they are saying I will probably have a c-section if that turns out to be the case. It was a rather depressing appointment because I had a lot of trips scheduled for November and now I will remain at home. Fortunately the baby is healthy and is growing well so I am happy and trusting God for the rest. I know once the baby is here I will probably not even remember these trials that arose.

Today in chapel we sang "To God Be The Glory" and it made me reflect on how great God is and how much we have to glorify Him for. I choose to praise Him for this gift of life He has given us and not dwell on the rest.

And baby makes 3!

2009-10-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I are expecting a little girl in February! We are so excited! I am about 5 months now and the baby is quite the mover in me. I feel as though she is constantly kicking me and marvel over the miracle that is growing in me. Jeremy and I start our birthing classes next Monday and are excited to learn and prepare for our new arrival. =)

Does anyone still read this?

2009-05-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

I doubt it because I have not posted in a long time! Yikes a lot has happened since February! Jeremy and I went to Texas to visit his brothers and also good friends of ours who have moved back to Texas after grad school. It was so good to see them and meet their newest child! We also enjoyed quite a few days with Jeremy's brother, sister-in-law and their four beautiful sons. I cannot wait to move closer to them.

May is not upon us and I celebrated my birthday last week. This is my last year before I turn 30! Crazy! It was really weird just to type that number out. I was very sick on my birthday but Jeremy was wonderful and we ordered dinner in and I just slept on the couch until we went down to my in-laws for some ice cream cake. Now we are almost done with May and I have only 2 weeks left to finish all my teaching and then review for a week before finals! This year has flown by but I have loved every minute of it! That's all I'm going to write for now because I don't know if anyone will even read this. My goal is to at least post once a week now. Hopefully I can do that! =)

Wow! Where have I been?

2009-02-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

So it seems as though it has been forever since I last posted! I read other people's blogs on am almost daily basis while I am at school eating my lunch but I cannot seem to find anything interesting to post about! There has not really been anything new in our lives. We are just both busy working, leading the youth group and our weekly Bible studies (luckily they both meet on Thursdays).

Once again I am addicted to Lost. That show just intrigues me because I want to understand what the island is all about. Plus I was so happy to find out the Jin is still alive!

Next week I have the whole week off for our winter break. I wish I was going some place where the weather was warm and I could lay out on the beach drinking a fun fruity drink, but instead we are heading to NH to visit my Aunt and Uncle because Jeremy is going to work on their house. So far even though the economy is scary right now, God has been providing jobs for Jeremy. He has been so faithful to us! I realize that I am the type of person that will buy champagne on a beer budget but I need to be content to not go on all the fabulous vacations I dream about! Someday it will happen! =) Today two of our youth group girls are flying down to the Dominican Republic to visit "friends" they made on our missions trip there in August. I'm just jealous of the warm weather they will be experiencing!

Well that is all I can think to write about right now and my students just finished their test so I need to keep them under control until the bell rings in a few minutes. Adios!

Random thoughts

2008-11-06T10:23:00.001-08:00

Well it has been a long time since I last posted. I guess I'm not good at this or nothing really exciting happens in my life. =)

We've just been living life lately. Trying to fix our house up and hopefully put it on the market next year. I'm really wanting to move and get away from the cold winters but at the same time I don't want to have to try to make new friends.

Today is only Thursday and it felt like Monday should be Friday. This has been a long week! I'm really looking forward to the weekend! Although we have nothing planned.

We've recently added cable tv and now there is always something to watch. This is not a good thing. I really should do a deep clean of my house....oh well.

I'm currently reading Soul Survivor and so far it is good and interesting. I need to finish it next week for my book club.

I'm too tired to think of more random thoughts to write down. I have two more classes to teach today and then I can go home! I think I might actually take a nap today because I could not fall asleep last night. Hopefully tonight will be different!

Watch out TSA

2008-09-30T10:36:00.001-07:00

So I arrived back from Dallas! I was able to fly to and from Dallas with no government issued ID. It was crazy! First of all I forgot all of my id in another purse. Stupid me! I was so nervous when I realized that at the airport. But I think the Lord used it as a tool to teach me to trust Him more. I was all ready to drive 2 hours back home and get it and fly out later but I was able to make my way through security with a little bit of difficulty. They actually had to call Washington to clear me! =) Dallas was much easier though and I just basically sailed on through after explaining the whole situation.

I had a wonderful time in Texas with Jeremy and his family. It was great to see my little nephews and give them lot's of hugs and kisses. They are so cute! I was also able to get a fresh fruit slushy at Sonic. I love that place! Now I am back and waiting for Jeremy to return from NM. 6 more days and he is home!

Update

2008-09-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

I have been very busy with the beginning of school. I am loving this year and really enjoy being the Global Studies teacher! I am also one of the 12th grade advisors and also the Student Activities Counsel advisor. So that makes me one busy teacher!

Jeremy has gone away again for a little bit to New Mexico. Once again I am by myself. Although I've been filling my time by watching One Tree Hill episodes. That is my guilty pleasure right now. I will meet up with Jeremy for a few days in Dallas, TX for his brother's wedding. I'm looking forward to warm weather and hopefully Sonic! I love their fresh fruit slushies! =) Yummy!

Wow it has been awhile...

2008-08-26T10:34:00.001-07:00

I did not realize that the last time I posted was in June! Crazy! I guess I will do a little recap about my summer.

June - school ended for the students and other teachers, I was left still working. We also switched to Wed. night youth group and met at different people's houses.

July - I continued to work until the 23rd. We had my big family reunion and celebrated my grandma's 80th bday. That was a lot of fun and was basically 2 weeks worth of spending time with family from out of town. Right after I finished working I spent 5 days with my college roommate, her husband and their two little boys in Maine. I then headed down to my mom's and spent 4 days with her and my sister.

August - Jeremy and I went on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic with some teens from our youth group. We did VBS ministry in the morning and painted a church in the afternoon. It was a wonderful trip! Once we download our pictures onto the computer I will post some of the good ones. =)

Now I am back at school getting my classroom ready and figuring out what I will be teaching. I am no longer the Guidance Counselor! Whoo hoo! I am now teaching 9th and 10th grade Global Studies! I am so excited!

Hopefully now that school will be starting I will be better at keeping this thing updated! =)

Crazy life

2008-06-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

Right now I am feeling so crazy and overwhelmed. I'm sure it will pass soon, at least I hope it will! School is wrapping up for the students but that means I am incredibly busy putting together the final exam schedule and dealing with all of the craziness that involves. Soon I will begin to put together all of the students schedules for next year. I was told that a Social Studies position might open up next year. I really really want it to! I do not like being the Guidance Counselor. I just want to teach and not deal with all of the administrative stuff. Please pray that it opens up and I get it! Things have also been busy at home. Jeremy is putting in new windows and is still trying to fix his truck. Last June was when the transmission went for the 2nd time and so he has not had it on the road for a year now. We are just waiting for one final part. We are also busy with our youth group planning our missions trip to the Dominican Republic. I have decided that I do not like fundraising! =) This weekend though I am going to a Women of Faith conference! I am really excited! I just need time with me and the Lord and to learn more about Him. I'm also starting a Bible study tomorrow night. Hopefully I will be able to focus more on the Lord and less on myself. I seem to be struggling with that lately. We sang a song in chapel today that really touched my heart. Here are the lyrics:

Lead me to the Cross

Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You are
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen

To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart

Weekend updates

2008-05-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Ok this month has flown by! Probably because each weekend we are busy celebrating something. First we had Mother's Day and then my birthday on the 12th. That next weekend we went to NJ to see my mom and also celebrate my sister's birthday on the 18th. This past weekend we had a wonderful Memorial weekend! The week before our school decided to close on Friday. Over 10 of our students school districts were going to be closed so there would have been transportation issues. Lucky me! I ended up going out to lunch with my friend that day and then spending the whole afternoon at my in-laws because their dog was in labor. She ended up having 3 girls and 2 boys. They are so cute! I am hoping that Jeremy and I can get one. This weekend we mostly spent doing yard work and gardening. My flower garden in front of our house is looking good. I want to get a few more flowers out there and trip 2 of the bushes. I still am working on the garden out back. It is huge! This week we are going to work on the vegetable garden. I love fresh veggies! I also read 3 books this weekend. I am a book-aholoic. I am addicted. It is bad. But I love to read! I already have 2 books waiting for me at the library. I think I am going to need to seek help soon! =)

Sorry no pictures yet....

2008-05-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

I always seem to find other things to do at home instead of posting pictures from our trip. I did post some on my facebook account. (I was going to try to link to my pictures but it did not work)I have been enjoying spending a lot of time with Jeremy! I am still on a major reading spree. I think I visit my local library at least two times a week. I think I need to cut down a little bit. Right now I'm reading all of the Shopaholic series. They are cute and funny.

Jeremy and I have also been busy getting ready for our missions trip this summer to the Dominican Republic. It seems that almost every weekend is spent doing fundraising in the form of Rent-A-Teen (although it ends up being the whole group). Last night we went to two different houses and washed windows and moved some firewood. I ended up hurting my back so today I am walking in slow motion. I even had to have a few of my students help me carry my books back to my office after class.

Tonight Jeremy and I were going to be doing a lot of yard work. I think I'm going to sit this one out though and rest my back. I will cheer Jeremy on and bring him plenty of water to drink. =) I am so excited that warm weather has arrived! I love this time of the year!

He's back!!!!

2008-04-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

I finally picked Jeremy up from the airport very late on Wednesday! I am so excited to have him home. I was able to spend a week with him in Arizona and California last week during my spring break from school. I had a wonderful time just being with him. This weekend I will post some pictures from all of our adventures in the Southwest. Happy Friday!

Being in a wheelchair gives you some perks

2008-03-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Over the Easter weekend Jeremy and I traveled down to NJ to see my mom. Well actually Annie and I traveled together and Jeremy met us there because currently he has been working in Hershey, PA. We spent a wonderful weekend with my family and really missed those who could not be there (Matt, Joe and Arielle). While we were together on Sunday we were talking about my mom and aunts upcoming trip to Florida. At that point we realized my mother has no picture ID. So the next morning my sister, mother and I made the trek to the local DMV to try to get my mom a picture ID. There was a long line but since my mother is confined to a wheelchair we were rushed to the front of the line. God was so good to us that day because to make a long story short my mother had sent in all of her identification papers into the Social Security people. Therefore we had to get a copy of her birth certificate from the town she was born. But God was good and everywhere we went we were sent to the front of the line. It was like Disney all over again! =) It was just wonderful to see how my mother was treated because many times she has to miss out on things or just feels in the way. In a few days time she will be on her way to Florida and having a wonderful time! I'm so thankful to my family for all that they do for her! I wish I could go too....maybe next time!

This weekend I ......

2008-03-19T09:27:00.001-07:00

Realized I do not want to have four kids. Jeremy and I house/babysat for four kids this weekend. There were twins (17), a 15 and 11 year old. They were wonderful kids but I am used to having time by myself. There was not really any time to myself this weekend! They constantly wanted to be entertained. I know it was mainly due to the fact that they hardly get to see me and wanted to have a lot of fun. But now that I'm older I really like to have my down time on the weekends. Especially after a few crazy weeks at work. Last night I told Jeremy that once we have children I doubt I will be able to read. I have a slight problem when I read because the world does not exist for me and poor Jeremy has to pull the book away to gain my attention. So children = no reading. Hmmm I think I might want to wait another year or two until we start trying. I just love reading way too much right now!

This week so far has been going well. Only one more day of work and then we have Friday and Monday off! Technically we kind of have Tuesday off because there are no students here and then Thursday and Friday of next week I am gone on a retreat with the 11th and 12th graders. So next week will be an easy week!

This weekend is Easter! The day we celebrate Jesus dying for us and overcoming death to rise again. We had a chapel on that today and heard the song from Don Francisco, He's Alive. If you get a chance to hear it I recommend it! It really gives a great glimpse into that day.

Goodbye Toby!

2008-03-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

Last night I had to go through the traumatic experience and give my baby (cat) away to another family. I cried the whole way there and even on the way back. Jeremy even admitted to me that he was sad that we had to do this but we cannot keep Toby. So today my heart is just sad. Last night I kept expecting him to snuggle with me and run around like a crazy cat right when we were going to bed. But there was nothing. I am really tempted to break into the guys house and steal my cat back! I feel like I betrayed Toby.

Here, there and everywhere!

2008-03-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

(I've been in the process of writing this for weeks so as of today I am just going to send what I have)

This past month has been extremely busy for Jeremy and I. So far we have been gone every weekend this month! We had our Youth Group winter retreat at the end of January. It was a lot of fun! Then we drove with another couple to our friends wedding in Kentucky/Tenn. That was a whirlwind trip. We drove 13 hours there and arrived at 6 in the morning on Saturday and then it took us 15 hours to get home. The wedding was beautiful but bitter sweet at the same time because he is in the Army and will be deployed in less than a month.

In the middle of February Jeremy and I went to visit family and friends out in California. It was a wonderful time. We saw the set up for the Oscars and I was able to walk on the red carpet! (There was plastic over it but I still walked on it!) I also saw the show Wicked. It was really good. Jeremy was able to go surfing and we saw a few lacrosse games that my brother coached and my cousins played in. Overall it was a wonderful trip!

Now we are back to the grind. Jeremy is working till 9pm each night and I have been busy with play practice. Only one more month and then I will feel like I can breathe again!

As for my most recent news I will be kittyless on Sunday night. Something occurred shortly after our return from our trip and Jeremy said the cat had to go and I submitted. So Sunday night Toby will be going to a new home. I am sad because he is my baby but I love my husband. I just hope this home will be a good place for Toby and that he will not hate me but remember me and all the good times we shared. So pray for me on Sunday because it will be hard to get rid of him!

I will try to post some pictures of our time in California and my last few days with Toby soon!

Headache

2008-02-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

It is 8 pm and I am still at school. Just sitting at my desk doing nothing...well reading other people's blogs. Tonight is our Open House. We have to be here till 8:30. I cannot wait to go home. I have a horrible headache and so far people have walked by me but not said hello. I guess the students giving the tour see no need for a guidance counselor. Oh well. I wouldn't feel so upset if I felt better. I called in sick yesterday because my wonderful husband passed along his cold. Oh I see a family! Maybe they will come by....well so far they haven't. I'm still hoping!

This weekend we are traveling to Tenn. for a friends wedding. It is going to be a long car ride but I think it should be fun.

While I've been feeing a little under the weather I've taken the time to read. I read a total of 4 books over 4 days. Something is wrong with me. I talked to Jeremy about something last night and he told me that he already spoke to me about it but I must not have been listening since I was reading. I hate how the whole world fades away and I just read until I finish the book. I've decided to not read for a while so Jeremy does not feel like I am neglecting him too much! I will wait until we board the plane to go to California. I cannot wait to go on my vacation! I'm really looking forward to seeing some of my family.

Well I'm officially a loser. They looked at me but just kept on walking by. At least a few of the teachers who have rooms near me are stopping by. I'm a social person and like talking to people. Ok I'm sure I've been blabbing long enough. Hope everyone reading this has or had a wonderful night! =)

***Update**** A family came in! Yeah! I am liked! Ha ha!

Body and Soul

2008-01-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

A fellow teacher (English) at my school told me of a dance aerobics class they are offering at her church. Well since I'm trying to work out I figured it might be enjoyable. Boy was it enjoyable! It was hilarious! First of all I found out I'm not as coordinated as I used to be. Second the English teacher is probably in her 60s and was a whole lot better than I was. Another funny thing was that the tape was from the early 90s. So I'm sure you can picture the work out outfits and hair. I think I laughed the whole way through it! I'm going to go next week and see if I do any better. They are trying to use it as an outreach ministry but last night there were only 3 of us and they were all from our school. The program is called Body and Soul. I will let you know if it goes any better next week!

Early morning

2008-01-17T06:10:00.001-08:00

This morning Jeremy and I woke up very early to take my brother to the airport. He is on his way out to California! I'm so excited for him! At some point we are either going to have to drive his car out there or he will come back for it. It's hard to move somewhere and not have a vehicle. Plus when we go out to visit we would like to have something to drive around! I'm so selfish! Ha ha!

I'm now pretty tired and have to make it through the day. I'm not used to waking up at 4:30 in the morning! Oh well. I will go to bed early tonight!

Craziness

2008-01-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Today completes the first full week of school since our Christmas break. Wow it has been a long one! I am the assistant director of the musical (although I think I am really just a babysitter) and we have been busy with practice every night. Also since I am the guidance counselor I had to conduct a meeting for all 11th grade parents to help them help their children get started on the whole college process. Part of me wishes I was going to college again. I had a lot of fun there! =) Tonight Jeremy and I are going to go hang out with our friends. I'm excited because we haven't hung out with them in a long time. Life really does become busy! I do not think we have much planned for the weekend. I know I will be doing laundry for most of the day tomorrow because I have not had a chance to do any this week! I think Jeremy wore the last clean pair of clothes he has today! Poor guy!

We also had weird weather this week! It was 60 degrees! That is crazy for January in Central NY! I must admit that I liked it! Oh we booked our plane tickets for winter break! California here we come! =)

Still here...

2008-01-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Jeremy was supposed to leave with my brother to help him drive out to California. Well thankfully the trip was postponed and I was able to spend a wonderful weekend relaxing with Jeremy. Friday night we decided to have a little "date" night. We went to Blockbuster and rented two movies, Shooter and I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry. Shooter was good, the other was just ok. I'm not really too much into that type of humor. We also bought a bottle of wine and enjoyed the movie night. Saturday we woke up late and I made blueberry muffins. Jeremy decided he wanted to play a video game for a little while which ended up lasting a few hours and I made some soup and read a book. We then went over to our friends house and had a doggie play date and watched a football game on tv. It was nice to be able to get to know her husband better. Sunday we went to Sunday school, church and youth group. In between church and youth group we watched a lot of episodes of the Office. That is such a funny tv show! I'm looking forward to watching some more tonight! Today has been a hard day at work because I'm not feeling very well. I think I'm developing some type of head cold and I hurt my back. I'm looking forward to going home and laying on the couch. I wonder if I will be able to have Jeremy cook dinner tonight. Hopefully!

Last Day of Christmas Break

2008-01-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

Today is my final day of rest and relaxation. How sad! I have enjoyed having the past week and a half off. I feel like I was able to accomplish the majority of things I wanted to. I was able to visit and spend time with family and friends, keep my house somewhat clean, watch some movies, read a few books, and catch up on my sleep. It is going to be so weird waking up early tomorrow morning!

I'm looking forward to seeing what 2008 will be like. There seems to be a lot of changes brewing but we shall see if they end up becoming real. I have decided not to make any type of resolution this year. I just don't see the point. If I'm going to do something then I will do it. I feel if I make a resolution the more likely I will be to not accomplish it. =)

I decided to go shopping today and buy some clothes with my money I received for Christmas. I must say that the best time to go shopping is on week days when the majority of everyone is either working or at school. There was hardly anyone there and I was able to find everything I need without too many people around making me feel crowded.

Right now both my cat and dog are sitting near each other and staring at me. It's kind of weird. I think they want my attention and would probably like to play. I should go and take Annie for a walk.

I hope everyone had a happy New Year!

Last day of school

2007-12-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

Today is our last day before the break starts. It has been so wonderful! We had our Christmas chapel and so many students volunteered to either give musical performances or read scripture verses. Two 10th grade boys even did an interpretive dance to "Christmas Shoes". It actually was very cute and slightly funny. I was in charge of going with NHS to sing at a nursing home across the street. We decided to ask the school singing group to go with us as there are not too many strong singers in NHS. It turned out to be a lot of fun! There were only 7 people there to watch us but they really enjoyed it and sang with us. One of the seniors gave his testimony and the people seemed very receptive. After we finished singing we mingled for a little bit and spent time talking to them. Before we left the same senior asked if we could pray with them before we went and they agreed. It was such a wonderful time and I feel back that I was actually kind of dreading it. Once again I'm amazed at how the Lord shows me how wrong my heart is. The day is almost over. I am helping out with the musical this year and we are doing Cinderella. We are posting the parts today and I'm nervous to see how the students handle who got what. I think it will be a great show though! We have a lot of talent! Merry Christmas!!!!

Almost Christmas!

2007-12-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

I am so excited for Christmas this year! Only one more day to go and then I'm on vacation! It will be so nice to actually have time this year to spend with family and friends. We are spending Christmas Eve with Jeremy's family and then the next couple of days with mine! Then after the new year Jeremy is helping my brother move to California. I'm so jealous! I would love to drive cross country. Hopefully some day I will get that chance. Who knows...it might be sooner rather than later. =)

Snow Day!

2007-12-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to get that phone call at 5:3o this morning letting me know that school was closed today! Woo hoo! We are in the midst of a snow storm and are expected to get about 7 more inches. I am so thankful that I do not need to drive it this today. My only wish is that Jeremy could be here to enjoy the day with me! =)

Here is a picture of what it looks like outside currently. My car is buried! The snow is still falling! I love fresh snow, it is so pretty!

Thanksgiving Break

2007-11-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a wonderful break! I love teacher schedules! Wednesday I was home by myself since Jeremy had to work and I was able to do a lot of laundry and do some light cleaning. We also were able to go out to dinner with our good friends Jeremy and Kelsey along with Trevor who was home on leave from Fort Campbell in Kentucky. I'm excited because he is coming home for Christmas and we get to meet his girlfriend! =) Thursday was Thanksgiving and I got up early to make the stuffed mushrooms and green beans. Jeremy went down to his parents house early to deep fry the turkey. It was delicious! I love holiday meals because it is so yummy! We had a pretty quiet day though because it was just Jeremy's parents, his grandma and the two of us. Jeremy fell asleep right after dinner and took one of his marathon long naps so I spent the rest of the afternoon talking to my MIL. It was nice and we were able to figure out Christmas gifts for the nephews. I wish we could see them at Christmas but we couldn't find affordable plane tickets to Texas. Oh well. On Friday Jeremy and his father finished blowing in the insulation for our house. So it is finally insulated! Yeah! =) We woke up early though and went to the Guitar Center and bought a guitar so that I can lead worship for our youth group. I've already learned a few chords. I couldn't play it till last night though because we could not figure out how to tune it! The rest of the weekend was spent working on little projects around the house. I helped Jeremy stack firewood that he split and ended up hurting my back on Saturday. By Sunday though it was fine. Now it's back to work and a full four weeks until my next break! I'm enjoying being with the students again though...they really make me laugh!

Bored

2007-11-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

I am very very bored. Right now we are having the evening parent teacher conferences and so far only one of my parent's came. The other one is late. If she does not get here soon I am going to leave. I've been playing games on the internet. I discovered Space Runner again! =) I hate being bored at work. I would much rather be home right now. Sigh. Oh well.

It's been a long time...

2007-11-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

Wow the weeks sure do fly by! My life has been good though! This past weekend Jeremy and I went to Bangor Maine for one of my good college friend's wedding. It had been over 2 years since I saw her and another good friend! I'm not going to let that much time go by again! I took an extra day off so I was able to have a four day weekend. It was wonderful! We first stopped at my college roommate's house in southern Maine and was able to spend some time with her and her two little one's. I was so happy to meet her new baby! He is so cute!

Jeremy and I spent two nights in Bangor and were able to go to Acadia National Park on Sunday. It was such a beautiful day. I will have to post pictures but at the top of the mountain it was freezing! My cheeks were stinging because of the wind. I also climbed a 520 ft cliff called the Beehive. For those that do not know I am extremely terrified of heights. When I got through the first ladder rungs I began to panic because I did not want to go through them again. Jeremy said I was hyperventilating but I think I was just breathing deeply. =) He calmed me down and helped me get through the rest. I was very thankful that I lived through it and also that I completed it because the view was amazing!

Here is a picture I found on the internet. It shows how the hike is on the edge of a cliff. Very scary! =) After we returned to the Bed and Breakfast the owners told us that at least 2 people fall every year! I am glad I did not know this before we left!

Speaking of the Bed and Breakfast I am so thankful we were able to stay there and that all the hotels were booked! God is good! We had a wonderful time and ate some delicious food for breakfast.

I love the month of November because I think we only have 1 complete full week of school. This week the students have tomorrow off because of parent/teacher conferences. I only have 3 scheduled for tomorrow so my day is going to be kind of boring. But I'm sure I will get a lot done. Next week we only have 2 days of school and then the last week is actually a full week.

Well I'm off to cover a study hall! Fun fun! I will try to post pictures soon! We have been busy working on our house at night so hopefully tonight I will remember to download them on the computer.

Weekend Update

2007-10-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was wonderful! I think weekends are great because a.) I get to sleep in b.) more time spent with Jeremy and finally c.) I don't have to work! So back to this weekend....Jeremy continued to work on the electrical in the house so that we can blow in the insulation soon. I putzed around the house and cleaned up some, worked on grading two quizzes and went grocery shopping. Saturday night we were invited to our good friends housewarming party. It was a lot of fun! They had this game there called Polish Horseshoes, it was a lot of fun and easier than regular horseshoes. I think I might have Jeremy make it and then we can plan on playing it next spring, or maybe even set it up in our basement. Then on Sunday we taught Sunday school and then headed over to Rochester to see my best friend Dawn! She came back east for a cousins wedding and we were able to meet up for lunch at Sinbads (yum). It was nice and almost her whole family came as well. I love them! Afterwards Jeremy and I went with Dawn to hang out at her brother and sister-in-laws "cottage". We played a form of Apples to Apples but used Compatibility game cards. I did not win, but that's ok. Then as we were sitting in their living room we discovered their nephews old Nintendo and played Dr. Mario! I was the champ at that! I love that game and am so thankful that we do not have it because I seriously could become addicted!

Yesterday I had to give my first after school detentions. I had bus duty in the morning and was sitting in the cafeteria monitoring some of the students when there was a little altercation and water was being thrown. What a fun way to start the morning! It made the day fly by fast though as I had to determine what happened and question quite a few students. So far today has been a quiet day and it looks like it will end that way as well. I need to go home and pack for a conference I am attending in Mass. on Thurs and Fri. I'm looking forward to getting to know a few of the teachers I work with a little better. Now Jeremy gets a small dose of what it is like to be left alone. =) I think he will fare better than I did! He's not as co-dependent! =)

Flowers

2007-10-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

Jeremy was able to get out of work a little early yesterday and when he came to pick me up after school ended there were beautiful roses waiting for me on the seat! He is so sweet and thoughtful! I will take a picture of them when I get home. I think I might try to plan a relaxing date night tonight. We shall see what happens. Most likely we will just sit home and watch Friday Night Lights and Las Vegas, and sometime during those shows I will have fallen asleep. =)

Grandparents Day

2007-10-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Grandparents Day at school. We doubled our population! It was crazy! There were so many cute smiling grandparents hanging out with their grandchildren for the majority of the day. It made me wish that I could have brought my grandmother to school with me. We had a nice reception during third period after Chapel. Since I am the advisor for NHS we had to help serve the cookies. At first it did not look like there were going to be enough cookies but God seemed to multiply them, even with me sneaking two! =)

I have a funny little story about a few students during junior high lunch. I am the lunch monitor and as I was walking around I noticed a table of 7th grade girls who each had an apple pie. So I stopped to chat with them and found out that one of the girls stayed up until 1:30 am to bake 6 pies for her friends. By the end of the lunch period they had each devoured pretty much a whole pie! Crazy! I must say I did feel slightly envious because apple pie is my favorite!

I'm having a dinner party for a few of my co-workers from my old job. One of the girls is a vegan though. So this is going to be interesting. I think I am going to make baked ziti and just serve her the ziti and the sauce not the cheese. I hope that will be ok for her. She is bringing her own dessert so I do not need to worry about that! =) I'm looking forward to seeing my one friends little boy. He is so cute! I just love little kids! I wish my nephews lived closer and also my other friends babies. I just need to be around someone elses so that I get my fix!

Update on life

2007-10-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

This month seems to be flying by! Although I'm wishing it would go a little bit slower because I have been enjoying this 80 degree weather! I just know though that the snow flakes will be falling soon....oh well. I've been busy for the past few weeks. Last weekend my sister came to visit and brought one of her good friends. It was fun as we were able to show her friend where we grew up and enjoy the central NY culture. Last week at school was a busy one for me. I had to proctor the PSAT exam. Let me tell you those test are interesting, especially when you have to read the directions to them. At one point I almost started laughing because it talks about me destroying their tests. I also had to plan a 7th grade team day. That was interesting because I did not know any of them. It turned out well and we enjoyed a beautiful day at the zoo and also played some "team building" games at the school. The penguins were my favorite at the zoo! They were so cute! This past weekend was also nice and relaxing. Jeremy and I were able to spend some quality time together and also hang out with some friends. We went apple picking yesterday and ate some delicious apple fritters! Yum! Tonight Jeremy and I are going to join a gym. I'm looking forward to this but also dreading it at the same time. We went to Best Buy yesterday and bought an MP3 player for myself so that I would at least be focused on something besides my out of shape body. It looks like I'm not going to be able to hibernate this winter! =)

Happy Birthday Dawn!

2007-10-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a little "shout out" to my friend Dawn and wish her a Happy Birthday! I miss you Dawn and wish that I could have celebrated your birthday with you! I'm looking forward to seeing you soon! Sinbads...yum!

Cousin Filled Weekend

2007-10-09T08:47:00.001-07:00

I must say it is wonderful being a teacher again! I LOVE school schedules! I actually had yesterday off! Woo hoo! This past weekend my cousin Hannah who lives in Chicago came home to visit and introduce her boyfriend to us. It was so nice to see her because we were very close when we were younger and it is nice to catch up. I was able to spend Friday night with her and also watch our other cousin play in a high school football game. The next day Jeremy and I drove down to NJ to see my other cousin who had just recently moved to California. It was great to spend time with him as well! Plus my brother came in to visit and my grandmother was also visiting so I had a nice family weekend. I think Jeremy was slightly overwhelmed/bored because since my mother is in a wheelchair we just mainly sit and talk because we cannot take her out for long periods of time until her new wheelchair comes in. On Saturday night Jeremy, Matt, Joe and I went to the driving range. I actually hit some really nice drives. I think my longest one was 145 but all of mine went straight! So that made me happy. On Sunday we went to church and then out to lunch with my Aunt and Joe along with my mom and Matt. Then we hung out for a little bit and headed back home because Jeremy had to work yesterday. When I came home I found out that Hannah's car was not fixed yet and therefore she could not drive back to Chicago yesterday. So we spent the afternoon hiking and then I ate dinner over at my Aunt's house. It was delicious! I must say I had a wonderful weekend! Now I'm back at school but the students have today off. We are working on our re-accreditation process so there are a lot of reports to be written. Plus I'm in charge of the college fair tonight. So it is going to be a long one!

Here is a picture of Hannah and I from last night.

I forgot...

2007-09-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

So I forgot what it was like to have a normal week with my husband around. I actually had to cook a few meals! I haven't done that in a long time! =) It was nice though to be able to cook a full meal and enjoy it with him. I don't know what I eat when he is gone but I can tell you that I'm not actually cooking anything. I think I might have been living off of ice cream and going out to eat. I'm very thankful to have had my husband home this week. I'm hoping and praying he will be around next week too! =)

2 years!

2007-09-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today Jeremy and I were declared husband and wife! That was one of the best days of my life! I love my husband so much and just thank God every day for giving me such a wonderful, loving, honest and hardworking man. God has blessed us so much!

This past weekend Jeremy surprised me and planned the whole weekend! Friday night we went out to dinner with his brother who was visiting from Dallas, his parents and his aunt and uncle. Saturday we woke up and he told me to get dressed for the day and we went to this beautiful town nearby that is on a lake and ate breakfast overlooking the water. After that we continued on to the Fingerlakes and went wine tasting. A few of the wineries were having festivals and we just enjoyed the time we spent together. It was wonderful! Yesterday we spent with his brother and tonight we are going out to dinner at the Sherwood Inn. I am so excited!

I love you Jeremy! Thanks for a wonderful two years and I look forward to spending the rest of the years God has given us together!

Hopefully this will be it!

2007-09-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

Jeremy should be done working out of town this week! At least we are both hoping and praying that he will be! He's actually coming home tonight but then will be gone again until Thursday night. He's taking Friday off because one of his brothers is coming into town for a visit. I cannot wait to have my husband back for good! We had a good weekend together but it just gets hard towards the end because I know he has to leave. So funny weird story....last night as we were going to bed we found a puddle outside our bedroom door. We could not figure out what it was. It did not smell like urine so I do not think that one of our pets had an accident. We cleaned that up and then we into our bedroom. Jeremy then noticed that there was a huge wet spot on his side of the bed! So we stripped the bed and then realized we would have to sleep in our guest room. We have a queen in our room and there is only a full in the guest room. So we were going to have to cuddle. =) I wasn't going to complain. Just as we are about to fall asleep the board on the bottom of the bed falls off and we sink a little. So we get up and fix it. Now it was cold here last night so I decided to sleep in sweat pants and a long sleeve tee-shirt, at around 1 am I was so hot because I'm not used to being right next to Jeremy. I got out of bed to change into some shorts and as I came back in the board fell out again. Jeremy said he wasn't going to fix it and went to sleep on out couch. So I stayed in there and slept on the broken bed and he slept on the couch. I guess we are used to sleeping without each other because I slept great after he left! Although I was a little cold because of the shorts. I wonder where all of that water came from though....at times like these I wish we had cameras placed all over the house so we can catch our pets in action when they play all innocent.

So far....

2007-09-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

I LOVE MY JOB! This has been the second day of school with the students and it was so much fun! I've been very busy being the Guidance Counselor and the day just flies by. That has been wonderful. Plus I am teaching a class and I am so happy to be back in the classroom. Tomorrow I teach the other section of my class and it is a double period. I hope that one goes well. Today I had a lot of blank faces staring at me until the very end of class. I hope they liven up and are not like this the rest of the year!

A good weekend and new job

2007-08-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

I seem to just live for the weekends since that is when I get to spend time with Jeremy! This past weekend flew by! Friday night one of my good friends was performing at a coffee house and she did such a great job! I wish I could play the guitar and write my own music! Saturday Jeremy and I helped move that same friend and her husband into their new house. It is a really cute house and perfect for a newly married couple. It was great to spend some time with them and just help out where needed. We really do enjoy helping people and it is fun to do it together. The rest of the weekend we just spent relaxing and enjoying each others company....although Jeremy took his marathon naps on both Saturday and Sunday. He naps for at least 4 hours! It's crazy but I know he is exhausted by the end of the week.

Today I started my new job! It is really overwhelming but I know I will like it. Today I finalized the teacher and classroom schedules and will work on finalizing the students schedule tomorrow as well as begin planning for the Back to School Night and the Christian College Fair that is hosted at my school and I'm in charge of. I'm going to be very busy but it is going to be a good busy. I'm looking forward to finally figuring out all that I need to do!

I love my husband!

2007-08-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who do not know, Jeremy has been working out of town a lot lately. He was gone all of last week and I missed him terribly. On Friday I was counting down the hours until he would return. At 8 pm he called me to inform me that he was not going to be coming home and had to work on Saturday. Well I decided I could not stand to be by myself another day so I pack up Annie (our dog) and drove 3 1/2 hours to my Mom's house. I decided to have a girls weekend with my Mom, Abby (sister) and Aunt. Well unknown to me Jeremy had called my sister and Mom and I arrived to a bouquet of flowers! The next day we went to my Aunt's house so that Annie could meet her cousin Mokie (my Aunt's dog) and Abby had to run to her friends house. She invited me along but I didn't feel like being social cause I was missing Jeremy. As I was sitting by my Aunt's pool I see Abby coming down the driveway and Jeremy right behind her! He only worked half a day and was able to get a ride close by to where my Mom lives. He was working about an hour south of her. Abby and Jeremy conspired to meet up and surprise me. I still cannot believe my Mom was able to remain quiet and not tell me! It was a wonderful surprise! I love him so much! So we were able to spend some needed quality time together and also see my family! God is so good! I'm so thankful for all of the things He has given me!

New Job!

2007-08-16T16:57:00.001-07:00

I am going to be a Guidance Counselor! I am so excited! I just have to meet with the Board on Monday night and then I will be official! I only have a week and a day left at my current job! Woo hoo! It is going to be wonderful to be working in a school again. Thank you for praying for me!

Prayer Request!

2007-08-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

I had a job interview last week to be a Guidance Counselor at a school near where I live. Please pray that I get the job! I came back to work today after having 4 days off and it was torture! As soon as I got in the car and headed here I started to get heartburn. It was not a good sign. So please pray that if God wants me to work there that I will here something either today or tomorrow. I really want to give my 2 weeks notice!

I'll also give you a little update to our week off! We did not go out to California as planned because my mom could not travel. So instead Jeremy and I stayed home and were able to see his brother's family from Texas! We had a nice relaxing week of playing with his nephews, sleeping in late, going blueberry picking and eating a lot of good food! It was so nice to be able to spend a lot of time with Jeremy. He's been working out of town lately and I miss seeing him! Hopefully this week will go by fast because I miss him already!

More pictures

2007-08-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

Jeremy's brother's family from Texas came up for the week to visit. We both were able to take this week off so we had a great time hanging out with family. Here is a picture of Jeremy and I with our three nephews! They are so cute! They are 3, 2 and 4 months. I wish they lived closer!
As part of a family bonding experience they decided to go shoot some clays with their shotguns. I was talked into trying. Unfortunately I did not hit any of my targets, I don't think I was really aiming though because I was so scared! I had my eyes closed a lot of the time!
Jeremy was a pretty good shot though and hit most of his clays. In this picture is Jeremy's dad to the right and his brother about to "pull" the clay for Jeremy. His sister-in-law is a pretty good shot too....I'm the odd one out here! Oh well! It was fun to watch and even shoot!

Finally some pictures!

2007-08-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

These are from 2 weeks ago when Jeremy and I went kayaking on a lake. He was able to fish a little bit and I read a book. We also saw a heron!! It was a really fun day! =)

Crazy week!

2007-08-03T04:34:00.000-07:00

This week has been a blur! Once again Jeremy has been working out of town, so I decided to stay at my Grandma's. It was nice to sleep really well again! It would have been better though if I was able to actually spend some time with her. I ended up tutoring 2 kids from our youth group this week for their Global Studies Regents exam and the only time we could all get together was from 8-10 pm. Plus I had my classes this week, only 1 more to go!

Jeremy comes back today! Yeah! But the craziness does not stop! We have his cousin's graduation party tonight and then we are heading to NJ to see his brother, sister-in-law and nephews from Texas. They are coming up here on Monday to visit Jeremy's parents but we are leaving Monday night to go to California. Although that trip is up in the air now because my mom has a bad infection in her foot and cannot fly. So we are trying to figure out if we will go without her or try to all go another time. Please pray for her! She's been getting these pressure sores on her feet because of her wheelchair and it has become very bad. I'm waiting to find out if she has to be hospitalized. Hopefully not because she could catch other types of infections there! I will keep you informed and hopefully post pictures of our travels. Jeremy always takes the camera with him so I never have it! Sorry about that!

Why do I fear?

2007-07-25T10:41:00.001-07:00

So for those of you that do not know Jeremy has been working out of town lately. I am a big baby and do not like being a lone at night. I end up really barricading myself in and do not sleep well because I am so scared. As I've been going through the study Believing God by Beth Moore I've come to realize that if I am so afraid then that means I do not believe God can keep me safe. I am not trusting Him but instead am scared laying in my bed thinking of all of the horrible things that can happen. Why do I do that to myself? So last night I barricaded myself in my bedroom and got in bed and just prayed that God would give me His peace and security. Anytime I began to feel afraid I just started listing all of God's attributes and really focused on the powerful ones like Mighty God, Strong Tower, etc and it really helped! I ended up sleeping really well until my cat decided he would cry really loud until I let him in the room. I'm going to start focusing on how powerful God is and not focus on being afraid. I have no reason to fear....God is right there with me and will get me through any situation I come across!

A Wonderful Weekend

2007-07-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was just beautiful! Jeremy was home the whole weekend which was really nice! We ended up just hanging out on Saturday and worked around our house both inside and out to make it look nice. We went over to our friends house for a BBQ and then the girls came back to our house and we started our Beth Moore Bible Study Believing God. It's an online study so anyone can join! It sounds and looks like it is going to be an awesome study!

On Sunday we went to church and then borrowed his parents kayak and went kayaking together. It is a two person kayak and Jeremy fished a little bit while I soaked up some sun and read a book. Don't worry it is not a tear jerker! It is about Amish people who I find fascinating for some odd reason. I ended up getting a nice tan! I didn't realize until we were about to head back that I could put my legs out on the front and tan my legs, so only my thighs were tanned. Oh well! Next time I will just tan my legs and let Jeremy fish as much as he wants! Hopefully this coming weekend will be lovely and we can do more outdoor activities! I will post pictures when I get a chance!

Never accept books from my MIL

2007-07-18T09:44:00.001-07:00

For the past week my mother in law has given me a few books to read. Which has been nice because I love to read! The problem is that they are the tear jerker kind! On Sunday night I finished one called Gardenia's for Breakfast. It was a great book until the end. Jeremy came to bed and I was crying. Poor guy I think I scared him. Then afterwards I was very emotional so anything he said to me just made me burst out into tears. Last night I read another book she gave me called A Thousand Tomorrows. I knew right away it was going to be sad because it was about a girl with Cystic Fibrosis. I was sobbing at the end! Sobbing! I couldn't believe it! From now on I'm only going to accept happy fun books and not read the sad ones!

I feel blah....

2007-07-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those days where you just feel...blah? I feel like I'm having one of those weeks. I think it is just hard to come back from a vacation and then jump right back into work and school. Although I should be glad I only have 6 more class days and then I'm completely done! I think the main reason I am feeling blah is because Jeremy has been gone the past few days. He was gone all day Saturday, Monday night and last night. I was just lonely and missed him! But he will be back tonight and then I told him he was not allowed to be gone again for the rest of the week. I think we are going to plan a weekend get away next weekend and just spend some quality time together. Maybe we will go camping in the Adirondacks!

Not too much has been going on in my life. I guess the most exciting event is that I'm going to be starting a Beth Moore Bible Study with a few of my friends on Saturday night! I'm excited because I do need the accountability to help me really stay focused and I like hanging out with these girls.

No news yet on a teaching job. I'm still just trusting that God's plan will be revealed to me soon! For now I just need to be content letting Him guide me! Alright I better get back to work before I get caught! =)

We're back!!!

2007-07-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Well we made it back safe and sound from LIFE 2007! We had an awesome time! It was so amazing to see God work in all of the teens lives. There were about 7500 total there and it was so special to be a part of it. Words cannot describe all that we experienced. God is so amazing! I learned so many important things and just pray that my life will reflect who Jesus is.

We returned yesterday around 3 in the afternoon. We had to leave our hotel at 3:30 am so it was a long day. We just basically slept the entire afternoon and evening. Only waking to eat dinner and check our email. Fun times! =) It was nice to sleep in the same bed with Jeremy again. It was weird sharing a room with 3 teenage girls and have Jeremy be across the hall with the 3 boys. I didn't have to be afraid to move at night because I was afraid I would end up cuddling with the girl in my bed if I got cold!

My last class starts tonight. I'm not looking forward to it, but I will be done in 5 weeks. I'm happy about that! I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday! Hopefully this week will fly by and then the weekend will be here!

Jeremy vs. Toby (the cat)

2007-06-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last night was my last class for the first summer session! I was able to get out early and surprise Jeremy with one of his favorite meals from Dinosaur BBQ for his birthday. It is so delicious! We then went over to his parents house to have some ice cream cake. It was a wonderful day for Jeremy until we came home...then all you know what broke loose!

I will give you some background information on Jeremy and Toby. First of all they have a love/hate relationship. When we were first given Toby he was a little kitten and the second day we had him Jeremy threw him on our bed and hurt his leg. Since then I don't think Toby has forgiven him. Toby is also jealous of my relationship with Jeremy. If Jeremy and I are snuggling on the couch Toby has to push his way so that he is in between us. I find it cute and funny but Jeremy does not. Well the other night Jeremy and Toby had a little altercation involving a glass of lemonade that was knocked over and both of my boys got mad at each other.

Last night we found Toby's revenge. He ended up going to the bathroom in Jeremy's closet. Jeremy told me that if the cat ever did it again (this is the second time) he would have to go or Jeremy would shoot him! So last night I had to kick my poor baby kitty out of the house! It was very traumatizing for me...I have a strong attachment to this cat, he was the first pet Jeremy and I had together as a family because he had Annie before we were together. I'm his mommy! I cried myself to sleep last night. I know I'm pathetic. This morning when I let our dog Annie out Toby kept trying to come back inside and I had to say no. My heart just broke. Jeremy says we can get another dog but I just want my cat back. I just wish they would get along...

Happy Birthday Jeremy!!!!

2007-06-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

Today is my wonderful husbands birthday! I am so glad that he was born! =) I hope and pray that he has a wonderful day.

Life has become extremely busy this month. I am finally finishing up my first summer session class tonight though! We are still planning and organizing for LIFE 2007. I cannot believe it is only 4 days away! I'm slightly scared to be responsible for all of these kids. It's one thing to have something go wrong when it is only Jeremy and I on vacation but to have 6 kids depending on us is kind of nerve wracking! I hope I am organized enough and have it all in order. I guess I will find out soon enough!

24 Hours

2007-06-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

I don't think 24 hours in a day is enough time. I just cannot seem to get anything done anymore. I think a day should be 28 hours. That way I would have enough time to sleep more and then I will not be so tired to get everything done.

On a brighter note....I am half way done with my June class!!! I'm so happy about that! Only 5 more to go! We also bought our plane tickets for our big family vacation with my Aunt, Mom, brother, sister, and cousins. I think we will have a good time. I hope that Jeremy and I can get a few hours to go off and have fun on our own. Sometimes I just get sick of being around a lot of people and need my own space. I cannot wait to have some fun in the sun!

Goodbye Joe!

2007-06-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went down to visit my family in NJ and see my cousin again before he moves across the country to California. I had a wonderful time! I really love my family! I wish I could go down and see them more often. Although now there are a few less since it seems both of my cousins will now be in California. I guess they are beginning our family's move out of NJ and to the west coast. I'm not sure if Jeremy and I will follow. At times we are tempted but then again at times we're not. I am jealous of my brother though because he is driving with Joe across the country and going to see some really cool sites! Plus I think they are going to see my best friend who lives on in California now so that makes me even more jealous! I just need more than 2 weeks of vacation time. Pray that I get a teaching job!

Late Picture Update

2007-06-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

These are a few pictures taken from Memorial Day Weekend.

Spirit Week

2007-06-07T12:25:00.001-07:00

This whole week we have been experiencing "Spirit Week" at work in order to boost our morale. Monday we were provided a delicious lunch, Tuesday we were given lot's of gum, Wednesday we played Pictionary based on song titles and also had smores, today was the day each row decorated their aisle in some type of patriotic theme. Our theme was "Fun in the Sun with Aisle One". We won! I will try to post some pictures but it does not do it justice. We brought in beach towels, sun screen, snorkle gear, etc to decorate each of our cubicles and then the printer cubicle we had a picnic with a grill and fake food, pool with rubber ducks and a bucket of sand with toys. It was actually a lot of fun!

Randomness

2007-06-07T12:06:00.001-07:00

Last night we watched the 3rd Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I did not enjoy it as much as the others. It might have just been the mood I was in because I was exhausted! But it was still an enjoyable evening spent with Jeremy and my brother. This is the last week he will be with us and I'm kind of sad about it. I forgot how much I enjoy hanging out with him and also how easy it is to get annoyed with him! =) He's spending next week back in Harrisburg and then going on a road trip with my cousin to help him move out to Orange County, CA. I'm so jealous they get to drive cross country! I know I'm a dork but I think it would be so much fun to rent an RV and drive across the country and visit a bunch of historical sites and see as many National Parks as we could. Maybe someday I could talk Jeremy into doing that with me!

Slightly irritated...

2007-06-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am in Graduate school, taking Grad classes. I thought these classes were going to be hard but they are not. I know I shouldn't complain about this but last night just put me over the edge! We are required to read chapters in the book. Yet the professor just lectures and gives a powerpoint presentation from the chapters in the book. We are having a quiz tomorrow and she told us what we need to know for it based on the powerpoint slides. Why did I have to spend $96 on a book that I don't really have to read since we're just going to get the powerpoint version in the next class! I have a brain and would like to use it every once in awhile! I would rather read the chapters and not go to class or just go to class and get the powerpoint. Since I have to go to class I'm just not going to read the book. I don't know how much money I've wasted on books for these classes....I cannot wait to be done. Only 17 more classes to go. =(

Life get's too busy

2007-06-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Wow this week has flown by and I have not had a chance to post yet! I guess I will do a little recap from my Memorial Day weekend...if I can remember!

Friday-- I think we just watched a few episodes from this past season of LOST and ordered chicken wing pizza. The pizza was good and of course LOST is addicting!

Saturday -- We woke up early and headed to Lake Ontario to help Jeremy's parents launch their sailboat and sail it to the yacht club where they keep it during the summer. It was very chilly in the bay area but when we got out onto the lake the wind died and we had to motor the whole way. The one good thing was that since there was no wind it was warm! I took a nap and ended up getting an interesting sunburn. That e vening when we returned Jeremy mowed the lawn and I started to do some cleaning. One of my good friends came home for the weekend and her parents live across the street from us so we went out to dinner. I love going out to eat!

Sunday -- We skipped church! I know we are heathens! I basically did laundry all day long and did a lot of "spring" cleaning. I'm not a fan of cleaning so when I'm in the groove I best not stop! That evening we ended up watching the rest of the LOST episodes! I cannot wait till next season comes on!

Memorial Day-- Two of our couple friends came over and we went hiking/geocaching up to a hang glide area. Geocaching is an activity where you look up sites online at geocaching.com and can find locations anywhere in the world. People have hidden caches and listed their corridinates and you just plug them into your handheld gps and try to find them. It's kind of like a treasure hunt but you leave it where you found it. Sometimes you can take something from the container but you have to leave something in its place. After we went hiking we had a bbq and just relaxed.

I will try to post pictures but Jeremy always seems to have the camera with him.

Ok this post is getting long so I will end soon. I started my classes this week. 2 down 8 more to go for the first summer session...then 10 more and I'm done with my Masters! I cannot wait. The classes are 2 nights a week from 6-10 pm so it makes for a long week. Plus this week has been very busy at work. But the week is over with soon! Woo hoo!

Alright I'm done for now!

I might be addicted

2007-05-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

After I finished posting my first blog all that I could think of was that I wanted to post another one! So here I am. I'm really looking forward to the weekend for a number of reasons. First it is Memorial Day so that means no work on Monday! Woo hoo! Second this is the first weekend in over a month where Jeremy and I do not have to help with a youth group fundraiser. We have raised all of the money need to go to LIFE 2007 in Orlando this July! God is so good to us! I'm happy because I won't have to worry about it in June when my classes start up again. Only 2 more classes then I'm done with my Masters! Alright and for the final reason I am looking forward to the weekend is some alone time with Jeremy. My brother Matt is staying with us for a few weeks to help out where Jeremy works and although I love my brother a lot it is just weird having someone else there with us. He's planning on going down to Baltimore for the lacrosse championship games so it will just be Jeremy and I! =) Hopefully we can do some landscaping and then do some geocaching. I've become addicted to that as well. Alright I better get back to work. This is very bad having access to this at work! =)

First Post

2007-05-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am a blog lurker. There I have admitted it. During my break times at work I would spend lot's of time just reading different blogs from the nest.com. Unfortunately the Nest went haywire and everyone left! I've been able to keep reading some blogs and have decided to finally start one of my own and come out in the open! =) I started this while I'm at work so I cannot post any pictures. We will see how good I am at keeping up with this because I was never good at writing in my journal or diary. This might be easier though since I look at other people's all day long. Plus this will be a great way to keep friends and family up to date with our life here in the great state of NY.