M.I.A.

So, I've been a little disconnected from my blog lately. Life has been very hectic since I started teaching kindergarten! For the most part I am really enjoying it, but I am looking forward to having a week away from the kids. I have to share some funny things that the kids have said lately. Too bad I haven't been writing everything down to share with you!

A few weeks ago, I used a "jeans pass" and wore a new pair of jeans to school. I was sitting at the front of the room in one of the little chairs with the kids gathered around me for our writing time. I was writing some thoughts on the chart paper when I heard some of the kids snickering. I turned to look at them and said, "What are you guys laughing at?" There's one boy in my class who always does and says the right thing. He looked straight at me and said, "Mrs. Kerby, they're laughing at you." I said, "Oh, really...what is so funny?" The other kids were still snickering a bit and the little boy said rather reluctantly, "Well, Mrs. Kerby, they are laughing because we can see your undies!" Everyone broke into laughter. Those darn low-rise jeans! It was all I could do to keep a straight face and say, "Well it's not nice to laugh at someone. Next time, you should just tell me."

The same little boy who is very honest is also very concerned with my happiness. For instance, when he thinks that I'm stressed out or upset with the kids, he will come over and just pat me on the back. Not just a few times, but he will continue to pat my back until I finally have to ask him nicely to go to his seat. One day when I was on my knees helping another student at her table, he brought his chair up to me so I wouldn't have to be on my knees. What a sweetheart! He will make a good boyfriend someday!

I have one student who has been begging me to let him get on the computers at center time, even though it isn't his turn. After telling him no about a million times, he finally said, "But Mrs. Kerby, the computer is lonely and needs me to play with it!"

Our classroom has motion-censored lights and whenever we sit still long enough (I know...this is rare in kindergarten!) the lights turn off. The kids used to jump up and go crazy trying to get the lights to come on (they think this is funny) even though they are way too short for the censor. Well, they learned quickly that it isn't acceptable to me for them to go berserk. Now whenever it happens, the kids sit still and several of them say in unison, "Don't even think about it!" I must have said that once and it stuck with them!

Last Friday was 70s dress-up day at our school. About a week before, I started telling the kids so they would get excited about dressing up. When I told them we were going to dress up like the 1970s, they said, "Mrs. Kerby, what's the 1970s?" I started to describe it but it is very hard to put that in terms that a 5 year-old can understand. I finally told them that it happened a long time ago and that it was when I and most of their parents were born. They said, "But we don't have any clothes from back then!" They are too cute! Below is a groovy picture of me.



My last day in kindergarten will be December 21st and it is going to be very hard. I am very attached to a lot of these kids and am somewhat hoping that their teacher will decide to stay home with her baby. I have learned a lot from this experience...not only in the way of teaching, but I also think it will help me to be a better parent someday. What I love most about working with kids, especially kids this age, is that no matter how much they might get in trouble from me, they still love me and I still love them.

Bennett Mitchell Speck Is Home!!

God is SO GOOD!! After two months in the hospital, Baby Bennett was able to go home with his mommy and daddy today. He has come so far in the past two months and I know it is because of God's love and grace. Please continue to keep the Specks in your prayers as they settle into their new life with Bennett at home.

One Year Ago Today...

...we arrived in McKinney with all of our belongings. Sometimes it just amazes me that a year can go by so quickly. I still feel "new" here (all of our things are still packed away!) and it doesn't seem like we've been gone from Virginia that long, but we have. I have been a little down as this date has been approaching because Tim and I just aren't where we thought we'd be by now, but God's timing is just not the same as mine and I'm sure His is better. I am thankful, though, that Tim has a good job and that I am enjoying what I'm doing too. One year out of corporate America has been a very good thing for me! We've also made a lot of friends here and are blessed to be able to stay with family until we can buy a place of our own. Please pray for us as we try to make wise financial decisions with regard to buying a house and as we try to remain patient for the things in life (house, baby, etc.)that we want so badly.

The Hardest Week...

It has been a while since I posted and that's because my life has been super crazy lately! I found out last Friday morning that the kindergarten teacher had gone into labor and that I needed to take over her class this week. I was very excited, but a bit overwhelmed, if you can imagine. Her due date was October 2 and the original plan was that I would be spending Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week with her so that I could learn the class routines and get ready for when I would take over her class. Guess you just can't plan for everything when it comes to having a baby!

Luckily, I had been observing her class for about 45 minutes each day and I had them in the computer lab, so I already knew which ones to watch out for. I just had NO idea how bad they could be. Wednesday was absolutely awful! They were definitely testing me and by the time I dropped them off at the library at 1:15, I was exhausted. One of my teacher friends asked me how I was doing and the tears just started streaming down my face. I felt like the worst teacher. Thankfully, I got a lot of support and the others reminded me that sometimes they have days like that even after they've been teaching for years. One of my co-teachers came to talk to my class that afternoon and WOW did she ever put some fear into them! Then yesterday another teacher friend spent the morning with me and my class and helped me with some ideas for what could work. The rest of the week went a little bit better and I think I'll be more prepared for this coming week. I've certainly learned some names that I will NOT be using for my children. I told Tim if we don't hurry up that I'll be out of names!

It has been awesome having my "own" classroom and getting such a great experience! I will be teaching them until January, so I will be a pretty big part of their kindergarten experience. What I didn't expect was how many hours I would be putting in to this!! I spent an average of 10-11 hours at school each day and brought some work home on top of that. I don't think I've every been so physically tired, but so far it's worth it! I get hugs every day and several kids tell me they love me. I have an Ian in class and he is adorable. He asked me the other day if it would be ok for him to bring me an apple. How sweet is that?!

Well, I have many more stories that I could share, but I'm too worn out right now. More to come, I'm sure! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Update...

Thank you all so much for your prayers for Baby Bennett! He is doing so much better than he was a week ago and I know it is because God answers our prayers. For more information on how he is doing, check Baby Bennett's blog on my list to the left. I'll update more on me and Tim soon. Have a great weekend!

Prayers for Baby Bennett

I am asking that you PLEASE, PLEASE be praying for my dear friends, Travis and Kelly and their 2 week-old baby, Bennett. He has been in Georgetown NICU the past two weeks due to a serious infection in his lungs. Here's what they just posted on Bennett's website:

Family and friends, I know we've said this before, but now is the most crucial "hour" for our precious boy. The next several hours and throughout the night will determine many things.

We just met with the wonderful team of doctors again. His lungs have responded better than they thought they would to being temporarily taken off ECMO. The lungs haven't responded anywhere near perfect of course, for they are still too weak. But the lungs did respond, so the decision has just been made to remove Bennett permanently from ECMO. There were a few other reasons why they wanted to take him off ECMO, including the fact that the machine had a major clot in it, but the main ones are because his lungs are functioning a little better now and to reduce his bleeding. Once he is off ECMO, he cannot return. This will significantly reduce and/or eliminate his bleeding, but it will also significantly reduce the assistance he was receiving. It's now entirely up to his lungs and heart.

So, can you see where we need prayers right now? Two main organs: his lungs and his heart. They now have to carry the burden of sustaining him, so please pray for the strength of his lungs and his heart. His heart is also of major concern because it now has to start acting like, well, a heart. But his heart has been hibernating over two weeks, so there is significant concern about how his heart will respond to the "shock" of having to work again. They will be giving his heart several drugs and steroids soon to try to kick it in gear.

The surgery option right now is still just an option. If his lungs continue to expand and strengthen, then surgery may not be needed. This would be ideal. But even if surgery is performed, the risks are much lower now because the heparin and excessive bleeding should no longer be issues. As you can imagine, so much is happening right now, and it's happening very quickly. Essentially what it boils down to is the healthy functioning of the lungs and the heart.

Before the doctors re-entered the NICU to head over to Bennett, we told them that we and several hundred people around the country are praying for them and for Bennett. They thanked us for that, and reminded us that faith is essential during times like this because their expertise can only go so far. Your prayers are sustaining us, the incredible medical staff here, and our precious son, and we ask that you once again join us in prayers for the doctors and for Bennett's lungs and heart. His has fought like a warrior, but his strength will be tested now more than ever.

We will most likely be here for the majority of the night, and as more updates become available we will let you know. As always, thank you for all your love and support.

Love,

Travis, Kelly, and Bennett

Back to School

Today was the first day of school for most public schools in Texas. I had a hard time making my self get out of bed at 5:45 (I am SO not a morning person!), but once I left for work, I was wide awake and ready for the day. My day started out greeting parents and students and helping them cross the street to the school. It was super humid and I could feel my make-up melting off my face! Temps reached around 100 today and when it is that hot in Texas (94 degrees or above to be exact), kids can't go outside to play. Since it was the first day, none of the kids were coming to the computer lab, so I had a busy day helping out wherever help was needed. My first "job" was to do an activity with a class of kindergarteners while their parents were attending an orientation. Wow...nothing compares to working with kindergarteners on their 1st day when they haven't even learned any procedures!! I had such a rowdy bunch and I was very glad to take them back to their parents after an hour of chaos :)! After that, I helped supervise nearly all of the lunch periods. It was fun getting to see a lot of the kids from last year, especially when they came up to say, "Hi Mrs. Kerby!" and give me a hug. I spent the rest of my day observing a first grade class so I would get an idea of what a "first day" looks like in the classroom. Overall I had a great day, but my feet were KILLING me long before the end of the day from standing for nearly six hours! I think I'll be wearing comfy flats tomorrow. Wish me luck as I will have over 130 kids throughout the day tomorrow!

Emergency

Today I had something happen to me that I have never experienced before and I hope it never happens again. I was driving back to the school after my lunch break when I noticed a man running on the sidewalk and then I watched as he fell face first into the grass. A million thoughts ran through my mind during the next few seconds. At first I thought maybe it was a kid that was just being silly. I decided I better turn around through a church parking lot and make sure that the person was ok. When I pulled up, I noticed a white unmarked van with a sketchy looking guy in the driver's seat putting on a shirt. I instantly thought, "What if this is a trick to get me out of my car and then they are going to take me?" I know this sounds ridiculous, but I am so programmed to always be cautious. I decided to take my chances and I started running to the man who had fallen while I dialed 9-1-1. All of this took just a matter of seconds, but seemed like forever. The principal of the school I'm working at had been behind me and she came to the scene and called the assistant principal to bring the defibrillator from the school, which was only a few blocks away. Thankfully, at the same time a nurse came up and immediately started CPR. Nothing seemed to be working. His eyes were fixed and dilated and there was just a faint pulse, but no carotid pulse. He gasped for air a couple of times after the CPR, but nothing changed. The police were the first to arrive and talk to me, which is when 9-1-1 let me go. By the time we had the defibrillator and shocked him once (also no response), the ambulance and fire truck had arrived. I think it took them 10-15 minutes to arrive on scene, which seemed like an eternity to me. No one had a clue who this man was. I don't think he had any identification on him since he was just out for a jog. He was a thin black man who seemed to be in his mid- to late thirties and it was during the hottest part of the day. I just pray that he survives and that they find his family. I was pretty emotional and shaken up after the ambulance arrived and my principals and another teacher couldn't have been more supportive. One of them even drove me back to the school and sat with me for a while. They told me that they would take me home, but I knew I would feel better being around people than sitting at home alone replaying it in my mind. I am definitely not writing this for sympathy or kudos from anyone (I'm not the one who possibly lost a family member today and I feel there's more that I should have done looking back)...it's just a way for me to put my thoughts down and let go of something I have no control over.

Has It Already Been 10 Years?

This past weekend was my 10-year high school reunion in Oklahoma City. Tim and I weren't able to make it up there for the Friday night festivities, so we drove up on Saturday morning. I took Tim to Soda Pops, a fun diner near my high school, for lunch. After lunch we tracked down some of my best friends from high school who were not able to go to the event on Saturday night. It was great to see them again and introduce them to Tim. Saturday night I had a great time catching up with old friends who I hadn't seen in several years. The picture above is me with my friends Julie and Dinah. I was a bit disappointed with the whole event...not the greatest planning or advertising (so a fairly small turnout considering my class was almost 600), but it was still worth it to see people and reconnect. Maybe next time I'll have to get more involved in the planning :).

On a separate note, I started a new job today. I got a call from a principal last week who asked me if I could start the school year as the computer teacher for the elementary because the regular teacher had to take early maternity leave. Unfortunately, it isn't a permanent teaching position, but I am happy to get to attend in-service this week and be there from day one of school next Monday. I'm not sure when the other teacher will return, so I'm just playing it by ear. There's still a good chance that another teaching position will open up because enrollment keeps increasing and if it does, I hope to get it. Keep your fingers crossed!

Joy's Wedding Slideshow

This slide show is pretty massive, so I don't blame you if you don't watch it all. Unfortunately, my computer kept freezing up when I tried to put them in order, so they are a little jumbled. Enjoy!

Wedding Weekend

I'm finally getting around to blogging about Joy's wedding and our weekend in California. I had an awesome time visiting my old hangouts and showing Tim the West coast! In fact, we are ready to go back so we have more than 2 short days there. We flew in to LAX on Friday and by the time we settled in to our hotel, it was time to drive to Malibu for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. We stayed at the Marriot in Marina del Rey and it was FABULOUS (pictures to come soon)!! It reminded us of the hotel we stayed at in New York only this had the California flare to it. As you walked in, the smell of fresh flowers was overwhelming. The decorations were very modern and they always had complimentary fruit infused water.

Joy and Todd's rehearsal dinner was at the Michael Landon park in Malibu across from Pepperdine. We had Wood Ranch BBQ (one of my faves!) and just enjoyed the scenery. From there we went to the chapel to run through the whole she-bang. I was a little worried about how everything would come together, but it went rather smoothly. After the rehearsal, a group of us headed to Casa Escobar in Malibu for some drinks and appetizers. It was a great place to sit outside under the heat lamps and relax before the big day. What's funny is that that building used to be a Pizza Hut when I was in college. I'd have to say that Casa Escobar is a step up from the run down pizza place! Another bonus was that my sister loaned Tim and me her little Mercedes for the weekend...lots of fun on PCH!

Saturday morning I drove the Mercedes to meet Joy and the other girls in the wedding party at Main Attraction nail salon in Santa Monica. I had a relaxing manicure and pedicure. While I was sitting at the nail dryer table, I was doing a little people watching of the street outside. I saw a guy that I knew and I was trying to figure out where I knew him from when he looked in the window and smiled. I was so excited because it was VINCE VAUGHN!!! I told the other bridesmaids and they ran outside to see him. You would think I would get used to seeing famous people after living in Malibu for four years, but this was the first time that I saw someone who was actually famous at the time...not someone from a tv show that aired years ago! That made my weekend.

We chilled at the hotel's super cool patio until it was time to get ready for the wedding. Tim and I decided to leave early so that I would have time to show him all over Pepperdine's campus. Plus, I wanted to be there to watch Joy get her hair and make-up done. The campus was as beautiful as ever! During my senior year, they started construction on the hill next to my apartment and now there is a beautiful graduate school campus and executive center. Tim and I drove all the way up to the top to see Pepperdine's Hero Garden, which was built in dedication to those killed on 9/11. It was really peaceful and beautiful up there. Joy was getting ready at our friend, Kelly's place in Malibu. Her make-up and hair stylist did a great job. Joy seemed so relaxed and happy! All the girls got ready there and we enjoyed having some bubbly before the big event.

I was worried that Joy had gone out of her mind when she decided that she was going to go to a flower market the morning before her wedding and put together her own flowers for the wedding with the help of a couple of bridesmaids. These would be her first floral arrangements. Afterall, (she told us) you can save money and just follow the directions on MarthaStuart.com! Well, sure enough, her flowers were very pretty. I was extremely impressed with the way they turned out. Her bouquet was made of ivory roses and hydrangeas. The bridesmaids carried a single orangish-red sunflower. The wedding was very beautiful and was over before we knew it. Thanks to all of you who prayed that my anxiety would not keep me from being the matron-of-honor at her wedding!! I was so happy that I could do it!

Their reception was held back at the Marriott in Marina del Rey. We enjoyed a nice dinner, yummy cake, and some dancing. After that, we saw them off and then went to bed. Weddings are exhausting! The one thing we didn't think to do that night was sign the marriage license, so Joy called me the next day and asked me to drive to their hotel and sign it. I guess that was slightly important! Before we left that day, I had to get my Coffee Bean fix! For those of you not familiar with CB, it is similar to Starbucks only way better in my opinion! Love their Ice Blended Mochas! Tim and I drove to Venice Beach and when I pulled into the parking space, he said that the guy in front of us was famous. I couldn't see his face, so I left Tim in the car to stare while I got my drink. When I walked back to the car, I saw two little girls talking to him and they mentioned Spy Kids. I've never seen that movie, but I could finally get a better view of him and recognized him. His name is Danny Trejo (look him up on imdb.com) and he often plays an inmate. Tim was thrilled to finally see a "star." We came home Sunday evening to temperatures in the 100s and immediately wanted to go back to CA where it stayed between 60 and 75 degrees the whole time! Gotta love the heat in Texas in August! I'll post pictures soon, but until then, here is a snapshot (that I would crop if I wasn't at work) of us at the end of Saturday night. Doesn't Joy make a beautiful bride?!

Quick Update

Well, the big event is almost here. Joy is getting married in just a few short days in sunny California! Although it will be a quick trip, I am really looking forward to being with Tim on his first trip to the West coast. I am a bit stressed out for my sister, but I'm trying to remind myself that it is not up to me to pull this thing off! She just finalized her music this week, does not have gifts picked out for the wedding party, is doing her own flowers for the first time EVER on the day before the wedding, etc. We are day and night when it comes to some things, but I'm sure that everything will come together in time for Saturday! I will have a lot to post about next week. The weekend following this one is my 10-year high school reunion in OKC. I have mixed feelings about going, but I know I will enjoy getting to see some of my friends that I haven't seen in a few years and will especially enjoy getting to show off my hot husband :)! Did any of you go to yours? As for the job hunt, I still don't have any news. I promise to let you all know as soon as I hear something. More to come soon...

Happy 82nd Birthday, Nana!

My Nana turned 82 today, but she still looks and acts so much younger! Saturday night a bunch of us went to Carrabba's for dinner and then we came back to Nana's to sing...one of our family's favorite things to do together. Then today, my mom and I took Nana to Celebrity Cafe in Frisco to celebrate her birthday. We enjoyed our chicken salad sandwiches and especially the faboulous cake...chocolate/white chocolate and white chocolate toffee! After lunch we did a little shopping at the fun boutiques in downtown McKinney. I am so grateful that I can be here with her to celebrate!! She is a VERY special woman :)!

Me and My Ian

Bud and his Buddy

Yeah, butcha know...

Tim and I returned last night from our 5-day vacation in Northern VA. We had a fabulous trip spending time with family and friends!! Here's a super long recap...

Thursday: We landed at Dulles around noon on Thursday and were greeted by Steve. He drove us back to Leesburg where Karin and Ian were waiting for us. I have never seen Ian SO excited! He started yelling "Bud, Jill!" and he couldn't decide who to run up to and hug first. We got huge bear hugs from him that I'll never forget. We spent that afternoon and evening relaxing with the family. Tim and I volunteered to take Ian home and put him to bed while we waited for Matt to get off work at 10. Ian was so cute in his big boy Wiggles bed! We read him two stories and he quickly fell asleep.

Friday: Tim and I slept in and then spent the day lounging around the house with Ian. He quickly wore us out with his many "Why?" questions that only little children can do. My favorite new phrase of his that he says a lot (and I plan to incorporate into my own conversations!) is, "Yeah, butcha know..." So cute coming from a four-year old! The weather during our trip was perfect (highs in the low to mid-80s and lows in the 60s) so we spent a lot of time soaking up the sun on the back patio. That night Steve cooked fajitas and Tim, Karin, Val and I played Spades. It was a close game, but Tim and I lost.

Saturday: Tim, Matt, and Steve took Ian to the pool while Karin spoiled me by taking me to get a pedicure. I haven't had one in so long and I keep looking at my pretty toes :). Val had lunch plans, so she wasn't able to join us. That night we had about 12 of our friends over. Ian served as the entertainment for a while until Matt took him home. When it was just us and Hannah, Ian would draw something on his Etch-a-Sketch and ask each of us what it was. No matter what, he always went with Tim's guess. Tim even guessed "a man falling out of a plane and landing in a shallow ocean" and "squiggly lines" and Ian would say, "Yes!" Very funny! A few people played pinochle, while the rest of sat on the back patio visiting. It was SO wonderful to see everyone and catch up! Unfortunately, not everyone was able to make it and we really missed having Brent, Kelli, JR, and Daisha there!

Sunday: Sunday was an awesome day! We went to second service at Fairfax and Tim and I were able to jump in and sing with the praise team (along with Karin and Val who were already singing). I loved it! Travis did a great job leading singing and Bruce had a wonderful sermon, of course. After singing and right before the sermon, the whole family was able to sit together on a pew. Ian was so excited that the whole family was together. After church and during the greeting was a madhouse because I was trying to see so many people...Bruce, Jeanette, Chastity, Mindy and Cade, Ramona and Reuben, Jacque and Mike, Jena, the Padens, and the list goes on and on! I think we were some of the last people in the building because we were talking to so many people! I actually got to hold 11-day old Reuben Henry Hinckley!! This was such a highlight! I fell in love with that little bundle of joy and felt so special because Ramona said I was the first person at church to hold him (she made an exception since I was visiting)! He still had that precious little baby fuzz on his forehead. I can't wait to have one of my own! After church we went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch. Ironic isn't it? We actually have only eaten there once in Texas! Val's boyfriend John joined us and it was great to finally meet him. That afternoon Matt, Val, Tim, and I went bowling and had a great time. I am a very inconsistent bowler, but had a bit of good luck on the first game and actually beat Tim! I have to rub this in since he beats me at EVERYTHING! Then we went to Coldstone Creamery for a little ice cream. We spent the evening relaxing with the family again.

Monday: Tim and Matt left super early to make their tee time at the golf course. Ian typically sleeps until 9 when he's at his dad's house, but since he was at grandma and papa's, he woke up at 6:50!! Thankfully, Matt put him back to bed, but by 7:30 he was up again and outside my door. I was exhausted, so I tried to talk him into laying down with me, but he just sat up in the bed. Finally, I told him t go play in his room for a while. Within about 15 minutes or so, he was back saying, "Jill, I'm REEEAALLLYYY hungry!" I gave in and we went downstairs to have some breakfast together. It was the first day of VBS, so Val took him on her way to work and I picked him up at noon. We then went to meet Tim and Matt at Red Robin. Ian was falling asleep while he was eating...so cute! Tim said, "Hey Ian, I'm ready to take a nap," and with Ian's eyes mostly closed he said, "I'm not." Within minutes he was asleep and Tim carried him to the car. We took him back to the house and he slept for over two hours. Tim and I had to leave around 5 to drive to the airport, so we woke Ian up so we could spend some time with him. He was so sad for us to leave that he was about to cry. It just broke my heart. He said, "Jill, will you help me pack my suitcase so I can be ready to come visit you in Texas?" We gave him lots of hugs and kisses and told him we would talk to him very soon. I just love that boy!! I hope I can love my own kids as much as I love him :).

I have just a few quick airport stories to share with you. I met Chris Bedard's brother, Tony, at VBS when I was chatting with Mindy and adoring her precious new baby, Cade. Well, when Tim and I were waiting at our gate, I saw someone that looked like him and sure enough it was and he was on our flight. Tim and I visited with him while we waited and come to find out, we know several of the same people. I subbed with a teacher who volunteers with her husband and Tony through Young Life. Tony was in their wedding and I've actually looked at her wedding pictures before. In addition to that, he knows my friend Kristi (who teaches with the other teacher) and Kristi is dating Tony's roommate. What a small world! I will spare you the details of the other story, but will tell you that we had to make an emergency medical landing in Memphis for a sick 7-year old girl who was on our flight. That's something that (thankfully) doesn't happen often, but like Tim said, there's always something crazy that happens when you fly with me!

It is great to be home, but it was sure was wonderful to see everyone! We miss you all so much and look forward to the next time we can be together!

Headed to VA

This time tomorrow, Tim and I will be on a plane headed to the great state of Virginia. We are looking forward to spending time with family and friends, and we are SUPER excited to see Ian! It's amazing how much love you can have for a child :)! He steals our hearts! Other than that, not much has been happening with us. Monday was my last training class, so now I just have to take one more test (pretty easy) and find a teaching job. Tim is really enjoying his new job with Halo, which I am happy about. Ok, this post is really boring. I'll write more later when life is more interesting :).

I thought this was funny considering that Theresa's blog was rated R! Happy Friday the 13th to all of you :)!

What a Week

I have been so busy this past week. Joy and Todd were visiting and they stayed here last Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I was glad to spend some time with them and to get to know Todd better. On Friday morning, we all left for Oklahoma City since my cousin, Robin, was getting married on Saturday. It POURED down rain on the way there and the way home. In fact, the Fourth of July was the first day we didn't have rain in about 3 weeks. I wish I had taken a picture of the Red River. Those around here know that you can always see the bottom of the river and my mom said it has been that way her entire life. Well, it is now a rushing river that has flooded its banks. I couldn't believe it!

Ok, back to my original thoughts...Tim and I stayed with Carrie and McKenzie for the weekend. It was great to spend time with them (although it wasn't long enough!). Friday night was the rehearsal dinner. Saturday, I met Brooke and her family for lunch at one of our favorite places in OKC. Saturday evening was the wedding and it was beautiful!! It's hard to go to weddings after you're married and see great ideas that you wish you could have included in your wedding! Anyone agree? Carrie told me it is worse after you've been married 10 years!

On Sunday, Tim and I drove to south OKC to attend church at my home church. It was awesome to see people that I hadn't seen in at least two years and to introduce them to Tim. I do have to tell you, though, that I stuck my foot in my mouth big time. Ever run into someone you know you know but then completely blank on who they are or what their name is? Well, I passed a woman thinking she was someone else that I knew and I said hello. I thought she didn't hear me because she kept on walking. Well, I ran into her later and she apologized and said she just didn't recognize me at first. So, I asked her how Lori was (thinking that Lori was her daughter). She said, "Who is Lori?" I know I must have had that deer in headlights look because she said, "My kids are named Benjamin, Rachel, and Patrick." I finally figured out who she was (she used to babysit me when I was little and I haven't seen her in probably 20 years because they moved), but it took me a while to think of her name! I had introduced Tim hoping she would introduce herself. Finally, I remembered and said, "Jeananne used to babysit us when we were little." Whew! I was glad when that conversation was over and was slightly reluctant to introduce Tim to anyone else for fear it would happen again!

Once we got home, I started focusing on studying for my certification test. I took it yesterday and passed with flying colors!! I am now considered "highly qualified" according to No Child Left Behind (don't get me started) and can now accept a job offer with a district. That's the next goal. I still have a few more class sessions and one more test to take, but the big EC-4 Content test is behind me. Guess I better get back to addressing Joy's wedding invitations...I offered to do them for her, but forgot how time consuming all that writing is!! Below are some pics from this past weekend!


The cousins (Kyle, Joy, Robin, Darren, Me, Ryan)


Us with our SOs (Kyle, Joy and Todd, Darren, Mike and Robin, Me and Tim, Ryan and Jana with Aidan and Avary)


Robin on her wedding day...this picture doesn't do her justice...she was a princess!


Her gorgeous cake...the flowers she chose were amazing!


Me and Tim with Zachary and Addie...Aren't they just beautiful?

Tagged

I have been tagged by my friend April (wish I could remember how to do a hyperlink).
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here goes:

1. I am obsessed with lists and could not function without them. I make lists for nearly everything I do and in fact, (as many of you have heard me say) I kept a list in high school of the outfits I wore so I did not duplicate too often (crazy, I know!).

2. My very first time to fly was when I went to California to attend a Christian Leadership Conference at Pepperdine. I was 17 and little did I know that in just 2 years I would be flying to Germany to spend the semester in Heidelberg! The world as I knew it grew fast!

3. I have a tremendous ability to remember numbers, especially birthdays. Birthdays are important to me, so I nearly always remember someone's birthday once I hear it. Although this can be a great thing, it is also very frustrating because I cannot forget birthdays (e.g., guys that I remember from junior high) and think of these people on that day every year.

4. You might be surprised, but if I were to stop coloring my hair, I think I would have a full head of gray hair! It started when I turned 19 and has gotten progressively worse.

5. I have probably gotten more compliments on my hands than any other physical feature of mine.

6. I never throw away a movie stub. I'm not sure why I collect them other than the fact that sometimes I like to see the date I saw the movie on and think about what I was doing at the time (e.g., who I was with).

7. It is sad to say, but I was not born with the gene for loving animals. It is not that I don't like animals, but I have never had a pet and just cannot relate to the love that many people have for their animals.

8. I have never owned a VCR or any other movie/tv recording device. When I was a kid we did not have the money for a VCR, so my grandfather gave us a machine that would allow us to play movies with no actual recording feature. My mom had that until about 5 years ago. Now Tim and I have my DVD player, but we do not have Tivo or anything like it. Maybe someday!

I am now tagging Carrie C., Carrie S., Jill Y., Kelli B., Kelli D., Marcy, Theresa, and Val.

Praise God

Kathy called us last Thursday after her biopsy and she seemed to be doing well. Originally she had been told that she would be on crutches for 6-8 weeks, but that was not the case. The radiologist told her that the tissue he removed from the bone did not look like cancer, but that they would have to wait for the lab results to know for sure. She called us last night to let us know that the results were wonderful! She does not have cancer and it wasn't anything else that needed to be treated. Apparently, it is just an old fracture of the bone. So, thank you all for praying for her. I just had a peace about the situation and I'm so relieved that everything is just fine!

News!

As of about an hour ago, Tim left his job at Bankers and accepted a new job with Halo Credit Solutions. Woohoo!! This all happened so fast. I have been talking to him and wanting him to find something else, but he still wanted to give it at least until the end of June to see if he could hit his goals. Last week he was approached by a guy that we go to church with to see if he would be interested in talking to them about some positions they had open. He agreed to meet with them to keep his options open. He also had set up a meeting yesterday with another insurance company just to get some information. He liked the insurance company, but he really liked the opportunity with Halo. He will be the Operations Manager and will actually be my aunt's boss. The guy that owns this business and several others is actually a year younger than us, which is remarkable. He's a very smart guy and a lot of ACU grads work there. Anyway, the best part (in my opinion) is that he will have a salary and will get a paycheck every two weeks. Plus, this company is growing tremendously (about to go public) and there is a lot of potential for Tim to move up as a leader of the company! He starts tomorrow, so please keep this in your prayers.

In other news, I have been more social in the past few days than I have been my entire time in Texas. It feels good to start to make friends. Saturday I was a hostess for Lisa Lee's shower. It was a lot of fun! On Sunday we went out to eat with 5 other couples and one of those couples invited us all over for dinner that night. Another one of those couples is having us all over to hang out tonight. The guys are playing Risk (Tim is so excited!) and the girls are just going to visit. Yesterday a girl from church invited me to go to lunch with her. She is a stay-at-home mom and has two adorable kids. They live within a mile from here and have just joined the country club. Since they get free lunch for two there this month, that's where we went. Wow...was it nice!! I felt very hoity-toity! We had an appetizer, entrees, and then split two desserts (creme brulee and molten lava cake)...Yummy! Anyway, we are planning to go again next week. I can't wait! I had a lot in common with her...we were there for over 3 hours.

On Friday my sister and her fiance are flying to Dallas and will be in town for over a week. This weekend is her wedding shower in Ft. Worth and then next weekend is my cousin Robin's wedding in Oklahoma City. I am looking forward to seeing friends in OKC and especially getting to stay with Carrie!

I have a special request to ask of you all. My friend's mom (who is like a mother to me), Kathy Dean, is going in on Thursday for a hip biopsy. She has been in remission from breast cancer for many years, but the doctors have discovered a lesion on her hip and there's a good chance that it might be cancer. Please pray that this is not cancer and that the doctors are able to treat her.

Red Head

So I decided to change my hair a bit. I actually did this last weekend, but am just now blogging about it. For those of you who haven't seen me in a while, it may not look that different, but it is a definite change (and one for the better I might add!). I got it cut to where it is longer in front and then the sides are angled so the back is short. Plus, I wanted to go with a more prominent red brown. Hope you like the new look! Btw, the funny look is because I kept trying to take a picture of myself and they just kept messing up...just decided to be silly with it!

2 Years Ago Today...

I married Tim, the love of my life! I cannot believe how quickly time flies and yet, I feel like we've been together for a long time. What an awesome day that was! It was everything I had ever dreamed of and more. We've gone through a lot of changes the past two years, which has just brought us closer together. Here are just a few pictures of our special day.


Tim and I dancing to our song. I couldn't be happier!



A picture of us taken right after we were officially husband and wife.


Riding off in a carriage together...just like when Tim proposed to me.

Thank you, God, for blessing me with such a wonderful husband. Please continue to protect our marriage and may we grow old together with many happy days ahead!

False Hope

I am angry. I am stunned. I am numb. I just found out this afternoon that a couple I've looked up to my entire life has separated. He's having an affair and has moved out, leaving his wife and two kids at home. This man's parents have been dear friends of our family since before I was born. His parents were between my parents' ages and my grandparents' ages, so they were all friends. When my dad (who was a deacon of the church) moved out leaving my mom with me (4 years old), my sister (2 years old) and my brother (a newborn), it was his dad who went to talk some sense into my dad, telling him that he was going to lose everything he had ever loved in life if he continued on this path. Unfortunately, my dad was too selfish and didn't listen and now his dad is no longer with us to talk to him.

I attended this man's wedding just over 20 years ago and I still remember it clearly. I included "their song" on my wedding cd because I always think of them when I hear it. My dad had been a role model for him and he watched the destruction that my dad caused and yet here he is doing the same thing. How can this happen? Of all the couples in the world, almost nothing could shock me more. I love both of them dearly and I just pray that he will give up his other life and go back to his family who wants him to return so badly. His children are so hurt right now and my heart aches for them. I have watched them grow up and his daughter has always been like a mini-Jill. We are so similar in so many ways and yet, I pray that she will not be similar to me in this way.

I feel like...what's the point of marriage when couples like this can't even keep it together? I don't have my parents or grandparents to look to as role models and now one of my greatest role models in the church is letting me down too. I guess this is why God tells us that we can only put our trust in Him. I find this very sad. I want to believe in people...that they can make it and live a happy life together. I NEED to believe it to get me through difficult times. I'm just at a loss for words right now because of the emotions running through me. It's very possible that I will be going to talk to him. Not that I can change things, but I hope that I can serve as a reminder for how divorce tears people apart and it's something that you deal with the rest of your life. Please keep this family in your prayers. Thanks.

You Might Be a Teacher If...

My good friend, Kristin, sent this Jeff Foxworthy list to me in an email. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

YOU might be a teacher if....

...you believe the playground should be equipped with Ritalin
salt lick

...you want to slap the next person who says, "Must be nice
to work 8 to 3:30 and have summers off

...it is difficult to name your own child because there's no
name you can come up with that doesn't bring high blood pressure as it
is uttered

...you can tell it's a full moon or if it going to rain, snow,
hail....anything!!! Without ever looking outside

...you believe, "shallow gene pool" should have its own box
on a report card

...you believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if
anyone says, "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."

...when out in public, you feel the urge to snap your fingers
at children you do not know and correct their behavior

...you have no social life between August and June

...you think people should have a government permit before
being allowed to reproduce

...you wonder how some parents MANAGED to reproduce

...you laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff
room as the "lounge."

...you encourage an obnoxious parent to check into charter
schools or home schooling and are willing to donate the UHAUL boxes
should they decide to move out of district

...you think caffeine should be available in intravenous form


...you can't imagine how the ACLU could think that covering
your students chair with Velcro and then requiring uniforms made out of
the corresponding Velcro could ever be misunderstood by the public

...meeting a child's parent instantly answers the question,
"Why is this kid like this?"

...you would choose a mammogram over a parent conference

...you think someone should invent antibacterial pencils and
crayons...and desks and chairs for that matter!!!

...the words "I have college debt for this?" has ever come
out of your mouth

Starter Wife

Did anyone watch the premiere of The Starter Wife on USA last night? It stars Debra Messing who plays a woman who has just been told by her movie mogul husband that he wants a divorce. She is suddenly ousted from her charities and social clubs and many of the women in the Hollywood scene snub her because they don't want to be assoicated with a "starter wife." I thought it was very cute and am looking forward to next week's episode. The best part was that many scenes take place in Malibu, where she's living for the summer, and they are filmed at some of my favorite hang out places. She's living in The Colony, which is an actual exclusive community for the rich and famous located right down the street from Pepperdine. There were even several scenes with Pepperdine in the background! So cool!

On a separate note, my second anniversary is just over a week away and I don't have a clue what to get Tim. Any ideas? The traditional 2nd anniversary gift is cotton. I like traditions and so I would like to follow this theme if at all possible. Let me know what you think! Hope you all have a great weekend and a wonderful start to June!

Reconnecting

This has been such a nice relaxing weekend with very little scheduled or planned! It has been cool and rainy...the perfect weather for catching up on sleep. It's noon right now and Tim is still upstairs sleeping :).

Recently, my roommate from my senior year in college got in touch with me through email (long story about how she found my email address). We have not spoken to each other since I graduated from Pepperdine six years ago. Nothing bad happened...we just lost touch. I knew from other friends that she was living in Denton, which is about 45 minutes from here. Anyway, we decided that we should get together so Tim and I had her (Jillian), her husband (Andy...who I also went to college with) and her 19 month old daughter, Ava, over to our place. Ava was a major hit with everyone...what a beautiful little girl. It was so great reconnecting with them and catching up on the past six years! I look forward to getting together with them again soon.

MIA

For the handful of you who actually read my blog, you may have noticed that I have been out of the blogging world for a few weeks. I have sat down to write many times and have had difficulty coming up with anything to say. I have been filled with so many emotions lately...excitement for teaching, discouragement about the job and financial situation, worried about some major obstacles that I will soon be facing, feeling like I don't have any friends here, etc. When I feel this way, it can be hard to focus my writing, which is why this post is all over the place :)!

This past Saturday was the last day of my first teaching class. We were all supposed to create a lesson plan, bring it with us (including any needed materials), and tell our group what we would be doing so they could give us feedback. I have to say that mine rocked! I designed a lesson plan around caterpillars and butterflies and their lifecycle. I had a great time creating a caterpillar out of construction paper. Guess I'm a kid at heart :).

Last week I started my second class and it is keeping me busy! I have class every night (M-T) this week from 5-8 and this continues until June 14th. Right now we are learning about literacy and how to teach children to read...fascinating! I have a ton of reading to keep up with. I just purchased the book that is supposed to get me ready for my test next month and it is packed with information! I have to know literacy, math, science, social studies, music, art, and pe. I'm mainly worried about social studies because I have to learn all about Texas history!

Speaking of Texas, you know how we like to tease Texans (no offense to my many Texan friends!) for thinking their state is a separate country? Well, I have had many opportunities to laugh about this lately. For example, the principal who was teaching my class this past Saturday kept implying that everything related to standards and testing is better here (which I disagree). I had a question to ask and when she called on me, I started by saying, "I did not grow up in Texas..." and she immediately jumped in and said, "I'm sorry!" Well, I quickly responded (out of instinct of course!), "I'm not." Everyone laughed. I felt a little guilty later so I went to make sure I didn't offend her, which I didn't :).

Does anyone else feel like there are babies all around them? Maybe it's just me because I can't wait to be a mom! I know SO many women who've had their babies recently and many more are on the way. Congratulations to Andy and Melody who recently had Zoe Brooklyn, Chris and Mindy who had Cade Arthur, and Brian and April who had Wesley Gordon!!! Also, congratulations to all who are graduating! Way to go Val on finishing your nursing program and getting straight A's! I got a graduation announcement from a girl that I babysat for years...I feel old! I'm going to my 10 year reunion in August and she's starting college. Time flies!

Who watched Grey's season finale last week? Wow! I don't know what in the world I'm going to do on Thursday nights now...oh, yeah...class. Well, I'm looking forward to its return in the fall. Tim and I love to order pizza on Thursdays and watch our shows.

For those of you who made it this far, hope that was random enough for you! Have a great Tuesday!

In Case You Were Wondering...

According to the fifth graders I subbed for today, I am "off the chain!" They wrote this on the board at the end of the day, so I asked, "What does this mean?" They said, "You know...you're cool...you're off the hook...you're off the chain." Apparently, this is the lingo kids use today. Boy, do I feel old :)!

On to Round 2

I'm still trying to decide what to rename my blog. I like the couple of suggestions I was given and hopefully, I will decide something soon. If you have an idea and haven't told me yet, please send it my way!

Today was such an incredibly tiring day! Why is it that some days are like that where other days you just seem to have a ton of energy? The first graders totally zapped my energy today and sometimes I wonder how I am ever going to do this every day. Teachers have physically (and emotionally) stressful jobs!! Only 17 more days of school left!

I just applied today to a Christian school in the area called Plano Christian Academy. Their website looks great and I was very impressed with their staff. They are looking for a second grade teacher, so I hope that I hear back from them. I got an email last week asking me to interview with a principal and her administrative team tomorrow afternoon. I already interviewed with her kindergarten and first grade teams, so I've passed round one and hope to pass round two tomorrow! Say a prayer for me! I will keep you posted...

Velvet Elvis

I just finished reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell this week. I highly recommend it to everyone!! I got so much out of this book that I know it will be one that I will continue to reread from time to time. Below are several of my favorite quotes from the book. Obviously, they are taken out of the book, so they make much more sense when read in context. Just another reason you need to go out and buy it :)! I have highlighted the ones that really speak to my life in so many ways.

"Doctrine is a wonderful servant and a horrible master."

"A question by its very nature acknowledges that the person asking the question does not have all of the answers. And because the person does not have all of the answers, they are looking outside of themselves for guidance. Questions bring freedom. Freedom that I don't have to be God and I don't have to pretend that I have it all figured out. I can let God be God."

"The idea that everybody else approaches the Bible with baggage and agendas and lenses and I don't is the ultimate of arrogance."

"The goal is not to be a 'New Testament church.' That makes the New Testament church the authority. The authority is God who is acting in and through those people at that time and now these people at this time."

"If you come across truth in any form, it isn't outside your faith as a Christian. Your faith just got bigger. To be a Christian is to claim truth wherever you find it."

"The point of the cross isn't forgiveness. Forgiveness leads to something much bigger: restoration. God isn't just interested in the covering over of our sins; God wants to make us into the people we were originally created to be. It is not just the removal of what's being held against us; it is God pulling us into the people he originally had in mind when he made us."

"'Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.'"

"What happens in our lives becomes so heavily oriented around the expectations of others that we become more and more like them and less and less like ourselves. We become split."

"I have been told that I need to believe in Jesus. Which is a good thing. But what I am learning is that Jesus believes in me. I have been told that I need to have faith in God. Which is a good thing. But what I am learning is that God has faith in me."

"It is trusting that I am loved. That I always have been. That I always will be. I don't have to do anything. I don't have to prove anything or achieve anything or accomplish one more thing. That exactly as I am, I am totally accepted, forgiven, and there is nothing I could ever do to lose this acceptance."

"God has no boundaries. God blesses everybody. People who don't believe in God. People who are opposed to God. People who do violent, evil things. God's intentions are to bless everybody."

"Most of the messages we receive are about how to make life easier. The call of Jesus goes the other direction. It's about making our lives more difficult. It is going out of our way to be more generous and disciplined and loving and free. It is refusing to escape and become numb to and check out of this broken, fractured world."

Just as an FYI...I was accepted into the alternative certification program and I started my classes yesterday. I will be in class until mid-July, but should take my state test and get my probationary certification in June. Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to fight the battle with my anxiety and am scared to make this transition into a new career.

Also, I was thinking that I need to change the name of my blog since I'm technically not a newlywed anymore. Any ideas for names? I have limited creativity :)!

Love is in the Air

Joy and Todd

Joy's Engaged!!

That's right! My little sister just called us to let us know that she has a ring and is officially engaged :). That is about all I know because she was busy celebrating and told us that she would give us the details later. She and her fiance, Todd, have already been planning the wedding and we think they will probably be getting married in August. More to come...

Friday the 13th

While this day may be creepy to some superstitious people, I for one always look forward to having the 13th fall on a Friday. Maybe it is because 13 is my favorite number and I always thought it was cool to have my birthday fall on Friday the 13th. The next time will be on my 30th! Anyway, I wanted to let you all know that I had my first official teaching interview this afternoon with a group of Kindergarten and First Grade teachers. I was nervous, but the group of women quickly made me feel at home. I subbed with some of them one day back in February, so they remembered me. I feel like it went really well and I just pray that I get a job for next fall!! I'm not sure when I'll hear back from them, but I will keep you posted. Hope you all have a fabulouso weekend (this is how we say it in my fam)!!

For the Book Lovers Out There...

This one's from Jacque only I decided to organize it differently so it made sense to me :). You can click on her blog if you'd like to do it the original way!

Books I've Read (I promise I've read a lot more than what's on this list!)
I can't say enough about these!!

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) - Couldn't put it down.
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)- Excellent!!
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) - A classic!! I grew up on the miniseries!
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) - Perhaps my all-time favorite book that I read in school...also love the movie!
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) - SO GOOD!
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) - Another incredible book
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd) - Very good

Books I Want to Read
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) - I wrote a paper on this once, but somehow never actually read the book :). I think I own it, though!
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) - I own this.
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) - I own this one too.
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
45. Bible - Although I've read a lot of the Bible, I've never been able to sit down and read it cover to cover...a goal of mine that I'm working on.
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez) - For the same reason as Jacque!
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)


Books I Probably Won't Read
Let me preface this by saying that I love the Lord of the Rings movies and Harry Potter, but I've never joined the craze in reading the books. I'd be much more inclined to read Harry Potter than LOTR, though.

5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
18. The Stand (Stephen King) - I love Stephen King movies, but not sure about reading his books.
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) - Seems too intimidating!
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy) - Too intimidating!
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares) - Loved the movie, but doubt I will read this.
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) - Again, LOVE the broadway production, but not sure I want to read the book.
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) - Have seen the movie numerous times, so probably won't read it.
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) - Hated this movie!
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) - I probably have read this, but can't remember. Don't really want to read it now.
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) - Has never interested me.
93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Books I've Never Heard Of
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)

A Must Read!

On Monday I wasn't feeling well, so I stayed in and read a book that my brother encouraged me to read. It is called Sex God by Rob Bell. I know you are probably thinking, "What? What kind of book would be called that?" At least that's what I thought when I first saw the book. Well, it is an amazing book about the connections between sexuality and spirituality. Rob Bell is a superb writer and he forces you to think of sexuality from a much broader point of view. A lot of it is about how we relate to other people...truly fascinating (and a quick read)! I've already ordered his first book, Velvet Elvis, which you may have heard of before and I just started reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I'll let you know if they are as good. Happy reading!

Easter Weekend

Hope you all had a nice Easter weekend! Ours was a bit crazy. It was freezing cold all weekend and we actually got some snow flurries...brrrr! My "little" brother turned 24 on Saturday and it was the first time for him to have it snow on his birthday. I still can't believe that the "baby" of our family is 24!

Our church decided to have a solo (with praise team back-up) and Tim was selected to sing. I had never actually seen him sing something like that in front of a large group of people before and I was blown away by the talent God has given him to reach people through his voice!! My mom and others were moved to tears by his voice and the words of the song. He sang "Arise, My Love." The words are listed below...very moving.

Arise, My Love

Not a word was heard at the tomb that day,
Just shuffling soldier's feet as they guarded the grave.
One day, two days, three days had passed,
Could it be that Jesus had breathed His last?

Could it be that His Father had forsaken Him,
Turned His back on His Son, despising our sin.
All hell seemed to whisper, "Just forget him, he's dead."
Then the Father looked down on His son and said,

Arise, my love! Arise, my love!
The grave no longer has a hold on you.
No more death's sting, no more suffering.
Arise, arise, my love.

The earth trembled and the tomb began to shake,
And like lightening from heaven the stone rolled away;
And as dead men, the guards stood there in fright,
As the power of love displayed its might.

Then suddenly a melody filled the air,
Riding wings of wind, it was everywhere;
The words all creation had been longing to hear,
The sweet sound of vict'ry, so loud and clear.

Arise, my love! Arise, my love!
The grave no longer has a hold on you.
No more death's sting, no more suffering.
Arise, arise, my love.

Our God is an Awesome God!!

Two things I love are photography and weather! If only I had the professional camera and photography talent of my friend Theresa. I can dream, can't I? Well, I did my best to capture the beautiful display in the sky this evening. Isn't our Creator the most amazing artist?! Enjoy the pics of springtime in Texas.

Tim's quiz

This is Tim. Just wanted to join in on the fun without the commitment to my own blog, since mostof you know I don't like reading or writing. :)



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The Answers Are...

I thought some of you might want to know the answers to my quiz so you can know random trivial information about me!

1. What year did I graduate from high school?
1995
1996
1997 - 10 year reunion coming soon!
1998

2. What is my middle name?
Michelle
Erin
Ann
Kate

3. How many siblings have?
1
2 - Joy and Darren...I'm the oldest
3
4

4. Where did I go on my honeymoon?
Jamaica
St. John
St. Thomas
Cancun

5. What is my favorite vegetable?
Corn
Carrots
Mashed Potatoes
Fried Okra - I LOVE mashed potatoes, but nothing tops fried okra!!

6. Out of the list below, what is my favorite movie?
Steel Magnolias
Beaches
When Harry Met Sally - I love all of these, but this one takes the cake!
Pretty Woman

7. Who was my first kiss?
Allen - He was a summer camp romance the summer before I went to Pepperdine (yeah, I know, I was 18 when it finally happened!)
Ryan
Jason
Tim

8. My first job was...
Hostess - I have had all of these jobs, but I was first a hostess at Steak 'N Ale.
Receptionist
Bank Teller
File Clerk

9. What is my favorite color?
Blue
Pink
Red - It used to be blue (which is why so many missed this), but now it is red.
Green

10. What was my favorite childhood book series?
Sweet Valley High
Nancy Drew - Nearly everyone selected the Babysitter's Club, but Nancy Drew was my favorite!
Babysitter's Club
Chronicles of Narnia

EWWWW!!!

Ok, so I think I witnessed the nastiest thing I've ever seen during my time as a substitute teacher! This tops the time that I actually found kindergarten poop on the floor. I had fourth grade today and for science, they have been studying owls. Do any of you know what owls eat? Well, they mainly eat rodents and because they aren't able to digest the bones and fur, they regurgitate this stuff into pellets. Isn't this the most disgusting thing you've ever heard of???!!! Well, today we began to dissect own pellets, so I had 18 crazy fourth graders going nuts trying to pull apart the fur from the bones using toothpicks. I thought I was going to be sick, but as a teacher I had to act like it was pretty cool. They kept saying, "Mrs. Kerby, come here and look at all of these rat skulls!" Gross! I have the same class tomorrow and we will be finishing the dissection and then gluing the bones on cards. Can't wait for the weekend!!

How Well Do You Know Me?

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Randomness

Well, Spring Break is officially over, but I did not get called today for work. I'm not surprised, though, considering the teachers just had a week off and most would want to be there for today. Luckily, I already have the rest of the week (except Thursday) booked!
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Tim had a great week last week at work! He got seven applications (his goal is 3-4 per week) and he exceeded his commission goal! I am very proud of him. We both agreed that if he did that every week, we'd be set. Here's hoping he has another great week!!
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Did you all know that we go to church with the mayor of McKinney? How cool is that?! We met him yesterday at church and he is a character. Last night we tried a new small group (one that the Lees have been to). I loved the people and could definitely see myself being a part of the group. They all have children already, but that doesn't make me feel out of place at all. They were so welcoming and I know I'd fit in with the girls. The problem is that Tim and I can't seem to agree on what group to be apart of. I know it seems kind of silly to fret about, but it is a somewhat important decision. I didn't think we'd ever agree on where to go to church :). He liked this new group, but he seems to fit better with the "marrieds without kids" group. I like some of them, but the girls are 4-6 years younger than me and it really makes a difference. I don't mean that in a condescending way at all, but most of them just graduated from college and it is harder for me to relate to them. Overall, the guys are younger too, but a few are closer to our age. We are probably the youngest in the group with kids, but I'd say they are probably 30-35. I just click with that group better because I feel like they are more mature and I can learn things from what they've gone through. Any ideas how to resolve this? I want us both to feel close to people at church.
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I'm reading an awesome book right now called Disappointed with God by Philip Yancey. His insight just wows me! I hope to finish it today and post about it soon if I can wrap my arms around some of the material. Hope you all have a happy Monday!

Fairfax Bonds

Did you all know how many people live in this area that once attended Fairfax? It's amazing! I'm sure there are more than we know about, but Saturday evening we had a big group over at "our" place and Tim cooked out burgers. Those in attendance included Robin and Jeremy K., Jesse and Lisa L., Andy and Melody F., Mike and Jennifer B., and the kiddos! We had such a good time catching up with everyone and talking about old times at Fairfax. I hope we get together like this more often. Can you believe how many pregnant women there are right now?!! I know so many and three out of the five women at our get together are expecting. Robin is due today with Baby K2, Melody is due in May with their second, and Lisa is due in late July with their third!

On another note, I think Tim and I have decided to place membership at Greenville Oaks in Allen. We have visited SO many churches and it feels good to finally settle on a place. It's the church where my mom and Nana go (this will be especially nice once we have kids). The preacher, Keith Maloney, is great and we also enjoy the worship led by Adam Looney. Tim and I plan to get involved in the praise team and I also plan to be a part of the Children's Ministry. Jesse and Lisa are also thinking of placing membership...it will be nice to get to worship with a couple we already know :).

Happy Birthday, Tim!

So today is Tim's 28th birthday and it is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day outside!! Lucky him...it was cold and rainy just three weeks ago on my birthday. Spring is definitely in the air and the trees are blossoming...such a nice time of year here in Texas. We don't have major plans for his special day, but we are going to go out to dinner at the restaurant of his choice, which will probably Texas Land and Cattle (a steakhouse for those of you not familiar with it). Tomorrow he is going to see some guy movie with Mike Belknap and then we are having a Fairfax C of C reunion at our place with several couples who went to church there and now live in this area. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone! I'm sure I'll update about that soon. If you get a chance, please send Tim an email (emtkerby@hotmail.com) or give him a call, so he feels that people remembered him today :)! On another note, Spring Break has started so I have an entire week off with no substituting. My goal is to get my application and resume together so that i can apply for teaching positions the following week. Keep me in your prayers!

Brain Farters Anonymous

Hi. My name is Jill and I'm embarrassed to admit that since I have been substitute teaching, I have been losing more and more brain cells every day! Those of you who know me well, know that grammar and spelling are two of my strengths. Well, the other day I was telling my mom that my lunch only "costed" two dollars! Where did that come from? The sad part is that I didn't even catch myself saying it. My mom sure had a good laugh at that one. The other story is a bit more embarrassing to share. Last week I was giving a spelling test to a group of first graders. The list included words such as "chose," "rose," and "nose." Then I came to a word that did not register in my brain..."dose." I stared at it for a while and concluded that it must be misspelled, so I decided to skip it and come back to it. I even thought about asking one of the other teachers!! All I was hearing in my head was "doze" (since the other words had the same sound) and I knew that wasn't the right word. Am I an idiot or what? Thankfully, it came to me before I really made a fool of myself! Please tell me that you have also experienced these "brain fart" moments so I don't feel quite so stupid. I'm not sure Tim will ever let me forget these :)!

Things I Love...

A - Addie
B - birthdays, beach, babies
C - Coffee Bean, Christmas
D - Dr. Pepper, diamonds
E - elementary schools, Earl Grey tea
F - Fairfax C of C, family, friends
G - gabbing
H -Heidelberg, Germany
I - Ian
J -Jamaica
K -Kerbys
L - learning
M -Malibu, CA; Memorial Drive, Mom
N - Nana, napping, new homes
O - Oklahoma, organization
P - psychology, Pepperdine University, pizza
Q -Quaker Oats oatmeal
R - Ritter Sport Nugat, reading, Rachel
S - shopping, singing
T - Tim, teaching, Tulsa
U - University of Oklahoma football
V - vegging, vacations, Virginia
W - waves in the ocean
X -xoxo
Y - Yesterday by the Beatles
Z -Zachary

Dust Bowl Days

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to live during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s? Well, we are getting just a taste of that here in Texas today. We had severe storms overnight and were warned by the meteorologists that the winds would be gusting around 50 mph today. They weren't a kiddin'!! I think all of the dirt from West Texas has now entered the Dallas area. I took my Nana to her weekly hair appointment and when we left, the sun was shining, but by the time we left (only 30 minutes later), the sun was masked by dirt and visibility was greatly reduced. I couldn't see a mile down the road. The entire sky is now brown. Signs have been knocked down, street lights are out, trees have blown over...you would think we were having a tornado! My brother is driving from Abilene to OKC today and apparently, he and his friends drove through some areas where the sky was so black they could barely see the car in front of them. Here are just a few pictures to give you an idea of what it is like here (although they don't do this justice)!

Ian

I just have to share with everyone how VERY much I love my nephew, Ian. He is an absolutely brilliant 3 year old!!! I talked to him this afternoon and you'll never believe how long we talked...a full HOUR...and he was the one doing most of the talking! How many 3 year olds do you know that will talk on the phone that long?! He was on Val's phone and she and Steve tried several times to get him to hang up with me. He kept saying, "but I don't want to" in a very sad voice. I even tried to let him go because I needed to run to the restroom, but he said, "but you can go potty and still talk to me at the same time." That's what he said to them when they told him I needed to cook dinner. How could I possibly let him go if he wanted to talk to me? I kept telling him that Uncle Bud (Tim) and I would call him tonight, but that just wasn't good enough. He wanted to talk NOW! Val finally took the phone away from him as he threw a little temper tantrum :). Thank you, Ian, for making me feel SO LOVED!!! I love you, Buddy!

Happy Friday!

Today was such a great day! I had a sub job lined up for a kindergarten class that I had on Monday afternoon. I was actually kind of dreading it...not because the kids are bad, but because kindergarteners suck the energy out of you. When the alarm went off at 6 am, I was wondering why I had accepted the job and I was not at all ready to get up and face the day. I just wanted to sleep in. Thankfully, my body was starting to wake up by the time I left the house. Amazingly, the day just flew by and I'm not even tired. I had a couple of problem children, but overall they were good. I also got to socialize with the teachers more and I was able to introduce myself to the principal and the assistant principal. This school is awesome!! By the end of the day, I already had two more teachers line me up to sub for them.

Tim has been sick all week with an upper respiratory infection...NO FUN!! He started running a fever on Monday and by Tuesday he was really sick. We had to postpone my birthday festivities because he wasn't able to leave the house with his fever and coughing. My mom and grandma did take me out to eat, which was really nice, but it just isn't the same without Tim there. On Valentine's Day, Tim was still sick so I just made dinner for the two of us and we watched tv. Thankfully he went to the doctor yesterday and was able to start taking some antibiotics last night. He still has a bad cough today, but he's feeling up to going out to celebrate! We are going to go to Cheesecake Factory tonight and see the movie Breach after dinner. I can't wait! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Just My Luck

I just got home from my second day of substitute teaching and I am exhausted!! You would not believe the days I've had. Yesterday I agreed to teach a kindergarten class. I arrived at the school at 7:30 (school starts at 8...way too early!!) and found my way to the class only to find that the room was full of Spanish words. Yep, that's right, I was subbing for one of the bilingual teachers and had 15 Hispanic kindergarteners. Those of you who know me know that I don't speak a word of Spanish other than the food items (e.g., taco, enchilada)...you catch my drift! Why aren't' there any German or French speaking children in Texas?! I would have done much better with them :)! The other teachers found it pretty humorous that it was my very first subbing experience and I couldn't speak the language!! I was supposed to take roll as soon as school started and the kids were laughing at me trying to pronounce their names. Thankfully, there were a few helpers in the class who helped me throughout the day, including translating between me and some of the other students. I had a few behavior problems, but overall, the kids were pretty good. By the way, I have decided that glue is from Satan and should definitely NOT be allowed in kindergarten! I had to laugh at the experience!

Today's class was completely different than the class I had yesterday. I agreed to teach first grade for a different school, which is located in a subdivision that I would love to live in one day. Despite what you read below, I think first grade is for me. My class looked like a good group of kids, but I found out quickly that I had some real troublemakers. Four of the boys in that class were horrendous!! I'm pretty stern with kids, but no matter what I did, they would not mind me. Two of them were especially bad because they were the mean type and would kick and punch the desks. Having four trouble makers can even stir up the good kids by lunchtime. One of the troublemakers had a birthday today and his mom left cupcakes for the entire class. I really did not want to give them to those who were misbehaving, but it is hard to know what to do when it isn't your class. At 1:00 all of the first graders go to Specials (art, music, pe, or computer lab) and the teachers have lunch together. I was so lucky to get to work with such awesome teachers (yesterday I did not get much support)!! They were women that I would definitely be friends with. When they started asking me about how it was going, without even realizing that they were coming, tears streamed down my face. I was pretty embarrassed to let the kids get to me like that and for the other teachers to see me for fear they wouldn't want me to sub for them, but I was at my wits end. The other teachers told me that I had the worst class and that the regular teacher lets them get away with too much. They promised me that I was doing the right thing and that it wasn't me. One teacher was so infuriated with the boys that she had a big talk with them and punished them by not letting them go to the pep rally this afternoon. Instead, they had to go to another room and write sentences. I almost felt bad for them, but not really!

The pep rally was pretty cool. Apparently, this school has one every Friday afternoon so that everyone (well, most everyone!) goes home on a good note. There are a few opening talent show acts, then lots of dancing and cheering, and finally a cheer competition where the grade with the most spirit gets the spirit stick for the week. Pretty cool, huh? Anyway, I took the kids back to the class after the pep rally to get their things before they headed home and the four troublemakers brought me a stack of papers that read, "I will make better choices" along with apology notes. One even actually showed remorse and apologized to me. I thought that was nice and I couldn't help but smile. It was a rough day, but I'm learning and I know it won't be my last! TGIF!!