True Love

I not only have found my true love, but he really is my best friend. I used to wonder how people would say that about their spouse....until I met Barry...now I know!!

I don't love a lot of country music, but I do like Rascal Flatts. The song Bless the Broken Road really hits home for me. I feel like Barry and I both went through all the things we did to find one another. It may sound dorky, but I just really connect to the lyrics of this song. I've even cried while listening to it while driving down the road...ha! That's not tough for a sensitive girl like me. I thank God everyday for bringing Barry into my life!!!

Bless the Broken Road

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

Thankful Thursday

I have so many things to be Thankful for, I don't even know where to begin! I'm going to do bullets this week!

• Not counting today, I have 3.5 days left until I start my Christmas Vacation!! I cannot wait!! I love teaching, but I am always ready for some time off. I definitely feel the need this year because we are going to Michigan for the break!!! I can't wait to hold that big ole baby! He has gotten soooo big since I've seen him in October. I am thrilled to be spending over a week with my family and getting to see my friends. We are driving so we can take Sam. I could never leave him in a kennel for almost 2 weeks and he loves his "grandma" so he will be excited to see my mom.
• I'm thankful that I have an amazing husband. He puts up with me when I'm having a bad day and I'm grumpy. He supports my crazy crafty ideas of late. He loves Sam, even when he has to get up and go to the door 5 or more times because Sam has decided to make a game out of "asking" to come inside. Ha! Sam knows how to push Barry's buttons for sure. That dog will usually come in right away for me, but with Barry, NO WAY!! Barry will go with me to take Sam for walks, even when it is cold! I'm loving the cold weather, but of course I'm used to it. We went last week to a nearby college campus for a walk with Sam and it was beautiful...all decorated for Christmas.
• That leads me to Sam. As much as he does drive us crazy with his "black lab" ways....I love that dog! I've had Sam since he was a tiny baby! He was just 5 lbs when I got him and not even 6 wks old. Now he's a giant monster dog. Some people don't get my love for that dog, they must not be animal lovers! Sam kept me company when I lived alone. I think back on his puppy days and wish he was still that small, chubby and cuddly, but now he is big and cuddly. He is 1 1/2 yrs old and still thinks he is little. He crawls right up into my lap and snuggles. Last night I laid down on the couch and he got right on top of me and went to sleep. He's a faithful friend.
• I work at an amazing school! I know I haven't written in detail much about my school this year, but I am so happy with my move to Texas because my school has turned out to be so great. That was really the only worry I had when I moved here. I knew things with Barry would be wonderful, I knew I could make friends, I was just concerned about moving to a new school. My school in Michigan was amazing!! I worked with some of my closest friends and we had the best time together. I knew so many parents and kids from our school and felt right at home. It was truly my dream job. Well, my school here is great too! I have made some truly wonderful friends that I can't imagine never meeting. I have great administrators and a great team to work with. The rest of the teachers and staff are so friendly and helpful! My kids are fun although at times exhausting, but more fun than anything else. I say all this to tell you that yesterday the staff had a wedding shower for me. It was so special and very touching. I was blown away by how many people attended. Our school is quite big...in size and numbers. There are two floors and I don't know everyone very well. I don't often see the kinder or first grade teachers and yet everyone attended. It made me feel a part of this place and the people. It meant so much to me that they did this for me.
• I may not be posting next week because we will be on the road to MICHIGAN!!!! My posting from MI will be rare, if at all. My mom does not have internet access so I will need to post from my sister's house if I post. Not sure I'll want to leave Cooper alone in order to post. I hope everyone has a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Crafty, Crafty, Crafty!!!

I've been in a crafty mood lately! I've started making these decorated clipboards and selling them to teachers at my school for $10. I've also got a couple orders from my mother-in-law for herself and a teacher she works with. Some of the teachers at my school ordered for themselves, others ordered as Christmas gifts for other teachers or children. I think they make a fun gift idea for $10.
I also made a CUTE, CUTE, CUTE Christmas Card holder! I bought a plain white tin at Hobby Lobby and decorated it. I used Mod Podge to put on some pretty "Christmasy" paper and stickers. Then I added some more embellishments on top of that. I think it turned out super cute!

I'm in such a crafty mood, who knows what will be next!! Stay tuned!

The front view of my clipboard. This is for a student in my school district. I used our school colors. I can't find my picture of the back. It has the cutest black paw prints. We are the Coyotes!


The front view of my Christmas card holder. It's so much cuter in person. This picture is a bit dark! I used paper, stickers, embellishments and ribbon. I think I am going to switch the ribbon for something more muted and add some "jingle bells" to it! I just think this is darling!


Here's a too shiny view of the back.


Another pic of the back


One of the sides.


The other side...more paper and stickers.

Sunday Scripture

This is more for myself than for anyone else. I wanted to start writing down some of my favorite scriptures and spending some time thinking about them so I decided Sunday was a great day to do it. I don't usually have a lot going on Sunday afternoons so it's a good time for me to sit and reflect. I've been reading Philippians recently so I chose something from that book that I've always loved.

Philippians 4:6-7
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I have to remember this everyday. I am not a worrier by nature, but I do start to worry if things don't go the way I think they should. I need to spend more time in prayer and be thankful for all the things I do have and the things that do go my way instead of worrying about the other stuff. I know that peace comes through God and my prayers to Him certainly do help quiet my heart.

Please feel free to add a comment with your favorite scriptures or any that you have been thinking about lately.

Enjoy your Sunday!

My New Look

Do you just LOVE my new look??!!! Jennisa did such an amazing job!! I can't thank her enough! If you need a blog makeover, she's your girl.
Check out her site here

Thanks, Jenissa!!

Thankful Thursday

I read several blogs that have a "Thankful Thursday" post each week. I decided to give it a try. Everyone who reads my blog...all three of you :) know I'm not very good about blogging on a regular basis, but this is something I want to do on a regular basis. So here's the first of many Thankful Thursday posts.

I have so many things to be thankful for in my life right now. Something I am most thankful for is my marriage. I love Barry more and more each day. He is showing himself to be a truly amazing man. More so than I ever imagined. :) We pray together all the time, but we've started praying together in bed before we go to sleep at night. We talk about the people we want to pray for, things that are on our minds and then we pray about them. This time with him really makes me feel closer to him. It is something that was very important to both of us and the fact that he is such a good spiritual leader is something I am so thankful for. I know that when the time comes for us to have children, he is going to be the most amaizing dad! I am truly thankful for this wonderful man!

Have I mentioned how wonderful my mom is? She is a wonderful mother. I am so thankful for her and her example to me. She has been through many tough times in her life and suffered many losses, but she still has faith in God and loves Him so much. I am thankful she was my example growing up and my example now.

I have married into the most wonderful family. Barry's parents have made me feel welcome since the day I met them. They have welcomed me into their family with open arms and made me feel like such an important part of their family. I am truly blessed to have them as my in-laws. They raised Barry to be the man he is and they did a great job! I am thankful I have them in my life.

This might not be quite as nice as the previous three, but I am SOOOOO thankful I will soon have a vacation! I am thrilled to have the days off from school that we will have. It's not enough...believe me...but it's better than nothing. I am exhausted from teaching. Don't get me wrong...I love it! I just need a break. I am thankful for each child in my room, even the ones that know just how to push my buttons, but I'm ready for several days away from them. :)

I'll leave it at that for my first week. I could go on and on, but I do need to do some other things. I'm glad I've decided to do this! It really makes my heart feel glad to put down into words the thoughs that are on my heart already.

For those who truly believe

The teacher in me decided to start something new. I love, love, love children's literature! I probably have over 1000 children's books in my classroom. That's not counting the books I given away over the years to students who had a favorite of mine or the others that have been "loved" so much they fall apart. I've decided that one day each week (not any specific day...I'm not a good enough blogger for that) I will designate a post of a favorite children's book. Since this is my favorite time of year, it's only fitting I share my favorite Christmas book.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg




I doubt there are many if any people that read this blog, who have not read this wonderful book. I read it each and every year to my class. I remember the year the movie came out, I was excited and sad at the same time. I couldn't imagine that the movie could even compare to the book, although it does! I also knew that after children saw the movie the book wouldn't be as special to them. For some this is true, but for those true book lovers, they don't mind that they've seen the movie.

What I love most about this book is the imagery that Chris Van Allsburg creates in with his choice of words. Even without the beautiful pictures, the words enable students to create pictures and movies in their minds. This book allows those children who really want to believe in Santa a bit longer, to do just that.

From the moment the story begins until the very last page, the reader is swept up into the story. I love that this book is written from the perspective of the little boy who is now all grown up.

It begins like this: "On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound -- a sound a friend had told me I'd never hear -- the ringing of Santa's sleigh.

'There is no Santa,' my friend had insisted, but I knew he was wrong."

Instead of the ringing bells, he hears the hissing of steam. The young boy leaves his warm bed and boards "The Polar Express" for a non-stop trip to the North Pole. We follow him on his journey to the frozen north. Once he enters the North Pole, he is the lucky child, chosen by Santa Claus to choose the first gift of Christmas. What does he choose? A simple, silver bell from the reindeer's harness on Santa's sleigh. Unfortunately, we discover that he has lost the bell as the train is pulling out of the station. Of course this is a Christmas book so it has to have a happy ending. Santa finds it on the seat of his sleigh and leaves it under the boy's tree and he discovers it on Christmas morning.

The boy and his little sister admire the beauty of the sound it makes when he rings it, but their parents say, "Oh, that's too bad....It's broken."

The book ends with the following (which just happens to be my very favorite part of the entire book):

"At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”

If you don't have it, go out and buy this treasure of a book!

We did it!!

On November 20th I married my dearest friend and the man I love more than I ever imagined I could. We had a very simple ceremonly with just the two of us and the minister. There was also someone there to take picutes, but we don't have a lot of great ones. I'll postone we took before the service in our backyard. We took it ourselves so of course it's not too great. But it's us and we are happy!! I'll post more when I have more time and I'm not heading to bed. We are babysitting for a friend of mine that had surgery today. Her five year old daughter is staying with us for a couple of days. She has kept us busy tonight, but we have loved every minute of it!!
I am so thankful that God brought Barry into my life. I look forward to soooo many happy years with him. Life is so good!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thought I'd start with something funny!

I have so many things to be thankful for this year!

• I have the most amazing man in my life. He is kind, loving and supportive of my dreams. He has a sense of humor that makes me laugh out loud so very often. He has a faith in God and in our love that doesn't waver. For all of those things and so many more I am thankful that God put him in my life.



• I have the most supportive family a girl could ask for. My mom has always been there to encourage me when things were good and especially when things were not so good. She has been a role model for me and a true inspiration. My sister has been through a lot in her life, but has always kept a sense of humor. Julie will tell it like it is and though it may be hard to hear at times, it's usually what I need to hear. She is the most wonderful mother to the most beautiful baby boy! Our family has so much to be thankful for with the arrival of Cooper this year. It was a tough pregnancy for her and we were often worried, but God knew that we needed this little boy in our lives. I thank Him everyday for keeping Julie and Cooper safe.



• Friends....wow! I have some good ones! I've got the truest, bluest friends! My friends have also been there for me when times were tough! They have supported me in my worst times, cried with me when I needed that and laughed with me at all sorts of funny things. I truly do have the best friends. Not a day goes by that I don't miss my friends back in Michigan. Lucky for me, I have lots of minutes on my cell phone and what would I do without the internet?? I have also made some dear friends here in Texas. I am so thankful for all of you that are in my life.



• Barry's family has been so wonderful since the day I met them. They have welcomed me into their family and made me feel a part of it right since the beginning. His parents are the kindest, caring, helpful and thoughtful parents. I am lucky to be part of their family. I am thankful that they have encouraged and helped Barry to become the man he is. Barry's brother, sister-in-law and their children have also been terrific. They have made me feel so comfortable from day one. Their children are lots of fun and I love spending time with them. I am just thankful for Barry's entire family.



• I have so many other things I am thankful for, but those are the main ones. I have a very blessed life right now. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to take time to tell the people you love how much you appreciate them.

Choose Love

24 years ago yesterday my dad passed away. He was 48 years old and had a heart attack at work. His best friend was there and said it was quick and he was gone before he hit the floor. He tried CPR and said there was just nothing he could do. Given the choice between a quick death or a long and painful death, I think we'd all choose quick. My dad left behind two daugters, one 12 and the other 10, as well as a wife who loved him deeply. He was truly the love of her life and she his. How do I know this? Not just by their actions, but also because my mom still says that. After all these years, my mom has never remarried or even dated. It makes me sad at times that she is alone, but it also makes me happy. To know that my parents were so in love that my mom doesn't feel she could ever find anyone who would even compare to my dad is pretty amazing. We live in an age now where some people marry and divorce as often as some women buy new bras. It really is a testament to the type of love and committment my parents shared. That type of love requires a deep committment and dedication to one another. I know that there must have been times that weren't always easy for them. They had to have went through some struggles, but they made a choice. They chose to love one another each day, even when they were mad at one another or when times were tough. They chose to remain committed to one another and to take their vows seriously. They chose to honor God with their marriage and to raise a family where God was the center. I know this because in those 12 years I had with my mom AND dad, I had the most wonderful childhood. I felt secure in the love my parents had for us as well as for eachother. I never doubted my parents love for one another or for my sister or me. My childhood was happy and full of joy. So today, I honor not only my father, but more importantly my mother. You see, even after my dad died, she continued to raise us in a way that would have made my dad so very proud of her. She has truly been an inspiration to me. I know that my marriage to Barry will not always be easy, but I will love him just like my mom and dad loved one another.

Michigan in the Fall

There's just really no place like Michigan in the Fall. I absolutely love the beautiful colors and chilly temps! I miss waking up to that brisk Autumn air and watching the sunrise on my drive into school. I miss wearing a jacket or vest to stay warm. I miss the smell of the leaves and of the campfires the neighbors have. Yes, it's true, there really is no place like Michigan in the Fall!!

I just spent an action packed weekend in Michigan. It was a fast trip and I was busy most of the time, but I am thrilled I made the trip. I spent most of my time with my family, specifically the sweetest baby ever...Cooper. I was also able to see a few friends and many students from last year when I stopped by the school that where I used to teach. Since there really weren't many big events to tell about from the weekend, I'll let a few pictures do the talking!

Have a great week everyone!

Look at Cooper's blue eyes!

Soooo serious! He wasn't loving those leaves.

He is just such a cutie!

Look at that smile!

Me with my mom and Cooper

Ready for some cool weather...

The title says it all. This sweet little guy is ready for some cooler weather. I am heading to Michigan tomorrow night and can't wait to see him!!! I feel like I am missing so much of his life and it is hard. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely happy right now, but I can't help but feel like I am missing out on so much of Cooper's life. Good thing I love to fly. I'll have LOTS of pictures to share from this weekend.

Proposals, Weddings, and More...

Life doesn't always make sense when we are in the midst of it, but later on when we are able to look back, it makes perfect sense. At times, my life hasn't taken the course I expected it to, but now I know why!! Barry asked me to marry him! He is truly the man I prayed for God to send me. I've never believed there was just one person for everyone. But, I have always believed that God would lead me to a man I prayed about and asked Him for. He did! Barry has so many amazing qualities. I wanted to marry someone who was a christian that would be a spriritual leader for our family and Barry is that for sure. I truly wanted to find someone who I could trust and would never betray me. I know how important that is to him as well. Barry makes me laugh...sometimes at things he says, sometimes at the way he says them. He is kind and thoughtful and quite the romantic. He loves his family...and mine....and he wants to have a family of his own...I know he will be a wonderful father. Most of all I prayed for a man who would be my friend....who I would just enjoy hanging out with and he is definitely that man!
During his proposal, Barry said a lot of things, but one that really sticks out is the fact that he wants to keep God at the center of our relationship and that he knows that if He is, then we can make it through anything. Even though he knows we will have tough times, he knows we can make it if we trust each other and God. I couldn't agree more!

We've decided on a date for the beginning of our life together...December 31st. It might sound a bit cliche, but it has some special meaning for us. We had been talking for a while and that was the day we realized we liked eachother and wanted to spend some time getting to know one another better. We spent the entire day talking. :) We don't have many details yet, but we hope to make some decisions soon. We know it will be small and very meaningful to both of us.

Here's a picutre from a couple weekends ago. We went to his parent's house for his mom's birthday. What a fun day!

Odds and Ends

I just can't seem to make time to update my blog on a regular basis. I was going to make a new header for the fall tonight and then couldn't stay with it long enough to get it done. Soooo....I went with a default format for now with some minor adjustments to the color. Let me know if it's too hard on the eyes.

School has been keeping me busy! I am enjoying it, but once again I seem to volunteer for too many things! Ha! Some things just never change. Barry didn't have any games to officiate on Saturday so we got to spend the entire day together. It was great! We went to lunch and then just ran some errands. We also stopped and checked out some new developments closer to where I am teaching. Well, let me just say that the developers must not think people want a backyard. The yards were soooo small!!! His current house has a great backyard and also a pool. The houses we looked at have a TINY backyard and not even room for a kiddie pool. We just couldn't see paying so much more for so much less. His house is older, but he has done soooo much work on it and it is really perfect for us right now. It has an open floorplan which we want in anything we buy down the road. For now, we have decided that we aren't going to make any plans right now. We weren't planning on doing anything right this second anyway....just for anyone who is curious. We aren't engaged yet, just doing some planning for the future. :) We are enjoying spending time together and seeing one another more than once a month. As hard as it was for me to move, my moving here has been a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know one another even better. We know that God has great things planned for us. I feel very blessed to have Barry in my life.

I'm flying back to Michigan at the end of the month. I'll get to see my family...especially one adorable little baby!!! Julie is even going to let me keep Cooper overnight. I can't wait to see everyone. It will be a short, but fun trip. Hopefully, I'll have some great pics of Cooper to share. Julie isn't too good at taking pictures and forwarding them on to me.
I'll try to update more regularly for those few who actually read my page. For now, I'll leave you with a couple pics.

A cold evening visit to grandma's house needed the fleece one piece outfit. Not even sure what to call it. I think he looks so sweet sleeping in his carseat. Of course I am bias!!

Sam and KC playing around the pool. Sam would not leave that poor girl alone!

Why do we do what we do?

Two weeks have flown by so fast. I checked my blog and couldn't believe it had been so long since I posted. School has kept me busy. I work with a great team of teachers and have a fun group of students who definitely keep me on my toes. I'm enjoying my time with Barry. Have I mentioned what a truly good guy he is? I am so lucky to have found him!

I have to share a story from school I need to share from this week. "Sally" is a girl in my class that apparently was mad at the world last year. She hated school and didn't care to do much work at all that was assigned to her. This year she has a new best friend and so far says she loves school. She slipped me a note the first week of school at the end of the day. It was soooo cute. She wrote..."Dear Ms. _____ You rock! Not only are you a good teacher, but my new best friend." She went on to say, "Since you are my new best friend I might as well tell you who I like." She then proceeds to name her #1 crush. BUT...doesn't stop with that. She goes on to name three other boys that she has "smaller crushes" on. How cute is that?!!! I know some teachers may not appreciate note passing, but it just makes my day for a child to trust me enough to share some personal info. with me. :)

This week we have been working on writing "lively leads" during process writing. "Sally" as I mentioned hated school last year and rarely wrote. Well, Wednesday we worked on three different types of leads. I had the students write a lead to any story they chose for each of those three types. Not the entire story....just the lead. "Sally" has a colorful home life so she has many life experiences that many 5th graders haven't had to face. When I read her leads it reminded me of just what kind of things many kids face at home...when I asked her to share her experience that prompted her to write these leads I was near tears.

#1
I'll never forget his watery, blue eyes or his bright, red, cherry lips. I'll remember the
sound of his sweet, sweet voice and remember the love we shared, heart to heart."
#2
"Wow, look how shiny the coffin is," said my sister "Carrie". Brian is dead and you are
happy, that is so wrong," I replied sadly.
#3
I know I have to let go, Brian is never coming back. It's hard to do, but I have to move
on. I'll always love him, but it's time to say goodbye.

Ok...so maybe reading them online, they don't quite evoke the same kind of emotion as they did when I read them in class. But, you also can't see this sweet child standing in front of you with tears in her eyes. When I gently asked her what the story was behind these leads she told me this story.
I knew Brian for seven years. He was a friend and the love of my life. (sweet 5th grade
love) He was taken away from him mom and put in a foster home. They said his mom
was not a good mom to him. Brian had asthma and the people he was staying with didn't
have his inhaler. So when Brian had an asthma attack, they didn't have his medicine for
him and he died right there. (I'm barely holding back the tears by this point.) He was only 10
years old when he died and it was stupid for it to happen.
WOW! I already know that "Sally" doesn't have the life of so many children with parents that have a lot to give her. She has many reasons to hate life as her previous teachers told me, but this just broke my heart. I told her that this was soooo powerful and it made me so proud that she was in my class. That as much as I love to teach writing, I love to read student writing even more. I felt that she has a story inside of her about Brian and told her so. I made a deal with her....if she writes the story this year, I'll help her edit it and then I'll find someone to publish it. Even if it's just for us. There are those companies out there that will do it. She was beaming as the tears threatened to spill over her eyelids. I asked her if I could read it to the rest of the class and she graciously agreed. I think the students were shocked to see this type of writing from her. She enjoyed the praise from the class...I don't think it has happened a lot in the past.

You see....to me...this is what teaching is all about. If I can make a difference in the life of one child, I will have made a difference in the world. But, the real truth is that she has made a difference in my life and that makes me a better person. I learn from kids like "Sally" and all the others than I ever imagined when I began my teaching career.

Long Overdue!

Wow! It's been ages since I've posted anything. Not that I have many followers. Julie and mom...you better be reading! So much has happened since my last post I'm not sure where to begin.

I'm safely settled in Texas. Well, maybe settled isn't the right word. I'm here! I started back to work a week after my arrival so I hastily unpacked and still have some stuff to work on. I'm a bit of a neat freak and have to organize things my own way so that took a bit of time. Especially in the kitchen. I really only need to work on the office. That's had to wait since I've started back to school.

I love my new school. The building is only two years old and absolutely beautiful! I'm teaching 5th grade...well I am going to be teaching 5th grade. The students don't actually start until the 27th. There are many new teachers that were hired this year and we have a really great staff as well as a wonderful principal and assistant principal. I believe it's going to be a great year!
It's been great getting to see Barry everyday and spend time together. Of course he abandoned me pretty quick for a few days in Houston and he's in New Orleans this week. His company keeps him busy this time of year. It's been tough because I don't have anyone to come and let Sam out so I can't spend as much time in my classroom as I would like to. Of course I suppose that could also be a good thing!

I'll share some funny stories about our drive from Michigan to Texas another time. Barry flew to Michigan and spent a couple days before we drove 18 hours to Texas. We had Sam and the two cats with us. Need I say more? Right now, I'm going to work on some school stuff.
I'll share some pictures from Barry's short time in Michigan as well as some pictures of Cooper. They are some of my favorites so far. Of course if I got any new ones sent to me on a regular basis I might be able to update with newer ones. HINT HINT! :)

One of the pictures I took for his birth announcement. In just LOVE this one!

Since the night he was born he's loved to put his arms above his head. He wiggles out of his blanket after Julie swaddles him. He wants to be free! :)

Cooper sleeping on our drive to Lexington Michigan to show Barry Lake Huron.

Barry and me (with Cooper). We bundled him all up because it was so windy.

Julie, me (holding Cooper...I'm a baby hog!) and mom

Sweet Baby Boy

Here are some of my favorite pics of Cooper so far. He is just such a sweetie! I am hoping to go spend some time with him tomorrow. I have been trying to pack and once that's done, I'm free! My moving truck comes on Wednesday and then I plan to leave the following Saturday or Sunday (Aug 4 or 5).

Enjoy the pics of this cutie!

It's a BOY!!

Not that the boy part comes as a surprise, but he was not scheduled to be born until the 27th. He had other plans. Cooper Martin entered the world at 10:04 p.m. on July 16th. Just in time to make it on his favorite aunt's birthday!!! That would be me!!

Cooper weighed 8 lbs and 4 oz. He was 19 inches long and has the fuzziest soft blonde hair. :) He is doing great and my sister is tired but also doing well. They will get to go home in the morning. I have to finish packing so I can spend time with them next week. My brother in law goes back to work and my mom has until the end of the month until she "semi-retires" so I'm more than happy to help out!!

Here I am holding him for the very first time. We didn't get to hold him until the next morning. They monitored him that first night until the wee hours of the morning because he still had some fluid on his lungs. I guess that can happen with c-section babies. He is doing just great now!

One Man's Trash...

I've been going through my apartment and trying to decide what to keep and what to sell. It's given me a chance to organize things even more than they already were in preparation for my move. My sale pile already takes up a third of my living room. While I've been going through all my stuff, I've come to realize something....I have a lot of stuff that I don't really need. Don't get me wrong, I'm not much of a pack rat. I don't hold on to useless things, I'm not a collector of frogs of any other items. Ok...I take that back. I do collect pitchers. Yes, pitchers. I have them on the top of my kitchen cabinets, I use them to hold my kitchen utensils and I also keep fresh flowers in one on my kitchen bar area. I started with just a couple from my grandmother and then I'd find an interesting one at an antique store ar an art fair and purchase it. The more unique or antique they are the better. That is my one and only collection and they won't go near the sale pile. I have however went through many items and thought..."Do I really need this?" or "When was the last time I used this?" If I can't remember, it goes in the sale pile. I must say I have some nice stuff. Of course it could be considered junk to other people. I have a lot of nice clothes that are too big for me now....which is a great thing. But as I was washing and folding it all, I realized I missed a lot of those cute clothes! Then I started to think of the last places I wore those outfits. What I was doing, who I was doing it with. As I went through all of the things for my sale, I did the same thing. Garage sales are more about memories than making money or purging unwanted items from your home. I think that's why it is so hard for people to decide what to get rid of. Each item has a special memory associated with it. Some good....some bad. But, they are all memories. It's fun to take that stroll down memory lane, but the real fun is in knowing that even when I sell my junk, it will be someone elses treasure and it will create new memories for those people.

Texas...Here I come!

Well, the decision has been made...I'm moving to Texas. I accepted a job in Anna, Texas. I'll be teaching 5th grade language arts and social studies. I'm thrilled...I couldn't be happier about teaching language arts for a big part of the day!! Now I have to make some more decisions and do some major packing, and have a garage sale. The fact that I am over 1000 miles away makes it a bit difficult! Barry has been checking into soooo many things in Texas and we have decided on a moving company. For just a couple hundred dollars more we can have someone else do all the heavy lifting and carrying things down the stairs from my apartment. Was there really even anything to consider there?? The movers are coming July 27th & 28th. I have SOOOO much to do. I want to have a garage sale sometime before I pack everything up. Just thinking about it gives me a headache!

I haven't settled on a date when I will actually leave. I have to be here for the birth of my nephew! My sister is due July 26th, but her doctor told her last week they will most likely do a c-section. Cooper is breech and is already too big to turn. I guess when your husband was over 12 lbs the chances of you having a big baby are pretty good too. With all of her past health problems, I think it is really the best choice. After Cooper is born, I'll have a bit of time here before I head off to Texas. I begin school on the 13th so I want to get there and have a bit of time to get settled before I have to get back into the swing of things with work. I'm sure it's going to be a busy and crazy time, but I'm also sure it will be exciting! As sad as I am to leave my family and friends here in Michigan, I am happy too. A new chapter in my life is about to start!