MIA

I haven't had much to blog about and at the same time I've had LOTS to blog about. I guess I just haven't felt much like blogging. Everything is good here, but haven't felt the need to blog. I've been busy with friends, church activities, teaching and even a visit from my mom and my best friend both from Michigan (at separate times). It's amazing what can happen in just under three months.

A friend at work got me hooked on the Twi1ight books. I was absolutely NOT going to read them! I am not a big fan of v@mpire books so I had no desire to read these. Tricia kept telling me I needed to try them so I brought the first one home and read it in a weekend. I am on book 3 right now and have totally LOVED them! What is it about these books that has a 37 year old hooked?

Barry has a new job that he really enjoys, except when it's driving him crazy. ha! I guess most jobs are like that at times. It keeps him busy and he gets to help others so that is a bonus! He has been spending his evenings with his seedlings and getting his garden ready to plant.

I am going to try and get back in the swing of blogging. I'll leave you with some pictures for today. These are in no particular order....just pics of what's been going on in my life lately.

I took some pictures for friends of their kids in the Bluebonnets. If you aren't from around here you won't get it. I know I had never heard of Bluebonnet pictures before moving to TX.

Here I am with my friend Nikki at our church ladies retreat. This is right before we did the zip line! Soooo fun!

These next several ones are from my Christmas Vacation trip to Michigan. I have soooo many pics from that time, but I just love these of Cooper in the snow. It was his first big experience with his snowsuit on. He had a hard time getting around so my sister cleared a path for him.

Not sure what these two goofs are looking at....Sam had to get in on the action though...he is sooooo nosey!

I found this picture again today. I absolutely love it. It is Barry's grandpa at the nephews football game. He had no idea I was taking his picture.

That's all for now!

I Am In LOVE!!!!

Yes, it's true...I am in love...and I'm not talking about my husband here. Of course I am in love with him also, but that's not what this post is about. I am in love with these. I made them tonight and had to stop myself at four....FOUR....I scarfed down four of these babies before I even took a breath. They have some of my very favorite ingredients...bacon, cream cheese and jalapenos.

I found the recipe at The Pioneer Woman. I'm sure most of you have been to her site many times...unless you've been hiding under a rock. I adore her website. One of the main reasons I like her site is because she is just so funny. She also has some great photography she posts on a regular basis. The other main attraction is her cooking. She posts pictures to go with all of her recipes. She walks you through the recipe with not only directions, but pictures. My cooking wouldn't win any contests, although I'm a pretty good cook. However, you can't go wrong with her step by step, picture directions.

Ok...I need to go...I think I need one more of those babies while I watch some American Idol! I made a small batch of these Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies tonight, but might make a big batch to take to our small group Super Bowl party on Sunday.

If you can, please go say hi to my friend Shellie. She is 24 weeks pregnant and was admitted to the hospital this week. Shellie is an amazing person who has really inspired me. Her faith in God during some of the most terrible times is what has inspired me the most. We can all trust God when times are good, but Shellie trusts him even in the dark times. Go read her story and say a prayer for her and her baby boy. You won't regret it! Thanks!

Horse Story

I've been a terrible blogger lately. Someday soon I plan to catch up on our wonderful Christmas in Michigan with my family and fantastic New Year in Oklahoma with Barry's family. Until then...I leave you with a picture that has been sent to me by a couple different friends. As a teacher, I find it soooo funny and actually laughed out loud when I read it. Enjoy!

Sick

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"


Yep, that's me! Not quite, but I have been sick for about a week. I finally went to the doctor yesterday and I am indeed sick....Acute bronchitis with exacerbated asthma. I guess that means that the bronchitis has made my asthma even worse. My doctor is super! She gave me two shots, a breathing treatment, two new inhalers to take home with me as well as another medicine for my asthma and three prescriptions that I picked up after I left her office. I was also told to keep taking my Mu*cinex, drink lots of liquids and get some rest. Then she told me I could not go back to work for the next two days. So I trudged myself back to school and got some sub plans ready and called a sub to come in for the next two days. How awful is that to miss the last two days before Christmas Vacation??? I am going to miss the party and everything. I'm sad about it, but I know I need to get some rest. I could tell today when I got up to try and get somethings done around here. We leave bright and early Saturday morning for Michigan so I do have stuff to do. I'm just trying not to overdo it.

This is such a busy time of year. We've been busy since before Thanksgiving. I guess that's why I haven't posted on here in so long. My mom came for about 12 days over Thanksgiving and we had a great visit!! Barry's family came down for Thanksgiving and the day after. We did our traditional night of and day after shopping. Got some great deals and have a great time. Since then I've been working and getting my decorating done as well as lots of other stuff. We finally hired another kindergarten teacher so I no longer have 24 kids. I now have 16....and let me tell you...it is a dream!! I have loved it!!

I hope everyone has a great holiday season! I may not post until we get home. Just depends on how busy we are. I'll have lots of great pictures to post. I get to see my favorite little guy in just a few days!

My Latest Crafty Project

What's a girl to do when she has a husband who is gone most evenings? This girl has been spending many of her evenings being crafty. Here's a look at my craft project from last night. It's a leaf topiary.



Fun and relatively easy to make!

Molly the Attack Cat

Molly is my 14 yr old sweetie. I rescued her from a tree in my mom's backyard after I graduated from college in December of 1994. She was a scrawny kitten that had been sleeping in a cedar tree. She had become friends with our family dog and at times thought she was a dog. She was also the friendliest cat I'd ever met. She loved us at once. She would follow me around the house, the yard or wherever I went.

Molly got herself in the "family way" less than a year later. The tomcat in the neighborhood attacked her, broke her back and in the process "knocked her up"...those are the words my vet used at the time. Molly delivered her litter of kittens on my birthday and even though my mom, sister and I said NO more cats for us! We each ended up keeping one. My mom had Rudy. He was just like his mother....friendly, loving and a best friend to my mom. Unfortunately, Rudy got cancer and my mom had to end his pain last year. It was a very hard time for her. He was her companion and friend. Julie gave Thomas away long ago, but I still have CB (it stands for cry baby...because she was the most vocal of the litter). Molly has been with me through thick and thin. I'm not one of those crazy cat loving girls that will have 50 cats someday, but I do love my girls.

Molly and Sam have never been best friends. He was a rambunctious puppy and she's an older girl who likes her peace and quiet. She didn't love his running and jumping ways so she hid when he was inside. It's just been in the last several months that she's decided she is the queen of the castle and has taken back her home. If Sam gets too close, she hisses and slaps at him. He doesn't seem to mind much, he just backs off.

A couple weeks ago I was home alone working on some crafty stuff. Barry had a game so that's my time to do my thing. Sam was playful and went into his "spaz out" mode. He runs around, jumping and barking. He goes from one room to another and comes back barking at me. Well, Molly had been quietly napping in her basket when she saw Sam jump at me (in a harmless way) while he was barking. I was playing right a long with him, yelling as loud as I could. hehe Out of nowhere, Molly comes flying across the room, hissing, growling and slapping the tar out of Sam. He of course backed off. At this point, I'm intrigued. Is my cat protecting me from the dog? Or is she just annoyed that he is disturbing her sleep? I start playing with Sam and yelling at the same time just to see what will happen. Sure, enough, she comes back at him. I just couldn't believe that she was protecting me. I know what some of you readers are thinking..."yeah right!" That's exactly what Barry thought when I told him about it.

That's what he thought until one night this week when Sam was his wild, playful self again. He was barking at me and I was yelling and playing with him. Barry was on the couch and out of nowhere, Molly the Attack Cat (that's what I've nicknamed her now) came out of nowhere. She would not let up on him....as long as I screamed she hissed at him and pawed him. Lucky for Sam, she was de-clawed long ago. Sam decided to slink away and leave that crazy cat alone. Barry and I were laughing hysterically. We've decided if we ever have an intruder, Molly will do a better job of protecting us than Sam.

I Voted!

I got up early this morning so I could vote before I went to work. I was at our precinct at 6:30 this morning and was the first person in line!! I waited until they opened their doors at 7:00, proudly walked in and cast my vote. As I was leaving, I asked the gentleman working if I could get an "I voted" sticker. His response was, "I wish I could give you one, but we don't have any." How can that be? How can a voting center not have any "I voted" stickers??? It's a shame too because I was hoping to stop by Starbucks and get my free coffee. What's your voting day story? Hopefully everyone got in and out just as fast as I did!