Marching On.

Here we are - almost through the month of January. Basketball season has started for Emma and Tripp. Eli is already doing soccer practice and his "official" season starts in a month. We have four months of school left. Eli has three college hours this semester. That will put him at nine, and with nine added in his senior year, and ACT-testing out of English 101 and 102, that will have him graduating with 24 college hours. Holy moly! That is a full year under his belt. Speaking of Eli going to college, we are now in the planning stages. Oh, boy. This summer, he will have senior pictures made. And we should have ordered a class ring already. Except that he does not want one. Make him or not? I don't know. Dave says everyone needs one. Eli just doesn't seem to care. I have offered to take him on tour of colleges. He flat out says no. Then he agrees to go see ETSU and Belmont(in Nashville). He says UT-Knoxville is the place for him. But is it the place for me? :) We are in the process of planning summer vacation. My mother in law suggests we go to Ohio. Isn't that great! :) There is a Jack Hanna Zoo she wants to take the kids to. We can't do Disney just yet because Tripp still likes about two inches to be able to ride the "good stuff". I gave my vote today for Vegas and the Grand Canyon. We talked about DC, but there is so much walking. And with a baby in a stroller, well, I don't think that the museums will appreciate that. Neither will the baby. I am loving my first grade class still! I love teaching and I am thankful every day when I walk into my classroom. It is mine. And I love my co-teachers. They are wonderful. I think that I can still impress my first graders. They have extra special light bulb moments. For instance, just telling them how many continents are is fascinating for them! Showing them the globe is thrilling. And talking about the moon, the sun, nouns and verbs and synonyms... Oh, my!

New Year. 2013.

2013. This year has started out interesting. Emma got the flu on the day we were supposed to go back to school. I had inservice on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning at 2:30, she got up with a high temperature and vomiting. She spent Thursday with David and then when I got off work, we went off to the doctors. Flu. So she was feeling better by Saturday and today she was good. Me, not so much. Dave, nada. By Friday night, we both started the flu medicine. We slept most of the afternoon today, following church and lunch. So far, no one else has got it. Tripp will probably be next. He catches the flu easily. So we are back off to school tomorrow. Here's hoping for a healthy week.

End of 2012.

Well, the year 2012 has come and gone quickly. What a busy year! We had a fabulous Christmas. Santa was good to us... and I mean me too! I got tickets to Maroon 5 - it is driving my family crazy! I am on a huge Adam Levine kick and I play his music all the time. It has been nice to be on Christmas break with my kids, as well. This time has flown by. We have shopped, baked cookies, watched tv and hung out with Dave at the store. He is usually off the week of Christmas, but this year has been his busiest by far, so he has worked some this week and all of last. Tomorrow, we are off to the Smokies for our annual trip. We all go every year to look at the lights and have some good family time. This year, we will be gone for four days. When we get back, it is back to work the next day. I love teaching first grade. Those little babies are so sweet. I love singing songs and reading stories and listening to their tales in the classroom - both during lessons and after and before and anytime they can talk. And boy, do they. I have a talkative class. We have started going to a new church. It is called "The Bridge". It is not a COC. And I am just fine with that. I have learned lots about God's love for me even though I have a past and I learn something new everytime I meet or see fellow members. I have learned about transparency and it is OK to be who I am, and with God's help, I will learn and grow. I have a peace like I have never known. The group of people that we worship with love us for us, and they understand that we are all the same - just a group who are trying to achieve a common goal. I look forward for what is in store for 2013.