$12.30

Tonight I was wrapping up a mostly successful shopping day with a trip to Central Market to get a gift card. It was close to 7 and I hadn't eaten dinner yet so I thought I would be cool and healthy and make a salad from the salad bar thing. I do enjoy salad, but my favorite part of a salad is cucumbers and tomatoes so I just filled up my little container with those. Then I place my container on the little scale. Then, because I'm so cool, I stood there for about five minutes trying to figure out how to make the machine print out my label. Once I figured out all I had to do was press print and after I spilled my Ranch dressing all over the floor, it was revealed to me that my little "salad" was going to cost me $12.30. That wasn't a typo. $12.30 for this:


Don't get me wrong, it tasted fine. But $12.30? That's like a whole bag of cucumbers at a regular store. That's like a tank of gas for a small car. If trying to be cool is going to cost that much, I don't really want any part of it.

I'm over it!

Waiting until the very last minute to do my Christmas shopping used to be my favorite thing. It's not that I didn't have time to shop earlier, it just never quite feels like Christmas unless you're out amongst ALL the people and ALL the traffic. Well, today I'm officially over it!

I left the house at about 10:30 this morning in hopes of knocking out all my remaining shopping. I arrived back home at about 7:00 pm this evening with nothing accomplished. The millions, and there were millions, of people who were out shopping didn't really bother me and I found back roads that allowed me to avoid most of the traffic. The most frustrating thing about my shopping day was that nobody has anything in their stores! One particular item won't be in stock until at least February. I can always order online but of course the goods won't get here before Christmas. And nothing says Merry Christmas like a picture of something that will arrive on your doorstep sometime in the next 2-4 weeks!

Remind me next year that I really should actually do some shopping before the week of Christmas!

MacBook fun

While I'm not entirely sure why you would want to look like this, it's nice to know you can:

Merry EARLY Christmas

Thanks to the generosity of my parents, I got a new toy today:



I've wanted a MacBook for a really long time and today was the day. I tried to get them to throw in a new iPhone for free but they didn't go for that. I did, however, get the benefits of an Educator Discount. Now I've got something to keep me busy for the next two weeks!

Look what I found...

The last week of school before Christmas can be absolutely crazy. And I'm not just talking about the kids, there are always a million things to do and it seems like there's never enough time to do all of them. I just (9:15) walked in the door for the first time since leaving the house at 7 this morning. It's been a very long day, but it was totally worth it because I got to meet this little guy for the very first time (please excuse the HORRIBLE picture of me):


Baby Cooper was born happy and healthy first thing this morning. He and his mama are doing great. And as an added bonus his Grandpa Dennis is doing very well after his surgery on Tuesday. God was in every detail for them this week.

I better go get busy on all the stuff I still have to do or I might be up all night!

Perspective is always good

I'll be honest, I really wanted to cry like a baby when I realized what I did to my phone the other night, but luckily I didn't. That would have been really silly, because it is just a phone after all. It's funny to me how sometimes when something like that happens it seems so huge to me when in reality it is quite insignificant. Somehow, God has allowed me to miss some of the big, hard, significant stuff. Unfortunately that is not the case for my very good friend Haley this week.

About a month ago, Haley's father-in-law and a very close friend of our family started experiencing some weird stuff with his head. Tests were done, suggestions given, and words like brain tumor and surgery were being thrown around. Well, this Tuesday afternoon in Dallas, Dennis will undergo surgery to remove whatever it is that is causing the problems. As if that wasn't stressful and HUGE enough, Haley is scheduled to have a c-section to deliver Baby Cooper on Thursday morning. This week is surely going to be the hardest of their lives. I can't even imagine the spectrum of emotions they're feeling.

I've decided I'm going to keep my cracked iPhone just the way it is because every time I look at it, it reminds me that those little things don't matter so much. This week, it's also going to remind me to pray for my friend and her family-I know they can use all the prayer they can get.

Bummer...

This is what my iPhone looks like:


Those lines, they are cracks in the screen.

After a 5 foot drop face down onto concrete the "unbreakable" glass of my iPhone broke. It was a very sad moment, but I'm trying really hard to get over it. It still works so really I don't have too much to complain about. I'm kind of amazed that it's survived a year and a half without any damage. I'm also kind of glad that if it did have to break, that I was the one who broke it. I guess now I get to schedule an appointment with a "Genius" at the Apple Store to discuss my options. Here's hoping this one goes better than last time!

I'm some kind of crazy

I'm not sure what's happening to my brain but I've been extremely forgetful the last couple days. I've been to Walmart 3 times in 2 days and just a few minutes ago I remembered something that I forgot on today's trip. To make that sad little story even sadder, I even shopped with a list today so that I wouldn't forget anything, and I totally forgot the last item ON my list! Then when I got home tonight I was talking on the phone as I walked in the door. I dropped my keys off in their spot but was concerned when I couldn't find my phone, but then I remembered that I put it in the passenger seat. So I walk back out to the car and look in the passenger seat, it's not there. At that moment I realized I was holding the phone up to my ear, because I was TALKING ON IT!

See, I'm some kind of crazy! Maybe I should be getting more sleep!

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 12

Wow! What a day! It started early this morning with the Fort Worth Turkey Trot. It's been awhile since I've run a 5k so I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to run the whole way, which was my main goal. I could not believe how many people took part in this race. There were people everywhere. It literally took 7 minutes to get from where I started to the actual starting line and the whole race was like bumper to bumper traffic. All the walkers made it a little difficult for the serious runners like me. That was a joke, by the way. There was lots of weaving in and out of people and running through yards, but I made it. I ran the whole way but haven't received my official time yet. According to my iPod I ran for 40 minutes but it also said the distance was 3.55 miles so I'm curious to see what my actual time was. All in all it was a very good experience. I think it might be kind of addicting...anybody up for the Jingle Bell Run next weekend? :)

Since we celebrated our traditional Thanksgiving last weekend, today we went to Texas de Brazil for lunch. This was also a new experience for me. It was a little overwhelming but the food was great. People rave about all the amazing meat they serve, but for me, the best part was the Ranch Dressing. I thought it was really good. After all of that I was ready for a nap! I slept for 2 1/2 hours which is excellent because now I'm going to have an even easier time getting up at 3:30 am to go shopping! Oops. After the napping and once the Cowboys were in control of their game we made our way to the movies. We saw Four Christmases, and it was hilarious! Definitely a movie you should see.

Now for the last installment of the 12 Days of Thanksgiving:

Day 12: I'm thankful for Christmas
It almost seems kind of trite to me to say that I'm thankful for God, but it really is what I am most thankful for this year. As I'm growing older and living more of life I've been able to see the amazing love of God in so many things. In the people He's given me to do life with, in the job He's entrusted me with, and especially in the circumstances that surround all of it. I certainly don't understand why things happen the way they do but I'm learning to trust that it's all gonna work out far better than I could have even imagined. I'm learning to just live and not worry so much about the details. I'm realizing that without Jesus, without the cross, and without God's grace I would have absolutely nothing - all the things and so many others that I've been writing about for the last 12 days are an incredible gift. Even saying I'm thankful for them seems inadequate. My God loves me extravagantly and way more than I deserve. This year, I want to celebrate Christmas with that thought at the very front of my mind.

And with that, let the Christmas season begin!

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 11

I totally almost typed "The 12 Days of Christmas" for the title!

Day 11: I'm thankful for Mom & Dad, Grandma E., and Grandma C.
To put it simply, I would not be who I am without my parents and grandparents.

Both of my parents are extremely hard-working people who sacrificed over and over again to give me what I needed and most of what I wanted. From the very beginning they provided a loving home and taught me the value of family. They encouraged me to always do my best and comforted me when my best wasn't quite good enough. They support my crazy ideas, yet offer well-thought out advice when necessary. I'm probably most thankful that my parents have and continue to be a godly example to me. There's absolutely no telling where I would be without them.

I think one of the many reasons my parents are so amazing is because they had such great parents! I am extremely lucky to have the influence of two amazing Grandmas in my life. They are some of the most generous people I have ever met in my life. They both make me laugh really hard. They've made my life so much better over and over again! I'm truly blessed to be a part of this family!

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 10

I'm quickly running out of days to share all my thankfulness! I'm also certain that there are several people and things that I will miss. In order to do my best at avoiding that I'm going to have to double up... Now, if you would have asked me 10 to 15 years ago if I was thankful for my brother and sister I would have probably given the obligatory yes, but growing up does something to you. You start to realize just how important family is and how big a role they play in who you are. I'm so very thankful that as part of my family, God gave me a big brother and a little sister.

Day 10: I'm thankful for Josh & Kelley, and Ashleigh
Let's start with Josh since he's the oldest! I don't think I really appreciated my brother until he could drive and then it became very important seeing as he was my way to school. :) My brother is a genius. He pretty much excels at everything he does, he can even cook! He's an amazing trumpet player, a wood craftsman, and an all-around good guy. Did I mention that he was smart? You should check out the blog he writes for here. I'll give you a $1 if you can understand it - too smart for me! Josh is also very funny. I don't think there is much in this life that I enjoy more than seeing him laugh so hard he can't stop. Good stuff.

Kelley, Josh's wife, is also someone I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving. Kelley is also very smart and crafty. She amazes me with her ability to juggle two kids, a home, graduate school, and still have energy to make super cute stuff. Obviously I'm also very thankful that they gave me the cutest niece and nephew in the world!

Now, on to my sister Ashleigh. Ashleigh gives me much to be thankful for and I think I've mentioned a lot of them on here before, so I'm going to try to write something different. I'm thankful for her honesty. She's the only person in my life that would ask, "did you wear that today?" when I walk in the door. She's seen the absolute worst of me and still loves me. She's probably the most unconditional person I've ever met. She would do anything for just about anybody. She's a gifted teacher and works harder than anyone else I know. She makes me laugh, a lot, especially if we're laughing about a previous time when we laughed a lot! I'm also extremely grateful that she made THE ROLLS for Thanksgiving, perhaps the best rolls ever. I'm thankful that she's a Baylor Bear like me. And finally, I'm probably most thankful that no matter what happens in life, good or bad, she's always there.

We certainly haven't always gotten along, but I can definitely say that my life is way better with them in it! I'm thankful that God designed just the right family for me.

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 9

Day 9: I'm thankful for Will & Allie


I don't think I have ever looked forward to anything more than the arrival of my nephew and niece. It amazes me how quickly they have grown from cute babies to cute little people who say and do some of the funniest stuff. I honestly can't imagine life without them in it, being their aunt is one of my favorite things.

I love how they stop what they're doing and run to see me when I walk in the door. I love how they always want to know what I'm doing and will often join me, like last Sunday when I stopped by my parent's house after running and they got up and stretched just like I did. I love chasing them around the house. I love watching "Little Einsteins" with them. I really don't think there's anything I don't love about them.

Those two have certainly made my life a lot more fun and a lot more meaningful. I'm so thankful that God blessed our family with two amazing kids.

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 8

Who knew that committing to blog everyday would be so much work?? I kind of feel like I'm just repeating myself everyday, but I definitely don't mean to.

Day 8: I'm thankful for Haley
I have no idea how I ended up with so many friends who are Aggies! You know what they say, God has a sense of humor. :)

Anyway, Haley has been my friend for what seems like forever. She was one of the first people I met when my family moved to Texas 18 years ago. And after knowing her for the last 18 years I can say that she is probably one of the nicest people I have ever met. I don't believe there is a mean bone in her body. Haley and I have experienced a lot of cool stuff together. We've been to Alaska, Australia, Hawaii, a Waco tattoo parlor, and several different Smoothie Kings (remember the Smoothie King obsession??). We've also shared some tough stuff - the shooting at church, boy drama, college drama (I remember a particular middle of the night phone call). And then there is tons of funny stuff - early morning basketball practice in middle school seems to stand out in my mind.

I have also had the great privilege of being present at some big moments in Haley's life. I was honored to be a part of her and Shad's wedding and so proud to be at the hospital when Abby arrived a little less than 2 years ago. And I plan to be around in just 25 days when baby Cooper makes his first appearance!

I thought I'd bust out some pictures from back in the day, but I couldn't find any! Instead, a picture of Haley and I before her wedding and one of me holding Abby soon after she was born (I promise it's her even though you can't see her)



As exciting as the last 18 years (that makes me feel really old) have been, what makes me the most thankful for Haley is the fact that no matter what is happening, no matter how great the distance is between us, we can always just pick up right where we left off.

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 7

Day 7: I'm thankful for Shellee
I first met Shellee about 3 years ago when her daughter Jordan was on the 3rd Grade UIL Spelling Team I coached, and I use the term coach loosely. Anyway, my first impression of Shellee was that she was just a nice, quiet person. We didn't really have too many encounters that year but I was convinced that Jordan was the best kid ever and I begged my principal to put her in my class the next year. I believe my exact words were, "I don't care who you put in my class as long as I can have Jordan." The class lists came out that summer and guess what? Jordan wasn't on mine! Luckily, one of the other teachers remembered my request and we made a trade. Then the "Great 4th Grade Year of '06" happened and I have since been able to get to know Shellee a little better.

While I still consider Shellee to be a very nice person, she is also a lot more! She's so funny! Seriously, so funny. I don't think I've ever had a conversation with Shellee that didn't include me laughing really hard. The girl can dance! The girl can sing! She's just a super-fun person to be around. Shellee's also very smart- her insight always amazes me, and usually includes lots of deepness that I never even considered. She is very passionate, working hard for causes she believes in. One thing she is most passionate about is teaching kids to love Jesus and to live fully in Him. She is incredibly honest and real. I often find myself humbled by her authenticity. There's no telling how many times I've read her blog and ended up with tears in my eyes.

I really can't think of anything I don't appreciate about Shellee! Except maybe that she got MY trophy in her trophy case! I'm working on letting it go.

Shellee, you make my world a much happier place! Thanks for being such a great friend!

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 6

I must admit, this little idea to write down some specific things I'm thankful for has been really eye-opening. I don't think I even meant for that to happen, but I find myself noticing a lot more things I'm thankful for. For example, when I came home tonight I instinctively kicked my shoes off as soon as I got to the top of the stairs. I immediately noticed a small pile of shoes in the same spot. My thought-I'm thankful I have more than one pair of shoes. Little things that are part of much bigger things.

I have lots more friends to tell you about, but right now I'm exhausted.

Day 6: I'm thankful for a break
I'm so very excited to have the whole week off of school next week. As much as I love it, it's good to have a break. I didn't even bring home papers to grade!

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 5

Somehow I managed to go about 36 hours without drinking any Diet Coke and it wasn't intentional. I just hadn't been around any and I really didn't give it a single thought until this afternoon, then the headache hit. Aleve couldn't get rid of it, neither could Advil, so as I type this I'm drinking me some Diet Coke! There's only one person I know of who enjoys Diet Coke like I do and that brings me to...

Day 5: I'm thankful for Kristy
I think it's a good idea to look back at the not-too-distant past every once in awhile, it gives you insight into how God has worked things out for your good even when you couldn't see it at the time. When I look back just two quick years ago, I can clearly see how God changed the direction my life was heading, as if He picked me up and put me on a completely different path. I can also see that at the time when I needed it most, God blessed me with an amazing friend.

I'm kind of having trouble putting into words the incredible person Kristy is. Kristy is one of the kindest and most encouraging people I know. She's always willing to help me with the not-so-fun tasks, like cutting out lamination or moving my entire classroom TWICE! She's very thoughtful, always giving nice notes or calling to check on me. She's an excellent listener, and boy has she had to listen to a lot of crazy stuff from me! She cracks me up all the time, especially when she's telling a story or when we're playing Wii Tennis.

Kristy is one of those people that is constantly putting other people ahead of herself. She's constantly speaking truth into my life and is a great example of the kind of person I want to be. As with most of my friends, I often wonder what it is I can give back to Kristy, because she gives me so much. My life is more fun, more meaningful, and all around better because of my friend. And I'm so very thankful for that.

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 4

I'm not having any trouble coming up with things to be thankful for, but I am noticing that it's a struggle to find the time to blog about them. I almost decided that today I was most thankful for sleep and I was just going to type "goodnight." But that would have been a waste of a day!

Instead of being thankful for sleep, today I am thankful for my friends. I think one of God's greatest ideas was to allow people to do life together. God has really blessed me with some great friends throughout my life, but I feel like He's multiplied that blessing in the last couple years and given me more than I could have asked for or even imagined. Over the next couple days I will try to put into words what some of my closest friends mean to me (in no particular order)...

Day 4: I'm thankful for Deneise
First of all, Deneise makes me laugh. She is always doing something or saying something that is just funny. Take the last couple days for example. You are probably well aware that there was a big football game this weekend between Texas Agricultural & Mechanical College and Baylor. Well, last Thursday I thought it would be fun to hide some Baylor stuff in her classroom in random places, so I would send kids down to her room when I knew she wouldn't be there to "decorate." Friday morning I come to school, walk to my classroom, open the door and notice this:


I laughed out-loud and then began creating my plan for retaliation. I've had a lot of fun this week with that. The funniest thing though was when Deneise "decorated" my room/hallway with a bunch of Aggie stuff Monday morning with me sitting right there watching her. She had planned to beat me to school, but I had already attacked!

Besides the fact that Deneise is an Aggie, she's a great friend. She's very kind, very thoughtful, and a great listener. One of the biggest reasons I'm so thankful for Deneise is because she's so encouraging to me. I walked away from a conversation one day after school with a fresh perspective of God's amazing design for each and every person. Teaching can be hard, especially when you have kids that make it really hard, but this is Deneise's take on those kids:

"I just have to keep remembering that God knew I was going to be their second grade teacher and He has me here for a reason."

That may not be an exact quote but it gives you a picture of her servant heart. Deneise, thanks for being such a great friend and continually pointing me in the right direction. I'm so thankful that God allowed our paths to cross and that I get the privilege of working with you everyday!

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 3

Day 3: I'm thankful for my class


I think I've mentioned a time or two that I really love my job. I still find it almost funny that I've ended up where I am, but I also believe that my job and everything that has come with it, is all part of God's sovereign plan for my life. Maybe that's the reason I love it so much!

Anyway, I'm almost half-way through with my fourth year of teaching and I've been blessed with four great classes. It is amazing to me how similar, yet different, they all have been. My first class will always be special to me and I can't believe those kids are in middle school now. My second class was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, very good kids who seemed to enjoy school and got along well. When my second year was over I kind of felt like it was all downhill, there was no way another class could compare. Last year my class was great too, but the year wasn't as enjoyable for lots of reasons. Then this year happened. This year, my class is equally amazing as the second, with a twist.

First of all, I'm especially thankful for them today because they totally rocked this morning when we had a very important visitor come to our class. This is the kind of class that could totally survive an entire day if I just didn't show up (not that I would). They would get where they're supposed to be and they would actually do what they are supposed to do. This class also genuinely seems to like each other. They play together at recess, like all of them. They cheer on each other's successes, and they care A LOT when someone is hurting-something that is really going to be important in the next couple months.

I really only have two complaints so far, the first being that I don't get to spend all day with them and the second, the year is already almost HALF OVER!! That is just crazy to me. But for right now I'm just thankful that God has blessed me again with a wonderful group of kids who really feel like family.

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 2

Day 2: I'm thankful for Running and Nike+
I'm going to take a brief step back from deep thankfulness to share my appreciation for running. I can't believe those words are coming from me. Up until this past spring I have been completely unable to run farther than about a quarter mile. I could walk all day long, but running never happened for me. I have even tried to become a runner multiple times in my life, but never with much success.

I don't know what made it happen this time, but it probably has something to do with the Nike+ running system. If it's a gadget I'm all over it, so running plus a gadget was the winning combination. And, I must say that being able to run a couple miles consistently is probably one of my prouder accomplishments in life. Another huge benefit to the Nike+ system is the community. The fact that I have a couple friends who invite me to participate in challenges makes me run even when I really don't want to. I've found that getting my shoes on and getting out the door is really the hardest part of running for me.

Since May of 2008, I have run 69 times for a total of 174.41 miles. That includes a stretch of about 6 weeks after school started when I didn't run at all. I'm planning to run the Fort Worth Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day and then my goal is to run The Cowtown 10k in February. Then, in 4 years I will run the Marathon at the Olympics in London. Haha, just kidding about that last one!

Besides the obvious health benefits, running just makes everything better. My head is clearer, I sleep better, and it takes up time-something I often have too much of. So today I'm thankful for the sport of running. I'm thankful that it's been such an important and positive part of my life for the last couple months.

The 12 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 1

As great as yesterday was, today has been infinitely better.

It all started this morning with church. My good friend, Kristy, did a great job teaching the kiddos this morning, and as a bonus taught me something! She shared the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers. Jesus had healed all ten of them, but only one returned to thank Jesus. I realized this morning that there are some people who I thank often for different things, there are some people I don't thank as much as I should, and then there is Jesus - someone I never thank enough. I decided today that for the next 12 days my blog will serve as a "gratitude journal" where I will write about some of the things I am most thankful for this year! Here we go:

Day 1: I'm thankful for my church
It was about this time 2 years ago that I was first introduced to Grace Baptist Church. There was this group of kids at my school that had a bond that I had never seen before. They were all great kids on their own but I could tell there was something special about them. Fast forward to basketball season and I realized I now had a connection to an Upward Basketball program, something I had wanted to be a part of for awhile. So, my now good friend Shellee got me all set up to coach a team. As the basketball season went on I met more and more people and learned a lot about Grace.

I didn't actually start going to church at Grace until a couple months later, but immediately they allowed me to plug in and find a place to serve. I have gone to a handful of churches in my life but there really is nothing like Grace. It is a group of people who are first and foremost trying to be like Jesus. It is a place of true worship, family, and a place where authenticity is encouraged. I'm thankful for those kids who introduced me to such a special place. I'm thankful for all the people who have become a part of my life because of Grace. I'm thankful to God for leading me there, and for making it such an important part of my life.

And finally, today I am very thankful for a song we sang this morning. It is called "In Christ Alone." It was written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend but has been recorded by several different artists. I came right home from church, downloaded it and have been listening to it non-stop all day, I may even be a little hoarse from singing it so loudly. If my life had a theme song, this would be it:

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

It's time for a WHOOPing

I'm so excited that Fall temperatures have finally arrived. It is football weather at its finest. I'm also so excited to report that yesterday, for only the second time in the last 23 years the Baylor Bears beat the Aggies. For the first time in my 8 years as a Baylor fan I was able to witness it in person. And, it was amazing. The game itself was really not too exciting and it was VERY windy and VERY cold, but VERY worth it.

We were able to get a pretty good lead and held it throughout the game, but the end result was so cool. They kept announcing that it was against Big 12 rules for any unauthorized personnel to approach the field after the game, and I guess by unauthorized they meant Aggie fans because just about every Baylor fan in the place rushed the field after the last second ticked off the clock. I saw one little old lady walk up to our star quarterback, Robert Griffin III, and say, "I just want to shake your hand and thank you for what you are doing for Baylor." For the first time since the Big 12 began in 1996, it feels like Baylor's on it its way to belonging in a powerhouse football conference.

Alex and Reagan went with me to the game, but they cheered for the wrong team. Here are some pictures from our day:

Alex and Reagan (I do love Reagan's spirit)

Singing that silly Aggie song where they sway back and forth

The scoreboard-in case you can't read it, it says Baylor 41 and A&M 21

Robert Griffin III-He was moving really fast

Alex and I on the 50 yard line - Reagan wouldn't stand on the BU

Their favorite part-playing on the field afterwards

Alex, literally the last person on the field

Now I'm already looking forward to next year. Sic' em Bears!

Did you know??

Did you know there's a whole website dedicated that big ol' barn in Reagan, Texas? You know the one that is painted maroon and says "Gig 'em Aggies?"

You should check it out...Just click here.

You gotta love Baylor vs. A&M week! For the first time in I don't know how long, Baylor is actually favored to win this game. And that kind of makes me nervous.

The Perfect Day

I'm pretty sure today was the perfect day. The weather was just about as good as it gets and I got to spend the day outside enjoying it.

After church today, some of my good friends and I made the trek to Putt-Putt...

We started with miniature golf. Reagan ended up winning and I believe I came in last place, but the best part of our round of golf was Landry. The boy is a future pro! He was the first one up on the very first hole and he got a hole-in-one. Hole #3, hole-in-one. And, he was really, really close to a lot more. I wish I had a picture of Alex and Reagan's reactions, they could not believe it.

Here's a few pictures from the course:





After golf, we took a couple spins around the race track.



And then Jordan and Landry enjoyed the roller-coaster.

All in all, it was a super fun day.

I almost broke the law

Well, yesterday (Election Day), held quite a bit of excitement for the good ol' USA. I left school as early as I could, made my way to my polling place to find absolutely no line at all. Wow! In fact, at the time I voted only about 600 people had been through all day. I guess most of them stood in line to vote early, which I find kind of ironic.

This was my third presidential election and the first time that I voted for a non-winner (didn't want to call him a loser :)). I'm happy the election is over so everyone can move on and get back to real life. While the man I voted for didn't win, I'm not too concerned about the future. I think there is lots of potential for America to be great and I'm hoping, that at the very least, there are people who care a lot more now than they did in the past. It's kind of incredible to think that over 200 years ago when the United States was founded, it was set up in a way that wouldn't allow for any one person to have too much power. It was designed to be a representation of all the people. I believe God was a part of the creation of this country and I believe He's just as much a part of it today. He's not swayed by votes, opinions, or a man in an office. So, even though my guy didn't win, my God is still God and He's still in control.

Now, to the breaking the law part. As I was voting I noticed lots of the "election officials" using their cell phones to check the latest news, text, blah blah blah. They really weren't paying any attention to those of us who were actually voting. So, I thought it might be kind of fun (weird definition of fun) to take a picture of myself voting since I was so excited about it. I knew it would not be a good idea to take a picture of other people, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to document my own voting experience. Wrong!! Apparently, it is completely against the law to document your voting experience in this way and even more against the law to publish that documentation, on like say, a blog! Luckily, I asked Google before I did such a foolish thing! :)

I can hardly contain my excitement

Haha, that title cracks me up! When you realize what I'm going to write about, you might too!

I know you're not supposed to talk about who you vote for and stuff like that, so I'm just going to say that I'm pretty excited about this election. For a fan of history, tomorrow will be the making of it either way. I do need to make sure and take my tennis shoes in case I have to spend hours in line. There's really no telling!

Just a few minutes ago I received this text message: "Due to excessively long lines tomorrow, all OBAMA voters are asked to wait and vote on Wednesday." It sounds really important and I feel like it's my civic duty to pass it along, so if you're reading this and you are going to vote for Obama tomorrow, you might wait - especially if you live in California, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, or Indiana.

Happy Election Day Everyone!

November??

I can't believe it's already November! The time is absolutely flying. I was gently reminded last night at the Harvest Festival that it has been awhile since I updated the blog so I thought I better do that. How about a list to catch up on things?

1) My Baylor Bears were so very close to pulling off a pretty big upset of Missouri today. Normally, we could call a 31-28 loss to the 14th-ranked Tigers a moral victory, but we totally should have had this one. If we had made something happen on any one of our 3 turnovers today the game could have turned out differently. I believe we're heading in the right direction, but it's hard to take another loss in another really close game. If we had won against Connecticut, Nebraska, and Missouri we would be bowl eligible for the first time in 12 years! It can still happen, but let's be honest, it's not likely.

2) I was able to attend the very first Mavericks game of the season on Thursday night. I had a great time hanging out with great people - even though the Mavs lost. Thanks to Debbie for being so very generous!

3) Can you believe it's already November?

4) Can you believe the amount of Christmas decorations in the stores and that there is already Christmas music being played in some places?

5) Do you know what a hoodoo is? I didn't either, but you learn a lot of interesting stuff when you're a teacher. This is a hoodoo:


A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock composed of soft sedimentary rock.

6) I have been asked several times lately if I've voted yet. The answer is no. I will be voting, but I'm waiting for Election Day. I just think it's more fun that way.

7) I guess I didn't really have that much to say after all!

Overheard this morning...

I spent most of my day laughing at how crazy my kids are, it all began with this exchange before the day officially started:

Girl walks into the classroom wearing some cute shoes.

Me: Good morning, I really like your shoes!

Girl: Thanks.

Boy: Your shoes aren't in dress code!

Girl: Yes they are!

Boy: I don't think they are. Ohhhhhhh, you're going to juvie!

Me: What????

Good to know the kids take the dress code way more seriously than I do - I usually just send them to the office, they think they should go straight to Juvie!

Meanest Teacher Ever!

I've tried to convince people that I'm really not as nice and patient as they think I am and today I may have proved it.

Today was our first Math Benchmark so by lunchtime we are all pretty much done for the day. We do things and say things that just don't come out right. My class stopped at the restroom on the way back from lunch, as we always do, and I noticed that two boys were hiding around the corner totally cracking up. My experience tells me that if there is laughing going on in the bathroom (especially the boy's bathroom) something inappropriate is probably going on. So in a "can we just hurry up and get back to class already" way I semi-yelled into the bathroom. Now, what I meant to say was- stop messing around and hurry up, but what came out was, "HURRY UP AND NO SMILING!"

And after I said it, I honestly didn't think a thing about it. As we were walking down the hall though, Marcy stopped me as she was cracking up and asked, "Did you just say no smiling?" I admitted that I did indeed say that but that's not what I meant and I tried to explain myself but I'm not sure she bought it. I could forever be known as the teacher that doesn't allow smiling in her class! Fortunately, Marcy was the only person around who was actually LISTENING to what I had to say!! :)

While all that may make it sound like I had a rough day, I really didn't. This was the most successful benchmark I've ever given and my class worked so very hard, I'm super proud of them!

Happy Birthday Chicas

First of all, I must wish a very Happy Birthday to my sister, Ashleigh. Today she is 24 years old and I'm kind of jealous. Twenty four sounds kind of nice. Anyway, Ashleigh is a super cool person, an incredible teacher, and the keeper or sharer of my most embarrassing moments! :) We certainly haven't always got along, but I'm blown away by her giving spirit to me even when I don't deserve it.

A really fun thing about Ashleigh's birthday is that Allie's birthday is the very next day! So, tomorrow we will celebrate again as Allie turns the big 2! I can't believe she is already that old.

Well, Ashleigh and I take our role as "aunts" very seriously, and we felt like we needed to find Allie a very special gift for her birthday. She's got quite the imagination and is always pretending to cook stuff, so we felt like the perfect gift was a little play kitchen. Do you know how many varieties of kitchens there are? There are wooden ones, plastic ones, walk-in ones, big ones, small ones, even some with "stainless steel" appliances. I "shopped" online first, but ended up going to 3 Targets, Walmart, and Toys 'R Us before finding the perfect kitchen. As if that wasn't adventure enough, we had the hardest time getting the thing in the car!


And it was even more difficult to get it out! After emptying the box of it's contents I realized how big a job this was going to be.



The number of parts was insane and it took about 2 hours for us to fully assemble it. But when it was finished, it was perfect!



I can't wait to see Allie's face tomorrow!

What a day!

Today has been an absolutely great day. I got to sleep in later than I have in a really long time. I also got to enjoy a little flag football and some baseball. I bought gas for $2.93! Then, at the very last minute I decided to go to the Baylor game in Waco tonight. I got to Reagan's game about 2:30 and the whole crowd was abuzz with college football talk. I was already pumped about being able to watch Baylor on TV again, but the more I thought about it, the more I really just wanted to go to the game. So, I rounded up two of my buddies and off we went.

We got on the road about 4:20 and made it inside the stadium well before the 6:05 kickoff. The weather was perfect, the crowd wasn't big but it was loud, and the game was fun. I don't know what the predictions for this game were, but I expected Iowa State to give us a run for our money. Instead they just gave us lots of room to run! It was very cool to be on the winning side of a Big 12 blow-out. I'm pretty sure that has never happened to Baylor before. The final score was 38-10.

We enjoyed the game from a couple different angles (one of the benefits of a Baylor home game-lots of room to move around) and even squeezed in a little game of football on the field afterwards. All in all it was a great day, it's always a little more fun to be completely spontaneous. Here's a couple pictures from our adventure:

The team coming onto the field

Alex and Reagan

Alex and Reagan on the field

Alex (white blur) running for a touchdown

DOOOOOOOMMM!

Anyone else a little tired of hearing about how the United States is on the verge of financial collapse?

I won't pretend to remember much from my days as a Finance major at Baylor but I do remember a few key things. The first being that your opportunity for return in any investment almost always coincides with the level of risk you take. Big risk equals big return, little risk equals little return. Banks and mortgage companies took big risks in handing out loans like they were candy. They weren't just being nice, they were hoping they would reap an amazing return on their investment. Their hunches were wrong and they lost. If I take a big risk expecting great returns and I lose, well, I lose - there is nobody there to pay me billions of dollars to take away the loss.

The second thing I remember about the world of Finance is that the stock market moves on "news." If there is good news, surprise, the stocks soar. If there is bad news, you guessed it, the stocks dive. Pretty complicated huh? So, what I'm thinking is, maybe it would be a good idea to move past all this "the sky is falling" talk and get back to life. If everyone would go to work and work hard at what they do, I imagine everything will work out just fine. I'm starting to feel like maybe we're all in the movie Chicken Little.

Reality bites

Well, about 1 minute and 10 seconds into the game yesterday I was brought back to reality. And for Baylor, that reality stunk!

When it was all said and done we lost 49-17. Not exactly the showing I was hoping for, but I'm still confident we'll end with the best season we've had in awhile. I'll keep you posted!

Much of You

I actually wrote this post over a week ago, but I kind of struggled with whether or not I should actually publish it. I've found that sometimes when I need to empty my head, I can just write without actually making it public and suddenly everything is so much better. I don't really have a good reason to post it now, and I already feel like I'm in a different place than I was when I wrote it, but it's a pretty good reminder to me of my true purpose. In everything I say, in everything I do, I want to make much of Jesus.

Why does it take so long to realize that when there seems to be a recurring theme in one's life it is probably God trying to tell them something? Maybe it's just me!

This summer I read Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. It's a great book, but don't read it unless you're ready to be challenged to see your life and relationship with God in a whole new way. After reading it, I'm still not quite sure if maybe I'm supposed to be living in a hut in Africa teaching orphaned children instead of living in a big house in the 'burbs teaching "rich" (comparatively speaking) kids! Anyway, one of the main points of the book is that we are to live in a way, wherever you are, that makes much of Jesus.

I believe the staff at my church is reading/has read this book too, so I've heard the phrase "making much of Jesus" several times in the last month or so. Then, from I don't know where, Steven Curtis Chapman's Much of You popped into my head yesterday. Finally, last night as I was getting ready for bed I began to relive my day, my week, my month and I realized something that made me very sad: I've been living in a way that makes much of ME. Sometimes knowingly, sometimes with no real clue that's what I was doing - but it's all the same.

I've definitely been a "glass half-empty" kind of person lately and last night it kind of all came together at once. I know that God is good, and I'm praying that He will continue to reveal Himself to me and teach me truth. Slowly, but surely (because God's good like that) I know He's going to fill me back up.

Smells like an upset to me

I am very aware that for about 10 weekends a year I lose all sense of reality and throw everything I have into believing in my Baylor Bears. Well, this week will mark the half-way point for this year! It's only Monday and I'm already crazy-excited about what this Saturday may bring.

The #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners will pull into Waco on Saturday morning and I've got myself believing that an upset is on the horizon. Now, before you call me completely crazy, it is important to mention that in the last several years Baylor has put up a decent showing against the Sooners. While it may seem improbable, a win is certainly not impossible! Just hide and watch, my friends, hide and watch!

Did you know??

I was doing some research this afternoon for some lessons this week and I learned something that I don't think I've ever heard before. The moon has no water, no wind, and no atmosphere - thus, it has NO weather. Because of this lack of weather, the footprints left in the moon dust by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (totally almost typed Buzz Lightyear) are still completely intact and will remain that way for millions of years! Isn't that incredible?

Completely random

I was just sitting here reading about how my trophy ended up in Shellee's Trophy Case and I noticed something on my desk. It's just a pen, but I think it's my favorite pen. It writes so smoothly and makes me smile every time I see it! Here it is:


I don't know if you can tell, but it's a Napoleon Dynamite pen! In addition to being a smooth writer it also speaks to me. Here are some of the things it says-

"Whatever I feel like I wanna do, gosh!"

"YESSSSS."

"I caught you a delicious bass."

"Sweet!"

"I told you, I spent it with my uncle in Alaska hunting Wolverines."

"Lucky!"

"What an idiot!"

It doesn't take much to entertain me! To continue on with the randomness of this post - this was the sunrise this morning:


It was amazing and the picture doesn't do it justice at all. I stood at my car for a few minutes just in awe of how beautiful it looked. I'm officially declaring Fall as my absolute favorite time of the year!

Finally!

Now that my good friend Haley has finally announced it on her blog, I can proudly share that I'm going to be an "aunt" again!

Awhile back when they found out it was a boy, Haley called me and this is what she said:

"Guess what? You're going to have another nephew!"

After recovering from my confusion, I realized what she was saying, and I'm super excited for her and Shad! Haley's a great friend that I unfortunately don't see often enough, but I'm beyond honored that she considers me an "aunt" to her kiddos. However, it does seem very weird to me that she's going to have two kids.

Haley, how did we get so old? Wasn't it just yesterday that we were 17 and hanging out by your garage on New Year's Eve, scared to death that we were doing something illegal? :)

The Bionic Woman & Robert Griffin the 3rd

My Mom's surgery went well yesterday! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. She's well on her way to being the Bionic Woman. She did let me know after surgery that she will NOT be my running buddy because she's not going to do anything that will wear her knees out too fast - she doesn't want to replace them again! I certainly don't blame her. On the schedule for today: sitting up and walking for the first time.

I must also tell the world that I "heart" Robert Griffin III.


This is Baylor's Freshman Quarterback who led the team to a 45-17 win last night! Incredible. I don't want to be a name-dropper, but as a freshman he is already being compared to Vince Young. And, hello, we all know where Vince Young took the Longhorns. I don't expect a National Championship, but with a spark like Griffin we are well on our way to finally rebuilding the program. I could definitely feel the energy and excitement from the few fans that were actually at the game - it's going to be a fun season. I am hoping to spend part of my Christmas break at a bowl game, we only need 4 more wins! Sic 'em Bears!

Where were you when...?

When I was younger I remember asking my parents the question, where were you when Kennedy was shot? They always knew exactly where they were when they found out the President had been assassinated. Little did I know that I would have my own, "Where were you when..." moment in my life.

I can't believe it's already been 7 years since terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. It's sad how much our world has changed in those seven years, how we treat people so differently.

I remember exactly where I was when it happened. I was one of what seemed like the only 20 people at Baylor who had an 8am Tuesday/Thursday class. My class was over at 9:20 and as I was walking back to my apartment I remember thinking how eerie it seemed on campus, there was no one out. When I walked through the door I found one of my roommates sitting on the couch glued to the TV, she was watching the Twin Towers burn. I went upstairs and found my other roommate totally unaware of what was happening. We quickly turned on the TV and we stayed there, mesmerized all day.

I remember realizing that I was witnessing history. I was watching on the TV something that has literally changed the world as we knew it. It's still terribly sad and I'm sure thousands of people are still hurting from their painful losses. I hope that in 20 more years, we'll be able to look back and say that while terrible, we've worked hard to make our world a safer, kinder, happier place.

In other news, my Mom is having surgery tomorrow. She's getting some new knees! She's very excited about living life pain-free. I'm thinking that in about 6 weeks, I'll have a new running buddy! :) Just kidding, Mom, I'll give you about 8 weeks. While she's looking forward to the end result, there will be lots of hard work and probably lots of pain to go with it. I still don't know how she's going to walk by Saturday with both knees all sliced up, but I'm sure she'll do great!

I'm taking the day off tomorrow to be at the hospital and I didn't realize how badly I might need a day off. Don't get me wrong, things are great. But, tonight I walked into my parent's house which caused the dogs to bark uncontrollably. They are loud and I wanted them to stop, so I said, "No talking." Something I believe I said approximately 8,496 times today. :)

I love my job

It's way past my bedtime :), but my head and heart are full and I feel like I'll sleep better if I let some stuff out...

What in the world was I thinking when I gave up teaching Math last year? I had such a fun day teaching today, and it was really quite ordinary. We were learning about rounding today so we began with a great song (thanks Mrs. Roark), then I told the "True Story of Rounding" (totally made it up as I was going- it was much better the second time around), and we finished by playing "The Rounding is Right" (another in-the-moment creation). Somehow we ended up with a piece of paper stuck to the ceiling!! And I don't know who had more fun, me or the kids!

It's always nice to feel like you are right where you're supposed to be, doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. All my worrying, of course, was for nothing. God has blessed me abundantly. Instead of worrying so much about the "now" and the future, I'm trying to remind myself of truth - God has plans for me, plans to give me a hope and a future. He has never led me astray, He has never left me or forsaken me. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is good.

That's all.

It doesn't take much

I received a couple phone calls today that completely made my day, and we all know how much I love talking on the phone! It went a little something like this:

Ring, Ring, Ring
Me: Hello
My good friend, Luke: Miss Estes, I just wanted to know, do you like TCU?
Me: (not wanting to tell him what I really think) Ummm, well, ummm, I guess they're ok. But, they're not really my favorite.
Luke: Ok, we're about to go to the game.
Me: Have fun, say Hi to the big frog for me.
Luke: Ok, bye.

Then, I hear Landry in the background - "I want to talk to Miss Estes." Luke had already hung up the phone so just a few minutes later I got another call and got to talk to Landry too.

I've seen Luke a couple times at school and because he's working so hard to do what he's supposed to be doing, he won't say Hi to me. And I saw Landry on Wednesday but I guess he wasn't really in the talking mood, so their phone calls today really made my day. Apparently, it doesn't take much.

She's funny!

I was just doing some work on my computer for school next week and decided to listen to Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention last night. I must say, she's one funny lady! I can occasionally get fired up about politics and I can honestly say that before McCain chose Palin as his running mate, I didn't really care that much about this election. It just didn't seem like there was going to be anything but negativity for the next several months. I still think there will probably be nothing but negativity for the next several months, but I also think that Sarah Palin brings something interesting. She's a real person - a real mom with real kids, kids who sometimes make mistakes, kids who grow up to serve in the military, kids who have special needs. I think for the first time in a really long time someone who actually "represents" the people has a chance to do just that.

Already??

I can't believe it's already Wednesday night! This week is flying by.

I thought I should update everyone on my "crazy" status. I don't know if I'm just thinking the Vitamin B is already working in my head or if it really is already working? My vitamin is HUGE and does seem to have an interesting side effect, but I think I may be cured of whatever it was that was ailing me. I feel like I have much more energy and have been more productive in the last several days than I think I've been in the last couple months put together. It's almost scary! :) Yesterday I noticed that at about the time I took my vitamin the day before, I felt like someone had flipped a switch and turned off my energy. Then, I remembered that it's a 24-hour time release thing and I think it had literally run out on me. I guess I've yet to build up enough B12 in storage to keep me level.

My sleep issues also seem to have been cleared up. I've been able to fall asleep much more easily and wake up a lot easier. It's amazing. In fact, the last two mornings I have woken up BEFORE my alarm went off. Tuesday morning I woke up about 10 minutes before my alarm at 5:30 and then this morning I woke up again and thought, "cool, I'm waking up at 5:30 all by myself now!" Well, just for curiosity's sake I got up and checked the clock (I don't have a clock by my bed on purpose) and it was 3:19 AM!! And, I was wide awake. It was kind of annoying, but I did enjoy a leisurely morning, doing things I wish I had time to do in the morning.

Tomorrow's Thursday, which is double specials day, which automatically makes it a great day! :) I must say, I'm really loving teaching Math again and I've been blown away by how great my class is. I almost feel guilty about it, they're so well-behaved and fun to be around! Here's hoping I don't regret saying that! :)

I might be crazy, but it's not my fault

I can't believe it's 8:00am on Saturday morning and I'm awake, especially considering we just finished the first week of school. Actually, because it was the end of the first week of school I totally went to bed at 9:00 last night and that's why I'm awake this morning. I honestly don't know when the last time I saw 8 on a Saturday morning was. Anyway, that is so not the point of this post...

First things first. The first week of school went well. I definitely had forgotten how tiring it is. My class is pretty great and I have some very fun personalities. I do have one little friend that cracks me up because he has an aversion to following directions (don't worry it's nobody any of you would know :)), I don't think he does it entirely on purpose but it is constant. At one point on Thursday I had total focus from the entire class except this kid who happened to be under his desk, we waited in complete silence for over a minute until he realized he was missing something. Crazy kids. On the other hand, I have several extreme rule followers who also make me laugh, especially when they point out that I may not be following the rules exactly! All in all, it's a great class (and we know not all classes are created equally, so I'm very thankful-sorry Marcy). We're really going to get down to business next week so it should be interesting to see how they respond to that.

In other news, I went back to the doctor on Thursday to get the results from my blood work he had taken about a month ago. Remember, that was when I learned I had a circadian rhythm problem and I wasn't living up to the societal norm. They called about a week ago to ask to set up an appointment to come in and talk about the results, I would have much preferred that they tell me over the phone that I was either fine or dying. I didn't really see the point in paying another co-pay! So, I went in and most everything was fine except (and these were the Dr.'s exact words) "[my] B12 levels are in the toilet." Apparently, in the toilet is not where they should be! To make a long story short there are two potential reasons for this, one-I haven't been eating enough vitamin B12 in my diet, or two-my body is not absorbing it when I eat it. Either way, a vitamin B12 deficiency is not necessarily a good thing. This is what it says on my lab work - "Patients with values this low may experience neuropsychiatric and hematologic abnormalities." My favorite thing I learned in doing some research on the internet, because the internet lets you become your own doctor, is that this deficiency can be the cause of dementia and psychosis. So, I might really be crazy and have a medical reason for it!

The good news is that this does seem to explain my symptoms - numb and tingling hands and feet, fatigue, being cold a lot. So, for now I need to take a B12 vitamin and then have some more blood work done. If it continues to be low I may have to have B12 injections. Oh boy, I love shots!

And lastly, I was going to post the other night how excited I am that football season has returned! I love, love, love football season! And I love, love, love Baylor football (not that they give me much reason to), but I just couldn't make myself write the post after we got our tails kicked by Wake Forest. A disappointing beginning to the season, but I'm confident we'll bounce back. I'm expecting that we'll show up big time for the only game that really matters - November 15th - when the Aggies come to Waco! I can't wait!

Alright, I'm off to the Sunflower Shoppe to find me some B12.

The Best Cutter-Outer Ever

I'm not sure if cutter-outer is a word, but it's definitely one thing I'm not. My lack of ability in the cutting out and making cute little things arena is probably reason number one I never made it as an education major at Baylor. And, maybe that's why God gave me a friend who is so good at it!

For the second year in a row, I have been saved from the dark world of cutting out stuff by my good friend, Kristy. There is no telling how many things she has cut out for me, but I'm certain the number would be huge. I don't know how she does it, but I appreciate it SO much. It is because of her that my class will be able to enjoy some amazing new file folder games!

So, thanks Kristy for being the best cutter-outer ever! You rock!

My first day of school

I survived the first day of school! However, I was so exhausted that I was in bed and passed out by 8:30 - a very rare thing for me. And, now it's 5:00 in the morning and I'm wide awake. Strange!!

The day went pretty well I guess. I felt like I was rushed the whole day and while we covered lots of things, I'm not sure I covered any of them really well. I also seemed to forget that even though they're great, you sometimes have to tell/show them more than once exactly what you want, especially when all the really good kids leave the class for half the day! Oh well, I guess I get a do-over today!

I just learned that word searches are high on the list of what kids like to do on the first day of school so I'm going to get busy making one. Happy second day of school everyone!

I don't really know what I am

Well, tomorrow is the big day. The first day of school. I have been trying for several days to figure out what exactly I'm feeling. I am a little nervous, somehow, no matter how many years you've been teaching this happens. I'm a little anxious, just ready for it to get here already. I'm a little worried, what if the kids think I'm a dork and don't buy into my philosophies? I'm a little excited, it will only take a few minutes until I'll be so stinkin' glad that school is back.

So, as you can see, I'm not really sure what I'm feeling. I guess it's just a little of everything. What is especially strange to me is that I don't remember ever feeling this way before school started. I honestly think it's because I've never had this much time to sit around and think about it! Last year at this exact moment I was still at school trying to pull my class together in time. I believe I left the school at 8:00 pm that night. I guess I can easily choose being nervous/anxious/excited instead of being totally overwhelmed and afraid that I would run out of time.

Here's a little glimpse into how teachers deal with all their beginning of the year stress - we drink! For me, Diet Coke does the trick, but some people like something a little stronger - like Dr. Pepper!

How many glasses did you have that day Deneise?

I better go decide what color polo shirt to wear tomorrow. You didn't think I would dress up on the first day, did you?

If only there was proof

Several weeks ago I challenged my good friend, Kristy, to a challenge through the Nike+ website. The challenge was to see who could run the most miles in two weeks. After running hard for two weeks, I simply couldn't do anymore and Kristy beat me. I believe I documented her win here.

I was so worn out from all that running that I took an entire week off from running. Kristy was apparently determined to make me run again and this time challenged me and Shellee. You might remember all the cursing Shellee was doing. Once again, the challenge was to run the most miles in about two weeks. I was absolutely determined to win the "trophy" this time. It's just a picture of a trophy that goes in your "trophy case" on the website, but still, I really wanted it!

There really wasn't anything we wouldn't do to win! Running in the heat, running twice a day, running away from scary people, running crazy distances, anything it took. So, we're all running our hearts out and enjoying some friendly "trash talk" (a fun component of the Nike+ website) when we realize Shellee will be leaving for vacation a few days before the challenge ends. Being the fair people we are, we all agreed the challenge would end last Thursday night. I was thrilled to see that at the end of the night on Thursday, I was the winner! All the blood and blisters was totally worth it! I believe my total for two weeks was slightly over 56 miles. Amazing! 56 miles in two weeks AND I get a trophy! It was enough to make me feel like I won the Olympics.

Since we were ending the challenge a few days early, we decided to go ahead and press the "End Challenge" button. What we didn't know was that the "End Challenge" button actually means "Remove Your Challenge from Existence." So, just like that, two weeks, 56 miles, and MY trophy, are all gone! And, I find that absolutely hilarious. Irony at it's finest!

I'm hoping that maybe Kristy and Shellee will agree to a medal ceremony, you know, in the spirit of the Olympics!

Yours, not mine

It's amazing to me that I can spend an entire day (or days) going through life and at the same time doing battle with myself on the inside. I've found that I think way too much and much of it quickly turns to worry...will I get everything done in time? Will this be the year that nothing goes right? The questions and thoughts go much deeper of course, but there are too many to share.

This evening I found myself a bit overwhelmed by all my thoughts and finally took them where they should have gone the moment I first thought them. To the feet of Jesus. I've wrestled with what to pray and how to pray for the last several weeks when James preached from Matthew 6. I don't want to just pray my long list of "needs" or worries and ignore that the God who created the universe, the God who knows every star by name, the God who holds the whole world in His hands - already has it all figured out. So, I'm choosing this prayer...while short, it says everything it needs to...Your will, Jesus. Not mine.

Ouch

I've run quite a bit in the last couple days. Perhaps, too much. Check out my sock when I took my shoe off tonight...

That's blood, and that's no bueno.