Colorado, Day 3

We woke up at 6 am. We got ready and then headed out to Pikes Peak Cog Railway Depot. We made a pit stop at McDonalds to eat a quick breakfast. (I ate hot cakes for the first time in my life!! Not too bad...) On the way, we saw a fox. It was in a populated area, very weird. Stephen said, "Look at that dog!" I said, "That's not a dog, that is a FOX!!" :) We arrived there way early but I was glad. The road going up to the depot was a little treacherous, but we made it ok because I rented an all wheel drive! When we got our tickets, the lady told us that we had the best seats in the house, front row!! We could see everything. The only disappointing thing was that we wouldn't be able to go all the way to the summit. So, instead of 14,000 feet of altitude, we only did 12,000. (blessing in disguise, you'll see why soon!) We did the gift shop thing, bought that shirt, then the time came to board the train. I was excited and nervous all at the same time!! We started the trip. It was absolutely beautiful!! I never really got scared until we got about 12,000 feet, I looked over my shoulder behind me, and realized you could see a very long way, and it was way down there!! However, at about 9,000 feet, I started feeling the effects of altitude sickness. I got a very bad headache, dizzy, nauseated, the whole 9 yards.......I was very ready to get back to the car....

So, when we finally get back to the car, we go to the downtown Manitou Springs area. It is a very cute, quaint little town. I had really been looking forward to doing some shopping. We went in a few shops. Then we ate at a dive called "The Keg"..Stephen and I were the only 2 not drinking, pretty funny! :) The food was overpriced but you would expect that. I had a cheese quesadilla and it was $10. Stephen ate a buffalo burger and it was cheaper than the quesadilla. LOL!

At this point, I told Stephen I had taken all I could take. We went back to Col. Springs to the hotel and I took a 3 hour nap. I guess I needed it. I have been drinking so much water and I am feeling better now.

We ate dinner at Famous Daves. I love that place. We haven't had it since Florence.

So, that's about it for today! Tomorrow we are going to the Garden of the Gods, Air Force Academy, US Olympic Center. I have spotted some very cool Vancouver merchandise and I am "itching" to get my hands on it!! :) I told Stephen I had to go there first, before everything's gone. Yeah, like a day will make a difference, huh? Sooooooooo.....check back tomorrow. I am only getting on the internet once in the evening b/c I am cheap and didn't want to pay $10 a day for internet in the room. :)

We're having a blast!! This was a much needed vacation for both of us!

Spring Break 2010!! Colorado!!

We arrived in Colorado Springs at 4:00 mountain time. The time change actually worked to our advantage because we haven't "felt" the time change yet. We won't until we go back home. Anyway, we went to the hotel, checked in, and then went to dinner at Zio's. We had to wait 1 1/2 hours, so I knew it better be good. :) It was!

Today, we woke up and had room service for breakfast (first time ever!), and it was pretty good. Then, we headed out for Canon City to ride the Royal Gorge train. It started snowing right before we got there. It is so cold!! We got there in plenty of time, so we waited around. The train left at 12:45. We ate lunch on the train. We even ventured out into the open car for a bit, froze to death, but got some pretty good pictures. We got back about 2:45 and then drove back to Col. Springs.

We rested for a little bit, then we went for dinner. We went to the Mason Jar. It was really good, very good chicken fried steak. I even ate blackberry cobbler. Needless to say, thank goodness for stretchy pants!! :)

This evening, we are just chilling at the hotel. Tomorrow is the Pikes Peak Cog railway. I am super excited about going!!

check back tomorrow for updates!!!

Anticipation......

Not only am I looking forward to spring break, I can't WAIT till June 13th!! We have 2 trips planned soon..
Spring Break---Colorado, which I have never been....

June 13-June 22---Seattle and Alaskan Cruise!!! We are going to Seattle 2 days early to sightsee in Seattle. Then, we are cruising through Alaska----Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Victoria B.C......I just can't wait!!! We have never been on a cruise before, so we're in for a real treat!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy 2010!!! I can't believe it is here already. 2009 had a few rough spots, I hope it is a better year for us.

December happenings...

I just realized how long it has been since I have updated the blog. Thanks to facebook, I always seem to forget to update.

There has been a lot going on lately. Stephen and I made a trip to Alabama for Thanksgiving. While we were there, my grandmother passed away. I regret that I didn't get to see her one more time. There's no doubt she is in Heaven right now, I will see her again one day.

My dad just recently had surgery on his shoulder. He is in a lot of pain but in the long run he will be better off. My mother has been so wonderful in taking care of him.

This weekend we are all meeting up in Nacogdoches to celebrate Christmas. I can't wait for everyone to be together.

I hope everyone has a Merry CHRISTmas! Let us remember why we really celebrate.

July....

Well, July has been busy. We went to San Antonio the end of June/first of July. We had a blast! We did the river walk and Sea World. It was definitely good times! I went to Sea World as a kid, but Stephen had never been. It was like going with a kid, he was so excited. It has changed a lot since I have been too, so I was equally excited.

I went to the foot doctor the day before I went to have my pregnancy test. The dr. thought I had broken my foot so he put me in the "boot". He wouldn't x-ray until we had results. We didn't get the results we wanted. The next week, I went back to the foot doctor, had my x-ray, found out some interesting news. My foot is not broken. However, I found out I have metatarsus adductus, which is similar to club feet. My dad, older sister, and her 2 kids were all born with club feet. There is nothing he will do about it. I've lived with it for 32 years, what is a few more?? I do still have heel spurs. He put some inserts in my shoes. The WORST part was the shots in my feet. I have to go back tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it. But, it gives me relief.

On Wednesday, I go to my reproductive endocrinologist for a consult. She will probably tell me I have to have surgery to remove the polyp on my uterus. Then we'll move forward again.

ADOPTION, it keeps coming to my mind. I just can't stop. Please pray!

Stephen's parents are here and we're having fun with them. Doing lots of eating!! :)

That's all for now. I am enjoying my summer still. I am almost ready to go back. This summer has been an emotional rollercoaster.....

Where did June go???

Wow! Was that June that just buzzed by???? I can't believe one whole month of my vacation is over almost. I have been enjoying being home with Sippi and being able to do my housework leisurely! :)

My older sister and her 2 kids are here this week. I am keeping my niece here at the house. My sister is staying with my other sister since her hubby is on a mission trip to Honduras. This is "Lauren's week" to stay. Ryan will come home w/ us after the July 4th trip to Nacogdoches.

We had our 3rd IUI last Friday. Two weeks is a LONG time to wait to find out if you're pregnant!!! I'll definitely have to have surgery next month to remove the polyp if I'm not pregnant.

Stephen got a new car finally. It was much needed. His car was 13 years old and had 250,000 miles on it. It got to the point that he had to turn on the heater going through the Dallas mixmaster to keep the car from overheating. Bad part is, his windows wouldn't roll down!!! :( He got a Nissan Altima.

Schooooool's out, for, the summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

woooohoooooooooooooooo!!!

I can't believe summer is here. The year went by so fast. I really did enjoy my year with my first grade babies!! I am already missing some of them. On the last day of school, one of my little girls said, "Mrs. Wright, I'm really going to miss you. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up every day."....I wanted to cry! There were a few that were a little harder to love, but I miss them too.

It has already been a busy summer. I had a procedure yesterday to find out about the polyp on my uterus. I do have one and I'll have to get it removed. No big deal hopefully!

I have to tell you what God has been working on me about.....
Saturday night I was really sick (nausea) so I took 2 dramamine....it works really well by the way! So, Sunday morning I was so very tired. (it works but it will knock you out, much like phenergan!) Anyways, back to the point. I thought about not going to church but I did. I wanted to go. I got up and got ready. The teaching pastor was preaching that day. Low and behold, he was preaching about adoption. You know all that we have been through and are still going through. Adoption has always been a "last resort". I don't want it to be that way. If it's meant for us to adopt, the Lord will make a way for it to happen. I am not ready to give up yet. I am just really praying for discernment. Our teaching pastor adopted 2 beautiful children. They had a 1% chance of getting pregnant. The difference is, my doctor still believes I can conceive. That's the desire of my heart, I want it more than anything at this point. I am just giving it to God, after all, He knows what is best for us. It's just hard to know what that plan is. Pray for us as we deal with our options.

hi!

We had our 2nd IUI last weekend. I will find out the results on Fri, May 29th. However, I have been really sick. I actually got sick on Monday, just a few days after the procedure. I hope it doesn't affect the results. I came home MOnday feeling really sick, all of a sudden. achy, fever, sore throat, chills, etc....I was worried that it was the flu. So, I went to the emergency room that night. They tested me for the flu, it was negative. They tested me for strep, negative. I stayed home the next day from work. My throat kept feeling worse. That evening, I went to the urgent care clinic..sure enough, I tested positive for strep. What a difference a day makes......

Only 8 more days of school left. I am starting to get a little sad about having to tell SOME of my kids bye. I am going to really miss some of them!!!! I'll probably miss all of them in some way. This was a special group to me.

Howdy! It's been awhile.....

Wow, thanks to the world of facebook, it's been a while since I posted on here! It has been busy. Last month, we went through our first IUI cycle. Unfortunately, the pregnancy test came back negative. We are on our 2nd cycle this month. I pray this is the month, it is a very draining process, physically and mentally.

Sippi has been really sick. Between doctor bills and vet bills, our bank must think the Great depression has hit!!! Did you know there is a $200 cover charge for vets??? We didn't either until recently. I say all of that to say this, we think Sippi might finally be on the road to recovery. It is possibly clostridium. ????So far so good w/ the treatment. Our vet is wonderful!! We couldn't ask for a better person than Dr. Goodwin!

The swine flu must have hit my school. We went to school Monday, but we have been off the remainder of the week. When we go back Monday, we'll only have 16 more days. I'm starting to get a little sad. I am going to miss these kids. I might even shed a tear or two. There were no tears last year for sure. This year has been so much better. It has made me love my career again! I am so glad not to have to move this year!! Yeah!!!

I hope everyone is well. Please continue to pray for us. This fertility stuff can be very trying, and not just on me. Stephen has been the best during the whole thing. I coudn't ask for anyone better to go through my life with me. We are about to be married for 6 years! It has been kinda rough, but things are finally better.

Our weekend

We decided to go to Nacogdoches this weekend and so did Missy, Ryan, and little Isaac. We had fun. My brother in law cooked some yummy gumbo on Friday night. He is the best cook ever. If you ever need an even catered, let him know....you won't be sorry! :) We had fun playing with Mr. Isaac! He is so sweet. We actually traveled back home Saturday night and we were able to go to our own church Sunday. Speaking of church, we had a really good service. It was a "mosaic' service. You know, the tile itself is not that wonderful, but put them all together, and you have a beautiful piece of art. That's kinda how it was at church. We worshipped in a very different way, but good. There were different things going on all at the same time while music was being played. There was a confession area, where you wrote down your confession and put it in the basket. There was the Lord's supper. There were areas where you could write what God is to you. There were candles to light to make a committment to Him. Or, you could just worship at your seat with music. It was pretty amazing.

After church, I went to the Verizon store and actually got my laptop set up to be able to do internet while traveling. It is pretty cool. Speaking of that, we are going to Alabama this weekend and we are excited about it. The only part we're not too thrilled about is the traveling. We are bringing Sippi and we are having to get some sedation meds b/c she has really been freaking out at travel lately. So, that's about it. Oh, I am giving a benchmark test in math tomorrow and Wednesday. I pray my kiddos do well!!

Dave Ramsey speaks on Economy!

Update From Dave On The EconomyI'm tired of hearing all the gloom and doom coming from the media about the economy and unemployment-I bet you are, too! Let's take a minute to look at the true reality of the situation and what we can do about it. Yes, many people have lost their jobs and houses. You may be one of them. But guess what? People have lost their jobs and houses even in a bull market. About 93% of people are still employed. That is pretty good! I was alive in the 1970s when unemployment hit double digits, and we're nowhere near that right now! I'm not making light of the fact that some people are struggling; I'm just putting the situation in the proper perspective.Even though you may be currently unemployed, that doesn't mean you have to participate in the recession. People like me who have chosen to not participate acknowledge the reality of a slow economy and suffering people. However, we have decided that we're not going to form our lives around the negativity coming out of the media and government. We're intensifying our efforts and going to have the best year of our lives in spite of things slowing down.Some people who find themselves unemployed will go into new careers or start their own businesses where they have the best year of their lives-professionally, financially and emotionally. Their current job losses are actually blessings in disguise. They believe this and are formulating game plans based on it. I guarantee there are men in their garages right now starting their own mechanic shops. The next Mary Kay Ash is writing up a business plan for new products she's just created. College students are developing "the next best thing" in their dorm rooms as you are reading this. This is reality!So think about your skills and interests. How can you leverage those passions into something you enjoy doing every day while earning money for it? If you haven't lost your job but dread going to work, maybe it's time to fire your employer and go in a new direction. When you have a game plan for your money and career, you will have a sense of empowerment because you aren't a slave to the lender (or employer).When employers start hiring because they believe their businesses will grow, recessions end. Many who have stopped hiring a healthy amount have been paralyzed by fear. They've lost hope. People who continue going about their lives in normal ways (without being irresponsible and buying stuff they can't afford) believe in the future. It's called hope.You can have fear or hope. It's your choice.I choose hope.

nerd

I guess it's official, I'm a nerd. We had a science fair at our school. In Kinder-2nd grade, each class submitted a class project. I had no idea what I would do. My co-worker said, just do sink or float. I began looking it up on the internet. I actually found one I liked better. It was called "Sinking Soda Surprise". So, I did it. It took very little time but the kids thought it was awesome! Here's the deal...it's pretty simple. Diet sodas float in water (in an unopened can) and regular sodas sink. It's because of the sugar. Well, low and behold.......it won a blue ribbon!! Woohoo!! And to think that I made the comment that I didn't care if I won or not........

Our Sippi

Well, this is our Sippi. I am so glad her hair has grown out again. She is starting to look like Sippi again!!! I won't ever cut her hair that short again. She looked and acted so differently when I did. Isn't she the cutest doggie ever???? :)

stuff

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things have been busy with school work, sick puppy, etc.....Sippi has salmonella in her tummy. It has been ROUGH to say the least!!! But, hopefully she will be on the mend.

On another note.....I will be going to the hospital Monday to have the HSG procedure done. Keep us in your prayers.

25 things about me

I got tagged on my facebook to do this, so I thought I would post this for all my non-facebook friends! :)

1. I love Jesus!
2. I am married to the best man ever, Stephen! We have been married for 5 1/2 years but have known each other since May 2001.
3. I got married on Flag Day, June 14, 2003!! No, I didn't have a red, white, and blue wedding!! :)
4. The Lord truly brought Stephen and I together! My younger sis Melissa went on a mission trip in the summer of 2000. Anyway, one year later I was going to visit my cousin in Ohio. Melissa hooked us up! She emailed him and told him she had a sister she wanted him to meet. At that point we started emailing each other and talking on the phone until 2 and 3 am! (having to get up at 6 was rough). On June 1, 2001 he drove from Michigan to Ohio to meet me. And the rest is history! One thing you have to understand is traveling on a plane by myself to Ohio is so not like me!!! The Lord really intended on us being together, one way or another!!
5. I love to travel! When I retire, I want to travel.
6. I don't want to leave the USA.....ever! :) except maybe on a cruise....
7. I have been to Canada....New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia, Toronto, Niagara Falls!
8. I love my family!! I talk to my mom and sisters daily!
9. I love lighthouses.
10. On our honeymoon, we stayed in a lighthouse and got to climb to the very top.
11. Stephen proposed to me at a lighthouse. Mackinac Point in Michigan.
12. I love teaching first grade.
13. I love scrapbooking and I am now getting into digital scrapbooking.
14. I can drive to Nacogdoches with my eyes closed. Ok, not really but pretty close!
15. The reason I can drive to Nac so well is because when we first moved back to Texas after living in Alabama, I worked in East Texas and Stephen worked in Dallas and I commuted on the weekends. Every weekend. For a whole year.....3 hours one way...
16. I went to SFA. graduated May 13, 2000
17. I have a cockapoo named Sippi. She got her name because Stephen went to Mississippi State. Her real name is Miss Sippi Wright
18. We built our first home in 2007. The build started in August and was done by November.
19. Our house is too big. 3100 square feet.
20. I love reality shows!! all of them
21. I hate shopping malls. I love the outdoor kind.
22. I love All My Children. I DVR it every day and watch it when I get home.
23. I'm cajun and I don't like seafood.
24. I LOVE Italian and Mexican food.
25. I am very impatient. I am also OCD on some things.

another update

The fertility specialist office called me yesterday and said they had a cancellation today, so I went. I took Stephen with me! :) We got good news! First of all, I LOVE my new doctor!!! She is wonderful. She said she was pretty certain she could get us pregnant. She did a sonogram and said everything looked good. I have to have a procedure done in about a month, an HSG test, to see if my tubes are blocked. Then, more clomid and possibly insemination (IUI). We have turned everything over to the Lord. I no longer am trying to control everything!!

Sweet Baby Isaac!

update on us

Well, just as a miracle happened today, Stephen and I are still awaiting our miracle. No I'm not pregnant but it's not from lack of trying!! We have been going through so much, and we haven't been very forthcoming with what all we have been going through. You know we have been trying to conceive for about 4 years but we really got serious about it this past summer. I have been on fertility drugs since then. It has been very tough. I have been on so much medicine and it is really making me act in ways that are not like me. I have basically been on an emotional roller coaster since then. Poor Stephen, he has been so awesome about everything. Putting up with me has been unbearable. I have been earnestly trying to not let it get to me. But, yesterday I guess I hit rock bottom. I guess you put up with "stuff" for just so long and at some point, you have a breaking point. I think I was at my lowest point yesterday since all of this has begun. However, witnessing the miracle today has helped tremendously!!

I say all of that to say this. Yesterday, basically, my OB/GYN gave up on my case. She told me to find another doctor, a reproductive endocrinologist. At first I was hurt, but I truly feel the Lord is leading me to someone who can help me. So, I am back at square one, starting my new doctor Feb. 23rd. It is a blessing because I was having to drive to Lewisville (an hour from home) to go to the doctor, and I was having to go a bunch! Now, this new dr. is 10 minutes from work, and it is at a very good hospital, Presbytarian of Dallas. Also, as of yesterday, I will have a new OB/GYN!!!! She gave up on me, so I'm giving up on her!!! Hmm! :)

Please keep us in your prayers. It is very easy to get discouraged when you are going through infertility, but I have to stay focused on the fact that the Lord never lets us down, that we have these trials and tribulations that just make us stronger and MAKE us rely on him which is what He wants us to do anyway. It's all about faith. From the words of Ronnie Freeman, the song "Faith":

Faith is being sure of you Like I'm sure of the wind and I'm sure there's truth Being certain You are with me every step of the way Faith- believing when I can't see The air I breathe in front of me Knowing I'll be with You one day This is what it means to have faith.

Baby Isaac

Yesterday, my sister had her weekly OB/GYN checkup and found out their her blood pressure was too high. She was admitted to the hospital. At midnight, my brother in law called and said her water broke. My family came up from Nac this morning and we headed to Frisco. Little Isaac was born Jan. 16th, 3:52 p.m., 7 lbs 2.5 oz, 20 inches long!!! He is perfect and beautiful!!! It is so amazing to see God's little miracles!

I have a dream....

I decided to do a bulletin board, "I have a dream". I asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. I got some pretty hilarious answers....

• president
• cashier
• airplane mechanic
• police officer
• doctor
• teacher
• hair stylist
• motorcycle racer
• judge

There were a few that made me raise my eyebrows.....superhero was one of them!!!

• I thought it was cute needless to say!! :)

ahhhhhhh..............

Rest.

Today has been good. It has been restful. (for the most part, however, if you ask Stephen, he will say no rest for the weary!!) :) I had been after him to get out and clean out the garage. He did just that today, and I have to say it looks much better. I have about a million loads of laundry to do as well. But, at least I'm home, at least for now.

On a different note, we are awaiting the arrival of my brand new nephew, Isaac. I keep thinking that any day I will get "the call".

Sippi is better, despite the fact we still don't really know what is causing her to get sick. The vet is concerned about her liver, saying that it is too small. We put the breaks on all the testing for now. We had already accumulated quite a little vet bill. She will now have to be on a prescription dog food. ($$$$$) But, she's worth it. She's our "baby" for now, until the Lord blesses us with a little one.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Sick Wright's

Well, we are all 3 sick today. Stomach issues. Poor Sippi. She is at the vet right now. She is very sick. I hope we get good news from them today. She has been vomiting and has diarrhea. Not good!! Light carpet + diarrhea=disaster!!! :)

A New Year, A New Assignment...

Today, I started my new assignment at work. I must say that while it is a little nerve wracking to start a new program and customer that is totally different from those I've previously been affiliated with, I am excited, too.

For the first 8 years of my career, I worked mostly on R&D programs and sometimes it is just more enjoyable to do that. For me, working on and developing something new has always been a challenge, but makes thing more fulfilling. Now is that time, and I hope the new year continues to be that way.

Happy New Year!!

We hope you all have a blessed New Year!!!

just say NO to fireworks!!!

We found out last night that Sippi does not like fireworks!!! We cut the lights off in the living room and opened the blinds so we could see the fireworks over the lake and at the houses behind us. She went NUTS!!!!! She was barking, pacing, whining, whimpering....she was NOT happy!!! We're not sure if she was scared or mad. We thought maybe she thought they were in HER backyard!!! :) Needless to say, we will not be at home during the July 4th holiday! :)

Sippi's New Haircut

Sippi went to the spa yesterday. This is her new "do". She got the cocker spaniel cut even though she is actually a cockapoo. We think she looks pretty cute!! :) She has been a little more sassy since yesterday.

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas!! We are having a blast!! Last weekend, my whole family came to stay with us for the weekend. We had a great weekend. Sippi was so depressed when everyone left.

Then, on Tuesday night, we drove down to Nacogdoches to stay with my parents and enjoy time with them and my older sister and her family. Today, Missy and Ryan are driving down from Frisco and we are having Christmas dinner. (I'm trying to talk everyone into seeing Marly and Me with me!!). We are going back home tomorrow morning just in time for Stephen's parents to come tomorrow afternoon. We are excited to see them too. Sippi has been looking for them all day. They are driving half way today and then will drive the remainder of the trip in the morning. Lots of family, just like I like it!!! I love my family and I am so blessed to have such a great family and such great friends. God bless you all! I hope the Lord blesses your family in the new year.

sweet sippi

My brother in law got a new camera so we decided to try it out!















Lauren and Ryan with Stormy, their shitzu

stuff...

Sorry I haven't posted in a while....life has kept us pretty busy! Last week, Sippi was really sick, so we were constantly picking up after her if you know what I mean.... Luckily, she is better thanks to antibiotics!!

My family was here this weekend. My mom, sister, and her two kids came up for my younger sister's baby shower. She got lots of nice things.

I have had a million papers it seems to grade! Progress report time!

I don't think we ever stay home. I just wanna be a couch potato!!! :)

Alabama trip

Well, we went to Alabama and got back Saturday afternoon. It was a good trip in getting to see my parents and my aunt and uncle. Thanksgiving meal was just as good as ever and we got to spend time with the dog I gave my parents, Buster. Buster has gone from being a little 8 lb puppy to a 91 lb chunk, but he's just as good and dependable as ever. We went to Starkville on Friday and did a little shopping, so that a good diversion to an otherwise miserable Egg Bowl. The trip back from Starkville was pretty crazy with rain, fog, and stupid drivers pulling out in front of on-coming cars. Unfortunatley, my stomach bug acted up again and I didn't get to enjoy the final bit of the trip. Praise God that the flight home was very smooth in comparison to the outbound flight. My only regrets are that the trip wasn't longer and that dad wasn't feeling well.

Praise God!!!

My sister (older) got her biopsy results today!! She does NOT have endometrial cancer!!!! It is a miracle!! I truly believe He took that cancer right out of her!

Missy's Shower

Lauren is very excited about Missy's baby!! She put her ear up to her belly so she could "hear" the baby!! :)

We had a great time at the shower. It was good to see old friends!

We can't wait to meet the little "sweet prince"!!

things that come in pairs.....

Ok, ya'll. Literally, I laugh every single day with this new job of mine. Yesterday, one of my co-workers was teaching the kids about pairs. She asked them about things that come in pairs. This one little boy raised his hand, stood up, put his hands on his bottom, and said, "Butt cheeks come in pairs!!" Ok, so we know he got the point, but DANG!!!

New funny....

ok, another kid story!! :) I'm telling you, teaching first grade can be hilarious!!! :)

So, my kids have gotten lazy about putting their name on their paper, which drives me CRAZY!! Well, I grade the papers, then Stephen files them for me to save me time. We had an idea the other night. Sippi LOVES to shred paper. So we "accidentally" let her have one. She shredded it into hundreds of pieces. Stephen gathered in into a ziploc baggie. I brought it to school and poured it out on a desk. I told them that is what happened when they didn't put their name on their paper....Sippi gets it!! :) Since then, the problem has taken care of itself mysteriously!!! :)

Hallelujah!!!

I always like to sit back and listen to my kids sometimes without them knowing that I'm listening. One of my little girls on the way out to the playground was talking to her friends. She told them that Jesus died on the cross for their sins. Then, she started marching and putting her hand in the air singing, "hallelujah, hallelujah!!". (over and over again) It was too cute to stop!!! :) 6 years old by the way!!!

Bump alert

Missy is 29 weeks pregnant!! We can't wait to meet the little feller!!!! We still don't know his name! (hint, hint Missy! ) :)

Yee Haw!!

Here we are at Texas Roadhouse. The family brought me here for my birthday. The evening ended w/ me having to climb up on the saddle for my birthday and then yell, "Yee Haw"!! It was quite embarrassing!

Happy Birthday to me!

My family surprised me by coming up today. We truly had a blast!!!

Crazy Hair Day

Instead of costumes, our school had crazy hair day. This is my co-workers and me. This was about as crazy as it gets!!! :)

SFA Homecoming

The SFA Band

Stephen and Lauren enjoy the parade.

8 things...

Here's what to do: Post rules on your blog. Answer the six "8" items. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment.
8 Favorite TV Shows:
Grey's Anatomy
Army Wives
Bachelor
American Idol
All My Children
Big Brother
House Hunters
Property Ladder

8 Things I did yesterday:
Woke up
Got donuts and coffee
went to the SFA Homecoming Parade
Ate lunch with family
Went to the SFA Homecoming Game
bought stuff for my sister's baby shower
Graded Papers
Ate dinner with family (Mom's good home cooking!)
8 Things I look forward to
Thanksgiving
going to Alabama to see stephen's family
Christmas
a baby
my sister's baby
summer
summer
summer
8 Things on my wish list
a baby
a new TV for gameroom
new car for Stephen (probably no time soon though)
that's pretty much it.....can't think of anything else I could possibly want right now! :)

State Fair!

Chicken fried bacon

Yes, you see correctly...I had to do a double take myself! It is BBQ Bologna!!!

Grilled alligator, fried ribs, fried coke, fried latte, fried cheesecake, fried pickle, fried cheese gurds, fried grilled cheese sandwich, fried PBJ&B.............you see what I mean?????

State Fair cont.

This was quite an adventure!! Notice the "ambulance" in the picture. Stephen got stung by something. Shelley stopped at one of the little police officers and he called this to come and assist Stephen. We were standing there and heard a siren. I thought to myself, OH MY GOODNESS HOW EMBARRASSING!!!! :)

Good ole' Fletcher's CORNY dogs!! You see, Stephen and I have this major conflict going as to whether it is a corn dog or corny dog. I just proved it to him!!! :)

Deep Fried Latte! We will deep fry anything in Texas!!! :)

Stars Mania

Stephen went to the Dallas Stars Season Ticket event with his friend the other night. He got to meet several of the players and have his picture taken with them. He was in hog heaven!!

stuff

Lots of things going on....

My nephew got his cast off today!! His foot is so straight, Praise God!

I can't wait until this weekend! My family is coming to visit and I can't wait!!!

My mom quit smoking 10 days ago cold turkey and hasn't picked up a cigarette since. Another praise!!! I am so very proud of her. She has been smoking since her 20's and she is nearly 60. She did it for us. You can't talk someone into giving up an addiction until THEY are ready, but I am so happy for her!!

We are getting ready for our new nephew. My sister and I are giving her a shower in November. I was printing invites last night and forgot the most important part....the part that it's a boy!!! :) That just shows where my mind has been lately!!!

We're on round 2 of fertility drugs. We are praying for the Lord's will but we want a baby so bad, so Lord, that is the desire of our hearts. I look around and see pregnant people every day and I think it's just not fair. But I take comfort in the fact that I know the Lord knows what is best and His timing will be perfect.

So, that's all for now. Stephen just grilled me a yummy smelling steak, so I'm off to indulge in that. :)

names...

As a teacher, I have come across some pretty strange names. Yet, I don't think any can come close to being as weird as this one. Le-a. At first I was thinking Leah or Lea. Nope. Ledasha. Poor child. According to mom, "the dash don't be silent." Hmmm.....things that make you go hmmmm.........

R & R

We traveled to Little Rock this weekend to meet up with Stephen's parents. It happens to be a pretty good half way point for both of us. We are really enjoying getting to spend time with them. Sippi always loves getting extra attention too! :)

Getting here was a little bit of an adventure though. Last night on the way, the interstate was closed due to 2 18 wheelers colliding. It was pretty bad and one person died as a result. We were sittiing on the interstate for an extra 1 1/2 hours. Not too fun. The car was shut off and we were sitting ducks. But, what is an extra 1 1/2 hours of my life when one person lost theirs and someone is without a son/husband/daddy today. I prayed for their family.

We'll head back tomorrow. I am off on Monday for Fair Day. Woohoo!! I can't wait to see my friend Amanda and her daughter on Monday. I haven't seen them in a long time.

It sure felt good to take a 3 hour nap today!!!

story to warm your heart!

I have a little girl who is autistic in my room this year. Love her to death!!! She will be one that makes me cry at the end of the year! Anyways..for the first few weeks of school, she didn't play with anyone. She loves to play with chalk and do hopscotch at recess. The other day some of my other girls joined her. She stopped playing long enough to come to me and she said, "Mrs. Wright, I HAVE FRIENDS!!!" Talk about warm your heart!! I just sat there watching her play with her friends and cried!!!!

teacher hours????

Ok, so things have gotten out of hand at school. I couldn't find my desk....I had to do something!! Teaching those little first graders sure is rewarding, but when do I have time to do other stuff???? Well, it comes when I work 12 hour days like today, well almost! 6:50-6:15!!! This must stop!! :) But hey, I made it through my first 6 weeks!! :) Yeah!!!

On a much more scary note....our economy is tanking!! Yikes!!! Please keep my brother-in-law and sister in your thoughts and prayers. We found out yesterday he will probably lose his job that he has had for 15 years. Pretty scary!

We can only hope people keep building airplanes so Stephen can have some job security. Keep flying!! :) We're doing our part when we can but we need some help!! ;)

Here are the rules: I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others! This award comes with a list of questions:
1. Where is your cell phone? in my pocket
2. Where is your significant other? home
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? Lynette
5. Your father? Tom
6. Your favorite thing? my family
7. Your dream last night? didn't have one...not that i remember
8. Your dream/goal? to be a mom
9. The room you're in? gameroom
10. Your hobby? scrapbooking
11. Your fear? not being able to have a baby
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? still teaching, being a parent
13. Where were you last night? driving home from Nac.
14. What you're not? patient
15. One of your wish-list items? a new TV for the gameroom
16. Where you grew up? Nacogdoches
17. The last thing you did? grade papers
18. What are you wearing? t-shirt and denim capris
19. Your TV? cowboys game
20. Your pet? Sippi
21. Your computer? HP laptop
22. Your mood? happy
23. Missing someone? my family in Nac.
24. Your car? Saturn Vue
25. Something you're not wearing? shoes
26. Favorite store? Target
27. Your summer? hot
28.Love someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? yesterday
Those who I think are deserving of this Brillante WeBlog Award are:
I'm not sure! :)

oh, 1 more funny....

My co-worker has a student with special needs. Today she brought him to my room for some time out. He was being terrible. One of my students was moved from her room to mine. The other little boy kept saying bano (bathroom). I wasn't about to let him go for fear of him escaping. The new little boy in my room said don't worry, he won't escape...he'll come back!! :) I thought that was hilarious!!! :)

life as a teacher....

Funny story to tell....now that I teach 1st grade, I'm sure there will be many more to follow!! Out of the mouth of babes!!!

I was wearing my college ring which has the state seal on it. One of my students said Mrs. Wright I like your ring. I said thank you. She said.....my daddy's been in jail lots of times and that is what is on all of his mail!!!!

What do you say to that??????

Slow down!

Well, I got pulled over today by a cop for the first time EVER in my life. The sad part was, I was only doing 38 mph, but in a school zone. It was 4:20 and I didn't realize it was still a school zone. Luckily, he felt sorry for me since I was a teacher, so he let me off with only a warning. Thank ya Lord!!!

Take a hike, Ike!!

We're making it all right! We have just had some rain and wind. We brought in all of the outdoor furniture and we're "hunkering down"!! :) Poor Sippi, she doesn't know what to think. She is just running around the house back and forth to me and Stephen.

Mom and Dad are doing alright in Nac. They lost power this morning but luckily they have a generator so they have fans, lights, TV, and refrigerator. Shelley and the family is there also. They are really roughing it.........right!

It's a Boy!!

Congrats to Ryan and Missy!! They found out today that their little bundle of joy will be a boy!! They are already quite smitten with the little feller!! He has his little legs crossed for his mommy and daddy!! We can't wait to see him!! I have already found a shirt that I will buy for him that says Spoiled by the best....my Aunt Stacey!!!

Take a hike, Gus(tav)

Well, we went to Nacogdoches for Labor Day weekend to visit Stacey's family. We thought we would have a relaxing weekend, but had to endure the hurricane prep. Very surreal experience. We spent Friday like any normal day, but Saturday was spent watching all the preparations for evacuees and people trying to prepare in the event NE TX gets hit.

I guess we all learned lessons from Rita back three years ago. Wal Mart was a zoo and anything that was quick-fix and water, drinks, etc. were flying off the shelf. Lines were already forming at the gas stations and some were running out. It was almost hysteria.

This morning, we were greeted with State Troopers and Sheriffs Deputies manning the main highways while trying to direct people to the shelters set up inNacogdoches. Stacey, Missy and I left around 10 this morning to come back. From Nacogdoches to Kilgore, it seemed like business as usual. Once we got near Tyler, on I-20, it was almost like Texas was being invaded by Louisiana. For the next 70 miles, we were in a pack of cars from La., including many from the New Orleans area. Glad we didn't wait any later.

Here we go again

Well, it's that time again. Tomorrow is the first day of school and Stacey's stressed again. Fortunately, Stacey's sister came up from Nacogdoches and helped her finish her room up. That was double good for me because it allowed me to mow the yard. After a solid week of rain, it was about to get away from me and fortunately, my brother in law jumped in and helped me with the edging and weedeating before the rains hit again.

Stacey is doing first grade this year, so it could get really interesting. At least it was a nice change of pace from the rigors of TAKS and the preparations for it. Of course, she is taking a lot of ribbing from me about having to get up and go to work again. Poor Sippi, she'll be lost without her mamma.

The old computer went down after a power outage on Wednesday. We ended up having to get a new power source for it, maybe it'll be good for a while longer.

update

Well, here it is August already! I guess school will be here before I know it....

I just got home yesterday from going to Shreveport, LA. My nephew had his surgery on his right foot. He was born with club feet, had them corrected, then was walking on the sides of his feet again. He went through so much pain, it was quite hard to watch. Praise the Lord he is better and is on his way home right now. It will be a 6 week recovery.

Stephen's mom and dad, aunt and uncle were here all last week. They went home Saturday. We had a lot of fun. We hated to see them go.

There's really not much else happening here, excpet alot of heat!!! Hopefully fall will be here soon!!

Normal again...well, maybe.

It's been a few weeks since we've wrote anything, but by now you've probably seen the outrageous blog for Sippi. Sippi and her mommy are on the road for a birthday (Stacey's dad), so I'm still at home going to work. As I am writing this, it has come up a cloud (that's an impending thunderstorm for you non-southerners) and everything started blowing across the yard. Now that I have fetched the volleyball and returned the patio chairs, maybe that'll be the end of my chasing things across the yard.

Where was I? We ended our vacation by going to see the Braves and Rangers play. The Braves stunk it up, so that was sad. I returned to work and have been very busy since then. They were in the middle of a Kaizen when I returned and now we're getting ready to rearrange everything in my department. Meetings, meetings and more meetings. Now everyone is on vacation and we're just struggling to get back into a groove. Fortunately for Stacey, she had company in the form of her nephew Ryan. He earned his keep, Aunt Stacey made sure she had plenty for him to do. :-)

Also, the lot next door to us sold again, so now we wait and pray for a good situation to occur. Selfishly, I would really like to see it built this time just to rid ourselves of an overgrown lot, the insects and other pests, and the constant wondering of people/kids through the lot. The hassle of keeping up with the lawn and the overgrown stuff hanging in our yard has been quite the nuisance.

Next was the 4th of July weekend. The rest of Stacey's family came and we cooked out on the 4th. We still have food from it and I have leftovers to do me for a while. On the night of the 4th, we were entertained by all the neighborhood folks trying to shoot off a ton of fireworks. We could see the real show in Heath and some of these folks went extreme enough to compete with some of that. Let's just say I enjoyed watching them burn their money, not mine. We ended up going to the Frisco Roughriders game on the 5th and seeing the fireworks show afterward. On Sunday everyone went home and we crashed.

Well, better rest up, Stacey's coming back Friday and there's no telling what kind of honey-do list she'll bring with her...

Ah, Vacation!

Well, we have made the trip to Mee-chi-gan and gotten to see a lot of friends from my days up there. Fortunately, the flights were pretty uneventful and low turbulence to boot. We got to see the Millers and the Schneiders who are probably my longest standing friends from days gone by. It was great to spend time with each of them on Thursday and Friday. I also stopped in at AutoAir and saw old co-workers and reminisced with them, I also got to see my old boss and we ate lunch together. Before you ask, gas was $4.14-4.20/gal.

On Saturday, Stacey and I drove to Mackinaw City and ferried to the island. On Mackinac Island we rode bikes on the island and walked around to some of the more scenic areas. Of course there was the fudge and the eating that had to be done. I actually ate so much that I made myself sick, bad Stephen! Also, while we were in Mackinaw City, we got to go back to the lighthouse where I proposed to Stacey. This time, it was open and I got to go all the way to the top through a very claustrophobic opening and staircase. Sunday was the return trip back to Lansing and to dine with the Millers and Andy Boyd and his fiancee. Monday, it was back to Detroit to board a plane and come home. After going through a traffic jam, we picked up Sippi from boarding and came home.

Today is the final day of my vacation. I spent the morning mowing the yard just before a storm came up. Now, I'm sitting in the house hoping it will finally pass through since we are planning on going to see the Rangers play the Atlanta Braves. Don't stop the chop! :-) Tomorrow will be back to work and highly intensive since I will come back into a Kaizen event.

Monday??? No Problem!!

For the first time this year, I am not dreading Monday!! :) I am looking forward to this week. We are leaving for Michigan Thursday. We are really excited about seeing our friends! We will also go to Mackinac Island next weekend. Our 5th year anniversary will be Saturday. That is really hard to believe!!

Have a good week!

FREEDOM!!!

A summer of freedom!!! :) No school until August for me!! Wahoo!

big news that I promised!

My sister, Missy, is pregnant! She is due in January. We are really excited for her!!

update cont.

Not really much to update......
There is one huge update but I will wait until tomorrow evening to update on that!

My kiddos did really well on the math TAKS, I had 2 out of 21 that did not pass. I was really proud!! I haven't even been able to tell them the good news yet!! We will have a party on Friday to celebrate!

Stephen has been sick today. (vomiting!) I hope he gets better soon! It started when we got home from church.

I have been scrapbooking today. (planning some pages actually). I am working on a really big project.

Only 7 more school days!! Yippppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Update...

It's been a while since I have updated. We just got back from E. Texas. We had a blast as usual. I was able to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Clear Springs along with momma's cooking! We were hit with some news while there. My sister and her husband are going to be missionaries in the Honduras in about 2 years. We're not sure how long they will be there. Plus, they are finally trying to have a baby! My family has been wearing the both of us out trying to make us have a baby. It hasn't been from lack of trying on my end, however. We have been trying to have a baby for about 3 years now. The Lord knows when the time is right.

Anyway....I am getting VERY excited about the closure of this school year. I am very ready for a break. Our third graders did very well on their reading TAKS test and our principal is very proud of us. We worked really hard to get them ready. Now we are just waiting to see about math results. We will be going on a vacation at the beginning of June, going to Michigan to see friends and go to Mackinac Island. Yeah!

Oh yea, big news on my end! I haven't really told very many people this. Next year I will be teaching 1st grade instead of 3rd grade. I am very excited about the change. NO TAKS! :)

Have a good week!!
Oh yeah! Sippi is doing great after her surgery. She is such a sweetie! Stephen feels better too! The dogs are better!

The dogs go to the doctor

Well, one trip to let a dog see the doctor was planned. Poor Sippi, it was time to get her fixed so we don't have any little Sipsters running around the house. I personally wouldn't mind another one, just not two going through the puppy stage so close together. One Sippi is all we can handle. Seriously, she was so happy to see the vet, unfortunately, I bet that's the last time she'll be so happy to see them. We are supposed to pick her up this evening, so we'll have an unhappy puppy for a few days.

As for the Sipster's human daddy, he ended up at the doctor this morning, too. I woke up Monday morning with a sore throat and it continues to get worse and I woke up this morning with a fever. So, I headed out to the local clinic and found out that I have something on the verge of strep throat. Two shots and a load of medication later, I hope to start feeling better. Poor Stacey, two grumpy dogs and the TAKS test. Y'all might want to pray for her...

Good Puppy

Puppy School ended tonight. While I am relieved that it is over, I'm kinda sad, too. Sippi has come a long way during the school. She was a little four pound ball of fur and now she weighs 16 lbs. She has learned to sit, stay (somewhat), leave it, come when called, lay-down, and other tricks. One of the cutest tricks is the high five/shake she does when she thinks she's getting a treat. Now, she is still overly hyper-active, but is calming down considerably and not taking out her aggression on me nearly as much. Next week, the Sipster will be 6 months old and then get the dubious pleasure of seeing the vet for a little surgery. I guess she better enjoy her visit with Grandma Pat this weekend because next week will be a doozy for her and us...

Company

We had plenty of company this weekend. Most of Stacey's family was here on Friday and Saturday for the garden dealings. Then Sunday, we got to see my college roommate, Chris, and his family. We added some pictures to the flickr page. Of course, I have always razzed Chris that if he had a son, that I would help train him in the maroon and white ways. After all, train up a child in the way of the Bulldogs and the Lord and when they get older they shall not depart.

Hey, don't you look like a lobster?

Well, one of the joys of homeownership is doing the yard work. Now, I say that rather tongue-in-cheek since I probably won't be enjoying it for the next twenty and a half years. Anyhow, I digress...Saturday, I spent the day doing yard work by mowing and trimming the edges of the yard. While, this was not the first mowing, actually the third, this one was the most intense. Stacey's mom and sister were here to uproot and replant the flower bed in front of the house. Not a big deal, but I ended up staying outside from 11AM to almost 5PM. Nice redneck sunburn and the top of my head and scalpline is burnt, too. Now I am peeling...what fun.

More March Madness

We went off and did something rather spur of the moment this weekend. Look here for the photos.

Yes, that was a surprise, but we had put a lot of miles on the previous car in less than 2 yrs and would rather take our chances with a new one to maintain one car payment (and hopefully) have less maintenance in the event the Pontiac has issues. Still have to say, we've been blessed with the Pontiac, 234,000 miles and still kicking.

Now where are those MSU decals???

March MAD-ness

OK, so it's that time of the year where I usually stay glued to the TV set. Unfortunately, the DFW area does not show the affinity for my Bulldogs that should be noted. Instead we were stuck , not once, but twice, watching Oklahoma. Fortunately, MSU puts on a better showing on Sunday than OU and they switched the coverage once OU started getting blown out. That serves all the Okies right for ever moving out and coming to Texas. :-) Anyway, my dream match-up of watching the MSU's (Miss. State and Michigan State) go head to head went down in flames. Maybe next year Sparties...

much ado about nothing....

Well, I am updating because I realized it has been a while since I last posted. To say things have been crazy would be an understatement. Thankfully, I am on spring break this week. I desperately needed it! My job seems to be taking a huge toll on me. I am always working, usually until 10 at night, just in time to go to bed. I am ready for summer!!! Just me and my Sippi!! Gladly, I found out today that our kiddos did really good on their state mandated test, which is awesome, thank you Lord!! Maybe we'll be appreciated for our HARD work!!!

We have enrolled our little Sippi in puppy training class. She needs some obedience!! It is an 8 week class and we are half way through with it. She seems to be getting a little better but she did tear some of our clothes the other day......She is the alpha dog and we need to show her who is the boss! :) The other day during class she darted out the front door of Petsmart into the parking lot and Stephen and I both nearly had a heart attack!! Luckily someone caught her eye and they were able to catch her!!

I think this is the only week that I am not looking forward to Friday!! I wish time would go slower, just for this week!

Wanna lose 10 pounds fast???

Let me tell you how! Just get a stomach virus and they will get flushed away before you know it. :) Yes, you guessed it! It hit me last Thursday morning about 1 am. I finally settled down about 7, then didn't get out of bed until 4 pm. Before I knew it, Oprah was on and I knew I had to crawl out of bed! I am just now beginning to get my appetite back. I don't know what it was, but I don't want it again any time soon!! I just pray Stephen doesn't get it!!

Poor little Sippi, she had to know I was sick. That morning when Stephen went to get her out of the kennel, she slipped away from him and ran upstairs to greet me. She just looked at me with pitiful eyes. It was then I knew I had a good dog!!

Bad doggie....

In recent weeks, our little darling blondie has been acting out of control. Poor Stephen has many bite marks/scratches to prove it!! We decided to enroll in puppy training. Tonight was the first night. Sippi did ok, she just got very excited at seeing the other little doggies. It was very interesting to hear what all we were doing wrong!! :) We have 7 more weeks of this!!

Tomorrow night she goes through more shots. She will not be happy!!

Are you smarter than a cockapoo?

In the spirit of the show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

Last night, we had just finished watching the aforementioned show and had left the dear Sippi in her playpen. Stacey was grading papers and I was tending to chores when out of the corner of my eye I saw something move on the couch. The Sipster was on the couch staring at Stacey and when I saw her, she tried to hide. I ask Stacey if she'd let Sippi out, and she replied, "No, did you?" Thus, I exclaimed, "Well, Hi, Sippi!" and she sheepishly whirled around to look at me. Needless to say, the little darling has learned to jump out of the playpen and walk clear across the sectional we have without making a sound.

Now the question begs to answer, are we smarter than a Sippi?

my niece

Sorry for not updating sooner...it has just not been real clear as to the condition of my niece. After doing several tests, the doctor believes she has seizures. Her daddy has them too. The doctor wants her to take a certain medicine. My sister looked it up and it seems to have many side effects. She has been very apprehensive about it but I think she is going to give it a try. Please pray that the medicine will help her out but yet not have any side effects.

Have a good week!

Puppy Tales Part 2

We planned on going to E.Texas this weekend for my parents' 39th anniversary. Sippi has not been traveling well in the car so we decided to board her at the vet's office. Plus, it was time for some more shots. I never knew someone could become so attached to a dog!! I was so sad to leave her on Friday! I can't wait until tomorrow to be able to pick her up!! :) Maybe she'll still love me!

Puppy Tales

Well, here we are and we've now had Sippi for 4 weeks. Sippi is now showing us tons of personality and the antics are quite humorous. First, we have the constant fascination with bathrooms. Whenever Sippi has gone to running roughshot through the house, a simple flush of the toilet will usually garner her attention. The puppy usually stops dead in her tracks and goes straight for the toilet and stands on her hind legs as if to see what will disappear. Next, we have the latest stunt she's been pulling: going up the stairs. No thanks to our niece, Lauren, coaxing Sippi up the stairs, we now have a doggy/child gate to prevent the darling(s) from running up the stairs. This afternoon, Sippi went all the way up the stairs and into our bedroom. Bad news...

Yet, it sure is entertaining!

Excuse me while I yawn...

Overnight was quite the experience. About 2AM, we were sound asleep only to be awakened by the burglar alarm. When I say sound asleep, I mean out cold, barely even heard the alarm asleep. Apparently, it was only a malfunction since there were no signs of forced entry, but it was one of those when you hear 105 dB of siren that just serves to leave you on edge for a while. Poor Sippi had never experienced the alarm going off and she was just trembling and crying to no end. Poor puppy got to endure it again when we ran a test on it with the monitoring service center. Now, I sit at home awaiting the service guy to come out and tell me what's wrong with my system. Maybe I can stay awake.

Red Green or Bob Vila

One of the joys (maybe pains) of being a homeowner as opposed to being a renter is now the projects are DIY (do-it yourself) instead of calling someone else to do it. While I naturally abhor the idea of doing something that I could pay someone to do, especially when they do it better than I do, I have been undertaking many projects at the house. Most recently, after hanging curtains and such, the larger projects have been installing shelving in the garage in order to remove the clutter and be able to park the vehicles in the garage. After all, when you have a two car garage, why should you have to park out in the driveway or street? But, I digress...

For those of you who have seen the Red Green Show, some of my projects have left me wondering whether sparing the duct tape was spoiling the job. In other words, should I have done something better or taken a shortcut. Yet, most of them have come out decently, I guess the judges will decide next weekend when we have the open house. As Red would say, "I'm pulling for you, we're all in this together..."

No news is good news???

Well, I'm not quite sure but we haven't heard anything about Lauren's MRI. We're still praying for good results.

She is also having an EEG on Friday. Please pray those results come back ok. My sister has to wake Lauren up at 2 am and keep her awake until the EEG. They want her to be sleep deprived when they give the test. She won't be happy! :)

please pray

I just wanted to update real quick to ask for prayer for my little niece. I just got back from Nacogdoches because she had some tests run today and I wanted to be there for her. She has been having "episodes" at night where she wakes up and doesn't know who/where she is and who anyone else is. She has also been having headaches. So, please pray that everything comes out ok with her MRI. She got very sick with the sedation they gave her. She vomited before and after the MRI. I was holding her after the MRI and she said, "I think I hear Aunt Stacey!" She didn't realize I was holding her!!

Hopefully we'll know something soon.

Happy New Year...almost!

Hello all! It is almost 2008. And then we start all over again....I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this year.....you just never know.....

I'm not sure if I'll make it until midnight tonight but we'll see....

Count your blessings and thank the Lord for all that He has done!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope everyone is having a good day!!! We are enjoying the newest member of our family, Sippi!! She is an adorable cockapoo!! We are trying to get her adjusted to our house and being with us.

Alto wins again...

Back to back state championships! They won today 22-0. They haven't lost a single game in 2 seasons. (This is the school I have taught at before moving to DFW). Go Jackets! My sister Shelley still teaches there and my niece and nephew go there.

On a different note, Stephen and I are looking forward to being couch potatoes!! We didn't leave the house today until 5:30. We wouldn't have left then, but we desperately needed some stuff so we could continue hanging curtains. By the way, Stephen is getting really good at hanging curtains. He is for hire!!! :)

Will the dust settle?

Ah, it's been a little over three weeks and we are finally getting settled into the house. Not to say we haven't had our share of little adventures, but still sifting and sorting through our stuff. As the poet once said, the best laid plans of mice and men...so, that's where we are now. Admittedly, we had quite a lot of our belongings that went upstairs, but some of it never made it up there during the move. Thus, we've spent the better part of the week cleaning out the garage and the study, trying to figure out what still belonged in those areas and what should have made the journey upstairs prior to now.

If you've seen Stacey's flickr site, you get an idea of what else we've been up to, decorating for Christmas. Two Christmas trees, the outdoor decorations, and of course, the interior as well.

On Monday, we had a slight problem. We woke up and had allowed the house to get too cold. Thus, I turned on the heat for about 20 minutes to warm the house up while we were getting ready for work. When we came home, it was almost 100 degrees in the house. Apparently, the HVAC guys wired the house for a gas heat pump instead of an electric one causing our heat to not shut off properly. Thus, the repair man got to spend a good portion of Monday evening with us.

As for other adventures, both of us have had our share of traffic adventures. We both have had to deal with hour plus commutes this week due to accidents. Not exactly my idea of fun, but I'm thankful I have a reason to make that commute.

Interesting start to my day!!

Well, every now and again, I think the Lord tries to make things really bad to show us that things are not so bad after all....if that makes sense!! :)

Today I left the house a few minutes later than normal. I get several miles down the road and realize I have forgotten my laptop at home. That is my only computer in my classroom that I can use, so I must go back and get it. I already know that the traffic is bad the way I'm going. So, basically, instead of leaving about 6:35 like usual, I end up finally leaving the house at 7:00. Traffic is horrendous. I get to work exactly on time, 7:45. I get to my classroom, the lock is stuck. No one can get in with their key. Meanwhile, here come my kiddos, bright-eyed and bushy tailed!! Can't get in the classroom....someone (not mentioning names but an adult that works at school) said, do you need a key??? Duh!! They had to call the emergency maintenance person!! He finally got my door open at 8:45. Yeah!!

I hope tomorrow is less eventful!! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow! It sure doesn't seem like it should already be time for another Thanksgiving! Where has the year gone?

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We will be leaving tonight for Alabama. I am truly thankful for many things this year. Above all, I am thankful that I serve a God that loves me and provides for me unconditionally. I am thankful for Stephen. He is the best husband I could ever ask for. He loves me for who I am. God hand-picked him just for me. I am thankful for my family. I couldn't ask for a more loving family. They love me too. That was very evident when they all traveled to Dallas this past weekend just to help us move. I am thankful for Stephen's parents. They are like my second set of parents. Some people are not lucky enough to have 1 set of parents that love them, I have 2! God has truly blessed Stephen and me this year. We have been through some really hard times these past 2 years but we were faithful to Him, and he has blessed us for it. I am thankful for my job, even though it is very tough. It allows me to be with Stephen, which I am truly grateful for! And....I am thankful for my house!! God provides!!! This has been our dream since we married and now our dream came true.

We're in....

I can't post much right now because I am at school but we should be back in business w/ our internet today so we'll post more. There are MANY interesting things that happened this weekend so we'll be sure to fill everyone in! :) I am at school right now resting!! This weekend wore everyone out!! We realized we have too much stuff!!

The house is wonderful and it is still weird! As of today, we are finally out of the apartment. Thank goodness!!

We're Homeowners!!!

From now until December 1, 2037, we're on the hook for a mortgage payment, or as my mom reminded me, we've joined the club. I'm glad it's over, and it's been a very nerve racking day. People were generally helpful, we just wanted and waited to see if there were any surprises - which there were none.

If you know what all we've been through the last 2.5 years, you'd say there's no doubt about it, we have been blessed and God deserves the glory for that house. I stood in the garage today praying a prayer of thanks for this opportunity, and afterward, remembered that 2.5 years ago I sat at a red light looking at what I considered a dream home in Muscle Shoals, AL almost heartbroken and apologizing profusely to Stacey that we couldn't have this back home. Strange how the Lord works, I looked online at those houses and realized that we have a much better situation than what we would have had there.

The fun begins with MOVING...we had our apartment flood just as we were loading the truck, just another mess with that apartment. Fortunately, there were a lot of people from Stacey's family came from East Texas to help us move the majority of the stuff on Saturday and that was a blessing. Then, on Sunday afternoon, we had to make our first warranty call as the washing machine had a back-up of our sewage into the yard and I had to stay at home all day yesterday while waiting on that to be fixed. It was great for getting stuff unpacked, but hated to lose a day of vacation at work. Thanks to a major glitch with moving our AT&T service, we did not get our phone and DSL hooked up on Friday as we first thought, so that has impeded our communicating. So, now it's the 20th, we've briefly returned to cyber-civilization before embarking on a trip to Alabama for Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow's the day...

Tomorrow is the day we have been looking forward to since July 22nd, which is when we put a contract on our new house. I am very excited about being in the house but Stephen and I are both a little uneasy (ok, down right nervous!) about the closing so please keep us in your prayers at 2:00. :)

I can't wait to walk in and know that I am in OUR house!!! We have always lived in an apartment and it will be awesome to not hear dogs above me, water trickling down from their washer/dishwasher/toilet!! Plus, I'll have my OWN parking spot....every time!!! No one else will park in my spot!! :) Living in an apartment, you're never guaranteed a spot!! Plus, I want to have neighbors....nice ones!! People in our apartment are just down right snooty!! You speak, they just look at you like you're dumb!!

I am avoiding packing by being on the computer, so I better go and get busy!! I am off from work until Monday. Yeah!!

Packing....

It should be against the law to own so much stuff!! It's no fun having to pack it...There's just not enough time to pack it all!! :)

By the way, Stephen has been a happy boy since Saturday!! His beloved dawgs defeated Alabama. I have never been so tired of hearing, "Who Let the Dogs Out"!!

Woo-hoo!!

With just a few exceptions, our home is complete!!! We close on the 15th and then begin moving in. I can't wait to get moved in and settled in!!

Light at the end of the tunnel....

Here is our house. Next Thursday (the 15th) we will be homeowners...for the first time in our married life...well, for the first time in our lives to be exact!! It's a pretty good feeling. The Lord has blessed us so very much!

As of last Saturday, there were just a few things to be done. Gutters, specialty paint, backsplash, and appliances.....I'm sure most of that is done by now. We have the official walk-through this Thursday. That will give them a week to perfect anything that needs some TLC.

We have begun the dreaded packing. For all who know the vast amount of "stuff" we have, you will understand why it is dreaded!! My sister picks on Stephen when she tells him that we have a Mississippi State gift shop. It's pretty true!! Thankfully, we are going from a 1000 sq. ft apartment to a 3100 sq. ft house!!

Have a good week and think about us next weekend when you are relaxing and enjoying your weekend and we are ......packing......

House Update 10/28

With Homecoming at Stephen F. Austin this weekend, we had two opportunities to visit the house - once Friday, and again today. The house is beginning to come together a little more each week. We're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (See the picture from the game room).

We actually started seeing trim work and finishing touches starting to show up on both the interior and exterior of the house. Countertops, baseboards, sinks/faucets, ceiling fans, light fixtures and outlets were installed. Sod was sitting in the front and the landscapers were finishing up the sprinkler system when we were there on Friday. The exterior of the house was painted on Saturday. Our backyard fence has been started as well.

House Update 10/21

Not one, but two trips to the house this weekend. Stacey and I went on Saturday morning to do our usual Saturday look while meeting Stacey's mom and sister out at the house. When we arrived, we encountered a problem, but not a bad problem. We weren't able to enter the house because the workers were installing (and grouting) the tiles in our downstairs area. So, we made another trip today to see the somewhat finished result. The downstairs is tiled except for the backsplash and it appears that the upstairs is completely tiled. Thus, once the countertops are installed on the cabinets (which were present), then they can complete the tile work. Trim and molding is underway as well as painting. Now it's time to start looking to see how the details are going together and start looking to ensure nothing has gone wrong. And yes, you can't spell analytical without anal.

So, now that we are less than a month from being in the home, our excitement is definitely rising. We also ordered our new sectional, breakfast and formal dining tables, and china cabinet this weekend. Praise the Lord we were able to get some deals.

House 10~13~07

coming right along!! We are so ready to move in!!

Back to normal.....maybe??

We are back from Alabama. We had a good time. We got to see Stephen's doggies play Saturday and they won..thank goodness. I told Stephen's mom and dad I sure was glad because with a 3 hour trip back to Cullman, it sure would have been miserable had they lost!! We got to play with the dog, Buster. He sure is pretty! We came home Monday, got in a holding pattern in the plane and circled DFW for a while. Then we landed and waited on the runway for about 30 minutes due to being backed up from the airport closing for an hour. NO fun! I went back to school yesterday for a staff development day and then finally the kids came back today. I could get used to these kind of weeks!! I don't think parents would go for that though. Have a good week, for what's left of it!

R & R

Everybody needs a little r & r every now and again!! I have a 3 day weekend due to the state fair, so Alabama here we come! We fly out tomorrow evening and return Monday evening. We are both really excited! We will travel over to Starkville Saturday morning to catch some football by Stephen's beloved alma mater. We just hope we have better plane rides than the last time we flew and I swore off of flying forever when I thought I was going to die....literally!! There's turbulence.....and then there's TURBULENCE!! You know what I mean...

Have a good weekend. Check out a few more pics of the house on my flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfaalum2000/
There's not much to see, the work seems to have slowed quite a bit...too much if you ask us!! We don't quite see how we will be closing in 1 month, but crazier things have happened!