same ol' thing.

my mom keeps checking my blog and is upset that i haven't added anything new. so here, mom, something new.

marmie-
i am so glad you are back from china. i missed you dearly. it has been so fun being friends with you. you are one of my best friends and you have always been here for me. thank you for all the wonderful goodies (to be posted later) you brought us from china. we love them. my purse rocks! i hope you are glad to be back. now, get some rest!

love you-Jo

teaching with 25 days to go...

Sent by Jenny. Thursday, April 26, 2007 – 1:09 pm

To the lounge, to the lounge
To buy myself a coke
Back to my Room, back to my room
My teaching is such a joke

Reply from Kylah. Thursday, April 26, 2007 – 1:21 pm

To P.E. , to P.E.
My kids are going to P.E.
Then back again, then back again
Can’t wait until it’s three

scrapping.

i was a scrapbooker long ago. but i was never a very good one. until, i made a scrapbook for my niece ellie claire henry.

my friend, jenny, and i worked on this little scrapbook for a week straight. every night i went to her house and we collaborated to come up with the cutest book ever. she did most of the good stuff, but i helped! it was her idea to make the scrapbook to go along with a max lucado book, "just in case you ever wonder." it is precious!

well, jenny and i have decided to take up scrapbooking again. hobby lobby (our favorite store) is having a sale on all of their scrapbooking supplies this week, so we went! we bought so much stuff. we set ourselves up for a really great scrapbooking adventure! jenny and i were so excited with our purchases that we took them to her craft room and rummaged through them all again.

last night was our first night scrapping together. it was really fun. when you haven't done it in a while, and haven't had much experience, it seems to take a little while to get into it. but once i did, with jenny's expertise, i made some really great pages!

if you're lucky, you'll get to see some of those pages one day! but now, i just remembered, that i have pictures of the book we made for ellie. get ready, it's cute!

okay, sorry. i know they aren't the best pictures and i know that was a little exccessive, but i couldn't decide between them, so i put them all up. i'm proud! we made the book before ellie was born so the blank spaces were left so her mama would be able to add pictures later.

and there ya go, pictures on the blog!

without pictures.

a blog is just boring without pictures.

as soon as my camera comes home from china, i will take pictures and post them. you never know what pictures could show up. it could be a picture of the grass in my front yard.

at this point, i just want some pictures!

the Great Wall of China

i love to travel (although, as my husband pointed out, i haven't been able to do a whole lot of that) and i love to see new things. i am a also a big history buff so i love to see the things of old.

last night about 11:15pm, my parents called me from their position on the Great Wall of China. i have always wanted to see the Great Wall of China. they knew that.

my dad exclaimed that it was a beautiful sight. he said because i had said so much about the Great Wall, that they decided to lovingly call me from there. my mom took a picture of my dad, on the Great wall, on the phone with me.

i can't wait to see the pictures!

i can't wait to see the Great Wall of China!

a great partnership.

i've dreamed of being a teacher since i was 7.

man was i a fool.

no really, teaching is an honorable profession, for most of us. i enjoy being with my kids, most days. by this time of year, i am not ready to let them go. when i let these kids leave my room for the last time, i will cry. this year's class is really special to me. their leaving will affect me in more ways than one.

in august, i will get a brand new class of rookies. i will have to start the training process all over again. i am big on routines and these kids have them all down. they can basically function without me here...sort of. but beginning next year, i'll have a room full of new babies. babies that will have to be taught to read. taught to try. taught to not give up. taught to know that i believe in them, even if it takes them 17 tries before they figure out the word "lake" (an actual account).

teaching is a hard job and there are many days when i wonder what on earth i'm doing in this profession. i sometimes email with my fellow teacher friends as we try and make it through. however, there are some days that make it totally worth it. there are the occassional days where i sit back with a huge smile and sigh, "oh yea...this is why. this is what i signed up for."

thank God for days like that.

this morning, the one student that drvies me crazy most days, brought me an apple. she waited patiently by my desk while i had the usual early morning onslaught of Miss Henry's this and Miss Henry's that. when the crowd moved away, she stood there with a sweet smile on her face and a big band-aid on her arm which i put there yesterday. she grinned up and me and proudly handed me a small, shiny green, granny smith apple. of course, my eyes lit up and i gave her a huge, excited hug. i told her thank you in the most enthusiastic way i know how. i took that granny smith apple and placed it proudly on my desk. i made her day, and she made mine.

i know she'll ask me later if i'm going to eat that apple during snack time and i will respond excitedly with "Are you kidding me? I can't wait to eat that apple at snack time!" she will smile again and be proud of the fact that i appreciated her gift so much. i know the routine too. ;)

today, with this apple on my desk, i will be reminded that this is why. this is why i am here. to make a difference in children's lives. to be the one they think of when they are at home and see an apple on their mother's table. i am here, to let them know they are loved, and...i guess that is why they are here, to let me know i am loved.

it's a really great partnership.

virginia tech.

i am horrified by this situation.

it is a complete tragedy.

what happened on monday morning at virginia tech. is something that should never happen. i have been praying for their families and friends as often as i am able. everything about the shooting bothers me, but there are a few things that are bothering me unexpectedly.

one thing i cannot get over is something i watched on the news yesterday morning. a student who was somewhere outside norris hall, captured the sounds of gunfire and screaming on his cell phone. it was the most terrible thing.

i mean we hear gunshots all the time on tv and movies, but this was completely different. his camera is recording the building and you hear the gunshots and screaming coming from inside the building. it just really sunk in that with every shot i heard, someone was being injured or killed. i cannot imagine actually being there or being one of the families to go through this terrible tragedy.

a thing that bothers me in a completely different way, is the way the news stations keep naming this thing, "the massacre at virginia tech."

can you imagine being the families of those that were killed and having to hear that everyday, so many times each day? i know that a massacre is exactly what we are facing here, but for the families to be reminded of that terrible word associated with their loved one, so often is a tragedy. why don't we rename this thing? let's not call it a massacre anymore.

i don't know. i probably haven't made any sense, it's just what i've been thinking about...

a really hot blanket...part II

one night, while michael was gone, i cleaned the entire house, including our bedroom. the room really wasn't messy, i just had to wash the sheets and stuff like that. well, because the room was so clean and i sleep so well that way, i decided to fold the old comforter nice and neat and put it back in the closet. i unfolded the duvet comforter from the foot of the bed and laid it neatly on top of smelling good, crisp, clean sheets.

i slept like a dream.

i was not too hot, i was not too cold. i was absolutely perfect. it was the best night's sleep i've had since i got married.

michael and i spent the weekend out of town and came back on sunday evening. the first night of sleeping under the comforter was, uh...okay. michael tossed and turned some, but i got really hot. so i slept with my legs poking out. i asked him about it the next morning and he said he slept really well. the only time he woke up and was hot when i suddenly sat up in bed in the middle of the night (i needed to cough and couldn't, okay?!).

so, last night...we tried again.

it was a complete tragedy.

we went to sleep about 11:00. by 12:15, michael was tossing and turning. every few minutes i woke again to huffing and puffing and heavy sighing. he would toss the covers off, drag the covers back on. he would pull them his way and then push them mine. at one point, he was yanking on the sheet forever. finally i said, "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?!"

"i'm sorry babe, i'm just hot and i'm restless, and the dog keeps snoring, and i can't sleep." "okay," i said, "would you like me to go get the other comforter?" "no, it's okay."

at 2:25 after a little more tossing and turning and huffing and puffing and heavy sighing, he finally got up to go to the bathroom. at that point, i was mad. i threw the covers off and stormed out of the bedroom. i stomped across the wooden floor of the living room to the linen closet where i retrieved the old comforter. i slammed the closet door, stomped back across the floor and flipped on the bedroom light. i folded down the down comforter and stood on the bed to straigthen the older one back on the bed, all the while talking trash under my breath.

"seriously. this is freaking ridiculous...can you please just be quiet so someone else can get some sleep around here." "i only have to wake up in 4 hours for crying out loud." "seriously."..."this is freakin ridiculous."

i jumped down from the bed, slapped down the light switch and lay down again with a huff. a few seconds later, michael came out of the bathroom and quietly crawled beneath the other comforter.

"i'm sorry babe. i just couldn't sleep. i'm sorry you had to get the blanket."

"yeah, well, you were just so loud, i couldn't sleep either."

he tried to cuddle up next to me, but i just laid where i was. poor guy.

around 4:30 am, i woke again as he got his pillow and moved to the couch so he wouldn't wake me anymore. my heart hurt as i watched him very quietly shut the door.

poor guy, he couldn't help it that he was restless. he had to wake up at the same time i did. he was just getting frusturated that his time was running out and he wasn't getting enough sleep. i felt really bad this morning and i apologized for being so crouchy in the middle of the night. he apologized for being so loud. he left me with a hug and a kiss. thank goodness.

score:
michael - 1
comforter - 1
kylah...zero

the best mr. gatti's trip ever.

you know how you get everyone who participates in your wedding some kind of gift? well, we easily found gifts for everyone.

everyone, except mason.

mason is jenny's son and he was our ringbearer. i kept asking jenny for good ideas that would help prod mason down the aisle. she finally came up with the idea of a trip to mr. gatti's, a pizza joint packed with games and tickets and a place where you can buy prizes with the tickets you earned.

for a few weeks leading up to the wedding, jenny and i both spoke with mason about the mr. gatti's trip often. "are you going to be in my wedding?" "are you going to walk down to the front and stand by mama?" "remember, if you are really good at the wedding, michael and i are going to take you to mr. gatti's."

he was so excited, and i must say, so was i.

well, last night, michael and i fulfilled our promise of a visit to mr. gatti's. it was so fun! mason is such a well behaved child and honestly...so is michael ;). they had a blast together and i laughed the night away. we ate pizza and drank cokes and sat and talked forever. then we played game, after game, after game.

mason's favorite game is the bonk the crocodile game. we had a blast.

it was nice to kind of get away from reality for a little while, focus on mason and have some fun!

i've been going to mr. gatti's since i was kid and i will have to admit...

that was the best mr. gatti's trip ever! thanks mason!

friendship

friendship is such a wonderful gift.

i am blessed with so many wonderful relationships with loving, caring, giving women.

i was just sitting here thinking about how a real frienship is really needed in life.

jenny came over the other night and we did absolutley nothing. that is usually what happens when i hang out with any of my friends.

jenny brought over dinner and we sat and ate it, talking. then we moved to the living room and sat talking for another couple of hours. we didn't even need the tv for background noise.

she is a teacher as well and it's nice to be able to vent to someone who knows exactly what you're going through. i'm sorry, it's like several other jobs, you can say you understand a million times, but if you've never been a teacher, you just don't understand completely.

anyway, we sat there talking about work, about husbands, about life. we talked about the possibility of moving that we are both facing this summer. it's scary, but nice to have someone who is going through it with you.

it was nice to talk to jenny and today looking back on that, it just reminds me to be thankful for my friends.

to my dear friends (you know who you are):
you are so dearly loved. i thank God as often as i can for the frienships i have been blessed with. i thank God for you. you were all so wonderful during my wedding. thank you for your unending support and love. please always know that i love you and i am praying for you and your families. thank you for allowing God to work in your lives and for influencing others around you for the cause of Christ. you are my family and i count myself blessed.

lightbulb.

prayer is one thing i have not been doing a great job of, lately. i forget.

i want someone to tell me how a person can forget to pray.

i hate it. i've been working on changing that, but how am i even at this point?

i don't feel like my relationship with God is awful, i just feel as thought i'm disconnected. i, of course, know that is my fault and not where i should be. i have let that happen and i am commited to getting it back on track.

i had a dream the other night that michael and i were sitting in a dark room in a corner. there was a lamp plugged in in front of us and the light was going out. there was only a slight glow of the filament in the lightbulb. in the room next to us, was a box full of lightbulbs. we prayed and prayed and prayed that God would show us the correct lightbulb to put in the lamp for replacement. it seemed like we prayed forever. the light eventually went out but michael and i sat in the dark and continued in our quest to know God's will for the right lightbulb in the lamp. after what seemed like an eternity, my mom knocked on the door to the room we were in. we continued praying while we prepared to open the door for her. just before we stood from our spot in the corner, the light glowed again for just a moment. we walked out of the room. still in the dream, michael and i talked about what the last glow of the lightbulb meant to us. it was God. we knew that sometimes, answers to prayer don't come automatically, but no matter how long it takes, God is still there, listening to our prayers and watching over us. we both knew that the last glow of the lightbulb was a reminder from our heavenly Father. he is with us and he heard our prayers.

that dream really made me think about my relationship with God a lot more. i also thought about the decision we are facing in our jobs and a possible move. have we prayed for an answer in what road to take? absolutely. have we prayed without ceasing? have we sat in the dark, seeking after the correct will for our lives, no matter how long it takes for an answer? not really.

michael and i have talked about the dream, and it served as a reminder to us both. during this time in our lives, we need the direction of God. we need our footsteps to be led by him. we have made a committment to ourselves and to God.

we will pray without ceasing. we will renew our realtionships with the One who created each of us. we will sit in the dark corner until we know, without a doubt, which road to take.

we are confident.

the Lord will show us what lightbulb to put in the lamp.

happy anniversary

today, is one month of marriage for michael and i. so far it's been great. we both left for work this morning, but before then, we got to share a happy anniversary kiss!

michael,
i love you very much and i am so happy that you are mine. i have had a blast with you the past couple of years but i can tell from the past month, that our lives are only going to get better as time passes by. you are already an amazing husband and i thank you for the fun of getting to know married life with you. you have made me the happiest woman in the world. thank you for a really great month and many great months to come. i love you baby.

being goofy and having fun!

last night michael and i laid down for bed around 12:30 am. but we didn't sleep. he left the lamp on and we just laid there talking and laughing for about an hour.

it reminded us both of the fun times we had when we were first getting to know each other. i guess, we are still getting to know each other, just in a different way.

as husband and wife. i like it.

he loves taking pictures with me!

see?!

he is so stinkin' handsome!

i just know.

michael is on the phone with one of his buddies, tim. tim is getting married in july to a wonderful girl named melissa. she's great!

we haven't seen tim much since he got engaged and he just called michael to get some addresses. tim must have asked him what he has been up to because michael answered, "just being married, man. it's kinda cool!"

i agree. married life is kinda cool! i am having a blast. it is everything i thought it to be so far, except that we aren't totally living in the same town yet. soon, though, very soon. michael is my best friend and marriage was definitely the right decision for us.

we were talking the other day about how before the wedding neither of us had cold feet or nervous feelings about making the right decision. we just knew we were right for each other.

it's a nice feeling... knowing.

knowing that you are loved as much as you love.

i'm not so blind to think that there will never be tough times. i know they will come. but i also know as long as michael and i keep Jesus at the center of our lives, we stand a way better chance of surviving.

you know everyone always says, when you find the one, you'll know. i never really understood what that meant until michael. i am excited to be on this side of "the knowing."

i'm looking forward to seeing what the next 50 years brings, but for now, i am just going to enjoy knowing...

he's the one for me.

Easter.

the Easter bunny came to see us on Easter Sunday. we ended up with baskets full of goodies.

i think michael's basket may be a little bigger and fuller than mine.

i don't know how the easter bunny knew michael was so addicted to these Lindor truffles. he can eat the whole bag at one sitting. i've never seen him that way with anything else. ever. it's the cutest thing!

the easter bunny has been visiting us for awhile and i know she visits others in this town as well.

i wonder how early mom, i mean, the easter bunny has to get up to get all of the baskets delivered before church.

hmmm...

(you're the best mom!)

babies on the brain...

no, i'm not pregnant. nor do i want to be...right now, anyway.

i do, however, have babies on the brain.

i have been thinking about them a lot lately. there are so many sweet babies around, that i can't help but think what my own will be like.

ellie was here this weekend and it was wonderful to see her. she wasn't feeling very well, so she fussed a little bit. it was just hard to sit there and not be able to make her better, i cannot even imagine what her mama felt like during that time. when ellie wasn't feeling bad, it was so fun to watch she and sarah together.

it is fun to watch crystal and jacob love each other, as well as jenny and mason and all of those other wonderful children i am constantly around. it is fun to talk to michelle as she falls in love with that little baby growing inside her.

last night as michael and i sat out by the street, enjoying our time together, a little girl rode by on her bicycle with training wheels and her dad was walking happily beside her. after he waved hello, i could hear him giving her bike riding advice as they moved on.

i stared after them for a long time, thinking about michael with children. he will be such a wonderful dad. i can't wait to see him that way...but then again, i can.

as much as i'm thinking about babies, i still want time with michael. so, i'll hold off as long as i can. i'll enjoy the season i am in, and when the time comes for babies, we'll both be ready for them...

hopefully.

working hard and feeling good.

michael and i spent the afternoon yesterday working on our yard. it's looking so much better. i mean there really wasn't anything wrong with the yard, other than it was a little boring, but i had so much fun.

we dug holes around the trees and put in red lava rock. we are going to add that rock to the flower beds next. it will really look great to have that color. i raked the entire thing because the last time michael mowed, the grass was so long that it left huge clumps everywhere. i also purchased a bunch of flowers and a few flower pots and planted them myself! they are sitting on my front porch and they look great. we want to put some cement borders around the trees so they will match the flower beds. they won't be circular, but almost kidney shaped (or something). i am really excited about that!

in the backyard, we added a brick border around the tree with red mulch there and in the flower beds. now the tree really looks like it is supposed to be there.

we worked from 2:00 pm to about 8:30 pm. it was a blast. after the hard work, we sat out next to the street just admiring our work. we are very proud!