Praise God for the weekend!!  And thank goodness for NO PLANS!  Yep, you heard me right... no plans!  That's two weekends in a row.  It feels so nice.  I spent all summer running around town AND the world at full speed.  I rarely came up to breathe.  And when I did, it was not for long.  It has been so nice to take advantage of some down time.  I don't mind telling you, I was a little apprehensive about resigning from my teaching position this year.  I went to substitute "training" and was lucky enough to get hired before the district stopped accepting applications.  But I have been concerned about whether or not I would work enough to make any money. 

 

Today I sit here laughing at myself because the district LITERALLY calls my phone three to four times a night.  And I usually get a few calls first thing each morning.  It is unreal.  I am so thankful.  I would like to teach two to three times a week. I certainly do not want to overdo it.  I want to leave plenty of time to study, read and write.  

The whole family has been camped out in the living room in front of the big screen tonight!  GO COCKS!!!  Football season is so exciting!  

 

 

We even get the littles involved... they love their Cocky!

 

 

 

Speaking of "the littles,"  NO school Monday!  I'll certainly have to plan some type of activity because the boys will be home all day and both will be ready to PLAY. 

 

 

 

That's all for tonight friends.  I hope that all of you have a nice, relaxing (long) weekend!  



throw back thursday (tbt)

I. LOVE. THIS. PICTURE!

I took this on the airplane when we brought JP home from Guatemala in 2007.  How cute is he?!!

HAPPY THURSDAY, friends!

busy bee

I knew that this week was going to be a busy one.  What I didn't realize is how unprepared I was for busy.  I am sitting here at my laptop blogging and catching up on some of my writing material while my medical textbook is sitting quietly waiting on me to open it's pages and begin to study for another test I have TOMORROW.  I really should jump on that!  The test will cover chapter two.  A very long and detailed chapter with lots and lots of information.  Information that I have yet to learn.

I blame this on my mom. (She reads my blog each morning, so this is fun!). 

I was not going to accept any teaching jobs this week because I am taking Tyler to Shriners each morning for therapy.  I got home today around lunchtime.  I had time to shred my "presentable" clothes, slip into some lounge clothes, pour a drink and settle on the couch with my book to study.  My phone rang.  It was mom telling me that a teacher had gotten sick at her school and she needed me to come in.  Work equals money, so I went!  I say all of that to say this... I can handle working.  I can handle going to school.  But, I am going to have to get more organized if I am going to be successful at BOTH!  I am working again tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I will find a way to organize myself quickly.

JP seems to be doing well in school so far.  We were reading before bed tonight and I am so impressed with how far he has come.  Preston is doing well too.  He pretty much OWNS his little daycare.  He is definitely loved there and that makes us so happy.

We do not have too much going on this weekend and I am thankful for that.  It is always nice to have "down" time.  Sunday, we may be boating on Keowee, we'll see.  That is, as long as all of the Bulldogs have cleared the area! 

Well, that's all for tonight, folks.  I gotta hit the books before I hit the pillow.  HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

good manners

I wanted to publicly brag on my son for just a moment.  He came home today and shared with me that he earned "pennies" in class for "Good Manners."  I am SO PROUD of him!  If you are a parent, you understand how it feels.  You work SO hard to teach your children right from wrong, etc.  And you pray when they leave your home that they are kind, compassionate and obedient.  Especially in school.

 So, thank You Lord for the opportunity You have given me to raise Your child.  He is such a blessing to our family.  I am so proud of him and I know You are too.    

you'll get through this

I HAVE GOT TO HAVE THIS BOOK.  Being unemployed and paying for school, I am not quite sure how this is going to happen.  Join me, if  you will, in praying for the Max Lucado Book fairy to drop this one off on my doorstep.  That, or I guess I could tell JP it's what I want for my up and coming birthday!  On a more serious note, can you even imagine how good this book is going to be?!  I am the biggest Lucado fan on the Earth.  I own almost all of his books.  And most of them I have read more than once.  Some, more than twice!  In fact, if you are looking for something encouraging to read, find "No Wonder They Call Him the Savior"  and either download it on your Kindle, or buy it!  I have whole chapters of it memorized.  No lie!  It is that good.  And if I had to guess, I bet this new one will be the same way.  The advertisement JUMPED off a page of September's HomeLife magazine at me tonight while I was sitting in church. I am beyond excited to read it.  Rest assured, when I do get this book, I will most definitely write a review for you.  In fact, it might be fun to write a little "summary" for you at the end of each chapter.  What do you think?  I'll have to give that some serious thought...

Let's see, this weekend ranked pretty high up on my emotional mountain.  However, I am SO thankful for my friends and family who make my life so much easier.  Friday night I went out to eat with my bff, Kerri. 

(Thank you to the waiter who took this picture sideways when I asked him NOT to.)

 

As always, we had a great time.  Tupelo Honey Café...if you have not been, GO!  It was excellent.  Great food, great service, a peaceful atmosphere,  all good.  At the beginning of your meal, they bring you the biggest biscuit you have ever seen accompanied by jam and a bottle of honey.  OH. MY. GOSH.  There is not a word in my adjective bank to describe the taste.  And if you're anything like me when it comes to breakfast food, this will be a haven for you.  They serve breakfast all day long! So give it a try.  It is located in Downtown Greenville on Maine Street.  Well worth your time and money.

 



After Kerri and I walked around downtown for a bit, we parted ways.  I then headed over to my friend, Alexis' house (pictured left).  She invited a few Meyer Center peeps over for dinner and movies.  I skipped dinner, but joined them for "Baby Momma" starring Tina Fey.  Very funny movie!  Again, great movie and a lot of laughs.  It was good for my soul.

That was my Friday night.  Saturday, Preston and I spent the afternoon at Furman.  It was a GORGEOUS day!

I spent Saturday night watching another movie (can you tell I LOVE movies?)  with my other fave, Kathi.  We were both kind of blue this weekend.  It's always better to be down in the dumps together!

That's about it.  As you can tell, I kept myself pretty busy.  This week is shaping up to be busy for me as well.  Tomorrow I begin my Creative Writing class at USC.  I am super excited about that!  I have another test in Medical Language on Wednesday.  It is looking like my nose will be buried inside a book most of the week. 

Happy Monday, everybody!

it's the weekend y'all

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet.  TWICE, I repeat, TWICE I have typed out a very detailed post with a link attached in the body of writing.  And TWICE, I repeat, TWICE the link has NOT worked!!  So frustrating.  Because of this, I am not able to share with you the devotion I had planned. 

Another time.

I will admit, the weekends do not hold the same meaning for me anymore.  What the weekend DOES mean is, my girlfriends are not working!  We are going downtown for dinner tonight and I am super excited!  Stay tuned for pictures, because you KNOW I will take plenty!!

This is pretty much what my day looks like now.  My laptop and laundry.  In addition to studying for the first test in my Medical Language class, I have worked on my book this week.  I found an agent in New York that I am sending my manuscript to on Monday.   I have spent hours editing/proofreading and rewriting.  I am not complaining, though.  It has kept me busy. Say a little prayer, if you will.  I am anxious to move this thing along! 

Alright, I promised short and sweet.  There ya go!  I will no longer be posting to the blog on the weekends.  I hope everyone has a safe and exciting two days and I will see you on Monday!

back to school

My little man started school today.  He was not excited...however, when I picked him up this afternoon, he was in the best mood!  You can imagine how that made my day.  He likes his teacher and is looking forward to making new friends in his class.

It seems like just yesterday I was kissing these chubby cheeks.  Man, time sure flies! 

 

Now he's all grown up.  He was so irritated with me taking pictures of him all morning.  He kept saying, "Mom, this is so embarrassing!"   He has NO idea! 

As for me?  It is so unbelievably strange not to have a job.  Until now, it has really just felt like summer.  Not today.  I have spent fifteen long years in a classroom!  It is the weirdest feeling.  I am NOT complaining.  I woke up early, got JP and Preston ready and we were out the door by 7:30am.  I spent all morning studying.  I have a test Friday.  Couple that with the PAGES UPON PAGES of written exercises in the book, and I stayed pretty busy.  I was productive though...I finished reading chapter one, (which is what the quiz will cover), and ALMOST finished the fifteen pages of written work.  I took a break and dad and I went out for lunch.  That was nice.  He goes to his part time job tomorrow, I have no idea what to do with an empty house! 


One thing I am going to do is drive to North Greenville University.  After much research, I have decided that it will be most beneficial for me to take my writing/journalism course there.  I'm pretty excited.  The campus has changed SO MUCH since I was there the first time.  It will definitely be a gorgeous place to hang out and study when I have the time.  I know all of my Clemson pals were cheering me on to Tigerville, but it's not going to happen this time.  I'm heartbroken.  Promise.

Dabo was visibly upset when he received word I was not attending the University.  I think he, along with a few other close friends, was hoping for the opportunity to change the color of my blood over the coarse of the fall semester.  No such luck.

Well, that's all for tonight friends... this Gamecock is T.I.R.E.D!

HAPPY THURSDAY!

the brick wall

"Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does." ( 1 Peter 5:8-11, The Message)

I am not positive, but it appears that I have run in to another brick wall.  I know that it is frustrating to you, the reader, but unfortunately I am not comfortable sharing this obstacle with you.  What I will tell you is this,  when God is so obviously present and working within you every day, EXPECT Satan to do the same!! 

Reread over that statement and pay close attention to it!  It is truth.  I am doing the very best to move on and make a better life for myself.  Satan has thrown yet ANOTHER curve ball square at my head.  After a while, I don't mind telling you, it hurts.  What am I going to do about it?  NOTHING.  I am going to continue on my journey.  Satan can stick his nasty foot in front of me and trip me.  And I may fall to the ground.  But I WILL get up.  I will continue to push forward towards the goal I have set for myself.

 And I will reach it.

 ^"I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." ( Philippians 4:13, The Message)

 

 



Having said all of this to you, I must also share my thanks and gratitude to God.  I certainly do not want this post to be devoted to Satan and his work.  So, in the same breath, I want to publicly thank God for His provision, grace, MERCY, and love for me.  He is very alive within me and He is allowing me to feel His Presence daily.  It's such a battle, isn't it?  I am sure you know where I am coming from.  It happens to all of us.  "So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision - you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it."  (Philippians 3:15-16, the Message) 

 



 



2nd grade and more

My baby is not a baby anymore.  This afternoon we took him to meet his SECOND GRADE teacher!  I cannot believe I am saying that.  I know that every parent feels this way, but MY HOW TIME FLIES.  I am not going to allow my thoughts to drift in that direction... too much change.  He has not been excited about returning to school on Wednesday.  Until tonight.  After meeting his teacher, his outlook has improved. 

I think we're going to have a good year.

In other "news,"  I bought my book for my Medical Language course today.  The GREAT  news is, I found it used (in excellent condition) for only $34!  That was a major deal for this girl who no longer receives a paycheck!  The not-so-great news?  The class is going to kick my butt!  I have a friend who completed this same course a few years ago.  Apparently it has changed a bit.  I have no doubt I will enjoy it simply because of it's content.  Having said that, it is going to be a lot more work than I originally anticipated.  But, to quote my good friend Pete the Cat,  "It's ALL Good!" 

The next item on my "To Do" list is to enroll in a Creative Writing OR Journalism course at one of the other local Universities.  I am doing everything in my power to AVOID enrolling in Clemson, but I may end up there.  Eeeek!   I will keep you posted.  I would also like you to join me in praying about an exciting opportunity that has recently presented itself.  (No thanks to my mom *wink), I was introduced to a course offered nearby for a Certification in Biblical Counseling.  I am going to call next week and get more information, but it sounds like something I may be interested in.  The class is held on Monday nights.  I am not sure if I can swing my current class schedule in addition to this course, so I am undecided.  I have a dear friend who has almost completed her certification and it is a lot of work as well.  So, we'll see.  

That's about all I have tonight.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday! 

sunday

Today was an amazing day.  While aspects of our life would be classified as DISASTROUS, it is so awesome when God allows us to feel His Presence so strongly in our home.  That happened today.  And I am so incredibly thankful. 

I had the opportunity to write several things that I will be sharing with you this week.  However tonight I am SO TIRED!  So, I thought I would share with you a few inspirational quotes to help you begin your week on a positive note.

I hope you have a wonderful and productive Monday!

downtown greenville ROCKS

According to my Cluster Map, you guys are from all over the place!   I am probably bias, but Greenville will always be one of my favorite places in the world! 

My family spends a lot of time downtown.  With restaurants, bands, outdoor movies and shops, there is SOMETHING for everyone.  Today, my mom and I took the boys to ride the Trolley. 

Preston and JP BOTH loved it.  And it was the perfect day.  We did get rained on a few times, but nothing too bad.  We attempted to eat at On the Roxx  on South Main Street.  We hiked all the way down there (while it was raining) to find out it was NOT open.  UGH.  I really wanna try that place....it looked nice!  We ended up at Cantinflas Mexican on Main.  Slightly over priced, in my opinion, but the food is really good. 

All in all it was a really nice day.  I have always LOVED Saturdays... of course, for me, every day is a Saturday now!

Tonight is FAMILY FUN NIGHT at our house.  JP has checked out the movie, E.T from the library and we are all watching it while eating Steaks, burgers and hot dogs on the grill.  YUMMY!

time to breathe

I was driving home from picking up Preston at daycare today when something hit me.  Like a ton of bricks.  For months now I have been beating myself up over my current situation.

No home of my own.

       No full time job.

This has really bothered me.  Until today.  Ten minutes ago, to be exact.  The Holy Spirit revealed a MAJOR truth to my heart.  I can only imagine He has whispered this to me many times, I only heard it today for the first time.

For years I have complained about how tired I am.  It began with our journey to get JP.  The entire process was so emotionally draining.  Once that road came to an end, Scott became sick.  His path of medical trauma was very long and draining as well.  Month after month of surgeries, hospital stays, home health visits and doctor appointments.  It was never ending for all involved.  At least it felt that way.  That brings us to the present.

Separation.

     Divorce.

Loss.  

My point is this.  Today, God told me to enjoy this time I have to myself.  Rather than obsessing over not having anything to do, bask in it.  Embrace it.  Accept it as a gift!  A gift from God.  He is allowing me to experience the downtime that I have so desperately been seeking.  The time I have been longing for, for so long. 

And now I am excited.  On the days that I am not teaching or in a class, the possibilities are endless for me!  I can rest, write more, serve more, volunteer more.  I can enjoy life. 

I can breathe. 



it's that simple

I have no idea how I come across in my writing, but I really do try to be more positive than negative.  I sure hope I come across that way.   LIFE.IS.HARD.   However, my goal is to sprinkle a healthy mix of good with the bad that comes along.  The truth is, our life is not getting any easier around here.  It literally feels like we wake up each morning and wait on the next "thing" to take place.  And most of the time, it does. 

Don't worry, this is not a "whoa is me"  post.  I am just giving you the facts.  Around our house, things get crazier by the MINUTE.  I share all of that to say this,  I woke up this morning already void of patience.  By mid-morning I was getting to the point where I either needed to sit in the bathroom ALONE and cry for a few hours, or I needed to run down the street screaming obscenities at the top of my lungs.  Three young boys in the house and three adults getting ready for work at the same time, NEITHER was going to happen for me.  So, I walked around all morning breathing very deeply and talking to myself.  Yes, I am that person.  Once the house settled, I plugged Andrew and JP in to their cyber entertainment while I took a hot shower.  That helped.  I walked back in to the living room and a thought "popped" into my head.  I needed to get JP's Bible out and read the day's scripture to the boys. 

So I did.

WOW.  I needed to read this more than JP and Andrew needed to hear it.  Trust me.  I thought about sharing the "grown up" version of this passage with you as well, but I am not going to.  Why?  Because this is plenty sufficient for any age!  I don't know about you, but I tend to make the scriptures more complicated than they actually are.  A five year old child's version of Isaiah 30:18-20  says everything this adult needed to hear today. 

The Lord WANTS to show me His mercy.  He WANTS to rise and comfort me.  He is a FAIR God.  And if I WAIT for Him, I will be happy.  He has given me sorrow and hurt, but He will NOT hide His face from me.  He will comfort me during this time.  However long it might last. 

It really is that simple.

should i see smurfs 2?

ABSOLUTELY!!

I will admit, I wasn't too excited to see this one.  JP chose to see it for his birthday, so we took him.  All I could think about was, how different could it be from the original Smurf movie?  Trust me, it was very different.  It is filled with the same child-friendly AND adult humor you now expect.  The plot is more than interesting, especially for those of us who grew up watching the Smurfs cartoon.

Have you ever wondered why there are FIVE MILLION little blue men, but only ONE Smurfette?  Really.  Where did she come from?  (Where did they all come from, but never mind THAT!).  The Smurfs 2 answers that question in a wildly entertaining fashion.

I highly recommend you take your child/children and go see it.  If you do not have a little person to accompany you, go see it anyway!  Most theatres are very dark...no one will know you flew solo unless you choose to tell them!!

i blinked

It happens literally in the blink of an eye.  Sadness envelopes me like a warm blanket.  One minute I am on cloud nine parading around  downtown Greenville and the next I am trying to get myself and the boys to the car as quickly as possible so that no one notices the tears that are slowly beginning to trickle down my cheeks.  Most of the time I am unable to pinpoint the trigger of this emotion. 

Today, however, I am well aware.

I took Andrew and JP to Falls Park this morning.  The weather was beautiful. Slightly overcast with a light breeze.  The park was not overly crowded.  We found the perfect spot to enjoy our snacks.

As you can see, we were enjoying a lazy morning outdoors.  As noon approached more and more people flooded the park and picnic areas.  This was the beginning of the end for me.  Everywhere I turned, there were couples laughing/talking/walking, most appeared to be on their lunch break.  If not couples, it was moms and dads with their toddlers waddling around alongside the ducks feeding them leftovers.  It seemed as if in every direction there was a happy family staring at me.  Enjoying one another. 

Now I am here to tell you, I am one blessed girl.  I do not know many people (my age) who have the luxury of resigning from their job to return to school at their leisure.  I am also going to tell you that I DO NOT take for granted the family that God has blessed me with.  My mom, dad, sister, JP, Preston, my extended family and COUNTLESS, (did I mention COUNTLESS), friends who love and support me.  I KNOW I am blessed.  And a day does not pass by that I am not thanking God for all that I have.  Having said that, today I was (painfully) reminded of what I no longer have.  And it hurt.  I don't know, maybe it would be different if it was something I never knew.  Never had.  Never loved.  But, I DID know it.  I DID have it.  And I DID love it.

And I lost it.

So, I thank you for allowing me to publicly vent/whine/cry, whatever you want to call it.  It does not happen that often anymore, but when it does, it is very overwhelming.

When we got home from the park, I put the boys to bed for their nap.  Once they were asleep I sat down on the couch trying to decide how I was going to keep my mind occupied until they were awake again.  I didn't want to sit around all afternoon and feel sorry for myself.  So, I picked up my phone and sent a text to one of my favorite friends of all time.  It simply said this, " feeling overwhelmed with sadness right now, QUICK send me a scripture..."   And he did.  Before I share the passage, I want to thank him.  You know who you are and I love you so much.  You never fail me.

  " Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:6-10 (NIV)

 

Now here is the same passage from the Message.  I. LOVE. THIS.

 

 

 ^"Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become."

 

This was the perfect thing for me to read at this very moment.  I will be printing it off and hanging it in (probably) multiple places around the house.  In this life Jesus is all we need.  His grace.  It is enough.  I cannot let myself forget this truth. It applies to ALL of us.  We ALL have our crosses to bear. 

 

Some days they just seem a lot heavier than others.

 

it is tuesday and i am a happy girl

Guess what??!!!  I have my laptop back!!  I am SO EXCITED I CANNOT STAND MYSELF!!  They keys feel SO GOOD underneath my fingertips!  I know that sounds cheesy but it's sort of like using someone else's Bible.  It is just not comfortable.  My sister has been so kind to let me use her laptop, but it has not been the same! 

Now I am HAPPY!

And I hope to be able to blog every day.  I have a notebook/journal filled with notes that I have jotted down at different times, whether it be out around town or at church.  There is always so much to say and not nearly enough time to say it.

Tonight (pictured above) JP, Andrew and I met Kerri downtown at Carolina Ale House for dinner.  It was awesome, as usual.  We did sit upstairs on the outside "porch" for the first time.  Loved it!  Of course, anyone who knows me, knows that I love just about everything about that place.  Afterwards we walked around town for a bit.  The weather was perfect.  And so were the boys. 

Tomorrow, teachers return to work in our school district.  I must say, I am not sad.  I am very thankful for this new road I am about to travel down.  Most of my anxiety has disappeared and I am truly excited.  I am sure, however, that I will be subbing a good bit. 

Well, I am going to cut this a bit short tonight.  I am in the middle of a Burn Notice marathon.  I am almost done with last season.  I have been playing catch up.  It is so addicting! 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY everyone!

Stay tuned for a movie review of Smurfs 2!

i took a trip today...

...down memory lane.  Tonight JP and I met an old friend and her daughter for dinner.

Once upon a time, (twenty five years ago, to be exact), my family was camping in Ocean Lakes Family Campground at Surfside Beach.  I was on my way in to our RV when I saw a girl about to walk into her camper.  It was late at night and I am not sure why, but I walked over to say hello to her.  Heather was her name and she as fourteen years old.  We had a very short and awkward conversation before parting ways. 

The next day we ran in to one another again.  After lying and telling her I was fourteen we became FAST friends.  We spent the following two weeks together hanging out on the beach and "cruising" around on golf carts in the evenings.  We had SO MUCH FUN!  We introduced our families before our vacation was over. 

And thus began a very long and beautiful friendship.  Our families contacted one another shortly after returning home.  From then on, each time we went camping, Heather and her family joined us.  She is from Woodruff (about twenty minutes from Greenville) so we would take turns spending the weekends with one another.  Some of my favorite life memories are with Heather and her mom and dad.  Unfortunately when I was a sophomore in high school, Ron (Heather's dad), became sick with cancer.  He passed away my junior year. 

Heather and I have traveled down many roads together.  I was there while she and her mother worked to put the pieces of their lives back together after Ron's death.  I was beside her when she got married and she stood with me on my wedding day.  As time passed, life got busy.  I am ashamed to say that since our children came along, we lost touch.  JP just turned seven and her little girl, Cassie turned six.  It has been ALMOST that long since we have seen one another.

Until tonight.  We met at Chick Fil A so the kids could play on the playground while we caught up with one another.  It was an amazing time.  The moment I saw her (and her little mini-me) it was as if no time had passed.  That's a REAL friend.

I have absolutely NO INTENTION of allowing any more time to pass before seeing her again.  When God places someone this special in your life, it is our responsibility not to let them go.

And I do not intend to. 

wrapping up the weekend

I am so filled with emotion right now.  Several different emotions.  I am afraid that it is one of those nights where I have so much I want to say yet am unable to find the words to say anything at all.  I sat in church both this morning and tonight writing down verses and all sorts of thoughts to share with you.  But, sitting here in my quiet room I cannot seem to put two thoughts together.

Oh well.  I guess that's what you call writer's block. It happens.

I will say that I went yesterday (Saturday) and bought a new comforter and blanket for my bed.  I was super excited about that.  Especially since the blanket says, "Life, Love, Laugh!"  I couldn't believe it when I saw it on the shelf.  There was only one left and boy did I snatch it up FAST!

All I have to do now is buy some decorative pillows that I plan to have monogrammed.  Blue and brown.  My walls are a blue-ish color and the blanket and furniture is brown.  I like those colors together.  I will show you updated pictures when I have them! 

We are getting ready for Gamecock football in our house!  Not long now.  Preston is sportin' his Gamecock attire already.  Lookin' all cute!

I am signed up for two classes that begin in about a week.  That's another very LONG story.  My registration did not go AT ALL as I had planned.  I should have known.  Never make plans for your own life!  Lesson learned.  Over and over again....  The upside is, I found out I will need to take a Humanities course.  I will choose either Creative Writing or Journalism.  I would absolutely LOVE either one of them.  Greenville Tech is not offering those particular courses this semester and maybe not next, so I have emailed the office of admissions at Furman to see if I can sign up for their class.  I am hoping that will work out since I have already taken a writing class there before.  Fingers crossed.  I love their campus.

Another plus is, the Anatomy/Phys class I am taking meets twice a week (in Greer, ugh)  early in the morning.  So, I will have two days a week that I am free to study/write or just BREATHE all to myself.  Therapy.  The other three days (or at least two) I plan to substitute teach.  I hope that goes well.  We'll find out.  I have taught in special education for so long, in fact, it is the only thing I have ever taught.  I will not know what to do in a regular ed classroom.  This is the reason I will not teach above the second (possibly third) grade.  I do believe the fourth and fifth graders would chew me up and spit me out. 

Well, that's all for now.  I have a very busy week with the boys this week.  My sweet boy, Tyler is having surgery tomorrow morning.  Please keep him in your prayers. 

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!