I've got one hand in my pocket and another one is...

I've been listening to Jagged Little Pill a lot lately. And I always get the order of this song in the wrong order, EVERYTIME! Everytime! Its dumb, but I kind of want to study the chorus of this song to have it right because I think its going to impress somebody, but know full well its not impressing anyone, but I will have accomplished that and can mark it off my list of "Amazing wastes of time but somehow feel like a better human being" list. Back to what's been going on...

John's birthday was Friday! He's 39. 39. One year to 40, which sounds a lot older than he makes it seem. We both talk about how we feel as young as we did in our 20's. He looks as young as he did in his 20's too. (give it up for weight training!!) We went to his mom's for a pre-birthday party where he got a great camera and then we went on to The Melting Pot in Lexington. Its a fondue place. Weirdly, I still ended up cooking our supper even though we went out, but much better cause, no dishes! He has taken a lot of pictures since Friday, so I will need to post a bunch of the kids when he will load them on the computer.

After a 2 hour night of fondue!




The kids are getting so big. I mean literally "BIG". Its hard to believe Grant will be a freshman in 6 months. Looking at Becca's sweet pictures of Kate makes me miss those sweet years and it doesn't take long for your own kids to be taller than you and able to pick you up at his leisure.

I love how Sarah is posting about her blog friends and how she knows them. Here's a picture of when I first really hung out with her and all the Chattanooga crew. This was us a couple of years ago playing spoons (one of my favorite group games because all can play at the same time and everyone still remains friends when its over...) I thought this would bless your soul, Sarah. If only I had a picture of you coming to my butts and guts class at The Rush! For those here in Richmond who don't know Sarah, you need to read her blog. She is one of the warmest girls I met in Chattanooga. She laughed a lot and has the gift of encouragement like none I know. I miss you Sarah and am thrilled for the time we did get to spend together.

Aren't you all cute but would so take you out if need be!!!


My methods/practicum start tomorrow. It's been a quick Christmas break, but only 2 semesters left until graduation!!!!! I'm not looking forward to the hectic schedule again, but am encouraged that what's happening in this semester is not really different from my actual work in Title 1. Oh yeah, the house showed twice over the weekend, so please pray for that to sell. We are anxious for this, as its been almost 18 months. Waiting can be so hard, can't it?...

One more hilarious pic of Mr. 39. He will want to kill me for putting this up, but I think John is one of the funniest people I've ever met.



More soon...

hey, hey, do the brand new thing...

Dear blog,
It's been a while. Halloween, working, school, home, running, it all seems a blur. How do I catch you up. Let's prioritize! Ok, 5 weeks of this semester and off to methods! Wooooooo! It has to be easier than what's happening now. And Ella and Molly made straight A's and Grant (no straight A's) is doing awesome in school and all the teachers love him. If I'm told once, I'm told a thousand times, "You're son is so funny". I'm still running and trying to decide to do the Nashville 1/2 in April. I never thought I would be scared to train like that again, but it really is some work to do. The country music and free food could carry me through.

John is helping his family open a new clinic so he is busy, busy, busy. We are also making plans for him to go to Brazil this summer to serve there for 10 days, Lord willing. I'm finding it increasingly hard to find someone to help me along spiritually in this season of recovery so John is doing that. He actually reads to me at night because I'm so inconsistent. He quizzes me like a theology student sometimes too, which is challenging, but good. Julie is holding me accountable in prayer and vice versa. Not having a church family close proves its disadvantage, but the Lord provides, doesn't he. This is still such a weird season of unknowns but my amazing small group leader, Johnny, tells us only deal with obedience for the day. I can manage that.

I want to spend the holidays away from Ky by going someplace warm. I don't think its even a possibility, but I want my little family to be together. We do have a blast when we're all home together. They get their chill out skills honestly from me. I'm looking forward to the break. Not the holidays, just the break.

Oh yeah, Molly had this amazing birhtday party and I thought I could show pictures but I didn't put them on my flash to get that done. Next time. So I put a fun picture of her on the side. She is 10! Time is flying. Don't deserve the sweet family I have, but am so glad that I get to steward them for a time. Molly had a prom for her birthday. It was crazy. I'll post pics this week.

Dr. York is finishing the ten commandment series and I urge you all who read this to go to Buck Run's sight and download. I can't say enough about how the Lord has blessed him with the ability to orate God's word. Truly something.

Ok, now to superficial stuff, my new favorite thing to do on Sunday nights is to sit and watch Extreme Home Makeover in the floor. I was crying so hard by the end of last Sunday nights show (i mean full on ugly cry) I thought I was going to have to take medicine for being stuffy. I LOVE that show. Uh, as Julie says, its like 4 Lifetime movies at once. My birthday is in a few weeks and I'm hoping to have an Extreme Home Makover show kind of happening where we cry and its awesome and the whole town is in on it and Grant jumps up and down and cries and the girls are hugging and John is running around in circles because I made it to 35!!!!!! maybe need to back off the reality t.v. some...

we're all in this together...

I'm kinda failing at my blog right now. I think about it. Like a long lost friend who is waiting for me to hang out so I'm doing that now. At 12:30 a.m. with Jay Leno in the background and my last online midterm behind me. Awesome. Tonight Julie came over and shared my weekly Office time with me and John (he fell asleep, poor thing) but we caught up and talked of Peru and gynecology in third world countries (oh, crazy health ed. grad students :) I appreciate her ability to be able to drive out to my house because I have children that need to go to bed around 10. I also appreciate her ability to help me with abstract work on health disparities. All friends should be like this!

Title of the blog, let me explain. High School Musical 3 is coming out this weekend and my girls are dying to see it (and deep down maybe I am too, well not dying like I want to see Jim Gaffigan in Louisville Dec 12 in case your looking for a gift idea dying, but a real WANT). We have even got Tyler and Marie excited? last weekend by sitting through High School Musical again. Dorky? yes. Fun? totally. Spontaneous singing and dancing is always appropriate for every situation. I've been explaining to Molly this movie is a spin off of the musical Grease. It was our High School Musical back in the early 80's. There's never an original thought anymore, is there?

I'm beginning to work at Starbucks Monday. I'm selling out to corporate coffee and cheating on MyTime purely based on a need for health insurance. Did you know one of my dreams is to own my own place? No really, I've always wanted a tea or coffee house. I want to visit with regulars and share their lives and have music and art and kids drinking hot chocolate. I would decorate for all holidays, including Columbus, MLK,and Labor Day. If the post office people are off they need a place to come! I have a name and everything. Maybe learning from the Blockbuster of the coffee industry will bring this to fruition. It really blows that there's no artwork there. I like the neutral decor, and don't forget the insurance, but truly the only really cool thing about it is the cool coffee mugs they sell and the $1,ooo coffee machines. I'm sure there will be fun stuff to tell from the coffee shop. I'll keep you posted.

I ran a 5k last Saturday and still haven't posted the pictures. Ella came in 2nd in middle school age division and one of my running partners came in 3rd for women. Our school won the overall prize for most people attending which was really cool. I'll post those and I'm going to update my blog pictures too. Maybe my music, as well. I'll do that at Starbucks. That's what you do at coffee shops, right? I'm also really trying to get back to reading a Proverb a day based on the days date. You will essentially read the book of Proverbs every month and the wisdom books are such applicable reads. Not reading much else, well health journal articles. Blah. Only 2 semesters to a certified teaching career...

Cause a lot of wags want to hear it...

I started this Saturday sending my sweet little family out the door to the zoo and work as I made a list of errands to run until they get home. One of my to-do's is to take the kids comforters to the laundrymat here in Richmond because they are too big for our washing machine. Ok, so I pull up and the door is unlocked like the business is open and I'm dragging these big black lawn and leaf bags into the Mexican laundry mat (well, there is always a hispanic woman running it and her children run around barefoot which is real cute)and I realize no one is in there. NO ONE. I start saying, "Hello...". Nothing. Not even the sound of a cockroach scurrying. I'm still dragging my bag across the floor to the huge machines and yell again, "Hello...". (insert sound of crickets for movie affect). So I stand there and debate on whether to throw my stuff on in the machine and stay in the creepy abadoned laundry mat. In what seemed like a long time but was actually like 30 seconds I ponder why this place might be dead empty. Is there a drug bust going down out back? Did the kids have an emergency visit to the pediatrician because the black won't come off their feet? There is a Chinese resteraunt next door so maybe they're moonlighting? I feel the creepy increase and start to drag my bag back out. Then it dawns on me that this is the same bag they use in the movies when someone has been murdered and one is trying to dispose of a body. So I stand there again wondering if this is an episode of Punked or Candid Camera( I know that show hasn't been on since I was like 5, but you get the idea). Before I open the door, I look to see if anyone I know is around and drag my body/comforters to the car that is still missing a hubcap and looks criminal. I wanted to curl up in the fetal positon upon realizing I told Molly I would have her comforter cleaned by tonight so I stopped for a Diet Coke at MyTime, checked my email, and decided to share my Saturday with you thus far. I still have to find a laundry mat. Isn't there such a thing as a Chinese laundry?





I also looked at the pictures of the 38 year old Olympic Marathon winner and read about the marathon hopefuls who didn't win. It inspired me to keep on trucking and don't give up running a marathon by the time I'm 40. They didn't even expect her to be in the top 5! Awesome! Constantina, although you looked like an old skeleton running that finish line, I want to run like you. Hurray for older runners! and as a side note, she ran her full marathon shorter than my half time. Sigh.

I read Sarah Guin's latest post that bragged about her not starting school this week and I was glad for her in a "I'm jealous kinda way" as Me, Marie, Ashley, and the other 18,ooo students start our fall semester this week. That reminds me, add to the to-do list, Buy Books.

Thankful list:
1. Redemption
2. John
3. Grant's braces are off (we'll take a picture of his mouth and I'll post it!)
4. The Office and Biggest Loser Family will be on soon!
5. Cold weather is coming so running will get easier.
6. Ginger is soon to be not sick
7. Buck Run Baptist
8. Podcasts
9. Nutella on white bread!

Good luck starting school all EKU Colonels. It's going to be great(i'm shaking my head no while typing :-)