dear sarah guin

I have been informed that I can no longer read your blog. I missed something on your blog but now I'm being shunned. I think you can fix this. As a matter of fact, I know you can. Blogger informs me that I need an invitation, sooooo...I'm waiting on that invite.

Nothing new is going on except full swing into practicum. I will be graduating on Dec. 19, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. I found out this week, or that's when its been planned. I don't think I'm going to walk for graduation. They are never fun to go to, so I'm really just thinking about all of you who read this. I'm sparing you, really. What a sweet friend I am :) What I most want for graduation is a job. Those make great grad gifts, so if any of you sweet friends I'm sparing will get on a site based council and give a sista the heads up, I'll buy YOU a gift certificate to the teacher's store instead! I should have majored in problem solving cause obviously I'm really good at that.

John and I are closing on the house Friday in Chattanooga and visiting Jerry Seinfeld next Friday night! As John and I were walking through Wal-Mart last night I asked him if it was ok that we not celebrate "Valentine's" and just live it up for Seinfeld weekend, to which he spoke a resounding "YES"! I'm really hoping I get to randomly run into Jerry while we're there. The first thing I'll say is "HELLLLLOOOOOOO" (love this episode)

I'm avoiding homework right now at 11:11 P.M. so I need to focus. yeah for warm springy weather and let's hope the storms coming through don't blow our power out again.

P.S. A warm congrats to Angie Hatterick on her newly expected. Babies are a great thing!!!

ice storms hate me

we came to chattanooga to get away from the iced storm 2 days early. Granted, we had to move but having electricity and water is a huge deal when you don't have any in your home. Tyler, Marie, Joe, Laura, and Julie all came with to help, so we will be up tomorrow moving the rest of our stuff home. Or to our current place until we buy a home. That's another blog though. see ya'll!

Ding, Ding, Ding, Da, Da, Ding, Ding (Ice Ice Baby-Too Cold Too Cold)

Pine needles surrounded by ice! John's camera is so awesome...




Isn't Ella pretty! She acts like a model when its icy outside.


I'm sitting in John's dad's animal clinic because we have no power in KY due to the incredible ice storm/hurricane that is blowing through. Its raining continuously and that keeps heaping the ice on our trees, our cars, and our much needed power lines. Right now Jeanne is the only one I know with power, so I'm pretty sure I'm hanging out with her tomorrow if the no-power thing continues. I have some pictures of my glorious time dealing with mother nature for some of you to enjoy.



I had to move this limb to get out of our long driveway.





I also got to celebrate Laurie, Aaron, and Marie's 21st birthday after church with them on Sunday. Its so neat to get to hang out with people who you invested in when they were just babes...

I remember when Justin asked me about dating Ashley, and look...an old married couple...


I've also known Whitter since she's been a 7th grader at Red House in the youth group!


I've known Marie since she's been 15. Now she's on old lady.




I found out I'm going to be doing my practicum in 2nd grade at Mayfield Elementary this semester and I won't get to meet my cooperating teacher until next week due to the no power in KY thing. I know I'm exaggerating this a speck, but I just want to be home in bed and can't be due to no electricity. I'm totally ok with going to bed at dark. I love sleep. LOVE it! But the no water thing blows.

I also missed Biggest Loser tonight which really motivates me to exercise. I love watching Bob coax his team on to victory and knowing they all work out 8 hours a day...Ahhhhh...I love it. I love the challenges. I love the ads they show. I started buying those steamer zip loc bags because of Biggest Loser. In this theme of writing, I think I'm going to run the Nashville Country Music 1/2 in April with Summer. Jeanne and Marie are pretty sure they are running it too. Its the money commitment that's tough to make right now, but I went on their website and got the marathon cold chills again, so maybe I can ask Star Bucks to sponsor me or something.

The power has gone off like 9 times and this blog has officially taken me over an hour, so I must quit! Stay warm and safe Richmond.

To Every Season: Turn, Turn, Turn

In every life there are many seasons. Bad ones, good ones, did that really just happen? ones, i wish this wouldn't end ones, you get the idea. I can honestly say, our season of house selling is finally (insert anything that is victorious sounding to you: (i.e., Rocky themed music, angel choirs, the beginnings to "Teenage Wasteland"...) OVER!!! We had a successful bid come to us this week on the house, John told the realtor to wait about 12 minutes before he called the couple back and say we'd take their offer. Ironically, they mentioned we would be closing on the next important day of my life coming up, the Jerry Seinfeld show in Louisville. I was floored. Is this a cruel joke? I'm going to be sitting in Chattanooga closing and MISSING the Seinfeld show? I was awestruck. Immobilized for a second. I got my bearings while I talked to myself in my head saying, "Jennifer, this is a good thing. Selling the house is so good!!! You've been waiting 18 months. You have no choice, you have to go. It will work out, Jerry will understand you not coming. He'll be around again soon..." Needless to say, we are currently working on getting the closing moved up, but I might have some good tickets for sale if anyone is looking for a great night out...

My methods block is in full swing. With too much information at one time, a proff that is currently in the hospital for a brain issue that has taken her out of our block, and the much dreaded info that I absolutely cannot student teach at Waco (Heather Taylor, I need you to help me here and ask if a K-4th or 5th would take me so I can request that before the second week of February) I am now 17 weeks away from methods being over. This semester is going to prove interesting in that I'm in a block group that has every non-trad student in the elementary program for this semester at the same school. I'm trying to figure that out still. Is Mayfield that ghetto that it takes all the oldies who've been parents to attend to the needs of their after school program? We'll see, we go to the schools this coming Friday to meet with the principal and get the low down. One good thing about the school I already know, snack everyday at 9:30! Score!!!! Me likey already...

I've been picking up the New York Times from Star Bucks and it automatically makes me feel smarter because its such a big paper with small font print to read. I know these journalists are really important and write about national and international news that will affect my world, thus I read it. Here was my favorite thing from Friday's Times:

Kids from an after school tutoring program in NY write to Obama about what should be the first thing he does when he gets to the White House.

1. Dear President/Mr. Obama,
The best thing about living in the White House would be running around like a maniac. The thing I would like the least is the work. Holly Wong: age 9

2. Edwin Jara: Age 9 Good job on winning! I heard about area 51. I wanted to ask you if there were any U.F.O.'s there. I think you should tell people in public the truth about Area 51. Just say, "We will take care of it" and do it.

3. My favorite one (all you teacher are going to love this one): 10 things you should do as president:
a. Make everyone read books.
b. Don't let teachers give kids hard homework
c. Make a law where kids only get one page of homework per week.
d. Kids can go visit you whenever they want
e. Make volunteer tutors get paid (I'm for this one in particular)
f. Make universities free (not so much for this one since I want to teach higher ed.)
g. Make students get extra credit for EVERYTHING
h. Give teachers raises (like this one too)
i. If No. 4 is approved, let kids visit the Oval Office, but don't make it boring.

One other article in the Times that was pretty funny to read was this journalist who was moving from NY to LA and decided to stop in Gatlinburg, TN with his girlfriend for a respite stop. The article has pictures of the downtown strip and he referred to everything being "Kitsch". I was just talking up the Dixie Stampede to one of my fellow Baristas at Star Bucks the other night and this article made me feel like a total tool. Do I like Kitsch? Have I no intellect to distinguish great entertainment from mindless drool? I'm in a quandry. I really am fascinated with some pretty ridiculous stuff. I mean, who doesn't enjoy the occasional Billy Bass singing, Amazing House of Pancakes, or lest we forget, the shrine of Dolly Parton encompassed in Dollywood Theme Park. Don't even get me started on Dixie Stampede! If this is Kitsch, then maybe I am a little. I have standards in this, don't get me wrong. I will never enter the AS SEEN ON TV store unless there products make it to larger commercial stores like Walgreens or Rite Aid (Go Ped EGG!) Anyway, the times also says that economic bailout is coming again and Ethan Hawke is on broadway playing in Cherry Orchard in case you want to know that too.

I'm off to bed. I will be posting some pictures soon, as John has been taking a lot. Of the cat. He's a weirdo :)

Summer, this is for you.

Summer is my sweet little running friend who is in the bunny suit down below in our 5K. I love her sense of humor and working with her. (actually all I do is watch her teach math since she has her act together so much, and I mean that) I am posting these in her honor since she will think this is funny and it will give her something to do. P.S. Summer, there are new cards on wrongcards.com. Go there now.




Ouch...





I want to post this at Star Bucks...


You need this dog...


Let's make a pack never to run track...


Oh Summer, I hope this fills your blogging needs a little more. Two in one night. Off to do laundry...

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...

O Come O Come Emmanuel

I'm relaxing on Christmas morning after a full day on Christmas Eve that started at 7 a.m. at Fayette Mall at Star Bucks. I felt like the entire Northern Hemisphere forgot to buy their Starbucks gift certificates and decided to buy them from me. Just spreading their Christmas cheer! I pretty much missed most of John's family's celebration, but got the last 2 hours of unbridled Nerf gun war between Joe and John. Upon leaving, I realized I had not been to the grocery at ALL this week because of working so much and not having any water for two days (another blog altogether), so I scurried to find some chicken and made a little Christmas Eve supper that included a peach cobbler that might have been the most vile attempt at a dessert on record. I don't know if I was just slobbering tired or just forgot key ingredients (duh!) but we made due. The kids opened a few gifts and we got to witness Ella have freak out over an IPod, Molly really wanted her own Nativity Scene (I'm propogating idol worship in my children for the holiday season, :), jokes), and Grant is rolling around Jenny's old house on a "toy" called a rip stick. It basically looks like a kayak oar on two wheels and you have to do body rolls to get it to move. I'm going to master it before I go back to school. I got John some new clothes(boring, right) from GAP because he seriously needed to fall into that (let's see who catches that one), and (drum role insert..........)I will be attending the February 20th show of JERRY SEINFELD!! I've only dropped hints about that since before Thanksgiving. It was the only thing I really selfishly wanted and we scored orchestra seating for the show. I can't wait.

I'm off to make banana-pecan pancakes and other casseroles for Christmas day all while watching the Disney Christams Parade.

God is soo good. Not just when in a time of blessing, but in all things. Praise the Lord for the incarnate God in the form of a babe. No matter how this Christmas finds you, because of the perfect gift, we know how this story will end...
Merry Christmas!!!!