Okay I am still alive!

Sorry it has been way to long since I have checked in, but sometimes I think my life is just way to boring to write about! This past year has been a year of many ups and downs, one of the biggest has been my step dad, Dale, being diagnosed with cancer. This has affected me in ways I can not even begin to express. This wonderful man came into our lives about a year and half after my dad died. He has made sure my mom was present at the births of both of my children, he has loved my boys as only a grandpa could and he loves my mom! Dale is one of my best friends, I can talk to him about anything and he loves me unconditionally. When he got sick, we all thought it was just a small tumor, which soon turned out to be full blown cancer. He has faced Chemo head on without any complaint, a severe infection, and he does not complain. He is the glue that holds us all together. I am very blessed that Mike and Dale love to hang out together and have so much in common, he has truly taught Mike many lessons in the last 15 years. I say all this to say, that I adore this man and I pray everyday that he will continue to grow old with my mom. He is truly her prince. I am very sad to see him be sick, but his attitude is so awesome.

I have no idea why I felt it was important to share this with you all, but he has really been on my mind and heart today!! Thanks for letting me share.

Now on to add to my list:

1. Lose 40 pounds before I turn 40

2. Join the gym

3. Read a book every month

4. Let go of somethings that I can not change

5. Forgive

6. send birthday cards

7. Take dance lessons

8. Go to Savannah with my husband!

9. spend time with my parents

10. Go on a hike and not die!

11. splurge on an I Phone!! Done!!! And I love it!!

12. spend more time with my friends

13. make sure my friends know how much they mean to me.

14. start writing a book (I have no idea what it will be about)

15. have more patience

16. Spend more time with my boys by themselves.

17. Eat something new tried cavier and it was yuck!!!

18. Start bike riding

19. Write my sister a letter to let her know how I feel.

20. Come to some peace with things that I have carried with me for 17.5 year

21. Leave a big tip at a restaurant.

22. Surprise someone

23. treat myself to a day of pampering

24. see a movie a month

25. Go on a mission trip

26. go on a picnic with my husband

27. Spend more time scrapbooking

28. Make it through the rest of the school year with out a snow day (we have used 9 so far)

29. Learn more about Aspergers

30. fly to MN and spend sometime with my favorite girls (abby and Lydia and Kim)

more to come..................

Just thinking!

Happy Sunday!!

I am sitting here pondering what I should do today. There is laundry to be done, School work to be done, dishes to wash or just sit here and ponder. I think I will ponder.

Last night was a wonderful night for my son Isaac (who has recently been diagnosed with Aspergers, That is another blog) had a boy/girl party. As you all probably know I was a nervous wreck. I was scared to death that no one would show up. But the did we had about 30 kids, they danced (not with each other, of course) and there was NO DRAMA~~~ It was wonderful, he even got enough $$ to buy himself an IPOD touch. He was so happy and that in turn makes me so happy. He has had a rough go at it and to see him smile and to tell us thank you and that WE ROCK!

I have many things I want to blog about but I do not want to bore anyone! So for today I will leave it at that. I am still working on my list. Tomorrow's blog will be about forgiveness.

1. Lose 40 pounds before I turn 40

2. Join the gym

3. Read a book every month

4. Let go of somethings that I can not change

5. Forgive

6. send birthday cards

7. Take dance lessons

8. Go to Savannah with my husband!

9. spend time with my parents

10. Go on a hike and not die!

11. splurge on an I Phone!!

12. spend more time with my friends

13. make sure my friends know how much they mean to me.

14. start writing a book (I have no idea what it will be about)

15. have more patience

16. Spend more time with my boys by themselves.

17. Eat something new

18. Start bike riding

19. Write my sister a letter to let her know how I feel.

20. Come to some peace with things that I have carried with me for 17.5 year

Chat with you all soon!

Day 2 of my self discovery

I have often wondered what God had in store for me, I always knew that I was supposed to marry Mike and have a family but I always knew that there was something else that I was supposed to do. So with saying all this I want to share what that journey that I have been on. When we moved to Kentucky I started subbing at our local elementary and middle schools in our town. I always said no when the high school called (because those kids scared me!!). I really liked being around the kids and teaching them so I decided at the young age of 35 I decided to return to college, I was scared to death and I questioned my decision. I wondered how in the world would I be able to be a wife and and a mother and a student. But somehow this was the path that God had mapped out. It seemed whenever I was really struggling with my decision one bible verse kept showing up. For example on my 1st day on campus (the day Katrina hit) I was walking across campus soaking wet someone walked up and handed me a piece of paper that said

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This became my motto and I soon realized that I loved be a college student!! The day I graduated was one of the very best days of my life. I had never been so proud of myself. The next thing I knew I had a job and I was a real teacher. My first year I taught Freshman English, which I loved, however, I believe I found my true calling. This year I am teaching study skills and intervention. I work with kids who for what ever reason struggles with school. Most of them really don't care they just need to know someone cares about them. I love my "kids"!! SO I have come a long way to not even wanting to walking into the high school. I could not imagine my life without these kids. I can see a lot of myself in some of them. My hope for them is that they grow up and have as good of memories that I have of high school and that they are able to make friendships now that when they are 40 years old are writing blogs with those friends!!

Sorry that was a little long!! I am still working on my list:

11. splurge on an I Phone!!

12. spend more time with my friends

13. make sure my friends know how much they mean to me.

14. start writing a book (I have no idea what it will be about)

15. have more patience

Ok I will try this!

I am expecting this to be a great year. I am excited to be turning 40. Of course there are some things in my life that I wish were different or wish I could change, however I will not dwell to much on these things. God has blessed me over the years and I am so excited to see what he has in store for me as I continue my journey.

Not only am I turning 40 in 2010 I will also be celebrating my 20th anniversary of being married to my high school sweetheart. We have experienced many adventures over the past 20 years and I can not wait to see what other adventures we can find.

I will also start a list of 40 things I hope to accomplish over the next 11.5 months. I am a little apprehensive to list them here for fear that I do not exceed but I am going to jump right in! So here goes nothing.

1. Lose 40 pounds before I turn 40

2. Join the gym

3. Read a book every month

4. Let go of somethings that I can not change

5. Forgive

6. send birthday cards

7. Take dance lessons

8. Go to Savannah with my husband!

9. spend time with my parents

10. Go on a hike and not die!

So that is a start! This journey will be fun and I can not wait~