We spent this Father's Day looking forward instead of looking back.
I knew I would get up before Ry (because the poor thing has that horrid route now, plus he got himself stuck in the mud) on Sunday, so I planned to make breakfast for him for Father's Day. I went to WalMart and got some cinnamon rolls. So, on Sunday I got up, popped the cinnamon rolls in the oven, made the fruit salad, and scrambled and cooked the eggs. I made two plates and went upstairs to wake him up, and serve him. I don't think he was thrilled about my waking him up. I hope he liked it. I like to do kind things for him on occasion. :) Even though he's not a dad yet...we're looking forward.
Father's Day can't pass without me thinking about my own Dad. On the 4th of July, we will celebrate Dad's ten-year anniversary with Jesus. When dad died, it seemed like we'd never get to this point--ten years out. I couldn't imagine all that would take place between then and now. I couldn't imagine that car accident that would knock me out of commission for 5 months. I couldn't imagine going to college and meeting amazing young women would become my good friends for life. Losing Grandpa, John, and Bill. Graduating from college, several moves, meeting and marrying my husband. Surgeries. Tears. Hurts. Laughter. Faith. Hope. And above all, love. These are the waves I've ridden for the last decade. I won't say that it's been a piece of cake. There were days, months, and years, where I thought I couldn't continue. Praise be to God, He wrapped his ever-loving arms around me, picked me up and carried me through.
My dad was larger than life. Looking back, he was my hero. I loved spending time with him. We went fishing, went on vacations, camping, and spend time at Grandma and Grandpa's. He taught me so much through his life, his illness, and his death. I miss him, but I know where he is, and I am assured through God's Word that I will see him again. I can't wait to praise Jesus with my dad. I hold his memory close in my heart, and I hope I can be half the parent he was. The was a believer in the fact that quantity time = quality time, when it comes to family. And I couldn't agree more.
My father's passing gave me the opportunity to become closer to other men in my life. My uncles, whether it was a conscious decision for them or not, stepped in to fill the void that was left. They came to my college graduation, gave me hugs, told me they loved me, joked with me, and gave me away at my wedding. I am so grateful for them, and their tender hearts, caring hearts.
So, I got my copy of "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" in the mail today. Maybe we can make Ryan a daddy by next June. We'll have to see.
Happy (belated) Father's Day, all you dads out there.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A Huge Whine
Okay, so I've been exercising my hiney off. That's not what makes me whiney, though. What makes me whiney is people's reactions, and what other people do when they exercise. They don't even make me whiney as much as ANGRY.
So tonight, for instance, I went to the new city park that's just up the road from our apartment. I drove, because I was lazy. At this new park, they have a half-mile long trail. So I walked it. It's intermingled with a disc golf course, but there were only two guys playing. So I did that twice, and then got sick of getting in the golfers' way. I treked out of the park, leaving my car, and took to the city streets. I walked through a residential area, and then out onto a more busy "thoroughfare," if you could call it that in this little town. I was turning onto another fairly busy street when a car full of dumbassed teenage boys pulled up beside me and proceeded to shriek and howl at me. Unfortunately, I stooped to their level and whipped out my flicker fingers at them. I really shouldn't do that because I'm a smalltown teacher. It just irks me off. This is our 2nd full summer here, and it never fails that when I go out walking somewhere, this crap happens.
Now, I know that they're teenagers, and that hormones cloud their judgement, and thoughts of busty women in French bikinis completely mask any semblance of manners, but this is ridiculous. I also know that I resemble a very, very hefty, yet very, very stout linebacker. I know that I have a huge ass, and that apparently is mildly amusing. But what I don't know is why its fun to hoot and howl at an Eva Braun look-alike who could clearly break you in half. Anyone have any ideas? I just don't get it.
Fast forward a few minutes to the gym. I've been going since what...February now? I have to tell you a few things that kind of crack me up or irk me off.
1. Men who tan. It reeks of weeniness.
2. Men who cannot lift a weight unless they are staring in a mirror at themselves.
3. Men who, as they walk back and forth to the water fountain, feel the need to check themselves out in the mirror on a continuous basis.
4. These women who feel the need to get into their best clothes to workout. And then their workout consists of five minutes walking on a treadmill, lifting a weight five times, and then talking for half an hour.
5. Any type of cell phone usage. I don't care which of your friends got jiggy with Mr. Roboto at Killpecker's last night. I really don't.
Okay. Now I'm done. And I'm tired. And Ryan's home...YAY!
And, just a little FYI, my pedometer readouts for today are:
11230 total steps
7769 aerobic steps
70 minues of aerobic exercise
728 calories burned
5.67 miles traveled
Take that, you stupid hoser teenagers!
So tonight, for instance, I went to the new city park that's just up the road from our apartment. I drove, because I was lazy. At this new park, they have a half-mile long trail. So I walked it. It's intermingled with a disc golf course, but there were only two guys playing. So I did that twice, and then got sick of getting in the golfers' way. I treked out of the park, leaving my car, and took to the city streets. I walked through a residential area, and then out onto a more busy "thoroughfare," if you could call it that in this little town. I was turning onto another fairly busy street when a car full of dumbassed teenage boys pulled up beside me and proceeded to shriek and howl at me. Unfortunately, I stooped to their level and whipped out my flicker fingers at them. I really shouldn't do that because I'm a smalltown teacher. It just irks me off. This is our 2nd full summer here, and it never fails that when I go out walking somewhere, this crap happens.
Now, I know that they're teenagers, and that hormones cloud their judgement, and thoughts of busty women in French bikinis completely mask any semblance of manners, but this is ridiculous. I also know that I resemble a very, very hefty, yet very, very stout linebacker. I know that I have a huge ass, and that apparently is mildly amusing. But what I don't know is why its fun to hoot and howl at an Eva Braun look-alike who could clearly break you in half. Anyone have any ideas? I just don't get it.
Fast forward a few minutes to the gym. I've been going since what...February now? I have to tell you a few things that kind of crack me up or irk me off.
1. Men who tan. It reeks of weeniness.
2. Men who cannot lift a weight unless they are staring in a mirror at themselves.
3. Men who, as they walk back and forth to the water fountain, feel the need to check themselves out in the mirror on a continuous basis.
4. These women who feel the need to get into their best clothes to workout. And then their workout consists of five minutes walking on a treadmill, lifting a weight five times, and then talking for half an hour.
5. Any type of cell phone usage. I don't care which of your friends got jiggy with Mr. Roboto at Killpecker's last night. I really don't.
Okay. Now I'm done. And I'm tired. And Ryan's home...YAY!
And, just a little FYI, my pedometer readouts for today are:
11230 total steps
7769 aerobic steps
70 minues of aerobic exercise
728 calories burned
5.67 miles traveled
Take that, you stupid hoser teenagers!
Monday, June 15, 2009
I Lied!
I lied. I *did* have a broken bone in my class this year. And I have another! One of my students broke her arm on Friday. It's not too serious, as I saw her running around town today. lol :)
I went to some of my students' last baseball game tonight. They're so fun to watch. What I like the most though, is the good sportsmanship that's emphasized. I'm not a parent, but honestly, I couldn't care less who wins or loses, I want the kids to have fun, learn the basics, and learn how to win and lose gracefully. I think the parents that were at the game did a really good job cheering ALL the players on, on either team. It was awesome.
Right now, I'm watching the Emeril episode of "Jon and Kate Plus Eight." I think that Kate is really mean and disrespectful to Jon. I don't have 8 children and a house to manage with cameras in my face, either, however. I have to wonder if things might be different without the cameras. I hope that they can work out their problems, I really do. Their marriage is worth it, and its important to have both mommy and daddy. I'm an idealist when it comes to families, though.
I'm doing writing training for a few days this week. I really like to write, obviously. I *KNOW* I didn't get enough writing in with my kiddos this year. And that was UBER stupid of me, because they LOVE it. Most of them, anyway. And when you think about how kids develop literacy, they usually pick up crayons or something before they start flipping pages in a book. I'm excited to work with my team next year to create writing activities for the kiddos. I can hardly wait at ALL.
Okay, I have another day of writing ahead of me, and I'm hoping to get up early tomorrow to go to the gym. And I'm totally whipped tonight. Imagine that. Take care, dear friends. :)
I went to some of my students' last baseball game tonight. They're so fun to watch. What I like the most though, is the good sportsmanship that's emphasized. I'm not a parent, but honestly, I couldn't care less who wins or loses, I want the kids to have fun, learn the basics, and learn how to win and lose gracefully. I think the parents that were at the game did a really good job cheering ALL the players on, on either team. It was awesome.
Right now, I'm watching the Emeril episode of "Jon and Kate Plus Eight." I think that Kate is really mean and disrespectful to Jon. I don't have 8 children and a house to manage with cameras in my face, either, however. I have to wonder if things might be different without the cameras. I hope that they can work out their problems, I really do. Their marriage is worth it, and its important to have both mommy and daddy. I'm an idealist when it comes to families, though.
I'm doing writing training for a few days this week. I really like to write, obviously. I *KNOW* I didn't get enough writing in with my kiddos this year. And that was UBER stupid of me, because they LOVE it. Most of them, anyway. And when you think about how kids develop literacy, they usually pick up crayons or something before they start flipping pages in a book. I'm excited to work with my team next year to create writing activities for the kiddos. I can hardly wait at ALL.
Okay, I have another day of writing ahead of me, and I'm hoping to get up early tomorrow to go to the gym. And I'm totally whipped tonight. Imagine that. Take care, dear friends. :)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
School's Out For the Summer!
I survived! And my kidlets survived, too. No broken bones this year, just some tonsils extracted and the very rare set of rabies shots (seriously...so not joking). So I sent my group off to third grade, and I met most of my new group. I thought I had met ALL of them, but on Monday, my administrator dropped the bomb that we were going back down to three sections of second grade instead of four, pushing each class's numbers back up into the twenties. That's a LOT of little kids (and when they first come into 2nd grade, they're still babies) in a teeny, tiny, misshapen space. I'm really disappointed that this happened, mainly for our students' sakes. I feel like my grade level has a huge *KICK ME* sign on its back.
So...what's new?
We are making plans to go see Brad Paisley in Salt Lake City on September 19. We're talking like 10-15 people. You know how much I love Brad, and it's been years since I've seen him. We're getting GOOD seats, and we're going to stay overnight. That many women hosing over a hot, talented man. It's bound to be a good time. SO excited. Tickets go on sale on Saturday. Karen better be online at 10 to purchase them. LOL.:)
Next week on Monday and Tuesday I go to writing training. Everyone in my grade level is going, and I'm really excited to implement the strategies we learn about with students. I think my team and I might use what we learn to write our professional growth plans for next year.
After that, it's our 3 year anniversary. Ry and I got married on June 24, 2006 on a rainy, cool, June afternoon. It was one of the best days of my life. Ry's job changed this week. Instead of just running over to Utah each nay, now he's got to go up into Idaho and back down. As if that weren't enough, now he has to be with another driver for the entire route. He gets paid a little bit more, but I don't know that its worth his sanity. I feel bad for him...the guy he drives with now is temporary until the permanent guy moves his family up here. But if you know anything about my husband, he is 100% completely ADD. He cannot sit still, and for the last part of his route, he has to be back in the sleeper. We're thinking about buying a Nintendo DS and a Wii for at home so he can get some exercise quickly when he gets home, which has been between 10 and 11 pm this week. He has to get up when they call him, and that's been between 4 and 5 am this week. So poor honey doesn't get much time at home, and I miss him. We've got to plan what we want to do for our anniversary. Something simple--I just want to spend some time together.
After our anniversary I'm planning on heading to Minnesota. I'll be driving by myself, but it's not a big deal. As long as the radio and the AC work, I'm good. I'm planning on spending lots of time with family. The 4th of July is the 10th anniversary of my Dad's arrival in Heaven, so I would like to do something special to mark that occasion. At the time, you never think you're going to make it this far. We have. And I'm happy, like I think my dad would want me to be. I miss him EVERY day. But he wouldn't want me to dwell on it. I know he is safe in the arms of our Savior, and that when its my time to go Home, he'll be there, wondering what took me so long.
Anyway, during my trip to Minnesota, I'm looking forward to doing some baseball games, both in the Cities and in Fargo, meeting family and friends' new babies, spending time with my mom and my sister, visiting lakes, and seeing old friends. It's been a while.
So, a friend from college had me read this book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility," and it was really interesting, and helpful. So hopefully sometime soon, we'll have an announcement for you! And for us. Yay!
I suppose that's it for now. It might be another two months before I write again, who knows? I hope this finds all of you well and healthy. Take care!
So...what's new?
We are making plans to go see Brad Paisley in Salt Lake City on September 19. We're talking like 10-15 people. You know how much I love Brad, and it's been years since I've seen him. We're getting GOOD seats, and we're going to stay overnight. That many women hosing over a hot, talented man. It's bound to be a good time. SO excited. Tickets go on sale on Saturday. Karen better be online at 10 to purchase them. LOL.:)
Next week on Monday and Tuesday I go to writing training. Everyone in my grade level is going, and I'm really excited to implement the strategies we learn about with students. I think my team and I might use what we learn to write our professional growth plans for next year.
After that, it's our 3 year anniversary. Ry and I got married on June 24, 2006 on a rainy, cool, June afternoon. It was one of the best days of my life. Ry's job changed this week. Instead of just running over to Utah each nay, now he's got to go up into Idaho and back down. As if that weren't enough, now he has to be with another driver for the entire route. He gets paid a little bit more, but I don't know that its worth his sanity. I feel bad for him...the guy he drives with now is temporary until the permanent guy moves his family up here. But if you know anything about my husband, he is 100% completely ADD. He cannot sit still, and for the last part of his route, he has to be back in the sleeper. We're thinking about buying a Nintendo DS and a Wii for at home so he can get some exercise quickly when he gets home, which has been between 10 and 11 pm this week. He has to get up when they call him, and that's been between 4 and 5 am this week. So poor honey doesn't get much time at home, and I miss him. We've got to plan what we want to do for our anniversary. Something simple--I just want to spend some time together.
After our anniversary I'm planning on heading to Minnesota. I'll be driving by myself, but it's not a big deal. As long as the radio and the AC work, I'm good. I'm planning on spending lots of time with family. The 4th of July is the 10th anniversary of my Dad's arrival in Heaven, so I would like to do something special to mark that occasion. At the time, you never think you're going to make it this far. We have. And I'm happy, like I think my dad would want me to be. I miss him EVERY day. But he wouldn't want me to dwell on it. I know he is safe in the arms of our Savior, and that when its my time to go Home, he'll be there, wondering what took me so long.
Anyway, during my trip to Minnesota, I'm looking forward to doing some baseball games, both in the Cities and in Fargo, meeting family and friends' new babies, spending time with my mom and my sister, visiting lakes, and seeing old friends. It's been a while.
So, a friend from college had me read this book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility," and it was really interesting, and helpful. So hopefully sometime soon, we'll have an announcement for you! And for us. Yay!
I suppose that's it for now. It might be another two months before I write again, who knows? I hope this finds all of you well and healthy. Take care!
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