Take Flight, 12-19-07

Well, Jared worked 26 hours in two days, got home from work around 8:30 pm, had a quick dinner and went to bed. We had to get up at 2:15 am to meet Pam and Joseph and be at the airport by 4 am. For those of you who doubted it, we arrived WAY early! Whoo Hoo! When I say WAY early, I mean WAY! We were the first ones through security that morning. I was in one of those "stayed up way too late and now I make no sense and everything is hilarious to me moods." Naturally, Jared became annoyed and so did Pam, but she is easily swayed and soon she began laughing at everything as well, which only mad Jared even more annoyed. The funniest thing to us all was the fact that EVERYONE stunk! It is really not a good idea to opt out of a morning shower when you plan to sit on a VERY small plane with lots of strangers! Now I know it was early, but please be considerate people! In case you are wondering, all 3 of us showered that morning! We arrived safely in Phoenix at 2:20 pm. Randy picked us up from the airport and then we ran a few wedding errands with Randy before heading to church where we got to meet Tara-Nel (Randy's new wife) for the first time. After church, their friends came over and we stayed up late having a good time.
The pictures above are of Jared on the plane (you might say our silly mood rubbed off on him eventually) :), and the view on the plane ride. Enjoy!

Jared's Birthday Celebration, Sunday, 12-16-07

We celebrated Jared's birthday because we were leaving for Phoenix on his actual birthday (December 19). Jared got to pick what we were having for lunch and who made what. Mama made steaks and bread pudding, Pam made homemade mashed potatoes and garlic cheese biscuits, and I made purple hull peas. He got lots of good gifts! He is so spoiled!

Christmas with the Glenns, 12/15/07

We spent Saturday having Christmas with my dad's side of the family. I always enjoy this because I love spending time with them all. After the festivities we Dawn, Stuart, Brianna, Nolan, Jeff, Marley, Chandler, Me, Jared, Pam, and Joseph all went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks at the theatre. It was cute!

Christmas Movie

Tonight Pam and Joseph are coming over to watch The Polar Express. I love this movie! Everytime I watch it, I get chill bumps. So, today my question is... What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Christmas Rush

A lot of Christmas fun has been going on around here! Last Friday, my class had a filed trip to Tannehill. We saw Santa, a basket weaver, a fish man, an old school room, rode a train, and visited 2 country stores/sweet shops. It was a blast, but I was wore out by the time I got home. When I got home, Jared had a Christmas present waiting on me to open. It was a Sony Walkman ipod! I was so excited! He's so sweet! Silly ole me forgot that it was Jared's work Christmas party. It was my fault, not his. It was his fault that he forgot to mention that it was a very dressy event!!!! I pulled something together!
Saturday was the little kid Christmas party. We had fun playing games, baking cookies, and listening to Christmas music. After the party I brought Addi home. We played Dora UNO and watched The Polar Express. When Jared got home, we were off for Addi's birthday treat-to see The Bee Movie. I was really having trouble psyching myself up for this movie, so as we passed Chuck E. Cheese, I suggested to Jared that we go there instead. He said it was all up to Addi. Well, she was excited for the movie, but WHOA, she was really excited for Chuck E. Cheese and so we went there instead. Maybe we'll go to the Bee Movie when it hits the Dollar Theatre! By the way, CEC has a new game, Deal or No Deal! It is really fun, too! I could be that old grandma that sits there all day and plays, but instead of bingo, it would be Deal or No Deal at CEC! I actually only stood in line for the game twice. Sure, I got a couple of stares, but I was there with an actual kid...I mean she was there somewhere! Don't worry, Jared followed her wherever she wanted to go! Now the question is, what to get Levi for his birthday? I like to give these kiddos a gift that is fun because they are so special. I've only came up with a ride on The Polar Express, but haven't really checked into it to see if the train station is even doing it this year. I better do that now, or I'm gonna have to come up with something else.
Saturday night, late (sorry Kim and Paul) we dropped Addi off and went home. Jared declares that we are opening all of our Christmas gifts as soon as we get home. He shopped while I was at the little kid party. I agreed, as long as we would save our stockings for later. I got 2 beautiful sweaters and short sleeved blouse, which I got to wear Monday because it was so hot! I love when he picks me out clothes! He has such good taste!
Sunday, mama gave us our Christmas money and ornaments. We were all really excited. I am always eager to see what my and Jared's ornaments will be! This year, again, of course, were 2 cute ones! Sunday night was the Christmas get together at church. As always, there was plenty of good eats and I went home stuffed!
Monday I came down with the stomach virus, but made it through the day at work, barely! My class was so good for me, they could tell I was not in the best shape! It lingered on to Tuesday, but as the day wore on, my energy came back, and again, my class was so good! I bragged and bragged to them. I really was thankful because I really shouldn't have been there. It's just that I went to work feeling just fine, but about an hour into school things started going down hill. Anyhow, all is well now!
Tuesday night, Jared came home and stated that we must head to Wal-Mart to get the new Harry Potter movie. So, after dinner, us dorks went to get our movie! When we got back, we decided we had waited long enough and it was time for us to open those tempting Christmas stockings! So, we only lasted 3 days! This year is not exactly a normal Christmas since we will be leaving for Arizona EARLY next Wed. morning! We're traditional, but not. After the stockings, Jared started watching Harry Potter, but I was still tired from being sick and went on to bed.
Today I am a very proud teacher! I got my reading (Dibels) scores back and my class did AWESOME!!! Every child jumped BIG time!!! The test times how many words you can read correctly in one min. My best score increased by 68 words and my lowest (which is still unbelievably sweet) increased by 22 words!!! I was near tears! Out of 18 students, 8 of them read below grade level when tested at the first of the school year! Now I have 1 or 2!!!! They all got a compliment sticker for doing their best! At the beginning of the school year I was a little leery about how tough it would be to help so many who struggled. Now, most of them do not struggle or need extra help anymore, of course, I will still teach them, they just don't struggle and need as intense of a push to succeed, they already have!

Christmas Music

I thought we could take the time to share some Christmas favorites. I really like just about all Christmas songs. The one I really don't care too much for is "Feliz Navidad." Now, I mean no offense to my readers of Spanish decent, the song just kind of annoys me, and goes on forever. You already know that I love the Chipmunks Christmas album, but there are two songs that caught my attention (thanks mom) near the end of the season last year. They are Dean Martin's "Baby It's Cold Outside" and Louie Armstrong's "Mrs. Santa Claus." I just couldn't wait to hear them this year, too, and they are still at the top of my list! Just behind them are "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "Bells," and "Rocking Around the Christmas tree."
So, this leaves me with one question....
What is your favorite Christmas song?

Christmas Cheer

This weekend was full of Christmas cheer! Friday night wasn't exactly Christmas fun, but it was birthday fun! Addi turned five and had a way cool High School Musical party!!! Saturday Jared had to work for a few hours, so I met Ben, Rachel, Paul, and Addi at the PG Christmas parade. The highlights were the big Mayfield cow and the painting of Jesus wearing a santa hat! Just weird! I went home and cleaned and put up Christmas decorations. Then, Jared and I were off to met the Glenn's. I was so excited to see the cousins! They were so cute and fun! I didn't get any good pictures, but my aunt did, so I will see if I can get some and post later. There is an adorable picture of Nolan and me where is has his hand on my face! Stuart gave us a Christmas cd he made. It has quite an eclectic conglomeration, from Kermit singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to The Chipmunks, Sponge-Bob, The Looney Tunes, The Twisted Sisters singing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," to some song that says "..please daddy don't get drunk this Christmas..."??? Sunday afternoon Jared put up the outside decorations while I decorated the tree in the livingroom (other tree goes up tonight). We played Christmas music and everything! My dorkiness has rubbed off on my husband; however, there is one thing he will not change his mind about, The Chipmunks Christmas! He doesn't like them, finds them annoying while I feel it is the best Christmas album ever! That night the girls went to Katie's to watch Hairspray. I really liked it and will have to watch it again soon because I snoozed some throughout the movie!
Last night, Xander was in a Christmas program, and I didn't go, but Joseph did. After hearing about it, I feel I made a mistake and should have went. Joseph said he laughed the whole time, plus he looked handsome in his black corduroy jacket and tie. He refused to wear the vest because he said it was a girls' shirt. Joseph said he stood when the group sat and sat when the group was standing. He exclaimed, during the singing, "Oh look, flowers!" and went over to the poinsettias, away from the group to look at them. Said, "huh?" and climbed down from the stage to better hear the teacher on the front row trying to tell him to get back with the group and sing, in which he replied, "Oh, OK!" He waved at his dad when he noticed him in the front filming and then noticed Jojo in the front taking pictures. He yelled, "Hey Jojo I'm gonna sit with you!" as he proceeded to climb back down from the stage. The teacher and Jojo were shooing him back to the stage. Joseph said that after it was over, they had Xander pose for all these pictures because he looked so handsome. When I get some pictures I will post them. Well, I better go work on the tree. Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Holidays

We started the holidays off spending Saturday Christmas shopping and then over to Mama and Daddy's for a game night. Monday was the day I ran some errands and got the brakes fixed on my car and also the Good Samaritans met over at Katie's to count the coin banks for Agape and make stuffed animals for either Children's Hospital or for Rainbow Omega, not sure which just yet. Tuesday I actually got to sleep in a little past normal, but then had to have the car aligned for our trip. Then we had church that night instead of Wed. night. I spent the rest of the day packing for the rest of the week. Wednesday Ben, Rachel, Kim, Addi, me, Pam, Joseph, and my mom all woke up bright and early(around 4 and 4:30 am) for Rick and Bubba's annual Turkey Toss! I know, we're not right, and you'll surely think that after looking at the pictures we got!
Then, I did a little Christmas shopping in Hoover, then headed to Montgomery to meet Jared. He was working there for the day, which made our trip seem shorter and miss the traffic since it was around 11 am when we headed to Montgomery. I took a nap in the Stevie B's parking lot until Jared could meet me for lunch, then went inside for lunch. Jared went back to work and so I did a little more shopping until he could get off. Finally, we head to Brundidge to Jared's parents. Thursday we had Thanksgiving dinner at Jared's aunt and uncle's house. That night we went to the Davis's to visit. Friday I woke up at 3:30 am and braved the chaotic crowd with Jared's mom. Then we drove to Montgomery and met Jared for lunch at Jim 'N Nicks before driving to Americus, Ga to see my Grandparents and aunt, uncle, and cousins. We got there in time for dinner. We stayed up late and woke up pretty early Saturday morning to no toilets or showers!!! Happens all the time at their house and its kind of funny, of course, I'm not the one whose got the bad, old pipes problem. My uncle has an outhouse. They own A LOT of land so he can hunt on his own property, so the summer before last he purchased an outhouse to use for our family reunion (it was at their house that year) and to have for when he is hunting. Comes in handy when the plumbing messes up! Lucky for Jared, Joseph, and I because we stayed in my grandparent's camper that stays at my aunt and uncles house for Grandma and Grandad to use when they are snowbirding from PA. Most of us got shower in the camper because it has water hook up. Bad part is you have to HURRY because the hot water only lasts for one person, and that's only if you turn the water off when you lather and in between shampoos. The good part is that it doesn't take long to heat back up because it's not much water! Now, the kitchen sink was connected to a different water source along with the washer, so, I washed my hair in the kitchen sink, then went out to the camper and to a very QUICK shower! It's always an adventure at their house. I had the best time, like always! We came home Sunday night, which was annoying because traffic was horrible. Jared said that we will stay at home for Thanksgiving from now on because traffic is so awful. I know I rambled on and on, but I tried to sum up my break!

Nice LONG Weekend

I had a wonderful weekend, full of fun! Friday kicked off the long weekend. We ate out with the usual crowd at Jason's Deli and then went next door to Starbucks. Yum! Thanks Kim and Paul! You're too kind! Then, Jared, me, Pam, Joseph, and Casey went over to Dick's until they closed. Saturday I woke up, but not in time for the Belk's charity sale. That's ok, I needed the rest more than the sale! I did attempt to get to the Galleria in time, but didn't make it, so I shopped other stores instead and hit Starbucks again! Then I headed over to Sam's Club. I am almost done Christmas shopping!!! That evening we went to Meleah's 16th birthday party. It was fun! Then we headed over to the Fiesta at Ben and Rachel's. The fiesta was festive! We had Xander for the evening which always makes things so much more fun! Sunday Pam made lunch, bacon cheeseburger meatloaf, homemade (Paula Dean's recipe) mac-and-cheese, and apple butter pie! She hit the target with this! It was delicious!That evening was Rachel C.'s 18th birthday party. We played board games after the party and had a good time! Today, Veteran's Day, I slept in until 10:15 am! It was nice, but not normal for me. Anyhow, I went shopping with Pam, Mama, and Joseph this afternoon. We had so much fun together! First stop, Starbucks! Then we went over to Sam's Club. That's where the adventure started. Joseph found a kayak and had to have it. He had been wanting one and we found one for a good price. Even better, when we went to check out, it was on sale for $40 less! Whoo-hoo! So, that's most of his Christmas for this year and he couldn't be happier! Well, we were in the Element, so we laid Joseph's seat all the way back and slid that sucker in, and only 2 feet of it stuck out the back of the car! We still wanted to go to Hobby Lobby and we didn't want to have the car opened to the public, so we crammed that sucker all way up into the front dash (it barely fit) and we shut and lockd the door. We went a little overboard with the Halloween/Thanksgiving/Fall/Christmas decoration sales. Well, we got back to the car, slid the kayak back out to where it was hanging out of the back of the car, squeezed Joseph into his backless seat (and he could still buckle his seatbelt!) smooshed Pam in next to Joseph in the backseat and stuffed our loot in around them both and shut the door! We even ran through Chick-fil-A's drive through! We made it home and Joseph has received full feeling back in his side! The only scary part was riding through Ensley with the back of the car opened; however it was still daylight and not really that bad, I only ran one red light! All is well! What a fun day! Now I have to return back to work tomorrow, complete with a full day of work, an afterschool book study (blah!), and Family Literacy Night which will end at 8:00 pm! Yuck!!! On the bright side, only four days of work and then a full week of vacation!

"I Apologize A Trillion Times"

"Sorry bloggers....OOOOOOO, I am for real! Never meant to make Rachel cry, I apologize a trillion times...sorry bloggers OOOOOOO."

I have been an awful blogger over the last two months. I hope to do better. I really don't have anything to say, so I will talk about my reaction to some troubling news in the media.





Dumbledore gay??? What???




Ok, you all know that I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I used to say that J.K. Rowling was one of the best writers of our time, but now, in all good conscience, I cannot. Too put it bluntly, she likes gays. She is trying to say that the honorable (laugh if you will) Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is gay! It does not say, nor elude to the fact in any of the seven books. I'm sorry, but you cannot write one thing and say something else. The book is published and that is that!!!







Ok, you all also know that I am a Dog the Bounty Hunter fan as well. All I'm gonna say to that is, enough already, give the man a break, and put his show back on the air!!!



These are my thoughts for today, lame, you may say, and I'll probably agree!!!

Happy Birthday To ME!!!

I know it has been a long while since I have last posted, but I really haven't had anything important or interesting to say. BUT... today is my birthday and I have a lot to post about...and be thankful for!!!
Sunday night my sister and parents threw together a last minute surprise party for me! They are the BEST! Good thing it was last minute or I might have caught on. I am way to noisy and in every one's (in my family) comings and goings and business!! That's why they LOVE me!!! lol Anyhow, I was totally surprised! I was in a state of shock the whole night! I even received gifts! YAY! I had two sweet moments from the evening. They, of course, involve children because I love kids (why do you think I'm a teacher?) :) Addi and Xander were so excited to say "surprise!" to me. Addi drew me an adorable picture of me and her and it said, " I love you Emily." The other (or is this the third?) highlight was of Xander serenading me with "Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday Mrs. Emily...!" I am very lucky to have such an awesome family and group of friends! I mean, Paul even came and he does not usually frequent with the Sunday night crowd. :) I will post pictures as soon as Pam gets them to me. Thanks Mary for capturing my special moment! You are so sweet and wonderful!
When I woke up this morning, Jared gave me another birthday present! It was a dvd, and don't laugh, but it was High School Musical. I know I am dork, but it really is a cute movie. I mean...I only like it so I will know what the kids in my class are talking about:)
Since my family got my party together Saturday evening, it meant Joseph was not there because he went to visit Chris for the weekend. When I got to my car this afternoon to come home for work, I had a BEAUTIFUL, yellow mum sitting on the roof of my car with a SWEET, Tear-jerking card from the best brother in the whole wide world! I am so lucky! He said he got me mums because I have always acted like his "mum."
Now I am waiting for Jared to get home. He promised to grill me steaks and baked potatoes?! Yum!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Daddy in 1st grade!



Daddy in 2nd grade!



Daddy in 3rd grade!



Daddy in 4th grade!



Daddy in 5th grade!



Daddy in 6th grade!



Daddy in 7th grade!



Daddy in 8th grade!



Daddy in 9th grade!



Daddy in 10th grade!



Daddy in 11th grade!



Daddy in 12th grade!



Daddy's high school graduation!



Daddy at Alabama Christian College!



Today is my dad's birthday! Tomorrow we will grill steaks and eat lunch with him. Hope you enjoyed "Through the Years" with Marty Glenn! Love you Daddy!

My New Cousin!

Here is a picture of my new cousin, Sylas Richard Woodmancy. He was born on September 4, 2007. He is very cute and I can't wait to meet him!

Labor Day Weekend

Friday night we went with "The Crowd" to Lloyd's and then over to Ross for a little shopping. Saturday morning, Jared, Casey, and I went to Brundidge to see Jared's family. Mr. Harry had been to the grocery store before we arrived so this, as always, means "Good Treats!" He always gets everyone's favorite junk food! We had Crowe's chicken, Jared's Granny's cornbread (Jared ate most of it and only shared a little with Casey :) ) creamed corn, and purple holed peas. We each ate like 6 or 7 chicken fingers a piece! Then we started preparing for the big game -Alabama's! We snacked on chocolate chip walnut cookies and brownie bites! The Davis's came over for the game and we had Jared's mom's famous homemade spaghetti. It was so delicious! All we did was eat the entire time we were there and it was great! Sunday we came home. Sadly, we never got to taste the new ice cream flavor Mr. Harry got for us to try. Maybe next time! Monday the Glenn's got together at Pam's house. It was a very good time! I miss seeing the kids everyday. Now it's only on holidays. :( We had good food, like the rest of the weekend. Remember in an earlier post where I cracked on some biscuits Pam made? Well she was determined to redeem herself. She said mom and dad needed to taste good biscuits made by her (I had at the last Girl's Night). The biscuits were fantastic, so Pam has indeed redeemed herself with biscuit making!

A Week's Worth of Activities

It has been a busy and tiring week! Here is what's been going on in the Sanders' home.

Friday night, Mama, Daddy, Pam, me, and Jared went out to eat dinner at Ruby Tuesday (one of my favorite restaurants). By the way, we were seated as soon as we walked in at about 6:30. After that we went over to Aldi's and the Dollar Tree. We had a good time together and laughed a lot. Jared had been away for the week and spent nights alone so he was starving for some socialization, which means he acted crazy! It was fun, though!

Saturday was our day of charity work. Jared played in the ICYC golf tournament and I bowled in the MDA Bowl-A-Thon. That night we all went to see Joseph in "Little Shop of Horrors." It was great! He was the 60 pound puppet of Audrey II, the plant! He was awesome, like always!

Sunday Pam fed us all. She made some delicious chicken tettrazinni and some awful cheese biscuits. lol She can make good ones, but she tried a different recipe and substituted ingredients. YUCK! That afternoon was also a day of charity because I did Pam's laundry for her! lol After church that night we went with the usual crowd to Jacks and it was good.

Monday I attended the viewing of my friend, Mr. Horace. I asked his wife where the peppermint and butterscotch were. She laughed and said if she had thought about it she would have put some in his pockets. It was good to see her and she cried a little when I walked in. Course, I did too. I found out nothing, as far as they know at this point, was wrong with him. They woke up Friday morning. He went to the restroom to get ready for the day and she began cooking breakfast. She kept calling him to let him know that his breakfast was ready. When he didn't respond she opened the door and found him dead in the floor. Just like that! What a shock it must have been for her to have found him like that. He was 79. No funeral, just visitation and a small burial. Mrs. Reanie said he didn't want people standing over him crying and he didn't want a sad service with sad music and all. Well, on with Monday, that night was Open House at the school so I was there until a little after 8 pm. Joseph called me before Open House and asked me to come and eat dinner with him and Pam at her house. I did and it was fun and good!
Tuesday night we went to the Polishing the Pulpit to hear Thom Holland. He was excellent! We got to see some friends from PA, Jody, Evelyn, and Julia Apple. We stayed late and visited with them.
That about sums up my week. I hear Jared is home so I better go and get dinner started!

A Sad Day

Not only was today a hard day in the classroom, but it was also a sad day. My friend, Horace Collins, passed away today. He and his wife had volunteered at PGES for many years. They even had a badge they wore everyday that said who they were and that they were special volunteers. When I had the opportunity to choose which classroom I wanted last year, I did not realize that I was also receiving the good help of the Collins'. They had helped the teacher who had occupied my room before. So, when school started last year they came to me and offered their services. Every afternoon they would show up for the last couple of hours of school and help me stuff folders, hang up art work, wash my whiteboard, and Mr. Horace would do odd jobs around he classroom. They did a lot for me including helping me gain about 10 pounds! Mr. Collins brought me several candy bars a week, plus cinnamon peppermint discs and butterscotch candies. Whenever my candy jar on my desk would get low, he would refill it! They quickly became my good friends! They were good company and good help! They decided at the end of last year they would no longer come to the school on a regular basis. They may visit once in a while, but that would be it. Mrs. Collins' would be staying home with a new grandbaby due in October. I haven't seen or heard from them since the end of school. I thought Mr. Horace might call and see how I was doing this summer. I never heard from him. I wish I had called them. You see, Mr. Horace loved to talk on the phone. When I was out with the dreaded stomach virus, Mr. Collins called to check on me because I was not at work and I had not mentioned being out. He also knew about the storm that hit Adamsville and wanted to know if we were ok. Mr. Horace really wanted me to come to his house and have ice cream with him and Mrs. Reanie, he wanted to show me her cookie jar collection, and visit with them. I don't know any details about why he passed or if he had any health problems at all. I have missed them so much this school year! I wish I would have called them sooner to tell them so. I received the message about his passing right before lunch today. My children were sharing news with the class and I turned to read a message on the computer screen from the office. I had to read it three times to beleive it! I couldn't hold back the tears and when I turned to face the class they just stared back at me. I asked them to sit quietly for a moment so I could step in the hall. The teacher next door came to the classroom to tell them why I was upset. Some got a little upset themselves because they knew him as well. Let me just say that it is very hard to put on a smile and try to teach after such news, especially on a day that was already rough (I have some doosies in my class, let me tell you!). We soon had to go to lunch. I sat there quietly and ate which is not normal for me. I usually take lunch as an opportunity to get to know the kids individually. I must have looked real sad despite my efforts, because one of my sweet little boys turns to me and smiles and then says, "Mrs. Sanders, I'm gonna pray real hard tonight that that man comes back to life so you won't have to cry anymore! I don't want you to be sad!" Then he jumped up and gave me the biggest hug. It was both funny and sweet of him! It did not help the tears, but it was awfully thoughtful! Kids are special. I always thought I attracted three kinds of people- Kids, Old People, and Crazies! Please note that I tried to end on a light note because I don't want my post to be completely sad. lol My next post should be on a lighter note because I have a big day full of fun and adventures waiting for me!

Scaredy Cat!

I didn't want to post about this earlier in the week because I didn't want some "bad guy" on the internet to track me down and get me! I have been all alone all week long. I am a REALLY big chicken and could never live by myself. I suddenly hear noises that are normally there, but I don't think about them until I am alone. Jared has been in Montgomery all week at his warehouse there. He left Tuesday morning. Tuesday night I was on the phone with him, in the laundry room, and I swear the hot water heater was about to blow up and I was going to burn to death or the house was gonna burn if I was ever so lucky to be away from the explosion! I don't know why, but over the last two weeks I am paranoid that every major thing we own is about to break down and cost us lots of money! I know why though. We spent a lot to have our bathroom remodeled and then about two weeks ago, our good friend from college, Randy, called to say that he was getting married December 22 and Jared is to be in the wedding. Last week we bought the plane tickets to Arizona and it was reasonable; however, we are to be there for 6 days! We will get home on Christmas morning! There are not many people that we would go to the trouble for, but Randy is one of the very few. Now I start to worry over every purchase because it is gonna be an expensive trip at the most expensive time of year! Anyway, back to me being a big chicken, last night, as I was pulling out of the church parking lot, I saw 3 cop cars whiz past at like 100 miles an hour! This gets me rattled because they must be after a "bad guy" and I have always been sensitive to people doing bad things - for example, whenever there was fight in the hall in high school my heart would race and I would just worry over the people. Then my mind starts to going and I think "what if there are "bad guys" on the loose and they are running loose in my neighborhood and I am home all alone!!!!" I promise I am not crazy, it just sounds like! So, I called Jared and made him stay on the phone with me until I was safely dead bolted into the house. Hopefully, tonight, I will hear nothing out of the ordinary. Just me, my soaps on dvr, and a good book (Harry Potter).

Tidbits!

This weekend was a relaxing one! We ate at Golden Rule BBQ in Irondale. I got to see an old student and her family. Well...I didn't actually "see" her because the lights went out at the restaurant, right after we were served our drinks! We just had to have faith and hope what we ordered was actually what was on our plates! lol We were using cell phones as lights! It was humorous and made for a good adventure! Saturday we went to Hannah's 1 st birthday party! She is the sweetest baby! It was also nice to see friends we don't get to see very often (Brandi, Michelle, and Shannon)! After the party we went back to Josh and Katie's to watch "Facing the Giants." It was a cute movie. It had two of Jared's favorite things- football and miracles! lol J/K! Sunday night we went with the usual crowd. We ate at Dairy Queen. It was better than it has been in a long time. They even let me order a bacon cheeseburger without the burger! Those of you who know me know I do not like hamburgers so this was a nice treat! Last night Jared and I spent the evening trying fix up business cards for him and Dad. They are in a side business with another man and his wife. They sell and deliver medical supplies to people who are not on hospice or who do not have insurance or medicaid does not cover supplies, things like adult diapers, poise pads, bed pads, sheets, wipes, baby diapers, etc. Prices are lower than Wal-Mart and are delivered right to your home. If you want to know more, let me know and I will hook you up! lol I better go make dinner. We had grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch today and they were so tasty I decided to have it again for dinner. Have a nice evening!

The BEST husband in the world!!!

As you can guess from the title, I think I have the best husband in the world! Last night after church, Jared came in and cooked dinner. I got to work on the ironing and preparing for work the next day. I had meant to cut out all my things that I had laminated that afternoon, but with bill paying and other chores, I didn't have time. When I came out of the laundryroom I found Jared sitting in the floor, cutting out my laminated stuff. It was so sweet! I went on to bed later, after we finished watching Big Brother 8, of course! Before I drifted off to bed, I could hear Jared cutting away, trying to finish it for me. And then tonight, he came in from work and got started on it again! I really had a lot of little pieces and he is trying so hard not to mess them up. I am so lucky to have a partner who helps out and does what needs being done!

The Start of a New School Year

It's official, it's the start of a new school year! I miss summer already, but will soon be back into the swing of the school year. My class seems to be a pretty good one. We'll see what the future holds. Of course, I miss my kids from last year and find myself looking for them in the halls. I've seen them all from last year except one and I know she is there somewhere because her mom registered her the night I helped with registration. She told me that she wanted me to be her teacher again, which is a nice compliment! It's always a little hectic in the beginning until schedules are tweaked and routines are in place and running smoothly.
Our friend Randy called Wed. night and said that he was getting married on Dec. 22, 2007 and wants Jared to be in the wedding. Did I mention that he is getting married in Phoenix, Arizona and right at Christmas time? We better start saving now because plane tickets are already expensive to go out there (which is why we have never been before), but at Christmas time! I guess Randy is worth it :) We might end up spending Christmas out there, we just don't know yet.
In other news, Jared is considering starting a blog, but doesn't know if he will keep it up regularly. Stay tuned! Well, I am tired so I will go. I will try to do a better job of updating from now on.

100 Things About Emily

1. I am very thankful because I am truly blessed!

2. I simply ADORE my husband of 5 years!

3. I have the best Christian daddy who always showed us the perfect example of how to be a Christian leader.

4. I have the best Christian mama who showed us the perfect example of how to be a worker for the Lord.

5. I have the best Christian sister whom I love to death! She spoils us!

6. I have the best Christian brother whom I love to pieces! He makes our life so much more interesting! When he is around we all laugh til we hurt!

7. I love how Jared treats my siblings like they are his. I love how he is protective of Pam and buddies with Joseph!

8. I love when Jared and Joseph get on a goofy roll and then my dad joins in!

9. I appreciate the good job my in-laws did raising Jared.

10. I am glad Jared chose to attend Faulkner instead of fulfilling his dream of playing college football. I never would have met him!

11. My 4 years at Faulkner are the best years of my life.

12. When I graduated high school, my brother gave me a Bible. Inside he wrote "I hope you have the time of your life." And I really did!!!

13. When I was little I nicknamed Joseph "Hobo Joe" and eventhough he fought it for years, he eventually gave in and does not mind the term of endearment.

14. My whole family LOVES to cook, but I can't stand it! I want to love to cook, but I just don't! My dad cooks the best breakfast, my mama cooks the best EVERYTHING, Pam bakes the best desserts, and Joseph cooks the best homemade mashed potatoes. Really all four of them can cook anything!

15. I am proud of my parents for starting the L/L program at 4 different churches. L/L is a wonderful program for training children to become christian leaders. The annual convention is the highlight of my year!

16. When I was in high school I had to write an essay on my favorite place on earth. I wrote about the mess hall at Backwoods Christian Camp. I started going to camp there when I was 7 years old.

17. I hate that the only year I missed camp at ICYC was the year Chris was baptized. We waited for so long!

18. When I was in first grade, I read the most books in the class. It was over 100!

19. I am still a bookworm. I just wish I had more time than I do to read.

20. My mama always reads before she goes to bed. When I was little I did too. Now when I read, no matter when or where, I fall asleep!

21. My favorite drink has been water for as long as I can remember. It's even written in my baby book at age 2!

22. I love how I am like my mama who is like my grandma.

23. I enjoy getting letters every month from my Grandma!

24. In college some of my friends nicknamed me Granny Glenn.

25. I am thankful that Jared got to meet my Granny Glenn before she passed away.

26. I met Jared the first day I moved into Faulkner. We were friends immediately and 9 months later we went on our first date.

27. I began planning my wedding to Jared a year later. I even bought the dress I picked out way back then. Once I saw it, I knew it was the one! Two years later, I bought that exact dress!

28. My wedding day was perfect! Those of you who were there may wonder, what with the cake topper crashing to the ground before the reception, the fact that my dad never got a full tux and had to wear Daniel Courington's. It was fate! How many people own their own tuxedo? :) Plus all the other countless mishaps including me being sick and puking during wedding photos! The day was a dream!

29. When Jared asked me out for the first time, he was COMPLETELY BALD! It was not pretty!

30. The first time Jared asked me out I replied with, "You mean just the two of us, by ourselves?" See, he or one of the other guys always called and asked us girls to do something. We all just hung out and did things together all the time, so I wanted to make sure it was a just us date and not a group get together! He told me I sure made it difficult on him.

31. I love being around my mama's family! We always have fun!

32. I love playing cards with my grandma and aunts and all. We constantly play til we are too tired and ready for bed! We become addicted!

33. I hate when our visit is over with my mama's family and we come home. I begin having withdrawals from card playing and no one will play.

34. I love the sound of windchimes. They remind me of my Granny's house! I have a couple on my porch, just like her. Her prettiest sounding one was a gift from dad to her. When she passed away my dad put it on his porch.

35. I have never been to my Granny's grave since the day she was buried. I really don't need to, I have enough reminders and fond memories!

36. Granny had terrible vericose veins, so bad that her legs were blue from the knee all the way down to her feet. When I was little I thought her legs were pretty, I guess because I thought she was beautiful!

37. I guess God decided that since I thought Granny's blue veins were pretty, I could be the one to inherit them! lol

38. I began watching soap operas when I was a baby. I would sit in my Pop's chair with him while he watched his "stories."

39. To this day I still watch Pop's stories, plus 1 extra.

40. I am obsessed with All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital.

41. I love to read children's books.

42. If I had to choose another career it would be a Bible class teacher.

43. I secretly enjoy watching Hannah Montana, That's So Raven,and The Suite Life of Zach and Cody on the Disney channel.

44. I love being around children!

45. I love when Xander asks me, on the way to Bible class, "Are we going to learn, Emily?"

46. I just love Xander and pray he grows up in the church!

47. I hope when I am old and crotchety (sp?) I will still love the sounds of children, especially in times when they are learning to behave in church. They are the future of the church and I hope I never forget it! Maybe I will print this blog out (as Granna suggests) so when I am old and have Alzheimer's I can remind myself. :)

48. I hope I never see another loved one plagued with Alzheimer's.

49. I love when Addi says something to make you feel special. That girl knows how to say the right thing to people!

50. I like how Levi says my name. He only recently started saying my name to me, but he has known how to say it for quite a while. What a stinker! :)

51. I love to watch Hannah "be busy" while she's kicking and grinning that snaggled tooth grin. Plus I love her cute ears!

52. I love how Brianna calls me "Cousin Emily." When she was four she said "cousin" like Balky Bartakumus (sp?) from the tv show Perfect Strangers.

53. I love when Nolan jumps into my lap to cuddle.

54. I love how Marley will pay you no attention and then when you least expect it, hugs you and grins at you.

55. I love Chandler's high pitched voice, especially when he is saying, "I want to go to Emily's house! Yeah!" Plus I love his long, skinny, chicken legs!

56. I love listening to Dillon explain something to me and I am proud of him.

57. I love messing with Erica and I think she is beautiful.

58. I wish Aunt Kendra visited like she used to.

59. I love going to Aunt Kendra's house.

60. I love my Grandma's house.

61. I am glad that Josh Courington married Katie because it brought Katie to Sylvan Springs. I've never really told her, but I think she knows- I am glad we are friends again! It's nice to have a friend from college around! They just get you better!

62. I miss my friends from college. I wish they all lived closer.

63. I like the friends I have now, too!

64. I have fun on girls' nights.

65. We used to have jam sessions in college (girls only, of course!) and my nickname was "DJ E."

66. My parents call me Lucy because my middle name is Lucille.

67. I am named after both of my grandmothers.

68. I love the color pink.

69. I also like the color purple (don't confuse with the movie starring Oprah Winfrey :) )

70. I have always been very girly.

71. I never liked to play in the mud or dirt.

72. I match EVERYTHING!

73. I cannot function in clutter!

74. I love doing laundry and ironing.

75. I have a tv in my laundry room.

76. I am thankful I was raised in the church.

77. I pray daily that Pam and Joseph marry christians.

78. I am slightly obsessive.

79. I love cheese.

80. Starbucks is my weakness and I have passed it up for two weeks now. I think it's time to give in!

81. I like being around people!

82. I enjoyed working at JCA. It didn't feel like a job, but a privilige. (It was time to move on, though.)

83. JCA Summer Camp is the only summer job I would take! It's a blast!

84. Jared and I love to travel, we just hate riding/driving in a car to get there!

85. I cleaned poo poo off of a kid who was covered from head to toe a couple of weeks ago.

86. I had bifocals from third grade to sixth grade.

87. I don't know of a single family member on either side of my family that does NOT wear glasses. We all are blind!

88. I was caught in the Blizzard of 1993. Pam and I shared a t-shirt that read, "I survived the Blizzard of '93." We thought we were so cool when we wore it!

89. I don't like animals.

90. When I was little I collected stickers, stationary, pens and pencils, and erasers.

91. I have collected Mickey Mouse stuff forever!

92. I want to go back to Disney World soon!

93. I also collect Charlie Brown stuff. When I was in high school I read a story about Charles Schultz and the basis of Charlie Brown in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. It reminded me of Joseph and ever since then I give Joseph Charlie Brown stuff. Now I think Xander looks like Charlie Brown.

94. I wish I didn't nag/boss/yell at Pam and Joseph so much when we were growing up...

95. ...Or back talk my parents.

96. I love my family! :)

97. Jared was/is my only love!

98. I love being silly with Jared!

99. I love the way Jared looks at me, it makes my heart melt!

100. My favorite place in all the world is in Jared's arms!

Harry Potter Junkies

Well, this weekend, the new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, comes out! Jared and I have been having a Harry Potter marathon to get us ready for the movie. We know we are dorks, but it's fun! We hope to see it at the IMAX theater at the McWayne Center Saturday.

Back From Vacation

Jared and I got back this afternoon from Gatlinburg, TN. Jared left his cell phone in his parents car, so we had to call them and go meet them at Books-A-Million on Lakeshore to get it plus my bags from the outlets (I had stuffed them under the seat to make room). Well...how do I put this??? Ok... here it is...Saturday and Sunday we did nothing. Monday afternoon we FINALLY went somewhere (the outlets). Jared and his dad played goofy golf while the rest of us shopped. Later that night we played more goofy golf. Tuesday it was FINALLY decided that we might do something! We drove through Cades Cove, played another quick game of goofy golf (we payed for it the night before, but had to go after the first round because Granny was tuckered out). Then we went to the Dixie Stampede (YAY!). Then we came home (YAY!). Mr. Harry was fun to be around. Granny was fun to be around. Caleb left Sunday afternoon. Our cabin was awesome! Good thing because we spent most of our time there! Now we need another day to de-stress!!!

BUSY!

I have been so busy lately! I don't seem to have enough hours in the day! Last week Jared and I were at ICYC. We both had a very good time! Last Friday we came home from camp to our unfinished bathroom. Things have been hectic in that department. Work is STILL being done as I type this post! Anyhow, I have worked 7am to 6 pm everyday this week and today is my first day off! Hallelujuah, well... sort of...I had to get up at 6:45 am to get a shower before they got here to work on the bathroom, so no sleeping in! My in-laws will be here somtime this evening because we are all going to Gatlinburg for the next 5 days. Should have some interesting things to post when we get back from that trip! It's already started with, "Should we get a hotel room tonight since your bathroom isn't done?" Well the shower works and we having a working toilet in our half bath, so what's the difference between that and the situation we always have when we go anywhere with them? 7 people sharing one toilet, sink, shower, and usually room???? At least here we all get a bed and a room! Enough of that...we WILL have a great time! :) Life's an adventure!

Catch up

I think I will be caught up on news after this post.
This weekend was a good one. I was (and still am)completely beat from last week. I worked 7am-6pm and then went straight to VBS and taught, got 4 or 5 hours of sleep and started all over again! It wore on me! Friday night, Jared and I were beat, so we got Subway and stayed at home watching his new dvd, Collier and Company (that's the movie John Schneider(Bo Duke) made as an Indy film recently). It was in response to Jessica Simpson and Jonny Knox's version of The Dukes of Hazzard movie. It wasn't the best movie ever, but it was decent. We have the case autographed, so it's a good keepsake. Saturday I slept til about 8:30 am, got up, went to the couch and watched tv and slept some more while my sweet husband spent 2 hours mowing and weed-eatting the lawn. Then he came inside, showered, and then swept the kitchen and two bathrooms, and scrubbed the two bathrooms, never once complaining about my laziness! I am so lucky! I finally got up, showered, mopped the kitchen and two bathrooms and later vacummed. Then we went to several furniture stores with Pam, helping her find livingroom furniture. We ate lunch at Red Lobster and then came home. Joseph Garrison and Chris Hosmer came over to play darts and shoot some pool. Sunday we ate lunch at Golden Rule BBQ to celebrate Pam's birthday (late). Jared's parents came so I could take them to the airport on Monday. They are flying to Washington D.C. to visit Granny's sister. Her name is Beulah Mae. After church Sunday night we went to Chili's with a group including Jared's parents. Monday I dropped the in-laws off at the airport and then met Jared for lunch at Logan's. I love the summer because I get to eat lunch with Jared a good bit. It can be costly, but well worth it! I love my husband!!!!

Vacation Bible School

This past week Sylvan Springs Church of Christ had their VBS. It was a lot of fun and work! Rachel Garrison was my helper in the 2's and 3's class. If you know Rachel you know that she thinks she is clueless when it comes to kids, but she really did GREAT! I had a really good time with her and am trying to convince her to be my helper in that class on a regular basis since we have more kids in their now. We'll see! We had MANY laughs! Kids are hilarious and when you throw Rachel in the mix- priceless! Here are a few things that went on during the week.

Sunday Rachel refused to take a strange kid to the bathroom, but did wipe Xander's snotty nose TWICE! (side note: Xander did his famous stunt of pooping his pants, but neither of us had time to change him until class was over! He didn't smell that bad! Plus we were finger painting and trying not to get it everywhere! Who am I kidding? Rachel wasn't about to even consider changing him!!!) Also, Rachel chased two kids around the room while I attempted to teach the other four!

Monday: We did the story of Jesus feeding the 4,000. We fed them crackers (bread) and Sweddish fish (fish) and learned that gummies or some type of food helps them pay better attention!

Tuesday: By now Rachel was real good at chasing and wiping snotty noses and I could do a better job of teaching uses gummies as bait!

Wednesday: Rachel left the room to get something and Xander asks, "Where is she going?" I replied, "She ran away!" To which he innocently asks, "Is her afraid of us?" lol When Rachel came back I told her what he said and she laughs and says, "You don't know how true that is Xander!"

Thursday: I brought my cousin Chandler who is three the last night. I had to go change a strange kids diaper, then Chandler's. Rachel was reading the story to the class. When me and the potty kids came back, we settled in to hear the rest of the story. After a few minutes of listening, Chandler hollers out to Rachel, "You stink!" Then Xander chimes in with, "Yeah, you stink!"

I will sum the week up by saying this- VBS was a blast and I can't wait til next year!

Dukesfest 2007 & Our 5th Wedding Anniversary

For our 5th Wedding Anniversary, Jared and I wanted to go somewhere, but it had to be close because we had to be back for VBS. We heard Dukesfest was going to be held in Nashville, so we decided to check it out. If you know Jared, then you know the show The Dukes Of Hazzard was his favorite childhood TV show! We had the BEST time! We left Friday night. We ate dinner at Cracker Barrel and then checked into the Hotel Preston. We've never stayed anywhere in Nashville except for the Opryland Hotel. We enjoyed our stay at Hotel Preston. We woke up Saturday, grabbed some breakfast at McDonald's and then went to Dukesfest at the motor speedway in Nashville. We walked around and looked at about 190 General Lee's and other cars from the show. That was neat! Then we decided to get in a line for an autograph. Since Roscoe P. Coltrane (James Best)was Jared's favorite, we got in his line first. We stood in line for over three hours! James Best is also an artist and had some very beautiful paintings, so we bought one. The above picture is of us with him and the painting we bought. He was very kind! He was signing autographs all day. Did I mention he is 86 years old? Then we stepped over to Enos's line and bought a 8 by 10 of him and had him sign it. We have started a collection for Jared's "Man Room" a while back when I met Cletus while at Cooter's Garage in Gatlinburg. There I bought an 8 by 10 of Enos and had him sign it along with a t-shirt for Jared. Anyhow, then we left and went to Cooter's Garage there in Nashville and then on to eat at The Rain Forest Cafe. That was a really fun atmosphere! We had our picture made there, but it's not digital and so I don't feel like scanning it right now. Then we went back to Dukesfest to hear The Crickets and Cooter's Garage band, and then the cast sang "Just the Good 'Ole Boys" a few times. They also had kids from the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital there because all proceeds from Dukesfest went to the children's hospital. Ya'll know how we feel about Children's Hospitals! Then they had all 190 General Lee's (The Parade of General Lee's) driving around the race track. It all ended with fireworks. We came back Sunday after church, had lunch at The Macaroni Grill and went straight to VBS! It was a wonderful weekend! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JARED! I LOVE YOU!