Memorial Day Weekend!

Jared and I had a very busy and FUN weekend! Friday afternoon we drove to Brundidge for a visit with his family. Friday night we ate dinner at the Mossy Grove One Room School House steak and shrimp restaurant. It was delicious! Jared and I shared a steak and a shrimp skewer. Saturday we met Andy, Jenny, and Caleb in Montgomery at Jim 'N Nicks for lunch. Andy left for Brazil yesterday and wanted to have BBQ one last time before he left. He will be gone for 3 and a half weeks. Later we did a little, not much, shopping and went back to Brundidge. That night we went to Brian and Jennifer Davis' house to see Addie. She was so cute! She is now four months old and very long. She's really a cutie! We came Sunday in time for evening services. After church a group of us went to the Pizza Hut in Sumiton for their all-you-can-eat buffet. It was good! I hope we go back! Sunday was also Pam's 26th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAM! Monday my dad's cousin rented a pavillion at Oak Mountain right next to the man made beach there. We had a blast! It was reall good to see the cousins! I miss them! I am used to seeing them on a daily basis and now it's just holidays, mostly! I hope everyone enjoyed their vacations!

Just Another Day

My school year is ending and it is slightly sad. I really LOVE my class this year and want to have them again! Jared says I do this every year, which is true, but I can't help but think that my next class just might be rough or hard. I also have a lot of What Ifs, for example, What If Royall's new teacher only sees him as a struggler academically and fails to appreciate his tender heart and good humor? What If Gage's new teacher smothers his crazy antics even if he is a little loud and rambucous? What If Janterica's new teacher only sees that she doesn't do her work eventhough she is very smart and misses that she is unique and hilarious? What If Brendan's new classmates tease him harsely about things kids their age shouldn't even know about? What If Steven's stuttering causes him to be teased? What If Tia and Maurkeycea's new teacher only sees that they are sassy instead of beautiful girls who can be very helpful and kind when they choose to be? I literally tear up as I say good-bye to each child because I truly will miss them? I get so attached each year and it really does take several months with the new class before I start to let go off the previous class and embrace the new one. It's a vicious cycle, but I can't help but think about all of the amazing students I have had the privilege to teach! I am very lucky!

Chris Hosmer is My Hero!

Here's the dish...
I wanted to make my class a video of all the pictures I took over the school year. I was going to do it on Pam's computer because she has the program to do it. I had to wait until after the graduation banquet because she was doing the video for that. She ended up not having enough memory to complete the project so she and Chris had to finish it on his computer. Anyhow, I decided to explore my my computer programs to see if I had a movie maker on here already. I am not very computer savy so this was dangerous. I found a program and began maing this wonderful video that kept tearing me up-my class is so great! I stayed up until after midnight on Saturday. I couldn't finish because the rest of the pics were on my camera, which was in the car, and if you know me, you know I will NOT go outside after dark, I am a terrible scaredy cat! So I decided to go to bed, afterall, I did have church the next morning. Sunday I spent all afternoon working on this video. After lunch and 1 quick bathroom break, I FINALLY finished right before church! I was so proud! Unfortunately, I couldn't get the movie to burn to a dvd. I saved the project and left it up on the computer and went to church. At church I was like "Chris, I really need your help!" He tried and tried, but I had done something wrong saving the movie and he couldn't fix it. Then he tried putting it in another movie making program, but it would only copy the files from Sat., not Sun.'s work. I messed something up. Then, he volunteered to stay up all night and redo it at his house! Wow! I was grateful and guilty! I felt bad, but, if you know Chris you know that he currently has a lot of time on his hands and he is a night owl. He said he didn't mind because he had nothing to do on Mon. He even volunteered to bring it back by the house (I don't think he would have woke up at 7 am when I would have stopped by to get it)! :) At 4:45 am I hear Chris's race car (that's what Xander calls it because he thinks the front grill has a mouth and the car is Lightening McQueen from the Disney movie Cars) in the driveway dropping my movie off, leaving it in the grill on the porch like we had agreed. He saved my day! Naturally, I couldn't go back to sleep because I felt so bad it took so long and I was so grateful I was trying to think of ways to pay him back. Anyhow, my class absolutely LOVED the movie proclaiming that I was the best teacher in the whole world! I had a wonderful day thanks to Chris!!!

The #1 song on the Day I was Born...

The #1 song in America on the day I was born was "Sad Eyes" by Robert John. What was the #1 song on the day you were born, married, child's birth, etc. Check it out:

http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm

A Sad Night in TV Land

I got goose bumps as I watched one of my favorite shows end tonight and I probably would have cried if Chris had not been here. Gilmore Girls ended tonight! I started watching GG in college, not too long after it first aired. See, I always taped 7th Heaven and then my roommates and I and our fiances would watch it over dinner. Dorky, I know, but serves as a great memory! One night I taped 7th Heaven for too long and what did I record with it? Gilmore Girls! It's funny, but I remember fast forwarding it and watching my other shows I had recorded and then, one night I had nothing to watch. I remembered that show I accidentally recorded and decided to watch it. Seven years later I am still recording and watching the GG (see blinkie). Tonights episode made me want more, like every other episode! Also, last night I watched the finale of 7th Heaven and Surivior Figi! Both of these air on Sundays, so I watch them later, cause of course I am at church! It's that time of year when a lot of good-byes are being said. I start to dread saying good-bye to my class. I really grow attached! You know the feeling, it's sad, but good, too. The one you feel on Easter Sunday when you realize all your year long work is done and the high of the convention is soaring back down, and then you start over, so it's good. Or the feeling you get after spending a week at camp and riding that high only for it to end, but then you always have next year. Or when you graduate college or high school and that chapter ends, but a new one begins. Anyhow, life is good and all good things must come to an end, but new things will begin and be just as good or better. Well, I must close because I am starting to sound like a commencement speech!

A Whirlwind of a Weekend!

What a weekend! Friday night a group of us spent all evening pricing "treasures" for the yard sale we were having to raise money for ICYC. It is so interesting to see all the things people have. Saturday we got up bright and early and set up for the yard sale. It is A LOT of work, but can be enjoyable, as well as being a good tool to use to speak with others about Christ. I met an interesting lady named Brenda. She shopped the yard sale while I tagged along behind her trying to get her to buy everything she touched. This may drive most crazy, but Brenda loved it! You know how you can just tell when someone will take your crazy antics and have a good time with you? I just love that! You meet the most interesting people that way. As Anne (of Green Gables) would call it, "kindred spirits." I'm not necessarily saying that Brenda was a kindred spirit, but she was fun. Afterall, she did leave and come back to the yard sale three times. She even gave me her phone number and had me call her towards the end of the sale. I invited her to church and she said she would come. Well see, I hope so! Did I mention that she bought a Jesus statue and started kissing it, literally? Sunday was Mother's Day. My Mama wanted to eat at O'Charley's, so we did! It was very tasty! Pam and I gave Mama and Daddy (for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and their 30th Anniversary) a weekend getaway with most expenses paid. They want to go to Savannah, GA. Sounds fun! Jared and I would go there for our 5th Anniversary (together for over 8 years!!!), but they are going the weekend after their anniversary which happens to be ours. Going to the same place your parents are going to for their anniversary could be akward! :) We had a good Mother's Day with my Mama.
Today was a good day. First, Pam bought a house and will close on May 31. My Mama is already "weepy" as she calls it! Also, today, I played wheelchair basketball against people from the Lakeshore Foundation. It was loads of fun! I mean they were spanking us on the court and they had missing limbs! This tells me that I desperately need to get in better shape! Those guys' upper body strength was amazing! They were very nice, as well as, generous on the court! I even scored! It was really rewarding to hear my students yelling for me! It was just like the time I played basketball in High School. The one time I scored all season was so glorious and shocking that I was fighting my huge grin, you know, I was just too cool to grin like a goober just because I scored so my mouth just twisted all crazy! It's funny the things that you remember. I will post pictures as soon as I get them developed and scanned. I forgot my digital camera at home and had to use the old 35 mm in my classroom. I better get off to bed soon. I was pretty tired all day. The yard sale just wore me out! Have a grewat week everyone!

Updates for the Week

Wow! It's been a awhile! Last week I spent the first part of the week trying to get things done for Joseph's graduation and the last part of the week waiting to hear of it would end up happening - it didn't! Stinks! Long story! Shame that it was all fine until a few days before the ceremony. His advisor messed up and Bevil, as of today, has still not sent his transcripts to Faulkner, after SEVERAL different times of filling out the SAME paperwork over and over! Oh well...when life deals you lemons, well, you know the line! :)
Last Friday the second grade at Pleasant Grove Elementary went on a very adventurous field trip to Noccalula Falls and the The Museum of Natural History in Anniston and Gadsden. We left PG at 7 am and returned at 4:30 pm. I was lucky enough to be on the charter bus that stalled five times and then died and would not make it up the hill into the museum. Luckily we got that far! We had to unload our bus and get on another one. Our bus had to cool off before it would make it up the hill! When it was time to go our bus was there and never did stall again; however, we lost the luxury of the air conditioner! I really had a nice time and got to visit with my fellow second grade teachers and the parents and grandparents of my students! If Pam could have been so lucky! She went to Atlanta, GA to Six Flags with her 6th graders the same day and her trip makes mine look perfect! Her shabby charter bus (yes-she too was lucky to be on the dud bus- what does this mean about Glenn luck????) blew a tire in Anniston and Pam's bus had to unload on the side of I 20 and get onto an already full bus! Pam had to stand all the way back to Botenfield! Did I mention her bus had duck tape on the floor, she never did figure out what the duck tape was actually holding together! Scary!
Saturday Jared and I had a nice day together. We ate lunch at Red Lobster, went to a matinee to see SpiderMan3, did a little shopping at the Galleria, and then had dinner at Johnny Rockets. Oh yeah! That morning Pam, Chris, and Katie Ward came over (Katie had never seen where we lived) and played a little pool and sang Kareoke. None of us can really sing! Sunday we ate lunch at Shanghai with Kevin and Gayla and Cassie Bradford and then they spent the afternoon at our house. It was good to see them.
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week at school. Tuesday our PTA arranged for every employee at PG EL to have an hour long lunch off campus. We were picked up in shifts in front of the school in a Hummer stretch limo! We were given a short joy ride around PG and then to a church fellowship building for a steak lunch. Then when we were finished we rode back to school in the Hummer limo. Today the PTA also gave us all Wal-Mart gift cards! I feel so blessed! I have also received several nice gifts from students.
Tomorrow night a bunch of us will meet and price and load yard sale items for the yard sale our church is sponsoring. ALL proceeds go to Indina Creek Youth Camp. It's a great opportunity for us all to swap junk and give to the camp we all love! The yard sale is on hwy 269 next to the Crazy Bill's fire works stand across from AJ"S quick stop in Minor. Come check it out! It starts at 7 am, Saturday, May 12.