Bah Humbug!!

Why am I feeling "Grinchy" you ask? Could it be the non-stop cough for 3 weeks? Could it be the bronchitis that turned into pneumonia & as I was finally starting to beat the darn thing....dumdumdum...a viral COLD???? Add to that two lovely cold sores & the end of the semester for some Christmas cheer. To top off my holiday festivities, I had a colonoscopy today. That's right. I had to do something that topped off the year, 96, I believe, when I had ALL FOUR wisdom teeth pulled on December 23rd. Of course, the very next February, I met Joe. So, maybe something equally amazing will happen this year. I don't mean meeting another guy, of course....;)

For those of you wondering...the test turned out great. Great of course, if you consider great to mean drinking 2 quarts of oily, salty, lemon-lime flavored YUCK. (Better than the gallon some have to drink!) Thankfully, I don't have to have another one for 5 years. But those of you with kids no how quickly 5 years can go by!

Seriously, I'm thankful all is finally well. My sister's life was saved 2 years ago by an early colonoscopy. She had the early stages of colon cancer & was blessed to only have surgery & no treatments. I thank God for her everyday. It's not a fun experience, but if it will save your life...

Do I Have to Show My Work?

Oh. My. Word. People, this is algebra, you're in the 7th grade...SHOW your work!!!!! And SHOW it ALGEBRAICALLY!!!!!

Alas, this has been my mantra, my rant, my battle with middle schoolers. Heaven help me! One more day, & Ms. Kristy is on vacay!!!!!

In other news, and to my defense, I have not been on facebook since Sunday! I did, however, spend way too long on it tonight! What to do when someone you knew from several years ago wants to add you to their friend list, but they kind of weird you out?? I mean, I'm not sure I want to decline...what happens if I just ignore the request? I'm such a coward...

KUDOS to Joe....he has received a scholarship that pays tuition & books, as well as an invitation to join Phi Theta Kappa (honors frat)! I am so proud of that man & all he does! He actually took me to see Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, or was it Knight? I'm too tired to Google it, & I'm sure one of my English buddies can help me! It was great! The university performing arts department had awesome displays of all the sayings & words that have been coined from Shakespeare's works. It was fascinating!

Learning about classification of the species in science. A student listing traits of an animal says, "big paws," but what everyone hears rhymes with "big malls!" Yeah. Laughing till tears rolled down my cheeks. I could not make eye contact with my co-teacher.

And I leave you with some of my FAVE flair phrases:

Procrastinators UNITE...tomorrow!
If ignorance is bliss...why aren't more people happy?
Procrastinators...Leaders of tomorrow!
If I die at school, I hope it's at an inservice so the transition from life to death is smooth!
SCHOOL, one big SOAP OPERA
HAHA. Wait. What?
Even if the voices are not real, they still have pretty good ideas.
My mom says I'm special. But who's Ed?
Don't follow my footsteps. I run into walls.
Be careful what you say...it may remind me of a song that needs singing.
He was hit by a DODGE, which I find funny & ironic.

I Could Do Without the Fairies...

That was what my husband said after reading & watching A Midsummer Night's Dream for his English comp. class. Ah, well, they are pretty much important to the play I would say. He did laugh with me during parts, though.

A recent favorite "Joe-Quote" of mine came after Joe's full day at work, then classes, then home to study & write papers, as well as spend some time with the family. He was truly exhausted. The scene: Joe & I talking about a recent exam he had taken in his ed. class while I was getting ready for bed. The conversation:

Me: Well, how did you do?
Joe: (with irritation) I made an 80. I mean, I missed 4. Stupid.
Me: What did you miss? Did you study? (hmmm...seems like I had the same discussion with Rebekah earlier about one of her tests)
Joe: Yeah, I studied. (here comes the fave quote) I missed two of them because I chose the wrong answer.
Me: (bursting into giggles, ahhh DUH) That's usually why we get things wrong...
Joe: (beginning to laugh at himself, now a.k.a. Captain Obvious) That's not what I meant. I knew the answer. I just marked the wrong one.
Me: Yeah, sure. You know I'm going to post this, right?

Confessions of a Cheater or Defining Interfacing Polygamy

I admit it. I can't lie about it anymore. I've been entertaining another website. I tried to resist, but was pulled into it's provocative promise of connecting with prior acquaintances, as well as local peeps. Yes, I joined Facebook, and darn it, I LIKE it!! There, it's out in the open. Open for all to see just one of the things that has kept me away...that, and school, and kids, and a husband in school, and the kids' school, and LAUNDRY (does it EVER end??), and just life in general. But, I think I can make it work. I mean, what's one more thing, right? I will, however, try to ward off those luring me to that other networking site...the "m" space. :)

I have SO much to update here, and will have plenty more with Halloween approaching. I see a marathon posting in my near future.

Where, Oh Where, Have I Gone??

Wow. The past month has been a blur. So much to post, so little time. I actually have a FOLLOWER now...WOOHOO!! Thanks, Chance, who, by the way, is an AWESOME swap partner! :) I am going to post pics of My Favorite Things Swap package that I received from her, but in the meantime you can take a gander at what I sent her.

I also have a new reader, Susan. Hopefully she will de-lurk & leave a comment! Hint, hint.

Susan & I have seen each other/chatted several times over the last 5 years, but at a recent wedding shower where we showered "unmentionables" on the blushing bride-to-be, I believe we struck a bond. Needless to say, my less than prudent shenanigans have become the talk around our congregation. All was done in fun, & if you can't cut up at a girls only party, then where, pray tell, can you? Lighten up, people! My husband just grins in acknowledgment & shakes his head. (Of course he was the one who hid in the limo & was chased out by the groom after the wedding!) Amy...you would not be surprised!! Let's just say that I should be receiving a thank-you note from the happy couple soon!! (haha) How refreshing it was to attend a shower for a bride who has truly waited for her special groom & her wedding night. Beautiful, I tell you.

The kids are at their aunt's house this weekend. How crazy to live in the same county, but have different fall breaks. My mother-in-law happened to be there as well. Grammy, as the kids call her, is battling ovarian cancer. Of course, with the chemo has come hair loss. Worrying that Bekah & Micah might be frightened or at least a little taken aback, she & Joe's sister decided to talk to the kids about her hair loss & the new wigs she is sporting. After they finished talking, Grammy removed the wig she was wearing. From the aunt's account, if they had videoed Micah's suprised, if not horrified expression, we could have won the hundred grand. When asked by Grammy, "So what do you think?," Micah replied ever so seriously , "I think you should put it back on!" He was later seen that evening running around the house with one of the wigs on his head. Comic relief, that kid, comic relief.

Joe & I have had lots of fun this weekend, but I can't wait to see Bekah & Micah tomorrow night! I'll be posting soon about my swap, the state fair, & other happenings! Stay tuned.

LOL....SERIOUSLY!

If you have, will have, or have ever had a toddler or preschooler to take to a public bathroom, you MUST check out the following link!!! I have not laughed so hard in a long time, & believe me I've needed to! Some of the comments are too funny. Enjoy this excerpt from the McMommy Chronicles.

Has It Really Been 11 Years?

Today is the day that I married my best friend 11 years ago. 11 years full of all that makes a marriage. 11 years of smiles, laughter, tears of joy & sorrow, passion, & even anger. We haven't had a perfect relationship, but we've had one with lots of love & commitment not only to one another but to our Creator. The way we met is a post in and of itself, but let's just say God's hand was in it. The awesome thing? There were things about Joe that fulfilled many things deep down in my heart that I had prayed for. Only God knew the desires of my heart, & oh how he has filled those desires. Here are the reasons that I love Joe, even when he makes me crazy (not in the sexy way, either!!).

1. I love him for his commitment & desire to serve the Lord.
2. I love him for his tender heart & love for those in need.
3. I love him for the time he was helping a mentally ill woman clean her home & I watched as he knelt on the kitchen floor armed with only bleach water & a window scraper to clean layers of animal waste & newspapers off that floor. (I cannot describe the condition of this woman's home without making some of you ill, but I will NEVER forget the humbleness of heart with which my husband served the Lord during this entire situation.)
4. I love him for standing by me through thick & thin, & when life turned our world upside down 9 years ago, he was my earthly rock and protector.
5. I love that when he's truly happy and his heart is care-free, he will sing, albeit rather loudly & off-key, the National Anthem.
6. I love him for the way he continues to love me & still gets that mischievous twinkle in his eye regardless of how I look or the pounds I may have put on.
7. I love him for having the courage & commitment to go back to school at the age of 34, while working full time, in order to not only fulfill his dreams, but his family's as well.
8. I love him for the way his heart swells & his eyes tear up whenever someone obeys the Gospel & puts on Christ through baptism.
9. I love him for the way that he knows me, sometimes better than myself.
10. I love that although he has a very tender heart, he is also the head & leader of our family.
11. I love that despite his tender heart, I can't just run over him (not physically/literally...although there have been times....;) Those of you who know me, know that I am a little strong-willed, okay stubborn. (Wonder where are children get it from?)
12. I love that ALL the kids look for "Mr. Joe" after worship to come outside for any number of games he gets together.
13. I love that he gets excited when scoring a touchdown or homerun against a bunch of 5-12 year olds...seriously!
    
14. I love that he has a soft spot for the elderly & can be seen not just helping them inside before worship, but you might often see him racing one particular man in a walker.
15. I love that he loves ALL people regardless of looks, money, status, etc.
16. I love that he's just a big kid inside.
17. I love the ways that I've watched him grow, both as a man & as a Christian.
18. I love that when I've been very sick he has done things that most would not do because I needed him.
19. I love that although he can be a "mean sleep," he is also hilarious at times when talks/sleepwalks.
20. I love him for the laughter that he brings to our home & to our children.
    

This list is certainly the abridged version of all that I love about my husband. Some were left out to keep this site family-friendly (ha,ha). I leave you with what I feel sums it up beautifully. (This was "borrowed" and the years edited.)

"Do you love me?

Do I what?
Do you love me?

For eleven years I've lived with him,
Fought him, starved with him,
Eleven years my bed is his,
If that's not love, what is?

Then do you love me?
I suppose I do.
And I suppose I love you, too.
It doesn't change a thing, but even so,
after eleven years,
it's nice to know."