Spring Break....What a Tease!!!

Spring Break is officially over. Really??? It started only hours ago...or so it seems. I stayed pretty busy despite the fact that the crud finally caught me and I felt like poo for a large majority of the week. Low and behold though...I feel better just in time to go back to work!!! Isn't that how it typically works...I'd really rather feel bad at work and enjoy off time. I am most proud of cleaning out and reorganizing my closet this week. Now if only I had time to do that to a few more things but unfortunately...NO TIME!! :) I went home and spent time with the family and helped my brother and sister-in-law celebrate my nephew's 1st birthday which is this coming Friday. It is unbelievable that Adreal and Jayden have been a part of our family for almost a year. Where did all that time go? There have been some rocky times but things seem to be going well now. I am glad...my brother seems happy and that is all I can ask for. Anyway...the tease of Spring Break may be over but that leaves us with only 11 weeks of school!! That is my motivation to get up in the morning!!! :)

On another note, I just feel like life is getting me down right now. I am afraid I may go through this phase several times before 2010 is over as I near my 30th birthday. I am SOOOO not where I thought I would be in life. Of course, I know my plan and God's plan are quite often two totally different things. It is still frustrating. I see all my friends and family members with pretty babies and nice husbands living in houses and at least visibly happy to me. I am sure they each have their own issues that the world doesn't see but for what I can see....life is good. I have a great job and some good friends (many too far away!) but I still feel like I am on standstill. I try to stay busy so I don't think about it...I try to make new friends but every time I hold a sweet baby...I want one of my own. When I lay down at night, I want my other half beside me. I know God has a plan and I have to be patient...but it doesn't stop the longing and the wishing. I just don't understand sometimes why it isn't my turn. I've tried to always do whats right and follow what I feel like God is leading me to do and I don't understand why I am still all alone. My friend Chris once told me that he believes that some people are meant to be single but I just don't feel like that is me. God has not taken that desire away from my heart.

Besides the longing for my other half...I also long for more close friendships. I have some great friends and I have some awesome acquaintances. Too many of my friends live too far away and I just can't seem to get to see them very often. I can't seem to make friendships here like I have in other places and that is frustrating. That isn't saying I don't have any because I do and I am so thankful for those but there are still times I feel all alone. I don't know...I try to be an upbeat person but maybe I'm just not...just not sure what I am doing wrong. I want to be that person people call up to go to the movies or shopping or trips to awesome places.

Okay, so I started this blog with one thought and then totally veered a different direction. I just needed to get that off my chest. I'll feel better in the morning or in a few days. I've just had time to think and that isn't always a good thing. Sometimes it is quite depressing. Today is one of those days. To end where I started...11 weeks...that's my motivation!!!

Countdown to Spring Break is On

Yet another Christmas break has come and gone. As someone wrote on facebook, you know you are a teacher when you are already counting down the days until Spring Break as soon as you get back from Christmas break. It is so true. Of course, I try not to be one of those that looks for a Snow Day before we get to Spring Break because I realize that we will only have to make it up later on a day when I REALLY want a day off.

My two weeks off were excellent. I do believe it was probably one of the best 2 weeks off I've had in a few years anyway. I stayed here the first few days of the break and did some shopping. I met Susan and Will at at Allen Premium Outlets one of those days. First of all, I think that would be a great place to shop but would not recommend it or any other place for that matter the week before Christmas. I did have a great time catching up with Susan and Will. Hopefully, we can work on getting together more often. Funny but when I first met Susan, I really did not think I would like her and she has turned out to be a pretty amazing friend!!

I went to my parents house on the 23rd and stayed through Jan 2. I really enjoyed the time I spent there. The drama was kept at a minimum which was good because there always seems to be some sort of drama in my family. Obviously, I was a big part of that over the summer with my injured body. Dad was off the whole 2 weeks and I was a little leery of that at first. I love my dad but sometimes we are too much a like and too much together time is not a good thing. It really was not bad this time. For the first year in many, we were almost all able to get together with Aunt Barbara and her family for Christmas Eve Brunch. Christmas Eve was spent as a family at the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and then Gramma's annual Christmas Eve Steak dinner. Christmas Day all four of us siblings and families were able to get together to open presents. Then we started a new Christmas Day tradition by grilling hamburgers. They were very yummy and we were not left with days and days of leftovers.

During the break, I was able to spend time getting to know my new sister-in-law. Adreal, Mom, and I along with Jayden spent a day in Texarkana shopping. It was great to finally be able to spend some time with her and get to know her a little bit better. I enjoyed her company and Jayden is just adorable. On Wednesday, Drake was able to stay home from school and spend the day with Mom, Dad, and I. He will be 4 next month and is a lot of fun. He loves trains, cars, tools, and anything that is most definitely boyish.

I remember when I last got my driver's license renewed 6 years ago, the date of my next renewal was in 2010. At the time, that seemed so far away and so unreal because that would be the year I turned 30. At 24, that seemed like a long way off. 2010 is now here and I look for it to be a great year!! My New Year's celebration this year was low key but I greatly enjoyed it. DeWayne came out for New Year's and after going to Texarkana with Amanda, Jake and Abigail for dinner, we spent the evening hanging out with Mom and Dad. We played the game Apples to Apples which I highly recommend for some good fun and laughter. On New Year's Day we went back to Texarkana to meet up with Whitney, Shawn and Campbell for dinner. It was great to be able to catch up with old friends.

As you can tell, I really had a great time off visiting with family and friends. I still have a good many friends I was not able to catch up with but, knock on wood, no major catastrophes this summer and I can make my way to see those friends I have missed. Of course, this will have to be worked around work as I plan to work on curriculum again this summer and then hopefully a trip to Cozumel with Mom, Dad, and Phillip. I have never left the country before and am very much looking forward to the trip and being able to do that before I turn 30!!! :)

On a little bit of a different note, my sister went back to the doctor on Friday and they found out that they are expecting another boy at the beginning of June. She said that Drake is excited about a little brother. I think he will make a great big brother and can teach his little brother lots of awesome things!!!

6 months later!

Well, I realized that I have not updated this in almost 6 months. It hit me as I looked at the calendar and realized that tomorrow is 6 months since I had surgery. My arm is doing much better. I was able to return to work on time although I was still in Physical Therapy. I continued that here until the week before Thanksgiving. My arm is still not 100% but it is functionable and building up strength. Right now I am about 90% straight but the doc seems to think it will continue to straighten the rest of the way on its own. It is still sore a lot but he said that is normal as well. I am just so happy to be able to take care of myself and have most of the use back. The whole experience was definitely humbling for me. I really don't know what I would have done with the help of my wonderful mother. She is truly a blessing to me. I could not ask for a better mom. My knee is also much better. I barely have a limp and am able to do lots of walking without my muscles getting too terribly sore. The weather changes...especially to really cold...do affect both joints some but I am learning to deal with it.

This has been an extremely busy semester for me both at work and personally. I have continued to go to The Point Ladies Bible Study on Tuesday night and have really enjoyed spending time getting more in the word as well as getting to know an awesome group of ladies!! I finally made my first venture to The Point a few weeks ago and enjoyed it...I plan to make it a regular thing once I get back here from the holidays. (The Point is the 20s single's group at my church.) I am really looking forward to making more Christian friends in the area. I also plan to help out with One Parent + Kids again. That was a great experience and I look forward to continuing it. My family was always the type to be at the church whenever the doors were open and it is something that I have missed. I greatly look forward to being more involved.

On the work side of things, after 3 years of hard work, my school is officially an International Baccalaureate World School. I am so proud of our entire school community for that accomplishment. Also on the work side, I had my first student teacher this semester and she was fantastic!! I could not have asked for a better first experience with being a cooperating teacher. I just hope that her experience was great also!! I tried to be as realistic as possible and not candy coat teaching. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, but it definitely has its stresses as do most jobs. I think often times in the college setting, future teachers are taught in a "perfect world" atmosphere and sometimes the first dose of reality is in their own classrooms.

I am heading home tomorrow to be with family for the holidays and to end 2009. I can't believe it will soon be 2010. I turned 29 this month and although I am trying not to be out of my 20s too soon, I do realize 30 is just around the corner. Am I at all where I expected to be at this point in my life, not really but I am realizing that although sometimes I wish things were different, God has a plan for my life. God's timing is perfect and as Christians, we have to often wait on his will to be reveled. I would like to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Maybe I'll make it a resolution to post a little more frequently!!!

On the Mend

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am on the mend and getting better daily. I had surgery on my elbow on June 23 and got to spend the night in the hospital. Fun times there. :) I was a nervous wreck before surgery but it went well. I did not go back for surgery until 6 pm after being there since 10 am. I was in my room by 9:30 so it went pretty quickly. The doctor put it back in a splint with no movement until Monday July 6. He now has me in a hinge brace and doing physcal therapy 3 days a week. It is painful but it must be done. I can finally take a shower so that is good. I do still need Mom to dry and straighten my hair but she is glad to not have to wash it anymore. :) Mom has been fabulous through all this!!! My knee is doing better after a few weeks of PT. Just a slight limp and only pain if I am on it a really long time, I am probably still looking at surgery on it next summer but at least I'll have my arm back by then and can do for myself. My goal is to be able to go home by the first of August but we'll see. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes!! It is getting better!!

I'm going to try to one hand type this to let everyone know what's up with me. Typing is difficult si I thought this would be easier to just do once.

On May 29, I slipt and fell at work on a wet floor. My knee kind of twisted but did not hurt excessively bad so I filed paperwork and thought nothing else of it. (My stupidity as now Workman's comp is pretty useless.)

On June 6, at Texas Motor Speedway (for the record, absolutely no alcohol was involved) while walking to the restroom, my knee gave out and I started propelling forward. All I could do was fall and landed arms out stretched. I knew immediately my elbow was broken but not how bad. DeWayne drove me to the ER after a quick fix at the track. After a bunch of no fun X-Rays, they splinted me and referred me to an Orthopedic doctor. He informed me that the radial head in my elbow was broken in several places and could either be removed or replaced. The latter being the better option as to not limit arm movement. He also believes the ACL in my left knee is torn. I had an MRI on it today but won't get the results until Friday.

My friend DeWayne has been fabulously at my beck and call even going so far as to wash my hair. My coworker Sandy has graciously taken me to doctor visits. I am so thankful for everyone's thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. My parents and I have decided it would be easier to have the surgery in Texarkana since Mom is off for summer and can better help me as I recover. My Gramma is also close by and will help. I am so blessed. Please pray for a quick and easy recovery. I won't be on the computer much but welcome phone calls and texts. My cell is iffy at my parents but feel free to call the house. It is Randy Moore in Atlanta, TX. The plan is for them to pick me up Saturday and I have an appointment there on Wednesday. Sadly, I will be missing my 10 year reunion. I do know that God has a plan in all this and it will all work out.

I went to the doc today and it is a torn ACL. I will need surgery on both. Mom and Dadaer picking me up in the morning and I have an appointment in Texarkana on Wednesday. At that point I will find out when the surgery will be.

Drake's 3rd Birthday Party

Drake turned 3 on February 9th. It is unreal to realize that he is already 3 years old. Where has the time gone. We celebrated his birthday at the Bayou Bowling Alley in Atlanta. As you can tell it was a Spiderman theme.



Drake's "wife" Hannah helped him to bowl.

Drake helped Pawpaw carry out the really really BIG present.

This was his reaction after he opened The Polar Express. He watched a copy of mine several times during Christmas break and would always ask me if I had it. I bought him his very own copy.

This is a picture of my dad and my gramma.


Another picture of Drake and the Wife. :)

My brother-in-law is currently working out of town for extended periods of time. He had been out of town for almost a month and my sister thought he was going to miss the birthday party. He surprised her and Drake by coming in for the party. You can tell how happy Drake is to be with Daddy and the look between Jeff and Heather is just priceless.

Is it The or Thu

Twenty-eight years of life and at least twenty years of education and I don't remember ever learning that the word "the" had a rule for its pronunciation. Did you know that? Apparently, if it is in front of a vowel, it is THE but if it is in front of a consonant, it is THU. Totally did not know that until one of my students today informed his CM sub that it was a pet peeve of his for people to say THE. He had learned the rule from another teacher and had learned it well. It was quite funny to hear the story and even funnier to realize how many of us adults did not know that was a rule. Maybe at some random point in my education, I learned that rule but I just don't recall it.

Crazy busy times in the life of me. So much has been going on and I just haven't felt like I have had many moments to just sit and breath much less update a blog. :) My house is a crazy mess and was seen by my parents last week upon a surprise yet wonderful visit. I received an award at the school board meeting and they surprised me by coming to support me. I was so glad to see them but a bit embarrassed by my house. It does seem that what free time I have is taken up either watching television or enjoying my Wii. Of course, a lot of that Wii time is on the Wii Fit. I am slowly starting to see some pounds fall off but must keep up the work and decrease the intake of food. :) That is the hard part. I have had no coke at all since Sunday. That is a BIG deal for me. I am going to reward myself for no cokes and have one with breakfast in the morning. What an irony, reward myself for no cokes by having a coke. Heehee!!! Don't you just love how this blog tends to ramble from one subject to the next with the only connections possibly being in my head. Much like the mind of a woman right!! :) I need to update with a real blog this weekend and include some pictures from my fun weekend at home a few weeks ago for Drake's 3rd Birthday. Yes, he is now 3. Unbelieveable. :) Well, I end this blog with three words, Happy Birthday Momma!!!