my boys

schooool's out...for the summer!

sing it!

soon...

i could be charged with a very serious crime...involving nineteen 7th graders.

i should probably spend the next ten minutes praying!

happy anniversary!

four years ago today, i walked down the aisle to join the love of my life.

i remember it like it was yesterday. i thought i would be so nervous, but i was more calm than ever. i knew that i knew that i knew jerry was made just for me.

"meant to be", such a cliche, but so true. the way the pieces of our lives fell together is amazing.

jerry,

i am so happy to be living forever with you. you have made the last four years interesting, to say the least. you know just the right things to say to make me smile. being met with the words "hey, beautiful" every time i see you should be something i just get used to. but every time it is said with such sincerity, it's almost as if it's the first time the words have ever come out of your mouth. you make me feel like the most important thing in the world.

we have two wonderful boys that we get to watch grow up. these are the most precious gifts you could ever give me. i love watching you with them. you see them and you turn into a kid again. i just love it.

i love you more than any words could ever say. i cannot wait to see what God has in store for our future. i know we will only grow stronger and more in love.

and yes, i will love you forever and ever...and four more.

i love you!

one more quick post

the other day, i bought jacob a batman mask. it fits him perfectly. it really looks kinda freaky, but he loves it.

we were leaving the house to go somewhere and jerry said, "come on, jacob. let's go."

of course, jacob was wearing the mask.

he came running around the couch and matter-of-factly replied, "i am not jacob, i am batman!"

stuff

i know casen is cute, but seeing that picture everytime you open my blog means that i haven't posted anything.

so sorry!

i'm so ready for summer. i'm ready for things to slow down!

i feel like i have no time to think lately.

here's what's been going on.

• i love my boys so much! i just want to be with them ALL the time...including my husband!
• casen has started grabbing things now. he laughs like crazy. last night i was rolling him over on to his stomach...every time, he would just tilt his head and roll back over. he's really liking the tummy time though.
• jacob is growing up before my eyes. it's incredible the things he comes home knowing everyday. he's talking like a grown up...complete sentences and correct tenses. he still can't say his "k" and "l" sounds. so cute though.
• jerry is still working like crazy. i'm so ready for him to have a break. he deserves it!
• we only have 7 days left of school...one of those is a trip to sea world. there are pros and cons to that. for one, it's sea world. on the other hand, it involves 100 7th graders.
• our preliminary taks results are in...not as good as we'd hoped, but acceptable.
• my students are driving my crazy. some of them have shut down. i hate it! i just wish i could motivate them without threatening failing.
• gas is unbelievable! it's costing $85-$90 to fill up. nuts! and jerry's on a hummer kick. he's not always the most practical person.
• we pulled up every weed in our backyard sunday. i am sore, but well worth it. the yard looks really good. the grass is filling in nicely. now we just have to tackle the front and side yards...in all our free time, of course.
• hanging out with the girls last saturday was so nice! it was a much needed break.
• oh, i apparently have a sinus infection. i've been sick for about 3 weeks and jerry finally forced me to go to the doctor. i'm on two antibiotics. hopefully i can kick it soon. it's getting old.
• i've been tanning...and apparently post-pregnancy-stretched-belly skin doesn't tan so well. who knew?!?! not really the effect i was going for.
• this is teacher appreciation week at school...yesterday we had donuts and fruits and stuff. today we have cookies. this is also not contributing well to that previously mentioned belly.

okay, this is quite a post for me. i should stop now. hopefully more regular blogging will come once summer gets here.

pictures of my boys...

well, mainly casen. jacob can run from me now.

look at those blue eyes
so serious
me playing with editing styles
he got tired of holding his head up
and one of my big boy

according to jacob...

i am not a "big boy".

we are driving down college hills yesterday and pass the putt putt place. jacob calls it the "golf park".

this is our conversation.

jacob: "look momma! the golf park!"

me: "i see it!"

jacob: "i want to go there!"

me: "you have to tell your daddy."

jacob: "i'm going to go there with daddy...only daddy!"

me: "okay, fine."

jacob: "i'm a big boy. i can go by myself. and daddy is a big boy. he can go. me and daddy can go. i'm not going with you, momma. you're not a big boy...only daddy!"

okay then. i'm not a big boy, and i can't go to the golf park.

my poor baby

casen has his first ear infection.

he's coughing, sneezing, got a stuffy nose and gunk coming out of his eyes.

he's trying to be happy, but it's so hard.

jerry took him to the doctor yesterday. he now has to take medicine twice a day for ten days plus get eye drops in his eyes a few times a day.

it's so sad. he's always so happy. i hate seeing him like this.

to make matters worse, i thought i was getting over being sick.

wrong!

i went to bed last night feeling horrible...sore throat, stuffy nose, watery eyes. casen woke up so many times during the night.

i got up once. my wonderful husband took care of him the rest of the time. everytime he would come back to bed, he would feel of my head. he thinks i had a fever. he just kept telling me to stay home.

i am obviously not at home. i'm at school. another day of teaching.

but not counting today, we only have 17 school days left. if you take out the one for our field trip and the four test days i have planned, that's only 12 teaching days!!

i can see the light!

anyway, i have apparently disappointed jenny. i got a new camera yesterday! i couldn't wait to go take pictures. that didn't happen. jerry picked me up after school, we went to wal mart, then to target, then back to wal mart to pick up a prescription. we didn't get home until after 6. by that time, casen was ready to eat and then needed to be held the rest of the night. plus, i felt less than great.

so...sorry, no pictures. maybe i'll have time to take some during the week and post on the weekend. we'll see. every picture of casen right now would have beat red eyes and nose. hopefully he'll feel better soon.

well, i got to school early so i could get some things done. this is not what i was planning.

gotta go.

tanning

okay...i know tanning is bad for you and blah, blah, blah.

but...

i'm going to vegas in a month. i'm working like crazy and have no time to go outside.

and let's face it...tan fat looks much better than white fat.

so, i'm going to start tanning.

why am i posting about this, you ask?

i'm going to go to elite physique since it's close to my work, and i can go during my conference.

if i have a "buddy" who also needs to tan, we can save $15 off the regular unlimited tanning package.

the regular package is $49. with a buddy, it would be $34 each.

anyone interested?

we wouldn't have to go at the same time, and they have two locations for convenience. we just have to sign up at the same time.

i'm planning on going at the beginning of this week.

let me know!

3 months

my baby boy is 3 months old today.

time is flying so fast already.

i hope to post pictures later...but with the way things are going lately, i can't promise anything.

i'll post drama details later.

here's what casen's doing at 3 months...

• smiles...alot!
• laughs every once in a while
• sucks on his hands
• kicks all the time
• eats alot
• sleeps through the night in his crib
• doesn't like to be held much
• makes the cutest noise when he's tired
• weighs 15 pounds

again, i can't believe it's already been 3 months! before i know it, my boys will be grown and getting married.

make it stop!

naturally...

i get signed on at school and have some free time.

but do i have anything to say??

NO!

ridiculous.

oh, there is one thing...math TAKS is over!!!!!!

no words...

i was talking to jerry on the phone last night as he and jacob were driving home from the basketball game. we're having a fine conversation when all i hear are horns and something about a wreck.

at that point, the phone cuts off.

a wreck??

i was freaking out. i tried to call him back. he didn't answer. i called again. he answered, but only long enough to say, "we're okay", and hear my baby call for his mommy, and the phone cut off again. i called again. this time, he was able to talk long enough to tell me they were okay and i needed to come get them.

this was about 9:40 last night.

i took casen out of his crib and loaded him in the car. the whole way i'm just praying. i knew jerry said they were okay, but i was still worried.

i was halfway okay until i passed the scene and saw the lights of fire trucks and police cars going off.

at that point, i was freaking out.

i pulled up, left the car running with casen in it, and went to find my babies.

jacob looked so pitiful and scared. i just held him so close and kept telling him i loved him.

i have never been so scared in my life.

apparently, jerry looked back to see what jacob was doing and when he turned around, a couple of cars in front of him had stopped abruptly and he couldn't swerve enough to miss them.

they weren't going very fast. they were on the access road about to get on houston harte.

the other car had minimal damage. they had to tow jerry's truck off. we don't know the extent of the damage yet.

my babies are okay, though. no cuts or bruises...well, jerry has a couple of scrapes on his knees from falling after he got jacob out of the truck.

anyway, this is an experience i never want to endure again. the thought of something happening to one of my babies is unbearable.

brothers...

can you tell?


















here's jacob when he was three months old and casen just shy of three months.

finally...

i managed to sign in at school!

i'm like jenny, though. i haven't posted in a while so i have so much to say, yet i have so much to say that i don't have time to post.

all i can say is i've been put in a bind, but i have a rescuer!

wendy!

sarah's going out of town thursday and friday for matt's wedding. my mom was supposed to come watch casen. she has a funeral. i just found out last night!

wendy to the rescue! she's going to keep casen tomorrow and jerry's going to take off on friday and keep him.

thanks, wendy!!

and don't feel too bad for jerry, he's leaving after lunch to go to dallas for the weekend...some golf tournament called the BYRON NELSON!

well, folks, we're out of time.

tune in next time for...

okay, i got nothing.

jacob...in his own little paradise

happy birthday, jerry

to the love of my life...

i hope you have a wonderful day!

i love you!

recent pics

jacob on easter sunday

casen -- 13 lbs 1 oz at 2 months

look at that smile

a little tummy time

jacob before he went off to grandma's with his new spiderman bag

6:47 a.m.

i'm sitting here alone.

why?

because i just sent both my boys with my mom. she's taking them to her house for the weekend.

casen's first road trip. he was pretty awake when they left. i hope he does okay.

jacob is so excited to go ride the tractor with his papa and to see the "moo moo's".

i...well...i am a little sad.

it is a good thing, because i've got a jam-packed two days coming...but still sad.

i'm going to leave tomorrow after matt and mandy's shower and head that way. i'll stay saturday night and come back sunday.

jerry will be working ALL weekend. he actually welcomed the idea of me leaving so he wouldn't feel guilty about working so much.

so, if in the next couple of days i seem a little saddened, you know why.

i miss my boys already!

unmistakable voice

i've always struggled with knowing whether the voice i thought i was hearing was that of God or just my mind working overtime. the past few days, i have heard HIM. i feel Him speaking to me. i will think a question and He will answer me.

i'm still working on my relationship with Him...mainly just trying to keep myself committed. but the past few days, i have felt so close to my Jesus.

and yes, sometimes the things He's telling me are not pleasant.

for instance, "am I not the same on wednesday as I am on sunday? worship ME regardless of the day or song!"

or, "you keep asking for boldness and opportunity. I'm giving it to you. use it!"

jerry and i have been struggling with issues of money lately...not really "lack of"...i mean, we're fine. it just seems like every time we get ahead and have a little extra, something comes up. we just want to be able to enjoy it...buy our children something, not pay another stinkin' medical bill!

yesterday, we got an unexpected check in the mail. it was for an over-estimation on our taxes for our house. i began praying about what to do with it. should we hold it because something is going to come up? what should we do?

His answer, "you have been faithful to Me. I am faithful to you."

this morning, i was reading in my bible about the life of Jesus and His disciples. in my morning readings, i just started at the new testament and have been reading in order for a few weeks. this morning, i asked for a specific verse.

he gave me Genesis 4:3. "And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord."

at first i was thinking, okay, this was just my own head telling me this verse. it was not from God. but then i began to think about it. cain brought an offering to the Lord...part of his crop...something he had grown.

i began to pray and ask God what i had to give to him? what could i bring to the table? this train of thought brought on a prayer about me and my talents. how can i be used for His kingdom? what can i do? what should i be doing? is teaching where i need to be? is it my calling?

when i got to school this morning, i had this in my e-mail:

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”

March 28
Uniquely You

He gave…to each according to his ability.
Matthew 25:15 (NKJV)

Da Vinci painted one Mona Lisa. Beethoven composed one Fifth Symphony. And God made one version of you. He custom designed you for a one-of-a-kind assignment. Mine like a gold digger the unique-to-you nuggets from your life….

When God gives an assignment, he also gives the skill. Study your skills, then, to reveal your assignment.

Look at you. Your uncanny ease with numbers. Your quenchless curiosity about chemistry. Others stare at blueprints and yawn; you read them and drool. “I was made to do this,” you say.

Our Maker gives assignments to people, “to each according to each one’s unique ability.” As he calls, he equips. Look back over your life. What have you consistently done well? What have you loved to do? Stand at the intersection of your affections and successes and find your uniqueness.


From: Cure for the Common Life
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2005) Max Lucado

this was not an audible answer, but does it have to be?? hello! when God gives an assignment, He also gives the skill?!?!

my new quest: what is my skill??