Welcome Back, Autumn!

Words cannot express how thrilled I am that autumn has finally showed her beautiful face! The sky is crisp and clear for the first time in a month, the air is clean and cool, and the breeze is positively delightful. I can wear winter clothes again (I love sweatshirt weather!), and it's not unbearable to simply be outdoors. The windows are open - well, at least until the skunk visited last night - and I can hear the birds and the wind and I am just plain happy.

Some people experience depression when the cold air returns. Not me - I thrive on it. I feel lighter and happier and alive.

So far it's been a good week. I turned down fast food and made generally good choices (though I need to work a little harder at getting enough water). I've stayed entirely too busy to exercise, though, between class, a project, studying for a test, and year-end inventory at work. Lots of overtime and long, late nights are the norm this week. Saturday I'm having a yard sale (if the weather continues to cooperate). One entire room of the old house is packed with junk to get rid of. Here's to hoping someone finds treasure in my trash!

Hellooooooooooooo, fall!

Just because I'm not a Democrat...

...it does not mean that I am illiterate.

Neither am I uneducated. I hold a bachelor's degree in business and am working toward a nursing degree. I know many more who think like me and hold doctorate degrees in a variety of fields.

I am not a racist because I disagree with the President. I do not care that he is biracial - that makes no difference in my opinion of his time in office.

Owning guns does not make me a violent person.

Just because I express my opinion - sometimes emphatically - it does not mean I am a hate-mongering, un-American, riotous person who does not deserve to be a citizen.

I watch Glenn Beck's show on FOX. That does not make me one of the "sheeple." I am inundated with liberal media everywhere I go - media that shows only one side of the story. To be entirely fair in my assessment, I need both sides of the issue.

I do not believe global warming is the issue the media has made it out to be. That does not mean that I am careless with my resources or that I am unwilling to treat the planet and its inhabitants responsibly.

I believe the best way to "fix" the ails of our society is for government to get its nose out of every single aspect of our lives. This includes health care reform - if you want to improve it, keep the government out. This does not mean I am above caring that people do not have insurance.

I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. That does not mean I am homophobic.

I am tired of being singled out by the media and other liberal Democrats. I am tired of being called illiterate, inconsiderate, un-American, ultra-right-wing, and terroristic. I am tired of constantly being accosted for daring to speak up in favor of less government and a closer adherence the Constitution.

Enough is enough! If you can't find anything better to do than call me names, then shut up! For eight years I have listened to the media and Democrats rant and rave about how awful President Bush was. Yes, he made mistakes. No, I did not agree with everything he did. But he was never afforded the respect his office demanded. Now the tables have turned, and President Obama can apparently do no wrong. To dare to call him out is be deemed a racist pig. When conservatives stand up and refute the ideas and laws and bills that are being shoved down our throats, the best the liberal media can do is call us names and make fun of us! There is no honest debate; no refutation of our arguments. It's nothing more than belittlement and name-calling.

And I'm sick of it.

Just Gotta Share

I gave my friends the files for the photos from the engagement shoot... and they had trouble getting them printed. Wal-Mart said the pictures looked professional and thought they had scanned them or something.

Hee hee... they thought the pictures looked professional!

Weekend Recap

I wanna scrapbook!!!

No time. Must do homework. :) This weekend was soooo busy! Both of the photo sessions went beautifully. Pics of the first are already up on my photo blog, but it will be a couple of days before I get to start processing the second session. I also baked cookies (yum!), and managed to get most of the data for the medical interview entered into the form. A few finishing touches and it will be ready to turn in - five days early, I might add! lol

Tonight is my first clinical skills test. I have to prove I can wash my hands. It's not difficult, but it definitely isn't as obvious as you might think. Pretty sure I can pass, though. (wink, wink)

Gotta go now. It's time to wake up my boys for the day. Maybe I'll get to scrapbook later this week. Cross your fingers for me!

Thirsty Cat

Some things are oh-so-tempting....

It's here, it's here!!

I have a new camera... woot!

Check out my photo blog for some pics: First Photos. We're going to the fair tonight, and I'm looking forward to playing there, too. (Assuming, of course, that it does not rain.)

Itchy, Excited, and a Wee Bit Tired

Ever had a bug bite the inside of your nose? Seriously... how do you politely scratch that?

...

The weekend wasn't terrible, though the kids fought a good bit and were, on schedule, up at the very crack of dawn each morning. Gabe & Katie were beside themselves with excitement that their Aunt Amanda was coming for a visit. I let them wear their pajamas all day Saturday, which won me the Cool Aunt of the Year award. (Or is that big sister?)

While I was there, my scrapbook order from Scrapbook Pictures came in. They are hands-down the best developer on the web. I'd been accumulating digital pages for more than a year, b/c I usually wait for a sale to place an order. Mom usually likes duplicates of anything with Gabe & Katie, so I just had the order shipped to her house. Right on cue, it arrived Saturday afternoon. I love seeing my pages printed... it's so different from looking at them on the computer.

Oh, and guess what? Jeff & I got an early Christmas present - a really nice Brinkmann gas grill! Woot! It's one of those things we have been putting off for years... at the beginning of every summer, we swear we'll get one, but there never seems to be money for it. Since Mom & Dad are coming to my house for Christmas this year, and it would not be Christmas without grilled filet mignon, they just had to get us a grill that would do the steak justice. :)

Got lots done today - worked at the old house for a while, got grocery shopping done, and am slowly catching up on laundry. Going to try to pick up this evening before bedtime.

One more guess what? - Thursday I get my new Nikon D90!!!! WOOOT!!!! And - I have an engagement photo shoot on Saturday and a family shoot on Sunday. (I might be the slightest bit crazy for doing those with a camera I've had for 24 hours, but I'm crossing my fingers there time Friday to practice with it.) I am really excited at the prospect of taking pictures again. I've missed having the camera be a permanent extension of my right arm. :)

Okay, gotta go. Much left to do before bedtime. Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend!

Seriously Questioning My Sanity

I. Am. So. Tired.

Class days absolutely wear me out! My workday starts at 6am, and I have to rush from here straight to class. It's 10:30 or later before I get home, and I still have to do my nightly posting before I can go to bed. That much thinking is utterly exhausting!

This weekend, instead of resting, what am I doing? I'm going to watch my niece/sister & nephew/brother so my parents can have a break. Thing is, those two heathens are up at the butt-crack of dawn - and worse, they're an hour ahead of me! So instead of sleeping in, I can look forward to being out of bed by 5am my time.

There is no rest in sight for today, either. I have assignments to turn in (since internet access is iffy at Mom's), grocery shopping, laundry, and packing - not to mention that Jeff will almost certainly ask me to clean the house before I leave.

I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open!!!

Okay... enough complaining. I have my coffee, after all. [insert weak smile here]

School is interesting. I am not as socially challenged as I thought I might be. I like the instructors, and there are several of my classmates I find quite agreeable. So far the homework isn't difficult, just time-consuming. The amount of reading required in a 48-hour period is almost unbelievable, and so far the topics are not overwhelmingly fascinating - but give it time and I think it will be. I really enjoy seeing Jeff during my breaks, even if it is just briefly.

Braeden seems to be adjusting well to school and the new routine. I do think we are going to have to correct some attitude problems, though. He was a bit of a monster when I talked to him on the phone last night. I'm not sure what's going on with him, exactly, but it's going to have to be curbed quickly!

I must go now. It's shaping up to be a horrendous day of work, and I have much to do.

Unbiased Media

Right....

Check out this article:

McCain Battles Angry Crowd

Folks, I watched the entire thing on TV yesterday.... Yes, the crowd was angry, but the vast majority of it was not angry with McCain, but the people who are trying to force this bill through!

In fact, I listened to one woman who practically begged Senator McCain to tell her how the crowd of people could help him fight this bill!

Good grief, I am sick to death of the spin the media is putting on this stupid thing!

It Begins...

Here I am, in class... more than an hour early. Am I a goober or what? Jeff & I came over early so he could do skills practice and I could run some errands at the student center.

I like that I'm not the oldest person in the classroom... in fact, I'd say I'm pretty average, age-wise. I sorta expect this to be a bit boring - lots of paperwork and stuff, some of which I'm already familiar with by virtue of watching Jeff go through the program.

Anyhoo... wish me luck. I sure do hope I'm cut out for this!

August 22

No explanation needed. Just read the page. :)

It's Friday

Well...

Today is the last regular weekday before school starts. The last remnant of semi-calm before the craziness truly begins. I'm tired - no, make that frazzled - and it hasn't officially begun yet.

Makes me just a tad bit nervous.

But... it's okay. I'll be fine. I have (most) everything I need. Financial aid will roll in soon so I can buy the remaining textbooks, and I have all the techno stuff I need (laptop, retractable mouse, etc.)

Monday. It all begins on Monday. I'm nervous, and a tad bit worried - what if it's not for me? What if I hate it? What if, what if, what if.

Pbbttt.

I'm just being silly. I'll do fine, and I'll see it through to the end no matter what, cause that's just the kind of person I am. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy my weekend with my family, do a little cooking, and maybe a little scrapping. We'll hit the bookstore and shoe stores tomorrow and maybe even catch a matinee.

And I'll leave you with a "regular" page that I did yesterday. Mostly I've been doing school album pages and cards. Kinda nice to have no set parameters to work in.

Good day to you!

Why God Made People

Conversation with Bebo:

B: Mommy, before God and Jesus made people, who did they talk to?

Me: I guess the angels or the animals.

B: Do angels talk too?

Me: I think so. They aren't like us, but I think they probably talk.

B: Was God and Jesus lonely before they made people?

Me: (stalling, not sure how to answer the question)

B: You know what? God and Jesus made people so they'd have someone to talk to. That way they wouldn't be lonely.

Sometimes I am amazed at how intuitive that little boy can be!

First Week of the First Grade (Recap)

We survived the first week of school, and I didn't cry once. Yup, first grade is definitely easier than kindergarten.

Braeden had one slightly unhappy incident, but other than that, he seemed to enjoy himself. On Friday he brought home a folder with all his work for the week - writing the days of the week, months of the year, colors, and, of course, the alphabet; several color-by-number worksheets, and a categorizing worksheet. I have a feeling the teacher spent the week feeling out the kids to see what they could do.

Naturally, the best part of school is recess, and he is quite proud to be playing on first & second grade playground - it's a promotion from the kindergarten playground, which was a pretty cool setup in and of itself. He gets to play with all the first grade, so he sees his kindergarten buddies - none of which are in his class.

When I asked him what the best part of first grade is, he said "I like to play outside in my new playground." Asked what he learned, he replied, " ...." (No answer.... blank stare.)

In other news -

Mom and Dad told the kids about the adoption, and that they would be changing their last names. Katie wanted to change her name to "Princess." :)

Jeff & I went on Wednesday to pick up our syllabus for the fall, and he gave me the "grand tour" of campus. Took all of five minutes to do that. LOL The Allied Health department is getting a new building, but it's not quite finished yet. Should be interesting to see if we start the semester in it or if we have to move midstream.

I'm getting excited... one week from Monday I start school. Granted, the first few days are going to be boring - orientation, paperwork, etc. But I'm looking forward to it anyway, and I freely admit that I am more than a little bit nervous. I keep wondering if I'm too old for this, if I'm going to handle this new way of thinking that Jeff keeps telling me about, and if I'll make some new friends in the process or just run everyone off.

Nerve-wracking stuff, that. But I am up for the challenge, and like my enthusiastic little first-grader, I plan on charging right into the fray.

First Day of the First Grade

First grade was so much easier than kindergarten - at least for me! I don't think Bebo noticed the difference. I didn't think we'd ever get him to sleep Sunday night. He was in bed at 8:30, but didn't doze off until after 11 - and I spent all day doing my best to totally exhaust him. Three days in, he's sleeping a little better, thank goodness.

Naturally, he was a little slow waking up. One of the nice things about Jeff working night shift is that he can go with me to school stuff for Bebo. Once we got him ready for school, he was raring to go. I did the obligatory first day pictures (for which he was completely uncooperative), and we loaded up the truck and headed off.

He was such a little pro! :) He waltzed right into the school, stopping to brag about his new "packpack" to the principal, then marching straight to his classroom (but his backpack was so heavy he was slowing down by the time we got to the other end of the school). We were the first ones there, and he couldn't wait pull out his supplies for his teacher.

He's six, and he's a boy, which means that details are not exactly his Thing. So I had to pry out every little tidbit of info about his first day. He said they wrote a little, and colored a page. He was tickled to play with his kindergarten buddies at recess, and he enjoyed pizza in the cafeteria. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine as to how his day went!

Who, Me?

Because sometimes, it's just fun to play with a wide-angle lens. :)

On Heaven & Subways

Another Bebo conversation:

"Mommy, before I was born, when I was in heaven and was still being made, I looked down here, and guess what I saw?"

"Tell me!"

"Well, I just saw dis earth (waving arms around), and right there was a subway train! It was really nice."

Ah, yes... gotta love the imagination of a 6-year-old!

I have a new brother & sister!!

I have not said a great deal about this, but for the last two years, my parents have had custody of my sister's two youngest kids. She has made a lot of bad decisions and could not / would not take care of her children. (The oldest lives with his dad, her ex-husband.) Mom & Dad recently decided that it was time to pursue adoption, and on Monday they went to the lawyer to begin the process... and in a mind-numbing twist, my sister & her husband just gave up and signed the kids over for adoption. Today they took the papers to the judge, and by 8am, I had a new brother and sister!

WOOT! God is so good! It's been hard to be patient, as this has dragged on for more than two years, but His timing is perfect, and when it finally came together, it happened faster than any of us expected. I feel pity for my sister, and I can only pray that maybe this is what is needed to wake her up.

For now, though - I am praising God for his blessings!

Orienting

It has started... we went last night for orientation and to meet B's new teacher. Once again, we have a "newbie" - this is her first year teaching at JES. (Last year was his teacher's first year in a kindergarten class). Grannie & Peepop went with us, since they will be keeping Braeden about half the first semester while Jeff & I are in class.

Just like last year, it was a complete zoo. I am often surprised at how rude people can be - during the assembly, the adult would not shut up. No wonder kids are so misbehaved!

Anyway, his teacher is Mrs. (Ms? Miss?) Wilson. Braeden thanked God for her in his prayers last night, and I think he is already smitten! She seems very nice. His classroom is enormous - more than twice the size of his room last year. Only one girl from his kindergarten class is in his room this year, but I don't think it will be the end of the world for Braeden. The kid has never met a stranger. :) He found his seat and immediately took his place, and when it was time to go, he asked if he could stay all night!

I loved school just as much when I was that age. He is definitely a child after my own heart!

The Mantra of My Life

It seems to me that I am always exhausted. Always tired, never getting in bed early enough, and not sleeping once I finally do lay down.

Today is worse.

I don't have milk for my coffee (cannot drink it black), can't stomach Mt Dew this early in the morning, and I'm fried. The weekend has taken its toll. Death - church - visitation - bachelorette party - funeral - wedding - devo at my house.... From one emotion to the other, from one event to the next... I'm just on the verge of insanity. Can't think straight to save my life. I have forgotten so many silly things - like leaving the keys in the front door!

And it's not me at the center of everything - I'm just on the fringe!

Yesterday I let my girls in Sunday school just talk through some of their grief. They hadn't really had a chance to do that, especially not with each other, and I knew they would need it. Then it was off to the races. We had to get the house ready for the teen devo after evening services, which meant cleaning (inside and out), shopping, and raiding the church pantry for stuff we needed.

Tonight we go to the elementary school to fight the mob and meet Bebo's teacher. Grannie & Peepop are both going with us, so it is going to be quite the family affair. :)

Oh, and in the midst of all this, my car broke down Wednesday and is still sitting in the Taco Bell parking lot. I am completely stranded, and I promise that we do not have money to fix it until the end of the month.

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.