Busy busy busy....

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27

Well, I don't know how "virtuous" I am but I definitely have no issues with "idleness"!

Wow, I have so been meaning to update for so long and just haven't been able to find the time! But there has been so much going on!

I took a few days off at the first of the month to do a few things with the family. We went to May Days with our homeschool group and had a great time just sitting out at the park fellowshipping with other moms and kids. I love our homeschool group!




The VERY next day, Jeff, the girls, Mia and I went to Six Flags. We took Kayti's friend, Abby with us in Dylan's place. He had to stay behind to take an AP test and also to go interview for a job--which he got! He's excited. He'll be working for Innovative Machine Corp this summer full-time.

But even though our Six Flags trip was fun, it will be awhile before we'll go back on homeschool day! I think the public has clued in on the fact that you don't really have to homeschool to buy tickets for that day....it just wasn't pleasant and was more crowded than last year. But we still had a good time. I rode the Superman and called on the name of the Lord the whole time! LOL I just knew if that little harness between me and the ground gave way, I'd be meeting Him and very painfully!




Mother's Day was a blast! We got the kids pictures made together and gave them to my mom for Mother's Day and then all of us--me, Jeff, our kids, Mia, Chris, Cooper, Mom, Dad and Mel went to eat at Cajun Steamer! Yum!





I became an official member of Church of the Highlands May 2! I am SO pumped about it! I will complete the fourth and final week of my Highlands Growth track this Sunday and I'm looking forward to finding out where God wants to use me to serve Him. I have some ideas and even some really big ones for eventually but we'll see what He wants--it is all about Him. My bff and prayer partner, Donna and her husband Dan are starting a Highlands Small group and I can't wait for that either! I'm so hoping that Jeff will come and that something will stir in his spirit.

After having just about talked Jeff into adoption "one day", I discover that it isn't likely to happen for us for other reasons that I won't go into now. I could rant and rave about how unfair it is, how bogus it is, how stupid and lame a policy it is, given there are 147 million orphans in the world but what good would it do? Rules are rules and even though it seems silly to me, maybe God is trying to tell us that is not His plan for us. Maybe He wants us to help in other ways so we're thinking about other things. I told the agency but they still keep sending me stuff so I'm not sure how to take that...maybe God is saying don't give up yet, I'm gonna work it all out (and He could--in many ways). I guess this is yet another lesson for me on WAITING and trusting Him. We'll just have to do that!

But we DID add another member to our family--a daughter, Madylan "Mady". We met her at CRCS May Day and adopted her the following week. She is a shihtzu/chihuahua mix and just precious. Working on the potty training though...at least she's a little pup and will most likely stay that way!



Last weekend, I got to go to the eWomen's 2010 Conference at the BJCC with my sister, Misti. For those of you who don't know, Misti is my half sister by my biological father. She's a few years younger than me and we did not get to grow up together. In fact, we really only met for the first time in 2000 and then lost touch again. But she is married, has three beautiful daughters, lives in Athens and we have SO much in common. I just love her! We had a great time even though I did not get much sleep. Jeremy Camp was in concert Friday night and Mark Schultz Saturday. I expected Jeremy Camp to be the better performer and he was great but Mark Schultz is so totally awesome!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE his music and got to stand three feet away from him. There were some terrific "extraordinary" women speakers and it was just a great weekend of praise, worship and personal growth with the Lord. Bff Donna got to go at the last minute, also. God spoke to my heart on SO MANY things last weekend and I'm not sure how it will all unfold but I know it's going to be exciting to see!








This past week has been busy as well as we wind down the school year. We had 4k graduation last night and I am completely brokenhearted. This is without a doubt the BEST class I have EVER had and for me to be able to say that on top of all the CRAP that has went on this year at the Academy is just so....well, it's all God--that's all I can say. But I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do and am so glad to finally KNOW my calling. I know that one day, God will call me to do more--He's already started a work in my heart for other things but right now, I don't feel like He's ready for me to give up teaching. I KNOW He has another awesome job for me lined up and I'm so excited just thinking about it. Yet, I just tear up every time I think of Gracie, Drew, Aaron, Conner, Cayleigh, Caden, Tripp, Tristen and Kinlee going on to someone else's class....I just can't put into words how much I LOVE--REALLY REALLY LOVE--these kids AND their families. A few of the other teachers and I were even talking about it this morning...what an incredible group they were to me. I had ZERO complaints all year from anyone in MY class. At the beginning of the year, I made a simple request to all my parents--Matthew 18. If you have a problem, come talk to me. I know I'm not perfect, I am bound to make mistakes--tell me about it. I am so thankful, so honored and so blessed that they honored that request--it made all the difference in the year. Every teacher who is truly puruing teaching not as a "job" but as his/her calling deserves to have a group of parents that backs her up like I did this year. I am so proud of how we all worked together and gave these kids a phenomenal year. I just am not ready for it to be over!



(honestly, would YOU want to let go of these precious babies?)

Dylan got his ACT scores back and he made a 26! I am so proud of him! He is not proud, however, he wanted to do better so he plans to retake it. *sigh* I considered myself smart in high school and I didn't make anywhere near a 26! I would have been thrilled with that! But I'm glad he has ambitions and goals. He's such a good kid and I love him so much. It's hard watching him spread his wings and go off on his own as he is doing more and more of these days, especially since he got his blazer! But I know it has to happen and I also know the fact that he is able and that it CAN happen is because Jeff and I did our jobs. We didn't raise a selfish brat of a son with a sense of entitlement like I see in so many kids these days. We raised a MAN! A REAL MAN! And even though it makes me cry to think I no longer have a little boy with chubby little arms and slobbery kisses, to know that I raised an awesome young man is an indescribable feeling.





The girls finished up another year of homeschooling and are wrapping up another year of dance tomorrow. We're all excited about the summer--it looks to be a better one than we've had in a long time. I've been exercising more, couponing, planning healthier meals and tanning (yes, I know, it's not good for me, but until white fat starts looking as good as tan fat, you'll just have to bite me, okay? Moderation in all things is key for me!) and taking a more proactive role in my overall health. I feel great (and I'm still a good kisser, too!) haha, sorry, couldn't resist a flashback to teen humor!

My little Cooper is growing like a weed! I haven't gotten to see much of him in the last week because of how busy we've been but I did go by Wednesday night and give him a bath and bottle and hope to see him some more tomorrow! Gotta get my baby "fix"!

Speaking of fixes--I got a new vice! I've regressed into watching reruns of General Hospital! Lord, help me! I was up late one night and heard an informercial selling a CD of songs from the 70's and one of them made me think of Luke & Laura, of all things. So I looked it up on Youtube and low and behold, it was all there and then some! I'd no idea they'd brought the characters back and that so much had happened to this lovable couple--I have a LOT of catching up to do! LOL So there's another "fix" I have to get in every day and I'm still a few years behind! It's actually quite funny to me because I am SO not into "love" stories or "romance"--not the made up kind anyway because it's so not realistic! But this one just gets me every time...must be the actors! lol Whatever...I'm a good Bible study, health-conscious (or at least I'm attempting to be), smart, caring mom, wife and teacher with a little OCD going on in the housekeeping and organizing department--I can have ONE thing about me that's just totally pathetic, can't I? (and yes, I'm joking, not bragging--there is a LOT about me that's probably pretty pathetic, truth be told!)

But oh well...such is life, or rather MY life, which I happen to be pretty happy with! You be happy, too!