Apparently, fat looks good on me.

Today I ran into someone I haven't seen in a long time. Two minutes into our conversation and AFTER she noticed that I was indeed pregnant she looks me up and down and says "Wow, you're definitely putting on some weight!" And then repeated the statement at least three times.

Ok, for most of my adult life I have weighed just a tad over 100 lbs. I think it's okay that for once, while I'm carrying my child, that I not worry about fitting into my size 2 clothes! Yes, I have put on some weight and I thank God every day for it. It means that my baby is healthy and my body is doing exactly what it's supposed to do to get this baby here safe and sound.....So go ahead, shake your head at my expanding thighs, wide hips and the loss of my waist. They're a badge of honor in my opinion. And in a year from now, I'll be smaller than you've been in your whole life.....humphf!


I do need to add that after seeing the mortified look on my face, she tried to cover her rudeness by adding, "It looks good on you."

Too late. The look on your face tells me how you really feel.

Spicy Pretzels....Yum, Yum!

If you're looking for something quick and tasty to take to a Holiday Party these are perfect! I plan on taking them to my mother-in-laws for a before dinner appetizer. That is if I don't eat the entire two pounds before Sunday!

Also, I cannot take the credit for these. The recipe comes from one of our secretaries at school (those ladies rock!). Thank you Robbie!

2 lbs pretzels
1 T Lemon Pepper
1 pkg. ranch dressing
1-2 T of Cayenne Pepper ( I used 1. I would have used a little more if I would have had it. J loves things really spicy)
1 1/2 C veg oil (I used about 1 cup)

Mix first 5 ingredients and pour over pretzels. It's easier to mix one pound of pretzels and 1/2 cup of mix at a time. Lay on wax paper for a while to dry. Enjoy!


Seriously people, these took a whole 5 minutes and they are soooo goood!

I think I figured it out.

Two reasons my bump is so big already.

I mean honestly, why couldn't I crave things like carrots and water? Why do I have to go for calorie filled pizza with a side of sugary orange juice? I've never LOVED pizza. I mean every now and then I would crave pizza but those times were few and far between. Now, I want to eat it every day! As a matter of fact, I've already talked my husband into having pizza for dinner tonight! Someone, please. Help me stop this madness! My rear end may never forgive me!

"Jumpin the Gun"

Wow, I am COUNTRY! I sometimes like to pretend that I'm not a small town girl but then I turn around and spout off some kind of phrase like that. Then I laugh, shrug my shoulders and thank God for my family and where I came from...:)


Anyhoo-

We did it. We made our first real baby purchase! Granted we probably could have/should have waited a little longer but I cannot pass up a good deal and my husband most certainly can't.

I talked Justin into going with me to peruse the aisles of Babies R Us this weekend. While there, we stumbled upon a really good deal on furniture for our little schnoodle. Our crib and chest of drawers/changing table will be here by the end of the week......wowza!

I'm excited and nervous all at the same time!

During the past 14 weeks (and 2 days to be exact) I have most definitely experienced all the yucky parts of pregnancy but I have a bone (or two) to pick with a few of these books/websites I have been reading.

-Please do not get my hopes up by promising me that by the second trimester my urge to urinate frequently will lessen. If that is the case then please tell me why I am getting up 5 times to go to the restroom during the night......STILL!

-I don't even want to talk about my boobs.

-If I read one more time that people still may not know I'm pregnant at this stage, I may vomit. I mean, really, there is no need to rub it in my face. I realize that I am showing more than most people at this stage. I would like to think of it as God's way of easing my mind and letting me know that my baby is healthy and growing. I also realize that I am three times as big as my friend at work who is one entire month ahead of me. I'm starting to get really nervous about how big I'm going to get in the next 5 months. Lord help me?!

-Also, there is one more issue that I don't care to address on this website that none of my friends ever bothered to tell me about. I will be taking this up with you all personally. In the mean time I would like to say "Thanks alot girls, thanks alot!"

I guess that's about all I have to say. Oh and I got in trouble from a fellow teacher for not having an updated belly picture posted. So, here it is. This is me way bigger than I should be at 14 weeks.

Update: I would like to add that while it may sound as if I'm complaining, I really am very happy and so very thankful for this pregnancy. I wouldn't trade one miserable minute of it...:)

I think it's time for a little update!

Tadaa!

Baby Blackwelder- June 12 2010!
(6 weeks)

The funny thing about this picture is that when we took it, 7 weeks ago, I really thought I had a pretty substantial pooch! If I would take the time to figure out how to get pictures from our new camera onto this blog you would see that this is not really a pooch. I also realize that in another 13 weeks I will be saying the same thing about the pooch I'm sporting now...:) Anyway, we are so excited and feel so blessed to have been able to try this again so soon. Praise God! We were able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time on Friday and it was the sweetest sound I have ever heard, 160 bpm! Maybe someday I'll figure out the new camera and get some updated belly pics on here!

Family time

Justin and I headed southeast for fall break. I hate that drive but I really enjoy being with my family. My mom and my niece joined Justin and I for a quick trip to Beaver's Bend where my sister and her family were camping. These are the highlights.

Baleigh and Cade. It was like pulling teeth to get these two to take a picture!

My mom and Justin at the foot of the mountain.

My favorite sister, Shannon, and her family.
(Ok, fine. She is my ONLY sister, my favorite sister is my pet name for her and hers for me.)

This picture is quite interesting. I am a converted OSU fan. I fought it for a while but since my husband actually went to school there and part of my money goes to them for his education every month I figured I should at least get my moneys worth and wear the orange. I have to say that this is the only time I have ever waved my "pistols" as I think it's kind of silly. I knew Justin's reaction would be worth it though. And it was, I don't think he's ever been so proud of me. I've been telling him that since I wear his schools' attire he should wear my schools'. For some reason, he's not real excited to sport a UCO Bronchos shirt. How unfair is that?

Things I would never do

I definitely did not go to Target and spend ALL of the birthday money I got in the mail just last night! And I would NEVER spend that money on things that I really didn't need to begin with. I would never, ever, under any circumstances do all of these things while munching on Target popcorn and drinking a Dr. Pepper! I mean seriously, I would never even think about having so much fun shopping by myself when I could have gone with my husband to a crowded house with a bunch of men yelling at the television and drinking beer. I would never!

Or would I?

Blending in

I may have created a monster. And by I, I mean my family. The first time Justin went home with me, it just happened to be during hunting season. I don't think that I need to tell you that my family threw camo at him within the first hour of arriving. Justin was a good sport and let my brother and brother-in-law take him hunting. And by him, I mean us! Folks, I somehow made it 30 something years in my family without going hunting, yet I felt this overwhelming urge to "protect" my then boyfriend from Lord only knows what kind of pranks that may have lay ahead. To make a long story short(ish), Justin and I sat in the freezing rain with our over-sized camo, nikes, and my ten year old nephews' rifle. We were giggling so much that I can't believe we even saw a deer much less two!

Justin was such a good sport and ever since then, he has looked forward to hunting season with the Smith's. There was only one problem. He didn't own any camo and wearing the camo of my six foot three brother-in-law just wasn't going to cut it. We finally found J some of his very own camo. Please notice that they don't match....His top is real tree and his pants and boots are mossy oak but hey, that was what was on sale! One step at a time people, one step at a time! So here is Justin in his new hunting gear. I sat him on our brown couch to see if he would blend in. He sure is doing a good job at blending in in my family! They are so proud!

Justin, "blending in."

I love this (rookie) deer hunter!

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Disclaimer: In case you were wondering, Justin IS getting his hunting liscense this year so he can bring home the big one!

Redemption

Take that Martha!


This was much tastier than the cuppies, I think I'll just stick to cooking.

Justin's Cuppies

The ingredients .

The batter (so far, so good).

Things got way to intense to take pictures during the next several steps. By this time, I had already made several mistakes. For instance, I didn't pay close attention to the title, obviously, because I didn't realize it said mini cupcakes until I had already been to the store where I did NOT by mini cupcake pans. Mistake numero dos occurred shortly after when I realized I didn't have a candy thermometer (I mean really, do normal people have these?) I tried to use the meat thermometer but soon realized it only went up to 180 degrees and I needed to know when my syrup was 360 degrees. Results: Runny caramel sauce. It tasted good but didn't fill up the holes I'd made in the cuppies!
Fast forward to what seemed like five hours later, several more mistakes and a chocolate covered kitchen and you get these.

Not as pretty as Martha's but they did taste pretty good. That's sea salt you see on top of the dark chocolate frosting (that I made). Martha uses NOTHING from a box people! Anyway, I don't know if I'll ever make these again, I'm just not patient enough for baking. I was so tired of these silly things that I didn't even get a picture of the birthday boy with them! Sorry Justin. I hope you had a wonderful birthday despite the disasterous afternoon that I spent in the kitchen. Love you.

Selfish

This post will not be interesting. It won't contain a humorous story or any kind of fun pictures. It's just a post that I felt compelled to write for my own benefit. Writing has always been therapeutic for me and this is just one of those times that I need to lift some things from my shoulders in order to feel a little relief.

The past couple of months have been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. I have been in a constant struggle with myself during this most difficult time. I seem to bounce around from feelings of grief, anger, blame and hopelessness to feelings of acceptance and wishful thinking. I've been on this cycle for what seems like forever to me. I've spent many hours praying for strength and giving myself pep talks. Every day is a little better and with the help of my God, who never gives up on me, my bad days are getting to be fewer and fewer. I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel.

My husband has been my rock and our friends and family have been my saving grace. I cannot tell you how much the prayers and encouraging words have meant to me. People who only know me through this blog have sent their love and prayers and guys, they have been felt! I really feel so fortunate to have so many loving, caring people in my life. Justin and I are excited to see what the next chapter in our lives will hold and we look forward to the day that we can bring a child into this world. We know God will continue to bless us and we praise him daily for his love. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue on the path that was laid out for us.

In the meantime, I am going to continue to keep up with all of you. You're happiness makes me happy and reading about your families gives me hope for the day when I can share with you stories and pictures of my own family. It WILL happen. I have faith.

You know it's been a long week when the hour you spent with the dentist is the most relaxed you've felt in five days.

I've waited a whole year!

Indian tacos.Funnel cake. Pork sandwiches. Corn dogs. Fried cheese.........ooooh, I can already smell it! If I can stop stuffing my face long enough to take a picture or two, I may have some blogging material by Monday.

BFF's

This little guy is my new best friend.

I'm still adjusting to being back to school and having to get up early. By the time J gets home, I'm just about ready to go to bed. The last thing I want to do is think about what to cook for dinner. My new best friend makes it soooo much easier! This is what I made last evening.

This is my version

It was quite tasty! We've also had crock-pot chili and crock-pot chicken and wild rice. What I like best is all the recipes are organized with neatly color coded tabs (insert high pitched squeal here). My first college roommate had one of these dandy little boxes years ago and I loved it then but could never find one of my own. I found one at TJ Maxx this summer and I couldn't get to the register fast enough. It was the best $7 I've ever spent!

Stay tuned. In the next few weeks I'll be attempting to make these

from this

I'm pretty sure these are not going to be as simple but that's what I get for asking my husband to pick out a cupcake for his birthday. He better be glad he's so cute! Should be interesting.

A few things that make me happy

This
This

And This

We're gonna be just fine.....

Loss

Sadly, Justin and I lost our precious baby yesterday. We are relying on God's strength to pull us through, knowing that his plan is always better than ours. It doesn't make the hurt go away much though so please keep us in your prayers.

On the road again

Tomorrow we are heading to Bokchito town (don't be jealous). We have lots of celebrating to do this weekend. Saturday marks both my Mother's birthday and my Grandparents' 67th wedding anniversary! My sister has been kind enough to throw a huge celebration party at her house to commemorate. My Granny has two brothers that are still living and they are coming along with their families. I'm very excited as Justin has not met any of my Granny's family. I have been typing her life story for quite some time so Justin will finally be able to put some faces to the names he's heard so much about.

Happy Anniversary Granny and Papa!

Happy Birthday Mom!

We love you all so very much!

FYI

If you're sleeping more during the day than your cat, you're probably pregnant.

What is wrong with this picture?

A couple of things

My sweet friend Lyndsay during her Personal Shower. A week an a half to go girl!

J and I celebrating our First Anniversary. We had dinner at Deep Fork Grill and we had the most amazing waiter! If you visit there anytime soon, ask for Evan. Happy Anniversary Justin, I love you more than you know!

A little of this, a little of that.

I was folding laundry the other day when I found this.

See those little black streaks on Justin's shirt? Those are mascara stains left from my tears. What was I so upset about? It doesn't matter. What does matter is that he was there to hold and comfort me when I needed him. This silly little shirt will remind me of that every time I do the laundry. It's the little things, people. It's the little things.


Now, for my mother-in-law.....

So. We have cats. Two of them. Two very hairy cats.

We also have white bedding. Very white bedding. Which is why I was very angry when I came home from a nice day of shopping to find this.....

They know they are not supposed to be on the bed. How do they know? Because we kick them off of the bed at LEAST 10 times during the night before finally locking them out of the bedroom. You see that one in the back? He fetches, opens cabinets and turns the lights on and off. He KNOWS he's not supposed to be on the bed. The one in the front. Well, she knows too, she just doesn't care. She thinks because she's so cute and fluffy she can do whatever she wants.


Next up, the worst picture I believe I've ever taken. ...

What the?!! I swear I used to be somewhat photogenic (and skinny). Not anymore. Mark Harmon however is very handsome. This was taken in Edmond, during a charity event for the Ronald McDonald House.


I guess that's all. Stay tuned for pictures of St. Maarten....

My husband runs into the house today carrying a big white bag full of what one could only believe to be something pretty for herself. Then, reality sat in. As he rushes past me without so much as a "Hello", I realize that he has one shoe off and is working on the buttons of his shirt. His eyes are on the floor and you can tell he only has one thing on his mind (get your minds out of the gutter people)! The next time I see him, he looks like this.........



Apparently, Justin's soccer team just received their long awaited uniforms (Justin wanted me to make sure that I mentioned that they are still waiting on two patches) and thank the Lord above that he didn't take the time to say hello to his wife before trying it on because by the way he was racing, I thought it was about to burn a hole in the sack or something! Now, I tried to get him to put his knee socks and shoes on for the picture, but I got a big fat NO! I do have to admit that he's pretty darn cute in his little uniform and I am a fan of the baby blue top.

The story doesn't stop here though folks. After I took the picture Justin says, "And because you say I never do anything romantic..." and then he does this.......


13 is the day of the Month that we were married..:) Ladies, please, try to control yourselves. And please, whatever you do, don't make your husbands feel bad for not posting the date of the most important day of your lives on the back of what will become a sweaty, stinky, dirty, did I say stinky yet, soccer jersey.

Ok, that last part was just to tease Justin. In reality, I am a sentimental idiot when it comes to stuff like this and I must confess that I thought this was the cutest thing ever. I may have even jumped up and down a little while giggling like a school girl. Maybe.

Mary, Mary......

Our garden and now new flower bed(s) are coming together nicely. Justin has some pics up (ignore the really bad one of me). Check them out here.


Also, in case you were wondering, there are only 6 days of school left!

End of School Humor

Ahh Dr. Seuss, you get me everytime.

(The 3 in I3P is an E, I just didn't want this to show up on google if someone searched for it.)

* If you're not familiar with Special 3ducation, you may not get this. Trust me, it's funny.

The I3P


I do not like these I3Ps
I do not like them, Jeeze Louise
We test, we check
We plan, we meet
But nothing ever seems complete.
Would you, could you
Like the form?


I do not like the form I see
Not page 1, not 2, not 3
Another change
A brand new box
I think we all
Have lost our rocks.


Could you all meet here or there?
We could not all meet here or there.
We cannot all fit anywhere.
Not in a room
Not in the hall
There seems to be no space at all.
Would you, could you meet again?


I cannot meet again next week
No lunch no prep
Please hear me speak.
No, not at dusk. No, not at dawn
At 4 pm I should be gone.


Could you hear while all speak out?
Would you write the words they spout?


I could not hear, I would not write
This does not need to be a fight.
Sign here, date there,
Mark this, check that
Beware the students ad-vo-cat(e).
You do not like them
So you say
Try again! Try again!
And you may.


If you will let me be,
I will try again
You will see.


Say!


I almost like these I3Ps
I think I'll write 6003.
And I will practice day and night
Until they say
"You got it right!"


Obviously Dr.Seuss did not write this, I don't know who did or I would give them credit.

We've got babies!

Apparently, someone is very fond of our new landscaping. So much so that she decided our flower bed would the perfect place to start a family. Momma Rabbit went ahead and dug herself a cozy little nest right under one of our plants and had herself 7 babies! Click on the picture and you'll see a third baby hiding under the plant in the top right corner. That is the plant where the next is.



This little guy was just about to run into the house. I'm not sure why the picture is sideways. The tan board like thing on the bottom of the picture is actually the frame to our front door. I will only tolerate this little darlings until they figure out we have a garden in the back yard and then it's war!

So, maybe I asked for it....

I posted that I had made myself a promise to take some pictures this weekend and blog about them. My intentions were to have Justin take a few pictures of my best girl friends and I while we were all attending a couples shower this afternoon. Like a good little blogger, I charged the battery for the camera and made sure that the camera was right were I would not forget it. My plan worked and I successfully made it to the shower with camera in tow. I even remembered to have Justin go and dig the camera out of my purse and bring it to me so that I could place it around my wrist for easy access.

I wore that camera like a bracelet for a good two and a half hours.


I took exactly zero pictures.


Fear not my fellow bloggers for I DO NOT break promises (especially those made to myself)!

Imagine my delight when I discovered what one Fritzgerald "Fritz" Blackwelder.....

And/or one Lola "Don't be fooled by my cute, furry face" Blackwelder.....

left for me......
Now I can't be certain but if I were a betting women, my money would be on the squinty-eyed one.

Promises, promises

I'm promising myself that I will take some pictures this weekend so that I have something to blog about. You can hardly wait, I know.

Bragging Rights

I would like to brag about my husband for a bit.

Justin is a Project Manager. He has been studying to get his Professional Project Manager certification. He has spent hours and hours and hours studying for this thing. It's really a hard test guys. He took his test this morning and he passed! Not only did he pass, but he is the youngest person to have ever passed this thing. The people at the testing office couldn't even believe it. I am so incredibly proud of him.

Justin, I knew you could do it babe! You are so sweet and so intelligent and you take such good care of me, I love you sooo much! You are the best husband I could have ever asked for, Congratulations!

You can't make this stuff up

A second grade boy approaches me with the biggest smile on his face and says this...


"Mrs. Blackwelder, I'm going to be a Grandpa!"


Upon further investigation, I figure out that in actuality, he's going to be an Uncle.

I could tell you but.....

Photo from ABC-KID.com

I realize I posted not too long ago but I just could not resist.


The following is a conversation between myself and a certain Third grade boy:


Student: "Mrs. Blackwelder, I became a Spy today."

Me: "You did?"

Student: (Walking up to me with a piece of white paper about the size of a check.) "Yep, and this is my Spy license."

Me: "I see. So tell me sir, who issued you this license and who exactly are you supposed to spy on."

Student: "The girls and the boss issued the license."

You should know that by this time I am trying very hard not to laugh but I don't want to embarrass this child. Also, I have become rather intrigued and I really want to know more about this spy business.

Student adds: "And there are rules to follow too, you can't just go around looking at girls!"

OH MY !

Me: "Rules huh? Sounds pretty serious. What kinds of rules must you follow?"

And these are things that really, we should all live by.

Rule Number 1 states and I quote:
"You can't be mean to other Spies or the Boss will rip your paper"

Rule Number 2:
"You have to do what the boss says."

Rule Number 3:
"You have to respect the boss."


Now maybe I've been watching too much S0prano's but doesn't this sound a little like a prelude to organized crime? More importantly, am I in danger now that I now about the "code"?

Where's the beef?

This weekend consisted of a road trip to El Dorad0, Kansas. Ever heard of it? Me either but who am I to judge? I'm from the biggest little town in Oklahoma....which happens to be B0kchit0, but you've more than likely never heard of that either.

Anyway, I digress.

The hubs and I along with Diana, my mother-in-law, and her friend Scott loaded up bright and early and headed North. Why? To pick up the half of a cow we bought and had butchered that's why. Now, I knew that a quarter of a cow was a lot of beef, but I had NO IDEA of how much it reeeaallly was. We have enough beef to feed two families, maybe more. For a year, at least.
Now, if we can just get our garden to make, we should hardly have to go the grocery store!

Oh, and plan on us having a cookout or two, or three, or four. You're all invited! Bring sides!

I haven't posted a picture in a while and this may get me into trouble, but here is a picture of Justin eating at the fair. He's eating pork, but whatever.

Things that make me happy

Things that make me happy, in no particular order.


being another week closer to summer vacation, watching my husband play soccer, a clean house, hearing an old song that brings back sweet memories, realizing that I just ran five miles, our cats, glancing down at my wedding ring and remembering the day J gave it to me, Justin, the smell of flowers, getting the giggles, hugs from my mom


I think I'm going to make this a weekly post.

What are some things that make you happy?

OCD much?

I'm so happy that J decided to start a blog. It gives me material.

Ok, I am really not very anal retentive (anymore). I do have some quirks though, like I have to have the towels folded a certain way because it makes them look prettier in the cabinet and I like the pillows on the bed placed a certain way and J is really good about letting me have those things (probably just to keep me from griping at him) but whatever.

Now on most things, J isn't too picky either, he likes things clean and that's not a bad trait but there are times when he will think and re-think and plan and re-plan until my ADHD kicks in and I'm so bored with the thought of whatever it is he's working on that I could spit fire.

Case in point, the garden. I am a country girl at heart and I do love some fresh veggies in the summer. I remember fondly my Grandmother growing cucumbers in her garden just for me and how excited I would get when I would see her walking in with an armful of crunchy goodness. So, when we moved into our house and J's first thought when seeing the backyard for the first time was that he wanted to make a garden I wholeheartedly agreed that we should have one. That was about 25 of these ago. For days and days every time I would pass by J would have another grid to show me. He moved the veggies up and down and back and forth until I was dizzy. When he added the "grow times" of each plant, I had to throw my hands up and just walk away.

Oh, and don't worry. I have instructed him not to call himself a farmer in the presence of a REAL farmer. He and I both know that one garden does not make you a farmer.....

The farmer takes a wife.

I did not realize that by supporting Justin's need to be a farmer, I would spend one whole day of my Spring Break hand shoveling over 2 TONS (you read that correctly) of dirt into our brand new garden.

You would think that that when someone's wife is generous enough to spend her day doing manual labor, that said husband would not be so inclined to tell her she's doing it wrong.

If you think that this wife wouldn't throw her shovel down, march herself into the house, clean up and head to the bookstore without so much as a goodbye, you would be wrong.

However, Justin's garden looks fabulous! He actually did a great job in spite of my efforts to ruin the day. I'll post pictures of it soon. You'll be impressed, I promise!

Hold on to your hats friends....

My husband has started a blog! He's only written two entries and I'm already afraid he is more entertaining than I am! Oh and honey, go ahead and make fun of my gardening abilities all you want, just remember I caught two fish and you caught ZERO! Here's his link check him out....http://nofarmer.blogspot.com

What happens when you've had too much coffee

You think it would be funny to blog this picture with the following caption:

"Is that a french fry in your pants or are you just happy to see me?"


I warned you. This is wrong in so many ways.

Defeat

Do you ever just feel defeated?

Like you put every part of your soul into something and then something happens and it feels like you've been run over by a truck?

Today, was one of those days for me. The following will explain why:


I have a student that I've been working with since the beginning of the year. He's a really good kid, but he moves around alot and that has caused him to fall a little behind academically and he struggles with his behavior.

Both his classroom teacher and myself agree that while he still has things he can work on (who doesn't) that he has made trememdous progress this year. Well, a couple of weeks ago my friend (the student) tells me that he is moving again. He came into my room yesterday looking a little down and when I asked him what was bothering him to told me that he was sad and didn't want to leave his friends. I tried to make him feel better by telling him that he wasn't moving too far away and that he was always welcome to stop by and visit.

There is also another student who just moved here this year. I suggested that maybe that student could give the first student some advice on leaving friends and making new ones.

The advice was this: "You should get all of your friends together and give them something to remember you by."

I thought this was a great idea!

The student that is moving says he doesn't have anything to give anybody so I tell him that he could also write them a note or draw them a picture instead. He then tells me he doesn't have any paper. So I suggest he ask his teacher if she has any scrap paper that he can have.

Today I am greeted by my little guy with these words. "Oh yeah, my Mom says I can't come see you and I can't give away my toys." and "Mrs. X says that her paper is for work only and I can't have any of it."

WHAT?!!!

I was MORTIFIED!
I obviously didn't tell him to give his toys away, but his mom doesn't know that and is now upset with me. I had to write her a letter explaining that I was only trying to cheer him up and that I would never tell a student to do such a thing. I'm not sure what is going on with his teacher, I honestly didn't think it would be a problem or I wouldn't have even thought of it. I doubt that she is upset with me, I just need to explain to her what my thought process was.

I am not trying to blame anyone here. I know that kids are kids and they don't always give accurate information, but I couldn't help but feel like I had done something wrong. I was even all excited because I was going to surprise his reading group with a going away party on Thursday. Now, I don't even want to. What I want to do is take a long bath and go to sleep.

Wake me up in May.

Last one, I promise.

I thought that I had better elaborate on our Valentines date so that J doesn't think I didn't appreciate it. On Saturday, we had reservations to eat at the Paseo Grill. It was lovely! I was a teeny embarrassed that I devoured every last morsel on my plate. After dinner we headed to my favorite coffee spot, Cocoa Flow, where we indulged in Latte's and Truffles. Ladies and Gentlemen my husband is setting the bar high for himself. Last year he took me to the Keller Castle for a five course meal!

I must say though that while fine dining is obviously the way to my heart, I would have been just as happy curling up on the couch with a movie, my husband and a box or two of those Girl Scout cookies. Love you J! Thank you for yet another perfect date night!

Should I be worried that my husband gave me Girl Scout cookies for Valentines Day? Should he be worried that I specifically requested Girl Scout cookies (Thin Mints) even though I had already purchased two boxes from a little girl at school?

Close call

I'm counting my blessings today as the school where I teach and my home barely missed the wrath of last evenings tornadoes. Please keep those who were not as fortunate in your prayers.

25 things

I am excited to have been tagged on Facebook because now I have something to blog about. Here you go, 25 things you never really wanted to know about me.

1. I have an extremely keen sense of smell. Seriously. I can smell stinky feet a mile away.

2. As long as we're on senses, I also can't stand to hear people eat. Munching, crunching, slurping or smacking your food gives me the heebie jeebies and I WILL politely ask you to stop.

3. I hate being late and I sometimes over compensate by being waaay too early. Luckily, Justin has the unique ability of arriving EXACTLY on time. I love that about him.

4. It drives me crazy that I can't remember all of the grammer and punctuation rules when writing on this silly blog. I was a journalism major for goodness sakes!

5. It took 28 years of claiming that I would NEVER become a teacher before I actually became one. I am still amazed at how much I enjoy it.

6. I come from a family of teachers. It all started with my Grandfather who was a teacher and administrator. Now, there are around 20 teachers on my mothers side alone. Teaching is in our DNA.

7. I played little league baseball. If I remember correctly, there was myself and two other little girls and the rest were boys.

8. Speaking of sports, I was very athletic all through school. People that didn't know me growing up never believe that for some reason.

9. I was also a dancer(ballet mostly). I danced from the age of 5 to 15 when I stopped to play High School basketball and then when I was in college I was dancing again for my college dance troupe. I still love to dance.

10. I met my husband on a blind date. My first and last blind date.

11. He was so shy and quiet that it made me really nervous and I talked non-stop for the entire date. As soon as we parted ways I felt completely embarassed and I called my mom and told her that I thought I scared him off.

12. We were married 14 months later.

13. I am a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. People are also surprised by this! I have to explain that this sorority was not your stereotypical sorority.

14. My sister was also a Tri-Sigma.

15. So is Carrie Underwood (ok, that's not about me).

16. In January of 1998 I left the comforts of my small town and every single friend I had ever made and moved to Edmond to finish school.

17. I am still amazed that I was brave enough to do that.

18. I thank God every day for giving me the courage.

19. I miss my childhood friends and my family every single day but I will never move back.

20. I back- packed throughout Europe for a month with one of my best friends several years ago.

21. Until then, I had only been on a plane once and had never been on a subway or used any kind of public transportation(taxi cabs excluded) for that matter. Try figuring out the subway system for the first time, in FRENCH!

22. Since then, I've done quiet a bit of travelling.

23. I think the single most important job in the world is being a mother.

24. This would be a good time to tell you that I'm expecting.

25. I'm not, but that would have been awesome!

Brain Food

Justin and I are heading to Okarche tonight for some greasy, fried, artery clogging goodness. YummmmmmYummmmy! I am letting myself slide in the healthy eating department a little as a reward for studying so much this week.

I decided to go ahead and add an area to my teaching certificate. I am currently certified in Early Childhood and will be taking the Elementary Ed tests this Saturday. Hopefully, by the time it's all said and done I will be covered to teach Special Education; Pre-K thru Fifth grade. This will be the LAST test that I will have to take so wish me luck. Have a good weekend!

Much better, thank you.

After a brutal week of being sick and dealing with chaotic work issues, my husband came home on Friday bearing gifts. What a little hunny!

I love flowers. I don't care that they die quickly and are for the most part over-priced. Flowers make my heart smile and my sweetheart knows that they will brighten any situation (he's a smarty, that one). So needless to say when he walked into the house on Friday afternoon he greeted me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I would normally post a picture but our computer is broken and I have to use J's laptop to post. You guys are creative though, you imagine how pretty they were.

In addition to the flowers we attended the Home and Garden Expo, watched tons of movies and ate many delicious meals out. Don't worry, we also went to the gym together every morning to work off the crazy amount of calories we consumed.

So, there you have it. I had a wonderful three day weekend that more than made up for the poopy week preceding it and I am so thankful that I have a husband who knows just exactly how to make it all better. Love you J!

Hopefully that aforementioned amazing husband of mine will fix the computer so I can go back to boring you all with pictures too!...:)

TGIF

This may have been the longest week of my life thus far. Thank goodness for the three day weekend.

Randomness

I just feel like I need to post something since it's been two weeks. So here are some candid pics of a couple of my favorite people.
These pics were taken sporadically over the last few weeks. The first picture is of my sweet friend Keri, she has just learned that the "fun" game she was tricked into playing was actually some sort of cram-your-face-with-marshmallows-until-you-nearly-vomit game. I should mention Keri is diabetic, yet she was the only girl brave enough to play. Gotta love that girl! The picture of Justin was taken at Cocoa Flow. There is no exciting story to go along with it, I just really like it and it's my blog so there!