I am thrilled to be on a two week Christmas Vacation from work! Praise the Lord! This week was so very busy and I have been running on zero sleep, that I got home from work today about 4:30 and slept until 10:30! Also, so much for taco night and a movie with my hubby by the Christmas tree...oh well! So now, I'm wide awake..haha!
I am behind on my blog once again, as so many things have been going on around here. But I should have some time to update soon!
We celebrated my birthday this week! It was a great day...especially hearing my kids come in and remember my birthday right away. My kids last year weren't as thoughtful. I also am blessed by very sweet parents this year. I had a few sweet families in my class last year too, but I have never been praised as much as this year. I have also never been told thank you so much. It is a great and humbling feeling.
I snapped a quick picture of my birthday sign in our resource room. Notice the cute plates for our breakfast...my friend, Robin, told me they were just for me! I love a square paper plate! ;0
Ok. Birthday pics! We went to Valdosta to run some errands and eat at Loco's for my birthday. We were so tired though! I think we look very sleepy in our picture. Matt made me pose for the picture outside of Country Cobbler. We didn't get home until a few minutes before midnight and Matty just had to surprise me with a caramel cake by our favorite Cakes by Jayne here in town. I blew out the candles minutes before Dec. 17th! There were too many candles on my cake this year for my liking!! :)
We aren't going to church this morning because our family just left, and frankly, we wouldn't have enough time to get ready. So I thought I'd get caught up in the blog world, and then I'll watch the service on tv at 11. :)
I've gone on two field trips with my class this week, and had Breakfast with Santa, so it has been very busy at school. We also had my JSL party and Matt's office party on Tuesday night at the exact same time. I was planning on going to both, but ended up skipping out on mine and going with Matt to his. We had fun. Here are some pictures from our night.
We also had Victorian Chistmas on Thursday and Friday nights. Fabulous fun! Mama and Daddy came to stay with us this weekend, so they could go with us on Friday. Loved every minute. It was freezing, but beautiful. I went both nights, and then mama and I went back again on Sat. morning so she could pick up a few things...ha!
Then on Saturday, my dads two sisters and my cousin came up from FSU to see our new house. They brought a honey backed ham and me and mama fixed some sides. It was raining freezing ice all day, so we just stayed in and visited and watched family movies and football. My brother and his girlfriend, drove over from Valdosta too. We had 9 people around our table..which is our first big family dinner! :) Of couse we missed the rest of the family...Keith, John, Peggy, Carina, Joey, Taryn....and always Nanny and Poppy. Our cold winter family day consisted of lots of coffee... Lots of food... Including sweet potatoes on a candy cane platter...thanks to Marian and mashed potatoes in the pot thanks to Heather...our interior designer.
We ended the night by riding downtown, to look at all the pretty ball lights hanging in all the trees lining the streets. It sort of looked like it was snowing so pretty!
The Lord blessed me with the most adoring, Godly, supportive husband in the world. He is also sweet as pie! He surprised me with this for our front door this evening. He is so sneaky :)
Well, I have to say that earlier, I wasn't rejoicing. I was sad. I rarely get angry, but I always let people walk all over me. Which isn't a good trait to have.
Long story short, people were talking about my birthday at work today, and basically called 26 years old OLD! They told me that I was already too old to have kids now, and that I shoudln't waste any more time. I don't care when people ask me when we're going to have kids, or when they ask if I'm pregnant b/c I feel sick, or am absent with the stomach bug. I laugh when people say, "It's time, after almost 4 years of marriage, it's time." These comments earlier, were serious.
Well, after some tears, and a long talk with Matt, plus some prayer time and Casting Crowns music, and a bubble bath I feel better. I guess it was just one of those Monday's.
I NEVER expected to not have children at my age. I have always seen myself with lots of kids, and I figured since I got married at 22, that I would have kids by 24. We both did. I started babysitting at the age of 10. Coached numerous tennis camps and a swim team for kids. Majored in early childhood education. We love kids! Age used to be a huge number for me. I have had many heart to hearts with 30 and 40 yr old women in my church...grilling them about what age they had children at, etc. I am taking their wisdom to heart.
Matt and I made the choice to graduate college, get my Master's degree, and now Specialists before having kids. I want to have all the time I can possibly have when we do have them, if we are so blessed. We both have baby fever. We know the names we will name our children. We have a 5 bedroom house, ready for kids. I drive a tahoe...plenty of room. We are both lucky enough to have great jobs. Now that we've gotten to this point in our lives, we want to have a little bit of "us" time and when the time comes for us to have children (probably sooner rather than later), it will be God's perfect timing and we will be thrilled. We really can't wait. However, we are planners. We know we will never have "enough money"...ect. We truly believe that we will be wonderful parents when the times comes. And most of the people we look up to and the people I really admire that I work with were 27-30 when having kids. And look at Kelly Stamps over at Kelly's Korner. If she's not a great example, then who is?
We're enjoying the stage that we're in now. We're content. I get to spoil 22 kids like they are my own day in and day out. If I had kids, I coudln't devote the time and energy that I give them and that they need to them. I literally treat them like my own, and we have a bond so great. I feel that way with a lot of my former students as well. I am getting to volunteer all the time for great causes, through JSL. We're very involved in many different areas in our church. Matt has plenty of time to golf with his buddies, we can just pick up and go most of the time, and we get to make our marriage stronger and stronger each day and spend tons of quality time together.
We are learning to slow down. To not say yes to everything. We have a hard time ever getting out of town, even though we can. Because we have so much going on all the time, due to organizations and job obligations. We would like to ease up on our commitments before having children. Example: One of my best friends had a Bachelorette weekend/shower this weekend. I just found out about it a month ago, but I already had 2 mandatory events to attend for work and JSL. I missed out. Sometimes it can get lonely livng away from absolutely all of our best college friends. Everyone lives in the northern part of the state, not the southern. I am very lucky to have my grad girls and all of my local friends, but I still miss my college girls, my best friends. I guess you could say, right now we're beginning to learn how to balance. For the last 2 years we've been full speed ahead, grad school and work. Now we're beginning to live again. I just have to be patient in this great balancing act that we call life :) Feels good to have that off my chest.
3 songs that bless me, from CC new cd. Hope you like them as much as I do.
3 words! Fast, easy, and fun! I have now read all of Mary Kay Andrews books! I was saving this one and now that I'm finished, I can't wait for the next one :)
Yesterday was Winter Family Fun Day at school! We also had our annual wreath pick-up day! I was in charge of the trike station...I got a good workout...at least :)
It was also my principal's birthday. This is My P and AP in their elf costumes...after we sang and had cake! I'm blessed with great administrators!
I'll probably do a decoration post tomorrow, since I missed Kelly's Christmas Tree Thread! I'm preparing for a fun, but very busy week in Mrs. Whelan's kindergarten class as we speak!
Matt and I usually stay in on Friday nights, because 22 6 year olds usually takes their toll on me by then. But we needed to do some Christmas shopping and our downtown shops stay open late during December on Friday's. The icy rain stopped, and we decided to have a date night out on the town. I hated to change out of my warm pj's (I wore them to school on Friday b/c it was Pajama Day), but I literally was refreshed from doing one of my favorite things ever.
Shopping of course, and talking to everyone downtown, and just being in the midst of all things Holiday!
I always find one special oranment for my mama and I, usually at Limelight. We've had that tradition since I've been married, and I got us pretty matching ones last night.
We went to see if an order came into Fireballs, and chatted with Laura (the owner) for awhile. I loved the chandelier above her head. :)
We ran into a friend, Parrish, at George and Louie's...and ended up eating a yummy meal there! They have the best sweet potato fries.
I know we live in a small town and that it was just rainy. However, it felt like we were in a big city somewhere and that a snow had just melted or that there was ice everywhere. It was beautiful and cold. I loved every minute! Thanks hubby!
1. Singing Christmas songs with my babies (in my beautiful singing voice) :)
2. Making tons of ornaments for their trees! Their mama's love me for it too.
3. Wearing our Christmas t-shirts to every event...Christmas concert, Breakfast with Santa, Christmas Tree Farm, The Nutcracker....
4. Naptime with our Christmas lights on.
5. Getting to share their sheer joy and excitment!
6. Obsessive talking about their Christmas tree's at home and about Santa!
We are making ornaments tomorrow out of applesauce and cinnamon! Decorating our shirts, and starting our mitten ornament! We might just elf ourselves too :) We named our classroom elf Sally today and wrote all about her...she has two elf friends, Naughty and Nice! So they are definitely in elf mood right now :)
I wanted to blog about something other than teeth, so I had to add another post!
Packing up the Fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving Decorations
My finished plate! I have never really painted pottery, so I'm please with the way it turned out. Especially since painting letters is usually very challenging to me!
This is our kitchen/living room tree. This tree is mostly lime and red...but it is also just really colorful.
*More pics of our other trees and favorite ornaments coming soon!
I am a wife, teacher, grad student, and wanna-be mama :) The Lord is my strength in everything and He guides me every step of the way through this crazy, busy time in my life.
