Are you willing??

to show your support for those 5 innocent students who were violently gunned down at Northern Illinois University?

I proudly display this ribbon. My son was there on that horrific day.
If you are willing, then I hope you would put this support ribbon on your blog.
I know all the students, faculty and alumni would be appreciative.
Please consider showing your support.

Great News!

Did you see this?? I'm a new Chirpi Girl!

Victoria Greenlees is an amazing new designer who had a creative team call. I applied on a whim and was selected. Her designs mesh with my style perfectally.
I'm so excited to start working with her great designs.

YIPEE!!

Pray for Northern Illinois University

the students who survived, the students who have to return, the families and friends of those who died, and for the shooter's family. Everyone connected to this needs prayers. You know the game 7 degrees of separation? Well Northern Illinois University is one of those universities in which I'm sure you know someone, through someone else, through someone else who goes there.

Well if you know me, then you are closer than 7 degrees. My son attends there. My son was actually with a friend of his who ditched her class today. Her class was the class where the shooting occured. How did God choose who to spare? This girl is unbelieveably lucky.

I had 2 meetings, then door duty outside, then my Tuesday/Thursday after school reading group. I didn't hear the news, I didn't hear my cell phone ring. I had 5 missed calls and a text message. I learned of the shooting and of course your mind thinks the worst. After all Doug went through last semester I just knew in my heart that God would not let anything happen to him again. Don let me know that a friend of Doug's called to let us know he talked to Doug online and he can't call out but he was ok. Then all the other phone calls started. My brother, sister, mother, father, friends, co-workers all were calling and by then we only knew he was locked in his dorm. Locked down in a dorm, who would have thought that was the best place to be?

After making and answering phone calls all the way home I thought I'd just try Doug's cell. Unbelievably the call went through and he answered. The joy of hearing my son's voice! The peace of knowing my son was safe. The tears still well up in my eyes each time I realize how blessed we were today. Then my heart immediately turns to those families who have dead children or injured children. Why not us and why them? Those are the questions you ask of God but then you know that you still must hope and believe his will and power is the almight authority and you'll never get those answers.

In that wonderful phone call I got the best news, Doug was coming home tonight! He was coming home Saturday anyway to celebrate my sister's birthday, but just hearing him say today, soon, was the best news I'd heard all day. So each time we heard a car on the street we'd give a glance to see if it was pulling in. Finally he was home and I don't know how big of a sigh I must have let out, but it was probably big. I was glad just to see him walk through that door. The best sight I'd seen all day. My Valentine's Day brought one of my loves home. Now I've got all three home with me if for just a little while. I've got my family together and all safe for tonight and I have to continue to give thanks to God for that.

This is the best thing I've seen all day!

It's still winter

oh how I know it. Today, another batch of snow. It's nothing fun like a batch of warm yummy cookies coming out of the oven, it's horrible because it means another long commute home and more shoveling.

Today it was about an hour and half home; double the usual and customary. Luckily there was dinner in the crock pot. I sat and watched Biggest Loser, knitted and tried to stay warm. I went out and shoveled since the snow finally ended.

I need to work on a new Bible study I'm involved in. I was supposed to have the first week done for last Wednesday but it was snowed out so I actually had an extra week and still didn't get it done. I'm horrible, and get the most done right before deadlines are due.

I know I'm a poor, poor blogger. I've been super busy and unfortunately my "My busy life slows down" blog has been left silent lately. I've kinda dropped reading my gratitude book. I need to get on a schedule to read and work on the bible study each day. In addition to getting to the gym. I've broke the 20 pound mark so I'm excited to meet my 10% goal. I tell you if I knew Weight watchers was the way for me I would have done this years ago!

Well I have to hop off here and get in a chat with my dh and son about some homework project he has due at college.

Toodles and hope you're not shoveling too much!

That knitting I thought was hard...

isn't as hard now as I thought. I finished that scarf that I started in the first knitting class. Then I was a glutton for punishment because I signed up for the next class 201 where I learned to purl, increase, and decrease. In that class we worked on a ribbon shawl. I am almost totally finished with that except that I'm out of ribbon and can't get more. I bought the last one. I'm going to have to tear over half of it out so I can have enough ribbon to finish. Grrrrrrrrrrrr that is going to be a serious PITA because we weighed the ribbon to determine where half was. I just don't think there is any other way to fix it without ripping it out.

So because I knew I would be finished with the shawl soon I decided to use the gift certificate my bro and sil gave me and finally bought some coveted alpaca yarn. This is the softest yarn. I bought baby alpaca yarn and I swear I can't wait to wear this scarf. To me I'd love to be floating on a cloud of alpaca yarn. It's soft, the colors are beautiful and it makes me happy. So happy in fact that I made the whole scarf in one day! Oh it is a yummy scarf, no pictures yet, and it matches the sweater I'm wearing tomorrow perfectally. I'm wondering if I should save the new scarf and sweater outfit for parent teacher conferences on Tuesday. Can't decide, we'll see what kind of mood I wake up with in the morning. My mom is going to love the color and I know she's really going to want one. I think that my knitting practice is going to get a work out because I see a lot of my family will probably be getting new scarves for Christmas next year. Heck if the snow keeps up they'll need them this year.

Speaking of snow, it snowed all day Thursday and most of Thursday night. We got at least 8 inches. Everyone around my house was cancelled on a snowday, but wouldn't ya just know that my district didn't close. We only close if Chicago Public Schools close and that rarely ever happens. Well this afternoon we got hit with another winter weather advisory. It's been snowing for hours and we've got another 4inches of snow, easily. Some places nearby even had thunder snow.

I actually have a couple of fun pictures of the snow we have.

Busy week this week. Haircut, weight watchers, work, and passport pictures probably tomorrow. That and an early morning to get ahead of the traffic with the snowy weather. Tuesday is conferences, Wednesday is meeting day and I just stared a women's Bible study. thursday will be reading group after school, and Friday is Friday. In two weeks that 3-day weekend is over-booked. Friday night is girls' night out, Saturday is scrapbook day with friends, Saturday night is Vegas night at the church in which we will go with friends, Sunday is when we'll probably celebrate my sister's birthday and Monday, President's Day, is the day of my spa day. By that Monday, I'll need an ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh day.

I know I've run on and on and on in this blog post. Rarely am I ever this chatty on my blog. I'll upload my winter pictures and then I was going to eat an orange, but I think bed is calling me much more loudly than the orange.

Oh...forgot to mention...I finally took down my Christmas decorations today. Realize it took me 25 minutes and a lot of them were "winter" snowman and snowflakes, but the tree is down too. Now realize my tree was half covered in red hearts so technically I could have considered it a "Valentines' Day tree." But anyhow it is finally down.

Ok now the pictures I promised.

My trip to ANYWHERE in the World is booked!

It's been 3 years in the making and I've finally decided where this trip to ANYWHERE in the World was going to be. I've decided on a 10 day cruise to the Northern Baltic Capitals. Actually it's 10 places I would have never guessed I would have ever gone to....Ever! Princess Cruises calls it Scandinavia and Russia. I call it a once in a lifetime trip to see places that I've only seen on tv and through pictures from my girlfriend Susanna.

This is the itineary for the trip. We start and end in Copenhagen. We head to Stolkholm,Sweden; Helsinki,Finland; St. Peterburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; Gdansk, Poland; and Oslo, Norway. Although I know how great each place is going to be, I'm really, REALLY excited to head to Finland to meet my friend Susanna. That is going to be one great shore excursion. It won't be one of those cruise trips, we're going to be escorted around Helsinki by a native. We've got Susanna booked to be our private tour guide. I'll have to let her know way ahead of time what we want to see. I especially want to buy some great yarn in Finland. The ladies at the knit/yarn shop have told me how great Finnish yarn is.

Needless to say I'm super excited and really feel like I need one of those tear off one a day countdown calendars to count the number of days until we leave. My mom tried to get me worried when I asked her if she put the deposit down and she tried to make a little joke by saying, "Oh I forgot." It didn't work, not in the least bit. We are working on determining flights and if we are going to arrive a day early in Copenhagen or take a red-eye and get there early enough to board the ship early as possible.

My job...Passport. I need to really get on that this week. I've been putting it off and should have done it over winter break but I didn't. I was thinking about getting my pictures taken tomorrow night but we've just had a winter storm warning issued for our area starting at midnight tonight only to get cold, and blizzard-like as the day goes on. I know we can't control the weather but today I said it's been a more like normal winter with the cold and snow but I didn't mean that because today was 40 that I wanted more below zero cold and blizzard-like conditions!

Well considering I was falling asleep in the rocker about a half an hour ago then had to quick make Don a grocery list so he could shop early tomorrow before the weather crashes and had to get two envelopes ready to be mailed off I should really sign off and get to bed. The earlier I get up and leave the more paper work I can get done at work. I can grade some papers and get the scores entered into the computer.

If you have horrible weather tomorrow, please be safe. Hope you have a great week. Caio!

Happy Birthday to Me!

All dressed in pink with my beautiful lavender, green & pink Burberry scarf around my neck to keep me warm I headed out to the knitting shop to take another knitting lesson. Now I can knit, purl, increase and decrease. I even got some yummy yarn on sale for another scarf. Got a wonderful voicemail from my good friend Marybeth who sang happy birthday to me. Went out for pizza with my family and my sister made me german chocolate cupcakes instead of a cake. It was nice to have everyone there although things keep changing in my family. My parents are trying to settle up things on their divorce before they go to court.

We did have some good news today, my brother got a new job. He used to work for Guilda Club but wasn't happy there and left right before Christmas and jobs in his field of grants and fundraising don't open up that frequently. He did find a job and is still interviewing with another company which has a bigger position if it works out. Until then, the new one is good.

More good news is that Don asked his new boss for his old job back and he got it! This is a good thing because he's got more freedom and flexibility. Considering Don can't be tied down and needs to move and likes different tasks rather than just very similiar tasks it is a terrific thing that he's so highly thought of to be given his old job back. He was under so much less stress, for the most part, when he wasn't chained to a center or to the marketing company. I pray this is what makes him happy and more relaxed.

We did get bad news today. You know you always get the good with the bad. Today my aunt called my mom and said my uncle has been diagnosed with esophogile cancer. It hasn't spread but he will have surgery, feeding tube, radation, and chemo. This is so sad because they retired a few years ago and have just been starting to enjoy their retirement. My uncle is such a quiet man but has such a presence when he's around. He'll sneak out and you'll see him filling up the bird feeders so the birds will keep coming around. This is just awful news because 2 years ago my aunt beat breast cancer now instead of enjoying life they're back into the cancer routine.
If you see it within yourself could you please say a prayer for my Uncle Dick. He's taught my kids so much and my aunt and uncle are like another set of grandparents for my kids. My kids know gun safety and the real reason to use guns instead of seeing how criminals use them thanks to my uncle.


My uncle is the man on the left, my dad is on the right. This was taken at my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary party.

Well I think I'm going to hop off here now and try to knit a bit more. Don got to come have pizza at the restaurant with us but had to go back and close up the facility. Bummer! He probably won't be home for an hour and a half or two hours. So there's probably nothing else we're going to do tonight for my birthday.

Hope you had an enjoyable day today, mine was pretty good considering I grew another year older. LOL I have to share...when my students asked how old I was going to be today, I said 27! One girl says, "oh my mom is 27 too!" OMG they believed me! So today I'm 27! Tomorrow I'll decide if I go back to my regularly scheduled age.

Peace, love and happiness!

To some it's just an extra day off

but to me having Martin Luther King's birthday off is important. I was just over a year old when he was assassinated so the whole civil rights thing was not part of my life. But as I get older and see our world changing I keep learning more and more about civil rights and Dr. Martin Luther King.

What I find even more amazing is how much kids love learning about him. We watched a movie this week at school called My Friend Martin. The kids sit rivited for almost an hour just watching and watching. They know a lot and their hearts are still pure enough to say how much good he did and how treating people equally is so important.

I find I enjoy learning more about him. This year we have a new reading series and there is a story called My Brother Martin. That will be up for reading next week. We are also reading a book about immigrants and how some treated people didn't like them, but then that changes.

So on Monday if you are off or even if you aren't off, stop to think about how life could still be if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. didn't fight for equality for all people.

Learning isn't always easy

For someone who catches on to things fairly easily somethings, like knitting, are not coming so easily. For Christmas, I asked for a gift certificate in which I could take knitting lessons. I thought I had a good rhythm for it and knew what I was doing but it seems that I don't know how to fix a mistake. I have some idea of what I did wrong, but I don't know how to take the stitches off my needle and put them back onto the first needle.

I have another class next week so I'll keep plugging away. I know when the scarf is finished it will look really neat because of the yarn, but if I could only get to a point where I don't make a mistake and feel I can get beyond 5-6 rows.

Any tips or good knitting sites to help me?

I've got a zillion and one things that need to be done so this will be a short post but I will leave you with a photo of my first stab at knitting.

The last blog before my vacation ends

I'm kind of whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa vacation is over and kind of yeah it's time to return to work. I've been dreaming about work for a few days and I think I'm a bit more relaxed and inspired to make sure things go well and the kids really start to learn. I almost get anxious to get back after winter break because there is always so much growth and maturity that seems to happen with a lot of the kids after this two weeks off. I chalk it up to the fact that their brains get to rest and take all that they've learned and finally gets to sort it all into the different files where it belongs and then connects with what was already there. It is not always as significant a change in 4th graders but when I taught 1st grade it was astounding. Those who were on the verge of beginning to read come back so ready and you go "yes" they got it.

Being back at work means that my schedule is more structured. Food is so much less accessible. That's a good thing for me. Although I didn't really gain weight over the winter holiday I'm now in the mode that I have to keep going and it's almost like a new start. A new start that MUST include more trips to the gym. I guess I just need to super structure my time so that I leave work at 4 and then on certain days I just hit the gym before I come home. Don says he'll go with me, but I can't count on that.

In weight watchers losing 10% is the first big milestone. I know that losing weight slowly is important in the long run but I'm hoping that by the end of January I'll be able to acheive that 10% goal. That is why the gym has got to become so important. I think I have 14 pounds to go before that 10%. I really think I could lose it but have to understand that if my body can't go so fast it will come off after that.

I heard this quote at a WW meeting and it really stuck with me. It is hard to lose 100 pounds 1 time, but it is easier to lose 1 pound 100 times.

I think with the nice weather, I'll try to go out and take a walk. Almost too muddy to walk the dogs but I can grab my ipod and go.

Toodles

One Little Word

Does this let you know my one little word?? Yes, I've decided to choose Believe. I know this will help me focus on my relationship with God. It will help me believe in myself, and I know it will also help me in teaching. I often hear from my son, "no one ever believes me." I hope this will help me look at him in a more honest way. It's just a great word and it found me rather than me finding it. I think that is what I was looking for.

Did anyone else pick one little word??

It's a new year

2008! OMG each year goes by faster and faster. 2007 has been a difficult health year for some in my family. We are praying for a better year healthwise. But I'm not looking back in reflection, I'm looking forward with hope and belief that this year will bring many good things.

I've been trying to decide where I want to go on my "trip to anywhere" and I've decided that I want to go on a Northern Baltic Capitols cruise. My mom and I have been looking into things, have contacted a cruise specialist, have got some prices and now have a few more questions before booking the trip. We are looking for a mid-June to early July date. I'm so excited to finally take this trip.

Next I've been trying to decide upon resolutions for 2008. I can't say that I've picked anything just quite yet, but I've decided that organization is or upmost importance. I read something today about the OHIO way of thinking. This seriously peaked my interest and kept reading a comment from a poster on Ali Edward's blog about the OHIO way of thinking. I was wondering is this something I already know considering I was born in Ohio. Come to find out OHIO means "Only Handle it Once." I love this! I didn't make it to the office supply store or to Ikea to find some desk organizational things but before the week is over I'll have a few new bins to divide things into pay, file, or read later.

I know my mom will be going through some changes this year with her and my dad's divorce becoming finalized so I sent her the link to Ali Edward's blog. Ali talked about picking one little word to focus on, to mediate upon, and reflect upon throughout the year. I'm narrowing my list of words down and two keep coming to the front of my brain. The two are believe and accomplish. I'm really focused on accomplishing what I start and I have so many little projects that need finished that the word is important. The more I started just letting things happen today the word believe kept popping up. I'll have it narrowed down soon.

Also today I started on my year long journey to read Simple Abundance. It kind of goes along with the word believe. I need to find happiness from within and enjoy what life has already given me. Have you read it? I love that each page is chalked full of inspiring things.

I don't know if I can commit to getting my life organized, reading simple abundance, keeping my one little word forward in my thoughts and a 365 challenge but how absolutely cool would it be to have a year's worth of photographs to remember 2008 by? I've found a one 365 challenge and Ali posted this one.

I did though take one picture today. I'm also contemplating on gratitude blog. So many decisions and so little time.

Well I'm going to get to bed and let my head rest. So many things are swirling thru it. Lots of snow here yesterday and today and now temps have plumetted so hope you are warm and snuggly whereever you are.

Peace, Health, Love and Happiness to you in 2008!

-4.8 is a glorious number

Who would have thought I was brave enough to go weigh in at Weight Watchers on Christmas Eve? Last week I had my first gain and I tried to be good this week and track points as best as I could. Well I was expecting another gain, but low and behold I lost 4.8 pounds. So I lost what I gained last week and then some. I'm still working towards my first 10% but so far i've lost 14.8 pounds.

I'm finding that with extra support at work, 4 of us do weight watchers, and Don trying not to buy junk, that I'm doing pretty well. I like that I can eat what I want but have to make choices. I'm finding I love spinach salad and I'm trying to be creative with chicken breasts.

I also realize that this really isn't a diet but a lifestyle change. I am going to try to hit the Y more these next two weeks and make the boys come with me.

I know I still have a long way to go but I heard this quote at my first or second meeting. Loosing 100 pounds 1 time is hard but loosing 1 pound 100 times is easier.

That is what keeps me going. I'll go weigh in on New Year's Eve too and let's hope for another negative number!

Kept Resolution

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Are you good about keeping them or are you one of those people who start but then stop within a few weeks? Well I always was one who was sort of stopped after a few weeks so I'm really proud of myself. I've actually kept my 2007 resolution. On December 31, I had my last can of soda. My resolution was to give up pop; all forms of it. I wouldn't switch from regular to diet, I was just stopping. Now realize I didn't say give up caffine but since I've never been a coffee drinker I've given up a lot of caffine. I do splurge and have a chai tea frappachino from Starbucks and that's just enough caffine to keep me going.

So now that I've kept this resolution I'm going to try to make another one and keep it up. I haven't quite yet decided what I'm going to pick this year but I just hope it is a rewarding experience with another positive result.

Trying to be a better person

I know for those of you who know me pretty well, I'm a pretty good person. I try my best to accommodate everyone, I want all people to be successful, I want to instill solid morals and values into my kids and those I teach. I just try to be my best. Somehow when I reflect upon what I do and what I've done in the past I see there are still areas in which I still need to get better. I call stupid drivers idiots, I drive too fast, I have a habit of using my dining room table as my desk and dumping ground. I can't be bothered to put things away that are on the top of my dresser. I have a table at school that seriously needs cleaned off so when we come back from vacation we can get down to some serious reading. My desk is a mess. But to my own defense I read somewhere that a messy desk is a sign of a creative and imaginiative person. That I do feel is true.

But where this post is headed is in a rather new direction. I have been trying to cut down on my internet time and trying to figure out who I am and what do I want to do with my life. No I'm not talking about drastic changes. Well maybe I am. I think it has some to do with losing weight. I think that as I work to lighten up I want things around me to be less cluttered and more organized too. If I do this the right way then I may just become a bit more of a simple person. I have been trying to work on being more happy and appreciative of what I have and not to focus on what I used to think I want; I mean in a materialistic way. God has given me so much, I'm so blessed and now I have to make my life work within the bounderaries of what I already have.

So I know the changes must come from inside, but I can't help to also give a little bit of credit to an amazing person. I've been reading her blog off and on and as I've been digging into some of her archives I find that she not only inspires me want to be a little more creative in a more simplistic sort of way, but she has posted some incredible links to some organization and zen sites. I need to find a zen in which I can live in a more harmoniously with what I have, who I have in my life, and more in a way that God directs me.

If you haven't figured out just who has inspired me to just try to be a better person, I'll tell you, it is. It is Ali Edwards.

You can find some daily inspiration here at her blog. I can't believe all this lady does. She write, she creates, she travels, she's a mom, she's an advocate for autism, she teaches, she inspires, and she even has her ups and downs just like all the rest of us. She finds pleasure in simple things. I loved how she blogged about setting up a block castle where they bowl it over with a big green ball. There is something about her that is so creative, so inspiring, yet so down to earth. I don't want to be just like her, that's not the point of all of this. I am not her stalker, I just read her blog and her newsletter just as thousands of others do. I just find her style and her way with words speaks to my heart with a bit of optimism and passion. I find that she makes me want to be a bit more of a better person. Not to impress anyone, or to say look I do what Ali Edwards does; but for me to say look I'm just a bit more of a better person because I've been inspired to be.

I know this is a long, rambling blog post. Who knows, maybe it has to do with the fact that today's my graduation day, the day I'm recognized in public for being someone who's earned a master's degree. For someone in the field of education to be recognized as a life-long learner. For someone who has been given a gift from God to be able to teach others. For someone who has the potential to help students be better readers by being a reading specialist. For someone that has set goals and achieved them. For someone that I hope my own boys are proud to call mom.

With my winter holiday only 5 school days away, I am going to take that time to finish preparing for Christmas, to spend time with and enjoy my boys, to exercise, and to find a way to start to organize my dining room table and take back my space. It is my way to start to be a better person. So I close by saying a quick thank you to Ali Edwards for posting some amazing pearls of wisdom and zen links that have made me look inward to become a little better for everyone else who sees me from the outside.

Some Merry Decorating

Just a little bloggity banner update for the winter season!

I've got to get some new photos out of my camera and onto the computer. I've also got to get up-to-date with Val's photo a day blog challenge.


If you can't read the credits on the banner, the paper, journal box, stitched snowflake & pin are by Ashley Olson's Like Winter kit. The tree templates are by Valerie Fowler and are a blog freebie at her blog When Val sits Down. The glitter bracket is by Brenda Kempf, and the pink ribbon is by Christine Smith's Ribbon Lover's set in pink.

I'm hoping this blog update will last a bit longer than the Christmas season. I tried to go a little wintery.

My FAVORITE Christmas video

Last year I couldn't tell you how much I watched this video. I confess I sing along to it too! The original website is gone this year but through the miracle of youtube it reappeared!

Bahhhh Humbug

Bahhhhhhhhhhh Humbug

It's an Elfed Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Here is our animated Christmas card!


Click here to see it!

A little December fun

Here on Valerie Fowler's blog is a really interesting Photo A Day challenge. I really like that she's making it so laid back and easy. The concept is to take a photo a day. Wow, hard right?

I think this is a cool idea and I can envision a really great scrapbook layout, mini album or a photo collage in a cool frame that could turn into a really wonderful holiday decoration.

I'm really going to try to do this each day in December and then post the photo in my blog. Today I'll have to hunt for something to take a picture of. I might do two tomorrow when I try to get my Christmas decorations out.

I hope that you are having a lovely weekend and try this daily photo challenge.

Now I've got to get back to a little advent calendar project I need to finish. Yes, I'll post a photo of that too.