Back to the regularly scheduled program...

I have no idea what I have been so busy doing. Really... I've been setting here trying to come up with why I have been neglecting my blog. I've been working and schooling. The kids have been playing some volleyball and baseball. We have finished up basketball. Jordan spent a week out of school sick. Then he was nice enough to share it with others. Makayla had her sweet 16 birthday party at the Kangaroo Gym. She and her friends had a great time. Who know a kiddie bouncy house could entertain 16 year olds. I'll share some pictures. But I really haven't even been pulling the camera out much. I have some more pictures on Leland's camera that I need to get off when he gets home. He and Jordan are camping this weekend. We have had a very lazy spring break... good thing I needed a break.




HAHA Jordan invented a hat... I have no idea what it does other than make me smile.

Have I given up on the blog?

Susan asked me today if I've given up. Nope! Just keeping my head above water. I have lots of pictures to post. I just have to load them and edit them all. We've had science fairs, birthday parties, volleyball games, basketball games, baseball practice, paid off a car (that is one of the best), had a sick kid who missed school for a week... the list goes on... spring break is coming. I guess we aren't going anywhere. Thats ok. We need a break. I promise to post some pictures soon. I'm eyeball deep in deadlines...

How God must feel about me...

If the only child we had was Makayla we would still be very busy. She is one of those kids who always has something going on. Things just seem to be complicated with her. She definitely didn't come with a book. When she gets her tonsils out she is the one in a 500,000 chance that they will hemorrhage and she will need emergency surgery at 4am. I tease her all the time about life with her being like 50 First Dates....
So today should have been no surprise to me.
Within 72 hours of having her drivers license she has had her first wreck. I could go into all the details but... well it doesn't matter. She was at fault and I thinking having to set in front of school talking to a police officer as everyone arrives for the day is probably punishment enough.
I've thought a lot today about how hard it is to be Makayla's parent. I love her. I want the best for her. But she just keeps me busy. I've always got to be thinking 10 steps ahead of her. Maybe thats how all parents feel with their first kid. Parenting Makayla is a race. It's been fun. There have been some great times. There have been some not so great times. While I was thinking about this I began thinking about my relationship with God. I am sure I am God's Makayla. I am sure there have been good times. I am also positive there have been some not so great times. He always wants the best for me. He always loves me. I probably keep Him hopping. He is busy staying one step ahead of me all the time... How lucky am I to have a Heavenly Father who loves me?

Life doesn't slow down....

Makayla had a birthday... a very important birthday... sweet 16....Oh my! Things are changing around our house! She drove by herself for the first time tonight. She and the car came back in one piece. Will I ever get used to her leaving the house and driving around by herself? I really don't think so!
I was a nice mom who let the boyfriend come over. He is a nice guy. I just hope he stays a nice guy!Makayla's science fair project...Hannah's science fair project....
She didn't know I was taking pictures... she was in moms Jeep... it was easier to parallel park. Why do they even still test on that? Of course she got the crankiest tester ever. But she passed!

Jumping through hoops....

I made it through one more graduation hoop today! MSSU thinks I am close enough to take my senior assessment. Wow! It felt good to walk out of there and be done. It also felt scary. I am getting close. Am I ready to grow up and get a real job?

Awesome site...

Makayla found this awesome site... link here. It is so easy to fix your pictures. It just takes a couple of minutes and there are tons of things you can do to change the way they look. Here are some pictures that I played with tonight.

Regret...

I could just get on here and say "Oh life is great!" But frankly is isn't ALWAYS great. I wish is was but that's not reality. So heres to keeping it real....
I really try to live without regret but I can not seem to get away from it. There is a sorority for education majors that I would love to join. Not because I want to be a sorority girl but because of the honor of being part of this group. You have to be invited and that invitation mean you have made the grade. Now if you live with me or spend time with me you know what a freak I am about grades. You must have a 3.5 GPA for this sorority. This shouldn't be a problem for a girl who has been on the deans list 4 of the last 6 semesters right? I've made 22 A's and 2 B's since going back to school. So getting into this sorority should be no big deal right? Well... there once was this time when my parents paid for my school and let me live at home for free... and I made a 1.66 GPA. I can not believe my parents did not kick me in the butt. Here's the life lesson... because I was stupid at 18 I will never have more than a 3.37 GPA. That might be ok from some people.... but it just makes me regret.

Won't you be my Valentine?

I made my Valentines a yummy cake....Jordan had his last Valentines party... that's the down side of middle school- no parties.

Makayla uses my camera more than i do anymore...

and she is much better at it than I am....

I was juggling all the balls and keeping the all in the air...

until I remembered that Jordan's valentines party is tomorrow.... I didn't get any valentines for him.... opps. One ball just hit the ground. I wonder how many will follow now. It seems like once you drop one they all start falling. Holiday's are going to be the death of me!

I've been neglecting you...

I have been meeting myself coming and going. I have not experienced boredom in quite awhile. So I guess I am staying out of trouble... haha
I am really looking forward to the idea of spring break. I am thinking about running away for a few days. It would have to be somewhere close and cheap. Do you have nay ideas? And no Susan I will not come and pack your house for you!:) Ok... you know I would be there for you!
I have hesitated even posting... it would be a repeat. We are busy with the same things this week as last week. I don't even have any pictures to post. So... have a great week. I am doing my best to keep my head above water... but life is good.

Keep on... keepin' on....

Thats what I have been up to. I am just trying to truck along and get things done. This time of year is really the busiest time of year for our family. Both girls have volleyball 2 times a week and Hannah and Jordan both have basketball practice too. Then there are the games and cub scouts is busiest in the winter. Jordan is finishing up badges and working on his pinewood derby car. In May he will move up to boy scouts so they are really working hard to finish up all the cub scout things. So... add in school and a job... well it just makes for a busy life.
I'll check back in soon!
I do have one picture I didn't share the other day...Hannah's self portrait.

Winter Banquet...

The month is over? No way...

Can you believe how fast this month went by? We spent the day getting Makayla ready for another formal event. This time it is winter banquet at her school. No dancing! We all know what that leads to!!!! HA! HA! Anyway... same dress as last time but a new hair do. I really like what she did this time. She kept it pretty simple. So in 45 minutes this boy I have never meet is going to come to my door and take some pictures. Then he is going to put my baby in his car, drive away with her and not bring her back until midnight. This sounds strangly like a date... does it sound that way to anyone else? Hummmm... I'm not sure how I feel about this. Ok thats a lie. I know exactly how I feel about this. I don't really like it. When did she go a grow up on me? Why is it so daggum hard to let go of these people who drive you crazy?


When we got home we found the rest of our family playing a little game of knock out. Jordan won! Can you believe it is 60 degrees here today? See the snow still on the ground? It is so beautiful outside. Well I'll post some more pictures later tonight...

Snow day...

And we actually had snow this time!

I ran across this...

and I even had to read it twice:
"We worship God because we need to.
But our need runs a turtles-paces distant second to the thoroughbred reason for worship.
The chief reason for applauding God? He deserves it. If singing did nothing but weary your voice, if giving only emptied your wallet- if worship did nothing for you- it would still be right to do. God warrants our worship.
How else do you respond to a Being of blazing, blistering, unadulterated, unending holiness? No mark. Nor freckle. Not a bad thought, bad day, or bad decision. Ever! What do you do with such holiness if not adore it?
And how power. He churns forces that launch meteors, orbits planets, and ignite stars. Commanding whales to spout salty air, petunias to perfume the night, and songbirds to chirp joy into spring. Above the earth, flotillas of clouds endlessly shape and reshape; within the earth, strata of groaning rocks shift and turn. Who are we to sojourn on a trembling, wonderful orb so shot through with wonder?
And tenderness? God has never taken his eyes off you. Not for a millisecond. He's always near. He lives to hear your heartbeat. He loves to hear your prayers. He'd die for your sin before he'd let you die in your sin, so he did.
What do you do with a Savior? Don't you sing to him? Don't you celebrate him in baptism, elevate him in Communion? Don't you bow a knee, lower a head, hammer a nail, feed to poor, and lift up your gift in worship? Of course you do.
Worship God. Applaud him loud and often. For your sake, you need it.
And for heaven's sake, he deserves it."
Max Lucado- Cure for the Common Life

My little 2nd graders...

Joplin Globe had a good story... again. I know I am shocked too.
They did a story on the 2nd grade class I work with. Heres the link...Ms. O'Toole's 2ns grade

Crazy Joplin weather...

No more braces...

After 23 months and enough money to buy a used car... Makayla is brace free. I can not believe how much older she looks now. It is just CRAZY that she will be 16 in a month. Now who is putting bets on how many retainers I will have to buy? That's not really very nice of me huh? Maybe I should make some kind of deal with her.... I'll give her $100 if I don't have to buy a $500 retainer. I'll would still be ahead wouldn't I?

Pardon the break... I need a minute to recover!

I had a graduation meeting today. I don't graduate until Dec 09 but I will spend the fall semester student teaching so this is the semester that I need to get everything in order. I am going to need a semester to get all the crap together that they need just so I can graduate! And this is stupid but the thought of graduating is freaking me out. I would not leave my kids education in my hands yet. Surely they are going to teach me some more stuff before they send me out to mess with the minds of our youth! I'm setting in this meeting and my heart is starting to do this weird beating thing... it wasn't excitement... it was my heart freaking out! I should be excited right? But I'm setting there.. and the tears are coming to my eyes. So... I'm gonna get a list made and start checking things off. Why can I not look at this in a positive way? My graduation packet is due by 4pm on Feb. 19th... this is a significant day around our house... Makayla turns 16th on Feb 19th. I could spend some time telling you about the regrets of waiting until my baby is 16 to graduate college but that is a whole different whining session right? Ok I'm going to try and close my eyes and get some sleep... if you know me very well you know that this is probably not even possible tonight! ugggghhhh Am I ever going to grow up and be an adult?