The Busy Life

Here's for all you teachers (and everyone else)living these last couple weeks until break!

Thankful Thursday...

Well it's high time I post on here! So here goes my thankful list....
-my students! They truely are my life! And did you know when you can't hear you are.... little! Answers my grade 1!they keep me smiling even in my dead tired days...
-my awesome school board! One couple brought coffee yesterday (actually white hot chocolate and chai tea bags! Better yet! ) they stayed and let us hash out school...
-that I'm going to be an auntie in about 8 weeks!!!
-bonus grocery money given us
-I got an unexpected weekend with my family last weekend... sad part was cuz of a funeral but I'm still thankful for family times..
-my friends... even if many of you are way to far away...
-got to see my Papa's twice last month!and hadn't seen them for a year!
-2.5 weeks of Christmas holidays!!

I will be thankful once all this sewing is done and report cards are sent home!! And Christmas program is practiced! Anyway it's a good life!

And today's thought....

Take time for the quiet moments for God whispers but the world is loud....

Was above our stairs in the Unit so read it many a morning!

Thought for Today

When you're going through a trial and you feel God is silent, remember the teacher is always silent during the test...

Means so much more as a teacher....

Life update!

Well here I am curled up with my my apple cider... it's been cold, rainy fall weather here. We run at recess and the grass goes squish, squish... we come in damp but hopefully refreshed... I fear winter is just around the corner!
So far school has been wonderful!! My 11 bundles of energy have been "angels "..well as much as any grade 1,2,3 class ever is!  :) I think I'm settled in my house! Brought another car load last weekend!
Left by 4:30 Friday and got home  for my mommy's fried chicken supper! Then off for volleyball and being with my friends at home again! On the way we Pulled in at the field of my summer boss so got to quick see them all! Was so Glad! Saturday I was kinda lazy all morning, spent time with the family and with our dogs! They got a darling new puppy for the breading kennels since I had left so she needed some attention from me! :) off to shop for the afternoon! Gotta take the chance whenever your close to real shopping! Saturday night was with youth again! They were practicing and setting up for singsperation... felt funny to sit back and listen! Sunday was singsperation with around maybe 75 youth? Was a great day and lots of singing! Packed up at home, stopped by my best friends, picked up my CO teacher and Home we went with a quick Timmy's stop! A great weekend! Now my cousin is getting married here this weekend so I get to see my family again!! Ok the end of a boring ramble!

Back in the Classroom

So here I am... done three days back teaching...and I LOVE my 11 lil students! The sparkle in those dark eyes, those mischievous dimples, the enthused eyes looking out from behind those glasses, the shy smiles.... I love them all! The first two days were very much just getting into it but day 3 felt like a school day! So far so good!
I did my class in camping again.. I have a smaller room then my other school and 11 desks plus my corner but I managed to fit my tent and fire in! I'll try and do a peek in my class post yet...
  My house is nice and cute here and I'm living with a great gal! My room is bright Green and Grey so that suits me fine :) I think I'm all unpacked and settled in!
  Well that's just a glimpse where I'm at now! More sometime when I'm not almost sleeping!

Lots Of Fun Family Times!

So high time for a post! The last few weeks have been crazy but fun! Last week Wednesday my Sis, A and her hubby, W arrived here for supper! All the way from Missouri! Yay! I worked yet Thursday and Friday while the rest scurried to and fro getting ready for Dad and Mom's  25th anniversary celebration! Thursday was my last day working for L.. Friday was my last day on the farm for J&T...I'll miss them all so much... but feeling like I need to be done work and start on school stuff! Done work by 3 on Friday! Friday evening was the anniversary deal! Was thrilled how many of folks siblings came! And over all the evening was pulled off with out anything to major happening! We served veggies & dip, party mix, and cupcakes in silver liners with white icing and silver sprinkles.  And lemonade! Which we had tons left over and think are still drinking it! Had some cousins over for night and gabbing til late! Saturday mom's brother and sisters came for breakfast outside! Dad's family tricked in later and off to the park for pizza! From there they all departed, scattering all different ways... was short, busy, FUN! We went home and slept and relaxed! Sunday dad's Sis and family came for lunch yet and that was the last of the relatives!!
The rest of the week was spent enjoying my Sis and Bro in law! And me busy with school preparations! Everyone else  left this morning and I am left alone to 'get lots done'! The list is getting shorter with mostly packing left to do... Monday is my day of departure! Any packing tips?! School advice?! What do I all want/need to take?!

My Happy List!

My job... 2 wonderful families to work for

2 sweet little boys at work.. a 3 yr old to ride on the mower with me and play Lego at lunch and chubby baby smiles when I go inside from a 4month old..

A beautiful sunny day after a rain

A dear friend to have lunch with

My family... and that I have then all still here with me.. 6 teens in my area were killed last weekend in a tragic crash... a young father died of a heart attack leaving 2 teenagers... a young man found out he was going to be a father and was gone from cancer a couple weeks later... I'm very fortunate...

I have a school to teach in next year... some of my friends still don't

That I'm going to be an auntie in January!

God... this should be at the top... that He cares and hears me...

My youth group... spent almost 2 hours singing the other eve!

That I can atleast text my friends that are to far away!

My wonderful Ann Arbor memories!!

Yummy pizza made by my mommy and cheese cake for supper!

Two dresses fire for school about done and a third started! Only one more after that! 

What makes you happy?!

To Missouri And Back!

This will have to be a quickie cuz my dear friend who spent all six months in Michigan with me is arriving in half an hour to spend a week here!! So I need to finish cleaning but an update is needed!
June 20 found my younger Bro and Sis and me all packed in my little car driving to big Sis and Bro in law in Missouri!! We spent a FUN 9 days swimming, shopping, talking, sewing! we all escaped the work on the farm for 2 days and went and toured Branson! Ripleys, I maxes, the shepherd of the hills and the Joseph show! The shepherd of the hills was so worth it! Now I want to read the book again! And the Joseph show brought that whole Bible story to life!!
Anyway we made it home late Tuesday night! Was a fun trip!

AA Highlights

Well I said I'd post some highlights of my time in Ann Arbor & it's taking me til now! Lately I've been missing it & would go back in a heartbeat!
  My favorite place to work was Mott Children's Hospital. It only moved into it's new building in December 2011 so everything was still quite new! Lots of colored lights & colored designs on the floor, & big bird to greet you at one entrance all made it very much a place dedicated to children. We volunteered in the Childlife program on 7th & 12th floor. Basically we would play with the children in the playroom or in their rooms or rock a baby. Some rooms required mask,gown & gloves & that was how you would play all afternoon! We also made big colorful name signs for their rooms whenever we didn't have any children to help with...7th floor was the oncology floor & my personal favorite...it also tore at your heart...all these children that would be there for weeks..the children, families & Childlife staff bonded like family on this floor especially. Many were in there over & over so you would get to know them. I had my favorites! They say not to get personally attatched to them but how can't you?! One little 3 year old boy would come hang out in the playroom every morn while his mom got ready for the day then she would come in & often we would end up visiting awhile..another little 6 year old boy was diagnosed the day before I arrived in Ann Arbor & went into remission just weeks before I came home. I spent a morning with him "shooting zombies" with an empty Nerf gun, & "changing tires, etc." on a wooden firetruck...the more you can go with their imagination the more fun they (& you!) had! Another little girl was there from Saudi Arabia maybe? She could only speak broken English but her expressive eyes told us so much...12th floor was just general care & I loved it too! This is wear we would sometime get to hold the darling babies! The poor babes often had a trache or were on some breathing machine, heart monitor, feeding tubes, IVs, etc. But you could still cuddle them! & once in awhile we could give them their bottle! A favorite their were twin girls around 2lbs at birth...when I held the one she was 50-60 days & just over 5lbs I think but still o so tiny & sweet! We also sometimes got to help out in the gift shop over in Mott...that was always fun too!
 We had 2 coffee carts we took around to waiting rooms. One was in University & Taubman Center (a clinic center) & the other was in Cancer Center where we did all the waiting rooms & also the infusion rooms...one thing that was very impressive over in Cancer Center was how cheerful so many people were..& they were not going through an easy time in their lives..I really enjoyed doing drink cart over there & the people we met..We also sang there one morning a week...
  Candy Cart was just that! A cart full of candy, snacks & magazines for sale that we took to waiting rooms & in the afternoons to patient rooms...was also an enjoyable job where you met many people!
  In the cardiovascular center we had one floor where just my roomie & i worked! We LOVED it! we had a couple nourishment rooms we cleaned, blanket warmers to restock,isolation carts to clean & restock, copiers to fill with paper & any other odd jobs they needed us to do!We also sang here once a week...
  That's the highlights of the main jobs! We also did wayfinding, helping out in the volenteer services office, helping make folders in the CVC medical library, & helping out in the giftshops...seems they could always find more for us to do!
  Over all the 6 months flew by! It was a very enjoyable & rewarding time...I think a little piece of me will always be in the hospital there...I LOVED THAT PLACE!!

May Memories......

May is here again...this time in May brings memories...memories of "good~byes"....Today is 1 year~one whole entire year~ since my dear Grandma B flew home...her battle with cancer was over...we miss her sooo much but I know how happy she is...many times as we served drinks in Cancer Center there in Michigan I thought of Grandma...I lived 1 birthday with out Grandma's card,$5 & birthday call...I lived my 6 months in Ann Arbor without phone calls & faxes from Grandma. I know she would have wanted to here it all. I can here her saying "oh, oh!" if I would have told her a sad story from the hospital..& then her dear friends I met there in MI.."you're Grandma/Mother Ruth's granddaughter?"..She was so special to many of them...& getting a quick chat in with Grandpa's children & grandchildren that were visiting in MI & the feeling of family cuz of Grandma...We were each her most special...memories....
 Tomorrow is 2 years since my 16 year old friend, Andrea, from the same community where Grandma lived also flew home after a life long but especially hard last 7 months battling problems with her hear...heart transplants, pacemaker, LVAD...We worked in CVC ( Cardiovascular Center) in MI also & I often thought of Andrea...in the medical library there where we worked they had a model LVAD....Somehow hospitals make you remember loved ones...
  Now a week & a half ago...this May...Grandpa's 1 1/2 yr old great-granddaughter was tragically driven over & killed...so sad...more "good~byes" for some in May...
 Now this weekend I'm going up to spend with friends, family & my other grandparents...& next school term I'll live close to them...so I'm gona soak up all the memories I can while I still have them here!

" Life is short...You never know which day will be your last so live each to the fullest!"

I'm Back!!!

Yes I'm home! actually been home for over a month but settling in & trips & catching up with friends has kept me busy & I just keep shoving off this blog!! My time spent in MI was simply WONDERFUL!! I'll try n post some highlights yet...I just loved the work at the hospital! Very rewarding!! Now I'm just doing a couple odd jobs that look like they'll easily keep me out of trouble until I can get busy getting ready to teach again in fall..I'm venturing out for the 2013-2014 term & going to move bout 3 hours from home & teach 11 students in grades 1,2,3!! Really looking forward to it! Can't wait to get back into the classroom! Ideas already whirling through this teacher brain! :) Ok that's all you get for now! I'll be out there ready to snatch up any teaching ideas! Especially any new ones to go with camping theme! Since I'm changing schools I can reuse my favorite theme! :)