WOWZA!!!!

I'm beat. Summer school started yesterday and I am EXHAUSTED! I have 4,5,6 grades in the morning for science and social studies. Our theme is the past so we are studying Colonial America. It's wearing my brain out. Then in the afternoons, I'm subbing in 1,2,3 grades for Games of the Past. Only, with the rain, it's actually games of the present temporarily. I'm working hard to remember everyone's names...but let me tell you it's hard to remember 120 names in 2 days. Thankfully, I'm only teaching afternoons until Friday. Then next week it will be 7:30-12. I'll be finished with summer school entirely on Saturday, June 6th. I have a few days of my extended contract to finish...then it will be officially time for my SUMMER vacation to begin. I plan to spend lots of time cleaning and organizing my house. I am going to have a yard sale sometime, maybe the weekend of 4th of July, so I really need to start getting things ready for that. I think my sisters may go in with me on it.....we'll see. We're busy planning for Jamie's wedding shower and helping her with wedding stuff. Trenton & I have 3 or 4 weddings this summer, 4 I think.

It's been awhile since I blogged, so I'm not sure what to write really. I think it's time for some nyquil and a nap. I'm zonked! Last Wednesday, I ended the day with a 100+ fever and chills. Went to the dr. on Thursday and was told I had influenza. I'm still recovering now. Mostly the junk has settled in my chest and I can't breathe. I take Nyquil, but it completely knocks me out. Last night, I got home at 5, slept from 5:30-7, ate supper that Trenton made while I was sleeping, then went to bed at 9...talk about exhausted.

Andrea- I still have Colby's birthday present sitting in my living room floor. Sometime we need to catch up so I can give it to him before his next birthday.

PS= What day is Bunco on this month? Is it going to be June 16th still? I can't remember......

Picture Recap!

I'm going to add a few pics from the last couple of weeks that I haven't been able to add. Enjoy!

I'm back...

So thanks to my super smart co-worker and friend, Jenn, I am back to blogging and can now add pictures! I'll try to wait until 1000 Word Thursday to share my favorite pics.

Our girls' day on Saturday was interesting to say the least. Mom and Kate met me in Lancaster at about 7 am. We picked up Lucy in Bloomfield and headed off to get Holly in Eddyville. We hit a few garage sales on our way to Eddyville and got some good deals. Played with Miss Myra for a few minutes and then we were off to Pella. It was freezing when we first got to Pella, but we grabbed some coffee and soon enough if was warm and beautiful outside. We decided at about 2:00 we should start making our way to the car and head on up to Boone. We were supposed to be there by 5:00 to board the train and depart at 5:30. We needed to change clothes so we stopped at a rest area outside of Des Moines. Kate & I ran into the bathroom to change clothes, while the others stretched and waited. Got back in my Trailblazer to leave AND........NOTHING! My car was dead in the water. Lovely, 5 women at a rest stop along the interstate with no vehicle. We tried to figure out what to do. After about 20 minutes a man in a mini-coupe asked if he could help. Unfortunately, his little toy car didn't have enough juice to jump my battery. Holly happened to have some friends in Des Moines for the PBR this weekend. Her friend Meggie and husband, Ricky, went to K-mart, bought a battery for my blazer, and brought it out to us. In all that time, not ONE single person stopped and offered to help. It was kinda sad. I mean one guy parked beside us (in a SUV),saw our hood up, walked over looked under the hood, never said a word, then turned around and clicked the lock on his vehicle....like we were going to STEAL it! Finally, Ricky and Meggie arrived, but we didn't have enough tools to get the old battery out. By this time, I knew we were going to miss the train. I was so disappointed. A man in a Tahoe pulled up on the right, got out, went in to the bathroom. As he was coming back out, he kinda looked our way, then kept walking. He turned around and asked if we had things under control. Mom said "I guess, unless you have a set of sockets in that thing?". He laughed and said, "Actually, I'm a certified master automotive technician. I've got my tools in back, want some help?" THANK YOU LORD!! He had the old batter out and the new one replaced in about 10 minutes. The car started right up and we were on our way! We knew we weren't going to make it, but thought we would at least try. By this time it was 5 o'clock and we were still 40 minutes away. We arrived at the train depot and I jumped out of the car. I was too afraid to shut it off. Got to the doors and they were locked! I was ready to cry. But then the conductor of one of the other trains came out and said, " Are you the Tallman's?" I told him we were and he said," well hurry up and come with me. I 'll take you to meet the train. I just stopped it at the last possible point we can meet up." So all 6 of us piled into his Ford Explorer. They had stopped the entire train for us. When we got on, the entire car of people on the train started clapping for us. It was MAJORLY embarrassing. The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful compared to that, but we did have a fantastic time and saw some gorgeous scenery along the way.

GRRR

I still can't post photos...what's the deal? Whenever I go to "New Post" it doesn't show all the little options at the top, like font, size, link, add photo, etc....where did they go???

Spirit FM

I don't know how many of you listen to 90.7, but I listen every morning on my way to work and most days while I'm at work. It's one of the perks to having my own office, I can listen to whatever I want. My husband won't listen to it in the car, but I keep trying. I think if he would just listen for a day, he'd change his opinion. Maybe that's what I'll ask for on my birthday. Anyway, I truly believe listening to this station has helped to further root me in my faith. I love Jim & Karen of a morning, and Darren during mid-morning/afternoon. I like Ken Davis' little piece of a morning and it always makes me smile. Today is Harvest Monday. They have been giving different testimonies all morning. Right now there is a message on talking about Keeping God First: in your finances, your time, your decisions.

Trenton & I are going to be joining the Financial Peace classes in a few weeks. Mostly because I've heard a lot about it from Spirit FM and feel like we're being guided (shoved!) toward this class. I've resisted that tug for months now, since they first started advertising it, and feel like NOW is the time!

Last night, during my prayers at bed, I just kept listing off all these things I've been worrying and stressing about: work, bills, Trenton's job, our family or lack there of, personal image struggles, etc. Everytime one of these would pop into my head to pray about, a voice would say, "God is in control". I think for the first time, I shut my own voice up long enough to hear God's voice. It's like someone said, " You fool, stop worrying about all this, I'm in control, not you." I'm constantly stressing myself out with "my plan". My plan for when we'll have kids, how old I'll be, what month it will be, etc. Or if we do this now then this will happen then. I've always told myself that God wants me to have a plan, but I think I've actually been trying to "out maneuver" God and control things in my way, instead of praying about it and letting it be done HIS way. And guess what...every single time "my plan" fails. I set myself up for so much disappointment. We don't understand what's happened to us in the past year. I've said several times, "it's all part of God's plan", but still secretly been VERY angry with God for letting it happen. I was angry though b/c it didn't go according to my plan. I felt out of control. I truly think last night though, that I realized, so what? I don't get to be in control. I have a GOD that is ALWAYS in control. I have a GOD that has a plan and while I may not understand it, I certainly don't get to control it. I feel like I've been living a lie in a way, b/c I've been talking the talk, but not truly believing it. I've still wanted it to go according to my plan. I wonder what I've missed b/c I've been so consumed with my plan? What has God tried to show me, guide me to, etc in the past few months that I've missed by being so consumed in my own selfishness? I contribute a lot of this realization to Spirit FM. I'm not putting GOD first, I'm putting my own selfish wants, worries, and desires first.

Tomorrow is New Partner Connection Day with Spirit FM. I'm planning on making a monthly pledge, because I want to help them continue their ministry. If you get a chance, take a listen. Even if it's only for an hour, I think you'll realize it's so much more than what all the other junk on the radio is. I'm not saying I don't still listen to other stations occassionally, but I can tell you none of them inspire me quite the same.

Spirit FM

:(

So I wanted to share a post with you of the beautiful lilacs that my husband picked for me yesterday. And I wanted to share a picture with you of my adorable niece in her shades because I'm missing her like crazy. And I was going to tell you about my version of therapy, baking, and how it resulted in an overabudance of cookie dough at my house when I simply wanted to bake a few to relieve some stress and share with a hard-working, dedicated co-worker.......BUT....blogger is making me mad, it won't let me add pictures at the moment, my eye is twitching, and I need a nap after a week like this......so instead... I'm just going to say have a great weekend. Enjoy the sunshine if there is any and by all means, pray. Pray that these next few weeks will NOT be like this week has been. Otherwise, please forward all emails, mail, and phone calls to my therapist (I'll have to get one of those) because there isn't enough cookie dough in the world for me to bake to help me survive another week like this!


PS- 4 (yes, only 4) days until BUNCO! And I'm not a loser this month, so I'm actually going to be able to go. And seriously, guys, who's bringing the margaritas?