A HOME NO MORE

Shaune and I had the house inspected on Friday. It turns out that the house has foundation problems. To good to be true. We have made the decision to not buy the house. Reasons being I did not want to buy a lemon and end up being stuck living in a piece of fruit for the rest of my life like James and the Giant Peach. (He had a really cool story, but I would not like to live in a piece of fruit.) We decided to end our search because we are currently involved in a business investment for Shaune's company. Our ship has sailed for now, but may come again next year. Boo hoo to living in an apartment where the kids run around like a heard of buffalo and the man down stairs curses like a boat load of sailors. Yes to living in the apartment because of my really awesome creek where I can sit and stare at the beauty of God and marvel at his depth in creation. WOO HOO for the internet! We will finally be breaking down and spending the outrageous $40 bucks a month to have the internet in our apartment.

The summer program starts next week. I will be setting up my site and training people this week. Pray for my nervousness and the confidence to be a good Site Supervisor. I am so excited about this summer!

A Home

Today the banks sent back our contracts SIGNED!! We have five days to get an inspector in there to look at it, which to my amazement, my husband has one lined up tomorrow at 1:00. PRAISE BE TO GOD! If all goes well we will take possession of our new home on June 16th and be out of our apartment by June 26th. Thanks to all for your prayers. Will post a picture of our almost-ours house later.

A Possible Home...?

Shaune and I may have a house very soon. We have laid down two contracts on homes only to be beat out by two other contracts. On Thursday a foreclosed popped up on the MLS. By that night were looking at it. It needs a lot of paint, new carpet, pull everything out of the front and back yard, a new stove, fridge, and a little love. It is however in a GREAT neighborhood, and is 2,000 square feet. It is also 30,000 dollars below what it should be selling for in the neighborhood. It has 4 bedrooms, a large master, dining, and living room. The kitchen is big, but you could only fit a very small table set in it. It has a great backyard for kids, and a hot tub. We looked at it the first day on the MLS and had on unofficial inspector come out and look at it. By day 2 on the market Shaune laid down a contract... and they came back with a counter offer. We know the house was shown over the weekend because we went by to look at it again and the front door was wide open, all the doors unlocked. Shaune and I always lock all the doors to the house. We sent another counter offer and earnest money today, and hopefully it will be the first contract to be looked at on the Bank's table on Monday. If it is and the bank accepts our counter offer, we move to a pending status. This would be an excellent first home that we could live in for a LONG time. Please pray for us and pray that our contract is the first looked at if anyone else has laid down a contract this weekend. As of Saturday, we are still the first people to lay down a contract. I really like this home and I hope we get it! Our window is closing quick on how much time we have to buy a home (due to other business opportunities) other wise we will stay in our apartment for a year. We should know something by Monday!

End of the School Year

I have been busy! We are still looking for a home and school is coming to an end and the summer program is just starting! Exciting!

Job Description

I have been thinking to myself lately as I observe the world around me and I have begun to wonder, "What do I want to be?" I have decided to be a teacher. Mostly everybody know that I want to be a teacher. A teacher of art, a general classroom teacher, any of these would float my boat. But I will say that working with ESD has opened my eyes about something. I have changed what I want to be. In stead of just being a teacher, I want to be the teacher that can help effective transition learning disabled children, and high function disabled children back into the classroom. Through the various schools I have been at I have discovered that not enough needs are being met. General classroom teachers have been relying on the resource teacher or the inclusion teacher to handle the children. Many teachers are overwhelmed by people with disabilities. I am at times too. But I think that because of being Dyslexic and see how people treated me, I want to help the children and set the parents down the right road when they are young. I believe the more you invest in your children, the more you will enjoy them and teach them how to be a good stewart with what you have. Jesus said "Let the little children come to me." And they came. I say bring on the challenge and let God show me the path I am to take, and if this be the road, then so be it.

Math Class

*Trumpets Heralding in the Background*

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! I HAVE PASSED MATH WITH AN "A"! My graduation in a year and a half is now secure! This Dyslexic has made her first and last A in math because I do not have to take math anymore! WOO HOO!

House Hunting

Our apartment complex decided that they were going to raise our rent by 10 percent. Shaune and I have decided to find a house. We found a really cute one and there are no offers on it yet. On Monday or Tuesday there will be an offer though. OURS!!! My husband is truly amazing. He was able to make as few call and show me houses with his realestate license. We looked at 5 in one day decided on two that we like. Hopefully they will not raise above our price range. My husband has great talent on reading people, he has better woman's intuition than I have! House hunting is stressful though. It is a real marriage tester. You have to be patient and play the waiting game. Make concession with one another about what you want, where you want to live and what you can afford. My husband is wise with money and is choosing houses that we can afford and live comfortably. He is a good husband. I am lucky to have him. I learned a valuable lesson this week. Trust in the talents that God has gifted you with. Use them to your abilities and trust others to use them wisely.

Loss of the Internet

I don't think I appreciated the internet until I lost it. The people we were bootlegging the internet from decided move out. Now we do not get the internet in our apartment anymore. My husband and I have things we need to get paid off before we can afford to get it. We don't have cable either. We have a 42 inch screen t.v., but no cable! I think this is funny. I am going to have to visit my mom and dad more, either that or save up a year and decide to buy it. Let me see, news, news,.... my grandmother went home the other day. She is healthy and well. My cat has allergies, I am up to my ears in homework, reports, and finals that are coming up next week. Of course it is all stuff that I need the internet for. Our country and life style has become so dependent on the internet. If terrorists really wanted to displace people, get rid of the internet and the phone lines. That would slow America down. It is such as shame that we have become so dependent on it. Everything that I wanted to watch on t.v. I can watch on the internet. Don't need the home shopping net work, I have e-bay! No one uses the phone as much as they do e-mail. What do you think?

Grandmother Update

I have spent the last several days rising early and coming home late in order to see my family. My grandmother Carol, her sugary went along great, but her recovery time took her twice as long as was predicted for her to come out of. She was hurting really badly and the hospital almost OD on pain killers, so my mom spent the 1st night at the hospital with her because the gave her a reversal and put her on oxygen. At times she would stop breathing for a second or two so thus the oxygen. They sedated her pretty heavily. The only time they could get her to wake up and come around was when they would say "Grandma" really loud and she would look for her grandchildren. I however, am the only grandchild in the area. I got there on Tuesday night and my mom and grandpa had just left. My grandfather was having sever anxiety problems with seeing my grandma in such a sedated state.

It was awesome. When I got to her room, it was the first time she had come around all day, she talked to me and carry on small conversations. She laughed lightly, and was happy. Shaune and I stayed for about 45 minutes before leaving. On the way home I called my grandpa and told him we had been there to see her. I did not realize how badly my grandma had been until I called my grandpa. He started crying when I told her how grandma had responded. He was happy. Today, I got up early in the morning to go and visit her. Mom told me that I may not want to come because she was just as bad as the night before the first visit. My grandpa was really sad again because he had never seen her in a good condition yet. After I arrived, it was just like when I had visited before. She started coming around and talking and laughing. She was much better. My grandpa started crying again because now he could see that she would really be getting better. As of tonight, she is more coherent and out of danger with the medication situation. She is still in a lot of pain, but God has been with her.

Thanks everyone for your prayers! I have been in prayer for several days now and I have no idea how prayer warriors pray as much as they do! It sucks the life out of you! I am exhausted after so much time in prayer. But, it does leave me at peace with myself and whatever happens. Kudos to those who are constantly praying. I love to pray, don't get me wrong, I do it a lot. Some of my prayers are short and I try not to ask for to much for myself, but there are just some of those people who are ment to pray. They spend long days secluded from people and just pray. I am definitely not one of those people. Thanks to those that do.

Grandmother

My grandmother goes in for a full knee replacement on Tuesday morning. Please pray that everything goes well as she is getting up there in years, and my grandfather is so dependent upon her. My mom will be staying with my grandfather to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid incase something goes wrong during the procedure. Happy easter to all!

HE IS RISEN!

Obsessive Movie Watchers

So you know you have watched a movie too many times when you start noticing all the little words and things that should not be in the movie. I have watched the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe more than 10 times all ready. The fox is not in the book, and neither is the kids eating breakfast in Narnia, The book says that Edmond was refreshed by wine. On the 4th time, I found something sad. In the battle scene where Mr. Tumnus is running down the slopes and the giant is swinging his club, there it is. The mother of all dirty works ringing clear in all of its nasty glory. First I thought I was hearing things. And then after about 10 replays, I new the sad truth. I had become like the people who discovered the dirty action scenes in "The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Aladdin." Such a sad day in Narnia.

Anniversary

Shaune and I had a great 1st anniversary. We started off the morning by going to Donut City in Coppell and then to Starbucks for some major studying time that both of us needed. My sister called and we had a great talk. At 1:00 we had a massage appointment. We did a couples massage where they work on both of you in the same room. This was funny because Shaune had told me that he had a massage before. I get them about once every 3-6 months so I though everything would go great. Shaune's face was priceless when the therapist told him to take off his cloths and then get underneath the sheet. The ladies left, he looked up and I was already half naked. I couldn't help but laugh. I said, "I thought you have had a massage before?" He said, "Yeah, a chair massage at the mall." He really enjoyed the massage. It is something that both of us will do maybe once a year together. He had a study group session at 3:00 and then I took a nap. Later on that night we went to Maggianos in Plano. We ended up with enough food to feed the both of us for a week! Lots of food, prices are not bad at all. For 24.50 per person you get all you can eat. And man, do they keep it coming! Today we are ending our celebration with NARNIA! It was my final gift from him and I CAN'T WAITE TO WATCH IT! I love the chronicles, Hmm... maybe that will be my next blog entry...

Innocents

Today Shaune and I did the MS walk down in Addison. Wee took my dog Emma with us and invited my father in law and Shaune's younger brother Dylan, and their Pug dog Jasper. We walked with Team Waldman who is a huge sponsor and does the benefits for Ameristar. Wile we were walking there was the cutest little black boy, probably the age of 4 walking with his mom, grandma, and sister. When he saw Jasper or Emma he would yell " DOGGIE! DOGGIE DOGGIE!" really loud, clap his hand and jump up and down at the same time. He had the most gorgeous smile and beautiful pearly whites. For about half a mile he ran after Emma smiling laughing, and trying to grab her tail. Every now and then he would laugh and yell, "DOGGIE GET BACK HERE!" and when she would look back at him, he would laugh and chase her some more. She did not mind him the whole time. After a while he started walking with his hand on her back and then soon wanted to help me walk her. His mom was wonderful to talk to and we shared smiles and laughs as her son just had the best of time. We soon started to fall behind our team so we had to part ways and I could catch up. He was really sad and did not want Emma and I to go.

Children are really something, you know? Children bring the brightest light into your life on such a rainy morning. They no nothing of the world in which they live in. God is so amazing in everything He creates. Children have such an innocents in them that as we grow, we will never be able to obtain until Jesus returns. I may never see that little boy again, but just thinking about him makes me smile.

Almost anniversary

Isn't it amazing how fast life can fly by? This Sunday Shaune and I will have been married for a year. A YEAR!!! Where has all the time gone? Somedays, it feels like we have been married forever, and others only a short time. Bill Lee asked me the other day at church the $64,000 question? Is it everything you though that it would be? My answer:

Yes it is. I knew there would be good times and bad times. But I always say that I look forward to the bad times because that is when you grow the most, as an individual and a couple. It is never fun when you are in the middle of a situation, but to look back on it and see where God has been in you life is incredible. I love my husband and would marry him all over again.

(We are celebrating our anniversary by getting massages together. WOO HOO!)

Soccer

I played my first soccer game today for the first time since 7th grade. That was over 11 years ago. Shaune decided a while ago to put a soccer team together at work. Husbands and wives could join too, so I now play coed soccer for a team called "No Gray Area" (We are poking a little fun at his boss because he says this a lot) We won 7-6 and I played defense. It was a very cool experience to play a sport just for fun. Both teams want to win, but it is not as competitive as the men's league. (They destroy one another and get kicked out of games) I had TONS of fun and it was great to meet other girls. I feel more motivated to go out and do more now. Its amazing what a little bit of exercise can do for you. Soccer is also special to me because my husband and I are on the same team. He is a great motivator and encourager. All the ladies told me that he brags about me at work which was so flattering to hear. It make me happy to hear so many people tell me what a great man my husband is. I am thankful that he loves God the ways he does and because he loves God, he loves me in a way that I have never been loved before. *Sigh* Just another wonderful day. I Love life, even when it throws you curves. Its the twists and turns in life that let you grow in ways you never through you could.

Term Papers

Why is it that teachers place term papers and test the week after spring break? They know that no one works on anything over spring break and people forget how to work problems in science and math. I think they do it to break us of our fun. This week has been filled with papers. Four to be exact and 1 vocabulary test, and 2 exams. What a week. I have realized how far children can grow in a year. A man I knew growing up named Adam Hagg was in one of the LISD papers with Grayson and he now teaches at Briarhill middle school. Funny, both of us went there and we were in the same grade and I am still stuck in school. He has become a great teacher. Someday I hope to be the same.

Divorce: Relationship Party Crasher

So I got back from Nebraska on Wednesday. Shaune was meeting my grandmother Mary (my mom's mom) and her brother Jay for the 1st time. We had a blast. I don't get to see her very often, so I treasure the times that I do. We went to the air museum and the zoo. In 4 days I went from wearing a t-shirt, to long sleves. 1st day: nice weather. 2nd day: light hail, slight rain, cold weather, 110 tornadoes hitting counties around us. 3rd day: snow in the morning sticking to the ground. (We all went to the zoo this day. Do we know how to have fun or what!) 4th day: t-shirt weather again.

In these 4 days, my grandmother spent 1/4th the time remembering a divorce that happened over 30 years ago. I love my Grandmother, but isn't it about time that she let go? My grandfather left her after 22 years of marriage for one of her best friends. (They remain married 30 years to the day, my grandparents Phil and Carol, they are GREAT together) She admits that she is still bitter about the whole thing. Does that not suck? But life goes on and so do people. She remarried and lost her husband of some years the same week as my wedding. I think I only had 3-4 conversations where she mentioned Bob (the man she remarried). If anger and bitterness is a poison, why do we hang on? I wonder if the anger and pain ever truly goes away when we have been jilted. She told me that she felt like she never knew Phil the whole 22 years they were married and the same thing with Bob because he portrayed himself as a great god seeking man and changed right after they got married. In my mind I think, how can you be married to someone for 22 years and not know them? But, then I remember my own horrid relationship that I was in for 3 years and the guy turned out to be a lying, double life leading creep, that I thought I knew.

It scares me to think you can be married to some for so long and change. It is sad what divorce can do to a family. I pray that nothing like that happens to Shaune and I. I know that I am capable of divorce even though I think to myself "I'm not like that. I won't be like that," but it is scary because you never know where the two of you will be in 20 or 30 years. I only hope that I can safeguard myself and have the privilege to falling in love with my husband multiple times. It scares me even more to think that someone can hold on to bitterness for over 30 years and let it control every move in your life. Do you even live if your life is controlled by that? If marriage is one of the last covenants, why do so many people break it? It is special and yet it gets treated like trash. Just more signs I guess that this world is getting closer to it's end...

My vacation was great. My husband and I talked about plans for a house, children, and life in the next couple years and we enjoyed spending time that we do not normally get with one another. I Love snuggling with my husband! *sigh* My Grandma Mary and her brother Jay LOVED Shaune! We spent a couple of day going through Wedding photos and videos, since she was not at my wedding. I hope she moves down here and spends the later part of her life seeing her future great-grandchildren. She and I have tons of fun together.

P.S. You know your vacation was worth it when someone from the north asks you "What is an Enchilada?"

Ick! Vacation!

Today and yesterday have been whirl winds. So much has happened. Shaune came home Tuesday night and proceeded to tell me during the middle of one of my migraines that we could not go on a vacation that we had already planned a month and a half ago. His company is moving (and doing some other things that I cannot say until next week) and he has to be there as the Director of Human Resource. The president of the company told him him he could not go, even after ok-ing his vacation. So, he came home and told me the only way we would be able to visit my grandmother, whom I have not seen in 3 years, would be to leave two days from then, this Friday, and come home on Wednesday.

So I had to . . .

move a final,
beg my boss to get work off,
cancel my substituting for Sunday school,
clean the house,
pack,
finish all my home work early,
study,
go to a meeting for Summer's Cool,
help a friend finish her bulletin board at school,
do 4 loads of laundry,
switch bible study on Friday nights,
find someone to watch my cat,
boil peanuts,
cancel getting an oil change in my car,
and go shopping for stuff for the trip.

I had to do all of this in two day! (And I took time to write in my blog) I will admit that I was very unhappy with my husband for doing all of this at the last minute, as he knew a lot of this would probably happen before hand. I had some anxiety issues, but he handled them great, and I will say, for someone with a migraine headache and stressed to the max about finals this week, I think I handled it quite well. Shaune has been very helpful around the house trying to do what he can to help me get ready. This was one of those learning experiences when you find out what kind of stress your marriage can handle.

God grant me sanity through all this!

2nd Floor: The 2nd Dimension

As long as I live when I move out of an apartment, I will never move back into one on the second floor. Shaune and I live on the 2nd floor of a 3 story building. There are a couple of reasons why it is great.

Reason #1. We bootleg free wireless uncoded internet from the people next door to us.
Reason #2. When we got married we only had to move my things, not two peoples things from two different place.
Reason #3. We have a beautiful view of the creek from our balcony behind our house
Reason #4. Did I mention we are getting free internet?

I have lived in this apartment now for almost two years and have found myself living in the second dimension. It is the second dimension because people on the 1st and 3rd floor only have to listen to one thing. Here in the 2nd floor you have to listen to two things. This is almost like the skit "Whose on First?" The 1st floor person has to put up with noise from the people on the 2nd floor. The 3rd floor people have to put up with the noise coming from below them. The people on the 2nd floor have to deal with noise from the 1st and 3rd floor. The man downstairs curses and yells at his T.V all the time. "God d*m* it" and "**ck" leaves his mouth when he is watching sports, his dog makes him mad, or he is yelling at people on the phone. His dog barks and cries all the time. The lady above us has boys in middle school who run around and fight continuously. They yell, slam doors, and sound like a heard of buffalo running through the house. It is great when you get both of these at 10:00 o'clock at night. I would never suggest 2nd floor living to anybody. All I can say is thank God for free internet to make living her worth my wild!

College Burnout

Math has always been a rough spot for me. But this semester I might have a chance to pass it! My teacher is just about as weird and out there as I am so I understand his style of teaching. So far I have turned in all the home work and my lowest grade on them is an 8/10. Test week is coming up the week after spring break and I am a bit nervous about taking his test. If I pass this class, it will be the last math class I will ever have to take!

I had the unfortunate bad luck to discover that I have at least 2 and 1/2 years left in school because of my math problems. Sometimes I just want to quit and move on with my life. Does school really matter all that much? It has always been important to my parents and as equally important to finish school before having children. I feel if I have children in the near future that I will let them down. Granted Shaune and I are not ready to have children yet, but you never know what God will through your way. I know I will finish my degree and this is my life, and I make the choices in it, but I think I tend to let people control my emotions too much. I am burned out from school. I think that I am a great teacher, but because of a math disability and weed out courses, I am afraid I may not be able to live one my dreams. Another dream is to write curriculum books or vacation bible school packages. This would be great! I love creating and coming up with new ideas. In this world now a day, having a degree has become more important than experience. This creates a disadvantage for older people without degrees and have experiences, and people who do not have the income or the extra money to go get a four year degree. Since when did living the American dream include living more than one job and a college education? Has our world just gotten too busy?