Middle School

Several weeks ago I wrote a post about actively waiting in the present- to summarize, it basically said that while we are waiting on Christ to lead us where He wants us in life, we need to help keep doors open in case that is where He leads. That doesn't mean that just because the door is open, that that is where Christ wants you.
OK, so for those of you who read my blog religiously (which is like what... 1 person? Ha) then you know that at the beginning of the year I got moved to a new school. I use to work at Townley, which I loved. Like seriously, I'm pretty sure that school was created just for me. I cried and cried when they told me I had to leave, and I miss it every single day. I'm now at Farine, which is also a great school. I'm blessed to have been moved to another great school, because there are definately some schools in this district that are not so great. However, Farine is not close to my heart like Townley was. In the post I linked above, I talked about how I was going to take the EC-6 certification exam in order to help keep the door open to going back to Townley because thats where I really want to be next year-- which by the way, I did pass! Ok, now that we're caught up.
OK, well since that post, our district has informed us of some major budget cuts that will be going on at the end of this year that will effect next year. So basically, my hopes of returning to Townley dwindled. Because of all the positions being cut, there will be a few people who are now in front o fme in line to getting a teacher spot at Townley. Of course, I don't feel as though God is completely shutting that door yet. My old principal still told me that he wants me back and will do whatever it takes, however I am being realistic in the fact that it could be out of the principal's hands.
Now, not only are my hopes of returning to Townley dwindling, but my hopes of staying at Farine are as well. They are re-zoning this summer which means Farine will lose kids and they are cutting teachers based on the budget, and I am still the newest person on the grade level.... so if they have to cut a 4th grade teacher, who goes? Me. Again. Sigh...
Ok, now we're all caught up... again. Where does this leave me?
Well.... our district is opening a new middle school next year. Brand.Spanking.New. It's HUGE. It's going to be the largest NetZero School in the USA. They are having a big push for technology & being green & all that jazz. It sounds amazing. So, I emailed the principal about interviewing. And she emailed me back a few weeks ago and said she'd add me to the list.
Well, last night I recieved an email saying that I "qualify" to be eligible for an interview. It's a looooong process-- you have to create a project and all of this other stuff. Interviews start next week and last through February 23rd. I'm suppose to email her back and let her know when I can interview.
So basically, I'm writing this post to ask for prayer. This new middle school would be a wonderful opportunity, and I could potentially go back to teaching reading all day (which is my passion.) But, I want to be sure that this is where Christ wants me. I don't want to pursue this job if it's not right. I just have this funny feeling, and I guess I'm not sure if it's nerves because I'm nervous about the interview, or if it's a gut feeling telling me no. Anyway, I decided today that I would at least interview so now I have to get all of the materials ready. Please pray that God will use this interview in a way to glorify Him and that if it is His will, it will all work out, which we know is true anyway. It's comforting to know that I may not know where I will be next year, but He does!!!!

Beginning of re-decorating room....

So the other day I found this lamp online and I fell in love. Isn't it adorable? It became the inspiration for me to re-do my room! I'm so excited about it! I decided to make the lamp myself since I have no idea where I could buy this one. My is obviously different, but this was my inspiration. Here is what I came up with:

This is the lamp and shade that I bought at Target. The shade was on sale for $5 and the lamp was $15 (I think...) I already had yellow spray paint (left over from Halloween) so I decided to use that... and this is what the base looked like after that....

Isn't it cute? I thought so! Unfortunately, I didnt think to cover the wire, so it got painted a little yellow... woops! Then I started on the lampshade. I bought the fabric at Joann's. This is what it turned out like....

I was really happy with how it turned out! And this is the lamp all put together....

AHHHH! It's so cute! I love love love it! Travis gave me some canvases for Christmas, so I used them to make the decorations that will go above my bed. I covered two of them with the leftover fabric. I then painted the other one with the same yellow that I used on the lamp. I then used my cricut to cut out the monogram on vinyl! These will go above my bed and will have a little space between them....

I think these turned out so cute, as well! I have already seen pillows and yellow baskets at Target that I'm going to go back and buy. I am looking for either an all black or all white bedspread to use. I would really like to have a white one with black stiching... we'll see if I can find what I want! And then I'm going to use black, white, and yellow pillows. My ultimate goal is to get a cute black and yellow chair to put in my corner as well! I'm so excited and I think it's all going to be so cute! YAY! As soon as I find all of the other little things and put it all together, I will post more pictures.

Mawmaw Kidd

This afternoon my Mawmaw Kidd met her Savior. I am so glad that I was able to tell her goodbye last week and give her one last kiss. She has been wanting to go home to Heaven for awhile, and I'm glad she is there. Right now, my Mawmaw is her spunky self again, probably dancing the streets of gold at this moment. I know my mom has loved showing my Pawpaw and Mawmaw around this past week and a half. I love you Mawmaw, and I cant wait to see you again.

Love

Do you know what I love? Not realizing that it's pay day and then checking my balance. That was a glorious moment!

I also love this story- in one of my small groups, we are reading about Mount Rushmore. Before we started reading, I asked them why they thought those four faces were on the mountain. One girl replied with, "Oh, they are the same faces that are on our money, so that's why!" Gotta love kids.

I also LOVE the fact that in 45 minutes, I will be sitting down to dinner with Bonnie and baby Braxton.

Life is GRAND.

Yellow

If you know much about me, you know that I love the color yellow. A few summers ago, I went through a yellow dress phase. I had to have a yellow dress- I spent the entire summer searching for the perfect one. By the end of the summer, I had four. (And they were all adorable!) This past winter, I spent weeks searching for my yellow jacket, and I'm obsessed with it now that I own it. A few weeks ago, I was shopping with my friend Katey. We stumbled upon a brown & yellow shirt, and I insisted that I buy it (even though I had sworn I wouldn't buy anything that day!) I just love yellow. I feel like it's a color that just screams LIFE. When I see it, it makes me think of sunny days, sunflowers, tans, sand, and endless summer nights. It reminds me of the joys of life. It's such a beautiful color.

The past few weeks, I've had the itch to redecorate my bedroom. Again, for those of you who know me well, you know that since I graduated high school I have had 4 different bedspreads (I've only been out for 5 1/2 years!) I am constantly wanting to re-do my room, but not the entire room. I've kept the same wall decorations, just switched the bedspread out. I think that a new bedspread can add an entire different atmosphere to the room. So, I'm fixed on the yellow bedroom idea. I have all black furniture and all black and white photos on the wall, so I'm looking for a bedspread with blacks, whites, yellows, and greys. It sounds beautiful in my mind! Here is what I've found online. The problem? I can't decide which one is best! So I thought I'd share a little with you-- enjoy the color yellow. You know it makes you want to re-do your bedroom, too!

 I'm also a little bit in love with the black and white bedspreads and yellow accents around the room. How precious are these?! I'm a little bit in love with the yellow lamps in most of them.

I love that mirror above the bed!

So simple, but I love those yellow flowers!!

Would it be too much to have a yellow den, too?....

I'm telling you, I'm in love with this color. If only I had the money to re-decorate!!

Jared's

I feel like all of my posts lately have been depressing, so I am going to write a funny one! At least, I thought it was funny! Kids say the darnest things, and this is just one example!

On monday in one of my reading small groups, the students were talking about cause and effect. They had to draw a picture on a whiteboard of the cause and then a picture of the effect, and the other students had to guess which is which. Ok, got it? Here is a picture of what one student drew:

She shows the board, and another student says "oh, that's easy! The cause is that the boy went to Jared's, and the effect is that they got married!" I responded with "Jared's?" and she said "YES.... Miss Harwood, the jewelry store!!"

haha yes my dear, so very true...

Goodbyes

One thing I hate to see end is a good friendship. Like, I really hate it. My friends are some of the most important people in my life. Therefore, I invest a lot of my time, emotions, and heart into them. I care about them. And I hate letting them go. I realize that some times friendships end and it's a good thing- maybe they are pulling you down or holding you back. But even then, it's hard for me to say goodbye. It kills me. I never understand how a person can just let a friendship go and not think twice about it. I miss talking to them and hanging out, and yet they act like it's no big deal.

I've been going through this situation for about two months with someone who has been my best friend for years. I've invested time, money, emotions, and heart into this friend. She knew literally everything about me. She was the one person I didn't have to hide from. And now, I can't get her to answer my texts, calls, or facebooks. I know it's time to let it go. So I'm going to. I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I'm done.

Too bad that's a lot easier said than done.

Routines

Routine. I know that kids need it, bad. My students long for rountine. If our schedule is different at all, it ruins the whole day. I have one student who literally freaks out if anything is changed without his knowledge. But until the past few days, I haven't realized how badly I need my rountine. Since December 19th, I have worked a total of 8 full days of work. Eight. (I'm counting a full day as in my students are in the classroom with me from 7:30-2:45) Since December, we have had two half days with the students, one holiday, one teacher workday, I left early one day, and I was absent two days. Meaning this year there have been 15 work days- I've worked eight and been off for at least half of seven. Ohmyword. I'm dying to get back into my little rountine of teaching, tutoring, and evening activities. I'm craving it. I know in a few weeks, I will be dying for spring break and a break, but for now... I just need normalcy!

Alabama

Yesterday felt like the longest day ever. My sister, brother, sister in law, and I flew in to Alabama yesterday morning. After a delay and what felt like the longest 1 hr 10 min flight ever, we finally made it to Birmingham. Our younger brother picked us up, and we headed to Milo's. For those of you who have never been to Birmingham, Milo's has the best hamburgers and sweet tea! It is one of our favorite places to eat when we are home. And since this was going to be such a sad weekend, we figured we might as well start off with a yummy meal!

After lunch, the 5 of us headed to Gadsden. We went to the hospital to say goodbye to our great grandmother. Bless her heart, she is so close to Heaven. It was hard to see her like that. There were several moments while we were there that we thought she had passed, but then she would take a deep breath and start talking 90 to nothing. Then she would stop and we were sure she was gone... then talking again! It was crazy. She kept saying that my pawpaw better have his truck gased up in heaven, because she was going to want a ride as soon as she got there. I pray that she goes soon- I know it's hard for my grandmother and aunts to see her that way.

After the hospital, we headed to the funeral home to help our dad and aunts with arrangements. It amazes me how rude people who work at a funeral home can be. Do they not realize that we just lost someone dear to us? I've never witnessed people being so insensitive. After a few hours there, we finally got it all planned.

After that, my aunt Gigi wanted to go shopping. She came home last minute and didn't even grab a suitcase, so she has nothing to wear to the funeral. Origionally we thought that shopping would lift our spirits, but in the end none of us were in the shopping mood. Gigi finally found some pants and a sweater, and we headed to our great grandmother's house to sort through pictures. Then we headed to my aunt's house to sort through more pictures. Then we stopped by the hospital one more time to get some more pictures from my Aunt Bobbi. Then we went back to Birmingham and dropped the pictures off at my aunt's house so that she could create a slideshow for the viewing tonight. Then we went to my dad's house, ate pizza, and went to bed. It was the longest day ever!

I thoroughly enjoyed sleeping in today. I am stressing about the fact that I'm missing work again, but I am just telling myself that it will all work out. I miss my munchkins, and I hope they are being good for the sub. Tonight is the viewing for my pawpaw, and tomorrow is the funeral. Currently my plan is to return to Texas on Sunday, it just depends on if my great grandmother passes before then and when her funeral would be.

We appreciate all of your prayers during this time. Thank you so much!!

1,000

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times. And at least a thousand times, I've rejoiced for you. But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry, is how long must I wait to be with you?

My pawpaw is in Heaven, celebrating with His Savior and so many loved ones. I will always miss him, though. My great grandmother is following close behind. I hope to be able to see her and tell her goodbye tomorrow. I am on a flight to Birmingham in the morning.

I look forward to celebrating both of their lives and being home with family. This is the first time since I moved to Dallas that I've been homesick. I'm thankful for being able to spend this time with my family.

I love you, pawpaw.

PawPaw

My pawpaw isn't going to make it much longer. My aunt just called and had me tell him goodbye over the phone. I so wish I had gone home to tell him in person. I am going to miss that man so much, but I know that at any moment he will be in Glory. I love you Pawpaw and I will miss you so much. I can't believe my pawpaw isn't going to be here anyore. Give Lala a hug and kiss for me.

Grandparents

I've never lost a grandparent. My grandfather on my mom's side has passed away, but he died when my mom was a little girl so I never knew him. Of the grandparents I've been blessed to know, I've never had to suffer the loss of one. I've spent 23 years with my Mawmaw N, Pawpaw G, Mawmaw G, Pawpaw H, and Mawmaw Kidd. But not it seems that it's my turn to learn how to say goodbye to a grandparents. Definitely to my great grandparent, and we don't really know at this moment what is going to happen to my grandfather. It's still a rollercoaster ride.


Please continue praying for my grandfather. He had a good Saturday and Sunday, but a bad Monday. They say he has been more restless today and trouble breathing. They did a chest xray and will get the results tomorrow. It could be either a pulmonary edema or pneumonia. Currently, I'm not sure what either of those would mean in the long run, but I don't think it looks good if it's either of those. I talked to my aunt tonight, and she just sounded so tired. Pray for strength for her as well.


Also, continue praying for my great grandmother. It seems that any day now she will be going home to heaven. Pray for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even great great grandchildren. She is a hard lady to say goodbye to, but we all know she is ready to go.


"There is time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8


It seems that this is our families time to die, uproot, weep, and mourn, but thankfully, according to our God's promise, there will soon be a time to be born, a time to plant, a time to laugh, and a time to dance. I pray that sooner, rather than later, my sweet Mawmaw Kidd will be laughing and dancing in Heaven with our loved ones who have already gone. She was such a great dancer back in the day, and I know it will be a beautiful sight when she holds the hand of our Savior and dances the streets of gold with Him. I can't wait to witness it one day! 

Updates

I apologize for not updating my blog, especially about my grandfather. To say the least, this has been a crazy, emotional, week. Wednesday I left school at 11 thinking that my grandfather was going to pass away and I needed to go home. I spent the day doing sub plans and trying to figure out what was going on. Since then, I feel like my grandfather has been on a rollercoaster. We will get a good report, and then a bad report, and then a good report, and then a bad report, and honestly... I can't seem to keep up. He had a good day yesterday and was more responsive, but then had a bad night. He seems to be having a good day right now. I ended up not going home, but who knows if I will have to soon. Currently, it seems as though the swelling has stopped, but it could start up again. I think after Wednesday is when they can safely say his brain is no longer swelling. I got a picture today of him sitting up. He wanted to sit up and feed himself pudding. Which means he is better than they thought, because at one point they had said he wouldn't be more than a vegetable. He isn't out of the woods yet though. Their concerns now are that he may develop pneumonia or that the swelling will continue. I have no idea where this journey is going to end, but I do know that today I am not at my grandfather's funeral like originally thought, and I am thankful for that. We serve a faithful and powerful God, and I know that He is capable of healing my grandfather. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Also, please continue praying for my great grandmother. I've been told that it won't be long until she goes home to meet her Savior. She is in lots of pain and has no desire to live. I've heard that she prays everyday that Jesus will come and get here. Please pray that she is comfortable until that time and that she can go home soon. I so wish I could go see her one more time.

Overall, this week has been pretty emotional for me. I just haven't felt like myself. I've felt sad and just... I dont know. I haven't felt like "me". I'm sure its a combination of this stuff going on with my grandfather, my great grandmother, and then the fact that Friday was five years since my mother passed away. It's crazy to think that half a decade ago today was when we buried her and said our final goodbyes. I miss her so much. I'd give anything to see her smile one more time, to hear her laugh, or to just and talk to her. I think that's one reason I've felt so sad. I just miss her so much.

Thankfully, a long weekend came in the middle of all of this mess. I took a half day Wednesday and then Thursday and Friday were both half days... followed by a holiday tomorrow and a teacher work day on Tuesday. Hopefully by Wednesday I will be back to my normal, happy, social self. Prayers would be appreciated, though. Just trying to be real today.

I hope you all enjoy your long weekend, and I'll try to keep updated on my grandfather. Happy MLK Jr. Day tomorrow! Thank goodness for long weekends.

Pawpaw

Please say a prayer for my grandfather. I just found out that he has had his second stroke in two years. My dad said this was is really severe and that the next 24 hours are critical. Please keep him in your prayers. I will update when I know more.

*Update- 3:30 PM- Pawpaw is stabilized in the sense that his brain isn't hemorrhaging anymore. My dad said that this means he will not pass away tonight. However, it doesn't look like he will get much better than he is right now if at all. He currently cannot speak and cannot move his left side. The doctors said if he improves, it will only be 10-20% from where he is now. He will never be the man I know again. The doctors are also worried that he could catch pneumonia which would end up killing him. He will also more than likely need a feeding tube, but my dad said he has signed a piece of paper saying that if it comes to feeding tubes or breathing machines that he doesn't want any- to just send him on home to the Lord. My dad and my aunt are almost at the time where they have to decide to give him a feeding tube anyway, or let him go. My dad said at this point my pawpaw won't die tonight, but he more than likely will in the next few days unless they go with the feeding tube. My dad said that even if they give him a feeding tube, that his quality of life will be very, very low- that he won't be much more than a vegetable.

Please pray for my family as we come to terms with this news. Help us to accept it if it is his time. Help my aunt and my dad to make the right decision for him.

It seems almost surreal that 5 years ago almost to the day, I sat in a room with my siblings and grandparents and doctors and had to decide if we would keep hanging on or let our mom go. I remember sitting at the end of the table and my grandparents saying it was our decision, and I remember making the decision with my siblings, but besides that I feel like that whole time period is a blur. I don't even remember what the doctors looked like that were sitting with us. I could pass them on the streets now and have no idea. Anyway, I know what it's like to have to decide what's best for your parent--- it's hard-- they are suppose to decide what's best for you-- not the other way around. So my heart goes out to my dad and my aunt as they make this decision. I pray that they will seek God's heart and follow in what they believe is God's will for my grandfather.

Please pray for my family as we deal with this. If he passes, pray for us as we plan the arrangements and us grandkids make plans to come home. If he doesn't pass, pray for a miracle healing. I know my pawpaw wouldn't want to live a life in a bed barely coherent. If that's what it comes to, my prayer is that the Lord will bring him on home,

I love you pawpaw.

This is my family with my Pawpaw on his birthday my senior year of college. That is a picture I painted him for his birthday. He loves Alabama football!

Iron Bowl Rivalry

Two undefeated seasons in a row.
Two SEC Championships in a row.
Two Heisman Winners in a row.
Two national Champions in a row.

The Iron Bowl Rivalry is Legit! Best.College.Rivalry.Ever!

Congratulations to my Auburn friends! I hope you enjoy being National Champions, but hopefully you won't rub it in too much!

PS. I am so sad that college football is over. What do I do with my life when there isn't college football? I don't remember....

Mawmaw Kidd

This is my family with my great grandmother, Mawmaw Kidd. She is my dad's grandmother. Not many people can say that they know their great grandmother, but I have been blessed to know mine for 23 1/2 years.

I can remember when I was little, she was so spunky! She was always full of energy. I remember at Christmas her and her boyfriend, Lowell, would dance and dance all night long. She could dance better than anyone I've ever known!

She is such a precious woman of God. She has such a cool life story and she is just very dear to my heart. The past several years have been very bad on her health. In the most recent years, she has developed a slump where she can barely even hold her head up. It has been so sad to watch her health decline. 

Earlier this week, she slipped and fell in the middle of the night. She has fractured/crushed two vertebrae in her neck. Because of the way she is slumped, both hospitals in Birmingham and Gadsden have decided that they cannot operate. They would be unable to straighten her neck enough to operate, and she would be unable to wear a neck brace. She currently has to lay in a certain position in her bed, because if she moves at all, the crushed vertebrae could slip and block her airway. The doctors have said there is nothing they can do for her except keep her heavily sedated so that she can withstand the pain. I've been told by family members that when they have gone to visit her that she has just been in incredible pain. One person said she is having dreams where she is talking to relatives that have already passed- Mama Sadie, Lowell, and my uncle Randy. 

It absolutely breaks my heart to know she is in this kind of pain. I wish I could go home and see her because I feel that this is close to her end. I know she is ready. She told me dad that she is just ready to go home. He told her she could go home soon, and she replied with "No honey, I'm ready to go home to heaven." 

Would you pray for her? Pray that she receives comfort so that she isn't constantly in pain. Keep my family in your prayers too. This side of the family has already lost two cousins in the past 3 months, so I know it will be hard on all to lose our beautiful and wonderful grandmother. 

I love you Mawmaw Kidd and I'm praying for you daily!

Beginning of 2011

So one week of 2011 is officially over. It was a pretty good one! Going back to work was exhausting. It is amazing how in two weeks I had already forgotten how exhausting 17 little ones can be! I think I was in bed before 9:00 every night. Hopefully this week I will get back into the swing of things! I'm especially excited because Thursday & Friday are half days, followed by a long week. Yay!

Last night we had our group of friends over to watch the Cotton Bowl. It was so great to have everyone back in town together! (Although Travis and Cali weren't there, so technically, we still weren't all together!) Not only did I get to spend the night with my best friends in Dallas, but my dad got to meet those people who are near and dear to my heart. I enjoyed having my dad here, even if it was only for 12 hours! We went and got brunch this morning and it was fun to just spend some quality time with him. God is good in the way He has restored our relationship over the years.

I have this feeling that 2011 is going to be big. I don't know what the Lord has in store for it, but I know He will not disappoint. I am excited to see what the year holds! I think 2011 will be the best one yet! I hope you're 2011 has been off to a great start as well! I'm going to go finish my lesson plans and then spend my Saturday afternoon with my ladies! :)

Cricut

Since Christmas, I've been cricutting things like crazy. Here are some things I've got. If you want to order anything, let me know! I've already sold a few things so I'd be happy to sell you something too!

Mugs with Name and Polka Dots- $10 

Rectangle Keychain with name $12

Candle Holder/ Candy Jar/ Key Holder- $10

Dog Food Bowl- $15

Red Plate with one design and phrase- $10

Wine Glass with Monogram- $12

Christmas Sign $10

Coffee Mug with Monogram $12

Wine Glass with School name and logo- $15

Circle Keychain with School Logo- $10 Available in Black, Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red

Set of 4 Wine glasses with monogram- $35

Bake & Take Pan with School Logo- $18

Pair of Wine Glasses with school logo- $20

Cake Carrier with one initial- $20

Pair of Martini Glasses with Monogram $15

Bake and Take Pan with Name- $18

Dog Food Bowl $15

Cake Carrier with School phrase on one side and school logo on the other- $30

Cake Carrier with School phrase on one side and school logo on the other- $30

Decorative Plate with Initial- $25

Pair of Beer Mugs with School Logo- $15

Rectangle Key Chain with name- $12  Available in Black, Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red

Circle Colorful Key chain with one initial- $9. Available in Black, Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red

Small Circle Keychain with monogram- $10  Available in Black, Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red

If you are interested in anything you see, let me know! I'd be happy to make you something and ship it to you. For the keychains, I also have them in clear but they are bigger! The clear ones I have in circles, rectangles, and hearts. Since they are bigger, they cost more! The circle one is $13, the rectangle one is $14 and the heart one is $12!

Edit: I just made a clear circle keychain so that you can see what it looks like:

This is the clear one with a monogram on it! It is $13 and can be done with any colors!