What goes around comes back around.....

       I waited for 7 months to see Justin Timberlake in concert.  I was SO EXCITED.  I had already seen him in concert twice before, but it had been 6 years since he had a concert tour.  I went with my sisters and my friend Angel.  We all love Justin dearly, and we were super excited to be in the same room with him for the 4 hour concert.  I was having an amazing time until I realized at intermission that my (month old) new iphone 5S was gone.  GONE.  Completely gone.  I ran back in the bathroom after I made the discovery looking for it everywhere.  Nothing.  I went to lost and found.  Nothing.  About 10 minutes after intermission, I gave up and called Jeremy and declared it gone. I knew it was stolen, not lost.  Someone had stolen it from me, either out of my purse, or off the floor when I dropped it (trying to put it in my purse....but I cannot imagine I didn't hear it fall....).  

       

        Jeremy was fine, and handled it without getting mad or yelling (although I know he wanted to).  He told me to get back to the concert and not worry about it.  But I did.  I still had a great time, but it definitely dampened my mood.  There's just something about having things STOLEN from you (if you haven't ever experienced it, thank God.  Now.).  It gives you this sick pit in the bottom of your stomach.  It makes you mad and sad at the same time.  It makes you feel violated and stupid.  It's not like I haven't had things stolen from me before, much more expensive things, but I had forgotten how disgusting it makes you feel.          

       Although I was falling in love with Justin (over and over again) at the beginning of every song, I felt that sick pit reminding me of the terrible, dishonest, disgusting world that my son is growing up in.  It grounded me.  And after 4 days without a phone, I was so happy to get that replacement phone in my hand.  I will definitely hold on to this one tighter, and I thought about the dirty thief with my phone when JT sang "What goes around comes back around..."  because, I know it does.

This is a preview of our Christmas pictures with Betsy Lynn...how cute is Kirk? 

Cutest HERD fan ever

Happy Thanksgiving! Erin and I were proud of our Thanksgiving dinner that we made ourselves.  It was nice to have such a relaxing Thanksgiving.  We had a few successes and a few flops, but everything turned out just fine.  

I talked Jill into doing the Turkey Trot with me, and although it was 19 degrees, we shaved 7 minutes off our time!  I'm so glad to have a great friend to "power walk" with!

I'm thankful for these friends that I've had for 17 years....WOW.  Is that possible?  17 years?!?  We are getting old....but we still look good!  HA!  We all came out to Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning!

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!  Hopefully, we can get our Christmas decorations out this weekend.  We are excited about the HERD win, and we are hoping for a home championship game next weekend!

being thankful...

It has been a ridiculous long time since I posted!  I have been so busy lately and I have missed the time I usually take to slow down and appreciate my life in writing.  The picture above is the inside of my classroom door.  The students told me something that "lifts them up" or makes them happy....Kirk said "Making cards to make my Gramma feel better."  He is talking about my Gramma Sullivan who is currently healing up from a fall and awaiting another bypass surgery.  My heart stops when I think about something happening to her.  She is my only grandparent and my absolute favorite family member.  I have always felt so special to her, and I hope Kirk's cards really did help "lift her up."  Another kiddo said that "my friend Kirk" made him smile.  That makes me smile, too.

How funny is this little boy?  I love that he is so carefree and happy. 

 I see my kiddos at school deal with stress and family problems, and it makes my heart and mind hurt.  A few weeks ago, one of my little kiddos told me that his tv didn't work because he "didn't have no electric."  I did a little investigating, and questioned him a little, and true enough, he has no electricity.  He said they wear their coats when it's cold inside and they use flashlights when it gets dark.  I had to turn my face away from him to keep from crying.  I quickly called our Family Resource Center and they made a home visit and offered some help.  His mother quickly called me the next day to ask if I "turned them in."  I explained that I did, only out of concern, and that I wanted the best for their son and their family.  It all ended up ok, and hopefully I opened a door with this family that will help me help them.  I would gladly put that little guy in my car and bring him home.  He is a such a sweet boy.  It shreds me to think that he is in a cold, dark place right now.  I have taught long enough to know I can't solve the world's problems, and that lots of these families suck the life out of me....but there is something about this little guy.  He has a place in my heart.  Maybe he has had this effect on me because he plays with my little boy everyday.  I pray every night that I can help make a difference.

Kirk picked the biggest bunch of "flowers" for me.  He drives me crazy, and he melts my heart.  The older he gets, the harder I want to hold on to him.  This time next year he will be making his way in kindergarten, probably reading on his own and doing homework.  He tells me he is never going to leave my house.  I tell him that he will want to leave when he goes to college, although a small part of me knows I will want him to stay with me forever.  I took the "flowers" home and put then in a vase with water.  And I might have shed a small tear.  Or two. 

 I'm thankful for my son, my husband, our family, my students, and my life. I hope to remember that every day.  I know I always want things I don't have, and problems that I think I have to be solved, but I need to slow down and appreciate what I have.  I think I will just stop and smell my "flowers."  Haha.