I really should write an original post, but......

I have typed ALL week at work and it just isn't in me!!!!  So you get the template again......

Outside my window..it's 91 degrees. Severe storms are headed this way! We still need rain! The radar is colorful again tonight !



Today I feel.....pretty relaxed. Worked on school work this moirning and got a little of that out of the way.

I am thankful..my washing machine!!!Yes it is duct taped together, but it's still agoing!!!!

Tomorrow I am....going to church and hopefully taking the MSAN   (Mandatory Sunday afternoon nap)! 

I am wearing..UT t shirt, black shorts and tennis shoes!!!!  Finally I am wearing shoes!

I wish......it would just rain and rain and rain. No storms, though. Just rain!

My schedule this week[end] includes..resting, making rotel chicken for lunch tomorrow, going to church and MSAN. 

I am reading.....The Seeker. It's about the Shakers in Kentucky during the Civil War. Did you know that the Shakers believed there was a lady who was equal to Jesus? Yep, Mother Ann....Interesting. Also bought a Reader's Digest to read. I'll probably read all of that tonight!


I laughed today....while eating with the family. We really are quite a hoot if you just sit back and listen to us all. JoGail thought a sign we passed said Vetarinary Clink.  Oh the joys of living with JoGail! Can't beleive she is going into the 6th grade!

I am working on..trying to figure out my menu for next weekend. My parents are coming!

Yesterday I.. worked and finished some reports at work. Had two meetings and worked on a ton of little things. TAKS testing is over, so now we just have the pack out! For those not in education, the pack out can be every bit as grueling as the actual testing. Everything has to go in specific boxes, in a specific order, using a specific amount of tape. It's also we were figure out if everyone got all the accommodations, etc they were supposed to.
I am hoping..that I always remember the fun times this little family of four has. I want to always remember our fun times!

I bet you didn't know..Rachel didn't get to go camping so she missed out on seeing the fields of blue!!!! Maybe next year! Here's another one.....every year I send the girls balloons, a coke, candy bar etc....on one day of their TAKS testing. (They get it at the end of the day) Just kind of a little reward for working so hard. Usually I make it and take it myself, but I ran short on time. So I went down to Memories of Elegance in Mabank and they did an awesome job! (Plus the price was right!!!!!) Thank you!!!!!!

Just a day in the life!

Outside my window..it's 91 degrees. Sever storms are headed this way! We still need rain! The radar is colorful tonight !


Today I feel.....happy. There's so much to be stressed about that I am just laughing at it all!


I am thankful..for my friends. The ones I work with! They will get me through this last month or so of school! The ones at work who keep me laughing and make me feel important. They appreciate (well some of them) that I am trying not to wear clothes that are too springy (or white on the bottom) until after Easter. I told them today it's cramping my style since I can't wear that until almost May this year!
Tomorrow I am....having meetings, testing a kiddo, and going to AWANAS tomorrow night.


I am wearing..grey shorts, lavendar shirt and NO SHOES!!!!



I wish..we didn't ahve taks testsing herr ein the great state of Texas. TAKS testing is the federally mandated testing that Texas administers every year. It's so much stress on the kids and it's just a one day snapshot of how a kid can really do. One day. If the kid heard mom and dad fighting all night and didn't sleep, got himself up and off to to school and didn't eat breakfast, he could blow it. Just seems we would be better off without it. I will be sure and tell the apporpriate people when they ask me, though.


My schedule this week[end] includes..Easter out to eat.....Easter church service....relaxing getting ready for teh TAKS testing week.....I have so many reports to write, so pray I can focus and get them done.
I need to start..walking. Enough said.
I am reading.....The Homeplace by Gilbert Morris. It the prequel to a book I read last month. I'm headed back to the library tomorrow. (Yeah!)


I laughed today....just visiting with Coy.  I am so thankful for him. yeah, he's older but sometimes that experience helps me chagne my viewpoint. I just love him so much. He's a great provider for the family and keeps us all in check.

I am working on..paperwork so I Cna write reports next week during the downtime!
Yesterday I.. worked, went to a meeting at church  and make Easter peep mests with GRACE!!!! Yes, I bribed her ot help me--she got all the leftover peeps!
I am hoping..JoGail finds out soon if she passed her reading and math TAKS tests. She is chomping at hte bit to know and is a little miffed that Grace was told already and she hasn't been told! She has bene praying hard that she passed and won't have to reatake them.


I bet you didn't know..II love Texas bluebonnets. I mean, absolutely love them. I am jealous of my friend Rachel going down to Central Texas this coming weekend because I KNOW she will get to see some gorgeous blue fields....She's from OK I have been trying to prepare her for how gorgeous it's going to be! Yes, I am turning green with envy.

Strawberry Jello Pie

Well most of you reading know how much of a Friday night partier I am (yeah right) so here are my plans for tonight......nada.....nothing....catch up reading blogs and go on to bed. I know-- you are surprised!!!! (NOT)

That medicine I took last night fro the hives really threw me for a loop. I slept for almost 12 hours and woke up in a fog. I don't think my brain woke up today until after lunch. Coy and Grace said the smoke alarms went off last night (they do when they get dust in them and we have to clean them out). I have no recollection of them going off.

Tomorrow Grace refs and we clean (again). This time we are cleaning floors and dusting in the living room. Come on over if you want!!!! Binky is accumulating cat hair everywhere right now. Right now my cleaning strategy is to clean on the weekends and then do as little as possible during the week. It works for us (most of the time!)

Tina brought jamablaya for lunch today and it was so good and so filling! It was chicken and sausage and really good!

I have taken the subtle hints (OK maybe not so subtle!)  from God  that I need to start counting carbs again to make sure my blood sugar is under control. I found a neat app for my phone that will log it and create graphs etc. We'll see if that makes it a little more fun. So anyway, I am going to commit to working on my carb intake. I have an appointment with an endocrinologist at Baylor in Dallas in May to wee what can be done about the two 'buffalo humps' on my neck and the hives. My initial feeling is that they are related to my blood sugar. but we'll see. I don't think the humps are dangerous, other than they are putting pressure on my spine and hurt.

I found this recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. I'm sure there are all variations of this on the internet.

Strawberry Jello Pie

1 small box strawberry jello
1 cup boiling water
8 oz (1 brick) cream cheese at room temperature
8 oz whipped topping (like cool whip)
1 prepared shortbread crust  (or graham cracker crust)

Dissolve jello in boiling water. Cut brick of cream cheese into chunks and mix with mixer with dissolved jello and water. Use a splatter guard if you have one because it will go everywhere! Fold in whipped topping and pour into crust. Refrigerate 2 hours before sesrving. (It will get firm)


Carb count for me ( I made me some without the crust)

Total carbs:
Jello                                19 carbs for whole box
Crean cheese                   3 for whole brick
Whipped topping            100 for entire tub

So,  122 for entire pie, if I ate it all by myself in one sitting. I am not and will not do that, so I figure there are 8 servings......so that's 15 carbs per serving and 6 servings would get me just 20 carbs---not bad for something satisfying and sweet.

I'm getting older!

Sitting on the couch with my feet propped up! This has become my after supper ritual! I have been testing alot at work and let me tell you that just wears me out. I know, you would think we don't do that much while testing, but I think it just wears me down mentally. Actually y mind is going 90 to nothing from the moment I meet the kid.

I started itching on my arms this afternoon and looked down and sure enough there are hives coming. So I am taking some meds and heading to bed tonight. We had a long night (for us) last night since we attended the final running events of the district track meet. We saw some awesome races and had a good time catching up with friends. Of course, we sat on the brick wall (near the finish line), so my butt feels like it has bruises or something on it. You should have seen Coy keeping up with totals and figuring out all the possible scenarios.....those that really know him know what I am talking about. The varsity girls won for Eustace and the boys came in a close second! There are lots of Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs going on to regionals.

Coy emailed me the basketball schedule fro Grace this afternoon. Yikes!!! Do I really have a daughter going to high school next year? Plus my baby (and I mean BABY) is leaving the intermediate and going to the middle school!!!!  Yikes!!!!!!!!

Grace had a flex day today and both of the girls have them tomorrow. I was wishing this morning I had flex days.......flex days is a program Eustace participates in through TEA. They are allowed so many  "optional flex days" per year. The way Eustace uses them is for TAKS preparation (I think it's a reason their scores are so consistently good). THey plan theirs around TAKS testing and when they need more tie for the lower kids. There s criteria, like behavior, grades, attendance, etc, for a student to get the flex days off. If you get them off, you are basically counted present. If you don't you have to go and are counted absent if you don't go. EISD has participated in this for about 4 years and it seems to work well for both the students and teachers. Even if you earn a flex day you can still go to school that day for enrichment. (Ask JoGail-we've made her go just to get her AR points). Teachers seem to like it since, they get  more one on one time with the kids who need it right before the testing.

Well, it's medicine time.....I guess that means I'm getting older!!!!!!!!

Taking a deep breath!

Outside my window..it's 87 degrees and we are waiting on thunderstorms. Hopefully we will all be asleep when they all roll through. We desperately need rain. 

Today I feel.....relaxed. Ready to take on the challenges I have waiting for me at work. 

I am thankful..for my family, especially Coy. Words cannot express how my love for him has grown. From someone I prayed for daily because I hated him so much to someone I cannot imagine living without. We didn't grow up together or even in the same generation for that matter, but we have created some special memories together. He takes care of me and loves me regardless of my flaws. He even eats my cooking every now and then! (just joking) 

Tomorrow I am..working and making meat patties in gravy for supper.  Laurie B's recipe!!!!! 

I am wearing..navy shorts and a blue shirt. No shoes!!!!!

I wish..Stacia and I still lived close to one another. She would have my big butt out walking every day! I miss talking with her and Cathy. I know we can never go back to the way we were since we are all spread out, but I miss being myself with them.  I thought of those two soo many times last week when I wore a lime green shirt. I felt like I was wearing lime sherbert all day! I could have told them that and they would have had a smart remark !   

My schedule this week[end] includes..Not much! Pretty quiet week here.  Coy has a board meeting Tuesday night, church Wednesday and that's about it. I suspect I'll be tired when I come home from work since I am planning to work with some kids this week. testing kids wears me out. i guess since the whole time they are testing I am trying to figure them out and what makes them tick. 

Just  side note that Grace did awesome at her track meet! I was so proud of the effort she put out. She was all smiles and that's what I love to see! We got in around 10:30 then she had to get up and go ref Saturday! 

I need to start..remembering that God has made me an encourager and you can't do that if you're griping. Just sayin'!

I am reading..Where My Heart Belongs by Tracie Peterson. It was really good. It's a story about a prodigal sister and how hard it is to let the past be the past even when everyone involved has pure hearts and wants to let the past go.  The sad part is that life doesn't usually involve both sides having a pure heart. 

I laughed today....while talking with JoGail. She cracks me up and is a gift from God. She can lighten me heart up quickly. I also laughed when Grace picked on me. She's smiling so much these days! 

I am working on..accepting that when God tells me he will will take care of something that he will. Doesn't mean I get to sit on my duff and do nothing, but rather I am to be still and listen to what he's guiding me to do.Being still and listening is sometimes the hardest part.  Guess I am still working on that, too.....I tend to ramble on and on and on..... 

Yesterday I.. cleaned house with JoGail. We did the laundry, grocery shopped, birthday shopped for Zoie and just generally cleaned the house together. I had so much fun with her. 

I am hoping..I never forget how special my relationship with Coy is. He is so much more than I ever imagined, even the day I married him in the sweltering heat in a small Nazarene church in Buffalo Gap, TX. He is my best friend. His love for God has gotten stronger and stronger and I am so thankful. Our relationship continues to get better and stronger. I love him so much! 

I bet you didn't know..I love barbeque chicken and my PawPaw Cole used to make the best. But my mom would also make it in the oven  and I loved that and asked for it as my birthday meal for many years. I eat it over rice and with corn as a side. Nothing else--just BBQ chicken, BBQ sauce over the rice and corn on the side. Another thing my mom makes the best of is potato salad. Yes, potato salad. hers is the best and I really never even try anyone else's. My parents are coming to visit in May and I can't wait to eat some of her potato salad!!!!!!!  Of course I can't wait to see them either! There's just something about sitting around the table or living room visiting with your parents and your kids. Ok I am going on and on now, so I guess it's time to close. 

I have two specific unspoken prayer requests, please. Friends are hurting and our family needs to have the wisdom to know how to minister to them. One lives close and the other lives way far away. Both families have been crucial to our family as we have grown.. thank you! 

Sunday night 4/2/2011

Outside my window..it's 73 degrees. Supposed o have a cold front come through and the high tomorrow is 68. It's nighttime, so the stars are shining bright here in Texas! 

Today I feel.....   Puny. No other way to put it. Medicines are messing with me. Doctor is working on an appointment fro me to see the endocrinologist. Hopefully that doctor can give us some answers and direction.  I have been praying fervently the whoever I get referred to will have the wisdom needed to help me feel good all the time.  

I am thankful..my sister stopping by and visiting yesterday and Coy. He rubbed my neck tonight and it felt wonderful! I am also thankful I work with people I like. I know I say that a lot, but really the people I work with make it all better. ....afterall, we are a WOLFPACK! 

Tomorrow I am..working like a mad woman at the office. Lots of reports to get caught up on. I will also be praying continuously for my duaghters who are taking their state mandated math test toorrow. Not sure what planet TEA way on when they decided to give a test on a MONDAY, but that's the way it is. 

I am wearing..my most comfortable Marcy t shirt. It's huge. I love sleeping in it. Makes me think of her and reminds me that we never know how much tie we have here on earth. We have to make the most o our time here on earth. She sure did. Let many memories and smiles! 

I wish..I was all caught up at work. I know, that may never happen, but still a girl can wish can't she? I also wish everyone could see how Coy organized the pantry. Came home from the grocery store and he was helping me put things up when HE decided it was time to reorganize. i wasn't particularly in the mood to do that at that specific moment, but I must admit it looks much neater. Who knew we had 8 cans of rotel????

My schedule this week[end] includes..Cheering my girls on as they take their reading and math tests. Then celebrating their finishing it on Tuesday by going to the movies (during the week, oh my) to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid II. Then we have the junior high district track meet on Friday. Haven't decided for sure if I am going, it's about two hours away and since it can't start till after school it will take all night! We'll just have to see. I'll probably go if I am not too puny or wimpy. 

I need to start..walking in the afternoons.  I want to be going good when our gang started meeting up to walk this summer at the track. It's an  'odd' group of ladies, but oh the stories we tell! It's ladies I rarely even see during the school year.  What's said at the track stays at the track! 

I am reading..mostly magazines. I am reading another Lauraine Snelling book as well. It's set in the civil war era and quite frankly it's hard to read. She spells like the slaves talk. I just finished a book called The Cradle. It was ok. Weird ending, but otherwise ok. It was short. 

I laughed today....when we watched the Andy Griffith Show as a family. My girls are the only kids I know who thought Barney was Barney Fife, not the big purple dinosaur. I also laughed when we watched America's Funniest Videos. 

I am working on..realizing the my husband and daughters have a special relationship. While it's not like the one I had with my dad, it's definitely  a special one. Yes, I can tell the girls to put their clothes up or clean their rooms unti Li am blue in the face. But when he tells, they listen. Shopping with mom is also not like shopping with dad. Grace loves to clothes shop with Coy. I took her Easter dress shopping and all I heard was will daddy like it? So, they are planning on going Easter dress shopping next weekend, if time allows. I am coming to the realization that she will also want to prom dress shop with him as well. While it hurts me a little, I also realize how special it is between them. 

Yesterday I.. went grocery shopping then the reorganizing of the pantry began. Then we stopped and went to Dallas in hopes of meeting Mike and Amanda. It didn't work out, but that's ok because we'll get to see them again soon. (plus we got to eat at Hook Line and Sinker!) Then I did a ton of laundry. (Like so many I am surprised my duct taped washing machine is still holding up!) 

I am hoping..that the rest of the school year flies by. I am ready to start walking full time again! 

I bet you didn't know..I rarely eat cake. Not sure why. I just don't. My family loves it when I make a double layer devil's food cake. (Probably their favorite dessert) But I don't even lick the bowl and never taste it.