Sweet Blessings

I love you a bushel and a peck!

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've said this to my sweet girl millions of times during her life!

I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!

i Love You a Bushel and a Peck

I Only Have Eyes for You

2012-02-06T20:42:00.000-06:00

i Only Have Eyes for You

I {mustache} you a question.

2012-02-05T17:49:00.000-06:00

i Mustache You a Question

Hold Everything Lightly

2012-02-05T07:53:00.000-06:00

I love this quote by Corrie ten Boom {LOVE her}.

It's such a great reminder that the things of this earth

even those we love the most,

are temporal.

Hold Everything in Your Hands

You are MORE

2012-02-03T07:41:00.001-06:00

You are MORE.....

than the choices that you make,

than the sum of your past mistakes,

than the problems you create,

you've been remade!

Happy Birthday Sweet Dory

2012-02-02T14:24:00.000-06:00

My sweet friend Dory lives in

while I live all the way in

See how far apart they are?

WAY too far away.

Anyone know a way to move those two closer together?

Like just move a few of the states out of the way?

Today is her birthday

and it makes me super stinkin' sad

that I can't celebrate with her.

Since I can't tell her in person I thought I'd tell her here.

sweet friend!

You truly are one of my greatest earthly blessings

and I honestly don't know what I'd do without you!

I love you much and pray your day is fabulous, fun, and

full of being reminded how loved you are!

I Heart You More

2012-01-31T20:16:00.000-06:00

I love Valentine's Day!

Here a few fun little Valentines.

I love you more than........

Pinterest, Starbucks, Sonic, Chocolate, and Target!
{and that's a whole lot!}

If you'd like me to add one with a different love,
just leave a comment and I'll be happy to!

i Heart You More

Monday Morning Question of the Day

2012-01-30T10:00:00.002-06:00

{sorry there isn't a question mark- I have lots of letters, no punctuation marks!}

How WILL you? I'd love to hear!

Faith is not......

2012-01-29T08:18:00.002-06:00

Max Lucado is a wise, wise man indeed!

Faith is Not the Belief

Friday Morning Randomness

2012-01-27T07:13:00.000-06:00

This week has been super busy and a tad crazy!

1. I had a most unfortunate and ~~embarrassing~~ mortifying moment on Monday.

I won't go into ugly details but it involved me running to

the restroom VERY quickly before picking up a group of second graders,

some toilet paper that was not in the correct place,

and one of the cutest 2nd graders ever asking

"It is mouse day? Do you have a tail?"

I seriously almost died.

And as I told my friend Betty the story while she was on the elliptical at the gym

she laughed so hard I thought she was going to either a. fall off or b. pee in her pants.

I am ridiculous sometimes.

Seriously ridiculous.

2. We had a crazy storm on Tuesday morning complete with a tornado warning.

While most {sane} people were inside seeking shelter, I was outside with

three other ~~crazies~~ friends getting kids out of cars and safely in the building.

It was one of the craziest things I've ever experienced.

I've seen lots of storms from inside, but standing outside in one

with 40-50mph winds and tree limbs flying around was something else!

By the time it was over there was not a single dry spot on me-

down to my bra and panties- and over 2 inches of water standing in my boots

so I had to go home and shower and get ready all over again.

{Post storm pic....sorry for the creepy smile!}

My sweet principal was out of town and

rewarded me with a Sonic card yesterday.

How sweet was that?

3. Yesterday Tony brought something in from the mailbox

that made me super

happy!

Not a check.

Not a package.

Not a card.

Not a wedding invitation.

Nope.

It was....................

a jury summons!

I was so happy!

After being on a jury last year for a capital murder trial for over a week

and being sequestered unexpectedly for a weekend,

I so did not expect to get called again for a very long time.

It made my day!

4. I took out this recipe the other night to make cookies for a project Madison had.

Seeing it- in my mother's handwriting- made me tear up, as it always does.

I love seeing things she wrote- to me they are so precious-

as are the ones I have written by my grandmother.

I started thinking about how I'd like to use some of these

in my kitchen but I can't quite figure out how.

I thought about framing some in small frames

or about blowing them up large and framing them

or about hanging a bunch from wire inside an empty frame

or even about enlarging some and having them put on canvas

but I just can't decide.

Any ideas oh creative friends of mine?

{Seriously I'd love to hear them!}

It also reminded me that in this technology saturated world

we need to be sure to continue to hand write things.

I want to leave recipes, cards, letters, and

notes for my sweet daughter.

5. I've posted a bunch of printables over on my other blog.

Great reminders for us all!

6. My oh so sweet and very wise friend Donna has a habit of cleaning her house on Thursday night so that she can enjoy the weekend without having those chores to do.

While I love this idea in theory, putting in into practice is difficult.

I'm usually so tired by Thursday night that the last thing

I want to do is clean house....and so I don't.

But last night I soldiered on and did it and I'm so happy!

I'm going to go grocery shopping this afternoon and enjoy the weekend!

Happy Friday friends!

God Never Hurries

2012-01-22T07:14:00.001-06:00

Those who know me know that I usually move at a pretty high rate of speed.

I've been described as energizer bunny-ish.

{Sometimes I think I'm more tazmanian devilish!}

I know that when people say it, they mean it as a compliment,
however I don't really think of it as a positive trait.

It seems the older I get, the more of a hurry I seem to be in each day.

Always thinking of the task ahead of me and the task beyond that.

Of the next item on my very long list and the one after that.

Sadly I've realized that by doing that,
by working and moving so quickly and always multi-tasking,

I often miss the joy of the moment.

I miss the the joy of actually being where I am,

with the people I am with-
focused completely on them.

And so I am constantly and continually working on that.

Trying hard to be in the moment.

To enjoy where I am and what I am doing instead of thinking ahead.

Slowing down and reveling in the task and people before me.

I recently came across this quote by A.W. Tozer that

reminded me that God....He never hurries.

God Never Hurries

Wednesday Night Randomness

2012-01-18T21:45:00.002-06:00

Reading:

If you are looking for a great book to read the book my book club read for January was fabulous!

My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir

Here's the description of the story from Amazon:

After losing her high-octane job as an entertainment blogger, Noelle Hancock was lost. About to turn twenty-nine, she'd spent her career writing about celebrities' lives and had forgotten how to live her own. Unemployed and full of self-doubt, she had no idea what she wanted out of life. She feared change—in fact, she feared almost everything. Once confident and ambitious, she had become crippled by anxiety, lacking the courage required even to attend a dinner party—until inspiration struck one day in the form of a quote on a chalkboard in a coffee shop:

"Do one thing every day that scares you." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Painfully timid as a child, Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated herself to facing her fears, a commitment that shaped the rest of her life. With Eleanor as her guide, Noelle spends the months leading up to her thirtieth birthday pursuing a "Year of Fear." From shark diving to fighter pilot lessons, from tap dancing and stand-up comedy to confronting old boyfriends, her hilarious and harrowing adventures teach her about who she is, and what she can become—lessons she makes vital for all of us.

It was such a great beginning of the year story!

It truly made me think about the things in my life that scares me.

Such good food for thought!

Playing:

My friend Liz told me about the coolest game to play on my iPad

and now I am TOTALLY addicted to it!

It's called W.E.L.D.E.R.

If you like word games like Scrabble and Words with Friends you will love it!

Listening to:

My kids say the craziest things............and so do I!

This past week alone I've heard or said the following in my classroom:

-We do not do the chicken dance in GT!

{Yep. Said by me.}

-I ate my way through the holidays!

{Said by one of the funniest 6 year olds ever.}

-My mom likes to toot.....a lot. And everyone laughs.....except my dad.

{Said by one of my 3rd grade boys.

I am sure his mom would LOVE knowing he was telling that to people!}

Smelling:

I have found the best smelling candle EVER.

Seriously.

Super strong and super long lasting.

My favorite is The Market.

YUMMY!

What are you reading, playing, listening to, and/or smelling?

God's Plans

2012-01-15T08:12:00.002-06:00

Lou Giglio is a fabulous teacher and preacher whom I was blessed

to get to hear while attending Baylor in the late 80's and early 90's.

One of my favorites of his sermons is this one

A few weeks ago he tweeted the following quote and I absolutely loved it!

Such a great reminder that the stuff of today that seems so big

when you are in the midst of it,

is truly minuscule in terms of God's plans for your life.

I don't know about you but I often need that reminder!

God's plans

Ponderings on a Saturday Morn

2012-01-14T09:01:00.002-06:00

So this morning while spending a ~~little~~ ~~lot~~ ridiculous amount of time on Pinterest,

I found several of my printables posted and linked to sites other than my own.

I don't have time very often to check and see when people

re-post my things but always love finding them.

In the past when I've gone to a blog that re-posts one of my posters,
I've always found a link back to one of my blogs- which I so appreciate.
{FYI: you are always more than welcome to
re-post my things with a link! In fact, I love it when you do!}

But recently I've found a few without a link.

This morning I found a bunch that linked to a picture of one on a site

{and it was a blury bad pic} and so I left a comment.

I didn't leave a comment to be rude-

just to let them know that they could post a link to the original post

so people could print the poster if they were interested.

I immediately got a reply that wasn't exactly rude but wasn't very kind either.

To be honest, it kind of hurt my feelings.

And now I'm trying to figure out why.

All of the things I make and post I do for free.

I've had people ask me why I don't sell them on Etsy or even here on my site.

My answer has always been that I love making them,

love when I find free stuff, and love that people enjoy and use them-

so I see no reason to.

I don't watermark them because I kind

of hate things that are watermarked.

But it does kind of hurt my feelings when people post them

as if they were their own.

So the questions I am pondering this morning are:

Is that wrong?

Since I post them for free should I just not care?

Am I just being overly sensitive or

overly prideful this morning?

What do you think?

You Can't Judge

2012-01-11T18:18:00.000-06:00

Recently I was re-watching Facing the Giants
{I LOVE that movie!}

and a line from it really struck me.

I jotted it down and this afternoon I made a quick little printable.

I don't know about you, but I often need this reminder!

You Can't Judge Others

Dining Room Makeover

2012-01-10T20:04:00.000-06:00

Our house was built in the late 90's where wallpaper was all the rage.

Pretty much every bit of wall space had floral wallpaper.

EVERY stinkin' bit!

Between the wallpaper and the gold fixtures-

it was in need of a serious makeover!

Here's what this room looked like last Tuesday night

Can you believe all that wallpaper? YIKES!

So for the past week our kitchen table and chairs have been in the garage,

our china cabinet has been in our living room,

our kitchen has been relatively unusable,

and there has been a painter hanging out in our kitchen and dining room.

For someone who likes things tidy and neat-

it's been a ~~little~~ lot crazy-

but oh so worth it!

A bunch of paint, some bead board, some new lights and

here's how the same dining room looks tonight

{Sorry these pics aren't the best - I took them with my iPad.

The walls are a light gray- but it's hard to tell in this pic.

I promise once we get everything done I'll post some more pics but I just had to share!}

Isn't that amazing?

Now just wait till you see the kitchen cabinets!

10 Minute, $10 Linen Cabinet Redo

2012-01-05T10:36:00.004-06:00

I have a confession.

Although I am pretty tidy in most places,

my closets are usually not so tidy.

Case in point- this WAS one of my linen cabinets earlier today:

Shameful isn't it?

Well with less than 10 minutes of my time

and less than $10 it now looks like this:

I bought these little cubes from Walmart - 3 in a pack for less than $5.

{couldn't find them online but similar to these}.

Refolded everything neatly, got rid of three things,

added some tags I had with ribbon from my LARGE ribbon stash and voila!

And now I wonder why in the world did I take so long to do this

and what other closets can I organize this way?

WANTED: New Sign Ideas

2012-01-05T09:11:00.000-06:00

Can you believe we are still on Christmas vacation?

We don't go back until Jan. 9th !

{Isn't that FABULOUS!}

My kitchen is being renovated this week and I'm so stinkin' excited!

{Bye bye 1990's wallpaper, hello new dark gray cabinets, white bead board, and light gray walls!}

I'm in the mood to make some new printable signs but instead of

using my own list of ideas, I want to use yours!

So if you have a quote or saying or Bible verse you'd like a sign of,

Living Intentionally in 2012

2012-01-01T21:43:00.001-06:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beginning of a new year!

It's like a blank slate stretched out before me.

A brand new box of crayons, freshly sharpened.

New beginnings and a fresh start filled with so many possibilities!

Here are some of my goals for the coming year:

My verse{s} for this year are Philippians 3:12-16 {The Message}

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

What about you?

What do you hope to do, achieve, become this coming year?

Do you have a verse to focus on this year?

If so, I'd love to hear it!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:25:00.000-06:00

Carol of the Bells

2011-12-22T06:10:00.000-06:00

Hallelujah

2011-12-21T22:33:00.000-06:00

HOORAY!

2011-12-20T07:18:00.002-06:00

HOORAY!

It's the last day of school until January 9th!

And it's pajama day!

{which means I have this crazy fear I'll have a wreck on the way to school

and that I feel the need to explain myself to everyone I see!}

And I have car duty!

{So I'll get lots of crazy looks and laughs!}

Enjoy your day sweet friends!

HO HO HO

2011-12-15T19:58:00.000-06:00

With Christmas only 11 days away and two and half more days of school

{don't feel badly for us, we don't go back until Jan. 9th!}

it seems there are a 1,429,845 things to do!

But tonight, instead of wrapping or shopping or baking or cleaning
I've been sitting on my hiney making a few Christmas printables.

My geeky math teacher side loves this one!

ho3

Ruffle Tree Skirt WINNER!

2011-12-09T17:17:00.001-06:00

And the winner is........................

Comment #19 was left by my sweet high school friend Cara

who {whom?} I haven't seen in at least 22 years!

Cara is the absolutely beautiful wife of Freddie and

the mother of four amazing and talented kids!

{Cara- send me your address on FB and I'll get it in the mail tomorrow!}

I so loved reading all of your comments about what you love about Christmas

and I agree with every single one!

Thanks so much for entering and have a fabulous weekend!

Ruffled Tree Skirt Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!

2011-12-04T19:02:00.001-06:00

For the past month or two I had seen lots of ruffled Christmas skirts on Pinterest that I loved.

{I big puffy heart ruffles of all kinds!}

So when my sweet cousin Amy and I planned a craft day for the Sat. after Thanksgiving,

it was the first thing on our list of crafts to make.

After spending quite some time figuring the best way to make ruffles on a sewing machine

{tightest tension, longest stitch length}

and fighting with Amy's sewing machine bobbin-

we had finished our two ruffled skirts and they were super cute!

And truthfully, super easy!

For those interested in making your own, here's how:

Supplies:

Canvas drop cloth or piece of canvas fabric {large enough to have a 4 ft x 4 ft square}
3 yards of fabric {I used muslin but cotton or linen would also work}
sewing machine and thread
glue gun and glue sticks {lots of glue sticks}
scissors

1. Lay out your piece of canvas. We used a tree skirt of Amy's as a pattern, traced it, and cut it out. If you don't have one to use as a pattern start by making sure your fabric is a square, fold it into quarters and then into a triangle. Then cut a piece off the end in a semi-circle.

2. Take and cut off the tip in a semi-circle for the center of the tree skirt. Choose one of the sides to cut up so that you have an opening in the skirt.

3. Take your fabric and cut it into 3 inch strips. I used a rotary cutter and mat which made it go much faster. If you don't have one- I totally suggest you add it to your Christmas list!

4. Get your sewing machine out. I filled three bobbins so that when I needed them I could easily and quickly change them. Set the tension to the highest and the stitch length on your machine to the longest. Stitch about 1/2 inch from one side. As you sew....voila! You have ruffles. Continue stitching until you have a pile o' ruffles!!!

5. Starting at the outside edge of the canvas circle, hot glue the ruffles onto the canvas. Once you finish one layer, start a new one that slightly overlaps the previous one- covering the stitching.

At the end of each row, I went over the edge of the slit a bit,

so that it was more finished on the edges of the opening.

My sweet friend Dory loved the ruffled skirt

{she loves ruffles as much as I do}

so I decided to make one for her.

Since I was going to purchase the supplies to make one,

I decided to buy enough and made a second one to give away!

So if you'd like a chance to win your very own ruffled tree skirt,

just leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about Christmas!

*Only one entry per person please and if you comment anonymously, please make sure to leave your name and email for me to contact you if you win!

The giveaway ends at 5pm on Friday.

I'll pick a winner that evening

and get it in the mail to the winner on Saturday morning!

Randomness on a Thursday Night

2011-12-01T20:15:00.001-06:00

1. All of these phrases were spoken in my classroom this week by ME:

We do not talk about BOOGERS in GT!
I am not a mama duck!
QUACK!
If you touch another pencil I am going to scream!

2. I just finished making two more ruffled tree skirt like this one that I made on Saturday. Even though sewing isn't my thing, I really enjoyed making these! One is for my sweet friend Dory and one is for one of YOU! Would you like one? Come back on Monday for a GIVEAWAY!

3. Saw this quote on Pinterest and thought it was SO wise and SO true!

"The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our

behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel."

~Steven Furtick~

4. Why is it that some mornings I wake up and my hair looks pretty much like it did when I went to bed and others it looks like I put my finger in a light socket? What the heck is up with that? {I know that is SUPER random...but I seriously wondered that this am when I looked in the mirror!}

5. My sweet Daddy opened a checking account for Madison and her checks arrived in the mail today. How in the world am I old enough to have a child with checks???????

6. I'm reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and it's truly one of the best and most challenging books I've ever read. I read this section last night and can not stop thinking about it. It hit me right between the eyes!

‎"When I am consumed by my problems – stressed out by my life, my family, my job – I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a “right” to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities. Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what is happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control. Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it’s ok to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we’ve been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won’t be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God’s strength, our problems are small, indeed. Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?"

~Crazy Love, Francis Chan

Night y'all- sweet dreams!

Fair isn't....

2011-12-01T06:54:00.001-06:00

For those of you teacher friends, I posted this on

Technology Rocks. Seriously. last night.

Such a great reminder that although our kids do receive different modifications and services, it's what they truly need to be successful!

Click on the image above to take you to the post where you can print out a copy for your classroom!

I Dare You

2011-11-30T21:25:00.001-06:00

I'm reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan {SO SO SO good!} and came across this short video of him talking about Proverbs 30: 7-9 which says:

Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Such a great prayer.......but how challenging is that?

To pray only for "my daily bread"?

My Thanksgiving Wish for you............

2011-11-24T05:50:00.001-06:00

May your day be full of

sweet family and friends
your favorite foods
yummy desserts
lots of laughter
sweet memories of those not with you today
a little bit of football
a good nap
someone to wash the dishes for you

and
a happy heart
full of gratitude to the one who is the giver of all blessings!

NEVER

2011-11-21T21:22:00.001-06:00

I saw this quote on Pinterest {Pinterest = CRACK}
a few weeks ago and I've been thinking of it every since.

It's so true, isn't it?

We all have people in our lives that we are at times tempted to give up on.

It may be that student that you have worked with over and over and
over and over again that you think will never "get it"!

It may be a family member, it may be a friend, it may in fact be YOU!

But....miracles DO happen every day!

So here's a reminder that we should NEVER give up!!!

Never Give Up on Anyone

Gratitude

2011-11-18T05:30:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you but it's been a loooooong week
and I am pooped.

I needed a little encouragement today so I made this little reminder about gratitude.

It's one of my favorite quotes of all time!

Happy weekend y'all!

Gratitude Can...

Diet Cupcakes?

2011-11-16T20:39:00.001-06:00

Diet Cupcakes?

Doesn't that seem like two words that contradict each other?

Over the past few weeks I've seen lots of pins about cupcakes using a diet soda and a cake mix so tonight Madison and I decided to try it!

I used a Funfetti cake mix and 1 1/2 cups of Diet 7UP-

mixed together in the mixer.

Baked at 350 for 18-20 minutes and

we had 12 super yummy, super moist cupcakes!

I seriously don't know if anyone would notice

the lack of eggs and oil!

So so so so so good and super easy!

Today I am thankful for.................

2011-11-07T19:30:00.000-06:00

Many of my friends are listing something they are thankful for each day in November on Facebook and I just love reading what they write.

I started thinking that it would be neat to make a printable that could be placed in a frame to write on again and again during the month of November.

{like I heart you because and YOU ROCK because

and You are FABULOUS because}

Wouldn't this be fun to put on the dinner table
or in your classroom?
It would also be a great, inexpensive gift to
give to a friend or family member!
{Dollar Store frame + dry erase marker}

Today i Am Thankful For

T-shirts!

2011-11-04T07:27:00.002-05:00

My sweet friend Dory is once again going to Guatemala on a mission trip this January.

Although I can't go with her {which makes me so sad},
I'm helping her out by selling t-shirts that we designed.

The t-shirts come in both black v-neck and black crew neck.

The writing will be white except for the word LOVED, which will be in aqua.

Wouldn't these make a fabulous Christmas gift?

If you are interested in purchasing a shirt, just print out the order form below and mail it to me by November 26th. If you don't live nearby, just email me at slmfar@msn.com and I'll let you know about shipping costs!

2011 Shirt Flyer- Shannon

Randomness on a Monday Night

2011-10-31T19:24:00.001-05:00

What I'm drinking:

Turkey Hill Diet Blackberry Sweet Tea

{it is SO yummy!}

What I'm eating:

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

{yummy!}

What I'm reading:

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

{so good}

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

{great series about gifted kids}

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

{book club book for November}

What I'm listening to:

Adele 21

Come to the Well by Casting Crowns

What about you?

What are you drinking, eating, reading, and listening to?

It is True

2011-10-29T08:33:00.000-05:00

I'm reading Francis Chan's amazing book
Crazy Love

and it is truly fabulous!

He truly challenges me with every chapter and
although sometimes it is hard to read, I love absolutely it.

This is one of the quotes that keeps repeating itself
over and over and over again in my head-
such great food for thought.

God Has Called You

Storing Up Memories

2011-10-26T20:09:00.000-05:00

My sweet friend Dory came for a long weekend visit

this past weekend and it was FABULOUS!

We stayed at my sweet friend Betty's lakehouse and had a weekend full of:

LOTS and LOTS of talking
driving to another town to watch Madison dance at halftime & almost not finding the stadium in time
eating {best pie ever here- they even have pie happy hour!}
lots of antique shopping
movie watching {3 in the theater-Utopia, Dolphin Tale, The Big Year- 2 on DVD}
driving around in the golf cart {SO SO SO SO fun!}
TONS of laughing {like when I walked into the men's restroom at the movies- oops!}
GIANT metal chicken picture taking
2.5 hours spent in the McDonald's parking lot while a precious young man {along with his wife, 16 month old, and cousin} changed the starter in my car {they were truly a blessing!}
coffee and Diet Coke drinking {which meant many trips to Sonic & McDonald's}
Rummikub playing
picture taking {GIANT spur, antler tree, beautiful lake sunrise}

It was a super relaxing weekend and I loved every single minute of it!

We always have such a great time together and because we live so far apart,

I try to treasure and store up every single memory in my heart for

all those days in between our visits.

I absolutely HATED to put her back on the plane to go home.

I HATE that we live so far apart.

But I am so thankful for the time that we get to spend together

and for text messaging and email and phones

and so thankful God blessed me with such a precious friend.

I love her much!

Installing Fonts

2011-10-19T12:46:00.001-05:00

I've had some emails lately asking how to install fonts once

they are downloaded so I made a quick video to show you how!

Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

Move

2011-10-18T07:17:00.000-05:00

This is my current favorite song. I get to school pretty early each day {around 6:45} and I usually play this song 4 or 5 times before school starts. I just love the lyrics! Such a great reminder that if we keep our focus where it should be- on Him- there will be brighter days. That because of our relationship with Him, we are to move to the beat of a different drummer.

I'm not about to give up
Because I heard you say
There's gonna be brighter days
There's gonna be brighter days
I wont stop, I'll keep my head up
No, I'm not here to stay
There's gonna be brighter days
There's gonna be brighter days

I just might bend but wont break
As long as I can see your face

When life wont play along
And right keeps going wrong
And I can't seem to find my way
I know where I am found
So I wont let it drag me down
Oh, I'll keep dancing anyway

I'm gonna move (move)
I'm gonna move (move)
I'm gonna move [gonna move]

Ive got to hold it steady
Keep my head in the game
Everything is about to change
Everything is about to change
This burdens getting heavy
But I'm not about to cave
Everything's about to change
There's gonna be brighter days

No matter what may come
Gotta move to a different drum
No matter what life brings
Gotta move gotta move to a different beat
Gotta move gotta move to a different beat

Worry and Stress

2011-10-16T07:44:00.001-05:00

Worry and Stress

You Can't Take it With You

2011-10-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

My uncle passed away this week after a valiant battle with leukemia. He was an amazing & godly husband to his wife Linda (my aunt passed away 9 years ago- he was an amazing husband to her as well) and father to 3 great sons. My Daddy and I traveled to Little Rock for the funeral. We were gone for a total of 27 hours- 17 of which were spent in the car. It was great to see so much of my mom's family but it made me sad to realize how long it's been since I saw most of them- and how much I miss my Mommy.

I have three cousins and they all spoke at my uncle's funeral. They did an amazing job of sharing great things about their dad- specifically his strong faith in God and his belief in Jesus Christ. We all left the funeral feeling like we truly celebrated my uncle's life!

My middle cousin Greg shared a story that was absolutely hysterical and had us all laughing through our tears!

He first shared that when he married his wife years ago he was changing out of his tuxedo at the end of the reception he realized that although he had a jacket and slacks, he had no shirt. So his sweet Daddy literally gave him "the shirt off of his back"- which wasn't surprising at all given his nature.

Greg then shared that this past Wednesday night while staying at his Dad and step-mother's house he opened the closet door of the room he was staying in to get out his outfit for the viewing the following day. When he opened the closet door he found that his suit was not there. As he stared into the closet he had a sinking feeling. He quickly turned to his older brother and said...."Which closet did Linda get dad's suit out of?" To which his brother replied "This one!"

Greg grabbed the phone and immediately called the funeral home. Since it was 1:30am he reached their answering service and left a message. He eventually received a return call from someone at the funeral home who told him "I am so sorry but YOUR suit.....is on your dad. And you know....we alter those suits."

And so although they say "You can't take it with you!" - my uncle definitely did! He was buried wearing his son's suit!

(One of my favorite parts of this story is that Linda (my uncle's wife) did not know this had happened until my cousin told the story at the funeral! He told her "I know you wanted my dad to be buried in the suit you were married in, but he wasn't". So funny!)

How to Get Women to Exercise

2011-10-12T06:01:00.000-05:00

Font Questions

2011-10-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

I've had several people email recently

to ask what fonts I used in my

See You Later Alligator poster and

my Class Rules poster

so I thought there were probably others who wondered too

so........I figured I'd post them here.

I love fonts!

What are you favorite fonts right now?

Instant Focus

2011-10-09T19:58:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you but I often get so caught up in the insanity of life and the long list of all that I have to do. So focused on my to-do list that I forget what is truly important. This past week something happened that instantly and completely changed my focus- and although it was scary- I am thankful for God's reminder.

It was Monday afternoon. I picked up Madison from school and then we ran by Hobby Lobby to pick up something I needed for a project I was working on for a friend. As we got in the car to go home I asked Madison if she wanted to drive. She's been rather hesitant to drive and as she said "no" I considered forcing her to- but thankfully didn't.

We headed home on the highway. Right before the exit we take to our house, the main road through our town merges with the highway from the right. So we were right before the merging takes places, in the right lane when a large truck pulled ahead of us in the left lane. It was an 18 wheeler that was carrying some sort of heavy equipment {maybe a crane?} and was throwing rocks behind it! Not small pebbles, but big ROCKS! Like the size of a golf ball!

I immediately started slowing down- saying something about how ridiculous and dangerous it was that they were throwing these huge rocks! The brand new car directly in front of me started to swerve- in order to miss some of the rocks- and started to lose control of their car. As they started to swerve I said "OH no!" but assumed they would correct and get back in the lane.

Instead of that happening, the driver completely lost control- careening across the merging lane, the shoulder, and driving into the large ditch next to a large concrete divider wall at about 70mph. I started yelling "OH my goodness NO!" when the car slammed into the concrete wall, bounced off of it and flipped around and came to a stop facing the wrong direction in the ditch.

I immediately pulled over - as quickly as I could- yelled at Madison to "STAY IN THE CAR and call 911!" and started running towards the car. As I started running towards the car- I saw that it was smoking and I noticed no one was getting out of it- which scared me. I ran back to my car, grabbed my phone and took off running again.

The ditch I was running through had tall dead grass that went up to about my knees. As I ran I prayed for the people in the car- not sure what I would encounter when I arrived there. I got to the smoking car and was shocked to see an older man and woman sitting in the front seat- alert and conscious.

I tried to open the drivers door but it was locked. Tried the driver side back door which was also locked. I ran around to the other side to find the passenger side completely demolished from slamming into the wall- the window broken but both doors also unable to open. As smoke rose from the car- I called 911- worrying that the car would catch on fire with the couple inside.

As I was on the phone, the man in the car was also on his cell phone with 911- as was Madison who I could see sticking her head out of the car looking back at the wreck- but following my directions not to get out of the car. {The 911 operator also told her not to get out of the car!} Thankfully it wasn't too long before a policeman showed up and together we were able to get the couple out of the car. Many other emergency vehicles soon followed- a firetruck and ambulance included.

Thankfully, other than being shaken up the couple was in pretty good shape- although the wife had some cuts from the glass and some bruising from the seat belt and air bag. The paramedics checked their blood pressure to make sure they were okay and asked to transport the wife to check her out at the hospital. I filled out a witness report for the police describing what happened. The sweet couple kept thanking me for stopping- and the gentleman hugged me before I left which I thought was so very sweet of him. I walked back to my car and to Madison and thanked God for protecting that sweet couple.

In the time that it took for the accident to occur, my focus went from the 100's of things I needed to accomplish that night to what really mattered- people. It was such a huge reminder that all the junk we add to our schedule is just junk- and people are what truly matter. I know that in my heart but sometimes think I get so focused on the tasks I need to accomplish and checking them of my to-do list, that I forget to focus on the people in my lives and those strangers God places around me.

My prayer every day since then has been for God to open my eyes to the people around me that He wants and needs me to see. So thankful for His reminder. He is so good!!

There is ALWAYS a choice....

2011-10-04T18:59:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Leslie for this great quote!

Such a great reminder to kids AND adults!

I LOVE it!

There is Always a Choice

WhatTheFont app

2011-10-02T19:59:00.001-05:00

I just came across the COOLEST app ever!

WhatTheFont is a FREE app that allows you

to identify the font used in a photo or graphic.

How neat is that?

Courageous

2011-10-02T08:58:00.003-05:00

My sweet hubby and I went to see the new movie Courageous yesterday.

It's the new movie by the creators of "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof"-
both of which were fabulous Christian movies.

My favorite thing about the movies produced by Sherwood Baptist Church is that they very clearly
share the gospel of Christ- no beating around the bush.

We figured that we would love Courageous and we so did!

The theater was packed and several shows were sold out- which makes me so happy!

You definitely NEED to go see it! Seriously.

But be warned- you will need Kleenex- LOTs of Kleenex!

Wherefore art thou fall?

2011-09-28T20:13:00.001-05:00

Y'all it's the END of September

and it's STILL hot.

Ridiculously hot.

This was the temp yesterday:

And here is my sock monkey loving girl wearing the

super cute new ear muffs her grandmother sent her.

At this rate she may never get to wear them.

Fall, fall, wherefore art thou fall?

The person you encounter.....

2011-09-28T20:05:00.003-05:00

Such a great reminder that people and things

aren't always what they seem!!

The Person You Encounter

Randomness on a Tuesday Night

2011-09-20T19:32:00.001-05:00

1. Strep sucks. Oh wait....I'm sorry. Let me use my "formal register" {ie: appropriate words}. Strep inhales greatly.

2. Having multiple kids email you to find out the cool website you used in class that day is awesome!{It was a catapult simulation and was very fun!} Technology rocks!

3. If a student emails me 16 times in the span of and a half days to ask for my cell phone number so I can face time with her there is 100% chance I will NOT give it to her. {Can you image how much she would call me?}

4. Just because someone doesn't do something the way you would do it, doesn't mean it's wrong. Just be happy they did it! {Reminder to myself!}

5. My dad {Remember him?} He is now on Facebook. Seriously. Isn't that CRAZY? I seriously had Madison call him when I got the request email to make sure he hadn't been kidnapped! Go Daddy go!

6. I just Googled the question "Why is deer sausage so smelly?" Unfortunately Google does not know. Does anyone? {I thought Google knew everything?}

7. Totally going to make these 7-Up Biscuits soon. YUMMY!

8. This song is beautiful. I big puffy heart it! And YOU!

2011-09-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

Overheard in my classroom today:

Cute little 1st grade girl with a bit of a speech problem said

"I'm six years old".

Little boy sitting next to her misheard her and said

"You are sexy and old?"

Ordinary vs Extraordinary

2011-09-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

I love this little quote by Jimmy Johnson.

What a great reminder that putting in a little extra effort can have miraculous results!

Ordinary and Extraordinary

Observations from the Teacher on Morning Car Duty

2011-09-12T07:23:00.000-05:00

I love morning car duty.

Seriously I do.

I love getting kids out of cars and telling them to have a great day.

I truly would do it every day {I only do it every other week}

because I think it's a great way to start the day.

While doing morning duty I have observed a few interesting things.

Lots of kids eat breakfast on the way to school and some people eat VERY interesting things. My favorite thus far was the little girl yesterday morning eating a bag of microwave popcorn. Dude, I like popcorn but....for breakfast?
LOTS of kids don't sit in booster seats and LOTS sit in the front seat that really shouldn't be. As a mom who didn't let her daughter sit in the front seat until she was 13 I know I was a ~~little~~ ~~tad~~ ~~bit~~ lot overprotective but aren't they supposed to be
in booster seats when they are little?
Please put them in the back seat!
I love hearing the sweet things moms/dads and kids say as they are getting out of the car each morning. I hear lots of "Have a good day!" and "Learn something today!" and "Behave yourself!". My favorite is a super cute little kindergarten girl whose mom always says "God bless you today!" and the little girl replies
"God bless you today too mama!".
So sweet!
Many people have SERIOUS trash in their cars. I mean we all have stuff in our car but some people have so much their kiddos can't even get out of the car without knocking trash out. Maybe we need a car hoarders TV show?
We get the kids out of the car each morning so the parents can stay in the driver seat and keep the line moving but every once in a while a parent will stop and get out. Tuesday I had a dad stop, get out, walk around the car {which was blocking the others from continuing}, pull out his pocketknife and cut off his daughters hanging fingernail. Random. Seriously random.And noticing these things makes me think....

I wonder what teachers have observed about me while I was dropping Madison off at school? Hmmm..................

A Prayer for September 11th

2011-09-11T08:08:00.000-05:00

Praying for Rain

2011-09-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

I was going to write a silly little post about something funny

that happened today at school but y'all I just couldn't.

My heart is just too heavy.

If you live in Texas you know that it's been a hot and dry year.

Seriously, I have lived in Texas all of my 41 years

and never can I remember it being so hot

{65+ days over 100 degrees} and so ridiculously dry.

It hasn't rained seriously since the beginning of the year.

Everything is brown and dead.

Because it's so hot and so dry here in Texas there have been fires sprouting up all over the state. There are so many that if you walk outside, you smell smoke.

This past weekend because of the tropical storm in the gulf it was super windy.
Super hot + super dry + super windy = fires.
Fires that spread quickly and can't be contained.
There was one about a mile from our house on
Sunday but luckily it was quickly contained.
There is one about an hour away in Bastrop, Texas
however that is still 0% contained and is massive-
24 miles by 20 miles.
It has burned down over 600 homes and killed at least 2 people.
Firefighters from all over the the country
have flooded the area to help.

I have friends who have had to pack up and leave their homes-

not knowing if they'd be there when they returned.

I have friends of friends whose homes burned in just moments.

I just can't imagine y'all.

I know the things in our houses are just things

but it's just so horrible.
{A few pics of the fire are here and here.}

So would you please pray with me for some rain here in Texas

and specifically for the Bastrop fire?

For those fighting the fire and for all those

who have lost so much because of it.

Dear Lord, please have mercy on us!

Never Judge a Book...

2011-08-31T21:07:00.001-05:00

Can I get an amen?

Never Judge

The first week of school is like childbirth because....

2011-08-27T19:38:00.000-05:00

I posted this on Facebook the other night

and the responses were awesome and so spot on!

The first week of school is like childbirth because.......

...it seems to last forever.

...it is so challenging while you are in the middle of it.

but seems to have flown by after the fact.

...it sneaks up on you!

...it is best done with a partner.

...the preparation is extensive! The week is exhausting...you can barely remember it once it is over. Sometimes you cry....but most of all....at the end of both....you simply get to sit quietly with your sweet kiddos and love on them because that's all they want too.

...lasts forever and is a pain in the.....

...there are never enough narcotics to get through all the pain.

...the pain is excruciating but the results are priceless.

...you plan and you plan but in the end somethings

just happen that are out of your control!

...once you see sweet baby's face...automatic love!

...in the end it's all worth it!

...once it's over you realize it's only the beginning.

It's so true- the first week of school is super

exhausting and crazy but also super wonderful.

My favorite comment this week came from

one of my little gifted 1st graders

who is SUPER adorable.

As I helped him out of the car the other morning he said

"I noticed that your name is Mrs. Long

and you are short.

And I know a first grade teacher who is named

Mrs. Short and she is long.

Isn't that interesting?"

He cracks me up! What a fun 6 year old!

My least favorite comment came from

a lady in the car rider line one afternoon.

It was 106 degrees and it was miserable.

I was walking down the super long line of cars

writing kids names on cards for them to put

in their front windows so that it would speed the line up.

I had sweat rolling down every single part of my body.

I walked to her window smiled and said:

"Would you like for me to make a sign for your window?"

{Should not have asked. Big mistake!}

She said:

"No....I had one last year and it kept falling down

and getting in my way.

It just didn't work for me."

I stood there staring at her.

{and thinking "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

DO YOU THINK STANDING OUT HERE IN THE 106 DEGREE HEAT WORKS FOR ME?"}

She continued:

"I know it makes things easier for y'all

but it just doesn't work for me. Sorry!"

and she rolled up her window and drove on.

I can't wait till next week when if she doesn't have a card,

she will have to park her car, walk inside,

and show her ID in order to pick up her child!

Wonder how that will work for her?

Happy weekend y'all!

Happiness is a Choice

2011-08-26T07:22:00.000-05:00

Even if I am exhausted, my feet hurt, I have a sore throat, it's a thousand degrees outside, and my to-do list is miles long, today I choose to be happy!

You?

Happiness is a Choice

You are FABULOUS because....

2011-08-23T19:16:00.001-05:00

The elementary school that I teach at turns
50 this year and our theme is
"50- Not a day over fabulous!"

So I tweaked my You Rock Because......

printable from this post to fit our theme.

{If you want to save this as a jpg to print- just right click on this image and choose Save As}

One day last week during staff development for teachers at my school, the principal, counselor, and I quietly left the training session and went to each teacher's classroom. We placed a framed copy of this printable at each door. My fabulous principal spent the night before writing on each frame one thing that she appreciates about each staff member. The hope is that each teacher will use it to celebrate the successes of the students in their classroom.

The neatest thing is that in every classroom I have walked into since that day,
I've seen a frame proudly displayed.

And I love that.

Because it was truly a simple gift to give the teachers but it so reminded me that each of us truly craves and values and needs to be reminded that we are fabulous in the eyes of others around us.

So today...just know...you ARE fabulous!

You Are Fabulous

A Prayer for the First Day of School

2011-08-21T19:28:00.000-05:00

{I did not write this and don't know who did.

I found it a few years ago online and oh how I love it!}

Prayer for the First Day of School

I love you more than Sonic

2011-08-18T22:48:00.000-05:00

Made this fun little sign tonight for my sweet girl.
Because I do love her...even more than Sonic!
{and everyone knows I love Sonic...lots!}

i Love You More Than Sonic

Well....he's got the hang of emailing....sorta.

2011-08-16T19:53:00.003-05:00

So yesterday my husband got an email from my sweet,

new-to-email Daddy.

{of course he called to tell me he had emailed Tony}

Here's the email he sent.

Notice anything?

No message.

Well....there was a message.

It was just in the subject line.

Nothing in the body of the email.

Nothing.

Anyone want to volunteer to tell him you write in the body, not in the subject line? :)

I {heart} my Daddy

2011-08-15T07:32:00.000-05:00

The good news is that my sweet Daddy has

NOT thrown his new laptop computer across the room

or mailed it to me.

Each time he emails one of us however,

he calls to tell me.

I don't have the heart to tell him that calling

kind of defeats the purpose of emailing.

I {heart} that man!

NO.........

2011-08-13T21:09:00.000-05:00

I saw this sign posted on the wall of a sweet friend's

house at book club the other night-

right outside of her kitchen.

Her sweet 6 year old son wrote it

and taped it to the wall after a particularly vigorous round

of dancing she did while cooking one night.

Can you tell what it says?

So stinkin' cute!

Think Outside the Box

2011-08-13T20:20:00.000-05:00

I've always told my students to

think outside the box

so I thought this would be a great poster to make

to hang in my new classroom as a reminder to us all!

Polka Think Outside the Box

Step AWAY from the Computer Daddy

2011-08-07T20:02:00.000-05:00

My sweet Daddy is one of the most amazing men I've ever met.

He seriously can make or do anything.

When I was little, I honestly believed he could fix ANY and EVERY problem.

Technology, however, is not his friend.

Several years ago he bought a laptop and

although we showed him how to use it many times

and had lots of phone calls about how to use it,

one day it arrived in the mail with this note:

which totally cracked me UP!

Well several years have gone by since then

and last week my sweet Daddy purchased another laptop.

When I called him tonight and asked how he was, his answer was
"Aggravated."

When I asked why, he said that he couldn't log in to his email.

After a bit of discussion, I finally advised him to

"STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER"

when he mentioned he was ready to rip the cover off of it.

Wonder how long it will be before I get another package in the mail for Madison?

Before you Speak: THINK

2011-08-06T21:29:00.001-05:00

I saw this saying on Pinterest earlier today and
knew I had to make it into a printable sign.

Such wise advice....for kids and adults alike!

Before You Speak Think

{If you don't know about Pinterest, it's fabulous, fun, and VERY addicting!

If you'd like an invitation leave me a comment

with your email address & I'll send you one.

You can find my boards here.}

Downloading Issues?

A few people have had problems downloading this from Scribd

{might be a Mac issue?}

so if you have trouble here are a few alternatives:

1. Download from Google Docs here.

2. Leave me a comment with your email address and I'll send it to you.

{or email me and I'll reply}

3. Right click on the smaller image and save it as ajpeg.

You ROCK because......

2011-08-02T17:59:00.003-05:00

Earlier this year I posted an idea I saw

on Etsy called I {heart} you because......

to use with your family.

You just buy a frame,

{Walmart or the Dollar Store or even spray paint a frame you already have}

print out the card in whatever size your frame is & place it in the frame.

Add a thin dry erase with a cute ribbon and it's ready to go!

You just write on the glass the reason you love someone

along with their name, and simply erase when you want to change it!

I started thinking that I'd like to use something like

this in my classroom each day as a way to celebrate successes

and came up with this!

I printed it out at Walgreens and placed it in an 8 x 10 frame.

I'll use it each day to celebrate a success

of one of my students.

I thought some of you might like to use it for your kiddos at home so here it is!

You Rock Because

Printing Signs as Pictures?

2011-08-02T17:43:00.004-05:00

I've had a few emails asking if the signs were

high enough resolution to be printed as pictures

{like at Walgreens or Wal-mart}.

I wasn't sure so I tried a few out today!

I printed out the Sonic sign

{with a polka dot heart to match my room}

in an 8 x 10 and the wash your hands sign in a 4 x 6

and both came out fabulous!

I printed mine at Walgreens

and the 4 x 6 was only 19 cents and

the 8 x 10 was $1.59.

To print a poster as a picture you will need to just open each one in Adobe

and then go to Save As

and choose JPEG from the drop down list of choices.

I have Adobe Acrobat Pro and it's one of the options for me. I'm not sure if it is Adobe Reader but I'll check the next time I'm at school on a different computer.

Another option is to go to the blog post of the poster you'd like to save as a picture and right click on the small image of it and choose Save Image As from the list of options.

If neither of those work, just leave me a comment

{or email me}

with your email address and which posters you want

and I'll be happy to send them to you as JPEG files.

Please Wash your Hands

2011-08-01T20:37:00.002-05:00

I've been finishing up signs for my classroom and made this one

to go by the sink in a super cute Ikea frame.

I'll post a picture of it soon!

And I've got a really cute printable to share tomorrow-
it may be my favorite!

Wash Your Hands

Random Act of Kindness Followup

2011-07-31T16:23:00.000-05:00

I shared the other day the fabulous belated random act of kindness my sister

did last week for my birthday.

Today she sent me a follow up that the man she helped posted on FreeCycle.

So very sweet and such a great reminder that helping others-

even when it seems to be something very small

can truly make a huge difference!

THANK YOU ALL

I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of those
kindhearted and compassionate people that had responded to my "WANTED"
postings. For the past several years I have been quite active in helping
others in need of a wide range of items. I felt that I was bless with
abundance and with that I was charged to assist those that most
desperately needed my help. Recently, due to circumstances beyond my
control and in part from over-extending that helping hand to others
found myself to be in need. This has been going on for several months
now and will continue through September/early October before I can see
my way out of this situation. I resisted making a posting on
Freecycle.org - I suppose that it was some degree of pride. Once I
prayed about it and humbled myself I made the request. Our "Houston"
group/community responded immediately and it was quite overwhelming to
me to see the number of people that care about complete strangers that
have a wide range of needs. A few of you I had the opportunity to spend
some time with and I must say that there is a spirit about you that is
quite peaceful and calming. I KNOW where the supply come from and am so
very grateful that He had chosen you to be the vehicle from which I
received these blessings. Believe me when I tell you, I cried, I cried a
lot - tears of joy that is! To know that I have brothers and sisters out
there that want the best for me and care enough to take time out of their
busy lives to see to it that my most desperate needs were met. I am
forever grateful and have prayed that you will receive your harvest soon
and that it too will be so much more than you'll need and it will be
paid forward to others in need. (To KR, our belief system is different
but allow me the opportunity to express my thanks in this manner.) To
the beautiful soul that I met in the WalMart parking lot on Hillcroft:
Your sister also receives my thanks for requesting those 40 to 50 random
acts of kindness for her birthday. When we met I had no idea what you
had intended to do and whenever you revealed what you had done,not only
did I swell up inside with tears I was so overwhelmed, humbled and yet
overjoyed and cried almost the entire evening. Each time I take a bite
of that food I give thanks for you and your sister. To the college
student that brought a doggy bed and doggie sweaters as an extra items,
thank you. they fight over the bed but now manage to BOTH get in it! I
put the sweaters on them and they walked around in circles looking at
each other as if to say, "I look good, don't I Sis?". It was a beautiful
thing to watch. To my neighbor that had made several packages for me, I
am also blown away that it was not just once but 4 times that you
thought of me and sent something over - by he way, your children are
beautiful and very well mannered. I shall close now but will always
remember the kindness that you have shown me and I hope and pray that
someone shall return the favor in kind to you in future days. May you
all continue this beautiful journey called life with peace and grace.
Thank you. Jim

Quotes ~ Part 4

2011-07-27T17:09:00.002-05:00

This is the end of the quotes I've done.....at least for now.

But I have a few other things to share- hopefully tomorrow!

it's okay

Dare to Be Remarkable

My Sweet Sister

2011-07-26T05:56:00.002-05:00

For my 41st birthday most of you know I did

41 Random Acts of Kindness {and 40 last year}

and asked my friends and family to each do

one random act of kindness in honor of my birthday.

It truly is the best gift EVER- knowing others are blessed!

Well today I received the BEST

belated Random Act of Kindness email from my sister.

It was so very sweet it brought me to tears.

She is precious and I love her!

Here is what she did in her own words:

A very delayed RAoK. :-)

So, this post showed up on my local Freecycle list.

"[HoustonFreecycle] WANTED: Extra Food and Juices/Drinks ( near her house)

No money left for groceries til first week in August. Need any unwanted or extra items that you will not need. Good peanut butter (creamy), jams, snack foods, cookies, ground beef, pork, chicken, etc. Haven't eaten meat in about 1 month. Milk (whole). Local pantries nearly empty and cannot make meals out of offerings. I'm HIV+ due to transfusion in 1980 and good nutrition is imperative to those living with this. I never dreamed that I would be asking for help in this area and I am greatly humbled /embarrassed in doing so. Thank you."

I thought about it for a day. I mean, you never know about people on Freecycle. They could be lying or whatever. I finally decided that it couldn't hurt to email the person and find out more, especially since they don't live far away.

We traded a few emails and he gave me a small grocery list. He said that food pantries give out things (like meal mixes) that need other things (like meat or milk) to become a meal, which meant that he needed odd stuff. So, I took his list and went to the Walmart Neighborhood Market. I bought just about everything on his list. Granted, most of it was store brand, but it was food.

He met me in the parking lot of the store to get the groceries. I was handing him bags to put in the back of his car and he seemed surprised when I kept handing them to him. I finally had to explain that everything in the cart was for him, that I did my own shopping last week. He almost started crying because he couldn't believe it. He talked about paying me back on the 3rd, when he gets his next disability check, but I told him not to worry about it, to just pay it forward. Then I told him about my sister and her RAoK. :-)

He asked if he could give me a hug (I said yes), we chatted for a few minutes and then we both went our separate ways. I'll probably never see him again, but I was able to help him out with food for the next 11 days and that's what is important.

So there's my RAoK for your birthday. It's the best $50 I ever spent. :-)

Isn't that awesome? I love her so!

Quotes ~ Part 3

2011-07-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

hide not

Because We Are Curious

The Questions Are Complicated

Quotes ~ Part 2

2011-07-24T16:26:00.000-05:00

hard work

work hard

The Important Thing

Quotes ~ Part 1

2011-07-24T15:25:00.001-05:00

I love quotes and always have them posted in my classroom.

Here are three I just finished and plan

to hang in my classroom.

Learning is Not

Use What Talents

You Learn Something