More house pics!

Gregg is away today (Eagles vs. Steelers game), so I thought there was no better time than now to update everyone on the house! We're locked into a settlement date of October 20th! That is now officially less than a month away! Last week, we snuck in during the evening (shhhhh! don't tell anyone!) to get some pics now that the drywalling is done! I can't believe how much bigger it looks now with the drywall in, than it did before when it was just the 2x6s and plywood on the floor.

The garage


















Looking from the kitchen into the living room


















The dining room...I already have our furniture all picked out for this room! :)


















Another shot of the living room


















The guest bathroom tub/shower
























The laundry room (upstairs) - I love this green shade of drywall they've been using - I think it must have something to do with being the kind for damper rooms - anyone out there know?! :)


















The office


















Master bedroom...don't you love the pile of builder's garbage right where our bed will be?


















The stairwell
























And my lovely corner tub (and after posting this, I realize that it looks like it's a sink, not a tub! I was going to stand in it for comparison, but DH wouldn't let me)

What parents see vs. reality

Parent interaction & feedback has been my Catch 22 all throughout my years (this will be #7!!) working in some capacity as a teacher. Meet-the-teacher Night, parent conferences and class programs rank right up there for me under root canals and gynecological exams on the painful/uncomfortable scale...ok, so I never really had a root canal, but I'm speaking on behalf of all of those unfortunate souls there who have had one; I'm guessing they're not exactly a walk in the park. You just never know what they're going to say...you work SO hard trying to build their child up and with one fell swoop, they come and break you down. HARD.

On the other hand, of course, parent interaction gives you a great opportunity to hear some excellent feedback and to give some feedback of your own. Graduation night last year was one prime example of that. My students' parents rallied together to present me with a $100 Target Gift Card as a year-end gift! It was so thoughtful! But even more meaningful were the kind words that so many of the parents had to say...my favorite was, "I don't know what you did with our son, but he's like a new man since having you - he's made such a complete turn around and we are just so thankful for all of the wonderful things you did this year for him. I know that he's really ready for kindergarten now." And I have the opportunity to give parents reassurance and feedback, as well.

But, there comes a time, (and a kid) where it's tough to come up with something positive and constructive to tell a parent. After all, these are their babies whom can often do no wrong. Parents don't always want to hear the painful truth (even if it is tactfully disguised and encoded in our most diplomatic, constructivist jargon). In honor of this time-honored truth, I give you two versions of my weekly newsletter...

The newsletter to the parents:
This week in preschool...
*We learned about the letter Bb, read story called Bubble Bear, listened to a Bb song and brainstormed a list of Bb words.
*We colored our Bb page blue, black and brown.
*We explored our world using our five senses: taste, touch, sight, hearing, and smell.
*We learned about the number zero, watched a quick movie about the number zero, and practiced making zeroes on a coloring page.
*We worked hard each day to become better listeners and better friends.
*We had Physical Activity time with silly songs and stretches.

The newsletter the teacher wishes she could write:
This week in preschool...
*Your child's teacher came up with a list of adjectives starting with Bb to describe the children's behavior. They are as follows: bad, brutal, belligerent, bitter, base and blasphemous. Several other children could be described as: benevolent, blissful and beautiful, but not yours. We're working on that.
*Most of the children colored their Bb pages blue, black and brown. Your child instead decided to color his arms, hands and table blue, black, and brown...pretty much anything but the Bb page.
*Your child explored our classroom using many of his five senses. He tasted his friends' snack without permission, touched the teacher's pointer and broke it, heard the teacher send him to time out, and saw his friends playing outside from the comfort of the picnic table while spending time in aforementioned time out. He also smelled the sweet scent of freedom when his teacher finally sent him to play after 4 minutes of torturous imprisonment.
*Your child's teacher reviewed the number zero by pointing out that she had ZERO desire to come to work several days this week, due to sleep deprivation and disgust at a certain child's belligerent behavior.
*Your child's teacher wanted to help the children work harder on being better listeners, and planned thusly by implementing activities designed to hone your child's listening skills. The only problem was that your child was finished with the activity before Mrs. S had even finished giving the directions. When asked why she had chosen to work ahead, "Wellllll...it was reaalllly easyyy and I wanted to do it THIS wayyyy." (In case you were wondering "THIS wayyyy" was not "MY wayyy" and landed your child in time out).
*Mrs. S got lots of physical activity by chasing your child around the classroom and play yard when he refused to sit at circle time and line up after play time was over. Someone give me a weekend!

Preschool-ism...

From time to time, my kids will just say something that makes me laugh...today was the first of the year! My little 3-year-old, Noah (who cried on the first day, but his mom said was SO excited to get out of bed and come to school today) excitedly said, "Hey Mrs. S, guess what? I brought Fin Gewtons for my snack today!" (for the preschool illiterate, that is 3-year-old speak for fig newtons!) Too, too cute!

And a few house pics...just for fun :)

This is our living room & the back door



The steps leading up to the 2nd floor & down to the basement - they will be hardwood with a carpet runner :)



This is the dining room


This is the master bath with my AWESOME corner tub under the sky light above!!! (can you tell I'm excited about that part?)



This is one of the spare bedrooms

Firsts...

First, let me start off this post of "firsts" by saying that I am SO sorry to have abandoned you all for a while. I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth...in my own defense, if you know any other teachers, you know that we're all MIA right around this time of year. Not the best of excuses, I know, but thanks for bearing with me.

I have been absolutely swamped and overwhelmed by work. My new work schedule has me up at 5:15 every morning and if you know me, you know I'm NOT a morning person, so that aspect has been painful, to say the least. I work before-school daycare from 6:30-8:30, then I teach from 9-11:30, then I have prep until 12:30, which also includes a few daycare responsibilities, such as setting up the nap room.

I successfully managed to get a week of "firsts" under my belt. I had my first, first day with the 3 year olds (since I didn't start off teaching 3s last year, I never had them on the first day) and it was interesting to say the least. Do you happen to recall the blog post about the boy whose mom wanted me to give him M&Ms for successful trips to the potty because he's "just starting to get the hang of it"? Well, guess what? 10 minutes after we got back from our group bathroom break on Tuesday, the kid pooped his pants! Oh yes he did. Not only that, but earlier in the day, I discovered that he didn't know how to drink out of a real cup, when he repeatedly spilled apple juice all down his front. So when we took the group trip to the bathroom, I used his spare change of clothes to change him...which meant that of course I didn't have any other clothes to put him in when he had his second accident. Luckily for me, his twin brother (who is potty trained and who does know how to drink out of a cup, mind you) had his change of clothes in his backpack as well, so we used those. THEN, on Thursday, we went accident free, but he now decides that he's going to be a demon-child and make me chase him around the classroom just for kicks and giggles. After the second time, I marched him (along with my whole class) down to talk to my director...and that talk sunk in and worked for about 2 minutes and then he was up to his old tricks. I have to keep telling myself that tomorrow will be a better day (and that I only have the 3s, two days a week).

I also had my first two days with the 4 year olds and they are amazing! I have two or three of them who are already reading & I just love them to pieces. Today was a bit of a crazy day because we didn't have time to do all of the things that I wanted to get to (due to having gym class), but the kids were flexible and did a good job! There is just SUCH a difference between the threes and the fours & I really can't get over it! I think I would teach fours full-time if I could!

And as my final "first" of the week - we had our first glimpse of the inside of our new home! They took us on a walk-through last Friday. It's the point after the electricians are in, before they drywall, when we meet with the builders and start getting a feel for the layout of everything. It was awesome to see and we really can't wait to be in! I'll leave you with a few pics & I'll upload more later!

This pic gives you an idea of the siding color (tan) - where you see insulation is where the stone will be :)

Reducing Stress

Sorry - I've been a lazy blogger the past couple of times, just doing a cut & paste, but I got this email forward from my mom & I thought it was a good reminder to all of us...especially the teachers just starting out their school years!

Christian Ways to Reduce Stress...

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus ."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33 . Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

Perhaps...

Perhaps it could be that maybe, just maybe God is trying to tell me something. This came in my email today via Joel & Victoria Osteen's daily devotional...

Without Wavering

Today's Scripture

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NKJ).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

God knew there would be times when we would be tempted to waver in our confession of hope. Maybe you are believing for something and you’re starting to think, “Is this really for me? Will this really ever happen?” If that’s you today, remember, He who promised is faithful! And His faithfulness doesn’t depend on your ability to figure it all out. His faithfulness doesn’t depend on the plans we can make or the scenarios we can come up with; He’s faithfulness depends on His Word which never changes! Declare His Word and hold on to your confession of hope today. Be confident that God can make a way when there seems to be no way. Even when your mind may waver, don’t allow your confession to waver. Declare that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Declare that He Who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it. Remember, there is power in your words and power when your words are in agreement with His Word. As you hold on to your confession of hope, you’ll see His faithfulness, and you’ll move forward into victory in every area of your life.

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. I choose to guard my confession, and I will declare hope in Your Word. I trust that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf and thank You for victory in every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The peaks and the valleys

As I'm sure I've said a million times on here before, this infertility walk, like all things in life, definitely comes with its share of highs and lows. Obviously, the lows are both more frequent and more prominent, and today seems like one of those days.

I'd been doing so well, what with all the distractions of the house and the impending start of school - I didn't really have much time to think about infertility, babies, barrenness, etc. Even the passing of our miscarriage anniversary wasn't as hugely monumental and emotional as I had thought it would be (speaking in relative terms, anyway). But then, for some reason, life just starts punching you and reminding you of those old, unhealed bruises...and you're once again made aware of how brutal this reality is. This weekend, reality hit me again...hard.

First, on Friday, I get an email from a longtime (since elementary school) friend whom I haven't heard from since Christmas or so. I had been trying to send her emails for a while now, but she had gotten her address changed. Finally, I received something from her in the mail this week, which had been sent to our old address & forwarded to where we are now. It had her new email address on it, so I wrote to see how she was. She had told me last time I had talked to her that they were trying for #2...and now apparently they're still trying and have found out just how much of a miracle baby #1 was. Apparently, her DH has a prostate infection (which is now being treated) and she isn't ovulating, so they're off to the clomid route very shortly.

And this is where the old (back in the day) Teri meets the new (bitter, cynical, infertile) Teri. Part of me wants to hug and kiss this dear, sweet girl because I, too, know the heartache that she's feeling. To try and try and try to do what is supposedly so natural, but to no avail. And she is, after all, a dear friend. But then, there's the other part of me. The part of me that just thinks about me...about how she's got a beautiful almost 3-year-old to love, cuddle, nurture and mother...and distract her from what would otherwise be a horribly painful reality. And I hear her say things to me like, "It is so hard to accept, but I am seeing more and more that there really is a reason for everything and that it will all happen in HIS time! He continues to try and teach me patience... maybe someday I will learn!" and "I think X delayed telling me that she was pregnant for fear of hurting my feelings. Nonsense... I am happy for them and have FINALLY accepted that I will feel that joy someday... it just isn't our turn right now." and I realize that even secondary infertility can't make her understand my pain, my hurt, my anger....my reality of knowing that I may never, ever, have my own flesh and blood; our flesh and blood. Because she HAS already experienced that joy that she's talking about feeling "someday". Yes, I'm envious, selfish and broken. So sue me.

Then, today, I get a voice mail on my cell from my best friend whom I haven't talked to in months. I haven't called back yet, but after using my best CSI skills, I have put two and two together: "We have lots of new, exciting news to share with you!" + about a million "congrats" on her facebook + her telling me last year that they would probably start TTC around this time a year from now = they're pregnant. I haven't gotten up the nerve to call her back yet. How do I get her to understand that even though I'll sound devastated, and I'll have to bite my lip and swallow back the tears, but still I'll truly be happy for her. I mean, I don't expect her to continue being married to her wonderful husband and not want the same things that most other human beings want...to be able to nurture and see a reflection of your love staring you back in the face...but at the same time, it hurts. It sucks. It's not fair. And I covet what she has...what seems to come so easily to everyone but me.

Yes, my friends...this is definitely one of those valleys...

Two posts in one day...I can hardly contain myself

I don't really have anything new to write, but I haven't posted a house update in a little while, so I wanted to show you the amazing progression...
*We've heard great things about the builders, so we're not worried about the speed at which the house is going up. Apparently, things have been pretty slow w/ the housing market right now, so they've got a lot of workers working on our house!

August 6th...















August 8th...















August 15th...















August 19th...















August 21st...

Let the craziness begin

Last night marked the unofficial beginning of my school year...Meet-the-Teacher night. Overall, it went pretty well & definitely much better than last year* (see below). I'm pretty nervous about teaching the 3 year olds, since it is a new age group for me, but the kids I met were very outgoing and friendly, so at least I won't have to worry about wrestling them out of their cars on the first day.

Two of the little boys (twins) actually gave me hugs as soon as they met me...they're sweet little buggers & full of energy, and for that reason, I think they'll be my biggest challenges, as well. Despite the fact that the handbook clearly states that children must be 3 years old and potty trained before coming to preschool, the twins' mom told me that one of them really just starting to get the hang of using the potty and wondered if I would be able to give him M&Ms after each time he successfully uses the bathroom, because he really responds well to that. In my most tactful and professional teacher-talk, I tried to nip that one in the bud before it began. First of all, I am not a babysitter or a toddler-room daycare worker. My job is solely to mold and shape these kids and give them the academic and social experiences that I think they need to be successful. Secondly, I have a child with a severe peanut allergy in the class, so M&Ms are not allowed, as we have a peanut-free classroom (and M&Ms contain traces of nuts due to the machinery they're processed on). And thirdly, what would the other kids think? They'll all do a great job at "going potty" but M's the only one that gets rewarded? Noooooo....I basically told the mom that I definitely understand her predicament and support her in what she's trying to accomplish, but there is just no way that I can carry out that type of reward system in my room. I also added that we're often so busy in the classroom that by the time we get around to going to the bathroom, the kids just go without thinking about it...my biggest worry there is that since he's obviously just barely potty trained, he'll need to go at the most inopportune times. I don't have a bathroom in my classroom, so group potty breaks are a must, at least until I can get a good bathroom buddy system worked out, since it isn't just right outside our classroom either.

In the end, I told the mom that I would keep an eye on the situation and I would stay in contact with her if I thought that some kind of plan was in order. If he's easily motivated by things other than food, then there will be no issue, since I often rewarded my 4-year-olds with stickers after bathroom breaks for "making good choices" in the bathroom. Stickers I can do, candy I cannot.

In other exciting news, two of the parents of my students also approached me throughout the night to tell me that they knew where Clearfield (my alma mater) was. I was extremely surprised (and curious), since next-to-noone from this part of the state has even heard of it, despite the fact that there's an entire county named after it. One of the dads went to the Lock Haven branch campus located there and another dad goes hunting and fishing in Clearfield County, right at the sportsmen's club near my parents' house! It's a small, small world....

*For those of you that don't know, last year's Meet-the-Teacher was the day after my miscarriage (so I was already an emotional mess) and then I had crazy parents (ok really just one) complaining to me about my snack policy, which is that the kids each bring in their own snack daily, even though her child has severe food allergies. She was upset because the kids really looked forward to the surprise of what their friends would bring in for snack each day...you know, because snack is such a HUGE part of our day...a whopping 10-15 minutes... So, instead of going along with what I wanted to do, she proceeded to take charge of my meeting to open the floor for a vote as to what the other parents wanted to do...nevermind the fact that I had already made that decision and had it approved by my director. So then, she proceeded to report back to my director saying something about me being too rigid to teach preschool...and I cried like a baby all night....

And finally, some pictures of my room...

Today is Angel-Day

Today is the day when I sadly look back to one year ago; both the happiest and saddest day of our life as husband and wife. We had just gone through the emotional roller-coaster of having our first attempt at IVF canceled and converted into an IUI. Imagine our complete and utter surprise when two weeks later, we got a call from the doctor's office telling us that we were pregnant! G wasn't home at the time (he was at his school working in his classroom), so I called him immediately to tell him the news. I was ecstatic!

The day was a whirlwind of emotions. First, elation, joy and relief. Yes, we were finally going to be parents.

Then, worry, panic and devastation came several hours later when I started bleeding. I knew it was over. Even though I had to go through bloodwork every three days for the next week and a half until my beta level went down below two before they would officially confirm that I had miscarried, I knew it was too good to be true from the start.

So for a few short hours, one year ago, I lived the dream of being a Mommy. Right now, I should be holding my four-month-old little-one in my arms. Instead, my angel is in heaven with God. Please take care of our angel, Lord. Let him/her know how much we loved them - even if only for the blink of an eye. You are missed, Angel Baby...you are missed.

Why I am officially not a "dog person"

I've never really been a fan of dogs. Ever since I was young (and tiny), there was always something about dogs (especially the jumpy ones) that made me uneasy. Seriously. As a kid, just the sight of a large-ish sized dog would send sheer terror through my body. And when you're terrified, what do you naturally do? You run away from said source of terror. Unfortunately, dogs don't get the whole terrified-I'm-scared-of-you-leave-me-alone vibe...so they chase after you thinking it's a fun game when, in reality, I feel like I'm being chased by a pack of rabid wolves. Dog lovers...I mean no disrespect.

...so, the (IL's) dogs woke me up with five minutes of uncontrollable barking this morning over NOTHING...seriously...nothing. I think there were two leaves blowing around in the driveway so it was decided that Teri needed to know about it, just in case they were harboring some deadly spores that were going to break the door in and kill me...thanks. Or maybe it was just that they wanted me to know they were mad at me because I was still sleeping at (gasp!) 7:30 in the morning, so they chewed up tampons (clean, thank goodness) and shredded them all over the hallway. And this, my friends, is why we don't have dogs of our own.

So, after TRYING to go back to sleep and finding no success, I got up and made myself some tea. I watched a little TV & talked to Mom, then I worked out (3x this week - go me!), & had some lunch. Then, I had the *bright* idea of taking the crazy dogs for a walk down to the end of the driveway to get the mail. I figured with two leashes, we should be in the clear...let me explain why this was a bad idea and why I need to start thinking things through a little more:
1. Taylor weighs about 100-some pounds and is as strong as an ox (cross between a Golden & a Poodle)
2. Both dogs are obsessed with chasing groundhogs which are, coincidentally, always hanging out somewhere in the vicinity of the driveway...keep in mind that I'm only 100 pounds, so picture me fighting with these leashes every time we heard the slightest movement in the bushes, which incidentally, was about every 2.97 seconds.
3. Obviously my short-term memory is not the best...if it were, I would have remembered that G's parents get unusually large amounts of mail. Besides the standard bills and junk envelopes, they average about 7 catalogs per day. Add onto that two magazines, two weekly newspapers (ours is being delivered here now, as well), plus the daily newspaper and two boxes of freebies that I received and you've got some pretty full arms...and let's not forget those two dog leashes I'm holding onto!

Note to self: no more hair-brained dog-walking schemes for me!

And this, my friends, is why we own a cat.

Bloggy Carnival bracelet

As promised, I have to post and RAVE about the awesome prize/gift I won in the most recent Bloggy Carnival Giveaway from MJennings Designs via JoJo's Place. When I originally found out that I had won, I assumed that this would be a random (but of course, still beautiful) bracelet from Melissa's collection...boy was I wrong! WAY WRONG!

Initially, Joanna (of JoJo's Place) emailed me, asking what word/name I would like to be written on the bracelet. Not really thinking too hard (I mean, I am a teacher and it is summer, after all - who wants to think in the summer?? *smile*), I simply replied back asking that my name be put on the bracelet. After the message was forwarded to Melissa, I got a super-quick reply back...and this is where things get exciting (and almost somewhat divine)...Melissa just happens to be a fellow-infertile like me, who has now gone on to become the mommy of Peyton, a sweet, little boy from Guatemala. She did her research on my blog and suggested that we take a bit different approach to the bracelet and use the theme of hope instead! She sure hit that nail on the head, because I can definitely use a little of that these days!

So after numerous emails back and forth, I suggested using a reddish colored bead for the accent since pomegranates (maroon-colored) are an ancient symbol of fertility and therefore the unofficial color of infertility. You will see a button to the right on my blog page showing "infertility's common thread" - many infertile women can be seen sporting oh-so-lovely strands of pomegranate-colored embroidery floss around their wrists, sort of as the tie that binds all of us together. This is not to be confused with a red kabbalah string, which I suppose looks similar.

Now, instead of a thread, I wear this beauty around my wrist:
















Isn't it amazing and gorgeous? I hope that you'll take a few minutes to browse through Melissa's collection and support her wonderful artistry! She's been a pleasure to work with and you will not be disappointed in the end result!

PS - you can read Melissa's blog about my bracelet here!

I've been tagged!

I've recently been tagged by two of my blogging buddies, so now I'm passing the tags onto you!

I've been tagged by the beautiful Kristen, a fellow infertile, and her blog is I Would Diet for That.

Here are the tag rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you (i.e. me)
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write 6 random things about yourself
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them
5. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger (me) know when your entry is posted.

So, my challenge is to share six random things about myself. I am kind of an open book, so we'll see...

1) I have strange pet-peeves...like when people leave their cars parked at the pump while they go inside to buy something at the gas station, or when people leave their grocery carts in the middle of the parking lot (or right BESIDE the cart-corral). These drive me CRAZY!

2) I love food and hate to work out...it's a horrible combination which I am sure will be the death of me in another 2 years when I hit 30 and my metabolism slows down...the good news is that I do choose to eat healthfully most of the time, so my occasional downfalls don't majorly do me in.

3) My porn star name is Frisky 879 - yeah baby! In case you don't know how to figure out your porn star name, you take the name of your first pet and then the name of your street growing up. Nothing beats my hubby's, though... Muffy Mack!

4) I was a cheerleader in high school - this may seem like a shock to those of you who knew me later in life, since I'm extremely shy and not a socialite at all, but I absolutely LOVED my years as a cheerleader (minus the drama, cattiness, and tears, but that's a different post for a different time). I loved being in the spot light and trying to get the crowd energized! It was so invigorating!

5) I am a major home-body and would stay home all day if I could. I love to scrapbook, cook and play around on my computer, so sometimes it's tough to get me out of the house!

6) I will steal this one from Kristen and talk about what my life would be like if I had stuck with my first major. When I started college, I majored in physical therapy. I always thought it seemed really neat and that is what I wanted to be ever since I was in the 4th grade. I had my mind made up that I was going to be a play therapist for kids. But then, my first semester of college, I had a class in the education building and I was sucked in by the finger-paintings on the wall and the smell of play-doh in the air...and I know now that I made the right choice, even if I don't want to teach for the rest of my life...and if I hadn't switched to teaching, I wouldn't have transferred schools and met my hubby, so it all worked out for the best!

I'm not going to tag anyone because I know you're busy, so do this if you have time & comment to let me know so I can read yours, too!

Also, Ter, from With an Angel on my Shoulder, has given me this award! I am honored!

Thank you so much! :)

So much to talk about...

Ok everyone, let's welcome in the month of August! Yay! Everyone's favorite super-hot month where all the kiddos (and teachers, ugh) go back to school and life returns to (somewhat) normal! I've been busy getting my classroom ready and I think it looks pretty good. Maybe I'll post some pics soon.

The month has started out pretty well. We got an email from the building coordinator at our new community last week with a picture of our "home."I know, I know - it could use a little work, but don't you think the dirt floors give it that rustic charm? Yep, I thought so, too.

But seriously, that's our hole in the ground and we're really excited! When we drove through last week, I practically squealed with excitement as we drove through the development and everyone waved and said hello to us...we've never had that before and since we're both kind of hermit-like, we need socialites around us to keep us from only keeping to ourselves and shutting out the world. We drove by yesterday and they were putting the footers in (whatever that means), so it's progress, progress!

In other exciting news, I won three prizes in the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival and I couldn't be happier. The first is a book from Tara at Tara's View on Books, a coupon for a free box of cereal from Michelle at Big Blueberry Eyes, and a bracelet from Melissa at MJennings Designs through Joanna at JoJo's World. I am very excited about all of these wins, but most especially the bracelet. Expect a blog post on the wonderful bracelet once I receive it - it's VERY exciting and Melissa has been so great to work with!

And finally, I'm not sure where my mind is going with all of this baby stuff right now, but I really just feel like something has changed in my heart over the past week. I finally realized that I'm just sick of waiting for a baby and not being able to do something about it. So, come January, we're talking about starting the adoption process. I know that things can take a very long time, but I'm hopeful that maybe in 2009, I will be a mommy...please keep us in your prayers. I know there's still that huge part inside of me that feels like I'm giving up on my dream to hold my baby in my belly and actually bear a child, and I don't really think that that dream can ever really go away, but the hopeful side of me keeps saying that maybe being able to nurture will somehow dull the pain and sting that infertility has given us and help us to move on...I'm crying as I'm typing this because I know that it's going to take a long time to convince my heart and my head that I'll never be a mommy the way that I want to be...and that my feelings of injustice will never go away...but being a mommy to someone is more important to me than my own pride, so we'll see where this journey leads us. Undoubtedly, no matter how you look at it, more pain and hurt are on the way, but hopefully this road leads us to the end of the tunnel and not another dead-end.

Good-bye July...

Wow! I can't believe that July is almost over! This summer will be gone before you know it. I can't exactly say that it has flown by, because when I think back to my last day of preschool, or even back to our Disney trip, they don't seem like that recent of occasions, but I am sad to see the summer dwindling down to just another month, nonetheless.

I've been working at the daycare here and there, which has been nice, if for nothing else than to make a little money and get out of the house. The little rascals, who were constantly testing my patience at the end of the school year mind you, actually seemed thrilled to see me and they asked where I've been all summer :). On Friday, I get to go swimming with the little guys (ages 3-4) at the YMCA, so that's exciting!

A couple of weeks ago, I also had the opportunity to go home to my parents' house in central PA and help out at the huge multi-family yard sale. It was a moving sale of sorts for Gregg and I, so I was VERY excited to see that, when all was said and done, we had made about $150! It felt good to get rid of so many things. At the end of the two days, we only had about three plastic crates of stuff left, plus a box to give to Goodwill. My mom and I got to go out on the first day and do some yard-saling of our own, which was great. I LOVE yard sales because you just never know what you will find. Sure, there are a lot of sales that are just pure junk, but you'd be amazed at what you can find if you try. I got a corn-ear shaped cast-iron cornbread pan for $4. I got a Kenneth Cole handbag (which I think I'll use as a school bag) for $4. I got about 30 items for my prize box at preschool (dinosaur action figures, toy cars, princess crowns, etc), most at either $.05 or $.10 each! And then, at one sale, I hit the jackpot!!! There's a sweet woman who I know from church when I was growing up. She's petite like me and very stylish. She had a ton of small clothes and I had my arms full, just planning on buying it and then trying it on at home, and selling what didn't fit at our own yard sale. Well, she wouldn't hear of it - she took me inside her house and had me try on everything so that I wouldn't have to bother with it later! It was so nice! I got two pairs of dress pants, a pair of Levi jeans, a sweater, 3 shirts, lounge pants, and four books...our grand total for the day was about $20!! I was happy as a clam!

Anyway, enough about my semi-obsession with yard sales...and on to my other obsession...the Bloggy Giveaway carnival! I love it and I'm so excited that it's back! I've made it through about 300 of the giveaways so far and I'm still going strong!

Finally, in other blog news, I've been sad reading through friends' blogs and realizing that I haven't been able to do a Menu-Plan Monday in a very, VERY long time due to moving. Now, of course that means that I'm not responsible for cooking as much, but after cooking yesterday and today since it's just hubby and I at his parents' house, I can honestly say that I do miss it...Yesterday, we had steaks on the grill (olive oil & some grill seasoning) and I marinated some squash, zucchini and onions in balsamic vinaigrette dressing before grilling them as well! They turned out awesome! Today, I made this Easy Creamy Chicken and G and I loved that, as well! I served it with brown rice. It was super easy to prepare and really full of flavor. Yum-o! :)

PS - thanks to all of my wonderful bloggy friends (new and old) who have come out to offer their words of encouragement and support in my recent faith crisis. Rest assured that I do plan on thanking each of you individually, as I can. Please continue to pray...and if you have any suggestions on where to go (scripture passages, books, etc) I would be most grateful!

It's our Anniversary!!

Exactly four years ago today was the happiest day of my life! I married my best friend and things have only gotten better since. We've survived a lot of ups and downs lately (although it seems like the downs just keep on comin'), but we've remained strong and unified...and hey, we've lasted longer than half of Hollywood, so we must be doing something right, right?

To celebrate the special occasion, Gregg and I went out to our favorite restaurant, the Japanese hibachi steakhouse, and were entertained by our hibachi chef, Ferry. Thank goodness he didn't throw food at me to catch in my mouth...tonight, Gregg's mom is making crab cakes for dinner! We were originally supposed to go out to dinner at the hibachi tonight, but when we heard that crab cakes were on tonight's dinner menu at the house, we quickly changed our plans and decided for an anniversary lunch instead! Otherwise, we decided to keep it very low-key since money is tight right now. We exchanged cards and he bought me some flowers (yay!).

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

Works for Me Wednesday: Kitchen Tip!

I haven't posted a WFMW in a while, so I thought today would be a good time to get back into the swing of things!

I was recently preparing a veggie tray for a friend's bridal shower. I quickly became frustrated with the cauliflower and broccoli bits being strewn all over my kitchen counter until I thought of a great (but almost-too-simple) solution! I simply laid my cutting board down inside my sink and cut on it as usual! No more veggie bits all over my countertops! This also works great for super-juicy fruits (or veggies) like tomatoes, watermelon and pineapple! It's so simple, but it Works For Me!

What is wrong with me????

I've been spending some time over the past few days reading through the blogs of friends and acquaintances that I've known from my time working on a youth & children's ministry team back home, as well as fellow Christian bloggers that I've met along the way since I've begun blogging myself. Their blogs are full of inspirational life events and stories of how they can feel God leading them through life's journey and the plan that He has set out for them. Their faith is so huge and so real. Some of their stories are so compelling and transparent that it's plain to see that there's definitely great things happening through them...

On the other hand, though, their stories make me so incredibly sad. Sad, because that used to be me. I used to be that girl with the fire for Christ and the insurmountable faith. I was the one who people came to for help, a listening ear, and Christian advice. I was the one who everyone thought had everything all worked out. And then something terrible happened that shattered my faith and broke my strength...and that something is called infertility...and I've never been the same; my faith has never been the same.

I see all of those wonderful people with their huge faith, their huge hearts, and their huge smiles and I feel angry because I wonder what happened to my share? Where's the justice and the equality? If He really is a just God and a good, loving God, how can He continue to watch my pain and suffering for THREE LONG YEARS and do NOTHING? I know that no one, Christian or not, is free from hurt, emptiness and loss, but I can't help but feel like Dorothy when she says that she's certain that the Wizard hasn't got anything inside that black bag for her...My wizard has, it seems, given out his fulfillment of prizes and I'm left to watch all of the others relish in the joy and wonder of their new-found gifts.

Then, of course, the more (or possibly less?) rational side of me pipes up and tries to convince me that I somehow did something to deserve this fate. I mean, after all, my faith was never as big and convincing as theirs. Maybe God felt that somehow my faith was all a show & an attempt to get a shot at that better life that He promised me would come...but then I read my old journals and realize that no, my faith was indeed real...big & convincing, I don't know, but very real and very personal and heart-felt.

But, the past doesn't matter at this point. What matters is that my faith is small, weak and dying. I haven't prayed or read my bible in the entire two months since my IVF failed. I've been mad at God and waiting for some sort of sign that He cares. I do WANT that huge kind of faith back, but I don't know how to get it. I WANT to believe that He's got something inside that black bag for me, but it hurts to stand by and watch. I WANT to have that relationship with God again, but I also want Him to heal my broken heart, and it just doesn't seem like I can have all of that all at once...please pray, because I truly still do believe in the power of prayer, whether the ones of my heart and mouth are answered is beside the point...

Please pray for my faith...

decisions, decisions...

The past two days have been filled with decisions...more decisions than I've probably made in the last year of my life actually...and for an indecisive person by nature, let's just say it's been tough. It's not that I don't LIKE making decisions or having an opinion, but rather that I am constantly second-guessing myself and worrying about committing to something that is so permanent. And, since I've already mentioned that interior design just isn't my forte, you can imagine how much that added to my "I-don't-know-ometer" in the last couple of days. I think the hardest part of making these decisions is that we've had a tough time visualizing the layout of the home & what will be going where. It makes it rather difficult to choose things for a home that you don't really know yet, you know? That said, we've tried to go pretty neutral with all of the different things that we've chosen so far, figuring that we can add color through accessories, window treatments & wall colors at a later date. Please let me know what you think!!

dining room & foyer hardwood (kind of an in-between shade - not as light as a standard oak, but not as dark as a cherry): http://www.bruce.com/resflram/na/bruce/en/us/prod_detail.asp?itemId=97483.0&lineId=4913.0

carpeting in family room:

it's a frieze called almond, it's a light tan with flecks in it - it looks similar to this (maybe a little darker) http://www.worldfloorexpo.com/displayprod.php?p=12054

carpeting in the rest of the house will just be a standard beige similar to this: http://images4.shawinc.com/is/image/Shawfloors/Q1493_00201_swatch?wid=375&op_sharpen=1

vinyl in bathrooms & laundry room: looks similar to this http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=125734-79508-21092&lpage=none, but it isn't in 12x12 squares. I picked it because it was the vinyl that most closely resembled actual tile & grout

Here is the color of our granite: http://flooring.builddirect.com/Granite-Tile/granite-flooring-Tan-Brown/ProductDisplay_6946_P1_10062251.aspx

Here are our cabinets - the above-the-counter ones will have the same arch & the bottom ones will be rectangular on the inside, but this is the same finish we chose: http://www.wellborn.com/images/sfk/wva_med-detail.jpg

We just got a white-marbled counter-top for the vanities & tubs

We still have yet to choose the appliance color (tell me what you would do based on the granite and cabinet colors) & the tile flooring for the kitchen, so input on either of those would be appreciated!

Vacations, the house, jury duty & the doctor's office

We officially returned home from our Disney vacation on Saturday night. We flew into Atlantic City & then drove out to the IL's shore house to pick up my car, where it had been for the week since we had been there for SIL's engagement party the previous Saturday. We then drove to DH's friend's apartment (who went with us to Disney) to drop him off & we finally made it back to the IL's house (our temporary housing) around 2:30AM. We succeeded in scaring the be-jeezers out of the house-sitters & then fell into bed around 3AM. We set our alarm for 8:30 & headed out to central PA to go to my parents' house for their Independence Day celebration (on the 6th instead of the 4th). We got there with just enough time to spare so that we could both get showered & I could inject the second turkey with marinade before it was deep fried, because my mom hates that job. By the way, if you have never experienced deep fried turkey, please go out of your way to do so. I can guarantee that it is NOTHING like you expect (not greasy and gross at all) & super moist & full of flavor - even the white meat - which is not typically the case with turkey. There was so much food, and I didn't even make any myself, which I usually do, since we were short on time! Besides the turkey, we had deep fried potato wedges (made in the same way as the turkey), potato salad, 3 pasta salads, deviled eggs, cornbread casserole, crock pot baked beans, fruit salad...and then a million desserts...cherry crisp w/ home grown cherries, blueberry cheesecake, apple pie, chocolate brownies, pineapple popsicles and more things that I'm sure I'm forgetting. Let's just say that after a week of vacation-eating in Disney & then this...I definitely need to use the wii fit for at least an hour or so tomorrow...and the next day, and every subsequent day for the next 4 years or thereabouts.

In other news, some of you may recall my rants a few posts back about having horrible luck in the fertility world...not only did IVF attempt #3 not pan out, but then I had to wait 2 ridiculous months for a follow-up, which would surely take no more than 5 minutes, which THEN had to be cancelled/postponed due to being summoned for jury duty. WELL...last night, I logged on to the court house's website to find out if I did have to report for jury duty & I discovered that I did not. We decided to stay at my parents' house one extra night since I no longer had to be back this morning, but I kicked myself all night last night for making the wrong decision concerning the doctor's appt. and jury duty. What I should have done, I told myself, was not tell the doctor's office about the jury duty until I knew for sure what was going on & then I could have still had my doctor's appointment this morning, since I didn't end up having jury duty. They certainly couldn't penalize me for upholding my civic duty, after all, if I did have to cancel last-minute. Well, DH & I get home this afternoon & I go check the messages on the answering machine & what do I hear? Lo & behold, it's a message reminding me of my appt. with the RE for THIS MORNING at 8:15!!! I was SOOOOO upset, because I specifically called them to postpone the appt since I assumed that I wouldn't be able to be there due to the jury duty. They told me that they would put me on the waiting list, which they obviously never did...so I called them and KINDLY told them of their mistake & magically, I only have to wait another 2 weeks for an appointment instead of the month or more that I was originally quoted when I told them that I would need to reschedule in the first place! Just add this to the list of frustrations with my doctor's office...they are well aware that we're seeking another opinion because I asked for updated copies of my records, as well as DH's & I'll be calling the new doctor's office tomorrow to get the ball rolling on a consultation there & hopefully we'll become patients very soon.

And finally, the house...we've got appointments this week for choosing the flooring (tomorrow), the kitchen options (Thursday) and the design options (Saturday). I'm excited, but also nervous, since I'm not known for my interior design know-how & I am so worried about making wrong decisions that are so permanent. So far, we know that we are only upgrading the carpet in the living room & I'm thinking of going with a nice neutral dark tan/light brown, since we think we are going to model the living room color scheme around a chair that we got from DH's parents, which is tan, navy & maroon plaid. We are hoping to get a navy, leather sectional & then I might do maroon accents and light tan walls...ok, someone out there, tell me how that sounds?? What color window coverings would you do with that? Would dark brown end tables and credenza be ok? It's a very open space, which leads into the kitchen & breakfast nook, so I'm not worried about it being too dark or anything, which I don't think it would be anyway... We are planning on doing an oak-finish hardwood in the foyer (since the bannister, etc is that color) and then possibly a cherry finish in the dining room (thinking about buying this set for each other for Christmas). We'll also be picking the vinyl flooring for the bathrooms & the laundry room, which will just be the basic stuff - nothing fancy there. I would love ideas if you've got any! I'll give more house updates & maybe put in the builder's sketches as we receive them!

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Whew! It's been a while!

I haven't posted in quite a few days (almost 2 weeks!) and it seems long overdue that I update. Things have been busy here, to put it mildly. G finished up school on the 16th and we left that night to go up to central PA to go camping with my parents and my two cousins. We camped from the 17th-20th (and still had fun despite the 40 degree nights and cold days) & then came back late on the 20th because Gregg had a football reunion picnic with his high school championship team on the 21st. That was pretty fun. I had to work Monday through Wednesday of this week & then today, we helped a friend move out of her apartment. Somehow, it took us longer to move her out of her apartment than it took us to move all of our stuff (and we have a TON) out of our house and it took us four trips, to her one! I don't know how it took us so long! Anyway, tonight, we're leaving for the shore & then on Monday morning, we leave for Disney!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait!

I'll leave you with a list of fun camping memories that my cousin, Jenna came up with, as well as the movie that DH made of our trip...enjoy!

Here are some highlights of the camping trip...

• Downloading (lots)
• A butt stamped on Gregg's face
• Butt friends
• Gregg almost dying from a smiley
• Beavers
• A huge raccoon
• Scary skunks
• It's too late to 'pologize
• The cold temperature
• Gregg's naughty mad lib
• Frisbee (Hitting Jenna in the balls)
• Shay and her constant crying
• Old guy who was amazing at redneck golf
• Feeding birds
• Talking showers
• Walking with Aunt Chris to the bathrooms in the dark
• Michelle flirting with the maintenance man
• Buzz Word
• Teri wanting to play Skip-bo every minute
• Gregg and his disgusting long john farts
• Gregg being a butt head about Phase Ten
• Gregg drinking Teri's "pee"
• Gregg, Jenna, and Michelle dancing on the amphitheater stage
• Gregg and Jenna running to the bathroom in the torrential downpour
• "Jenna we're neighbors!!"
• The camping sign

PS - I wish I had time to write out and explain all of the "private jokes" on most of these items on the list...let me know if there are any that intrigue you & I'll be sure to blog about them!! :)

Good-bye 301 W 6th St (aka - we're homeless)!

With all of the commotion, I haven't had the chance to come on and write much (the meme was about all I could handle), but it must be done. I need to bid farewell to the home that's been Home Sweet Home for the first 4 years of our life as husband and wife.

It's been a good home to us...

• even if we did have to get the NEW air conditioner fixed every SINGLE year that we have been there.
• even though the crappy builder's-issue paint on the walls would scrub off down to the drywall if you tried washing the walls down or wiping off a scuff mark
• even if we did have to see our fire-fighting bachelor neighbor sunbathe himself semi-weekly on his back porch
• even though our loft/office was known to be about 95 degrees in the summer despite our central air

Wow - that didn't sound like it's been a good home to us...let's try again...

• It's the home where we sat on the living room floor and opened up all of our wedding gifts the day that we arrived home from our honeymoon
• It's the home where we've shared all of our heartaches and shattered dreams TOGETHER on this crazy road of infertility
• It's the home where we've hosted many'a game night for friends
• It's the place we've called home TOGETHER, where I was carried over the threshold when we returned home from our honeymoon.

Sunday was a sad, but bittersweet day for us. Our WONDERFUL friends (people from G's work and our church, plus family) rallied together (on the hottest day of the year so far) to move everything out of our house. It is honestly amazing how much stuff 2 people (and a cat) can accumulate in four years. I mean, our house wasn't overly-cluttered or heavily furnished and we're not pack rats by any stretch of the imagination, so we kind of couldn't believe our eyes when it took FOUR trips with the U-haul to get everything into G's parents' barn, aka second garage (thank God we didn't have to rent storage!). And it was jam-packed every time! It shouldn't have surprised us too much, though, considering that we had 19 boxes of JUST BOOKS on the bookshelves in our loft alone...but, we are teachers, after all! After the moving was over, G's parents hosted a cookout at their house (aka our new home). They have a pool, as well, which was a HUGE blessing on a 95+ degree day! Enjoy the pictures! I'll probably post another entry later today if I get a chance!

Moving Day Pictures

You will be missed, 301...onto bigger dreams.

Music Meme

I got this from a fellow blogger friend, Tipp! If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

MEME Rules:

1. Put your iTunes/ music player on shuffle

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT

After you’ve answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and then let them know they’ve been tagged to do the meme themselves!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?

Old Time Christmas by George Strait

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

Something Worth Leaving Behind by Lee Ann Womack

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Geek in the Pink (as sung by Chris Richardson of American Idol season 6)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

Forever and Ever Amen by Randy Travis

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?

Change the World (as sung by Chris Richardson of American Idol season 6) - interesting that he came up twice since I probably only have 2 songs by him on here...and interesting that this is my purpose in life...not sure how I'll change the world, but I'll sure try - one preschooler at a time!

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

Song of the Cebu (Veggie Tales) - this one made me crack up!

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

All My Life by K-Ci and Jojo

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?

A Christmas to Remember by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton (this is actually neat because I love Christmas time at home with my family! Can you tell I love Christmas music? We've had 2 Christmas songs already!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

Temperature by Sean Paul - does that make me naughty???

WHAT IS 2+2?

Total Eclipse of the Heart (as sung by Jessica Sierra on American Idol season 4)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Last Man Committed by Eric Heatherly (very appropriate since DH is my best friend and definitely my last man committed!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Crying as sung by Carrie Underwood - well, since DH is the person I like, this seems appropriate, since he is crying (and wishing and hoping and praying) that Carrie Underwood would throw herself on him - haha

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Some Hearts by Carrie Underwood - so true, so true ( "I've never been the kind that you call lucky, Always stumblin' around in circles, but I must've stumbled into something)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

The Day Before You - Rascal Flatts

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Be My Baby Tonight - John Michael Montgomery (ooh yeah!)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

I'll Never Forgive my Heart by Brooks & Dunn (don't get that one??)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

The Christmas Song by lonestar (I sure hope not...) haha

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

Every Friday Afternoon by Craig Morgan (hmmm - I don't think so - nice song, but not really appropriate)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem by Kenny Chesney (what??? being topless can be a hobby, right???)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

Too Much Fun by Daryle Singletary (oh yeah!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Took My Place by Third Day (I've got some great friends...they would take my place/pain if they could!)

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?

Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall

Kind of strange in some places, but still good!

Top Ten

Top Ten signs you know you're moving...
1. You start out packing into nice, neat organized boxes, but eventually you get so tired of it that you see nothing wrong with putting an alarm clock, a jewelry box, towels, flip flops, and toilet bowl cleaner all in the same box.
2. You (oops!) leave the inside entrance to the garage open and suddenly find yourself on your hands and knees, attempting to lure your cat out from under your car with catnip (ok, so that one isn't really a sign of moving, but I thought it was a funny story anyway...)
3. Practically every square inch of your home is covered in boxes
4. Practically everything you've ever owned is packed into boxes
5. Your cat is bewildered and spends approximately 90% of her time huddled under the bed
6. You painfully part with $600 to put dead-bolts on your doors, to bring it "up to code" according to new area regulations, knowing full-well that your dad could have done it for about $80 if you had a bit more advance notice.
7. You live out of a suitcase for a week and a half, quickly remembering that you needed (insert random toiletry item here), but it's already boxed up and sitting somewhere at your in-laws' house.
8. You ate a Betty Crocker mini Warm Delights (for lunch) with a plastic knife because all of your real silverware is packed away.
9. You lived on PB&J for a week because you didn't want to buy any perishables
10. You have one of these in your front yard

Great giveaway!

Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer is hosting an awesome giveaway. Twenty lucky bloggers will each win a boxed set of 17 cds from WOW Hits 1! Cool! Go check it out!

What a whirlwind week?!?!

This past week has been one jumbled blur! We've slowly been packing up our house for our expected June 13th move-out, even though we hadn't gotten final confirmation from our realtor that the buyers' mortgage proposal had been approved. The house had to be inspected, as per their realtor's request, even though it is only 4 years old, and then it needed to be appraised since the new buyer is a veteran & is using veterans' assistance to buy the house...it needed to appraise for at least the sale price or his loan through the VA wouldn't be approved! Well, praise God, we found out on Sunday that not only was the loan approved, but they were wondering if we could move settlement up to the 10th...as in this coming Wednesday! So, needless to say, we've been scrambling to get the house packed up and everything we think we will need over the course of the next 4 months, shoved into college-student SIL's room (aka our new room) at my IL's house. They did also clean off their sun porch, so that DH & I could have a place to keep our computers set up, keep our cat (she isn't much for other people or animals), and have some privacy...well, as much privacy as you can get on a sun porch, anyway...a sun porch that is right off of FIL's study...I guess there'll be no late-night snogging going on on the sun porch ;) hehe

I've also still been working, but only part time, so that has been nice, albeit aggravating. To put it mildly, I have had it up *to here* with the after school kids...I told them today that if I had a dime for everytime I heard someone say "but that's not fair" while they were playing with each other the past few days, I would be a millionaire. They are all just getting on each other's nerves and simply ready for school to be over with. I have work tomorrow, then I'm off Thursday (for our niece's preschool graduation & birthday party in NJ) and I'm off on Friday (because we're leaving as soon as G gets home to go to my parents' house for a quick weekend trip). Next week, I work Monday through Thursday, and then I'm off for a while as I'm only filling in for co-workers who are on vacation..I CAN.NOT.WAIT!
Countdown to the big move: 5 days
Countdown to the shore trip w/ DH's coworker friends: 10 days
Countdown to the camping trip w/ my parents: 14 days
Countdown to the Disney trip w/ DH's parents: 25 days

Have a super summer!!!!!!!!!!!