Television

Here's my rant on TV: 

Question:  Does our society reflect what TV is? or does TV reflect what society is.  I believe it's both.  I'm pretty sick about what is displayed on television.  The more and more I think about it, the more it becomes disturbing.  If you want a foreigner to know what Americans are all about, just watch prime time TV.  There's always the crime dramas with cops and lawyers, and there are the medical dramas as well.  But the influx of "reality" TV is horrific.  Remember I'm a high school teacher, so I hear students talking about the up coming episode of Jersey Shore.  Maybe that's the way they really live or want to live.  Whatever it is it's sick.  Do we really think it's ok to decieve people so that the other person won't find out that another person is sleeping with someone else because she's jealous he never notices her?  I don't even know if I just made sense!!!  But that's what I see on TV.  Relationships that go nowhere, violence and perversions toward kids, depression, suicide, angry people, crime and death over foolish things.  Greed/selfishness.  It's the essence of evil and I believe the essence of the human soul.  It's our nature to do these things.  I've heard that one doesn't need to be taught to do wrong, one needs to be taught to do right.  Doing the right thing is not hardly taught anymore and that's why TV reflects the "I can do whatever I want to, no matter who it hurts" attitude.  "It's all about me, after all I'm worth it."  It only ends up hurting the instigator but they usually end up blaming someone else.  I wonder what the people on reality TV shows will think about themselves 20 years from now and what their children will think.  Embarrassment? "Way to go Mom!"

I do not like the so called ABC Family channel.  I don't think it's very family oriented: Pretty Little Liars; The Lying Game; Secret Life of an American Teenager, 10 Things I Hate About You; Greek...you realize these are soap operas for teenagers, right?  OH!  BTW: Most of the daytime soaps are off the air already.  You know why, right?  There's enough drama during the evening hours to make up for it a hundred fold!!! 

So why do we thrive or get a kick out of watching a house full of people try their very best to be the very worst so they can win money? and then on the side if they hook up with one of the other people, it's a bonus!  Then we applaud!! 

I just finished watching Evan Almighty which is an ok movie.  The sentiment behind the plot is good but it misses the mark totally.  Jesus.  According to the movie all you need to do to change the world is build an ARK or act of random kindess.  I'm definitely not knocking that, but what happened to knowing you aren't perfect and knowing the person who is and who died for you so that you may become perfect in the eyes of God?  It's a daily struggle of doing what we want versus doing what God wants us to do.  Believe me it's a daily struggle for me.  I have that selfish nature too!  Ask my husband!

I guess my point behind all of this is this:  be careful what you allow into your mind if you truly believe in God and Jesus the Savior because we tend to fall into the trap of society which can be subtle and then again it's not.  There are few and far between who distinguish the difference between what God's society should be like and the world's view.  We are in the minority and even the minority has difficulty with what God wants.

Spring Break and Back to Work

Well, JR will officially be 8 weeks tomorrow. It doesn't sound like a long time but in a way it is. I started back to work Monday and yes I cried when I dropped JR off at the daycare and all the way to work. It was not my greatest moment. Tuesday I cried halfway to work and then today I thought I'd be ok...nope...the waterworks turned on again! The good thing about school is that it is non stop and so I almost don't have time to think of my sweet baby, until a student asks about him. :D Jason picked him up from daycare today. First time! I think this will be a regular thing on Wednesdays seeing that I have Key Club meetings after school.

OH!!! The automatic rocker for JR came in today. Hallelujah! It was awesome. He seemed pretty content and Jason and I both could get some things done at the same time!!! A miracle! Thanks Jason's parents! (Mom and Dad #2)

Well the last week with JR was Spring Break so we thought it would be a good idea to load everything in the Chevy Equinox including the backyard (it seemed) and head to NWArkansas to show off baby to Aunts, Uncles and cousins who hadn't met him yet! Wow what an undertaking and we didn't forget to pack the baby! We also brought the dogs! Spent good quality time with grandparents. Dad and I went to see the movie Rango. So funny!!

That Sunday we had a mega party at Mom's celebrating JR's entrance into the world, Emma's 6th birthday (I can't believe it!) and Patrick's homecoming from Afghanistan!!! There were a ton of people there. It was fun but we were glad to relax the next couple of days.

Jason's Mom had Wednesday and Saturday off from work so that's when we went over to McAlester, OK for visiting with other grandparents. About 30 minutes from the house, my suitcase (which was strapped to the top of the car because there wasn't any room inside :) somehow came free and flew off the top into the median. I was driving so I sorta freaked out but managed to pull over. Jason got out and checked his suitcase and got back in the car. At the same time I looked in the rearview mirror and a white vehicle had pulled over in the median and I thought the people were picking it up to bring it to us. I was so relieved but then that relief turned to utter devestation when I watched them take my suitcase and do a u-turn and head in the opposite direction. Some jerk stole my luggage!!! WHILE WE WERE WATCHING!!! I couldn't believe it. If I was in a more calm state I would have turned around and chased him (or her, I assume it was a him).

We drove up and down Hwy 69, just in case what we saw wasn't really what we saw happen. No luggage. I couldn't drive I was so upset and crying, so Jason drove to McAlester. Jason's Mom called the nearest town's police department, since that was the direction the jerks were headed. The things in my suitcase that I was most upset about losing was a diamond necklace my Mom gave me; earrings I bought in Germany and perfume I bought there as well. I had a pair of perscription glasses too. I have since moved on but am saddened by how desparate people are. I can't replace some of those things but we were able to claim it on our insurance, so I will get some money back to replace some clothes, glasses, the earrings and perfume among other things.

God is good though, the incident could have been much worse. The luggage could have hit another car and seriously done some damage. I'm blessed to have the brightest jewel in the world that wasn't in my suitcase...my sweet baby and husband. What more can I say?

Road Trip

Yup! We're going on our first major road trip with JR tomorrow! Spring Break is upon us and we're headed to NWArk to visit grandparents, of course, but also Aunts, Uncles and cousins he hasn't met yet! It will be an adventure, especially since we're bringing the dogs too! Gah! What usually takes us around 4 hours may take longer. It will be fun though! Jason loves going to NWArk, but this trip will be more exciting for him because he gets to really break in the new Equinox! He's so excited.

My quandry (it's not really a quandry, just amusing, really) is what to pack for baby. Not necessarily what to pack but which suitcase I should take for him! I'm thinking the medium size and Jason and I can share our biggest suitcase. Not only babies are expensive, but they require a LOT of stuff and I'd rather pack more than I need. However, even though we are going to Arkansas, I guess we can buy something if we need it. ;-)

Some things I will point out that I have learned on becoming a new mommy (still can't get over THAT title):

• Babies are expensive...I knew this going in...but DANG, the health insurance alone!
• Sacrificing sleep is worth it and not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong! I would love to sleep for more than 3 hours at this point!
• Getting the housework done is for the birds.
• I'm ready to go on a date with my husband...alone!
• Random smiles from JR make my day.
• I can't remember all the words to all the traditional lullabys, so I make them up.
• A shower is heaven.
• I'm ready to go back to school. I miss my other "kids," but ask me how I'm doing on the 21st of March, the day I go back to work. :-\
• I went on a vigorous walk yesterday and I am totally out of shape!!!
• I sway standing up and I'm not holding a baby.
• I have caught up on watching House, NCIS and Law & Order...ready to go see a movie!
• Proud of JR when he toots!

Ok...other things happening besides baby stuff.

We're looking at reinsulating our attic. It is desparate to have more insulation which will cut our electricity bill down. Yay! Hopefully in the next couple of weeks that will happen.

On March 25th, my date with Jason will happen. We are going down to Thackerville to Winstar Casino to see one of my favorite singers! Harry Connick, Jr.! YES!! Jason was the one who mentioned it to me. Awwww.... and Aunt Ruth will be taking care of JR. Yippee!! Thanks, Auntie!

We're also looking at taking a trip to Las Vegas in July. Nonnie (my mom) will probably be taking care of JR for us. Thanks, Nonnie!

Not much else, except taking care of the babe. It's tough work, but it's worth it. Nothing too exciting since all I'm doing is feeding, rocking him and trying to get him to sleep at night! I'm reading some books to him too and having tummy time to strengthen muscles (he's a squirmer!). I haven't started him on the piano....yet!

He's 26 days old...

...and I can't believe it! He is growing fast. I was just looking at newborn pictures and him now. Unbelievable! No huge milestones except giving him a bath. The first time was scary...Jason was in charge of not letting him slip out of the tub and I tried to figure out how to wash JR. I gave him a bath today by myself. I was a little more confident today and it turned out good. Plus he smells wonderful after a bath. I could sniff his hair all day. He wasn't too keen on the bath though. I'm sure that will change later on. I did get a fountain display while bathing him. :D

A friend came by last Sunday to take professional pictures of JR and I got a sneak peak this past weekend. I'll show you one. It's not even the cutest:

Hopefully I'll get out the birth announcements soon!

Saturday we had a lot of visitors! Jason's parents came by on their way to see Ruth and Cliff (sis-in-law). Next was Jennie and Ben from Waco! They came bearing gifts and lots of them! I'm so excited about the books! I haven't even gone through the clothes yet! I was so proud of the dogs. Ben is almost four and they were wonderful with him! He played outside with them by himself! The dogs have definitely been more socialized because of people coming by to see JR. However they were not fond of the cable guy to hook up our Internet. Dang!

Jennie and Ben spent the night so they wouldn't have to drive 8 hours in one day just to see us! The next bunch of guests were Mary Beth, Nate and Jen! That was fun too! We all went to Turner Falls to walk around and enjoy the beautiful weather. We also stopped for fried pies...YUMMY!

I guess the other major milestone is that Jason changed his first diaper that day, and apparently it was a doozie! Hey, if you're gonna dive in, go in all the way! Jason is helping out more and more and I appreciate it so much! Now if I can get him to voluntarly wake up in the middle of the night with JR, THAT would be amazing!!

Blogging About Baby

I know, right! I'm actually going to blog! I do have a worthy subject...my wee babe. :D

So James Ryan made his appearance on Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 9:08pm after an hour of pushing. It didn't seem that long, though. 8lbs 8 oz and 21 inches long! Observations that I remember:

• I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out and my teeth were going to shatter.
• Mom said she'd never seen me get so red in the face.
• The hour before I started pushing was the longest in my life.
• I missed the episode of The Office with Ricky Garvis.
• Dr. Melton said I was a real trooper.
• He also said that JR was a 'juicy baby'; meaning he had fluid in his lungs.
• The epidural was wonderful; I don't think I could have done it without it...seriously!
• I felt a HUGE relief after delivering the baby and the placenta (which was sorta cool btw).
• It seemed to take forever for the Dr. and intern? to stitch up my tearing.
• Dr. Melton asked if I had DB = dead butt; this was to see if I could lift myself up with my legs. I did not have DB. LOL!

All in all the experience was totally amazing. Jason cut the umbilical cord and did a great job encouraging me. Mom was there too. So was my Dad. (He had to stay waaaay behind me, though!)

Staying at the hospital was tough. I wanted to come home but you have to stay there for 24 hours after delivery. We stayed longer just because JR was born so late at night.

I had every intention on breastfeeding JR but it didn't work out. I had everything too. Lanolin, breast pump (for going back to work), nursing pads, storage bags for extra milk...everything! I didn't think JR had a problem with latching on at first but I just don't think I was producing enough. He's very demanding. I know that the milk takes time to come in but we had to supplement his 'feeding' while in the hospital. It devestated me. Here I am ready to be supermom and I can't even feed my child like I thought I would be able to. This equals lots of crying and guilt. For two weeks it was like that. I admit I was really depressed. I'm sure I was freaking out Jason. Thank goodness my Mom was there for over a week. She really helped us out in soooo many ways. Thank you MOM! After Mom left, I thought the feedings were getting better but JR was latching on wrong and I couldn't get him to correct it. I still had to supplement. (That was a trial and error thing...I couldn't figure out why he was crying so much after he breastfed!!) Again the guilt. I talked to some friends who encouraged me to go either way and to remind me that even if JR's bottlefed he will be ok. I was bottlefed and I'm ok! :)

Making the decision to stop was really really hard. But I did and now we are much happier and I'm enjoying being a mommy a whole lot more!!! I haven't cried once since we started bottle feeding!!! Thanks to those for all the encouragement and support!! I will definitely try breastfeeding the next addition (whenever that will be) but I will not put so much pressure on myself like I did this time to be supermom. I will leave that to my sister-in-law, Mandy, who is truly a SUPER MOM!!! BTW, we went to the doctor to get him weighed yesterday and he's already 10lbs. :D

JR and I have been getting out of the house, which has been great! I have even left him alone with Jason, our future daycare ladies and the nursery at church! I want my son to love me and run to me when he needs me (or not) but I don't want to be a hovering momma who can't let go!

What else...the dogs have been great. It was dicey at first. I think they saw JR as a squeaky toy and came to investigate every time he made a sound. Now that they have his many scents XD; they love him and even lay down or leave the room when he starts to cry. They are very sweet to him.

And the adventure continues.....!!!! Will try to update every once in a while!!!

2 Months Worth...

No, I'm not going to write two months worth of stuff that's been going on...I don't have that kind of time. I will just do the highlights.

We started school! Yeah, August 10th. Soooooo early! So far so good. We've hit a few bumps in the road but will get to that later.

House is in good shape. We've FINALLY hung up ALL the framed pictures and it's amazing what the room looks like with stuff on the walls. It looks good. Front flowerbed is about to burst with mums...can't wait to see all the colors!

Alex and Emma's doctors have finally come up with a definite diagnosis, so we've been dealing with that. Pray for our family!!

Jason and I have decided on a church to call home; First Baptist Church of Sulphur.

Have had lots of family come visit us, so I can play hostess! and I LOVE doing it! Keep 'em coming!

So here's how this week has gone:

Sunday afternoon, Patrick called with the news he's been called up for a year to go to Afghanistan probably around April or May. He starts his training in January.

Monday a teacher resigned at the high school

Tuesday I hosted a Pampered Chef Party with sister-in-law Ruth as the consultant. Good times!

Wednesday I started teaching piano lessons...whew! I got to study up on my technique and theory!!

Thursday I went to a toe party with some teacher friends and came home with cute toes AND the biggest headache I have ever had in my life...not good. Ironically I slept soundly.

Today the US History teacher next door to me passed away this morning. Earl Wilson. He also helped coach track, was well loved and ALWAYS greeted me with a smile on his face and laughter when he talked. Please pray for his family. He was taking a stress test yesterday and had a stroke. I believe he was in his 50's. It's hard to see students in pain over that kind of loss. Also our football team lost tonight. 7-14

All I can say is that life is short so don't waste time on petty things. Watch your words, because you may regret them later. Tell your friends and loved ones you love and care for them.

Needless to say it has been a stressful and long week. We can't be happy all the time but we can be joyful because of Who has blessed us and given us grace to live through each day.

Cheers, love and hugs to all,
Jess

Las Vegas Hoopla

Time to tell most of what happened in Vegas:

First we left on Friday, July 3 to go visit some of Jason's friends and have a BBQ. Good stuff. Then we drove to NWArk to visit my family. We got there about 10:30 and immediately decided that Pat and I would go get fireworks. We got a stash and shot them off until about 1am in the morning (late for me). Fun times!! 4th of July we went to the Rodeo of the Ozarks parade 1) because it was cool (literally and figuratively) and 2) because Alex and Emma were in it! The rode in the back of Drew's pickup and waved to the crowd with the Rounders, girls and their horses.

Came home and it started raining so we took naps. Yummy.

That evening we went to the Rodeo of the Ozarks and watched. The nieces were featured with the Rounders, who have a special program for disabled children. So sweet. We finished the night at the rodeo with fireworks and a round of God Bless America with Drew singing at the top of his lungs!! (me too but not so loud).

Alex and Emma waving to the crowd.


Dad with Alex


Drew with Emma


Rodeoing in the Ozarks

Sunday we went to church and then hung out with Dad and watched Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 3D. Cool.

Dad grilled some chicken and, as always, it was terrific!!!

Monday we got up and did all our laundry so we would have enough clothes to last us til Friday and then we headed for the OKC airport. Got there in plenty of time, flight was delayed and then once we were in the air, headed to Denver, no, I mean Colorado Springs, no I mean Denver. Because of thunderstorms we circled around Denver for about 30 minutes and then were diverted to COS because we were running out of fuel. Immediately after we landed we were told we could go back to Denver...not until I use the bathroom, mister!! It was a dire situation for me and several other people.

We got back into the air and landed in Denver with no other problems except that we missed our flight to Las Vegas so we high tailed it to the gate with the only other flight out to LV and was able to hop aboard. Needless to say that we were bushed by the time we crashed at our hotel. The Luxor, by the way...yeah, the pyramid.

A view from our room at the Luxor
(we weren't actually in the pyramid which was good because of the height issue.)

Hoover Dam


Bridge at the Hoover Dam being built to divert heavy truck traffic.
(Saw a Modern Marvels special on this...way cool.)


Typical south Nevada and Arizona scenery.


...and of course, the strip...

Monday we took a day trip to Laughlin, NV. Stops on the way included Hoover Dam and a rinkydink roadside souviner shop but it was fun. The mountains are awesome and I tried to picture the first people out there and how they determined why they wanted to live there. There isn't ANYTHING out there in the rocky desert!

Laughlin, NV was nice. It was on the Colorado River (beautiful), but it was dang hot. I could feel the tops of my toes cooking. We played the slots with about $10 each and Jason got a jackpot of about $100. Awesome! So we went across the street to the outlet shops and did some shopping!

Next day we toured the strip via monorail and scoped out where we would eat that night near the Ka Theater (Cirque de Soilel). We ate Asian food and the show was AWESOME!!!!! I won't even describe it because I can't...awesome acrobatics, martial arts, music and the storyline was good too.

Thursday we got up and ate breakfast, came back to the room and slept, got up to eat lunch and came back to the room and chilled and the went to supper and toured the strip at night. Very cool. We saw the Bellagio fountains and the Mirage's volcano and the gondolas at the Venetian. Don't forget about the Forum Shops at Ceasars Palace...incredible!!!!

Friday, we pretty much got up, got McDonald's and headed for the airport with no incidents!!! Yay! Got home about midnight and now it's back to reality....and the yard...which mocks us and says..."yes, you must mow me every week!! MWWWHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!" Dang.

For more pictures...I will be uploading them to my Facebook account.

Quick note...on grass...

Just a quick observation...today we (and when I say we, I mean Jason) mowed the grass for the first time since our move in date. I found it very satisfying actually. Yes it was at 7am in the morning and it was still warm but I felt like we accomplished something. (I raked grass and other debris).

I used to HATE...no hate is not the right word...DESPISE it when Mom would come in early Saturday morning and say something like "lawn day" or "get up, get up, we need to do some chores!" I don't even know how to describe the irritation in my being when I heard that. Before Drew and Pat were old enough, I had to mow the lawn. We always had lawn mower issues...the issue being there was always something wrong with them. They would not start, flat tire...whatever... We also had a variety of lawn mowers too. Push and riding. I liked the riding...no biggie...except when I mowed under the apple tree. It would scrape my back while I was trying to duck underneath the low hanging limbs...those things were like steel with pointy objects!!! The push mowers were awful. We had a huge yard and mowing would take forEVer!!! And not to mention I get blisters very easily and I would have blisters from holding down the little bar to keep the mower going. (What can I say, I have delicate skin).

So all that complaint to say, I never appreciated the work that was involved and the outcome of having a pretty yard. I hated it then, and not lovin it now, but the satisfaction of saying, "look at my yard! I did that (or my husband did that)." It is pretty darn cool.

More House Pictures

...and, no, not as in that TV show doctor, although I do watch it sometimes.

Spare bedroom


Office


Master bath

Back deck

Cute little shed (matches the house)


Front of home (obviously)


Front door

A Home with a Backyard :)

Jason making a hole for our mailbox!!!

*Sigh* It's so nice to have a home with a backyard. Jason and I were so fortunate to find a house in our price range, rennovated so we didn't have to do much of anything, and lo and behold by some miracle most, if not all, our furnishings and accessories matches the paint scheme of the house and decor in the bathroom. Girls you know what I'm talking about, I think guys could care less. Jason's mom came down last Saturday and spent that day and Sunday with us. Then my mom came Sunday afternoon to help with the decorating. She's a task master...thank goodness for her help otherwise I'd be sitting on the couch not wanting to touch another box or hang another curtain!!!

Several things we did...organize stuff, hang pictures, hang curtains and plant flowers, oh! and took A LOT of boxes to the dumpster.

We hung a lot of curtains and had some mini crises over it. It was imparitive to have curtains in the eastern most rooms because that's where all the light comes in in the morning thus heating up the rooms like an oven. They also are the furthest from the AC unit therefore taking longer to cool down. Our first major investment into "fixing" the house will probably come in the fall when we have to have blown insulation in our attic, wrap the air ducts with insulation and put in two whirlybirds on top of the house so the ventilation will be better. Ahhh, the things we learn when owning a house. I can't wait for our first electric bill. I think we will have to sit down to open it. Our house payment is much lower than what our apartment rent was, but I have a feeling that other bills and "house projects" such as the attic will help offset the savings. That's ok! We don't have to drive 35 minutes one way to work. It's more like 5 minutes!!! WOOT WOOT!

Curtain Mishap Story: So we had to drive to Ardmore to pick up a few things and get some pictures framed that we've been waiting to do for a LONG time...these are things you can't do in Sulphur (or haven't looked yet). The Wal-Mart in Sulphur is very small and doesn't carry enough stock and variety. So on to the slightly better Wal-Mart in Ardmore. We found more curtains that were PERFECT for the living room and dining room and extras for the two small bedrooms. When we got home, Mom was like, "Let's do this thing!" So I'm measuring and drilling holes to anchor the screws and my arm is getting tired. Ok, we got the brackets for the rod in place, now all we got to do is hang the rod. Whoops! The brackets are spaced too far apart and the rod won't reach. There was a small debate on getting a longer rod or just redrilling holes for the brackets closer so the rod can reach. We chose the latter. Mom gave some good advice...if you mess up something, it can be fixed. Fortunately I had some spackeling and filled the holes but haven't painted over them yet. Ok...so on to the new holes to drill for anchoring the screws. Remember my arm is tired? Well I had the drill at a wierd angle and was pushing probably too hard and I broke my drill bit. I was standing on the bench with a horrid look on my face and Mom is like: "It's allright, it's allright, we can fix it!" So after a taking a mental and physical break we fixed it. The curtains in the living room are beautiful. And of course the last set of curtains we hung over the doors to the deck were the best because we were pros by that time.

Some Pics:

Living Room Curtains (apply mishap story)


Looking into kitchen from living room

Dining area

Pros and Cons about living in a small town:

• Con: It's small...I'm definitely used to a bigger city with all amenities...such as a Target...I miss Target AND Bed Bath and Beyond.


• Pro: People are soooo much more friendly here!! The State Farm lady alone sold me on living in a small town. Others in our house hunting/closing have reaffirmed that.


• Con or Pro, you decide: I think in the week and a half we've been here we've seen at least 20 of our students.


• Pro: Commute is awesome.


• Pro: The environment is awesome. It's not flat in Sulphur. It's hilly and has a wonderful National Park with hiking trails. Biking could be a problem...maybe. Two nice lakes that we've found so far. It's got a lot of trees too.


• Con: The name Sulphur... There's a reason for it though. It's because of the sulphur springs (which used to be the city's name). I would have voted to change the name back to Sulphur Springs but apparently the towns folk didn't approve. Yes, it does stink in some areas. Particularly at the sulphur spring near downtown. Too bad the city wasn't named Siloam or Hot Springs...oh well!!!


• Pro and Con: Word gets around...everybody doesn't know everybody, but it sure is close. A neighbor a few houses down from us knew we were teachers when we told him. Scary!!

So that's all I'm going to say about that, except that having a home with a backyard is sublime. However, I wish I could enjoy being outdoors without sweating and slapping misquitos. I will say that my backyard is perfect for having a sprinkler so little girls and boys can come over and play!!!

Living the dream!!!

Well folks...it's official...we've finally moved in to a house. YAY!!!!!! It has been a crazy mess and apparently it's still not over...joy!! Here's how it went down:

We were originally supposed to close on Friday, June 12 at 1pm. Ok. No problem...we were ready. Then a few phone calls and emails later, they called back and said we needed to close on June 17th. (they being the bank) Uh, noooooo....the bank said we could go ahead and close that Friday plus we had to move out of our apartment that weekend! So we sent the bank scrambling and they were able to keep the original closing date. So we go to close and it takes the sellers about 2 seconds to sign their paperwork...we walk in and there's a stack a mile high of what I'm only assuming what we should read and sign and initial...blah, blah, blah... First things first, however, the closing costs. We were quoted a cost and were prepared for that but when she showed us the actual cost it was almost $1,000 more. WHAT!!!! so needless to say we juggled some numbers to bring it down and were calling bank people left and right saying "what the heck?" Well after we did the juggling, "they" said "they" have to redo the paperwork and won't be able to have it ready until Monday. Ok. Monday rolls around and "they" call back and said it won't be until this Wednesday at 10am that the papers will be ready. It better be because the locked in interest rate expires that day!!! And boy did we get a good one!

So closing has been a nightmare, moving was a nightmare...we had wonderful people helping us, but with Jason working half a day and me doing other things, we didn't get everything packed the way I wanted to...that's ok! It worked out and we are moved and it is awesome!!! The house is a mess of course but we now have cable and internet so we're good to go. (Got that yesterday!) I've got the kitchen the way I want it...and the cabinet space is to die for!!! (Probably not but it is WAY better than what we had). ALSO! I now have a pantry for food to be placed in. In the apartment, there was nothing. I had to buy shelves to put the food on and ran out of space so much that it was spilling out to the ground... That's in the past, though!!! Speaking of pantries. I already have a house story.

Yesterday I was rearranging furniture in the guest bedroom and heard a noise and I thought oh, it might be a cockroach or something...I went to the kitchen with the flyswatter and then went to the pantry where I saw some previous movement. Opened the door and a MOUSE jumped out and attacked me!!!! Ok, well, it didn't attack me, it actually ran in one direction and I shouted and ran in the other direction. So I immediately went to Wal-Mart and bought two different mouse traps and some roach baits (you never know). The first mouse trap I used was not the traditional trap but it did snap and sort of hid the mouse once trapped. Cool, I wouldn't have to look at the poor thing when disposing of it. I set two of them using peanut butter as bait, stepped back and watched. Not a minute later Squeaky came up to the trap and stood there. I couldn't tell if he was debating whether or not to get the PB or he was actually eating it off the trap...I was thinking to my self, "Ok, any second, it's going to snap." It never did...so I checked both traps and Squeaky swiped all the PB off the traps without them going off!! Son of a gun!!! On to trap two! It was a glue trap with "professional strength" glue for catching mice. Is there a semi-pro or just regular folks mouse glue I haven't heard of? Anyway, I stuck a bit of PB on the sticky trap and set it down...not a minute later did Squeaky try it and got stuck! I was watching and immediately felt awful. He was desperately trying to get away and squeaking at the same time. I kept on yelling "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!" but that didn't really sooth him. So that was yesterday, and the mouse is still alive but stuck and I'm waiting for it to die. I'm afraid if I put it outside, something is going to try to get it and get stuck as well (remember the professional strength glue). So it's still in my kitchen and I check the mouse every once in awhile for breathing. That's my first major house story! I'm sure many more are to come as a houseowner. We're living the dream, people!!!

If ya'll would like our new address, please email me! Hopefully we'll get our new mailbox put up today (the previous owners didn't have one!!!)

Cheers!
Jessica

Well that was dumb: part II

Well, yes I did something dumb...again...no TMI though.

Every spring/summer I look forward to the warmth and being outside. I love it!!! This past weekend Jason and I went to Comanche for Jason's Mom's birthday. Ruth had the boys and so it was a big get together. Devon and Bryce (nephews) had each double header baseball games that Saturday starting at 9am. Well we didn't get there until 9:45 but Bryce hadn't finished his first game so we all cheered, etc.... I wore a shirt with no sleeves and long pants (I thought we would be going out that night). Can you guess where this is heading? Well double headers mean long games and I stayed out in the sun way too long. Was there an offer of sunscreen? Yes...and I put some on my forearms to even out the farmer's tan I was already getting from riding my bike. But I didn't put any on my upper arms. That's where the dumb comes in....Ruth and Cliff were like, you definitely need to sit in the shade, now!! I said ok. I did and so did Jason. Now we both look like Lobster man and woman from Mars. Jason's face is completely red except where his cool looking sunglasses were on his face. The upper portion of my upper arms have tiny blisters on it. Every so often I'm putting Ocean Potion on for soothing purposes.

I texted Ruth to never let me say no to sunscreen. You'd think I'd learn from all the other bad experiences I've had...but noooooooooooo!

The other thing was the wind at the ball field. It was ridiculously crazy!!! The bad thing was the wind was blowing in our faces across the ball field and dust and dirt were flying in our faces. I brought a towel to sit on but I used it to shield my face. It didn't work that well. When I cleaned my face with wet naps there was dust all over...it looked like I had washed off all my makeup...I didn't even have any on!! When we finally got home after 6 hours at the ball field, I was cleaning out my ears with q-tips and in my right ear was literally tons of fine dirt in there. It was so gross!

Anyway...there's another dumb story and I this time I'm paying for it with pain. Stay tuned I'm sure there will be another dumb story coming up soon.

In other news....I've been packing up a storm here in the apartment anticipating the move this weekend. I'm excited and for some reason I like packing. I don't know why but I do... It's because I love organizing, I think. When I was packing my precious pottery, I was reminded of the good old days at the museum in the collections packing stuff up... aahhhh the memories...

June 12th is our closing date, which I now realize is the anniversary of the day I moved into my first apartment in Waco as an independant career girl!! Cool!

Love to all!!!

Well, that was dumb...

Have you ever said that to yourself? I did a couple of weeks ago and I thought it was so funny that I had to share... Sorry if it's TMI!!!!

So, Jason was running errands or something...he wasn't in the apartment. So I was like, great I can go to the bathroom without having to close the door. *ahh, the little things* The only problem was where I chose to do that. The "guest" bathroom is in the main hallway of the apartment. From inside the bathroom you can see the living room and entryway door. So while I'm "in the moment" I look out the bathroom doorway and see that I have conveniently left the blinds to the windows in the living room open. How unfortunate for the persons who walk by and peek in!!! So, I'm thinking to myself, well, that was dumb...

Fortunately for me AND others...no one walked by ;-)

Movie Reviews

Just thought I would give you the low down on some movies we have recently viewed:

Wolverine: LOVE IT!!! It was a good storyline, (although it didn't follow exactly the original comic book story). It was great and I love Ryan Reynolds...he's so funny. Gambit was great although Jason and I both thought he should have been in there longer... And of course Hugh Jackman...what female doesn't like watching him run around buck naked for several minutes??!!?!!

Terminator Salvation: It was interesting. I did like it but it wasn't what I thought it would be. I don't know...we just watched it and I may have to let it sink in. Good effects though!

Star Trek: I saved the best for last!!!! OMG!! It was spectacular! The characters matched the original characters so well, but those who aren't Trekkies...you didn't need to know that. The plot was good and the fact that the original Spock was in it was awesome. The special effects and humor was great!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Will be viewing Transformers and Harry Potter later this summer and will let you know what I think. I will probably view Angels & Demons just because I'd like to see the movie version of the book (which I thought was way better than the DiVinci Code despite all the hoopla).

Be on the look out for a trailer for the movie 9 which will be coming out 09-09-09 (go figure). It's gonna be awesome, especially since the trailer has Coheed & Cambria's Welcome Home song in it!!! Check it out here!!!!

Time for an update!

Well, well, well...look who it is!!! Long time no see!! I know, I know (as she grins sheepishly). There has been a whole bunch of stuff going on... and it's been exciting!

Nummer eins!!!! SCHOOL IS OUT!!!!!! YIP YIP YIPEEEEEE!!!

That has been a major thing in my life and now it's over!! Kids' last day was last Tuesday and the rest of the week was just cleaning up and getting ready for next year. I know it's crazy but I'm already looking forward to when school starts and getting to know the kids and them getting to know all the knowledge that I will bestow upon them... sounds good right?!!! :D I really do love teaching and I really do love having a break because that gives me time to mentally regroup and get stuff done that I haven't been able to while at work, which brings be to nummer zwei!!!

House Stuff!!

Yes...we are still in the middle of it. The house inspection is tomorrow at 2pm and then we will be done on our end. The appraisal has been ordered and the title/abstract thing is on the seller's end. I hope we will be able to move around the second week of June. (Cross your fingers)

These are the things I'm excited about in my (our) new house:

• gardening
• grilling
• lots of kitchen space
• a pantry
  
• doggie?
• a yard
• no neighbors above us
• state park with lake just to the south of us
• NO COMMUTE to WORK!!!
  

Other stuff...getting a badly needed haircut tomorrow, dentist in a few weeks, and getting ready for a big trip next year.

I've been put in charge of arranging our 2010 family trip to Germany and Austria since I'm the one that can speak a little Deutsch. I've got it pretty much figured out with packet included. Our major stops include: Berlin, Cologne, Munich and Vienna with day trips from those major cities like Postdam, Dachau, Salzburg, Neuschwanstein castle and so on.... If anybody's interested in the trip let me know and I can give you a rough estimate. We're looking at going in July 2010 around the 8th coming back the 24th. Me and organizing go hand in hand so I've got the trip color coded.

What else...Memorial Day weekend we went to Norman, OK to see the last of Jason's kids graduate when he taught at Norman High School. It was really special...read his blog to find out more information. Then we went to OKC to drop off Ruth's phone she left at our house for a week!!! Then we went to Jason's parents and chilled until yesterday when we came back. I have mosquito bites (but no ticks, thank goodness)!

I had my annual physical - yippee :( Don't worry...I'm good to go. The last time I was at the doctor's office was my last physical last year...I just don't like doctors groping me.

That's about it! I know my last blog was a major downer but I'm good! and very excited about this summer!

And the Countdown Begins...

...until summer break? or to insanity?

Author's note: Don't read too much into this...these are just thoughts that need to come out. Nothing to be worried about... it's life, it happens.

We are on the downhill slide as far as school is concerned and I have nothing to write about. Yeah, the house...whoopie... it's still not finalized yet. I feel like pulling my hair out. Nothing is being done. What needs to be done? I feel all the weight on me...for some reason. No one is saying anything about it.

I feel like crying for some reason...don't know why...I'm blessed with everything I need.

I feel very fat and unattractive... no one is interested in this fact...everyone else feels this way, right?

I need to study for this stupid test I'm supposed to take on Saturday.

I keep forgetting to pay a bill...it's not much money but I can't get home in time to run it to the office.

I, I, I, me, me, me...I feel selfish.

I think people are stupid sometimes...they like to complain about everything and then offer no solutions to the problem.

What's up with the pirate thing out of Somalia? I can think of a few things to fix that! non-negotiable.

I got to see my family last weekend and watch my brother take a new life journey. Yay, Pat!! I love my family!

It's hard for me to do anything once I get home...literally...I want to do nothing...that's why I'm fat.

I don't have a "hormonal imbalance" right now...

I have no girlfriends my age here.

I'm lazy.

I'm the problem.

I have to be the solution.

I am normal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm probably depressed. I teach psychology, I should know. The worst thing is that I know I am and can't seem to want to get out of it. I mean I do, but don't...does that make sense? It seems like too much work. Why am I depressed? I need to find out so I can work out the issues...did I just teach on this today? Yes. Practice what I teach? Writing about it helps...I can reread it and try to look at it from another perspective.

I could say I'm depressed because:

• Pat's being deployed again
• the state of our youth is deplorable because their parents are deplorable...
• economy sucks and so does my investments
• I'm depressed...wow...how depressing!

So the psychological thing to do is turn those things around:

• Pat is being deployed to a now safer Iraq?
• Not all the youth are corrupt but are exemplary...I should know...some of them are in my classes.
• I'm a history teacher, the economy will turn around again...it always does.
• Hmmm....depressed because I'm depressed...don't see how I can make that positive!

"How do you feel now?"...Sigmund Freud would ask..."better," I would reply.

It's been awhile.

Yeah, I know. There's been a lot going on but there hasn't been any motivation to write about it.

First: We are still waiting on the house thing. All our papers are in order, pretty much. We are waiting on who knows at the top of the red tape to sign whatever paper to increase the limit on income for this very specific loan we have applied for. Right now "they" are saying March 29. Cross your fingers.

Second: almost three weeks ago I experienced my first major entanglement of an Oklahoma tornado. Not the most pleasant experience. Jason and I had to take separate cars that day because I had a PEO meeting in Ardmore and Jason had basketball games to announce in Sulphur. My meeting was canceled due to the potential for bad weather but I came home anyway. I went to Wal-Mart for a few things before I got home then made some good supper. I just chilled on the couch a bit. It was probably a little before 7pm when I started looking at the weather on the web and TV. I wasn't really concerned. There had been severe weather before and it never escalated and it was February for crying out loud. I was tracking the path on the web when I heard on the TV there was a storm chaser in Wilson, Ok which is due west of Ardmore. The guy was talking and all of a sudden he yelled, "Tornado on the ground, tornado on the ground." That got my attention so I listened more closely. He also said there was hail and while he was talking about it a car smashed into his car. They had to go to a break. Meanwhile I heard the tornado sirens come on. Panic mode. This next part may make you laugh...go ahead.

My first instinct when there's a possibility of power outage or water shortage is to fill up pitchers of water or even the bathtub. Don't ask me why but I just do, ok! So I immediately filled up the Brita water pitcher we have in the refrigerator. The next thing I did was think, I better go to the hospital basement (that is our designated tornado shelter). I was a little frantic and almost left with my houseshoes on. I did get my tennis shoes on and make it to my car. It was lightening quite frequently. It only takes about four minutes to get to the hospital but it seem like forever. I was a little worried that I would be the only one headed there. WRONG. The rest of humanity who didn't have a storm cellar was there too. Probably close to 200 people. I found a spot against the wall and waited. There was a lady next to me who needed a cigeratte and I gave her a piece of gum, hopefully to calm her down. I called my Dad to get some info on the path of the storm and also when it was safe to leave. I used my own phone to look it up but of course my battery was dying. Jason's sister called to check on me and report to Jason who in the meantime with the rest of the people at the highschool basketball game were in the safe room at the school. Built specifically for tornados. The only time while I was in the basement, the lights flickered once. That scared me. After an hour, the hospital staff gave the go ahead to leave.

I exited the building and the temperature had dropped dramatically. Was a lot of water in the ditches. I had to step it in to get to my car...brrrrrrr. Still lightening a lot but the majority of the storm had passed the northeast...toward Sulphur. I drove back to the apartment complex to notice that we had no electricity. It's wierd to be in total darkness. I did have my cell phone. It served as my flashlight for a little bit. I panicked for a second when I realized our apartment door lock is electric but separate from the grid. Needless to say I got in. Ok, now what? Ah HA!! I could use the lantern I bought when I was in Waco at a great price! Did I have the right sized batteries? Yes!!! I had two flashlights that had enough. The lantern gave off much more light. Now what? Nothing to do. Refrigerator? Eeek!! I had Jason's ribeye for Valentine's Day in there. I had to save it and everything else. So I went back to Wal-Mart to buy more batteries, ice, and candles that didn't have any fragrance so I could breathe. When I got to Wal-Mart again for the second time that day there were hardly any cars but there were shopping carts everywhere, blown about by the wind. It was really wierd. In Wal-Mart I got what I needed and then went to the book section. Twilight was staring at me, I was going to read it eventually, why not in the dark? I bought it.

Got home, packed as much food in a cooler with the ice as I could and started cleaning. It's a wierd reaction but I was pumped up on so much adreniline I couldn't sit there. Plus Jason wasn't home yet. I did get a hold of him. He was very relieved to hear my voice. You should hear the message he left me when he couldn't reach me, but that's between me and him :D You have to understand something about the weather. Jason is fascinated with it but very cautious when it becomes severe. Me on the otherhand, I'm pretty laid back. I knew that if I hadn't gone to the hospital basement like he would have done, he would have killed me when he got home. My survival instincts got the better of me.

Anywhoo...he got home around 10pm. We couldn't go to sleep so we just walked around aimlessly in the dark, me cleaning until around 11pm. The electricity came on!! Yay! It was a short time to be off but long enough. The food was saved!!! I could take a hot shower!

The Monday after the tornado several of the members of the church we attend were going to help some people in an area that was hit by the tornado that really hadn't been mentioned at all because no one was killed or even hurt that I know of. Jason and I were off that Monday because of President's Day so we decided to help. I'd never seen tornado damage in person and it was definitely a shock. The tornado, in fact, passed north of us about a mile from our apartment. That's where we were going. We helped clear fallen trees from some homes. The devestation was awesome and awful. It looked like a giant had walked through the trees knocking some completely down and some where he just took his hands and snapped them in half. I took a few pictures.

So much for that adventure. I will be better prepared for severe weather next time. We now have a "tornado box" with some essentials like batteries, cards to play with, candles, matches and snacks.

Third: This past week has been pretty terrible. I have one particular class I teach where about half the students work on other things when I lecture or even review for a test. I've talked to them about it, even talked to some parents but apparently I didn't get their attention. This week I had to review for the test for two days. Problems with one entire class being gone the whole hour. Had to give them at least one day to review. Anyway. The class that was acting up, I decided to get their attention by giving them the test the day we were supposed to review. The students who were trying to review got to use their books, the other did not. It upset some of them. Probably because they failed the test. Some of them took it to the principal's office. This was Wednesday. At the end of the hour, when the bells rang both principal and assistant principal came into my room. I immediately felt crappy and the tears came. Now you have to understand something. I do not revel being the "evil one" as I'm sure my students were putting it mildly. But I also cry when I literally don't feel good. It was a combination of both I think. But how can I explain that to two male figure heads. I dont' know if they thought I was just an emotional person or what...needless to say I was completely embarassed. There were no other students with us, so that made it better.

They sided with me. Gary, our principal, knew exactly was I was going through. He had been the exact situation before when he was teaching. No big deal. I'm totally over it now but at the time it was a crappy thing to go through because it didn't end that Wednesday. The reason I didn't feel well was because I caught, apparently the 72 hour stomach bug and not the throwing up kind. Ugggh. It wasn't enough to stop me from staying home but I wasn't eating a whole bunch. I was hungry and nauseated at the same time. Ate crackers mostly until last night. Rice soup. Felt better. Feeling 10 times better today. That's why I'm finally getting around and writing this HUGE blog!!! I didn't realize how bad I felt until this morning when I felt awesome!

I also feel awesome because I finished the Twilight saga. I couldn't stop. So much that I bought New Moon and finished it the day I bought it. I had to borrow Eclipse and Breaking Dawn from one of my students!!! It was a great series. Very different from what I expected!

Anyway. Today is great day! I'm feeling good and motivated to tackle some of the mess that is our apartment. (Jason hasn't felt good this week either).

I hope every thing is well with all of you out there!!

Later taters,
Jess

PS: I'm really excited about these movies: Madea Goes to Jail; The Watchmen :D and 9

Updates and not so Randomness Part 2

Here are some pictures of the house we've been really looking at:

The facade is awesome. Vinyl!! Sage greeny...it's been landscaped. Living room is a tad small but ok for right now. The kitchen is AWESOME!!!! The utility room with washer/dryer is AWESOME!! Bathrooms are awesome with their tile and rain showerheads. Backyard is huge with two decks (one for the grills and one for hangin' out). Three bedrooms, two full baths; 1500 sq ft AND at a great price. Pray that we will be able to find a good banker and interest rate and everything goes smoothly. This would be my first house and Jason's second. Woot woot!!!

All these updates to say we are doing well and there are some exciting things happening right now. We are very blessed with what we have and what we could have.

On another note, I just want you to be in prayer for my family, specifically Drew and Mandy and the girls, Alex and Emma. As most of you know, sweet Alex has had physical problems since birth. She goes to therapy several times a week and has checkups several times a year. Over the past couple of months Mandy and the therapist have noticed that Alex favors her right arm and hand. She draws them up to the side of her body. About a week ago her tongue started pushing to the right side of her mouth and she does have a little bit of a drooling problem. That prompted Mandy to expedite an appointment with Kansas City Children's hospital. The appointment was yesterday where she had an MRI done. The doctor thinks he knows what the problem is and it's probable that Emma has it too.

The doctor is French and they like him very much. He is sending Alex's bloodwork to France to be tested because, so far, there isn't a facility in the US to test for this particular genetic disease. According to Drew the doctor said if it is in fact this very rare disease, it is progressive, meaning it will get worse. Pray that this is NOT the case.

Updates, Randomness Part 1

Well I thought I would first start off with some updates on the past two months.

1. I finished every knitting project I was on (except the ongoing project of the afghan for over 11 years).
2. Christmas, as always, was too short with family. We had a good time and also celebrated Alex's 6th birthday. I made a "present cake" for her!
   
3. I got a bike from all the Christmas money I received (thanks to all who contributed!!)
4. Christmas has come and gone and now I have springitis as well as my students.
5. Jason and I have been house hunting for several months now and I think we have found a house that would suit us... (pictures in the next blog)
   
6. Here are some pictures:

Me with Alex and her knitted presents


Happy/Sassy Emma with her knitted hat



Nephews TC, Bryce and Devon on Christmas Day



Brother-in-law Cliff with his new gun...it was like he was a kid...
he wore it all day around the house



My beautiful bike with awesome helmet. I actually did ride it the other day when the temperature was actually WARM!!!!



New Years Eve picture



Alex's cake Mom and I made for her!

Valentine's Day revisited

Hmmmm....Valentine's Day seems like a cuss word lately. Several people I know have explained why they hate this holiday. Granted it is VERY commercialized, so is every other holiday, but so many people hate this particular one and not the others. I wonder why. Is it because they have no one to love? Or no one loves them? Most of the people that I have heard complaining have significant others, so what's the deal? Should we not celebrate with the ones we love? My most memorable Valentine's day gift was from my father. I remember coming home and there was a big heart balloon standing in the floor. Yeah, standing. It was a heart person. It had legs and feet and arms too. It was soo cute.

Maybe we get so upset is that we have to spend money. Really? Do you? Does it cost money to spend time with the one you love? I have made it clear to my husband that flowers that cost $50 or more is cool but not necessary. I'd be happy with a single rose. I told him that we didn't have to go out to eat, in fact, I'd rather stay in so I can cook him a nice meal. Do I like Valentine's Day? Sure. Do I hope I get something? Sure I do.

What my brain has been pondering is maybe people crave this day is because they don't get any other day. Yes, they may be married or have a girl/boyfriend...but do they feel special outside Valentine's Day? A lot of people say we shouldn't have a holiday to say you love someone and I totally agree but does anybody on a regular basis show they love someone not on Valentine's Day? Do you ask how their day is? Do you do the dishes without being prompted? or fix dinner when not asked? Do you kiss them for no reason? Do you sit by them on the couch when you watch TV? Do you suggest things to do with them? Do you tell them they are handsome/beautiful? It's easy for me to ask if they do those things for you, but do you do those things for them as well?

Just some thoughts while vegging in the tub.

I should be writing about the other stuff that's happening but don't feel like it...maybe later.

Peace,
Jess