Not just a shower...a DOWNPOUR of friendship :)

These are my fabulous friends that hosted the baby shower I had a few weeks ago. I love these girls so much. I have the best friends in the world!! I was overwhelmed with their love and the work they put into doing this for me! Everything was perfect and turned out great! I love ya'll!!!

FAMILY....that word holds so much. Family is love. Family is caring. Family is there for you. Family is friendship. Family is everything! And my family is everything to me!

And FINALLY what you've all been waiting for......a preggo picture of me. :) I have gotten several more lately, but have not had them on file and i dont' have a scanner to get them on the computer....so maybe later I'll post more.

I got so many wonderful and adorble and useful things! I loved it all and can't wait to see Ellis Ann in all those cute clothes, etc. I would post some pictures of the gifts but it's hard to choose which ones to post.

As for me....now I am just waiting....waiting....ready.....waiting:)

soon to be anxious....

Almost 36 weeks......

So it's getting really close. So close that it really could be any day.....

I'm not expecting it to happen for at least a few more weeks. I've got to get through volleyball first! We have our jv state tournament this saturday. Varsity region tournament monday and tuesday and if we make it to the final four that will be the 24th....then i'm done.

I'm super excited about my baby shower this saturday. I can't wait to get together with my awesome friends and family.

I've also got to really prepare for Ellis Ann. I've got to pack a bag, get the car seat in the car (maybe i need to clean the car first:)), get her room ready!!........and so many other things. I really haven't done much baby preparation yet...i think(hope)that I have the major things taken care of.

We're still (well my mom is) finishing getting our house together. I promise, one of these days to post some pictures. Maybe we will invest in a new camera before Ellis Ann gets here!

Until next time, I'm just waddling:)

I believe...

I believe life is hard....

More and more each day I realize life is just plain hard. As I go through each day tired, struggling, overwhelmed, just wanting life to get more simple...I realize it never will. It is life, live it the best we can. Every day worries and struggles, stresses are easy to get us down.

I believe life is full of joy.....

There are so many joys in our lives, so many blessings...we just have to slow down and see them. There is so much beauty and good in the world, in our family, and our friends.

Lately I have been overwhelmed somewhat with just life. I know and understand the joys and huge blessings God has given me that surround me every day, but sometimes have a hard time appreciating them over my stresses. Then I am hit hard by hearing and seeing what is going on in others' lives. Hardships that are unimaginable and unbearable. The realization hits of how hard life truly can be and also how blessed I truly am!!! As I see and hear of these hardships, I realize more and more that God must be our rock! There is no answer during some of these times but to seek God for comfort. I pray for these people, these friends, and their families.

Praise God for life and His many blessings!!

Rambling

I almost hate to post again because I like have Charlie and Nancy's wedding picture at the top:) I can't wait to see them when they get back from Hawaii. Wow, do i wish I was in Hawaii!

So I just scrolled down through some of my previous posts and couldn't help but be a little saddened by the fact that just a couple posts ago the title was, "Summer is here...almost" or something like that. It just saddened me a little as I am sitting in class in my busiest time of year and summer for me is looong gone! Where did it go??? Yes, I know one of the reasons my past post of summer beginning was only a couple posts ago is because I did not post at all during my break. But it's also because summer just flashed in front of my eyes. I only went to the beach once for two days. Didn't really have a true vacation. And, well, summer just didn't last that long literally. Sob, sob...oh well, i know.

Well, we are kinda moved in to our new house. We still have some work to do...building porch, tiling, a little painting, a LOT of organizing. We haven't even started the baby room...besides painting it. It is green by the way:) Step by step we are making progress. I still have a breakdown every so often...just from feeling overwhelmed, but when I have my head on straight and I am not too tired, I realized things are coming together. I still have some very important things to do to prepare for baby and some things will be last minute, but I know it will all be ok:)

Ellis Ann is kicking and moving so much! That is so much fun, except when she keeps me up at night.

We got a new puppy. It is a doberman puppy named Cuz....like we really needed a puppy when we are about to have a baby...I know, but he will be the protector of our house and we needed that!

Happy Labor Day Weekend to Everyone!!

Wedding Weekend

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Frank Madaris

This is my brother and as of Saturday sister in law Nancy Haney Madaris. They got married this weekend in Macon, GA. Everything went wonderful. We are excited for them and happy they are married. Also, glad it's over and we can all relax a little. Between us moving and them getting married I think my family is going to go bonkers. But after this weekend, life can be even a little more simple once again....until something else comes up:)

Everything was beautiful and everyone had a great time. I have to share this "moment" with you all though. So yes I'm pregnant but....so what. This was a very special day for my brother. Well, I did almost make this day a little more memorable. I don't want to be one of those pregnant people that everyone has to dote over and such. But I did have my moment at the wedding where it was a little necessary.......


I posted this picture so you could see where I was standing. (at the very top right) Well it was 6 cst in the evening and about the middle of the wedding I got a little hot. Well the heat, standing still, nerves, whatever by the end of the wedding had gotten to me. Towards the end I started feeling a little queasy, was beginning to get worried and anxious. Just kept telling myself just make it a few more minutes.....well by the end my eyes were blurry and my ears were ringing. I was terrified I wasn't going to make it down the stairs. I started reaching for Bradfield's hand. He realized I wasn't ok and I just told him, "Just help me down the stairs". I couldn't hardly see or hear but I made it (not very gracefully leaning on Bradfield). I was quite embarrassed by the attention I got when I got down but I must say it was greatly needed. Some people couldn't even tell I wasn't feeling well, they just thought I was overcome with emotions. While others stared down the aisle and watched to see if the "pregnant girl" was going to make it as a chair was rushed my way.

So that's my weekend excitement.

Congratulations to Charlie and Nancy! So happy for you!!

I'm Back

Wow...been a while!

Let me start with my apologies for my absence in the blogging world. There are many reasons for my absence, these could be just excuses, but let me just begin.....

Well, first of all summer is my time out of the office...office is really the only place I sit down at the computer for longer than 5 min in order to check my email for important messages. But this summer was exceptionally crazy. Sooooo....we are in the process of moving. We bought a mobile home I guess about a month ago and every last second of free time has been spent painting and getting our home ready (driveway built, trees cleared, septic, water, power) We are trying to scram and get everything done so we can move in some this weekend and completely the next weekend. We want to make sure we are settled before my brother's wedding Aug 29. However, school just started, volleyball just started....not to mention the fact that I'm preggo....whew!

I also want to regret to ask you not to expect a whole lot of posts coming up....even though we started school and my blogging should improve....my schedule this year is horendous (sp?).....I have only one planning period all day and it is from 8-9 am of which I have to spend every second preparing for class and grading and taking care of vball stuff. When I start at 9 I don't slow down or have any time until I leave the school after practice or a game which is no earlier than 6 pm. This leaves me no "my time" for blogging:(....but I will do the best I can!

Enough complaining....

Everything is going good pregnancy-wise. We are having a girl and her name will be Ellis Ann Evans. I've been feeling great...just a little worn out. Don't sleep too good. But compared to the first tri-mester, it is a breeze! She is an active little thing! I LOVE to feel her move and kick and fortunately that's like all day...and night. :)

Hope everyone is doing well and if nothing else i hope to start keeping up with you guys again through blogging!

Love to all!

New Beginning....

This has been a very special weekend. On Friday Bradfield and I closed on some land. So we are now land owners...which is exciting for us. (there are some very scary things that come along with this of course:)) But the neat part is that this is a "new beginning" for us. This is where we plan to live and eventually build our home. This is where we plan to raise our family and create so many special memories. There is so much meaning behind the land.

This weekend we spent some time working on the land. Draining the pond (or trying), clearing trees, taking down fence and getting ready to build a road. We have lot of work ahead of us, but the neat thing about it is that we are working to build "our lives"...."our home" I have done a lot of work like this in the past but it has always been for my dad and the work seems no different, but it is.....it's different, kinda weird, but great!

I will try to get some pictures and post soon!

Summer Begins....almost!

Today is the first day of exams, this means school is ALMOST over. Even though I feel like I am going to blink and we will be starting again. And I don't know if I will ever feel like it ended because I will be at the school so much over the summer....i am still relieved!

This summer is going to be big. If we can get everything worked out, we will be moving to Hope Hull, which is home for me. HOME...I love that word. I love that place! There is a lot that must get done before that can happen, which makes "summer" a little overwhelming.

I will do my best to keep updating the blog about how the summer tasks are going, but I will be honest....part of what keeps me into blogging is work. I am in front of the computer a lot at work, and the blogging is a "get-a-way"....when I am away from the office I am not consistent about sitting down at the computer. But I will try.

As for me....I am doing good! :) yay!
Maybe not feeling great...but definitely feeling OK. And that is good enough for me. The headaches are not as constant and not as bad. I have ups and downs....but atleast having some ups makes the downs not so bad. I really think things are looking up!

Happy Memorial Day!!!

GREAT Weekend!

Last Friday afternoon for the first time in a few weeks, I was headache free....Saturday, Sunday, headache free. This made for a fabulous weekend!!! I was all smiles all weekend, it was like I had my life back. I got to see some of my best friends I had not seen in a while and had more fun than I thought I could have being pregnant! It was awesome, a busy weekend, but great!

Today I have a slight headache again, but it's not too bad. I really think everything is looking up for me.

School is winding down, we have 2 more weeks. A lot of big things coming up and big changes in my life even before the baby comes...and a lot of weddings and things in between. I have something on my calendar for almost every weekend until...well maybe all summer.

Life has kinda gotten stressful...maybe not stressful, but crazy. But more and more I realize how blessed I am....with family and friends and support and just great people all around me. .....and well, most of all, I've been given the greatest gift on earth....a baby, what can be better.

I appreciate every one's comments on my blog...some from people I barely even know.....but feel like I do. :)...some from people I know so well, and the littlest words make the biggest difference.

Baby update:
I had another appointment, it was the first time they tried to listen to the heartbeat with the Doppler, the nurse was having a hard time finding it so she sent me down for an ultrasound just to make sure everything was ok (which was a little scary, but i got to see the baby again:))
Everything was fine and normal.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Today, I am ME

I must admit something and be honest. For the past few weeks I have not blogged because honestly I have not had anything positive to write. Obviously not because I don't have anything positive going on.....geez because there are SO many wonderful things going on in my life, but because I have had a negative attitude. Every time I would try to blog all I could think about was how awful I felt and how miserable I was being pregnant. I can't bare to be that negative person....but the fact is, I was.


Pregnancy has been HARD for me. (let me complain for just a sec) All day, every day all I could think about was puking. I haven't even been throwing up that much, just gagging ALL day....but I would think, "would it make me feel better, could I if I tried, do I want to, do i think i could eat so-and-so without, am I just hungry, if I ate would it help....but of course the other problem was I couldn't eat...besides jello and ice cream. The hunger made me nauseous, the nausea kept me from eating.

Tired....the kinda tired you feel after a good work out, no...the kinda tired you feel after a long day's work, no......the kinda tired you feel when you haven't slept in a while, no.....it's a different kind of tired that's unexplainable and complete lack of energy. I didn't touch anything at the house. The smallest chores were left undone. Desire to do ANYTHING..gone.

Now to SOME degree I can handle this (or maybe not)....BUT......here comes what has been the hardest part. Headaches. I have always, well since my 20's, struggled with headaches. Well now I can't take anything but Tylenol. I'm sorry but Tylenol doesn't but a dent in my headaches. Headaches are something I can't handle, I like to think that I can be tough...when i have a cold, an injury, i can even handle nausea, but headaches cripple me. I can't function. I believe they are sinus headaches and recently I have had a headache that lasted for about 6 days. In fact, the only time I actually threw up, I believe was from the sinus headache/maybe migraine.

Did I want to die...maybe a little. Basically I wanted to sleep my life away. Not necessarily because I was tired or needed the sleep but because I would rather sleep than live....sad, but true at the time.

For the past couple days I feel kinda normal again!!!!! Yes, it's true, I can't believe it and I have never been so thankful in my life!! I don't know if I am getting over the first tri-mester, or if it's just a small moment in time that I feel ok....all i know is right now I am just grateful for being able to feel like MYSELF right now. Yesterday I did more at home in two hours than I did in 2 weeks. I am so thankful for this moment of sanity and I just pray it will last. I want to actually ENJOY being pregnant.

I'm sorry for the complaining. I guess I feel like it's ok to vent now because I don't feel like this at the moment. I just want to express my gratitude today!!!

I have my life back...if only for a moment!

Have a Happy Hump Day Wednesday!!

Miracle

I titled this blog Miracle again because I knew when I found out I was pregnant that it was the most precious miracle God could ever give me. Yesterday, I saw that miracle and it truly IS a miracle. It becomes so much more real when you can actually see it.

Everything was normal so far. The baby was 10.4 cm which she said means that it is 10 weeks and 4 days along. You could see the little "buds" for arms and legs and the baby looked like it was moving a pretty good bit. The unltrasound was unbelievable, but even more touching was listening to the heartbeat. That's when tears wanted to flow, but I just didn't go there.

I wish I could scan the pictures and post them, but I don't have a scanner. Maybe next time.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!

Prayer for family and rambling updates

Life is such a precious thing. It is something that we....I take for granted too often. A very sad thing has occurred with a family here at Macon East. Two students that I teach, one 8th grade boy and one 11th grade girl, lost their dad yesterday. On Friday, the boy was at a baseball game and the girl was at prom at the time that their dad had a brain aneurysm. They cut him off life support yesterday. It's one of things that is hard to fathom, hard to understand how anyone could move on...but you have to. That is life, life is hard sometimes, but it is precious, we must be thankful just to have it. My heart goes out to all of this family, as it is hard to know what to do or what to say, for only God can give them comfort. This tragedy has hit many people. Here at Macon East are the kids, the sister, the nieces, the sister-in-law, and many others. Keep them and their family in your prayers!


On another note, let me give you an update. I went to my first doctors appointment Monday. However, did not find out much. Doctor checked me out or whatever, but was running late, and by the time I was to get my ultrasound done it was their lunch break:( Which was very disappointing but at the time I was starving and was ok with coming back later so that I could rush to get something to eat. So I go back tomorrow (Thursday) for an ultrasound. I can't wait!! I just pray that everything is ok!



Brother is enganged. Exciting, exciting. Change, change, change is happening everywhere around me....and it is all good.

SMALL...I don't think so

Today someone did the nicest thing for me as just a random act of kindness.

At random times either a parent or one of the clubs at school will bring food for the teacher's lounge. Often it will be around the holidays or on special occasions, but you really have no idea when. So every day before class I optimistically walk into the teacher's lounge to be most often very disappointed and every now and then overjoyed at the big feast of food in front of me.

Well yesterday I (attributed to the symptoms of pregnancy and just me being me) was very late. My class starts at 8:00 and I pulled up to the school at 7:55. So obviously did not have the opportunity to check in the teachers lounge. In between classes at about 9 I walked in to find the scraps of what looked like some really good food. As I stared at what I had missed, another teacher in there said, "You're too late". :( Sad


So today I again, (not attributed to pregnancy symptoms...i was just late) walked into my classroom at about 7:50. I was surprised to find a plate of food sitting on my desk. My first thought was someone left this in my classroom from yesterday...didn't make sense. Nothing I thought of made sense (my door stays locked until I open it when i get there) I asked the kids and they said "It is Mrs. Gunn's. She brought it in here, then left." It still took me a minute to figure it out. Mrs. Gunn was the teacher that was in the lounge with me yesterday. She fixed me a plate and left it in my room this morning so that I wouldn't miss out on the food again today. I cannot explain how great this act of kindness made me feel. Someone that I don't even know that well, was thinking about me...really?

This may seem so small. But this made me feel anything but small.

It made me realize that just the smallest things that a person does can make the biggest difference to someone else. The littlest things that we do can impact a person's day, a person's week, or a person's life....that is pretty powerful.

We go throughout the day and do we thing about others and what we may be able to do to help them out? This is the question I asked myself. I know I personally get so busy and don't think about anything except what I need or what I'm dong. I want to think more about how I may be able to make someone's day by a small act of kindness.


I am encouraged and I hope maybe you all are too!

Happy Easter!!!

Disclaimer

I read some one else's blog whom is also pregnant. They said they were trying not to be baby blog obsessed. Well.....i don't know if i'm going to be able to be that considerate. At this time, there is not a whole lot else that i can think about. It consumes my mind. In fact after I found out I was pregnant and before I was ready to share the news I tried to write a new blog....i sat and stared at my blank document ready to write and could not come up with anything to write about. I wanted a new post and to share something....but what else could I share, but the fact that I am pregnant. So anyway, my point is, I think I may be a little baby blog obsessed...sorry.



Right now all I can think about is....uuuggghhh....bbblaaah......bluuuugh. The past couple of days have been torture. Nausea. I can't help but think about all these mothers that say pregnancy was when they felt the best they ever had. What were they thinking....have they just forgotten, or I guess they were just a lot luckier than I. I know this will pass....but can it hurry up already. My doctor gave me several samples of vitamins so I could pick which one I wanted to take. I'm wondering if it is just the particular vitamin packs I'm on or if it's just the time in my pregnancy.....which is 8 weeks.



Oh well.....I am 1000% positive it is all worth it.

So anyways for the next few months, I apologize if all you hear about from me is baby, baby, baby.

MIRACLE

I have a miracle inside of me.
I have an angel I can't wait to hold.

I am blessed.
I am grateful.
I am thankful.
I am unbelievably happy.
I am excited, anxious, scared.
I am tired, sick, and emotional,
Yes. I AM PREGNANT!

Rain

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. Kat wants to play. Rain, rain, go away.

Rain is a blessing from God and I am ALWAYS so thankful for it. It is vital for all agricultural industries and farms and for the earth in general. I love playing in the rain, I love the air before it rains, i love sleeping during it, i pretty love everything about it....except.....when it just doesn't stop. It is not raining now, but it is very wet, and Mr. Weatherman says another, bigger front is coming in tomorrow.

I'm ready for some more clear skies and sunshine. Rain, rain, go away....but don't wait tooo long to come back.

The Lemonade Award

The Lemonade Award

I have not been keeping up with my blog very well lately but I received an award for this blog from Mrs. Sherry over athttp://asourceofwonder.blogspot.com/ for showing great attitude and/or gratitude! What a surprise for me and how thankful I am to her for passing this along to me. Now as a kind of "pay it forward" blogging thing, I am to pass this award along to some others that I think deserve being rewarded for showing great attitude and/or gratitude that are in this blogsphere.

So I pass the Lemondade award to

Laurel and Searcy

Great Weekend!

SLE Montgomery Rodeo


This past weekend was rodeo weekend. Which I always look forward to because i get to see people I don't see but once a year and I get to see family and friends and it is always a blast. We go every night. I will have to say I actually watched the rodeo more than I ever have this year and I enjoy watching the rodeo, but i also like to talk and it is usually more about socializing than entertainment to me.

Thursday night the rodeo was really good. The food was really good and it was the first night to get to see everybody. I got to see my friend Jenny and catch up with all my cousins and Alison.

Friday night I got to visit with my Aunt Marsha (hope you like the shout out:)) I could talk to her forever.

Saturday night...Wow....so never would I have thought that this group of friends would have a reunion for rodeo weekend....it could not have been more perfect. My dear friend Carolyn was definitely going with us Saturday. We were excited, definitely a good time....our great friend Laurel, who lives in Nashville, just happened to be coming in town that weekend and was free Saturday night. So random and unexpected, but AWESOME. Then we throw Searcy in there, who is so much fun, this is a true reunion of friends that always have so much fun. (Especially at Loser's in Nashville) hehe

So we had a great time. I tried to stall everyone when the rodeo was over because I knew that walking to the cars meant goodbye. But a great night and weekend I will have to say!

Here are pictures. Courtesy of La because I never have my camera. (I actually brought it that night but the batteries were dead, go figure)

This is La, C, Me, and Searcy in the room before the rodeo.

Me and Searcy after I had just downed some blue cotton candy. I finally gave in to the sugar urge and it was worth it.








Searcy posing for us










We tried to get Bradfield to pose with Searcy and put his arm on the wall, but he liked this better....whatever it is he is doing.

Awesome picture of Carolyn and Laurel. Love ya'll!

















This was quite possibly the funniest part of the night.

Searcy and I went to get some food and drinks and Searcy was getting a hot dog(with ketchup) and coke for C. We had our hands full and the ketchup was not right by us so decided to go back and tell Carolyn we didn't see any condiments...sorry. Thinking she would just deal and eat her hot dog. But of course not, she had to go back and look to find out that the ketchup was RIGHT by the concession stand, so she preceded to put her ketchup in a plastic top and somehow transfer that to her hot dog. Searcy and I had a good laugh. Sorry Carolyn, we love you.....our hands were full!

Internet Down...Got Me Down.

I wanted to share my frustrations with the Internet and explain that I have been MIA for a while. The only time I am on the computer is at work. Well last week from about Tuesday on our Internet did not work. There was a few short spurts of time when it did. During that time I was able to get a couple things done and I think publish my last post. But from Tuesday to Friday I had a total of about 30 minutes Internet time, seriously. It drove me CRAZY! I would sit at my desk and constantly check it and was repeatedly disappointed.

Well Friday at about 2:00 it started working, but of course I was stuck in a weight room with 80 kids under a tornado warning.

So I expected it would be back to normal today (Monday).....but no....this morning it was not working. I got back into my office at about 10:00 and hooray, finally, it is working. Needless to say, I am going to have a hard time getting anything done because I am dying to catch up on every one's blogs!

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

I love......

I love family and everything about family. I love spending time with family. I love that family is always there. I love family.

I love friends! I love catching up with a friend i haven't talked to in a while. I love talking to friends that I see everyday.

I love beginnings. Whether it be a marriage, whether it be expecting a baby, a new job, new people in your life.....I love the excitement.

I love weekends with friends. (I'm about to spend one with my friend Kristy)

I love weekends at home when you do nothing. There is nothing more restful and relaxing than home.

I love Bradfield.

I love being outside.

I love green, green grass

I love sleeping late (just a little late though 7-8ish) I can't stand feeling that I've wasted a day!

I love that I have a dog that loves me more than anything in the world.

I love good neighbors and I love community.

Vacation

This weekend Bradfield and I had a little vacation. Nobody really knows we left, we just flew out to this fantastic tropical place. Here are a couple pictures we took.















I have never been much of an "artsy" picture taker, but i could not resist this picture looking up at the light pearing through.

Bradfield and I have not taken a lot of pictures lately, so we were excited to get some good pictures.

So now would you like me to tell you what we really did this weekened......well it was like vacation. It was the first time since I can remember that we stayed at home the entire weekend, with nothing pressing we needed to do and nowhere we had to be. We got done what we needed to do and just enjoyed being at home, relaxing, and enjoying the weather. On Sunday afternoon, Bradfield and I and two other couples rode around on some of our neighbors(one of the couples we were with) land. We rode by this sugar can thicket and were all making comments about it and how neat it was and I said " I want to climb in there." So Bradfield stopped everybody and told them i wanted to go inside it and I think we were all glad we did. It was kinda intimidating stepping in because you could not tell what was going to be in there, but once you got inside the thicket it was like you were in another world. Our weekend "vacation"! Ha!

This is Karen and I. Karen is one of my dearest friends in Society Hill.

Ready for Spring

As I love my job, I also love my down time. The coming of spring is always exciting to me. First, volleyball and basketball seasons are over and I get to leave the school at 3 every day:) This is awesome!!! But I also love the weather. I love when it starts getting a little warmer, it makes me feel like a new person every year. I love being outside in the spring and I get a lot more accomplished when I am home. (in the winter, all i want to do is cuddle up in a blanket when i get home)

So....the anticipation of spring has me excited! Last year, when this time came I was overwhelmed with wedding. This year, i am ready to enjoy the season!

Come on Spring....I am ready.

Sometimes it is just not in God's plan....

Sometimes it is just not in God's plan to win championships. This is what my wise dad told me Saturday after our tournament. Every team I've had this year through JV and V Volleyball and JV Basketball has been a state champion contender. My JV Volleyball team lost it's only games in volleyball (except one in the tournament) to one team (Lee-Scott) They battled their way to the championship game at that tournament and lost to this team. It was dissapointing, but they were a better team, and....we still had basketball. My team knew they were a better basketball team than LSA and pay-back they wanted. Myself included.

As I said in my last post, my basketball team was undefeated until losing a key player. We lost our first game to LSA. That hit hard, but that wasn't the game that mattered. We knew we would see them in the state championship. Coming into the tournament we were seated 1st and got a buy. We played Glenwood a tough game and won, and then we are faced in the championship game with who else, but LSA. We led the entire game, but did not pull it out in the fourth quarter. It came down to missed free throws and some clutch plays, and we lost by 3.

I did not want to accept the fact that we didn't win. We were better. If it weren't for our injured player, we'd have won, no doubt. this was ours.......why?......why to this team...agaiin?....why?

Sometimes it's not in God's plan.

Update

I guess I got a little too proud. Last night my JV Basketball Team picked up their first loss to make a 9-1 record. With an injured player that makes a big impact we are going to have to work a lot harder to meet our goal. We have our JV State Tournament coming up Saturday. I want to win so bad and we still can, injury and all but we can be beaten and will have to play our absolute best to win! Wish us Luck!

Undefeated....so far

I coach basketball. I was actually hired at Macon-East for the main purpose to coach basketball and the added purpose to coach volleyball and teach Math. My first year was the hardest thing I've ever done. I taught 5 DIFFERENT classes. That is 5 different preps. Of these classes were some of the hardest kids to motivate and discipline (considering a private school). I coached Varsity Volleyball and ran the JV. I coached the JV and Varsity Basketball Team. I had some part-time help this year, but I still think they were trying to kill me or scare me off in my first year. Coupled with the fact that I was new and eager and would get myself up at 5 am to leave the house at 6:10 to drive 45 minutes to get to the school at 7 am to tutor kids in my class at the place where I never really got to leave in the first place, except to go home and take a nap/sleep.

My second year the class load was much improved. I taught 2 math classes and the rest PE, the load that was taken off with class prep and grading papers was unbelievable. However this year, I had 0 help. Zero. I coached jv and varsity volleyball an jv and varsity basketball. My problem is, whatever i do, I am going to do it the best I can. I tried really hard not to slack on one or the other. Without any help and backup, and through a lot of diversity I think this year about made me lose my mind. I feel like this year in my life was lost, because anything besides my job was nearly nonexistent. If I wasn't at the school, I was either sleeping or crying(the stress was hard and the lack of perspective from never getting to step away made me crazy) But I have to say, through some of my hardest times so far, i think (i hope) it strengthened me the most.

I am in my third year and I coached JV and Varsity Volleyball again by myself. With no help except my sympathetic and dear dad who sat on the bench with me during games. In the past the "no life" part was hard, but it was ok. I felt I was paying my dues. But having just gotten married, it wasn't "just me" anymore. Approaching basketball season, I knew the same situation was going to be and I just didn't feel that I physically or mentally could do it anymore. Coupled with the fact that I wanted to have some time to spend with my husband and family. I know i can't take back these years, and I did not think that was fair to him. I stepped down from the Varsity Basketball Coaching job, asking someone else to do it. I knew it would be easier to get someone to coach the V instead of the JV and less stressful with only a JV job. I also had a lot of pride in my JV team having worked to get them where they are and build the program.

I know success will come and go, but this year has really been rewarding. I have had 2 hard years and some negativity to deal with. But all I could do was my best and do what I could to try to make my players better. This is one of those years where it has paid off. I coached JV and Varisty Volleyball. My JV team was 10-2 regular season and won 2nd at their state tournament. My varsity won their region and went to the final four.

We are in the middle of basketball season. Let me give you some background.

My first year coaching basketball, our Junior High basketball team was 3-13. The girls weren't sure they liked basketball because they didn't feel like they were good at it. We worked in the off season and went to summer camp. I think we didn't win a game at camp, but they got better. The next season the team was 7-5.

So, as I said earlier, I am only coaching the JV girls. As of now, we are undefeated. That is not to say we will stay undefeated (hope so) but at 9-0 I never knew how rewarding, proud, and how good it would make me feel to be this far in the season and to be undefeated. I know it is "just" jv, but to me and to those girls it's more than that.

Undefeated.....I love it.

I will try to keep you updated on the success or lack there of through out the rest of the season.

Awesome kid

I got an email today with this attachment. I really wanted to share. This is such a simple and well-put message. Per MT, I need a disclaimer: tissue may be needed. :)

Happy Girl

Honestly I am in a writing slump. I'm not a very good writer and I don't really have anything going on in my life right now that I am inspired to write about, however my last post was so negative, I am anxious to write something new....something that is more uplifting.

Basically I just want to say I am a Happy Girl. I could not ask for anything more. I have a fabulous, hilarious, loving, caring, and helpful husband. I have family and parents that I adore with all my heart! I have friends that are there for me. Friends that listen, friends that share, friends that I love spending time with, friends where a conversation overwhelms me with joy. I have a job, while definitely not perfect and really hard, I feel that I DO make a difference in some kid's lives. I have a HOME, not a house, but a home. I have a best friend in my dog. Most importantly I have God in my life and what else do I need.

When I was younger, I used to sing that song "Happy Girl" and I felt it was describing me. As a kid I was happy because I was care free, not a worry in the world, and I loved it. In the present, I am happy for completely different reasons. Now I am happy because I am proud of who I am and proud of what I have in my heart. I am happy and I am blessed.

I have learned so much about life and really what I've learned is that life is hard. But I have also learned that is ok and that I can get through it. Looking ahead I know there are going to be challenges and hardships...but I can still be and always be a "happy girl".

Who wants to be older anyway?

So, I feel that I am doomed for a lifetime of crappy birthdays. But that would only be if I looked at it in a negative way. But let me just be negative for a minute.

When I look back, starting at my first birthday I spent in college, I have had the worst days. I can remember exactly that day when the reality hit me that my birthday was just another day. I was playing basketball at Huntingdon and of course Jan 5 during basketball season we had practice. But not only that, I remember being stuck at that school all day with the basketball team and then instead of going home to have a birthday dinner with my parents, having to bag groceries to raise money. I was ok with that. I don't have to have a perfect birthday, but that day I grew up and realized my birthday wasn't going to be a magical day.

Ever since then it seems the day just can't be good. I mean, what do I expect it is almost always the first day back to school and we always have a basketball game. Last year was hopeful, the 5th fell on Saturday. There's no way they can make me go back to school this year. I am spending time with friends who came in town to see me...when i have two basketball parents call me and chew me out. Answering a phone call, thinking maybe someone is calling me to wish me happy birthday, I have to listen to 2 parents be unthinkably and undeservedly ugly to me. Why couldn't they have waited till Monday, why couldn't they have compassion, why couldn't they screw their heads on right and realize they are being wrong. Of course, all I could do was cry all day, company, birthday get together and all. This year, first day back to work/school...ok, basketball, ok, we won........speeding ticket on they way home, not ok. No matter how good we have it, and we know it, sometimes you just can't help but only see the negative. I did that last night. But you know what........I really had a good birthday. I have a wonderful husband that cooked a great meal for me last night and wanted so bad for my birthday to be good. I have parents that love me so much. And I have friends, friends that try every year to have a party for me, despite it being nearly impossible because of timing and location. (carolyn, love you!), friends that dedicate a whole blog to me (laurel, made my day).....and friends that can turn my day around. I'm not the biggest fan of facebook, but seeing all the birthday wishes last night, that was about the only thing that could put a smile on my face last night after getting a ticket 10 min earlier, and it did. All the birthday wishes mean the world to me. It is amazing what those simple words and that thoughtfulness can do for a person.
So thank you for allowing me to be negative about birthdays and thank you for brightening it up. Because I can be as negative as i want to be but I still know, LIFE is good :)

I just protest Birthdays:)