Wow, has it really been over 3 weeks since I last blogger? A lot has happened and nothing has happened.
By nothing, I mean that we motor along as usual - scouts, church, going to the gym - you know, the usual. None of that has changed. Routine is good. At least for me. I have always been a creature of habit.
By a lot, I mean we are getting me an iPhone, my husband had a brochoscopy to biopsy a mass in his lung, a loved one is sturggling with some "professional" issues and our van needed some major $$ repair. All of these have kept us feeling like we live in the shadow of doom - when would the next disaster befall us... Fortunately, my Esther study addressed just that issue this week. God does not want us to live in a state of fear. Satan, on the other hand, does. Some days Satan is the winner. Some days, God.
Like when I talk to my husband on the phone from work and he tells me what a rotten day he is having. Then he sees he has a message - it must be the doctor, finally some good news, he needs it. Nope - the mass needs to be biopsied. Satan wins.
Just get off the phone with hubby and his lousy day and his negative doctor's report and I get an e-mail from the Alabama Depart of Public Safety - They are going to renew my driver's license!!!! God wins.
Let me change that. God ALWAYS wins. I guess I just allow Satan to get in my line of sight and all I see is him some days.
Kids are great! Still hating the TAKS test. Nothing new there. Loving my husband more than ever - if that is possible. And finally making some wonderful "connections" outside the military. We have really needed this. We only connect in a new community when we make "non-military" friends. And if they read this: Thanks for making us smile! We love our military friends, but they are as transient as we are. We need to connect to roots. Thank you Stacey & Paul, Amber & Craig, and John & Shelli for being our roots in Nebraska.
Peace to all who read...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Just not feeling if for Kathy & Dee...
Am supposed to be at bible study right now, but I'm not. Just not getting in to it. Kathy Troccoli (sp?) and Dee Brestin seem nice enough & knowledgeable enough. but I find myself dreading the study. I don't want to do the homework memorize the verses or even go. This is not by any means an editorial of the study. I once felt this way about the first Beth Moore Study I did. I hated it. I think it is just not my time to do this particular study. I ended up redoing the Beth Moore Study I hated and LOVED it! Go figure. And tonight, I am starting the new Esther - Beth study. Maybe I am just not capable of giving my all to two very intense studies. I just know that it felt right to stay home.
Am lifting someone or some family up in prayer right now. But I don't know who. I was on my way home from dropping my oldest off at a bible study at school this morning just before 7:30am. When I came around the corner to head toward our neighborhood I saw HUGE bellowing black smoke just starting up in the sky. Immediately I started think house or brush fire. So, I pulled into our neighborhood and headed toward the smoke (which was now worse) and followed it to the back entrance to our subdivision and saw a small red sports car engulfed completely in flames! I got out and joined some of the neighbors near by and watched as this car became nothing but ash. If the person driving did not get out immediately, then they did not survive. There was NO WAY. No one waiting there with me actually saw if happen. So no one was there to see anyone run away from the vehicle. I pray that the driver had the presence of mind to get out. If not, I lift up a family that suffered a tragic loss today. Apparently folks of all ages drive very fast on the street where this happened. And my guess is that it was a teenager headed to the high school. I have never seen anything like it.
I am starting a new running program. It will help train me to run 10K. I am getting very frustrated with my progress or lack there of. And my weight. Some of my friends laugh (and some times glare) at me when I complain about my weight. I know that I am not a big person anymore. But that is just it. When you were a big person for so long: 1. Sometimes you have a hard time ever seeing yourself any different. I still think I look bigger than I am. 2. I have gained some weight since my big weight loss and some of my clothes are actually tight. I wish I viewed things differently, but I don't. I wish I had self control when it comes to food I like, but I don't. So I live on a constant diet so as not to go back to what I was. Back to my running program. It is an 8 week program and seems very doable. I guess the proof is in the pudding - oops a food analogy! See, i can't get away from it...ugh!!!! :-)
Peace to all who read.
Am lifting someone or some family up in prayer right now. But I don't know who. I was on my way home from dropping my oldest off at a bible study at school this morning just before 7:30am. When I came around the corner to head toward our neighborhood I saw HUGE bellowing black smoke just starting up in the sky. Immediately I started think house or brush fire. So, I pulled into our neighborhood and headed toward the smoke (which was now worse) and followed it to the back entrance to our subdivision and saw a small red sports car engulfed completely in flames! I got out and joined some of the neighbors near by and watched as this car became nothing but ash. If the person driving did not get out immediately, then they did not survive. There was NO WAY. No one waiting there with me actually saw if happen. So no one was there to see anyone run away from the vehicle. I pray that the driver had the presence of mind to get out. If not, I lift up a family that suffered a tragic loss today. Apparently folks of all ages drive very fast on the street where this happened. And my guess is that it was a teenager headed to the high school. I have never seen anything like it.
I am starting a new running program. It will help train me to run 10K. I am getting very frustrated with my progress or lack there of. And my weight. Some of my friends laugh (and some times glare) at me when I complain about my weight. I know that I am not a big person anymore. But that is just it. When you were a big person for so long: 1. Sometimes you have a hard time ever seeing yourself any different. I still think I look bigger than I am. 2. I have gained some weight since my big weight loss and some of my clothes are actually tight. I wish I viewed things differently, but I don't. I wish I had self control when it comes to food I like, but I don't. So I live on a constant diet so as not to go back to what I was. Back to my running program. It is an 8 week program and seems very doable. I guess the proof is in the pudding - oops a food analogy! See, i can't get away from it...ugh!!!! :-)
Peace to all who read.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Hormones & TAKS tests...
I just sat at the computer a couple of hours ago and composed a scathing e-mail to my son's teacher about all this TAKS test crap. Then, I took a deep breath, looked at my words (or at least my intent) and deleted large portions of it and then rewrote and sent it. I am currently very hormonal and tend to go off the deep end when I am. So, as much as I wanted to say all the stuff I said, I know that some (if not all) was hormone driven. And nobody should have to deal with that.
What is the TAKS test you might ask? Well, from all the info I can gather, it is a (can't think of the correct wording here - another problem with my hormones) test given state wide in Texas to all public school students. In Nebraska we had the Terra Nova. Every year starting in 2nd or 3rd grade, kiddos would take this standardized test for their grade level. The week before the test, we were notified that the test was being given and to make sure our children would be at school. The only "prep" per se was to make sure they had a good breakfast every morning of the test. After the test was done we would see the results at the next parent/teacher conference. The results were discussed and we moved on. The results and testing were for our individual needs - not the school's. Not here. Our testing starts here in March, but the prep work for these tests started right after school began. They immediately identify the kids who don't meet TAKS standards and start tutoring them after school. The concepts that they teach in these tests are burned in to these children from the moment they can hold a pencil. They refer to these concepts as "strategies." I have looked them and I don't disagree with the idea. I think it does help kids process information and answer questions correctly. My problem is that when you are new to the school system (and the concept), you are unfairly targeted. Oh, did I forget to mention that these tests results are the way that a school as a whole is graded??? They spend too much time teaching the test that they miss out on teaching so much else. My middle child struggles in school - always has. But do you think he is getting the help he needs in those specific struggles - No. Not unless there is some TAKS prep test that will help. Over all, he is a strong B student. And his regular grades are fine, but if you listen to his teachers (concerning TAKS stuff), he is really having problems scholastically. It seems the majority of what they do involves the TAKS process. If they have stories to read, they questions answered using the strategies. And if they fail to use the strategies (even if the answer is right), they take credit away and make them practice more.
This is not a "this school is wrong and my child is perfect" rant. My whole family is far from perfect, and my middle child has always struggled with scholastic endeavors. School does not come easy for him like it does for his siblings (it did not for me either). But to be struggling with school to begin with and then have some new concepts thrown at you that are specific to this school system and told that you will fail a grade level should you not master these things is more than just a little upsetting. It seems he can never get a break. He will come home do his normal homework and then we have to work on TAKS prep. All while his sister & brother are outside playing. So, now we have 4 years of TAKS practice to make up for at home. Gee, sure is going to be fun around here. Oh and that "fail a grade" statement I made a minute ago....In 5th grade if you fail the TAKS test, you will not be promoted to the 6th grade.
I so wish were back in the Nebraska school system. I felt like we had come so far with our middle child. Now I feel like we are back to square one. Ugh!!!!
On a more positive note - I will be starting a new Beth Moore study on Wednesday night!! I am so excited!!!! She really inspires me. I am glad God has placed her in my path.
Peace to all who read.
What is the TAKS test you might ask? Well, from all the info I can gather, it is a (can't think of the correct wording here - another problem with my hormones) test given state wide in Texas to all public school students. In Nebraska we had the Terra Nova. Every year starting in 2nd or 3rd grade, kiddos would take this standardized test for their grade level. The week before the test, we were notified that the test was being given and to make sure our children would be at school. The only "prep" per se was to make sure they had a good breakfast every morning of the test. After the test was done we would see the results at the next parent/teacher conference. The results were discussed and we moved on. The results and testing were for our individual needs - not the school's. Not here. Our testing starts here in March, but the prep work for these tests started right after school began. They immediately identify the kids who don't meet TAKS standards and start tutoring them after school. The concepts that they teach in these tests are burned in to these children from the moment they can hold a pencil. They refer to these concepts as "strategies." I have looked them and I don't disagree with the idea. I think it does help kids process information and answer questions correctly. My problem is that when you are new to the school system (and the concept), you are unfairly targeted. Oh, did I forget to mention that these tests results are the way that a school as a whole is graded??? They spend too much time teaching the test that they miss out on teaching so much else. My middle child struggles in school - always has. But do you think he is getting the help he needs in those specific struggles - No. Not unless there is some TAKS prep test that will help. Over all, he is a strong B student. And his regular grades are fine, but if you listen to his teachers (concerning TAKS stuff), he is really having problems scholastically. It seems the majority of what they do involves the TAKS process. If they have stories to read, they questions answered using the strategies. And if they fail to use the strategies (even if the answer is right), they take credit away and make them practice more.
This is not a "this school is wrong and my child is perfect" rant. My whole family is far from perfect, and my middle child has always struggled with scholastic endeavors. School does not come easy for him like it does for his siblings (it did not for me either). But to be struggling with school to begin with and then have some new concepts thrown at you that are specific to this school system and told that you will fail a grade level should you not master these things is more than just a little upsetting. It seems he can never get a break. He will come home do his normal homework and then we have to work on TAKS prep. All while his sister & brother are outside playing. So, now we have 4 years of TAKS practice to make up for at home. Gee, sure is going to be fun around here. Oh and that "fail a grade" statement I made a minute ago....In 5th grade if you fail the TAKS test, you will not be promoted to the 6th grade.
I so wish were back in the Nebraska school system. I felt like we had come so far with our middle child. Now I feel like we are back to square one. Ugh!!!!
On a more positive note - I will be starting a new Beth Moore study on Wednesday night!! I am so excited!!!! She really inspires me. I am glad God has placed her in my path.
Peace to all who read.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Rat poop anyone???
On Thursdays (in BMT world) we have the Airman's Run. All the 8.5 weekers run in formation with the commander's , DOs, TSs, instructors, Shirts and sometimes the chaplains. They run down a road that is lined with family members. Everyone cheers them on. It's pretty cool. I love going. This is the first time the trainees will have seen their families in 8.5 weeks. This week was no different. A very wonderful experience as always. I love Thursdays.
After the run I went back to the squadron with my hubby and (after checking to make sure that the tour that was coming through was not going in the Wolf Den) I decided to clean out the closet in the Wolf Den. The Wolf Den is their "nice" room (carpet & pictures with nice furniture) that they use for meetings and briefings. The closet is a forgotten about space. I discovered it during our children's Christmas party. We needed forks. One of the MTIs told me to look in the closet in the Wolf Den. "There's a closet in the Wolf Den?" I asked. "Yes, " was the answer. So I ventured in to the black hole of party supplies to find quite a mess. It was full of old expired sodas that had exploded, Gatorade, juice boxes, bbq sauce, sugar & creamers that were well past there "best by" dates, 20,000 knives, 15,000 spoons, some Thanksgiving decorations and lots and lots of rat poop. Needless to say, almost everything in that closet got thrown out! It was almost a puking moment, it was so gross. But I survived. I finished up what I was doing, made the Wolf Den livable again and left so that I would not be underfoot for the tour. The tour, incidentally, was for a NASCAR driver named Reed Sorenson (who will be driving an AF sponsored car). Went to the Base Exchange, found 2 cute little cocktail dresses on clearance, went back to the squadron only to find my hubby still involved in his tour. So I went home. Usually I stay around and go to the Coin Ceremony and the Honor Grad Ceremony, but after all that rat poop, I was spent.
Guess I will go put on some running clothes and have a quick run and grill out some burgers. the kiddos want to go to the Y tonight, but I just want some down time. They will forgive me...I hope. :-)
Peace to all who read.
After the run I went back to the squadron with my hubby and (after checking to make sure that the tour that was coming through was not going in the Wolf Den) I decided to clean out the closet in the Wolf Den. The Wolf Den is their "nice" room (carpet & pictures with nice furniture) that they use for meetings and briefings. The closet is a forgotten about space. I discovered it during our children's Christmas party. We needed forks. One of the MTIs told me to look in the closet in the Wolf Den. "There's a closet in the Wolf Den?" I asked. "Yes, " was the answer. So I ventured in to the black hole of party supplies to find quite a mess. It was full of old expired sodas that had exploded, Gatorade, juice boxes, bbq sauce, sugar & creamers that were well past there "best by" dates, 20,000 knives, 15,000 spoons, some Thanksgiving decorations and lots and lots of rat poop. Needless to say, almost everything in that closet got thrown out! It was almost a puking moment, it was so gross. But I survived. I finished up what I was doing, made the Wolf Den livable again and left so that I would not be underfoot for the tour. The tour, incidentally, was for a NASCAR driver named Reed Sorenson (who will be driving an AF sponsored car). Went to the Base Exchange, found 2 cute little cocktail dresses on clearance, went back to the squadron only to find my hubby still involved in his tour. So I went home. Usually I stay around and go to the Coin Ceremony and the Honor Grad Ceremony, but after all that rat poop, I was spent.
Guess I will go put on some running clothes and have a quick run and grill out some burgers. the kiddos want to go to the Y tonight, but I just want some down time. They will forgive me...I hope. :-)
Peace to all who read.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Slowing down a bit...
Right now, I should be walking to church for bible study. But I'm not. I am right here - posting to a blog that nobody really knows exists. But, you know, who cares. I am finding it pretty therapeutic to sit and ramble like am doing. Then I am able to save the more meaty conversations for my hubby when he gets home from work.
Got most of my "To Do list" from yesterday done. All except for the bible study stuff. That is one of the reasons I am not on my way to the study right now. I am not really connecting with this study, unfortunately. I have NO desire to do the homework, and that is not like me. Love the ladies in the group and love the support. Just am not feeling moved by the study. I will be starting a Beth Moore study next Wednesday night (Esther). Am really looking forward to it.
The other reason I am not on my way to bible study is that, hopefully, I will be going by a bakery to pick up a cake to surprise my hubby with at work. His 1st shirt was supposed to order it and I would be it up and bring it in the end of his Commander's Call. Probably need to see if she did it or if I need to go and see what I can get on short notice. His birthday was last Friday and it was a lousy birthday for him. Thank you AF for making his birthday miserable. It stinks to have Court Martial duty on your birthday. And it stinks even more when you have to pass judgement on someone and punish them knowing that it will effect every aspect of the rest of their life. Makes it little hard to swallow your birthday cake. He knows the decision was the right one, but it did not make it any easier for him. Hope he does not have to do that again any time soon.
Need to close - things to do, places to go and people to see...
Peace to all who read.
Got most of my "To Do list" from yesterday done. All except for the bible study stuff. That is one of the reasons I am not on my way to the study right now. I am not really connecting with this study, unfortunately. I have NO desire to do the homework, and that is not like me. Love the ladies in the group and love the support. Just am not feeling moved by the study. I will be starting a Beth Moore study next Wednesday night (Esther). Am really looking forward to it.
The other reason I am not on my way to bible study is that, hopefully, I will be going by a bakery to pick up a cake to surprise my hubby with at work. His 1st shirt was supposed to order it and I would be it up and bring it in the end of his Commander's Call. Probably need to see if she did it or if I need to go and see what I can get on short notice. His birthday was last Friday and it was a lousy birthday for him. Thank you AF for making his birthday miserable. It stinks to have Court Martial duty on your birthday. And it stinks even more when you have to pass judgement on someone and punish them knowing that it will effect every aspect of the rest of their life. Makes it little hard to swallow your birthday cake. He knows the decision was the right one, but it did not make it any easier for him. Hope he does not have to do that again any time soon.
Need to close - things to do, places to go and people to see...
Peace to all who read.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Feeling a little more acomplished...
Yesterday I got quite a bit done in my house. Since we have moved (in to a much bigger house) I have not been keeping up the housework like I used to. It has been too daunting of a task. We moved from about 1500 sqft of finished space to almost 3000 sqft of finished space. But yesterday I turned off the tv, went to itunes on our laptop and listen to a few Andy Stanley sermons and away I went. It was amazing. Life felt good the moment I was done. Let's see if I can continue that motivation in other areas...
Well, today is not looking as promising. I woke up tired because hubby goes to PT with the 8.5 weekers at 5am! So that alarm went off at 3:45. I never get back to sleep well after that. Then I was vegging in my chair with coffee, Foxnews and the paper until it was time to take them to school. We had all gotten in the van when I realized that our middle son may have Chess club today and I needed to verify that. Yup, he has Chess club AND both boys are supposed to have Spring Pictures taken today!!! Ugh!!! They were not in shirts that I wanted for pictures and Christopher's hair was sticking out in several spots and I did not have the time to properly fix that. Guess we won't be getting those pics this year. But that is okay, I really like their fall pics and am not sure why we need a second set of pictures anyway. Is it just a $$ raising scheme for the schools anyway?
My to do list for today:
1. Clean off computer desk
2. Finish the wee bit of laundry that I have
3. Iron (I love to iron - no, really!)
4. Get my checkbook and other accounts square away (Quicken)
5. Catch up on scripture readings and bible study.
Wish me luck!
Peace to all who read...
Well, today is not looking as promising. I woke up tired because hubby goes to PT with the 8.5 weekers at 5am! So that alarm went off at 3:45. I never get back to sleep well after that. Then I was vegging in my chair with coffee, Foxnews and the paper until it was time to take them to school. We had all gotten in the van when I realized that our middle son may have Chess club today and I needed to verify that. Yup, he has Chess club AND both boys are supposed to have Spring Pictures taken today!!! Ugh!!! They were not in shirts that I wanted for pictures and Christopher's hair was sticking out in several spots and I did not have the time to properly fix that. Guess we won't be getting those pics this year. But that is okay, I really like their fall pics and am not sure why we need a second set of pictures anyway. Is it just a $$ raising scheme for the schools anyway?
My to do list for today:
1. Clean off computer desk
2. Finish the wee bit of laundry that I have
3. Iron (I love to iron - no, really!)
4. Get my checkbook and other accounts square away (Quicken)
5. Catch up on scripture readings and bible study.
Wish me luck!
Peace to all who read...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Try to do something nice...
Haven't posted in a while. I think my last post talked about Grandma and her last days on this earth. Well, all that came to pass. She is now with her Heavenly Father and rejoicing - but we miss her so.
Since our return from her funeral, it has been one thing after another: hubby finds out he broke 3 ribs when he fell taking down Christmas lights, they find a spot on his lung while doing all the x-rays & CT scans, Hubby has to serve on a Court Martial, and then a young family at BMT has a baby and is in need.
That's where the title "Try to do something nice..." comes from. Our 1st Shirt has been helping them out, but she took violently ill on Friday afternoon and had to driven to the ER by my hubby. So now it seems that I need to help do something for a family that has fallen through some other squadron cracks. Well, the story I got this afternoon seem to differ greatly from the story that was originally given to the Shirt. I put out e-mail pleas for help and got responses by the arm load. Just when I think that they are not in as much need as originally thought and I let everyone know, I find out that I am oh so wrong. I am exhausted from all this. I just want to go sleep for a week of so. Or sit up in bed with a bottomless coffee pot and and a stack of good books.
And speaking of books... I just finished The Shack. Wow. Probably the most thought prevoking book I have ever read - bar none. I have really looked at life and my relationship with God some much differently since I completed the book. It almost scares me. Should I really be that impacted by something like this? It feels almost like I am being unfaithful to God by feeling this way. Why couldn't the bible move me like this?
Wow, this was very theraputic. But I am still exhausted. And I really want to go lay down and chill out for the rest of the evening. Probably not happening though. I can dream can't I? :-)
Peace to all who read.
Since our return from her funeral, it has been one thing after another: hubby finds out he broke 3 ribs when he fell taking down Christmas lights, they find a spot on his lung while doing all the x-rays & CT scans, Hubby has to serve on a Court Martial, and then a young family at BMT has a baby and is in need.
That's where the title "Try to do something nice..." comes from. Our 1st Shirt has been helping them out, but she took violently ill on Friday afternoon and had to driven to the ER by my hubby. So now it seems that I need to help do something for a family that has fallen through some other squadron cracks. Well, the story I got this afternoon seem to differ greatly from the story that was originally given to the Shirt. I put out e-mail pleas for help and got responses by the arm load. Just when I think that they are not in as much need as originally thought and I let everyone know, I find out that I am oh so wrong. I am exhausted from all this. I just want to go sleep for a week of so. Or sit up in bed with a bottomless coffee pot and and a stack of good books.
And speaking of books... I just finished The Shack. Wow. Probably the most thought prevoking book I have ever read - bar none. I have really looked at life and my relationship with God some much differently since I completed the book. It almost scares me. Should I really be that impacted by something like this? It feels almost like I am being unfaithful to God by feeling this way. Why couldn't the bible move me like this?
Wow, this was very theraputic. But I am still exhausted. And I really want to go lay down and chill out for the rest of the evening. Probably not happening though. I can dream can't I? :-)
Peace to all who read.
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