Snow pics? No, Ice Pics!!!!!

Ice pics, that made me laugh! Sorry, focus! Ok, since we didn't get the big "winter snow storm" as predicted, I didn't get any snow pictures. I know I blogged about that last night...I'm not bitter I promise!
I decided it time to bundle up and get some fresh air! So, I decided that the boys could do me a favor and....

Take some pictures to document this winter (wonder?) land. Don't worry, this isn't a blog of their pictures...though I know you'd enjoy things like the driveway closeup and one of my shoes (Kaden thinks he's a photographer. I don't know where he would get such a crazy idea!) Oh, I forgot the one he took once we got back in or his belly with no shirt! Yes friends, I will spare you that torture...or at least save it for later! This...

is what we found outside today!

No snow...just ice. As sad as we may be that we didn't get to play in the foot of snow they got just north of here, I can say that I'm enthralled by the beauty of the ice!

It blows my mind that something so beautiful can be so dangerous! I mean, a couple of cubes of it in your sweet tea...mmmmmmmm. But on the roads or tree branches, not so good! I'm very grateful that we didn't lose power this year. For some reason, we tend to be on the loss of power side of the world when these things happen.

So, today, we bundled up and played outside for all of 20 minutes! We're from Mississippi...we don't do cold!

Brady, being the "almost teenager" he thinks he is, opted to just wear long johns, cargos and a hoodie! Needless to say, he was the first ready to come in.

Kaden, or shall I say "Ralphie's little brother Randy, isn't going anywhere without being bundled to the point of no movement! He was decked with long johns, sweats, ski bib, and his new camo coat. You know I'm not going to let him run around like a crazy person (ie. Brady) and get sick. He catches everything!

And as our 20 minute nature hike (through the yard) came to a close, I was able to get them together for one last smile before heading back into the house where they have fought for the past two days!

Snow Pics

Snow Pics? Is that what you're hoping to see on this post? Well, they will be available as soon as it snows around here! Once again, we missed a day of school and were trapped in the house b/c there was no snow. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we didn't have to drive in the freezing rain to or from school today. But I don't think I can take another day stuck inside knowing that we have to make it up at the end of the year! At least make it worth our while!

Ok, enough of that! On to other things...I had scheduled a gold/silver party for tonight. Thanks to the snow, I rescheduled for next week. I'm ok with this because apparently God felt we would be better off having it later. That's fine with me because I didn't do a very good job trying to get people to come. I will work harder this week.

Speaking of money for Baby China, I have been tutoring the past two weeks. I love it and I hope it's helping the kids. I am slowly but surely making money to go toward our Baby China Fund. It makes me feel good to know that I can do things to provide money. That's less we will have to borrow later!

Soccer

Today was the last home soccer game for the school where I teach. On Thursday, my principal gave each of the varsity players (soccer and basketball) a pompom and told them to find their favorite teacher and ask him or her to come to the game. I got one! It was from a student to whom I've never taught. However, this year, I have gotten a change to know him!

As you know, I teach in an area that doesn't value education. Unfortunatly, this leaks into the students attitudes. Many of my students would rather be anywhere but in my class...in the building for that matter! So, when I met this student, he came and spoke to my kids about how he made a lot of bad choices as a lower classman and ended up failing his senior year. He turned himself around and came back to finish high school and plans to go to college. He has since made some great friendships with my students and continues to stop by my class to check on them.

Anyway, he chose me to ask to the game! So, Kaden and I packed up and headed to the field!

I had a great time taking pics for the next edition of the school paper.



And then, I had to get some shots of the kids enjoying themselves at the game.
This is one of my fellow English teacher's little girl! She's adorable!

This one belongs to an English teacher as well! I asked him to hold the sign I made. I loved that he totally smiled like I would have had I been sporting the sign!

And then.....there's this guy! He yelled for the team. He chased a friend's dog. He ran up and down the hill. He played in the dirt (mud). He climbed on the bleachers!

And she's going to kill me for this one...but I couldn't resist getting a friend while she was chasing her dog who had gotten away from the kids and was cracking everyone in the crowd up!


Despite the chilly wind, it was a great afternoon! We didn't win but the guys played great!

My New Toof!

So, during Christmas break, I decided the family needed to visit the dentist. If you will remember, Kaden threw up all over me!This is where you can read that super fun experience! Well, when it was my turn, the dentist (who by the way looks like he's fresh out of dental school...I learned today he's 5 years younger than I am!) informed me that I would need a crown! "At least it's not a root canal!" he said with a big smile! Oh...yeah...we're so BFF's now! Anyway, I made the appt and decided to just get it over with.
I hop in the chair and think to myself, "I'm pretty sure I'm going to pull a Kaden before this is all over!" (I didn't BTW!!) The assistant asked if I wanted the "gas"! "Sure, why not!" So off to lala land I go! When the dentist comes in he says, "How are you today?" Me, "Oh, I'm here! Still not happy!" Dentist, "I hope it's not me you hate!" Me, "I know it's not personal it's business and you're just the messenger!" Dentist, "Whew! I'm glad you don't hate me!" Me (in my head) "We'll see about that!"
So...blah blah blah, I'm all hopped up on gas, they numb me with something that taste like banana, and shoot me up with something that is now wearing off! I have a temp crown for now and will go back after my birthday...my 35th birthday! Blah!

Oh, I forgot to add, when i asked him if this "crown" would look like my other teeth he said with a huge smile, "Well, we can make it gold or silver if you want!" My only response to that was, "No, I'm holding out for one of those on the front toof!"

Fundraising

I'm so excited to tell you about the new fundraiser we have started for our upcoming adoption! We have an e-store with the cutest TShirts in the world! All you have to do it click on the button to the right and it will take you directly to our store. A purchase of one of the four shirts on our page directly benefits our effort to bring Baby China home! I'm looking forward to seeing these shirts all over DeSoto county!

By the way, if you haven't logged onto our Baby China page, you can find it to the right. It's called "The Search for Our Baby Sister." This will be where we journal our amazing journey to add to our family!

Ni'Hao

That's HELLO in Chinese! That's also the only Chinese word I know...thanks to Kai'lan. You know...she's the little Chinese girl on Nick Jr. Anyway.....I am super excited that this week (the two days were actually were in school) I got a Chinese student. I love the way God works! She's not an exchange student....she actually lives in the area. She's not supposed to be in the 9th grade but she can speak very little English (her writing and reading is ok I'm told) so she is auditing my class to get her up to speed! I'm so excited!

It's funny that this happened. At our staff meeting on Tuesday, my principal said, "Larry Bell told us that we need to be asking for more! You need to ask me to give you heck! You should say, 'Hey, I'll take the Chinese student!'" I looked at the girl next to me and said, "Hey, I'll take the Chinese student!" She laughed and said she knew I would! Then on Tuesday, the Chinese girl showed up with my name on her schedule! Yay!

I also found out this week that I am a mentor! What? Are you serious? I asked if I was the last resort and he said I was actually his first pick! That cracks me up because I'm the one who always gives my opinion (like you didn't know that already) and I thought I was not really one he wanted the "new" people hanging out with! But low and behold...I'm trusted! Wow! What a compliment!

BTW, we're out of school because we had snow today and it's just too cold tomorrow. REally? Yes! So, I'll be spending my day off cleaning because we have a home study to begin next week! And I want the social worker to tell me that Ni'Hao isn't good enough to make it two weeks in China!

The Angels Are Singing!

Oh...he may look excited about cupcakes. He may even look excited that it's 2010. But what he is REALLY excited about these days has brought more joy to my heart than anything ever before. On Monday, January 4, 2010 at 9:45pm....Brady P....my Pooh Bear...became a follower of Jesus Christ!

I have been praying for this moment since I became pregnant with him. About a year ago, He really started asking me questions. I know he was hearing the truth in church and I didn't want to push him into thinking he believed when he really didn't.

When my friend died last week, I got the opportunity to share with him that both myself and Tony were saved. I let him know that he could rest asured that if one of us were to died we WOULD go to Heaven. And then this past Sunday, Brady got in the car after church and started sharing with me what he learned. Then he asked the most wonderful question. "Mommy, how do you become a Christian?" I flipped open my bible to the page where I have all the Salvation scriptures written down and had him start to read them out loud to me. He read about three and I asked him to tell me what they ment. Then it was time for lunch and he lost interest.

That night, he asked if he could pray for our friend Brenna and he also told Jesus that he reallly wanted him to live in his heart. After he prayed, I told him that we would continue our conversation the next day and I would help him understand why and how to ask.

So, Monday night, I got out my bible and we sprawled out across his bed and we started reading and talking. After I explained that when we are without God, we are like a dry erase board with all of our sins written all over it. And when we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart, God gets out a big eraser and wipes the board clean. We talked about how Jesus was beaten and had to carry a big wooden cross across town while people made fun of him and yelled at him. And we talked about how those same people nailed him to the cross. And most importantly, how even though he died, he rose on the third day. Brady was boo-hooing! I asked him why and he said "I don't know...I just love God so much." At that point, Tony had joined us and he lead Brady in prayer accepting Chirst. It was the most precious moment I've ever witnessed.

Last night, he talked with our neighbor who is also one of our pastors. They talked about baptisim and that he and Brady should meet a few more times to talk before we schedule it. And now...The Angels Are Singing!

Shock

My friend died on New Year's Eve. Her name was Michelle Feltman and I'm still in shock that it even happened.

Earlier this week, Michelle broke her ankle in two places. She was in Alabama when it happened so she rushed home to have surgery. I went to see her on Wednesday night to take her family dinner. She was scheduled for surgery the next morning. According to her husband, surgery went great. She was able to come home and was resting. The last time she spoke to anyone was around 5:15 that evening. Her daughter went in to see her and she sat up and asked for some food. I stopped by the house at 6 to take her little girl to the church New Year's Eve celebration. About 7pm, we got a call that her husband was on his way to the ER because when he went to check on her, she wasn't breathing and was cold to the touch. Despote their best efforts, Michelle went to live with the Lord that night.

Tony and I were priviledged to keep her little girl (age 8) at our house the rest of New Year's Eve. Her daddy wasn't ready to give her the bad news so we kept smiles on our faces and played games and watched the count down. The next morning, Tony took her little girl home and stayed at the house with them for about an hour. During this time, her daddy told her that her mommy had gone to Heaven.

My heart is so broken right now. I'm not usually one that gets upset over death unless it's a child or baby. I think that the shock of it was that she was healthy and ok. I think it's easier to accept when a person is old or sick. But when someone is your age and healthy, it's hard to grasp.

I'm praying for Jamey and Brenna. I know that God will take care of them and heal their pain over time. Please join me in prayer for this family.