Our Wild, Wacky Weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend started on Friday when Jason delivered the munchkins around 6:30. After a quick dinner, we were out to play. Emmy looks so cute in this picture because she was trying to sneak into the water guns that were off limits till the next afternoon.








Zeke was interested in one thing only; talking on the phone. He kept saying, "Hello?" "HI!"





I bought sidewalk chalk so the kids could decorate my patio. Boy did they go to town. As you can see Emmy is hard at work.







Elijah draws some hearts. Look at that smile with no front teeth!





Zekey even joined the fun!







This is the tulip that Emmy and I drew together.







Time to wash it all away!







Rub a Dub Dub 3 Munchkins in a Tub!





All cleaned up and ready to settle down.






Zekey didn't last long and Emmy's not far behind!





Good Morning Zekey!






Emmy with her water-gun. Watch out!




Elijah's got great aim!





Dance Revolution was a favorite activity. Elijah got quite good at it!





While Dad was putting together my new grill, Emmy and Zeke played house in the box. This entertained them for hours, until.....





Elijah came along and realized they were having fun without him. He wanted to change a few things in Emmy's "Mansion" so.....





Emmy threw a royal hissy fit! Off to pout under the tree. Zeke wanted to comfort her, but she wouldn't have it!





Elijah and Zeke decided to be monkeys and climb my tree.





The weekend ended with lots of great food.


The weekend was so wonderful. The kids were a hoot. Zeke was such a little sweetheart. When he wrinkles his nose and says, "I'm Funny!" I couldn't help but laugh. We took the kids to the movies to see "Over the Hedge." It was a great movie, but Zeke might have been a little young yet. He kept laughing at the wrong times and announcing how funny it was out loud. But, we had lots of fun. Although it would appear that there were no adults here for the weekend, there really were. Mom, Dad and Andrea were also here and it was a great time with family. We missed Jay and Holly, but they got some much needed quiet time!

4 Days and Counting....

Only 4 days left! Now that sounds great except Sue is done tomorrow so I'm a little bitter. However, for those of you who work year round, I'm sure you're wanting to punch me right about now for complaining about 4 days! What can I say, you had the opportunity to pick teaching. Some of us are smarter than others.

School has actually been good this week. It's Thursday and I still haven't been mad this week. No kidding, that is a big time miracle! (Especially at this time of the year.)

American Idol~ I enjoyed the finale show. All the guest stars made it fun and seeing the past contestants. Mandeesa still floors me. I wish she had made it farther. As a weight challenged individual I have to give her Kudos for being confident enough to get up there and shake it with the rest of the skinny minnies! I was fine with the results. I enjoy Taylor as long as I close my eyes when he sings. He has a great voice, but when he starts flopping around like a fish out of water, it's almost painful. I know this is what endeared him to many Americans, but it just made me uncomfortable. Luckily you can listen to a CD without having to watch the artist. I felt a little sorry for Katherine though. I think she has a great voice. The judges seemed to be extremely hard on her. It was like no matter what she did, it was wrong. I felt like this started to affect her confidence toward the end of the season. She always looked like she was ready for the bomb to drop on her. Her final song that they wrote for her was horrible, but I think it was a horrible song. I will say this though, Somewhere Over the Rainbow was one of my favorite performance and I thought she outsang Taylor last night. Her performance with Meatloaf was Awesome! He was a little wacked, but she was outstanding! I think she'll be succesful anyway!

Well, tomorrow the munchkins come and I CAN'T WAIT! I am missing them something terrible. Amanda, if you're reading, look for some great kid pics next week! This will probably be it till next Tuesday, so everyone have a great Memorial Day Weekend! Be safe and have fun!

Love to all,
Kelley

Who am I?

Who am I? That may seem like a silly question, but it's a very real question after Sunday's sermon. I was really challenged Sunday by Pastor Deneff's sermon. Let me give a little synopsis for those of you who don't attend. The object lesson looked something like this: The Law
get
do
want
are
The Holy Spirt
Steve talked about how who we ARE impacts what we WANT which influences what we DO so then we GET the consequence or blessing of that. He said as Christians we tend to think from the top down which means that we live according to the Law. We DO things that are wrong and are constantly asking forgiveness. His point is that we need to stop asking for forgiveness and start living from the bottom up. Instead of praying for forgiveness, pray for the Holy Spirit to change who we ARE so that our actions will fall into line with that. This hit me so hard because I have had such a bad attitude lately with school and the kids. I have had thoughts and feelings towards some of them that certainly don't fall into line with who I AM! At least not the person I think I am and who I want to be. I was really challenged to start praying differently that God would change me to have his joy in my heart even here at school. I need to be praying for these children not cursing them in my mind. I was really convicted that the change needs to start with me. It's easy to step back and point fingers at what a horrible job everyone is doing at raising their children, when I probably see their children more in a day than they do. I need to find a way to positively impact their lives. Now, don't get me wrong, I still believe that might include some "tough love", but it should be dealt with a loving attitude. My Sunday School class prayed for me Sunday as I had a little melt down after the service. I just wanted to say that "God answers prayer!" I have had a really good week. I've made peace with one student in particular that I was struggling with and things that normally would have sent me reeling, have been met with a calm. I haven't been upset or angry for two days. That's got to be some type of record! :)

In other news: I have lots of "irons in the fire" as the say so keep praying as I'm searching for a job.

I've also been spending ALOT of time in my yard. I can easily spend a couple of hours a night working it seems. I have pain in places I didn't know existed, but Sue assures me that if I keep at it, I'll get used to it. Manual labor? Not so sure I was cut out for it. Sorry Dad, I know that breaks your heart, but I'm definitly my mother's daughter!

Have a great week!
Kelley

The True Queen of My House

Since I am single, I should feel like I am the queen of the household, right? I do occasionally think that I'm in charge, but it doesn't take long for Sandy girl to set me straight. For those of you who've never met her, this is my little dog, Sandy. She loves to be outside, but has to find a spot to lay where the sun is hitting her. I looked out and couldn't find her since she is usually on the patio. I started to panic until I looked straight down and there she was in the rocks. This was the only strip of morning sun hitting the house, so I should have known. Sandy is a constant source of joy, amusement, and aggrevation. She comes with some emotional issues that are hard to understand at times. Sue and I found her at my family reunion in southern Ohio. She was tied to a tree, covered in ticks and totally pitiful. What I have learned since that day, is she can put that pitiful look on her face at a moments notice when she wants something. I was totally played that day by a very smart dog. She's a very nervous dog especially when it storms or she thinks I'm leaving. When I'm packing for a trip, it's simply sad. She is a basket case because she knows that I'm leaving. I'm assuming she was left for days in her past life. She also is wary of men, again I say smart dog. Ha! So, her abuser must have been a man. She cannot be caged or she goes baserk. She also flinches alot when you move in to pick her up or if you yell at her she cowers. All of these things tell me that she had a pretty rough life before I found her and she became the Queen. That's really what I should have named her. Sandy sleeps with me in my bed. I know that probably grosses some of you out, but she cannot be deterred. Now, I have a queen size bed which should be plenty of room for the two of us. Right? Wrong! She starts out over on her side with her head of her pillow, but as soon as the light goes out and i have settled in, she moves over in between the pillows right up against me. By morning, I am hanging over the edge because she can't seem to get close enough. If I try to push her back to her side I am met with a low ggrrrrr. So, she sleeps where she wants. She amuses me greatly with her bone. When she and Meka (Sue's dog) lived together, Sandy would hide her bone and steal Meka's to chew on which would bring on some major fights. So, we quit giving the dogs bones. However, now that they live apart, they can have the bones. Meka chews on her bones like she's supposed to. Sandy? She hides hers. She's had the same bone for 2 months. Hasn't chewed on it once. She just trots around the house with it in her mouth looking for new hiding places. It absolutely cracks me up. I never know where I'm going to find the bone. At least I don't have to worry about it being sticky, slobbery and gross. She has never chewed on it so it's like new! Sandy is a great dog though. She lets the kids hold her and pet her and chase her around the house. I never worry that she will bite them. She's usually exhausted when they leave, but she's a good sport. She's also a little spoiled because Grandma Grate feeds her table food when she's here visiting. That's a no, no, but I guess Grandmas get aways with that kind of stuff. She brings me lots of love and joy. I'm thankful that I found her that August day in 1999. She's a great pet and I love her!

I'm Back!

Kismet and I's traditional banquet picture!


Kelley, Mom, and Andrea at the banquet.

I know it's been awhile. I'm very sorry cousin John. It's been just as frustrating for me as it has been for all of you. Our internet at school has either been down or so slow it won't bring up the blog site for the last week. It has driven me nearly crazy; not that I have far to go. So, how am I typing this blog you might wonder. Am I at Sue's? Nope! I'm at home at 2:00 on a Thursday afternoon. Last weekend I was home for Mother's day and got my first blessing from having Jon Gorenflo as a brother-in-law. The computer he built Andrea while they were dating is now mine! Jon had three others, so they didn't need this one. I was so excited. I really wanted a computer but it was an expense I just couldn't justify at this time. So as the school year is coming to a close, I was wondering, "How am I going to keep up with my blog during the summer?" Now I can! I went and signed up for high-speed internet through my cable company which was installed this very afternoon. Which is why I am here instead of at school. First order of business, was to update the blog. I must stop at this point and properly say a big "Thank YOU" to Andrea and Jon. The computer is awesome. I am especially impressed with the deluxe wireless keyboard and mouse. My fingers feel so nimble flying over these keys. I really like the feel of the keyboard. It's great!

Mom- Had a wonderful time last weekend. I wanted to post that on Monday, but couldn't. I enjoyed my time at home immensely. I enjoyed the special meal you cooked on Sunday very much! It's probably wrong that you spoiled US on YOUR special day, but Thanks anyways! ;)

School-It's going well. I can say that since I'm not there this afternoon! :) I've had a few rough days in the cafeteria, but I just keep telling myself I can survive anything for 8 days. It's only 45 min. of the day. The hard part is not letting that 45 min. ruin the rest of the afternoon.

Holly- You need to update the blog! I want to see Elijah without his front two teeth!

Jason- I'm so excited about your news! I can't wait to talk to you about it! Holly- tell everyone about the news in your blog, I don't know enough details.

John, Kim and Carolyn- I'm praying for you! Get better soon "Aunt" Carolyn! We all need you.

Okay, I'm going to wrap this up and add a few pics taken at the mother-daughter banquet. For those of you who like my hair long, enjoy the pictures, I got it chopped off today on my way home from school. Spontenaity is one of my best qualities! I love it by the way!

Love you all!
Kelley

Frustrations

Today has been a day of frustrations!

First, the computers at school which are usually speedy, have ssslllooowwweeeddd way down. I can't connect, I can't get my comments, I can't put on a new post! AAURGH! So, here it is evening and I'm posting at Sue's. I'm the last person on the planet to post my SHOCK over the American Idol travesty! I could literaly feel the shock waves around the globe. The look on Chris's face was priceless. I think someone was expecting to win, what do you think? I don't blame him; I thought he was going to win too. I think I'm officially pulling for Elliott.

Second, I have 2 boys who miraculously have to take an 8-10 min. bathroom "#2" break at the exact same time every day making them 4-6 min. late to my class every day. Today I cracked. With great humor, I explained to them that if they need to take a 10 min. bathroom break at exactly 1:12 EVERYDAY, they'd better see a doctor. If they are so much as 5 seconds late again, they are going to spend the rest of the period in ISS. 13 days and counting....

Third, my mailman can't seem to take the time to actually shut my mailbox ( I live on a major highway!!!) and today with all the wind and rain, my mail was drenched. He may get a nice reminder notice of how to actually close the mailbox tomorrow.

I'm sure there were others, but those were the major frustrations. I hate this weather....

Flowers and George

I thought I would post some pictures today of all my flowers. This spring has been delightful. It's like a surprise each day to see what else has bloomed while I was at school. The best part is that I didn't have to plant them all! :)

I also had to include the picture of George for my mom. :) I think she likes him because he kind of looks like my dad.

American Idol....I think Katherine's a goner. Elliott could sneak his way right into the finals!

14 days left....

A League of Their Own!

STOP THE PRESSES! STOP THE PRESSES! The College Wesleyan Women's softball team is back in action and they are HOT! Last night was their season opener against Lakeview Wesleyan. They scored an easy win clinching the game in 5 innings with a score of 21-1. It took a few innings for the bats to get going since most hadn't swung a bat since last season, but in the 3rd inning they cut loose scoring 9 runs. It is a team concensus that this huge victory can mostly be attributed to our "star" short-fielder, Deb Wuertley. She was an "AllSTAR" last night as the pictures clearly show.


First we have Deb swinging for the fence...

She makes it to base safely, although due to an error which hurt the batting average a little, probably scoring a run, but I can't remember for sure!

Wait a minute, what's this? She's sitting on the job? Oh my Goodness! We might have to revoke her "Player of the Game" honors.

Okay, in all seriousness, everybody played great and had a wonderful time getting back together after the winter. We're looking forward to another succesful season.


Sue is our star pitcher, doing a great job as always!


Lynn is our catcher. "How are those legs feeling today?"


Shelli's rounding third and headed for home. (Probably from Deb's earlier hit)


Brooke takes a break on first.


Amanda's going to make a great addition to our team. Look at that form!

Keep reading for future updates!

Writers Block...

I started this post with a serious case of writer's block. I wanted to really write something profound or funny. My mind went everywhere from a recount of my weekend (not that exciting or funny) to my philosophy on life (not that profound not to mention it changes with the weather). So, I decided I needed a little inspiration. As I clicked my way through my pictures file, I ran across the above pictures. What better inspiration could a girl ask for? I seriously look at them and think, "Every girl should have one of those." Now, I know Tim's married, but Kenny...I really think I could make him happy. Renee blew it. I'd gladly give up my job and travel the world. I like the tropics. I really think this could work...

Back to reality....Freezing cold classroom, 20 unmotivated students, 16 days to go.

Okay, I'll give you the weekend update even though it was not that exciting. I helped Sue strip my beautiful Longaberger border off the walls of my old bedroom, paint over my gorgeous blue walls with...brown and move her bedroom furniture. Then we set up her old bedroom with furniture from her grandmother as a spare bedroom. Somewhere in the midst of that nightmare (those of you who know me well, know that physical labor is not my idea of a weekend) I found time to clean my house from top to bottom.(Again, another nightmare) No wonder I'm feeling the need to fantasize!

1st softball game tonight...Look for full report tomorrow!

Kelley

There is hope!

Aunt Kelley with her favorite girl!
Emmy colors a picture at Aunt Kelley's house!

Yippee! It's Friday! I'm not sure why I'm excited about that. Sue had a full weekend of painting planned for me. I'm a little offended that she feels the need to paint my blue "Longaberger" bedroom. But, I moved out so I guess she's free to change it. After all, it is her house! Speaking of houses, mine needs cleaned. Any volunteers out there?

Last night I stayed to watch our school's production of "Snow White" for which I volunteered to take tickets. It was pretty good. I enjoyed seeing the kids in this different way. One student in particular. This boy wasn't in the play, but he ran the spotlights. He was sent to my room before the play to get a pair of scissors and the look on his face as he approached my door was very sheepish and almost scared to ask me. I mentioned this to my friend, the director, and she replied, "I noticed that when I asked him. He acted as if I had just asked him to walk on hot coals. What's the deal there?" I chuckled, getting some sick pleasure out of knowing that he was scared to come to my door. This is one student who takes great pleasure in tormenting me each day during the 8th grade lunch. He's often obnoxious and always disrespectful when I ask him to quit doing whatever it is he is doing that day. If even for a few minutes, he was regretting those actions as he had to approach me for a favor. I enjoyed that immensely. But, what I enjoyed even more was seeing that he does have a dependable, responsible side. He did a great job running the spots and he was very faithful to come to practice. This is not the student I see each day at 11:00am. That gave me hope. I'm not sure what kind of invisible force field (one which strips their brains of all normal behavior) they walk through each day on their way into the cafeteria, but it's good to know that outside those four walls, they actually can be nice, dependable, respectable, kids.

Grandma Grate Update~ Wed. morning at 1:00am my Aunt Brenda found my grandma laying on the garage floor with a broken leg. The break was up high near the hip, but it was a clean break and they believe she will make a full recovery. She had surgery last night at 7:00pm. Why was grandma in the garage? Nobody knows for sure. She doesn't remember. She's very stubborn and independent. I'd like to be a mouse in the room when they tell her about the 6-8 weeks in a rehab facility. I'm sure that will go over like a lead balloon. Please keep her in your prayers. I know the change will be difficult for her not to mention the pain she's been experiencing. Drugs are great until they wear off. When there's an hour to go before they'll give you more, it's a long hour!

Well, I'm gonna wrap for today! Have a great weekend everybody!

P.S. 17 days and counting....

Way to Go!

Way to go everybody! Much better! :) I got great delight in reading your comments this morning. First let me respond to each of you.

Deb,
You are hillarious. I LOL when I saw that you had inflated my comment number. Very creative.

Carolyn,
I always enjoy your comments. I was challenged to use my intelligence more. :)

Kim,
It was good to hear from you. You need to comment more. I have a hard time believing that YOU don't have anything to say! :)

Sue,
All I can say is: Get a NEW JOB! I think you seriously need to pursue the realestate thing!

Amanda,
It was great to hear from you! I was glad to hear about the positive progress. I will keep her in my prayers. I will try to post more pictures! :)

Jaena,
Thanks for the positive comments. Glad I can make you LOL. Keep praying for my financial self-control. I need it!

Now, on to new things!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Today is my parents 37th anniversary! I am so proud and thankful for that heritage! It's certainly no easy feat, but their love for each other is as obvious today as it was all my growing up years. The picture of them dancing at Andrea's wedding says it all!

Requested pictures of the kids are also included. I would include pictures every day even when the post has nothing to do with them, but I fear that people get sick of seeing them. :) The ones of Emmy are of her getting her hair done the day of the wedding. She talked like a magpie the whole time we were there. The girls at the shop were VERY entertained! She was definitly in princess mode especially when they added the glitter. :) I love the one of the boys laying on the floor watching TV. Zeke likes to do everything that big brother Lilige (that's code for Elijah) does.
I'm looking forward to summer when I can spend more time with the kids.

Idol...I don't know what I think about last night's episode. I didn't think anyone was terrible, but no one stole my heart either. This is a weird season for me. Every year there is at least one or two who really resonate with me. I'm usually voting, but this year, no one has done it for me. I like all of the remaining contestants. I think Chris and Katherine will be finalist, but I'm not compelled to pick up the phone and vote. weird.

Well, I probably should do something this morning related to my job. :) Look for more frequent posts now that life is slowing down.

Kelley

Step it Up!

Okay people, If I can take the time to blog, you can take 30 sec. to comment! I know you're out there, reading, sneaking in and out of the page silently. It's so disappointing to check for comments and always see the same number. I know that sometimes there's not much to say depending on what I wrote, but even a "Hey, I was here" would be nice. It would give me something to read. I check Holly's blog every day and she has tons of comments. She and her friends are all having these fun little banters back and forth. I'm so envious! I'll back off now, but please say Hi when you visit!

New? Nothing! My last class starts May 15th so I have a little breather. I received an A for my year long internship grade. That was exciting. To be honest, I find myself almost bored. I have all my grading caught up, lesson plans written for the rest of the year. I don't know what to do with myself when there's extra time in the day. Like today. Our lesson on birds didn't take the whole period and the students had a light assignment to complete, but I have nothing to do. Usually I am using this time to get some project done or do my journal, but now, there's nothing to do! So, I'm blogging. I can't believe I'm complaining about being bored. It just makes the days drag by when you're not busy. Wish I was bored when I'm at home and need to be cleaning. Unfortunately, I don't feel that way then...

Softball starts next Monday. I'm looking forward to that. You'll probably be hearing alot about our team, I don't want Deb to quit or anything. She's our star short fielder.

Money? I still don't have any! If I don't find a principal's job, I'm not sure I'm going to make it Credit Card free for another year. So, far I have held on to the wagon for deal life, but it's getting harder. I spent half my savings on a push mower, hose, gas can, etc. The outside of my house is going to require alot of things that I dont' have. It killed me to part with the money, but it had to be done. At least I paid cash! ;)

Well, it's time for me to take my bored body over to the ISS room. My favorite part of the day! Yippee!

Have a good one!

Tradgedy

Today's thoughts are a little more somber. Our community has suffered a great tragedy. The accident that occured Wed. night claiming 4 students and 1 professor from Taylor University has us all reeling. It reminds us all how quickly our lives can be taken. Whitney Cerek was one of the students killed in this crash. Her parents were Sue's youth pastors when Sue was a teen. She has remained close with them and is really heart broken for their loss. Whitney's older sister is also a Taylor student so please pray for the Cereks. Pray for all the families, but this one hit close to home. I can't even imagine how you deal with such a loss, but God is so big and I know he'll wrap all of these parents and families in his arms.

I also have 2 students in my building whose father passed away Wed. night. So, please pray for Aney and Garrett. They're both super kids and will need alot of strength through this time.

Pictures

Holly, Kismet, Andrea, and Kelley party the night away!
The bridesmaids
Sisters pre ceremony
The kiss
The whole wedding party
Jon fishes for the garter
Jason and Jon watch Andrea enter the church
The bride and groom
Sue, Andrea, and Kelley before the ceremony

The Big Day!

Well, it's over. It's hard to believe that a full year of planning, is now just a memory. But what a memory it is. Andrea's day was perfect. It went off without a hitch and the whole day was beautiful. The weather was perfect, and Andrea was quite possibly the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. I might be biased, but I don't think so. She was radiant. The ceremony was just perfect. My brother Jason married Andrea and Jon and he did such an amazing job. It was the perfect mixture of humor and sentiment. The reception was awesome. It was so much fun. We had a great meal and all the traditional moments, but then the dancing began. I thought I'd have a hard time dancing, but I followed the Gorenflo's lead and cut loose. It was such a fun evening. I even got to dance with some hottie who was one of Jon's Army buddies. That was a definite highlight! :) Emmy was like the energizer bunny. I don't know how she had so much energy after such a long day, but we got such a kick out of watching her bounce around the dance floor. The most amazing thing was that big sister, Kelley didn't cry!! It was such a joyous occasion that I didn't even feel like crying. The only time I cried was when i danced with Jon at the reception. Trying to talk to him about Andrea caused a few tears, but that was it. I guess I teared up when I told Andrea goodbye, but I was just thrilled that I made it through the wedding without a tear. I enjoyed every moment. Well, I'm going to attach some pictures for your enjoyment.

Do you Hear it?

Do you hear it? What? you might ask... The angels singing the Hallelujah chorus!! I am finished with my class and internship!!! I just had my final evaluation and submitted the rest of my projects for the semester. I can not even begin to explain how light and free I feel. I am officially on cloud 9. I might be able to rival Andrea's joy, well, probably not, but close. :) I have one class to take this summer and I'm completely finished. Zing, what a feeling!

Wedding news: I leave for home tomorrow after school. I am really excited and looking forward to this special weekend. My feet feel like dancing....

Look for a full report with pictures next week!

Kelley

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, the dress zipped!

Let me just say, I can officially be excited about my sister's upcoming wedding! I guess the 3rd fitting was the charm. The dress fits beautifully and I'm feeling much more comfortable. Tonight Andrea and I talked for hours about everything wedding. It was really nice to just sit and talk with her. She has done an amazing job of organizing this wedding. I don't think I could have done it. I'm thinking elopement in Hawaii if I ever get the chance.

Another Monday

Well, here it is Monday again. It's amazing to me how quickly the weeks are flying by. Not that I'm complaining!

I am adjusting to the colder temperatures. The only time I'm cold is in the mornings. it's going to be 70 degrees today and I'm wearing a wool sweater with a turtleneck. I'm so chilly in the mornings I can't seem to bring myself to put on spring clothes. It's supposed to be in the 70's all week, so I think the house will warm up. It was up to 62 yesterday. I actually spent the afternoon sitting in my sunroom reading a book and listening to the birds chirp. It was a glorious afternoon. I'm going to love that room!

Well, I have lots to do, I hope you're all having a good start to the week.

Kelley

Greetings from the Frozen Tundra!

Well, it's official. It's cold in my house. Today it slipped below the bearable 60 degree mark. I spend my evenings at Sue's, run home and jump into my bed which is piled with quilts and take the fastest showers in history every morning. All the while Sandy (my dog who just got shaved over spring break) is trembling and looking at me with these sad eyes that seem to be saying, "What did I do?" I've made her a nice little nest out of my warmest quilt which is where she spends her days. I drove to EVERY home improvement/department/drug store in Marion after school today looking for a small electric heater. I heard the same story in each store..."I'm sorry Mam, we just sold the last one, or we just sent back all we had left. The fans arrived today." I watched in horror as the workers were stocking the empty shelves where heaters used to be with FANS! Who needs a freaking fan when it's 50 degrees outside??? Now, before I go any further, I want to say, "Mom, Put your checkbook away!" I mean it! I'm not going to freeze to death. If it gets too bad, I'll turn the heat back on. It's supposed to be 70 degrees tomorrow, unfortunately, it's going to drop 20 degrees and be 50 on Sat. Go figure!

On to other things. The last few days have been very interesting. Sometimes I feel like I work in the twilight zone. Kids and their parents are an interesting breed. School always gets really interesting around this time of year. It has all of us shaking our heads and counting days. ( I have 32 to be exact, thanks to 3 days off for Andrea's wedding and 1 day I'm saving for a day in May when I think it would be in the best interest of everyone for me to stay home.)

Well, it's time for the O.C. so I've gotta wrap this up. Priorities you know! Hope everyone's keeping warm!

Love ya!

Hi Ya'll

Well, I am in a goofy mood tonight. Seems to happen right after a bout of melancoly. I really think I'd be a good candidate for medication! Ha!

It's sunny and beautiful here today. Cold, but sunny. Of course it's almost 8:00pm and it's still really sunny. If my Ohio family could here these Indiana people. It's hillarious. They are still converting the time in their head and lamenting that it's really an hour earlier so no wonder they're tired! Get over it people! Move on! Change the clocks and quit thinking about it! Cracks me up.

Idol is about to come on and I'm praying REAL hard that Bucky chokes. It's time for him to go. His moment has passed. Unfortunatly, the theme tonight is country which is a strong suit for him. I might worry for some of our favorites like Taylor. He doesn't strike me as having a country bone in his body. But, we'll see.

Newest addiction? Deal or No Deal? I LOVE THIS SHOW!!! I have even been on-line to see how you apply to be on the show. I've also played the on-line version a couple of times. Haven't won the million yet, but I have won enough to solve my financial woes. ;) I need to make a 5 min. video with my "support" group behind me. Any takers? I've already have the money spent but I might be able to spare a little for my support staff.

No principal leads yet, but things are definitly winding down at a neck-breaking speed. I have so much to do in the next couple of weeks, not to mention a sister getting married. Life's crazy. I'm trying to be very diligent with my time when I'm not on-line playing games. :)

I'm happy it's April! I turned the heat off. It was a luxury I couldn't afford any longer. Bring your thermals if you come to visit in the next couple of weeks. I'm loving my house, especially now that the yard it spruced up for spring. All the flowers blooming is making me very happy.

Well, Idol is starting so I have to go. Hope everyone is having a good week!

Kelley

dress fittings, colon cleanses, diets and how they all tie together

Dress fittings and diets...I will be so glad when the day comes and goes and my dress actually zips! First we take it in, then I have nightmares that it won't zip. 2nd fitting...It won't zip! I would love to lay the full blame on the seamstress, but it might have been partially me. (I don't feel like I've been overeating, but maybe...) So, never fear, they can let it back out, so what do I do? I start the American Heart Association diet and I've lost 10 lbs. in 2 weeks. I have two weeks to go before my 3rd fitting, so who knows? Maybe they'll have to take it back in! I just keep comforting myself with the poncho.

Colon Cleanse...Long story short, a friend of mine researched this cleanse and thought we needed to do it. Since I'm not what you would call "regular" I thought, "what the heck!" It claimed a possible 5-25lb weight loss in excess matter, so I thought that was a good thing. I have been amazed at how much "matter" can actually be stored in a person. And I must say it feels "glorious" to be going to the bathroom regularly, but weight loss? I'm puzzled by this, but I don't think I can attribute even 1lb of loss to the colon cleanse. I would recommend it though. I think it's good to get your system completely cleaned out. And that goes for those of you who are "regular". Just because you're going doesn't mean that your getting rid of the build-up which they say is really bad for you. Okay John, does that qualify as TMI?

Other thoughts...Today was my sister's shower that I hosted here in Indiana. It was for all her friends from College Wesleyan and her old co-workers from IWU. We had a great time. I'd like to say thanks to all who came. I was a really nice day. I was asked the other day how I was holding up as the wedding approached. I think I'm in denial. I haven't allowed myself to really think about it. Don't get me wrong, I love Jon and I am so happy for Andrea. But, it's been Andrea and I for a long time. I loved that we got to live together for a couple of years. We developed an even closer bond during that time if that's possible. I've been the older sister looking out for her little sister for many years. It's hard to think that I'll be turning that role over to somebody else. (Although I couldn't pick a better person) Dealing with being the only sibling not married? Well, I literally don't let myself think about it. I hesitate to write these feeling down because I don't want to put any kind of damper on Andrea's happiness. She's so sensitive and i know she'll be worried about me so I tend to pretend that everything's great. I think she sees right through me though. I do want to say, that I have the best sister. I feel so blessed to have the close relationship that we have. I know marriage doesn't change that. I should be thrilled...it means I'll have more nieces and nephews to spoil rotten soon! Auntie Kelley better hope she finds that principal's job. :)

Well, time changes tonight. It is now 9:15, but that means, 10:15! AGGHHG! Whatever will we do? These Indiana people are big babies! Night!

Pressure to be Funny

I am really at a loss today. I want to post. I really do! It's been awhile, but I feel this pressure to either write something profound, or funny. I'm not really feeling either today. My cousin John is now blogging and he is hillarious. I feel certain that I cannot compete. I keep thinking, "what can I write about that's funny and random?" But nothing comes to mind. I feel when I write serious stuff, it's a downer. Nobody comments so I think, "Well, that didn't go over well." The pressure is really getting to me. Well, I think I'll just start rambling about all the things going through my head and we'll see what comes out. (could be scary)

I started to blog Wed. about music and lost it when I was almost done. I now work in Russia like Sue so my computer went bazerk and said something about putting my documents in quarentine. So, that was bad. I have been really touched by alot of songs lately. I love Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood. It's had personal meaning for me this year with all the things I've had going on. I've had to turn the wheel over more than once. If I'd quit taking it back the ride would probably go much more smoothly. It's funny how we can't seem to learn that lesson. I also love Believe by Brooks and Dunn. One that has been on my mind alot today is When I get to Where I'm going by Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton. I love the part that talks about seeing his grandpa when he gets to Heaven. I've been thinking about my Grandpa Grate alot this week. Sue's Grandma passed away this week and it's really made me miss him. Last weekend I was at home to get fitted for my bridesmaids dress (there's a story waiting to be told) and we went to visit my Grandma. She sure is aging quickly. It makes me sad. But while we were there I just kept looking at Andrea who was sitting in "Grandpa's" chair. I just kept thinking how happy Grandma will be when she finally gets to where she's going. She'll be back with Grandpa where she belongs. I don't think she's been the same since he left us. Okay, I know that was a downer. Sorry.

I'm excited for next week. It's finally SPRING BREAK!! I'm a little depressed because it's the first spring break in a while that I'm going to be staying home. Being poor stinks! I'm hoping the weather is nice so I can work in the yard. I could build a house with all the limbs in my yard. I need to do some collecting and burning. Ahh.. Homeownership! Isn't is great? I am excited however that at the end of the week, I'll be hosting a shower for Andrea. I couldn't do that from some tropical paradise, so I guess it's worth staying home. :)

Well, I'm running out of steam. I have more thoughts, but they'll have to wait. Look for future blogs about dress fittings, colon cleanses, diets and how they all tie together! :)

Prayer Request: I have to sing Sunday and once again I am fighting a cold. I am going to go ahead with it so please pray. I'm stressed about singing on a good day, add in a sinus infection and I'll be a basket case.

Love you all!

Rude, Disrespectful People

Why are people so rude and disrespectful? This is a question I've asked myself alot lately.

First there's people who live in sunny places who think they need to make snide comments to those of us braving winter here in the mid-west. What's up with that? I mean, do I try to make people living in warm climates feel bad when we have a beautiful snowfall? NO! I know this person was raised to be sensitive and caring. What has turned his heart so cold? Maybe it's that cruel business world he lives in. Taking people's homes away was bound to catch up to him sooner or later!

Then there's my teaching partner Chad. He can be very rude when he doesn't get his way. Much like the 12 year olds we teach. Can I help it that he has had to cover many things for me this year because of my internship? Can I help it that I have a student teacher now in the afternoons while he has to teach? No! He wants to take cheap shot statements like..."It's all about you this year!" I have done nothing to deserve this treatment except be there with a listening ear whenever it was needed. He should be ashamed.

Seriously...I have recently been told about a chatroom comprised on Indiana Wesleyan Students discussing issues. I got on to look around. I was so shocked and disappointed in the comments I was reading. The most upsetting to me was the ongoing debate about chapel attendance. My friend, Lynn Munday is the assistant to the chaplain so part of her job is to "Police" chapel. The comments written on this site about her were really terrible. She was called names such as Chapel Nazi, MegaBeast, Alien, etc. These students are so incredibly rude and disrespectful. I don't know about now, but when I attended, I was aware that I had chosen a Christian University and that chapel attendance was required. If you hate church, why would you go to a private, extremely expensive,Christian college? This baffles me. A cheap state school where you can party till your heart's content is right down the road. I remember being frustrated when I was in college about some of the rules, but I chose to go there knowing what they were. I was also taught to show respect for people in authority. Where has this novel idea gone? I see it in the kids in my classroom. Many think they will tell me what they are going to do. It really is alarming. It thought that it was just a stage and that as they age and mature, they will come around, but after reading the writings of these college students, I'm not so sure. I'm not sure what the answer is, any thoughts?

I'm so sorry!!

Brooke Amstutz
Liz Howerth
It's not like I don't work for a living!! Give me a break. :) Just kidding. Life has been busy. Okay, here we go!

Wildcat Update...The first game at Nationals was fantastic. The wildcats played like the team from early in the season winning easily 81-53. Liz had a great game breaking the IWU all-time scoring record. This surpassed our favorite record holder Deb Porter Wuertley. (Sorry Deb) This advanced the wildcats to the second round to be played on Friday night against Northwestern of Iowa. Unfortunately, we were not victorious Friday night. We lost by 3 in a great game that some say was Championship material. Northwestern had also been ranked #1 in the nation during the season so you had a match-up between 2 great teams. The wildcats traveled home on Sat. I'd like to say thanks to the Kats for another terrific season. You were a joy to watch. Sue- you'll have to pass that along since you're the only Kat reading my blog! :)

Weekend Update...Yes, I am still alive. I had Elijah (7) Emmy (5) and Zeke (2) by myself for the weekend along with 2 dogs. I was totally on my own since Sue was in Iowa. YIKES! I'm a little tired today, but have no battle scars. :-) The kids were great. They gave me lots of laughs. Zeke is into EVERYTHING, but he is such a little lover. He loves to cuddle and give hugs. Aunt Kelley can't get enough! Emmy is our little Diva who took every opportunity to remind me that she's a big girl now because she's 5! Elijah, he's too smart for his own good. A big Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Grate who made a quick day trip over on Sunday to see the little munchkins and give Aunt Kelley a little help. We had a great day as it was BEAUTIFUL AND WARM!! The kids got to play outside most of the day which was wonderful.

Life Update...Things are going fine. School is progressing quickly, which is a GOOD thing. Money... Well, let's just say that I threw a little temper tantrum in Wal-mart the other day because I couldn't buy what I wanted, but I'm sure I'm going to be a better person in the end. Jobs...Nothing within driving distance has been posted yet, but I'm still hopeful. So, there you have it! I hope that soothes some ruffled feathers today.

SOMEBODY WASN'T PRAYING!!!!

OKAY....WHO WAS IT??? That's the only explanation I can come up with to explain our 7pt. loss to St. Francis. Yes, it's sad, but true. I guess the moral of this story is don't call me if you need a psychic. The good ole redemption I felt coming in my gut, must have been something else. Maybe gas?? Well, I can't bring myself to say more than that. It was disappointing, but there's always next year. Actually they'll be at the NAIA nationals in Sioux City,Iowa in a week. I'll be listening by radio. The obsession lives on....

The Big Game

Well, here we are... the Tournament Championship Game!!! It's hard to believe that we have gone through another season. For those of you who aren't in constant contact with me, it might surprise you to know what a total sports fanatic I have become. I live and breath IWU Women's basketball. They are my social life from Nov. through February! I know it's shocking, but true. We hung on for a win Friday night against Huntington. I showed extreme control (Andrea you would have been proud of me) as their crowd was a little unruly which usually sets my mouth to running. They also played a little dirty by trying to take out our best player with an elbow to the nose. But, it was all in vain. With cotton stuffed up the nostril, we played on. Now, we must face St. Francis in the championship. This game will take place Monday night at 7:00 at St. Francis. We have had some trouble with this team this year. They have beat us twice which has done a number on our confidence. However, I feel some good ole fashioned redemption coming on! The girls are more than capable and hopefully more than motivated! I'm excited yet sad as this will be my last game of the season. It's a good thing I have lots of things to fill my time, like making a resume and sending out letters. :) I won't ask you to pray for a win, but I would ask that you say a prayer that they play to the best of their abilities. If they do that, the win will take care of itself!

GO WILDCATS!!!

Way to go Wildcats!!! Last night was our first night of tournament and the wildcats came out on fire! They played with the confidence of old and it was so much fun to watch. Friday night we play at Huntington at 7:00. I can't wait! They beat us earlier and I'm anxious for this rematch.

In other news...Emmy turned 5!! Well, not legally, but we partied. She won't technically be 5 till March 4th. She was too cute. She makes me smile just to watch her. She is such a little princess, diva, ballerina..well you get the picture. We all had a great time at J and Holly's new house on Sat. It was great to be together. The kids were all precious and sweet. First there's Elijah sweeping the carpet (he's a little on the obsessive compulsive side) Emmy's performing Swan Lake in her new Tutu and Zeke's cracking us all up screaming "Go Guckeyes!" (that's code for Go Buckeyes) Jason was watching the game and Zeke was rooting on our favorite team!

Financial Peace? Well, tonight's the last class, so I guess I'd better sign up again! Ha! Actually, I am feeling really good about things. I have learned some valuable lessons and plan to keep these principles in action even after the class ends.

As far as everything else... I'm just holding steady. Things are pretty uneventful right now. That is boring to read but a blessing to say! :) We had Monday off so I was lazy. I watched TV, slept, ate, read, slept, ate, etc...It was a good day! I need one of those every week!

TaTa for Now!
Kelley

The Results Are IN.....

I PASSED!!!! Praise the Lord!!! I have been saying those words alot since Friday evening. The results for my principal's liscensure exam came Friday. I was home in Ohio, but I had Sue check my mail just in case they arrived. The call came around 7:00 while I was dining at Bob Evans with mom and dad. It was cool that I was with them when I got the news. I think they were as excited as I was. (Probably because they would have been paying for the re-take had I not passed!) Ha! Just kidding. They were very proud. I did a little jig more than once over the weekend. I don't think I can even explain the burden that was lifted from my shoulders. Now, it's time to start job hunting. I wouldn't even begin looking till I knew I had passed, but now there's nothing holding me back. So, continue to pray as I begin this next phase.

The fitting....the saga continues! I think the words "suck it in" were uttered more than once, but after everything was in place the dress looked pretty good. The nice little "poncho" is going to hide all the flaws anyway. It's actually a pretty little cape, but I call it a poncho just to annoy Andrea. With a few minor adjustments, I'll be just fine. The dress is actually fairly flattering and I think it's going to turn out quite well. I'm excited for Andrea's big day! I know she's ready for it to be here and to have the stress over with. It's sad that such a special day has to be so hard to plan. One exciting thing was getting to go with her for a fitting with her veil. Seeing her in her dress and veil was quite a site. She looked beautiful! Jon's one lucky guy!


Well, that's all for today. Hope everyone has a great week!

Kelley

In Demand

Hi All! Guess what? My blog is in demand! Who would have guessed? Well, this one's for you Big John. First let me say that I will continue to blog as much as I can but our school is about to block blogging sites because of students who are using them inappropriately. So, I may have my access cut off soon.

What am I thinking today? Well, I'm mostly thinking TGIF!!!

I've also been thinking about my trip home this weekend. I'm excited and terrified all in one. I haven't been home since Christmas so I'm looking forward to the visit. I'm terrified because I'm going for a fitting for Andrea'a wedding. Can you say "Suck it In!"?? Somehow my quest to lose 100lbs got stalled at 20lbs. So, is it possible to lose 80lbs in 2 months? ha! Just kidding. I have a plan in motion. I've learned through hours of faithful Oprah watching that there are "tricks" that can make you look 10 lbs. lighter. Examples: Tanning, industrial strength undergarments, posture, etc. The way I figure it, all I have to do is find a few more tricks and I almost have my 80lbs! Pretty cool, huh?

Next, I think about my kids almost constantly. (that would be my neice and nephews- I don't have any illigitimate kids tucked away for those of you wondering) We'll be heading to Mich. next Sat. for Emmy's 5th birthday! I can't believe it. The little Diva is going to be a teenager before we know what hit us and then Heaven help us! I think of the kids every day. I wish I could see them more. Auntie Kelley misses them lots.

Well, there was one more thing I was wanting to write about this morning. I lost my internet connection the first time I wrote this and now I can't remember. Signs of old age I guess. So, I'll stop for today. I'll update you on the "fitting" next week! :)

Love ya,
Kelley

Thoughts running rampant....

I don't know what to write about today! My thoughts are all over the place. First I was going to write about my weekend with my sister. It was a wonderful weekend and I enjoyed spending time with her. The wedding is quickly approaching and these times may be fewer and farther between, so I definitly cherish them. But then I thought...two blogs in a row about my sweet, wonderful siblings might get a little drippy for those of you who aren't related. So next my thoughts turned to my other favorite topic...IWU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL!! Those of you who haven't been coming to games, we've missed you. The girls are exceptional again this year. I have had to miss some away games and even some home games which those of you who know me know that I HATE to miss a game. My wish for the girls (and their coaches) is that they would be recognized and given the respect they deserve. I'm not sure what you have to do at IWU to be as important as the men, but it's obvious by attendance and other things that the women haven't done it yet. I guess number #1 in the nation wasn't enough. Okay, moving on before I say too much. My other thoughts are about my job and hopefully upcoming job... I am so ready for the next step. I'm really struggling to enjoy my current job, because my eyes are already looking ahead. I worry that if I don't find a principal's job for next fall, I am going to have a really hard time coming back to school. My heart is already moving on. I'm worried big time about my scores on my liscensure exam. I should be getting them soon and I'm scared to death I didn't pass. Not sure how I'll handle that. Money....I don't even know if I should go there. Financial peace??? NOT QUITE!!! I am doing well, but I'm impatient. I want to have all the debt paid off and be making millions today!! Now that I know what I did wrong and I'm living right, I think I should just get to skip right to the building wealth stage. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if it worked that way?Today's really just a rambling day, but that's how it's going in my head today. I'll be glad when I get to put this brain to bed tonight. ;)

Brothers and Roses

Does anything make your day more than getting roses? Tuesday I was called to the office during last period of the day. When I arrived, there stood my brother, Jason, with a vase of roses for me. To say the least, I was shocked. A slight breeze could have knocked me over. First, he lives in Michigan! Now that is love... Actually, he was on his way to Indy for a speaking engagement, but it was still major sweet. He had heard from my Dad that I haven't been feeling well and that I've been a little down, so he wanted to surprise me and cheer me up. Well, he definitly accomplished both. It was a wonderful surprise and has improved this whole week. I've left the flowers here so I could actually enjoy them and everytime I'm ready to scream or hurt a small child, I go over and breath deeply into the beautiful flowers. This calms me down and helps me to regain control. So, these roses have been a lifesaver in more ways than one this week. :) (Thanks, J)

The best part about it was the reaction of all the office ladies. They were hillarious. First they couldn't believe that my brother would come here, hug me and tell me he loved me in the middle of the office with all these people around. They all (4 ladies total) said they could not imagine their brothers EVER doing that. They thought it was amazing. They wanted to know if Jason was married and just how lucky his wife is to have such a thoughtful husband (Holly-are you gagging yet?). I got a real kick out of it. But, it did get me to thinking. I take the close relationship I have with both of my siblings for granted. I am so thankful for a family who is open and affectionate.

So, here is my challenge for today. Call your siblings and tell them you love them. You can never say it enough and you can definitly never hear it enough. Don't assume that they know. What if they don't?