Merry Chirstmas

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
We have been very busy or I have been sick. Please look forward to our New Year Letter, as we did not get out our Christmas cards this year. There were many factors that caused our delay, and then we decided to do something in the new year rather then stress about it right before the holidays, as we had enough to be stressed about already! Boy, we were really ready for the Christmas break!
We had two wonderful days(Christmas Eve with the Rodgers/Christmas day with Brennan clan) with family and can't wait for Bernard and Terry to come and visit. I think this may be one of the very few times my side of the family will all get together in years! We are definitely going to update our family picture. Brian and I started a new family tradition with the Rodgers to take a family picture on Christmas Eve when we all get together. So I am bound and determined to get one of my family this year!
I have to tell this funny story about Carl. One of Carl's school assignments was to write a letter to Santa. He really wanted the stormtroopers officers from "Clone Wars" (Star Wars), Rex, Cody and (can't remember the name). They were in the movie and book. So anyone who asked me, I told them he wanted stormtroopers action figures. A few days later, he woke up one morning and told me he had a dream where all his presents were stormtroopers! His dream did not come exactly true, but he did get a few "Star Wars" action figures. He got Obi-Wan, Anakin/Darth Vader and one stormtroopers officer so far. His Aunt Lisa got him the really cool "Stormtroopers Helmet". Carl is really into "Star Wars" right now. I bought him a chapter book from the movie "Clone Wars" and he has read it at least three times.
Well, we hope this finds everyone doing well at this special time of year,
The Brian Rodgers Family

Technical problems

I know everyone wanted to see pictures of everything I was writing about, but I just couldn't figure out how to get the pictures on to the computer from my camera. I was having technical difficulties. And yes, this is a common occurrence for me. I love technology, but we don't' often speak the same language as Brian puts it.

My camera is a Kodak Easyshare that doesn't have a USP cord! My Mom's computer had a slot for the memory card, so I downloaded pictures whenever I wanted. In an effort to get the NKOTB pictures for Victoria, I went to Sam's Club and had a disc made of those pictures. OH, yea, our CD drive doesn't read picture files anymore! So, a week later, I needed actually printed on paper pictures. I once more went out to Sam's Club as they have the best deal on one hour printing. I also brought Brian's camera with me to print a few pictures from it as well. So there I was in Sam's Club with two identical memory cards, and it hit me: both cameras take the same memory card.

So when I got home, I put my memory card into Brian's camera and downloaded my pictures!

Technical problems solved, and it only took me a month to figure it out!

So here are the pictures:

This is one of the better shots from the concert. It actually looks in focus somewhat this small.

I thought this was a great picture of Sarah and Larry, even if you can't see Kenzie!

So, like I said, I am not the most computer savvy. I forgot to rotate the picture before I uploaded it.

Ironically, it has taken me two weeks to finally get the pictures uploaded.

Enjoy!

Quirks about me

So I was tagged to write about my quirks. here are the rules from my best friend's blog:

Rules; 1. Link the person who tagged you. 2. Mention the rules on your blog. 3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours. 4. Tag 6 other bloggers by linking them.

So I am not sure how to link mine with Stephanie's, but here goes.

1. I clean like I have ADD. I cannot stay focused on one task. Ever hear of the story of the older lady who was busy all day and accomplished nothing. that's me when I clean my house.

2. I am either reading nothing or several books at once. I didn't start this until college where is was required as I was an English major, but now I can't stop. I have to really control the amount of books I start because that leads to quirk 3.

3. If I start a story, (book, movie, TV show), I have to finish it. I have to know how the story ends. This rolls over to sports as well, I don't like to leave a game early. And yes, I have read the last page of a story to know how it ends before I am half-way through.

4. Technology (namely computers) and I don't get along so well. Mainly we have problems communicating well as my husband puts it. I get upset when I "tell" a computer to do something and it doesn't, especially when Brian has just told me exactly what to do!!

5. I am a huge procrastinator and avoid doing things that I need to do. I have a tendency to wait until the last minute to do anything, so that means at times I have not accomplished what I want because I wasted too much time by doing other things instead. Brian always knew when I had a paper due when I was in college because the house would be spotless.

6. Anything makes me cold. I am a cold nature person (I actually love GA summers!), so just looking or thinking about anything cold makes me shiver all over. I read a book a few week ago about Antarctica. I could only read it at night wrapped up in heavy blankets, because I would get too cold otherwise. Any movie with snow, I have to wrap up in blankets, even in summertime.

OK, so now I am suppose to tag 6 people, but I think I will cop-out and end with if you want to, have fun, if not, no big deal!!

My NKOTB confession

So a couple of months ago I heard that New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) were back and touring again. I really didn't think much about it, until my sister called and said they were coming to Atlanta on Oct. 29th. She asked if I would go with her, as she had already bought the tickets. I said yes, why not, it would be something fun for us to do together. I have never been to a rock concert, so this would be my first (except for seeing Clearwater Credence Revival after a hockey game once) real rock concert.
I was embarrassed to admit I was going to a NKOTB concert, and so I didn't really tell anybody that I was going. As our church was having "Truck or Treating" that night, I just said I had a thing with my sister. (Of course, this did not prevent my husband from telling everyone that night exactly where I was!!)
The concert was at the Gwinnett Civic Center, so we found a restaurant close by (an Irish pub styled place), and it was packed full of mid-thirty women going to the concert!! Some girls were really reliving their teenage years by dressing for Halloween a little early. I didn't get a picture, but a few even had the "eighties" look and cut-off sweatshirts that read: "Mrs. Jordon Knight" and "Mrs. Joey McIntyre". One group wore black t-shirts (like you see guys painted at football games) each girl spelling out: I "Heart shape" NKOTB!!
The concert was insane!!, but so much FUN! Everyone was screaming crazy, dancing around, and having a great time.
So my confession: I went, and I loved it!! We had a great time. And yes, not only did I really like their music, but I still enjoy it now. So by the end of the night, I was gladly living out a teenage dream of seeing NKOTB live in concert.

Halloween: A Month Long Celebration??

So I have spend almost this whole month getting ready for Halloween. Yes, I am crazy. Carl wore the same dragon costume for two years in a row (because it took me a month to make that one as well). This he really wanted to be a Jedi Knight. So I found a pattern and collected material. I also decided to make Jedi costumes for Brian and myself. So making all three costumes took me a long time.
We have also had great fun with Cub Scouts, had Early Release, Fall Break, babysitting, sewing, quilting with Mom and Brian gone for three days to Atlanta for work (stuff for GABOE). I also got a cold as we didn't get the new heat pump installed in time! I procrastinated making the call during the one week of warm weather for October, mainly because my mind was on those Halloween costumes. It still amazes me how we can let our thinking get so focused on one or two tasks that we forget to do anything else (including cleaning the house.
Lisa came to visit the family as well. We were so excited to show-off our new home! We got together at Richard's home and carved pumpkins.
And the most exciting news: Sarah gave birth to Kenzie Marie Copeland on Tues. Oct. 28, 2008.
We are so excited for her and Larry.

Enough said

So I know I have to write about the last month, but I read this story on line (Yahoo News) and just had to share it. "Allow me to highlight where these people show how stupid they are."-Brian

14. Grave mortgage lending
Zombie Bank approved a $430,000 loan for my wife with an income of $110 a week. She only worked for a retail store for eight months and had no previous work history. (And you let them?)

The lender, Blood-sucking Mortgage in Fairfax, Va., did not check her employment and made up fake documents stating she worked for a grocery store as a manager and made up a bogus income to get the loan for her. She worked there for only six or seven months in the past five years. She never worked as a manager and she barely speaks English. (So, you signed fraudulent papers. Who's the crook here? Um...YOU!)

Blood-sucking Mortgage did not tell her about the 2 percent penalty if the loan transferred to another lender within three years. She only realized it when she was at the settlement table in Florida with a Budget truck loaded outside the settlement office.

My wife and I did not even know what types of loan we are getting. (WHAT?) At that point, we had no choice but to finish the deal and unload the truck. (The choice would be DON'T finish the deal and get a hotel room and a storage unit. We are talking $430,000 you idiot!) The settlement agent did not know anything about the other terms and conditions. She suggested we should get more detail from Blood-sucking Mortgage. (And you didn't?)

When we went for a walk-through, the agent and owner was sitting in a black SUV 200 yards away outside the house. She handed us the keys on the curbside like she was giving us something free. We had no idea how to operate the pool, the garage doors, community entrance and much more. (While I must agree that the black SUV does automatically make them evil, precisely why didn't you ask about anything?)

When I received the second mortgage statement from Zombie Bank, I noticed the original loan amount went up. I immediately called Zombie Bank. They told me it is an index loan and it depends on the market, blah, blah, blah and kept explaining how index loans are calculated in Wall Street each month and other factors. (You signed the papers! You didn't read them?)

We were making a $2,300 payment, but $500 was adding each month to the original loan amount because I was not making the full interest payment. The $2,300 was just a minimum payment. (Okay, now Quicken loans tried to trick us with this crap. Even when I specifically asked, the agent kept saying "It's the minimum payment." I would ask "Is that the intrest only, or is it less than the interest?" Becuase I had READ something in the PAPERWORK that they wanted me to SIGN. The response was always "It's the minimum payment." At which time I said "Then you can keep it, I think we are finished here." and hung up. He then proceeded to send e-mails about how he was worried etc. about our situation. He was worried about his commission!)In March 2006, I placed the house for sale and it was in the market until February 2007. In February the original loan amount went up by $6,000. We became so divested financially that I have to stay in my job in Virginia and visit my kids only once a month.

Finally, in March 2007 we decided to pay the 2 percent penalty and refinance the loan. The banks were not able to refinance the loan for my wife because she had no job and I was working in Virginia. (Really, you got a crooked loan and can't get honest people to take it on? Amazing!)At last, I found a lender who suggested that the entire loan should be transferred to my name in order to refinance and we agreed.

In July 2007, my family moved back to the same townhouse (So wait. You had no choice earlier. Sounds like you had a townhouse you could have moved back into.) and we rented the Florida house. I am working two full-time jobs and my wife went back working as a deli clerk in order to cover the two mortgages. I had $33,000 in savings and $7,000 from 401(K). They have all vanished to cover the mortgages.

Rebecca says, "And Yet one more example of why our economy is in the toilet. Frankly, we did it to ourselves."

WE MOVED!!!

Yes, it finally happened, we moved. Actually, we moved a month ago. We moved into Jackson County half-way between Jefferson and Athens. We still have an Athens address as no other town claims this area. Our friends loved it here and we are really beginning to enjoy it ourselves. We bought "new" furniture at some estate sales so when we first moved in, the house didn't quite seem ours. But after a month, it feels more like home everyday.

Our move has been a huge adjustment though. Both of us have pretty much lived in towns, especially our adult life. Running to the grocery store for a few things has never been a problem. Even when we lived a further out of town, there was at least a convenience store just right around the corner. Not any more. Have you ever seen the movie "O, Brother, Where Art Thou"? There is a scene where George Clooney is told by an old man that anything he wants will take two days to get there. George Clooney replies by saying his store is a geographical anomaly: it is two days from anything. While we are not two days from anything, we are a minimum of fifteen minutes. As my sister says: welcome to the real world. We are used to within three to five minutes having literally ANY type of store at our fingertips. Not to say we didn't travel around for different stores, it is just an adjustment. I am not much of a planner, but I am certainly learning to plan much more now.
And you would think that giving me more time at home I would get things done faster, keep a cleaner house, and just have more time for all the many projects I both want and need to do. Well, as I am not the most organized person, and a procrastinator, no, nothing more gets done. It has even taken me longer to write on my blog!
I still have three boxes within sight to unpack. Of course, I have been avoiding those because they are full of paperwork stuff that I should have gone through long before we moved, and still I don't want to do it. I have not taken pictures yet as somehow the house just doesn't stay tidy long enough.
We did have some great friends help us to move. Mom was so wonderful in helping us pack and move. We really do feel grateful for our new home. Brian and Carl are home by 4:30pm everyday. We all wake up and can spend a little time together in morning. Carl loves it when they ride the motorcycle to school. Brian loves it that work is once more only 15 minutes away.
We did move wards (congregations), and everyone has been really nice. Brian and I both have new callings: he is ward clerk and I am 1st counselor in the primary presidency.
We also signed Carl up for Tiger Cub Scouts. And they were short a den leader, so I finally said yes when no one else stepped up. It has been both fun and work!! Carl loves that I am his den leader and back in Primary with him. I love spending the time with him, and we have made it a family thing. Brian is an assistant den leader!
So, if you have been wondering what in the world is going on: Now you know.

So When is Life not Crazy??

AAAHHHH!!!

That is how I feel about life right now.

So, in summary, here is why:

Carl and Brian are on the school schedule and as I wake up with them every morning, my sleep schedule is really out of whack. And for those that know me, sleep is needed for my health and sanity. We are also slowly, or not so slowly packing up and cleaning the house to both move and get ready for Sarah's baby shower.

So Mom and I completely lost control and Sarah's baby shower took over. One big project is pictured above. Brian's parents gave us a chair that is still comfortable, but would no longer clean up. So we decided to recover the chair before the shower. It took us two days, but I have to say it was worth it. We also rearranged the house to get maximum seats for the shower. We had so many friends and family and had a great time!!

Brian was also so sweet to babysit during the baby shower!!

And then,when the shower was over, we then went to go and see the new "Star Wars: Clone Wars". (It opened Friday night. Carl woke up Friday morning and was upset that his "Star Wars" shirt was not out. He said "Mom, its Aug. 15th and we are going to Star Wars tonight. He was so disappointed when I reminded him we were going on Sat.!!) Then over dinner, I got the bright idea that we could move one week early. The house was pretty much packed, it would only take a few days to move everything and finish packing.

Boy was I wrong!! I did try, but we could not get everything transferred and packed in time. I am exhausted and we still have to move.

The more I pack, the more I realize how much we still have to pack. It just never ends. I don't know how anybody can pack one house in just a day or two!! Of course, if you don't have any stuff, it must be easy.

When Sarah was visiting, I said "I can't wait for life to get back to normal!" She wisely pointed out that there is no such thing as normal!!

So now I get to continue packing and move in one week!

By the way: we are sitting on our new couch!! We realized that we had very little furniture (most of what we have is Mom's!) and but we found a new living room set, dining room set, and a newer TV through a few estates sales.

Life is crazy: maybe one day it will slow down. Yeah right, who really wants that!!

A "Lost Boy" experiece

Last night as we watched the opening ceremonies for the Olympics, I was awed and inspired. Not by the magnificent fireworks show, or the Chinese pageantry. It was the young man carrying the U.S. flag into the "Bird's Nest" for our Olympic team. He was a Sudanese "Lost Boy", now an American citizen and given such an honor. He reminded me of what our country was built on, built by and created for: the Immigrant.
My mother became a citizen of the U.S. last September. While we sat together waiting for the ceremony to begin, a young black man came and sat near us (my mother, sister and two friends). He was the only one completely by himself. I smiled at him, but didn't think to much about it. As the officials put all the "new to be citizens" in place, he sat beside Mom. So he was in the pictures because he was beside her. As they read each name, they also read the country of origin. This young man was from Sudan. I suddenly realized why he was there by himself: there was no one to be there with him. My smile was no longer enough. After the ceremony, I went up to him to congratulated him. He gave me a big smile and thank you, then quietly left the room.
As I watched the athlete last night, I thought of the young man from Mom's ceremony. How much I have "wallowed" in sorrow over my problems instead of looking forward, or making something good come of my problems. And yet, here are young men whom everything has been taken away from them, and yet the "Lost Boys" have moved on, created new lives for themselves, and even become an Olympic athlete.
Most of us will never know what it is truly like to have nothing. We don't have to struggle, just to literally survive. I am awed and inspired by all those strong immigrants who have truly made our country one of the greatest places in the world to live.

The First Day of School

So today is Carl's first day of school as a first grader at Jefferson Elementary School. His teacher is Mrs. Joiner and we think she is wonderful. She is full of energy and excitement. She has also been so willing to answer any and all of our questions as we make this transition to a new school.
Carl was so excited and ready as we walked down the hall this morning. He sat down at his desk and was ready to get to work. In fact, he asked his classmate what he was suppose to do! His class is full of children who are just as smart and ready to learn.
Brian also began to teach today as well, but did not quite feel his classroom was as ready for students as he would like. He never knew taking on the new responsibilities would lead to such a messy room! Mom told him to put his homeroom students to work!
My favorite part of "back to school" is shopping for the supplies. I get so excited by all the cool stuff at the really cheap prices (and it is tax-free weekend!!). I tend to buy way too much and hoard it all in the closet. But you just never know when you need a new box of crayons!

A Stroll down Memory Lane, Yours now!!

OK, so I am now playing this from our good friends: the Bentleys!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that we have had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! You don't need to have an account to post a response...you just need to pick anonymous and leave the comment!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about one of us, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Our "Vacation" to Atlanta

So Brian had this project to do in Atlanta through the State and a textbook company. It was at a hotel and they paid for three nights for Brian, so Carl and I tagged along. We spent time at Stone Mountain, Fernbank, and of course, the hotel pool.

Carl and I had a great time while Brian worked. Stone Mountain is so much fun. We ate our lunch on top of the mountain. Carl begged to go on the new "Sky Hike" (a ropes course where the lowest level is at least 15 ft. high, very little to hold onto, except the harness you are attached to). We spent 30 mins in line and Carl was so excited, until we got the third "section". Carl's side was just like a wooden plank balance beam with a handle, but that bar ended. He had to walk 10 ft. on a two foot wide board. He began to cry, and frankly, I was not liking it myself, so they let us go back!

We did do other fun stuff such as Putt-putt golf, going to the top of the mountain, riding the train, and of course watching the laser light show.

Victoria, Ella and Katie joined us at Fernbank. Carl loves to go there and the bubble tray is his favorite part. They were getting pretty good with the bubbles too!

We really enjoyed ourselves. It was a good break, and life got really hard the next week. And, yes, I know, this entry should have come before the last entry.

Life Can Be Like a Tropical Storm

So I decided this about six months ago when two of my friends had their babies on the exact same day. I was working for one, and the other the babysitter. It was both exhausting and exciting at the same time. They were each due a week apart. It did not happen slowly like gentle waves, but all at the same time, like a tropical storm.

And then it happened again: We were on our final "vacation" for the summer when we got work that a very old friend had taken a turn for the worst, was in the hospital and not expected to make it. Sure enough, June Calhoun passed away on Thursday, July 17th. She had been sick for a long time. She and her husband (who died last Jan.) were a huge influence in my life when I was a teenager. Then on Sunday morning, we recieved another call: A friend who had just moved to Athens with his family also died suddenly. Jeff's death has not only been hard on his family, but his friends as well. He had been having a few health problems, but was getting better (at least that is what everyone thought).

Jeff, his daughter Brittany, Brian and Carl on the 4th of July (they were watching our personal fireworks show).
But during our grief, we still had to "mini-move" the three bedrooms for new carpet. And Brian returned to work, only to find things were as ready as they should be for the new school year.
I am not complaining, just life has been crazy and hectic and it seems to all happen at once, just like a tropical storm.
The good news is: we think we have finally found renters for our home! We are excited to move, but after the carpet install, I am not looking forward to packing!!

A stroll down memory lane

OK, so it was more like a drive down memory lane, but this is one of the many places where I lived growing up. If you have known me long, you have heard of our "house in the woods". We moved there when I was about 6 years old. My brother was turning 19 and heading out on an LDS mission. My parents found an inexpensive house to rent that would give them the extra money to pay for my brother's mission. We lived out in the middle of no where on what was once the "Colbert Plantation" (a famous Savannah ghost haunt). Needless to say, it made for a very interesting childhood (we lived there for about four years).

So on our last visit to Savannah, we took a drive out past Port Wentworth to see our "house in the woods". The above picture is of the last quarter mile "drive way/road" that we had to walk every day as the bus only went on the "big" dirt road, that even 20 years later is still a dirt road. Well at least the drive-way doesn't have the huge pot holes Ruth/Victoria and I used to play in after it rained.

So here is our "house in the woods". The house is in great shape. I can honestly say I look back on this house with some really great memories. Of course one of the best things: Sarah was also born when we lived here. There were plenty of sad and scary memories (mainly associated with animals), but we did live in the swamp!! It was cool to show my family one of the homes that has a special place in our family's history.

Related to family history is the stories our brothers told us when we were young. We were gullible and trusted our older brothers. One infamous story was the alligators in the moat at Fort Pulaski. When I got older, I learned much of what my brothers told me was made up or someway for them to scare us into the "correct behavior". So of course the alligators totally made it into the "fiction" section for me. Until a visit to Fort Pulaski a few years ago. Yes they are really there!!

Brian thought I was crazy for freaking out over the alligators!

And so, the story was told to my nieces, nephew and child as we walked around the moat and admired the alligators at Fort Pulaski.

The Busy Summer

Well the exciting summer I was looking forward to has arrived and left in the form of my darling niece and nephew. Nathan and Stacy (number 3 and 4 of my eldest brother) came for three weeks in June. We (as in my mom, Brian, me, Carl, my twin sister and her two children) took them first to Savannah for three days and spent one day on Tybee Island at the beach.

We all had great fun in the sun, especially digging the holes to help secure our six umbrellas. Mostly they fell, but we still had a lot of fun. I pledged that we would stay all day at the beach on Tuesday (June 9th) til everyone was just sick of it. I got my wish. Nobody wanted to go back!!

So we then went to Fort Pulaski and Oatland Island Wildlife Preserve (note: if you ever make it to Savannah, this wildlife preserve is a nature walk with a few animals along the way. It was so hot, even the animals were hiding.) One of my mom's oldest friend and her grandson also joined us as well this day.

Ha Ha!! I tricked you. My twin sister is the one in the picture!!

Ella, Katie, Sarah with yet to be named upcoming niece, Nathan, Stacy and Carl!! All together at Fort Pulaski. It was great for Sarah also to get to spend some time with her nieces and nephews.

The next week we took Stacy and Nathan up to the mountains. We did get to meet up with my other brother, Victor and his two children, Grace and Aiden. We had quite the adventure at Kennesaw Mountain. Just as we finished lunch, it began to sprinkle. So we went into the visitor center and watched a movie about the Civil War battle fought there. then the sun came out, so we took a bus up to the top of the mountain. The rain came back but was very light. As we got out of the bus, we could see lighting, so the bus driver stayed. As we began to look around, it began to rain very hard. Yeah for the bus driver!! He took us all back down and we were drenched!! We certainly had an adventure!!

We later went to the Dahlonega Gold Mines, Amicalola Falls State Park, and tubing down the Chattahoochee River in Helen (on Brian's birthday!!).

We had planned some more wonderful things to do around Atlanta for their last week. Brian was taking a class to "certify him to teach A.P. Statistics", but alas, my body gave out on us. My colitis flared up, but we had some wonderful friends invite us for swimming one day and yeah to the free movies at Beechwood cinemas.

Carl absolutely loved sharing a room with Nathan and wanted to do everything just like Nathan!! And for the most part, Nathan was really patient and understanding with Carl. Brian and I also learned what it is like to have more than one child around. Brian and Nathan really got into the EuroCup soccer games and soccer on the Playstation. We also taught them some of our favorite card games: Five Crowns and Skip-bo.

Ah Summer, we look forward to it, it comes and then is gone. So the point, enjoy every minute, it does not last long!!

Proof our Child is Smart!!

OK, For those who know us, yes we love to brag about our only child, Carl. As we only have one, we don't have to worry about hurting anybody else's feeling (maybe).

Last week, Carl and I went to Jefferson with Brian to turn in Carl's application to begin this fall at Jefferson Elementary. They said every child needs to take a "screening" as part of the application process. Luckily they had an opening that morning. At first they did really basic stuff, such as letters and sounds, and then they moved onto sight words. As he did so well on these tests, they then did "STAR" testing. (A standardized computer test, I know used also in Clarke County, I think GA).

So how did he do?? He scored as being at the end of SECOND grade (he has just currently finished Kindergarden). So, there is our proof, as if being tested, accepted and doing almost one year of the "Spectrum"/gifted program at Barnett Shoals was not enough. We would love to see him move straight into second grade, but with the CRCT guidelines for the state of GA, we don't think this will really happen. And that is OK too.

Just to note, having a gifted child can be a really big pain as well. Sometimes he is just "too smart for his own good"!!

Summer at last

Well the school year has finally ended. I was glad to get to sleep in on Thursday, but I felt sad on Wednesday as we left the school and said good-bye to a lot of our friends. I was sadder then I thought as I have really been looking forward to summer and our "move" out to Jefferson. Barnett Shoals is a great school with so many wonderful teachers. Saying good-bye was harder then I thought, especially after having spent the day there with Carl's class.
The kindergartners had a "luau" party in the morning and then Carl's class had a end of year party. I face painted in the morning, with much teasing from Carl's wonderful teacher, Ms. Middlebrooks. I would not do full face "pictures" on the children and I also would not let Carl get his full face painted. She harassed me as it was the last day of school and I was being so mean. The students got to do this for Field Day, and I just stuck to my guns as it was too much!
Next year Carl will be joining Brian at Jefferson (at the Elementary school). I have loved being at Barnett Shoals, not just only as a mom, but as a substitute as well. I will miss not just the great teachers, but the friends I made and students I know there as well. I felt appreciated by the teachers and the students. Children have such a great amount of love to give. I have to admit, it was always an ego boost when I walked down the hallway and was always got such wonderful greetings and hugs from students.
Carl pretty much feels the same way. He is excited to go to school so close to Daddy, but sad to leave the teachers he loves behind.
So now is the time to enjoy the summer, and look forward, not behind.

The Beginnings

So I am taking my very good friends advice and starting my own Blog. Brian says that now I am never going to leave the computer. I think this is a great way to keep in touch with friends, or really an easy way for friends to know what is happening in my life.

Right now life is like everyone else's: very busy!

And of course, I always add more and more to my calender. One fun thing I am doing right now is taking a monthly beginner quilting class. I am really enjoying learning how to piece quilt, except that I am a procrastinator and don't the homework until right before the next class.

Carl is doing well in school and has begun piano lessons. He is doing well, and the best thing is that his writing has greatly improved. He may be gifted, but he had the worst handwriting (a battle I should have fought a long time ago and totally chickened out of doing)!

Brian is doing great as well. He loves it at Jefferson High School teaching math.

We are all looking forward to summer and the break we will get. (yea, right!)