I LOVE...

I love summer!
I love family time!
I love friend time!
I love date night!
I love trips to get ice cream!
I love going to the pool!
I love the slide at the pool!
I love watching my kids swim!
I love the beach!
I love sleeping late!
I love not rushing around!
I love down time!
I love when NPayne is off work!
I love spending time with my boy and girls!
I love fresh vegetables and fruits!
I love a summer breeze!
I love coffee in my pjs at 10:00 am!
I love staying up late!
I love playing Wii, listening to music, playing games with the family!
I love watching my kids watch fireworks!
I love baseball games!
I love a nice cool shower!
I love sand in my toes!
I love wearing little or no make up!
I love a tan!
I love summer!

PEACE

I'm feeling peaceful lately.  It's odd, because so many people I know are not.  I have accepted many things and decided that it is what it is.  There is one area where I think peace needs to be very present, and I'm praying that peace will be felt for those involved.  I feel His peace, and I hope they do too.

TOO MUCH TV

Summer is in full swing around here....camp, mission trip, VBS, swimming....and now they are all trying to sit around in front of the TV all day!  Really?  Yes I know it's hot, but come on kids!  Honestly I am not a fan of TV, so I just don't get the draw to it.  When I come home from grocery shopping, and their lunch dishes are in the sink, the cat is meowing for food; and they're all staring at some goofy teeny bopper show (which by the way are my nemesis)...I tend to get a little I.R.R.I.T.A.T.E.D!  So off went the TV, some foot stomping and sulking occurred as I sent them all on their way to "find something else to do"!  It's very quiet in the house, so I will investigate soon to see what else they did find to do!  Pray for me!

Happy 21st Anniversary NPayne!

Happy 21st Anniversary to my better half! NPayne....the guy who balances me out, makes me laugh A LOT, sacrifices so much for me and our family, has a wonderful generous heart of service, is one of the most calm, patient and loyal people I know, is the best dad ever, knows how to have fun, has a sweet spirit and a romantic soul, tells me I'm pretty first thing in the morning, and is just plain cool! Twenty one years ago....I adored you! Twenty one years later....who knew I could adore you even more! Sometimes it seems like just yesterday and other times it seems like I've known you my whole life! Our life together has made me a better person, and I am more grateful than I could ever tell you! Thank you!
N+L=many more fabulous years together!

REST IN PEACE SWEET FINN!

Our Sweet Finn boy passed yesterday!  He was such a good dog and very loved.  Our Josie girl is very lost without him.  My Drew got Finn for her birthday 5 years ago.  She is just heartbroken.  She cried all day and even cried herself to sleep.  Last night, she came in and laid down with me.  We were listening to music and quiet.  Then she said, "Do you ever get mad at God?" 

I explained that when I was a child and even into my early thirties, I probably did get mad at God; but I don't anymore.  I explained that although there have been things that have hurt so bad and broken my heart so much, I don't get mad at God.  I don't believe he causes the hurt, but I do believe he can prevent it.  When He doesn't, I use to think WHY?  I use to think I would find out once I got to heaven....all of those questions.  Then I realized, once I get to heaven; I don't think I will even ask.  It will be so wonderful that those questions won't even matter anymore!  Drew asked me what has been the worst day of my life, and I thought about it; because there have been some pretty bad days.  I told her I thought it was when my dear friend, Leslie, lost her first baby boy as a stillborn baby.  

Drew said, "Today was mine!"

The Most Wonderful Preschool In The World

So many things have changed over the last 5 months.  Things I could have never imagined have taken place.  If you had asked me last year what I would predict for this year, I would have NEVER predicted some of the things that have happened.  As many of you know for the last 15 years, I had the wonderful privilege of being a parent, teacher, administrator at the most wonderful preschool in the world!  Okay I know people say those kinds of things all the time, but my statement is completely 100% accurate....the most wonderful preschool in the world.  I worked with amazing women who have become some of my most treasured friends, women I consider to be my family!  I truly love these people.  All five of my children attended this school, and I am so very thankful they were blessed by these wonderful women as well.  My girls still talk about it and treasure their time there and the relationships they made there.  This most wonderful preschool in the world was open for 47 years....SERIOUSLY....it was that fabulous!  Then yesterday, the announcment was made to close it!  Although I had not been working there since February, I still LOVED that place.  I had always planned on working my entire career at this most wonderful preschool.  Now that it's officially been closed, and there are so many broken hearted families and teachers; I have heard things like...."It's time to move on!  It's time for new beginnings!  This time next year, new teacher friends will be made; and you will all have moved on!"  And those things are true and good, but if you weren't part of this most wonderful preschool in the world; then simply said....You Don't Understand!  There will be new beginnings, and people will move on, and there will be new relationships made; but truly WE....the staff there....WE will always be bound by the love we have for each other and that most wonderful preschool in the world.  It wasn't just a job, it was a lifestyle, a way of life, a great way to spend your days, it molded us into the people we are.  NPayne has always told me how happy he was and blessed I was that I got to go to "work" at a place I loved so much.  I can honestly say that in all the years I was a teacher there, I cannot ever remember a day where I didn't want to go to work!  I couldn't wait to get there.  And yes I enjoyed my time off in the summers and on holidays, but I couldn't wait to get back to school in the fall.  So yes we will all move on, but it won't be in the way that most people do in these types of situations; because we all shared something so special, so magical, so wonderful....the most wonderful preschool in the world.  The Creative Learning Center will always live on in our hearts and souls!