Birmingham...

...and back.

Well...my mom and I made it to Birmingham. We drove down Tuesday, spent the night with grandparents, then got up Wednesday and finished the drive. Our search for a place for Paul and me to live next year started off well. We found a cute neighborhood, The Highlands, but did not like the apartments that were in our price range. We then started to hear the reports about a storm that was coming through. By 12:30, the storm turned into more than just a storm, and the entire city started shutting down. We were told to go back to our hotel and wait. We stopped by McAisters, picked up something for lunch and dinner (just in case we couldn't get out later - at this point it was only windy, and we really didn't think much of it). By 5:15, the skies darkened and the sirens sounded for the first time. We hurried down stairs to the lobby to find out what was going on. At the point, there was a tornado seen in Tuscaloosa, which was 45 minutes away from us. We continued to wait, watching the news reports of this devastating, mile wide tornado, and praying for those that were being hit. The tornado was expected to reach Birmingham by 6:15. Our hotel was about 8-10 miles south-west of the city, and when another guest came into the lobby from being outside exclaiming that debris from Tuscaloosa was falling from the sky, we actually ventured outside to see it ourselves. Sure enough, shingles, insulation, boxes, and other light flying things were falling from the sky - having traveled with the winds all the way from Tuscaloosa. In the distance we were able to watch the storm pass through Birmingham. We had strong winds and some serious lightening where we were, but nothing more. By 6:45 it was starting to clear up. And although the storm was over, the devastation had been done.

You can see the dark storm clouds in between the lighter ones on the side.

Dark clouds, and trees seriously blowing in the wind.

Trees were pulled up at their roots all throughout the city. Many of the roads were blocked due to fallen trees and limbs.

While Birmingham got hit, it was nothing compared to Tuscaloosa. The city was demolished to the point of some reporters saying it resembled the aftermath of a tsunami . The people of these cities are in our prayers as they being the long journey of clean up and rebuilding.

Then on Friday, my mom and I spend the day driving around the city looking at houses and a couple of apartment complexes. We found a few that I liked, but nothing for sure yet. Basically, Paul and I will continue to look at houses and apartments as they become available in the next few weeks, and we'll probably end up making one more trip over there before we have to move. God has a place for us, and we will continue to pray for it.

God Bless, everyone.

music I'm liking right now...

Despite what some people may think...Christian music can be AWESOME! It's not all hymns, and forgive me for saying, cheesey music. There are some new upcoming bands that have great sounds and rhythms, and incredible lyrics. Here are some of my new favorite songs...click on the title to go to YouTube and see a video or listen to the song.

1. Manifesto by City Harmonic

2. Hold Me by Jamie Grace

3. Shadow Feet by Brooke Fraser

4. Beautiful Feet by Lecrae (FYI - this is Christian rap, but powerful lyrics. Thanks Scott for introducing me to this band - makes great running music!)

5. Walking on the Stars by Group 1 Crew

6. Last Train Home by Lost Prophets

7. Eye of the Hurricane by Me in Motion

8. Your Great Name by Natalie Grant (not as rock-ish as the others, but still a great song to sing out to the Lord!)

Spring Break!

Yesterday was my first day of Spring Break! All in all, not too bad!

1. Went to see Dr. Reid (well, almost Dr. Reid) at MUSC to have a couple more cavities filled. Hopefully that will be the last of them for a while. Hint to all of you who read this: brush, FLOSS, and rinse every day, twice a day, and go to the dentist every 6 months!!! You do not want to end up with a mouth full of cavities like yours truly. But...if you do...I can recommend a wonderful young dentist!

2. Watched Harry Potter while eating lunch. Now that I've read all the books, I'm watching all the movies. The books are 10 times better, but its cool to see how the movie people interpret everything and change things to fit time requirements.

3. Went to the condo fitness center. Did some weight lifting exercises. I can now do 10 real push ups!! I know it doesn't sound like a lot or much, but when I started strength training, I couldn't do any...only the modified version on my knees. Now I can! And I can hold plank for almost a minute. Small steps....big rewards.

4. Got dressed up and went to Husk with Paul. It's a nice restaurant down town that was wonderful. We'll keep it on our list for sure.

The rest of the week will be spent mostly in Birmingham with my mom. We're Thelma and Louise-ing it and driving out to look at places to live and maybe some places for me to consider working at for a year.

Have a great week!

God Bless.

Happy Easter

"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him" ~Acts 2:24

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.'" ~Matthew 28: 5-6

Praise Him! He is risen!

Easter 2008


Easter 2009


Easter 2010

A morning at the beach

This morning Paul and I got up early to go watch the sunrise on the beach. While it was a little cloudy, the sun eventually came out, and it was a beautiful morning. Plus, we got to take some great pictures!

"the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

~Psalm 8:7-9

Having fun in the water.

A washed up jellyfish. I'd never seen one before!

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." ~Psalm 143:8

"Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds ; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD."

~Psalm 68:4

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble." ~Psalm 59:16

now what?!

I finished Harry Potter!!
NOW WHAT?!!
For the past 4 months, Harry has been my companion, my friend. I went on adventures with him while I walked on the treadmill at 5:00 in the morning or at 10:00 right before going to bed; I fought off dragons and evil dark lords while the kids slept during the day; I learned about spells (not that I truly believe in them), evil magical creatures like the basilisk, potions that change appearances, how to apparate and disapparate (moving through space), and legends from long ago while resting on Saturday afternoon; I learned, along with Harry, that love is one of the most powerful forces - even greater than evil - and how true that is. I learned that true friendship requires work, a give and take, but is never to be taken lightly, and true friends will remain forever.
J.K. Rowling wrote seven AMAZING books! While I do not believe in, or agree with, witches, wizards, spells, and the such, nonetheless, she wrote a gripping, compelling, thought provoking, intriguing, don't-want-to-put-it-down series of books that I will never forget. At first, there was an outcry from the Christian community to ban the books because they saw them as encouraging the Wiccan religion - witchcraft. However, upon further reading of the books, many now realize that there are several Christian parallels, and Rowling admits that she doesn't even believe in magic. When I was done reading the books, I wanted to look into the parallels that I noticed as I read to see if I wasn't the only one. And sure enough - there are numerous articles written about the overall themes of the stories and how there is a Christian undertone - fighting off evil forces, love conquering all, sacrifice for others. Here are two of the articles Redeeming Harry Potter, and J.K. Rowling Opens Up.
In summary, if you haven't read the Harry Potter series, I would HIGHLY recommend it! And then we can have a "book club" discussion! :)
Now the only thing left to do is watch the movies - I'm thinking movie marathon!!

God Bless!

You know you're an early childhood teacher when..

1. the sight of snot trickling down towards the mouth doesn't gross you out anymore

2. due to your immaculate and heightened immune system, you don't get the flu, stomach bug, strep throat, or deep cough even though every one of your students has one of the aforementioned

3. you know how to get paint, glue, ketchup, play dough, milk, juice, clay, and a variety of other substances out of your clothes

4. you keep an extra pair of clothes at school, just in case

5. you find your self resisting to give the "evil teacher eye" to unruly kids out in public

6. even though you're still in your 20's and don't feel old enough, you require your students to call you "ma'am" out of respect and for manners

7. you plan an extra 10 minutes into the schedule before going outside just to make sure all shoes are tied, coats are zipped, and gloves and hats can get on

8. you can sing the ABC song in at least three different versions

9. you have at least one Dr. Jean CD on your computer or IPOD - probably even more than that!

10. you know that asking kids to sit "indian style" is no longer P.C.

11. you know that "criss cross applesauce" has nothing to do with applesauce whatsoever, and what it really means

12. you empty your pockets at the end of the day of not only paper clips and rubber bands, but confiscated toy cars, action figures, mini hairbrushes, and dolls

13. you're a master at taking a song tune (like the ABC song tune) and rewriting its lyrics to fit a skill that matches the theme of the week

14. you know what will make each child happy, cry, throw a fit, want a hug, or run away

15. not to mention what each one will or will not eat for breakfast, lunch and snack

All in all - we are one of a kind with a special gift from the Lord to be able to teach these sweet little beings! :)

Duct Tape

Daddy taught me well...

How to use duck tape at school:
1. To hold together broken plastic tubs of blocks (the tub on the left lasted 1 week before getting it's first crack!)

2. Mend nap time mats (it also gives them one more thing to pick at when they can't sleep) 3. Adhere posters, projects, and crafts to walls, cabinet doors 4. Tape "greenhouse gardens" to the window so my kids can watch their seeds turn into plants!
5. Outline a box for "Time Out"- a very popular place in my room.

Now, how NOT to use duck tape (although it has crossed my mind)
Sorry - no pictures for these!

1. taping mouths shut
2. taping hands behind backs while in the hallway
3. taping shoe strings to shoes (if I had a nickle for every time I've tied shoes, I could retire now!)

I love my job...I love my job...I love my job.

Reading...

One of the things I'm dedicated to, is reading. When I was little, I hated reading. My mom took my tutors, specialists, and eye doctors even, to see if I had a learning disability because I did not like reading and was slow at reading. However, it just wasn't my thing. Then one summer in high school I started a series about an Amish family, and ended up reading all seven books! It was then that my passion for reading started to develop. While I haven't documented all of the books I've ever read, I decided last year to create a book list so I could record what I read, share it with other readers, and maybe even revisit some favorites down the road.

So in preparations for Spring Break and Summer...I've decided to start my summer reading book list! I'm actually excited about this! :)

1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (it's being made into a movie - ALWAYS read the book first!)
2. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
3. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton4. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

5. The Passage by Justin CroninHopefully, I will get to read all of these, and I will let you know what I think. Any books you recommend?? I'm always looking for the next book to lose myself in!

God Bless

T-Minus 12.5 days...

I think I can...I think I can...I HOPE I can...

We have 12.5 days till spring break, and it's going to take everything in me to make it! Don't get me wrong, I love all 20 of my sweet little kiddos...but we all need a break. It's time. And with all this rain, staying inside so they can't release all their energy makes for a long day.

What I have to look forward to during Spring Break:

-getting a couple more cavities filled by Dr. Reid (gotta love calling him that!)

-another Thelma and Louise trip with my mom to Birmingham. She has graciously volunteered to make the trek over there to look at apartments and possible job options with me.

-packing up a little bit more in the condo – doing a little bit at a time so it won’t be so stressful

-reading the final Harry Potter book – yes I’m reading Harry Potter, and yes, I LOVE it!

-spending some quality time with family and friends

And then after break, we only have 5 weeks left of school and then it's summer break!!

I think I can...I think I can...I WILL make it!

Cooper River Bridge Run

5 years ago, I came to Charleston with my boyfriend and his family to run the Cooper River Bridge. It was the first year for the new bridge, and I had just started running. We ended up finishing in 72 minutes. This year, I ran the run by myself, not counting the other 34,689 people on the bridge, but had my husband's cheers from the sidelines. I was able to run it in 60 minutes even! Not bad considering I've only run two other times since the half marathon 6 weeks ago.


Here are some more images...can you find me?! It was hard to run with all those people...you have to look for "worm holes" to squeak through without bumping into someone else, or running too close in front of someone.
No matter where we end up in the future, I would really like to keep coming back to Charleston every year to run this race. It's just something fun, and exciting, it's really not that long of a distance, so it wouldn't require a lot of training for.