Vote for Otto!

Here's your chance to vote for the Cutest Dog of the Season! Go here for your opportunity to vote for our dog, Otto. You may vote once a day through Dec. 15th. Some of you already know about this through my emails. This is the first chance I've had to put it on my blog. Now, the top dog has over 31,000 votes!! That seems a little fishy to me since the contest only began on November 9th. Otto currently has 33 votes. WE CAN DO IT!!! Feel free to pass this on to your friends and relatives! (I'm silly, I know.)

I probably won't have time to post my "I Get To Tuesday" this week. I have been away since Wednesday and have lots of catching up to do. I'll post about our recent trip to the Outer Banks soon!

Thanks for your votes! Have a blessed week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love the very last part of this prayer....thanking God for our freedom and justice. We really need to pray for these two things.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Something to Think About

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

Yesterday, I got to lead my 4-year-old class in their Thanksgiving program. They sang several songs for their parents and then everyone ate the pumpkin bread and applesauce which the kids made in class. Now this particular class is very difficult. I have several kids with special needs plus quite a few that do not behave very well. So it was a challenging morning for me, but the parents enjoyed it just the same.

Even though this class is the hardest one I've ever had to teach, there are still enjoyable moments. Yesterday, one of my special needs students raised his hand, and when I called on him, he said, "Teacher, I like your hair. It looks very handsome." This cracked me up! I had a little boy in my other class tell me that he hides his trash at home. I asked him where he hid it, and he replied, "Behind the couch!" At least he was truthful! When I laughingly told his mom what he had told me, she already knew about it!

Today I have a busy day ahead of me. I've got to teach my morning class, lead my Moms in Touch group, and then go back to work to prepare for Wednesday's class because....I'm taking that day off! Which means I also have to pack for our trip. Despite my hectic day, I am glad to be having our Moms in Touch meeting because we've had a hard time getting together with all the illnesses floating around.

On Wednesday we'll be leaving for the Outer Banks! We'll have a nice long ride ahead of us, but at least we'll be at the beach for Thanksgiving!

On Monday I get to go to work for an in-service day. My kids have the day off from school, but I can't stay home with them. I'll be decorating my classroom for Christmas. It's a lot of work, but it's worth seeing the look on my students' faces when they come back to school!

If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, use Mr. Linky below. Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

I Must Say.....

Even though I haven't found a sponsor yet for Andres, I am pleased to hear that many of you already sponsor a child either through Compassion International or another organization. It touches my heart that you all are taking care of the orphans and the needy as God directs us.


I talked to my own kids about the two of them sponsoring Andres together. My youngest was immediately on board with the idea, but my oldest isn't so sure he wants to give up $19 a month. I'm praying that God will work on his heart and move him to be more generous. Please join me in this prayer. Even if he doesn't come around in time to sponsor this little boy, I want him to learn to be and want to be generous with his time and money.


Have a blessed week and please remember Andres in your prayers!

Compassion International

Some of you may have received an email from me about Andres. I wanted to post the info on my blog as well.

Many of you know that we sponsor a boy in Brazil through Compassion International. I recently signed up for Compassion's What I want for Christmas program. I am committed to finding a sponsor for one child by December 31.

The little boy's name is Andres Fuentes Nunez. He is 7 years old and lives in Peru. Andres lives with his mother and 2 siblings. His mother is only employed some of the time.

Sponsoring a child means a financial commitment of $38 per month, plus you get the pleasure of exchanging letters with them. (I just received a letter from our child today!) If you would like more info about Compassion International, please go to http://www.compassion.com/. My boss recently attended an event where the president of Compassion spoke, and she was lucky enough to go on a tour of their Colorado offices. She was very impressed!

I know we are all facing financial hardships right now, but I still wanted to pass along this information in case any of you would be interested in sponsoring Andres or if you might know of someone else who would be interested. Please keep Andres in your prayers and pray that I can find a sponsor for him. If anyone out there is interested, I can mail you the info you need in order to begin your sponsorship. Thank you!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

I haven't posted my "I Get To" Tuesdays the last two weeks because I've been busy and sick. Thank you for not giving up on me!

1. As of yesterday and going through Thursday, I get to be someplace other than home after work. Two doctor's appointments, a dentist appointment, my younger son's parent/teacher conference, a Moms In Touch meeting and choir practice are all keeping me running this week. I'm just thankful that I'm feeling better and should be able to keep all of these appointments. When I was sick last week, it really made me think about how important my health is to me and my family.
2. This morning I get to be out the door extra early in order to be over at my son's school by 7:15. He made Honor Roll this marking period, and there is an assembly recognizing the students who made this list. I am so thankful that he will be a part of this and is doing so well in school despite his hearing disability!
3. Last week my husband and I got to sit through 90 minutes of conferences with our older son's teachers. He didn't make Honor Roll, but it was good to be able to have one-on-one time with his teachers. Having a child in high school is new to us! All of his teachers told us what a nice kid he is...and quiet, too, which made us laugh! He talks our ears off at home!
4. Speaking of talking our ears off....even though Sam drives us nuts with his incessant talking, at least he does still talk to us! He'll be 15 soon, and it's good to hear what is going on in his life. Most teens clam up. Not "Sir Talks a Lot"! We tease him by asking if he has a daily word quota to fill!
5. Also last week, we got to participate in a fundraiser for our Youth Group at Friendly's restaurant. I really didn't want to go because I still wasn't feeling 100%, and I think Friendly's is expensive considering the quality of the food. The service was awful, and we had to wait forever. My dinner wasn't that great either. However, we got to spend some quality time with our kids, they got the experience of helping with the fundraiser after we ate, and I didn't have to cook that night! So I guess it was worth it!

If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, use Mr. Linky below. Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that I'm feeling better and coming out of my funk after being out of circulation for 4 days. I'm also thankful that Eric and Cooper have been spared any illnesses so far.
2. I'm grateful that the bad weather which has hit the Outer Banks due to Hurricane Ida has occurred now rather than in 2 weeks when we're down there for Thanksgiving! (Just praying for no damage!)
3. I am thankful for our administrative assistant who served our school for 16 years. She knew everything! I really had to lean on her when I served as the school's Director for 2 years. I pray for success on her new job. We will miss her immensely!
4. I am thankful that my children have no school tomorrow. Although, I have no idea why they have the day off! I like it when they're home.
5. I am so glad to have my jeep back! It was in the shop for 6 days. Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious and didn't cost us a horrendous amount of money. I'm also grateful that when the jeep broke down on me, I had just made it to the Target parking lot!

Please join Sonya over at Truth 4 the Journey and share your list of thankfulness!

It's My Birthday and I'll Cry If I Want To!

Today is my birthday. I'm halfway to 90! (You do the math!)

It has been a beautiful weekend here, but I've been too sick to go out and enjoy it. This is where the crying part comes in. I've been either in bed or on the couch since Friday night. I'm sick enough that I'm not going into work tomorrow but not so sick that I'm oblivious to what is going on around me. I know what I'm missing which makes me feel even worse! BOO HOO!

I have been trying so hard not to get sick. I got my regular flu shot, I've been taking my vitamins faithfully and have been constantly washing my hands and using hand sanitizer. None of this did any good. I may not have the flu, but I'm very congested and have lost my voice. I'm sick just enough that it has blown my birthday weekend and will mess up my work week. I can't very well hold parent/teacher conferences when I don't have a voice!

All of this reminds me to be thankful for my health. I was lamenting last week because I didn't have time to write my usual two posts due to my schedule. However, at least I was physically able to do all the things I needed to do and had promised I would do. I was able to go to work and to choir practice; I was able to run errands and take care of Sam while he was sick; and I was able to attend a farewell lunch for one our staff members. There were a few things, such as posting on my blog, that I wanted to do but couldn't get to. At least I was healthy enough to do what was important. And I'm thankful for that.

Tomorrow is Monday. When your alarm goes off and you're tempted to hit the snooze button and pull the covers over your head, remember that at least you're blessed enough to be able to get up and do what you need to do tomorrow. We need to remember this every day, even when we're going through trials and our days are hard. At least we have the choice to get up and get moving. I pray that we can each use the days God has given us to do His work and to do what is pleasing to Him.