End of the Year Craziness!

You would think that the end of the school year would be a time of wrapping things up and getting ready for rest and relaxation....not for me! Things for me have gone into full speed ahead, getting ready for an end of the year 4th grade variety show and decorating for awards ceremonies. Things are crazy to say the least! But as my Granddad has always said, "This too shall pass". I have never really done a "countdown" per say for summer, but I am this year!!! 4 school days until variety shows are done and 9 school days left if you count the teacher workday! It is a race and I WILL make it to the finish line.

With that said, I read something today that made me view things a little differently.


A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water
and asked, 'How heavy is this glass of water?' Answers called out ranged from 20g to
500g.
The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends
on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a
problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I
hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the
same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'
He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we
carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes
increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of
water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it
again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So,
before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't
carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.’
‘Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. So put
down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after
you've rested a while.’
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of
life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always wear stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be "Recalled" by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it
was probably worth it.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because
then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well, just get up and dance.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Deep thoughts....Have a relaxing, stress-free weekend!

Happy Mother's Day

What a wonderful Mother's Day! We started the weekend off Friday night with a wonderful birthday meal for Granddad at Gloria's. The tamales and plantain were oh so tasty. That night mom and I stayed with Karen & Matt in their beautiful new home and had a great time snuggling with Caroline. Saturday morning we had a fun time celebrating with Kimberly at her kitchen shower. Again, she got some amazing goodies and the shower was just beautiful. That afternoon mom and I went shopping at Vera Bradley, Gymboree, Bath & Body Works, & Academy. I am happy to report I found some new comfy running shoes! I can't wait to try them out. We enjoyed a yummy meal at PF Changs.

While we were in Dallas having fun Justin, Maddie & Landon had fun here in Marshall. They went to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate 3 weeks of smiley faces in a row...that is a HUGE deal. And Saturday spent the day cleaning for me and had a little road trip, ending with fun times in the park. I didn't arrive home until 11:30 and Maddie was up saying that they had a Mother's Day celebration waiting for me. They got me flowers, homemade goodies such as coupons, cards, & hand prints, and season 9 of Friends. The coupons Maddie made me in school were for one kiss, one movie together, one walk together, one smile, read a book together, help with dishes, set the table, one dance, breakfast in bed, one hug. And then she made a list of "My Mom Is Special" in school. It read:
My mom is special because...she cooks for me.
I like it when my mom....takes me to the park.
My mom can do many things! I think she is best at....helping me ride my bike.
My mom has a pretty smile! I like to make her smile by....cleaning my room.
My mom is as pretty as.....a unicorn.
My mom is smart! She even knows....how to drive a car!
How wonderful is that? Landon and I celebrated Sunday morning and I read the wonderful card he made me in school, along with his magnetic picture frame. I am so blessed!

A new found love

Well, I never thought that I would say this, but I have gone on a run/walk for 3 days in a row now! I seriously haven't run in YEARS and it has been so refreshing. To be honest with you, I always hated running because it would down right hurt me physically to do it. But I found this specialty women's boutique in Longview and spent $75 on a sports bra and it has made all of the difference in the world! I have really enjoyed running on the ETBU campus with my muse blaring in my ipod. Just that 30-45 minutes to myself gives me a chance to quieten all of the many voices in my head! :) I sure do hope that I can keep it up...now all I need to do is get me a comfy pair of shoes and I will be on the road to success!

April Showers

April is a month in which I tend to do a lot of reflecting....I didn't get around to blogging at all because some days just seemed too stressful and serious to write about. But none the less, it is a month in which I am thankful and full of blessings and I feel like a piece of me is missing all at the same time. As I type this blog it just so happens that in my "Fave Dave" mix my beloved song came on that talks about waiting to see what will become of me and begging to go back to the minute before you were spinning and asking if that screaming is coming from you. April of 07 was my month of spinning, being in the car wreck with my babies and losing my dad within 13 days of one another. We buried my dad 3 years ago today. That month could have sent me in a downward spiral, but through the grace of God & the love of my family/friends, I have gotten through it. You know in a way I think I was screaming and things were spinning out of control and I just didn't know it. Because of that month I have learned to live life with a more grateful heart. I turned to God for guidance & strength where as before I followed Alanna's plan & depended on myself. I hope that I tell the people I love often enough that I love them. I tend to take after my dad when it comes to sharing real pieces of me and feelings...we were both introverts in that way. What I wouldn't give to have one more day with my dad to tell him just how much he means to me, but I know that he knows. He is with me everyday in spirit and is still touching my life. Oh, all of the coulda/shouldas....I am so thankful that my car hit that pole in the location that it did, for if it would have been a few inches in another direction, my Landon would not be with us today. God has great plans for little Landon.....1)he was a wonderful unexpected surprise 2)he was born a shade of blue with the cord wrapped around his neck twice, but came through 3)he lived through that car wreck & although he sustained brain injuries, so far he is doing okay with minimal set backs....I can't wait to see God's plan unfold in his life. There is so much to be thankful for!!!

Now to the present....
Maddie and Landon both recently had their end of the year programs/graduations, and both were precious. Landon was a fish/surfer and Maddie's program was a sesame street theme. They both sang and danced at just the right times! They were both fun nights of celebrating. Madeline is riding her bike like a professional. Now we just need to get her the next size bike and she will be doing really well! Landon celebrated 2 weeks worth of smiley faces. His teacher says that he is just doing amazing with making good choices with friends and using his words to communicate. That makes me feel so great to know that he is progressing with his speech! We recently planted azaleas in our front flowerbed and they look amazing! We had 50 ft of nothingness, and now it is filled with pink & white "conversation piece" azaleas, picked out by Maddie. She was in her own wonderland at the nursery. I think she wanted one of every shrub and flower. The owner enjoyed her enjoying his plants so much that he gave us one for free. We had a big empty pot that my dad have given us years ago, and Madeline picked out several plants to fill it up....impatients, hibiscus, and several other plants that I haven't a clue of their name, but they sure are pretty. Of course in another pot we had to plant a special hibiscus "Sunset Oasis". Madeline for some reason remembers that the hibiscus was my dad's favorite plant and she associates that flower with him. Dad would be really proud of her creation! I will have to post a picture. Yesterday we had a Kimberly celebration, with a lovely luncheon and bridal shower. She received so many pretty things and we spent the day with family and friends. Even Philipp's mom, Loni, from Germany flew in for the festivities. It was a great day.

Now on to the month of May flowers!!

Chose Wisdom & Victory

I am currently doing a bible study entitled, "When Wallflowers Dance". I am grateful that my neighbor invited me over for a Mary Kay makeover, which led to her mentioning this study that she was doing in church. Come to find out, she was also sharing this study with her MK team on Monday nights and said she wouldn't mind at all if I joined them! So here I am beginning week 5 of the study and I am loving it. I must say that it feels great to be involved in a bible study again, as I have really missed it! In McKinney I did some Priscilla Shrier and Beth Moore studies that were wonderful! Most of them under the leadership of my my favorite aunt, Elaine. I miss the fellowship of the women, but mostly the time of connecting with God and really diving into His word. With teaching, 2 kids, piano lessons, etc. sometimes life can get crazy, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that God is always with me and ready for conversation.

To kinda sum it up, this bible study by Angela Thomas teaches that we must allow God to lead our dance through life. In this blog I wanted to share some highlights that I found powerful on our study of choosing wisdom and victory. All are quoted from the study book.

Choosing Wisdom:
"Wisdom means removing foolishness from your life-choose wisdom and you will receive blessing, choose foolishness and suffer the consequences. As you begin to resist bitterness and choose wisdom, God promises His blessing and protection. Choosing wisdom often means making an everyday exchange in life. It means that you decide to choose differently, respond differently, or pursue different ideas or relationships. Consider areas in your life and consider whether or not wisdom would ask you to choose differently...pray for wisdom.

Choosing Victory:
As children of the Most High God, we have much to celebrate. One day every tear will be wiped away. You will understand the purpose for every trial you have faced and the suffering you have known. If we believed God and kept heaven in view, much that invites us to bitterness would fall away:
* You would not have to vie for position. You place with God is certain.
* You could lay aside your judgment. God is the final judge.
* You could look forward to new adventure instead of back at every failure.
* Getting even would mean nothing. Getting right with God would mean everything.
In view of eternity & the victory that is sure, we can choose to become grown-up Jesus women. We can hear the Holy Spirit call and choose to get up and face our battles with courage instead of a bitter heart."

How easy it is to let bitterness creep into our hearts due to trials involving co-workers, family members, and even our country's leaders. Bitterness can consume you....you can pack it in tight and harbor it for years or you can choose to be free with the love of Christ. Everything we do should glorify God. Our deeds are not experiences, yet examples of our faith. Let God's light shine through you!

"I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth" Psalm 121

MJ and More

While strolling the aisles of Wal-mart alone, a luxury I rarely ever get, I found myself just roaming around not necessarily having a plan as to what section I was headed for. (Something that can get you in trouble if you are on the Dave Ramsey plan!) Anyway, I ended up in the CD section and found that wal-mart had their "This Is It" Michael Jackson CD on sale for the low, low price of $10, so of course I had to purchase it. On the way home I popped it in my player and the minute I heard the first song, I instantly thought of my dad. Growing up my dad was always playing music in our den, loud enough for the whole house to enjoy or not enjoy in some cases. :) Aaron and Kim could relate to that one....although I must admit I usually enjoyed it because I got my love of classical music from my dad. He played every type of music you could think of. Irene Carey's "What a Feeling", Queen, Beethoven, you name it he played it...but Michael Jackson frequented the tape deck the most. I would make up crazy "Beat it" and "Thiller" dances. Dad even took the family (mom was pregnant with Kimberly) to the MJ Thiller concert and I remember it being wonderful! How many parents do you know that would take their 8 & 4 year old to a concert? He knew that we would love it and we did! I love it when music triggers a special memory, especially of him...

Speaking of Dad, my Madeline, or should I say Alan Jr., did some funny things this week. After my Wild Things program, the principal gave me some flowers, (along with my mom, Maddie and Landon) and the minute we got home Madeline had to be the florist. She found a vase, & I helped her trim the stems and she arranged them to her liking. She cleared off the table, put out the placemats, set the table with paper plates and a fork wrapped in a napkin and put the "center-piece" on the table. She said it looked wonderful, and it did! Then on Friday when I came home from school, she called me to her room to see what she had found on TV. She got bored watching a rerun of Phineus and Ferb, so she found Paula Deen on the food network. She was making chicken pot pie and she thought it looked so yummy, so she started writing down the recipe! It did look very tasty...I hope we can make it together soon! Pretty soon she is going to start watching "Design on a Dime" and then she really will be Alan Jr!!

Landon had a great week at school....all smiley faces!! We are going to celebrate at Chuck E cheese over spring break so that should be fun. (I think we will skip the pizza and just play the games) I caught Landon singing part of DMB song this week, and that made me smile!

I am ready for a week of Kim's wedding portrait shoot, shopping for shower dresses, going to a MUSE concert, staying at the Gaylord Texan, catching up on things around the house and spending time with family!!

The simple things in life are the best...have a blessed spring break!

Oh how I love birthdays!!

Let me start by saying I am the queen of stretching out a birthday...I think I get that from my Aunt Elaine! My birthday fun started with a surprise party at Papacitas with my wonderful family and friends. I walked in a didn't know what to think when mom was leading me to a table with a balloon! There I found that Aaron had driven in from Dallas, my grandparents were there, Kim and Philipp and of course my gang knew about it all along with my good friend Wendy and her daughter Emily. What a fun lunch we had...I got some really neat presents and some birthday money to go and treat myself to some new spring clothes or I may just save it for some fun on my summer cruise! Mrs. Diana made her scrumptious cookies using purple icing, my favorite color of all time. This all happened on a Saturday, and here my birthday is on a Thursday, so I have drawn this out for almost a week now! :)

So today was somewhat a stressful day with the first stage rehearsal of my 3rd grade program, but it ended up being a great day. My kids did great and I have a wonderful student teacher that is doing an incredible job of helping me out. She is awesome and I know I am going to hate to see her leave!! Anyway, Maddie and I went to the DQ for dinner and then went to the 1st grade program, so it was almost 7 when we got home. I was worn out and knew I would have to do some housecleaning, as we are having family come in tomorrow night. When I arrived home I found my house totally clean!!! To top it off, Justin had gotten me some more presents, including some new "Fancy Love" perfume and the box set of "Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King". As an extra bonus, he used my cricket to cut out the letters that spelled "Happy B-Day". I didn't even know he knew how to use that machine!! What a GREAT husband I have. Thank you Justin for being so amazing...I love you!!!

I cannot tell you how many text and facebook messages I received from friends and family today. Thank you so much friends!! I feel so incredibly loved. You are all a blessing!

I am going to end a wonderful birthday by doing my bible study, "When Wallflowers Dance" by Angela Thomas (a wonderful study...if you haven't done it, you should!) and getting some rest.

Lots of Love,
Alanna