Eliza's TWO!!!

This weekend we went to Austin for our niece's 2nd birthday party. It was a weekend filled with family time, which was just what we needed! Saturday afternoon we went over to Tatem and Scott's house and got to hang out and see Eliza in her prime. She even tried on her halloween costume for me! I asked her to show me a "turtle face" and this is what I got...

She has LOTS of funny faces actually. She is so expressive. Here is a sample of a few of her faces.

We met up with Eli and Ryan at Hula Hut (which is one of my favorite Austin restaurants) and had a lovely dinner on the lake.

Rye just got a new VW Taureg, and his key/remote is the jacknife style, where you push the button and the key swings out. Ellie thought this was VERY fun, and was really cute, doing it over and over, making all of us laugh.
Sunday afternoon was the big birthday party, and it was a beautiful day! They could not have asked or hoped for lovelier weather! It was at a cute little remote park that has a playground area and a picnic area. I definitely want to go back there. Here is Uncle E-Yi (that's how Ellie says Eli) pushing the birthday girl on the swing...
We almost had the whole park to ourselves. It was cool. Tatem and Scott brought really yummy snacks and great cupcakes. I think I might have even called Scooter "Martha Stewart" once.So good to be surrounded by family! I can' wait to live close to everyone, so we can do stuff like this more often!!
Eliza got LOTS of great gifts. She loved every present so much (and wanted to use it/play with it right then) that you had to convince her to open the next one. Soo cute.
She especially loved a babydoll that "Gigi" her great grandmother (Zac's grandma) gave her.
Look what a cute family they are! (Also, see that kitchen in the background? Zac's parents gave her that and it was quite a hit among all of the kids!)

Little Emily

Please pray for peace and healing for Jeff and Karen.

"After a long struggle in the hospital for many weeks, Emily went to Heaven this morning. Our beautiful girl was 5 months and 13 days old, and brought us a lifetime of love and joy during this short time we were privileged to spend with her.

Thank you for all of your prayers, love, and support.

Love,
Jeff & Karen"

Family+Friends=I'm a Happy Camper

Last weekend my Mom and Dad and Baw came to visit us. They arrived Thursday, in time to see Zac's freshmen play, so they got here shortly after I got home from work. We went out to eat some BBQ and then went to the game. It was chilly, but not too cold. It was a fun game, and the after-events were even better. (see post below) I took off work Friday to spend more time with them, and also to take my last mandatory teacher certification test, the PPR (Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility), and to go to the doctor for my last post-op check up. Aren't I efficient? :) The doctor appointment went well, and I'll go ahead and fast forward to tell you that I got the results of my PPR on Tuesday, and I passed with flying colors! Yay! I was home by 3pm, so I took a quick nap and then got up to visit with the family. The coach's wives and their families were invited to eat and sit in the suite in the press box at the stadium, so we headed up there before the game for food and to get seats. It was very nice to sit up there, since it was cold, and my grandmother was with us. She gets around okay, but it was nice to be able to sit in big comfy leather chairs, with a table in front of us, as opposed to metal bleachers in the cold. Also, if I haven't mentioned yet, we were 1-8 going into this game, with talks about firing coaches going on around town, so it was nice to be sequestered away from the community. We lost the game, but we all had fun, and all the wives had an easiness and laid-back attitude about the loss, because at least it was the last game, and at least this long season is over, and at least we get our husbands back now. Here is a pic of me Meredith in the pressbox...
and here is one of Zac and Baw and me after the game in the stands.
Saturday morning we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the UT game. After lunch and knowing the Horns were going to win easily, Mom and I headed out to do some shopping. It was a very successful trip, as I got FOUR pairs of shoes (I needed shoes I could wear to work, plus some cute wintery boots), a cute cardigan, and a purse. Mom and I are great shopping partners, and we always have lots of fun shopping together. After the game, Pops and Zac and Baw wanted to go to Sheridan's Frozen Custard for dessert, so Mom and I met them there. I personally don't care for it, but they also had a yumy treat and then we all headed home. We all took a nap, which was nice, and then woke up ready to go eat some Mexican food. Bez and Ramsi came over and went with us to El Fenix in Dallas. Zac and I are having our graduation party there, so we wanted to go try it out and see this specific location. The food was scrumptious, and the margaritas were tasty too. I think it will be a perfect place to have our friends and family help us celebrate being done with school! :) Here is a pic of "the four kids" after dinner...
When we got home, we played Zac and Baw's favorite dice game...Farkle. Bez and Ramsi came over one night after my surgery when my mom was in town and we played Farkle, so we all knew what was going on. It was the strangest game of Farkle I have ever played, as no one rolled well all night, but it was super fun. I love hanging with my best friends and my family at the same time. I also love that Ramsi is a family-oriented person like I am.
Sunday I did not want them to leave, but they had to go, and I had lots of homework, so we went out to eat and then took a few pics and they headed off. It was such a lovely weekend. We had fun, did some neat things, but got to hang around the house too. I was not wiped out when it was over, like some weekends do to me. LOL! I love my family so much!! Here is a pic of three generations...
Like those new shoes I got? Boots with the fur! ;)

He's a Winner...and not just in the scoreboard kind of way

If you follow me on Facebook, you probably know by now that Zac's freshmen football team won their last game, making them DISTRICT CHAMPS!!! Zac wants to move on to become a principal, so this was (hopefully) his last football season. He really went out with a bang...they were undefeated in district! He loved the boys and they loved him.It was a very exciting game and moment. I loved seeing the clock tick down and knowing they won, I loved seeing the boys jumping up and down and surrounding him, I loved the speech he gave them after the game, but the part about the night that I will remember the most was the parents. Several parents came up to me and shared with me their thoughts on "Coach." Here are a few of the things I heard...
-"My boy doesn't have a dad or male role model, and your husband has been that for him. He looks up to him so much, and I am forever grateful for the positive impression he has made on my son."
-"He expects a lot from these boys, and as a parent I appreciate that. They are better off for playing under him."
-"Thanks for sharing your husband with our kids. I know he was away from you a lot, but the boys adore him, and come home talking about him every day... Coach O said this, Coach O said that."
-"We will never forget this football season. My son has been resenting authority lately, but there's something about your husband, my responds so well to him. He would do anything Coach ever asked him to, and more!"
Anyways, there were lots more, but it just made me proud. My heart swelled up that night. Not because they won, but because I am married to a man who changes lives. :)
Here are a few pics from the night...

Did you see that? He is SMILING!!!
They are holding up #1's...how cute is that? :)
Zac and his 4 freshmen assistant coaches...great group!
Coach and some of his key players. It's fun to see them interact.

Emily

11-6-09, From Emily's dad, Jeff:
Emily has developed a little case of pneumonia, so we have started her on antibiotics. Pray for her to get better and that she has a restful day. Continue to pray for strength for Karen, my mom, Karen's mom and myself as we take turns spending the night/days at the hospital with Emily. Pray for wisdom for each of the doctors taking care of Emily. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement you all have given to us the past several weeks.

Emily in her Halloween outfit...

Emily the Scuba Diver on Halloween...

Emily's dad Jeff sent an update today (11-3-09)...
Emily is still in ICU and still on the ventilator. Many of the test have come back negative, however, they have sent off for another test last week that will take another 8 weeks. We would like for you to pray for each of the doctors to have clarity of mind. Pray for patience and strength for Karen, Emily and myself. Pray for complete healing for Emily. We appreciate all the prayers that we have had over the past 7 weeks.

Monster Mash

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And I was like, why are you so obsessed with me?

The title is the first line spoken in the Mariah Carey song "Obsessed." I love that song. I guess you could say that I am truly "obsessed" with it! :) I wouldn't call myself a HUGE Mariah fan, and I don't think I would buy tickets to see her live or anything, but I was thinking about it today, and I have EVERY cd she has ever put out, and I have LOVED every one of them. So I guess that does make me a big fan of her music. Some of my childhood favorites of hers are Always Be My Baby , Hero, and then of course her collaboration with Boyz II Men, One Sweet Day. I always wanted to be a singer, so I used to stand in my room and belt out Mariah Carey and Toni Braxton. Turns out I don't have the same vocal skills they do, but I still love singing along with them! :)

Speaking of music, John Mayer has a new CD coming out. He has already released the first single. I'm not crazy about it, but it's okay. It talks about "getting stoned" though and that's just not my thing at all, so maybe I just don't relate to it. I do like that he mentions Austin though! :) Anyways, the reason I bring this up...sometimes I watch/listen to VH1 in the mornings when I am getting ready (I detest the morning DJs in Dallas, I miss Bobby Bones from Austin), and the video for "Who Says" came on today. I have always had a crush on John Mayer, but in this video he is extra amazing. He looks so handsome in it, so that makes me love the video (even though I don't really love the song). Taylor Swift also just re-released her CD with extra songs. Lady Gaga is releasing The Fame Monster in a few weeks and I can not wait! She just released the first single, Bad Romance and I LOVE IT!

Still on the subject of music, I AM GOING TO A CONCERT on Sunday! :) Yay! Stacy and I are going to see Hanson and Hello-Goodbye. This will be Stacy's sixth Hanson concert and I am so glad that she turned me on to them. They are also activists which makes them EVEN COOLER! They have evolved since the days of Mmm-Bop, and are an amazing band. If you are not familiar with their music, listen to the song I posted below.



Stacy and I also just joined Dallas County Young Democrats and we are going to their Speaker Series and Reception on November 13th. The founder of TOMS shoes, Blake Mycoskie, is going to be there, and I can not wait to hear what he has to say!

Today I had "CPI" training. This is non-violent crisis intervention training, where you learn how to safely and legally do restraints. They are always used as a last resort, but in my classroom I can see how it is important to know what to do in these situations. I felt like I was training to be a prison guard or something though, it is kinda scary to have to think about using these techniques on students, and I really hope I never have to. I am glad I will know how though, in case a situation does arise. The training flew by today (part of that is because it was only 8:30-2:30, with a morning break, an hour lunch, and an afternoon break, and because we were up practicing the holds and restraints), but I still would have rather been at school with the kids. I love my job. I can't believe how much I miss them when I am gone. I wish I could adopt all 12 of them. Okay, maybe not, but I wish they all lived on my street so I could go and play with them whenever I wanted. Okay, that doesn't sound right either. I'll just say that these kids have already made a HUGE impact on me, and I can't imagine not getting to keep up with them after this year. I wish I could be in touch with them forever. There, is that better? :)

Zac is sick. I think he has the flu. He already put in for a sub tomorrow (Thursday...his game day...this is a big deal) and he is going to try to get into a doctor first thing in the morning. His fever is 103 right now. Bless his heart. I am glad that he only has one more week of football...all that work takes a toll on him, not to mention the added stress that goes along with it! :(

Well, that is quite a lengthy blog. I guess I had lots to say. I still have even more to say, but I will save that for another day. I will leave you with a pic that made me smile. If you have seen The Hangover, it should make you smile too. This is my creative friend Kenji, at a Halloween party...

Why do I tire of counting sheep, when I'm far too tired to fall asleep?

As usual, I have gotten busy and although I have a hundred pics and stories to share, this is not the time. I have a big paper due tomorrow and I am working on it now. Actually "NOW" I am blogging, but I am taking a brief break from writing. I have this amazing song stuck in my head, and I just wanted to share it with whoever is lucky enough to read my blog. :) I am sure a lot of you have already heard it. I love it. I really think everyone would love this song...it's so happy sounding. Ladies and Gentlemen, please listen to Fireflies by Owl City.

You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep

'Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

Leave my door open just a crack
(Please take me away from here)
'Cause I feel like such an insomniac
(Please take me away from here)
Why do I tire of counting sheep
(Please take me away from here)
When I'm far too tired to fall asleep

To ten million fireflies
I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell

But I'll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams

Test...Success

I found out Tuesday (at school) that I passed my "EC-4 Generalist" test!! (This certifies people to be able to teach early childhood up to fourth grade, and questions cover content as well as situations and how to approach problems, design lessons, and teach material.) The magic number to pass is 240, and the best you can get is 300. I got a 276, and I was VERY happy with that! It is actually a tough test, and it's very lengthy. (You are allowed five hours, but I took just a little over two...but that is still a long time to have to focus so hard, and it is a lot of reading.
When I got my results back and finished jumping up and down, my teacher left and went to Sonic to get us all drinks to celebrate! They were so happy for me, and with me...it was a great feeling! In fact, we all went to dinner together tonight. I am so lucky to love my coworkers!

The next test I take is called the PPR. It stands for Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility. Whereas the last test is more about the "what" of teaching, this is geared to the ethics and laws and "rules" of teaching. I am not as worried about this one. Everyone says "don't imagine what you'd do in a real classroom, but instead think of the "ideal world." I will be taking this test in the next few weeks.
Those are the only 2 tests that I am required to take for my degree in Elementary Education. Since I KNOW that I don't want to teach elementary, I plan on taking a few more tests after I graduate. I will FOR SURE take the Special Ed. test, and most likely I will take the Bilingual or ESL test. The only problem is that these tests cost $120 each, plus a lot of stress, and a huge chunk of time. I know it is worth it though, and make me that much more marketable. The more certifications I have, the more people will want to hire me, and the more I will be able to do. :)
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This has nothing to do with state tests, but on the subject of education, I had my formal observation today, by my University Supervisor. She is so sweet and everything went really well. The kids were awesome, and I felt like it was smooth. When we were going over my evaluation, she said "well, I tried as hard as I could to think of three suggestions or areas to improve, but I could not come up with any, so I just wrote three extra compliments in that section." :) This has been a good week!

Still waiting and praying....

I wanted to post another update, as I know many of you are praying and keeping up with Emily's journey. This was sent to me today, by her dad Jeff...

We want to thank everyone for the prayers for little Emily. There has not been much change in her condition. We did try to remove the ventilator on Sunday, but Emily was not strong enough to breathe on her own. We have a couple more test that we should get back very soon. We are already planning a meeting for next week to brainstorm with all the doctors to see if we are missing anything. The doctors are working really hard to try and formulate a diagnosis and they are using all available resources to help themselves. Pray for them to have clarity of mind. Pray for strength and patience for Karen and I. Pray that Emily has a miraculous healing.

The good news is that through all this, Emily still has been able to give us smiles. Karen and I are able to hold her in our arms each day, and Emily has gained some weight. She is at 8lbs 1oz.