It's been a really long time & Ive been inspired by others.....

2011 in Review (not necessarily in order)


Year of transition professionally: 2011 marked finishing my first year at a new school & moving to a new grade (6th grade)....both of which I was very hesitant about & neither were my choice! Change is scary! But sometimes the choices that are made for you & change end up being really good things!!! One of my hesitations about having to move to a new school was leaving my great co-workers, but Im not sure what I was worried about...teachers are a great group of people, no matter where you go!!! And by moving to 6th grade, I have had a chance to meet a whole new group of amazing people!! I still miss my friends at my former school, but Ive been able to add a whole lotta new fb friends! (lol!).  Teaching, in general, is a lot of work, takes a lot of time in preparation, and requires a lot of patience; however, there really is nothing else I'd rather be doing...really!! Crazy, I know!


A dreamy vacation: Many of you know that I (we) have become Disney Cruise fanatics! And this past Spring Break, we were blessed to be able to go on our 3rd Disney Cruise on the new Disney ship, the Dream!  Most everything (especially as I think back) about this vacation was great...the ship, the food, the weather, the beach, the luxury!! But was really the best was being able to with two of my besties, and my kids, of course! With all that goes on on a daily basis in "real life", it is simply amazing to have NO worries for 4 days. I dont have to cook, clean, worry about what the kids are doing...nothing! And I got to sit next to the pool and on a beach and be with people I love.  Only 286 days until I get to do it again!!!


Parenting is hard work!!!: 2011 has brought a lot of challenges especially with my youngest son.  He is adorable. lovable, hilariously funny, but....on the flip side....he also has some emotional challenges!  Who knows if it is because his birthmom used drugs and alcohol while pregnant, by the time I was finally able to get him I was his 4th mom and he was only 6 months old, because I spoil him, because I let him get away with too  much, or a combination of these things, but he has had some challenges in 2011.  He had some behavioral challenges at the day care that he had been at since he was 9 months old. They helped raise him and he learned a lot there. We loved them & they loved him, but I thought it would be best to make a change before things got bad personally. He was doing much better at the "new" daycare (or so I thought) until around Thanksgiving when I was threatened with him being kicked out.  We all made some changes & I think things are ok, but ya never know.....But its very stressful.                                       

          And of course, he is at his worse with me in public &/or around other people.  Its very frustrating, because I know that people are judgmental about how hes acting and what I am doing or not doing to handle it.  Its always a struggle...thats all I really want to say about it right now.

The power of prayer: Then there was Mehki's medical scare!! While we were in Wisconsin, all of a sudden, he is not able to walk and hes in extreme pain.  I ended up taking him to the ER in the city we were in, but they didnt think they could handle it, so they ended up sending us to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Yes, THE Mayo Clinic.  So on Memorial Day 2011, Im driving my 4 yr old baby that is in pain 90 minutes to a big, unknown place.  Fortunately, my aunt who is an ER nurse was also in Wisconsin, so she went with me.  A lot was scary: the doctors really didnt have any answers, they gave my baby an IV & some powerful meds, he had to get several Xrays, & a MRI.  But I emailed, texted, and fb'ed everyone I knew and asked them to pray for his healing and to pass it on!!  I truly believe that it was the power of prayer & only the Lord that healed Mehki and he was able to able to walk again without any surgeries and by noon the next day without having to do anything REAL invasive!! I believe in the power of prayer!!!