A Most Special Lady

My senior year of high school, I had the joy and privilege of getting to know one of the most amazing people I would probably ever meet. To me, a 17-year-old high school student, Whitney Taylor was simply one of the most joyful people I had ever met. She did pretty much everything with a smile on her face and the joy of the Lord in her heart. As I got to know her better over the years to follow, I saw that her life and everything about her pointed others to the joy of Christ. Whitney, even with the struggles she faced living with cerebral palsy, knew the meaning of trusting in the Lord far better than I did; probably far better than I do even now. It is with great sadness that I learned that her battle with an aggressive brain tumor is now complete, but it is with overwhelming joy that I rejoice in the fact that she is now dancing in the streets of Heaven. Whitney's life reflected Christ in so many ways, and she and her family have been such a blessing to so many people. Her favorite hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul," is both a challenge and an encouragement....

(Two of my favorite verses)
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.


Whatever my lot.... Whitney knew how to embrace that line. WHATEVER life gave her, it was well with her soul because of the precious Savior she loved so dearly. Thank you, Taylor family, for giving us the honor of knowing and loving Whitney.

It is well with my soul.

I know, I know...

It's been a super long time since I blogged... But to my defense, I did go back to work two weeks go! School is now in full swing and I haven't quite adjusted back to the schedule yet! A new, real post complete with pics will be up in the next few days!!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I'm thankful for

time with my co-workers... they make coming back to work so much fun!

planning ahead... so I'm not stressed about the first day on Monday.

Parker

Trent

Big Brother (Yes, I know this is silly)

Not Me Monday

Each week, I thoroughly enjoy MckMama's Not Me Monday. I also love to read Ashlee's installment each week. So, this time I decided to join in the fun, and tell you about the things I most certainly DID NOT do this week!

I did NOT wear my two year old's hot pink polka dot sunglasses to drive to Walmart because I left mine on the kitchen counter. Not me!! I would never ever tell my child that I didn't have any glasses for her to wear, knowing hers were being stretched out to fit my head.

I most certainly did not wake up one morning this week to find that my always clean, always perfect 2-year-old had taken off her diaper, and there was *poop* on her bedroom floor. An hour after cleaning up said poop, I did not return to her bedroom to find that my totally house trained, well behaved 3 year old Yorkie had peed on the carpet. Nope, that most certainly did not happen at MY house this week.

I did NOT un-evenly space bulletin boards in my classroom, only to have a group of students tell me I could create a "pattern" from the mistake. I also most certainly did not actually heed their advice and turn the "mistake" into a nicely "patterned" display.

I also did NOT velcro a framed poster to my classroom wall with industrial strength velcro. That would be absolutely ridiculous. So if you ever enter my classroom, you certainly won't find multiple things attached by velcro.

I did NOT buy notebooks I don't need just so I could re-cover them with scrapbook paper to make them "cute." I would NEVER do such a thing!

I may alternate Not Me Monday with Music Monday from now on! : )

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Running from Poppa with the water hose

Music Monday- Parker style

Parker's version of "Jesus Loves Me"

Jesus.. I know..

For da Bible ah ah SO

YEEEESSSSSS.....

Jesus... I know....

(repeat until distracted)

Parker's version of the Alphabet song

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, ala- lala P. A, B, C, D, X

Parker's version of "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed"

Monkeys jump on da bed

Ah fell off a bah a head.

Mommy doctor said

Ah Ah Monkeys jump da bed.

Real Words... for those of you who don't know.

Five little monkeys jumpin' on the bed.

One fell off and bonked his head.

Momma called the doctor and the doctor said

NO MORE MONKEYS jumpin' on the bed.

Ah, Sunday!

So I'm pretty sure that it hasn't hit me that I go back to work in a week and a half. I am excited, but I have SO MUCH TO DO and I'm running out of time to get it done!! I really need to finish working in my classroom (putting up the new bulletin boards I wanted to do, cleaning off my desk that still has last year's junk on/in it, organizing the textbooks in the front of my room to make textbook distribution go smoother). Then I also want to go ahead and start making copies of things for the first week of school, since I know there will be a MAD rush for the copier on in-service days. Blah.

Then there are the projects "at home" that I want to do that I know won't happen once I'm back at work... painting, sewing, scrapbooking, making bows, etc.

I think the thing I'm most sad about "giving up" once I go back to work (other than the obvious- Parker!) is the Stay at Home Mom's Bible study I've been going to with the ladies from our wonderful church. I have so enjoyed their friendship, fellowship, encouragement, prayer support... the list could go on and on. Sad.

Amazingly, Parker is STILL ASLEEP and it's 8:40! Of course, I am wide awake because Trent got up to do yardwork. I should've started painting, but I had no idea when she'd wake up. Oh well.