Last Blog of the YEAR!

The year 2009 is nearly over and let me just say that the ending has been completely unscripted, the new year began with a lot of hope and promise, but sort of the same old, same old. The biggest juxtaposition was having a police officer husband studying to be pastor/ teacher it led to many a personality conflict, but God cleaned that up for us this year by allowing Darin the opportunity to go work for someone he holds in high respect and considers one of his closest friends, our pastor. AS you know from my earlier blog, Darin couldn't be happier. However this time next year Darin (HOPEFULLY) graduates withs his master's and who knows where and what we will be. As for me, my master's is on hold indefinitely. Brenau decided to exnay my degree from UGA and diregard Piedmonts prior grad work in M.Ed, so i have decided to exnay Brenau. Plus it is cheaper for a school to hire a non-Mastered teacher, and since it is looking highly likely I have to go back to work next school year, I need all the help I can get. I am sort of looking forward to it, even though I loved being a stay at home mom, my Ava LOVES pre-eschool and Sophie can't wait to get there too! So keep us in your prayers this year as we embark on a completely new path of life.

Catch-up

Okay, so I know that I have been slack, but I figured a whole month of silence was a little much. This has been a sumemr to remember for sure. Darin has resigned from the police department, but has become a part-time (with hopes of full- time) pastor's assistant/assistant pastor at our church, Chicopee. It came about rather suddenly, but yet Darin is extremely happy, excited, and the most stress free he has been in a long time. Plus- he is putting all his undergrad and graduate school knowledge to work. Money well spent. Meanwhile I am now teaching preschool. It has been quite the change and upheaval of schedule and lives at our house, but we are adjusting well, I think. God has blessed us and I think we are getting to grow together stronger as a family now.

Lessons from Macy's

The girls spent last night at their grandparents house (Darin and I did not have any more advance notice-- I could have been fondly reminiscing about a date night last night- but no dice!) instead Darin watched Lethal Weapon movies while I slept on the couch! Sad for me because Mel Gibson is hot in those movies. But anyhow- back to my reason for blogging - I am not in my usual routine this morning, sans kids, so I am bumbling around the Internet and decided to shop for china at Macy's'! (as if I have the money, as if I entertain, as if I can put it anywhere, much less display it!-- but hey don't kill my dream!)
SO- digression aside while shopping I found this Did you know??--- Josiah Wedgwood (yes, that Wedgwood!!) was Charles Darwin grandfather!! Hmmm-- cool and interesting -- I don't agree with Darwinism-- but I like his granddaddy's china!!
I probably should get out more, but oh well!
Love to all,
Beth

At Last!

This has been a hectic week for my girls. We have been doing Vacation Bible School at our church. Ava is in my section with the pre-schoolers, and it has been interesting to see her interact she seems so "big" girl like in some instances and then you can tell how young she still is by the end of the night and she just gives out! My sweet, sweet baby! Sophie on the other hand could probably go all night - except she is the pits when she does get tired!
News from the Master's front it looks like I will be having to take the MAT!!!! AGAIN!!!grrrr- There is a whole soapbox behind that story but I shall not unleash it, needless to say I shall be found studying analogies for the next few weeks!! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Road Trip

Well now I am embarassed, I just noticed my last blog and the huge spellcheck I missed-- My husband's name!! Egads!! Sorry babe!
Anyhow-- Just spent the weekend in Detroit (formerly known as Motor City) MI, for the wedding of Darin's cousin. It was beautiful and my children are apparently born to travel on road trips!! YESSS!! They were outstanding and I am so happy because 13.5 hours with cranky babies would have been difficult to say the least!
Anyhow that was my summer vacation, unless I can squeeze a road trip to Darin's other Aunt and Uncle in Beaufort SC, mi ciudad favorita en el mundo!
Ciao for now!
Beth
I would post pics but my new camera is a pain in the techno rear!! and I have dishes to wash!

Dain, Pantry, Macy's

How about that for an eclectic title!!

So Darin is out of town/state this week for an Intensives course for his Master's Degree. He is up at Liberty University, which he delighted in telling me was in a beautiful area of mountains in Virginia. I hope he gets to enjoy some of it when he is not in his 8 hour class days!
Sophia, however, decided that 10 minutes after he left was too long and has now set forth on calling for him every hour. Ava, apparently, is more accustomed except for that it is usually his cop car that is gone for the duration and this time it is his truck, I think it is confusing her.
I have big plans for this week-- I am cleaning out my pantry- there is way too much food in there that is going to waste because we are not and will not ever going to eat it. Darin would just as well throw out vegetables, but alas I say to him as I say to Ava "tough cookies".
Well there it is , my big plan -- yes I know that there is only one item on the list-but it is a pantry-- it is for my own desire for organization that I even want to do this- it is not because it is fun. Fun would be going to Macy's, not my pantry. (I should note that I will be going to Macy's as my reward IF I get this accomplished this week!) I will post my reward IF - I mean when I get it -- so feel free to hound me!!

Night Shift

So today (I mean tonight) begins another round of night shift for Darin. One would think that I would begin to become accustomed to the rotation, but yet once again I am having to break another young baby into why Daddy has to sleep and can't wake up yet. The girls are very understanding, but it is still different for them, and we take about a month or so to become use to the change and then we all all float along and then before you know it, Darin is back on day shift and we are like normal people. I would guess that I get the most stressed out for Darin, who has the hardest job of all-- actually having to retrain his body to sleep a different way, every 4 months, but yet still answer to the demands of normal daily living:church, court, school, K-9 training, being daddy. SO to my D, I love you and appreciate all that you do for me and the girls. You are amazing and wonderful, and I pray that God will continue to bless you in good health, safety and the ability to get everything done that is being asked of you. You are one of the most dedicated people I know and thankyou for being my husband.
I would insert a silly romantic picture of us here, but apparently they do not exist in my computer!
I am working on that however, my goal this year and for life, is for every 5 pictures i take of the girls I get one of Darin and I.
So stay tuned, if you want to!
Love Beth

Darin and his dog, expert squirrel chaser, and drug finder Anja. Also, the second love of Sophie's life.http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/18119/ For Anja's latest.

I planted the bushes and mulched the bed, and provided a home for a large colony of ants. Much to Ava's extreme terror, she had a bad experience with ants last summer and it has carried over this year to all bugs.

A rare photo of them both looking at me--smiling together is still a chance occurence.

Ahh. Easter. A little girl's favorite day!

I am sorry, but she has the best smile!

It is a sad day when, my cousin who has been across the Atlantic Ocean TWICE this month has posted more than I have, who by the way STAYS AT HOME!!!

But to my small credit, I have been re-landscaping areas of our yard. and Darin has been a computer hog! Something about him having to do school work-- who knows;).

Anyhow- many apologies.

Also, please keep in mind one of Darin co-workers 2 or 3 yr old little girl (Harley Ray) has been diagnosed with Stage 2 leukemima (spelling?. As the mother of a 3 yr and an almost 2 year old-- I couldn't imagine what they are going through!

Love to all!

Beth

Psalm of Praise

This story began 3 years and 4 months ago, on Darin's first night back at work after we had Ava, our oldest daughter, he was involved in an almost head on collision by someone failing to yield to his oncoming car (patrol car no less!). By the grace of our Wonderful God, no majorly serious damage was done (minus 13 broken teeth, bruises, and a concussions). Ironically enough the more severe damage was to our bank account. Darin was out for 6 weeks and was on light duty pay (which is a pittance) so needless to say the bank account took a head on hit too. But yesterday after 9 hours of direct mediation and almost 4 years of wondering if claiming an insurance settlement even worth it (we still think yes and no) God came through for us to the effect that we will now be able to have better buffer between us and these crazy financial economic times. God's grace and mercy has given us almost exactly to the penny the amount needed for Darin's remaining school loans and the last of some smaller credit card loans. There is a saying at our church and probably at many others that goes "God is good-- All the time", and it can almost be something you say without thought, but yesterday for my family He pointed out that He really is good in His unique way ALL the time of His time table.
All I can say is Thank you Lord.

The Blank Page

So this morning when I was cleaning the house, I had tons of thoughts I wanted to make note of and now Poof! They are gone! Happy news though, my house is clean- for now. Tonight will be another story.

My mission for this afternoon is laundry and cleaning out my pantry of food that is either expired or never going to be eaten by us. My ultimate goal is to decide on a paint color (to match my kitchen or not to match?) and install the super cool shelving from elfa- (I almost even like the super bright yellow wall color!)

PICTURE TIME!!

Super big suspension bridge that I thought we would never reach-- this is the one that Sophie ran across like it was no big deal! This picture should be underneath the following picture.

Going Hiking at Elachee, to see the big old bridge from above. YIPPEE!

Sophie going out to feed the dogs-- as a bundeled up Princess.

Ava doing what she does best--nothing (also as a Princess)!

Sophie cleaning up a storm!

Snow day in Gainesville! As Princesses, of course, it is a common theme at my house!

this is your brain on...taxes!

MY brain is fried, I have just spent the past 2 hours combing through bank statements in the futile attempt to pull together as much info as possible for taxes. BLAH BLAH BLAH! It can make you depressed to look at the ridiculous amounts of money that was unneccessarily spent throughout an entire year! Do you know how much clothes and shoes (ahem --jewelry!! Dear Darin love of my life!)- we could buy if we did not eat out so much! Even though Ava's greatest thrills in life are eating out in a restaurant (namely Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A. hmm.. the things i forgo for the love of my child. Don't the words eat out sound like pig out? gross feeding troughs..

I am ending this conversation now because apparently my angst has spilt over into disgust at food buffets!

So long -- I leave you with the image of my sweet babies, eating food from a restaurant!!

Chao!

BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE DAYS!!!

I love springtime. Okay so I love all the changes of seasons, but spring might be my second favorite after fall - which is my hands down winner- becuase how can you not love fall festivals!!
So Darin, the girls, and I spent the past gorgeous weekend ripping out the last of the 1970's shrubbery around our house and building new flower boxes. Now we get to do Ava's favorite part picking out flowers! I am having to work on changing Ava's philosophy that all flowers do not need to be picked!

The saga of my continuing education is continuing... Darin meanwhile starts his second term next week... and Hall County laid off 100 teachers!

I am going on a springtime beauty shopping trip! lip gloss, nail polish...

the agony of waiting

So last week I submitted my application to Brenau University to continue my Master's degree.It is quite difficult waiting to be accepted. Maybe that is why I never got into the whole greek life at school-- I hate the waiting period of finding if I have been accepted. Meanwhile, Darin is rocking and rolling through his Master's at Liberty. grrrrrr

for the love of love

I just read my cousin's blog about preteen love, and oh don't you just want to wince at the thought of the young and the innocent- but yet however my two girls are sitting entranced in front of the tv watching a Barbie movie about Princess and dashing heros, and all sorts of brave deeds. I have however grew up with 2 brothers- if you wanted to play then you had better be ready to get Barbie in the fort with Hulk Hogan and GI Joe, there was always a battle going on, no time for balls and dancing. But never fear i can spot a romantic twist to any plot my current fave of the moment is the Ghost Whisperer-- can she find true love with her husband ghost (trapped in another mans' body who has amnesia? CAN SHE???? I have always had a thing for the Romantic English countyyside, the wide misty moors (Mr. Darby and MIss Bennett like)( don't you all just want to cozy up and watch the terribly awkward Pride and Prejudice?) and the oh so proper rules. Big Sigh.

the daredevil princess

When you dream about the types of children you would like to have, their characteristics, looks, interests, everything about them that you think is typical or desirable or normal, it is quite the eye- opener when you have them. My two girls are constantly amazing me, my oldest Ava is the consummate girly- girl, everything is princess or ballerina or as close as she can get it. She loves to have her fingernails painted and in the summer her toenails, so we can have tea parties in the swimming pool. Now when her daddy is around, she is willing to get into the muck (in her pink rubber boots), but she would rather pet the dogs than wash them, smell the flowers rather than dig out the hole; however, she has even taught me a thing about being a girl (like always always always have lipgloss somewhere near by) apparently I did not study my girl guide in depth enough.

My youngest daughter Sophia, is a complete mess, a girly- girl that forgets and goes completely tomboy in a minute, especially if it involves dogs and digging in the dirt. Just the other day, we were hiking on some trails at Elachee and the girls had put on lipgloss before we headed out, well Darin decided to do the trail with a HUGE suspenison bridge acrooss it, it is a beautiful trail for those who live close around here. Anyhow, we come across this area of sunken ground, I don't know how deep it was but when Darin jumped down into it (of course) the top was about a foot above his arms stretched up. So Ava goes over to check on him (Daddy's girl) and does not care for the distance and back s up, Sophie on the other hand runs to the edge (my heart stopping here) and she justs jumps (no lie)Luckily, (LUCKILY!) Darin was still there paying attention and catches her. Ava not to be left out joins them MUCH more carefully.

SO after that fun incident we finally make it to the suspension bridge and wouldn't you just know who takes off running over it first. Sophie. Running across it as if it is no more than 5 feet in the air, Darin once again must go chasing her to insure she does not do one of her rapid about face turns and fall off the bridge. We love her. We really do, there is no placidness about her, she loves adventure and any new experience. Please pray for us, her,us!

oooh I am a blogger!

I have decided that since I am about to turn another year older, that I should get some sort of organization to my thoughts! Okay to be real-- at least write my thoughts.

I could say a lot right now, but I think I am going to savor the moment of being a blogger for now, plus my dryer timer is going off!