Happy Birthday to Me

On May 27th, I celebrated another birthday. My husband let me sleep in and greeted me with breakfast in bed. Mom, can you see the sugar free diet cranberry juice in the champagne glass? He didn't even know about our tradition of "celebration drink"!

Later in the day, we went on a scavenger hunt, complete with video clues from my family, to find my presents: a gift card to Blockbuster and two hand made gift certificates for him to wash and detail my Matrix. What a guy! In the above picture, my "feelers" are very up because I am excited about my special day.


Nathan can't resist taking pictures of people with himself in the foreground. :)

Thanks to everyone who sent me lovely cards, texts, Facebook messages, and phone calls. You're awesome!

Just Good News

Yesterday I was awarded the Akers and Millner Award for Teaching Excellence at our staff and faculty luncheon. It's basically like the "Middle School Teacher of the Year Award."

And this year of all years I feel like I totally don't deserve it... Jesus got that award. :)

Holy cow!

Good News/Bad News

Good news: Finals start today. I'm out at noon!
Bad news: I'll have 73 essays to grade on Wednesday afternoon.

Good news: My sister just sent me the cutest pictures of June on Mother's Day.
Bad news: I can't save them to my computer or upload them to this blog.

Good news: I have six kids signed up for my writing camp June 1-5, the minimum number to make it a "go."
Bad news: I now have to come up with 15 hours of cool writing stuff in less than a week.

Good news: I'll soon be out for the summer, unattached from technology.
Bad news: I'll soon be unattached from this blog. Major summer slowdown!

Good news: Nathan will graduate from seminary on June 6th.
Bad news: He won't really be done until he finishes his last online class sometime this summer.

Good news: We're going to Europe to look at Ph.D. programs this summer (investigative stages only, people!) and to be with Will Brown at L'Abri.
Bad news: I'm nervous about backpacking on a semi-unpredictable schedule with diabetes.

Good news: God's going to take care of all the bad news.

My 10-Year High School Reunion

Getting ready for my reunion felt a little like getting ready for the prom. The usual prom pictures spot is in front of the piano in my parents' living room. We're standing in front of it in this picture, although you can't really see it.





I was so grateful to go shopping with the family for a new LBD. It is so cute! It has little fabric roses on the front and has pockets, of which I am a HUGE fan. After trying on about 15 dresses at Macy's, I finally found this one already hanging in my dressing room. It fit perfectly! In this picture I'm making my best modeling moves, but Nathan can't shake the scary face.

This pose is called the "French Throwback," but it just makes me look pregnant. :)

At the reunion... This is my friend Meaghan. When I was stuck in San Fransisco for 11 hours two summers ago, I called her. She said, "Jump on the BART and come shoe shopping with me!" After that, we had a great time eating the best guacamole I've ever had at a restaurant (Daddy's is still the best overall).

Kim, on the left, was the best high school volleyball player I've ever had the privilege calling my friend. She went on to play Division I Pac 10 volleyball at Fullerton, and now she lives in San Diego.

Here are a bunch of pals. Nathan didn't wait for all of us to look at him first.

Ryan came to visit us in Atlanta on business this fall. He left practicing law after a year to pursue a career in finance. He still has a job in Chicago, "miraculously," according to him.

Ryan and Megs
Buddies

We had a good time reconnecting with my old friends from my high school days. Enjoy today's posting bonanza!

Family Visit

This is my Aunt Connie, my mom's sister.

This is Misty, my cousin Ryan's wife. She's also the daughter-in-law of my Aunt Connie.

Quinn is Misty's second son. His heart is so precious! He loved holding June, but he got a little nervous after a while. He's in 6th grade now, which is so crazy. He could be my student!

Jake is Misty's fourth boy. I don't think he held still for more than two seconds. He ran around the backyard, tripped, fell, coughed up his gum on the grass and ate it again, etc. He's got a lot of energy!

Nathan's in the background making a silly face, but Logan - Misty's third - is in the foreground looking sweetly at June.

Poppy and June

June gives my dad a smile! She started smiling the day we arrived. Surely no coincidence there.

My Uncle Gene made this rocking chair and drove it down from Washington to give to my parents. What a talented guy! They are using it like crazy. My brother's room quickly became the new nursery. :)


I love both of their faces in this picture.

June Gets Dressed

What a gal!