FABULOUS FIVE!!

I can't believe my BABY is five today!!



We took her out to her family dinner last night at Famous Dave's BBQ...where she had ice cream with SPARKLERS on top!!



Then, today on her ACTUAL birthday she had cupcakes at preschool...Mommy brought her lunch AND she got to pick dinner and desert at Walmart where she told every living soul she saw.."It's my Birthday! I'm five!" She chose to make her own brownies for desert...the option of picking her own decorations were the important ingredient!!



After we got home we discovered presents in the mailbox from the Nations in Florida!



All in all I think it's been a pretty wonderful day for my little angel!! This mommy is pretty proud of her growing little girl!! Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

Welcome to a New Blogger!!!

Friends, please help me welcome my brother-in-law to the world of blogging!! He has been writing these really awesome devotionals for years and emailing them to friends and family and I convinced him to publish them to a blog for all to enjoy!! Please help me encourage him by visiting his website and leaving him a comment!!

Mike's blog:
www.iabide.blogspot.com

Thanks!! A blessed Easter to you all!!

Our Visit with Katy.

While we were in San Diego we had a chance to visit with Katy and her family. Our kids had a ball!! Poor Sarah hit her head on the piano (the part Logan is standing under) and seeing as she was utterly exhausted decided to throw a fit. She was only persuaded to be in the picture if Daddy went with her (thus the reason my dh is in the "kids" picture!!LOL!) but at the end when we told them to make funny faces she decided to join in!!!

We're back!!

We just spent a wonderful week camping in Chula Vista (if you can call it camping, more on that later) and going to Sea World. I thought I would post a quick pic and then I'm off to bed after almost an hour of catching up on email!!! YIKES!

I am spoiled!!

I have been very spoiled this year! I got to go scrapbooking for an ENTIRE weekend! I get to fly out to Georgia to see my best friend, Heather, who moved to Florida in January and my friend, Amy, who is releasing her first book in April (AND I got MY pre-released copy in the mail today!!) I got new canisters for my kitchen (my dh actually got me what I asked for!! YAY!!), I got bangles and baubles from my daughters and chocolate from my son (he's learning already!!) along with the most adorable hand-made cards! I got a dozen balloons today from my students, two others from a good friend and her kiddo's, and multitudes of cards and well wishes from both students and co-workers alike. One of my friends from work bought me Starbucks AND lunch at In 'n' Out, and my family took me out to dinner at Red Lobster and to Cold Stone for dessert! I am truly blessed!!!

Praise You in the Storm

Most of you have probably figured out by now that music really speaks to my heart, especially when I'm feeling down and all I can manage to do is listen to music. It's hard sometimes to pick up a bible and it's difficult at times to even know what to pray much less be able to utter the words. The one thing I can always do is listen to music. We are blessed to have several great Christian radio stations in our area that play Christian music, read daily scripture, and even pray for their listeners on a regular basis. My favorite is KLOVEwhich YOU can listen to anywhere online by going to www.klove.com.

Some of you may know that my life is kind of in turmoil right now. My best friend, Heather, has cancer and while it's not anywhere near as hard for me as it is for her, it's hard to watch someone you love go through that. She also moved to Florida a month ago which seems like a VERY long way away from Arizona!! I miss them A LOT!! On top of that I have had non-stop health issues with my youngest dd, who contracted mono just before Christmas that has left her vulnerable to EVERYTHING. On top of that I'm having some serious dental issues (and I'm VERY dental PHOBIC!) Now...I've got another sinus infection and have lost my voice (makes it a little hard to teach!!) It's enough to make you sigh, shrug your shoulders and ask what more God? Then this song comes on the radio and I have to stop and ask forgiveness and proclaim "I WILL praise you in the storm, God, no matter how big or small or in between."



Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm
From the album Lifesong

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of Heaven and Earth

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of Heaven and Earth

Texas?

What is going on in Texas?

I was having a conversation with a co-worker at my school today and we were shaking our heads in wonder about the idea of lawmakers in Texas trying to make missing a scheduled parent-teacher conference a criminal charge and $500 fine. What?!? The last time I checked we lived in a democracy that allowed FREEDOM!! People are allowed to express themselves by covering our nations capitol with GRAFFITI but they want to fine someone and give them a criminal record for missing a parent-teacher conference?? What?? I just don't get it and I'm a teacher that has to deal with no-shows!!

That brought my conversation with my co-worker to the topic of making the Gardasil vaccine mandatory for 7th grade girls in Texas. Good ole' Texas again. Once again I am shaking my head. Since when are public schools meant to be the vehicle to control the public at large? I was under the impression the job of schools was to educate children NOT control their parents (even though sometimes as a teacher I would LOVE to control the parents of my students, but that doesn't make it any less wrong!). I think vaccines for diseases that can be spread during the regular activities of a school day are a good idea. In the schools I've been to sexual activity doesn't normally take place on campus...at least not as part of regular school activities.

Now, I know I'm going to step on some toes here because I have a lot of friends that are part of the religious right and I don't agree with their arguement against the vaccine either. If simply giving a young girl a vaccine that will protect her from ONE type of STD is going to make her promiscuous then somebody isn't doing their job. If parents, first and foremost, and churches are instilling biblical values into their children, it's going to take a heck of a lot more than a vaccine to make that young girl do a 180 degree turn from those values.

I do think there is some validity to the arguement that the vaccine is new, and relatively untested in the market.

My major arguement against making this vaccine mandatory, though,is that I don't think we should be using the right of every child to a free and appropriate education to force parents to vaccinate their children against a disease that they shouldn't be getting or spreading in school! I think this is a decision between a parent, a child, and their doctor. I'm all for curing cancer and if this can reduce the rate of death as a result of cancer in this country, I'm all for it...I personally need to see a little more research on the long term effects before I run out and vaccinate my daughters. I have time, they're still young. But I object to the assumption that I'm not intelligent enough to make this decision on my own, with the help of research and my doctor, and must be forced into it by the school system.

I'm going to step off my soapbox now...I welcome your comments...What do you think??

Wordless Wednesday

This is Tiger, the cat we inherited from the Nations...He's adjusting quite well!! LOL!!

My friend Amy Wallacetagged me today to play "Six Weird Things About Me."Read on if you dare and learn some off the wall stuff about Sally....

1. I teach fourth grade...on purpose...
2. My daughter once ate a worm...on purpose...(and she told me to write that).
3. I have four kids...on purpose...
4. One of my favorite "treats" is creamed spinach!
5. I'm completely addicted to Grey's Anatomy (to the point that I watch re-runs on the internet).
6. When I have too much caffeine my student's all think that I'm really wierd because I talk way too fast and jump around while I'm teaching (they buy me lots of Starbucks cards though, because it entertains them).

I'd tag Heather and Laurie but Amy already tagged them so you'll just have to surf over there and see if they did it since they've now been tagged twice!!

Ransomed Dreams

I just had the opportunity to read the first chapter of a book written by a friend of mine. Her name is Amy Wallace (www.amywallace.com) and she is a fantastic writer!! I had the privilege of reading this book in manuscript form YEARS ago and boy has it changed!! It was good before but now it is absolutely fantastic. She writes a gripping and compelling story that pulls you in and makes you care about the characters from the very beginning! The book releases in April and I can't encourage you enough to get yourself a copy! You can pre-order it by going to www.amazon.com (In case it wasn't obvious from the title of my blog, the title of the book is "Ransomed Dreams"). Here's a blurb about the book from her website:

Can Dreams Be Redeemed?
Gracie Ann Lang is being watched by a man who will stop at nothing to hide the truth from her. Having lost the only man she ever loved and the children who were her world, the truth is all Gracie wants—an explanation for what really happened. She longs to move forward but is bound by chains of fear. Then she meets Steven Kessler. The FBI agent assigned to an international plot to kidnap the Ambassador’s daughter awakens more than memories. He revives the possibility of a life Gracie desires. A life where healing and peace crowd out the nightmares. But his case and her past are dangerously connected. Suddenly, Gracie must decide if she’s able—let alone willing—to pay the required ransom that redeems dreams and restores hope.


I guarantee you will love this book!! Check it out!!