50...FINALLY!!!!

Well, I have to begin by saying that I have gotten past the 48/49 pound mark, and I have finally lost 50 pounds!!!! John is now at 53, but I am catching up on him. Maybe I can pass him by mid-July!s

Here are nine things that I have been praying about...
1. Jenna and Alyssa to be safe, healthy and happy
2. John and I to always be faithful to each other and have a happy, lasting marriage and raise the girls in a loving Christian home
3. Pickaway to grow with many more members, especially families with young children
4. Jenna and Alyssa to love church, grow up to be Christians and live their lives for Christ
5. Me to be a more faithful servant and live more Christ-like; I pray that I will put God first in my life and do the things I know I should do everyday, such as pray, study, witness, show love
6. Miranda to be successful in nursing school
7. Angie and Will to be more healthy and have a baby, if it is God's will
8. My mom to be responsible and she and my grandma come to church every week and eventually be baptized
9. Good health for my entire family!

The list could go on and on, but these are some of the things I pray about often!

Soccer Star!

GO TEAM FIRE! We won our soccer game 16-0 today! What a way to end the season! We had a wonderful cook-out at our team sponsor's house, and it was a great time. I must admit that I got teary-eyed after the game before I passed out trophies. I hated to see the season end~I can't wait until the fall soccer season.

I hope you enjoy the pictures....

You can't tell very well, but Jenna is the one in the picture waving at her adoring fans!!!

Jenna showing off her gold trophy!

I had to share a picture from Alyssa's first haircut...

Finally A Smile...

I had to share some more beautiful pictures with you! I hope you enjoy them...

My Top Ten List

Another busy week! I don't know if you read my comment on my blog, but I have decided to stay at Ashville. I just know that Ashville is where I am meant to teach, and I love fourth grade. I know I would regret leaving, so I am not! I am so excited that we only have 10 days of school left. Summer vacation will be here before I know it, and I can't wait to spend every day with the girls! Tomorrow is our last soccer game, and I must admit that I don't want the season to end. It has been so much fun to coach Jenna and the team, and I can't believe how well Jenna has done for being 3! Alyssa will be eleven months old tomorrow, which means next month, she will be one year old! I can't even believe how fast time has flown by! Oh-John has lost 51 or more pounds now, and I am still stuck at 48! I just can't seem to get to 50...I guess it was the lemon bars I had at scrapbooking or the 4 Pizza Hut breadsticks I ate for dinner last night! Who knows? It could also be that I just can't seem to eat enough Wildfire Chicken Salads from Bob Evans, too!

Here are some things that I would reveal about me...
1. I am a Christian. On June 27th, it will be three years now!
2. I love my family so much! Being a mom (...and a wife) is the most wonderful thing in the world!
3. I am a teacher. I have wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in kindergarten. It is great living out my long-time dream. I can't imagine doing anything else!
4. I love NASCAR racing.
5. I am obsessive-compulsive, especially when it comes to being neat and organized.
6. Cinnamon rolls and ice cream are my two biggest weaknesses. Why does Cindy's Cinnamon Rolls in River Valley Mall have to make the most delicious cinnamon rolls ever?
7. I am a big talker!
8. I love pictures of Jenna and Alyssa. I love getting them taken professionally and taking them myself. Our house is full...almost too full...of their beautiful pictures.
9. I love Pickaway Church of Christ and our church family!
10. I love going to have fun at different places. My favorite places are the park, the movies, the Columbus Zoo, shopping malls and amusement parks.

Top Ten List...if you could call it that!

Well, first I have to tell you all that I have decided to make a career move and try teaching special education! I don't really know what has brought on this desired change, but it is something I have wanted to try. I will get to work at the Middle School so I will be home an hour earlier with the girls. I will only work with 13-14 kids, and I will teach them math and reading and language arts, and then I will help them in the other subject areas. I am kind of struggling with it now, though, after I have already made my decision. I hate leaving the staff, especially my teaching partner, at Ashville, and I am nervous about having to take classes to teach special ed, but I just think it is something that I want to try. I guess I have always been the kind of person to enjoy taking classes and learning and trying new things. Wish me luck!

Here are my top ten things that I would do if I were a daredevil...
1. Be a Nascar driver...I would love to race one time!
2. Ride in a hot air balloon
3. Teach Special Education....Oh wait, I am going to try that! :)

This is awful, but I really can't think of a thing! I have bungee jumped, and that is about it. I would never, ever do anything like get a tattoo, and I just can't think of anything. Sorry-my list is nonexistent this week!

Of the Week....

I love Miranda's idea so much, I am going to try it myself!

Fun Day...Soccer practice, playing at the park and walking with Jenna and Alyssa on Tuesday

Boring Moment...Listening to information about government that I already taught my class during a long tour at the Statehouse on Friday

Weakness...Eating an Oreo polar delight in the afternoon and then a small ice cream cone at Grand Buffet all in one day! Not to mention the General Tso's chicken that I ate, too!

Achievement...Getting through the Ohio Achievement Tests this week without having a nervous breakdown

Boo Hoo...Jenna crying, not wanting to go to her babysitter's house! Sometimes it breaks my heart to leave the girls!

Show...American Idol (I love Bon Jovi!)

Well, that is all I have for my first try. I am just not as good as Deda! :)

Top Ten Collectibles...

Late again! It has been another crazy week, but at least Achievement testing is over. Tomorrow we are going on a field trip to the Ohio Statehouse....and then the best part is we get to be dropped off at Dairy Diamond for polar delights afterwards. That will sure help the diet, but at least we are walking back to school so I can walk a little bit off, right?

John has pulled ahead once again in our dieting competition. He has now lost 50 pounds, and I am stuck at 46. Maybe I will catch him before July, but I doubt it!

Here are the top ten things I collect...
1. Pictures of Jenna and Alyssa
2. Picture frames and photo albums...for my many, many, many pictures of Jenna and Alyssa
3. Longaberger baskets...I think I have close to 100 now with all of mine and my grandma's baskets put together (I know my grandma spoiled me because she bought me baskets all of the time!)
4. Precious Moments figurines...I used to get them for most special occasions, but I don't get as many anymore. I still have a full curio cabinet of them, and then some!
5. Cabbage Patch Dolls...Again, I don't really get them anymore, but I have over 200 from when I was little. John and I have been discussing what we are going to do with all 12 or more rubbermaid totes full of the CPKs!
6. Crafts that Jenna makes at Library Storytime...They are so precious. She might have a little bit of her Aunt Deda's creativity in her!
7. Teacher "knick-knacks"...This is something that I don't really buy anymore, but I still get some from kids now and then
8. Children's Books...I love reading to the girls! I love it even more when Jenna "reads" to me!
9 DVDs...I love to watch movies.
10. CDs...I love to listen to music.