Has it really been 2 months?

I cannot believe it has been 2 months + since I've blogged. How does that much time go by? I honestly can't keep up anymore! Age? Perhaps! I think I had a birthday in there somewhere too! So in a nutshell...here is a 2 month update!
July - Haley and Cody got married, Rodney and I took a trip to Las Vegas which we had never been to, celebrated our 28th anniversary (wait....did we even go out to eat?), spending time with my mom at the nursing home.

August - High school Football started for my husband, moved Darb as she left for college at KSU and joined a sorority (YEA...how about those KSU Wildcats! Yes....Rodney and I both went to KU and he even played football there but KSU is getting our money right now and we love those Wildcats and Bill Snyder!), school started.....wow....Momma switched grade levels after 20 years....I'm now a 1st grade teacher.....I tie shoes, zip pants, hand out kleenexs, put coats on......and am teaching a whole new curriculum! YIKES! I have probably been working 50+ hours a week to keep my head above water! To all you teachers out there...does Common Core, MTSS, State Standards ring a bell????????? I am finally finally beginning to feel like I have a grasp on things!I feel like my head is peeking above the water level and I'm breathing!  It's a wonder I have not suffocated my husband in laminating plastic as I lay in bed every night cutting out 6-8 foot sheets of "stuff"! He said to me last night, "Where do you PUT all this stuff? You can't have enough room on your walls!"

September/October - Football games, college visits, traveling to Iowa a couple of times to watch my son's horse races, church activities, and most of all.......... PLAYED, CUDDLED, KISSED, SPOILED my granddaughter Lily-Jo. That has been the most fun! Life just kind of stops when she comes to YaYa's house! 

And my best news of all...................I'm going to be a YaYa again! My newlyweds surprised all of us with the wonderful news that they are expecting in late April! Coach and I can't wait! Grandparenthood is the best....nothing like it! 

I thought I was going to be so depressed and lonely and sad and miserable when my baby Darb left for college and God had this plan: 

 for me to teach 1st grade and be busy,
 to enjoy and spend time with Lily-Jo,
 to bless us with another grandbaby, 
to watch Darb grow and flourish in her new venture of college! 

Empty Nesters??????? Not hardly! We haven't felt that yet! And we are so grateful!

God's plan is always the best! He knows what we need, He provides what we need! I worry too much and wonder how will this work out? Will it be okay? When all I need to do is pray, turn it over to God, and let Him handle it. 

Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there!

So anyway, that is 2 months in a nutshell! I'm going to try to do better! I will get around and visit and check up on all of you! 
I pray all is well with all of you! 

I'll work on pictures for next post! Trust me....they will be random!

Wedding - Part 2

 

 

Part 2.....

 

 

 

 Please notice my "blingy" shoes! I just loved them and was so excited about them....Story to come later about them!

 This was one silly fun group!

Lily-Jo was about pictured out...and the wedding had not started!

I'm so grateful for my girls! They are my rocks!

 My wonderful son who is still Mommy's little guy!

Lily-Jo got almost as many ooohhhh and aaahhhhs as the bride! The groomsman with Lace said they were all for him! :0)

Bittersweet.....giving his little girl away!

Someone got a bribe....a candy necklace when you get down the aisle!

Mr. and Mrs. Shaver

She Said "I DO" and They Live Happily Ever After

I have been absent from blogging as far as my own...but I love keeping up with all of you! We made it through the wedding and it was just perfect! I really can't think of one thing that went wrong! Oops...maybe my necklace broke and my daughter's new mother in law had an extra one I got to borrow and I loved it even more! I'm just going to attach a random group of pictures. We had 3 photographers (one was little Ms. Darbey of Baby Rhea Photography) so these are just from one of the other gals. 
This was a beautiful day with lots of joyful tears and happy smiles!

Part 1 !!

 Haley chose Gerber daisies and roses for flowers.

 These were the sweetest and most helpful bridesmaids!

Auntie Haley and cutie pie Lily-Jo!

 These two are BFF's!  Lots of kissing! My niece is just crazy about Lily-Jo (BeBe!)

 My mom was able to come! The nursing home got her all ready and brought her and she did wonderful and loved it! She loves her granddaughters!

Part 2 to come!

Wedding week is here! We are hard at work! Everything is calm and peaceful so far! We are working off the "checklist" and ticking right along! And afternoons are spent relaxing in the little pool! We are also getting in late night (10 or 11 p.m.) "wedding walks" as we call them! Exercise clears the mind and relaxes the body! Miss Haley is such a calm little bride to be! I can't believe it's been only 2 short years since my little Lacey was my sweet little bride! My baby girls are growing up!

God is watching over us and lots of prayers for guidance!

The Swing!

Grandma and Grandpa have a new toy on their porch! The Swing! Lily-Jo loves it and it puts her in a totally hypnotic state! Puts her to sleep...no pacificer needed!

YaYa is pretty happy tonight! Someone is staying all night for the first time alone! 

 

Summertime!

I don't think it's officially "Summertime" according to the calendar...but in my little world....it's here! 

We survived Graduation and it was a wonderful time.  Mom shed many tears but definitely got through it.  We are looking forward to the next phase for Darb! She is going to attend Kansas State University and major in Elementary 
Education ... although I can see her doing something in Photography as well. She has a great little business going right now! Check her out on BabyRheaPhotography.blogspot.com!!


I was contractually (is that a word????) off duty come Friday, May 25th, after I got all checked out at school. I hauled 10 loads +++ on a pull flat cart from my old room to my new room. At many points along the way, I said to myself, "What was I thinking?" However I have purged and thrown and cleaned and organized. I will miss my old room that I spent 13 years in but I'm trying to embrace CHANGE.  I'm so excited to get to spend time with little 1st graders! I welcome this change. My room is a disaster. Truly it is! I have to move everything on the "tile" while they shampoo carpet and then I can begin "setting up shop".  So my hope is to spend a little time a little each week and ease into it.


My first week off I called my "healing week" and I decided to not try to conquer major projects ANYWHERE! The next week was "funeral" week. We had 3 funerals that were very hard for us.  We also were putting up and closing up Graduation stuff. Darb has her Senior Dance recital that weekend as well as a church bridal shower for Haley and Cody. The next week, we tackled wedding and home projects and a family shower for Haley. 

This week my brain and body need to take it slow and easy. I'm thinking it's another "healing week"!  My wonderful hubby is painting the house...ugh for him! I'm just the "gopher" and the "ice tea refiller". 
We are finishing up the last minute wedding plans. So far we are on schedule....tuxes ordered, menu finalized, flowers orders, working on programs, hair appointments made, cake ordered....YIKES! So much to do with a wedding, right????

Plus I want to get some kissing in on Lily-Jo. She is getting cuter every day. I think it's okay for YaYa's to say that! She just smiles at me and we smooch a lot! She has her flower girl shoes all ready but her Mommy is still contemplating her dress for the wedding.

We celebrated my oldest baby's 26th birthday last night with a family cookout.....steaks, baked potatoes, corn on the grill, stuffed jalapenos, pasta salad, homemade ice cream! Oh yummy it was! I can NOT believe he is 26..where does the time go? He is my special baby boy....the girls say he's a Momma's boy and I spoil him....Well isn't that what Mommas do??????? I remember so vividly the day he was born...I was so nervous to be a mommy. Could I do it right? We learned together and he is always there for his Mom. I love that boy! 

Today is my oldest daughter and son in law's 2nd anniversary! They are great friends and partners in love and marriage. We are so so grateful for Blake and for the joy he brings to our daughter. What a blessing! And we are so thankful they have given us a darling little granddaughter who has brought our family so much joy! Congratulations and may you have many many more years of happiness and love together.

So I will close for now and hopefully do better on blogging! I love reading all about all of you and keeping up with you! 

I'll leave you with RANDOM RANDOM RANDOM pictures! 

.

Gearing Down!!

Mrs. Madden (who does not like change normally!) has made a huge change and I give all credit and thanks to God. My good friend who teaches 1st grade talked to me and said she was going to try to get a job in the town she lives in (about 30 minutes away) and not commute anymore....and would I like her position?  Move from 3rd grade to 1st grade! YIKES! Well, hummmmmm....I have taught 5th grade 2 years then moved to 3rd grade and have been there for 18 years....13 or so years in the same room! After much thought and PRAYER, I talked to my principal and he was excited and said sure if she got the job he would move me. She did NOT get the job so I felt like "no biggy...I'll stay where I am...God is in charge and will take care of it."  A couple of days later, my friend called and said that ANOTHER 1st grade teacher wanted to move to 5th which had an opening! Now is that God at work or what....He always has the details and works it out. So I'm moving to be a 1st grade teacher. I'm so excited and ready for a change! (Did I just say that?) Now I get to work with 3 of my great friends in a new position! I've begun to box up "stuff"! Yes....this change is due. I'm purging and cleaning. I truly feel so good and so joyous and so thankful. 

I write this to convey one of my favorite verses....Be still and know that I am God.  Pray about it and then let Him work it out how it should be. In His way....and what is best for me. My faith strengthens every time I see His hand at work. What a comfort to turn it over to Him and not fret and worry about it. 

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

I may just have to take some pics of my room...the chaos, the mess! I have a wedding to get ready for ..... I've got to get busy!