I need a vacation......

Oh my goodness, I actually have a few short minutes to sit down and post a new blog! This hasn't happened in a few months, I don't even know where to begin.

My school schedule is pretty crazy this quarter, and will be crazy like this until I graduate. The school decided that because of gas prices this past year they would change their normal routine so that students would only have to drive to school three days a week instead of four. This has worked out well so far, I have Wednesdays and Fridays off right now and it's nice to have an extra day off every week. This does mean, however, that the days I do go to school are longer than before. On Monday and Thursday I don't leave school until 3:00, but on Tuesdays I am home by 1:00. I know it seems like this allows a lot of free time for me, but in all honesty I feel like I have less free time than before. Maybe it's because I was spoiled last quarter and only had two classes, one of which was online! I just feel like things have been really hectic around here and I need one day to relax. I don't think it's going to come any time soon though.

First things first....my kids! The kids are doing great, they are also pretty busy these days. Braeden and Hannah joined the Franklin College Children's Choir and have had a few performances. Their final performance is a Christmas show in December. Braeden was also chosen to be in the Franklin High School musical production of Cinderella. He is playing a townsperson and will be a peasant in the first scene and then a guest at the ball and wedding in the remaining scenes. He doesn't have any speaking parts, but has to dance a "waltz" with a little girl, and play games with some other boys. He will also be singing and doing a few other things throughout the play. This is a huge honor for the elementary kids who were chosen and Braeden is extremely excited and nervous all at the same time. I don't blame him I would be too!

I've been volunteering every Friday morning at the kid's school in the first grade reading groups and I love it! These kids try so hard to read well and you can see how proud they are when they finish a book and when you tell them how awesome they are. I love going in there just to tell these kids how smart they are and make them feel good about themselves. I think a lot of kids really need that, especially the ones who can't read as well as others. There are some kids in the first grade that can read anything you put in front of them and there are a few who can't read anything...but I try to make them feel as smart as the rest of the class! Anyway, this works out well for me because I go in and eat lunch with the kids on Friday anyway so I end up spending my whole day there. Braeden and Hannah's teachers don't like to have visitors in the classroom unless they specifically ask for help from parents....which never happens. This is very frustrating to me because I'm not used to it, and I feel less involved in what is going on with them. Of course, that is probably a good thing since they are getting older. I did get to go in and help with all three kid's fall parties so I was happy to be able to do that.

Mike was laid off about a month ago and so far hasn't found anything. Things seem to be going alright though and we are doing pretty well....which is only because Jesus is taking care of us! My husband and I have been able to spend more time together and it's wonderful! I love simply being with him and having this time to get to know each other all over again, kinda. He is just the best, and that's all I can say. He is amazing.

I have been jogging a lot more lately in the early morning. I LOVE the way I feel after a really long jog through the park and the cemetary here in town. I can't do it much when it's hot outside, but in this cool weather it feels great! When I come home I feel like I have fresh air coursing through my body for hours....and I probably do!

School is going great, I am taking Pathophysiology, Surg Tech I, and Microbiology. I love my patho and surg classes, but micro is quite boring. I am currently working on a paper for that class on furunculosis....which is a condition of boils on the skin. I have to have pictures, it's gross. I'm learning a lot in my surg class about the different surgical instruments and so far have aced all of my instrument tests! I am working my butt off these days, and still hope to graduate at the top of my class. All of my classes are with the group of surg techs that I started with and will be graduating with and we've become very competitive!

My sign choir has been working hard on some new songs. We will be performing two songs in a few weeks, and are preparing work on a new song that we will be doing when we move into our new sanctuary. We are hoping the new sanctuary will be finished before the end of the year, it is beautiful! Go to http://libtab.com/ and click on 'building project' to see pictures.

I have so much more to say, but I have to go run errands of course. Then there is the laundry...then the phone calls I have to make....then dusting....sweeping....cleaning bathrooms....washing bed sheets......then it's time to start dinner.....then church..... I know all of you moms out there are feelin' me!