Cheering for the big boys and loving it!

Julia cheered for the varsity game last night as part of intramural night.  She loved it!

Heavy Hearted

I am carrying a heavy heart.
Please pray for my friend who lost her husband suddenly today.  They have two very young children.  We were all high school classmates, and this friendship has lasted many years.

Random Observations from this week

One night this week, we were under a winter advisory.  Andy went out for a run just before the weather started getting really nasty.  When we thought he had been gone for over an hour (we were incorrect on the time he left) and the sleet was really coming down, we started to worry.  Julia (always the daddy's girl) made frequent trips to the front door to watch for him.  She caught a glimpse of him running by the house, and in her relief, she stated: "Good! Now I can get on with my long, wonderful life.  I don't know what I would do if something happened to you or Dad or Shiloh."  I thanked her for putting us right up there with the dog.  Julia then informed me that are actually a bit lower than the dog because she (the dog) is just so cute!

In other Julia news, we ran into a friend of Andy's at the grocery.  When Andy introduced us, Julia told the friend that she is the most awesome person in this family.  Good grief!  Sometimes she is just incorrigible!

Lastly, I may have learned something about myself this week.  I really tried to make myself a runner last year.  I have always done better when I have exercised in group fitness classes, but they are so pricey.  This week, because of the weather, I have run on two days on an indoor track in a gym.  I like it.  I guess I am just not an outdoor runner.  Andy says it figures - another area in which we are complete opposites.

We've got spirit, yes we do!

The high school had spirit week this week.  Uniforms were ditched for a little bit of fun.

The most interesting day, and I would argue the most fun for Savannah was hipster day.  I learned a whole new word.  We had to research this one to pull this costume together, and Savannah actually drew the palm tree on her t-shirt with a Sharpie.  She does not get this talent from me.  Go ahead and Google hipster if this is new to you too.

For "Murica" day, Zach wore some kind of American themed do-rag, and I don't even know what else he wore. It looks like there was some Rambo influence in this look.   I actually never saw Zach dressed up because he was never even awake before I left for work. Savannah was going for a redneck look but ended up looking like a biker, so that works too.  I mean what is America without our rednecks and bikers?

We did not get a picture of fantasy day because Zach was not up on time.  This one was particularly hard for Savannah.  She went as an elf, but most people couldn't figure it out.  It was a particularly good day for Zach.  He wore his Peyton Manning Denver jersey and made up a fantasy football team with a group of friends.  They won the group spirit contest and racked up some points for the junior class.

Of course the last day of the week was simply a show your school spirit day.  Zach chose to dress as the school mascot - a centurion.  Savannah wore a school t-shirt and sweatshirt and wrote the school initials on her cheek. Zach anchored the junior class in the tug-of-war competition, but they lost to the seniors.  That may have been fixed, but the seniors have to win spirit week, right?

Is it obvious that we forced them to have their pictures taken?  Really, I think I have ruined them.  My grandkids are going to have to live close to us if I am to get any pictures.

As part of a fundraiser for the senior class project which is always missions related, the principal kissed a pig.  

I love a school that offers some good clean fun.  While on the subject of school, please join us in praying for our decision about school.  Wyatt really wants to join his siblings, and we are looking at trying to make it a go for next year.  It is dependent on a couple of things but getting tuition assistance is huge in this decision.  Please join us in praying about this.

Flashback Friday - Gotcha! June 7, 2005

In honor of We are Grafted In's Share Your Story (http://www.wearegraftedin.com/6018/share-your-story-family-day/), I am recounting the story of Julia's gotcha day as it was posted on her website which is no longer available.  I am also linking Wyatt's story here:

Wyatt's Gotcha Day

Gotcha!  June 7, 2005
What a day!  We flew into Guangzhou and arrived close to noon.  As we rode to the hotel, our rep gave us the schedule for the day.  We were to go and get the babies at 2:30.  Therefore, we had to work quickly.  After checking in at the hotel, Andy went to exchange money while Tamara gathered gifts for the nannies and orphanage directors and tried to get the family settled in our home away from home.

Before we knew it we were off.  It wasn't long until Julia was in our arms.  She gave Andy a big grin when we first met, and then she was handed over to him and the crying began.  She cried and cried and cried and cried and cried some more.  We figure this went on and off for about 2.5 to 3 hours.  The orphanage director tried to help us calm her, but nothing worked.  We walked and walked with her because this seemed to help a little bit.

The orphanage had taken care to present Julia well.  She was dressed in a sweet pink dress with matching red shoes.  She is a big girl, and we are not sure the 12 months size clothing will fit.  hmm-Tamara gets to shop some more.

We were able to get some information on her, and we were also able to get a picture with her nanny.  That was a really difficult moment with both the nanny and Julia bawling.

Julia finally calmed down on the bus back to the hotel.  All three children fell asleep.  Upon our return to the room, Savannah went to sleep (we figure they will all get up again at 3:30 a.m.) We fixed Julia a bottle, but she would have nothing to do with it.  She finally had some fun with the Cheerios and seemed to enjoy them.  Zachary got a real kick out of Julia and her reaction to the Cheerios.  It was not long until Zachary and Julia joined Savannah in slumber.

We are very tired and still struggling to adjust to the time.  We have a busy schedule tomorrow morning but may just take it easy tomorrow night.

2 years ago today...

Elizabeth "Annette" Tisdale Todd was welcomed home by her savior on January 12, 2011.  She loved travel, reading, HGTV, roller coasters (in her younger days), women's Bible study, and her little dog, Jules.  She loved being surrounded by family above all else and planned awesome family vacations.

Annette worked most of her career as a registered nurse on the Bone Marrow Unit.  She was a member of a local Christian church and a weekend group.

Annette was born on October 5, 1950 to Ben Jack and Thelma Tisdale.  She was married to Ron for 41 years.

Annette was preceded in death by her father; stepfather, Al Throgmorton; her daughter, Tasha Noelle; and her sister, Yvonne.

She was much loved by the family and friends she left behind including: her mother, Thelma Throgmorton; her brother, Jack (Janie); her husband, Ron; and her children, Tamara (Andy), Tiffany (Tony), Tara, Jonathan (Danielle), Tessa, and Joshua; her grandchildren; Zachary, Savannah, Wyatt, Julia, Austin, Logan, and Regan.

Flashback Friday -best book I read in 2012

As a high school librarian, I read several young adult fiction books each year.  Last year I read through a list of books highly recommended by the experts - teens themselves.

  

I am doing Flashback Friday a little differently this week to share my opinions on these books.

I enjoyed Divergent by Veronica Roth so much that I read the follow-up, Insurgent.  If you liked The Hunger Games trilogy, you will like this dystopian novel set in a futuristic Chicago were people are divided into factions based on an aptitude test everyone takes at the age of 16.  The factions are based on personality/identity such as those who have daring personalities, or those born with a heart to serve.  I am anxiously awaiting the third book in this trilogy.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs takes the reader on a quirky and creative adventure and is a fun read.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green was my favorite read from the list, though no library patron has complained that they didn't like any of these three choices.  In The Fault in Our Stars, teenagers Hazel and August meet in a cancer support group.  Hazel and August are such witty and fun characters.  You may not want to read this one in the waiting room at the dentist office as you are likely to giggle uncontrollably and shed a few tears.  I do have to caution readers that I think teens and adults will love this book, but it is for mature readers, so juniors and seniors are the best audience for this book.

I will warn you that Green does a very good job of portraying the ups and downs of cancer.  While no student has complained about this book, a teacher hated being wrenched around that way. When I stated that cancer works that way, he remarked that he has never been close to anyone with cancer and did not realize this.

Check out the author's website.  He and his brother are pretty funny guys.

http://johngreenbooks.com