Great News!!!!

This week has been the first week that we have actually been 5 days instead of the usually staggered 3 days due to snow. It was quite a challenge getting back in full swing. However, my students were a pleasure to teach despite the many adjustments. This week has been very engaging for them and for myself. On Friday, I received some unexpected but welcomed news. I have been selected LCHS Teacher of the Year. I am very honored and humbled to have been selected by my colleagues to represent the school. I feel very blessed and I just wanted to share the news.

2011 Update

My brother Alex and his wife Amanda are having a boy. Sweet baby Hayden is due to join our family the end of May. We are all so excited and can't wait to meet him. Raegan is very excited to be a "Big" cousin and have a little baby around. Every time we go somewhere she wants to buy something for him. She is very thoughtful and reminds us of all the things that he will be needing for when he comes to our house. Sounds like she could get used to a little one around! We are planning a shower and have almost all the details worked out for a great celebration. She has also enjoyed picking out all of the stuff with me.


We had a wonderful Christmas and were surprised with a beautiful snow on Christmas morning. Then after winter break we reluctantly returned to school for a few short days only to be hit by the third biggest winter blast in the history of weather record keeping for our area. We were blasted with 8-10 inches of snowy bliss which earned us a nice week-long vacation from school. Then our regular holiday of MLK day fell into the mix.....ah 6 days in a row of no school. I have been delighted to spend these days at home with my family. I cherish these moments....partly because I know I'll never be able to turn back the hands of time and get them back and also because I love them so much.

On Friday, the roads became safer for travel so I ventured out for another post-op checkup from my October ear surgery. My grandmother was getting cabin fever so she decided to ride with me and Raegan since Scott was working. The last time I was in the office I had to have more packing removed and my ear suctioned. This is always pretty painful and makes me a little dizzy and nauseated so it was best that I had someone with me. Plus, she and Raegan are buddies and she was able to help me look after her while I was in the office. Long story ...short....the doctor decided not to wait the planned 6 months to do my secondary surgery. Instead he felt the need to do it as soon as it would fit in my schedule. So he scheduled it for Monday morning. After rushing to the lab before it closed for the weekend to have blood work done we finally made it home late that evening. Thank God my grandmother decided to go along for the ride. She was so much help.

Well, today is Monday. I had my surgery this morning. Little did we know that I had fluid backed up in both eardrums and some behind one of them. The drums are retracted so far back in the left ear that it is touching the third bone and creating retraction pockets that could lead to cholesteotomas if not treated. This minor operation should improve my hearing and reduce the risk of further damage from the retractions and reduce the chance of future ear infections. I am finally coming around from the anasthesia and am looking forward to returning to work tomorrow.

The first month of 2011 has already proven to be an eventful beginning. I was planning to start my Ed.S in the fall. However, this week my school superintendent sent me some information about a similar program leading to an Ed.D. I have always wanted my doctorate degree and this may be an answer to prayers....a chance of a lifetime. Scott and I are very excited about this opportunity. The completion time will be the same as the Ed.S but it will be a higher degree for the same investment. Pleas pray that everything works out and that all the cards will fall into place. We had been planning a differnt course for our lives and for our family and became frustrated and disappointed when things hadn't gone as "we" necessarily had planned. However, I have been giving it to God and praying for some direction because I know that I can't do it all by myself. He has shed new light on my path and I feel like his plan is becoming clearer to me now. All the praise and glory be to HIM.