HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY ! ! !

Today is Caleb Burton Wilson's 3rd birthday. Tonight Mike, Leah, Caleb, Jim, myself, my dad and a cousin of Leah's went to Pizza Hut to celebrate. I couldn't wait to give Caleb his Toy Story cowboy boots that have cacti (plural for cactus) that light up. He loves them. The only problem, he wants to wear his pants inside the boots so he can see the lights. He had no interest in eating just relighting the candles and blowing them out over and over and over again.

October 14, 2012 - confused

When I typed the post below I did include double spacing for my paragraphs but it all came out as one HUGE paragraph. I don't know why.

It's Been Awhile October 14, 2012

Well, it's been a very busy last two months as I haven't taken time to make any posts. You've probably given up on me. Going back to school was very stressful this year. I don't know how to explain this so a person not in the field of education can understand it other than to say the way I have been delivering instruction in the past is no more. Everything changed and it changed for everyone so everyone is stressed because this is an occasion when change wasn't welcomed. Enough said. I still can't say I know what I'm doing but I'm not feeling as stressed. My fall has also been busy playing in a bell choir at a West Des Moines Church. Not sure that was a good decision on my part but I said if I committed to it I would do if for one year so I don't feel I can back out now. I also couldn't say no when asked to help start a bell choir in Monroe, Iowa. I'm not good at saying no. Let's see if I can play catch up. The month of September brought Jim's 70th birthday. Just family celebrated his birthday the weekend of Labor Day. We have actually gone camping a couple times this fall. Jim and I took time for ourselves and went to Lake Rathbun. It was a beautiful weekend. Temps were cold and perfect for sitting around a fire. There were approximately 90 spaces available and only 10 units there so we had the place to ourselves. We also went to Dolliver State Park up by Fort Dodge with two of Jim's children and our friends the Ponders. That was also a virtually perfect weekend. The fall colors were in bloom. We did some hiking. That state park is just as nice as the infamous Ledges. We are hoping to make this an annual event. It seems as though every weekend is busy with something. I gave up my tickets to the ISU game last weekend just because I just wanted to have a day at home. For instance, last week was this busy: Monday went to work at 7:00 stayed until 8:30 p.m. because of Parent Teacher's Conferences. Tuesday, left work early so Jim and I could tour some nursing homes. Got back home and was late leaving for bell choir practice in Monroe then had to hurry back to PC to lead theh lesson at U.M.W. then on to my dad's to fill out paperwork. Back to work Wedensday morning at 7:00 and stay until 8:30 for PT conference. Back to work Thursday and Thursday night an extra bell choir practice in Des Moines for our concert on the 20th and then on the tap dance class. Friday I actually had off but spent the day moving things for Mom, picking up Mom and moving her to Trinity Center. Had about 1 1/2 hours at home to relax before we moved furniture. So I think you can understand why I wanted Saturday at home. Now it's Sunday. I've been to church and taught Sunday School but now I need to get motivated to go back to school and get ready for the next week. Jim has been busy in the garden, going on tractor rides and football games. He will be cooking the 2nd annual chicken noodle dinner on October 27 at church and purchased 90 lbs of chicken this week. OK. I think I'm minimally caught up. I'll try to do better.