I know that someday my family will actually update their blogs

I know that someday my family will update their blogs...eventually. I know that they will realize that my niece and nephew aren't 4 months old anymore. They will realize that there are people in the world who check their blog sites in the hopes that something new will be there...or that all three of their children are listed in the "Friends and Family" section, not just the two. I'm not going to hold my breath because I know that someday these things will change but I don't want to pass out or die before then...someday...someday...someday things will change.

I know that I have changed...

I know that I have changed a lot since I was in college...or even high school for that matter. I used to be so naive about so many things. I used to try to help everyone and end up hurting myself most of all. Actually, that may not have changed at all. I know that I used to be carefree. College was a time for friends, a time to study hard and play a little harder. A time for making friends that last. Sadly, I have also learned that those friends fade into memories after you part. Faded photographs of once shiny memories and experiences.

It's interesting how often I take those faded photographs out and look at them. Remembering all of the great times I had with friends that no longer are active members in my life.

Or, when you think that you have totally forgotten a person, you suddenly remember everything about them and all you want to do is talk to them, see them, to know how their life has turned out. And then I wonder, how often do I cross their thoughts? Do they look at their time with me as a time of regret? That I have done something, anything, to offend them and they prefer not to remember me at all?

It is memories like that that pain me the most. I have learned a lot in my most recent friendships. I have grown as a person in ways that I would have never imagined. I can look back on the faded photographs with nothing but love for all who inhabit them. My one wish is that I could talk to those people, laugh and cry over our pasts together. Comment on the present and once again share our hopes for the future.

These last couple of days I have been walking down Memory Lane more and more. I find myself wondering if I have been forgiven for the wrongs I have done. Wondering if I could still be friends with people I don't talk to anymore.

I guess my question is...Can I?

I know that people in Arizona are strange

I guess I should never be surprised at the little conversations I have sometimes...
Background information...
I was wearing a knee length skirt, argyle sweater-vest, white collared shirt and stiletto knee-high boots today...got that? Good

Me- Hello. How are you today?
Random boy leaning against a car by my apt stairs-Good. And you?
Me- I'm doing well, thank you.
Random Boy- I can see that.
Me- (smile and start walking up the stairs)
Random Boy- (stumbling over himself) I mean, no disrespect or anything...um...
Me- (one last smile and before I reach the top of the stairs)

Boys are odd creatures.

I know that posts of pictures are super fun!

The cutest babies on the face of the Earth! Courtney and Nathan...

They like carrots...hee hee hee


Scotte and I at Sea World

The hat I should have bought

Yes, I am petting this dolphin

And this Budweiser Clydesdale...

Jay's eating my birthday ribs...

Lisa and Jay made baseball tee's for my 25th birthday!

BBQing in the rain

I know that I've been busy...

So, it's been a while since my last post. Lots of things have happened. Let me list them for you...since I know you've been DYING to read about it...

1. I spent a blissful month on the east coast taking care of my adorable niece and nephew. I would go to bed around midnight, get up to feed a baby at 3, 6 and then 9. (they were eating every 3 hours for the most part) Then of course there was the laundry, cleaning the house and...the bottles. So many bottles...you'd wash them all and it seemed that 20 minutes later, you'd have to wash all 16 bottles again. Of course they were worth it.
2. I planted a vegetable garden. I will never see the fruits of my labor because the garden is in PA..."that's not fair"...that's what you're thinking. I agree but it was fun. Sweating, digging in the dirt and dealing with TONS of gnats...it was worth it.
3. I learned to feed 2 babies and play with the dog at the same time. What can I say...I've got talent :)
4. I survived my first summer without work...barely. I think I read 100 books in 3 weeks. Maybe more...I can't be too sure.
5. I've acquired a new pet...or 3. I have adequately mourned Wadsworth the hamster. He died in May and Lisa, Kellen and I buried him in Kellen's mom's backyard. It was a beautiful funeral and Lisa made sure to give him a headstone as well. When I got back from the NJ/PA area, I went to the pet store and purchased Wadsworth the Second and his brother. I presented the brother to Lisa for her birthday with the promise of free room and board for the duration of his life. He hasn't died yet...She named him Winston. So we have Winston and Wadsworth. Then came Weston. He ran away from his home in Queen Creek and ended up in a friends house. She was terrified of him so he ended up in my house. We love him...stink and all.
6. School has started again and this year is easier than last in the aspect of teaching. I now know what I'm doing so that's good. The kids will be the death of me. This I can already tell.

And that's my life so far...see you next time...

Oh yeah...and i turned 25.

I know that my family is...super cool

It finally happened. I am an aunt. Let me repeat that...maybe with the proper emotion I truly feel...I AM AN AUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In case you were wondering, I'm really excited about it. My sister gave birth to Nathan and Courtney on April 16, 2008. There was a lot of excitement surrounding this event and, don't you worry, I'm going to write all about it.

School began as unassumingly as possible on the 16th. I decided, for the first time in ages, that I would actually turn my phone on silent. This would prove to be part of my demise. 6th hour began and I decided to check my phone. To my surprise there was a missed call and a new voice mail message. I looked at the number and I didn't recognize it. My first guess was that it was my dad's car phone, not his cell phone but the one that really belongs to the car and only the car. Pure logic would have it that I should check my messages, so I did. I was my dad and this is essentially what he said...

Since you seem to think that you are forgotten and remain outside of the loop I am informing you that your mother and I are on our way to Allentown because your sister is being prepped for a C-section. You will be an aunt tonight so consider yourself informed.

At this point I ran out of my classroom, amid whispers of "I've never seen her move that fast" from my students, to the social studies room next door. I announced, very loudly, that i was going to be an aunt TONIGHT! not listening to the murmurs of congrats and excitement, i bolted to tell Gillis my news...don't worry, at this point i started to tear...ok...maybe you could use the word cry if you want...

I wish that was the only excitement that I had that day, but alas, it was not to be. My dad informed me that I needed to get an update on my cell phone. I, being the good and obedient daughter, the one who ALWAYS listens, went and got an upgrade. 2 1/2 hours later my new phone was working and I got to find out about the twins. Words cannot describe them so I think I'll show you...enjoy.




Courtney is in the white cap, Nathan the blue...

I know that April 1st is a great holiday...

I must tell you that the 7th grade is full of suckers...small, impressionable minds that will believe anything a teacher tells them. OK, at least whatever I tell them. I'm not so sure about the rest of the teachers but they generally believe me.

Example-
The social studies teacher fractures her ankle and tears some ligaments. Which story do you believe?
1. I fell off a sidewalk and my ankle landed funny.
OR
2. I was on the bottom of a cheer-leading pyramid, at the cheer-leading conference of course, and the girl on top sneezed and the pyramid fell on top of me and i hurt my ankle.

Lets just say that my answer was #2 and the entire 7th grade believed me over the story that the social studies teacher told. (Did I mention that she was the Cheer coach?)

So today I get into school and I made copies of a literacy test I have. Me, being the gracious teacher I am, completely ignore my students and rip up their test papers if they talk to me in any way, shape or form. When peer correcting the tests, I told them that if an answer is wrong to rip it up (don't worry, they loved this part). Of course, by the end of the 30 questions, not one test was whole and I then took the indescribable pleasure of informing everyone that they just got 0's on the test. Yes, some of them cried. I took great satisfaction in letting them sweat it out before whispering...April Fools...