The reason I teach...

Today I went to Bryan to see my very first class of 3rd graders graduage from high school. It was so awesome to see them walk across the stage and know that I played a small role in their journey to that moment. Knowing how hard I worked with some of them and to see that they "made it" was so rewarding. I have always loved what I do, but today I was reminded in a different way than I have ever experienced. I was so proud.

One of the kids that I worked the hardest with was George Lee pictured above (the picture I took with him did not come out :( ) George had many many obstacles to overcome in his young life and needless to say he could have gone either way and praise God he is on the right track. He was the senior class president and Senior class vice president was also a girl that I taught in 3rd and 4th grade. :)

What a great trip down memory lane!

One of those moments...

So the other night I had one of those moments with Brady where I knew that if God forbid that were the last time I got to be around him, I would have felt more at peace with it. We had bath time together (sometimes I have to suck it up and get in the tub with him if we are going to get it done!) and I was acting silly and he was cracking up so hard he couldn't breathe when he laughed. then we got out and were laying in my bed together playing this new game of his where he points at imaginary things and says, "oh, there's Barney, or there's Diego. Then he was saying, "There's witchy-poo (a figure his babysitter has made it up to help get the kids to behave) and I would say oh I'm scared. Brady then put his little arm around me as we layed down facing each other and said, "I'll hold you. Don't be scared okay?"

So cute! No tv's were on, no cell phones...it was a night of just undivided attention, silliness and lots of laughter. I was reminded that I should soak up more of these moments with the ones I love because it is things like this that will remain...not Grey's Anatomy (even though it was sooo good on Thursday night!!)

I will post pictures later. Happy Mother's Day to everyone who is blessed enough to have a little piece of you running around on this Earth!

Gone in a flash...

So, I had the biggest scare of my life on Saturday. My friend and I took our sons to Winterfest here in Pearland on saturday. We had a great time and the last thing the boys wanted to do was this blow up thing that was an obstacle course. I helped Brady take off his shoes and sent him inside. The walls of it were too high to see inside of it from the outside unless you pushed down on the sides. Once I sent him in I walked a little ways up to meet him and about 6-10 seconds after I put him in I looked insde the obstacle course and he was not there. I looked everywhere and then I went in myself and walked, very ungracefully around that stupid blow up thing yelling his name...nothing! Now I was really panicked, but still pretty calm. I told the guy working the thing what he was wearing and he said he would check where he was and for me to go around to the front...nothing! I then started looking around the field away from the obstacle course...I spotted a kid about Brady's size wearing the same jacket about 20-30 yards away. I started running toward them and then my phone rang. The woman with him was calling the number that was tagged on him (which we did when we entered the Winterfest...THANK GOD!) Brady was just fine. I guess he had barely got in the course and then turned around and got out (this was the part I didn't see) and then he wandered off looking for me. SO SCARY! To think of all that could have happened makes me sick.

Let this be a warning parents...it doesn't take long for them to wander away. Now I hurt even more for those parents who really do lose their kids and I only lost mine for about 2 -3 minutes

Not a Fan of Santa!

Christmas has come and gone...

Well, it has been awhile since I've posted anything, so I thought I would try and catch up. I get on this thing all the time and read up on everyone else and every time I think, "I should update.." and then i don't. So here we go.

We were here in Houston for Thanksgiving this year...only the second time in my life to not be with my mom and dad but we had a good time at Don's (family friend) playing Croquet and sweating since it was so darn hot outside!

Christmas was great as always. Brady was very very scared of Santa this year ( was last year too, but even more so this year because he could verbalize his fear and he did...often!) But, being the good mom that I am I still made him sit on the scary man's lap (hey, my mom did it to me!) We were in Abilene for Christmas and Brady had so much fun this year opening presents...not just his, but everyones! And he gets so excited about everything! "Socks mommy!" "Wiggles, I got Wiggles! I got Wiggles! repeated about 15 times.

Watching my child and the joy he exerts reminds me every day and especially in this season to look for God in all things (even socks!) Everything should amaze me as it does Brady. I'm so, so blessed to have the family I have, the struggles we have, and the joys we experience every day. So as I enter another year and reflect on the last one...my prayer is to live in the moment...every moment I'm alive and to see more of this world through the eyes of my little boy so I can get just as excited about life as Brady gets about the Wiggles!

Happy New Year everyone! I love you all!

A life to remember...

Tonight there are many people remembering the amazing spirit of Jill Atteberry (Jarvis) Jill was a great friend to me during my first 2 years at A&M. She was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning. I am still in shock over the fact that someone so young and full of life can be gone in the blink of an eye. Her baby boy was 2 months old. Please pray for her husband Scott and their baby boy Bryce who were both in the car, but physically are doing okay.

I wanted to post this because I know that so many of you that were at A&M with her would want to know. To find out specific information go to the following blog: theblessedbairdbunch.blogspot.com

Hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight and all the days ahead because we never know what tomorrow might bring. All we do know is that we serve a God who is much bigger than anything this world can bring us. Praise God for all the wonderful things he did with her life and now will do with her death.