Jennifer's 5 things....

AUNT SUSAN:

1. Overcoming trials- Wow... I really don't know what to say about this one...If I had planned my life when I was younger, I would have certainly given myself some different "situations" to deal with in my life than the ones the Lord has blessed me with. I am now at that point in my life that I do consider my past trials "blessings." Over the past 10 years, I have had a couple of major growing and learning experiences that I would never wish on anyone. At the same time, I have been forced to do a lot of soul searching, revamping of my priorities, learned to genuinely listen for an answer to my prayers and to take one day at a time and live it to the very fullest. Many times, those days have been broken down to "if I can just get through the next 30 minutes" type days. I am a much stronger person in my personal goals, my spirituality and also am in a unique position as a teacher to teach my students from my lessons of my trials and to truly empathize with my colleagues/church family members upon the death of their spouse (Pat Davis comes immediately to mind) and to have truly felt the power of Satan intrude right into my home... Without the support system of the church/family/friends and especially my children, I would have collapsed years ago...But I was taught early in life by Mom and Dad to do my very best in whatever I wanted to accomplish. I am not perfect by any means, but I consider myself at a point in my life to where I think I can survive just about anything---because I already have...
Thank you Heavenly Father for loving me enough to send me through the refiner's fire and protect me as I came out the other side...
2. Girls Camp- This was not one I would have expected!! It seems like a lifetime ago, but I must admit that although I had no clue as to what I was doing, the Lord, once again, proved that He takes care of Fools and Children...! I remember every aspect of the planning and the miracle of watching something from my imagination come to life... Would I want to repeat the experience...I take the 5th on that one!!!
3. Calligraphy- Oh, how neglected this particular skill is in my life. Funny, though, I do have a project I am working even as we speak for a special friend and it is the first serious calligraphy project I have worked on in several years! I have felt a real reawakening of interest in refining this talent(?) I would love to know why you chose this one, Jen....
4. History- If I have one passion in life, it is this topic. Believe it or not, there are some parts of history and some country's history that I could care less about. But those other ones....WOW... Why I feel so alive when I am learning about things, people, events of times past, I have no idea, but I cannot seem to get enough knowledge of this topic to quench my thirst...so on I go.. I also have been blessed to see the effects my passion have had on my students when they start to hunger to know more of this subject they had always hated!! Yep... that is one reason I teach!
5. Pizza Hut- Until I start back to school in one week, Pizza Hut was the one job I held the longest. I worked in 3 stores in two states. It has changed so much now that I hardly recognize the products I worked with or helped introduce. Man, the hours, the lessons learned, the skills honed, the free left overs that helped me feed Travis and Sarah when I had no other way, the love of waiting on the customers--this job truly had an impact on my life and that of my children....

Thanks, Jen for this topic...

Well... the time is fast approaching...

In 3 weeks, I will be knee deep in Pre-Planning. In fact, I will be getting ready for Open House...the one thing I can't quite figure out with my Principal is why the kids know where they are going about 2 weeks before even the teachers know who we will be teaching... Kinda makes us look stupid when we meet the parents two days before school actually starts and we say... Oh, let me look at your schedule to see if you do indeed have me for a teacher...Rumor has it that this year we will have no "gifted" students on our team...I am actually kinda glad. It seemed like the majority of the ones we had last year were too lazy to use their gifts or their parents were concerned why their darling angel had a 99.9% average instead of a 100%.
Anyhow, I was in my classroom today trying to get it ready for this next year. For those of you who might have forgotten (or really don't care) I will be starting my 7th year of teaching in three weeks! Only 23 more to go and I can retire !!!
Just for the record, the door to my classroom remains unpainted, the blinds have not been touched for two years now and the 7 layers of paint on my walls continue to flake off...But we do have a jam up great weight room for the kids... Ah, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Did I say I taught because I love to teach...not because I am dazzled by my opulent surroundings!

New people...

This was the week for me to meet new people...
First, Travis and Sarah brought a friend home with them this weekend. Actually, Lindsea is more Travis' friend than she is Sarah...although she like Sarah too! Anyhow, she is the first girl that Travis has brought home to meet Momma-so that makes her special...

Then, this afternoon, I got to hold the new little addition to the Vicars family...It was kinda hard to tell what she looks like except that she seems to be a combination of Nathan and Samantha and has black hair and it is currently a copy of Ryan's hairstyle ! Of course, in my conversation with the little one- as then un-named-I told her that her Aunt Susie was the best Aunt she could have and she didn't differ with me... In fact, she remained perfectly silent so that automatically means that she started out her life agreeing with her "bestest Aunt." Smart youngin...!! She was truly a beautiful little angel and my congrats go out to the Momma and Daddy...

Journey of self re=discovery continues...

I knew I was addicted and needed some major help when, the last week of the summer institute class, I found myself counting the hours till it was over and I could get back to a normal routine of walking and exercising!!! OH, MY GOSH!!! What is wrong with me..
NOTHING!! I have just discovered that in the past year, my health has improved tremendously due to my weight loss
I discovered that my self-esteem is growing every day..because I am proud of the hard work and effort I have done to get to where I am now...
it was actually fun?? shopping for school clothes this year... I am wearing clothes 4 SIZES SMALLER THAN THIS TIME LAST YEAR!!! AND I AIN'T DONE YET!!!

any of you who want to join me...please feel free...

DON'T READ THESE POSTS OUT OF ORDER.. !!!.

If you read these last three posts out of order, you will only have yourself to blame for the confusion because I warned you....

Random Thoughts....PART 3

in reading this post remember something...UNLESS YOU HAVE WALKED THE SAME PATH MY LIFE HAS TAKEN...DO NOT JUDGE ME...I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THAT IN MY LIFE...

I am sharing this next series of random thoughts because not only are they important to me, but because i want to quietly share what I consider to be a miracle...
Toward the end of May, I was sitting on my love seat at home. I was home with a severe case of laryngitis...I received a message saying that I had a flirt on my profile on the singles site. When I read the flirt, it was not the usual one... It said "You made my day..." Please see my message to you..So, I read his message... It said "I have read your profile and I think it is incredible. I also think you are gorgeous...stunning even." Of course, by the time I read those words, I knew this guy was some sort of nut case.. Because I tend to be belligerent with people when I do not feel good, I sent James an email back asking him to check a couple of things for me... #1= his age (he is 48) and #2 HIS EYESIGHT !! He immediately sent an email back that said that age was just a number and that after checking, double checking and triple checking his vision, it was just fine--and I needed to move on from there.
Thus began what continues today a wonderful, developing relationship between James and myself. Two days after our first contact, he flew to New York to present a proposal for an international building project- 12 12 story hotels on the island of Cyprus. He felt he stood a good chance of getting the project for a couple of reasons... He is half European and he has been in the construction business for over 20 years. Long story short... out of 26 presenters, he was awarded the contract. He had to be in Cyprus 3 days after winning the contract. So, he has been in Cyprus since the first week of June. So, NO, we have not met in person yet... NOW... STOP RIGHT HERE IF YOU ARE THINKING OF JUDGING MY ACTIONS OR EVEN HIS...

I say those words because I tired of people presuming that I have not thought out, prayed about, talked out with trusted people, prayed about and prayed about this situation. There are a hundred reasons I could list, but won't why I continuing a relationship with James...It is even blossoming into one that is quite special...on both of our parts... I look forward to meeting this special and unique person, That should happen around the first week of August... If it doesn't it wont be because of a lack of effort on both of our parts. Do I know exactly what will happen with this relationship.. NO... Am I cautious.. yes, but have sought guidance from my Heavenly Father many times since "meeting" James... Have I examined what would be the worst that could happen in this situation... YES... He could be less than he appears to be and could end up breaking my heart... WAIT... that has already happened to me....and I survived.... OR, He could end up dying on me.. WAIT...that has already happened to me also... OR, HE could be an axe murderer and be intent of taking my life.... WAIT! if I am dead... I wont worry about how or who!! WHAT IS THE BEST THAT COULD HAPPEN IN THIS SITUATION.... I COULD MET A MAN WHO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE ME HAPPEN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I know he does now. His project in Cyprus should take about a year. Just about the time I have left on my Specialist Degree....who knows what will happen...NO ONE! But I am continuing to take one day at a time and listening for guidance and trusting my feelings....isn't that what we are all supposed to be doing???

Random thoughts....PART 2

Same disclaimer as for part 1...

I put my profile on the LDS singles site in about April. By the middle of May, I had had some nibbles but no serious bites...
Then within the course of one week, I was contacted by two men-both from areas around Atlanta...Thus began my summer into dating again.
Now, every time I have ventured out into the dating world, I have broken some kind of ground or done something that has not yet been done in the family... Well, the unwanted tradition continues...
Alan and I had our first date on the day after Memorial Day. I will say that we had a wonderful time. The best part of the day, besides the fact I actually was on a date, was the fact that this particular date helped to push out unpleasant and heartbreaking memories of a year ago on the day after Memorial Day. Instead of obsessing that it was the anniversary of the day I thought my life had ended. I had a wonderful time and many pleasant memories of that date with Alan. He visited Tifton a couple of times before he moved. He is now in Houston, Texas about to begin his new job there. We have developed a very unique friendship that is built on honesty and the knowledge that we were not "marriage" material for each other, but instead friends who are in the same thought process about their futures.. We talk frequently.

Random thoughts that have been on my mind...PART 1

Disclaimer....this is one of those posts where if you are offended by what i write let me remind you that it is MY thoughts and blog and you can choose to disagree....READ AT YOUR OWN RISK !!

As I have only 3 weeks and 2 days left before I begin my 7th...YES!!! SEVENTH YEAR of teaching, i have taken this opportunity to think back on my summer non-vacation. Yes, I said non-vacation because I have worked every day since getting out of school this year on something school related....
I was privileged to participate in the South Georgia location of the National Writing Project Summer Institute program... 2000 teachers were scattered about in various locations throughout the country in a VERY INTENSIVE 4 week learning seminar. It was one of the most grueling academic tasks I have undertaken thus far in my professional career in Education. I barely survived physically and my mental seemed to have left me the middle of the third week...but I did earn 6 Graduate Credit hours for my Specialist Degree. Instead of earning them in the normal 15 week semester, by taking this summer institute, I earned them in 4 weeks!! NEVER AGAIN AND I DO MEAN THAT!!!
About the middle of May, I saw Don for the last time... I feel quite sure that it will be the last time. I know that my heart has healed from that trauma because of several things. On the day I saw him, he came to the school, just before the beginning of one of my class periods. I actually experienced the "dropping of the jaw" syndrome when I watched his reaction to me when I walked out the door of the school. Something had told me that day to dress really professionally instead of the "end of school" mode dressing teachers have when we are cleaning up for the end of the year. That day, I was wearing a black dress, white jacket, white sandals, my hair was actually looking good and my tan was pretty well visible. I felt I looked pretty good for me... Apparently it wasn't lost on Don, because after he picked up his jaw, he told me I looked good. I told him that i felt wonderful... (Then he mentioned that Sharon would be in a wheelchair by the end of the year-because her knee is totally "blown" and that she was developing heart problems...) Was I sorry to hear about her health problems... I take the 5th on that one!!! Anyhow, I realized I was healed totally when I was looking at this man who I was once married to and although he looked physically pretty much like the man I married, there was no life or sparkle in his eyes...and I kept thinking "I've got to go back inside--My students need me. This person doesn't. So, for those of you who may have been worrying about me.. by the process of hours on my knees and intense soul-searching, I have survived and live to perhaps love another day...
Toward the middle of May, I met two different men by means of the church's singles site. Both of them were in the Atlanta area when we first established contact. Now, neither of them are even within the state of Georgia's boundaries. Alan, who I met first is now employed in a town just outside of Houston, Texas. His purpose in my life was to provide for me some special companionship at a time that was desperately needed. He did not know this, at first. We had our first date on the anniversary of day that I found out that Don was leaving me. We had a wonderful date. So, now my memories of the day after Memorial Day are now pleasant and the other memories no longer have the power to hurt me. Yea, though I walk through the valley of Death, I will fear no evil... for the Lord, My God am with me...