Oh Happy Day!

Back to life...back to reality!

2010-04-11T15:59:00.003-05:00

I said in many posts that I don't have a lot to write about. We have no kids, no big trips to brag about....we just work hard each day and love life! But on November 30th, our world changed.

Jason and I were on our way home from visiting a friend at the funeral home since her daddy died. That brought back a wave of emotions. Although every situation is different, it's never easy losing a parent. My heart broke for my friend because I knew her world had been changed forever. I wanted to make her world better, but I knew I couldn't take away the pain.

Jason and I made it home and were walking in the door. My friend called to ask me to put her absence in online since she wouldn't be at work for the rest of the week. So I helped Jason light a fire in our fireplace and sat down to enter my friend's absense. Jason went to go check on our Lab puppies. 5 minutes later, BOOM!

I yelled at Jason, shaking, not sure what just happened. It was suddenly dark, and I had debris all over me, and I saw installation fly across the room. I just thought something had exploded because the fire was still going. Jason ran in, grabbed a Subway cup, and put out the fire. I got up and thought the worst was over.

That's when I saw flames. Knowing Jason just put out the fire in the fireplace, I knew that wasn't good. It was small, so I knew it would be ok. Jason and I looked at each other. He was yelling, "What do we do?" I grabbed my phone and called 911. The operator was asking all kinds of questions. When I told her what was going on, she told me to get out of the house right away. I yelled at Jason to get out, but he was trying to turn off the gas at the fireplace. The operator was telling us to get out. She was VERY firm. I got outside, but Jason stayed in. My heart was racing. Finally Jason joined me. We felt so helpless. Finally a lady arrived in a small SUV. Jason's first response was, "What good is she going to do?"

She ran in, looked at what was going on, and I could tell in her voice panic had arrived. She grabbed my arms, looked in my eyes, and said, "You need to grab anything that is important you, you're house is about to blow up."

I will never forget those words for as long as I live. Still makes me shake to think about it. I started turning in circles....what was really important to me? My first thought was my folder with the letter my mom wrote me from her death bed. No--it's just paper. The words are in my heart. All of the cards Jason has given me? The lady told me to run...get out now! So I grabbed my computer and thought--I'll have my pics!!

The next few minutes seemed like eternity. The lady asked Jason to get a water hose to the fireplace. Praise God we had a hose hooked up to the line at Ella's pen. So Jason was outside, feeding the hose inside. I was yelling for them not to ruin the floor. Silly, huh?! As I saw the water pour onto the floor and all over the TV, I had to walk away. The fire trucks were calling this lady, asking where the exact location was. So I grabbed the radio and started talking to them, while Mrs. Emily and Jason worked on the fire. I was feeling pretty good about everything because the fire had died down. A second later, the fire flew up and started taking over the ceiling. My great room was quickly burning away.

I ran to the street to wave down the fire trucks. I was really nervous. The first of 7 fire trucks arrived. The firemen jumped out, suited up and ran the hose around to the fire. I let them do their thing while I waited outside. I called a few people to let them know what was going on. Our sweet neighbors came over to check on us. That is when I lost it. It hit me what was going on.

They finally put out the fire, but the firemen couldn't tell us 100% the fire was out in the attic, so they wouldn't let us spend the night. That was a long night. When we returned around 6:30 the next morning, we didn't know what we would find. Thankfully, our house was still standing.

Little did I know what all this fire would bring. Since it was propane, the RR Commission was involved. So the next day, it seemed like a million people came into my house. Then an attorney from our insurance called us at 8PM that night. He informed me this fire would be under investigation. In other words, no one could come in to fix our house until the investigation was over. Ron, the atty, told me it would be about a week until they were done. The contractor told me it would take about 2 weeks to rebuild the burned part of the house. So in my mind, I would be home in 3 weeks.

So the sweet lady from the company that came to get all of our clothes, curtains, rugs, bedding, etc. started bagging up all of our belongings. The insurance guy told us we would have to go buy some clothes and things to last for the next few days until the company washed a few outfits and returned them.

So Jason and I checked into our hotel, thanks to a sweet friend for getting us the room--it was the college softball World Series in College Station--NO ROOMS! When we checked in and started getting ready for bed, we realized we had nothing to wear to bed....much less to wear the next day. We felt helpless. So off to Walmart to buy what we needed. I wore the same clothes for 2 days--puts everything in perspective! Then I realized I didn't have my laundry room to wash clothes. It was sinking in, and I missed home!!

Fast forward 53 days....phone calls, random people coming to my house to take pipes, pics, etc....we finally made it back home.

I wish I could say those 53 days were wonderful, but it was so very stressful. We are still not 100% finished, but at least we are home.

I could write a book on everything I learned. Main thing---God is in control, and He's bigger than any problem we face.

This was one of the most scariest times in my life. I'm hoping for a less dramatic year!

Goodbye 2009!

2010-01-01T20:26:00.002-06:00

When I think about the past year, I realize what a ride it's been! Everything happens in 3s, and it was no different for the past year. We lost a dog, a job, and almost a house! Through each trial, God has taught us a lot! No doubt, He has brought us closer to Him.

I will post about our house fire one day. They still haven't started fixing it, so hopefully 2010 will bring us some luck! Until then, we will share a couch, TV, and one bathroom! I am getting spoiled to new, fresh, folded towels each day, a made up bed and hot breakfast each morning! Although those things are nice, there is nothing like home!!

I hope everyone has a fabulous 2010! I pray I grow to become more like Christ each and every day. But do you think I could do it with less drama this year?! :)

Happy New Year!!

Our Pride and Joy!

2009-11-06T21:03:00.000-06:00

Most people blog about their kids! Me? I blog about our pups. Here are some pics of a few of our girls and boy! :)
This is Bo--the only male. Bo is short for Gumbo! :) Gotta keep my Louisiana roots!

This is who we are calling Tux....notice the white stripe? She is SO precious! She is super smart and follows Ella EVERYWHERE! She is very inquisitive and will make a wonderful hunting dog.

Here's another pic of Bo! He's outnumbered with 6 sisters!

Here's one we call Oreo. She was crying to get her pic taken. She likes to snuggle and play with her siblings. She is a SUPER sweetie!!

One of the pups got picked out today. It was bittersweet. It someone that teaches in CSISD and lives right next to where I teach. So I will be able to keep up with Bella. Isn't that a cute name? They wanted to remember their mom, Ella. Too sweet! They are coming to get her the day before Thanksgiving.

That is about all we are up to these days. I am really ready for a break from school. I haven't had a break since school started, which is very hard. I have a SUPER SWEET class this year, but we all need a break. Basketball is starting up, which means FUN and also some late nights.

Come see us and our pups if you're around!!!

The pups have arrived!

2009-10-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

One yellow female (above)

One yellow (closer to white) male (above)

All the pups...even one on her back...just like Aunt Addi used to do!

5 black females (One was being a loner during this photo shoot!)

Lab pups, Anyone?

2009-08-02T18:49:00.002-05:00

I experienced a first this past weekend. We invited a male Lab over to be our Ella's boyfriend for a while. Hopefully this will cause Ella to be a first time mommy. People ask if we are going to have kids. Nope, we are going to have puppies!!! HA! We won't know if it worked until a few weeks, but if all goes as planned, we will be welcoming some pups in the beginning of October. They will be ready to go several weeks after that. Let me know if you're interested in a pup---or 2!!!

God is good!!

2009-07-20T12:26:00.004-05:00

I'm such a slacker when it comes to my personal blog!! My life is not interesting, I have facebook and a school blog...so add that up and it equals no posts for my personal blog!

Not a lot and A LOT has happened since we moved in! Clear as mud?! Life was pretty normal until last week. Jason got word he had lost his job. It was quite eventful because the week before he was called by the owners of the company and told how wonderful he was, etc. He even asked about the future of the company, how the econonmy has affected the business, etc. He was told not to worry. Then his boss came down to ride with him and praised him. He even told Jason he needed to sell his personal truck because he had his company truck. That was on a Thursday. Monday afternoon at 1:15P.M. his boss told Jason he was in town and needed to see him to give him something. Jason was met with, "I'm having to let you go. Please get all of your personal items out of the truck. I will also need your laptop, phone, etc." Jason called me to come get him. This was also the week my sister's kids had decided to come spend the week with us.

So I called my sis and asked her to come get the boys. We were in no mood to entertain the boys, and we had some major decisions to make. Do we move? Do we sell our house? What is God trying to tell us? My sis decided to come the next day. (Bless her heart...she just THOUGHT she was getting a week of silence to work!)

The next day my sis arrived, and Jason learned a lot more about his company. Not that he wanted to know more people had been let go, but it did bring comfort to know 12 others were let go. Jason thought he had done something wrong because of how everything happened. He learned the company was $250,000 in the hole in the first quarter. His boss told him they needed to get their finances straight, then they would hire him back. Ummm...no thanks! You totally just put our family on the street and want us to come back.?! Bobcat paid no sev. pay and no "2 week notice". Lovely timing since we just built a house.

When Jason called me to come get him, I had a few minutes to think and pray. I was angry, sad, upset, hurt for Jason, etc. I was ready to let his boss have it. I had my speech ready to go! :) When I got to Jason, it was like the Lord shook me and made me new person. I told Jason on the phone I was going to have a few words ready for his boss. Jason agreed. Then when I got out, Jason told me not to say anything. I told him I felt the same way. Funny how God works, huh?! I hadn't met this boss because he was just hired. (That was causing some issues of anger because they didn't have money to pay my husband, but had money to hire and move this man...and he pulled up in a brand new truck!) So I walked up to him and said, "Are you Brent? Hi, I'm Carrie Owen." ...as I shook his hand. I noticed tears in this eyes. WHAT?! He didn't look me in the eyes again.

Talk about God's timing....the week before when Brent was riding with Jason, Jason had witnessed to Brent. Brent said he went to church, etc. but Jason knew God wanted more of Brent. So after we cleaned out Jason's truck, I went to Brent and told him I was praying for him. They can't sell their house, so his wife and children haven't moved here. I told him I hope they could sell it, etc. He apologized for everything that was happening. I told him God is bigger than his and HIS ways are perfect. I told him this was not a shock to God, and He knows what is best. Brent just kind of looked at me. God is working...and if we have to go through pain for someone else to have a relationship with God, then so be it!

So we decided that if Ash would entertain the boys during the day while we got our ducks in a row, they could stay a few days. This was PERFECT! From 6-8:30PM they went to our church's Sports Camp. This allowed time for my sis and I to go get a pedicure, talk school talk, and to counsel Jason and me! :) Once again, God is good!

Fast forward to last week....JASON GOT ANOTHER JOB!! I could write 10 pages on how God worked to provide that job. But the bottom line is God is good, and HE provides in HIS timing. The timing of it all and the pain we had to go through was NOT easy. I pray it never happens again. But it also taught us to totally rely on HIM!!

Jason started his new job today. He called 2 hours later and sounded like a little kid at Christmas. He was SO happy and has already done well. Let us never forget God is good. His timing is perfect. He loves his children. This earth is NOT home, so He has to do things to bring glory to Him and bring people to his kingdom. Who are we to question His moves?

This world is a crazy place. I'm afraid it's only going to get worse. My mom used to ask me, "Carrie, is this an eternal problem?" If the answer is no, then move on. She always had the right focus. We must become less so He can become greater.

I'm getting my classroom ready for school. I teach Jumpstart, so I start earlier. I like it because I only teach 1/2 a day and get paid some more money. It's easy, and I get to know the kids before they start "real" school.

Jason and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on July 17th. He found out he got the new job on Thursday. God's timing is perfect. We could truly celebrate and enjoy it knowing Jason had a job to start on Monday.

I know this post was a lot of rambling and probably hard to follow. Sorry. Bottom line: God is good, and HIS timing in perfect. He is SO much bigger than any troubles we have.

To God be the glory...

Home Sweet Home!

2009-04-13T16:14:00.010-05:00

See message below...sorry for the craziness of this post. This is our sweet Ella!

Great room

Our house!

First, let me appologize for the photos. They are in NO order and are not turned the correct way. I am having issues with our AT&T connection and this computer doesn't have my photo program, so I am trying to do the best I can with what I have! :) Here is our home...still a work in progress! :)

This is our mailbox.

Back patio. Our garden is behind the trees. We added some bird feeders, plants, lemon tree, etc. since this pic was taken.

This is our entry. This was my mom's "medicine cabinet", so it has special meaning. Now it holds my cookbooks.

This is the entry/hall/dining room.

Hallway--this was taken for my sis so she can see the pics on the wall!

Broom closet--still need to hang hooks to hold all of it.

laundry room--excuse the mess! Jason's favorite part: the ice machine.

One guest room--still needs lots of work.

Extra bedroom continued.

Bathroom for guest bedrooms

Another guest bedroom. I got this furniture when I was 13. The little chair/desk is from my 6th grade classroom at A.E.P.

Guest bedroom with my furniture and desk. (from above)

Kitchen

My desk area

Corner of great room--still need to hang pic.

Great room

Kitchen

Another living area

View from entry

Jason's office: Aggie maroon

Bathroom for Jason's office

Our bedroom

Master bathroom

Jason's side of the bathroom

My side of the bathroom. The blue blob is a pic of Louisiana one of my nephews drew! :)

Far away view of whole house.

Life...As I Know It!

2009-03-14T21:06:00.002-05:00

I know, I know...it's been a while. I am still shocked to see the number of people that look at this blog. Are y'all that bored?! HA!

Let's see if I can catch you up on us...
We sold our home and moved into our new home late January. I wish it was as easy as that last sentence sounds! God was FOR SURE in charge, and He grew us. We had to totally depend on Him and He brought us closer to Him. Jason and I had heard building a house could cause a divorce, but we were on the same page through the whole process. The stress came throughout the process, but the major deal was selling the house we lived in. The family that put an offer on it moved VERY slowly. God taught us patience. Then we got a call the day before closing that our loan might not go through. WHAT?!! Apparently the underwriter didn't like that Jason put he worked for Bobcat, so the letter from his boss said Bobcat. But his paycheck said Berry Companies. They were a tad confused. But a call to Jason's boss and a letter later, we were good to go. We found out at 5P.M. that we would close at 9A.M. the next day. God taught us to totally depend on Him and wait on HIS timing. So much easier said than done. We closed on our house with no problems...in and out in 15 minutes. Then we went to close at noon on our new house. There was a problem with our survey. If we didn't close by 5P.M. we would lose our AWESOME loan rate and have to start all over. UGH! So again, it was wait and see. Again, down to the wire...everything went through. We got moved in, and I felt like a weight of bricks had been lifted off of my shoulders. God is good and faithful!!!

Then I looked around and saw all of the boxes. The fun was just beginning! :)

February brought Jason's b-day and the writing TAKS test. We went out to eat for Jason's b-day and came back to our house for dessert. It was fun. Wish I could say the same thing for the test. But walking CONSTANTLY for 7 hours in a dead silent room is not what I call fun. It's torture. Wish these crazy people that make us do that would come for a visit. No child left behind, right?! I just wanted to SIT on my behind!!

It's now March!! Jason and I went with our friend Leanna to see Hillary's group, Lady Antebellum. They performed at the Houston Rodeo. We left RIGHT after school to miss traffic and got to see them a second before the concert. The hug from Hillary made it worth it. The concert was GREAT. We went downstairs to the dressing room after the concert and got to talk to Hillary a little bit more. They were going back to the hotel room to talk, but we still had to drive back home and then get up at 6A.M. the next morning, so we didn't go. The cowboy dude drove us all to our cars, and we said our goodbyes. It was worth going, but it was too short!!

Now it's Spring Break!! My partner teacher's husband (Vince) is a coach for the track and field team at A&M, so she gave us tickets for the NCAA meet. We went Friday night. Then Sat. we watched the women A&M basketball game on TV, then headed back to the meet. The woman (which is what Vince coaches) got 2nd place overall. It was awesome!

Now it's time to order rugs for the house, put up pics and start making this place feel like our home.

I think I have caught you up on our life!!!

Happy March!

Christmas and Birthdays

2008-12-31T20:07:00.000-06:00

We had a blast going to Ruston to celebrate Christmas and Davis Glen's 8th birthday!! Here we are enjoying a birthday breakfast!

We made a stop to see mom's (and GG's) grave. I don't visit everytime, but wanted to this time. I had some special boys go with me!

Christmas was fun...especially with a house full of boys. They were watching a Texas Hold 'Em game on the computer.

A highlight of my trip to Ruston was seeing Mandy. Mandy and I lived together in college and after college. I hadn't seen her in a long time, so it was nice to see and get time to visit before church on Sunday. Jason and I both love our Mandy! :)

I've Been Tagged!

2008-12-21T08:42:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged! This is a picture of my dad, sis, and brother at my wedding. They are lighting a candle in memory of my mom. They did this when she would have been walking down the aisle.

Now it's time for more people to get tagged.
1. Go to the place where you store all of your pictures on your computer and open up the 4th folder.
2. Open the 4th picture .
3. Post the picture and give an explanation.
4. Tag 4 people.

Now I tag:
1.Leanna
2. Charly
3. Mandy
4. Shandra

Lady A!

2008-11-13T12:31:00.001-06:00

Lady Antebellum Wins "New Artist Of The Year" Award At CMA Awards!
Congratulations to Lady Antebellum on winning the "New Artist of the Year" award last night at the CMA Awards!

Jeff Foxworthy's Take on Teachers

2008-11-13T09:42:00.001-06:00

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER IF:
1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.

2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.

3. You walk into a store and hear the words "its Ms/Mr. _________" and know you have been spotted.

4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.

5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.

6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and conference period .

7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.

8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.

9. You want to slap the next person who says "Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off."

10. You believe chocolate is a food group.

11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.

12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."

13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.

14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.

15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.

16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.

17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!

18. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.

19. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer

20. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-11-06T20:08:00.002-06:00

My lovely Austin friend tagged me...thanks, Julie! I always think about these things after reading someone else's blog...then...it comes down to me coming up with 7, and I go blank.

Here are 7 random things about me...

1) My mom ran over me when I was 18 months old...no, it wasn't on purpose and yes...that is what is wrong with me now! :)

2) I'm VERY OCD about my alarm clock. I have to check it 3 times, pushing the buttons in a certain order, each night BEFORE crawling into bed.

3) I could eat seafood or mexican food for every meal.

4) I wish I could own a bakery and just bake all day.

5) I have always wanted to fly...seriously.

6) I used to pray to live to the age of 112. Help us all!

7) I sometimes say "mom" just to hear it. Crazy, I know...call the docs and send some meds!

I tag every reader that reads this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poison Oak

2008-10-22T18:22:00.000-05:00

This is my arm. Pretty, huh? It hurts SOOOO badly! Apparently I got into poison oak at our new house. We have been cutting down vines, etc. The bad news is I have it here, my elbow on the other arm, my upper arm on the other arm, my stomach, chest and legs. Today I told my students to grab my arm if they saw me touching it. They did just that!! They were so cute! I just can't stop scratching it. I am now starting to scratch on my neck. Lovely!

Crazy Cajuns!

2008-10-21T17:25:00.001-05:00

This is a seafood place in College Station. This sign made me laugh. It reminds me of being back in Louisiana in more than one way!

What A Day!

2008-10-07T18:54:00.002-05:00

Here was my day:
Today was a writing benchmark day. Pretty much what that means is the kids stay in their homeroom all day and write...just like TAKS test day. It shows us, the teachers, what they have learned in the first 6 weeks. It's a LONG, boring day. Usually it's pretty quiet, unlike today...after lunch.

I go pick up my kids from lunch recess. I see the VP talking to 2 of my kids. Lovely.
Hi, Mrs. Roraback. What's the problem?
Mrs. Owen, student A and student B were playing tag and...5 minutes later...student B hit student A. Then student A punched student B back...in the stomach and face twice. So I am sending student B to the nurse.

Student B chimes in...Mrs. sniff Owen sniff, blah, blah, blah....tears, snot, etc. Student A still has his hands in a fist.

Mrs. Roraback, student A has had a rough day. He was throwing paper at another student during testing.

Well, he owes his recess for the rest of the week.

I'm sweating and seeing my class is NOT in line anymore.

Blow the whistle, line up again.

Back in the room....all is quiet. Student B comes in...ice pack on his eye. He goes to sit down.

Oh lovely...the students that were just fighting are sitting next to one another. Sitting at my desk, thinking...hmm..

Excuse me, Mrs. Owen?

Oh yes, principal's daughter...OH DEAR....blood is everywhere. NOSE BLEED. Reach to hand her a tissue....Mrs. Owen...my knee is bleeding.

thinking...join the crowd...ok--let me fill out a pass for you to go to the nurse.

Ring, ring...Mrs. Owen, please send student C to the office, her ride is here. Student C...pack your things.

Mrs. Owen, my knee is really hurting. Ok, here's the pass.

P'pals daughter...are you ok? Go wash that blood off your shirt. I'll email your mom to let her know what happened.

No big deal, right? WRONG! It all happened at once. It's like my room went from quietly working to craziness in 2 seconds. Good thing about it...it all ended in 5 minutes.

Oh the life of a teacher...

God's Beauty

2008-09-29T20:36:00.000-05:00

Every morning on my way to school I get to watch the sun rise. This particular morning I was running so late. Then to top it off, I got stopped by a train. So I finally made it to this road--where I could finally go 70mph. Then I noticed the sun rise. It was so pretty. These pics don't do it justice, but I was in a hurry, trying to drive and take pics. Not a good combo!! I was once again reminded of God's beauty and how wonderful He is. I was also reminded just to be still sometimes. I made it to work on time and got to experience God on the way. He is too good to me!!

'

New House Update

2008-09-21T21:07:00.000-05:00

These are the most recent pics of our new house. I can't wait to see it with the window finished and the shutters on the front. Of course, some landscaping will be nice as well! Here's the front.

Side view...coming in from the road on what will be the driveway.

Taken from living room, looking to dining room and what will be the front door.

Taken from the kitchen, looking into the great room.

My classroom

2008-09-06T20:57:00.000-05:00

These are some pics of my classroom. I have added stuff since these were taken, but this will give you an idea of where I spend many hours a day! :)

This is the back of my room. I pick a student to be a tribe member for the week. They are my helper all week.

This is a side of my room. The steps are for a reading area.

This is the same wall where my steps are. That is my desk and my corner!

My smart board! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to PTO, every classroom has one.

Our New House!

2008-08-27T19:51:00.000-05:00

These are some recent pics of our new house. There are some windows still missing, but this is the most up-to-date pics we have.

These are some windows from our great room.

This pic was taken from the window in the previous pic. This is where my chair will sit, so I can look out and see trees. Can't wait!

This is Jason in our great room. That Tyvek paper will be another window. The corner is a fireplace.

Please pray we sell our current home. We know God is in control, but it's hard to get too excited about our new house when we haven't sold our current home.

American Idol Finalists Concert

2008-08-26T18:25:00.000-05:00

My friend, Cristi, invited me to go to the concert. She won tickets off of the radio, so I was super excited to get to go! When I said yes, I had no idea the concert (in Houston) was the night before school starts. I was very tired, but had a BLAST!! We got home after midnight, and my alarm went off the next morning at 6A.M. I was really wishing I could incorporate nap time into my 4th grader's schedule. No such luck! I would not have traded it for the world. It was SO much fun!

The runner up David singing...AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The winner David singing, Hero. It's a song written about his brother. The initials on the big screen (that are on his guitar) are for his brother.

Here he is again singing....WHAT A VOICE!

Couldn't leave out my Aggie, Jason Castro! He said ,"Howdy Ags" when he got up there and left with, "Thanks and Gig 'em!" He did an amazing job. We also got to hear the song he tried out with. They couldn't show clips of it on AI because the artist never released it for him to do.

Newest Member of the Fam!

2008-08-15T22:03:00.000-05:00

This is the newest member of our family. We decided with 2 acres of land, we needed it.

Jason couldn't be happier!!

Olympics

2008-08-09T20:09:00.002-05:00

Hillary's band, Lady Antebellum, was asked to write and sing a song for the Team USA Soundtrack. They were honored and so excited. But as time drew near, they hadn't had time to write a song. Well Hillary had written a song she sang for her high school graduation that seemed fitting. So they recorded that song!!! Check out the link below to watch and listen!!

http://attblueroom.com/sports/teamusa/soundtrack/english/artist_lineup.php?artist_name=lady_antebellum&video_id=1

My Bobcat Men!

2008-08-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

I didn't post pics about when my nephews were here. So here are some pics of the boys...on Jason's machines. This is Davis Glen.

This is Owen...jumping off. He stayed with Jason one day to help him work. I am not sure which one liked it better....Jason or Owen!! :)

This is Andrew. He was making sure his seatbelt was hooked! I can't believe he will start Kinder next year.

4 years ago!

2008-07-31T08:48:00.001-05:00

Jason and I celebrated 4 years of marriage on July 17th. I can't believe it's already been 4 years. Wow! Wonderful years!

Jason and I saw each other before we got married. I walked down the chapel aisle, where Jason was waiting for me. He wrote me a letter of what he was going to be thinking each step as I walked down. I am SO glad we saw each other before. I was very emotional...especially after the letter. He's a keeper!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Jason Owen. Whew...we made it!!

My precious girls. I don't know what I would have done without these wonderful friends throughout my life. My florist told me to let my beautiful girls decorate the stage. I agree...they are so pretty. But what makes them so special is how beautiful they are on the INSIDE. Love you girls!

Mit--college roomie from MC. She is AMAZING. She is so devoted to the Lord. She never went a day without her daily devotional time with the Lord. I learned a lot from her.

Dara Doo--college friend from MC. Dara lived right down the hall from me my freshman year in the dorm. Dara rolled her hair EVERYDAY!! She has a gentle spirit and a loving heart.

Sara Less--I was born in May, she was born in June, and we have been together ever since. Our parents hung out all the time, so we were stuck with each other. Funny thing is, we hated each other in Kinder! hehehehe! Sara is one of those friends that I can go a while without talking to, then call her, and it seems like no time has gone by. When my mom had surgery, and we were told she had cancer, Sara was the first person I called. She dropped everything to come be with me at the hospital. I could write a book about all of our memories.

Jennifer "JJ" Jones Black--we became best friends in HS when she thought she was inlove with my brother! HA! We spent practically every weekend together after that! We have been through a lot--good and bad--and she has loved me through it all!! Wow...the things I could talk about!!! :)

Shandra Miller Landrum--Shan was my icee and drive by friend. Oh the talks we had!! We thought we had it all figured out! HA! Then she became my teaching buddy. Glad we didn't have everything figured out, Shan! :)

Mandy Ginn--Miss Mandy--we grew up together, but became better friends when we lived together during our Tech days. This girl is amazing! We liked to sing, dance, and use a light from the oven. I will never forget one night she made me go get a magnolia off a tree at Tech. It was very late, and a cop drove by. We were safe! :)

Keri Walker Taylor--we became best friends early in life. Her family moved to Ruston, and we became friends instantly. Most of my childhood memories have Keri in them. We have been through a lot together and her faith has remained strong through it all.

I loved my wedding day, and I am so thankful I had these wonderful friends by my side.

Nephews and a Fender Bender

2008-07-29T09:26:00.002-05:00

When I left Ruston, I brought back my sis and her 3 boys. They spent the week with me. We had a BLAST!!! My brother-in-law, Selwyn, came in Friday afternoon to pick up his family. We ate dinner and went to my inlaws for my family to see their house. It was getting late and everyone was tired. Jason took Owen back home in his truck so they could play a little PS2 before bedtime. My sister jumped in my car, and Selwyn had Davis Glen and Andrew. I was sitting at a red light with Selwyn behind me. BOOM. We had been hit. A BIG truck "said" he was stopped at the red light and took his foot off of the brake. Ummm...hello....if you look at Selwyn's car, you can tell he wasn't stopped. His whole rear end looks like a paper airplane ready for flight.

So we waited FOREVER for the police woman to show up and fill out a report. Selwyn, Ash and the boys made it home safely the next day, but with rope holding down the trunk full of their luggage.

So now I am making phone calls, emails, etc. trying to get my car fixed this week since I start teaching Jumpstart next week.

What a way to end an awesome week!!!

Now I am getting my classroom ready. I am using the survivor theme this year, so lots of changes have been made!!

Sara's Baby Shower

2008-07-19T20:57:00.000-05:00

I came into Ruston this weekend to give Sara a baby shower. EmmaLeigh Mae will be here in September!!! We had a great time, and it was SO good to see some old faces.

A wonderful "Mrs. Nancy" cake was very cute, but tasted SOOOO good!!

Stacy came in (thanks Stacy!!!) and loaded Sara up with gifts. One of the favs was some Tech gear!!! Doesn't Sara look AMAZING?!!!

Monday morning I am loading my car with my sis and her 3 boys and heading to Texas. They will stay the week, so more pics and fun times will be shared!!!!

Home Sweet Home!!

2008-07-09T21:56:00.001-05:00

Jason and I just bought almost 2 acres, and we're about to build a house. Well, our builder is! This is the sign to the entrance of our subdivision. It's new, so there are not a whole lot of houses built yet. The subdivision's pool, outdoor and indoor kitchen will be ready at the end of September. Hopefully our house won't be too far from being finished at that point!! Pray our house sells, the building process goes smoothly and the Lord will be glorified through everything. I have picked out everything, so hopefully I can sit back and watch now.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T22:53:00.001-05:00

Tonight Jason and I met some friends for dinner. We had a little over an hour before the fireworks at the Bush Library, so we went for a quick game of Laser Tag! This was our first time to play. It was AWESOME!!! Of course, it was better for me since I won out of the 4 of us. We had the whole place to ourself...it was perfect! Then we headed off for the fireworks. We found a perfect parking place and spot to set up. The weather was perfect! We really enjoyed ourselves.

Leanna has a blog!!

2008-06-26T21:44:00.000-05:00

So my friend, Leanna, has had a blog. I just THOUGHT we were besties!! She JUST NOW told me she has a blog!!! Can you believe it??? Go visit her site and tell her how wonderful it is!! This is her at our house playing the Wii. Isn't she precious?! She is from Georgia and is only in Texas for her husband to finish school at Texas A&M. WHOOP!! When you comment on her blog, make sure you tell her how WONDERFUL Texas is!! She THINKS she is moving back to Georgia when her husband, Wes, finishes school. So we have several years to brainwash her so they will stay in Texas forever! :)

New Job!

2008-06-24T14:56:00.000-05:00

Jason is loving his new job!! He has been super busy training, but is glad he has the chance to learn everything before he hits the ground selling! We are also loving the company truck and company gas card! We went to fill up HALF a tank, and it cost $94.00!! It's amazing how many people come up to Jason wanting to buy things. With life insurance, they were running the opposite direction! hehe! We are so thankful the Lord has allowed Jason to have this job opportunity!

North Carolina

2008-06-19T22:53:00.002-05:00

Jason and I really enjoyed our time in NC. It was relaxing!!! I don't think I have gotten that much sleep since my mom made me take Sunday afternoon naps. The first pic is the sunset from my dad's cabin. His cabin is on a golf course, so one night we (dad, Margie, Jason and yours truly!) went for a walk. It was perfect weather!

We went to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge one day. We made it to Cade's Cove as well. This is a pic of one of the many deer we saw. We also made a stop at BeeHive since one of dad's journalism grads is the manager there. A storm came, so we stayed inside and shopped. Crazy thing is, Jason bought something, and I came out empty handed!!! We ended up all going out to eat once the storm left. Fun times!

Anyone remember the movie Dirty Dancing? Well, some of it was filmed on Lake Lure. That is not far from my dad's cabin, so we made a day trip. Since I had been there many times, and we took the boat trip last time, we just stopped and shopped and made our way to a stream. It was beautiful!!

Last, but not least, we made taffy. As you can see from the book, I used to write when we would make it. In 1988, I wrote we made it, but it was no fun. Why? Because I had braces and couldn't eat any!! HA!! It was Jason's first taffy pull. At first he didn't care too much about it. But then he jumped in and had fun.

Daddy, thanks for a GREAT trip!!!! We love you and are SOOOO glad you're happy!!! God is good!!!

Nashville!

2008-06-16T20:47:00.000-05:00

Jason and I flew to Nashville for a long weekend before going to NC to see my dad and Margie. Jason's cousin, Hillary, was going to be performing, so we went to see all of the action. WOW...didn't realize what all we were in for! We got there Thursday night and went to a rehearsal for Jason's aunt, Linda. Then Friday we went to some fan parties that Jason's uncle, Lang, was in charge of. Lang owns a company (Music City Net) that does the stars websites and everything for the fans...parties, merchandise, etc. The two parties we got to go to were Sara Evans and Josh Turner. We put on a "staff" t-shirt, so we walked right in. The people that had been in line, in the heat, for several hours didn't like us pulling up to the front door, parking and walking right in. Oh well...gotta know people! :) I never really listened to Sara or Josh, but became a fan instantly. Especially Sara...she was awesome. A very family oriented person and touched my heart with her story of everything that has gone in the past years and how her family helped her. (She's the one that dropped out of Dancing with the Stars because of her husband's affair.) Several members of her band are her family members, so she spoke to them heart to heart. Very touching! Then that night, Hillary and her group (Lady Antebellum) performed at LP Field...where the Titans play. Keith Urban was the surpise guest. It was AWESOME!!! Then Saturday night was Lady A's fan party. I soon was reminded there are some WEIRDO people in the world!! These people know WAY too much about these artists and literally get mad when they don't get "their" spot or someone gets in their way. The pics below are from their party. Notice all of the cameras in the second pic.

Sorry the pics aren't that great, but it was dark. Their party started at 11pm, so by the time they got finished with pics, etc. it was almost 3am. I felt like a college girl again!! Then Sunday morning we went to see Linda and others in a Sunday morning deal. It was neat. It lasted a long time, but it was good. Then off to NC we went....more on that trip later!

Jealous?

2008-06-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

Jason and I made it to NC from Nashville. I took this pic a day after we got here. The outside temp is 61, while the inside temp of the car was 72. I can't remember the last time I had my outside temp LOWER than my inside temp!! I could get used to this!! More to come on our trip later!

Jumpin' For Joy!

2008-06-05T08:55:00.000-05:00

SCHOOL'S OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We're off to Nashville to see Hillary and Lady A do all of their stuff, and then we are heading to NC to see my dad. Then Jason starts his new job!!

Rainforest Day!!

2008-05-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

My school has a few days out of the year called Enrichment Days. The kids change classes every 40 minutes and go to each classroom for their grade level. Friday's theme was the Rainforest. The topic in my classroom was the Forest Floor. I had 6 classes of 4th graders. These days wear me out, but it's a lot of fun! The first picture is the board outside my classroom. Don't be impressed with me, my wonderful room mom made it! :) I drew a picture of what I wanted, and she did the rest. She's so good!

The kids made a treat that resembled the layers of the Forest Floor. Dirt was chocolate sprinkles, dead leaves were crushed graham crackers, moss, fern, etc. (plants) were green colored Cool Whip, worms were gummi worms and the tree trunks were pretzel sticks.

These are 2 of my homeroom kids...Hannah and Ashley. Ashley's mom made the Forest Floor board.

These are some girls from my afternoon class. Aren't they precious? I am going to miss these kids next year!!! I am SO blessed!

In other news, Jason got a new job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have been praying about this for a while. God has taught us SO much, but I am so glad this trial has ended. He will be a saleman for Bobcat. He's going to be selling big equipment. He gets a base salary, company truck, and they pay for his gas. Whew!! That is GREAT news since his current truck takes deisel...AHHH!!! God is so faithful. We truly are blessed and have been reminded of this once again.

And the award goes to...

2008-05-19T20:22:00.002-05:00

LADY ANTEBELLUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lady Antebellum won Top New Duo or Group on the ACM awards last night!!! Check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nw5sFHxTmM

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

2008-05-17T19:52:00.000-05:00

For some reason this year my birthday was the best ever. My partner teacher's b-day was Wednesday, so we celebrated ALL week!! Jason got me a present a week early, so my b-day celebration lasted a while.
I woke up Friday morning to a card and this banner hanging. I looked and noticed the candles were moved. I was like...who did that? Then I noticed the banner. My sweet husband did this Thursday night after I went to bed.

I walked into my classroom with this big gift sitting on my back table. My sweet teaching partner got me a gift.

My sweet teaching partner also decorated my door. She has the kids sign/write things on it. SOOOO sweet! I think I teach the sweetest kids in the WORLD!! Last week was teacher appreciation week, and I got gifts DAILY! Then I got more gifts for my b-day. I am so blessed and do not deserve to spend each day with these precious kiddos. I am going to miss them SO much! I LOVE being the oldest grade in my school, but now I am seeing the down side. When I tell them goodbye on May 30th, it really will be goodbye. I am used to seeing them again in the fall when they are in 5th grade. But not this year. Sad times for me!

Last, but not least, my b-day cake. It's not a Nancy cake, but it's close. Yes, it's from SAMS, but it is SOOOO good!!!

Thank you all for the b-day wishes, calls and texts. Sorry I didn't text back, but it costs me to text. ( And for the texter that asked me...no, I don't think Stacey Johnson ever got married! hehehe!)

Wii Fun!!!!

2008-05-12T20:16:00.000-05:00

My birthday is this Friday, May 16th. For my b-day, Jason got me a Wii!! I have been going back and forth if I really wanted one. So then I finally decided I wanted one! I am SOOOO glad I got it! We had some friends, Leanna and Wes, come over Saturday night. We grilled hamburgers, played the Wii and watched Survivor. We had a BLAST!
Here's Leanna, Jason and Wes watching Survivor. Well, Wes was helping Jason take a test.

Jason and Wes are trying out the Wii wheel. They were serious!!

Here's Leanna practicing before she played her husband, Wes.

Catching Up!

2008-05-08T21:40:00.002-05:00

So much has been going on!!! First I had TAKS tests. I had math one day and reading the next. That was Tuesday and Wednesday. Then on Friday, we took a field trip to Austin. We rented charter buses and left around 6:45AM. We got back around 6PM, and I had to go to Relay for Life. I was the captain for my school, so I had to go. But when I got there, it was so nice. The weather was PERFECT, and I got to relax and enjoy the night. It was a nice tribute to the people that are currently battling cancer and a nice memorial for those that have lost the battle.

Now it's on to getting ready for the end of the year. Since my school only goes to 4th grade, we do a lot for the 4th graders. Graduation parties, pictures and then the big day of graduation itself!!

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week!! Last year, I was never even told thanks. This year, I have gotten several things a day from students and my room mom. My p'pal and her staff have had a luau theme and have spoiled us rotten!! It's been WONDERFUL!!

Tomorrow is beach day, and it's my last theme day for Student Council. Whew! Can't believe the end is almost here!

I was also chosen to be on the team to find our school a new counselor, so that should be fun!

Jason and I have a trip planned to Nashville for fan fare and then to NC to see my dad and Margie. I can't wait to see Hillary and other artists perform in Nashville. Then it will be nice to enjoy cooler weather in NC!!

July 17th will be our 4th wedding anniversary. Where does time go?! It's so wonderful!! God is SO good!

I hope all the moms have a wonderful mother's day. For those of you that have your mom around, give her a hug. Make sure you hug your kiddos as well. I would give anything to have a hug from my mom right now.

Sorry for no pics. Life has been SOOO busy! I am doing well to get out the door with myself, much less a camera!!!

Lady A

2008-04-23T19:01:00.001-05:00

Braggin'

2008-04-14T21:19:00.002-05:00

It's time for Lady Antebellum's CD!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow, Tuesday, is the day it comes out! I am SO excited!! I just watched them perform on the CMT awards...AWESOME! They are more rock than country...check them out! www.ladyantebellum.com

In other news...Sara Moore is having a GIRL!!!!!!!!!! Emmaleigh Mae. I am SOOOO excited!!!

Hope everyone is doing well. I am anxiously awaiting TAKS test day. Whew...is it really worth all the anxiety? I think not!!

Basketball and Such

2008-04-03T19:57:00.002-05:00

Well, our lady Ags ALMOST pulled it off to make it to the Final Four. TN stood in our way! It was a great game, and I am SO proud of our ladies. It's fun watching Coach Blair since he used to be at La. Tech!!

Not much else is going on. I can't believe it's already April. It's the month of the TAKS test. It seemed like this month was so far away. Where does time go?

It's also the month Lady Antebellum's CD is out! Check it out... www.ladyantebellum.org
Hillary is Linda's daughter, the one that sang in our wedding. (For those of you that remember hanging out with her!) They call themselves country, but it's more of a rock-country. Pretty cool sound!!

It's official...dad sold the house!!!!!!!!!!! We thought we sold it a while back, but the people that wanted it couldn't sell their house. Temple Baptist bought it for missionaries to use. Apparently they have a youth minister that is going to come and live there, so the process has sped up! All the votes passed, so it's a done deal. Whew!! God's timing is perfect! Now I know why God allowed my mom and dad to move while I was in college. I DID NOT want them to move, but if I was saying goodbye to my Wade Place house right now, it would NOT be easy. Again, God's timing is perfect.

Addicted

2008-03-28T21:57:00.001-05:00

It's confession time. I am addicted. I need help. I can't stop eating crawfish.

More of Baton Rouge

2008-03-26T20:17:00.000-05:00

Inside the football stadium

More purple and gold

One of the pretty trees ALL OVER Baton Rouge!

Baton Rouge

2008-03-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

Jason and I headed to Baton Rouge for the women's NCAA games. A&M was playing Sat. night and Monday night. So since I had Friday off, I took Monday and Tuesday off, and we were outta here!! We spent Friday and Sat. nights at The Hilton. Then we stayed Sunday and Monday nights with my brother. We had a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We ate some GOOD seafood and toured LSU. Of course, Jason wanted to see the football stadim, so we walked into the stadium. I was like...oh neat. Jason was memorized! He loves his football!! Anyway, here are some pics from our weekend.

LSU football stadium

LSU basketball arena

The final score to our first game.

Sara Moore

2008-03-20T22:10:00.002-05:00

First, I am no longer swollen. BUT...I feel like a snake. I am peeling ALL over my face, arms and neck. GROSS!! Some comments from my kids have been: Mrs. Owen, you have something on your face. Oh Mrs. Owen, I thought you had crumbs all over your face. Mrs. Owen, do you know you're sunburned?! Oh how I love the words of 4th graders. They are precious!!

I did use the vinegar idea, Kim. My dad's wife Margie told me the secret. Talk about smelling badly! Whew!! Hopefully in a few days the peeling will stop, and I will be back to normal.

Now on to Sara....I am trying to get her to start a blog. So please post a comment to her and let her know you want her to start one, too! If you don't know Sara, tell her you would like to meet her by reading her blog! :)

I love you Sara Less!!!!!!

Swollen Lobster

2008-03-16T13:20:00.002-05:00

Ok, HELP!!! I woke up this morning and found my whole left side of my body SWOLLEN!! Jason's comment, "You look scary!" I guess I got too much sun!! My ear, neck, arm and hand are almost double in size. Anyone know any secrets to help me?! Not only do I look funny, but I am in PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Garage Sale and SUN!!

2008-03-15T16:17:00.000-05:00

Jason and I had a garage sale on Friday and Saturday. I am WORN OUT, but it was worth it. We made a little over $1200.00, but I am SOOOOOO red. Just call me Mrs. Lobster. I tried to take a pic of my arm, but you can't tell. My face has NEVER been this red. I hurt SO badly. I can't believe my Spring Break is about to end! Oh well....at least it's just a 4 day work week!!! Then we get off for Easter.

Ruston!!!

2008-03-12T16:29:00.000-05:00

I took off for Ruston Friday after school and returned Tuesday night. I was nervous about driving because of the snow, but it was not bad at all. This is Owen, Davis Glen and me at the TECH baseball game on Sunday afternoon.

This is "Grandmother Margie" with Andrew. We (Ashley, Margie and me) went shopping one afternoon. That was NOT Andrew's definition of fun!! Grandmother Margie took Andrew to see the lobster while Ashley ran to the craft section. I snuck up to find this and hear GM and A talking about the lobster. It was sweet!

Wouldn't be a trip to Ashley's house without playing the Wii. My dad even got into it. My dad and Selwyn are trying out the golf game.

I returned home safely. Now I am getting ready for a garage sale. WOO HOO! hehehehe! I'm loving this week called Spring Break!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-05T18:46:00.001-06:00

Fun and Games!

2008-03-03T20:00:00.000-06:00

This is how our school halls were decorated before the carnival. There are a lot more, but I just chose a few!

Pebble Creek Carnival

2008-03-01T08:28:00.002-06:00

My school has a HUGE carnival every year. Last year they raised $75,000.00 That means a Smart board for me!!!!!!!!!!!! Some of our classrooms already have them, so I am hoping after this year's carnival, I will have one. I can't wait!

The Kindergarten and 4th grade classes make a plate for the silent auction. A wonderful parent makes them and then we auction them off the day of the carnival. My parent did a Monopoly theme with Owenopoly. The theme for the whole carnival is Games and Fun. This mom was so creative. She used my students last name for the names of the property and names of our classroom things for everything else. Like a prize box, a Louisiana square (where I am from!), a cotton candy tax (my favorite candy!), an Aggie box (WHOOP!), etc. She thought of everything.

The plates start at $50.00. They usually go for around $200-$300. Some have gone for $800.00. WOW! I hope I don't drop the plate as I am holding it for the auction!

Other than the carnival, the other major thing going on is TAKS. We have the writing test on Wednesday. I am ready, the kids are ready...we are going to BLOW the test away. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job. I am going to be SOOOOOO sad at the end of May. But until then....I can my sunshines everyday!! Gotta go get ready for the carnival!

I've Been Tagged!

2008-02-18T14:33:00.003-06:00

Shandra tagged me. Check out her quirks at http://www.andrewsmommy.blogspot.com/

6 Quirks About You Rules:
1: Link to the person that tagged you
2: Post the rules on your blog
3: Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4: Tag at least 3 people at the end of your post and link to their blogs
5: Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
6: Let the fun begin!

1. I'm VERY anal/OCD in my classroom, but I'm just the opposite at home.

2. I check my 2 alarms (in case eletricity goes out, I set my cell phone alarm) 2 times everynight. Again, OCD!

3. I don't like my silverware to touch the table at restaurants. I am sure the table is clean, but what if it's not?! :)

4. I could eat mexican food, shrimp or crawfish every meal, everyday

5. I've always wanted to fly. I used to pray God would give me that talent and truly believed He could!

6. I'm supersticious. (spelling????) Especially at A&M basketball games, I must go to the same person to get my ticket scanned. I also must follow the same routine to get to my seat.

I'm tagging these people:
1. Mandy http://www.rangersfan22.blogspot.com/
2. Whitney http://www.westaggies.blogspot.com
3. Dara http://www.dararitter.blogspot.com/

Blah!

2008-02-03T19:23:00.000-06:00

Not too much to write about. Between work and basketball games, I have no free time. It seems like there is something EVERY night, and I am worn out. Wish there was something more to blog about, but there isn't! I was sick of seeing my last post, so I thought I would update! hehe! Hope everyone is doing well!

Sick Husband!

2008-01-26T11:04:00.000-06:00

Jason got sick after I went to work on Thursday. I called him after school, and he sounded horrible! I felt badly he was at home all day, and I had NO idea!! He's been sick before, but never this sick! YUCK! So I called the doctor, and he called in some meds. Jason has pretty much slept for the past 3 days. I am SOOOOOO bored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As many of you know, men don't make good patients! Hate to think how one would act if they were dying! hehehe!!

Only in Ruston!!

2008-01-20T20:03:00.000-06:00

Thought you Ruston peeps would enjoy this!

Sleep Anyone?!

2008-01-18T18:07:00.000-06:00

Jason snores, yells, kicks, etc! After being married for over 3 years, I had enough!!! Jason went to see the doctor about a month ago for a sinus infection. He asked about his sleeping patterns. So the doctor told him to do a presleep study. He had to wear this thing one night that recorded certain things. He went the next morning to turn it in. They called within hours saying he needed to go to the sleep study place for an evaluation. He went last week. They called within a day, and told him he tested positive for sleep apnea. They lady in charge laughed at Jason when she woke him up. She asked if he remembered certain things like yelling, kicking, etc. ALL the things I told him he did that he thought I made up. He didn't remember a thing.

So now he has to go back for another night so they can test certain levels of oxygen, etc. I can't wait! I can't even describe a night with Jason. I get VERY LITTLE deep sleep. That is why Jason has to go back. They said they need 4 hours of deep sleep, and he didn't get it last time. So now I know why I am so tired all the time. I am not getting into my deep sleep.

So hopefully it's just a few more nights of no sleep!! Until then...yawn...I will continue to be sleepy!

TAKS

2008-01-15T20:37:00.001-06:00

Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills....

If you are a teacher, these words hit a nerve. It's the lovely state test for Texas. Although I do see some good in a state test, I am NOT for the TAKS test. I have had a 4th grader try to cut her wrist so she wouldn't have to take the test. Every year I see kids get sick on TAKS test day. Is it worth it? To me, it's not.

In 4th grade, they have to take the writing, reading and math tests. It's their first year for the writing test, so it's a lot of unknowns for the kids. Since 3rd grade students HAVE to pass the reading test to move on to 4th grade, a lot of 3rd grade teachers skip out on writing to have time for reading. Which I totally understand! When I taught all subjects, I left out science to have more time for writing, and they have to take a science TAKS in 5th grade. It's a never ending cycle!

Today was our "practice TAKS test" for writing. We used the released test from last year. Since I am at a WONDERFUL school this year, it wasn't as big of a deal. But I still had to cover my walls, walk around all day, etc. BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Covering the walls means anything letters, words, etc. on my walls I had to cover. We have to make sure each child in the state of Texas is on the same playing field. In my opinion, if they are smart enough to use the posters, cursive writing chart, etc.....let them! But I do as I am told and cover the walls.)

Anyway, I am reminded of the following post....the football version of TAKS. Read it. I know it sounds crazy, but that is how teachers feel. I have a student this year that will probably skip 5th grade because she is so bright. In that same class, I have a young man that is doing well if he writes 5 sentences. Yet, they are to pass the same test.

For this reason, I am now tutoring Tuesday mornings, Tuesday after school, and Wednesday after school. I might as well pop a tent in my classroom.

I don't have the answers, and I don't claim to have them! I just now A LOT of VERY GOOD teachers are leaving the education field because of the stress and craziness of it all. The good news is...you can usually find a teaching position in a TAKS testing grade!! :) Bad news is...they are gone after a year!

If you are still reading this, WOW! Thanks for listening to me on my soapbox! Can you tell Jason is gone tonight?! :)

I'll sign off for now...enjoy!

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: The Football Version

1. ALL teams must make the state playoffs and all MUST win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable. If after two years they have not won the championship their footballs and equipment will be taken away UNTIL they do win the championship.

2. ALL kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time even if they do not have the same conditions or opportunities to practice on their own. NO exceptions will be made for lack of interest in football, a desire to perform athletically, or genetic abilities or disabilities of themselves or their parents. ALL KIDS WILL PLAY FOOTBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL!

3. Talented players will be asked to work out on their own, without instruction. This is because the coaches will be using all their instructional time with the athletes who aren't interested in football, have limited athletic ability, or whose parents don't like football. 4. Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the 4th, 8th, and 11th game. This will create a New Age of Sports where every school is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimum goals. No child gets ahead, so no child is left behind. If parents do not like this new law they are encouraged to vote for vouchers and to support private schools that can screen out the non-athletes and prevent their children from having to go to school with poorly performing kids.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2008-01-03T21:44:00.000-06:00

Well, Wednesday was my first day back. What happened to getting 2 weeks off for Christmas?! I know I should be thankful for what I get because I am blessed to have a while off, but my breaks keep getting shorter and shorter. All for tourism for Texas. Whatever! :)

I drive about 15-20 minutes to work each day. I usually leave my house around 7A.M. This morning was one of the prettiest sun rises I have seen in a while! Then I got stopped by a train. I am usually like...uh! But this morning, I was so glad because I got to sit and watch the sun rise. WOW! What a mighty God we serve! I needed that breath of heaven as I was sleepy and praying that God will use me in a mighty way today.

I got a new student today. She is from Florida and seems like a precious young lady. She is GT, so that is always music to a teacher's ear...especially with the state writing test in EIGHT weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not much else is going on. Just work and basketball games. I hope everyone is doing well!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-29T10:02:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We are now home and relaxing. It was a fun, eventful trip to Tyler and Ruston!! My nephews got a Wii, and Jason and I LOVED it!! :)

Jason and I got rid of our home phone line, so no more DSL. We have the wireless card from AT&T, and it's SLOW!! Jason's boss is paying for it, so we can't complain, but it makes checking email and looking at blogs a challenge!

I hope everyone has a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Elf Yourself!!

2007-12-02T19:57:00.000-06:00

Make sure your sound is turned up and enjoy!!! :)

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1143663894

Watch Out!!

2007-11-25T14:09:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving was over, all was put away...so I thought...why don't I go ahead and get my Christmas stuff out?! So I went up in the attic and started getting all my Christmas stuff together. I was moving all the boxes towards the stairs to move them down. My left foot was on the right board, and I was trying to move my right foot to that same spot. I guess I slipped or missed the board since I was holding a big box. Next thing I know, my leg is down in the garage. So now we have a hole in our garage, and I have a HUGE bruise and 2 holes in my leg. So between the gash in my finger, the bruise and holes in my leg, I am looking quite lovely! :) So be careful getting things down from the attic. Jason put boards up in most of the attic...guess we need to add a board for that one spot my foot found!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T22:14:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone has a GREAT Thanksgiving! Word to the wise...be careful using the electric knife when cutting the turkey! I sliced my finger open while cutting mine tonight. I should have gone to the ER to get it sewn up, but I didn't have time! So now I am sitting here with a big gash in my finger. It looks oh so lovely!! Hopefully the skin will somehow get together!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

George Bush Library

2007-11-18T14:37:00.000-06:00

The 4th graders went to George Bush Library last week. They just reopened it since they redid a lot of things. It was nice. We had a great time!!! Below is our class picture out front. This is the BEST class ever!!!

My Second Home

2007-11-15T21:34:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Reed Arena...home of the Texas Aggies basketball games!! It's also where I feel like I live these days. For the past several days this is my schedule: Leave my house at 7A.M. Teach all day, work until 5P.M., meet Jason for dinner, then a game at 8P.M. I finally make it home after 1oP.M. and start my duties as a wife...clean, wash clothes, etc. After today, I had to stop! So I sent Jason to the game solo. I stayed home and set my table for Thanksgiving. I feel like I got a lot done! Y'all would probably laugh and be like...that is ALL you did??! But for someone who has done very little at home this week, I feel like I have done a lot! Thank goodness for my WONDERFUL husband that understands and washes the clothes, starts the dishwasher, etc.

Back to my show...Without A Trace. I have SO many Dr. Phils and Oprahs to watch...one day!!!! :) And you ask when we will have kids?! Who has time for that?! :)

Six years ago today...November 9th

2007-11-08T20:36:00.000-06:00

I was teaching in Spearsville, LA. I had to work that night at a basketball game, so I was walking from my classroom to the gym with some other teachers. Ring, ring. My cell phone. It was dad...my heart stopped. "Hello?" "Carrie, this is dad. You better come home." "Dad, is she dead, yet?" "Sweetheart, it won't be long. Hurry home." "Dad, let me hear her breathe." A slow, unsteady breath was heard on the other end. "Carrie, you better come quickly." "Daddy, tell mom I love her." Click.

I stood in shock. My teacher friend, Mrs. Stone, saw me and knew what was going on. I fell to the ground. She told the others to stay with me while she went to get her van. Before I knew it, I was in her van, flashers on, making the 45 minute trip to Ruston.

God is so good. Mrs. Stone's husband, at the time, worked for the Sheriff 's Department. She called him and asked him to radio in she was heading to Ruston...going way too fast!!! Truckers, cars, everyone moved over and let us by. We made it to Ruston under 30 minutes. We pulled into the driveway, and I got out. I walked inside and my dad and sister were sitting on the couch with my mom between them. My mom was propped up, and my dad was holding her mouth closed so I could see her one last time looking "normal." At that moment, they pronounced her dead. I went to sit beside her. My worst nightmare had just come true.

Earlier that day, I prayed for God to take my mom home. She thought the flowers were talking to her, she wasn't eating, her life as we knew it was over. But as I sat next to her lifeless body, I wondered why I had prayed that.

Six years later, God is still teaching me why. Some days are easier than others. Some days I honestly go all day without even thinking about it. Other days, I think about it 24/7.

But no matter what, I am thankful for the days I had my mom on earth. Even though there are some days I want her back on earth, I am quickly reminded this earth is not home. My mom is sitting at the feet of Jesus, singing her heart out! I can only pray I bring someone closer to accepting Christ so they can one day sit at the feet of Jesus as well.

And until that day that I am called home, I will wait patiently and be still...and know He is God!

Living Museum

2007-11-03T20:22:00.000-05:00

We have been working on a project called Living Museum for about a month. Friday was presentation day. I am SOOOO proud of my kids! It started with them picking a famous person to do research on. They researched, wrote a report about that person, then made a poster. Then it was time to write and memorize a 2 minute speech. Finally, time to "come to life!" Friday, for an hour, each student became their person and did their speech each time someone pushed their red button. Needless to say, they were WIPED OUT afterwards, but they did an OUTSTANDING job!!!!!!! Even my resource kids it, and I wanted to cry on Friday because I was SO proud!! I wasn't sure what to expect since this is my first year at Pebble Creek. But I was blown away by my kids. I feel like a proud momma!! Enjoy the pics...even though they don't show all the hard work my kids did!!!

Not much else is going on in the Owen household! Basketball season is here, so life will get even busier during the week!! I love it though! Hope everyone is doing well!!

Other boys

2007-10-21T21:05:00.000-05:00

Just realized my pic of Owen and Davis Glen didn't make my previous post. This is early Saturday morning! See post below! :)

Busy as a Bee!

2007-10-21T19:03:00.000-05:00

Whew...what a week and weekend. I feel like I have been in a marathon and ran it in 20 minutes!!! When is spring break?! As most of you know, I am teaching at a new school this year. It's probably the best school I have been in. I LOVE it!! The kids are "normal" which hasn't always been the case. These kids come from families that work at A&M, are doctors, lawyers, etc. You may be thinking your child's school is like that. Yes, probably so. But a lot of schools are very different! Everyone told me this school is like a private school, but I wasn't sure what they meant. Now I do! It's awesome! Friday was "Enrichment Day!" The theme was Can You Dig It? Our team (4th grade) did dinosaurs. Each teacher (6 of us) plan an activity and each 4th grade class comes into your room throughout the day to do your activity. It was a blast!!! That explains the 2 pics below. We decorated our hallway like a cave. It was awesome!

My homeroom showing off their fossils! Aren't they the cutest?! :) I LOVE them!!!!!!!

This year, I am also in charge of Student Council. Next week is Red Ribbon week, and I am in charge. I won't go into details, but with that and Enrichment day, I was about to have a nervous breakdown!!! So Thursday night--(I'm still waiting on the 8-3 job I am supposed to have!) I got home and Jason had roses waiting on me. I needed that!! Yes, that's a butter box beside them! I was making a "dinosaur delight" for all the 4th graders.

Thursday night Jason was invited to go to the A&M Nebraska game. An older doctor friend from Tyler called him and said his grandson couldn't go anymore, so Jason got to go....FREE!!! He got to fly in a charter plane and got in free. He was SUPER excited. But I had to get him to Tyler at 5am to meet the doctor friend so they could head to Dallas to fly out by 9am. So we went to Tyler Friday night and got up at 3:30am. Keep in mind we went to bed around midnight. So after a NAP that night, we headed to meet Dr. Lyles. After dropping Jason off, I headed to Ruston. NOT SMART!! I fell asleep and almost didn't make it to Ruston! I got there around 7:30am. I went straight to my sister's house so I could make it to Davis Glen's soccer game at 9am. When I arrived, Andrew wanted to show me how he could ride his bike. He made a ramp (in the background) to ride on. He's not afraid of ANYTHING!!! So I got to see Andrew ride his bike, see Davis Glen score 3 out of the 4 points in his game, and hear Owen play the piano!

After the fun, there was work to do! Last time my brother went to Ruston, he told me I had a lot of boxes in the attic to get out. I thought I went through everything already. NOPE! To make a LONG story short, I stayed up, along with my sis, and went through what seemed like a million boxes. My precious mother kept EVERYTHING...and I do mean EVERYTHING! Parents, keep the important things, but not EVERYTHING!! It was hard going through everything. My wonderful sis and I laughed and cried and made priceless memories! Needless to say, it's good to be home. Now back to work I go....

Welcome to the radio, Hil!

2007-09-29T22:53:00.000-05:00

Jason's cousin, Hillary, is now on the radio! Her band, Lady Antebellum, has a single out called "Love Don't Live Here!" Call and request it!!!

Not much else is going on around Aggieland! Parent conferences start next week, so I will be spending 24/7 at school trying to get those done. I got a "Happy Fall" gift on Friday from a student. Thought that was sweet!

For those of you that know my friend Dara (from MC), she had her baby last Wednesday. Jason and I were sitting at dinner at church and my phone rang. Saw it was Dara's number and was expecting her husband Sam to call and give me the update. When I said hello, it was Dara on the other end. I was like...WHAT?! I asked what she was doing and she said eating pie. Dara said she felt good, so why not call?! Crazy!

Getting closer to someone's birthday...home alone girl!!

Well, I have rambled enough! Better go get Jason from the TV and go to bed! Yes, we were at the A&M game and YES, he's watching the game AGAIN on TV. He's a true Aggie! UGH! :)

Off to dream land...

Haircut Anyone?!

2007-09-22T20:47:00.000-05:00

For those of you that know my nephew Andrew, this will come as no surprise! I probably have told many of you, but I just found the pic. Remember I told you my nephews sang in the 4th of July program at Temple? Well, this story took place a few days before that.

Andrew is in the bathroom and VERY quiet...first clue something is going on. He's NEVER quiet or still!! So my sister walks in and sees Andrew with his scissors, cutting his hair. Andrew, what are you doing? Mom, I just wanted my hair a little shorter. So my sister looks and doesn't know what to do. By looking at the picture, you can tell there isn't much to do! The front part of his hair is GONE! So my sis, dealing with the youngest of 3 boys, laughs and goes on. Program in front of the Ruston gang?? No problem! Guess that's what happens with child #3!

Miami

2007-09-21T23:51:00.000-05:00

Jason and his dad went to the A&M and Miami game. Although the game was HORRIBLE, here are some pics of somethng GOOD to remember about the trip! :) This is the view from their hotel room.

Another view from their hotel room.

The beach. I am jealous I didn't get to go, but in a way, I am glad I didn't go. Jason is now watching the game AGAIN on TV. If only he got paid for all the coaching he does from the recliner!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-09-17T18:22:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow (September 18th) would have been my mom's birthday. So...
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear momma,
Happy birthday to you!

For those of you that are blessed enough to still have your mom around, don't take her for granted. Call or email her...you never know when it might be your last.

To those of you that are a momma, hug your kid a little tighter, leave notes for them, take lots of pictures...that might be the only thing they have left of you one day. Trust me, those are the things that will get them through some days!

Football Weekend...too much for me!

2007-09-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

Whew! I think I am going to have a heart attack before Sunday morning! The Aggies went into THREE overtimes today. The game was at 2:30pm and needless to say, it was HOT!!! Right when the third OT started, it started POURING DOWN!! Yes, we stayed for it all! It was an interesting game, but the Aggies pulled it out. THEN I came home and listened to the La. Tech game. Another overtime game. And La. Tech lost. I hate that! But at least they played a close game. I must go calm down...this has been too much on me this weekend!! :)

Gig 'em Aggies! WHOOP!

2007-09-03T18:32:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was the first home game for the Aggies. Of course we won, and we also had a BLAST! This is the student section. They stand the ENTIRE game...whew!

Aggie band! AMAZING!

Block T formation!

My classroom

2007-09-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

This is my classroom. Soon, I will have a projector and a smart board...can't wait!

8 Random Things About Me!!

2007-09-01T23:19:00.001-05:00

Linda tagged me and I am just now getting it...sorry Linda! So here I go...here are 8 random facts about me. If anyone reads this and hasn't posted their 8, you're tagged!

1. I kissed a boy in kindergarten in the planetarium and to this day, I remember waiting out front of AEP at the end of the day for my mom. My K teacher kept giving me looks and I didn't want her to talk to my mom.

2. I used to pee in my sandbox because I didn't want to waste time going inside!

3. I used to do drive bys...Shan...shhhhhhhhhh!!!

4. I was head cheerleader in 8th grade. GO PUPS!

5. I sang a solo in a 4th of July program for church at a theater in Ruston.

6. The place where I sang that solo is where Jason sang once when he was a little boy. We were meant to be together way back then!! HA!

7. Mandy, Sara and I like Mariah Carey and an oven around Christmas...enough said!!

8. I have always wanted to fly and live until I was 112. I remember praying for those things when I was a little girl!

House Redone Part 2

2007-09-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

This is our office. We moved Jason's desk to the side and moved the couch and dad's green chairs in. We also added part of the computer desk against the wall and it holds Jason's football and Aggie stuff. He said this is his favorite room. He LOVES those green chairs! hehehe!!

Notice the computer stand...and the lamp! This was a gift from the shower at Mrs. Kathy Shealy's house!

Desk against the wall...green chairs in room now!

Another view...with the doorway to our living room. Dad and Ash...now you can see how we used the furniture!! Love y'all! Come visit!!

My house---redone!

2007-09-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

Like I said earlier, Jason and I decided NOT to sell our house. Since my dad sold his, we all got some furniture from it. So I redid some rooms in our house and here is the finished product. Daddy and Ash....these are for you! Dining room above. (This used to be where the little couch was with the 2 recliners...right when you walk through the front door!)

In the dining rom looking into the entrance...the cabinet thing that was in mom and dad's entrance.

This is the mirror that was above that little stand. That little stand is in our office.

This is the bed that was in the "crib" room at dad's house. I used the same khaki bedspread I had while living with Mandy...just added the blue...all for around $35.00! LOVE TJ Maxx!!! :)

Oh Happy Day!

2007-08-27T18:05:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day of school and I am blown away!! I had an AWESOME first day!! I can't wait to see what this year brings!! I am SOOOO happy!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Whistle While you Work...

2007-08-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

Well, back to work I go!! We had new teacher induction last week (new district) and this week everyone is back. It's been a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too much to say and so little time to say it, but this year is already SOOO much better than the last few. Of course, it's hurry, hurry, hurry and then everything always falls into place. Friday night is meet the teacher and then the kids come Monday. I am a little nervous because of the types of families this school serves, but....I haven't heard ONE negative thing about my new school. It really is a little piece of heaven.

Jason and I have decided not to sell our house. Why move to a 4 bedroom (TINY rooms) when it's just us? We have 3 larger bedrooms with 2 dining and 2 living spaces. That way we can enjoy life and later...if we need to...we can move. But for now, this is where we will be!!

I know it's only 9:15pm, but I am going to get ready for bed. I didn't go to bed until 12:30am last night/this morning, so I am tired.

Hope everyone is doing well. People with kids, keep posting pics and/or videos! :)

Ideas Needed!!

2007-08-11T11:32:00.000-05:00

I am trying to come up with a new "welcome back" board for the hallway at my school. I have an idea for after the welcome one, but I need one for the first week of school. Since it will only be up for about a week, I don't want anything TOO hard to do. Ideas???
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

New Group!

2007-08-05T17:07:00.000-05:00

Lady Antebellum....this is a new group that is coming out and their first single will come out in September. Their first single is titled "Love Don't Live Here" and you need to call and request it in September. Follow the link to hear/see more. The girl in the group is Hillary...Jason's cousin. She is AMAZING and is just as pretty on the inside as the outside.

For those of you that went to my wedding, she sang "Holy Ground" with Linda and Lang. That's before she signed a record deal! hehe!

Her group is SUPER excited about what is coming and I can't wait!! I just hope Hillary remembers the little people when she becomes rich and famous! hehe!

Check them out....(you can also go to www.ladyantebellum.com and click on their myspace page to see more!)

http://myspace.com/ladyantebellum

Enjoy!!

Worn out!!

2007-07-29T23:55:00.001-05:00

SOLD! My dad's house wasn't even really on the market and it sold. Crazy!! Why can't I be so lucky?! I was going to Ruston this weekend to have a nice, relaxing weekend with my 10 year old nephew...turned ten today!!

Well, that changed when I got the call dad's house was sold. Jennifer and I got the uhaul and headed to Ruston. By Sunday afternoon, NOTHING more would fit. Jennifer was lucky to have a seat! hehe! We pulled into my driveway around 7:20pm. With strict instructions NOT to unload it, that was even more of a reason to get it unloaded! Our husbands were in Fort Worth together, so we decided we could do it! About 2 hours later, we were dropping off the uhaul!!

I am worn out, but SO glad it's done. I still have a little left to get in Ruston, but I got the majority of it. I don't know what I would have done without Jennifer!!! Bless her heart, she wouldn't go home until EVERYTHING was unloaded. That's a true friend!!

One more hour until my husband gets home. He will be so proud!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANDY!!!

2007-07-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

Happy 30th birthday, Miss Mandy!!! Sorry, this is the only pic I have on my computer! :) For those of you that don't know, Mandy and I lived together the last few years of college (when I transferred to Tech) and then again after college in Euless, Texas. Poor Mandy has put up with me for a long time!! Mandy has the sweetest spirit and loving heart of anyone I know. She was so easy to live with!!!! We had so many good times: going to get Magnolia flowers at midnight, singing in the dark with a spotlight from an oven light, going to get a REAL Christmas tree, decorating it (she is AWESOME at putting on the lights!), cooking together, being a bum by the pool during the summer, singing Oh Happy Day, talking about boys, the list could go on and go.

Mandy, I hope you have a GREAT day...you deserve it!!!

Visiting Family

2007-07-23T08:27:00.000-05:00

I headed out Friday morning and went to see my brother's kids...Stovall and Macey Claire! Boy have they grown!!! Stovall will be in the 5th grade and Macey Claire will be in preK. I can't believe it. Seems like yesterday my first nephew was born and now he will be in 5th grade. Where does time go? We had a blast and I even got a free manicure and pedicure from Macey Claire! I now know all about Hannah Montana and High School Musical 2!! MC can't wait for it to come out!!

I will now be home until school starts, working in my classroom. Hope all my teacher friends enjoy their last few free days. Ready to work 24/7 now?! :) Just wait...before we know it, Christmas will be here!!!! WOO HOO! hehehe!

For Shan...

2007-07-19T18:06:00.000-05:00

Shandra, this is the 6 wheeler. It was LOADS of fun. You can see where my seat was. This was the first time I rode it. The tent like thing under me was HOT so the next time I sat on a blanket. I LOVED it!!

I'm back!

2007-07-19T09:29:00.000-05:00

We got back yesterday from Ruidoso, New Mexico! It was WONDERFUL! We stayed at Rhonda and Lionel's house...Jason's cousin. They live on 500 acres on top of a mountain. It was nice!!! This is a pic taken from our 6 wheeler ride. Lionel has trails all over his land...up and down mountains....some STEEP rides!!! It was very pretty and we had a blast! Jason is leaving for work, so I have to cut this short. I am leaving tomorrow to go see my brother and his kids. See y'all Monday!

Off for a vacation!

2007-07-10T17:56:00.000-05:00

Jason and I are flying out tomorrow night and will return on July 18th. Have a GREAT week!!!

Family Visiting

2007-07-07T16:20:00.000-05:00

Dad and Margie got to our house Friday afteroon and we are having a blast! As you can tell from the pic, they are putting together a puzzle while Jason is getting the grill ready to cook hamburgers. Such fun!

PEACH ICEE!!!

2007-07-02T21:40:00.000-05:00

Jason and I headed to Ruston as a last minute trip! I was going to Ruston during the week, but Jason really wanted to see the boys in the 4th of July musical at Temple. So since he had an appointment in Tyler on Monday at lunch, we headed out Sat. morning and then headed to Tyler early Monday morning. As you can see, our second stop (1st being getting the boys--my nephews) was to get a peach icee!!

Andrew and Davis Glen enjoying a peach icee!

The best site to see...a peach icee sign!

I WANT AN ICEE!

2007-06-29T08:40:00.000-05:00

This is my youngest nephew, Andrew. Although this is not a peach icee, it's an icee. Have I mentioned I WANT ONE??!!! For some reason, they don't have those around here. SOOOO glad I'm going to Ruston next week...peach icee...HERE I COME!!! :)

My precious family

2007-06-26T22:19:00.000-05:00

This is my family...dad, Ashley and Chris. This was taken Thursday night before the festivities began! I must say I am very blessed to have these people in my life. Now I am double blessed (is that a word?!) with Margie and her family!!!

View from the Cabin

2007-06-26T22:17:00.000-05:00

This is the view from my dad's cabin. I actually took this from the deck. You can sit in the living room and watch this view all day. It's WONDERFUL!!! When we woke up, we were cool...yes...my sis wore a jacket!!!

Introducing....

2007-06-24T15:11:00.000-05:00

These are my new siblings...John and Kimberly. This is my new step brother and sister.

This is me, my brother (Chris), my dad, and my sister (Ashley). This is right before the wedding started. (notice the clean face...all makeup on and no red eyes!!) Of course, dad is ALL smiles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Ron White!!!!!!!!!!! (my dad and Margie!)

We had a blast this weekend! My sister and I met in Atlanta and flew into Asheville, NC together. We met John and Kimberly Thursday night when they all came over to dad's cabin for BBQ. Then during the day on Friday dad, Chris, Ashley and myself all went shopping. We had a great time. Then we all went out to eat at a WONDERFUL place Friday night. Then Saturday was the wedding. It was all just wonderful. I will post specific pics and information in the days to come. Just wanted y'all to see my new family members!!

Going to the chapel....

2007-06-20T18:36:00.000-05:00

Well, I am heading out to NC tomorrow for my dad's wedding on Saturday. Better go pack!! I'll write when I return!

Fun times with the hubby!

2007-06-18T21:36:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was the 1st Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival! So Jason and I headed to downtown Bryan around lunch time on Saturday and spent the day there. Then that night we heard Bonnie Bishop and the Bellamy Brothers. The weather was PERFECT (I actually got cold!!) and the company was wonderful. We had a blast!! (The pic was taken before we headed out!)

Then last night we grilled steak and tried a sauce we learned at the festival. Then to top it all off, Jason told me stay out of the bedroom until I was told to come in. Hmm...so finally I heard the call to come in. He had my favorite candle lit and had a relaxing music station on the TV. Then he escorted me to the bed and massaged my back and legs. It was AWESOME!!! Needless to say, I am so blessed to have Mr. Jason Davis Owen as my husband!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To buy or not to buy?

2007-06-12T21:58:00.000-05:00

Well, Jason and I have been looking for a new house for a while. Yes, we only moved down here in October of 2005, but we have learned so much about the area! Now that I will be teaching in College Station, we are looking in that area. This is a house we are considering buying. It's not much bigger than the one we are in now, but it's half a mile from my new school...which means a NICE area! It's a LONG story on why it's for sale, but it's a steal of a deal, so we are now trying to sell our current home. Please pray for God's guidance in this area. Pray Jason and I will be open and be content in what God leads us to do.

Dad's Getting Married!

2007-06-09T22:29:00.000-05:00

This is a pic of my dad and Margie...his soon to be wife!! Yes, my dad is getting married on June 23rd--2 weeks from today! This pic was taken in March when Jason and I were in Ruston over my spring break to meet her. They came in for a few days (from NC) and so we had to get to Ruston to meet this lady my dad is inlove with!! She was happily married when her husband was diagnosed with cancer and later died from it. They share a lot in common and what is so neat is that they can openly talk about their former spouse.

They met at First Baptist Church, Asheville, NC where my dad attends now that he has been pretty much been living at our cabin. Dad was going to a grief seminar and saw Margie there, but just thought she was a hostess or something because she had on a wedding ring. He learned more about her and eventually asked her for coffee. He told her he has never asked someone for coffee that had a wedding ring on! Then on another date, someone told my dad as they were checking out, "Would you like for me to hand this to your wife?" (or something of that nature) Dad said they just laughed. She eventually took off her wedding ring and is now wearing an engagement ring from my dad.

I am so excited my dad has found someone else to love. Mom always said that dad would probably find someone else and that we needed to accept her. Mom said she read somewhere that when you are happily married, you want to be married again. My dad deserves Margie. He took SUCH great care of my mom and has been lonely for almost 6 years. God is good and faithful. To God be the glory!!