Where do I start?

My life the past couple of weeks has been so busy that I have not even THOUGHT about updating this blog. Apparently I am too busy living my life to write about it. Lots has happened, but as always, I will only include the highlights...

The first is not at all a highlight, but the end of an era. Jack has found a new home. At first I thought this deserved it's own post about how wonderful of a cat he was, etc., but then I realized that he isn't dead (he is very much alive and well), he just found a better home. Here is the makeup of why he is no longer living with us: Henry was getting really rough with him, and at the moment I need a guard dog more than a rowdy cat; he always wanted to go outside, and made runs for it, but our neighborhood is not exactly where you want a cat to roam; but the biggest reason is his attacking nature, which we thought was funny for a while, until I showed up with cut arms all the time. Randy firmly decided that Jack would not be around when we had a baby because of his unpredictable aggression; and, although we are not having a kid soon, I thought it would be best for him to go ahead and make a new transition rather than make this one in the new house to just turn around and find a new home in a year or so.

Therefore, Jack now belongs to a fifty-year-old man named Tony, who was so excited to get him and let Jack have the run of his house. He loves that Jack has the personality of a dog and is the alpha male, and he loves that we gave him all of Jack's things to make him feel at home with the transition.

Am I sad about it? Yes. Did I cry? Yes. But it really was the best decision for our life at this point, and also better for the crazy, unpredictable Jack Cat.

I went to Nashville last weekend because I have some fun news to share...one of my very best friends is PREGNANT!!!! YAY! Anna Grace and Drew are expecting their first child in March, and I was so excited to get to have ice cream with her and grill her with tons and tons of questions. I am so happy for them, and it so happens to be that we will have another niece/nephew around that time because Danny and Jenna are also expecting in March. Busy month! Cannot wait to find out what each are having....I'm hoping for a boy for the Townsends and a girl (finally, hopefully) for the Hartmans! I also got to go to a good friend's bachelorette/lingerie shower. Katie and Matt get married in October, and we spent Saturday canoeing 13 miles down the Harpeth, then eating Baja Burrito and watching Katie open her lingerie gifts. It was so fun to be with old college friends. (Am I really "old" enough to call college friends "old"? Geesh.) Sunday was family time, and then home to see the hubs and pup.

A good friend and new PA (physician's assistant), Janine, moved into our "apartment" on Monday. She will be staying there until she finds a permanent place, and we are so excited to have her not only in Memphis, but in our very own backyard!!

Henry had been SOOOOO good lately that we bragged about him to friends. Well, I guess we spoke to soon because the very next day Randy came home to a house that was filled with pages from his Bible. Henry had chewed his Bible covers, eaten the entire book of Genesis and the first 10 chapters of Exodus. To make matters worse, he threw up a ton (probably because he ate the Bible and God was punishing him) and then sat on the couch (a HUGE no, no) and got slobber on my pillows. Yuck. Well, the dog that had won himself freedom around the house for two weeks straight is now back to being in the kitchen until he gets a little older.

Now I am just busy thinking about the next couple of big things we have going on....Sarah Kate visits tomorrow from Australia, we go camping this weekend in Arkansas, the Reds will be in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years which makes Randy too excited for words, and Kelsa visits me soon. To cap it all off we are having some amazing weather and I am loving every minute of it!

A Casserole Explosion

So, tonight we decided to have some people from the neighborhood over for dinner. On the menu? Chicken Casserole, salad, fried squash, bread, and chocolate lava cake for dessert with homemade whipped cream. Everything was looking delicious, and our guests had just arrived. Sarah had just gone to get the door, which left me, Randy, and Adam in the kitchen. The yummy, bubbly chicken casserole had been out of the oven for five minutes tops sitting on top of the stove. As we stood around talking as I finished preparing the last of the squash, the ENTIRE casserole exploded into a million pieces...none smaller than one inch in diameter. No joke. I am not exaggerating in the least.

Not only did my casserole explode, but it exploded over everything in my kitchen...including the squash and the dessert. The two boys were also wounded with some shrapnel so we had a little bit of blood lost over the incident. Luckily, no one was hurt...nor were either animal. With nothing but some salad, bread, and a set dinner table, we decided to go eat mexican up the street. Still had a great dinner with friends, but nothing like what I planned.

Those of you who know the Mary and Martha story in the New Testament, Randy said that maybe it was God's way of telling me not to be a Martha in hosting a dinner. (I had been stressed about not getting the food done. The extreme heat in our kitchen didn't help. Maybe that was because the burner was left on from the tea? I won't say names of who left it on but I will say that it was not me who made the tea!! :) Whether it was a lesson learned or just a huge mess to make a memory in the new house, it is all cleaned up and now we can laugh.)

I hope the next dinner party goes well. If I get pictures sent my way of the entire disaster I will post them for your entertainment.

This Old House

So, we have been in our house for almost a week now, and I am finally able to sleep through the night and sit down long enough to write a blog post or read some of my Bible or book....which is a good sign since the last six days I have been in constant motion whether productive or not. I think I have rearranged silly things like candles and vases a million times. First thing I realized was just how. old. this. house. is. I have never lived in a 90 year old home, so this is all "new" old stuff. For example...

Our front door has to have both doorknobs (yes, we have two doorknobs) pushed at the same time if you want in. So you better have two hands ready.

No floors are level....I haven't even tried rolling a marble or anything because I don't need to to know how off our floors are. And holes. There are holes in the floor....and holes mean...

BUGS. I can't pretend anymore...I strongly dislike bugs. Of all shapes and sizes. Especially bugs inside. We don't have much, but enough to raise an eyebrow.

Outside is a different story. We have more mosquitos than anywhere. Ever. No joke. I wish I had taken a picture of all the bug killer Randy bought from Lowe's. It took up our whole dining room table. He said he told the checkout lady, "These bugs don't stand a chance." I hope he's right.

Doors. None of them work exactly right, and they have about four layers of paint. One color being the pistachio green that was oh so popular in the ??'s. Just like that green piano, Mom...remember that thing?!

Insulation. Or lack there of. We have none...so if you want to visit us, I would be wary of the cold months. Ha!

With all of these quirks and mishaps of our old house, I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. Well, maybe there are some things that could change, but it is great. And homey. And cozy. And ours.

We have neighbors across from us, a bunch of kids, that are already on my case to teach them art. Their request? Dinosaurs.

The house next to us is boarded up, and the house directly across from us is being turned into a single family home from the boarded up duplex it is now. If you like hispanic music, you will fit right in because it is played by many of the SUV's cruising down the street.

Pictures to come...when I have the strength to take them.

Goodbye, Apartment

This is our last night in the apartment. I only thought it fitting that I include a list of things I'll miss (and some I won't miss) about our little apartment on Mud Island...

-Kitchen Island...big time

-Being able to see the TV while sitting on the toilet. Necessary?

-THREE flights of stairs

-Open floor concept...being able to see all rooms at the same time, ha!

-Walking on the river. Probably biggest thing I'll miss

-High counters in the bathroom

-Good closet space

-Crappy carpet

-All the "first" memories...first home together, first meal cooked as a Mrs., where we first brought little Jack home, etc.

-Kitchen storage

-Our dryer that mysteriously stains things with a tiny rust-colored spot

-No windows in the kitchen

-Dishwasher that takes for.ev.er.

-Walking down the street to the mailbox

-Parking woes...not finding a spot...getting your friend towed when visiting, etc.

-Fitness center and tennis courts

-Recluse-type neighbors (until I got a dog)

-Dental school friends close by

-Track lighting...bleh

-Front gate

-The hole in the base boards in the kitchen that Jack retreats to in storms

Top two would have to be the kitchen island and walking along the river. At least one of those two can be added to our new home if needed!

Binghampton

I wanted to share with you all some pictures and a video of the family we have come to love. My earlier post about moving into Binghampton seems as though it was written forever ago, but it is finally here...well, really close...it will be moving day come Saturday morning. Our apartment looks like a bomb went off as we pack up all our boxes and try to keep Jack and Henry from getting into everything. On top of everything, I have a head cold...not fun.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the pictures courtesy of a talented Janine Noble, who will be moving into the neighborhood soon herself. The video is of our house church a few Sunday mornings ago thanks to John David, who will be leaving this week with three others to do some medical work in Afghanistan for ten days.

One of the homes on our street.

This church is almost directly across from us.

A community center and restaurant, Caritas Village, does artwork and service projects for the neighborhood, and I can't wait to find out how I can get involved in the art projects.
This is the Sedekia family who moved to Memphis from Burundi, Africa about four years ago. They came here from a refugee camp and are our Christian brothers and sisters who sing beautiful worship at our house church. Yes, these are all their children...8 daughters and 2 sons. All 8 girls were born first, then they finally got 2 sons. They are amazing.
This park has become a place where competitive soccer games are a must. Sometimes the teams are pretty even, but sometimes they play Americans vs. Africans and I hear the score is pretty favorable for the Africans.

Just this summer, they have started a farming project called Urban Farms. They are growing immensely and are soon opening a Farmer's Market. The idea (and what received a federal grant) is to provide healthy food for poorer, urban areas that usually end up at fast food or small grocery stores due to proximity and price. They have vegetables, fruit, and also fresh tilipia. Yum!
Our house church...not your usual extravagant church building.
One of my favorites, Nani Kama Wewe Bwana, which translated means, "Who is like you, Lord?"

Growing So Fast!

Just because I have the time, I will share with you how much Henry has GROWN over the past several weeks. I already packed the scale, so I don't know how much he weighs, but he is averaging an inch in height each week! He is starting to get too big to fit through little knocks and crannies in the house (which I love), and doesn't realize just how much bigger he is than Jack! Here are the latest pics...He knows how to shake. In the picture below, he thought he might try to shake with me and get a treat. He's a smart one.
His growth spurt has caused him to outgrow the crate below...
...and upgrade to this giant of a crate (both on loan courtesy of good friends)!
I basically tell him to get "down" five hundred times a day. I'm not giving up either...if he can understand "sit" and "shake", he can understand "down". Right?!
Indecent exposure, Henry. He chases his tail like a cat.
Here is his most "big boy" shot. He is so grown up!

End of Summer and Back to School

What better way to spend the last weekend of summer than a surprise birthday? Add a 12 lb. hamburger eating challenge and bowling and it makes for a great "send-off" to summer. Friday night we went to Kooky Canuck for Matt's surprise 25th birthday party...he was surprised about the party, and surprised that him and Josh were about to tackle the 12 lb. Kookamunga burger challenge. It gave all of us some pretty fun entertainment.

As the waitor/manager/whoever he was brought out the massive burger, he explained the rules. The two boys had one full hour to eat the entire thing...all bread, meat, and vegetables. Then the hour began...
Took a quick minute to take a picture with the Kookamunga...notice the two giant pickles on top!
At the thirty minute mark, I would say more than half of the burger was eaten. Unfortunately, that is also where they hit a brick wall. Kookamunga won the battle, but this is how well they did...
We still got cake and after dinner went out bowling. Below is Matt and his fiancee, Kari. Matt is holding a handmade fly swatter...don't ask.
Our group at bowling...I scored a whopping 45.
Saturday and Sunday were filled with lots and lots of nerves and excitement. I finally am in the field I want...why was I suddenly nervous? The "uncertainty" of a new school is what was getting to me. Would I be nice enough? Too nice? What if a student cries? Well, Monday morning came and I had a big, giant smile on my face as I was walking out the door with my giant beach ball. The beach ball was for an ice breaker game where I could get to know my students. Randy was so happy about my positive attitude that he took a picture. I look like a 10 year old. Oh well, little kids don't care.
The first two days have been amazing. It is such a happy, positive environment. Some of the challenges, however, include trying to "redirect" conversations so you don't get 22 kid stories of their pets, or why cleaning up messes is important. And also to be prepared for any answer, even if it is a kid telling you his dad hopped on a plane this summer and never came back. (I checked up on that one, he was just telling a "tall tale") I also realized that getting students attention takes a lot more with elementary school, I have to use things like, "I'm looking for the best monkey face", or "1, 2..." (and wait for kids to say "Eyes on you"). Big difference from middle schoolers.

The artwork is quite different as well. When passing a boy drawing an alligator/monster creature on two legs, he informed me that it was "my mom as a crocodile". I'm sure she is thrilled! The best part about elementary school is that at the end of the day, instead of slamming their lockers shut and untucking their shirt in a rebellious way, they rush up to me to give me a hug goodbye. And that hug makes all the difference.

The pictures below are of my art room, mostly for my mom and sister to see. The teacher before me left 31 years of "belongings" in the room, and I had quite a task weeding through it all. So many of the teachers that came in yesterday and today said things like, "I never knew this room had carpet", and "Wow! I can see the walls!"
And if you liked the story about the crocodile/mom, don't worry....there will be plenty, plenty more. I've only taught two days, and only taught actual art to two classes!