Giving Thanks Challenge - stored for safe-keeping

2010 Giving Thanks Challenge

I'm giving thanks for:

Nov. 1 - being born to my parents.
Nov. 2 - my loving husband, Chuck.
Nov. 3 - my three healthy children.
Nov. 4 - my school, students, and co-workers. Nov. 5 - Bill, the lady who kept me when I was young.
Nov. 6 - my siblings: Nancy, Larry, Chandler, Frank, and John.
Nov. 7 - my church.
Nov. 8 - my education. Nov. 9 - patience..thank God I have it!!
Nov. 10 - healthcare workers. Nov. 11 - our country's veterans. God bless America. Nov. 12 - my childrens' curiosity, initiative, drive, and independence.
Nov. 13 - my home. Nov. 14 - the power of prayer. God is good!
Nov. 15 - communications via email. Nov. 16 - teachers....Happy American Education Week!
Nov. 17 - plentiful, refreshing water.
Nov. 18 - the homemaking skills my mama passed on to me: cooking, sewing, canning, etc. Nov. 19 - books, magazines, and my love of reading. Nov. 20 - the relationship Charles has with his aunt Viv.
Nov. 21 - the compassion my children have for others...RIP Izzy :(
Nov. 22 - my friends' willingness to serve and help out when asked. Thanks!!
Nov. 23 - my childrens' friends. You're the best! Nov. 24 - the limits that were set for me growing up, and the parental fortitude to set them for my own children now.
Nov. 25 - help in the kitchen :)
Nov. 26 - memories of my childhood...the good and the bad...those days shaped who I am today.
Nov. 27 - crafting abilities -- we're getting ready for the Advent Fair Nov. 28 - quiet time, a warm blanket, and a movie.
Nov. 29 - hot coffee (with flavored creamer) on a cold morning. Nov. 30 - my blogger friends!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Once again, I'm linking up with Jamie for this weeks edition of

What I'm Loving Wednesday...

First and foremost, I'm thankful for and loving God for bringing my precious little great-nephew Law through the week.  He is a patient at the Children's Hospital in Cincinnati.  Law has tuberous sclerosis which has caused him to suffer many seizures and developmental delays.  Doctors performed brain surgery on Monday hoping to stop the seizures and improve his quality of life.  Please visit Law's Caringbridge website (here) to read more about this tough little guy, one of God's angels here on Earth.

I'm loving my son Charles and congratulating him for receiving the Student Service Award (voted on by faculty members) here at MCHS.  He will be presented the award May 5, 2011, at a county-wide "Celebrating Our Success" banquet. 

I'm loving the Marlboro County High School Bulldog

softball teams and my two favorite players.... 

Mary Jo

and

Lawren

I'm loving my other son Josh....he's always willing to accompany me when I need to go somewhere....especially when I dangle a caramel Frappe` in front of him... :)

I'm loving little Pippi, MJ's new puppy that Josh got her for Christmas.  She has proven to be a lively, but messy, addition to our family. 

And, of course and as usual, I love my sweet, hard-working  husband.  I definitely made the right choice when I picked him!

Top 2 Tuesday

I've been away for a while, so I'm very excited to be linking up

with Taylor for this week's edition of

Top 2 Tuesday....

Random Facts about Yourself....

{1}

I love, love, love to watch my daughters

play fastpitch softball. 

This is one of my all-time favorites.  Both of them currently play for the local high school and, starting this summer, they will play for a travel softball team in a nearby town.  Thru the years they've played rec. dept. ball, all-star softball, middle school softball, travel softball, and even played on our county team that finished 3rd in the state for two years in a row.

{2}

I wear my college class ring on the middle finger

of my right hand.

When I was pregnant with Charles, my hands were often swollen, so I had my rings stretched to fit my puffed fingers.  I never had my Winthrop class ring cut back down to ring-finger size, so for the past 15 years, I've just worn it on my middle finger.  It is kind of quirky-looking, but I guess that's just a part of me...

So, now it's your turn....

What are two random facts about you??

Miscellany Monday

So, I have not participated in Miscellany Monday in quite a while....let's see what I can think of on this beautiful day....

Daylight Savings time started over the weekend.  We all had to "spring forward" an hour, and that loss of an hours sleep is catching up to me.  I had planned to take a nap yesterday afternoon to recoup  that hour but things did not work out....

I'm still loving my position as special ed. teacher at MCHS!  This is the absolute BEST place to be!  I think that I am so lucky to have had this opportunity to move here in January.  Go Bulldogs!!

Speaking of Bulldogs....both the JV and varsity softball teams won Friday night against (my Alma mater) Cheraw.  MJ was the catcher for the JV game and Lawren played right field and 3rd during the varsity game.  Again....Go Bulldogs!!

And....the SCFFA Tractor Driving Competition was held in Florence over the weekend, and guess who scored PERFECT???  That's right....Charles!!  His team came in 3rd in the region and will travel to the SC State Fairgrounds in April for the state competition!!  I'm so proud of you, Charles!

My little great-nephew Law is scheduled for brain surgery at 3:00 today.  His doctors are hoping to perform a procedure that will reduce the number of seizures he is experiencing.  He has a disease called Tuberous Sclerosis, and it has been devastating to his development.  Everyone please say a prayer for little Law, his parents, Christi and Jeff, and his precious big sister Victoria.

I hope that everyone is having a super Monday....I sure am!

<3

Jo

Meet Me on Monday

Questions:

1.  Do you have a fireplace in your home?  Yes, and we use it during the winter for heat and for the cozy, homey atmosphere.

2.  Can you drive a stick shift?  I sure can....that brings back fond memories of my younger days and my beloved black Ford Probe....

3.  How many computers are in your home?  Ummmm, three...two laptops and a desktop...

4.  Are your taxes done yet?  Do you do them yourself?  Yep, submitted and I got back our state refund over this past weekend!  HOORAY!!



5.  What is your favorite meal of the day?  I like all meals, but my favorite just depends on the day...

13 Years Ago....

Thirteen years ago today, my heart was broken.  I lost my best friend, my confidant, my biggest supporter, my role model, my teacher, my hero, my mama. 

In my every waking moment, I miss you.

I love you....

Saturday 9: Medicate

Saturday 9: Medicate
1. Do you take a lot of medication?  As much as I can....

2. Name one of your flaws and tell us about it.  I am a terrible housekeeper......

3. Have you ever won first place? If yes, tell us about your victory!  I've never won first place, but I did receive a lot of scholarships before starting college.

4. Who is the last person to make you smile? What was happening?  Charles....we just spent a little time together this afternoon, and I loved it!

5. Describe a time when you should have tried harder.  In a graduate level class many years ago, I got into a group of slackers and was not doing my best work on a project.  I was enjoying the company of friends, but then realized that I was not going to be able to turn in a quality project.  I backed out of the group and worked independently with much better results.

6. What are you best at?  Here lately, not much....I am a good teacher and I relate well with my students...

7. If someone was going to make a movie or TV show about your life, who would play you and why?  I guess someone like Kathy Bates or Camryn Manheim.  Both are strong women with a cutting sense of humor.

8. Name 3 things that you think are strange.  I think that it is strange that I get blamed for everything that goes wrong in our household, that I cannot get over this sinusitis even though I've been on medication for three weeks, and that our puppy will pee pee on the pee pee pad but will go to the hallway to poo poo 8 times out of 10....

9. What is one lesson you have learned in the past 12 months?  I've learned that I can still be surprised about turns of events.