sensational seven

it's late and i'm tired! but here's a bulleted list of 7 positive things that happened this week:

1. i started working with the autism kids after school. they have their own club, so i get to see these kids that i absolutely adore 3 afternoons a week!
2. wednesday i broke up a fight at school. it was in the hallway during a transition, and i didn't get hurt! seriously, i went to bed thinking how it was possible that i didn't get punched in the process of getting in the middle of 2 7th grade boys throwing punches at each other. God definitely protected me!
3. wednesday night we conducted a successful business meeting at church. i'm so blessed to be a part of ghbc!
4. thursday was john & gabe's SIXTH birthday! doesn't seem possible. got to skype for about an hour with tim and luke while bridget put the birthday boys to bed.
5. mom & dad celebrated 49 years of marriage thursday. almost unheard of this day and age.
6. i'm 5 days of school away from vacation! AND we actually got a FULL WEEK of school in this past week. first full week since january 3rd (even though we had a half day monday and an early release tuesday for parent teacher conference... it wasn't a full week for the kids but it was for teachers).
7. got to spend this afternoon and evening with some GREAT friends! had a blast celebrating Brennan's 1st birthday and then got some girl time in with rachel and kathryn while kyle, clint and lauren went out for a bit. it was a much needed, very relaxing evening!

super!

seven sensational things from this past week:

1. it is currently thundering! it sounds like spring or summer outside... but it definitely still looks very much like winter! i don't think i will ever get used to thunder while there is snow on the ground... but it's pretty cool. the snow on the ground makes the lightning SO bright, too! oh, how i long for the snow to be gone. soon enough i'm sure i'll be complaining about the heat and humidity. add the previous two sentences to the list of reasons why i love living where i do and being able to experience all 4 seasons!

2. speaking of snow... we had 2 more snow days this week! i'm still amazed at how these storms keep coming... one after another. the jet stream is locked into a perfect track for us to be bombarded. and we have been! right now my last day of school with students is monday, june 20th. we have a rescheduled FULL day (shoot me now) of professional development to make up. so, my last day is tuesday the 21st. from what i've heard about the weather pattern, it is supposed to be changing after this coming week and they're talking about a warming trend. (is my weather geek factor completely off the charts, or what?).

3. i *COMPLETELY* forgot to mention in my post last week that my very best friend from high school... stacey lee orenstein gordon... affectionately referred to as "slo" or "jew girl" (yes, my inappropriateness did indeed start in high school)... had a BABY on 1/23/11! i don't think it is possible for me to be happier for her. she and her husband, lee, are going to be great parents! how do i know this? because little michael benjamin was a VERY wanted baby. i don't know personally the struggle with trying to conceive, but i can relate to being at the same place in life and having that biological clock tick-tick-ticking away... and how it feels to walk past the baby aisle in target or wal*mart and want to cry because it seems like it will never happen. i know this baby will be SO loved... and i wish there were more people in the world like them.

4. last night i got to pick up my recently-turned-10-year-old niece briana from cheer practice. this place is unreal! i walked into the gym and was greeted in the lobby by a sign that read "practice is closed to spectators :) ". um, not THIS spectator! i proceeded to walk into the gym... and holy macaroni! my niece is seriously AMAZING. they have a competition next weekend in hartford that they are preparing for... as well as a competition in FLORIDA in the coming months. these 4 girls (one of which is a former student of mine... she's in 9th grade this year... pretty cool) take my twig of a niece and toss her up in the air while she proceeds to do a kick mid air, add a toe touch before she SPINS TWO FULL ROTATIONS before landing in these 4 girls' arms. i know they may have their reasons why practice is closed to spectators (distractions for the kids) but now i know why practice should be closed to worrying aunties. crazy worried or not, my niece has some SERIOUS talent! so proud of her!!

5. i am just two short weeks... (or 8 full days plus 1 half day and 1 early release day, but who's counting?) from winter break! i'm excited to spend some time with mike and thea both on my way to and back from virginia! speaking of virginia... amanda... i'd like to put an order in for some warmer weather. i'll take 50-55 degrees. don't even need sunshine... just warmer temps. you've got 2 weeks, i expect you to come through.

6. can i just mention how much i love staples? as in, the store. this past week i went to get ONE thing... and ended up getting a few things to further help me organize my room at the middle school. it seems i could easily spend my paycheck each week (ok that may be an over exaggeration) on things to get me organized... but i just love it!

7. i just finished making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and they're delish! been on a baking kick lately. so far i've made 2 loaves of bread and these here cookies since yesterday afternoon. now i need to start giving it away so i don't eat it all myself! :)

tears

i literally have tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard! i think 2 consecutive snow days has made me a little loopy!

cept

(thats french for 7) :)

so, it's 11:30 and i just realized i havent posted 7 super things yet! ack!

1. house! call me crazy, but i love saturday nights because of the house mini marathon every week. i just love his character! it helps that he's super good looking and easy on the eyes... and he sings... and plays piano.... and dabbles in guitar... need i go on??

2. my niece natalya turned FIVE years old last week. FIVE. and she still refers to ME as her best friend. love that girl.

3. speaking of nieces, briana turned 9 friday. i still remember walking back to the band building after a men's basketball game and calling home to find out she had arrived! love that girl.

4. 3rd week in a row with a snow day! not quite sure how i'm going to handle a full 5 day week when the time comes... thought this week might hand me a snow day, but now it's trending towards rain. we'll see.

5. i'm officially going to virginia for my february vacation!!!!!! i cannot WAIT to see amanda, josh and adah... and to meet miss michaela!!!!!! 2 weeks from friday i start the drive down! SO EXCITED!!!

6. i'm super blessed to have a great church family and i'm reminded of that on a weekly basis. my church family truly is my 2nd family and i cant express in words what they mean to me!

7. january is coming to an end and i'm about 7% done reading through the Bible! i'm really enjoying this chronological plan. annnnnnnnd of course i'm realizing NOW that i have yet to do it today, so i'm off!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

7

1. This week in my chronological Bible reading i read through the story of Lot in the book of Genesis, and it reminded me of back in September when Angie from Bring the Rain posted about it (here). i found it so cool that this time around, it had a totally different significance for me. i LOVE that about God's Word!

2. i had another 3 day work week this week! Monday was a holiday and Friday was supposed to be a PD day but because of the snow it was called off. The only downfall is that now we have to make up the PD day at the end of the year. We've only had one full week of school so far this year... I'm beginning to forget what it's like to work 5 our of 7 days a week!

3. I got to sit with Brennan tonight! That little bugger is so stinking cute! I just love him to pieces and was thrilled to be able to spend a little time with him before he went to bed! I also was thrilled to be able to give Kyle & Rachel a chance to go out!

4. Last night was a Ladies Game Night. They happen every 3rd Friday of the month, and last night was my first time attending. It was fun! We played Dicecapades, Buzz Word and Pit! It's always good to fellowship with people I hold in high regard and that are great Godly examples for me.

5. Things are work continue to be extremely stressful, and this week the Lord used Rachel to remind me of one of His great promises. She posted here about memorizing scripture, and the verse she had talked about was such a great reminder of the Lord wanting us to cast all of our cares and worries on Him. Not only will He take care of them, but He will sustain us! Can i get am AMEN?! :)

6. I'm thankful tonight for safety for my brother and sister in law along with my niece Briana. Friday morning my sister in law lost her brakes on her car and was able to "crash" into a snow bank, avoiding a much worse scenario. Due to her car being out of commission, my dad let them borrow his truck to travel to Providence for a Cheer competition for Bri. Chris ended up rear-ending another vehicle... the officer on the scene said it was unavoidable and no one was at fault. I'm thankful for the Lord's provisions once again.

7. I heard this week about a one year Master's in Nursing program right at UConn - Avery Point!!! Holy Moley! It's so close and convenient! With my job security being extremely low for the upcoming 2011-12 school year, this is something i am praying about and would appreciate your prayers, as well as i seek God's will in my life! Nursing was my 2nd choice (to teaching, of course) for a career in high school and i'm really excited (and scared) about this possible new venture in life!

seven spectacular things!

1.Poppa Muck came home Tuesday night from a week in Michigan. I'm praising God for travel mercies this week. He drove straight through from CT-MI on Monday, January 3rd... spent the week there and left Sunday afternoon. He stayed in an hotel in Ohio, just before the Pennsylvania border Sunday night. he drove through 97% of Pennsylvania on Monday and was able to spend Monday night and Tuesday morning with Mike & Thea. Next up is a trip to Arizona! (No worries, he'll fly there). My 70 year old father is certainly getting around in his retirement ;)

2. Snow days - I've been dreaming of a snow day since about mid-October and never thought I'd get two in a row. Wednesday was totally understandable, but Thursday, too?! amazing. the roads are actually still not that great in Waterford and New London... the New London roads are worse. Most back roads are very narrow and feel like they should be one-way only. The parking lots for school? Even worse. But I will not dispute having 2 days off in the middle of the week! Especially when it is followed by one day of work and a three day weekend!

3. Thursday I went with my mom to the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa. Holy Wonderfulness. I spent about 20 minutes on an exercise bike, followed by a 5 minute cool down. (Gotta start slow... I didn't realize how out of shape I am!) I then went in the pool for a bit and then jumped into the WHIRLPOOL!!! It was glorious. I took a 1-month membership as a trial. With the stress that school is bringing me lately, I think I will need it.

4. Thursday night it was so great to be back at praise team practice. Wednesday night prayer meeting and Thursday night praise team rehearsal are really what motivate me to get through the week! I just love setting aside time each week away from Sunday to praise God through song and prayer.

5. The power of prayer.... I don't know why, but the words "You're in my prayers" or "I'll be praying for you" never fail to bring tears to my eyes. They're welling up as I type this. The fact that someone cares enough to bring my struggle before the throne just moves me and makes me emotional. It was a rough week this week (even with 2 days off!), but God has proven faithful and answers prayers every day. This week 2 women near and dear to me were brought through surgery safely! Another dear woman of the Lord is facing surgery next week.

6. Football playoff season is in full swing, and tonight I went to the Thompson's house for a Steeler's/Ravens game. They're BIG TIME Steeler's fans, and it was entertaining to watch the game with them having no interest in the game other thanthe winner of that game would be playing the Patriots next week after they beat the Jets tomorrow. It was nice to just spend an afternoon and evening fellowshipping and spending time with good people... oh, and an adorable puppy :)

7. My niece is pretty stinkin' spectacular! if you don't believe me, just check out these pictures :)

sensational!

new year, new attempt at being a good blogger.

seven sensational things that brightened my week (in no particular order):

1. dad went away so i've had a lot of time with momma muck. i love when we don't have to switch back and forth between lifetime movies and basketball or football. i love that poppa muck got to meet his 8th grandchild and 5th grandson and is able to spend some quality time with the michigan muckles.

2. for coming off a week of vacation, the kids at school were great. i was expecting the L O N G E S T W E E K E V E R but much to my surprise, the week flew by! hard to believe we are nearly half way through the school year. things are really stressful with a new team of administrators and a new evaluation plan that quite frankly is AWFUL, but i am trusting God and finding my strength and joy in HIM each day.

3. had a GREAT night of worship with some young adults in the area on thursday night. it was so nice to just get together with fellow believers and worship the One who deserves our praise! kathryn told a story of a boy who asked God to keep a penny on a wall after he put it there, and it stayed for 2 weeks. becky told her story of doing the same thing and even made a video of it and posted it on facebook. if God cares enough about keeping a penny on the wall to show us He cares about the mundane things in our lives, how much more He cares for the things we worry and fret about! we serve an awesome God and i truly believe He is doing and is going to do some GREAT things in southeastern CT!

4. sheryl approached me about returning to praise team! when i initially came back i knew i didn't want to be overly committed again, but at the same time i really missed the praise team rehearsals. rehearsal time in both choir and praise team is so much more than fellowship and practice. it's an opportunity to gather with my church family and praise the Lord. it makes my heart happy, and i am thrilled to be a part of the group again.

5. today was briana's cheer competition at mohegan sun. that girl has some SERIOUS talent. i'm not just saying that because she's my niece :) mike and thea came up from pennsylvania, jerry and maureen came, along with bri's grandparents and great grandpa. we went to pepe's pizza after her performances to celebrate a job well done. we won't get the final results until after tomorrow's performances, but i'm sure they'll come out on top, as usual!

6. i'm really motivated to read through the Bible this year. so far i am enjoying the chronological plan. granted i am only a week in, but i'm in a good habit of coming home from work and doing my daily reading then.

7. old news but bears repeating: josh is the SINGLE captain of the varsity lacrosse team at waterford high! i think this is exciting for a few reasons... he only started playing lacrosse in the spring of 2010, and he made varsity then. he trained all summer and dropped his senior year of football to keep training for the sport that really gave him motivation. his grades are higher and he even battled through a knee injury to keep training. his hard work has been rewarded as he was named captatin this past week. i think what makes it so special is that it is at the same high school i attended and graduated from. looking forward to the spring and seeing him in action.

that's it! here's to a new year and another attempt at finding the positive in life! :)

January 3rd, 1993

one of my most favorite days EVER. i was 14 years old... a freshman in high school... it was the day before we went back to school after Christmas vacation...and it was also...

the day i became an aunt!

it's hard to believe that you are 18 years old today.

we knew we were in for it with you, because from day 1 you would have things your way or NO way...

you were about 6 weeks early... and after losing your twin not much earlier, we were worried...

you were small. small, but strong, and you pulled through. it killed me to have to look at you through the window of the NICU, but i held fast to the truth that one day you would be out of that hospital and i would get to know MY nephew.
you sang in the cherub choir at church:


i was there for your first day of school:

(and i'm sure i'll be bawling like a baby in 6 months when you walk across the stage to get your high school diploma.)

i've been to as many of your baseball and football games as i possible could


i love this picture because it shows how small you were as a freshman... stepping up to play QUARTERBACK in the Thanksgiving Day football game...

it's just like you, to overcome adversity... just like when your twin didn't make it in utero... YOU showed you had promise and determination and stamina... even then.

you have made me so proud... you've excelled on and off the field... earning honor roll...

and went against the advice of your father to quit football


and baseball

and just last year in 2010, you decided to give Lacrosse a try


and now, after all of your hard work and determination, you have been named CAPTAIN of the Varsity Lacrosse team!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY and CONGRATULATIONS JOSHUA! i don't think i could be more proud of you if you were my own child :)

2011 goals

well, the big, bad Christmas blizzard of 2010 is here, and quite honestly i'm not impressed. there hasn't been a whole lot of snow to speak of... but the wind on the other hand... has been impressive.

we have nylon string that is tying the tree to the shutters... but still the winds knocked the tree sideways. see? impressive.

tonight i'm extremely thankful for a roof over my head, electricity that has stayed on, heat and my family safe at home.


now, for the plans of 2011...

i'm excited to start a Beth Moore Bible study with friends in the coming weeks. we're planning on going through "Breaking Free"

today i committed to reading through the Bible in the coming year. i will start on saturday and continue through december 31st, 2011. i'm using YouVersion. you can click on the widget on the side of my blog to take you to the reading plans. i will following the chronological reading plan. i'm going to need some major accountability (this means YOU, amanda and rachel). i tried to read through the Bible last year, but failed miserably after about 3 weeks. i'm hoping reading in the order of events happening will help.

i also bought a journal to keep track of the year's praises and prayer requests.

my goal is to spend more time in prayer in the coming year, and really trying to find God in the little things. sometimes i get so caught up in the heavy things in life that myself and friends are going though (work, life transitions, addiction, terminal illness) that i lose sight of God's daily provisions.

i really, really REALLY need to get back into shape. i had a pretty good wake up call back in june when i went for a physical. i hadn't been for a good blood workup in... well... ever. i was borderline diabetic, and my cholesterol was elevated. i went off all of my medications - birth control for acne, nexium for my "ulcer" as was the lexapro... after finding that i didn't have an ulcer but gallbladder issues i weaned myself off the lexapro (something i hope i NEVER have to do again... it was AWFUL!). i've lost about 15 pounds since seeing the doctor, and when i went for a re-check my numbers were all lower. definitely a praise! i do have a lot more work to do before i'm happy, though and this NEEDS to be the year. (again... my friends, i will need some major accountability). this poor dog loves to go for walks, and i need to start taking her at least a few times a week!


well, that's a start for now. i'm sure there will be more in the coming days as i reflect back on 2010 and look towards 2011. :)

Luke Augustine Muckle

i'd be remiss if i didn't post about MY NEW NEPHEW!

Due on Christmas day, little Luke Augustine made his grand entrance into the world at 8:55am on Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010. How precious is he? i hate being so far away... i absolutely cannot wait to meet this little guy!!

Luke, just minutes old:

Daddy and his new son!

about 32 hours old here:


this picture is probably my favorite... Luke is a sleeping angel... momma is exhausted... gabe is SO excited (he has been with this entire 9 months) and john... well, john STILL isn't sure about his baby brother...

welcome to the Muckle family, Luke. you are SO loved already! i can't wait to see what God has in store for your life!!!