ACU's Homecoming

Finally, I get to post about Homecoming! I truly had the best time. The last camera I bought, I broke by carrying too many things and dropping the poor camera on the cement floor. I've been wanting to buy another one, and this trip(and the impending birth of Audrey) prompted me to make the splurge. I went to WalMart on Friday morning and had the best WalMart experience ever! The two people that assisted me were kind, funny, and extremely helpful!

So here is a picture (had to try out the camera!) of Michael driving out west. I can't believe he has a smile on his face since Homecoming really isn't his thing. I think he enjoyed the trip as much as I did, though he wouldn't admit it!

The highlight of the weekend was GATA breakfast - by far! I couldn't believe I was getting up at 5:45 for a breakfast! So many girls from my pledge class were there and we had so many laughs together. This is where I discovered that it is wrong to call a pledge - "Flame." They are called "Provisional Members" now. Are you kidding me?!?! I know that my psyche is all messed up because I was called flame for a few months. I also don't think they have to wear their colors very often. What kind of pledging is this?? Below is a picture of the Raiders - Pledge Class of 1999.
Here are some lovely girls I got to know through pledging. Jill is now a good friend of mine at church. Rachel is someone I wish I saw more often...it's not like she lives very far away. Sarah is the most cheerful person and was a roommate of mine my senior year. Tamara is my birthday partner. She's actually a day younger than me, but we have fun sharing it together.
This is my fantastic roommate of four years, Lori. We have shared so many things and I can't imagine what my ACU experience would have been like without her. She recently moved out of the Metroplex...which has caused me to see her more often! Weird, I know.
My GATA roommates from Senior year. Lori and I loved watching Sarah fall asleep while in mid-sentence. She would be so energized in her story telling then -Boom!- fast asleep!
Here I am with fellow pregnant lady, Shannon and her daughter Mallory, and Lori with her daughter Faith. I hope Audrey and Morgan (Shannon's bump) will be friends like Mallory and Faith.

This is sweet Caley. We pledged together, but did not become good friends until our junior year when we both did not have a 10:00 class. We would hang out in the campus center (Which looks very cool now!) until Chapel. We began to talk and have become very close. This girl has one of the best laughs ever! She is truly very fun girl to be around.

And here are the junior year roomies! The last time we were all together, all of the girls besides me had one daughter. Now, Meredith has a boy and a girl, Shannon is expecting another girl, and I am finally on the baby bandwagon, expecting a girl as well. Overall, the weekend was great. I forgot how windy Abilene could get and I'm kinda glad that we stayed at Joe Allen's too long to go to the football game. I got to eat at the famous Joe Allen's, Mary's, and the Beehive. I also got to stay with my aunt and uncle and see some of Michael's family. Oh, and poor Michael. He got to eat with a lot of ladies...too bad the husbands were tied up for much of the weekend.

Beware of Movie

Read the link below:

You may already know about the kids movie coming out in December starring Nicole Kidman. It's called The Golden Compass, and while it will be a watered down version, it is based on a series of children's books about killing God (It is the anti-Narnia). Please follow this link and then pass it on. From what I understand, the hope is to get a lot of kids to see the movie - which won't seem too bad - and then get the parents to buy the books for their kids for Christmas. The quotes from the author sum it all up. I hope it totally bombs because we were all paying attention!

http://snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

I will post about Homecoming and the newly furnished nursery soon...so stay tuned.

I Need to Vent

I want to vent, but I realize that this may not be the best place to do so. So while I vent, I will be general as I write.

Public education is awful. It's awful for teachers and for students. I am almost in tears tonight, not because of student behavior or anything, but for ridiculous expectations.

Oh, and if we have documentation, results don't really seem to matter.

No Child Left Behind has to be one of the dumbest things I've come across in my lifetime. In five years, every child - including the students that are mentally retarded, must be at their grade's reading level. Do these people have any clue what reality is? Tomorrow, there will be students who are mentally retarded taking a field test at the same level of test a Pre-APer would take. How is that right? Ever heard of what is fair is not always equal?

I have a student that is beginning to misbehave because she is realizing that she can no longer be at the same level as her peers. She does receive special ed services, but due to changes in laws, she is receiving less and less of those services. In fact, if she were to be tested now, she wouldn't qualify for special ed due to the new restrictions. So instead of receiving the help and modifications she needs, she struggles with work and then chooses to act out. How does this benefit her?

All the while, I'm dealing with more work than I've ever dealt with before. Today alone, I was told about ridiculous things that I must do that will take HOURS of personal time. Even though I have a maximum of 34 school days left to teach, I can't get out fast enough.

Rivalries

Maybe I got caught up in the spirit of Texas/OU weekend, or maybe I just see this blog getting too feminine - but let's discuss the best sport rivalries.

Rivalries were ingrained into my head as I grew up in elementary/middle/high school. I went to Dallas Christian. We built up games against FW Christian and Trinity Christian as if they were bigger than the Super Bowl. It seemed as if the entire school would be at Charger Field every Friday night in the fall. During basketball season, "the Barn" would get loud and rowdy. We won state in volleyball, football, basketball, and baseball often. I loved sports and I loved the competitiveness of it.

In your mind, what are the best sport rivalries? Yanks/BoSox? Broncos/Raiders? Let me know what you think.

My Guy

I stole this from Miranda and Shannon.

1. Who is your man? Michael Hall

2. How long have you been together? Married for 2 years & 1 month

3. How long dated? We had dated for 13 months on our wedding day.

4. How old is your man? 27

5. Who eats more? He definitely used to eat more than me, but I've taken over for the moment.

6. Who said "I love you" first? I did. He was holding off on telling me until he proposed.

7. Who is taller? That would be me.

8. Who sings better? Michael - no contest.

9. Who is smarter? I think we're both pretty smart, but I'll go with Michael.

10. Whose temper is worse? Mine by far.

11. Who does the laundry? All me.

12. Who takes out the garbage? Michael, thank goodness.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Is this the right side while looking at the bed or while in bed? Michael's on the right side while in bed.

14. Who pays the bills? Are you guessing Michael? Wrong. That would be me.

15. Who is better with the computer? Michael.

16. Who mows the lawn? I did it once and it made Michael really mad. He did it for a long time until we discovered Jose. Jose does it for a very good price.

17. Who cooks dinner? I do.

18. Who drives when you are together? Michael.

19. Who pays when you go out? It comes out of Michael's wallet, but it is OUR money.

20. Who is most stubborn? On most things, I'm the stubborn one. There are some very serious issues that Michael will NOT budge on.

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Michael.

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Probably Michael's.

23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first. We dated over 5 months before I could get him to kiss me. He had been saying he was going to wait until our wedding day. I was very surprised when it happened!

24. Who asked who out? He asked me out. His partner had given him a gift certificate to Three Forks. He acted like he had to take a girl, so why not me. Whatever!

25. Who proposed? He did. It was tax day - April 15. We were engaged 4 1/2 months.

26. Who is more sensitive? I think he was at first. He taught me how to be sensitive and now I'm super-sensitive.

27. Who has more friends? My friends are his friends and his friends are my friends.

28. Who has more siblings? Equal. We're both the baby of three children.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? Michael.

I'm Back!

I had no idea how much I rely on having internet access at home. A squirrel apparently ate through a cable wire outside our house. This has played havoc in transferring files from San Antonio to Dallas for Michael and Brett's class, me selecting and sending in my picks for college football, reading facebook comments and blogs, and reading recipes online. I was able to check my email at school, which helped a lot. The school does block facebook, blogs, and the yummy recipes I read. It's not like I have time to look at that stuff while at work anyways. Let's just say I'm happy to be surfing the web again.

We had a doctors appointment this week. Everything looks good and I only gained 5 pounds this month! That is a very good thing! We also were given the option to induce labor. It looks like Audrey will be here by December 14!

Michael and I have spent today going through closets and boxes and finding a lot of fun pictures from college. I'm glad I did this today because now I'm so excited for ACU's Homecoming that is coming up. It should be a lot if fun to see the people I spent four awesome years with.

Hockey season has started up! Too bad we already have a losing record. Looks like Nashville will be really good this year.

8 Random Things

I've been tagged to list eight random things about myself. I have no idea what I will write here.

1. I really don't enjoy wearing skirts/dresses. I'm a pants girl all of the way. I didn't even enjoy sleeping in nightgowns growing up. I had to wear shorts under the gown to feel comfortable. Maybe this means I need security and protection from the "drafts" in the world....who knows...
2. I like movies with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in them. Aren't they just cute together??? I also think I would really like having Denzel Washington as a friend. I think he must really be a cool guy. And, yes, I think he's good looking too.
3. I've enjoyed every stage of life. I've been fearful about moving into each stage, but once I'm there, I have a good time. The one stage I went into without any fears was marriage. Luckily, this stage should last a long time. :)
4. No matter how hard I try, when I use something with bleach in it, I end up "spotting" what I'm wearing. I've learned to put on a t-shirt and shorts I don't care about as often as possible when using these products. I have salvaged some black and navy t-shirts with a permanent marker. Brilliant, I know.
5. No matter if we have money saved up and Michael is totally fine with me making a purchase, it is so very hard for me to spend $100 or more on something. I'm talking about contacts and curtains. I put it off month after month. I'll buy my contacts this weekend. I bought curtains/pillows/table decor earlier this month. It was hard to be at the counter to make the purchase, but I LOVE the results!
6. I'm bow-legged and pigeon-toed. Maybe that's why I like pants.
7. I've had some of the greatest roommates ever. I've only spent a few months living by myself in my lifetime.
8. I've never ridden in a taxi. I don't think I would know what to do or how to pay. Do people always have cash on hand and just lose the change? What if your ride was $5 and you only had a twenty? Do you get cash back?? I better never head out to NY. Wait, Michael takes a taxi sometimes....I should ask him.

Sarah and an Update

I haven't written about pregnant Bible women in a while. I have a lot of things floating around in my head, but I hardly get the time to write about those things.
Recently, in Bible class, we discussed Abraham and Sarah. So God has promised Abraham a nation even though Abraham and Sarah are aging. Sarah already considers herself barren. That in itself is a hardship for her. It seems that people were once so cruel when a woman failed to become a mother. Do you remember the post about how Hannah was ridiculed? Awful, just awful. But Sarah has faith and believes that she will conceive. Years pass and Sarah is still not pregnant. She tries to figure out what God is really saying and convinces herself that maybe the nation will only be through Abraham and that he better become "better friends" with Hagar. Abraham (age 86!) and Hagar have a son named Ishmeal. I can't imagine what it felt like to make that decision. She was acting on faith, believing what God had told Abraham. She just wanted to be sure she was out of the way and allow this promise to happen. Turns out she was wrong - that had to feel pretty bad.
Then, God tells Abraham that Sarah will have a baby in a year. Sarah laughs. Wouldn't you? She has gone through her child-bearing years without ever becoming pregnant and now that she's about 90 years old, she becomes pregnant!?!
If you have been pregnant before, you know the strange things that occur to your body. Can you imagine that body being 90 years old and going through that? There are some really funny things I would love to write here, but it would be WAY TOO MUCH for a public forum.
Sarah has a boy that she names Isaac and the song "Father Abraham" comes to mind. This was how it all started.
I admire her faith, her selflessness, and her ability to carry a baby at such an old age. Way to go Sarah!

****Updates****
*Michael has been in San Diego all week and comes home tonight!!! I miss him so very much!
*School is still stressful.
*I gained 11 pounds at my last appointment. That makes 26 pounds in two months. Oops.
*I'm slightly anemic due to the pregnancy.
*There are 4 teachers at school who are pregnant and we're all having girls. Another teacher is naming her girl Audrey as well.
*I have to get a shot because I have a negative blood type.
*I did pass my glucose test though!!
*My husband and brother get to work together for a finance class at church. I don't think Michael knows Brett very well, so this will be good for them. Oh, and they love to talk finance anyways, so they are super excited. (At least Michael is, but I'm pretty sure Brett is too.)
*Michael is almost finished laying the thresholds for our new wood floors. We're even okay having company over now! He did a great job and the floors look really good.
*I just came back from a coworker's baby shower. They will induce her next Friday. She's a short girl, but she is HUGE! The size of her once teeny-tiny belly scares me.
*I think I have laughing gas in my pregnancy hormones. Everything seems funny and I can't help but laugh really hard...and snort too. (BTW, I snort when I laugh for those of you that don't know me well.)
*I'm thrilled that tomorrow is Friday and my husband will be home!!!!!!!

December, Come Quick!

The picture above describes how I have felt at school the past two weeks. Even the doctor said my blood pressure was high at my appointment last week. AGGHH!! This school year is soooo different than other years.

I teach 8th grade science. Science will be "held accountable" in middle school for the first time this year with the TAKS test. I have already had two meetings with the new middle school science specialist our district hired this year. We never had to have one in the past, but now science is being taken seriously. She has been so great and has helped us so much already.

We quickly gave our students a baseline test the first week of school over 6th and 7th grade material. They bombed big time. We have to collect, sort, and evaluate this data to determine who will be coming to a TAKS tutorial program each week after school. That program starts in 2 weeks.

I have a meeting during almost every planning period. I've had meetings before and after school. Seriously, my team has no time to plan or get work pulled together for the classes we try to teach...if those meetings would just hold off while I'm teaching. I've been at school almost every day for hours after the last kid has left . BTW, I'm working on the weekends too.

Today, I had a team member say that this will probably be her last year to teach 8th grade science. She may not even teach again. How can the TAKS test be good if it forces great and experienced teachers to hang it all up?

Thank goodness I have a little one on the way and can say goodbye to it all in just a few months!

2 Wonderful Years

Today is our second wedding anniversary! The past two years have been the best years I have had. Michael is making all of my dreams come true and has been my best friend. I consider myself very blessed to have him in my life. If you know Michael, you know the big reasons why I love him. I am going to list ten little reasons why I love him.

1. His cute smile. My grandmother says he has a crooked smile.
2. I love hearing him laugh while he's watching something funny. It's a short laugh and almost like a giggle.
3. He absentmindedly whistles while he is thinking.
4. He sings very well. He's a good guy to sit next to at church.
5. He's a great uncle. I'm thinking he'll be a great dad too.
6. He's thoughtful. I've received flowers at work for some of the smallest celebrations.
7. Although most people think he is calm and laid back, he can be very dramatic at times. It is so funny to see him get really excited about something. He literally jumps around.
8. He likes to cuddle. (He'll be so embarrassed if he reads this!)
9. He is cautious. Whether it is with our finances or with what we are eating, he wants to be sure we're making the smart decision.
10. His humor is random and clever. He can make you laugh when you least expect it.

Of course, all of these make up just a small fraction of the great Christian man that he is. I look forward to the many years that lie before us.

1st Day of School

I am back home after teaching my 6th first day of school. This day is fun for me. I love that the students are on their best behavior and that you get to set the tone. I know that some teachers get very nervous about this day and have trouble sleeping the night before. Not me. I don't understand why I don't get nervous, but I'm glad I do not.

My favorite part of the day is going over all of the students' names. I knew all of their names by the time they left class today, so that is good. I won't remember them tomorrow. Once my rosters are left alone, I will give them assigned seats and that will help me out tremendously! Since I teach 80-90% Hispanic kids, I really try hard to pronounce their names with the correct Spanish. For instance, Martin is "Marteen." I found out today that I had been mispronouncing Ruiz my entire life. At least this student said that it is pronounced "Reez." Unfortunately, there are some students that I will never get their last names correct. If I'm having trouble with their first name, they will usually give me a nickname I can call them. I really try hard not to get to that point. I told them today that their names are part of their identity, and I hate discovering in April that I have mispronounced their name for almost the whole year.

I only met my advisory class and 6th and 7th periods today. Tomorrow, I get to meet the rest. I have an awesome young lady that is my aide this year. So far, she has done more than I was expecting, so that is great! She is a hard worker and a people-pleaser...perfect for a teacher's aide!

I thought about all of the parents out there that took their child to school for the first time today. I hope you didn't cry too much! I can't imagine how it will be to take Audrey to her first day of school. How scary! Let me know how you handled your child's first day of school.

Another Belly Shot

So this picture is taken at home by me. I had to use the bathroom mirror to get a somewhat good shot of my growing belly. I am about 22 1/2 weeks. I'm wondering if my belly-button will pop out. I hear that some just stay flat while others become an outie. I'm well aware that this might be TMI, but I have to write enough here so that those who really don't want to see my belly won't be subjected to it! :) If you are courageous enough to comment on whether your belly-button popped out during pregnancy, then by all means let me know!

Random Thoughts

• The name we have chosen for our daughter is Audrey Grace.
• I am hoping that this weekend is a fun and slow one. It is my last free time before school starts.
• I am not dreading this school year like I usually do. I guess 3 months of work isn't as daunting as 9 months.
• What is daunting is the job of "Parent."
• I wish tropical storm Erin would bring more rain and cooler weather.
• I have THE best husband. There is no way I could have done better. I'm one lucky (blessed) gal.
• I just loved holding my new niece, Meredith. I'm glad Audrey will have Macie and Meredith as close girl cousins.
• The only thing I would change about our church is its location. It's a breeze to get to on Sundays, but Wednesday nights are a nightmare.
• Michael says at least every week that Farmers Branch is the eye in the storm of traffic. FB is as peaceful as can be, but venture out in any direction and you'll be in very slow traffic.
• I try not to think about traffic when I imagine going into labor.
• Audrey will be born in the same hospital Michael was born in. Yes, Michael is a Texan originally...I'm not delivering in Colorado!

BIG NEWS!!!

We were thrilled today to find out we are having a girl! Even more thrilling is that the baby is as healthy as can be! What a relief that is! She is growing just right and has all of her small little organs. The technician gave her an A+ for cooperating today. Below is a picture of her leg. Isn't that something? She looks like she belongs to a Perkins with a long leg like that!

I also discovered that I have gained 15 pounds in the last month!! When you count in what I lost while being sick, I'm right on schedule. I guess I'll have to skip on a few of my daily Blue Bell Cookies n' Cream dessert!

I got to spend the afternoon with my mom to celebrate her birthday - which is Friday. I think she's pretty happy with the gift of another granddaughter.

For those of you concerned about the baby pool - the gender isn't worth any points to keep it fair as the game continues. If you just can't stand that you're guess is wrong, it can be changed. If you registered when you guessed, you can do it yourself. If not, you can leave a comment or email me and I will change it for you. Also, there has been no change in the due date.

Thank you for all your prayers so far. This all has been such a blessing!

Welcome to the World, Meredith Mae!

Michael's sister, Melissa, had a baby girl early this morning. So now the family is Mike, Melissa, Matthew and Meredith. Enough M's for ya? I'm going to stumble over my tongue when I visit them...which will be soon! The picture is from a text message on my cell phone. Thanks to the kids in the youth group, I was able to transfer the picture to my computer. Kids are so smart! Mom and baby are doing very well. Meredith is 7 lbs, 13 oz and is 21 inches long. Don't you just love babies!?!?

Light bulbs...ARGGH!!

I don't like light bulbs. Well, obviously, I like light bulbs that work and give you light on demand. Lately, that convenience just hasn't happened for us. Last Sunday, Michael installed a new ceiling fan in our den. We checked the box to make sure we knew which bulbs to buy for this, our new fan. (BTW, a part of our old fan broke off and scuffed the floors Michael just put in! I literally cried when this happened. He put in so much work on those floors and then this happens! Awful. But all is not lost. Michael was able to disguise the scuff pretty well.) Back to the bulbs. The bulbs we bought did not fit! So, Michael made a trip back to Home Depot and bought another kind. One did not work. Michael returns to HD and buys two cases this time. He comes back and another bulb does not work! Luckily, he bought extra and did not have to make what would have been his 5th trip to HD that day.

Then there is this thing with our hallway light. At night, if there is no light to turn on in our hallway, it is like walking a mile in a dark, narrow cave to get to our bedroom. (I sometimes exaggerate like my oldest brother.) When we noticed our hallway light was out, we immediately replaced the bulb. No problems for one week. Then, *poof*, the light goes out again! We replace the bulb once again and we have light. THE NEXT MORNING, the light does not work. Later, that same night, the light works! Then, moments later, goes out.

My immediate thought is that we have something chewing on our wires in our attic. I didn't want to think about it, so we've lived w/o light for a few weeks in the hallway. The funny thing was that we would occasionally get light for about a tenth of a second when we flipped the switch. Michael replaced the bulb tonight and everything works again!

I'm beginning to wonder if I need to write I letter to light bulb companies and explain that the consumer expects the bulb to work and last as long as they advertise.

****This post was written for Blake who wanted a more manly post.

Hannah, Mother of Samuel

Hannah may be one of my new favorite women in the Bible. Her faith is incredible! I'm impressed by Hannah's actions before and after her pregnancy, so this post will be a little different then the previous ones.

First of all, Hannah is married to Elkanah. Despite having two wives (I can't imagine living this way today!), Elkanah is a faithful follower of God. (Praise God for all of the great husbands out there!) He makes yearly trips to Shiloh to make sacrifices to God. He gives meat to his wife, Peninnah, and her children, and double to Hannah. You see, Hannah can't have children.

Peninnah treats Hannah horribly. For years, Peninnah makes fun of Hannah for being barren. It goes to such extremes that Hannah cries and stops eating. Can you imagine dealing with this woman? Elkanah tries to console her. Although he is sweet to her, he just can't help her right now. She turns to God for help. She prays and prays hard for a son. So hard in fact, that Elkanah thinks she's drunk! In her prayer, she says she will give her son over to God for life. After she prays, she eats something and is happy and confident.

Hannah becomes pregnant! She has a son she named Samuel. I don't know how long women nursed their children during this time, but as soon as she stopped nursing Samuel, she turned him over to live with Eli, the high priest.

Now wouldn't you want to flaunt this baby in front of Peninnah? Wouldn't you want to just thank God and go about your life, raising the son you so desperately wanted? Hannah is so selfless and thankful that she keeps her promise and leaves Samuel with Eli. She wants to see him grow up in the Lord. What an amazing faith!

Jochebed, Mother of Moses

I'm writing about my thoughts on different women in the Bible and what their pregnancies may have been like. My subject this time is the mother of Moses. She is living in Egypt, where the Pharaoh has ordered all baby boys to be thrown in the Nile river.

I am not as anxious as many mothers are about discovering the gender of our baby, but this situation would cause anyone to have high blood pressure. To think that if you have a boy, the baby will most likely be murdered immediately would have to bring such a dark cloud over the pregnancy. She must have prayed so very hard for a baby girl. (And we complain today that sonograms are not 100%. How petty!)

The thing that is such a surprise to me is that she didn't have a plan on what to do if it was a boy until she saw that "he was a fine child." That may mean that he was a quiet baby or that he just looked really cute. To me, every mother would think her baby was a "fine child." It was at this point she decided to hide him to save his life.

You know the rest of the story. I can't imagine the stress every pregnant woman must have gone through during this time. Also, what a hard time to bring a child into the world. What pride she must have felt (if she was still living) when her son(s) delivered the Israelites. Way to go Mom!!

Baby Pool

At the top right of this page, you will see a banner for our baby pool. We still have some time before the baby comes, so you might want to wait to put in your guess. I wanted you to know that your guess is welcomed. The gender is worth zero points, as we'll find out soon. It wouldn't be fair to you early guessers if the gender was worth a lot! Have fun!

35 Years and Counting

Happy anniversary to Mom and Dad!

(This is the latest pic I have with them in it. I'll have to fix that!)

My Thoughts on Eve

Since becoming pregnant, I have thought a lot about women in the Bible. I will share with you some of my thoughts, beginning with Eve.

Eve was the first to ever be pregnant. Now, I have my doctor, mom, mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and friends to talk about my pregnancy with. My questions get answered. Take a moment and think about what Eve had to feel through this pregnancy. Remember she was also pregnant with TWINS!

• If she had morning sickness (she was the one that sinned and brought pain to childbirth, so I bet she also had morning sickness), you know she had to wonder why she can't get over her sickness.
• All of the sudden she is tired. She doesn't know what to tell Adam. She just wants to sleep!
• Suddenly, everything Adam does is annoying. Where is her sweet Adam?
• What is happening to her body??? Everything is growing and is sore! You've got to bet she's wondering why.
• What is all of this movement she feels? What could possibly be inside her?? (You know Cain and Abel had to be moving a lot!)
• Once she figures out that there are humans growing in her...imagine her jaw dropping. How will these humans leave her body?? Now, she remembers God saying that there will be pain in childbirth. She knows it is going to hurt however it happens!

I just can't imagine being alone in all of this. Thanks to everyone that has answered my questions or has given me advice. I appreciate you!!

Lunch with College Roomies!

Lori, Shannon, and I were able to get together for lunch earlier this week. It is so fun to get together with these girls! We were not complete since Meredith wasn't with us. I guess we'll have to wait for homecoming for all four of us to be together. Lori's daughter is Faith and Shannon's daughter is Mallory. Shannon is about a week or two ahead of me in her pregnancy. I am so happy that we got together despite their hectic schedules.

18 Week Belly

I'm finally having a good week health-wise. :) :) :) Here are some shots of my growing belly. The baby is the size of a large sweet potato! I'm feeling movement a lot!

My Wonderful Husband

Michael is such a hard worker. Not only is he taking care of me during this pregnancy, he's working late (until 9 last night), studying for an exam, and he's updating our home. The wood floors only need a couple of finishing details and our tile will be grouted soon. Here are some pictures of his hard work.

The Waiting Game

If your checking this today to find out what we're having...you'll have to wait another month. Sorry! As you may know, my doctor had been on maternity leave and we had a misunderstanding on when this oh-so-special sonogram was going to take place. I'll be 21 weeks when we find out. I know my mom is really disappointed, but we're relieved in a way. I was concerned that it might be too early (even though it has been possible to tell for about 2 weeks now) and we would either not be able to tell or be given incorrect information. I can't imagine having clothes and a nursery all ready for one sex and then bringing home a baby of the other sex! So we'll wait.

Even though I am not gaining any weight, the baby is growing and seems to be doing well. When we listened to the heartbeat today, we were able to hear the thuds of movement. That was cool. I feel flutterings sometimes, but I don't know if these flutterings are stomach grumblings are the actual baby. I'm looking forward to that first strong kick. I'm sure I will want the little guy/gal to take a rest when I try to sleep, but it will be exciting to feel the rascal.

I've kept it no secret that I am struggling with vomiting and nausea. I am sorry if you're tired of reading about it, but the good news is that I'm on different nausea medicine and may not feel bad anymore! I may sleep all day because of the medication, but hey, that's what summer vacation is for!

Tag

Tag

I've been tagged by Shannon. Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. I just can't be creative in any way but I can answer questions.
FYI: I may be moving back to my house after staying with my parents the last few weeks. Michael did a great job putting in the wood floors and I think the glue smell is finally gone. Thanks to Mom and Dad for putting up with us. Also, we'll find out the gender of Baby Hall Monday!

First Memory: It seems that I remember a lot from a night that my older brother, Brett, spotted a fire in an apartment on the way home from church. Mom informed me this week that I was about three years old. I remember the apartment complex, the street, us turning around to see it, and going to the nearest fire station to report it (pre-cellphone days). If y'all know Brett, this story will not surprise you.


First Real Kiss: I always struggle with this question. I think I kissed a boy in first grade, but I have no clue what his name is! I guess my first "kiss while on a date" came in college. I'm ashamed of it and will only tell my closest friends who this boy is.

First Concert: A true Church of Christ girl. I am pretty sure my first "concert" was Acappella. I just loved Duane Adams!

First Love: Michael was/is my first love!

First crush: Ha! The only reason why I know this is because my family says so. I must have had a crush on Michael Felker in 4 year old kindergarten.

First thing you think in the morning: Lately I've been asking myself, "Am I feeling sick?"

First book you remember loving: I loved the Babysitter's Club books. I later matured into Nancy Drew. I also loved those books that allowed you to choose different endings. Those were cool.

First pet: A white and gray cat named Bell. I loved her. Family hated her. She found a new family soon after we had her.

First question you'll ask in Heaven: I don't think we'll be asking questions.

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation: Too sick to go. :(

First best friend: Laurie Lee.

Last time you dressed up: I dressed up to go to Senator Bob Hunter's retirement dinner party. I got ready in 20 minutes for that thing! Hair hot-rolled and evening gown to boot!

Last thing you ate: Some chocolate covered graham cracker cookies.

Last CD you bought: Probably a Sister Hazel CD. I want their latest too!

Last book you read: Greg Laurie's Are We Living in the Last Days? Short read and very interesting.

Last time you cried: This morning I was telling my mom how guilty I felt because I know I'm not eating how I should for the baby, but I just can't keep food down.

Last movie you saw: I fell asleep during the documentary called Maxed Out last night. Before, I watched Deja Vu in its entirety and loved it.

Last time you told someone you loved them: I told Michael about 5 minutes ago when he called.

Last really funny thing you did: That's tough. I've done some really funny things with my nieces and 2 year old cousins lately. Mostly just weird noises to make them laugh.

Last thing you watched on TV: Maxed Out before falling asleep.

Last Halloween costume: I guess I'm with Shannon. I think the last time I went trick or treating was sophomore year in college. I was a saloon girl.

Last Concert attended: I saw Casting Crowns not too long ago.

I tag Dad, Meredith, and Becky. Do if you like!

Britain's Got Talent

Quick Update: Michael is laying wood floors in our house and I'm staying with the 'rents. We've been here since Thursday or so and plan to stay through the week. It's nice to have your mommy around when you are sick. I'm desperately hoping to be over my sickness any day now. My mom showed me the next two videos. Be prepared to be blown away and have a tissue ready. The second video is of the man who won Britain's Got Talent Sunday night.


If the videos do not come up for you, you can see them here.

Baby Video

This is funny!

Reader Beware - Belly Shots

This past Thursday, my mom took a couple of belly shots at 12 weeks. I'm a lot smaller than I thought I would be at this point, but I have lost weight this trimester. It's amazing to me that I have to buy new clothes, yet I've lost weight. I guess the baby truly takes over your body. Not only does the baby affect my hormones, smell, appetite, sleep, hair, and everything else, it also takes care of itself and makes sure it gets what it needs and grows. Truly a miracle. Speaking of my appetite, Michael had the brilliant idea to buy me some popsicles. I didn't know I much I would want these! He bought the Breyer's frozen fruit bars. This is the only thing I have truly enjoyed eating in months!! I highly recommend them!

Okay, I got the pictures to work. I'm not sure how I feel about putting these pictures up. I guess it is part of being pregnant. It will be neat to look back and see how I've grown.

Another Good Appointment

This morning, Michael and I went in for another prenatal appointment. This time, I had a different doctor since my doctor is on maternity leave. I got a call this morning asking if I could come right then because this doctor will be doing a C-section at the time of my appointment. So Michael and I went looking pretty rough. Michael had not shaven (his beard grows super fast) and my hair was wet, but we made it! I arrived at the office and there was much confusion. Here were the things that caused the confusion: 1. I filled out paper work that should not have been sent to me 2. My 4 different names always bring confusion (I go by my middle name and they still have my maiden name on file) 3. I was not seeing my usual doctor 4. I was early for my appointment. At one point I was asked if I was here for the C-section! They were relieved when I said no, seeing how I don't look 9 months pregnant!

The real exciting part was to hear the baby's heartbeat. I am so thankful we were able to hear it. It is reassuring to know that the baby is continuing to live and grow inside of me. I liked the doctor that I had today as well. She was very sweet and took the time to answer my questions, even though I'm sure she had an eye on the clock! She also made me feel better about my battle with the prenatal pills that I can't swallow anymore. She liked what I was already doing about that. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, I'll be able to keep my food down without any problems and can swallow pills again.

We may be able to find out the gender at my next appointment. We'll keep you posted!

Chuck E Cheese, Please!

I had the privilege to spend most of the day with my nieces and nephews Friday. It is pretty rare to have them all together, so I wanted to do something with them. I went over to Mimi & Papa's house to visit with everyone. I got to hold soon-to-be 4 month old Macie nearly the whole time. She is a sweet baby that loves to smile.

When Michael got off work, we loaded up the older kiddos (ages 2, 2, and 4) and headed to CHUCK E CHEESE!! I don't think I've ever been as entertained driving somewhere before. They all started singing different church songs and asking each other if the other saw something outside the window. My brothers and I pretty much had each other's vehicles at that time and they had a fun and a confusing time discussing who was driving whose car. It was really hard on me because I couldn't just say Brett or Blake because they are known as daddy to someone.

We meet Michael at Chuck E Cheese and the fun begins! We had pizza and Sprite! I had not had a soda that I can remember since December! It was soooo good! Here are a few shots of us waiting for our pizza.

Let the games begin! Zachary and Ethan took off with Michael and I had Maddie. Maddie fell in love with the skee-ball game. Once she played that game, she stayed there the rest of the night. I saw the boys mainly at the jungle gym area. At the end, they had chosen their prizes and we were ready to head home.

Random Thoughts

I am not ashamed of it - I'm an American Idol watcher. All season long, I thought Blake Lewis was, in a word, COOL. I have been home all week and have seen the Idol finalists on many shows. I just saw Blake Lewis sing the Maroon 5 song, "She Will be Loved" and add a lyric from a U2 song. That was really cool and a huge surprise. I also really liked Melinda Doolittle and Lakesha Jones. Those two ladies are so talented but so humble. I'm anxious to see what kind of album Melinda puts out. She has sang (or should I say sung?) backup for many gospel artists and I would love to see her do a gospel album. This is why I'm glad she didn't have to sign a record deal through American Idol. Michael and I really liked Elliot Yamin from last season. We have bought a couple of his songs off of iTunes and really like his sound. I often wonder if all of these people that try out and are actually good, are prepared for the life that they will have after Idol. I'm glad I don't have to live a life in the spotlight!

It is summer time for me!! I am so glad because I was running out of energy and strength to work each day. I've been sitting and thinking a lot. I am amazed how God has worked in every aspect of my life. I am thankful for my family - husband, immediate, extended, and in-laws. I am thankful for my health, even now. I am thankful for this baby growing inside of me. I am thankful to have a job that gives me 3 months off! I am thankful for the physical things like our house and cars. I am thankful for our church. I am thankful for the rain - remember, we've been praying for rain like this for years!

We bought a new camera! My old camera was still working, but for some reason, was not being recognized by any computers. It is hard to get those digital pictures out w/o a computer! So, seeing how we needed a camera for two reasons Monday, and we're going to have a cute little baby to snap pictures of soon, we bought another one. So now I may even post belly pictures...uh, well, maybe. I'll also be posting more pictures of just life now. Tomorrow, Michael and I are taking my niece and nephews to Chuck E Cheese. This event should produce some good pictures and I'll be sure to post those.

I'm a little worried about something. Ever since I became pregnant, I feel like I'm losing more and more hair. My hair was already thin to begin with, so this is not good. I have heard that your hair can become thicker or change texture while being pregnant. Do you know if your hair can become thinner? If you know anything, please let me know!

Michael is studying for the CPA exam. He has been really good at spending 3-4 hours each night studying. I sit with him sometimes. He started listening to this professor going over each page in this gigantic textbook. It was so boring! I fell asleep in about ten minutes while listening last night. I really don't see how Michael does it. He should be finished by the middle of December. Perfect timing! He'll have diaper duty after that!

Yes, I Know I Look Pale

I have to tell you, the first 2 weeks or so of knowing I was pregnant was fun! I felt good, I was excited, we were able to share our news with the family. It was really great. I've been sick for over a month now. I basically feel sick the entire day and night. I have no energy. Fortunately, I have only truly been sick one time. There are a few bright spots to this and here they are:
1. A sick mommy usually means a healthy baby.
2. I have a coworker that spent days in the hospital and had an IV in her for weeks. I'm sooo not that bad off.
3. It should be over in a few weeks.
I know when I'm at my worst, yet people like to tell me what kind of coloring I have in my face. I'm either pale, green, or hey-your coloring looks good today! I also just love (please note the sarcasm) when someone says that it may never go away while I'm pregnant. Don't people know that hope is what humans strive on the most?!? A huge component of faith is hope. Teachers would quit if there was not the hope of summer break. Single ladies can face a new day with the hope of finding that special someone. Even chemo patients fight with the hope that their cancer is gone. So, do not destroy my hope!
I have 3 more days of school. I will then be able to stay in bed or on the couch and let the days pass until I feel like I can eat again!

Family of Three

Michael and I are pregnant!!!

We're having Baby Hall a week or so before Christmas this year. Here is a picture of our little one:

I haven't figured out how to rotate the picture w/o compromising the quality. When it comes to sonograms, you need all the quality you can get! I hope he/she is smiling for the picture!

So, I'm in the middle of my "morning" sickness. The doctor has given me some medication for it, so we'll see if that helps. I'm also pretty tired, so I may not blog for another few weeks.

Michael and I feel very blessed to be given the opportunity to raise a child. We're anxious to see what this child will be like! It will be so wonderful to see the little tyke grow, discover it's gender, feel it move, etc.

If you have any cool things you do with your children or know of any special things (daily or for a special event), I'm interested to know what you do.

We thank you for any prayers you send up on our behalf!

Quiet After the Storm

It is 1:16 in the morning and I am unable to sleep. So, I am sitting in the quiet house pondering the crazy night we had.

The storm that blew by produced several tornadoes and it appeared one of them was heading toward us. Michael and I took cover in our closet. I brought my laptop with me so that my dad could keep me updated while we were away from the television. We heard hail, strong wind, and a lot of rain. Finally, the storm passed. Then it was my turn to keep my dad updated as they took cover at their house. They came out unscathed as well. God is good!

Here is a link to some pictures of the storm.

Oh, the STARS and the MAVS won tonight! WooHoo!

Stormy Friday the 13th

Since Wednesday, I have been sick with a sore throat and fever. So yesterday and today, I am home trying to rest up. Today, I get to keep an eye on the weather.

Growing up (and especially during the summer), my dad watched the Weather Channel until sports, usually the Rangers, came on at night. I inherited a love to watch the Weather Channel. So today, as the weather will prove to be the worst of the year, I will be watching TWC. I will not be surprised if Dad and I will be keeping in touch today, keeping the other informed on the situations in our area. Before you call me a nerd, remember - I'm a science teacher. This stuff is supposed to be interesting to me. Now you may call me a nerd.

My Thoughts

Daylight Savings Time: I'd rather have some sunlight when I wake up instead of 7:00 pm. I tend to go to bed later now and it becomes more difficult for me to wake up. I also have to get ready with the light off in the morning because Michael isn't up yet. The morning sunlight really helped me in this situation.

Movies: Either I'm picking out really bad movies or I'm just getting old or something, but every movie I've watched recently has seemed sooooo long. I just want the movie to end. We saw Amazing Grace a couple of weeks ago. We were the only ones there that didn't have grey hair. The movie was good, but it again, seemed way too long.

Missing Girl Hoax: It sounds like these were good kids that made bad decisions that night. I can't imagine being so scared of what my parents would do to me that I would stage an abduction. How insane!

Wallet: I left my wallet at a pharmacy last night. I didn't realize it until this afternoon. The pharmacy (thankfully!) placed my wallet in the lost and found. I was able to get it back with everything in place. It is so nice to see people behave honestly and save the day for me!

24: This week's episode was the best in awhile. I have felt that this season has been too predictable to the avid 24 watchers. Monday's episode had so many surprises that it has me itching to see the next show!

Mavs/Stars: I've got to find some time to catch these guys more often! It will be fun to watch them in the playoffs!

So there are my thoughts! School has me very busy. One month is left before TAKS. I just might enjoy teaching after April 20.

Sorry

I haven't blogged in a long time. School is getting stressful, to say the least. Hopefully I can update during SPRING BREAK!!! Remember to set your clocks ahead this Saturday night!

Whew!

Life has been a whirlwind lately.



Last Friday began the Women's Retreat I've been preparing for since October. I worked with (actually, I watched in amazement) some of the greatest women in our church. The theme stemmed from a dream Karla had AND it was about God's dream for us. I enjoyed getting to know women on the committee and also at the retreat. God was directing the entire weekend. Speakers spoke of Jacob's crazy life and God's dream for him, of God's plan appearing among turmoil in lives of everyday women at church, and of dreams that are still eluding some of us. The most moving part for me was the solo time. It is hard to take an honest look at your life sometimes. I feel that I'm living a dream right now and I have fear of moving forward. I am afraid of the hard times that may lay before me. I had to relinquish my fears and trust that God has glorious plans for me.



Sunday morning, outside of Hawkins, TX, I received a call that Baby Macie was on her way! So I said farewell to all the awesome ladies and headed back west to the Metroplex. It was neat to hang out with Big Sister Maddie as we awaited Macie's arrival. All went well (Jaime had 2 pushes!) and Blake and Jaime are proud parents of two girls.



Monday, Michael and I went to Baylor to visit my Grandmommy. She has been in the hospital for heart conditions. She has been very thin for a long time, but in a hospital gown, it becomes very apparent. I hope she can strengthen up and head home soon.


Tuesday was Michael's birthday! He was able to head home early - that's always a good gift! I bought him these speaker things that I knew he would like. I am pretty sure he did. We also went to Go Fish. D-LISH-US! I had a pork chop, potatoes, and asparagus. Michael had salmon. We also shared a chocolate dessert tasted like fudge. I will have to admit that both Michael and I were nauseated Wednesday. It could have been something we ate or that we just ate so much.

We also had the heater guy out for the third time in a week or so. Hopefully these updates will keep our heat on and it will be efficient.


I've taken Friday off! I was taking it off because the doctor was going to induce Jaime this day. Now that Macie is here, I have decided to take this day for re-energizing! WooHoo!

Gotta Love a Pep Rally

I've been very blessed this year by not having to teach a 7th period class. I'll count them one by one:

• Almost all classes are worthless during the 3 o'clock hour.


• I can prepare for the next day.


• My day seems to end a little earlier and with less stress.


• When I have somewhere to be, I have no problem leaving work early.


• Students actually come in and clean my room during this time. We develop bonds.


• I don't have to worry about a shortened class period during Pep Rally Days

But, tomorrow is different. Due to the fact that a few pitchers from the TEXAS RANGERS will be speaking, we're starting the pep rally at 9:30. So I'll have to deal with the fact that at least one student will not finish her test (leaves at 9:00 for band-prep; class begins at 8:45; announcements last til 8:50; 5 minutes to walk to Content Mastery and back; gives her 5 minutes to take my test). I will also have to be in charge of a class. My 1st period is a wonderful class. Thankfully, this will be the class I'll be stuck ALL DAY WITH for FOUR COMPLETE DAYS IN A ROW come TAKS time. Then I'll have to get my 2nd period class back into the classroom and settled to complete their test in a shortened time span. Really, it makes for a stressed day having a pep rally during 1st period. I'll gladly do it, all for the RANGERS!

I will try to take some pictures and hopefully post them soon!

I'm It. Will you be tagged next?

Krystal tagged me.


Here’s how this tag goes:
1) Grab the book closest to you
2) Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3) Post the text of the following 3 sentences
4) Name the author and book title
5) Tag three people to do the same

"'They won't beat me. I'll kill 'em.' Then Megiddo spoke up, 'It doesn't make sense to me to talk of masters beating willing, hard-working slaves to death.'"
-The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason (Michael's book)

I tag Dad, Laura, and Katie.

24

Alrighty folks!

24 is BACK!

This is the one show I have to watch.

If you have never seen it, this is the time to start!

The 4 hour premiere is this Sunday and Monday night. I can't see either live, but this is why man created DVR, baby! Instead of watching Multiples (see previous post) at 7, watch it at 9. The show 24 begins at 7 both Sunday and Monday night.

Tis the season for Jack Bauer.

Identical Twins: One Boy, One Girl....WHAT?!

Watch this video. I had no clue that this could happen! I think I saw a commercial that promoted the show this clip is from. It will be on the National Geographic Channel on Sunday at 7 pm.

New Template

I wanted to jazz up my page a little. I switched to the newer blog version and it is failing. I lost some of my links and I am not able to change up what I wanted to change. Hopefully, blogger will fix all of those glitches soon.

Happy New Year!

It has been awhile since I posted last. I don't have much to say, except that I had a wonderful time during Christmas with my family. Maybe I can get some pictures to post sharing some of that with you.

I realized yesterday that I have some of the best teachers working with me. They are so helpful and so funny! I love having a good time at work.

I'm looking forward to February. Did I just say that? I have always held this month as the worst of the year, but maybe this year will be different. Here is what is slated:

• Church Womens Retreat
• Michael's Birthday
• Baby Macie will be born
• Valentines Day
• College Roommate Reunion (where else but in Abilene!)
• Spanish Lessons every Thurday night

I know I'm leaving something out, but that is pretty packed for a short month. I'm glad that my schedule is pretty full. Michael is working busy season again. He has been working late and is working today (Saturday). I hate seeing him for an hour each weekday. I don't see how some couples do it when they have odd work schedules. Ex. One works days while the other works nights. I guess we're lucky.

Christmas Lights

Although Farmers Branch has been under fire in recent news, it shines during Christmas time. Here are some photos I took Saturday night as we went through the historical district. Merry Christmas!

Check This Out!

Sometimes I need to see it to understand it...go here!

"The Doughnut" written by Michael Hall

My wife wanted me to say that I Michael Hall wrote this.

So, we were sitting in Sunday morning church the other day enjoying the announcements and singing when suddenly a chocolate glazed doughnut ricocheted off of my wife and landed in my lap. I can honestly say that this is the first time a chocolate doughnut has landed in my lap in church. Due to my shock, I just sat there for a few moments looking at the doughnut on my khakis. I couldn't believe there was a doughnut in my lap, and for a moment I thought I had fallen asleep and was dreaming. Where could this doughnut have come from? I picked up the doughnut, bent over a bit and looked down the pew to find a tall skinny guy laughing at me. In order to protect the innocent, I won't mention his name, but MATT COLE threw a doughnut at my wife and I. Not only did he throw the doughnut, he threw it during church. Being a rationale individual, I decided not to retaliate at the moment. So, I kept the doughnut, waited until church was over, and threw the doughnut at his first born son hitting him in the head...not really. That was just for effect. But, I did vow that I would get him back, nay that I would seek revenge tenfold. And I will Matt Cole, I will.