Going Public

I am finally going public. I haven't let a lot of people know I am a blogger, because I am still figuring this out. But I have just invited a few more people into my thoughts. I hope I don't scare them off.

If you are new to "Smileyfish" please feel free to comment on any of the entries if you find them interesting. I get so excited to see that someone is reading my rambles! Also, you should considering creating a blog of your own so I can link it to mine. Right now it looks like I only have 3 friends.

I am putting up recent pictures of the kids with this blog. (My smileyfishes) They continue to bring us so much joy. We often try to picture our lives before kids. Oh, the sleeping in, and the dinners out and the uninterrupted conversations. Ahhh... It won't be long before our kids want nothing to do with us and we will have that back.

I hear one of my FAVORITE sounds out my window. Summer rain. There is nothing better. It cleanses the air and knocks down the humidity. Maybe fall is not too far around the corner.

Back-2-school

Oh, how I dread that term. It starts showing up in department stores and retailers about July 4, but I ingore it. I ignore it as I get my first newsletter from the school district welcomming me back. I ignore it in our first week of meetings before the kids come back. Then I am slapped across the face with the "back-2-school" when the kids walk in the room on the first day. I was so slapped on Wednesday. I really do love what I do, but it never quite seems like enough time off. Two days before school started I found out what schools I will be teaching at. (Yes, that is a preposition at the end of my sentence. I teach music, not English) The above picture is taken at one of my schools. The school is Longview Farm Elementary, which is an historic of horse barn. The restoration project has caught national attention. I am very excited to be teaching there. The staff and kiddos have been very warm. I actually have taught several of this kids at another school before this one was built, so there are many familar faces.

So, it has not been too bad. As always, I have a hard time leaving Emory and Miles. But once I get there and get going, I don't have much time to miss them! I only have three classes a day, it is a great schedule.

Grandma is still with us, much to everyone's surprise. The doctors continue to insist that this can't go on much longer. Her body is finished. This Sunday at church, our worship leader is singing "Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice. It always brings me to tears. Maybe Jesus will call Grandma home on Sunday. She always liked to meet Jesus on Sundays.

Hangin' Tough

Are you having a 1980's flashback to NKOTB like I am?

Really, it is Grandma Imogene that is hanging tough. She appears to be regaining consciousness and is somewhat responsive. The doctors are as surprised as any of us. She was not expected to live through the weekend, but now each day she is gaining strength. I want to know if she went to heaven. Her heart stopped a week and a half ago and she was revived. I hope she continues to improve so we will know if she saw the pearly gates.

Dad says that she has never been on time for anything in her life, so that is why she is hanging on. Grandpa is no doubt frusterated and tired of waiting for her. I think that she is hanging on to give us her last words. There was no time for her last words when she entered the hospital because she lost consciousness so quickly. This is a woman who LOVES to talk and tell stories and opinions. I think she is just trying to get better so she can tell a captive audience a few more things before she goes.

What do think heaven looks like? I think there will be mountains, lots of mountains...

Worthless

I am feeling a little worthless right now. I have not entered any new blogs because I lost my blog. I couldn't find out how to get to it. Real experienced I am. BJ's friend, Tyler, created me a new blog because I lost my old one. The one he created looks a lot better than this one, so I will try to have him fix this one for me.

I am also feeling a little worthless because we have been waiting a week for my dear grandma, Imogene, to go be with the Lord. I feel like I should be with my Dad and Mom, but having little kids prevents me from being with them at this time. Imogene is a beautiful woman of 84 1/2 years who has given her entire life to helping others. She raised 3 boys, cared for her mother and father-in-law, her sister-in-law, and of course, her husband, my Grandpa Max. "Giving" does not begin to describe Imogene. The most generous heart I have ever known, she loves the Lord and is a great witness of his love to everyone. It is now her time to live eternally. I am excited for her, but I will miss her on this earth. Up until a week ago, her mind was a great history book of everything she has experienced in the last century. She forgets nothing and loves to share her memories. No doubt, I will have many wonderful memories of her to share if I can find anyone to listen to me when I get old. I love you Grandma, go dance with Grandpa Max, he has been waiting for you.

Wannablogger

I am admittedly new to this whole blogging thing. I used to make fun of people with so little to do that they would spill their guts online and sit and type at a computer to do so. (BJ) I don't know what has changed my mind, but I am going to give this a try. I don't write much, Mr. Bunn in 11th grade scared me off a little. I am not going to check my paragraph structure, but I will try to watch for spelling and grammatical errors, Casey.

I have spent about 2 hours tonight trying to come up with the perfect name for my new blog. Two hours I should have spent doing many other things. I think one of the reasons I am taking to this blog thing is to further distract me from the constant housework that I loathe. I don't know what a "smileyfish" is. Somehow I crafted the name when Emory was a baby and now I use the same term for Miles. I am proud of how "smiley" they are. I work hard for those smiles sometimes. "Smileyfish" has taken on a new meaning for me the more I thought about. I try to spread a little of my heart to people by smiling a lot. I love to fish, but more importantly, I love what the fish represents in my life. I wear a fish necklace around my neck to remind me that Christ calls us to be "fishers of men". I don't beat people over the head with my Christianity, but I hope that my smile is bait and might invite someone to want to know more about my happiness.

So, I'm going to give this a try. Maybe I am just trying to join the "cool" generation when I should really be hanging out with mini-van moms. (For clarification, I do not drive a mini-van) It seems like a nice way to get some time to myself. Although everytime I have the computer open, Emory insists that we go to "Disney-dog-com".

Well, "Smileyfish" it is. It beat out a lot of other names. Some were cool, and some were lame. I called BJ and lied to her and told her that she was the coolest person I knew and I needed her help in choosing a name. BJ's friend Tyler put a veto on any name that included my late heffer, Hoagie. I refused to use any name that included "tuba". And I really didn't want to do a montage of my kids names, because I am more than just their mom, I think. Maybe this blog is going to help me find what else I am.