CRAZY Roller Coaster

Life is such a CRAZY roller coaster. There are ups and downs and everything in between. Days you want to scream, times you want to puke and at the end all you want is to do it again. Since I have managed to only post once a month since I got my job, I am going to try to remember some of the ups and downs that have happened.

Ups: It's always better to start positive, right? James and I celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss. We were fortunate enough to go to a great dinner with his crew and then got away to Prescott for the night. Then we went to the Chris Tomlin concert as a belated gift to ourselves. The day after the concert, I had a friend call me and tell me that when she saw us from behind she leaned over and told her sister in law that we were the most compatible couple she has ever met. She said that no matter whether things are good or bad in life or just between us, that she can always see the love underneath. What an awesome compliment to get!

The boys are doing good. Report cards came in and were great and Colton just finished AIMS testing. They are both playing soccer right now and having fun. Most days, I feel like I am chasing my tail and at times I get so frustrated I think smoke is coming out of my ears, but at the end of the day, they just make me laugh and it is all worth it!

My job is going good. My kiddos are making huge gains with reading and I am anxious to see their test scores at the end of the year. Last month I even got Teacher of the Month which was really nice to feel appreciated among my peers. It's one thing for a 2nd or 3rd grade kid to like you, but always nice when the people you work with do to. Isn't it crazy? I feel like this is such a short list and I am thinking through the list of downs and there are so many more. It is always so hard to come up with the positives!!

Downs: These are the things that make us stronger and most times we are laughing during them or shortly after they happen. At the beginning of March, Colton's asthma kicked into full swing. We were supposed to be at a wedding at 6pm and I couldn't get him under control, so I decided to run him to urgent care at noon thinking we'd be fine. Little did I know my baby would be transported by an ambulance to the hospital and have 17 breathing treatments and 3 rounds of steroids in the next 12 hours before we could go home. Now for the funny part...have you ever been billed by an ambulance company??? Seriously, $0.35 for gloves x 4 pairs. Good stuff.

Last weekend it was pouring rain, but my kids still had soccer. When we came home from the first game, everyone was wet and I told them to take everything off in the garage. As Dawson was going in the house, Colton went to brace himself against the wall and somehow the tip of his finger was in the door jam and sure enough it slammed closed on it. After 2 hours of crying and pretty substantial swelling, I took him in to find out it was broken. In the meantime, my mom had come to help me out and when she came in, Liberty jumped, off all fours, like she always does. Only this time she came down, let out a yelp and became my three legged dog for the next 24 hours until I took her in to the vet to find out she had partially torn her ACL. For the bargain price of $509.55, I made it through my weekend of James being on shift! (The good stuff only happens when he is gone!)

Dawson got a new kid in class three weeks ago. All year he had only had two card changes. Then, in the course of the last three weeks, he has had five yellows. He did inform me that he thought if he got in enough trouble that his teacher would send him home, which he likes because he doesn't love school. I shared with him that really he would just get to go to the principals office and then I let him experience 20 minutes in the cubby which didn't phase him one teeny tiny bit. It is very hard to raise yourself, especially when you were a stinker!!

Sometimes I feel like we get more than our fair share of trials, but I also think we know how to make them entertaining and God knows we will pull together and make it so it is what is it. Sometimes I think we are blessed more than we deserve. Either way, at the end of the day, I am happy I have my life. It's crazy, but it's mine.