And so another summer ends

Today the end of summer begins in the Thomas house. Rob goes back to school today (volunteering 1/2 days this week for Freshmen Camp). He will "officially" start on Monday. I don't officially start until next Wednesday, but between an all day meeting and helping other teachers, I will be there at work every day from here on out. So ends the summer vacation of 2008. And before you say it, yeah, I know, we teachers are so lucky, we get all that time off. I know. I am blessed to have extended time off with my family that most working moms & dads don't get. I know that. I know that most people don't get the longer break at the holidays and all those days off in the year, and a long summer vacation. I should write a blog about that, but I won't. Just know that I am not ungrateful and that I do recognize that blessing, and I am not complaining.

As always I am a bit sad as I will miss my family greatly!!!! I didn't get as much time home with them as I would have liked with working summer school, and I'm just getting to relax now that it is over and it's time to go back. I always miss my family intensely for the first week or two, then it becomes the "norm" again and I deal with it better (though I still miss them a lot).

I'm not quite as excited (YET) as I normally am or quite as ready to go back, but that's just because I worked summer school. I am trying to get my brain into school mode and to start planning/thinking about all that. It's so funny because in June when school lets out, it takes sometimes a whole month to quit thinking of school- not that it ever really does, and just when my brain is ready to relax and read and think on things besides kindergarten, and rest, then it's time to start back up, especially when I work summer school. Now it is sluggishly trying to remember all those great ideas I had back in June & July.... :)

So, shortly I'm going to ask my teen aged children to wake up and see if any of them are willing to go help me at work for a little while. Poor kids, they get drug along for the ride. :) Hi, ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go... :)

And for my family, who will be wondering:

• Robert starts college classes next Monday night 8/18
• Matthew starts his sophomore year Monday 8/25
• Barbara starts her senior year Tuesday 8/26

But you can be sure they'll be "drug" to school before then helping me & my new grade level pals mostly, but maybe Rob too.

So for all the "rest" of the world out there who works hard all year long, have a happy work week.

Signing off and saying goodbye to Summer 2008,
One of those teachers,
Rebekah :)

Sunday Praise

Psalm 92 says: "It is good to give thanks to the Lord to sing praises to Your name O Most High, to declare Your steadfast love in the morning and Your faithfulness by night..."

So with that in my mind tonight, I want to think of my praises and thanks to God. I could stay up and write all night, but these are the "big" ones on my list for today:

• God's salvation and mercy shown to me over and over and over- even though I truly don't deserve it (I know Momma, no one does. I'm just thankful for the mercy He has shown me.) :)
• God's plan for mankind- How awesome it is that He knew from the beginning of time how "it would all go down" and yet He had a plan from the beginning for us all and how to redeem us and bring us to be with Him
• God showing me His love when I was just a child
• Keeping me in Him through some hard times and trying situations
• His healing hand in my life and the lives of people I know & love and the lives of people I don't know but have read about and prayed for
• Showing me/my family His will for our lives and giving us the strength to follow His plan even when it has sometimes been hard or we didn't understand
• His help in time of need
• His word that is a source of instruction, inspiration, and peace
• His love, never ending

Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!!

I just got back from my third MRI scan. Oy! I hope I'm done with these things now! :)

I am hurting in a big, bad way. Rob has taken over my weekly Saturday job of grocery shopping and told me to come inside, take the muscle relaxer the dr. prescribed, and sit down. So I am being an obedient wife and doing just that. Now, I just hope I am "sober" enough to drive the kids to their workplaces this evening since Rob will be gone. :) :) :) Tonight is his night to play at the HOP- a home for guys recovering from drug & alcohol addictions.

Well, hopefully I have finally woken up and taken care of all my "issues" and hopefully, God-willing, I will start feeling okey-dokey soon. :)

Scrapping My Night Away

Literally, I did just that. I started working on some photos for someone and lost complete track of time. I forgot the time and didn't call my momma like I promised I would. :****( Then I decided since I was already scrapping and already had drug a bunch of stuff into the back room, I might as well do my photos too. The next thing I know it is 11 PM!!!! But I finished both sets of photos! YEAH me!

Now I would like to start doing Robert's graduation photos, and next month I hope to get my road trip pictures printed and scrapped. I think I might try to just set a monthly goal of one project to do. Maybe someday I can start doing all my kids' baby & kid photos that I've saved but never had the time or $ to do. Sure, by the time I die, I'll have them all done. :) :) :)
I should get a card table to keep in the front room for things I'm working on..... Then I wouldn't have to drag everything I might possibly want to use back here and then drag it all back. Kind of anti-productive or non-conducive or whatever else new words I can dream up here. Hmmm, maybe someday when there's some "extra" $. Yeah, that's funny. I know everyone reading will be laughing as I doubt there's anyone out there with extra $, but a girl can dream. :)

Yeah, can you tell it is getting late, I am tired and dizzy and just took my muscle relaxant for my back??? :) :) :)

On the back, I have an MRI on Saturday to figure out what is wrong with that part of me. This will make my 3rd MRI scan this summer. Love those, let me tell you! And, I'm scheduled for my first mammogram soon too. This has not been my summer- medically speaking. It was supposed to (in my mind anyway) be the time I was going to get everything figured out with the dr. and start either a "cure" or find some solution to help me feel better. Well, that hasn't exactly worked out, but I am sporting a better frame of mind at the moment. That may be due to just not having the "icks" right now, but we'll see. One thing I am really, truly, deeply thankful to God for is this: I have a very compassionate and gentle dr. at Wake Forest who is trying to help me, and this week God, literally/truly, sent me to a new family dr. She is a Christian, and I really liked her a lot! She was very kind and took time to sit and talk with me and made me feel better just talking and listening. That will help having a good dr. I can go to when I'm sick or whatever. I've not been taking care of that part of my life because of the dud experiences I've had with dr.'s, so that is going to change now!

Okay, well, truly I can see I am rambling on and on and in different directions. So I think I'll sign off. For those who might have read through this all the way to the end, well you should get some sort of medal or something. :)

Love,
The sleep-deprived and goofball Rebekah :)

Pretty Porch

From our trip- this was a porch by a store in Cherokee. I just liked the photo.

I look to the hills, from where my help comes...

God, You are so AWESOME, and Your creation is more beautiful than human words can express.

Home Again

We're home from our trip. Thank You God for safety and lots of great mommy/daughter time!!!

We saw these very pretty Brown Eyed Susans while on our way home today. These are my most favorite flower. I used to pick them wild for my own momma when we lived in Missouri. So it was a perfect way to end my trip today!

Road Trip Day 2

Day 2- We drove south towards the Smokies. We were going to see if we could catch the Smoky Mountain Train for a ride. Alas, we got to Bryson City, just in time to wave goodbye to it as it pulled away. :( Oh well, it was a fun drive there and beautiful mountains along the way, and we had lots of laughs and fun anyway. We drove around the town of Bryson City before heading back towards Cherokee and the Smokies National Park.

Found this along the path at an overlook area in the National Park. So pretty!

Such a beautiful creek right by the road we were driving on. I could have just sat there and watched it all day it was so peaceful. Just what I needed!

Welcome to the Cherokee Indian Reservation- this has been a lifelong dream of mine to come here. I could hardly believe I was there!!!! I don't know if it could ever be done, but I would love to be able to trace my genealogy far enough back to find my ancestors here. Doubtful, but still it was so neat to see this place.

These were members of the Dear Clan dancing today for visitors.

Here is Barbara's new bear, Mr. Smokey Bear. Yeah, like she needed yet another animal to take on our little trip. :) Here he was "helping" me drive through Cherokee.

Ever heard of Sequoyah? He was a Cherokee who created the written language for his people. I've read about him a couple times, a long time ago.

Throughout Cherokee, you will find bears decorated by local Cherokee artists. This bear was designed to represent Sequoyah; it is like a famous painting of him I have seen. Kind of neat!

Another bear

Just some flowers I saw outside a market in Cherokee that I liked.

Town Hall (I think???) in Bryson City, a neat little mountain town

Beautiful views as we climbed up the backroads in the mountains outside Maggie Valley, NC

More beautiful views- this time from Great Smokies National Park- so beautiful

This afternoon we took advantage of the tax-free weekend, and we went shopping and bought some school clothes for Barbara & Matthew. We came back to the hotel with Pizza Hut (we miss that!!!) and went swimming. I think Barbara is asleep now. She has crashed with her head on my knee while I've been uploading photos. :)

Thank You God for allowing us to take this trip, and for keeping us safe as we journeyed away from home without Rob and the boys. Though I've missed them a lot, I know this was the right thing for her and I to do. I needed to see Your beauty and creation and You. I needed to spend some time away from the city. I needed to have fun with my daughter, and meet her need for "Mommy time" which she has been asking for several times over the past week or two. This was what she needed, maybe more than I realized. And as we drove around, I realized that this time next year, she could be leaving me for college, so this was time to cherish with her. Thank You God for showing me that as well. Thank You for creating such a beautiful world and all that You made, for Your amazing and awesome power that can make all that we saw today. Thank You for everything.

Good night God.

Signing off from Asheville, Cherokee, the Smoky Mountains
Rebekah & Barbara :)

Babs and Me on the Road

So, long story not told here, Barbara and I have left for our first mom & daughter road trip. We don't have a specific plan except to head southwest to the mountains to Asheville. Who knows what we'll end up doing, but we're sure to have some fun! I feel really guilty leaving Rob and the boys, but I know it's okay for them to have "dad" time and Barbara has been telling me she needs some "mom" time.

Here we are getting ready to go. Matthew kept wanting to make funny faces in the picture and made me laugh!
Rob has "racing-on-the-brain" syndrome. Here Matthew gives us the pit crew push for our send off, and Rob is directing us out of the driveway. :)

Barbara's Road Trip Menagerie- Rob & I came out of the house and found this in our back seat waiting for us to leave. Too cute!!! And, yes, these all came in the hotel with Barbara and me and are now sitting here on the bed with me. :)

I told Barbara, our first road trip rule was we had to take lots of photos- and lots of them goofy photos too. I took this one. Loved it!

Just what every road trip needs- snacks and a movie player. Barbara drug our portable dvd player with her to watch movies.

I am turning into a true southerner! I found myself backing into the hotel parking space before I realized it. Oh my!!! And, of course, I am a terrible driver in reverse- can you tell???? Barbara took this photo of my terrible parking job!

So that's it for our first night on the road! Signing off from Asheville, NC,

Barbara & Rebekah :)

Another First Tomorrow

Robert will attend orientation and college registration tomorrow at GTCC. Where has time gone? He is excited to get registered and find out what his schedule will look like. It will help some of the unknown we've been facing too with trying to figure out how he will get to school and home and what his needs will be. He still has things to figure out and work out, but at least now he/we will know what we are looking at schedule-wise.

Now, we're waiting on the Lord for a job for him to help meet his needs financially. God has taken care of everything else for him. Please God, bless Robert with a permanent and good job.

A Playdate- Hooray!

Yesterday we (the kids & I) had a "play" date- I haven't ever had one of those before. I know lots of moms who have them, but that term wasn't invented yet when I was a young mom I guess, or I just didn't really know too many other moms. Probably the latter, as I was a college student and very young mommy- how many 19/20/21 year olds do you know in college with 1, 2, or 3 infants & toddlers? :) I was truly crazy! :)

Anywhoooo, I digress.... Yesterday after I got off work from summer school, Maria and Autumn, and Noah came over and they brought Maria's brother, Adam, too. So Matthew had a new friend to hang out with, talk with, and PlayStation with. :) They hit it off great! Maria and I got to talk some when I wasn't playing Memory or Candyland with Autumn or flirting with Noah or when Maria wasn't changing diapers or feeding Noah. :) It was just a wonderfully nice afternoon. We talked a little about school and kids and money and kids and I don't even remember what all. We sat on the floor and played with Maria's kids, and my kids talked with Maria and me like the young adult people they are. It was a wonderful afternoon!!! I should tell anyone who might read this and who does not know that I am so truly, deeply honored to be Noah's godmother. Who would have ever thought it??? Me, a godmother?!?!!!

Noah is still a little shy around me and not sure if I am crazy or what. But truth be told, I'm not sure about that either. :) That is a sure sign of his intelligence. :) Ha! Ha! I was so thrilled to get a laugh and a few smiles too and some on camera! Barbara got to hold Noah :) and when they were leaving, we got kisses!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!! That made my day!

Rob teases me and told me last week that when Tim & Maria asked me to be Noah's godmother, they didn't know I would adopt Autumn too. :) But hey, my excuse is that when we first moved here and I met Maria, Autumn was only a few months old, so I've known her almost her whole life. She's growing up into a very smart & adorable preschooler, and how can I not love her too? :) :) :)

Maria & Tim are such great parents!!!!

So, Maria, if you're reading this, THANKS for coming over to hang out and play and relax! I had a lot of fun with your family! And Tim & Maria, thanks again for honoring me to be a part of Noah's life and a small part of your family & friends! I love you guys!

P.S. Maria said I could post a few of the photos that I took yesterday of the kids too. Aren't they just cute, cute, cute? Thanks, Maria!

I just liked this picture. Noah just sat there for a while staring up at Barbara. Wonder what he was thinking? Hmmm....

Busy Bee

This little bee was working overtime the other night, working right up until dusk to "bring home the bacon" for his family. :)

Happy Friday!

Another Summer of Sunflowers Begins

Our sunflowers are not doing as well for some reason this year as last year (which is weird since we have had lots more rain this year). But after a late start, they are finally starting to bloom, and just as beautiful as they always are!
This is a Mexican sunflower, which Rob & I adore, as do the butterflies, hummingbirds, and Easter goldfinches! If you like butterflies and hummingbirds, you HAVE to buy some of these seeds and plant some. They are a pretty flower, not as showy as a regular sunflower, but they attract TONS of butterflies and hummingbirds!!! They have such soft stems and are very different from their other cousin sunflowers! I really like this flower!!!!

I love that I caught this little bee doing his job while I was snapping away!

Rob's new car- name yet to be determined ;)

Well, we ended up with a new car for Rob to replace the van which is slowly dying. :) We've been concerned about it for a while now, actually since last summer when I thought we weren't going to get home after a trip in the mountains. It has been acting up, and we figured with the gas prices so high, we'd almost be able to pay for the car in the savings at the fuel pump alone (it gets not quite twice the mileage as the van).

We actually did the same thing as last year when we had to go car shopping after the car's transmission blew out. We just looked online and researched the absolute cheapest car all the manufacturer's made, went to the dealership and only looked at the cheapest models of that car. So, we bought this Kia Rio this week. But I think we got a pretty good price, and we are happy with it. Rob is happy that it doesn't have power windows or locks! :) He'd have been even more happy had it not had air, but thankfully for the rest of us who have to ride with him, it does.

The only problem now is that we cannot come home in one vehicle, unless we rent something, so it will be two cars making the trip I guess when we next can find a way to travel that direction. But we weren't coming home in that van anyway- it won't make it across the state, let alone cross-country.

And, yes, I know we're goofy to name a car. Go figure! :)

Good Report from the Dr.

I will still have to probably follow up with a neuro to make sure, but the ENT at Wake does not think I have MS and does not see any lesions or tumors on my brain.

So, other than a bad back and sleep apnea, being obese, and probably having some anxiety thing with grown-ups, I am fine.

No more whining from me, complaining, or hearing my list of where I don't feel goods.

From now on, all good news from me.

Thanks for the prayers!

A Sunset Rainbow

(This photo doesn't do the rainbow we saw justice, and the colors aren't quite as true as the real thing, but it was still a neat picture.)

I've NEVER seen one like this before. There was no rain out there, just a partly cloudy sky as the sun set. But as Matthew & I drove home from VBS, we saw this rainbow on the edge of a cloud. WOW!!! We hurried home to grab the camera just in time to catch it as it disappeared with the sun's last rays.

I just LOVE rainbows. They so make me think of God and how faithful He is, even when we are not. He keeps His promises, even for centuries and centuries, even when the person He made that promise to (Noah) is long since gone. If only I can be just a part of that kind of faithful to those in my life.

Another Night in the Nuthouse

Okay, so only in my house can one hear the following and all within a five minute period (and at 11:30 at night)! :)

• video clips of dry humor, British comedy shows found on the net compliments of Dad
• three guys laughing hysterically
• three guys quoting lines, one right after another in rapid-fire fashion, from some of the world's stupidest movies- Strange Brew, Wayne's World, Napoleon Dynamite (I am sorry to have to include Napoleon in that list- though it is a very stupid movie, I kind of like it, but the other two I HATE)
• one girl giggling hysterically and shouting at the top of her lungs while she wears her "daddy's" sound-cancelling headphones
• in the midst of all this, a son start commenting, sarcastically, about the Corsicans. ??? Where in the world did that come from???
• two teen aged boys playing a combination of soccer & keep away with the sister's cell phone

I sure do live with a bunch of silly males and one goofy teen aged girl! :)

Yeah, just another night in the nuthouse called my home. Got to love it! :)

New Donorschoose.org Projects- Please help me spread the word

(This is a just a sample of the supplies I am purchasing- with my own $- to include in each homework backpack. This will help my students & families be able to complete homework projects and have a few materials to be creative with while they have the backpack at home. There will be one of these in each backpack so that each time a child takes home a bag, they will have access to these materials.)

My first Donors Choose project was fully funded recently, after only a week on the web! :) In late September/early October I should receive BIG boxes of books and learning materials, and the "hard" work of assembling and organizing my homework backpacks will begin. Let me tell you that I am SO, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY excited!!!!!!!!!!!I have two new projects which, when funded, will help me create more homework backpacks for my students and their families to borrow. If these are funded in time (before December), then I will have enough backpacks for the whole class for the school year- one bag per kid per week (mid-October through April, not including December). I'm getting a lot of questions from fellow teachers and staff members, so I'm hoping that this project will be very successful in helping students learn, families grow closer and stronger, my parent-teacher relationships grow even closer, and that it won't prove to be an organizational or time nightmare for me. I'm working on figuring out the logistics of all that!

If you would like to donate or know anyone who might, please view my projects at these links:

Project #2-http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=190939

Project #3- http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=192414

My students and their families will receive HUGE benefits from these donated materials, and I will be eternally grateful! I do plan to be able to use these bags each year, and am putting a significant amount of my own money into them. I have already, eagerly, started buying school supplies to stock them with all year as well as notebooks for the student/family journals, and backpacks to keep all the items in. I will be making lots of hand-made learning materials for each bag as well. :)

Thanks for just taking a look, considering it, helping me spread the word, and maybe even donating!
Rebekah :)

Barbara Helps Out

The kids have all spent a day with me in summer school helping my students and me. :)

Today, Barbara came back to help. She worked with the kids on sorting and later, helped them create their own books about their homes. :) She also went with us on our "Shape Hunt" and took lots of photos for us too. :)

Thanks Barbara for all your help! I had a nice day having you there with me. :)

Robert's Back in Business

Cool thing today- on my way home from work, while I was driving on the interstate, Barbara shouts out that she sees Robert on "his road" (a long story) which parallels the highway for a few hundred feet. It sure was! He & I called each other on our cell phones and met up for some pictures of him cycling.

So, almost healed up from his bike crash, here he is riding away once again.