ABC's of Me

I am so new to the blog world, that I wasn't sure what this meant when I read Cheri's blog and she tagged me to share the below ABC's about me. So here it goes


A - Available/Single? Nope, married
B - Best Friend? Roger, my husband
C - Cake or Pie? Pie - preferably pumpkin or french silk
D - Drink Of Choice? A&W Rootbeer, but I mostly drink water during the day at work.
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? Contact lenses (so I am a little vain)
F - Favorite Color? Purple
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Gummy Bears
H - Hometown? Denver, CO
I - Indulgence? Scrapbooking
J - January Or February? Neither really - I live in Minnesota and these are the coldest months. The skiing is better in Feb - so I choose Feb
K - Kids & Their Names? Charity - age 13, Elijah - age 7
L - Life Is Incomplete Without? My family
M - Marriage Date? December 17, 1994
N - Number Of Siblings? 3, Brother-35 years old, sister-16 years, sister-14 years
O - Oranges Or Apples? Apples - Honey Crisp if you can get them.
P - Phobias/Fears? Fear of failure - I tend not to try new things if I think that I won't be good at it.
Q - Favorite Quote? Depends on what movies our family has watched lately. Too many to count. An old one from Ferris Bueller that we just re-watched, "Who could expect me to go to school on a day like this?"
R - Reason to Smile – I am known by the creator of the universe.
S - Season? Summer because I get to be home with my kids
T - Tag Five People? I don't know anyone with a blog except Cheri, but I would love to hear from Uncle Vic, Jennifer Carr and my mom
U - Unknown Fact About Me? I enjoy sappy romance novels
V - Vegetable you don’t like? Cooked spinich
W - Worst Habit? Watching too much tv
X - X-rays You’ve Had? Finger and knee (both from boating incidents a couple of summers ago.
Y - Your Favorite Food? Chinese or Mexican - I could eat those any night of the week.
Z - Zodiac Sign? Aries

This was fun! Thanks for getting me in the loop!

Cyndee

Thanksgiving

I often wonder what we will do when Thanksgiving becomes my holiday. At the moment, Roger's mom gets the honor (or work) of doing the meal and having us over to her house. I get Easter - by my choice. I brought a puzzle this year and the kids fought over which of the 100 dish channels to watch. I would like for it to be a more meaningful day for us. The weather here was beautiful - in the 50's on November 23rd. We took a walk outside and Eli was riding his bike. It just didn't feel like winter was around the corner.

We did go to church on Wednesday. That was the best time to just sit and focus on what Thanksgiving is all about. I time for worship and taking of communion. Sometimes it is good to have time to focus on all that we have. Our past sermon was about having the "Good Life". In truth, we are living the good life and forget. My prayer is that I won't forget throughout the year. The Lord gives and takes away...

I am thankful for all the Lord has blessed me with - the best husband and kids, as well as all the material blessings. I know that this can change instantly. Lord, give me the strength and character to stay thankful...

Cyndee

They arrived on the cauliflower...

Eli came home last week and was telling us about his day and what he learned. Some days he doesn't tell us anything and sometimes he has a story to tell. I figure that I should leave the communication lines open - they say that boys just stop talking when they hit puberty... Anyway, he was telling us about the story of the first Thanksgiving. He told us that the pilgrims came over on the cauliflower...Roger covered his mouth to keep from laughing and discouraging him. Eli is very sensitive and wouldn't quite understand why Dad was laughing at him. I did my best to keep a straight face and correct him that is was the Mayflower that the pilgrims traveled on. He kept on going like nothing happened. Here is a great theme for veggie tales if they ever run out of ideas... Thank you Eli for laughter..

Cyndee

NASCAR

Okay, I will confess that I am a closet NASCAR fan. As a kid, I thought that this was the most boring sport with cars just going in circles for miles and miles. I suppose that this is still true, but I am now more interested in the strategies and position of the different drivers. I have also started reading up on the history of NASCAR. Okay, so it started from bootleggers transporting moonshine - aka Dukes of Hazzard. Well, at least there is a legal place for lead footed drivers to race each other instead of on the highway with us slow folks.

This obsession began with having a son. Eli likes anything that has a motor and moves fast - airplanes, fast cars, trains, etc. Roger was channel surfing one night and came upon a race in progress. Roger just liked the name of one of the drivers - Jimmy Johnson. It had such a ring to it. Eli watched the end of that race and Jimmy Johnson actually won! Jimmy Johnson then became Eli's favorite driver. Number 48 is now well known in our house. Charity's favorite driver is Jeff Gordon - because they share a birthday (I also secretly think that she finds him to be cute!).

I knew nothing about NASCAR three years ago, but Eli wanted to know more and when a next race was. I went on the internet and found out when the races were and learned about the point system and all. I started to get into it as much if not more than Eli. I liked that they prayed before a race and keep the drivers accountable off the track as well as on the track - unlike our american football players. It is definately biased - and aren't we all. Some drivers seem to get away with more than others from what I can tell.

So, the season just ended this weekend. We were cheering for Jimmy Johnson to win the Nextel Cup - the chamionship ring for NASCAR drivers. After missing it by points in the past couple of years, he finally won. It was a great thing - prolonged by many caution flags and setbacks. I hope that you get a chance to see it in February for the Daytona 500. My house will now get the cleaning it deserves and my family will have hot meals again on Sunday. It has been a great season.

God Bless

Cyndee

Grades

As a teacher I sometimes feel overwhelmed by grading and always being in the spotlight. I truly believe that this is God's calling and somehow He will help me get the grading done as well as still having time for my family. I really try to leave the office at school and give all my remaining time to be with my family - even if some days that means vegging in front of the tv watching a movie.

Last week was the end of the quarter, so I was fiendishly grading finals and labs to enter during our workday on Monday. I had to make one call for a student that cheated, and decide to "bump" up other grades for the ever desirable "A". Ultimately, it may or may not matter. I have never had the opportunity in conversation to share what my grade was in high school Chemistry - nobody really cares anymore. But, to the college bound high schooler - it feels like life or death.

I know as an adult, that not very many things require that much worry or stress. I was an incredible case in high school - planning and plotting. I suppose it helped me get where I am today, but how much did I miss out on concerning relationships? It is truly a balancing act.

Thanks for reading.

Cyndee