On to Wade

As some of you already know, Wade went to the doctor on Thursday for an update. But I want to back up a bit because before this, I haven't posted much on his progress. Wade's last round of chemo was at the end of November. This gave him a much needed break and a chance to really enjoy our holidays. Boy did we!?!? We had a great Christmas and it was nice not having to worry about much. When he went back for a checkup in January, the tumors were shrinking and they decided to take out his chest port. It was great news!!! He hates that thing so it was one less thing for him to worry about. The best thing was that his last treatment was in November and they were still shrinking.

Now back to last week. They found that one of the tumors has grown a bit and in order to stay on top of it, they want to do more chemo. Because he only did 4 out of the 6 rounds last time, they want to go ahead and finish off the last 2. After that, we'll see. The good thing about it all is that there aren't any new tumors and only one has grown. We'll take any good that we can. He will begin his treatments hopefully on Monday. He's still waiting to hear from the doctors. They wanted to start this week, but he wanted to wait until after Easter. I will continue to give updates through all of his treatments.

People are always telling me that they are thinking and praying for Wade and our family. We are extremely blessed and thankful for all that care so much for us.

Awesomely Wonderful Pictures

I kept meaning to post these pictures after they were taken. One of our really good friends, Brandi, took them for us. She's awesome.

Beautiful, Beautiful

I don't know what it is about this song, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

Jasper

We lost our sweet cat Jasper on Sunday, March 20th. He all of a sudden got really sick and refused to eat. We took him to the vet and found out he was jaundice and had a fever of 104. We had two choices... to put him in ICU for several days or put him to sleep. The vet told us that he probably had some type of liver disease and his chances of surviving were slim, even with being in ICU. Of course we couldn't handle the idea of losing our cat, but we also knew that spending thousands of dollars was not an option for us. We took him home to try and take care of him. We had to force feed him and hope that he'd get better. He was hiding from us and became very weak. He was in a lot of pain. When Wade took him back to the vet, he was even more jaundice. So to keep him from feeling the pain, we made the heartbreaking choice to let our precious cat go. He was the sweetest cat. He loved the kids and the kids loved him. We told them that he went to live with his mommy so she could take care of him. We're not quite ready to get into the deeper topic. So, rest up Jasper buddy. You are missed so much!

Teacher of the Year!!!

So as my week started, on Monday, I was told I was nominated for Teacher of the Year. At that point, I had no idea how many people were nominated. For all I knew, it could've been 20 people. I was told to write "Why I Became a Teacher" and have it in the next day. If I can, I'll attach this on here somehow. Anyways, the voting started Tuesday afternoon and then all day Wednesday. I also found out it was me and three other amazing teachers. So there were only four!! I was already honored just to be nominated. I knew in the past that the "Teacher of the Year" was always surprised by his or her family Friday morning. So I also knew that if I would be receiving this award, my family would have found out at some point on Thursday. So of course, I was on to their every little move.

My mom was real short with me on the phone. Wade didn't ask one thing about what was going on. He didn't ask if I was nervous, if I thought I had a chance...nothing. I was also trying on clothes (which by the way I haven't been able to wear in 2 years) and he didn't once ask why I was doing that. I was a little thrown off when he asked if I could take the kids to the babysitter's Friday morning. This isn't anything out of the norm...we switch off taking and picking up depending on our schedules. When he told me I was taking the kids, I was a little bummed because then I knew the kids wouldn't be there so I was pretty sure at that point that I wouldn't be the TOY (for short). I was bummed, but okay too. Again, just being nominated was beyond any of my expectations.

So Friday morning came. Wade helped me get the kids ready to go and I was out the door. I got to school and for the most part, it was a normal day. I say that because we were going on a field trip that day and that always makes for a crazy morning. We were called down to the cafeteria at 7:45 with all of the kids where we anxiously waited for the news.

First, the paraprofessional of the year was announced. Ali Delavina was our para of the year. She's super! I was so happy for her. Then I knew what was next. I was sooo nervous. One girl, who was in my first class that I ever taught and who is now in 5th grade, was standing with me. She was more nervous than I was. Our TOY from last year got up and began talking.

He was unbelievably nice. The second he started talking about my personal struggles outside of school I had a hunch. Then he started talking about a situation that had happened just the day before. Long story short...when I was walking 2 classes out to recess, a girl tripped and feel head first into the corner of the wall. He came out of classroom and helped her to the nurse. It was such a horrible noise and I was so worried about that little girl. Anyways, he brought that up and then I knew and began to cry.

When they called my name, I walked up on the stage and the curtain opened. There behind the curtain was Wade, his mom, my parents, brothers, grandparents and aunt. I couldn't believe they were all there. I was so excited. It was such a great moment!

I am so incredibly blessed that I was rewarded doing something I truly love. I have such an amazing staff that I get to see everyday. I am very fortunate to have such great friends and family that support me and my every move. I am very thankful and honored that I was chosen to be our Teacher of the Year and I was so happy that my family was able to be there with me. It was a great ending to my week and beginning of my Spring Break!!!!

Here are pictures of my flowers that I received.




Here's what I wrote...

Why you chose to become a teacher:

I chose to become a teacher because I really and truly feel that I was meant to make a difference in the lives of children who are less fortunate. I’ve always had that feeling deep down that I was destined to do what I do. I never had a second option. This is my one and only true love and I can’t imagine my life any different. Having my students hug me, tell me they love me and learn in ways that never seize to amaze me reaffirms my love for teaching. Teaching is not just about learning to count and knowing your letters. It’s about making a difference in each child’s life and helping them have a positive outlook in their lives now and in the future. I chose to become a teacher so I could make children feel successful, loved and in turn become a respectful citizen. Nothing makes me happier than to hear a student say, “One day I’m going to be a teacher just like you.” I smile and say, “I once had that dream and my dream came true. Your dream can come true if you give your all and try your hardest.”

Other:

As a teacher, it is my goal to enhance student learning. I am to provide students with meaningful learning experiences that will last forever in their minds. The ultimate goal is for me to help these students develop intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically. Not one of these should be overlooked.

I aim to promote student responsibility for learning and inspire children to find ways to contribute to the class. In a classroom, the environment should be set up in a way that tells stories. One should be able to walk into a room and immediately see the community that has developed through the students. It should be stimulating and respectful of diverse views and experiences. Not one child is like another. This is the best way for children to learn from one another. It is a wonderful teachable moment that prevails every single day. Children tend to learn best from one another and as a facilitator, it is up to me to find ways to enhance this learning. Providing children with a diverse environment will open their minds to the surroundings all around them.

The students are the number one priority to any teacher. In order to make this a success, the teacher must develop meaningful relationships outside the classroom. Team members, principals, and other staff members are an important part of a teacher’s life. It is important to remain positive, understanding and open to others in the group. A support group is vital to any success.

Teaching is a privileged position. It is about hearts and minds and changing lives for all those involved in the process. It is important to make a daily effort to grow and become your best. As a teacher, I will continually grow and become a life-long learner. Not only will I teach my students, but my students will constantly be teaching me new things.

Weddings, Weddings and More Weddings

Okay so there weren't THAT many weddings. But two weekends in a row = a very stressed mommy and two tired babies. Last weekend Reagan was in my cousin Jennifer's wedding as the flowergirl. She was precious of course. They had a blast at the reception. Kaden was showing off all his moves on the dance floor. It was hilarious! Here are a few pictures from that wedding. This past weekend was my cousin Kelli's wedding. I was actually the flowergirl in her mom and dad's wedding so it was pretty special that both Kaden and Reagan were in her wedding. We started Friday night off with the rehearsal. No matter what we bribed Kaden with, he DID NOT want to walk down the aisle. Reagan, being the pro now, took his hand and said, "Come on honey, it will be okay. Come with me." Still, he did not want to go. He finally went crying all the way. We just knew we were doomed on Saturday. Here are pictures from Friday. So Saturday came and I have to say, I was pretty darn proud of our kids. Not only were they absolutely adorable, but they did AWESOME walking down the aisle. Kaden was a little nervous around all the girls, but when the doors opened up to go in, he let it all go. He was ready to walk down. Him and Reagan held hands all the way down the aisle and even made it to the stairs and sat down. We planned for them to just make it down the aisle and then find us and sit down. We never thought they'd make it all the way to the front. We were amazed! I was sooo proud. They had a great time at the reception. This time, Reagan was a hit. She was dancing like crazy. It was so cute. Here's a video of her dancing. Sorry it's sideways. We forgot our video camera and I used my camera. Unfortunately, I taped it sideways...duh! It's still cute though.
And another...


Here are more pictures...