and I'm not talking about xanga, but I love the change here. I am talking about change for me, my job mostly. I will graduate in may with a master's degree in nursing - nurse education. and I'm not sure I want to teach nursing now. crazy. take out the loans, go to graduate school, and then, not too sure. so I am praying and praying. and sending resumes out. and wondering what exactly is next. but ... how are all of you????

I don't know if I can do this.  Teach and go to grad school and just doing it constantly day after day after day.  the stress of bills, and work, and grades, and getting it all done and laundry, and it all.  i want to scream. but it won't do any good and i know it.  I know that i am not in charge but most days i feel like i have to do it all.  i want to garden and write and sew and crochet and bake and cook... but i can't do any of that.  how i wish i could change everything.  change it all. 

What a shock this past week ~ back to work and back to grad school.  I have a ton of reading every week for my class and there is a lot to do for work as well.  It is one day at a time here and I am hopeful that somewhere between now and March we get a HUGE snowstorm so I can stay home and read and write and play catch up.  But it is 60 degrees here and I am now hopeful for spring and the garden and what is to come!  Emmie is graduating in May and Sarah is getting married in October.  2013 is going to be a busy busy year.  I am also job searching in nursing again, would like to get back into hospice.  Not sure what will happen and am praying for guidance. blessings to all!!

Holidays are soon on us, but today's news of the elementary school shooting is going to take the life out of anything coming up.  how tragic, how sad, how evil. What a horror to happen.  I have a few weeks off of grad school so I will be back in a few days.

I miss being able to write, but I am writing graduate papers instead.  Usually 2 a week and it will be that way for the next year and a half.  It is good though, I love learning and i am at a graduate school now that is amazing!! 
I would ask if you can... to please go to http://pinkglovedance.com/home/  and vote for Ashland County West Holmes career Center.  It is my school and we entered the pink glove dance competition.  Prize winners get to donate to a breast cancer research organization.  We would love to win!!!  So spread the news and vote for us!!!!

Happy Birthday to Bilbo Baggins!!  Happy 33rd Anniversary to ME!!  what a glorious day here... blue sky, big white clouds, cool breeze, orange red yellow leaves on green grass, cleaning the garden and smelling basil & chives & parsley.  what a day.  Thank you Lord for today.

hard to believe school begins in a week.  there are children heading to preschool, kindergarten, high school, college, grad school.  I am looking forward to the routine and schedule of it all.  The garden is doing well ONLY because I watered it every other day for most of July which means our water bill is higher than usual. The water department called asking if we  had a leak.  I thanked the lady and said, No - I watered the garden.  She laughed.  I was glad to know the city would call when they see an unusually higher bill than normal. 

Here is the asparagus from the spring.. then the impatiens with mint, and potted flowers on the deck. I will get more picks from the garden loaded later. Tomatoes are coming on like crazy and I think I will be canning for a few weeks. So grateful for the food.  I am also digging potatoes right now, they are small and I think I will be canning them also. Got the freezer cleaned a few weeks ago and canned all the chicken that was in there. I actually had forgotten some of it so it needed to go.  We have elderberries that need to be picked and stemmed before the birds get them all.  I will probably make syrup to can.
Sam did a 500 mile ride this summer from Cincy to DC for human trafficking.  I will try to get pics up from that too.  The girls and I went to DC to watch them all ride into the Lincoln Memorial. We had a great time, stayed with some great friends from church and went into DC to the Holocaust Museum.  It wasn't there when I lived there.  So much  has changed there, even on the Mall. 
Need to get going, blessings all!!!
 

So... these were my Mother's day flowers from @sarahtheworldtraveler, her fiance Andrew, Emmah and Jed.  I loved them!!  Just thinking about life and kids and how it goes so very fast. 
Sam is off on his bike trip for human trafficking.  His blog is here.  They are riding from Cincinnati to Washington DC to raise awareness and raise money for the International Justice Mission. We do not realize the scope of the sex slave trade.  Here in Ohio Toledo is the city to get traded in.  Scary.  The girls and I are  hopeful to see them ride into DC across the Arlington Memorial bridge!!  I just hope he survives the mountains.  If you think of it, pray for him and the other 24 riders.  Sam has two guys from youth group riding with him this year.  One just graduated from high school and the other will be a junior in high school next year.  So glad they were moved to help raise awareness.
The summer has flown, school begins in 5.5 weeks.  I can't believe it.  I am off seeing new Junior students on home visits.  Always interesting to 'see' the home they live in and their support system they have or don't have.  Reminds me of my days in hospice - I never knew what I would be walking into when I had to care for someone in their home. Helps me anticipate what kind of learning they might be able to do. 
And grad school starts in 6 weeks too.  Only 2 years left... I will be so glad to be done.  I am looking forward to classes at Walsh.  And I am hopeful to then get a job teaching at the college level.  Not sure if I can handle high school students for the rest of my career, but since I'm not in charge of anything.... I will wait to see what the Lord has in mind.  He has gotten me this far, I am trusting He will take me the rest of the way.  blessings dear ones!!

3 H's are here in Ohio... Hot, Humid, Hellish ~ the fans are blowing, the AC is running in the living room window, and sleeping is a hard thing to do.  The girls are both home and we have not alot planned but hopeful for fireworks.  The rain has missed us today and we are in an extreme drought situation.  We are in need of 4-6" of rain to catch up.  I have been soaking the garden everynight and have it mulched with straw and grass clippings.  Things are looking pretty good so long as I water.  I will post pics later.

..... difficult here, the choices grown children make that impact everything. please pray if you stop by... for us and our children.