It's been a while...

Whoa! It's been a while...Life has been great although nothing overly exciting going on. Spring has sprung and we are so excited. Our forsythias are in bloom in the backyard, Grasshoppers baseball tickets have been purchased, good friends abound, and weekends soon will be filled with PROJECTS! We are hoping to put a deck on the back of the house this summer, so we've bought a deck building book. Hmm, we'll see how that goes. :-)

Shawn is really enjoying his new job, which is a big relief. It makes this home a happier place!
As for me, I've got my hands in a couple things outside of work that are satisfying-I volunteer as a Lunch Buddy for a school near my job-I'm assigned to an awesome 4th grade girl. After our very first visit together, she made me a homemade card that said "You're my favorite buddy!" How sweet! If I can, I will continue being her friend through the end of fifth grade...then the program ends, but I hope I can keep in touch with her. She is soo smart and "with it" and I would love to see her go on to college after high school; I'd love to be an influence on her about college. It's a small isolated community where almost noone goes on to a university. But for HER, it's not too early to get her thinking about the possibility! Children are so mold-able! I can't think of a better word right now! Example: She excitedly told me that it was ice cream day, and she was getting her quarters out to buy some. She asked me if I wanted some ice cream and I told her no thanks, that I don't eat sweets. She looked at me funny and didn't say anything. About 10 minutes later when it was time to buy her ice cream, she said, " I don't think I'll get ice cream today." I can tell that my words and actions are watched closely with her! Also, I'm still taking care of the babies in the Nursery at my friend's church once a month. I get my "baby fix" that way! (which is a MUST!) Shawn and I hope to have our own little bundle(s) sooner than later, but not just yet. :-)

I'm also reading a great book called The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children. It will definitely be a guide book for me when Shawn and I raise our own. A friend of mine's women's group at church just finished reading it...a Christian church...that's nice that they were not turned off by the fact that it's Jewish teachings...as far as I'm concerned, they're just Great teachings!