Wild Adventures with Mike

Last week Mike and I went to Columbus GA and along with going to Callaway Gardens which is a must see for anyone in that area or within driving distance, Mike came across a place that looked fun. It's called Wild Animal Safari. We had already walked a ton in Callaway Gardens and I was feeling a little pooped and offered to just head home. But Mike said lets go see what it is. I'm so glad we did. We paid for the tickets and bought some food for the animals. We were given the choice to rent one of the parks cars or drive our own. That seemed harmless enough until she said, many of the animals have sharp horns and we don't cover damage to your car. Mike quickly said, okay we will take one of yours.

After seeing our adventure car and laughing about it off we went. It was just okay at first.. we saw pigs, small cautious fallow deer. We had to throw the food to them. The giraffe was way off in the distance and that was a disappointment to say the least especially when we were able to look back and see other cars feeding it.

Anyhow the adventure was about to begin. We came across some buffalo. These were no ordinary buffalo these were huge DIRTY buffalo and they had no problem sticking their heads all the way into the car to get food. A lot of our photos have only mouths or a bulging eye because that is what we saw and we couldn't get back fast enough. The one buffalo whose tongue is to the side loved Mike. He was huge and a bit scary looking which left Mike's left arm and shirt slimmed. I thought I was going to die laughing and couldn't snap the pictures fast enough. Mike's words.. lets move on to see what big animals are on your side of the car! That he did. But I was wise... and as they came roaming to my side... I rolled the window up which left slobbers on the window.

We had so much fun and this is a great place to go if you find yourself near Pine Mountain Ga. We think we might take the kids with us when Brittany and Robby come in Dec. One lesson learned we need to buy one bag of food for each person. We had way to many fun animals we couldn't feed because we ran out of food.

If you ever want ideas about fun stuff to do Mike and I have plenty of them and we are finding even more places to go check out. Thanks for being such a great adventuresome husband Mike. I always have a great time when we travel together. It off to our next adventure!

Mom's

So last week was Mother's Day and I had planned on posting about my mom. But that never got done. But I would like to talk a bit about her.

So many times we get caught in the trap of saying... well my mom didn't... my mom wasn't.... or my mom treated me ... and I will say it is an easy thing to do. But over the years I have come to understand that my mom was the best mom for me. Of course she wasn't perfect. She made mistake and so do/did I. She use to tell me that her sister use to say, "I did the very best I knew how to do." I thank her for being the best mom she could. Of course we had some rough patches growing up but all in all I think I turned out pretty well. Thanks Mom!

Last weekend Mike and I went to Columbus GA. We started a few years ago picking places we could run off to and check out that didn't take a tremendous amount of time getting too. Columbus GA is one of those places. Our girls have been to parts of Callaway Gardens so we thought we would like to as well and see what there was to check out. We found a ton of stuff to do in Columbus but not enough time to do it all. We will have to go back again.

We drove the extra hour to Callaway Gardens and the fun began. We started off at the Discovery Center. It was amazing and gave us just a small glimps of what was ahead of us. We watched a predatory bird show which was interesting, Mike's comment was less talk more birds please! We saw a bridge with lots of people leaning over the side. That caused us to walk to the edge and lean too. We found turtles and fish. Lots of them. We fed them and watched this one little baby turtle ride around on the backs of the bigger turtles. So fun to watch.

We got into our car and we were off to the Horticultural Center. We found one of these in Ashville a few years back and loved it. But this place was not to be out done. It was amazing! We walked into our first room where there hung huge baskets of Petunias. My mother grew these flowers all the time. You have to pinch the heads off when they die so they will keep making flowers. I hated pinching the heads off these plants but seeing them made me think of Mom and pinching the heads off. I learned to love flowers because my mom loved flowers and I was surrounded by them all the time. We continued our walk through the center and as we ventured into the center the more my heart started to patter and the tears came. Oh how mom would have loved this place. I came across beautiful Orchids and stopped and enjoyed them for a while. Kathy and Doug Pulley use to give mom either whole plants or stems of orchid flowers. I love orchids because they remind me of my mother. They had a ton of orchids to view. While Mike and I walked throughout the center there was a sense of peace in my soul. I missed my mom but was so thankful she gave me a great love of nature. As I took pictures with my phone and sent them off to different people it gave me time to remember such a fine woman who I feel blessed to call Mom.

Mom taught me how to clean. She made sure our home was always clean and presentable. She taught me that it was important to make the other person in the conversation feel important. If you ever run out of things to talk about ask them about themselves. People will go on and on about themselves she would say. She taught me to keep my knees together when wearing a dress so I wouldn't show my panties. She shared her love of music with us. We would be asked to sit and listen to classical music. To this day I love Handel's Messiah. She would say sit down I have something to read to you and we would sit and listen to what she had found. She showed me the importance of attending the temple and being within those sacred walls. She loved working in the temple and some day I will do that and I can't wait. She loved the gospel and often I would see her reading scriptures and preparing lessons weeks in advance. She taught me that a job will done is best and to always give your best. These are just a few of the things she taught as she took her job of mother very seriously.

She taught me to be the woman I am today. Mom I love you and miss you. Perhaps Heavenly Father will let you peek into my blog so you can see how very much you mean to me. I miss you! Happy Mother's Day to all the fine and wonderful women I know and to especially my wonderful mother!

The Hard- Long- Tiring- Exciting Job I Have!

So most if not all of you know that I have been working full time. I truly believe that the Lord provided this job for me. With the cutbacks I don't know how much longer I will have this job but I do know that things will be ok.

So almost 2 years ago I started working for FCRR (Florida Center for Reading Reseach) and it has been a love, hate relationship. I love the fact that we are trying to help students who struggle in school. I love that maybe those who might fall through the cracks might get the necessary teaching they deserve. I love the fact that I get to be with wonderful testers and students. I have hated my job because it can be very intense and very demanding. It has pushed me way out of my comfort zone in so many ways. I have grown a lot and have met and worked with many wonderful people. So yesterday something fun happened at one of the schools I work with. They have been wonderful.


GOVERNOR CRIST UNVEILS NEW READING TECHNOLOGY FOR FLORIDA'S STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS
TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today joined Commissioner of Education Dr. Eric J. Smith and President of AT&T in Florida Marshall Criser, III, at Hartsfield Elementary to unveil a new statewide reading assessment system aimed at bolstering the reading success of all Florida students. The new tool will allow teachers to quickly identify students’ reading strengths and weaknesses using web-based technology.

“We are making tremendous academic progress here in Florida and none of it would be possible without the support of a business community that truly values education,” said Governor Crist. “This generous contribution from AT&T is going to better the lives of our children and ensure that our state continues to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”

The implementation of this new system is due in part to a $525,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation. The Foundation’s donation will allow the Florida Department of Education to supply laptop computers to kindergarten through 2nd grade classrooms around the state to test this new technology. Using the laptops, teachers will conduct reading assessments where students participate in a series of real-time exercises to evaluate their reading abilities while teachers log their performance. The system will then process each student’s results and provide immediate feedback to help target instruction. The assessments unveiled today are part of the state’s larger pilot system known as the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading, or FAIR, which will provide teachers at all grade levels with screening, progress monitoring and diagnostic information essential to guiding reading instruction.

“The Department of Education has enhanced the reading assessment program for Florida students in grades kindergarten through 12 with a focus on a student’s individual needs,” said Criser. “This grant makes new devices available to more classrooms and upgrades the methods that are used to collect data, which will enhance the teacher’s ability to help their students.”

The kindergarten through 12th grade FAIR program will be piloted in select schools throughout the state during the months of April and May and will be available to all schools in each of Florida’s 67 school districts in the fall. The Florida Department of Education has worked in partnership with the Florida Center for Reading Research to develop the state’s reading assessment tools aimed at increasing student performance and enhancing the skills of our reading instructors.

“Proper reading skills are incredibly important to the success of our children and I cannot thank AT&T enough for contributing so much to such an important cause,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith. “As we work to expand our new reading assessments to all grade levels I am confident that every area of student learning will be positively impacted.”

Senior Moment!

An elderly couple were having dinner at another couple's house and after their meal, the wives left the table to go to the kitchen.

The two elderly gents were talking, and one says: "Last night we went out to a fabulous new restaurant .I'd highly recommend."

The other man says: "What's the name of the restaurant?"

The first man thinks long and hard with a furrowed brow, finally saying: "Ah, what is the name of that red flower you give to someone you love?"

His friend replies: "A carnation?" "No, no. The other one," the man says.

His friend suggest "The poppy?"

"No, no, no" growls the man.

"You know - the one that is red and has thorns."

His friend says: "Do you mean a rose?"

"Yes! Thank you!" the first man says. He then turns toward the kitchen and yells: "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"

He Lives!

Okay so I promise to not make this blog all about video's but a friend sent this to me last week. I was finally able to watch it yesterday. I love Liz Lemon Swindle pictures and I love to listen to Kenneth Cope's music. So it would be a no brainier that I wouldn't love this or anything else they do. I also think Susan Black is amazing and have heard her speak many times. Sorry but I couldn't get the video to show but here is the link.

But I do want to add - That HE LIVES!! He is my savior and He is your Savior. He truly lives!!!

http://www.sonofmanproject.com/

There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection. Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

Create - You are a woman and it is within you to do so!

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. You don't need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.




This is one of my favorite all time talks. How I love Pres. Uchtdorf! Sometimes I live beneath my creative powers within. Thanks for the reminder of who I am.

I like getting older!

A dear friend of mine sent this to me. I understand these thoughts and I am thankful I do. I love my age!

"I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly.

As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers,or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and
compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it)."