Relationships: One of Life's Greatest Blessing

My family and friends bring meaning to my life. They share my joys and sorrows. These past few weeks have re-emphasized this to me. From wedding plans, to promotions, to graduations...without our family and friends, the joy is not the same. I often talk about the plates I spin and juggling the plates so that one doesn't fall. For six years, I've been spinning a platter along with the plates, the doctoral platter. I'm so glad that I no longer have to spin it. I look forward to working harder on cultivating the relationships that bring great meaning to my life.

Life is a Roller Coaster Ride--Hold on!

Six years ago, a close friend called and asked me to consider being his partner in a doctoral program. He had heard that Georgia State University wanted to provide an advanced degree program (PhD in Educational Policy Studies) for the greater north Georgia area through the formation of a co-hort. My husband reminded me that the following year our daughter would be graduating from high school. Because she is our only child, he explained that I needed to begin to think of something to keep me entertained so that I would not suffer so badly from "empty nest". After a family meeting, we decided that I would begin the journey towards obtaining a PhD. In one of my first classes they introduced the possibility of studying abroad the following summer. After lots of conversation, we decided it was the perfect time for us....it would coincide with the year our daughter graduated from college. What better graduation gift could we give her than a chance to spend time in England? Plans were made. June 2006, our family would go to England.

Our family and closest friends have told us that we stretch the limits, sometimes a little too much. During the spring of 2006, Danny was offered a new job. We put our house on the market, we started packing, and I started looking for a job. I found a job. Our daughter graduated from high school. I packed my office, and the following Friday I moved everything to the new office. On Saturday, I boarded a plane for England.

A couple of weeks later, Danny and Aubree joined me in England. We had several days together as a family, then, I flew home to begin my summer classes. Lucky for me, my husband and daughter packed almost the entire house while I was in England! My husband and daughter stayed in England a few more days to enjoy some special daddy/daughter time. The following Wednesday, the movers arrived at our house to load the truck. They spent two days loading all of our worldly possessions and then on Friday, they drove across the state to our new home. On Saturday, all of our boxes were unloaded. On Sunday, the very next day, we took our only daugher to college. The very next day, we started new jobs. We worked all day, unpacked our boxes on weekends and evenings, and all the while, I was a full-time doctoral student, taking three classes every semester.

Life has not slowed down yet! We are still on the roller coaster....just coming around a very sharp curve and up and down a hill. In May 2009, our daughter graduated from college. She completed her B.S. degree in three years, with a double major. She moved home because of the economy and found a job nearby. In October, my husband helped her boyfriend move to Alaska. On the way to Alaska, the boyfriend asked my husband if he could marry our daughter. During Thanksgiving, while visiting the boyfriend in Alaska, she was engaged. She interviewed for jobs while visiting and as luck would have it, she was offered a position. After careful consideration, she decided to resign her position and in December, she moved to Alaska.

Last week my husband was offered a new position. This week I'm finishing my disseration. Next week our daughter comes home to put the finishing touches on her wedding plans. Stretching the limits......once more....the ride continues!

Thankful Heart

This afternoon my husband was named Superintendent of a school system. He has been in education for many years, but the last ten years, he's specifically prepared himself for this role. He is an honest man. He is a fair man. He truly believes in making decisions based on what is right for children, not simply for adults. If you don't want to know the truth, don't ask him what he thinks, because he's going to lay it on the line for you. I believe that the economic hardships we are facing will take extraordinary leadership in our schools and state....and he is an extraordinary leader. I'm so proud of him! I'm thankful for the board of education that voted unanimously for him today. I know that he will work his heart out for this district...for these children. It is with a very thankful heart that I write this post tonight!

A Thankful Heart

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues" Cicero

Trying to finish the revisions on my dissertation has been the most challenging work I've ever done! The timeline and expectations have been unbelievable. I still do not know if my chair is going to sign off on my final paper work. I pushed myself to the limits and back again to finish. This week, I obtained three out of the four signatures. I received lots of pats on the back, hugs, and encouragement to publish from my committee members. The finish line is in sight and I'm definitely counting this as a blessing!

Last Friday my daughter's fiance's father passed away. I'm so sorry for his loss. However, because of this they came home for the funeral. They live in North Pole, Alaska and I have not seen them since December. Never before have so many months gone by without me seeing my daughter! As one of my sweet friends told me, God used this opportunity to help me regain some balance in my life. I've been working too many long hours at the office and then burning the midnight oil on my dissertation. However, when God brought our only daughter home unexpectedly.... life suddenly came back into balance. I took some time off to spend with her. We finalized some wedding plans, went shopping, and took time for some of our favorite things....getting a manicure/pedicure....eating at the Japanese restaurant...and did I say shopping? We walked the dog together....and had lots of very nice mother/daughter time...nothing like sharing stories about life and laughing with your daughter! I'm claiming it all as an early Mother's Day present...and Definitely counting this as a blessing!!

What about you? What blessings are you counting from this past week?

Right Now

One of my favorite bloggers created a RIGHT NOW...I Am-blog and asked others to join in the fun....since I haven't written on my blog in a while, I thought I really should give this a go....Here's my RIGHT NOW....I am....

I Am glad it's almost time for bed....stayed up way to late last night.
I Have-a mess everywhere I look....in my new office, in my old office, and at home!
I Wish-my dissertation was totally finished!
I Want- to catch up on all my work.
I Fear- these economic times.
I Hear- the hum of my computer's fan and the background noise of the TV.
I Search- for new things to read and learn.
I Wonder- what it would be like to know what you know now...when you were younger!
I Regret- only having one child.
I Love- my family.
I Always- walk barefoot on our stairs.
I Usually- call my 92 year old Granny every day.
I Am Not- afraid to try new things.
I Sing- when I teach children! I make up songs all the time...and especially love to sing during transition time.
I Never- drink plain white milk.
I Cry- easily.
I Am Not Always- the best wife. The lines of work and home have really blurred for me.
I Need- time to finish my dissertation, to organize my "piles" of stuff...and time to pack my old office and move into the new one.

God's Sense of Humor....

Today has been a day I will never forget.....Printing my dissertation was a tremendous ordeal....After printing 6 copies....at Office Depot, I realized there were several errors....it took me a long time to get everything right....The errors were things I've never encountered before...Here's an example of just one of the errors--You know how "Word" numbers the pages automatically....who would have figured that it wouldn't number them right! As I flipped through the pages I noticed that it went from p. 122 to 132....took me a while to fix it, but then the document had to be reprinted.....wound up taking me much longer than I had anticipated! I need to make a list of all of the errors I fixed while in Office Depot...don't know how I missed them when I proofed it for eight solid hours the day before....Oh wait! Maybe my weary eyes simply couldn't catch anymore errors.......I digress....I had a deadline to meet with my Chair...I promised it would be at GSU on Thursday...that I would drop it off before they closed at 5:30. I was next to the breaking point. That's not true....I was way past the breaking point. I had to drive too fast to get to GSU, just to make it within the time I had left...and that didn't take into account for traffic or wrecks! I was BLESSED by no traffic...no wrecks and NO COPS! Made it into the perimeter with time to spare...no sooner had I thought about how great traffic was....than it came to a CRAWL! I was stopped in bumper to bumper traffic..in downtown ATL..watching the minutes tick away....needing to get to GSU to deliver my dissertation....exit 248a was blocked....sirens all around....next thing I know a police car swerves next to me...a policeman jumps out of the car....he throws his hand in my face....and yells stop....I thought he was going to yank me out of the car! Instead he runs in front of me...I look to my right to see what on earth was going on...and to my total amazement...a ZEBRA ran right past me! The policeman tried to grab the reins, but the zebra was too fast....next thing I know we are surrounded by 16 more police cars and 5 police motorcycles..Sirens were screaming... blue lights were flashing....and all I can think about is.... how can I get to GSU if I can't get off on exit 248a?? Luckily......They caught the zebra...but all I wanted to know was...is it OK for me to squeeze around the blue lights, because I really need to get to GSU before they close the office....and the coast was clear!! All of the lanes on 75S were blocked with police cars....and I was right up front...so there were no cars ahead of me and no cars beside me... ....WOW!! What a day! All I can say is God has a GREAT sense of humor! I made it to GSU......just hope all the pages are actually in order.....don't really like things quite this messy!!

From One Project to the Next

While waiting on my professor to read my paper a few weeks ago, I started a new project.....making curtains for Aubree's new house. See the houndstooth fabric? Hope she likes them!
Even the dining room gets some action....messes everywhere!