What's Up with Us

I haven't blogged lately or as much because things have been very busy for us the month of March. There has been a lot going on with school and the farm.

School Update: Friday was the 139th day of school, so there are 41 days left. This coming week is a 4 day week, we are off Friday and we begin our spring break. Last Friday, Kelly Edwards recieved a very special award. We joined the list of schools that are consiered "healthy" for their physical education program and their nurtious meals. We are awared a silver star and had people from the state deparment, Washington, DC, and FDA headquarters in Atlanta come to our school, along with the local newspapers. This was a very big deal and honor. If we would have of recieved the gold star, Michelle Obama would have come to our school. This program is something that she sponsors. That same week a few teachers were recognized by the district for their PASS scores for their students exceeding state standards. I was recognized for my students exceeding the state standards in Writing. Two weeks ago, we had the state writing test and this past week we had third nine weeks testing. The kids have gone crazy with the testing and spring break can't come fast enough.

Farm Update: I haven't written yet about the newest development on the farm with the compost. I was waiting until things starting happening. Back in February, Humble Acres Bloomin EZ compost was picked up by a distributing company, BWI. This will allow us to have our compost from Virginia down to Florida and everywhere inbetween. This is a huge, major contract and deal for us. Things have gotten off to a rocky start, but it's leveling out and business is bomming! Poor Kevin, though, he has been working so hard. He doesn't come in before dark and now that the time has changed that can be anywhere from 7:00-8:00 at night. He has to be in so many places at one time with things, it's been very stressful on him.

In light of all of that, Kevin got a new tractor Friday. It's orange. He said that he was going to put a Gamecock sticker on the back and get some Gamecock magnets for the sides.

Spring is most definitely here! We have had beautiful warm weather here. Even though today it's a little bit cooler than it has been all week. We have lots more baby sheep and flowers are starting to bloom. I'm so excited for this cold weather to go away. I loved the snow and was so thankfully we got snow, but it's April next week, and time for warm weather to stay.

Twins

Yesterday morning about 7:30 am, we had our first set of twins. Sheep twins, that is. She was the first to give birth, there will be many to follow in the next few weeks. She had a boy and a girl. The girl has brown ears and brown around her nose and mouth. She is the first girl we have had with brown. The little boy is solid white. They are so cute! I love the little baby sheep.

Brother and Sister (the little boy escaped to the other side of the fence some how).

Make Up Tips

Here are some make up tips that I saw at the place where I work out today for us ladies:

1. For attractive lips: speak only the words of kindness

2. For lovely eyes: seek out the good in people

3. For a slim figure: share your food with the hungry

4. For Poise: walk with the knowledge that you are never alone

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.

-Audrey Hepburn

The count down is on!

Well, the official count down is on! Starting tomorrow, I have three more months of this school year, 60 more days. I do have a week for spring break, the first full week in April hidden in there, and I know I have had the count down going all year long, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Things are better, because the end is near and I have been in a much better mood about school the last few weeks. My work load hasn't let up any, I am still working just as hard as I have all year long. This year has just been so difficult, challenging, stressful, etc. God has given me the strength and I pray for it daily, just to make it through. I still take one day at a time. He has blessed me in little ways each day and week, that has helped lighten my load and He will help me finish strong. I've been saying that I'm just burned out all year and I still feel that, I'm tired of teaching all day. But, the finish line is in sight and I am running hard to make it. January and February has flown by in a hurry and I'm sure the rest of the months will too. They are normally very busy, because you have so much to teach before the PASS (state test in May). Just keep praying for me to keep my stress level down, my sanity, and my work load to lessen and that I'll be have to have some "me" time and some "me" and Kevin time. I can do it!

Thank Goodness for a Happy Ending

This afternoon I did something that thank goodness there was a happy ending because I don't know what I would have of done if the worse had happened. I was pulling into our road/driveway, I was slowed down to a crawl and I was turning in to our second driveway and I could see Abby, then I heard her squeal really loud. I stopped very sudden and then I saw her come from around my car and she had one of her front legs off the ground and was hobbling. I got out of the car, and I just started crying, because I had hit her. I called Kevin and his first response was "Is she dead?" The happy ending is that she didn't even have to go to the vet, that after about a minute she was back to her old self, running and jumping around like nothing was wrong. But I know that I had to at least bumped her with my tire or hit her paw with my tire. Kevin called after about 30 minutes after that happened to check on Abby to see if she was okay and to check on me to see if I was okay. He also wanted to know how many milk bones Abby had had. I told him at that moment none. Which he said, you just almost ran over her, she should at least get 1. Which I gave her 2 after I got off the phone with him. But it was a very upsetting 10 minutes. Thankfully, I can say this story had a happy ending.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Well, my weekend has been different. Friday, I worked until about 5:30 at school and got home about 6:00. I cooked dinner, Kevin got home about 6:30, and then I went back to my computer to do more school work until 9:30. To keep Abby satisfied I gave her a toy that had a tennis ball attached to a rope. (She was given this toy for Christmas and I have been saving it). And to say the least, she made a mess of it, tore it up. Just as I got into bed (which Kevin and Abby had both been in bed for about thirty minutes), I hear a noise that I know everyone with kids or pets hates to hear.....someone throwing up.....and that someone was Abby, in the bed, on Kevin. (that part is kind of funny). I lay there for a second for it to hit me that Abby just threw up, so I turn on the light, and apparently Abby had not only tore up the toy, but she had eaten most of it too. So, I get up and clean everything up. Before I can lay back down, she does it again. I ask Kevin to get up to help me, he got in a bad mood because he had to get up at 5 and go to work the next day and honestly wasn't much help. But all I wanted him to do was to put Abby somewhere and get her off the bed. I got the 2nd mess cleaned up, put Abby in her cage and carried both to the den. Just as I sat down on the couch, here it comes again for the 3rd time. So, once again, I cleaned it up. I decided that until she stopped, she was going to sleep in her cage. So, I sat down and watch some of the Olympics, until I got sleepy. I slept on the couch until about 2:30, then we both moved to the bed. She had not thrown up anymore. Saturday, I didn't do anything until about 4:00 that afternoon. Meaning, I laid around, watched tv and took several naps. Then I finally got up and cleaned up the house and had dinner ready for Kevin, when he finally came home at 8:00 last night. Today, Kevin had to got to work again, so I have been doing school work. Then I have to clean up the house again (it just amazes me how it is always messy, even when you just clean), go to the store. Kevin's suppose to work most of the day again today. He has this spreading litter job that he is trying to finish up, he normally doesn't work all weekend or work on Sunday. So I thought that I would get something special to make for dinner tonight to cheer him up. I don't know yet what it will be. Also, all day long Abby has been hearing the trucks go back and forth to the chicken houses and she has been barking like crazy. She normally doesn't bark, but it's been non-stop today for some reason. Anyway, this is the last week of February. Which means, I just have 3 more months of school. Yea! The weather has still been cold and I am getting ready for spring and warmer weather. I'm tired of wearing the same old thing every day and every week. Oh well, that's all the news I have for now.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Last night, we both were so tired from playing in the snow that we decided to wait to go out to eat for Valentine's day for lunch today. So we ordered pizza and just stayed around the house. I was getting ready, because at that moment we had not decided to stay in, when Kevin asked me to go and check to see how much money he had in his wallet for dinner. I walked into the kitchen, and there was a dozen red roses on the counter. Kevin had come in from finishing working at the chicken houses and I didn't ever come to meet him, so I was surprised to see them there. Today, we went to eat at Chilli's, our favorite place, for lunch. My mom had sent us a valentine card with a gift card from Chilli's in it. Our lunch was super and we got dessert which was even better. My favorite dessert they have there is their chocolate molten lava cake. It's a little chocolate cake with hot fudge inside, with ice cream on top and the ice cream has a hard candy shell. Talk about heaven! Anyway, we had a nice time. We both exchanged cards this morning and I gave Kevin a gift card to Lowe's. We both told each other no candy this year. (Trying to cut back, but of course for Valentine's Day you have to get dessert!) I hope that you and your special someone has a Happy Valentine's Day!