Well, Well, Well ...

Please go back and read that title with your hands on your hips ... because criminitly we have been gone for awhile.  (And, the first i in criminitly is long and the other two are short ... that will be my only reading lesson for the night.  I promise!)


And, yet, nothing has changed.  Well, almost.  


Volleyball is over.  We learned a lot this season ... it was a hard season, but it is during the "hard" that we grow the most.  And feel the most pain.


Torrey continues to do well in 10th grade.  It is still hard ... I'm thinking college will be a breeze for her!  Speaking of college, we are beginning to think and plan.  She goes on a Texas college tour in March.  A&M is mine and Dean's top pick ... I work with some sweet Aggies who are working their magic on her.  There is still time to decide ... thankfully!


My parents came for Thanksgiving.  We had a really great visit ... and it is going to be redone in a few weeks when we head to Florida for Christmas (WITH THE DOGS!)  We really have a lot to be thankful for.


We painted and had new carpet put down in the guest room and craft room.  Dean couldn't complain too loudly ... it is because of HIS dog that we had to tear out the carpet in the craft room to begin with.  And that is all I am going to say on the subject.  Dean did a fabulous job painting both rooms and the bathroom ... magnetic paint was even involved!  In the process we decided to get a new bed and are now making a headboard.  Does it ever end?


My class is beyond yummy.  I have some seriously smart kids.  (I am spending part of my weekend pre-reading chapter books to make sure they are appropriate for two of them ... they are in Kindergarten for crying out loud!)  One of my smartest was overheard saying to one of his friends, "You have no idea how smart I am."  Um, none of us do.  Whenever I am asking someone to please stop doing whatever he will invariably say, "I love you, Mrs. Townsend."  And it makes me smile because I know he is telling me that because he thinks I am being not so nice and he wants to get me off the ledge.  However, he did ask me the other day if I ever yelled ... and I thought in my head please don't ask my family, but that also made me smile because EVERYDAY for almost 9 years I have asked God to let my words be gentle and my spirit be sweet.  I cannot take credit for a kindly spoken word ... it is only because of Jesus.


We are mulling over some things right now ... mostly whether or not to put up a Christmas tree.  We are going to be gone.  Do I really want to deal with putting it up to enjoy it for a little bit only to have to come home and take it down while dealing with a mountain of laundry?  Go ahead and leave your vote ... all two of you who read this much neglected blog.


We are also mulling over Spring Break plans.  A certain someone is turning 16 that week and we are thinking about going somewhere fun.  We are also thinking about summer.  Torrey will be going on two mission trips and is anticipating them more than she is anticipating Christmas.  I love so much that she loves Jesus.


I was asked to join a book club today.  This isn't my first book club ... my friend and I made up our own a few summers ago and only let in people with kindles.  We called it The Kindle Book Club ... original, eh?  We mostly did it so we could meet without kids and drink coffee.  I downloaded my book tonight ... The Dovekeepers.  It takes place on Masada.  I'm hooked already. 


I am planning on making Christmas gifts ... probably should have started before now.  Tomorrow will be a marathon day of crafting.  I'm a little excited!


We went to the funeral for our friend, Stacy today.  It was a little surreal to leave Kindergarten, go to a funeral, and then go right back to littles who needed me to not be sad.  Unbeknownst to them they really did help me today.  The service was a lovely tribute to a remarkable man.  Completely God honoring ... but, I didn't expect anything less.


Sorry for the seemingly randomness of this post ... my brain has seriously been all over the place for the last few weeks.  Although, sometimes in the random you can really glimpse a person's heart ... even if it is just for a second.