Since the last time I wrote, we had Valentine's Day, a few rodeo concerts and some excitement at school. So, here it goes:

Valentine's Day was a total bummer. It didn't help that I was in meetings all day and kids were crazy sugar hyped so I was exhausted when I got home. The worst part about the day/night was having a husband that was upset and angry all night and wouldn't listen to me. Leland found out earlier in the day that University Hospital decided to contract out the job that he was thinking he was going to get and he still had not heard from MD Anderson. I tried to salvage the night by telling him that we both have to look on the bright side. Yeah, it hoovers that the University job fell through, but there are still opportunities out there. We may not have heard from MD yet, but we will soon. If we don't hear from them there are other jobs out there. Those jobs may be in Ohio and New York, but at least their jobs, right? The love of my life did not want to hear that. All he wanted to do was sulk and be Negative Ned. His mom then called (boy do I love that woman!) and talked to him for a while. She told him the same basic things I told him. After that he was a little better. By that time though, I was so upset because I was dealing with a down and out husband, a rough day at work, and a biting dog that I didn't care about anything else. I tried to calm down the dog by taking him for a walk, but that didn't work. So, I was in a terrible mood all night. Not the way I wanted to spend my Valentine's Day. I was hoping for a nice relaxing evening at home with my husband watching our favorite shows and playing with the dog. That's all I wanted for Valentine's. To me that's the best way to show love. Time with my family. I don't care about the traditional romantic stuff. I just want to relax and have fun. There was one salvageable part of the night, Leland got me my favorite M&M's (peanut butter) and the silicone cupcake cups that I have been wanting from Williams Sonoma. That brought a smile to my face. I love Leland. Sure he drives me nuts every once and while, but what married couple doesn't drive each other nuts. It's how you handle going nuts that will keep you together or tear you apart. Some things you have just got to let slide.


Rodeo concerts were amazing! The first concert we went to was Keith Urban. He was amazing! He sounds the same live as he does recorded. He did the coolest thing at the end. During his last song he jumped off the stage and went into the crowd where there were a bunch of people holding posters. This is the point when Leland and I decided to leave to beat the traffic. What happened after we left was heartwarming. Keith Urban took the guitar he was playing and gave it to a little girl who was sitting on her daddy's shoulders. That will be one concert she will never forget. I love when these big stars do little gestures like that. Totally amazing.
The next concert we went to was Lady Antebellum. They were a fun group to watch. Again, sounded great live. They put on a pretty darn good show too. They had little stories they were share about their songs and they have great chemistry on stage.
The third concert was Miranda Lambert. I love her songs. She's a good ole Texas girl with that East Texas twang. Her music always makes me laugh a little. She is a strong, independent woman and writes music for that. She also has a lot of good, angry, break-up songs. She was a little tipsy, was getting dizzy on the spinning stage, and is really hard to understand because her band drowns her out a little. Other than that it was a fun, light-hearted concert.
The final concert we went to was Alan Jackson. It was weird seeing him without a mustache and 90's haircut. He has really aged. Again, he was great live. He played a couple of newer songs that I hadn't heard before as well as all his number one classics. It was a good time to reminisce. The best part of the evening. . . Leland was shushed by an elderly man! A video clip came on that reminded Leland of a time when he was on student government at UVSC and they were going to do a "White Trash Bash" (sounds bad, I know) and the president of the college found out and came in cancelled the whole thing. He is telling me this story and the elderly guy in front of us looks back a little places his finger to his mouth and shushes Leland! I thought that was AWESOME! How often is anyone shushed at a rodeo concert? I just had to laugh at that one. I could understand if we were talking during a movie, symphony, play, or other theater showing, but a rodeo concert? HA!

We still have not heard form MD Anderson. Leland e-mailed the program director guy to find out what was going on and if he knew anything yet because it's been almost a month and they said he would know in about two weeks and he needed to know what was going on because his wife was nagging him and so on. Okay, so he didn't put it in those terms but I told him he should have so maybe the guy would have a little more sympathy and maybe give him a little more info. The guy replied with, "Patience. You should hear something next week." What kind of answer is that?! It makes me wonder if Leland got the position, but they can't actually say anything and he has to wait for a letter. Crossing the fingers at this point.

Yesterday was an interesting day at school. Mostly because a kid collapsed before school and we had to call an ambulance. We thought he was high on something or got a bad batch of something. A few kids saw him walking behind the building where the students park and so they kept an eye on him since he looked a little out of it. He was walked to a tree that is behind the building and sat down. A guy from the neighboring apartment complex saw him. Another student came to see what was going on and the guy said "He did something bad". The student there knew the kid so was asking him questions. The kid tried to talk but couldn't and a few seconds later collapsed and started having a seizure. A couple of seniors went over and got some help. I received a phone call that I was needed at the back so went out there expecting to find something totally different. I ran to the front office to have our secretary call his parents and someone else was calling 911. When I got back outside another faculty person was out there and she said with what he looked like, he was definitely on something. He was unresponsive. After a couple of minutes he started to come to again so the other teacher and I tried to ask him a few questions and keep him on the ground until EMS arrived. By this time he was trying to push us away and get up. EMS finally arrived and took the kid. A few hours later the kid was back at school fine as can be ready to go back to class. I called the dad to find out what the doctors said, dad was very curt with me and said the doctors found nothing wrong and no drugs were in his system. The funny thing, when I spoke with dad earlier that day I never mentioned anything about drugs or drug use, so why would dad say that unless he suspected his kid was using drugs? It's a cover up I tell you, a cover up! At least the kid's okay and that's all that really matters, right? At least I was able to get a good 30 minute interval training in ;)

Outside of that, not much else. Just the same ole same and trying to keep above water. There are many days that I know I am not above water, but if I keep thinking I am, then one day I will be. =0)

Ok, So. . .

I'm a horrible blogger. I would love to write everyday, but by time I get home I don't want to be around a computer. Right now I feel super lazy. I have to be at school every Saturday for Saturday Detention (I should rename it "Breakfast Club"). That's three hours of things I could be doing in my office. Today, I don't feel like doing jack squat. I played on Pinterest for a little while getting ideas for dinners and healthy snacks. Then I started reading some blogs and realize, I'm a horrible blogger. I have a couple of friends that blog everyday and post pictures and do all that jazz. I am one boring person. I have some blogs with pictures but not many. Probably because the only time I ever blog is when I'm at work and don't have my camera up and running. If I could figure out how to get the pictures from my camera directly to my blog, then I would be set. I guess it's the whole gotta plug the phone into the computer to download pictures that makes me not want to do it.

Ok, so, I should probably have a goal to be a more positive person this year. I have noticed I am always such a "Debbie Downer". I look back and try to figure out when all of this started and I realize, it was when I became an assistant principal. I love being in admin and teaching, but it's the position I am in that is making me such a downer. I only see the problems with everything and it's draining. Rarely do I get to mingle with kids who care and are doing positive things. I find myself searching for those kids everyday. I am tired of always having negative energy around me. I need to get back to the positive. I need happy things and people in my life right now. It doesn't help that I work 12-14 hours a day and by time I get home I am exhausted and can't do much but hit the couch. If only I could figure out how to not work so many hours. I could come in later in the morning, but then no one would pick up the slack. Unfortunately, my counterparts on the academic side don't do much during the school day so that leaves it up to me. While I am talking about other admins, why do we have three, THREE people in the Academic Dean position at this school and only one, ONE, Discipline Dean? I understand there is a lot to do academically and that is what school is all about, but if there is an academic dean for middle school and one for high school, then why can't there be a discipline dean for middle school and a discipline dean for high school? We have five admins on this campus, surely, somehow the duties can be more equally broken up. I better get off this soapbox before I really become a downer.

Ok, so I am one of the Activity Days leaders at church now. Activity Days is for girls ages 8 - 11 and it is set-up to help teach these girls the doctrines and principles of the gospel in order for them to build their own testimonies and become closer to Heavenly Father. I went into this totally freaking out because I don't do well with the littles. I feel much more comfortable with the older kids. The past two times we have had activities, I have loved them! These girls are sassy and sweet. They haven't caught on to smart alleck remarks talking back to adults yet so they are absolutely adorable. I am having so much fun with them. I am excited to be a part of this amazing group of girls. I am also starting to get in touch with the little girl in me. Last night I went to Hobby Lobby and all these things caught my eye that have never caught my eye before. Feathers, beads, jewelry stuff, pretty paper, markers, paints, masks, etc. These things have not been on my shopping list for ages, but now they are the center of my world when I go to Hobby Lobby. It's really nice dealing with kids who don't have to argue or talk back all the time. It's really nice to not have to deal with the attitudes. Who knows, maybe these little girls can change my mind about what I want for kids. I think three kids is a perfect number, but I have never wanted a girl, always wanted boys. I'm a girl (duh), so I know what girls are like. I don't want any of my daughters going through all that drama. I tried to stay out of it, but how do I teach someone else how to stay out of it and not let it get to them? I know these are fears, but they are legitimate fears. Boys, on the other hand, don't fall into all that drama. I don't know. It's going to be a really long time before I have any kids, so I don't know why I am fretting over these things now.

Leland had his interview in Houston last week. Everything seemed to go okay. We haven't heard anything yet, but hopefully we hear something soon. So far things in SA aren't working out. There is too much uncertainty. The more I think about it, the more I am coming to terms with the fact that we may not be in SA much longer. When every open opportunity all of sudden closes just as Leland finishes school and graduates, and others are not meeting deadlines needed so he can get the job he wants, then you really start to think, "is this where we are to be right now?" The Lord has a plan and we have to be really patient right now. Things will fall into place when they fall into place. I would like them to fall into place sooner rather than later, but it's not by my time table. Over the past few years I have learned a lot about the Lord's timing and having faith in Him. I can only do so much, Leland can only do so much, but, if we stay righteous and continue to do those things we need to do, there will be comfort, joy, and the answer we need when we need it. Trust. Trust that the Lord knows you and what you need right now. I know He knows me and what I need right now. I know He loves me and continues to bless me with what I need. I know He lives! I know my Heavenly Father has a plan for me. All I have to do is trust in Him and not let my ambitions and my will get in the way. Good things are coming, good things are coming.