Keri's new dance team

Keri's Senior Year as Captain

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Christmas 2011

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Christmas Sparkles 2010

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I am loving Smile box.  I've wanted to do something with my pictures for so long and now here's a cheap and cool way to do that.  Now if only I could motivate myself to down load all the pictures from life before i-phone.  The huge bucket is daunting to say the least.

This week was okay but exhausting.  Seems my sleep is interrupted for something very often.  You'd think I could sleep without my ambien but I can't.  We made our reservations and will be flying into Baltimore for "THE day."  If everything runs smoothly I am going to get to see my bestie Charlotte while I am there!  I haven't seen her in several years and just need my friend right now.

School is good. I'm working on bonding with all of my students. Some are easy and some are more difficult.  I love them all though.  The most memorable experience of the week was that I was attacked.  Good thing I'm so much bigger or I would have been on the ground.  

Traci's graduation from Hill

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Keri's birthday scrapbook

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2012 Senior Varsity Belles

I'll Remember scrapbook

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Digital scrapbooking

Verrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy interesting....

Milk crate cushioned seats that I made.  Easy peasy.

Neater shelves. I now have the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series
displayed on a shelf, complete with stuffed animal.  It looks better!

Back of the room from the door

Front of the room from my desk

I haven't posted anything about goals lately because my main goal has been to get ready for school.  My goal-setting this summer however has carried over to school and my classroom is as organized as it has ever been.  I love it!  I got some containers with lids so the shelves look neater and I made some cushioned seats out of milk crates.  The kids love 'em.  I do too if I do say so myself!  It looks better now that I have kids' work and learning stuff on the walls.

About the digital scrapbooking... well I have wanted to scrap book all my pictures for at least 15 years now. I remember going to Hobby Lobby when the girls were small to pick paper and a binder and other stuff to do it.  I never did.  I have a huge bucket full of pictures and there are thousands inside.  I don't have a place in my house to start the sorting process and it will definitely take more time than I have to use my kitchen table or living room floor.  I was asked to be the Historian on our PTA board.  My job is to make a scrapbook of the PTA happenings for the year.  That is going to entail taking pictures of events and stuff.  It occurred to me to try doing it on-line and it works great!  I like the idea of making small scrapbooks of each event, at least for now. I am not going to do the PTA one online but I can save these personal ones to my computer and a disk or memory drive.  I am so excited!

How much are those doggies in the window?

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Back into the swing of things

This past weekend Matt and I went to Waco to see our sweet Traci.  We went out to dinner and to the football game with her.  I so loved being with her.  Her apartment and her room are as neat as a pin, which isn't surprising.  She surprised us and got herself a fire belly toad.  His name is Phelps and the funny thing is he eats crickets and she is scared of them.  She said she didn't think about that when she bought him.  Goof ball.  Except for the heat and the crowds, the game was fun.  Poor SMU didn't have a chance. It felt weird to be wearing a Baylor shirt of all things!

OK, I can be stupid!

Keri surprised us and came home last Thursday.  She also has a pet story.  Ugh!  The ding bat!  She went and bought herself a ten gallon aquarium complete with fish and frogs.  Then she found out the next day she's not allowed to have it so she brought it all home.  I have to admit that I kinda went wild
fixing the dang thing up but I was surprised when she called and said she was bringing home a ten gallon aquarium. I love this picture of Bree and Keri.  They both look so happy.  Love my girls!

Bree has not only one new job but TWO.  Here she is in her new dress that she bought for her new job.  She is so used to wearing black and white at work that I'm sure it's fun for her to wear colors now.  She has had a ball buying new clothes for work. It's so convenient that she has to wear the clothes that the two boutiques sell in order to work.  Oh yeah.  But oh she is a cutie.

We are just praying and holding onto hope that everything will be all right for her.  She is upset and we are upset and I think I am going to have a nervous breakdown. I so want her to be all right and for this all to go away.  I am trying to not get bitter but I am headed that direction.

School is going well for me. I love my class. I have great kids. I don't know if I've ever had such awesome kiddos. I feel very grateful.  I've had fun fixing up my classroom and getting every thing ready. I am pleased with all the goals I accomplished over the summer and my

It just keeps getting better and better

I only accomplished two goals from last week and they were to begin my book for school and to go to both staff development classes.  Well the others went to hell.  I still want to clean out the bottom cabinets and the backyard again.  I did shred some old papers today with our new old shredder that my dad gave us.  At least I didn't just sit around all week. I went to two days of staff development, took my mom to the dr and kept the house clean.

Friday night I went to Wichita Falls for Al's birthday with Georgia and my dad.  We stayed in a hotel that night and spent the day at the farm. It was fun to see people I haven't seen much in the past years.  There were people there I had no idea who they were. I did get to chat with Jody and Robin, Christie, Mark and Theresa. I just got hugs from David and Buddy and Al.  Janie and I talked a little bit. I am pretty sure Bingo said hi to me. I saw Matt but we didn't talk at all. He's adorable.  I saw Jeff and Karie and their kids.  Muriel and her daughter were there.  I just wasn't feeling very friendly out of my comfort zone.  I feel bad that I didn't tell Al good-bye. I really don't know where he was when we left.  Of course I am glad to be home.

Cutie Stoney!

Buddy's family

Hopefully someone will put some more pictures of the party on facebook.  I didn't get many pictures.

Tomorrow Matt and I are going to watch Keri and her MCC highlanders dance team at SMU camp.  I hope she does well.  She is loving her new dance team so much.  I am supposed to go up to school to plan and prepare for summer school that starts Tuesday.  I won't get able to get there until after noon.  Hopefully I will be able to get in the building. I'm so not missing Keri's first dance with MCC. I've been through too much lately to deny myself (and my daughter) that!

Four more weeks left before teachers go back.  My babies will be moving to Waco in three.

Another week...

Well I got the pantry cleaned out.  It looks great.  I've also discovered the swiffer.  My floors are much cleaner.   I've been using the wet cloths for a while now but while cleaning the pantry I saw the dry ones.  After I swept the hours I thought I'd use a dry cloth to see how much more hair (dog) that it would pick up.  Let's just say I used more than five.  Dang.  Just to say that this was for the entire house minus the girls' bedrooms.  Love it.  I am loving my cleaner house.  We had a garage sale this weekend (YAY FOR ME!) and got rid of a ton.  Made quite a bit of cash too.  We sold a lot of clothes and most for a dollar or two.  We sold a bunch of stuff that just's been here or there plus a bunch of my dad's furniture.  And ours. We sold Mexico.  For some reason I've become attached to it.  I kept the chest of drawers in my room so at least I have a touch of Mexico still!

We kept this couch.  Okay, well we put it on Craigs List and may end up keeping it.  The girls think having three couches in the living room is weird.  Maybe someone will want it.

OK, so I didn't reach all of my goals this week.  I've reached most everything for the summer though.

New goals:

1. Start reading book for school
2. clean out bottom cabinets
3. go to both staff development classes
4. NO SODA
5. Personal prayers everyday
6. Find scriptures and read everyday

Seriously I can't think of anything to clean out except for those cabinets.  I don't want to clean out my dresser drawers. I just don't need to.  The only other thing would be Bree's room and I'd need to get her to help with that. I'd like to find stuff that may sell on Craigs List to try to raise some $$ for Virginia.

OH and these,

7. water plants daily
8. scoop dog doo out of back yard
9. Possibly straighten up patio since Mexico is gone.

 We went to Sophia's birthday party last week.  Sweet girl is 12.  Here is Keri with her dog Rocky.  He's such a timid little thing but it's fun to watch him run and rough house with his brother, River.

 Happy Birthday Sophia!  She's a silly one!  Love her!

Summer Happenings

Sweetie Bree and Mokie

The Fun with Web 2.0 has been kinda fun and kinda tedious.  I haven't been able to get a few things to upload/download.  I tried again yesterday morning and my school password doesn't work.  Tomorrow I will call the help desk to see about it.  Everything I try doesn't help.  My projects are due on Saturday (I think!  Hopefully no sooner!)


We just keep on keepin' on.  It's a rough time for all of us.  I'm so worried about Bree.  I put this on facebook last night:


Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. The reason for some of these trials cannot be readily understood except on the basis of faith and hope because there is often a larger purpose which we do not always understand. Peace comes through hope."
--James E. Faust,


I got a few comments, only one who is LDS.  I usually get more posts on the LDS quotes and nobody realizes that they are "liking" Mormon stuff.  Well it's all true and nothing is weird or strange like they expect.  I like to search out things like that because they comfort me somewhat.  The other day when I was terribly worried about something I decided to just give it all to God.  Everytime I thought about it, I would tell myself that I gave it all to God.  I kept having to do that then I did stop worrying about it so much.  Not longer afterward I was told that all was OK.  It was a good experience for me to give it all to God.  I want to do this with Bree but haven't found the strength yet.  Every since she got back from Virginia she's been a little down.  We are spending more time together, mostly late at night watching TV and talking and laughing. I know she's hurting and she's scared.  I am too but I want to be strong for her.  Sometimes that means I just don't know what to say anymore. I've said it all. I just don't know how I can comfort her anymore.  


Good news for Traci.  Her tuition loan came in.  That was good to near at least we don't have that monkey on our back (not Traci, the money part!)  And I know she's been thinking about it a lot too.  


Keri is Keri.  I am not sure if I am looking forward to her going off to college or not.  I know she is going to love it...being away from home as well as the dance and the social aspect.  We'll see about how hard she is going to work on her classes.  And the princess will have nobody around to do things for her...unless she can talk her roommates into it. HA HA HA


My mom's doctor told her she has lung cancer.  We found out this week, just a few days ago.  We are hoping she can get in for a biopsy this week. I know she is scared. I don't want her to suffer.


You know when it seems that it can't get worse, it does.  Our grade level is supposed to be quite the challenge this year.  I hope I can keep a handle on it all.


GOALS for the week:
1. family prayer every night
2. clean out the pantry
3. organize garage sale stuff
4. have garage sale on Friday
5. only have up to 2 sodas


I can't remember what my goals were last time so I can't say what I've completed!  Best go check!  

SAD and sick

Traci caught a fish!!!

My precious Traci!  I again realized today how lucky we are to have her alive.  She came so close to drowning last year.  My friend says that she feels that when Kiefer's spirit left his body that he helped Traci to safety. I'm going to do some thinking on that. I've not thought about it before so I wonder...There have been so many drownings this summer already and it's just middle of June. I think there were four in Oklahoma this week. Traci said that one of Cameron's friends drowned yesterday.  She didn't know the kid and knew no details except they found his body this morning.  It makes me sick. I hate water.


That being said... we are filling up the swimming pool right now.  I had it all cleaned out last Saturday but then Matt and Bree left and we didn't get it started up.  We had a storm on Tuesday and it blew the pool off the rocks and got it all nasty inside again.  Traci helped me clean it out this time, which wasn't nearly the job it was last weekend.  I got the backyard cleaned up more too.  


Goals accomplished:


1. cleaned out pool again and filling it up now
2. got Keri's stuff ready for MCC dance camp


Tomorrow Carla is coming back over and we are working on the garage more.  


Matt hasn't been feeling well. I think the trip including spending 60 hours on the bus was hard on him.  He's been resting all day. I hope he feels like going to work tomorrow.  I am glad they are home safely.

Broken Heart

I don't know what to say but my heart is broken.


On to other things...


Goals accomplished:
1. 4 hours work on garage
2. cleaned out front closet and hallway closet
3. cleaned out swimming pool
4. washed huge comforter at laundromat
5. bought and put curtains in kitchen
6. cleaned off and put up flower garland in kitchen
7. bought and let Keri put up flower garland in dining room and living room
8. Put Mexico dresser in bedroom.  Put printer and printer stuff in/on Mexico.
9. cleaned refrigerator
10. took Keri to MCC and got her signed up for classes
11. bought Virginia tickets
12. went to Keri's recital




Still need to do:


1. Traci's loan
2. more work in garage and garage sale
3. Buy salt and help Matt get the pool ready
4. Paint front door


Every time I want to get started with something I find something else that needs to be done then I do that instead of something on the list.  


Keri is going to MCC dance camp tomorrow night until Sunday evening.  It's becoming real!  YAY!  Traci is sleeping.  She works so early and so many days that it exhausts her.  She is also working hard on an online class.  Bree and Matt are on their way home.  I am ready. I want my baby and my husband.

Nuttin' else to say.

Lazy Day

There's more to my TO DO list that I didn't list before.

Keri before graduation

Clean out swimming pool

Find diploma frame that matches Bree's and Traci's, buy it for Keri

GARAGE

GARAGE SALE!!!

Find furniture for Keri's apartment

DONE IT list

cleaned out/organized both armoires

planted more flowers

I'll add to the list as I think of more. I know I've done more than I've listed so far.

It's been a lazy day as I woke up with a headache.  It feels a little better right now but I also feel sick to my stomach so it must be a migraine.  Usually when I am lazy all day I am asking for a headache.  My shoulders and neck also hurt, achiness like I have a headache there too.  Weird.

We're trying to figure out who is going to go with Bree to Virginia.  Lawyer said we all don't need to go so we just as soon not spend the extra money.  We'll be doing that in September anyway. I so don't want to go this time so I'm shoving it onto Matt.  He says he wants to go and it's no big deal but I'm still worried that he'll get sick.  He's already talked to his boss.

We got Keri's paperwork sent to McLennen yesterday. It's due on Monday.  Talk about a mad dash.  Seems she didn't know the post office closes at 5:00.  We were late so we had to fed-ex it.  We need to work on a student loan for Traci.  We're really holding back on that even though it will be HER loan and not ours.  The fact remains is that she IS going to Baylor so we might as well bite the bullet.

THIS WEEKEND:

1.  Find a loan for Traci and apply.

2. Clean out swimming pool

3. Buy tickets to Virginia

4. Go to Keri's last dance recital (which is all day long on Saturday.)

Frodo got a new look at the groomer's yesterday.  The sweet boy needed a bath and a trim so badly. He's looking very handsome.  Oh, and he also likes blueberry yogurt!

Summer Goals

Traci and Keri at Keri's graduation party, May 20, 2012

This summer my goal is to do something (clean out and organize, mostly) to my house every day.   This is in addition to stuff I have to do anyway, you know how that goes.


COMPLETED:


1.  backyard
2. patio
3. planted flowers 
4. closet
5. under my bed
6. night stand drawer
7. laundry "room"
8. got Matt to put new floor trim around fireplace and in kitchen
9. Put Mexico in the patio
10. got frames for new diplomas


TO DO:


1. hall closet
2. front closet
3. kitchen cabinets
4. bathroom cabinets
5. paint
6. Clean out garage ( HA HA and HA)
7. garage sale
8. Find kitchen curtain and put it up
9. scan and save all my loose pictures (thousands of them)


I am also trying to spend time alone with each of my girls.  Traci and I went to lunch yesterday.  Keri and I went to see Snow White and the Huntsman last week.  I've been getting Bree to help around the house with me on her days off.  Traci and Keri will be moving to college in August. I don't know what I am going to do without them, especially Keri. I've not had to do without her before.  Traci is my rock.  LOVE ALL my girls.  I am so worried about Bree and her crap.  I am proud of how she has turned things around and am hoping and praying that it pays off for her and that she's learned her lesson.  


Getting late and wanna go swiffer the kitchen before bed.

Happy BIrthday Keri!

 It seems that we have not celebrated Keri's birthday with family or even going out to dinner in three years so Matt said we oughta do it.  Keri is never forgotten on her birthday but going out has been put on the back burner.  We decided to do it up big this year.  After all it's the big 1-8!  We invited Mark and his family, Kelsey and Cameron to come along with the rest of us so we had a pretty big group.  We went to Kyoto's which is kind of like Benihana's.  We went to the one on 66 right on the lake.

 Cameron came, fortunately,  It was quite a rush for Traci and Cam to get home from work, shower and get beautiful then come out to Rowlett for the dinner.  But they were only a few minutes late. I tell ya, when Traci puts her mind to it she can do anything.

 Kelsey is one of Keri's best friends.  She's a good friend and we're lucky she was available to come since this dinner was so spur of the moment.  Keri was happy to have a friend to share her birthday with.

 Our sweet Sophia!  Keri had lots of fun with her at the dinner.  She is growing up so fast. I can't believe that she will be 12 next month!  This was just a week before her back surgery.  She's finally at home now.  Anyway...

 Most of Mark's silly family.  Sierra didn't come and we missed her.  Stoney rarely takes a regular picture.  He reminds me of his grandpa.

 Here is one of the rare ones.  Stoney is adorable and very much loved by his girl cousins!

 Four of the cousins....we truly missed Bree and Sierra.

And the birthday girl!  She was totally surprised about the cake!  It was called rainbow blast and had lots of different colors in it.  Time got away from me so I had rushed to Walmart to get her a cake in time.  I hate to rush.  You'd think I'd plan ahead!


We've had lots of happy, monumental moments with our family recently and that's what is keeping up going.  Other than that, life is hard and stressful and lots of not-so-good things going on.  I keep praying that Matt will get better and that everything will be made okay for Bree.  At least it's summer break and I now have time to think.  There's not the crazy million things running through my head regarding school and drill team and I can focus on Matt and Bree and getting my house into shape.  It feels kinda weird that this coming Fall we may have NO children living with us here in the house, well human children anyway!

Keri's graduation

So much has happened since I have last written.  One very important thing is my sweet girl graduated on May 27, 2012!  She turned 18 two days earlier so it was a wonderful weekend.  This first picture is at baccealeate, which is the Sunday before the Sunday she graduated.  It was the first time we saw her in her cap and gown.  The medallion she is wearing means something I think but I can't remember what.  Her first priority wasn't her grades although she makes mostly A's.  Social stuff and drill team and choir have been her main interests in high school!  It's been a memorable year and I am glad that it's over for her.  She got a lot of attention for her graduation with Mark and his family, Grandpa and Georgia, all four of us, Cameron and Mallory and Grandpa came.  Afterward Traci, Mallory and Cameron took her out for dinner. I think she came home and went to sleep after that.  At midnight she went to Senior Sizzle, held at Bowl-A-Rama, for the night.  She bowled all night and had a sore arm for the next few days.

KERI LEE COOPER WE FINALLY GOT YOU GRADIATED!  You look great in graduation green!

Keri about to walk the stage!  So proud!

Happy graduates!  Huge milestone for everyone.

Keri with Uncle Mark and cousin Stoney

Beautiful sisters

Cousins

Grandma even made it!

Proud and relieved mom and dad

New Dog and My Babies

My friend has been trying to get me to take Frodo for a couple of years now.  He is a sweetheart. I used to dog sit him when she was out of town.  Marie loved him.  So anyway when I realized she was still trying to get rid of him the time just seemed right and she brought him over a few days later.  He seems very happy. He gets along with the other dogs and Leia loves to play with him.  This morning I couldn't find him in the room when I woke up and was about to freak out. I got out of bed and he had been sleeping behind my head.  Silly boy!

My sweet Breezi and her little sidekick, Moka.  He loves his Lil Mama.  They were just lying there on the bed and he reaches over and randomly kisses her face.  As much as she loves him, a bit wet sloppy kiss on the face is a little har to take but she accepts it.

Kisses, kisses and more kisses!  How Mo loves his Lil Mama! No one will ever convince me that this isn't affection!

  

Yeah Breeze, get a little closer now while the big boy poses for a picture.  He's handsome and he knows it!

Hmmm, should I sneak in one more kiss?  I haven't seen her all day so I'm going to go for it.  Moka love, love, loves Bree!

He just couldn't take it any more!

Keri's last choir concert was Tuesday.  At the end they present the graduating seniors.  The girls are dressed in fancy dresses.  Keri is wearing her prom dress.  A boy escorts a girl out.  The boy tries to be silly and gives the girl a rose.  The last couple came out and the boy has a guitar.  They sing Time of Your Life to Mrs. Westgate.  She won't be coming back because she is staying home with her baby. It was an emotional choir concert with lots of glitches.  Keri's been in choir since the fifth grade and nothing's ever gone wrong.  Tonight the sound system wasn't quite right. The music stopped playing in the middle of a girl's solo.  Then the concert was stopped in order to fix it again (second time.)  Another girl forgot the words to her solo then a boy passed out

fell off the risers.  Mrs. Westgate stopped the concert and the curtains were pulled while they helped him.  He is okay thank goodness and the concert went on without him.  I was amazed at how much the students love Mrs. Westgate.  Here she is with Keri, maybe not looking her best because she had been crying all evening. I wish her the best with her baby and am glad she gets to stay home with  him.  Mrs. Shotts is the pianist and is quite famous around our area for being and having a very musically talented family.  Her son is one of those guys whose parents want to marry their daughter.  He was at UNT when Bree was there.  Very nice guy.  Keri just loves her

youngest daughter.  Anyway, Mrs. Shotts is a very nice lady and is amazing on the piano.  We will miss her too.  She's staying at Poteet but of course Keri won't be there!

I can't believe that my baby is graduating.  Today is baccalearate (can't spell that, sorry!) then her graduation party. Her party is with five friends at his uncle's place.  We lucked out on this.  Graduation is next Sunday, and yes I hate that it's on Sunday.  It's our year to not get a Saturday time.  It rotates between the other four high schools every year.

Only eight more days left of school for me!  Two of those days are just playin' days (play day and the last day of school/party/early release.)  I have so much to do in my room to get it ready for summer. I'm going to have to buck it up and get started tomorrow.  But hey, at least my grades are in!