Hello to everyone! It is a BEAUTIFUL day today in Memphis, Tennessee!! I just came in from an afternoon walk outside--(yes, trying to earn a few WW points for dessert tonight!)--and it was a bit hard to come back inside. However, all we really have left this afternoon is diagramming predicate nominatives and reviewing for the big poetry exam tomorrow. Then it is time for carpool duty--OUTSIDE!! :)
These last couple of weeks have been challenging ones. I found myself in church last Sunday--listening to the Scripture being read--when it came upon the verse in Ephesians that made my heart stop. I was actually a bit behind in flipping to the passage, and the pastor began to read before I had arrived. "It just so happened" to be a precious verse that my St. Norbert kids had memorized and dramatized in their own funny third grade way. "Honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may GO WELL WITH YOU, and that you may live a long life on the Earth. Ephesians 6 something. (sorry, kids, I forgot the address!!) Anyway, as if a dam had been allowed to open, tears poured. And poured. And poured. In fact, just could not pull myself together! We had to leave church a bit early due to my mini breakdown. Jonny was so sweet to leave immediately when I told him I thought we should go...he had even gone to get me a mess of Kleenex! (And, I need to add that by leaving early we were forfeiting our free hotdog/hamburger lunch provided by the Elders after the service! So, it was quite the sacrifice for Jonny to bail out on unlimited amounts of food and Diet Coke!)
Later that evening, Keri popped up to my room--eager to see if I was okay. I explained to her what had happened...with the verse and all. She had a very wise thing to say. She said, "You know, Julie, when you are in a far away and cold place like Chicago, you feel like it is okay to be sad and to miss your friends and the things that are so familiar to you. But when you move someplace you really want to be---like Memphis---with friends, family, and familiar Southern things all around...it is probably hard to feel like you should be able to miss the things you left behind." She was right! I had been feeling guilty about missing Chicago---(It is hard to cry and be sad while you are living in your best friend's house....It seems ungrateful!) PLUS , our lives have been a whirlwind since we have arrived here....hardly any time allowed to mourn such huge losses in friends, church, and things familiar!
Well, it is time to diagram! I will write more later.
Love you all.
Julie
Monday, September 25, 2006
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Hi-dee-doo!
Just wanted to check in with everyone! We new teachers have been down and out with colds! I guess we are building up our immune systems!! :)
We had a great weekend in Nashville over Labor Day! Jonny got to hang out with his brothers, and I got to do a lot of scrapbooking with my sisters-in-law! I have not scrapbooked my own stuff since Christmas!!
We got to play with our neices and nephews---Will, Alex, and Sophie are getting so big! Hannah is cute as a button! And Catherine is just so TINY and sweet!
The only thing we accomplished this weekend was performing our fantasy football drafts! Jonny and his brothers are in a league....and the girls have a league too! (The 6 of the 8 girls in the league are all of my sisters-in-law AND my sisters!) My team is the Misisipi Mudslingers---and yes, it is spelled wrong! (Not because I'm from Mississippi, but because my name had too many characters!!)
School is great! I have to admit, Jonny and I decided to stay after school every day this week because we feel we are so far behind!! (I'm actually supposed to be working on school stuff right now! Don't tell Jonny!!) I love my students--we have finished our first literature book and tomorrow we begin Call of the Wild. It is NOT an easy book--even thought it is short. I am daily fighting feelings of inadequacy when it comes to teaching these kids! Unfortunately, I do not yet have a "DIANE DOLAN-like encourager at Westminster like I did at St. Norbert....nor do I have a "Pat, Nancy, Penny, Chris, Celia, or Margaret" at church yet either!! But I sure do enjoy your emails and comment on the blog! Sometimes they are the brightest spots in my day!
God has been so sweet to us here! He has provided all we need----He continues to teach me everyday that HE is all I really need.
Love you all!
Julie
We had a great weekend in Nashville over Labor Day! Jonny got to hang out with his brothers, and I got to do a lot of scrapbooking with my sisters-in-law! I have not scrapbooked my own stuff since Christmas!!
We got to play with our neices and nephews---Will, Alex, and Sophie are getting so big! Hannah is cute as a button! And Catherine is just so TINY and sweet!
The only thing we accomplished this weekend was performing our fantasy football drafts! Jonny and his brothers are in a league....and the girls have a league too! (The 6 of the 8 girls in the league are all of my sisters-in-law AND my sisters!) My team is the Misisipi Mudslingers---and yes, it is spelled wrong! (Not because I'm from Mississippi, but because my name had too many characters!!)
School is great! I have to admit, Jonny and I decided to stay after school every day this week because we feel we are so far behind!! (I'm actually supposed to be working on school stuff right now! Don't tell Jonny!!) I love my students--we have finished our first literature book and tomorrow we begin Call of the Wild. It is NOT an easy book--even thought it is short. I am daily fighting feelings of inadequacy when it comes to teaching these kids! Unfortunately, I do not yet have a "DIANE DOLAN-like encourager at Westminster like I did at St. Norbert....nor do I have a "Pat, Nancy, Penny, Chris, Celia, or Margaret" at church yet either!! But I sure do enjoy your emails and comment on the blog! Sometimes they are the brightest spots in my day!
God has been so sweet to us here! He has provided all we need----He continues to teach me everyday that HE is all I really need.
Love you all!
Julie
Friday, September 01, 2006
Comp Results are In!
Jonny received a letter regarding his comprehensive test results. At first, we didn't know what it said. The results didn't look positive, but it did seem to indicate that he had not been asked to leave the program......a response that Jonny feared. It did ask that he get in touch with Dr. D.A. Carson, so that is what he did.
The email we got back from Dr. Carson indicated that Jonny would have to retake part of the exam. "Don't have a heart attack! It is quite common for students to have to retake parts of the exam more than once." He ended by saying that he would write a longer email to explain better the next day.
When the next email arrived, it became clear that Jonny would only have to retake Day Three of the exam because they gave him a "pass" for Days One and Two. This news was very well received. I still believe Jonny is in a state of complete shock---he was prepared for bad news!
So--now the question is WHEN will he take the comp......We have no idea. You know Jonny....he will probably want to study for another year!! :)
Thanks for all of your prayers! The Lord was surely sweet and kind to us!
Love y'all!
Julie
The email we got back from Dr. Carson indicated that Jonny would have to retake part of the exam. "Don't have a heart attack! It is quite common for students to have to retake parts of the exam more than once." He ended by saying that he would write a longer email to explain better the next day.
When the next email arrived, it became clear that Jonny would only have to retake Day Three of the exam because they gave him a "pass" for Days One and Two. This news was very well received. I still believe Jonny is in a state of complete shock---he was prepared for bad news!
So--now the question is WHEN will he take the comp......We have no idea. You know Jonny....he will probably want to study for another year!! :)
Thanks for all of your prayers! The Lord was surely sweet and kind to us!
Love y'all!
Julie
Long Time No Blog!!
So sorry for the long gap in blog updates!! To say that things have been busy would be a criminal understatement! Jonny and I were both looking ahead and commenting that we can't wait for a weekend with no plans!!!
August was great! School started with a week of inservice beginning on August 7th. Westminster surely knows how to do inservice! We had great sessions, great conversations, and great food! (We also watched a very strange, yet thought-provoking little Woody Allen movie.) During that week, I finished up on my room and really began hitting the books!! The next Monday was "Meet-the-Teacher-Day." Jonny and I got to meet our students at during a "drop-by-for-a-few-minutes" afternoon. To our delight, we had surprise "drop-in" guests arrive before any students did---Christy (Davis, Daniel's wife), their daughter Hannah, and Christy's parents stopped by Westminster on their way to Nashville from Oklahoma! Hannah was adorable, and although she preferred her Uncle Jonny to her Aunt Ju Ju, I am POSITIVE she saw potential in me for a great relationship later on down the road. They only stayed a few minutes..... but it was certainly the highlight of the day!!
The students came for their official first (half) day of school that Wednesday the 16th. I was very nervous---even though I had already met the kids---because I always get nervous on the first day of school.....But within ten minutes, I felt at home and realized that 6th grade kids aren't that old---or scary!! (I kept thinking of Jacob Zinkula and Danny Martin--from St. Norbert--they don't seem to scary!!)
I really love all 12 of my students--they are very bright and very fun! (However, if one of my sweet kids from St. Norbert walked through the door right now I would just cry and squeal with joy!! I really, really miss them! Sara (my teaching partner in Chicago) and I have already talked several times---just because we miss each other so much!!!)
Jonathan, Andrew, Lizzie, and I ride in to school together every day. {Keri (and Anna) have been feeling a little left out!} Even though we are all in the same building, we usually don't see each other until it is time to get back in the car and go home! Then we go home to eat an incredible dinner prepared by Keri, play with the 3 cutest girls in Mississippi, study our lessons for the next day, eat dessert, and then go to bed--almost always too late!
Last weekend Jonny and I drove to Kentucky for his fantasy football draft with the boys on my side of the family and for the bridal shower for my cousin, Laura. We had a really fun time seeing my mom and dad, my grandmother, my aunt and cousins, all of my sisters, their husbands, and kids! Mom, as always made fabulous meals and desserts! We could not believer how SHORT three hours feels in the car when you are used to 7-8 hours!!
Tonight we are driving to Nashville for ANOTHER fantasy football draft with Jonny's brothers. We have not been to see Jonny's family in Mt. Juliet since Grandmother passed away in February! (That was the week we were filling out our applications for Westminster!! The beginning of all that excitement!!!) unfortunately, Adam and Melanie will not be there this time--however, when they were in Nashville a few weekends ago, they too stopped by to see our school, to see us, and to have lunch!
Well....I guess I better close! Recess will be over in a few minutes!
Love y'all!
Julie
August was great! School started with a week of inservice beginning on August 7th. Westminster surely knows how to do inservice! We had great sessions, great conversations, and great food! (We also watched a very strange, yet thought-provoking little Woody Allen movie.) During that week, I finished up on my room and really began hitting the books!! The next Monday was "Meet-the-Teacher-Day." Jonny and I got to meet our students at during a "drop-by-for-a-few-minutes" afternoon. To our delight, we had surprise "drop-in" guests arrive before any students did---Christy (Davis, Daniel's wife), their daughter Hannah, and Christy's parents stopped by Westminster on their way to Nashville from Oklahoma! Hannah was adorable, and although she preferred her Uncle Jonny to her Aunt Ju Ju, I am POSITIVE she saw potential in me for a great relationship later on down the road. They only stayed a few minutes..... but it was certainly the highlight of the day!!
The students came for their official first (half) day of school that Wednesday the 16th. I was very nervous---even though I had already met the kids---because I always get nervous on the first day of school.....But within ten minutes, I felt at home and realized that 6th grade kids aren't that old---or scary!! (I kept thinking of Jacob Zinkula and Danny Martin--from St. Norbert--they don't seem to scary!!)
I really love all 12 of my students--they are very bright and very fun! (However, if one of my sweet kids from St. Norbert walked through the door right now I would just cry and squeal with joy!! I really, really miss them! Sara (my teaching partner in Chicago) and I have already talked several times---just because we miss each other so much!!!)
Jonathan, Andrew, Lizzie, and I ride in to school together every day. {Keri (and Anna) have been feeling a little left out!} Even though we are all in the same building, we usually don't see each other until it is time to get back in the car and go home! Then we go home to eat an incredible dinner prepared by Keri, play with the 3 cutest girls in Mississippi, study our lessons for the next day, eat dessert, and then go to bed--almost always too late!
Last weekend Jonny and I drove to Kentucky for his fantasy football draft with the boys on my side of the family and for the bridal shower for my cousin, Laura. We had a really fun time seeing my mom and dad, my grandmother, my aunt and cousins, all of my sisters, their husbands, and kids! Mom, as always made fabulous meals and desserts! We could not believer how SHORT three hours feels in the car when you are used to 7-8 hours!!
Tonight we are driving to Nashville for ANOTHER fantasy football draft with Jonny's brothers. We have not been to see Jonny's family in Mt. Juliet since Grandmother passed away in February! (That was the week we were filling out our applications for Westminster!! The beginning of all that excitement!!!) unfortunately, Adam and Melanie will not be there this time--however, when they were in Nashville a few weekends ago, they too stopped by to see our school, to see us, and to have lunch!
Well....I guess I better close! Recess will be over in a few minutes!
Love y'all!
Julie
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