The Bicycle!

Oh My Goodness!!!

Savanna has a brand new bicycle! Well, Santa actually left if off of his sleigh...(along with another two surprises in the next week), so he left it at the toy store for Daddy and Savanna.

So after they get this bike home, the same one Savanna's cousin has, and put it together, Savanna jumps on like there is nothing to it!! I remember thinking...this is not going to be good!! Well.....after feeling a little bit of wobble from the training wheels, Savanna broke into tears, refused to petal, would not even hold onto the handle bars, ughhhh!!! A pure dramaified melt down that continued through bath time!!!

I tried to talk to Savanna about practice and how sometimes things take time to learn. I'm hoping she can build her confidence again and jump right on!!

For now, however, the brand new Barbie Bicycle resides in our LIVING ROOM!!! I'm trying to let her get used to getting on and off and just feeling the wobble!! She's a girl...so toughing it out...isn't really an option!!!

"Green Light All the Way"

That's the case....in our little family. Our newest full-time member has been on green light everyday at school!! The teachers tell me that she is so happy and is acting like a "little girl!" I love to hear things like that to know that the routines, schedules, rules, and expectations that we have set are working very well!!! The tears around here....well, they are subsiding...life is becoming, normal?!?!?!


Psalms 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

What a Difference a Year Makes!

Just a short look back, but it's still fun to see changes!!!

Christmas 2010

Little Christmas Christmas

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Christmas 2011

Banner Of Joy Christmas

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Camera Take 1

Here are some of my first photos! No editing, just the plain ole picture!





No doubt...my subject was over it! I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that my husband will sing "The Grinch" song to me if he thinks I'm being grumpy....well, for Christmas he bought me a shirt that says "Who you calling The Grinch?" I'd say Savanna looks pretty Grinchy to me!!! We can share the shirt on occasion!

Music to my Ears!!!

The students I work with are tough!! High school students seem to hover over the edge of dropping out or staying in school. Of course I care for all of my students and I want them to be successful, but occasionally, there are some students that I find it very hard to care about! I do what I can but when their thuggish attitude gets in my way every day....I'm OVER it!!!

BUT...today I didn't feel any of that! I met a lady yesterday who supervises one of my working students. We were having a discussion about that student and everything this lady told me just put things into a clear perspective. She told me that everyone has a story...we all have some awful, miserable, everyone should feel sorry for me story! But what she said is SO WHAT! You might have a sad story, but look at the life you have this very minute...the people you are surrounded by are here to help you. We were referencing my one student, but that story seemed to apply to me and everyone else!

So...I was so happy today when another one of my students (who has missed weeks upon weeks of school) showed up today and said, "Dr. Smith, I need to talk to you about my grades because I need to see if I can survive....if I have a chance to finish school." Sigh......how to you compete with those words. He continued..."I am back on my medicine and things were bad at home for a while but now they are better and I just need to see if I can survive." Sigh....I was so taken back...I just thanked God for that moment!

So the moral....we all have a story, but what we do in the present really is the future we choose for ourselves!!

I'm Baaaaaaack!!!!

It's my New Year's Resolution....to BLOG again!!!

If no one else missed reading my blog...I sure did! There have been several times when I go back through my blog and just read and read!!! I LOVE recording my life. So, I'm going to try to start back!!

Plus.....my husband got me the most wonderful camera so that I can practice my photography skills! I will at least turn this into a photo blog if nothing else! I have to have a few more weeks to get the software loaded but hopefully that will be sooner than later!! My first photography class is January 5!

So for now...
I've been married for 8 months...WOW!!
I'm a full-time parent to my 4 year old step daughter...WOW!!
I have big plans for 2012...WOW!!!
I love my job teaching high school students...WOW!!!
My Christmas Vacation is OVER...BOO!!!

HELLO...out there!!!

OK Blog Readers...I never expected that I would not blog AT ALL!!!! But as it turns out, when I'm not sitting at one of the least interesting, non-stimulating, boring jobs in the world...I actually have a life!!! So for now...I don't feel like taking the time to sit at my computer and write!!! AND...with my new job as a high school teacher I probably won't have time either!!!

So until we meet again.....my life is grand and moving along as expected!!! I might pop in every now and then!

Stephanie