PB & J

Third Trimester

2010-12-18T22:31:00.004-05:00

It's been several months since I posted, but it's Christmas break, so I'm taking some time. I'm in my 27th week of pregnancy, and I'm happy to say that this may be the most uneventful pregnancy ever (knock on wood). Sorry, no pictures. #1) I'm not really a picture taker. #2) I don't really feel like documenting my bigness. However, I've only gained 5 lbs.

Post-graduate school life hasn't been boring. We worked all summer to buy a house and finally succeeded. I've been teaching in Paris, and it's an interesting experience . I have some really good kids, but it's taking me longer than I'd like to get used to living in a town of 26,000 people. One of the upsides is that we have a really great church family here, too.

Brian is substitute teaching and trying to find full-time work, and little Joseph is scheduled to make his appearance in about 3 months. Other than that, life is normal.

If I don't get to tell you personally, have a Merry Christmas!

May 2010

2010-06-14T22:44:00.011-04:00

This picture is more about Brian's crazy hair than my graduation:)

Erin Lycett and Starbucks...good times.

Aunt Sandra, Josh, Jennifer and Kaleigh, Brian and me at El Bronco's after graduation.

Oh, Flint, I miss you already.

That's right. The Master of Music was THE very last to be announced.

Amy and I were very proud in our pink and orange...a designer's nightmare color combo.

Dr. Stanley

Dr. Kosowski

Ying Ju, Yichen Wu, Liao Shu Yu,

The proud Master of Music class of 2010. From left: Shu Yu, Yichen, Lewis, Flint, Amy, Laura and Ying Ju.

Amy was chosen to speak at our hooding ceremony.

My dear friends Lea, Brandon, Eleanor and Philip. We got ice cream from Bruster's the night before we left. Guess Eleanor wasn't happy with the flavor she got.

He's got a good "cheese" face.

Oh, little Eleanor. You kept me distracted many a church service.

Updates

2009-09-17T14:32:00.016-04:00

Hey guys!

I know it's been along time since we updated here, but as most of you know we're going through some struggles right now, so please excuse us.

Jeanette's music studio is really starting to take off. She's decided to accept beginning piano students along with voice, and she e-mailed local music teachers her info a few days ago. The phone hasn't stopped ringing since. Praise the Lord!

Still no job for me though, but I haven't stopped looking. Also, the holiday season's coming up fast, and companies will be hiring extra help in the next few weeks, so there's always hope. In the meantime, I start school on the 29th, so I'm getting ready for that.

Now you know I can't put up a post without mentioning our pets. (Yes, I know, I'm a big softee) The boys are fine as always. We had a bit of a fly problem awhile back, so they've managed to stay entertained. And I used a picture of them to create a LOL on icanhascheezburger.com. Check it out. As for Moe, I think we've finally nailed down his mixed breed. We think he's an Australian Kelpie/Shepherd mix. He's got the coloring and size of the Kelpie, with the hair and look of the Shepherd. We're not sure which one his personality takes after more, because they're so similar. Anyway, I've been asked a few times how big he's gotten, so I figured I'd add a few pics to help answer. Enjoy!

Young Moe

Less-young Moe

Voice Studio

2009-07-11T21:49:00.001-04:00

Hello, All,
I'm thinking about start a voice studio held at my home, so if you have any young singers that need a teacher, let me know.

Email me for information- jeanettesingleton@gmail.com

Jeanette

2nd Wedding Anniversary

2009-07-05T22:43:00.015-04:00

This year our destination was Atlanta, GA.

Our room at the Doubletree was amazing!

Greeted with the standard chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Crazy good;-P

One of our balconies, and yes, that's a flat screen in front of our king-sized bed.

The view from one of our balconies. The bar and lobby are below.

The second balcony.

SECOND flat screen...same suite.

Wolfgang Puck coffee maker with individual pods. Wish I had one at home. I broke the my own coffee maker's carafe, so now I have a multi-step process to get the same coffee out of the same machine.

Nuff said. We thought it was an adults-only place, but were we wrong. Not really impressed with Dave and Buster's.

The art museum was a great adventure. Some pieces of art were on loan from the Louvre.

Crazy bike.

Something my Aunt Ginny might make.

Now, for the next few pictures, look very carefully. Is it 2-D, 3-D? What's the deal? Have fun.

We got the opportunity to see the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra featuring Chris Botti at the Memorial Arts Building.

Night at the Museum II, the IMAX EXPERIENCE. Bottom line-the "experience" is not worth it. Save your money.

We had a shorter stay this year, but it was still nice to get away. Next year, we'll be in the middle of a move, so we really tried to enjoy this anniversary. Our third could be a night out at McDonald's.

4th of July, 2009

2009-07-05T22:42:00.001-04:00

Ta-da! My homemade Flag Cake. An unusually thick batter and runny icing, but in this picture, it looks great :) Hope you had a good weekend!

More Moe

2009-07-05T22:41:00.014-04:00

Here, he's probably 4 months old. The bone's bigger than he is.

The poor thing couldn't leave his stiches alone after his surgery, so we had to put him in the "cone of shame." Truly a pain for him and us.

He looks like a baby (or a little demon-check out the green eyes) here, and I've probably already posted this picture. He loved this bear...that is until he tore it to bits. R.I.P. State Farm Bear.

The ABC's of Me

2009-06-19T00:16:00.002-04:00

Bored and up too late, here we go.

A -Age: 27

B -Bed size: queen

C -Chore you hate: name a chore, I hate it.

D -Donuts or Kolaches: Donuts

E -Essential start your day item: walk Moe

F -Favorite color: green

G -Gold or Silver: silver

H -Height: 5'6"

I -Instruments you play: guitar and piano...badly

J -Jokes or Rhymes: jokes

K -Kids: N/A

L -Living arrangements: 3 bed, 1 bath on the north side of town. Let me assure you, that some of the bedrooms in our 900 sq. ft. house resemble a walk-in closet rather than a bedroom.

M -Movie: The latest "Fast and Furious." Eh.

N -Nicknames: Nette. Pretty much only by my mom. My other nicknames will die with me.

O-Overnight hospital stays: after my right ear mastoidectomy (the removal of inner ear mastoid bone)

P -Pet Peeve: not signaling before a turn.

Q -Quote you like: You get what you get and you don't throw a fit (Jack's new favorite)

R -Right or left handed: Right

S -Siblings: 1 brother (4yrs younger)

T -Time you wake up: During the school year 7 ish, and summer around 9

U -Underwear: Why is this on here?

V -Vegetable you dislike: cauliflower

W -Ways you run late: hitting the snooze button one too many times, walking the dog, making coffee, taking time to eat a real breakfast

X -X-rays you've had: right knee, left knee, bladder (yes, bladder)

Y -Yummy food you make: my mother's chicken tortilla soup

Z -Zodiac sign: Libra

TA-DA

What I did this weekend instead of my homework...

2009-03-14T15:52:00.021-04:00

Brian's a cat person, but I'm a dog person. We've got the cats covered, but now we have a dog, too! Brian got some good news at work, so he promised me a puppy:) Moe (not named for my workplace) is a 12 week old Australian Shepherd Mix that we adopted from the Perry Animal Shelter. I love dogs!

Moe & Me

Obi and Kenobi aren't too sure about Moe, even though he's not that big. Fluffed up tails.

The first meeting.

His first bath.

Demon dog.

Getting his hair did.

All tuckered out.

Moe has this whole Post-Bath Ritual.

Job, Job, Job

2009-02-11T15:42:00.002-05:00

I'm back at Moe's, people! So come by and see me.

Cat pictures and Brian's job

2009-01-16T00:02:00.001-05:00

Hey guys, it's Brian. First some lovely pictures of the boys.

We like Marie's new bed

It's really comfortable

Her dog is another story

Ahhh, home again

It's nice to be able to sleep with a friend

No, daddy. It's UP, DOWN, A, B, X, Y, not Y, X

I'm ready for my bath

Yay! Charmin bag

Posing for the camera

And know on to the news.

We really enjoyed being able to be back home for so long. It was a welcome refreshment. If we didn't get to see you, we're sorry. We'll make sure to catch you some other time. Thanks to our family for putting up for us for so long.

Now the real news. As some of you may know, I've been having a lot of trouble with my job recently. I've gotten in trouble a few times (nothing major) as well as me and my superiors have disagreed on a few things. We've prayed for a solution for some time now, and for better or worse, God has decided to answer our prayers. On Wed, Jan 14, 2008, I was called into my commanders office and handed discharge paperwork. It is a General discharge, under honorable conditions, for those of you who know what that means (Google can be very helpful if you don't). We're in the process of finding out what all benefits I will retain as I go to my outprocess appointments. We plan to stay in Georgia so that Jeanette can finish her schooling, so I'm currently looking at job opportunities that will allow us to survive till then. I have been told that it will be the end of this month or the beginning of next month when the paperwork will be completed and I will officially be out of the Air Force. We know that God will take care of us and we thank all of you for all past and future prayers for us. We are both excited and anxious about the coming days. Hope is springing anew in my life, and we cannot wait to see where it may lead. And though we do not know what God has planned, we joyfully wait to see it come to fruition, and will praise the day that it does.

Joyeux Noël!

2008-12-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

Hi, Guys!
No pictures right now. We're not avid picture takers yet. Maybe when we have kids...anyway, this Christmas has been great. We've gotten to visit with both sides of the family for a week each, and we're looking forward to going to Austin for New Year's to see my best friend, Amanda. And while the economy is the worst it's been since WWII (this was reported on some news channel), my side of the family has been blessed by the presence of my brother at Christmastime. His story is a long one but one filled with many blessings.

By the way, if you've tried to call Brian lately, he now has a phone that works.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Love,

Jeanette (and Brian)

Christmas Survey

2008-12-10T22:59:00.000-05:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Totally love wrapping presents. They definitely look like a five-year old did it, but I still love it.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. Real all the way! But, I pretty much have to have a fake one, b/c of my allergies.
3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever I have time and feel like.
4. When do you take the tree down? Before I have to go back to school. Usually after New Year's.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, but it's so bad for you.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Well, there was there this air brush thing.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Family members that I don't talk to much.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom. She's always so happy to get any present.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I've never done this. Probably b/c my mom never did. Mostly, cuz I'm cheap and low on time.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I always, always, always hated getting clothes. PJ's, socks, school clothes. And I could totally tell before I unwrapped them because I shook everything under the tree before Christmas morning.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Home Alone, baby!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday, if I can, but this year, we're waiting til we get to Texas.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate
15. Lights on the tree? No. Candles.What am I stupid? Candles stopped being used b/c they were a serious fire hazard. Colored lights, please.
16. Favorite Christmas song? Never ask a musician what their favorite any kind of song is.
17. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home? Unfortunately, we'll be travelling, but at least we'll be in Texas for a long time.
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel. We've had the same one for the Styron tree since I can remember.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? We go to, like, three Christmases, which is awesome, but it always varies. However, I always want to open on Christmas Eve, but when I do, I'm completely sad on Christmas morning. Nothing to look forward to!
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Yeah, stress, but usually due to a major Christmas concert I have to pull off or finals.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? Anything Hallmark is pretty fun. My tree is probably always going to be a hot mess. Rarely, did any of our Christmas trees look Martha Stewart. It was all about homemade ornaments, tacky tinsel and Jim and me determing everything.
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey and dressing. Kinda boring that way. Oh, and chocolate pie.
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Guitar Hero and some tennis shoes.
25. Who is most likely to respond to this? No idea.

GOING CRAZY!

2008-12-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

#1 Michelle on Biggest Loser is awesome!

#2 I'm going crazy! I have to make it through Friday. I am 2 papers and 1 presentation away from freedom and Christmas shopping. That's right, people, I have done no Christmas shopping because of school. Also, as you know, I have not updated this blog. Something tells me I won't be updating it much until May 2010 (yeah, I'll have my Master's!).

Anyway, Merry Christmas! We will be out of town from around December 16th to January 6th, so if you don't see us, we're in Texas!

New Job at Ingleside Village Pizza (the new location)

2008-08-31T00:15:00.000-04:00

For the past 2.5 months, I have been working at Moe's. It's been honest work, but it's definitely hard to go back to making not much more than you did at 16. The other day, God led me right into a job that is much better for me-more money for the same effort, within walking distance of the Townsend School of Music (Mercer Music Building), groovy atmosphere, that's right, I said groovy. If you haven't already tried the original Ingleside Village Pizza, you really need to. As a pizza connoisseur, my recommendation carries the greatest influence (in my head).

Check it out! And remember, I'm at the :
* New Location * 1635 Montpelier Ave. Macon, GA 478-743-4113
Monday-Closed (so awesome!)
Tuesday-Saturday 11-9
Sunday-5-9
http://www.inglesidevillagepizza.com/

First Day of School

2008-08-31T00:07:00.000-04:00

Hi, People,
I know that I didn't post these pictures close enough to August 18th (the actual first day of school), but here they are:

You can't go to school without a cool lunch bag (Dora, HSM and SpongeBob are sooo last year).

But anyway, here I am smiling...actually excited to be going back. Check back with me at midterms:)

Messengers

2008-08-06T22:44:00.001-04:00

Do you ever get the feeling that someone's whole day or someone's whole purpose was to meet you and teach you something? That happened today--twice. I was just worrying about something again, being able to handle school, yada yada yada. It's what I do.

I was working at Moe's and the lunch rush was over. I only had one hour 'til quittin' time. This nice young lady comes into the store by herself. She doesn't look or act sophisticated, but is, in a word, meek. Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. I already like her. I let her know that I was ready to make her order, and, with the first kind words out of her mouth, I realize that her I.Q. can be no more than 60 (think about the functioning level of Forrest Gump). She asks me more questions than most customers, but, thankfully, we are slow, so I can take my time with her. She reminds me of my favorite students and all the special ed kids my mother has taught over the years.

I was oddly proud of her, asking me questions, telling me exactly what she wanted, answering questions appropriately and giving me the correct amount of change. I know someone out there reading this is thinking, "So what? I do that every day." However, I know from my teaching experience that it took her 4 or more years in high school to perform this type of transaction with no one's help. I think it was just God's way of saying that I can overcome my obstacles, too. That I can balance whatever comes my way.

Now, the next customer comes in, but not before one of my co-workers says, "There's another homeless guy coming in to beg for food." It actually happens frequently around the Moe's/Wal-Mart area. Apparently, there's a little homeless community in a nearby woodsy place. He is dirty, unshaven and nurses a bad leg. He is sunburned, but has bright, hopeful eyes. I couldn't understand half of what he said (in need of major dental work, also), but all he wanted was a cup of ice. The manager on duty told him where the ice was. A kind customer realized how badly off the man was and paid for his food. I was glad she did. He was so excited and grateful. We should all be the same way. It made me happy to see that compassion is alive and well.
Matthew 25: 35-36 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

I had just been thinking about some college expenses (again, worrying needlessly) and this man doesn't even have food. He's not even begging, just wants some water. Tells me he sells cans for money. Entirely possible that he's not mentally sound, as many homeless people aren't (but who is these days :) He wasn't worried about his next meal. You can make all kinds of speculations (he was begging, he's choosing to be homeless, he's trouble), but I just feel blessed that I have food every day and great health care (thank you, TriCare). I live in a house, and I'm about to pursue my 2nd degree, something only 25% of Americans have, much less other countries.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

These two people reminded me that God is going to take care of me like He has all along. I have the gifts and resources AND support that I need in order to fulfill my dreams. I am truly blessed.

Cat Post

2008-07-31T20:06:00.000-04:00

Brian here. Ok. It's fairly obvious that I'm a bit enthusiastic when it come to our cats. Ok. Maybe a lot. But since there's not much else to do around here, I get to sit and watch the boys and take a gazillion pictures of them. I figured I would share some of these with you. The first couple is a continuation of our "Cats in Bags"

First, we have the grocery bags from our last trip to the store:

Kenobi's found his resting spot

While Obi's getting his daily fiber

It's a good thing we brought several home

Next we have my duffel bag:

Kenobi kept trying to catch Obi's tail

Up until he got underneath it, which Obi couldn't figure out

And more recently, we have the take home bag from Olive Garden:

Obi really liked this bag

So much that he didn't want to share

But Kenobi eventually won

And now for another series I like to call "Weird But Cute Positions"
(It's gonna be a long post)

We love this one

Kenobi and Obi both wanted to sleep with me on the couch the other day

It didn't last very long

Ok. I'm getting cries of enough from some people, so I only have two more things.
First a picture of the boys' sleeping in their new bed:

And last is a funny video. Let's just call it "Spin the Cat"

We don't know if they like it or are just dizzy, but they don't move afterwards, and they keep laying down in that spot. So you decide. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Bye!

Surgery

2008-07-26T10:11:00.001-04:00

Brian here. Just wanted to thank everyone for their prayers over me and Jeanette. As most of you know, I had shoulder surgery yesterday. Everything went better than expected. They removed a bone spur, and I should recover fairly quickly. On a side note, my parents and grandmother came over (from Texas) to see me. They are staying the weekend, and will be headed back on Monday. It's really nice to have them here. Once again, thank you everybody, and I look forward to seeing you at church.

Things My Mother Said...and Still Does

2008-07-17T00:05:00.001-04:00

My mother is the epitome of the southern mother. She was raised all over the U.S. but has a Texas twang in her accent that is unmistakable. She can cook, has a quick wit and impeccable manners, and likes it when you say "Yes, Ma'am and No, Ma'am." And no Dr. Spock ever made in into her library, she was never afraid to beat me in public and that's just fine with me....well, now anyway. I love her and I miss her, and her sayings still make me smile, especially when she meets someone who doesn't have a clue as to what she's saying. (Those people are probably Northern.)

"You can get glad in the pants you got mad in."
Translation: Turn your attitude around quick. Usually reserved for her school students.

"Faster than a minnow can swim a dipper"
Translation: really fast, i.e., That boy ran faster than a minnow can swim a dipper. This is the most unique saying of them all.

"You better straighten up, or I'm gonna be on you like white on rice."
Translation: I'm gonna paddle you if you don't act right. Usually said in a grocery store.

CLODHOPPER- heavy work shoes or large shoes

FIXING TO- about to

HOLD YOUR HORSES- be patient

SUGAR-kisses, "Gimme sugar."

Down yonder, over yonder, etc.-down there, over there

Bless your heart-an excuse to say anything about anyone, i.e.,
"Bless his heart, he's as dumb as dirt." However, my mom's too sweet to say this one.

Colder than a witch's [breast] in a brass brassiere.
Translation: It's really cold, y'all.

Tough [breast] said the kitty, but the milk's gone dry.
Translation: Quit whining, deal with it. This one normally rhymes:)

Too much meat for the smokehouse.
Translation: Too heavy to be wearing that size, that tube top, those short shorts

Ugly as homemade sin
Translation: really ugly, i.e. "Those shoes are as ugly as homemade sin.

This isn't a comprehensive list, but these are my favorites. Make no mistake, my mother is as tactful as they come, (a trait I admire endlessly) but she somehow gets away with saying whatever is on her mind. I hope you've enjoyed this post, as I have enjoyed these sayings my whole life. Love you, Mom.

Work

2008-07-08T00:51:00.001-04:00

Many of you have asked, "How is work?!" Working at Moe's is honest money. Working at Moe's is also a lesson in humility. That is all.

Jeanette

Brian's 26th Birthday

2008-06-19T23:02:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to view the video at the very bottom of this post:)

Cake's his

favorite!

We had to go bowling, y'all. That's Dawn at the right.

Good ol' Larry

6 players, lots o' talk, who won?

Blurry

I'm practicing to go see the new HULK!

Sonny's

The guys

The gals

Hannah Montana?!?

Morning Star, you say? No. Way better. Marshmallow.

Mmm. Hamburger.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-06-17T21:30:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, it's Brian.
Just wanted to think everyone that showed up on Saturday, it was a lot of fun. And of course, thank you everyone for all of the gifts I've received. I've put them to good use. Most of the cash and gift cards I've received have gone towards fully connecting this:

That's right. For my birthday Jeanette allowed me to get a brand new 32" widescreen LCD TV. And it is awesome! You never realize just how good things can look till they're in high definition. I LOVE IT!!! Thank you so much Jeanette!

Ok, now some news. I found out today that on July 25th I will be having some minor surgery on my left shoulder. For those of you who don't know, I've been having some pain there lately, and it's been giving me some pretty severe headaches from time to time. So keep me in your prayers as we prepare for that.

And now for a lighter note, we got the boys a new toy the other day. It's a small cheap ($4) red and black box with holes and some streamers inside that they can run in and out of. They love it alot more than we thought they would. They use it as an exercise wheel, tumbling around the floor, and as an ambush point. So far, it's been almost all over the house, and we barely touch it. Anyway, here's a few pictures. See ya'll later!

Wall-E

2008-06-10T20:35:00.003-04:00

Wall-E is coming out June 27th. Go see it! No, I haven't been to a premiere, but I have it on good authority that it's a great film. Kevin Singleton, Brian's cousin, works at Pixar designing the rigging that goes underneath all the characters. Needless to say, all the Singletons come out in droves to go see anything that Pixar produces.

Now for the best part, ever since Pixar began running trailers of Wall-E, Brian has been really excited. This is not normal excitement for him. Yes, he loves movies and video games, but he has never done this in response to new entertainment. He can't understand what the big deal is, but I crack up every time he does this. So I invite you to watch his new human trick:

Click here to compare him to the trailer!

Primo anniversario, May 30th-June 4th

2008-06-08T14:07:00.000-04:00

Singleton St. We'r e Famous!
Kenn edy Space Center, Daytona, FL
Space Shuttle Heaven
Atlas wi th the world on his shoulders;)
R2D2, anyone?
Where astronauts spend their last 3 hours on earth
Old spacesuit
The "Big Tron"
Former NASA astronauts talking the crowd through the launch.
The best surf shop in the world! Flip flops abound.
Baby alligators
Ta dah
Ah, nostalgia

Dinner at Charthouse. Best meal of my life (and that's saying alot)!

Do n't worry, Ma, they're henna. They was h off !

Never knew this business actually existed.

The End

Popular Folklore of America

2008-06-06T23:58:00.001-04:00

I picked up the most fascinating book in the Nola Brantley Library today. Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads ... is an aptly named book that tells "the rest of the story" behind America's greatest "fads, mavericks, inventions and lore", for example, disposable diapers, TV dinners, and how the sexual revolution of the 60's and 70's all started with a man named Kinsey.

However, with all the cool and disturbing stuff, the fad that perturbs me the most is 'How Thin Became "In"'.

It never occurred to me that Americans, especially women, didn't always have this drive to lose excess bulge, which I lovingly call "curves." The Battle of the Bulge used to be a concern reserved for the extremely weathly. And now for only pennies, all of America could read Diet and Health, With Key to the Calories, by Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters. Dr. Peters wrote the first best-selling weight loss manual. As a child of the early 80's, it's hard to believe that dieting didn't start with late-night infomercials of Tony Little and Susan Powter.

The bad news first: She preached to women specifically and spoke of the "evils of excess flesh, proclaiming that extra pounds were not just unattractive but immoral, and that fat people suffered from a lack of willpower." Some of these things have some truth, but it was her overwhelmingly negative spin on body image that helped create eating disorders for many women . She pushed the 1200 calorie-day-diet and forever equivocated happiness with the right diet. And ladies, that was in 1918!!! It's almost 100 years later, and we all still feel it, even men.

Now this isn't a tirade against T-shirts that unabashedly state "No Fat Chicks," however, I have always wondered how America came to favor the ever-worshipped 'thin' versus the pleasingly plump body, which used to signify wealth and status. I have always fought my weight, as has every woman in my life, but I'm learning that I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It People Like Me;) Good ol' Stuart Smalley skits of Saturday Night Live still cracks me up.

A little known fact: Around 1904, Lillian Russell was the picture of sexy and healthy, at as much as 186 lbs. (I, myself, have weighed more than this) and 5'6''. She was a Broadway actress and singer.

So if you ever get down on yourself, remember two words: Balance (in your lifestyle) and Confidence (in your step). Oh, and fat days…we all have them!

Silly Cat, Bags are for Groceries

2008-06-05T21:59:00.000-04:00

Alright, Folks, we don't have kids, so we blog about the cute, or in this case, the mildly stupid, things our cats do. I'm not a cat person, until they do things like this.

How to make your own CAT-IN-A-BAG :

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

TA-DAH!

And here Obi is helping me fold laundry...

...or is he just getting my laundry all cat hairy?

Space Shuttle Discovery Launch, Mission STS-124, May 31st, 2008

2008-06-05T21:39:00.000-04:00

For the first time in my life, Brian's 2nd, I got to see a shuttle launch. Here are a couple of videos I shot. Sorry, most of them are sideways and shakey, and yes, that's us screaming in the background like 2 little kids. Info about why we launched another rocket below.

STS-124 Space Shuttle Discovery Prepares for Launch

Mission: STS-124 Discovery
Launch Date: May 31, 2008
Launch Time: 5:01 p.m. ET

The crew of STS-124 will deliver the Japanese Pressurized Module, the station's largest science laboratory as well as the lab's robotic arm system that supports operations outside of Kibo. The lab's logistics module, which was installed in a temporary location during STS-123 in March, will be attached to the new lab.

The seven-member crew of STS-124 Space Shuttle Discovery includes Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Ken Ham, Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and Greg Chamitoff. Chamitoff will replace Expedition 16/17 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman and remain aboard the station as a member of the Expedition 17 crew. Reisman will return to Earth with the STS-124 crew.

My 43 Things

2008-06-05T21:31:00.000-04:00

My friend Amanda Lily Gross got me interested in the site 43things.com. It's a great way to log things that you want to do. She's got her own list posted at her blog donthitsnooze.blogspot.com

Anyway, here's my current list.

School's Out for the Summer...Almost!

2008-05-24T23:35:00.001-04:00

Hey, Kids,
My life was threatened if I didn't update our blog, so here goes:

Friday, May 23rd, was my last day with students at PCHS. Super excited about that, and go figure, so were all the students. I "graduated" my first seniors. It was weird but really cool at the same time. I got to wear my school colors on a hood with my gown for the first time. Luckily, no mortar boards were required of us.

I have post-planning (really, really don't want to go) on Tuesday and Wednesday. I will be performing for Peach County Idol for some moolah. It's my last hurrah at the high school. On Wednesday at 3pm, I will be done with Peach County High School FOREVER!! This past year has been the roughest I've ever experienced and 99% of that was because of my job. Now that I'm almost done, I wake up every morning excited to see what's next. It's pretty awesome, because I haven't felt this way in 9 months.

However, through all the crap that I've endured this year, I continue to learn one lesson over and over: This too shall pass. I looked it up on Biblegateway.com and it is actually not in the Bible. It is simply a Hebrew saying. Click HERE for the Jewish folktale. Also, I'm not the only one struggling at any one time, nor is my situation as dire as I think it is. God has been good by bringing us through this first year.

Now--CELEBRATION! I tell Brian almost every day that he is worth me taking the job at Peach County, and, that despite my job, we have had a great first year together. That's right, we will celebrate our 1 year anniversary on June 2nd. We're going to Florida on Friday, May 29th to live it up on the beach. I can't wait to get some sun and surf...and eventually knock myself in the head with my boogie board. Yes, I do it everytime I go to the beach. I always manage to suck down a little ocean water.

Speaking of the ocean, my mom and dad let me watch Jaws at an early age, and the next time, we visited my cousins in Florida, I wouldn't go into the water. Hmmmm...wonder why? Thankfully, I'm over it.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT INTO GRAD SCHOOL!

2008-04-07T10:37:00.001-04:00

You should know the jist of this post by the title. I got an email from Dr. Simons saying that I got into Mercer University to pursue a Master's of Music in Choral Conducting:

"When we receive the letters [recommendation letters], your file will be completed, and I can send an official letter. In the mean time, I will tell you that you are going to be officially accepted into the program. We are also going to offer an assistantship to you. We do not know the duties as yet.
Please get those letters in so we can make this official. Good job. "

HAHA! So excited that I have a place in the universe next year. So I will be working part-time somewhere this summer and then working my tail off the next two years. Thanks for everyone's encouragement and prayers.

Love,
J

Oh, and I will be traveling to Texas this week to see a friend that has returned from the Peace Corps. Kinda last minute, but I think I'll have fun celebrating with her and my family. Keep Brian company for me.

Nothing Yet

2008-04-04T09:05:00.000-04:00

Alright, folks,

There is no news on Mercer yet. I called the grad school yesterday, and one of the key players in making decisions is out of the office until Monday. So, hopefully, I will hear something while I'm on Spring Break. Hope you guys in Houston Co. enjoyed yours!

We got the House!

2008-04-01T22:23:00.000-04:00

Woo-Hoo! We are so excited! Some details:
Good neighborhood not far from Northside High School
3 Br/ 1 Ba
900 Sq. Ft.
Nice yard
Landscaping optional (a small monthly fee, but I will do everything I can to convince Jeanette that it's a good idea)
Very nice housing manager
Carrol St. (for safety, we won't put the actual address, so you'll have to just ask us)

It's a bit on the small side (especially the bedrooms) but it more than makes up for it in other areas. Now here are some pics:

The front of the house

The backyard

Hey! We actually have a kitchen!

The dining area

The living room

The bathroom

The master bedroom from the corner

The master bedroom from the door
And just so you know, yes, I'm standing in the center on both pictures

We may not have a pool, but we have an ice cream truck. I can't wait till the summer now.

Pulling up the Rent sign. It's ours now!

We plan to start moving in on the 25th. The 26th (Saturday) we will be hosting a "How much can your truck haul and can you carry" contest, so be prepared.

Renting a House

2008-03-28T22:35:00.000-04:00

Brian here. So apparently we forgot to let people know that we were looking at renting a house. Sorry guys. Well, consider this your official notice.

We are looking at renting a house. We've been considering doing this for awhile, and with Jeanette looking at going back to school, it just seemed like the right idea. Unfortunately, our options are limited since we're having to look for a fairly cheap place (part of that whole not going broke thing). So far we've seen some not so good, some ok, and some that would be great if it was $100 less. We're mainly trying to find something north of town for commuting purposes, but we can't limit ourselves too much. Really all we can do is pray that God will guide us to the right place.

Anyway, J has here audition on Monday afternoon, so I ask that you all pray for her. She also has to take a test at some point, so she's pretty stressed out right now. But I know she'll do fine, and that God will watch over her and bless her during all that. And we should know sometime on Tuesday if she got accepted, so keep an eye out.

Jeanette & The Boys

2008-03-27T19:23:00.000-04:00

Hey, guys! Brian here. Wanted to thank everybody for the support they've been showing us. We really appreciate it. I have no doubt that Jeanette will be accepted to Mercer like we want, so know it's just a matter of trusting in God to make it happen (and to make sure we don't go broke at the same time). House (rent) hunting is going well. We've seen a few good prospects, but more on that later. In the meantime, we took the boys to the Vet today to have a 'little operation' done. They're home now and doing well, but they haven't yet got their sense of balance back, and they are still quite loopy. Kenobi seems to think he's going to take off or something, cause he won't lift his body more than an inch or two of the ground, while Obi just keeps bobbing his head. I would upload a video, but we still havent gotten it to work properly yet, so you'll just have to make due with some pictures.

Anyway, we managed to get copies of the pictures that the family that saved them had. They were so cute! Here's a sample:

Well, that's all for now. See you all later!

Opportunities for next year from every direction

2008-03-12T19:53:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to go to Byron Middle School yesterday. I went to evalute the program and consider a transfer. The program has potential, but I'm not sure if God wants me there. The BMS teacher really wants to go to the high school. Weird, huh?

Today, I got a call from another middle school that wants to interview. I will give details about this when I know more.

AAAAND, the Head of Graduate Studies for the Townsend School of Music (Mercer) called me today to give me some details about my upcoming audition.

I will have to:

-Rehearse a collegiate-level music piece with the Mercer Singers (they're a really good ensemble, and it makes me sweat thinking about it). They will send me the piece of music a week before my audition.

-Interview with a panel of professors, and

-Take a theory test (I'll be studying all weekend). It's like trying to remember math from high school.

I know God will show me the path to take, but I'm definitely still prayin' hard.

Have a good week or weekend!

Spring Concert, Literary and Grad School

2008-03-07T21:32:00.001-05:00

Well, I had my 3rd concert at Peach County High School yesterday, and let me tell you, it always feels like the world has been lifted off of my shoulders after the final note has been sung, the audience has left, and the equipment is back in storage.

And today Literary Competition went really well. I had never been before, so I was really pleased when two of my students placed. Rochelle got 3rd place in the women's solo division, and Titus placed 4th in men's solo. Pictures to come! They looked so cute when they won.

Oh, and the main reason I wrote this post in the first place is that I'm trying to go back to school! I just started getting excited and serious about it today, and all of the sudden a Master of Music in Choral Conducting sounded really good. No, this isn't just something I woke and thought I'd do today. I've been thinking about it since I walked across the stage to accept my Bachelor's Degree. Something went off in my brain today that said, "Just Do It." My application for Mercer University in Macon is due April 15th if I want to be considered for an assistantship, so pray for me and the time crunch. Brian's working swings the next 2 weeks, so I should have plenty of time to work on my "little project."

God Bless,

Jeanette

Picture Survey-Jeanette

2008-03-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

Directions:

Answer each question.
Take each answer and type it into Photobucket (http://www.photobucket.com/)
Take any picture from the first page of results and post. (click on the picture and copy the HTML code) Don't explain, it's funnier that way!

How old will you be on your next birthday??

A place you would like to travel:

Your favorite place:

Your favorite thing to do:

Your favorite food/candy:

FOOD:

CANDY:

Favorite Animal:

Favorite Color:

The town in which you were born:

The town in which you live:

The name of a past pet:

The name of a current or past boy/girl friend:

Your nickname/screen-name:

Your middle name:

A bad habit:

First job:

Your grandmother's name:

Favorite song:

Busy as bees

2008-02-26T21:42:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!
Sorry we haven't kept things up to date lately, but Jeanette and I have been super busy lately. She's getting ready for Literary (think Solo and Ensemble) and a concert, while I've been putting my nose to the grindstone getting ready for our ORI (inspection) this week. Pray that we both survive and do well.
Oh, and we both plan to do the picture questionaire in the near future, so keep an eye out.

Cats

2008-02-04T14:02:00.000-05:00

The boys got a new toy the other day, so I just wanted to throw a few pictures of them up on the blog. Enjoy!

Playing in the bathroom.
"I've got your head!"
"No, I've got your head!"

Hey! No fair hiding under the bath rug.

Yea, a tree! Now we can show off our climbing skills without damaging anything.

This climbing thing's harder than it looks.

Sleepy time. All together now!

Job Fair

2008-02-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys. Just wanted to let everyone know that Jeanette attended a job fair for Houston Couty schools on Saturday. She met with several middle schools, and a few high schools, and she was really pleased with how things went. Let's just hope something comes from it. Only time will tell, so just keep her in your prayers.

Georgia Music Educators Association Convention in Savannah, GA

2008-01-28T20:24:00.000-05:00

They call her Hard Hearted Hannah,
The vamp of Savannah,
The meanest gal in town;
Leather is tough, but Hannah's heart is tougher,
She's a gal who loves to see men suffer!
To tease 'em, and thrill 'em, to torture and kill 'em,
Is her delight, they say,
I saw her at the seashore with a great big pan,
There was Hannah pouring water on a drownding man!
She's Hard Hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah, GA!

Okay, so I was in the hometown of Paula this past weekend, and I had to visit her restaurant. I admit, I didn't actually eat there, but I sure did take pictures as I drove by.

I was actually in Savannah for work, but enough about that; let's get to the important stuff.

You've got the Paula Deen store,

And the "Lady and Sons" 50's sign,

And some weeping willows that covered the roadways downtown.

It was a really beautiful town, and there were more ghost tours than you could shake a stick at. If you ever get a chance, visit Savannah and go to the
Pirate House (seafood in a SUPER old and authentic building) for dinner.

2008-01-25T21:15:00.000-05:00

So our new couch came in today. It looks great, and for only $600! (everything included) We're still getting used to it, since it's a bit bigger than our old couch, and doesn't sink like the other one did. The boys are in love with it, and the fabrics of a type that won't shred easily, so that's a plus. Oh, well. On to bigger and better things.

Lonely

2008-01-24T15:46:00.001-05:00

Jeanette left for her Music convention in Savannah last night. So it's just me and the boys until she gets back. It's amazing how comfroting it is having her in bed at night. I could not get comfortable enough to sleep. It just felt too weird. Obi and Kenobi tried to keep me company, but they were more in a playing mood at the time, so I had to kick them out so I could sleep. (First time I've ever had my face pounced on. And my arm bit. Twice. But only lightly.) Oh, my dear sweet Jeanette. I hope you are having fun in Savannah. I miss you, and can't wait to see you again.

On the other side, Jeanette will be back Saturday afternoon, so we look forward to seeing everyone at Ben and Tabby's party. I'm not as excited about the box lifting contest Saturday morning, but I'm going to give it my all. Wish me luck!

Brian's job

2008-01-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Brian here. Just wanted to stop in and post some pics to show everyone what I do.
This is an old photo of our equipment on the flight line (runway). The top right shelter is the PAR (Precision Approach Radar, used for landing planes). The top center is ASR (Aerial Surveillance Radar, used to control planes in the air). The bottom center is OPS (Operations shelter, where the Air Traffic Controllers sit). And the left shelter is the 530s (no idea, they're just a general work area). The OPS and 530 shelters break into two separate pieces, while the antennas on ASR and PAR break into pieces and go inside the shelter. We put them all on wheels, hook and truck up to them, and move them out. That and making sure they work (or, as I've been told, make sure the spiny thing is spinning) is my job.

Anyway, I got the chance to drive PAR around today for the first time. The picture below shows me after my success. It should give you an idea of about how big these shelters are.
Anyway, I guess I need to get back to work. See everyone later!

Honor Choir 2008

2008-01-12T12:14:00.000-05:00

So, the first really satisfying event of my job at Peach County just happened. We attended the GMEA Region 11 Honor Choir. It wasn't a competition; I picked 15 students to go, and 12 ended up sticking it out. They went through two days of clinic on 5 songs, and I got to engage in some much needed camaraderie.

From left to right: Charlene, Keaya, Barneika, and Shawna

From left to right: Meghan, Mecca, Michael, Micah, Salana, Heather, Shannon, Shawna, Barneika, and Willette

I made them do this They had a blast!

Pics

2008-01-08T21:12:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of Jeanette and the boys that I took. Enjoy!
Play time!
Look! Fish!
Too tired. Must nap.
J hard at work on school stuff ('ugh' she says)

The Boys

2008-01-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Brian here.
Just thought I'd pop in and let everyone hear the story of our two new additions.

As some of you may know, J and I got a kitten not long after we got married. He was with us for a very short time before he passed away. Recently we decided that we were ready to try and raise another cat. But instead of going to PetSmart, as we did with Sam, we decided that we would go to vet's offices and look around-that way we could possibly find a cat that was well taken care of, cheaper, and we would have an idea of which vet we wanted to use. (When we lost Sam, we weren't happy with the vet we were using, so we thought it best to look beforehand).

Anyway, when we got back from Christmas vacation, we decided to go looking. We went to a vet that was close to our apartment complex. We walked in and were quite pleased with what we saw. We started looking at their boards, and talking to the receptionist. We mentioned we were looking at adopting a kitten, and she told us that one of the aides had 2 kittens that she was trying to find a home for. She called her over, and we started talking.

She said that their names were Obi and Kenobi (so I am not to blame for the Star Wars reference, but I love it), and that they were about 15 weeks. They had been brought in by an old lady when they were a few days old. The aide took them home, and nurtured and cared for them, bottle feeding them until they were old enough to eat on their own. She said that she didn't want them separated, so we needed to take them both. We asked if we could see them, so she called her mom to bring them over.
We talked it over, and decided that if we liked them, we would keep the names (J thought they were fun), and take them both. They showed up, and we instantly fell in love with them. So we took them home.

Needless to say, raising two kittens has been different. More food, water, attention, everything. But there are a few good things. One of which is that they have someone else to sleep with and play with (and clean each other, which is uber-cute), so they're less needy than just one would be. Also, being able to see their different personalities has been fun. J and I have even picked our favorites (Obi's mine, while Kenobi is hers). I'll give you a few examples of their differences. Obi is content with sitting near you and letting you pick him up and pet him, while Kenobi will rub on you, paw on you, and even rub his head on your face to get you attention. Kenobi loves string, while Obi loves the assorted cat toys on the end of string. We look forward to seeing what things come out the longer we have them.

Anyway, keep an eye out for more posts, and more pics. We're even expecting pics of the boys growing up from the vet aide that had them, so look for those. See all of you later!

Our First Christmas Together

2008-01-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

Lily, Me, and Mir

Obi and Kenobi, our new kittens! Obi's in orange, and Kenobi's the blue.

Our boys taking a nap

Mom doing her crossword puzzles

Bonnie and Jacob, the beau

SFA Singers!

The "First Christmas" ornament my mom gave us

Our Texas Christmas Star

"First Christmas" ornament from Brian's mom, Sherry

Our Martha Stewart Christmas Tree-colored coordinated and everything!

Our first tree! And, yes, it's fake

Runt and Debra-Could a cat look more relaxed?

My dearest mumsy wrapping gifts at the last minute. Love the 'do!

Thanksgiving and pictures

2007-11-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! It's Brian.
It was great to see everyone at Thanksgiving. We look forward to catching most of you again at Christmas. Sorry if we don't update this often enough, things can get pretty busy around here at times.
Anyway, I thought I'd take the time to post some of the pics that we mentioned in our previous blog, mainly the podium and the flight. We never can seem to take the camera with us to all the important things. Anyway, we'll have more for you in a little while, so keep an eye out!

Catching Up

2007-10-07T16:11:00.000-04:00

So, it's been a really long time since either one of us has posted, so here's what's happened:

1. We got to go to Six Flags over Georgia for FREE for Air Force day. Of course, we spent another $60 on Flash Passes. We got to ride almost immediately, and I got kinda sick throughout the day. Those crazy rollercoasters will do it.

2.A few weeks ago we built a podium for my classroom. Brian was a great help, and I stained it. It's a little lopsided, but it does its job.

3. I'm 25! Brian surprised on my birthday with a weekend in downtown Atlanta! We went to Agatha's, a dinner theatre we spotted last year while at DragonCon.
http://www.agathas.com/
It was great, especially right before my first concert.

4. Brian got to fly on an incentive flight. He rode on a cargo plane while they refueled a jet.

5. I survived my first concert. A few mishaps, but the important part is--IT'S OVER!

6. We got a new Simmons BeautyRest mattress. It's so much better than the fabulous donated, yet very old mattress we had. Very firm, and we don't roll towards the middle now;)

So...that full-time job thing...it's not gonna work out.

2007-07-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

Just kiddding, guys. School starts really soon. July 26th-27th is new teacher orientation. July 30-Aug. 3 is all teachers, and then I have my students on Aug. 6th. Summer? What summer? For all the moms out there, here's a link to my school calendar:

http://www.peachschools.org/docs/2007-08%20calendar%20b.pdf

And here's the link to my school's website:

http://www.peachschools.org

Til later,
J

Passing of a New Friend

2007-07-13T12:27:00.000-04:00

Sam was a good cat. We will miss him.

Company

2007-06-23T23:26:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! It's Brian.
Just figured I'd pop in and say hello since I haven't done that yet. Things are going great! Jeanette survived VBS with the 3-year olds, and work didn't kill me, so things are good. Oh, and we have a new addition to the family! Jeanette was getting bored at home by herself while I was at work, so today we went and got a cat. His name is Sam, he's a black and white tabby, and he's 10 weeks old. Anyway, here a few pics of the little guy. (And man is he little!) Enjoy!

New job!!! No not me!

2007-06-20T16:58:00.000-04:00

My friends Bonnie and Nathan both got new jobs this week.

Bonnie will be teaching in Cy-Fair ISD in Houston, TX
Nathan will be teaching at Deer Park Middle School in Florida.

Congratulations, Y'all!

VBS FUN with the 3-yr olds aka THE MOST EXHAUSTING WEEK OF MY LIFE

2007-06-20T16:27:00.000-04:00

This is what I see everyone morning. Doesn't look like much here, but it's great! I like seeing the countryside.

Cody--I want a kid just like him...someday. He's all boy but likes hugs, sucks his thumb and always wants to be held:) He thinks he's Evil Knevil; he justs throws himself to the ground with no fear.

Haley

Davin--What a singer! Very intelligent and can color inside the lines. Pretty impressive for a 3-yr old.

E.D.I.M.G.I.A.F.A.D.: Every day in Middle Georgia is Armed Forces Appreciation Day

Another view from the apartment

The Chaos

Haley again

Bryson--really cute, but I can never understand a word he says. Something tells me he's making fun of me. Stupid say, "What?"

Caleb--The strong, silent type. He says about 10 words a day but lets loose on the playground.

VBS Door

Left side of the room--Brian helped me put it together and draw.

Right side

Pictures

2007-06-17T23:55:00.000-04:00

Newlywed Photos

So I finally sat down and got these pictures uploaded for SOME people that wouldn't leave me alone (Jim Styron). I promise that this is all I have for right now. My photographer is mailing me rough copies of the wedding next weekend. Remember, Mr. Miagi says, "Patience is a virtue." Oh wait, I think that was someone else;)

Brian blowing out his 25th birthday candles

Sponge Bob Cake lit

Sponge Bob Cake

Moving Truck---only 6 feet thanks to our familial moving crew!

Gaylord Texan Resort Entrance Sign

Gaylord Texan Resort Icon

Consider It Done Button!! AKA Whatever You Want Right Away Button!

Bueno?

Consider It Done Telephone

The Atrium: mostly manmade and all within the hotel itself

Store front

A stuffed cow--no really, a stuffed cow

Seal

Skylight

Us in front of the Alamo...or are we?

Who's got the long toes now?!

Room Service...why, yes, please!

Dinner at Ama Lur

Vows

I know pronounce you....

Wedding Flowers

We Did It!

2007-06-06T22:38:00.000-04:00

Hey, Folks,

We dun got married! It was great fun and just a little stressful, but we had a great time seeing everyone. The only major fiasco was everybody leaving after they had consumed their cake and before we got all our pictures taken.

Oh, and that little incident with the minster forgetting to sign our marriage certificate. We got it taken care of, though.

We'll be in Texas on July 4-7th, if you're curious. And now Brian wants me to play his new Wii (early birthday gift), so more later.

P.S. The apartment is great. Life is great. And the sun is always shining here. Really. I mean alot. I am sweating just sitting here:)

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck

2007-05-12T01:30:00.000-04:00

Have you ever known the joy of going to Six Flags? I remember when I went for the first time. I was 5 or 6, and my mom and dad took me. It was great. I had a short set on and tons of energy, and I was ready to go.

Somehow, this exuberance at the mention of Six Flags has changed in the last 20 years. I'm taking my kids to Six Flags today. The fun begins at 7AM on a SATURDAY. Why, why did I sign on for this?!! Six Flags is synonymous with "sunburn" and "dog tired" and "expense" and "having a student get in trouble with security."

Oh, how my innocence has been shattered. Who ever knew Six Flags was gonna be work?

The Poet Laureate of Longview

2007-04-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

Kinda cheesy, but this is a little something I wrote (an ode, if you will) when Brian and I were first getting to know each other. Probably right after we met for the first time. Leave comments, if you like it. If you don't, keep it to yourself;) Haha! I love you, Brian.

Weightless

i always thought if I could just:
be thin enough,
make it to the gym one more time,
do another set of crunches,
i would be the me I always wanted...
i would be one of those girls.
when did that change?
oh, right...when you walked in.
love walked in,
and i now i walk without touching the ground...
i am finally weightless.

Our First Place

2007-04-15T13:28:00.000-04:00

After much research (mostly on Brian's part) and driving and looking, we have found our first apartment together, Huntington Chase. It's midway between our workplaces and is nice and spacious. Our 3rd floor apartment has vaulted ceilings, 2B&2B, a great patio, plenty of storage, overhead lighting (yeah, I've waited a long time for this!), fitness center, tennis courts, sand volleyball, a car washing center, pool, and probably tons of other stuff I don't know yet. We're really excited, and Brian gets to move in around May 1st (not fair).

Click here to see a gallery of pictures:
http://www.huntingtonchaseapts.com/j/s/i/iFrame.jsp?p_usid=&p_poid=HEJJH1426F&p_pgid=43

50 DAYS!

2007-04-13T22:45:00.001-04:00

Everything's Coming Up Roses

2007-04-13T11:55:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that life is a series of ups and downs. I have had my share of both, not always completely believing that God is going to bring back up from the depths.

Flash back to the Fall 0f 2005 and then the Fall of 2006. Life was less than great those semesters. Then, Brian came into my life, and things started to change, slowly but surely.

God has continued to take care of me. Today I got a job as the head choral director of Peach County High School in Fort Valley, GA! And to think, I was 20 minutes late for my interview, too (I got lost--Surprise, Surprise!). It's a town of 8,500, and everybody was so friendly. Plus, Brian and I started looking at apartments today. There are some great, affordable places in Warner Robins. I can't wait to put down the deposit tomorrow;)

Everything's falling into place. Crazy that I don't trust Him sometimes, huh?

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

2007-04-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

So, I'm leaving Thursday 'round 8:00pm to go see B. We both get to leave the Atlanta airport at 11pm and return to our respective quarters at 1am. We're both gonna be draggin'. Brian has Friday work, and I have a job interview at 8am with Peach HS's new principal and existing Asst. Principal Gray.

We are gonna be so tired. THEN... we have apartment appointments (say that 5 times fast).
Fri.
3:00
4:14

Sat.
9:00
10:15

And just think, Brian hasn't scheduled the other 3!!!!!!!

And if Peach doesn't work out, I have a teacher job convention to go to at 1:30 on Saturday.

Oh, yeah, we're gonna have fun. When did we become adults, anyway?

2 Months Today!

2007-04-03T01:04:00.000-04:00

It's officially 2 months until the wedding! Everyone's gettin' revved up along with the happy couple. I took the wedding invitations to the post office today. Lemme tell ya, it took 20 minutes in line to check the accuracy of the postage and to ask the USPS to hand cancel our envelopes. I mean, L'view has the record for slowest post office of the US. For those of you that don't know, hand cancelling keeps your invitations looking pretty for your recipients. If you don't ask the USPS to do it to special letters, they will arrive looking crumpled, and really, who wants that after so much time has gone into preparing them?

Oh, and 9 days and counting til I visit Brian in GA. I finished the online app for Houston County School Systems tonight, and it was looooooooong. They are thorough in Middle Georgia. Hopefully, something will miraculously happen in the music department there. I'm told that they don't have many openings due to the fact that the music teachers are fabulous, the fine arts are strong, and the kids just keep enrolling.

I can always hope.

Meanwhile, Brian is still hobbling around his room. If you think of him, give him a ring. He's still spending alot of his time alone because getting out tires him.

April Fool's ;)

2007-04-02T01:56:00.000-04:00

Did anyone else forget that today was April Fool's? Wow. Didn't remember til 6:30pm when my mind started to wander during the sermon at church.

Just to catch you up, my baby brother, Jim (he's not so much a baby anymore. 6'2''), graduated from UTI!! I wasn't there, but I heard that it was fabulous.

We had a small party for him Sunday night after church. I took pictures. It was fabulous.

On Friday at 6:00pm, my tension headache went away. *Surprise* My contest was finished. My Girls' Chorale made a 2 onstage and a 3 in sightreading (Bb is not an easy key to read, people!). I am really proud of their showing, and as a bonus, I didn't faint in the process. Smiles all around. It wasn't a Sweepstakes performance, but they have learned so much from a 1st year teacher in the last 7 months.

Now I get to choreograph their Grease medley and Razzle Dazzle from Chicago. Can anyone say "School is over?" Other than that, I will be cleaning up the choir room and compiling a "Choir Bible" for the future director; the one I inherited was seriously out of date.

Wedding in 60 days and counting. The invitations go out Monday at 1pm.

Things Brian Doesn't Eat

2007-03-28T08:03:00.000-04:00

Chocolate
Cherries
Green stuff (peas, salad, green M & M's and gummy bears {ok, that part I made up})

Feel free to add your comments:) I'm sure I don't know everything he doesn't like.

How does she do it?

2007-03-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm no Mary Poppins. When the birds started singing outside my window, 10 minutes before I was supposed to get up, I wanted to grab a BB Gun, not throw open the window and sing them "A Spoon Full of Sugar."

Update

2007-03-26T19:23:00.000-04:00

So this is what Brian does at home with a bum knee. ------>

Uh, yeah, so Brian's feeling better, and I'm still gearing up for contest. Sightreading and rehearsal was great today.

This afternoon I had a chat with an AP from Peach County School Systems. Nice guy, fledging choir group (no one is enrolled right now-ouch!), but it's closer, and I'd have a conference period. And let's face it, anything you do in a new program looks fabulous to administration.

At the moment, I'm taking Brian's truck on April 13th and visiting Peach Co. in the morning and Putnam Co. in the afternoon. Then if Houston wants to throw their hat in the ring, I'm sure I can throw them a bone. (cross your fingers)

The plan right now is send a letter of interest to Houston Co. (the best county in Middle Georgia) and apply online for Bibb Co. (this one has mixed reviews).

That's all for now. Signing off, I am Jeanette

Midstream

2007-03-25T23:10:00.001-04:00

So this font is "Georgia." Nice, huh?

I am beginning this blog for family and friends. It will never be a substitute for personal calls, letters, emails or even, "Let's do lunch," but there will be times when this is way more informative than Brian or I can be:)

With that in mind, let's begin:

I know that is considered bad luck to use your last name before it is legally yours, but so what!! It's just much easier to create the blog with our future last name. So breathe deeply, mothers, I am not trying to jinx us.

As of today, we are 68 days from June 2nd. I will probably be putting a ticker up somewhere on the blog soon. It feels like forever, but I've never been patient, now have I?

Goings-On

Brian had knee surgery on Friday and is doing well thanks to the Vicodan. It looks like his knees have been visited by the Italian Mafia.

I had a job interview with Putnam County Elementary 2 weeks ago.

Friday morning, Peach County High School called me on my office phone just as the bell for 1st period rang. Blast! I WILL be calling them back.

I had a job interview with Putnam County Middle School on Friday during my lunch break. They called Friday afternoon to offer me the job. The jury is still out on this one, gang.

Tomorrow I hope to make headway with Peach County. It's closer, and I might have a conference period, whereas with Putnam, well, let's just say there are more cons thans pros.

The cake and flowers have been decided on.

FYI

March 27th @ 7:00-My girls have their mock Contest and Sightreading Concert.

March 30th @12:00-Jimbo graduates from UTI!!

March 30th @ 4:30-My girls go to Concert and Sightreading Contest in Canton, TX.

March 30th @ 7:30-Bonnie Bolinger sings the soprano lead at SFA Opera production of The Marriage of Figaro, Nacogdoches, TX. http://www.sfasu.edu/finearts/series/series_university.asp#Opera

April 12-15th-I fly to see Brian in GA. Plans: Job interviews and apartment hunting (ugh!).

April 22nd-South Main Church of Christ Shower, Weatherford, TX

April 29th-Shiloh Rd. Church of Christ Shower at Janet Parker's, Whitehouse, TX

May 5th-Cinco de Mayo party

May 7th-Pop Show rehearsal

May 8th-Pop Show

May 24th-Last day of students!

May 25th-Teacher Workday (boo)

May 25th @ 3:45-Start your engines...................cuz here..........we............go!