Sublett Sentinel

Halloween 2009

2009-11-19T18:11:00.002-06:00

I know. Don't pass out. I'm working on it. :)

Look What I Did!

2009-07-16T17:39:00.002-05:00

Learning a little about using Photoshop Elements to digitally scrapbook.

It Ain't Mr. Rogers Neighborhood Anymore!

2009-03-22T18:18:00.003-05:00

Well, after some thoughtful moments, I headed over to the neighbors to find out what they were recording. I was pretty sure I knew. I complimented them on their painted fence and their new rose garden, and then asked if there was something that I needed to know about since there was a tape recorder on the fence. Sunshine, the name I will be referring to as my female neighbor, told me that she and Cheerful, Sunshine's husband, were recording the dogs barking in the neighborhood. They claim that the dog's barking is bothering them incredibly. Cheerful has already gone to the dog barking police, and they have referred him to a prosecutor. I asked Sunshine why they hadn't come over or called to talk to us about this problem, because we would never want our dogs to bother anyone.

You see, when we moved into this house that we were and are so excited about last year in February, I came home to a note from the dog police hanging from our front door knob. That was day two of living in our new home, by the way. I promptly started going door to door to apologize because this was not our intention of welcoming ourselves to the neighborhood. I started out at these particular neighbors home because we already knew the neighbors on the other side of us and their dogs!!! Yes, they had called us in, and how impressed they were that I would come over and talk to them about it. I told them that I wished they would have come over and talked to us about the barking. I told them that I was very sorry that the dogs were bothering them, we exchanged phone numbers, and I reminded them that the dogs had only been in their new neighborhood two days and that could they please give them some time to get used to the new smells, sites, and sounds.

By the way - - I know for a fact that our dogs barked alot the last night we were unloading because I heard them when I came home at 10 pm from cleaning the rent house. They were worried we had left them somewhere that they didn't want to be, and we had left them outside while John unloaded. First of all, our dogs are inside pets, and the two of them probably felt as if their world had ended being left outside in this new place. Second of all, I cannot stand dogs that bark constantly, so I was beside myself that my dogs were so upset. I immediately took care of the noise, but apparently the damage had already been done. A week later, Sunshine brought our dogs some steak bones. Ah, a peace offering.

Back to yesterday, Sunshine then told me all about her new great-grandchild, her medications, and her trip to the hospital. I listened patiently, and told her of my excitement for the new baby, and that I hoped everything would be alright with her illnesses, and that if there was anything that I could do to help I would be happy to do so. Then I steered us back to the real reason for my visit. I wanted to know when the dogs were barking none stop, so that I could make sure that this did not continue to happen. She could not tell me, just that it bothers her. I then asked why they had not called or come by to talk about this with us. I again got no answer. I reminded her that I had seen them many times over the last year, at the mailbox, the dumpster, in the yard, the two weeks their grandson was in town, and he and Noble played at our home as well as theirs, etc., and that nothing had been mentioned. Oh well, it's not just your dogs its all the dogs around us. Then Cheerful comes in from the backyard, and we start all over again. They tell me about their children's dogs, that they really like dogs, and that when one of the neighborhood dogs start barking they all chime in. When this happens Sunshine and Cheerful know that they are just being dogs, but that the two of them don't know what they are saying, and that frustrates them. Uh huh!! This conversation is becoming hysterical to me, but I refrain from laughing. Cheerful brings me out the court documents that he is working on and tells me how much time this requires. I mention that I am sure that it does take some time, but probably less than a phone call or a walk next door. He states that it is very admirable of me to come over and talk with them about this situation. Uh hum!! The tape recorder was the only clue, Cheerful!! He says that perhaps they should have done the same thing. Ding, ding, ding!! Surely the court system has better things to do. The documents have five different addresses listed. I asked if they had spoken to any of these people. They had spoken to one, and Cheerful didn't like the way it went. He also doesn't like the way these neighbors are taking care of their yard.

Finally, after three times of telling me how admirable it was that I came over to talk to them, Cheerful, needs to get back to his yard work. He states that he will probably take our names off the court papers. He says that he is going to be tilling some of the yard and that it might get a little noisy. If it gets too noisy, he informs me that I can turn him in to the noise police. I let him know that I would never do that. Sunshine, starts to tell me about their summer plans, and I tell her that I need to get back home to clean my house. She says that she bets I thought that was pretty weird seeing a tape recorder on the fence. I reply that it really was, and that I felt a little violated. She then says that she bets I thought that they were recording John and I making mad passionate love to each other. I exclaim with an, excuse me!! She just smiles. I head on home, and as I get to my drive way I laugh uncontrollably. Tears, you guys!! Frustration, humor, anger, tension, etc., those kind of laughing tears.

John is gone with Noble camping through this whole experience thank you very much!! I promise myself not to say anything to him until he is home, unloaded, and showered. This is difficult for me. I really like to share my experiences with my husband, but I realize he needs to be home and relaxed for this one. He too, shares a similar response. The most fun has been plotting what kinds of sounds to record and play over the fence, but we won't. We will be kind and neighborly, and try to keep our dogs very quiet.

Today after church the phone rings, John answers it. It is Sunshine. He hands the phone to me. She says that she knows I have a green thumb, and that she has a few extra plants that she would like me to have. Ah, a peace offering!!

For now!?!?!

What Would You Do???

2009-03-21T14:23:00.004-05:00

Let's say that you left your house this morning to run an errand. When you arrived home you decided that it was such a nice morning that you would eat breakfast outside. As you sat enjoying the birds chirping, your dogs lying in the grass, and eatting your breakfast, you noticed that on your fence sat a tape recorder. What is this??? You study a little longer only to notice that there are two buttons pushed down indicating that something is being recorded. As it occurs to you that this is really strange, your neighbor's hand reaches up from the other side of the fence to remove the tape recorder. You are stunned!! What do you do?

Hit the Road Lowes!

2009-03-21T14:20:00.003-05:00

It is with great excitement that I announce that John is no longer working at Lowes!
We did some careful budgeting and have decided that working two jobs for three years plus is over. Yahoo!!! It will be so fun to have him home. In fact, this weekend he is camping with Noble and the eleven year old scouts. This day has been a long time coming, and we hope that we can make it work. So does John's shoulder and lower back!!! Yipee!!

Honor's Testing and the Big Picture

2009-03-19T09:12:00.006-05:00

Noble is getting closer and closer to jr. high!! On March 3, he challenged the honor's tests for social studies, math, science, and English. He feels pretty good about most of it. He said the math was a little hard, but he really wants to make honor's math because he wants to be an engineer. John and I were taken aback once again because neither of us remember being even remotely concernced with whether or not we were preparing for a professional career in sixth grade. Noble is truly amazing!! We let him know that we knew he had done his best, and that he would get into the classes that he was most prepared for so that he would be comfortable but challenged.

This jr. high thing is getting a little to close for comfort. This year has gone so quickly, and I keep trying to figure out a way to slow it down. I have yet to be successful. I remember so many times wishing time would go faster, and I know that many of us still have that desire. Most of the time it is so that something that we really want to happen will hurry up and get here. While other times we are enduring through a particular situation that we wish would just end already. There are so many landmarks in my life that I couldn't wait to get to, and so many have come and gone. I wish many times that I could see the "big picture" of my life, so that I could better prepare for what is to come. BUT that is life's challenge, to go forward with faith, isn't it? It appears that in my life, I will only get to do things as a parent once. At times this is extremely overwhelming to me. I have to do it all correctly the first time.

The other day John and I took Noble's rocking chair over to a sweet little couple expecting their first baby, a boy. Slowly, I have given away our baby things. I loved rocking Noble. Every once in awhile he will still sit in my lap, and if he only knew how much that means to me. I don't know how many of you have a copy of Love You Forever.

Love You Forever

by Robert Munsch

A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, "this kid is driving me CRAZY!"

But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

The little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nine years old. And he never wanted to come in for dinner, he never wanted to take a bath, and when grandma visited he always said bad words. Sometimes his mother wanted to sell him to the zoo!

But at night time, when he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that nine-year-old boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

The boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a teenager. He had strange friends and he wore strange clothes and he listened to strange music. Sometimes the mother felt like she was in a zoo!

But at night time, when that teenager was asleep, the mother opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep she picked up that great big boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

That teenager grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a grown-up man. He left home and got a house across town. But sometimes on dark nights the mother got into her car and drove across town. If all the lights in her son's house were out, she opened his bedroom window, crawled across the floor, and looked up over the side of his bed. If that great big man was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

Well, that mother, she got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called up her son and said, "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and sick." So her son came to see her. When he came in the door she tried to sing the song. She sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always...

But she couldn't finish because she was too old and sick. The son went to his mother. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And he sang this song:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my Mommy you'll be.

When the son came home that night, he stood for a long time at the top of the stairs. Then he went into the room where his very new baby daughter was sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while he rocked her he sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living

I am truly blessed!

Let's See if I Can Remember . . .

2009-03-17T21:51:00.005-05:00

January 20

Noble, John, and I went to the President Bush and Laura welcome home party. We took Noble's friend, Ben, who is his democratic rival on their school talk show. I was really glad we went. Also, as Air Force One flew its last mission with President Bush aboard right over our heads, Noble remarked that one day he would fly on Air Force One. Either he would be the President or the chief aviation engineer. Maybe that means that I'll get to fly on Air Force One someday, too!! Either as the President's wickedly awesome mother, or as the chief engineer's wickedly awesome mother. Either way I'll be sooooo proud!! Gotta love my kid!

January 23

John turned 40. That in and of itself is amazing!! First of all, I can't believe that he and I are in that age group. It got here much sooner than I expected. I can still remember the party for my dad when he turned 40, and I would have been 13. I know that I thought that seemed pretty old then, but not anymore. Love ya Dad! Also, because John was told at age 9 that he probably wouldn't live that long. Don't ya just love tenderhearted doctors?!? Stupid doctor!! We showed him. Who does he think he is??? We are so blessed to have John around!! His ailments often give us a scare. Happy Birthday, Babe!

February 6-8

Went to Atlanta for a conference, the Ron Clark Academy. Had a great time. Learned alot. Enjoyed being with some of the other teachers on my campus. The school was amazing!! Also, had dinner with my cousin and his family. Thanks Bryan and family!

February 9-13

Went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with John!! Had a blast!! It was so fun to be with John and watch him relax. We relaxed on the beach, ate tons of yummy food, went four-wheeling, twice, took a sunset dinner cruise, went whale watching, had a massage, shopped, spent time with insurance buddies, and most importantly got to spend quality time together.

February 28

Traveled to Lubbock to watch Noble compete in his third Destination Imagination competition. Their team won first again, and is advancing to the State Competition in Houston the first weekend in April. Yahoo!! I'll post pictures later, as I forgot to take my camera. They competed in a category called Instinct Messaging. They had to pick an animal and use its way of communication in their skit. They chose the peacock, and Noble was the "featured creature" this year. He has a really neat contraption for raising and lowering his "tail." He made a very handsome male peacock.

Whew!! I think I made it!! I apologize for the lack of posting. Sometimes life gets the better of me!!

John's 40th Birthday

2009-01-12T21:30:00.002-06:00

Christmas Day 2008

2009-01-03T19:59:00.003-06:00

We had a great Christmas. Noble got a couple of Wii games, Da Blob and Sims City Creator. He got Outdoor Challenge for the Wii, which is a lot of fun and is an incredibly good work out. He got the board games Democracy and Axis and Allies. He also got a camouflage bean bag with his name on it. Jake got a new cowboy hat and boots, and he was done as soon as he got them. It took some convincing to get him to open all of the other stuff. Both Jake and Noble were sick, and they tried really hard to be good sports. We had ham and turkey and all the fixings for dinner. Jake and Noble broke the wishbone from Thanksgiving, and Jake got to make a wish. Merry Christmas 2008!

Christmas Eve 2008

2009-01-03T19:13:00.006-06:00

Santa came by on Christmas Eve to visit Noble and Jake at their grandparent's house in Alpine. Apparently "Santa" loves Barack Obama. Just in case you were wondering, Noble did shed several tears and had to excuse himself from the room. "Santa" is a retired college history professor and just had to "go there" with Noble. I think this year was it for Noble, remember he wasn't keen on "believing" in change. He did bring Jake a fireman's hat and Noble a Wii controller.

Those of you die hard Republicans take a moment to enjoy "Blue Christmas," after all we'll have a new guy in town next Christmas. :)

President Bush's Legacy

2009-01-03T19:11:00.001-06:00

I really liked this article and wanted to share.

Analysis: Bush's personality shapes his legacy
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer Ben Feller, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jan 3, 3:23 pm ET

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush will be judged on what he did. He will also be remembered for what he's like: a fast-moving, phrase-mangling Texan who stays upbeat even though his country is not.

For eight years, the nation has been led by a guy who relaxes by clearing brush in scorching heat and taking breakneck bike rides through the woods. He dishes out nicknames to world leaders, and even gave the German chancellor an impromptu, perhaps unwelcome, neck rub. He's annoyed when kept waiting and sticks relentlessly to routine. He stays optimistic in even the most dire circumstances, but readily tears up in public. He has little use for looking within himself, and only lately has done much looking back.

Bush's style and temperament are as much his legacy as his decisions. Policy shapes lives, but personality creates indelible memories — positive and negative.

Call it distinctly Bush.

___

Don't be late.

Bush demands punctuality and disdains inefficiency. Every meeting better have a clear purpose. And it better not repeat what he already knows.

He is up early and in the Oval Office by 6:45 a.m. By 9:30 to 10 at night, it's lights out. He likes to be fresh and won't get cheated on his sleep.

In sessions with policy experts, Bush tends to ask questions that get right to the nub of a sticky issue. His top aides speak regretfully about how the country never got to see that side of him, even after all this time. They describe a man who is deeply inquisitive, not blithely incurious as much of the world thinks.

When Bush wants answers, guessing isn't advised.

"He can sniff it out a mile away if you don't have the goods," said White House communications director Kevin Sullivan.

Other people write Bush's speeches, but he'll kick out phrases that he thinks stray from a logical progression. It's about discipline.

You can tell the issues that really get Bush going, because he talks about them differently, more passionately: education, AIDS relief, freedom. They happen to be ones that can be viewed more clearly through a moral lens. That's how he sees the world.

Bush reads the Bible regularly. Another devotion: exercise. He makes time for a workout at least six days a week, wherever he is. And he goes at it hard, especially on his mountain bike on the weekends, when he pushes Secret Service agents to keep up with him. He is competitive and likes to stay in command.

Even eating is approached with sheer purpose.

Bush wants his lunch ready when he is, and wolfs it down. His tastes are clear: maybe a peanut butter and honey sandwich, a BLT, or a burger. Former White House executive chef Walter Scheib learned from Bush never to serve a grilled cheese sandwich unless it came with a side of French's yellow mustard.

The man from a land of cowboy boots orders proper dress in the White House. No jeans allowed in the West Wing. Coat and tie in the Oval Office.

"Orderliness in the process gave him confidence," said Peter Wehner, a former top Bush aide and now a senior fellow at the Ethics & Public Policy Center.

And if you're in Bush's presence, turn off your cell phone. Pity the person who gets the Bush stare when a Blackberry rings at the wrong time.

Then there are his stories. He repeats his favorites. Like the one about the cheery rug in the Oval Office. Or the spectacular rainbow that day in Romania.

Who's going to stop him?

____

Bush's words betray him sometimes.

"They misunderestimated the compassion of our country," Bush said of the Sept. 11 terrorists. "I talk to families who die," he said, meaning the loved ones of those who perish in war. "Childrens do learn when standards are high," he said in promoting his education plan.

Ivy League educated, Bush is good-natured about his verbal trip-ups. Yet he appears to have grown a bit more methodical in public, as if searching carefully for the right words.

His tangled moments have undoubtedly helped shape an unflattering public perception; there are entire books of his "Bushisms." Invariably, though, people who talk to him privately — historians, journalists, dissidents — come away with a very different impression of a meticulous thinker.

It is a paradox of his presidency.

Some of Bush's sillier times are of his own choosing. He doesn't take himself too seriously.

Like his herky-jerky dance moves in Liberia, or his odd little tap dance while waiting for John McCain to show up one day. He likes to back-slap people. And when he's ready to move on, there are telltale signs. To end an event with visitors, he'll say, "Let's get a picture," and that's that.

Bush generally calls people by the labels of his choosing, too. Reporters, Cabinet members, heads of state — anyone is fair game for a nickname. The practice tends to add a touch of familiarity between people and the president, and Bush likes that.

As for fun, Bush is far from the first president with a love for sports, but he may have advanced the cause.

In baseball season, he often has a game on TV, even for soothing background noise while he works. He quietly welcomes ball players to the executive mansion for tours or dinnertime conversation. And regardless of the sport, he loves it every time any championship team comes to the White House.

Their moment is his moment.

__

Bush can flash a temper and impatience. But if he takes criticism personally — and he gets lots of criticism — he tries not to show it.

When former press secretary Scott McClellan wrote a scathing book about Bush's leadership, the president told his senior aides to let it go.

"Find a way to forgive, because that's the way to lead your life," White House press secretary Dana Perino remembers Bush advising her.

Bush is insistently — some say unforgivably — optimistic, no matter how low his poll numbers get.

"Every day has been pretty joyous," he said recently, summing up one of the hardest presidencies ever known.

The toughest moments for him come when he meets the grieving families of the troops he sent to war. Or when he meets severely wounded troops in recovery. Many of the hurting tell Bush they want to get back out in active duty. He is moved by the sacrifice.

"I do a lot of crying in this job," Bush once acknowledged.

He shows consideration to people close to him in little ways. He sends birthday notes to staff members. He remembers little details about their families. When he visits an Army post to thank the troops, he's been known to wander into the kitchen, too, to praise whoever cooked him the french fries.

The president is a proud dad of two grown daughters, Jenna and Barbara. The public got a tiny glimpse of his softer side when Jenna married Henry Hager in May. Bush said afterward that his little girl married a really good guy. First lady Laura Bush says her husband now has a son.

___

Bush is not much for the social scene. He and his wife will go to friends' homes but stay away from restaurants and Washington's other delights. His aides say he doesn't like to cause a security hassle for the public.

That's also why they say he speeds through his foreign travel. Even in the world's more magnificent sites, Bush often skips touristy stuff to stick to business, contributing to that incurious reputation.

"I'm a nester," Bush said.

Nowhere is that more true than at his beloved, secluded ranch in Crawford, Texas. He has spent more than a year of his presidency there.

Bush chops cedar, clears brush and builds mountain bike trails there. The summer heat doesn't bother him so much as enthrall him. He even set up a little competition, true Bush: People who work for him get a coveted T-shirt and bragging rights if they run for three straight miles on days hitting 100 degrees.

He relaxes by reading quite a bit, mostly U.S. and world history. He likes the spy-spoofing "Austin Powers" movies. He chills out with his wife.

His time will soon be his own.

"I will leave the presidency with my head held high," Bush says.

And he will leave behind a lot to remember.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE — Ben Feller covers the White House for The Associated Press.

I Knew That Was It!

2009-01-02T21:21:00.004-06:00

Do you remember any time in your life, perhaps at school, (this happens all the time in my classroom), that you uttered the phrase, "I knew that was it!?!"

Well, I said it today!!

Noble has a pretty bad sinus infection, and I just knew it!!!!!

The Monday before Christmas he woke up complaining about a sore throat, and with all my medical training, "motherly sense," I took him right in for a strep test. It was negative. Yeah! (Noble seems to be the king of strep throat.) So we treated it as allergies. He is allergic to cedar, and it is blooming right now, so there you go! We had him on his regular Allegra, some added Singular, and last but not least Flonase. A regular allergy cocktail for my boy!! Then this Wednesday night he started running fever. Thursday he ran fever - high fever!! I asked all my usual questions - throat? ears? nose? head? neck? chest? stomach? how about under your eyes in your sinuses? All he said was that he just didn't feel good, and that he had a headache. Immediately I thought, sinus infection, but he said that it didn't hurt under his eyes. So I dismissed my thoughts of sinus infection, darn motherly sense/medical training. We had a pretty rough night last night, so I called in to the doctor's office, and we made an appointment. We marched in with 103 temperature and one pretty sick boy. Strep test? Negative. Full blown sinus infection? Positive. I told the doctor that I just knew that was it, but that he said it didn't hurt in his sinuses. I was schooled today!! Apparently we don't develop the sinuses under our eyes until sometime between ages 10-14. Noble's infected sinuses are in the center of his head behind his eyes. Who knew?? As the doctor described how it would feel, Noble nodded his head in agreement. I felt like such a doofus!! I had sinus medication in my purse, of all places. I could have helped him out soooooooooo much sooner. Anyway, we have now had our trifecta!! We have ALL been sick this holiday season.

Book Club Update

2008-12-21T14:08:00.002-06:00

OK!
I think that we should meet Friday, January 30, for some yummy treats.
Bring a list of great books, and we'll pick some to read. Maybe we could meet every other month or once a month, so think about that!!! My friend, Rebecca, an avid reader and experienced book club member, is going to help me get January's meeting up and going. Even if you can't make it, please feel included, after all, one of my goals for 2009 is building friendships. I can't wait to get started.

Sick, Tired and a few Hopes!

2008-12-17T11:46:00.006-06:00

I am sick!!!!
I am usually a pretty healthy girl, but last Thursday I started feeling kind of puny. My throat was kind of achy, my nose was kind of snotty, and my head needed to be removed. It has gradually gotten worse. Yesterday we went on a field trip to hear the Midland & Odessa symphony. It was great, but standing outside in the cold for thirty minutes waiting for our bus in a sea of bus chaos was not. I had zero voice by my second class and felt horrible. I came home as soon as school was out and tried to rest. This is not easy for me. I am not a good napper. I always feel like I need to maintain my supervisory role in the household. I did not sleep well. About four this morning I decided that I was not going to school. That in and of itself is painful. Preparing for a substitute when you feel well is a chore, imagine when you feel badly. I got it done, and John got up and helped me. He took my stuff to school for me, and my teacher team helped with the rest. As usual, I do not have a substitute, a tradition in Midland. So I am sure that is going great, but I will try not to worry about it. Am I going to go to the doctor? NO!! Because if I do then I will sit in the waiting room for three hours, wait for medicines at the pharmacy for a couple more, and by then it will be time to go back to school to infect all the others. My day of rest that I prepared so long for at four this morning will have been a total waste. I choose to rest in my home. Hopefully, it will work. I do have to say that as the supervisor of my household, the other members of my home are required to go to the doctor. This rule does not apply to me.

On another note, the week after Thanksgiving John spent some time in his doctor's office, the emergency room, and an overnight stay in the hospital. That Tuesday night he started vomiting violently, if I do say so myself. Just some background info. John has juvenile diabetes, Addison's disease, low thyroid, anemia, and a few other items. So if he gets sick at all, we need to be concerned. I called in to his doctor and got him in as soon as they opened Wednesday morning. They know to make room for him. I went on to school because remember preparing and getting a sub is torture. The doctor's office called the school and needed me immediately. So I left my kiddos in the hands of about five helpful adults. John's blood pressure was 58/40. The nurses thought that the blood pressure monitor was broken b/c they had never seen one so low. John was very dehydrated. When you get dehydrated your blood pressure drops. When you have Addison's disease your blood pressure is low anyway, so together this equals "not good." They kept him several hours on iv fluids until his blood pressure returned to normal. They checked for several other things while we were there, I'll spare you the details, but decided it was probably the infamous stomach bug that had been going around. Then they sent us home, and we were to check his blood pressure every 15 minutes. John rested at home, while I checked his blood pressure every 15 minutes. There is not alot of time between to get much done, by the way. Anyway, about the time some nice people brought Noble home from school, John's pressure was dropping fast. I called the doctor's office, and they said that if it dropped below 90 to take him immediately to the emergency room. It did, so all three of us went to the ER. Our home teachers came and gave John a blessing (thank you), and I began preparing for a substitute, Ugh!

He is doing much better, but it did take eight iv bags to allow his body to maintain its blood pressure. It also took several steroids to make up for what the adrenal glands don't produce (Addison's disease) and a couple of days of rest. I have also been given direct instructions as the supervisor of my home that John is to be taken immediately to the ER if he is vomiting. His body is just not able to maintain itself in an adrenal crisis. We are once again lucky to still have him. His patriarchal blessing does promise that "he has been blessed with a strong physical body, one capable of carrying the burdens that are placed thereon." Which continues to be a faith builder for me because there are many burdens for him to endure. I often marvel at him because I do not think that I would be able to bear them. Apparently, even though Addison's disease is rare, it is as equal in importance in receiving medical care as walking into the ER with chest pains. I have been instructed to demand that he be seen immediately, even becoming a nuisance. After all "the squeaky well gets the grease," and I am not this type of personality, but I will do it for "Juan in a million."

So Christmas - - - - - - it's almost here, and I need to have some Christmas spirit. This has become a hard time of year for me, and I really want to overcome that. We have been struggling through three years of John working two jobs, and I think that is part of it. I have experienced the loss of three pregnancies at this time of year, and I know that that is part of it. I have spent alot of time feeling sorry for myself because I have to work, that I don't have the number of children that I have hoped for, and that I don't get to spend several days a week with friends or family. So as I reflect on years gone by, I really want 2009 to be a great year. I know that there will be struggles because there always are!! I hope to take Noble on some sort of real family vacation. I hope to be able to appreciate more that I have Noble and to give him the attention that he deserves. I hope that John can quit working his second job. I hope that I will like to go to the grocery store and cook for my family. We'll see about that one! I hope to continue my excitement about our new home. I hope to build better friendships because I know that they are vital to the enjoyment that I seek out of life. I hope to make some time for myself. I hope to go on regular dates with my husband for the first time in a lot of years. I hope to do a better job in my church callings, visiting teaching, testimony sharing, and temple attendance. I especially hope for good fortune and health for my family and friends. I hope that this is the year that all of us have dreams come true.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-14T21:56:00.001-06:00

We had a fun family Thanksgiving this year at our new home in Midland. Noble wanted us to make friendship bracelets, so we did. Noble and Jake had a blast riding bikes, shooting each other with Nerf guns, tickling and wrestling, and eatting cookies. Jake tried out Guitar Hero. He also sported his Spiderman costume with his new friend, "Scarecrow." We played cards. We went to see Twilight. We ate lots of yummy food, and everybody prepared their own specialties. The guys helped work on my studio. We took our traditional family Thanksgiving pictures. We even did a little shopping. My mom and sisters helped me get a little more home decorating done. It was a lot of fun, and I hope to host again next year.

1st Annual Christmas Village Lighting Ceremony

2008-12-14T21:03:00.002-06:00

I have been waiting a long time for a house!! Not just a home for my family, but also a home for my collection of "little homes." Since we bought our home in February, we have been hoping for shelves to be able to display the Christmas village. Thanks to an early Christmas present, I invite you all to the first annual Christmas village lighting ceremony. I have been collecting Department 56 Snow Village pieces since 1995. My first piece was the Mt. Olivet Church. I really like them, and it has been fun to receive pieces in honor of special memories. Each one has been labeled on the bottom, so that I can remember when and why I received that piece. Over the last several years it has become a chore for me to put up each year. I have become sort of a scrooge, but this year was different. John and Noble helped me, and we had a lot of fun this afternoon assembling the "village." We drank hot chocolate and listened to Christmas carols. I shared with Noble the stories behind each piece, and he had fun accessorizing each home. John wired the backs of the shelves, and it made it super easy to get everything plugged in and lit up. For the first time in alot of Christmases, I felt my old Christmas spirit begin to return. Here's hoping I can drive the Christmas scrooge out of my life forever.

Selfish Plea for Friends!

2008-12-14T19:46:00.002-06:00

I would like to propose starting a book club or joining one. I know that some of you have been doing this, so I am either inviting myself to join yours, or I am willing to host the first one in my home. So let's see?!? How do these things work?? Do we read a book a month?? Any suggestions for the first one?? I would be willing to host the first "book club party," if that is what they are called on Friday, January 30.

This is really a selfish plea to help create better friendships for myself, so who wants to be my friend!!!

Update on "Alex"

2008-11-05T23:33:00.003-06:00

Noble continued to have a rough day. He even refused to be part of our upcoming 6th grade PTA program. The program is about WWII, the Holocaust, and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, something that Noble is consumed with learning about. His bedroom decor is WWII. I must say I was a little taken aback and beginning to become concerned.

When we got home after scouts this evening, Noble checked the mail. He had a letter from the White House. Yes, the White House, how is that for timing!!

Several weeks ago, our current president, President George Bush, a republican, you may have heard of him, planned to visit Midland. Noble saw this as an opportunity to schedule an interview with him for his political tv show. Needless to say, Noble experienced another republican disappointment when the president did not return his emails and letters to appear on his segment of the show. You see, his political rival on the show has met President Clinton. So Noble felt like an interview with President Bush would one-up his democratic friend. Yes, "Alex" is capable of having democrats for friends. He tries at times to be non-partisan.

The envelope contained a letter from President Bush thanking Noble for inviting him to be on his school's tv show. It also contained a few photographs. I was really hoping that it would invite Noble out to Crawford sometime late January, but no such luck. It did though renew Noble's love of government, and I believe that perhaps his political depression has begun to heal.

I for one recognize the fact that this election was incredibly historic, and it speaks volumes for the progress that has been made in our country. I will allow our president-elect his opportunity to be a leader, and will reserve judgment until he has had some time to settle into the office he rightfully earned, after all, this is the United States of America - anything is possible. I hope and pray that Mr. Obama is man enough to fight for the things that he has promised. I hope that he is honest and has integrity. But I do live in America, and I have the right to expect my dreams and wishes to be possible as well. So I'll be watching and paying close attention, after all "Alex P. Keaton" lives at my house. This is in the Lord's hands, and He sees the big picture, and I really wish that I could see it because I'm a wee bit nervous. God bless you all and most especially God bless the United States of America!!!

Alex P. Keaton

2008-11-04T23:28:00.008-06:00

I don't know if you remember the show "Family Ties" or not, and I know for a fact that Noble has never seen it. We often refer to Noble as "Alex P. Keaton." Our child is a red-blooded Republican through and through. John and I pride ourselves on being open-minded, but Noble will bleed and die Republican. He came to the Earth this way! We have not brain-washed him in any way. He educates himself, and truly believes that Republicans are simply what is best. He even spear-headed a political talk show on our school tv station, the Tiger Morning News. It airs on Thursdays and is called Daybreak Debate. You can find it at http://www.midlandisd.net/pease/site/default.asp.

Tonight has been an interesting night at our house. Tears have been shed, and answers to questions are only coming as some kind of caveman grunting sound. Our child has spent more time in the bathroom than anytime on record. He is moping around.

It was his turn to offer family prayer tonight. It was a doosy of a prayer if I may say so myself. Our country was extremely blessed tonight, from the economy to the war in Iraq. Our new president was not mentioned. I am afraid that Noble has slipped into a political depression. He thinks that there must have been some mistake, and that the electoral college should be investigated.

Now being the goodly parents that we are, we explained to "Alex" that we would support the office of President. We made him repeat President Obama a couple of times, and I thought that he might just vomit. Again we explained that the President of the United States deserves our respect, and that we would allow Mr. Obama that opportunity. We told him that if people gave him a hard time about it, to simply say that he supports the President of the United States of America.

Noble is not buying it. I believe he is in the denial stage of this depression. The most we could get out of him was a quiet, "We'll just see," as he walked slowly down the hall to his bedroom.

So whatever your political views, just know that there is at least one 11-year-old that hopes very much to restore the presidency to the Republicans. He'll be eligible to run in the year 2032, so let the campaigning begin. Vote Noble for President!!

Einstein Lives

2008-10-31T21:52:00.002-05:00

As you can see, our child is brilliant!!!! Doesn't he make a great Einstein???

Have you ever seen such a cute Einstein??

I went as Rosie the Riveter, since I am teaching WWII in social studies right now.

Noble opted to go good ol' fashioned trick-or-treating with his good buddies from school. The best part is when we get back, and they start the trading process. Noble just loves it because it makes him feel like he's got two brothers to bargain with.

Noble's Rite of Passage

2008-10-26T19:57:00.003-05:00

An eleven-year-old's last sacrament presentation.

One of my favorite talks from President Monson during this last General Conference was the one titled, "To Learn, to Do, to Be." In it President Monson talks about a letter he received from Theron W. Borup. This letter talks about how Brother Borup had a desire to live his life in a way that he could always have the Holy Ghost. He wasn't sure when or why he would need it, but he wanted to be prepared.

During WWII, Brother Borup was an engineer gunner on a B-29 bomber. Because of heavy enemy fire the crew had to bail out of the plane over the ocean. As he was parachuting down to the water's surface, he had some trouble opening his life raft, so when he hit the water he began to drown and then passed out. He came to momentarily and cried out, "God save me!" Again he tried inflating the life raft and this time he was successful. Once it had folded out he rolled over on top of it too exhausted to move. He floated for three days with his crew. Then a storm came up with 30 foot high waves that almost tore the rafts apart. Another three days went by with no food or water.

That evening they saw a submarine that they thought had come to search for them. It totally missed them and passed on by. As the submarine left the area, he heard the promptings of the Holy Ghost, "You have the priesthood. Command the sub to pick you up." In a few minutes the submarine was along side them. When they were on deck the captain said, "I don't know how we ever found you, for we were not even looking for you."

I learned from this story that as long as you live worthy to keep the Holy Ghost and honor the priesthood that all things are possible. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Noble will turn twelve in April and receive the priesthood. I often hope and pray that we have prepared him for this rite of passage. Today as he told the story and bore his testimony, I saw a four-year-old boy dressed as Adam the Prophet for his very first primary presentation. That little boy was very frustrated during that first program because he wanted to be Lehi instead. I have seen him participate in 8 different programs. He has learned many songs, though, he only sings them at home. I have watched him sway back and forth to the music, much to the chagrin of his primary chorister. I have been amazed at his ability to speak fluently and with emotion in front of a large congregation. He has incredible timing in his talks and often improvises for comedic affect. I got rather teary-eyed this morning, as I relived his primary years. When he finished, he looked so grown up in his jacket, white shirt, and tie. He looked almost ready to be a deacon, a young man growing up so very fast.

I'm an Esme!

2008-10-15T22:08:00.001-05:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be
sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and
appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Super Blog

2008-10-05T20:16:00.005-05:00

School is off and running. We just finished our first six weeks, and I cannot believe it. For once, I am not wishing the school year to go quickly so that I can get to summer. I am trying to savor each day and as many moments as possible. After listening to conference today, and especially President Monson's talk, I know that I need to slow down and concentrate on my family and building special moments with them. Life is just so darn good at getting in the way. I always feel so inspired after conference, with a strong desire to get everything in order. I need to learn to keep that desire all year long, or at least for six months at a time. I am sooooo excited to have Noble this year, and I want so much to remember every detail. At the same time, it is always so crazy for this working mom to figure out how to balance it all. I have sooooo much to do each evening and even more on the weekends. It just never seems to stop. I want to spend time with my family, but John works every Friday and Saturday at his second job. He tries hard to spend time with us on Sunday, but by the time church is over and he has eatten, he is usually so tired!!! Noble has homework. I have papers to grade, lesson plans to write, science labs to practice and plan, laundry, a house to clean, the dreaded grocery store trip, two church callings, which I love, but must prepare for, and anything in between. In the meantime, I would love to be reading a book, scrapbooking, daydreaming, gardening, decorating, or any other things that are all about me. I also need to love and nurture my adorable eleven-year-old son who is growing up so fast, and I feel like I am missing so very many opportunities to just be together. Ugh!!! Can anyone relate???!!!? ; ) I didn't even mention friends!! I don't know what to say about that. I know that I can be a good friend, but it seems to be last on my list. It can be a lonely existance without them.

The day after my last post my mom passed out while visiting a sick friend in the hospital in Odessa. She was on her way here to help alleviate my decorating woes and help me paint my china cabinet. She decided to stop and see a church member from Alpine who was in ICU. She is that kind of person!! We are really glad she decided to act on her prompting to pay this sister a visit because she passed out and landed chin first on the hospital floor, breaking her bottom jaw in half and separating the two jaw bones that connect to the top jaw. Rather scary and anxious times. She is now the proud owner of two titanium plates and a mouthful of wires and rubberbands. She stayed here with me for the rest of the week after her surgery. She was nervous about being in Alpine so far from anyone that could help or answer questions until she got used to her mouth full of metal. I took the week off from school, and totally loved being able to take care of her. It was a nice change. She celebrated her 60th birthday the day after she got out of the hospital. We celebrated by blenderizing a few things so that she could sip them. Yummy!! Another great thing about her being here with me, was that I got to see how many wonderful people care for my mother. She received numerous flower arrangements, meals, cards, visits, emails, and phonecalls. She still has a ways to go, and it is taking some time to adjust. We are still not sure why she passed out, and have some additional testing that will be done to look into that. She is a strong and loving woman, and I am so glad to be her daughter.

Noble got to go on his first 11-year-old campout. It was in one of his leader's backyards, but the boys had a blast. He had so much fun, and learned alot. He also got to finally go to the CAF Air Show with Chief. He has been several times before, but really wanted to go with his grandpa. They had a good time, and he bought another airplane to go with his collection.

We are slowing but surely working on some things in our yard and in our house. We are hosting Thanksgiving and are trying to have some of it ready before our guests arrive. It will be fun to have my family in my home for this holiday. It is hard to believe that it is already October.

Happy Fall Y'all!!

Sublett Look-alike Meter

2008-09-12T21:26:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Genelogy - Family history research

The "other" Noble

2008-09-01T13:49:00.012-05:00

Noble has been working on an "All About Me" project in his language arts class.
I thought it would be fun to share with friends and family.

Live long and prosper.
A big shout out to our family in the Boise area, as well as, Uncle Kim and Aunt Sandy making us very proud serving in Zambia, Africa. Go Broncos!!

First Day of Sixth Grade!!!

2008-08-31T23:49:00.000-05:00

It's here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Noble is in the sixth grade!!!! Ugh! Hooray!! Boohoo!!! Yippee!!!

I have such mixed emotions about this year!! The sixth graders always cry like huge babies at the end of the year, and it is quite a sight to behold. I just want to announce this right now. I will totally be bawling my eyes out on the last day of school this year, so save the date, and come on over to watch the spectacle. One of the most exciting parts of this year, is that our principal put Noble in my homeroom class. I didn't think that she would do this, but she said that she starting thinking about it from a mother's perspective. She thought it would be such a memory for us to finish his elementary career together. I couldn't agree more. I know that not all parents can agree to this set up, but I for one am going to cherish every moment of it. I will finally get to attend his Christmas and Valentine's parties. I will be able to watch how he learns and interacts with others in a classroom environment. I will be able to soak up every final elementary moment. I love it!!! He seems to be ok with it, too, by the way. Another great mother/son pair had this same situation when they were in school. My wonderful grandmother, who inspired me to become a teacher, had my dad in her homeroom - in the sixth grade!! How cool is that tradition!?! Can anyone even top that!!!???!! Don't even try!!!! We rock in our family!! If you thought that I was in love with my child before, just get ready, because he is the best student ever. Best child, best student, who could ask for anything more!!! I love ya, Noble!!

Bart and Grandma's Furniture

2008-08-31T22:47:00.001-05:00

My grandmother passed away unexpectedly at Thanksgiving a few years ago, and I miss her alot. Before that she moved in with my aunt and uncle. She was in great health, but needed the company and I am sure to be kept an eye on. She decided to give several of her things away since she would no longer be needing to furnish an entire house. I received several pretty things that I love. My cousin, Bart, and his wife, Julie, received my grandmother's dining room furniture, which consisted of a table and chairs and a china cabinet.

My cousin, Bart, passed away this year on January 1st after a very brave and courageous fight with brain cancer. He is dearly missed. He called last year in October and told me that he and Julie wanted me to have grandma's furniture. At this point we knew that his battle could not be won, but were hoping for more time. What do you say to something like that? I asked if he was sure, but that I would be honored to have it. His reply was that he knew that I would continue the tradition of family time around the table, and that I would share the memories of those who had sat around the table in years past.

All the cousins were hoping to gather at Bart's horse ranch after Christmas to spend some time together and help around the ranch. You see, my cousin Bart, has a huge heart, and ran a theraputic horse ranch for children. He was amazing. When my grandmother passed away we stayed out there with him for a few days, and he was so patient in helping Noble to learn to ride a horse. He had a talent and a love for serving others, and I am so proud to call him family. We visited Bart at Thanksgiving when we knew that things had made a turn for the worse, and again at Christmas. These visits were very brief, and his immediate family was extremely watchful and concerned. They took such great care of their husband, son, cousin, and brother. I will cherish being able to visit with him for a short time, and to see him smile.

Bart and his horse, Woody

Bart and Noble at the ranch - Thanksgiving 2005

I promise, Bart, and Grandma, to take very good care of the furniture. I will tell stories and share memories as I sit around it with others. I feel very humbled to have been asked to care for it, and will do so with love. I hope that you like what my mom and I have done with the table. Bart, there is a light stain that I could not quite sand down, but I feel like it was meant to stay. It is probably a ring left from some kind of horse mixture, and I love it. I sit on that side of the table, and I look at it every time I sit down. Grandma, underneath the table is the date 1958, perhaps that is when you bought the table. I dedicated the new paint job to the two of you, and I recorded that on the underneath of the table right next to the date. I hope that this furniture will be a special memory of you both, and can be passed down for generations to come. Thanks, Mom, for all your help in painting and stenciling the table. It was really special to work on this project together.

Blanco River Settlement Reunion 2008

2008-08-31T22:31:00.000-05:00

John's aunts and cousins got together in Blanco for a family reunion. It was a lot of fun, great food, card games, and lots of swimming. It was so good to see everyone again, and we all hope to get together again soon. We floated the Blanco and Guadalupe rivers, and everyone survived. The Guadalupe had several sections of rapids, and Noble had a great time maneuvering the rocks with his cousin, Justice. The boys fished a little bit, and built a dam to try and catch some more fish. We lit sparklers and had smores one night. The day we were to leave we surprised Noble with tickets to Schlitterbahn, his favorite place on Earth. We had a blast, and he was so surprised. We spent the night with cousins, and then meandered back to Midland through Johnson City and Fredricksburg. We stopped and visited the LBJ ranch and museum, and then piddled around Fredricksburg a bit. On the way home our back tire lost its tread and busted the tail light. We got to drive home on the spare, but felt very blessed to not have experienced any additional injury. We were driving 70 mph when the tread separated from the tire, and could have flipped. Thanks Heavenly Father for watching out for us!! We had a lot of fun, and enjoyed each other's company

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Happy 15th Anniversary

2008-07-24T18:38:00.002-05:00

Fifteen years ago today, John and I were married in my parent's backyard in Alpine. It was very beautiful. My mom had worked especially hard on her already beautiful yard. In fact, she called me earlier this week to let me know that the crepe myrtles were blooming just in case there needed to be a wedding. So many people that we loved were there to take part in our special day. It was a day that I will treasure. I cannot believe that fifteen years have passed. We have had many wonderful times and few struggles along the way, but we have stuck together through thick and thin. I love John very much, and I am so thankful for our eternal marriage. A few years later, on my birthday, June 9, 2000, we were sealed together for time and all eternity. I am thankful for the time in between, and for those who were an eternal inspiration for us.

I just thought that I would reflect on the size of my waist in this picture.

John and I went on a two week honeymoon to Cozumel and Cancun, and a stop at Coba in between. Good times!!! We had so much fun, and got to travel back to Cozumel with some really fun friends a few years ago. : )

I found this picture with the others. This is my senior prom, Uptown Night 1990!! John and I have been sweethearts since I was sixteen. Isn't he just the cutest thing you ever did see. Check out his curls!!!

Las Vegas

2008-07-24T18:38:00.001-05:00

John and I got to go to Las Vegas. John won a trip through his work. He has actually won this trip several times, but we decided to go this time. We really needed a trip together to get away and relax. We had a great time! We ate, relaxed, and walked quite a bit, but had a wonderful time together. It was so nice to see John away from Farmers during the week, and Lowes on the weekends. He deserves a rest after three years of working two jobs!!! Viva Las Vegas!

Entry Way!

2008-07-08T20:04:00.000-05:00

I sanded and painted my blue cottage mirror red today. I think it looks pretty good. I also found a really cute table to use in my entry way. Little, by little, decorating is coming along. Now I need to find some cute stuff to put on my table and to hang around my mirror. I am thinking about maybe a vinyl saying of some sort. Any ideas?

Noble's Stripes!!

2008-07-04T22:57:00.000-05:00

Noble has waited since age four to decorate his room!! We have rented for the last seven years, and have not been allowed to paint like we like to. Now we OWN our home, and we can do whatever we want.

This is the beginning of a WWII themed room. So all you civilians keep checking the blog for updates on the mission.

We are really proud of our stripes. I was afraid there would be drip marks everywhere, but we were linearally successful. It is all in the taping! There was also alot of measuring for the first stripe, but once we got the first one done, we were in business! July is Noble's turn to decorate and organize his room.

Let the fun begin!

Baseball, Friends, and Fireworks!

2008-07-04T22:15:00.001-05:00

We went to see the Rockhounds play last night. We met some friends, cheered on the home team, had great weather, and watched some fireworks. It was really, really nice to get away for a little while and enjoy good company!! Thanks for coming guys!!

Friends!!!

Fireworks!

My guys!! The love of my life!!!

New Furniture! Yahoo!

2008-07-04T21:30:00.000-05:00

Isn't it cute??

We are slowly but surely working on things in our new house!!! It is really exciting to be able to decorate and paint however we want!! Stay tuned for more interior decorating documentation!! Thanks for your help Mom!

Alpine

2008-07-04T20:35:00.001-05:00

Jake and Noble tried out the horse trailer. It was such a fun place to stomp your feet and hide from each other. We borrowed the trailer from a friend to go to El Paso and pick up my grandmother's furniture from my aunt and uncle. We were sure glad to get to have lunch and visit. Thanks Ann and Tony!!! It was also fun to watch my mom drive around the horse trailer in El Paso. She did a GREAT job!! Thanks Mom!

Obviously Noble needed something to do. One night while we were in Alpine, he decided to "dress up" a little bit!! Cute, Noble!!!

Swimming with Jake. . .

. . . and Noble.

Growing Pains!

2008-06-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to get my pictures organized and all in one place, so that I can start working on a few scrapbooks that I haven't had time for over the last several years. I am very excited and looking forward to the project. It is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I decided that I want to make a school scrapbook, and as I began to collect each of these pictures it caused me to stop and reflect. I titled this blog "Growing Pains," not for Noble, but for his mom!!!

This is the first day of kindergarten. We lived in Arlington at the time, and Noble went to Key Elementary. We had so much fun shopping for all of his school supplies, and especially the Hot Wheels lunch box and backpack. My mom was with us for Noble's first week of school, mostly to provide moral support for me. Thanks, Mom! Everything was packed in the backpack, in fact, I think it weighed more than Noble. John carried it for him, until he began to notice all the other children wearing theirs. He promptly asked to wear his, and it looked sooooo big on him, but he shouldered the weight alone so that he could be a "big kid." Pause for a few tears! : )

Look at him!! Isn't he handsome!! So very thoughtful and full of insight! Over the past six years we have watched him grow into the wonderful, intelligent, generous, honest, friendly, righteous, and Noble kiddo that he has become. We are truly blessed.

Kindergarten is so exciting!!

1st grade in Midland

at Pease Communication & Technology Magnet School

with Ms. Kilborn.

We love Pease!! Noble and I both attend school at Pease. I teach sixth grade, and I really love being a teacher. I especially love being where Noble is, which is part of my growing pains. He will be in sixth grade this year, and then onto jr. high!! Ugh!! Noble had a great year in first grade, and we love Ms. Kilborn. She was alot of fun for Noble, and she worked really hard with him to be able to put space between words. Noble is a super duper reader, and is a master at most things, but in first grade it was hard to see where one word ended and another began. Thanks, Ms. Kilborn!

First day of school in 2nd grade

Second grade was a difficult year for Noble, not because of academics. He experienced his first time with a teacher whose personality was very stressful for Noble. I know that this is probably the first of many, but it was a struggle for us as parents to watch him have to handle this at the age of seven. We all made it after several parent teacher conferences, mouth ulcers, cursive handwriting, and a partridge in a pear tree. So here is a toast to all the kids who survive stressful teachers. You made it!!! Yippee!!

Kite Day - 3rd Grade

Noble had a great time in 3rd grade. His teacher was Ms. Young, whom he adored, and she adored him. He really needed to be loved and nurtured after his 2nd grade year. They had and have a very special relationship, especially politically speaking!! They are bitter rivals when it comes to politics. She continues to wish him well and is one of his biggest fans.

Spelling Bee Winner - 4th grade

Noble had an exceptional year in fourth grade. His teacher was Ms. Gomez. She now teaches 6th grade with me, and we love her!! Noble also started GEM in fourth grade, after being in Project Think and Quest. We also love Ms. Hooper our Project Think teacher!!! Noble can tell a story like nobody's business, and he can tell it again and again with more flair than before. It is one of many wonderful talents that he has, but if you want him to write it down that is a different story!! Ms. Gomez had her hands full with him, because in Texas 4th grade is the writing TAKS test. Now Noble has aced the reading and the math, no problem!! But now he has to write!! Ugh! After a rough start and looooooottttttsssss of late nights, Noble blossomed into a spectacular writer. He is even published!! He won a contest for the Midland Reporter Telegram, and was the front page story on Thanksgiving Day. He wrote a beautiful composition about how thankful he was for his dad. He and John had their picture taken and splashed all over the front page. Noble was most excited that his picture was 10 times as big as the one of the President of the United States pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey!! Go Noble!! He also won first place in the science fair and first place in the spelling bee. Awesome!! He made the Destination Imagination travel team at GEM, and developed into a great team member and problem solver.

Awards Assembly - 5th Grade

Noble's teacher in 5th grade was Mr. Adame. It was great for Noble to have a male teacher. Mr. Adame is a good man and a great role model. Noble had another super year. He made a perfect score on the Reading and Science TAKS tests, and missed just one question on the Math. He was the only 5th grade student at Pease to ace the Science test! Rock on, dude! Of course, if you read the Destination Imagination blog you know that his team and he placed 10th and 2nd in the world at Global Finals. Way to go!!

So as you can see I have much to be thankful for, a beautiful young man with talent and integrity. Noble is this mother's dream!! As I watch him grow, I know that he is blessed with a sharp mind, a quick wit, a knack for all things humorous, and a smile as big as Texas. We waited and prayed for him for a long time, and couldn't even begin to thank our Father in Heaven enough for the perfect child sent to us. But it is also times like this that I wish time could slow down just a little bit, and that I remember to savor each moment because he is growing up so very fast. So no matter your situation, because I have wonderful friends that WILL BE great mothers, hug you little ones, treasure them always, and find strength in growing pains.

After all, graduation will come way too soon!!

While you were sleeping!

2008-06-08T18:33:00.001-05:00

Noble is on occasion quite the prankster as you can see from the picture of his dad. Noble wanted me to hurry and bring the camera, so that he could document this one. He has done this once before with squirt cheese, but John did not think that was very funny. Even though Noble got in quite a bit of trouble for the "cheese" makeup the last time, he did contemplate it again this time. He inquired, "Mom, where is the squirt cheese?" I replied sternly, "Noble, that is not a good idea!" He remembered, "Oh, yeah! I forgot." So if you are ever asleep on the couch at our house, you never know what might have happened while you were sleeping. Be afraid, very afraid, because it might end up blog material! ; )

Dad of the Year!

2008-06-07T09:45:00.001-05:00

My husband, John, is an amazing dad! He is very patient and generous with his time. He rarely, if ever, complains!! Father's day is around the corner, and I just wanted to shout from the mountain tops (if there were some around here) what an awesome dad he is!!

For example, Noble had a scout day camp yesterday and today, and John really wanted to be able to go with him. So Thursday he worked until 2 am Friday morning at his insurance office trying to get ahead of the game, so that he could feel slightly more comfortable about being away from the office all day Friday. When he got home about 2 am, he cleaned out and loaded his car for camp. He awoke Friday morning at 6:30 to get Noble and himself feed and ready. At 7:30 am he picked up another boy who needed a ride. At 8:00 am he met up with the Ashton crew to drive out to the ranch to help set up for the camp and be ready for the boys by 10 am. He then had a blast doing all sorts of things: collecting wood, building fires with flint and steel, hiking, etc., in 100 degree heat. Noble and he arrived back at our home covered in dirt around 5 pm, and he took a shower, ate a quick sandwich, and went out to help a client that had had a car accident earlier in the day. At 6 pm he went to work at Lowes, and he arrived back home at 1:30 am this morning. He then visited with me about things that I had done all day, ate some soup, and went to bed.

He got up this morning to do it all over again.
What a wonderful man and an incredible dad!!!
I love you very much, John!!

Destination Imagination Global Finals in Knoxville, Tennessee

2008-05-28T22:58:00.000-05:00

We had a fabulous time!! What a wonderful place! Knoxville and the surrounding area are beautiful. We visited historic sites, took a dinner cruise down the Tennessee River, spent alot of time on the University of Tennessee campus, traded pins, and cheered on our two Midland teams. Noble and the rest of the gang went to Dollywood, while I visited a Holocaust memorial in Whitwell, Tennessee. Noble had a blast and rode many, many roller coasters. I treasured the opportunity to visit a memorial for Holocaust victims created by a group of 8th grade students in the small community of Whitwell. I teach a unit on WWII and the Holocaust and have used the documentary, "Paperclips," each year in our studies. It is a wonderful example of how a few can make a difference. www.whitwellmiddleschool.org/

Destination Imagination is an awesome organization for which I am truly grateful. Noble loves it!!!! He really has blossomed because of the opportunities it gives him to work together with a team and to creatively solve problems. www.global-finals.org/ His team placed 10th overall in the world out of 78 teams in the category of "Hit or Myth." They placed 2nd in the world in their instant challenge. This was their first trip to the global finals. We are very proud of them and their efforts. They have an incredible teacher who we appreciate very much. The high school team placed 3rd overall in the world, and these kids are great examples for the 5th graders. They genuinely created friendships with the younger kids. There were teams from China, South Korea, Singapore, Guatemala, Mexico, Columbia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey, and Poland. Noble even traded his Texas cowboy hat for a Polish baseball cap, and a Texas flag for a Chinese flag. A fun time was had by all. I am so thankful to have been able to attend with Noble and to share this experience.

Just a swingin'!

2008-05-12T16:50:00.003-05:00

This was the highlight of my Mother's Day. Noble was having a great time swinging. We came up with a fun game. Noble had some cotton candy, and so every time he came around I was supposed to try to put some in his mouth. We weren't always successful, which was pretty funny!

Here he is having a good time swinging and trying to eat his cotton candy while hanging upside down.

This is the really fun part. The dogs decided that they needed some cotton candy, too. Since Noble's mouth full of cotton candy was in dog range, they helped themselves. It was really hysterical and gross!! Boys and their moms!! What a wonderful Mother's Day!

Rabbit for sale! FREE!!!

2008-05-12T16:33:00.000-05:00

This is Camo, our pet rabbit. This year for Mother's Day, Noble gave me a beautiful potted rose bush. It was a very thoughtful gift, because he explained that I could have roses all the time instead of for just a little while. I waited until this afternoon to take a picture. How very silly of me.

Here he is. I used to really like him. He has a beautiful fur coat. He is very soft. He is also very friendly, but he ate my Mother's Day gift. So he is available! : ) Notice the "beautiful" potted rose bush in the background. He was generous enough to leave one stem. How very kind?!?

Aren't these beautiful?

Springtime at the Subletts

2008-04-24T22:18:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the week, Noble announced that he wanted a fruit tree. We went to a local nursery for a few other things for the yard, and Noble discovered a Bonanza Patio Peach tree. He informed us that we could buy it for him for his birthday! We are now the proud owners of one!! : ) He worked hard to plant it and cannot wait for the peaches to be large enough to eat. It has several baby peaches! Yum!

Also, we discovered a baby sparrow. John showed it to me and wasn't giving it much of a chance, but when Noble saw it it became a project. We tried really hard, but it passed away last night sometime. It made it a couple of days! We are currently planning its funeral. You have got to love a boy with a heart!!!

Arrow of Light

2008-04-24T21:44:00.001-05:00

Tonight Noble received his Arrow of Light. This is the highest achievement in Cub Scouts. We are very proud of him. He worked very hard to be able to earn it, and there were many people who helped along the way. Thank you!!! One of the coolest things about his year as a Webelos Scout was that I was one of his den leaders.

Now we venture into the land of Boy Scouts! He is growing up so very fast. I am trying to make sure that I enjoy each moment and pay attention. Life just always seems so busy!! He is a great kid, and I love him very much. Way to go Noble!!!

Noble's Grandparents

2008-04-19T23:45:00.001-05:00

Party Pix

2008-04-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

Wii Party - Birthday #11

2008-04-19T23:24:00.000-05:00

Noble had his 11th birthday party this afternoon. It was alot of fun!!! We had five of his friends over for an afternoon of "Wii." Mimi and Chief, Betse and Joe, Jake and Teffie were all here, so were Marcy and Heidi. We also enjoyed hamburgers in the backyard before the party. The weather was beautiful!! Mimi and Chief gave him some spending money for his trip to Tennessee. So did Jake's parents and Teffie. He will also have fun spending some additional money and gift cards from his friends, most likely on more Wii stuff.

Happy Birthday to Noble!!

2008-04-15T17:47:00.001-05:00

Today Noble turns 11. He is really excited. I on the other hand am a little sad!! I have mixed feelings about him getting older!! He will be in the sixth grade next year, and I will have him in class. Then he will move onto jr. high which is an especially anxious topic around our home!! He is the BEST, and will be a SUCCESS no matter what. His mom is just a big baby!! Happy Birthday Noble!!

Global Finals

2008-04-11T20:19:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Noble competed in the Destination Imagination State Finals in Round Rock. His team, "The Six Oddballs," placed 2nd, and will compete in May at the Global Finals in Knoxville, Tennessee. They did a wonderful job, and we knew they were winners. It was an anxious awards ceremony for us all. We weren't sure how well the judges liked their performance. The team had to make some last minute adjustments to their skit, but they handled it like champs. I get to go with him, and I cannot wait. This will be a wonderful opportunity for Noble and I both. It takes place May 21-24, and so he and I will miss most of the second to last week of school. It will totally be worth it, though!!!