Oh life...

....life is so good. It's summer time. And, oh, how I ADORE summer!!! This has been my first summer in quite a few that I have not been a student. And I'm LOVING it!!

I've been working on my photography (so much fun!!!) Here are some neat shots I've gotten recently.....

This little guy likes to hang out on the antenna of my car....

I LOVE this one...it looks like he's smiling...

We got some really green bananas so I took pictures of them out in the yard...

So that's pretty much life right now...just enjoying the summer, taking it all one day at a time...

I'll update again soon.... :0)

My sister...

...is just so beautiful.

I took some pictures of her today and this is one of my favorites...

Picnik...

...I have recently discovered www.picnik.com. It is truly a WONDERFUL site!! You can upload your photos and edit them in all sorts of cool ways. It has become my new obsession! :0) Here are few of the things I have done so far...

So...it's been a while....

I got so caught up with work and school that I wasn't really able to update at all during the second semester of the school year. Oops!! (Although, I'm not all that sure that anyone reads this thing anyway....but I'll update just in case) I'm hoping that now that life has 'slowed down' somewhat, I'll be better at keeping this thing updated.

Let's see...what has happened since I last updated???

I graduated!!! I finished May 9, 2008 with my Educational Specialist degree from Liberty University! I am so excited to be done!!! :0) I'm done with school for a while (at least for about 20 years...) I've decided that I might go back and get my Doctorate after I have kids and they are grown, just a few years before I retire (that way I can retire on Doctorate pay). So that's the plan for now....

School's out for summer!! The last day for my kiddos was May 30th. Then I worked June 2 - 3 and a couple extra days after that getting some things done in the classroom. I tell you what, I really loved my little group of kids this year. They were so precious! Never a dull moment in my classroom :0)

I bought myself a couple of graduation presents :0) I finally got myself an iPod!! It's PINK!! And I love it! :0) I also bought myself a new camera - I love it too!!! I've been enjoying working on my photography skills over the past couple weeks!!

So that's pretty much life right now....nothing too fascinating. I'm posting some pictures that I've taken with my new camera :0) Enjoy!!

Here's my new camera :0)

Here are some pictures I took with my new camera....

Mrs. Deborah's chickens....

Some flowers in the backyard....

Family pictures...

Some of my boys...

My girls...

Me & Charlie...

"I'm at the starting line...

...of the rest of my life, as ready as I've ever been.

Got the hunger and the stars in my eyes.

The prize is mine to win."

*****

So I'm quoting a new song by Billy Ray and his daughter...maybe that's odd, maybe not.

But I really like this song, more specifically, the chorus. I can relate to those words.

It's the start of a brand new year and I'm the girl in the chorus of that song. I'm 26. I've finally become content, even happy, with who I am. I feel like I am right where God wants me to be. I finally realized that I am complete in Him. I have learned so much over the past year about who I am and who I can't wait to become. And now, at the start of 2008, I really am at the starting point of the rest of my life.

The thought of a new year holds so much promise - new people, new experiences - prizes to be won. I'm excited about the new year. I'm excited that I've finally learned to live my life and live it for me, doing what truly makes me happy.

So, like I said, I can relate to the girl in the song....

I'm 26.

Life holds so much possiblity for me.

I'm excited about what's in store.
God has great plans for my life.

I can't wait to see what they are!

I can't believe...

...that 2007 will be over in about 12 hours...

Where has the time gone? This year has completely flown by.

It's been a GREAT year though! God has been so wonderful and I have received so many blessings!! I have grown in my walk with Him. I have become more involved in my church than I ever imagined and I love every minute of it! Through Crossroads, God has brought so many wonderful people in my life...I've made lots of new friends and reconnected with some old ones and they all are very dear to me. I can't imagine my life without them!

I continue to work in a wonderful job with some great people. I didn't ever think that I would fit in so well in the place where I work. So often you hear about people who don't really like their job or the people they work with. I feel blessed to love my job and not just work with my colleagues, but to be friends with them.

I've had a great 2007. I've grown so much as a person and learned so much about myself. Unlike last year, I can now say that I am truly happy with myself and my life - and actually mean it. I've become the genuinely happy girl that I was as a child...and I love it.

I'm not one for resolutions....but I think I will make one this year to work on updating this thing more... :0)

I don't know how many people read this (possibly no one....) But for anyone that might, I wish you a wonderful New Year! I hope 2008 is full of joy and blessings!!

Below are just a few pictures (from the several that I took...) from Christmas....

It's been quite a while...

...since I last updated this thing!!

Gosh! A lot has happened since July....

The school year is back in full swing. We've just about completed the first nine weeks. And they've been great!! I have a wonderful class of thirteen students this year! They are so sweet and such hard little workers!

Here are some pictures of my classroom from Open House. It looks a little different now - the walls have student work on them now and lots of charts we've made to help us remember all the new things we've learned, but basically it's the same.

My bulletin board - Miss Holder's Little Learning Ladybugs

My room...
Reading Corner
Another of the room...
Word Wall (which is now full of all the new words we've learned...)

So the school year has been off to a wonderful start!! Lots of learning going on in Miss Holder's room!!

Let's see...what else has happened? Well, Phillip and I turned 26 back in September. How in the world we got to be 26, I'll never know!!!

Happy Birthday to the twins!!

Not only have Phillip and I gotten a year older, Bethany is now 13!!!!! That's what really blows my mind! How in the world is it possible for that child to already be 13??? Time sure does fly! No pictures yet of Bethie's special day - they are still on Daddy's computer.

I'm also now officially halfway done with my specialist degree. I have 6 classes left and if all goes as planned, I will finish up in May!! Hooray!! Then I plan on being done with school forever (although friends tell me that in less than a year I'll probably go back for my doctorate. I disagree, but I guess only time will tell).

Over the past few months, I've also seen more and more how truly amazing God is. He has completely blessed me beyond measure - each and every day I discover a new blessing!! I have a wonderful family! I work in an amazing school with fantastic people! I belong to a church that is simply awesome and I work in the children's ministry there - and words can't describe how neat that is! I have great friends! Life is just good!

So I think that's pretty much it since July. Maybe I'll get better at updating this thing, I guess we'll see!!