Family. Cross Stitch. Knitting. Crafting. Reading. Photography. Life in General.
Welcome to The Misplaced Midwesterner! I'm happy to have you here. Grab a drink or maybe a snack, sit down, get comfy and then visit with me awhile. Don't forget to check out my other blog too: Naked Footwear.
I can't believe that I have fallen so far behind in updating my blog. This fall has been so busy and I've gotten into the habit of saying "yes" way to often again. I need to re-learn how to say "no". It's a hard thing for me to do.
My parents were here over Thanksgiving and we had a wonderful time with them. We made a trip to Waco, TX, to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum. I've got tons of pictures that I still need to go through and I'll get them up soon. We also spent Saturday out at the IKEA store. WOW! What an experience!
Sam (and I) ran in the Arlington Winter Run 1K and Sam placed 3rd overall! I'm so proud of him. He's turning into a sprinter instead of a long distance runner. Here is a picture of him right before the race started. It was soooo cold that morning. The feels like temperature was 17 degrees! We both were wearing so many layers that morning just trying to stay warm.
Here is a picture that Sam took of the both of us after the race. He's getting to be a pretty good photographer too.
This past Sunday was a busy day for us up at our church. It was our Christmas Production. The choir, orchestra, bells and soloists all put on an amazing show and shared our love of God through our music, videos and word. Here is a shot of Andy and I with a couple of our good friends. If you look close you'll see someone else popping in on the picture. That would be our choir director sneaking up on all of us. We had no idea that he was there until we looked at the picture afterwards. It ended up being the best picture taken that night of the four of us. Oh well.
Our AV Team is amazing us all! Here is a quick shot of the sanctuary before the second performance. I wish I had gotten it when the lights were off but my camera battery died before then. I think that this will give you an idea though.
I can't believe that I've not posted anything for almost a month! WOW! We've all been pretty busy and I don't see it slowing down until after Christmas. I'll do my best through the holidays to keep posting to my blog as I hate that I haven't done so recently. I love to write and to share our lives with all of you.
Now on to an update in my participate in the Fall Into Reading 2009, hosted by Callapidder Days. There is still time to join in as it ends on December 20th. I so love these as it keeps me reading and it keeps me reading around Sam. So here's the updated list:
Most of the books that Sam and I are currently reading are from one of his schools lists and we are trying to get all 20 books read by January 30th. He not only has to read the book but also pass the reading test on them. I'm very proud of the fact that he wants to complete the list this year. Last year he didn't have any interest in doing so. The rest of the books on his list are:
We already have 6 of the above books here at home and will be reading them as soon as we get done with the two we are currently reading. There are roughly 10 weeks left until he needs to have them done and I don't see why he can't get them done. I do have to say that I'm enjoying reading all of these books too!
The Fall Into Reading 2009, hosted by Callapidder Days, has already started and I'm a month behind! Right now there are over 200 participants an I'm looking forward to looking through every single one of their lists and seeing what other books out there I want to add to mine. :) If you love reading and books in general join up or at least make yourself a list of books that you would like to finish reading by December 20th. I know that I will probably not finish my whole list but it sure is nice to have one. So here are the list of my books that I at least want to read first. I may add to this list as I go along. Here are my books in no particular order:
1. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - I'm almost done with this one. I started it awhile back but this might give me the push I need to go ahead and finish it. 2. Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs 3. Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs 4. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini 5. Julie & Julia by Julie Powell 6. A Country Practice by Laura Abbot 7. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
I know that at least I'll be adding to the list the books that Sam and I have been reading. Now that I think of it I'll just go ahead and start a list of the two that we are currently reading.
1. Santa Duck by by David Milgrim - FINISHED and will probably read again tonight 2. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner and Greg Hargreaves - UPDATED 10/20~FINISHED!
It's that time again! Photo Contest Time! Woo Hoo! Write From Karen is hosting another photo contest. If you'd like to enter there is still time. You have until tomorrow morning by 8:00 a.m. Central Time. This photo contest theme is: Fall / Bonfires / Leaves / School / Costume / Pumpkin / Festival / Thanksgiving / Family! I went through all of my photos and found quite a few that I thought about entering. But then this past Monday I took Sam up to our church to pick out a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch there that our youth group is running and of course I had my camera with me. I took almost 100 pictures in about 30 minutes or so and this is the one that has taken my breath away.
Voting starts tomorrow. I'll post the link tomorrow afternoon. Good luck to everyone.
Sam's Flag Football team is still undefeated! Then again they did tie their last game so I should say that their status is: 3-0-1. This group of boys is just amazing not to mention their coaches and all of the parents. The boys not only practice hard, listen to their coaches and parents but they also have fun together. Their last practice, which was last Tuesday, was dreary. It was cloudy, windy, cooler and then it started to rain (again) towards the end of their practice. In fact it has been raining off and on most of that week. Come game time on Saturday the fields were pretty wet and their games aren't played until 11:00 in the morning. This was the game that the boys really started getting into playing the game. It was a wonderful game to watch. They are not having a game this Saturday because of a conflict up at the church where we are playing. They were going to have a game this past Tuesday evening but it rained most of the day so it was cancelled. Here are just a few pictures from some of the past games.
Here is Sam taking the flag away from the other teams Quarterback as he was doing his handoff.
The ball was being passed to Sam but the other team intercepted the ball.
The boys were pretty happy after a touchdown!
The team coming through the banner as their team was announced.
Tomorrow, or possibly later this evening, I'll be posting a photo for a photo contest. If you'd like to participate in it head on over to Write From Karen for all the details. I can't wait! I took Sam out this past Monday when they had no school and got some good pictures of him at the pumpkin patch at our church.
I HAVE A JOB! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would have this job. I am now the crossing guard for Sam's school! This job will allow me to still be at home for Sam before and after school as well as being able to do things while he is in school. I'll work an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Since we only live one block away from the corner that I'm posted at it won't even take me long to get there. Not to mention that if Sam is out of school so am I. If he's sick (depending on how bad he is) I could even take him with me. He'll just stay in the car. Of course, if he's too bad I can just get the sub to fill in for me. But I've got to tell you...this really is an answer to prayers.
Can you believe that it's already October? I sure can't! Seems like the school year just started and now we're already 6 weeks into it. Where oh where did the time go. Sam is doing great this year in school. He has an amazing teacher and Sam hasn't received a single "sign-in" along with getting some pretty amazing grades too!
We have however changed Sam's medicine. Since this past May Sam grew 2 1/2" but he lost 10 lbs. So now he's 4'7" tall and only weights 63 lbs. Unfortunately I don't know if this medicine is working or not. He's now having problems with sporadic emotional swings along with what seems like agitated hyperness. On the upside he is eating much more now so I guess you could say that at least we've taken one step forward. I'll be calling the doctor to see if we can't move his next appointment up and either change the dosage or the medicine again. I know that the right medicine is out there for Sam as we had one that worked as far as helping with the ADHD it's now just finding the one that will do that and let him gain some weight. UPDATE: We have now returned to the original medicine that we had left behind. We will work more on the weight gain. He did however gain 2 lbs in the past 2 weeks!
We all seem to be terribly busy these days and that is one reason I've fallen behind on this blog.
Sam ~
Flag Football is going great! They are still undefeated! It is wonderful to have Sam on a winning team again. For the past few years with both soccer and basketball he has been on great teams with great coaches but he hasn't won a single game. Now we have all three! Great team, great coach and we're winning. Now if we could just get our weather to cooperate so that they will have practice this week.
Now that Sam is in the 4th grade he was eligible to try out for the schools Percussion Club. You need to know that Sam has been wanting to play the drums since he could pick up a stick and bang it on a pot. He found out last week that he made the club! We were all so excited and proud of him for making it. I now have a drummer in my house.
Sam has also joined again for the second year the Battle of the Books at school. They get together once a week after school, read 5 books through out the year, and then they "battle" at the end of the school year against other Elementary schools that have read the same books.
I'm not sure yet as we haven't received the information yet but I think that Sam will also join the Running Club at school. If he does it will be his third year doing so. With the Running Club the past two years he has ran 3 different 5k's!
Scouts has started back up again too and along with that is Popcorn Sales! Sam has stated that he wants to sell $2500 so that he can get his college scholarship started. So far he has sold right around $300 and we've just gotten started. Since I don't work and Andy doesn't work where he can take the forms to work it's up to Sam and I to get it out there. There is also a website where you can purchase popcorn! Trail's End is the site and this is the link directly to Sam. I would appreciate it if you would help Sam earn this scholarship! Please just remember that if you are close enough to us or you are family/friends that I will see over a holiday break (and can mail me a check) please just contact me directly to order and don't order online. I'm trying to save some of you the shipping. THANK YOU!!!!!
Andy~
With the beginning of the school year here Andy has been very busy with work. He is gone pretty much every day...all day. He is giving classroom presentations during the school day and then during the nights and weekends he is doing in-home interviews and college fairs. For those of you that don't know Andy is a recruiter for Full Sail University.
Me ~
I too have been busy with the beginning of the school year. First and foremost I get Sam to all the above. Our choir just finished recording and we'll be having a concert on November 1st along with debuting our album! This will be an amazing concert. Our orchestra will also be performing. Just to wet your appetite here is one of the songs that is on our album. It's an early release! The only way that I could share this number with you is to set this song to some photos and make a movie out of it. So without further ado here is the First United Methodist Church, Mansfield TX, Chancel Choir singing "Joyful, Joyful"
Handbells have started back up and our concert is also upcoming. In fact it's right around the corner. The date is October 18th and if you're in the area come on over.
I am also tapping again. I love this group of women and I look forward to every class.
Since the school year has started so has PTA. I am the Treasure again this year and as most of you know the beginning and end of the school years are the busiest times for the PTA. It's a lot of fun.
SO...now you understand why I've been "lost" from here.
I am a SAHM and my family lives in Arlington, Texas. I have a 9 year old boy that we adopted when he was 4 months old and have been married for 18 wonderful years. I have been crafting and sewing for as long as I can remember.
