Let us pause for a moment of Erin...

This Thursday was our end of the year field trip. For the past three years now, I have taken my First Graders on a guided hike through Giant City State Park's trail. I absolutley love this field trip! It is a science based (favorite subject) trip that also gets them outdoors (Bonus!). Every year the kids get really into it (and let's face it, so do I!). Well let me tell you, every year it is quite an adventure in some way or another. For those of you who don't know, when you take off somewhere with 30 kids, there is bound to be some kind of drama tangled in with the excitement. As we begin our day, we must start out with one of the main activities on this day's list...the hour bus ride to the park. Now if you are one of these people who likes to think while they ride along somewhere and enjoy to hear the wind blow through the windows of your car and can really get some peace...don't... I repeat... DON'T ride a school bus ANYWHERE! :) I have quite a few ...

So I will admit that there has been alot of stress going on with me this week. Now that I am getting older, when I becomed stressed, my body turns against me! Just when I need it the most to battle the fight of "getting down on yourself", my body joins forces with the stress and really test me. I find that when I becomed stressed all kinds of illnesses just pop up. Anyone who knows me at all knows that when I am stressed or nervous my stomach turns against me. After my knee surgery in highschool, it seems to also flare up when the stress hits. And as a kid when grown-ups always said their head hurt, and we kids never believed them.....BELIEVE them! When the tension hits home, the head aches as well. I don't know exactly when my body joined forces with stress, but I have to say I don't like it much. The other real problem for me is the fact that stress seems to have this magical power of impatience. Here was my battle yesterday. I had bought some Uppercase L...

This Tuesday my family suffered a great loss. My grandfather (my dad's dad) passed away. For the past month or so he has been getting increasingly worse. A couple weeks ago he had half his leg amputated in attempt to keep infection from spreading in his body. He has been fighting a battle for a while now that ended this week. It has been a tough situation, and I know it will be even tougher Friday at the funeral. Pray for strength for myself as well as my entire family. My grandma and grandpa Williams were such a big part of mine and my brother's lives growing up. They lived a hop, skip, and jump away from us. Literally. From the time my brother could walk, he was venturing down to their house. (with or without my parents permission. There are sooo many funny stories behind that statement.) When we were growing up, we would ride our bikes up the side street beside our house, take a right onto Main Street and glide down the hill. Then a slight left and loop around our...

You know what gets on my nerves more than anything in the world??! That some people don't know the difference between fact and their own opinion. Honestly, there are more things in our lives based on our own opinions than facts. For example, I am single...fact. I have chosed this currect course in life...fact. I hope to one day find such a partnership in a man that I will want to bond my life with his....fact. Now who that man is, or what that man does to make him a man that I want to have a partnership with him, is my opinion of a great man. Do I claim that my opinion of a great man is the same as every one else??? No. Do I claim that what I think I need in a husband is the same as every one who is already married or ever will be??? No. Ladies and gentlemen, who we marry is based on our opinions and preferences. So for every one out there who has ever told a single person, you are too picky. Or...why is that important to you that he goes to church....can be a provider....