Tomorrow is the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. I will make that 40 minute drive one more time, pack up my things, and leave my classroom, some of my best friends, and 17 little lives that I hope I've made a difference in.
The way I feel is nothing less than the epitome of bittersweet. I am happy, relieved, sad, and scared all at once. I am so sad to leave what I've grown to know the past 3 years. I am even more sad to leave the amazing friends I've made...Susan, Megan, Keri, and Adrienne. Without those girls, I couldn't have done it. I know this isn't goodbye, but I'm sad I won't pass them in the hall or 'live' beside them anymore. On the other hand, I am so excited to start the next chapter in my life. I pray for strength, courage, and guidance as I switch from teacher to student. I pray for the opportunity to learn the things that will lead me to a job that I love.
With this change, comes many goodbyes. I hate goodbyes. I hate saying bye to Clay when he leaves for work. I hate saying bye to my mama when I leave home. I hate saying goodbye to my sister and my niece when I know I won't see them for another 6 months. I hate saying goodbye to my girls after an amazing weekend together. Today, I got a little taste of 'goodbye' as I had to tell one of the sweetest little boys I've ever met goodbye. This same little boy is going into surgery tomorrow morning to have biopsies taken to confirm the doctor's diagnosis of Crohn's Disease. As I hugged his mother with tears streaming down both of our faces, trying to console her and tell her that everything will be alright, I looked at that sweet little face beginning to walk down the hall, and thought "THIS is why I became a teacher." At the same time, I also thought, "this is why I'm going to be a nurse." What I would give to be the nurse that gets to hold his hand and comfort him as he gets ready for his surgery. Students like this, and students like my sweet girls from last year are exactly why I did this for three years I did it for them. Not for the state department of education, not for the administration, not for anyone but them.
So, it is with a slightly heavy heart that I say goodbye to education and hello to the amazing opportunities that are to come.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
You've got to be kidding me...
On Inside Edition tonight, they said that 4 out of 10 men have a "gene" for cheating. Seriously? Clearly, the doctor who discovered this gene is a cheater and just looking for an excuse. If this is true, can cheating be cured or managed with medicine? Does anyone else find this as completely absurd as I do?? Let's not give men an excuse to be idiots. How about we just call it like it is and blame it on their selfishness and ego instead. :o)
Inside Edition also said these are signs your man might cheat:
-SAT scores- studies show that high intelligence is linked to monogamy...duh- smart men know better than to cheat on us! ;o)
-Middle aged men are more likely to cheat.
-Guys who are adventurous tend to cheat.
Moral of the story- Date a guy that is smart, old, and boring.
Hope this gives all of you single ladies some renewed faith in men! :-/ Yikes!
PS- I'm glad I found a good one. ;o)
Inside Edition also said these are signs your man might cheat:
-SAT scores- studies show that high intelligence is linked to monogamy...duh- smart men know better than to cheat on us! ;o)
-Middle aged men are more likely to cheat.
-Guys who are adventurous tend to cheat.
Moral of the story- Date a guy that is smart, old, and boring.
Hope this gives all of you single ladies some renewed faith in men! :-/ Yikes!
PS- I'm glad I found a good one. ;o)
Monday, May 16, 2011
THIS is why I hate bees...
So, my knee is scraped, my head is throbbing, and I'm pretty sure I broke a bone in my hand.
What happened might you ask?
Well, I had a run-in with a wasp, or a "wost" as my sweet husband calls them.
I went out to the shop to get Hank, like I do every day. Only today, there was a wasp building a little hive on the door. If only I had seen him before he saw me. I go in, no problem. Come out, shut the door and suddenly I feel something (a wasp) in my hair and something that feels like a bite (a sting). Yep, I got stung on the top of my head, all while trying to hold Hank by the collar because I didn't have his leash. I am in a furry, panicking, trying to get the bee out of my hair. Then, I start running, get ahead of my feet, and fall...HARD...with Hank's collar still in my hand. I scrape my knee and my hand and I'm pretty sure I have a broken bone because my palm is super swollen and in pain. So I put Hank in the car and try to figure out what to do next because my keys are still in the lock, I can't get in my house, and I am not about to go near that door.
As if you aren't amused enough already, it gets better. Better than me falling? Oh yes.
I stand there, by the car, looking in at Hank wishing that he could help me out somehow or give me some advice. Round 1...I walk up to the door and try to sneak up and its as if the bee sees me coming. So, he swoops down off the hive and tries to sting me again. I run back to the car. Round 2. I see a water bottle in the car....grab the water bottle, hide behind the door with one foot in, and throw it as hard as I can at the door. Of course, I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, so naturally, I missed the nest. Round 3...I see a stick. I throw it. Miss. I see another one, throw it, miss. Then I debate whether or not to get close enough to the door to grab the stick and bottle and throw them again. Nah, too scared. Round 4...I grab a rock..throw it, ding the door and knock the black paint off. Oops. No more rocks. Round 5....I grab the floor mat, yep. That's right, the floor mat. I put it over my head (go ahead, laugh) and sneak up to the door. I get scared, and go back to the car. It's like the bee is waiting on me. I look at Hank, still nothin'. He's so confused. Round 6...I go back...and my heart is beating a million beats a second. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am deathly afraid of bees. I FREAK out (obviously). So, I put the floor mat back over my head, stand with my back up against the shop, as if I'm a navy seal or FBI or something, and inch towards the door. Of course, I couldn't get the key out. So, I have to turn it every which way because I had left it mid-lock when I was being attacked the first time. I can't get it out with my left hand so I switch the mat to the my left hand, trying to keep it between me and the bee. After a couple hard tugs, I get the key out and what does the bee do? Swarm at me again. What the heck is up with this bee? I just want to get my key and leave you alone! So, I get the key, try to fight off the bee with the floor mat, breathe a huge sigh of relief when I get away...without falling, and PRAY that I'm not allergic to wasps.
All I can say is, it's a good thing I got Hank out before I got stung, because he would have been staying in there until Clay got home.
First up on the agenda when Clay gets home...pick up the water bottle that I was too scared to get and KILL.THE.BEE.
You're welcome. Go ahead and laugh, I would too.
What happened might you ask?
Well, I had a run-in with a wasp, or a "wost" as my sweet husband calls them.
I went out to the shop to get Hank, like I do every day. Only today, there was a wasp building a little hive on the door. If only I had seen him before he saw me. I go in, no problem. Come out, shut the door and suddenly I feel something (a wasp) in my hair and something that feels like a bite (a sting). Yep, I got stung on the top of my head, all while trying to hold Hank by the collar because I didn't have his leash. I am in a furry, panicking, trying to get the bee out of my hair. Then, I start running, get ahead of my feet, and fall...HARD...with Hank's collar still in my hand. I scrape my knee and my hand and I'm pretty sure I have a broken bone because my palm is super swollen and in pain. So I put Hank in the car and try to figure out what to do next because my keys are still in the lock, I can't get in my house, and I am not about to go near that door.
As if you aren't amused enough already, it gets better. Better than me falling? Oh yes.
I stand there, by the car, looking in at Hank wishing that he could help me out somehow or give me some advice. Round 1...I walk up to the door and try to sneak up and its as if the bee sees me coming. So, he swoops down off the hive and tries to sting me again. I run back to the car. Round 2. I see a water bottle in the car....grab the water bottle, hide behind the door with one foot in, and throw it as hard as I can at the door. Of course, I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, so naturally, I missed the nest. Round 3...I see a stick. I throw it. Miss. I see another one, throw it, miss. Then I debate whether or not to get close enough to the door to grab the stick and bottle and throw them again. Nah, too scared. Round 4...I grab a rock..throw it, ding the door and knock the black paint off. Oops. No more rocks. Round 5....I grab the floor mat, yep. That's right, the floor mat. I put it over my head (go ahead, laugh) and sneak up to the door. I get scared, and go back to the car. It's like the bee is waiting on me. I look at Hank, still nothin'. He's so confused. Round 6...I go back...and my heart is beating a million beats a second. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am deathly afraid of bees. I FREAK out (obviously). So, I put the floor mat back over my head, stand with my back up against the shop, as if I'm a navy seal or FBI or something, and inch towards the door. Of course, I couldn't get the key out. So, I have to turn it every which way because I had left it mid-lock when I was being attacked the first time. I can't get it out with my left hand so I switch the mat to the my left hand, trying to keep it between me and the bee. After a couple hard tugs, I get the key out and what does the bee do? Swarm at me again. What the heck is up with this bee? I just want to get my key and leave you alone! So, I get the key, try to fight off the bee with the floor mat, breathe a huge sigh of relief when I get away...without falling, and PRAY that I'm not allergic to wasps.
All I can say is, it's a good thing I got Hank out before I got stung, because he would have been staying in there until Clay got home.
First up on the agenda when Clay gets home...pick up the water bottle that I was too scared to get and KILL.THE.BEE.
You're welcome. Go ahead and laugh, I would too.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mama...
On Sunday, we celebrated the most important women in the world...moms.
For those of you that know my mama, you know she is the sweetest and kindest woman in the world. She puts others before herself, always. As I've gotten older, I've come to truly appreciate the amazing woman she is. She is the most selfless person I've ever met and would do anything for anyone. She loves her family and sticks by us through thick and thin. My mama has had more heartache than anyone deserves and she meets every challenge with style and grace. I admire her more than she could ever imagine.
Mama, I hope to be HALF the woman you are one day. I love you so much and I hope you never forget how much you are loved, admired, and appreciated by everyone who knows you!
For those of you that know my mama, you know she is the sweetest and kindest woman in the world. She puts others before herself, always. As I've gotten older, I've come to truly appreciate the amazing woman she is. She is the most selfless person I've ever met and would do anything for anyone. She loves her family and sticks by us through thick and thin. My mama has had more heartache than anyone deserves and she meets every challenge with style and grace. I admire her more than she could ever imagine.
Mama, I hope to be HALF the woman you are one day. I love you so much and I hope you never forget how much you are loved, admired, and appreciated by everyone who knows you!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Big changes...
Since Clay and I have been together, there have been tons of changes. New jobs (x4), new cities, getting married, a new dog, buying a house, etc. Well, what fun would it be if we didn't throw one more change in the mix?!
Some of you already know this, but I am not going to be teaching next year. I know, I know. (Insert gasp here for some of you.) I made the decision a while back that I wanted to go back to school for nursing. In college, I initially wanted to go into nursing, but PC didn't have that program. Anyone who has went to PC knows, once you get there, it is really hard to leave. So, I didn't leave. Instead, I stuck it out in a major I wasn't so sure about. I taught for 3 years but now it's time to find out who I am really supposed to be. My family and friends knew that it would be just a matter of time because all along they thought I was meant to do something else. To all those who told me this years ago, here ya go..."You were right." Never doubt what your mama tells you...she's going to be right. Period.
I'm sure some of you are asking, "Why nursing?" Well, obviously the desire to help people. Also, science was the only thing in school that I was interested in and actually learned instead of just memorizing for a test. The main reason for my career change, which I don't think anyone knows, is the nurses at Grace Hospital that took such good care of my daddy when he was dying. I watched as they came in, gave him his medicine, and did EVERYTHING they could to make him comfortable. They were so reliable and they quickly became a constant in a situation that was ever changing. I remember my sister asking them what they would do when we were faced with the choice of switching over to Hospice care. They were straight-forward and honest and gave us the advice we so desperately needed but hated to hear. Let him go. We trusted them and knew how invested they had become in our family and what we were going through. I want to be that for someone one day. Someone that a heartbroken family can cry with when things go wrong and rejoice with when things go the way they had hoped. So, to those nurses, thank you not only for treating my daddy as if he were your own, but for helping me see who I am meant to be.
Love you daddy...
11/15/56-6/27/08
Some of you already know this, but I am not going to be teaching next year. I know, I know. (Insert gasp here for some of you.) I made the decision a while back that I wanted to go back to school for nursing. In college, I initially wanted to go into nursing, but PC didn't have that program. Anyone who has went to PC knows, once you get there, it is really hard to leave. So, I didn't leave. Instead, I stuck it out in a major I wasn't so sure about. I taught for 3 years but now it's time to find out who I am really supposed to be. My family and friends knew that it would be just a matter of time because all along they thought I was meant to do something else. To all those who told me this years ago, here ya go..."You were right." Never doubt what your mama tells you...she's going to be right. Period.
I'm sure some of you are asking, "Why nursing?" Well, obviously the desire to help people. Also, science was the only thing in school that I was interested in and actually learned instead of just memorizing for a test. The main reason for my career change, which I don't think anyone knows, is the nurses at Grace Hospital that took such good care of my daddy when he was dying. I watched as they came in, gave him his medicine, and did EVERYTHING they could to make him comfortable. They were so reliable and they quickly became a constant in a situation that was ever changing. I remember my sister asking them what they would do when we were faced with the choice of switching over to Hospice care. They were straight-forward and honest and gave us the advice we so desperately needed but hated to hear. Let him go. We trusted them and knew how invested they had become in our family and what we were going through. I want to be that for someone one day. Someone that a heartbroken family can cry with when things go wrong and rejoice with when things go the way they had hoped. So, to those nurses, thank you not only for treating my daddy as if he were your own, but for helping me see who I am meant to be.
Love you daddy...
11/15/56-6/27/08
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Green thumb? Yeah right.
Well, there isn't a whole lot going down with the Johnsons this week...
Clay is still making the 2 hour trek to Atlanta for work every day. He loves his job which is a blessing and somehow makes up for the 4 hours he spends in the car. He even got to shoot skeet all day on Friday!
Last Saturday was gorgeous so we spent the day outside doing yard work...Clay mowed, I picked weeds in the flower beds by the pool. Being the avid "worker-outer" that I am, my hamstrings were so sore Sunday morning from bending over and picking weeds all afternoon. Sad, huh? I prefer mowing...I'll save the weeds for Clay next time. We went to Lowe's and I bought some seeds and a rose bush...we'll see how that works out once it gets warm and stays warm enough to plant them. I have a 'whatever the opposite of green is' thumb. I think I've killed every plant I've ever tried to take care of. I even killed a whole line of bushes once. I thought I was just cutting some vines off of them. Obviously I cut a little more than I was supposed to. Oops! Luckily it wasn't here...I'm staying away from our bushes. No pruning for me. I'll save that for Clay too- weeds and pruning. I need all the women in my family to come down all at once and teach me how to garden because I have no clue what I'm doing.
Ahh! How could I forget to blog about this??
Coley & I dream of becoming famous singers, so we figured the best way for us to begin our careers and achieve super-stardom would be to write a song. We're serious, by the way. The idea for our song came from the conversation we were having about the new furniture Clay & I just bought. I was telling her how rustic it looked and that even Clay's mounted deer head would look good on the wall. Yeah, I was as shocked as you are right now that I actually said that. So was Coley. Her response was the inspiration for our song. "What has that boy done to you?" Yep, we're going to write a song about a city girl trading in her high heels for 'Muck' boots. Some of the topics that will be covered in the song are bassmasters, fishing, deer stands, and bird dogs. It should be a hit. We'll keep you updated on the progress. I know the anticipation is killing you already...don't worry. We're going to get started on it this weekend. :o)
Clay is still making the 2 hour trek to Atlanta for work every day. He loves his job which is a blessing and somehow makes up for the 4 hours he spends in the car. He even got to shoot skeet all day on Friday!
Last Saturday was gorgeous so we spent the day outside doing yard work...Clay mowed, I picked weeds in the flower beds by the pool. Being the avid "worker-outer" that I am, my hamstrings were so sore Sunday morning from bending over and picking weeds all afternoon. Sad, huh? I prefer mowing...I'll save the weeds for Clay next time. We went to Lowe's and I bought some seeds and a rose bush...we'll see how that works out once it gets warm and stays warm enough to plant them. I have a 'whatever the opposite of green is' thumb. I think I've killed every plant I've ever tried to take care of. I even killed a whole line of bushes once. I thought I was just cutting some vines off of them. Obviously I cut a little more than I was supposed to. Oops! Luckily it wasn't here...I'm staying away from our bushes. No pruning for me. I'll save that for Clay too- weeds and pruning. I need all the women in my family to come down all at once and teach me how to garden because I have no clue what I'm doing.
Ahh! How could I forget to blog about this??
Coley & I dream of becoming famous singers, so we figured the best way for us to begin our careers and achieve super-stardom would be to write a song. We're serious, by the way. The idea for our song came from the conversation we were having about the new furniture Clay & I just bought. I was telling her how rustic it looked and that even Clay's mounted deer head would look good on the wall. Yeah, I was as shocked as you are right now that I actually said that. So was Coley. Her response was the inspiration for our song. "What has that boy done to you?" Yep, we're going to write a song about a city girl trading in her high heels for 'Muck' boots. Some of the topics that will be covered in the song are bassmasters, fishing, deer stands, and bird dogs. It should be a hit. We'll keep you updated on the progress. I know the anticipation is killing you already...don't worry. We're going to get started on it this weekend. :o)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Seriously?
So you know the Grey's episode where the conversation consists of "seriously?" back and forth? That was my conversation with Clay the night we found out he had a job offer. It doesn't sound that bad, except for it was 2 days after we closed on our house in Pickens and the job was in Atlanta. 2 days. Perfect timing...just perfect.
We knew all along there was a potential job offer that may come available in the future. Little did we know, it was going to be sooner rather than later. We were just so excited about owning our own home that we let it overshadow the fact that maybe we should wait and see what happens with this job. It may seem like we had a really tough decision to make, but we didn't. The job came with a 50% pay raise and is one step away from the job he ultimately wants. In this economy, you can't exactly tell someone no when they come to you. It wasn't hard for me to tell him he should take the job, regardless if I knew I would only see him an hour in the evenings before he had to go to bed every day, or not at all if he chose to get a place in Atlanta. I just knew that the job was exactly what he wanted and that he would be happy there. If he's happy, I'm happy, no matter how far away he is.
Distance seems to be a recurring theme throughout our relationship. At first, he was at Clemson, I was at PC. Next, I was in Mauldin, SC and he was in Fayetteville, NC. Then, I was in Greenville and he was in Columbus, Ga. When we got married, he immediately got a job offer with a company out of Piedmont, and even though it wasn't what he wanted and the pay wasn't great, we jumped at the chance to actually live with each other and not 4 hours away. Now it seems as if he is going to have to find a place in Atlanta. We thought he might could deal with the 5 hours of driving every day, but it's just too exhausting. So once again, we are probably going to be apart...which I don't wish on ANY couple. I do believe that distance makes the heart grow fonder and that everything will be the way it should be, eventually. Maybe we should have added "no matter how far" to our vows...
All I know is I love this man and would do anything and go anywhere for him.
We knew all along there was a potential job offer that may come available in the future. Little did we know, it was going to be sooner rather than later. We were just so excited about owning our own home that we let it overshadow the fact that maybe we should wait and see what happens with this job. It may seem like we had a really tough decision to make, but we didn't. The job came with a 50% pay raise and is one step away from the job he ultimately wants. In this economy, you can't exactly tell someone no when they come to you. It wasn't hard for me to tell him he should take the job, regardless if I knew I would only see him an hour in the evenings before he had to go to bed every day, or not at all if he chose to get a place in Atlanta. I just knew that the job was exactly what he wanted and that he would be happy there. If he's happy, I'm happy, no matter how far away he is.
Distance seems to be a recurring theme throughout our relationship. At first, he was at Clemson, I was at PC. Next, I was in Mauldin, SC and he was in Fayetteville, NC. Then, I was in Greenville and he was in Columbus, Ga. When we got married, he immediately got a job offer with a company out of Piedmont, and even though it wasn't what he wanted and the pay wasn't great, we jumped at the chance to actually live with each other and not 4 hours away. Now it seems as if he is going to have to find a place in Atlanta. We thought he might could deal with the 5 hours of driving every day, but it's just too exhausting. So once again, we are probably going to be apart...which I don't wish on ANY couple. I do believe that distance makes the heart grow fonder and that everything will be the way it should be, eventually. Maybe we should have added "no matter how far" to our vows...
All I know is I love this man and would do anything and go anywhere for him.
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