"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #14

during nap time one of my kids decided he would try to pull the books off the book shelf, so I went over to sit by him. I looked over at another one of my kids and noticed he kicked off his blanket....

Me: Hey, do you want me to put the blanket back on you, Josh?

Josh N (in a very dramatic way while his chin is propped up on his hands): No... I... Just... want you to...love me, Miss Teresa.

(And then my heart melted....)

Me: But I DO love you, Josh!!!!!

Josh N.: Well then maybe you can rub my back????

(And that was where the Josh I know came out...hahaha!)

----------------------------------------------

While Shane was concentrating really hard on his art project...he was silent for the longest time and then he burst out

Shane: HOLY MACARONI!!!!!!! This picture is going to be SO big!!!!!!!!!!

And then he was silent again till he was done with his picture.

------------------------------------------------

After my break I went back into the classroom where I noticed some of the kids were beginning to wake-up....

Me: Hey, Shane, do you need to go potty?

Shane:No.... Hey, Miss Amanda! You're supposed to tell me when to go potty!

Amanda: You already told me you had to go potty, Shane.

Shane: But, it's YOUR responsibility to make sure I go potty!

----------------------------------------

I pulled out some random fun books to read to the kids. I pulled out the Noah's Ark book without thinking much of it when I heard Shane...

Shane: Miss Teresa, God does not like wicked people very much does he?

Me (a little confused where that question came from then I realized he was watching me as I pulled out Noah's Ark): You are right. God does not like wicked people.

-----------------------------------------

we were playing good old Disney music and dancing to it when The Beauty And The Beast came on. Shane asked me to dance with him. I obviously could not turn him down so we danced. I started to spin him around when he looked at me and said:

Shane: That's what men do for girls!

Me: What do men do for girls?

Shane: (while attempting to twirl me around) This is what men do for girls!

Hey There Stranger...

I have been a complete failure in the blogosphere. I really just haven't had much of an urge to write lately. That is what usually drives me to sit down and blog, the urge for me to sit down and free my mind of whatever thoughts are stuck there. I warn you before you read this post that I have no clue where it will go as my mind likes to go on it's own after I have not written in awhile.

Life for me these days is going pretty good. No classes, work is great, and aside from the usual drama of the McConnell family not much to complain about in that part of my life either. My town is kinda quiet as the majority of college students are all gone for the Summer which includes a large portion of my own friends and so my social life has quieted down compared to what it was before the spring semester ended.

Hustle and bustle can be a good thing sometimes, but I prefer the easy pace of the Summer. Everyone seems less grumpier during the Summer when there is less traffic and it is easier to get from one place to another. I feel like it is just easier to breath and relax.

Breath and relax. The best place to breath and relax for me is easily during Eucharistic Adoration. There are times when I forget how amazing sitting with Jesus really is. I sometimes forget how much I have needed that time with Jesus until I am sitting there with Him in the silence of the church. I feel like that is the only place I can really put my life in the right focus, and that is really how it should be, keeping Jesus at the center of my life. It's not that I don't try, but I am human, and life happens and before I know it I am lost and am very lucky to have my faith life to help me become centered again. I lay it all out there and leave it with Him while Adoring Him in the Blessed Sacrament and I feel so much lighter after because I know that He has it all covered. He knows what is best for me and I will be ok.

"How sweet, the presence of Jesus to the longing harassed soul! It is instant peace, and balm to every wound." ~St. Elizabeth Seton~

Life Is Good, My Friends. Yes, Life Is Good.

Today has been a bitter-sweet day for me. It was bitter because today was the last confirmation class with my small group. It is crazy that two years have already gone by since the first class when we all started our journey. I must say I felt like a proud mamma hen today as my whole group, without me even prompting them, were excited to share with me about the saint they chose and why they chose that specific saint. It made me happy to know that they really did their own research and did not just choose a saint because their name sounded cool. I have become pretty close with these kids and am proud of how they grew in these past two years and I cannot wait to be able to watch them as they are confirmed next week-end. St. Michael the Arch Angel, St. Sebastian, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Catherine of Sienna, and St. Francis of Assisi please pray for these kids and watch over them as they journey through the rest of their life! :)

It was a sweet day as today is Mother's Day and who could have asked for better weather than what we had in my hometown? It was gorgeous and even more appreciated as in the majority of the past few weeks all we have seen are thunderstorms and rain. My whole family gathered together for a wonderful Mother's Day meal of grilled-out steak, baked potatoes, salad, and stuffed eggs. I must say it was all delicious, but I could not finish my plate. I felt so stuffed. My stomach really must have shrunk over the past few months because before I would have been able to eat it all. I was also blessed to see two of my three god-children today, which was a pleasant surprise.

Part of me is very surprised at how fast my week-end has flown by, but the other part is actually very excited to know that in six days it will be my birthday. I am even more excited about it this year as I will be spending part of my birthday at a Jason Aldean concert with two of my friends. I happen to be a HUGE Jason Aldean fan and own all of his albums except his newest one (which is the next cd I will be adding to my collection of music) and so to know I will be seeing him on my birthday is so cool. Along with that, the night before my birthday I will be going out with friends to celebrate, so I won't be getting much rest next week-end either. Go figure!

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #13

Andras: (upset about not getting his way) Ellie! I am going to eat you! My mommy said I am going to eat you!
Ellie: (Trying not to laugh) Well do you want me to get you some ketchup or mayo or lettuce and tomatoes to eat with me?
Andras: That is not funny, Ellie! Not funny!
---------------------------------------------

This past Summer we finally were given something we have needed for quite a while now. New wood chips for our playground... With all the rain we have had it has washed a good 2/3's of them away and what we have been left with is a whole lot of dirt... Anyway while we were out on the playground a truck came to dump the last of the wood chips off and the kids were very excited about it....

Josh L. (Yelling at the top of his lungs to the truck driver): Thank-you SO much for the new wood chips you brought for my playground! (After the truck driver drives off Josh comes running up to me) That man is SUCH a nice guy for bringing us new wood chips, Miss Teresa.
-------------------------------------------

Me: Gracie, I need a hug good-bye, Missy! I have not gotten it yet, and I won't see you all week-end! Where is my hug!
Gracie (While hugging me): It's in my heart, Miss Teresa.

How cute is that?!?!
-----------------------------------------

I was sitting by Jacob's cot during naptime as he was not wanting to sleep. He was talking nonstop pretty quietly, but I was not really exactly paying much attention to him because it was "quiet" time... that is until he said...

Jacob: I want you to come to my party

Me: Your party? What kind of party?

Jacob: My wedding...

Me (in a joking kind of way): Awww Jacob. Are you wanting me to marry you?

Jacob: YES!

Me: Well... Where will you take me for our honeymoon?

Jacob: To a party

Me: Where will the party be?

Jacob: In my bedroom

MY FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE DAY!!!!

----------------------------------------------

Josh L. was painting and decided to pick up the yellow paint bottle and sniff it...

Josh L: Wow. This smells like.... like women.

HA HA HA!!! I didn't know us women smelled like the color yellow.

Easter Family Fun Photos

These are all photos that were taken Easter Sunday with the family. It is very rare these days that my family is all-together and are all okay with having their picture taken....

Feeling The Love

In my last post I mentioned how yesterday I was home sick with strep throat. I received phone calls and texts and facebook messages from those who heard I was sick to let me know they were all praying I would feel better. All those messages from friends each did make me feel better and cared for. There was one instance yesterday though, that made me feel touched the most.

I know I have mentioned in past posts, mostly in my earlier ones, that the song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" has a special meaning to my family. The reason why it is special I know I have written about before and you can read it if you click here.

Last night as I was cuddled up on the couch I was channel surfing and what movie did I end up finding without knowing it would be on, but "The Wizard of Oz." I turned it on and it was just starting. It hit me as I was listening to Judy garland sing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" that my brother, David, was trying to let me know he was there. What was even more cool about this was that I was the only person in the room during the song. My mom had just gone to bed, my dad was gone to pick-up my little brother, and Crista was downstairs in her room. I felt so much more relaxed in that moment. This morning I told my mother about it and she laughed and said how of all the members in my family, David would be the one who understands feeling pain more than anyone else. She was not too surprised by that at all. I am happy to have my big brother up there looking after me. :)

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #12

Mrs. Morgan: So how was Henry's day today?
Me: He had a really good day. There was a fire drill this morning, we watched an Easter movie,
Mrs. Morgan (kinda cutting me off in mid-sentence): What kind of Easter movie? The Easter bunny kind or the Jesus kind?
Me: The Jesus kind.
Mrs. Morgan: Oh cool!
Henry: Mommy, Jesus is my favorite!
--------------------------------------

Miss Becky: Sidda do you have an extra pair of shoes in your cubby?
Sidda (in an assuming "duh" kind of way) Yeah, my high heels.

Getting in some good practice for when she will really need to wear those high heels. lol
---------------------------------------

Me: I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.
James: what side did you wake up on?
Me: Well normally I like to wake up on my right side, but today I am pretty sure I woke up on my left side...
Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, James?
James: Yeah, I did.
Me: What side is the wrong one for you?
James: When I wake up on my back.
---------------------------------------

This comes from my ten year old nephew, Isaiah.

Isaiah: Chad (his mom's fiancee), are you Catholic?
Chad: No.
Isaiah: Are you Christian?
Chad (While shrugging his shoulders): Yeah. Yes.
Isaiah: (In a really loud accusing voice) Oh! That means you don't believe, (and then more quietly and slowly) something...
Maria (Isaiah's mom): And what does he not believe?
Isaiah: (Bangs hand on the table) I know! It means he doesn't believe the body and blood... I mean the bread and wine is not the body and blood!

It was SO SO SO cute!
----------------------------------------

Today during nap time I am pretty sure Savannah was dreaming when she woke up...

Savannah: (Sits up in a dreamlike state and looks straight at me) I have to....... I think I have to....... I have..... I have to do something. (and then immediately falls back on her cot and goes right back to sleep.)

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #11

I was getting a glass of water in the kitchen when my cell phone rang. The ring tone happened to be the song "Chicken Fried." For those of you who are not familiar with this song, the chorus goes like this, "Oh, you know I like my chicken fried. Cold beer on a Friday night. A pair of jeans that fit just right, and the radio up. Well I've seen the sunrise. See the love in my woman's eyes. Feel the touch of a precious child, and know a mother's love..." So my ring tone played when I hear this voice come from behind me....

Jonathan (with a HUGE smile on his face): Hey!!! My dad like to drink cold beer on a Friday night too!!!!

It was SO funny, especially because I had no idea he came up behind me at all.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apparently at lunch time one of the kids spilled their cup of milk all over the floor....

Jonathan: Hey, game fowl!!!!!!!
Miss Becky: Jonathan! Where did you learn that from?
Jonathan: My grandpa.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I am changing Josh Neary's diaper... Just another part of my job.

Me: Josh it looks as though either the last person who changed your diaper didn't wipe you enough or you are just starting to poop...
Josh Neary: I am not pooping. Uh-huh.
Me; Well, since I was the one that changed you last I am pretty sure you were trying to, bud.
Josh: No, I'm not starting. I started to on Saturday.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While we were outside on the playground....

Miss Ingrid: Hey Josh, come over here! I need to tie your shoe.
Josh Neary: Nuh uh!
Me: You know Josh, when you trip and fall because you don't want to have your shoe tied I won't feel so bad for you... just saying.
Josh Neary (yelling as he is running around): That's not gonna happen!!!!

Two minutes later... Josh tripped on his shoe lace and fell......
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today during circle time we were singing "I'm bringing home a baby bumble-bee." I was trying to see who remembered the song by stopping between each stanza and asking what happens next... there is one line in this song that goes "I'm puking up my baby bumble bee." Don't ask. I didn't write the song. I just sing it... anyway.

Me: What happens to us next?
Josh Lindauer: Puking up the bee.... but we don't actually really puke it, just fake puke it, right?

It made me laugh.

I Am One Lucky Girl. :)

Dear Friends,

Try each day to follow Christ's word. Listen to Him as a true friend with whom you can share your path in life. With Him at your side, you will find courage and hope to face difficulties and problems, and even to overcome disappointments and set-backs.
You are constantly being offered easier choices, but you yourselves know that these are ultimately deceptive and cannot bring you serenity and joy.
Only the Word of God can show us the authentic way, and only the faith we have received is the light which shines on our path.
Gratefully accept this spiritual gift which you have received from your families; strive to respond responsibly to God's call and to grow in your faith. Do not believe those who tell you that you don't need others to build up your life! Find support in the faith of those who are dear to you, in the faith of the Church, and thank the Lord that you have received it and have made it your own!

Pope Benedict XVI

Tonight I was given this quote from a dear friend in a little note. He was telling me thank-you for being one of those who help builds up his life. It was a sweet little thing that touched me dearly. I try to let those I love and care about how much I love and care about them and how much they mean to me. I thank God everyday for the AMAZING people he has placed in my life. I really don't know where I would be without these great family members and friends to lean on for support. They are truly the best gifts He has given me.

"Sisters. Sisters. There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters"

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 2
A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

This is a picture of my little sister, Crista and I. The top one is from about four years ago on a "March For Life" trip before we loaded on the bus. The one on the bottom is of us two on the metro in d.c. this past January while on our "March For Life" trip.

Even though there is only a two and a half year age gap between my sister and I, I can honestly say that has never really been that big of a deal to us. From the beginning we have been pretty much joined at the hip. I remember when we were really young wherever I went Crista HAD to come too. She was my little shadow. I remember there were times when that got on my nerves, but for the most part it did not bother me. We even shared a bedroom with each other for a good portion of our lives which was a lot of fun. I now know that if we tried to do that again today it probably would not work since I would drive her crazy with my country music and she would make me go insane with her messier habbits...

Growing up I appreciated having her around even more since we were both home schooled, so really if we wanted to play during recess we played with each other. We had to be pretty creative when it came to "recess." I remember we would go outside in our backyard and play kickball with imaginary team members. It was a fun time.

As we grew older we had the same group of friends and enjoyed doing the same kinds of things. Wherever we went we were always known as the "McConnell girls." It was never where is Teresa and/or Crista. It was rare that we would go anywhere without each other.

In the past few years it is not quite like that anymore. We each have our own friends and we do not see each other nearly as much. That does not change the fact that she is and will always be my best friend. I love her dearly. :)

"Circle me, Lord..."

Circle me, Lord.
Keep protection near
And danger afar.

Circle me, Lord
Keep hope within.
Keep doubt without.

Circle me, Lord.
Keep light near
And darkness afar.

Circle me, Lord.
Keep peace within.
Keep evil out.

Amen.

The above prayer was shared today during the homily of our pastor's last week-end here. It was a very moving homily and I must admit I did tear up a bit from it. Father Bill brought a whole lot to our parish and he became very important to my family. The most touching part of the Mass with him was how I could see he was crying a little bit while waiting for the gifts to come down the aisle. It was easy to see that as much as he meant to us the parish did mean a whole lot to him as well. What he taught us will be remembered as we welcome our new priest. Change is not easy, but with the right attitude it can be the beginning of a good thing. My family still intends to visit Father often and will be kept close at heart. :)

Good-byes And Surprises

All is quiet in my house except for the sound of the heater. I cannot seem to fall asleep and I know the reason is because at this moment there is somewhere else I would love to be at, but I know why I can't be there tonight or the rest of the week-end. That place happens to be in Indianapolis where a large gathering of undergrads are attending Kairos 21 retreat. It is a huge sacrifice for me to give up a retreat week-end. Knowing the majority of my friends are at the retreat enjoying great talks and eachother's company tonight is making not being there even harder. At this moment I am sure most of them are still awake enjoying their free-time playing games, singing songs, talking, and becoming very sleep deprived while having a whole lot of fun. As much as I wish I were there in person I understand now why God did not call me to go to this retreat as much as it is hard for me to not be there.

This week-end happens to be the last week-end for our parish priest to be here. He has only been with us for a short period of time considering how long the average amount of time is for a priest to stay with a parish. It was a surprise to hear about when he told us he only had a month left to stay with us. He also has said how much he really does not want to leave, but the only reason he is going is because the Bishop has told him to. He is being obedient to his adviser. Father has become very important to my family while we have been going through some difficult times. He has been one of the easiest priests for me to go to confession to. His homilies at Mass have always been easy for me to take something away from. He has done so many positive things at our parish. Knowing he is leaving and not really wanting to is making this good-bye even harder. If I had gone on the retreat I would have missed-out on his last Mass here, and that would have made me very sad. More sad than not attending the retreat, which is saying something pretty big considering how much I love retreats.

Another reason why I am ok with not being able to be on this retreat is the fact that my family is throwing my father a surprise birthday party on Sunday. The only reason why I am even ok with writing this on my blog is the fact that my father does not get on the computer... except to check his e-mail. When he sits and types out his e-mails he only uses two fingers because he has never really understood the need for typing classes. His work made him take a typing class which he attended, but even the teacher ended up passing him only because he went from one finger to two. Thinking about that kind of makes me laugh. I love my dad dearly. He turned sixty while I was away for my March for Life trip so we did not have a big celebration with him. In fact when I got home that day no one was here to greet me. My parents were out on a dinner date for his birthday. I was cool with that. In fact I kind of enjoyed having a bit of "alone" time to reflect on the trip. Anyway, so my mom is expecting fifty to sixty people coming to his party. My little brother will be the dj. There will be tons and tons of Mexican food since that is my dad's favorite kind of food. There are lots of letters that have come in for my dad from those who will not be able to be here for it in person. Along with his birthday this is also supposed to celebrate the fact that my dad has stayed sober for 22 years from alcohol which is something my family is very proud of him for. I could go on and on about all the many ways my dad has helped others around my town with different needs, but that would take a long time to write. The fact that so many care enough about him to let him know how much he means to them speaks volumes about the kind of man my dad is. I feel very blessed that God gave me the parents he did. I would not trade them for the world! Had I gone on the retreat I would miss-out on this grand occasion and that would really really make me sad.

The picture has Father Bill in the middle and my dad on his right. It was taken at one of the parish pic-nics that Father Bill pushed for.

Since I was not able to be with my friends I have sent them each a little note which they should receive sometimes tomorrow and I have been keeping them in my prayers. I cannot wait to hear how their experience was this past week-end when they return. :)

"Kid's Say The Darndest Things" #10

I know I haven't done one of these in a long while... but here we go.

My eight year old nephew came to visit me at the daycare. He was having a lot of trouble trying to climb the rope...

Me: Hey, Isaiah, do you want one of my little kids to show you how it's done?
Isaiah: If I can't do it then they can't. They're littler then me.
Me: Hey, Sofie. Come over here. Do you want to show my nephew how to climb the rope?
Sofia: Yes.
Sofia climbs the rope in about thirty seconds.
Isaiah: Well, can she climb back down?
Sofie climbs down the rope with out a problem.
Isaiah: She needs to be my teacher!
--------------------------------------

Marva: Hey Sofie, what's on your shirt.
Sofia: A ghost.
Marva: What else is on your shirt?
Sofia: polka ducks.... there are also polka ducks on my pants too.

What she meant was polka dots..... lol
-------------------------------------

Camille thought she saw Jacob put some chalk in his mouth....

Camille: Hey Jacob, what is that in your mouth???
Jacob (with a face that looked at her like she was crazy): I have teeth in my mouth!

It was too funny!
------------------------------------

Kaytlin: Marva, what color are your hands?
Marva: Brown
Kaytlin: What color is your face?
Marva: Brown
Kaytlin: What color is your body?
Marva: Brown. Kaytlin, what color are your hands?
Kaytlin (studying her hands with a serious look on her face): Uh, uh, uh, I think yellowish?
-------------------------------------

During circle time we were practicing a song for a thanksgiving day feast had had for all the families to come and attend. It is an Native American song and one of the lines is "This is the way we wash our clothes wash our clothes wash our clothes. This is the way we was our clothes. We are the wampanoag." there are other lines like "this is the way we plant our corn..." etc. After the washing the clothes verse one of the kids says this:

Dash: I just take my clothes out of the dryer at home and they're clean.

After he said that we got into a discussion about how different the lifestyles of the people were at the time of the first Thanksgiving. How they had to hunt their food and make their own clothes and how they washed their clothes... how they did not have a supermarket like we do today, so forth and so on. FInally one of the girls cuts in...

Savannah (with a very serious face): Uh uh... That's, that's a joke!

It was too cute.

"We Are Family!"

Yesterday was the Feast of the Holy Family. Father gave a wonderful homily about families. God planned out who our families would be from the beginning. He gave them to us. They help lay the foundation of who we are.

Families are amazing! They are the ones that know more than anyone else how to bring us back up when we are down. They are there when we need a shoulder to cry on. They are there for the celebrations in our lives. It is the members of our family who we feel most comfortable being our true selves. It is the main reason we take them for granted...We assume our parents, siblings, and relatives will be there for us no matter what. Through thick and thin. That is why it is so easy to feel the worst betrayal when someone in our family does something that hurts us, yet seems to me so much easier to forgive them because they are family. Like the old saying, "blood is thicker than water." In many ways this is true.

Yes, every family is not perfect. Each family is dysfunctional. Each family has their own share of family secrets that no one other than family is supposed to know about. I think with that being said the ones who are not dysfunctional are probably the really strange ones.
I must say that my family truly is special. We are one of a kind. I am so happy I live so close to not only my immediate family, but also my Aunt, Uncle, and a nice amount of my cousins as well.

This Christmas I spent it with the people I just mentioned. We usually come together on Christmas Eve, but due to some changes we celebrated on Christmas day this year. We have a nice pitch-in dinner and then open gifts together. Us cousins tend to spend a lot of time together playing cards, the family favorite tends to always end up being spoons (which is what we are playing in the few pictures below). Spoons happens to be taken very seriously in this family. There have been years when blood has been drawn by someone's fingernails while in the scramble of grabbing a spoon. I remember one year my brother got pulled out of his chair while fighting for the last spoon on the table. Violent, but so much fun!

I should mention that the craziness in my family is not all caused by the people in it, but also our four-legged pets. You see, my family is in fact very much a dog family. There is no telling how many dogs will show-up at a family function. Usually anywhere up to seven... some little and some not so little. The dog in the first picture is the newest addition to our family. Her name is Peyton, named after none other than Peyton Manning. Yes, my family is also a Colt's family.

As crazy as I find my family at times, I would not want them any other way. They each have a spot in my heart, and I love them dearly!!!

Some Of My Favorite 2010 Memories Caught On Film

These are a few photos from this past year off of facebook... This brought back some great memories...

From top to bottom and left to right....

1.) My K20 small group in our meeting room. I grew very fond of that room. My small group was the BEST!!!
2.) My nephew's baptism... when I became a "godmommy." :)
3.) Two of my kid's from my daycare over the Summer. Love them!
4.) Part of my K20 small group... at pancakes night for spring finals week. Miss them!
5.) Me and some of my favorite girls!
6.)Rascal Flatts concert!!! :)
7.) 4th of July with my family... waiting for the parade.
8.) Me and my sister. :)
9.) Me and two of my favorite guys at my birthday dinner! Good times!!!
10.) St. Paul's camp-out in the Spring semester.
11.) 4th of July with the little guy... waiting for the fireworks to begin.
12.) Me and Chuck Wicks.. Enough said. (those of you who have never heard of him should check out his song 'Stealing Cinderella')
13.) Confirmation I retreat just a few months ago. Good times.
14.) Thanksgiving with the family
15.) The group of people at my birthday dinner. I have some of the BEST friends in the world. :) I am a lucky girl.
16.) Two more of my favorite guy friends that I hang-out with all the time at St. Paul's.

What I Am Most Thankful For

Since I may not have the chance to blog once my family arrives than I figured I would do one more tonight before I go to bed. There are many things I am grateful for... Here is a list. :)

I am thankful for:

The family God gave me,
The friends God put into my life,
a country where I am free to not hide my Catholic pride.
I am thankful for the roof over my head,
the clothes on my back, and the food and clean water to fill my belly.
I am thankful to be able to work at a job where I look forward to going to everyday.
I am thankful for the love of music my parents have instilled in me.
I am thankful for electricity so that I am able to blog and watch tv and keep warm when it is cold and cool when it is hot.
I am thankful for the many good memories I have had in my life, luckily so far they far outweigh the sad ones. :)
I am thankful for times when someone makes me laugh when I would rather cry and calm me down when I have been so angry that I might act without thinking.
I am thankful for so many more things. If I wrote them all here it would be an incredibly long list...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS! :)

Days Like This Are My Favorites :)

Today was a wonderful day at work for me. The weather was pretty nice (especially the temperature), the kids were pretty good listeners for the most part, and it was filled with some fun. This morning we took a small field trip to the fire station that is right across the street from where I work. The kids had a blast! They thought they were pretty special when the firemen came out to stop the traffic for us so we could safely cross the street. They sat nicely and were well-behaved as the firemen each took a turn to talk about the importance of fire safety. The children watched as one of the men suited up for them. Their very favorite part was being able to crawl around inside the fire engine. It was an enjoyable time.

Immediately after that we let the kids play in the leaves that have fallen in the ground. They took great joy in burying me and a few of the other teachers in a pile of leaves. We had a leaf fight as well. Let's just say it took awhile for me to pick the leaves from off of my hair. I let the "inner kid" come out of me while chasing the kids around. It is days like these that I enjoy my job the most.

After work I went to Mass as usual, and one of the families from my daycare attended Mass as well. It was so cute because after the two children went to communion with their dad they came over and sat by me till the end of Mass. I was all flattered that they both wanted to spend even more time with me. It was kind of cute.

A Few Of My Favorite Quotes On Friendship

"It's like a best friend, but more it's the one person in the world who knows you better than anyone else. That someone who makes you a better person, no actually the don't make you a better person, you do that yourself because they inspire you. A soul mate is someone that you carry with you forever. It's the one person who knew you accepted you, and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would and no matter what happens, you'll always love them and nothing could ever change that."
~Dawson Leery~
Dawson's Creek

"Friendship is essentially a partnership."
~Aristotle~

"A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway. "
~Fr. Jerome Cummings

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."
~Anonymous~

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
~Albert Schweitzer~

"Friends are kisses blown to us by angels."
~Author Unknown~

"But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."
~Dinah Craik, A Life for a Life, 1859

"Love Thoughts"

I randomly found this article, and I really enjoyed reading it. It is filled with a few short quotes I have heard before and really like. I just wanted to share.

Love Thoughts

The beginning of love, is to let those we love be perfectly themselves and not twist them with our own image -- otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them? The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of every-thing...they just make the most out of everything that comes their way.

The best kind of friend is the one you can sit on a porch with, never saying a word and then walk away, feeling like that was the best conversation you've had.

Don't go for looks -- it can deceive.

Don't go for money -- even wealth fades away.

Go for someone who makes you smile, because only a smile makes a dark day seem bright. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched and those who have tried. For only they can appreciate the importance of the people who have touched their lives.

Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion and the romance... and you find out you still care for that person. Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been disappointed, those who still believe, even though they have been betrayed and those who still love even though they've been hurt before. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people, before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the right person, we should know how to be grateful for that gift. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return. But, what is the most painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let the person know how you feel. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past ... you can't go on in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't expect love in return, just wait for it to grow in Their hearts. But, if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours. There are things that you would love to hear, but you never hear it from the person you want to. Don't be deaf to hear it from the person who says it with their heart.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are smiling and everyone around you is crying.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens. But often we look so long at the closed door, that we don't see the one which has just been opened for us.

Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too. A sad thing about life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you ... only to find out in the end, that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

It takes a minute to have a crush on someone ... an hour to like someone...a day to love someone...but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Love starts with a smile, develops with a kiss and ends with a tear.

What Love Really Is To Me.

Today I was facebook chatting with a friend of mine. He asked me why I had so many bizarre facebook statuses up lately. I was kinda confused at the time by what he meant by that, but he gave me a few examples. One in particular was that I said "I remember years ago someone once told me I should take caution when it comes to love. I did..." I explained to him how I put that up mainly because it is a song lyric that would not get out of my head because it kind of hits home with me. I tend to be cautious with who I let in. Really let in. I still have yet to decide if that has actually helped me or not. He offered some "perspective," and told me how he believed that love does not actually exist. I immediately shot him down and told him how love does indeed exist. He then told me he meant that romantic love does not exist. Now, a huge part of me would love to have disagreed with him, but when he said that I had to think about it for a minute. It made sense. Love is real. I love my family and friends more than anything. I would do just about anything for them, and I hope and pray they would do the same for me if I really needed them. Romantic love, however, seems a little fuzzy in a way.

I feel as though for a romantic relationship to work the best it should be founded on God and friendship more than anything. From the Catholic perspective, marriage is supposed to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church, so obviously faith has to be the most important part of every relationship. I do want to be able to look at my future husband and know that he is my best friend too. I want to know that I can be my complete self around that person and no matter how frustrated we may be with each other, at the end of the day he is still the person who will be there. Do not get me wrong, I still believe there should be a healthy amount of attraction between a husband and wife, but if it is only based on the attraction factor it will not last very long. "Romantic love" as I see it is really more about the physical side of a relationship. It is not true selfless love. It is selfish love. It is not looking at a person with the perspective of "What can I do to help this other person make it to heaven?" It is asking "What can I do to get what I want from this other person?"

It was a very interesting discussion, and I have to say it did make me think again about how I can help my future spouse make it into heaven. I do not necessarily think about it from that perspective very often.