China Video

I just learned how to use Windows Movie Maker, so I decided to make a China Slideshow. It is just so cool..and easy to use! I will be heading to China at the end of July to do ministry work during the Olympics...how fun is that??? Well...maybe it doesn't sound fun to you..haha, but I am sooo excited I can hardly wait! Hope yall enjoy my China pics. I was looking through them and just reminded of how God has allowed me to have some really cool experiences and cross paths with some amazing people.

Catching up with Old Friends

Our friends Shannon and Lori came to BR tonight!! We met them for the first time in 2000 when we went on a trip to China, where they have lived for many years. They are amazing, and helped us so much. It was so great to see them and to catch up on each other's lives. It has been several years since we have seen them. Shannon is living in the U.S. now, and Lori will soon return to China. Thanks for coming to visit girls! We miss yall!!! They have left a spot for Amy...who is still living in China!!
Me and my Joseph...sooo cute!

Kim and her little man...

The girls!

Kim and Jacob met each other through Lori and Shannon.

Do they look alike or what??

Being silly...

100th Day of School

Today was our 100th day of school celebration. The actual 100th day of school was on Wednesday, but since we had early dismissal we postponed it until today. The kids were wild and crazy, but they had fun. We did all sorts of neat things. We went on a shopping spree with $100...they looked through ads and picked things out. We made graphs with beans and talked about how many more we needed to make 100, and which type of bean you had the number was a factor of 100, etc. We did PE activities like bouncing the ball 100 times, 100 jumping jacks, jumping rope 100 times, throwing the bean bag 100 times. We did a Geometry Activity with Tangrams....and we made trail mix. I gave each student over 100 pieces, but they had to count out 100, and sort them into groups. They had cereal, pretzels, goldfish, marshmallows, raisins, and whoppers. We have been working on fractions, decimals and percents, so they had to write each item on an index card and tell their fraction, decimal and percent equivalent. They used Graph Club software to create a pie graph of their trail mix...oh, they also had an estimation activity and the results will be out on Monday. It was hectic, but fun!

National Champions...and back to school...woo hoo!!!

I am so proud of our Tigers!! They did an awesome job...I am just sooooooo excited!!!

Today was the first day back at school from the holidays. It is always hard to go back, but I was glad to see my kids....at least for a little while....just kidding! They were great! I can't believe the school year is already halfway over...time flies!

Hope everyone has an awesome 2008!

Congrats Kelli!!!

My friend/roomie/co-worker, Kelli, is getting married!!!! She and Bobby will have their big day on June 7th! Yay! We went to be fitted for bridesmaids dresses today, had a late lunch, and had coffee. It was the first of many exciting events to come. I love you Kelli and I am sooo happy for you!!!!!

China Girls Reunite...with a few additions

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Some of you who will read this knew me during this time...and received my CRAZY play by play emails of what we were up to on the other side of the world! So, this will bring back some memories. By the way, we had NO digital camera for this trip, so I just took pictures of pictures since I have no scanner..haha!

In January 2002, Kim, Shawn and I packed our bags and headed to Beijing, China to teach English. We were going to be gone for six months and were not sure what adventures we would encounter. Needless to say, we had many!! I have many emails that my mom printed out that I need to go through and share some stories with you all. They are hilarious!!!All I can say, is thank goodness we had each other. We were stuck together like glue for six months...that is until Shawn lost a form that she needed to get out of the country and Kim and I had to leave her in China for an extra day. Of course, Kim and I were squawling like big babies in the Beijing airport...drama queens even back then! But, Shawn was the one who said that she would not stay a day more than six months in that country...well, she ended up staying six months and one day! Be careful what you say!! On January 28, it will have been six years (wow!) since we boarded that flight..China bound...not knowing what would lie ahead for those six months or for our lives.

( This picture was taken right after we got home)

Where we are now...

When our plane hit American soil on July 28, 2002 our lives began to go in different directions. The time overseas definitely changed us, but we were glad to be home and excited to see what God had in store for our lives...and boy did He have some cool plans! Kim and I don't get to see Shawn very often, but the bond that the three of us share cannot be duplicated. We have been through and seen things that most friends don't get to experience together.

Kim brought back a 26 (or so) year old souvenir named Jacob. They are married and have the most precious 3 year old son named Joseph. They live here and Kim teaches Kindergarten.

Shawn married Konrad, who is a doctor. They live in Oregon where she is currently in nursing school. They had their first bundle of joy in August...Luke...who is absolutely precious. Kim and I met him for the first time today.

And me...well, I'm still waiting for Mr. Right, and have no kids, except for the 23 fifth graders that God has entrusted to me this year. I am hoping for the next phase of life to begin soon, but I am blessed, content and love to give hugs and kisses to all of my friend's babies.

Here we are now...with some new additions...I am holding the stuffed alligator cause I just couldn't be left out...haha!

I get sad when I see pictures of our trip, but all of the memories make me so happy! It was an experience of a lifetime, and who better to share it with than your friends. We have changed, and life goes on, but we will always be "The China Dolls!" I love you Kim and Shawn!!! Zai Jian (Byeeee) Oh, by the way...If all goes as planned I will be heading back to Beijing in July for about 3 weeks during the 2008 Summer Olympics...woohoo!!!