Sunny Daze

Tressie Turns Three!

2009-02-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

The Truth (at last)

2009-02-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

Okay ladies, it wasn't the scarf that I was after at the Christmas party. It was the box it came in! lol It matches my living room decor (jungle). Sis. Linda got the scarf because, well, after all that commotion I would not dare wear it in public.

An Incredible Day

2009-02-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Madelynn went to sunday school today with Josh and Tressie so we went to John's Incredible Pizza afterword. The three of them flat wore John out! Here's a shot of teir adventure.

Happy Birthday Tressie!!!

2009-02-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of you, Tressie!!! You are such a beautiful, intellegent little girl!!!

We hope you enjoyed picking out your Build-a-Bear!

Ha Ha Ha...That's what I get!

2009-02-01T16:01:00.001-08:00

This last Friday at school we had our annual staff vs students flag football game. Last year I made a skirt out of an exercise suit so I could get out there and "show the students who's boss". Of course, I didn't know that I was pregnant and could have easily lost Heidi as hard as I was playing. Anyway, that was last year. So, Friday I donned the winning outfit again. Of course, I had to give the students a hard time about how bad they were going to loose, and one of the boys in my class said, "Ok Mrs. Willman, what if the students beat you guys this year?", and so I made a deal that if we lost he could have my staff jersey shirt for bragging rights. Of course we won though. 40 something to 20 something. We purposely let them get some points so they wouldn't be creamed so bad.

Let me tell you though..I have paid for it all weekend! Talk about pulled muscles and whiplash! Saturday about killed me and today (Sunday) I am just a bit better. There were some pretty good falls. Of course the kids just love it when a teacher goes down. Ha.

Poor Heidi.

2009-01-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

I took Heidi to the doctor today because she had a bad runny nose. I know, it seemed petty, but I really didn't want to work today. (I do like my job!) Anyway, the doctor looked and looked and didn't find anything wrong. I was feeling pretty stupid until she took that one last look and found an ear infection starting. So hey, we are getting it nipped before it really even gets started! Yeah!

whoa!

2009-01-27T06:31:00.000-08:00

That last templet was just a little too much! I'm not even sure if i like this one.

More Masculine

2009-01-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

Ha, John wanted our blog more masculine. I'm being fecicious.

2009-01-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

It's a Snow-Heidi

2009-01-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

2008-12-28T15:42:00.000-08:00

According to the Farmer's Almanac

these next few days are the best this month

to attempt potty training.

I'm not sure whether or not

it is Biblical to follow the almanac

but my grand-mother has used it many times.

She used it to grow crops

which I am to understand were quite amazing;

her canning was by the moon as well.

Remenising....

2008-12-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

wow.

2008-11-19T07:12:00.000-08:00

$ 72,000!!!!!

That was only one of Heidi's hospital bills! Thank God for insurance!

Joshua's Four!!!!

2008-11-09T08:18:00.001-08:00

Our Heidi Leanne

2008-11-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

Back to School

2008-10-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Today I am back to work. Heidi is in daycare with Tressie. I have mixed feelings about this, but overall, Heidi is doing well and the daycare provider is great. I need to get out of the house and get back to work. I think everything will work out well. Holidays will be here soon.

Lucky to be Alive!

2008-10-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

My brothers love to ride bikes. One has a triumph, the other two have harleys. Bikes have been a part of our family for as long as I can remember. I even rode little scooters, dirt bikes, three wheelers and quads as a child. My brothers raced them.

Anyway, there is a saying that says, "It's not wither or not you're gonna go down, it's when you're gonna go down." Well, Brendan went down yesterday at about 60mph. That's how fast he said he was going, but hey, he was going down (or up?) Sample road on a bike, and hey, he's my brother, so I guess that could mean he was going at least 70? Or maybe I should just believe the 60...He was riding alone and someone delivering medical supplies just happened to drive up and find him in the road.

Well, he's alive to tell about it and that's what matters. He has a horrible road rash on his back and his hand and foot are swollen. He had a concussion and was loosing his eyesight at times after it happened, but did I tell you that he's my brother? Yep. He plans on going to the wrecking yard today to pick up his bike. Crazy I tell you. He's a little upset that the forks are bent on his bike.

All I can say is that God is merciful because it would be horrible if we lost him. It was sure good to hear his voice this morning. Just pray for him, he's going to be in a lot of pain for a while, and needless to say, out of work as well.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do?

2008-10-14T16:09:00.001-07:00

Joshua is afraid of the Police. I think that I mentioned that before, but now, well, he's becoming just a little bit brave in protecting himself from the police (or anyone who looks like them!).

This happened yesterday:

Joshua wanted some "lemonade chips" you know, the salty lime chips? Well, I took him to the local "stop and rob" to pick up some of these tangy potatoes when lo and behold, in walked an EMT in uniform. (How else would be know he was an EMT?)! Joshua went straight up to this stranger in uniform and began a converation. I was paying for the chips, so I kept an eye on him not knowing everything he was saying to the man. After a while I heard Josua speak up and say, "I didn't break the law!", to which the EMT replied, "That's good!" Joshua then went on to say, "And my mommy didn't break the law either!" He was just making sure that he doesn't get on the bad side of the law. I guess it never hurts to cover your hind end!

Parental Rights

2008-10-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

How will you vote? Check this out...

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1352578267/bctid1819819843

Heidi is Home

2008-10-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pix that we took since Heidi came home. She came home last Friday and is doing well. Joshua and Tressie are glad to have her and so are John and I!

The Willman Family

2008-10-02T21:09:00.001-07:00

If everything continues to go well, Heidi will be home tomorrow!

Told You So!

2008-10-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

They say that a mother's intuition is rarely wrong...
Last night the hospital tested Heidi for the amount of phenobarbital in her system, and low and behold it was much higher than it needed to be! They are not giving her a dose today at all, it's that high. Tomorrow they are going to check her levels again and readjust the dosage. Have I mentioned that John and I have thought that the dosage was too high for days?
Heidi also held her temperature overnight, praise God, and she hasn't needed the oxygen. I haven't left the house yet to see her, just getting a little more needed rest. ((Sorry Amber, I totally forgot that we were supposed to meet!))

Prayer request: Pray for my friend's niece who is full-term and having bad complications. They flew her to San Francisco because there was no room here. I don't know her name, but she and her baby needs prayer.

Baby's First Haircut?

2008-10-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I don't endorse cutting a baby's hair during the first week of life, or even cutting a baby girl's hair at all, but today when we finally took out the last IV off Heidi (yes!) we discovered that there was a small area that they shaved to put in the IV (oops! Don't tell Pastor!). Overall we are relieved that she is finally pulling through and beginning to hold her own. The only hurdles that we see at this point are the issue of keeping up body temperature and oxygen saturation, which could be both caused by the amount of Phenobarbital she is given. We find out tomorrow whither or not that can be reduced.
This morning little Heidi was wide eyed and bushy tailed! I have never seen her this alert. She gulped down her bottles in a couple of minutes flat and acted like she could have eaten more! We took pix of her (which we will get back either Thursday or Friday) and yes, she is now one week old!! Praise God!

Maybe I Should Buy a Lottery Ticket?

2008-09-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am not the type to buy a lottery ticket, but given the odds of having a son that has febrile seizures is 6 out of 100 and the odds of having a baby with a true knot in her umbilical cord is 1 out of 250 and the chances that that girl would even survive is extremely slim. Put all those odds together and I'm sure it would be me that bought the winning ticket (or be struck by lightning?)!

Heidi had a good day today. She has been eliminating her waste and drinking her bottles. She does still need to work at keeping her temperature though. One thing that caught me by surprise was when a technician came into the room to take an ultra-sound of her heart to make sure that a hole had closed up. I didn't even know that there was a hole in her heart! She told me that many babies are born with a hole in their hearts but they usually close up after a few hours and hers hadn't yet. What? I'm thinking... Well, I'm almost glad that I didn't know because it just ended up one more thing that I didn't have to worry about. It was closed up today. Everything normal.

I left early today so that John could go in and feed her at her 6pm feeding. It was the first time he got to hold her and feed her. Yes, we have pix, and when I get them developed they will be here.

All we can say is that God is good all the time, all the time God is good!

More Progress

2008-09-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

The doctor has checked all of Heidi's vital organs and they all appear to be just fine. Her reflexes are fine and overall she is still improving. She has been eating very well. And, of course, she sleeps...

We don't know at this point if there will be any long-term brain damage, so this is the area we need to focus our prayers. The doctor is a bit concerned that she isn't making broader movements with her arms and legs, and that she isn't peeing as often as she would like her to. Hopefully she will continue to progress in these areas. However, she is on the Phenobarbital, which basically keeps her sedated. That could be why she isn't moving much. The doctor will have a physical therapist come in and work with her if she doesn't improve her movements.

She just looks like a healthy baby to me, with the exception that she sleeps a lot. I personally think it's the medication that is keeping her from moving too much. We shall see...

Looking Good

2008-09-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

This morning, when I arrived at the hospital, the nurse told me that Heidi has been taking her bottle very well and that she should be off the IV soon. When I tried to feed her at 12:00 she decided that she would rather sleep than eat, so they had to use her feeding tube again. Then at her 3:00 feeding she was just fine again. Hmmm...
Joshua and Tressie were able to go in and visit with her today and I think it helped them to see her and know that yes, she does exist. We were able to get some good pictures of the three of them. I'll post them when the film is developed.
The doctor said that if she kept improving as well as she is that she will be released from the hospital within a week to 10 days, so that's good to know. We are only waiting on a couple tests and so far everything has come back well.
Thank you all so much for your prayers.

Praise God for the Little Things!

2008-09-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. Heidi's headress was taken off today and we could actually see her beautiful brown hair again! She was given a little bath and I was actually able to hold and feed her! Yea! I think one of the hardest parts of her being sick was that I couldn't hold her. I held her as soon as she was born, but other than that she was swiped away by the doctors and nursing staff, so it's been a bit of an emotional struggle there. It just felt good to hold her again. Also, this was the first day she has had the opportunity to eat since she was born, so it has been a good day.

The doctor said that she has had no more seizure activity and that so far it appeared that the reason for the seizures seemed to be in her history since the test have all come back well. The only tests out at this point are for metabalism problems which the genetics doctor is checking on. So, if all goes well, I may be able to bring her home sooner than I thought.

Heidi Update

2008-09-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Heidi is coming along well. The doctor has her on Phenobarboltol to help keep her seizures away and she hasn't had a seizure all day. We talked with the nuerologist, her doctor, and the genetics specialist today and all of them had a postive outlook on her recovery without being too optimistic. I guess you could say that we are not out of the woods yet, but the bears are all in their cages.
She has no sign of infections, no heart conditions, no bleeding on the brain (she did at birth sometime), and is otherwise functioning well. The area affected with oxygen deprivation is a very small area and the doctor said that it probably didn't last over a minute. That's good news.
She still has little electrodes all over her head because they are going to watch her EEG overnight again. I may actually begin feeding her tomorrow. That means I'll be able to hold her too.
Overall, God is good and merciful. Little Heidi is a special gift and we are so glad to be able to know her. She is recovering well and by God's grace will have a bright future.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!

Here's Heidi! Our other little princess!

2008-09-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Heidi Leanne Willman is here!

2008-09-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

Heidi was born last night, 9/24/08, and is such a beautiful little girl! She was 6 pounds and 8 ounces, 20 inches long. She looks just like Joshua and Tressie. You can tell she's a willman with all her hair!
We have had a very trying day today being that she is having so many complications. They transported her to Valley Childrens NICU this morning and have given her a CT scan, an EEG, and a spinal tap to try and find out what exactly is causing her problems. She will likely be in NICU for at least two weeks. I went by today to check on her, and she's looking good. Nice and pink, despite all the equipment surrounding her, poor baby.
Just pray for us that she will recover and that God will give us peace and sanity during all of this craziness.
We will put updates on our blog: www.willmansunnydaze.blogspot.com
Love,John & Loretta Willman

Tonight or tomorrow.

2008-09-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks as though Heide will be born either tonight or tomorrow. I went to the doctor today and he said that I was dilated 3cm and he swept my membranes to start labor. He said that I would probably be going to the hospital tonight.
I sent John to Perkos to get me a steak. I'm celebrating!

Patience...Patience...

2008-09-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my brother David and his wife Audra had a beautiful little girl! Her name is Kaylie Elizabeth. We went to see her yesterday and she sure is a cutie pie! It made me anxious to have my little Heide in my arms.

So... this morning I woke up thinking that I hope my labor starts soon. After researching for about an hour online this morning about taking caster oil, I decided to pass on that one but sent John to the store for a fresh pineapple (it sounds good anyway) and got out my birthing ball. After all, that's what I used to get Tressie here. Not the pineapple, but the birthing ball. So here I am in front of the computer, sitting on my bouncy ball typing away.

Yesterday was my last day at work, mainly because I'm due soon and I don't want my water to break at work, but I also don't want the week to be wasted just waiting for something to happen. If nothing happens by my dr. appointment on Tuesday, I'm going to ask to be induced. Am I crazy?

Whoa Dude!

2008-09-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

At the end of school on Friday I was entering some math grades into the computer when, lo and behold, here came my first false labor! I just called John and told him what happened and that I was on my way home. Since yesterday there have been about 4 of these lovely braxton-hicks, I think they're called.
Honestly, I'm ready for the real thing. If not this week, maybe next, or next, or...next?

Getting Ready.

2008-09-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

Craigslist saved me some money today! Yeah! I found a lady in Tranquility that had a like-new pack-n-play set up for only $30! Not bad. She also had a swing for $20, and considering that the one I was planning to purchase was $60, I left a happy camper.
Mom & I went to Penny's today and bought a few little odds and ends that were needed, and now, yes now, I feel like there's a place to bring little Heide back to.

Life is Good

2008-08-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

I have to say that my two little angels have to be the cutest I've ever seen! We just got their pictures taken and they really do look like to cherubs. This makes me think...can they just stay this way? After all, on a regular day their halos get bent and often lost.

Is this where the saying "picture perfect" comes from?

Back in the Day

2008-08-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

Mi Vida Loca

2008-08-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Does it get crazier than this? Joshua has been teething...which means fevers and a few seizures, then my classroom was changed at the last minute, I now have 25 boxes of stuff in my classroom that has to be moved by Monday morning (today is Saturday), Joshua threw up in the van 3 times yesterday, I am exhausted and I have to go back to school today to finish my room. Did I say that I have to go grocery shopping too? lol!

Yesterday I drove from Kerman to Madera to Fresno to Mendota back to Kerman to Madera to Fresno and back to Kerman.

Welcome to my crazy life.

John is such a blessing. He is cleaning house and doing laundry for us today. Even cleaning the car seats! He's a keeper.

Back to School Meetings

2008-08-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

If I have to sit through anymore of these welcome back to school meetings I think I might go crazy! All morning long we sat through district meetings which we absorbed a whole lot of nothing, except saying hi to all our co-workers we haven't seen all summer. After lunch we departed to our school sites where we once again were held captive to school site meetings. Although these meetings were much more meaningful, all these meetings made for a very long day. My ankles swelled from sitting so long!
Tomorrow it's back to the chain-gang meetings and, hopefully, we will be able to actually work on preparing our rooms. I'm not complaining, really, it's nice to be back to work, but I like it much better when I'm simply back to teaching.
I'm tired. John just sprayed my smelly feet with febreeze. I think I'll go to sleep now that I smell better.

Yes! A Smartboard!

2008-08-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

I walked into my classroom today with hopes to work on organizing it when I was given two surprises. The first surprise was that the janitor was shampooing my carpets today and I wouldn't be able to get anything done. The second surprise was maintenance standing at my door with a plethora of boxes that go to my new Smartboard! Yeah! Now they only need to be installed. Which may not happen before school starts, but will probably happen before the second quarter is over.

So, today I ended up in the 8th grade math teacher's class unpacking hundreds of books, stamping them with the school stamp and numbering them. About a third of the books will be going to my classroom anyway. We still haven't located the 7th grade books.

Here is a blog that I put together for my class, take a look and tell me what you think: http://www.mathmaddness.blogspot.com/ .

Momma's Little Snob

2008-08-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took the kiddos with me to Fresno State to pick up a copy of the college manual. Well, the college was having an orientation for incoming students and there where small groups of guys and gals sitting around on the grass. One group of girls was watching Tressie and smiling at her. They waved hi to her and obviously thought that she was a little cutie pie. (I think so too!)

Well, you would think that she would at least give them a smile and a wave, but nooooo. let me tell you what she did. She put her little head back, gave them a "Do I know you?" look, flipped her little head away from them and kept walking along in her little girl style. The girls laughed and laughed, I just shrugged and told them sorry. I also told Tressie that wasn't a nice thing to do.

The teen years will be interesting to say the least.

No Smartboard.

2008-08-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have been so spoiled to have a smartboard in my classroom this past year. If you don't know what a smartboard is, it is basically a class-sized projection screen that is run by the touch of a finger. I am able to go online with it, write on it, use any computer program on it, give quizzes on it, and even show class movies on it. I used it a lot last year, and the kids loved the technology.

Unfortunately, when I went to view my new classroom for this upcoming year I discovered there is not one in my new classroom. Hopefully our principal will be able to order one for me, they are not cheap. 13K each. Oh, the cost of a techno education!

There's a Monster in My House!

2008-08-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

The kids are screaming wildly. I hear growling and roars. It is exceedingly noisy. Tressie keeps running to me in terror, but for some reason keeps going back to face the monster. Joshua just screams, and runs, and laughs? What can drive my children to such depths of fear?

Oh, it's just John pretending to be a monster, his shirt covering his face as he growls and roars flailing his arm aimlessly.

False alarm.

Watch Out for the Sops!

2008-08-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

We had to pull over on a country road today for Joshua to "take care of business" and of coarse that meant that he walked around on the dirt some. Well, when we got back into the van he put his precious little feet up on the back of the driver's seat and got it nice and dirty. Don't all kids do that?

"Mom! I'm going to call the sops on you!" Of coarse I asked what in the world he was talking about, to which he replied: "You're letting dad's car get dirty so I'm calling to sops to clean it up."

Joshua thinks, for some reason, that cops, or police officers, are bad people and something to be afraid of. And, even though he was the one that made the mess, he decided that the right thing to do was to call the "sops" on me. Hmmm.....

What made this even more interesting was that he always calls them sops, and I always correct him and say, no, they are called cops. Well, I gave in for a moment and called them sops and guess what he did? He corrected me! No mom, they're cops.

Phillips' Cars

2008-07-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

My very first car out of high school was a Renault Le Car. It was an oxidized orange color, but basically looked like the picture below. It died at every stop sign for a while until my dad turned up the idling, which kept it from passing smog. Let's see, it was hot-wired, so when all my college buddies jumped in to go with me I had to reach for the wires under the dash to start it, and later the wires were connected to a button to push. Often times it also had to be push-started. Now imagine trying to impress your friends while trying to start a clutch car that had to be hot-wired and push-started at the same time. Let's just say that my friends were true friends and not fair-weather friends.

My brother David called it the "orange tomato" and was just a bit embarrassed of it. I think he just liked to tease me.

Another car I had was a little white car (a Dodge Omni). Thankfully, this car did not die at every stop, nor was it hot-wired or needed to be push started. No, this car just didn't want the driver's side door to work. For the longest time I had to roll down my window to open the door to get out of the car. When it was on its last leg, or wheel, it finally didn't let me open the door at all. I had to use the passenger's door to get in and out of my car.

Somehow I still managed to make it through college! Although I am not sure how it happened. Never did it fail that my car would break down on finals week. Never. So, almost every semester during finals week I had to drive my dad to work in Clovis (30 miles), then drive to Reedley College (20 miles), drive either home (30 miles) or back to Clovis and wait several hours for my dad to get off work, and then drive back home (30 miles) while still studying for finals.

My friend Sherrie summed it up quite well. She told me, "What do you expect when you drive a Phillips Car?

And So It Goes...

2008-07-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

This week it has finally hit me that there are only two weeks of summer vacation left. That means that there are two weeks to get busy and make some baby quilts. Two weeks to get prepared to begin a new school year. Two weeks to spend with Josh and Tressie and go out and do things with them. Where has this summer gone?

So, this morning I got up and began a quilt for Heidi and here it is almost 10:00 and lo and behold it is pretty much finished. I'll take a picture to share when it's done. Josh and Tressie have been into their alphabet this morning. I hope Josh does okay with his new school, I'm just a bit nervous.

Last night was baby Kaylie's shower. It was nice and simple. No games, just coffee, cupcakes, fellowship and gifts. What I liked best was that John babysat the kiddos. Yeah a break! Anyway, it was nice to get together with the girls and oh and ah about cute baby stuff. Madelynn was having fun too! She got to open her gifts first.

WhooHooo! A Day on the Town!

2008-07-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

I am not a shopper. I have never been a shopper, and I probably will never be a shopper. If I have to go shopping I want to go straight in, grab what I need, and get out of there.

Today my mom and I are going shopping. She's a shopper. She could stay all day in the stores.

We need to get some baby gifts for baby Kaylie (my soon to be niece) and some school clothes for Joshua. Yes, he is starting pre-kindergarten this year. I'm not sure about the difference between pre-school and pre-kindergarten, maybe it's slightly more academic?

Anyway, just pray that we survive our day.

Name change!!!

2008-07-27T16:02:00.001-07:00

For those of you who are wondering, yes, we are picking a different name for our soon to be little girl. The reason? We ran into 3 different people who named their female dogs Chloe, and when I looked up the name online for pets I discovered that Chloe is the #7 name for female dogs and the #1 name for female cats.

hmmm.....

I would hate for her to go to school and hear, "Here Chloe, here Chloe!!! Come here girl!" Nope, we have a little more heart than that.

So, at this point we do have another tentative name: Heidi Leanne Willman
Hopefully this name will last a bit longer than Chloe did.

Love, Peace, and Hair Grease!

First Day at the Pool

2008-06-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Josh is (hopefully) going to learn a little bit about swimming this summer. He's 3 1/2 and last year he jumped into some deep water and sank. When we pulled him out he just went back. This terrified me, which is understandable. So...today we are going to the community pool (across the street) and let he and Tressie play in the wading pool. Next month he will start swim lessons.

Did I tell you that Josh has phobias? He's afraid of anything that he thinks might get him a little extra attention. Just lately he has decided to be afraid of public restrooms. I'm not sure if I blame him on that one, but he was never afraid before. We don't let him go in alone, mind you, but now we can't flush the toilet until he is out of the stall. He has also, just decided that he is terrified of haircuts. Never has he had a bad cut, nor has he ever cried during his past haircuts, but a few days ago, when we went to Fresno he cried in the van because he was afraid we might go get one. I think he must have been talking with John about bad-haircut anxiety. Anywho, we're getting that done today too by the way. Basically, he has just been needy of attention as of late. Not that I'm not home 24-7 now. Anyway, I'm just wondering how he will do with the wading pool and swim lessons.

John and I have decided to name our upcoming little girl...
Chloe Dijon Willman!(finally)

Yeah Baby!

2008-06-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

After today there is only four working days left for me this school year, and three of them are without students! This I can handle! Then it will be the summer off with my little kiddos and a phat paycheck! Sleeping in! Lazy daze! Sunny daze! Yes!

A Quote for Today's Society

2008-05-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

A little philosophy inclineth a man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion. -Francis Bacon

Wow! Is this what is wrong with today's world? Enough tink-tink to think ourselves wise, but not enough to truly be wise? Does this also apply to the democratic philosophy? When they narrowed it down to Clinton or Obama, what were they thinking (or not)?

What about the universities that market their liberal agendas? Are they counting and preying on students that are impressionable and who don't take the time to thoroughly consider matters?

Are we teaching our children at home the biblical critical thinking skills they will need to meander through life, and the ability to detect such shallow philosophies? Are we teaching them how to access the one true God, where the source of wisdom radiates?

Wow. We, as parents, have a humongous job ahead of us.

2008-05-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

"Let the sunshine in, face it with a grin. Smilers never loose, frowners never win. So let the sunshine in, face it with a grin. Open up your heart and let the sunshine in."

When we shine our light on others, God shines down His light on us. This is the way He has created us. This is our mission; our purpose. Remember though, you must be plugged in to shine.

May His light shine on you today.

Today

2008-05-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today is a beautiful day, full of sunshine and opportunity. So, what will you do with your day? What will you do with your opportunity? What will I do with mine? It is only by God's grace that we are able see today, which means that there is a divine reason that we are here. Let's face the day with a beautiful spirit, a positive attitude, and open eyes for opportunities to share His blessings with others.

Seize the day, leave a legacy, and thrive.

Six Years this Sunday!

2008-04-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

What a great (and busy) six years it has been! This was our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. The youth at our church gave a formal dinner complete with a full course meal delivered to our table at appropriate times, candelight, and props. They even poured our sparkling cider for us! John, you are such a sweetheart! I couldn't ask for anyone better! What a man! I love you!

Building Up the Students

2008-03-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Today at school we had a gathering of our Jr. High students to discuss hatred toward others and positive pride amongst themselves and their school experience. Later in class, I had students design a card that tells something positive about themselves that they are proud of. This is one of my favorites because it is so true.

A Day at the Beach

2008-03-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

Fresh air...sunny breeze...sand between our toes...fish & chips...who could complain?

Transparency

2008-02-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

Transparency. What is it exactly? When we talk of being transparent to the Lord, then maybe we mean that we hide nothing from him and that he sees right through us. This would be an accurate definition also if we were being transparent with a friend. Just being real and not trying to be something that we are not. This would be the definition if we ourselves attempt to be transparent. No one else, except God of course, would be able to make us transparent in this positive way.

Here's another take at transparency. My family and I went to dinner yesterday in Fresno and another family walked in the door that belonged to a neighboring congregation. They may not have known who John was, but they knew who I was. The wife graciously smiled, and I smiled back, but the husband made my husband and I a transparency even though we were only about five feet away from them for about eight or so minutes. I really do think that he was able to see right through us and see empty chairs! It was amazing. He chose not to see us for what we were, he chose to not see us for what we weren't.

Maybe this should be called negative transparency. What do you think?

Ugggg!!!

2008-02-19T06:57:00.000-08:00

I am so sick of being sick. That's all I have to say today. God bless the few that peek at this blog. Have a good day.

Time Flies

2008-02-16T21:56:00.001-08:00

It seems like just yesterday that I found my little Joshie doing this:

Where does all the time go to? It just keeps passing us by so quickly! Is there a pause button?

Two Years Old!

2008-02-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

Tressie had her two year birthday this last Friday. She is full of energy and learning so much everyday! This is a particularly good birthday because now she gets to go to Sunday School! Yeah! I didn't know what to do with myself this past Sunday morning with no Tressie or Joshua to occupy my attention. It felt nice, but at the same time, I have to admit, I was fighting to keep awake. Not that the service was bad, because it wasn't, just because I have gotten used to half listening to the service due to the kiddos.

Here she is with all of her cousins (at least the ones from around here)! They have so much fun when they all get together and play. By this time next year there will be two more added to the group! How exciting!

Lullaby and Goodnight...

2008-02-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

Just when we thought we were recouperating from midnight cries, baby diapers, bottles and extream exhaustion....
Just when we thought we could begin to enjoy life and give a little more time to other areas in our life....
Just when we got used to sleeping in....

We were given a surprise. Although both extreamly shocked, we will welcome our soon to come third little Willman.

Does anyone know how to get one of those ticker timer things?

Opportunity

2008-02-03T16:59:00.000-08:00

It looks like I may have to opportunity to help teach English to a Chinese family here in town! Isn't that exciting? The Chinese culture in itself is an education loving people, and many are taught in whole language (a teaching style that embrases comprehension rather than enunciation) and does not focus on correct pronunciation (phonics). Therefore, I may be helping this family in the line of phonics. I'm excited, although it will take yet another night out of my week. John says to just get used to it because it's not going to slow down any. Here we go....

Testimony Time

2008-01-30T06:31:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you a little story today about my dad. You see, he didn't have a dad growing up. The role model just wasn't there because he lost his dad when he was only two years old. He was determined though, to be the best dad that he possibly could.

I remember when he used to get up and testify in church. He almost always started with, "My God is real!", and then it lead into a regular testimony. Usually...

One time he told the chicken story. The hens would not lay eggs, so dad went out and prayed for those chickens, got up in their roost and showed them what they were supposed to do, and then told them that if they didn't start laying eggs that they were going to go on the chopping block. Funny thing is, after that they started laying eggs. Wouldn't you?

When Two Worlds Collide

2008-01-29T06:11:00.000-08:00

Here is another picture that I happened upon from Sydney/PNG. The airport screening somehow transposed the film onto each other, but what an interesting collision between the two worlds of a mainstream and a third-world country.

What I particularly want you to notice is the resemblance between the girl (I don't know who she is) who is standing in the same area as the queen's wax sculpture. Take note of her facial features and how her stance is with that of the queen's behind/in front of her. It almost gives me the feeling of a time warp! Amazing. Actually, this pack of warped film is some of my favorite from the trip, because well, it's trippy.

Namba Wan Blog

2008-01-28T06:39:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some old pictures today and found the PNG Namba Wan Coffee House. In PNG (Paupua New Guinea) everything is namba wan. There's the namba wan bank, the namba wan restaurant, and even the song, "Jesus You Namba Wan". They have the good life there you see, everything is namba wan, yet they have so little.

In our society, nothing seems to be good enough. One just has to have that new dress, that new car, their neighbor's house, their neighbor's ox.... whatever, you get the idea.

Our nation would be much more peaceful and content if we exited Interstate Greed and turned onto the Contentment Highway.

Peace Out!

Clarity is Everything.

2008-01-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

Last night was my first day back to school. Not teaching myself mind you, but actually going back and becoming a students again. My multi-subject credential is not enough to cover the science class that I teach, so therefore I must take a few (about 5) more classes of science to be considered "highly qualified".

The class is Physical Science, which is what I also teach by the way, and I have discovered that it will be a lot (and I do mean a lot) of work! This guy believes in homework! But, what I find most interesting about the class is how scatter-brained the instructor is. Don't get me wrong, he knows his stuff. He just jumps around a lot and if it wasn't for the fact that I teach physical science I would be completely lost as are more than half the students in the class. My notes do not follow a set pattern mostly because he begins on one subject, jumps the next two subjects, and then decides to go back to the previous message. hmmm.

I have noticed that in my teaching that sometimes I can ramble also. I will being talking about something, a student will ask a question, or I'll think of something else, and off I go into the world of rambling. Maybe that should be my resolution this year. Not to ramble, because clarity is important, and when it comes to those end of the year tests, clarity is everything.

Another Vacation Bites the Dust!

2008-01-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

Wow! Three weeks go by so fast and now it's time to go once again to those cement hallways and greet all my little angels. Tressie cried and cried this morning when John dropped her off at the daycare and Joshua just stood looking out the window until Daddy left. (John always calls and tells me about how the kids do when they are dropped off. Such a good Daddy, that John.)

So, cup of java in my hand, purse packed to the gills, and car keys in my other hand, I set out for yet another adventure in the junior high school jungle. God, please help me today, and all my little angels too. You know I love them all. Even those that give me a bad time.

How fast time flies!

2008-01-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find it interesting that time has a way of passing us by so quickly? Yet God has never failed to be good through each and every year! Henceforth the name of my blog: Sunny Daze.

This will probably end up being a rambling page, although I may actually try to tap into my intelligence...who knows?

Thank you for stopping by!