symphtwo's Xanga

Fall Facts

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:07:59 GMT

Remembering one year ago this time:

#1 - HOSPITAL ADMIT
Thank you, Lord, for no hospital THIS year! I am so grateful for YOUR getting me up and out and back to being well. Never been so sick as I was last year. Never hurt so bad as I did last year. 2009 rocks! Life is good: I love my job, my children are "walking with the Lord", my church family is caring + supportive, I'm blessed w 5 precious grandchildren, I enjoy a comfortable home ... is it Thanksgiving yet?

#2 - ROBBERY
Sweetest Day 2008 saw me in bed asleep for the night, only to be awakend @ midnight by an intruder breaking down the door to barge into my living room. Remembering the Soho police and their awesome response. Remembering God's protective watch-care. Remembering how cool it was that nothing was taken or damaged (except the door). Enjoying Sweetest Day 2009 so much MORE, as 2009 gives me an opportunity to host one of Soho's diversity dinners w 14 new friends @ the house for baked chicken + mushrooms!

Summer Smiles

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:27:14 GMT

May 2009 -- ANA'S 4TH BDAY
We celebrated @ Chuck E Cheez: how special to have 3 of my 4 children present. Only the Georgia contingency was missing.

JUNE 2009 -- SCHOOL'S OUT
Our district had a/c installed last summer, which meant we started LATE in order to accommodate the unfinished construction...which means we had to go to the THIRD wk in June to get in the required days. It's gonna be a very short summer this yr.

JULY 2009 -- THE 4TH, ETC.
Going out to eat (lots of times) w the fam: 8 of us.

The dunes in Chesterton, IN w a picnic supper, sand castles, climbing, + fireworks: 8 of us.

Outdoor supper @ Panera, then Starbucks in HW Park to listen to the band and play on the swings: 8 of us.

Dairy Queen afterwards: 8 of us.

Bikes to Veterans Park for fireworks + babysitting on Louis Ct: 8 of us.

Fire pit on the patio w peanuts + sparklers: 8 of us.

AUGUST 2009 -- END OF SUMMER
S + B flying back from Montana, their college reunion, their family visits, + their SECOND wedding anniversary.

Special bday for SGR: xoxo. I thank God for her: xoxo.

Whoop-tee-doodle: H + J come to visit gma w Baby Noah.

Back to school before the month is out.

APRIL AWAKENINGS!

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:31:33 GMT

April 3-5: NABBA Competition
how fun to be in kentucky w heather, joseph, and baby noah. listening to josephs band perform was a real treat...but not as GREAT as all the gma-time w baby noah! xoxo

April 6: Bday Time for JWK
no fun being in soho while my son is in michigan. bdays are meant for being TOGETHER. i miss you, joel.

Ps. 1:1-2 blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (thats you),
nor standeth in the way of sinners (thats you),
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful (thats you).
but his delight is in the law of the Lord (thats you).

xoxo

April 10: Easter Vacation
ten days off from school. lots of time w rebekah while her mommy takes daytime classes for continuing education @ the hospital.

April 23: Hines Veterans Hospital
our school choir travels to serve those military personnel hospitalized and in need of a little sunshine!

ATLANTA BIRTHDAY

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:45:24 GMT

happy birthday to my beloved son, joseph.

daniel 12:3

and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament;
and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.

thats you, joseph: a bright + shining star.
xoxo

TEXAS BIRTHDAY

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:35:08 GMT

happy birthday to my beloved daughter...30 years. so far away in texas. miss her. wish i could be there to help her CELEBRATE. wish i could be there to just HELP her. shucks: wish i could just BE there!

NUMBERS 6:24-26
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace.

SPRING 2009

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:24:41 GMT

CASMIR PULASKI DAY - ATLANTA, GA.
living in the chicagoland area, means having a 4-day wk end in honor of casmir pulaski (a polish war hero who assisted the U.S.). as you can guess, chicago has a large polish population. thats fine with me, cuz it means i get to fly to atlanta to see baby noah and spend some gma-time holding him!

DISTRICT CONTEST
our school choir travels to century jhs on march 13th to compete: Music of the Sea, God Bless America, and an old favorite from the choir library -- Walk Dem Bones.

PINNING CEREMONY
we get to attend this event and watch as sgr enters the field of professional nursing. somebody better take pictures!

ps: happy b-day, karl (beloved nephew).

Happy New Year 2009

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:25:59 GMT

MLK 2009
our school choir will be preparing to participate in soho's village event, hosted @ the covenant united church of christ here in soho: a mass choir of 100+ w students from schools and adults from churches combined. gospel music...here we come!

CHRISTMAS 2008
3 of my 4 children were here to celebrate w their families, including browdy (puppy of m+j). sorely missed h+j, seeing as their baby is due in a few days. travel, especially by plane, is not recommended for imminently expectant mothers! gma (thats ME) soooo enjoyed being w ana (3), autumn (2), alaina (nb), and rebekah (nb). what a bundle of blessings!

i also got to travel by train to MI to play for my grand-nephews wdg: michael + megan. lots of fun reconnecting w family and being part of such a festive and elegant event: rehearsal dinner @ palazzo di bocce. look it up online!

DECEMBER 2008
the month of december saw mckinley monarch choir giving a joint concert w mr beam and the band (in the small gym), due to the installation-in-progress of new flooring in the main gym. we also performed for christmas around the world @ the museum of science + industry. our service project included windmill nursing home, rest haven south, E.C.H.O. school of soho, arden courts, and of course olde country buffet for lunch. we took a half day off to visit mb financial bank and tri-state rehab -- on the last day of school before break. the last wk of school found us caroling throughout the jhs, elementary bldg, and district office (on a daily basis). busy.

October Recovery

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:07:46 GMT

so: this next month focuses on recovery from home with lots of sleeping! i am so grateful for joseph, joel, sara ... and their spouses. their love and support have been truly amazing.

JOEL: from michigan -- visiting in the hospital -- 2 week ends in a row. xoxo

JOSEPH: from georgia -- flying in for 4 days to cook and be a chauffeur for lab appointments, dr check ups, and hospital visit. xoxo

SARA: from indiana -- my angel of mercy for every day and night in between. xoxo

God is so good to have invented the family and to bless me with such sacrificial children. Thank you, Lord.

Sad September

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:44:52 GMT

just got home from the hospital: have been soooooo sick. thank you, Lord, for bringing me back, turning my body around, and allowing this healing process to continue. Lord willing, i will eventually make it back to my teaching job @ good ol' mck. for now, im just very happy to be alive, w/o pain, and able to breathe.

AUGUST is here.

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:58:50 GMT

sadness to see summer end: a memorable summer with j+h's visit, a montanian wdg, s+b's house purchase, and the announcement of THREE (3) grandbabies to come! august has some pretty special items in it, as we close out the summer memories.

8.05.85
sgr had a bday and we celebrated w lasagna and 8 dinner guests @ ye olde homestead on louis court.

8.11.85
summer bible club for mck continues w probably 4 events in august: a monitors planning session for the 11th, an all-skate outing @ lynwood sports center on the 15th, a get-together @ one of the local churches for bible-study-plus, and a bowling event for the 25th. "the Word" is still going out!

8.21.08
probable visit to TX to see ana and autumn (xoxo).

8.22.08
bday of CAB (xoxo).

september will see the resumption of school on the 4th...quite an out-of-box experience! w the installation of a/c over the summer, the bldg will not yet be ready for school @ the traditional starting date in august. im sure the students are all cheering, but remember: what we lose in august, we make up in june. either way, im one grateful person when it comes to a/c. kudos to willis haviland carrier...maybe even a posthumously awarded nobel peace prize!