My baby got his Driver's License today... Waaahhhhhh!

Today was one of those days my son will remember for the rest of his life.  The day he got his Driver's License.  I tried to make it a good day...

I smiled alot... although I wanted to bawl my eyes out.

I didn't yell at him as he drove me to school... even though he stops waaaaaay to late...

I made sure and said a prayer with/for him before his test.

Did I mention I tried really hard not to cry?

Yeah, that plan failed.

Right after the DMV lady came to sit in the passenger side of his truck... I excused myself to go to the ladies room, and let the tears fall in private.  He's almost a man now.  What the heck and I gonna do with an almost full grown man as a son?  He won't need me for anything soon... THEN what am I gonna do?

This Motherhood business is so tough.  You pour your entire life, heart and soul into raising these humans... and they go and get all independent on you... WHAT'S UP WITH THAT!

He is soooo very excited.  I drove him home so I could get MY car, and he took HIS truck back to school.
No more "ours".  {{sigh}}

So I told him I loved him, and watched him drive away...
and called the school to make sure he got there okay...
What!!! I'm his Mama!  It's my right!  He might be a man (almost)... but he'll ALWAYS be my little boy...

Thankful... oh... so Thankful!

I really love Thanksgiving.  It's one of my favorite Holidays.  Much more so than Christmas or Chanukah.
Thanksgiving is a holiday without airs.  It's simple.  Eat a lovely meal with those you love, be thankful, clean up, and bask in the Thankfulness for a few days.  There's no other Holiday like it.

I love how generous this Holiday makes everyone seem to feel.  Homeless food pantries become full, shut in's get invited for a meal, warm clothing gets donated to those on the streets.  What I truly wish, is that all of us would do this kind of stuff ALL THE TIME... all year long... but Thanksgiving is a great place to start.

I know some of my friends don't believe in God, and I respect their beliefs.  But I will encourage them to just for one second, just for a moment in time, for a nanosecond... to just fathom that someone GREATER than ourselves is watching over us, protecting us, giving and blessing us with the lives we have, the children we have, the roofs over our heads, the smiles on our faces.  JUST FOR A SECOND... and then to just say a little 'Thank You'.  I know those friends of mine believe they are the reason for the blessings, that it comes from them, and their choices alone, that nothing divine is helping them. 

I also know they believe this way because they look around and see so many homeless, hurting, starving, broken people not being helped, or cured, or given shelter.  They see a world where there CAN'T be a God, because if there were... then why doesn't He HELP them?

The only answer I have to that question is... THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR.  I believe will all my heart and soul that my Saviour is EVERYWHERE, all the time.  The He is omniscient, omnipresent, omniAWESOME... and he CAN and DOES help everyone, ALL THE TIME...  All. The. Time.

I do not come from the belief system that "God helps those who help themselves"... no... NO... He helps EVERYONE... whether they believe in Him or not!!!  He created EVERYONE in His image, and he loves me as much as He loves the person saying He doesn't exist!  I am no better than anyone else because I love Him, but BECAUSE I love Him, it is my (our) responsibility to help our fellow brothers and sisters that are broken, homeless, and abandoned.  THAT'S what we are here for.  God put US here to do His work.  We can't see Him right now... but we can be seen.  WE CAN DO HIS WORK, to clothe, and feed and be a light to those who don't have as much as we do. 

I love Thanksgiving because it doesn't exist as a holiday of giving things to other people because we can afford to do so.  It exists to feed, and to concentrate on being thankful and giving, and in that spirit, it jolts our minds to be sensitive to the fact that we have SOOOOOOOO much, when others have SOOOOOOO little.

If I may, allow me to make a suggestion this weekend?

Take a little time to go through your closets and drawers this weekend.  Grab a huge bag and start filling it with blankets and clothes and things you haven't used in a long time (a year or two) and keep it in your car.  When you are driving around this weekend, shopping, lunching, laughing and spending... be mindful of the people on the street with the shopping carts as cars, or the family walking down the streets in shorts in cold weather, and hand them your unused items.  Just hand it to them and say... "This is from God, not me... He wants you to know He loves you and will meet your needs... "  If you have some money, buy them some food.  It's such a small, simple gesture... but it's what He wants us to do.

I am so thankful for the roof over my head... I need to stop complaining about how "small" it is.

I am so thankful for my car... I need to stop complaining about how old it is.

I am so thankful for my new job...I need to stop complaining... oh wait... no complaints there yet... LOL

I am so thankful for my kids... I need to stop complaining they don't listen to me... they are teens, they aren't supposed to...

I am to thankful for my Husband... I need to stop complaining that he works too much... he is supporting all of us beautifully...

I am so thankful for my parents...I need to stop complaining they are divorced, and just enjoy them individually.

I am even thankful for my extra layers... I need to stop complaining I'm not losing them fast enough, and continue to love myself where I am.

Be thankful and mindful this Holiday Season...

Much love, health, happiness and prosperity to all...

Sandra

Chick chick chicken!!!

At this very moment... I am sitting in my awesome classroom, waiting to cook chicken.  Doesn't that seem like a fun thing to be doing?

My hubby just left... he brought lunch over to my classroom, since I don't leave at all on Thursdays.  He leaves for HAWAII tomorrow, without me.  I meet up with him next week.  I can't wait for the rest.

 But truth be told, I'm going to miss my class.  I'm rotten.  I didn't want anyone to cook with them but me... so I made up a bunch of stuff for them to do while I'm away, that doesn't involve cooking, so they will miss me bunches... LOL!!!  So I have a test for them on one day, and a recipe writing task on another... isn't that terrible?

Tonight is my last Football meal to cook for my team in the regular season. I'm a little sad.  It's been SUCH a great time.  All the young men are so fantastic.  They REALLY appreciate the food, and the effort put forth by all the parents.  It's a real pleasure to cook for them.

We also had our 2nd Fundraiser this week, and it went really well!  My students ROCKED IT... they even earned Tips!!!

Our next one is December 1, and we are coupling our dinner with the opening of our play... and we are making Meatball Calzones, salads, cupcakes or Cream Puffs... sooo excited!!!

I gotta get to work now to feed these boys...

Here's what's been up!!!

Oy Vay!!!!!

You know what?  I get paid to work 8 hours a week, and I am at "work" about 50 hours... AND I LOVE IT!

I have had sooooo many opportunities for additional income in the past two weeks, it makes me giddy!!!

But enough about work.

I wanna talk about... oh... I don't know... something else... like... OOhhh...I got a new couch and ottoman!!!

Okay... done talking about THAT!...

Now what...

Oh, our 18th Anniversary was on October 17.  It was a fun day.  We went couch shopping, out to lunch, grocery shopping, and came home to a lovely surprise dinner made by our boys... we didn't have the heart to tell them we were stuffed from our late lunch... so we offered to help them eat it all up later that evening.  It was delish!!!

I cook all day, every day... so my life is kinda in a little box these days.  I'm not complaining... it's just different.

I'd LOOOOOVE TO write about the students... BUT I WOULDN'T DARE!!!... Maybe someday when I'm old and gray... (I know, I know... that's NOW!)

Going to Hawaii soon... so there's that!!!