Saturday, October 8, 2011
Joel
Oh, Joel, I am so proud of you! You came across the US to places completely unknown and made a great place for yourself. You have such nice roommates, kind, approachable, comfortable and you have tons of great friends who appreciate you for who you are. You have welcomed me here with open arms and made my stay comfortable and enjoyable. You made a cozy place for me to sleep (in the closet) and knowing you, you were providing me with the very best since you love to sleep in closets! I love that your apartment is quiet, relaxing, serene, even mostly clean! (Except your room, of course). Last night when you wer filming your thriller video with your roommates, it was just like when you used to play pretend and giggle with your friends only now you have a real camera and lights You are so in your element. And I love that you are on the quidditch team! So perfect! I'm proud of you for pursuing this fraternity (co-ed--also so you) and being a part of a social community. You make great choices! You are an amzing person. I'm proud to be your mom.
LA Treasures Conference
About noon, got in the taxi at USC and off I went on the 405 freeway and then the 101, past the Hollywood sign on the hill to Van Nuys Blvd. I ate lunch in the cab and looked at sights and watched the video posted on the back of the seat. The taxi got to the address and I swiped my credit card ($60!) and he gave me my suitcase and left. I looked around and saw nothing. I finally found a sign that had fallen over. I was in the right place! I went upstairs and registered and waited and talked to the gal at the table. Other women started showing up. I had worn the right clothes--my jeans and flat shoes and fluffy blouse. About 25 women were there but no one sat by me. We introduced ourselves and everyone else were from larger cities. Most had come in groups but a few came alone. Some where women who had worked in the sex industry. We were all there for a purpose--to reach out to girls in the clubs who are hurting and need Jesus.
I was distracted from the start having just left Joel at USC, all that is going on at home with my parents, and not feeling real well from a cold. They talked about the ministry and the outreach and I couldn't concentrate well. I was concerned about how I would get back to the hotel for the break. I needed food and rest and to regroup and freshen up. When they started talking about the actual outreach and what we would see in the clubs--full nudity, lap dances, and that we'd be going into "hostess clubs" or brothels, I started to feel afraid. What in the world was I doing here? I wanted to skip the outreach part and I considered just staying at the hotel. So when the afternoon ended, I stood up and asked if anyone was going to the hotel. A lady Pastor said she was so I rode back. I tried to rest, called home to check on Dad, ate some food from the vending machine and washed my face and changed into a black jacket and my boots and jeans and went back to the Treasures office. I still felt distracted and scared and did NOT want to see anyone doing a naked lap dance!
When I got there, there was a gal sitting alone and I remembered she'd said she'd been in the industry previously and she'd come alone too. She looked terrified. I went over to her and asked if she was ok. She said she wanted to leave, that she wasn't like the other girls and she had no idea why she was there. I told her I felt the exact same way! I started saying all the exact things I need to hear myself--that God wanted her there for a reason and that He knew what her purpose was--maybe she could reach the girls no one else could! Then another girl, Sharon, who was all put together and confident looking came over and said she was scared too! We all prayed together. We all worshipped as a group and it helped me focus some and calm down some. Then we all stood and they asked for volunteers to pray. Usually, God lays it on my heart to pray but for some reason, He didn't at all that weekend. We prayed for the bouncers, managers, house moms, the team, the girls on the team who'd be going back into the clubs for the first time after leaving the industry, all the girls in the clubs and over the gifts bags themselves. They told us that we were to just give the gifts to the girls and express unconditional love toward them. I felt weird about this because I was leaving and would never see them again but they explained that we were to gain trust for Treasures in general.
We divided up into two shuttles. One would go to downtown LA and mine was headed to Hollywood, Sunset Strip and West LA. I was excited to see these places I've never been. I sat on the shuttle with Sharon, a neat gal who is head of a ministry that encourages women to be in the Word. I shared my story with her and tried to stay focused but I did keep breaking their rules by texting the family.
We paired up and took turns going into the clubs to give the gifts to the girls. The bags had lip gloss, cool earrings and a card with the website on it that just said, "You are loved, you are valued and you are a treasure." I went up to the club doors twice but never went in. We were 100% successful at getting all our gift bags accepted. Some of the girls were able to go inside the clubs. Harmony was able to have a good conversation with one of the dancers who told her she would for sure call the number. One of the former dancers in the shuttle shared how freeing it was to have gone back into the club after leaving the industry 17 years ago.
At the second club, I looked in as the door opened just for a moment and saw the girls projected in sillouette on a large screen and I realized that God wasn't going to have me go in to the club for a reason. Having grown up with a dad who had difficulty showing me love and then going through the divorce, the promiscuity (even though I saved actual intercourse until college) and the abortion, I feel like I am just now healing as a fully sexual person. I am really for the first time truly understanding how wonderful married sex can be. I think that God didn't want to ruin that.
The second day of the conference, I learned tons. The biggest thing I learned is that when mentoring these girls who have such incredible, overwhelming needs, we don't have to have the answers nor do we need to take responsibility for their recovery. God will do a work in them and transform them. Our role is to love them unconditionally, model healthy boundaries, be there for them consistently, and point them to God. Period. This was so freeing to me.
I am not sure what my role will be other than to take this information back to the ladies at the church and to train them to do this outreach and to mentor hurting women. I also think that the info will be really valuable to Mary in her jail ministry. And maybe the two ministries can combine. I could see myself facilitating support groups for the women and debriefing the teams, maybe even providing consultation to the mentors. I will pray and wait and see.
I was distracted from the start having just left Joel at USC, all that is going on at home with my parents, and not feeling real well from a cold. They talked about the ministry and the outreach and I couldn't concentrate well. I was concerned about how I would get back to the hotel for the break. I needed food and rest and to regroup and freshen up. When they started talking about the actual outreach and what we would see in the clubs--full nudity, lap dances, and that we'd be going into "hostess clubs" or brothels, I started to feel afraid. What in the world was I doing here? I wanted to skip the outreach part and I considered just staying at the hotel. So when the afternoon ended, I stood up and asked if anyone was going to the hotel. A lady Pastor said she was so I rode back. I tried to rest, called home to check on Dad, ate some food from the vending machine and washed my face and changed into a black jacket and my boots and jeans and went back to the Treasures office. I still felt distracted and scared and did NOT want to see anyone doing a naked lap dance!
When I got there, there was a gal sitting alone and I remembered she'd said she'd been in the industry previously and she'd come alone too. She looked terrified. I went over to her and asked if she was ok. She said she wanted to leave, that she wasn't like the other girls and she had no idea why she was there. I told her I felt the exact same way! I started saying all the exact things I need to hear myself--that God wanted her there for a reason and that He knew what her purpose was--maybe she could reach the girls no one else could! Then another girl, Sharon, who was all put together and confident looking came over and said she was scared too! We all prayed together. We all worshipped as a group and it helped me focus some and calm down some. Then we all stood and they asked for volunteers to pray. Usually, God lays it on my heart to pray but for some reason, He didn't at all that weekend. We prayed for the bouncers, managers, house moms, the team, the girls on the team who'd be going back into the clubs for the first time after leaving the industry, all the girls in the clubs and over the gifts bags themselves. They told us that we were to just give the gifts to the girls and express unconditional love toward them. I felt weird about this because I was leaving and would never see them again but they explained that we were to gain trust for Treasures in general.
We divided up into two shuttles. One would go to downtown LA and mine was headed to Hollywood, Sunset Strip and West LA. I was excited to see these places I've never been. I sat on the shuttle with Sharon, a neat gal who is head of a ministry that encourages women to be in the Word. I shared my story with her and tried to stay focused but I did keep breaking their rules by texting the family.
We paired up and took turns going into the clubs to give the gifts to the girls. The bags had lip gloss, cool earrings and a card with the website on it that just said, "You are loved, you are valued and you are a treasure." I went up to the club doors twice but never went in. We were 100% successful at getting all our gift bags accepted. Some of the girls were able to go inside the clubs. Harmony was able to have a good conversation with one of the dancers who told her she would for sure call the number. One of the former dancers in the shuttle shared how freeing it was to have gone back into the club after leaving the industry 17 years ago.
At the second club, I looked in as the door opened just for a moment and saw the girls projected in sillouette on a large screen and I realized that God wasn't going to have me go in to the club for a reason. Having grown up with a dad who had difficulty showing me love and then going through the divorce, the promiscuity (even though I saved actual intercourse until college) and the abortion, I feel like I am just now healing as a fully sexual person. I am really for the first time truly understanding how wonderful married sex can be. I think that God didn't want to ruin that.
The second day of the conference, I learned tons. The biggest thing I learned is that when mentoring these girls who have such incredible, overwhelming needs, we don't have to have the answers nor do we need to take responsibility for their recovery. God will do a work in them and transform them. Our role is to love them unconditionally, model healthy boundaries, be there for them consistently, and point them to God. Period. This was so freeing to me.
I am not sure what my role will be other than to take this information back to the ladies at the church and to train them to do this outreach and to mentor hurting women. I also think that the info will be really valuable to Mary in her jail ministry. And maybe the two ministries can combine. I could see myself facilitating support groups for the women and debriefing the teams, maybe even providing consultation to the mentors. I will pray and wait and see.
USC
Went to see Joel in LA last weekend and blogged in my journal--will copy it here:
This is such a unique place. The busy-ness reminds me of New York--constant traffic, tons of people always moving but more bikes and pedestrians and skateboards. The grocery store reminded me of Mexico City--about as many hispanic folks and spanish being spoken and limited selection and dirty floors. The prices were low, too, expecially the produce which makes sense. The people here are unique--all fashion forward--not dressy, just edgy, cooler. The weather is amazing--right about skin temp--a little warmer in the afternoon and a little cooler in the evening. No more that a light breeze ever and often its perfectly still. There are palm trees and stucco buildings and flowers and food trucks and lots of sunshine (and smog this morning).
Visit so far: Getting to the airport, parking and flight were perfect--I even had a great nap on the plane with no one sitting next to me. Joel met me on the corner where the shuttle dropped me off and we walked to his apartment. It's above the pool and is very quiet, simple, serene. His rommates are calm and quiet and nice. Right when I arrived, the USC housing people came around with an adorable beagle dog who was sniffing for bed bugs. Interesting. We relaxed then walked about half an hour and had a nice breakfast at Jacks and Jo. We stopped by one of Joel's class buildings on the way back then rested at the apartment. He went to class and I napped then we walked to the grocery store. The lady in front of my had two credit cards decline so I paid for her groceries--about $50. Ours turned out to be about half as much as I'd estimated so that was cool. We got back to Joel's apartment and went to Joel's friend Alicia's apartment so they could inteview each other for a frat assignment. I tagged along. He's very busy. He's at class now so I'm people watching.
This is such a unique place. The busy-ness reminds me of New York--constant traffic, tons of people always moving but more bikes and pedestrians and skateboards. The grocery store reminded me of Mexico City--about as many hispanic folks and spanish being spoken and limited selection and dirty floors. The prices were low, too, expecially the produce which makes sense. The people here are unique--all fashion forward--not dressy, just edgy, cooler. The weather is amazing--right about skin temp--a little warmer in the afternoon and a little cooler in the evening. No more that a light breeze ever and often its perfectly still. There are palm trees and stucco buildings and flowers and food trucks and lots of sunshine (and smog this morning).
Visit so far: Getting to the airport, parking and flight were perfect--I even had a great nap on the plane with no one sitting next to me. Joel met me on the corner where the shuttle dropped me off and we walked to his apartment. It's above the pool and is very quiet, simple, serene. His rommates are calm and quiet and nice. Right when I arrived, the USC housing people came around with an adorable beagle dog who was sniffing for bed bugs. Interesting. We relaxed then walked about half an hour and had a nice breakfast at Jacks and Jo. We stopped by one of Joel's class buildings on the way back then rested at the apartment. He went to class and I napped then we walked to the grocery store. The lady in front of my had two credit cards decline so I paid for her groceries--about $50. Ours turned out to be about half as much as I'd estimated so that was cool. We got back to Joel's apartment and went to Joel's friend Alicia's apartment so they could inteview each other for a frat assignment. I tagged along. He's very busy. He's at class now so I'm people watching.
Monday, September 5, 2011
God is so good
I have just been through one of the most difficult weeks of my life. Every single time I have been through something rough, I am blown away but how good God is and how He provides all we need and more always, but even more during trials. There were so many blessings this week. I want to share them with you but also preserve them here. So most of you know that on Monday last week, I got a call at work from my brother that Jean took an overdose of pills and was being rushed to Shawnee Mission Hospital. I left work and got there in time for her to sort of wake up. I came home that night and went to work the next day to get things organized to go back and was surrounded with love and support from my work friends. All week I received texts and calls and emails from all my friends and family and I felt their love and prayers. I spent all week in KC drawing closer to Jean, who apparently needed us so much more than she let on, and had some really awesome times with my dad this week and also my brother. Jean was able to really hug me close and to share her heart with me. We prayed together and cried together many times this week. One special memory is several times as we were leaving the floor, I asked if we could pray and the three of us, Dad, Jean and I would come close with our arms around each other and foreheads touching, praying and crying together. Dad shared his heart with me quite a bit this week also as he wrestled with what happened with Jean but also trying to come to terms with his Alzheimers. I now understand that someone as intelligent and as social as my Dad can fool people into thinking they aren't as progressed with the disease as they are. The social worker told us that lots of people would spend a few minutes with Dad and say he seems fine (for example, Scott spent about 15 minutes with him and said we are overreacting). The more time we spent with Dad, the more impaired we realize he truly is and the more care he needs. It gives me insight into what Jeanie has been going through. Sure, my Dad seems fine. In fact, he is much mellower and easier to get along with than ever. But he wanders in the night and other times. He forgets and even gets into his meds at the wrong times. But he is funny and I really enjoyed my week with him. Night before last we put steaks on the grill and sipped mai tais on the patio and we both really enjoyed ourselves. Dad asked me, "Does Scott do crazy things like this with you?" Each morning we sat together at the breakfast bar in the kitchen eating our cereal and sipping coffee. Yesterday he offered me a year's salary to come live with them. We went for a long walk on a cool trail in the woods and chatted the whole time. We laughed and joked together. On one walk, I told him he gets around pretty well for an old guy and he said, "I'm slowing waaaay down for you." Another awesome blessing was a social worker from the Alzheimer's Association that I just ended up on the phone with (coincidence? I don't think so). She had sooo much knowledge and compassion. She spent two hours on Sunday of Labor Day weekend with us as she recognized the crisis. I learned so much about resources and Alzheimers and she really helped Dave and I come together on some decisions and make a plan. I was able to switch from flailing around to a planned attack. I was able to come home to get ready to head into a tough work week (but I know that God will be with me). My brother is so amazing to take on so much since he lives closer to both Dad and Mom. Really, truly, this has been an incredibly tough week but I feel closer to Dad, to Jean, to my brother, and I feel so much closer to God. No matter how close I get to Him and how endless His wisdom, mercy and provisions seem, there is no end to Him, there is just infinitely more that He has for me. It is so amazing to hit a huge crisis like this and just feel His arms around me and I just lean back into Him and watch Him work out all the details in miraculous ways I could never dream of. We will probably place Dad and Jean in one of the super nice retirement villages there in KC where they will get all they need and we can go see them without worrying about them. A few more details to work out and this will all be ok.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Update
I am feeling guilty because I have completely neglected my family the last few weeks. I want to call and have a great conversation with each of you, then I thought I could email you, then I thought well, I can at least blog you and you'll know what is going on with us and then I can somehow let each one of you know I love you and miss you, I think of you often, and I have each one of you in my prayers! I even missed Julie's birthday this week! I haven't even kept up with you on facebook!
School has started and is full swing. Along with the usual many many things to get started, I am already doing full social work crisis intervention and have already had a staff conflict (which I HATE and avoid at all costs and then have to work really hard to let go of and not beat myself up!) It is hard to get back into getting up in the mornings and balancing my time throughout the week. This year we have a few additional things going on at home too, as you know!
Renovation update: The big room upstairs has been sheetrocked and painted and Jon moved his stuff over there and loves it! It is a great room! We still need to put in the new light fixture. The smaller room has the new antique twin bed set up for guests but will be somewhat of a storeroom also until the whole project is done. The upstairs bathroom is done all except for hanging the cabinet above the toilet. It is beautiful! I will put pictures on facebook as soon as we get it totally done. But I have moved my stuff up there and am sharing it with Jon. I got to soak in the tub after a workout this week! It really is very nice. Yesterday I started demolition on the bathroom downstairs.:)I picked out all the cabinets and countertops for the bathroom and kitchen and yesterday ordered the kitchen appliances!
We enjoy having Jon here but I think I see him about 5 minutes a day if that. He is so busy with his ministry but it is going well. He's made tons of friends and sometimes they pop in with him, too. I think Scott sees him during the day more than I do.
I am still spending time with Adelle each week. We tie dyed t shirts last weekend and sometimes I give her a ride to her youth group. Today we will just look at the shirts, get some orange leaf frozen yogurt, check her facebook and I'm anxious to hear about her first week at the big high school. She turns 16 in November! I had her stuck in my mind at 14!
I did a great job with working out this week and plan to add some variety to things. I did my fitball and step classes on Monday, circuit class on Tuesday, then Wednesday I went over to the new East side gym and did a step class then tried spinning! I made it about 20 minutes because it hurt my bum but I want to do it again! Thursday night I ran anneberg trail (1.7 miles) at a pretty fast pace and only walked a few steps twice! On Friday I did the step plus class. I took one of Scott's soccer players with me (she did the elliptical).
Scott's (well, its my ministry too I suppose) MCC soccer is in full swing. They had the alumni game Thursday then Friday I took Kimber to the gym and then Friday night Scott and I went to the all school pep rally. Saturday night about 10 girls came over and hung out and I fed them a home cooked meal--roast with fixins and blueberry slump. They watched a movie and then we played a couple rounds of dominoes. I enjoyed it very much. Their first game is Tuesday. They (and Scott) can really use some prayers because they are short on players anyway and several key players are injured. Scott has really struggled the last few weeks as it seems like one challenge after another with things not going well.
Joel has settled in again at USC and likes his apartment and class schedule and apartment living. I get to go see him in September because there is a conference there my church is sending me to (on how to do outreach to girls in the strip clubs!) Joel granted me permission to stay in his apartment.
I went to Newton to see Leah on Sunday and she is moved back into a new mod on campus and likes her classes, etc. I haven't talked much to Hannah at all so I need to but she is doing well also and has started classes, too!
I love each of you and miss you! Today I am heading to church then a quick lunch then get Adelle from 1-3 then meeting with the contractor then Bible study here from 6:30-8:30. See? This is what life is like lately. But it is all good, very good!
School has started and is full swing. Along with the usual many many things to get started, I am already doing full social work crisis intervention and have already had a staff conflict (which I HATE and avoid at all costs and then have to work really hard to let go of and not beat myself up!) It is hard to get back into getting up in the mornings and balancing my time throughout the week. This year we have a few additional things going on at home too, as you know!
Renovation update: The big room upstairs has been sheetrocked and painted and Jon moved his stuff over there and loves it! It is a great room! We still need to put in the new light fixture. The smaller room has the new antique twin bed set up for guests but will be somewhat of a storeroom also until the whole project is done. The upstairs bathroom is done all except for hanging the cabinet above the toilet. It is beautiful! I will put pictures on facebook as soon as we get it totally done. But I have moved my stuff up there and am sharing it with Jon. I got to soak in the tub after a workout this week! It really is very nice. Yesterday I started demolition on the bathroom downstairs.:)I picked out all the cabinets and countertops for the bathroom and kitchen and yesterday ordered the kitchen appliances!
We enjoy having Jon here but I think I see him about 5 minutes a day if that. He is so busy with his ministry but it is going well. He's made tons of friends and sometimes they pop in with him, too. I think Scott sees him during the day more than I do.
I am still spending time with Adelle each week. We tie dyed t shirts last weekend and sometimes I give her a ride to her youth group. Today we will just look at the shirts, get some orange leaf frozen yogurt, check her facebook and I'm anxious to hear about her first week at the big high school. She turns 16 in November! I had her stuck in my mind at 14!
I did a great job with working out this week and plan to add some variety to things. I did my fitball and step classes on Monday, circuit class on Tuesday, then Wednesday I went over to the new East side gym and did a step class then tried spinning! I made it about 20 minutes because it hurt my bum but I want to do it again! Thursday night I ran anneberg trail (1.7 miles) at a pretty fast pace and only walked a few steps twice! On Friday I did the step plus class. I took one of Scott's soccer players with me (she did the elliptical).
Scott's (well, its my ministry too I suppose) MCC soccer is in full swing. They had the alumni game Thursday then Friday I took Kimber to the gym and then Friday night Scott and I went to the all school pep rally. Saturday night about 10 girls came over and hung out and I fed them a home cooked meal--roast with fixins and blueberry slump. They watched a movie and then we played a couple rounds of dominoes. I enjoyed it very much. Their first game is Tuesday. They (and Scott) can really use some prayers because they are short on players anyway and several key players are injured. Scott has really struggled the last few weeks as it seems like one challenge after another with things not going well.
Joel has settled in again at USC and likes his apartment and class schedule and apartment living. I get to go see him in September because there is a conference there my church is sending me to (on how to do outreach to girls in the strip clubs!) Joel granted me permission to stay in his apartment.
I went to Newton to see Leah on Sunday and she is moved back into a new mod on campus and likes her classes, etc. I haven't talked much to Hannah at all so I need to but she is doing well also and has started classes, too!
I love each of you and miss you! Today I am heading to church then a quick lunch then get Adelle from 1-3 then meeting with the contractor then Bible study here from 6:30-8:30. See? This is what life is like lately. But it is all good, very good!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Endings and Beginnings
My head is whirling with all the endings and beginnings to adjust to in my life lately. I seem to be a person who takes longer to process changes so all these at once is a lot to process. Lots of emotions. Summer is ending. Water jog ended today without being able to actually have the last class due to rumbling thunder in the distance. That was weird. My beautiful tan will now fade. Today was cooler and it reminded me that we can get outside more often and soon it will be fall. School is starting. I push those thoughts out of my mind whenever they pop up. I'm not ready yet this year. Usually I am ready to go back by now. When school does start, I will have sooo much to jump into. I started to list them but that made me think about it too much so I backspaced it. Not ready. Jon is moving in--tomorrow. It will be a new experience having him live here. I am excited to see what God does through him here. Joel is leaving and this marks the end of my kids living at home. I feel sad about that but also ready. He's ready, too. Scott starts his MCC season on Monday. This is really the start of a ministry for both of us. We plan to have all the girls over every Saturday night for dinner and games. I'm excited! And probably the biggest beginning of all--the house remodel! It is overwhelming and exciting and did I mention overwhelming? For a person who takes awhile to process changes, this is major. I have to get used to having people in the house. I have to make tons of decisions pretty much daily. I am trying to simplify and get rid of stuff. It will be a challenge to get used to each room being torn up and we've barely scratched the surface of that! I just keep looking forward to how great it will be when its done. And just below the surface of all these beginnings and endings is the thoughts and emotions of an ending that puts all the rest of these into perspective--the end of Kevin's life. I think about him,and about Shari and the kids multiple times a day. Really, it makes all the changes I'm dealing with seem so trivial. I am so thankful that I have God to turn all my concerns over to. Nothing is too big or too small for Him--He cares about all of it. He takes away my sadness, my fears, my stress, and helps me see things differently so that I can cope. I love you, Lord Jesus.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Summer Summary
This summer has been a roller coaster ride and as usual, seems over way too soon. It started with a high--all the kids and Rob home for a week. The trip to see Leah stands out as a high. Hanging out with Adelle was in itself a roller coaster ride but had some great moments--like hanging out with her friends at the fair and her getting invited to youth group. Teaching water jog was also a roller coaster but I enjoyed it. My favorite class at the gym turned out to be circuit--it seemed I was busy to make it to step or fit ball too often. The trip to Omaha was relaxing and fun. And then the bottom of the roller coaster, losing Kevin. Words can't even describe how hard this was. I don't really need to explain because all of my readers (you, my family) were affected too. It was good to have Hannah home even if it was for this sad occasion. Having Joel home had its ups and downs too. It turns out I was adjusted to having a quiet, non messy house. I have enjoyed spending time with him but the mess and noise (double due to Zeb being glued to Joel) was not always fun. I'm sure I will miss all of it as soon as he goes back to school. I am looking forward to having Jon here. And then the remodel. So interesting. I am discovering that this is not at all like the shows on TV. There is a social protocol for having a house full of plumbers and contractors. You just go along with your life and sort of pretend they aren't here and they go along with thier work and pretend you aren't here. The first day I greeting them in my pj's with my hair sticking up but I am now get up and take my shower before they arrive. Then I have my quiet (ha!) time with them traipsing in and out and up and down the stairs carrying huge pipes and equipment. Its scary and exciting and strange. I can tell it is going to be a total roller coaster, too. They decided that they have to replace the entire large pipe that goes from the basement to the top of the house and also found that the roof is still leaking. But it is all going to be great! It takes a long time, too. A week just to get Joel's room done--the corner sheetrock repaired, sanded, then painted. Oh, I was supposed to be summarizing the summer. I think it will be quite awhile until I can go throughout my days without feeling so sad about Kevin. I can finally concentrate again. I can't imagine what it must be like for Shari and the kids, or for Joyce. Today I got the letters for going back to school. There are always such surprises! Since Woodrow Wilson isn't done with the construction, apparently the 5th and 6th graders will be at Eisenhower! I have so many questions about how that will work! I am supposed to be working on the Hidden Curriculum that I will be teaching with Traci for the kids in the autism program. I have a general idea what to teach. I am soooo not ready for school to start. I am excited for Scott's MCC season to start. He just asked me if we can have a once a week game night with food over here. Yes! Just not Friday nights! Its going to be fun! Well, Scott and I are heading to the movie soon--a last late night out. Summer is almost over!
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