Spring!

Woohoo! Its spring at Fort Cedar!  For some reason I feel so relieved that it is finally April.  Only 2 months of school left and we have some big plans for Fort Cedar this year.  I am not taking students on a trip abroad this year.  I miss it when I don't travel but I am going to focus on home this year.  Here is what we are planning for summer 2011:

• screen in front porch
• garden
• CHICKENS!

I am so excited about my chickens, I think about them everyday:)  We have had chickens before and I love them.  My mom and I went to a "chicken class" a month ago and it was a fun day and now I am armed with all sorts of fabulous information about feeding, care and breeds of chicken.  But alas, I must wait until school is out so that I can be a good momma to those baby chicks. 
Baseball is in full swing now.  Little C jammed his finger last week and I was sure it was broken but it is much better and no longer purple. (never a good look for a jr high boy's finger:))  Big C is finishing up his first year of college and looking for summer employment ( at a golf course of course).
I am finishing up projects and team responsibilities and looking to the end of year frenzy that begins this time of year.  I have two conferences to attend this summer, one in Nashville! I can't wait. 
I plan to post a current picture of Fort Cedar soon but until then I wanted to get rid of the snow picture and think WARM!  Have a wonderful week and thanks for visiting.
Living blessed and with a joyful heart,
Gigi

Resolutions 2011

Okay okay I have read all the stuff out there about not making resolutions for the new year, "its ok to delete things from your life..."dont want to burden myself with unrealistic or negative ideas". Blah blah blah...I LOVE to think about and set New Year's resolutions. Yes, many times I can't even remember what they were by March, but who cares? I enjoy striving for improvement and at this time of year I get to hear other peoples ideas too! I always want to lose weight and don't even really make that my resolution anymore because I obviously have more important things to accomplish than buying tiny jeans! In an earlier post I tossed out a few ideas and I am still thinking about all of those, but, since I have to go back to work tomorrow, I decided to put a couple down and work on the rest over the next month. Maybe this is why I like resolutions, I dont play by the rules:)

I am committing these to writing in a public space so maybe if you ask me I will remember these by spring break!

1. Time with God every morning.

This is critical for me at this point. I have a lot of roles to fill, responsibilities to meet, people who are counting on me....God has blessed me with much and I must stay connected to carry out His plan. I plan to read my Bible each morning using various reading plans, journal my prayers and memorize scripture. I will be asking God to create the fruit of the spirit in me. I need to replace hurry, worry,and bad language with love, gentleness and self control...wait no, I need to seek God's will for those things to be created in my life that will glorify Him.

2. Water and fresh food

I am not very good at restricting food cravings(see self control above). I resolve to drink more water and eat fresh fruit and vegetables. So my resolution is about adding healthy habits instead of taking things away. Along with this, dinner at the table more...every night is probably not realistic but certainly most nights can be accomplished.

Ok, so there you have it. I feel like these are the two most important changes I can make in 2011. I have many other hopes, dreams and goals and Big C and Little C still need me so I must be strong this year! Oh and my choice of picture above? Quiet time, God's beautiful creation, and water!
I hope everyone who reads this, all 6 of you :), are excited and ready for a year of new adventure filled with everyday blessings and little luxuries. If you made resolutions and feel like sharing I would love to hear them!

Living blessed and joyful at Fort Cedar,

Gigi

We are enjoying quiet time here at Fort Cedar today. Our Christmas celebrations have finally wound down and now we are having fun with all of the many gifts we have been blessed with the last few days. Our festivities began on Christmas day with the Williams family. We celebrated at our house this year and as hostess, crock pot chili was stress free. My sweet SIL and MIL made such delicious desserts and candy. Then we all went to the movies and had a great time together!
Christmas at my Mom's house with aunts and uncles and my cousin EE was peaceful and nice. We ate my mom's special meatballs and EE's crescent dogs along with other holiday treats. The picture above is my Mom's beautiful tree this year and in the background is a painting of me done just a *couple of years ago.
Christmas with Dad and L was also blessed, fun and stress free. We tried out a new pizza place that is literally three minutes from our house. And...it is fabulous! So nice to have a great place so close to home. Another movie was on the agenda again. We don't go to the movies often throughout the rest of the year so it is an especially fun treat.

It seems that everyone this year was seeking calm, simple celebrations. We really did not miss the large dinners and were able to spend time on our favorite holiday snacks and our family and friends. And while not the focus or the reason we all checked off many items from our wish lists.

So now on to the new year! With a renewed purpose and spirit, I am looking forward to 2011. I am still working through my resolutions and will post more later. But for now, we have a few days left before returning to school and I intend to savor every moment! Hope your holidays were blessed!

With a joyful heart,
Gigi

The Red Room

I could feel the air cooling and the voices begin to fade. I followed the woman, small and kind, down the hallway. The walls were heavy with their burden of black and white photos of ancestors long gone but not forgotten. At least not as long as the woman lived. She was joy and love and family in one small package and she always remembered. She didn't live the privileged life of the others, hers was harder, truer. Her life was blessed and she was the first to claim it.

On we traveled, my youthful excitement growing with each step. It was my turn to visit the room. It was a red room with crimson carpet and dark furniture. The door was always closed so it was cold. It was messy but only in the way of a great heaped treasure. All manner of beauty lived there. There was the shining promise of wrapping paper, bits of Christmas, and bits of vintage. There were real antiques that belonged to real people...my people.

She would scrabble around in the treasure until she uncovered the reason for our visit. It was never the same but always warmly familiar. It might be a bite of candy or chocolate. It was exotic nuts or fruit. It was a special gift from sisters who lived in faraway places, sisters who lived like royalty in my little girl imagination. And there in the red room...all of a sudden...was CHRISTMAS. It was sharing a secret treat, just me and the woman. For that moment, I was the chosen, in on the most sacred of rituals, sharing in the most delightful treat ever dreamed of by man. It seemed as if the world was just for us...for that moment.

We returned to the warmth and volume of family. The journey shorter this time. A return to laughter, food, and sweet packages under the tree. But now, the contents of those beautifully wrapped surprises didn't matter. With her sparkling blue eyes, Granny had already given each of us Christmas, with our very own brief visit to the red room.

Hope all of you are having a blessed Christmas.
Remembering with a joyful heart,
Gigi

Christmas Break is almost here!

There are only 4 1/2 school days left until Christmas Break and we are all ready! Big C has been home since Wednesday and just driving back up for finals as they are scheduled. Little C had his Christmas band concert on Monday night and the eighth grade band sounded amazing! The holiday gatherings and parties have started and even though I would like to snuggle in and read it is very fun to spend time with others this time of year. There is even a tiny dusting of snow on Fort Cedar this morning! Really lovely, sunny and cold. This week will be a crazy one at school as we finish up the semester with finals and celebrations. One of my classes will be celebrating tomorrow with Sra. Wms coffee cake. I really did assign a lot of work this week and they rose to the occasion!

I have really been enjoying some great blogs and gathering lots of ideas for the new year. I want to have more substantial and important resolutions this year...yeah yeah lose weight and keep my house clean...really? What would God put on my list? How can I be more obedient and Christ like? What will make a difference to the souls that call Fort Cedar home? Maybe those two things fit and maybe they dont? Where should I invest my time? my talent? Can I set and achieve resolutions that bless others? What sort of resolutions are really important? Just a few directions my mind is heading...

Spending more time reading my Bible and in prayer
Listen more
Ask people questions
Be graceful and dignified
Control my emotions
Be mindful of spending
Make do with less
Eat fruit and vegetables
Drink water
Read
Use the good stuff today

Oh I dont know... it always seems to come back around to me...but I will be working on a plan.
Until then, I need to put the pilgrims away and put the nativity and village up! Oh yeah and make coffee cake and cheese ball for a party tonight! Please share with me your plans for the new year! I want to hear what you all have to say...What are your plans for 2011? What will you talk about? what will you read?

With a joyful Christmas heart,
Gigi

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving...This is such a wonderful American holiday. Of Course I am thankful for a wonderful husband and two really great sons. Also loving parents, and so many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends make my life really blessed. But this morning I woke up thinking of other things..
1. HEAT-This was my first thought today. I am thankful for a warm, safe home with heat, air conditioning and electricity and running water. These luxuries are not available to many people in the world this morning. Ok, I know what you are thinking...but this really was my first thought this morning :)
2. CLEAN KITCHEN- I am thankful that I had time at home yesterday to make my kitchen nice, clean and inviting. Which leads me to...
3. FOOD- I have so much abundance that I have to constantly work at not overeating! During my time in Ecuador I saw people each week on trash day...searching for food. I dont have to do that...perhaps I will remember that through the holidays.
4. CAREER- I am so thankful that in this trying economic time I have a steady paycheck. I also have a job where I can build up tomorrows leaders. I don't always act like it...but I am not sure I deserve the blessing that is my job...the greatest one on earth...TEACHER!
And finally....
5. TECHNOLOGY- whew! Who woulda thought? I don't consider myself very tech savvy...but I do own an ipod, a smart phone and a computer. I have a blog, a facebook and a twitter. I can connect with so many people and ideas any hour of any day! It really is amazing!

I hope you are living a blessed turkey day today!! Some wintry weather might fall on Fort Cedar today but we will be cozy and together!

Living joyfully,
Gigi

Back to school!

The summer went so fast! Little Cs baseball, the trip to Costa Rica for Big C and I, my surgery, my conference...wow! Bob and I also celebrated our 21st anniversary on Thursday, I truly love him more today than I did 21 years ago. He is a perfect blessing in my life.
I am feeling good and my 6 week check up is Monday. I still can't quite grasp how much better my life and health will be without the worry and stress that I have lived with for the past 3 or 4 years.

Big C is getting ready to head off to Evangel University next weekend. We are busy trying to get all of the things he will need organized. He will play 9 rounds of golf in 5 days for qualifying school and play in an invitational on the 6th day! Whew! glad he is young and strong!!
His doctor is St. Louis is starting him on a new medicine and it potentially has some undesirable side effects. However, it also has some potentially life saving side effects as well! I am trying to turn it over to God but I am still worried about him being away from home and dealing with those issues. But, I have faith that God will send him the right people in the way of roommate, trainers, coaches and teachers.

Little C will start his last year of junior high...8th grade. When did my little boys grow up? I don't want to wish time to move faster but I can't wait for him to be at the high school with me!
He is busy getting a lengthy list of school supplies and getting ready for another banner season in cross country! He is working on a list of CDs for me for my classroom. His tech skills amaze me!

Bob is gearing up and excited for his new position this year as PE teacher, hands-on science and some beginning band all in the middle school and junior high. After 15 years in one position he is ready for a new challenge.

I have taken on some new responsibilities at school this year as well. I will be the coach for our positive behavior initiative and a mentor for a first year teacher. I am excited and feel energized to accomplish the goal. I am also making some big changes in my classroom including grading policies and teaching strategies. The conference I attended last month was motivating and caused a paradigm shift in my thinking. I think the change was brewing and the conference pushed me over the edge!:) I will definitely need prayer this year...it is easy to be motivated and excited coming off of summer vacation but to keep the momentum and ideas flowing about February...that is the challenge!

I have been participating in the Bible in 90 days challenge. Today is day 34 and it is getting better and better. Some days it is really difficult to read all of it, but somehow God always brings it to my mind and provides a way to get caught up.

I hope everyone is enjoying these last days of summer! I have to go dig out my school clothes and some real shoes!

With a joyful heart,
Gigi