Vocational Trinity

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER!!!!!

Over a year ago, God Blessed me with a friendship that has truly turned into  family...and I don't know if I have fully ever have been  able to explain  how I truly feel about her.  I am a humbled friend by all she does for everyone, and Holly - no matter what - I love you, truly love you, dearly. I don't show it enough, but you have blessed me with YOU, your whole family.







Thank you for sticking by me, even when my life consumes me and I see nothing else.
Thank you for your giving and forgiving nature.
Thank you for being such an awesome mother.
Thank you for showing me what a best friend is.
Thank you for sharing your family with mine.
Thank you for becoming Aunt Holly!!
Thank you for introducing me to your harassing, but loveable "brother-like to me" DH (Is he fat yet??? bahahaha!)
Thanks for all the "bahhhahahahahah's" we share.
Thank you for the faith and strength.
Thank GOD for you!!!







I love you, and wish you the bestest day EVER!!!!!! Wish I was not so far away....

Love always and God's Peace - have a WONDERFUL, happy day. You so FREAKIN deserve it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love always,
Becca


                  P.S. Please go wish Holly  a wonderful birthday!! She is reinventing the 2o's, and damn, she makes it HOT!!! :)

               

Thinking of Family...

Just saying a prayer for my brother, sis-in-law, and nephew who live in Houston and are evacuating tonight to Waco (ok...lol in my sickly state - I think I spelled this with a "k" - I must be thinking of "Wacko!!!" hahahha)  to get away from Hurricane Rita (now a Catergory 5). Not only prayers for them, but the New Orleans family living WITH them since they came to the Houston area - now they have to evacuate TWICE.

My brother got this man a job and letting this family of 5 total live with them until they can afford to get on their feet, which is so wonderful and uplifting - but I just pray for them all as Rita spirals towards them. I hope no more pain is given to anyone!!!

Houston and Galveston are theorized to be on the WORST side of the storm, so God hold and keep everyone safe, as well as their livelihoods.

God Bless!!!! Stay Strong!

Perspective

I've had a horrible day. It should be wonderful, as it is a day spent with my family, and my niece who is sleeping over and having a BALL with Rachael. But, it was spent with a car ride with my mom who proceeded to load me up with crap - crap that weighed me down with "is she right? "yeah, that happened - but is it because of how she sees it?" I am left torn, confused, and feeling so unsure and scared of the future. Mostly because I haven't had alone time to process it and get over it - I've had to be "on" all day since. Now is the first time I've been quiet and alone. Maybe when I process it, I can say more....but to put things into perspective - at least I am healthy, alive, and here with my family, when a 30 year old mother from a city nearby is not.

Below is a link to a page of news videos, and there are a few videos (about 4-5 short ones) on Kimberly Boyd, a carjack victim. She was car jacked this past week, shot during the attack but still alive, and then was killed in a wreck when the carjacker collided with a cement truck.  She left behind a stepson, a 5 year old, and a 2 year old who turned 2 before her funeral!  The suspect was killed by a witness who tried to help her. I can only imagine the pain of her family. The news clips paint such a picture.

So with that - I think about how blessed I am, and I pray for this mother, who could have been ANY one of us. I hope all of us can be careful and safe in this crazy world of ours. You never know, and life is so fragile and precious. Please take a moment to look at some of the clips. Just scroll through looking for ones that mention the funeral, and carjacking information. She was a beautiful woman. Her husband's words at her funeral, wow....the pain and courage to speak. God Bless her and hers tonight. I also pray for the soul of the carjacker (a possible rapist) because no doubt he is getting God's justice at the moment, and the bystander who ended up killing the suspect - what he feels in taking a life I can not fathom. 

Her 2 year old's B-day party still went on, as she would have wanted it. I pray her daughter knew how much she was loved, and that goes for her other children too, her 5 year old son and 13 year old stepson.

God hold and keep them...

Kimberly Boyd 1975-2006

OMG!!!! So FUNNY!!!

Ok - you HAVE to watch this show if you like funny, sometimes irreverant, comedy....This happened to come on before I went to bed, and it sucked me in.... (it is "viewer discretion advised")

The War at Home

"Please Make a Note"

Hey Dear Friends,

If you have my e-mail I sent out when I created this blog with the PW - was I missing anyone? I need to let VJen know, and a few others. Are there any other trusted people who read here? Let me know and I'll contact them (or you can tell them, just let me know!) -  I don't want to be exclusive or secretive - this is my main blog, my only one now - and I want anyone BUT my students and family reading lol.

So, fill free to make the change to your blog roles. I'm still Becca at VT, just a new blog address. I hope people who discover that it is PW protected will contact me. If you want to take off "Rambling Explosion" do so - I won't post there anymore, since I'm so safe here.

So, in summary, this blog is not secret so I'm still Becca at VT with new address and please discard "Rambling Explosion."

Also - to the right I've linked to my old blogs, just so I have them on record, and for ya'll to read too.  I don't know how to do all Jen has told us about saving old posts, so that's the best I can do for now.

Thanks everyone!!!

P.S. A quick update - I've gotten a horrible cold, and up until yesterday - I was VERY stressed out with work - but all is better now. Mostly because Mass is over, and even though we had to "X" out playing mass parts because they could not play them, we managed to do the contemporary hymns well. I was proud of what my kids managed to do, and their will to make things better next time.

Another thing - I want to send out my prayers to Hurricane Ophelia victims. This is a slow moving monster, that though small, is sending lots of flooding rains and storm surges. We've been thinking of them today at school.  I've gotten about 20 new students (that doesn't sound like a lot, but to a teacher - it is!!) from Katrina. Overall, our school has taken MANY more. We've all chipped in and gotten them the clothes to wear, books, and supplies they need. I'm REALLY proud of my school. Last Friday, we had a fundraiser: everyone who brought $10 (or no less than $5) could come out of uniform that day. Now - I know what you may be thinking: "$10??? No problem for a rich private school, since all private schools are full of rich people!!!!" (ok, maybe most of you are NOT thinking that, and I appreciate it)  Well, that is the misnomer about private schools - the whole $$ thing. Most kids are not rich, most kids are not from  "traditional" homes with 2 parents, most kids do work study programs to pay their way, many students who are old enough have jobs, and many take public transportation to come to school each day.  So, this was a huge deal to most of our student population. We did ask that the $$ be THEIR $$, not their parents - and this is how we did:

We raised in ONE day, with 1,050 kids - $11,500!!!!!!!!!

But, the amazing thing was that the kids really gave from their hearts.  Many kids gave over the $10 amount (even though they were allowed to give $5 if needed), and one story that came out was a female student who cashed her $150 paycheck and brought it in. $150!!!!!!!! That was probably her gas $$, or something like that a student needs! She gave all of it!!!!!!! I'm bursting with pride.

Also, our students are making sure our newest members of the family are included in all school events, from not paying fees for them, to having rides or being allowed on the teams or clubs! It warms my heart. I love where I work, and I love my precious students. I'll have to remember this on the hard days, when I want to strangle them lol!!!!!!! J/K. My students really are amazing, and I get a lump in my throat typing this.

My students, even the new ones, have been doing discussions on the events. I just sit back and listen. It has been such a lift to the kids, both victims and our long term students, to hear that the president, and now the governor of LA have admitted errors. Very emotional for them. Lots of tears as so many felt abandoned by our country at all levels. It is freeing to so many of them that people are stepping up and admitting what they did wrong that contributed to all the failures.  We may all say we need to end the "blame game" but you know what? These confused teens need answers. They need accountability from the country that they are citizens. They need to talk about this.

I'm so proud of the kids for really listening and learning from each other, and how they challenge each others thinking and lead them to be better listeners by challenging their own traditional beliefs. So many are used to thinking like their parents, and it is so important for them to think for themselves, not what others tell them to do - and my students have both learned from their new Katrina displaced friends, and in studying our government structures, that there is a bigger picture (not that we still don't have our strong feelings - and that is good too!!!!!) I'm just impressed that with teens, they are listening, as stereotypically they can be negative and "know it all". I'm seeing the birth of such caring, thoughtful individuals, and I'm so proud. to hear the 1st hand accounts from my students has been overwhelming, and you just are left with asking, "why?." I'm so glad they have found a safe place, and have touched us all.

On the homefront, things are going ok. I have a baby who needs me (is she still a baby?) and need to run, but I'll make an addition to this post and add more on our family. We are getting settled in, and I hope to begin on working on pictures for everyone to see.

Much love to you all!!!!

Stepping Up

Bush takes responsibility for Fed response. I hope this helps to bring some healing, I sincerely mean that. I hope it wasn't too late.

Someone besides the FEMA director needed too.  We need more stepping up. It is very humbling to do I'm sure. But, we need this - and we need it from a lot more govt. people.  I hope all of us see our path in this - from being better prepared, to challenging preconceptions of race, making all levels of our govt. work for us, to becoming a better country by taking care of our poor, old, young - EVERYONE.

In stepping up, we reshape - it's time to rebuild!!! God Bless those so affected by all of this. I'm praying...

Thoughts

Give a moment of reflection for those lost on 9/11 - for the heroes they became, and the loved ones left behind.

God Bless Them, Us, the United States.  Never let us forget.

And my body answered me...

Loud and Clear very early this morning - I am not pregnant.

I woke up to horrible cramping, and TMI - gushing - around 4am. I'm feeling too lousy for Mass (Rachael is even sick this morning, with a runny, RUNNY, nose) so we are at home while Daddy is at church and before I had to class this afternoon and possibly evening mass.

It's amazing how even when life keeps telling us we really should wait longer to have  our next child, I still feel disappointed. Even with the negative tests I was still hoping a bit and day dreaming of introducing Rachael to my rounded belly. I know whenever it happens it will be the right time, and after getting more assignments and lectures today on my master thesis I might actually be happy that we are waiting a little longer - but still, the feeling remains.

Anyways, I have a darling, under the weather, baby to mother - so I need to go for now. I just wanted to update you, and update last night's post below.

Thanks for the support and thoughts - you have no idea who much it means to me....so very much. You all are family....I am blessed.

What does a lazy mother look like?

Well, this week, she looks a lot like yours truly.

Yeah - in the midst of everything I've posted this week and spent time online for, has NOT included a detailed mention of my precious daughter's 2nd B-day this past Tuesday, September 6th. Yeah, great mom I am. Maybe I should have put some of my posting to work for HER.

Sad thing is - I'm still no closer to having the time to really sit down and have a beautiful entry. How lame is that? I haven't even sorted through my pictures yet from our party - but what a wonderful party it was!!!! She is incredible, precious, and just had a wonderful time.

I promise  it will get done. I'll put it ahead of all my other "picture promises" (past parties, get togethers, etc.)

Now I need to get working on grad work due tomorrow in class. I'm tired, have a sour throat, and still NO clue what is going on with my body. The most recent testing is STILL negative. I had to pull myself off the couch tonight after class to spend time with my daughter...and still ended up running upstairs to sleep in our bed.

So anyways, here I am - "Mother of the Year" bahahahaha - NOT. Until then, may my daughter know that offline, she is my world, my star, one of my main reasons to live, and there was never anything more wanted in our lives than her conception. We could have cared less what "Baby Rose" would have turned into, but we are grateful for the precious gift of Rachael she became. Rachael - may this year be another year of firsts, discoveries, and memories. I pray your Daddy and I will always have the chance to see them through your eyes! Thank God for his blessings!!

My love to all your children too!!

General Life

I wish I could say I was looking forward to the weekend, but I have grad class 8-5 on Saturday, and 1-5 on Sunday - so working away I'll be. This class luckily does not meet much, as it is our Master Thesis class. I've written the first 3 chapters, I have 2 left, and the due date is 12/10. If I can, I'll sign up for the last 3 classes I need to take. I'd love to be done by Christmas, but if I have to go into next semester, I will...I can't kill myself, raise or no raise.

Work is getting stressful. Not so much in the teaching part, but finding time to grade, as well as leading the music group on campus that does the music for all masses (services) and such. We are NOT ready for next Wed's Mass, and we only rehearse once a week. I added an extra one next Tuesday, and a 7am one on Wed morning, but I'm scared it will not work. The pianist has not practiced, and the piano is our anchor...it may seem small to you, but it is huge to me in my job to have the kids sound good, because they sing and play in front of 1,050 students and 113 faculty and staff. How they sound reflects me, so I get very stressed - plus I want my kids to feel joyful about it!

And of course, what is also on my mind is my state of fertility. I tested negatively yesterday, but will wait a few more days to test again if nothing happens. It's funny, there are a million reasons why we should wait longer for a baby, but I find myself excited at the possibility. It's nice to know we'll be thrilled if I am :) I'd only want to be happy to know I'm pregnant, I'd hate for any of my children to somehow find out the only times I was happy was when they were 'planned'.  (My BIL somehow was told by family members he was not wanted at first! Who does that!! It did affect him) But there is a healthy does of fear inv0lved too. We just moved, need to adjust to new bills, I'm still pulling triple duty and rarely have free time anymore.  So if AF shows up, I'll be very happy to greet her too. Is that bad? Is that selfish?

I don't have sore bbs, no cramping or back aches - just a bloated feeling (usually in PMS I feel more - with Rachael I felt that "full" feeling). I'm tired, but I've had a long stressful week and past weeks. So who knows!!!!! lol

We also have family who would be less then happy and supportive to hear the news, and that is depressing, so part of me wonders if we won't have to deal with that till a later time. I'm so weak when it comes to dealing with my family. I'll fight back, but still their comments affect me - greatly. I'm not as strong as I make myself out to be.

Last night I worked till 9:30pm, and got home at 10pm and could not sleep. I had so many thoughts in my head, along with worries of hurting friends, plus dealing with all my new students from Katrina ravaged homes. The teacher is learning from her students, and what I am learning just tears me to pieces. The hormones are raging, I'm tired, emotional - when will I knew the reasons that could make me feel this way???

Thanks for letting me ramble....back to work....