Decisions, Decisions....

So real quick I wanted to ask you girls to pray.

I have been given an amazing job opportunity to work for the Binghamton Newspaper Company creating, proofing, editing business/real estate ads and working along with a Japanese company. Very exciting and sounds like a lot of fun. I need to decide pretty much by Monday if I want to stop working at the school at the end of June and move towards this opportunity. I love the relationships I've made with kids at school, I love the benefits that come with working for a school and I was planning on going and getting my Masters this next year in Education. But... I was given this amazing opportunity with graphic design which would pay more and is something I've really had a passion for for the past few years. Pray that God will show me the right pathway for my life.

Thanks and I Love you girls...

Jen, I'm praying for you and the whole community and please tell your sister Congrats!

Hello, My Name is The Grim Reaper

It occurs to me that I only post when something bad happens. Let's keep that going. A kid who graduated from CHS the year after I did died this morning. His mom teaches 6th grade at CHS. He was sleeping at a friend's house and was having difficulty breathing around 3am. His friend calmed him down and then Colin (that's his name) seemed fine, so they didn't see the need to take him to the hospital. When his friend went in to wake him up around 6am, Colin was dead. They think he had some kind of genetic heart problem, as his dad has struggled with heart problems for a long time. He was only 25 and there are still a handful of kids at school who knew him through Starbucks (where he worked) and some from church.

I wasn't close with him, but I have some friends that were, so if you could just be praying, that would be great.

I feel like I should write something happier...OOOOOH! I got it!

My little sister is getting MARRIED! His name is Josiah Carden and they're getting married April 25, 2009. Here are pictures! Sorry for the general schizophrenic issues with this post. Love you girls!

Beautiful Backyard AKA Carissa is awesome

So, in case you're under some delusion that if you ever come to visit my house it will be relaxing, THINK AGAIN. Carissa came up this weekend to go to a mutual friend's picnic and all day Sunday, we worked in the yard. I'm going to go right ahead and mention, she said she was happy to do it. My parents came too, to provide vision, and we made the backyard look lovely. Here are some before and after pictures.

After is first because my computer is dumb and making me angry and I'm tired of trying. 

Prayer Request

Just a quick prayer request. There was a 17 year old kid who was recently shot and killed in his home in Fairfield, CT (about ten minutes away from here). His grandmother, uncle and cousins all go to my church and the two girls who are his cousins go to the school where I teach. The oldest girl Emily is currently on a missions trip in Rwanda and has no idea what's happened. They aren't telling her until she gets home on Wednesday and then the calling hours are later that afternoon. It's a lot for them to have to deal with (obviously) and their family is like family to us. I knew you would pray, so I wanted to tell you. 

On an unrelated note, there are only 27 days until the end of school. I'm not entirely sure that I'm going to make it without severely damaging one of the seniors I teach. I hope you'll all come visit me in prison.