help with book list!

Summer is around the corner...well actually about 7 weeks. So I am pretty excited. I guess this is one of the perks in being an educator. You get the summer to slow down and breathe again. I am making my summer book list and was wondering if anyone had some good books I should add to the list. I read everything so all suggestions are welcome!

Wonderful people

Today was one of the middle school volunteer meetings after church. As I looked around the room I was so thankful for these people who give up their time to hang out with middle schoolers. I truly love all of our sweet middle school students and to know that they have such wonderful, Godly people feeing into them blesses my heart and I believe the heart of God as well.

cookies

Just thought I would share the easiest cookie recipe and our favorite cookies. ( I have made a lot of these lately!) They are "Yummo!" As Rachel Ray would say:) My sister calls them doo-doo cookies because well...they do look that way kind of. But most people call them oatmeal drops or no-bakes.

1 stick butter
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. milk
2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 c. peanut butter
3 c. oats
Boil butter, cocoa, milk, sugar, vanilla and peanut butter for 1 minute. Add oats and mix well. Spoon out onto wax paper.

Summer

I am so excited about things this summer! 1. I get to volunteer as a tutor at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta! I can't wait to meet these precious children! 2. I found out today I get to go to New York for 5 days in June! I am going get to sit and learn from some really great reading teachers about how to be a better reading teacher. I know to some of you it sounds lame...but it's at Columbia University and I know this experience is going to enrich my classroom in the years to come! Plus..it's New York City for 5 days! I absolutely cannot wait! This is super dorky too...but I screamed like a little girl when I got my acceptance email. It's going to be a blast! 3. I get to spend time with my new neice, Kennedy who will be here in just a few days!
So I'm pretty psyched!

Oh My Stars

So here is my new favorite phrase...."Oh my stars!" I love it....it's quoted from Missi (one of the awesome middle school volunteers)...i don't think I've heard it in quite sometime but I love it. I'm thinking about instilling this into my own vocabulary. Thanks Missi. :)

Dwayne and Dolores came to visit yesterday (B.'s padres.) They are such great blessings in our lives. Both of them. Every time we spend time together it is so wonderful and fun. Brett and Dwayne played golf and Dolores came to school with me! She was so great....she graded papers and worked with some of my students! Wow! It was great!

CRCT

So, I am definitely feeling the stress and pressure of No Child Left Behind. My students take the CRCT in about 3 weeks. They did so wonderful on the state writing test and I just hope that it goes that well on this one. It does make me quite sad that my students achievement lie in the hands of a test, but that's the way it is for right now...so I want them to do well. Please pray for them...for all of us! Here are there names:
Carlos
Isabel
Alex
Carla
Piedad
Cesar
Thalia
Abigail
Eduardo
Edwin
Jessica
Oralia
Patricia
Julio
Mayco
Edgar
Daisy
Cynthia
Cristhian
Rene
and Steve

Kennedy June

My sister is having a baby in about 2 weeks and I am so excited about my new role as an aunt. Our whole family is super psyched about Kennedy June coming into the world! Linsey is going to be such a great mommy. She has such a tender heart to love others. Being a mom will be so natural. Here are some pics from the shower we gave her. I have never seen so much pink in my whole life! it was sooo much fun!

for Grandaddy and Grandmother

I am trying to be better about blogging. I enjoy it and I love that Grandaddy and Grandmother (Brett's grandparents ) read our blogs to keep up with us. They are both precious and dear people and we love them very much.

today at target

Today I was driving to the school I work at to get a few things out of the way for the week. I was about 15 min. from school and it got really dark...like the dark you only see on The Wizard of Oz. Sirens were going off...and yes there was a tornado in the area. I immediately went into panic mode. I can't explain why...I have always hoped that in crazy circumstances that my reaction will be calm and collected..but I just wasn't. I drove really fast and took shelter in Target (which was fun because they had all their new Spring clothes out!)..... but I have come to the conclusion that tornados really scare me. The thought of something that big is hard for me to comprehend and it just freaks me out. I don't feel that there are too many things that really get to me...but I have decided today that tornados really get to me. I'm sure I am not the only one who feels this way...so I just thought I would get that out there :)

O2-March 14,2008

Last night was O2(formerly "The Well") at 12Stone. As always it was an amazing night of praise and worship. Many thoughts ran through my mind last night..captivated my thoughts really.
1. The sight of watching hundreds of people of all shapes, sizes, and colors walk into this wonderful building He has provided to worship. Then...watching them all worship with their whole hearts. It was a sight that I believe is a mirror image of what eternity will be like.
2. Many people fled to be prayed over. One of the most precious moments I witnessed during this time was watching one of our pastors pray so hard...so intensely over a small middle school girl(this could also be because middle schoolers have won my heart..I think they are wonderful, crazy people). Who knows what giants she was facing but he prayed over her as if it were a matter of life and death...and I believe that it truly is.
3. There were many artists there of all types...music, paint, woodwork, dancing...I was reminded of Ken Gire's book, "Windows of the Soul." The thought that we can praise God and see Him in all of these ways is beautiful and creative of Him.
Church took place last night and I am so thankful God creates moments for us to come together to praise His marvelous works.