Saturday, May 31, 2008

Video!

Here is my first attempt at embedding a YouTube video. Hopefully it won't take two hours every time!



This is a short clip of Olivia and Sylvia in the midst of dress-up time. They love it so much and they always look so cute! What a pair!

High Water and High Honors

What a crazy week it has been. Severe weather has taken its toll on our area. One of the worst tornadoes in Iowa history devastated Parkersburg, another tornado struck Attica, and heavy rains have caused record flooding here in Ames (yes, worse than 1993!) and surrounding areas. You can read the complete stories, see pictures, and watch videos of the aftermath here or here. Our prayers are with those whom have been affected by these disasters. May the Lord be with all of them as they work to recover.

Friday was my last day of school and the floods tried to keep me away! There was a patch of Hwy 65 south of Collins that had a small river flowing over it. The trooper there was turning traffic away. If you are not familiar with this particular area of Iowa there are not many paved roads that take you south so I was limited to some very soggy gravel roads. All was well however and I made it to school just fine.

We had a blast with our talent show and 4th quarter award presentations. We dismissed at 11:00 and there were a lot of sad kids (and teachers too). That evening we had our 8th grade promotion ceremony. Students are recognized for their involvement in activities and their accomplishments. I always enjoy this night because it's nice to see the kids all dressed up and have their special time.

It was also a special night because I was honored with the Teacher of the Year Award. I have been blessed to be a part of so many of these kids' lives. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to help these kids. The ceremony was followed with MANY hugs from students (both current and former) and many handshakes and congratulations from parents who thanked me for everything I've done for their kids. What a special feeling. I still can't believe that I call this a "job." It's really a pleasure. I pray for the success of our 8th graders as they turn the page and move on to high school. As a special incentive (and a biased one at that) I have a standing offer with any of my students that if they end up attending ISU after high school, I will take them out for pizza their first day of school! I hope they take me up on it.

Teacher of the Year

Last night was Matt's big night. He was the proud recipient of the coveted Teacher of the Year Award!! He and his teacher buddies refer to it as TOTY, [tod-ee]. It was overwhelming to hear a whole class of 8th graders hoot and holler, woo-woo, cheer, and applaud as Mr.Ruden received his placard. I know he was holding back tears as his principal commended his efforts and success in the middle school. My tears couldn't be stopped as I joined in the crowd's enthusiastic accolade. Way to go sweetie! Matt truly does make a difference and I couldn't be more proud to call him mine.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Well, it's Wednesday.





1st picture is Sylvia today, 2nd one is Olivia at about the same age-roughly a year and half ago. How time flies! I was struck, as I snapped the pic, by how similar she looked to her big sister. They are our precious babies and I get choked up reminiscing about the joy they've brought us.

We've recovered from a whirlwind trip half way across Iowa, into Minnesota, then back home again. The girls fared pretty well in the car-movies during motor vehicle travel is a wonderful invention!! Also, living far away from our family is a blessing in that the long road trips give Matt and I a chance to "catch up".

While visiting Grandma Lola, we had a successful garage sale and got in some chill time with Laura, Brandon, and their boys. Olivia loved hanging with the "big boys" and playing "chase". Her giggles are priceless! Mom put in so much work for the sale, she was not surprisingly a bit disappointed in her mere $40 profit:( Hey Mom, at least someone bought the rubber purse-hee hee!!

When we finally arrived at the lake, we were greeted by a cheerful crowd. Papa and G-ma, Nick and Julie, Courtney and Jesse, Drew, Logan, Lucas, and Gracie all met us in the driveway with a big sigh of relief that everyone was finally there:) We enjoyed sun, sand, water, and of course great food! Olivia took an unexpected plunge into the drink right off the end of the dock. Lesson learned: always make your child wear his or her life-vest near the water, even if they don't like it! Yes, she was wearing hers and was easily plucked from the 60 degree water after only a few seconds. Needless to say, she was pretty cold and frightened after that swimming lesson. Slowly but surely, she warmed back up to the beach and got some good sand-play in with the other kids. Other highlights included a refreshing walk with Matt and Mom R, and another gardening project for the kids. Olivia picked out a purple petunia to put her "dragon-fly" by. This was profound to me because Olivia shares her middle name with her Grandpa Keith and his favorite flower was the purple petunia...my heart smiles.

On the way back home, we got to have lunch with Great Grandma Evelyn and Aunt LeeAnn and Lonnie. Nothing like dropping in unannounced right at lunchtime:) They were gracious with a meal and were genuinely happy to see us. The girls behaved themselves and all was good.

What a wonderful weekend!! Hope yours was great too.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Just One of Those Days...

Have you ever had "just one of those days?" I know what you're thinking, one of those days where nothing goes right. Naw, I mean one of those days where nothing goes wrong. Not like a day when all kinds of exciting things happen. Not like a day when nothing bad happens. Like a day when everything seems right. A day that seems like you're just watching it and enjoying it like a good movie. Today was like that.

I think what turns any ordinary day into a day like this are the little things. There are times when we can get so caught up in the things that we don't have, won't have, never had, didn't get, didn't get done, need to get done, won't get done, can't get done that we miss what is happening.

I'm certainly no exception. It is always this time of year when I am feeling especially reminiscent. It is the end of the school year. The last weeks that I always wish would last forever, even though I have spent most of the year wishing they would get here. I look back on that and realize how foolish that sounds. I remember the long months of winter when the students had the worst case of cabin fever imaginable and it showed in their behavior. I can look back and smile about that now. I guess that's what makes it good, that I'm looking back on it.

But that's the point. How many things in your life can you look back on and smile about, or even have a laugh over? Things that you thought were awful, torturous, stressful, or annoying. Probably alot. Wouldn't it be nice if you could smile about them while they were happening? Or how many moments in life are truly blessings, but we manage to overlook them because our minds were somewhere else? Wouldn't it be nice if we could notice all of those moments? For me, today was one of those days.

I became aware of all the blessings I have. Not that I didn't know of them, I was just more aware of them today. I guess it was conscious enjoyment of them. I had such a blast with my students all day. I still can't believe that what I do everyday is called a job. Even though the 8th graders where a little too rowdy at lunch today and I had to have a "Mr. Ruden Talk" with them, which usually begins with: "Let me say this slow and loud so you all understand...", every last one of those kids has a special place in my heart.

After a nice supper, we were able to enjoy the nice weather as a family. The girls were having a blast on their new "playground" as Olivia calls it. Sylvia is walking more and more. Every giggle was a reminder of exactly how lucky I am. Olivia cracks me up with her sense of humor and her blooming imagination. Sylvia never ceases to make me proud with every new accomplishment. A career that I enjoy, a wonderful wife, two beautiful little girls...what did I do to deserve all of this? Nothing. I guess it was just one of those days.

Friday, May 16, 2008

You're Our Hero

Thursday started off like any other day. A typical school day. I arrive at school early as usual. I start my work and finish some business from the previous day. There were a few things that I had to take to our secretary so I head down the hall to her office. I meet her outside her office and I try to hand her the papers that I had for her but she didn't seem interested in taking them. "You need to go to the basement!" She shouts at me. I was thoroughly confused. "What? Why?" I asked. "There's a fire down there!" She responds. I dropped the papers and immediately headed to the basement. Once I got there I saw all of the smoke, it filled the hallway. I arrive at the room where it was coming from, the Home Ec room (Family and Consumer Science for all you "new age" people). One of the members of our staff was there already. Someone had placed a large Rubbermaid container on one of the stoves. They didn't realize one of the burners was on. The container had melted and the contents of it, (towels, paper plates, cooking oil), were igniting. The staff member took the container off the burner and moved it to a nearby table and left the room. However, the contents were still burning! By now the room was filled with smoke and the pungent smell of burnt plastic. The fire alarms were sounding and I was hoping that all the students were out of the building. I managed to carry all of the smoldering/flaming items to a sink and hose them off. Once everything was safely saturated I was able to open windows and start searching for fans. Once that was all taken care of I was able to go outside and get some fresh air. It was at this time the fire department decided to show up! They made sure everything was safe and vented all of the smoke out of the building. My classroom is near the room where the fire was so I had quite a bit of smoke to content with. So knowing my students as I do, I knew they would never be able to focus after such an event like this, let alone with the distracting smell of burnt plastic and smoke lingering in my room. So I made an executive decision to hold class outside all day, and instead of math we were going to study softball with the PE classes! So a near disaster turned into a day of fun with the kids. (In case you are wondering, my math kids went 6-1 against the PE classes. Go Mathletes!) I did pay the price however, I managed to get a tad sunburned :( It made it all worth it when some students of mine made me a poster in recognition of my efforts that morning. It read: You're Our Hero.

Matt

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Choose Your Attitude

I came across a few words of inspiration that I like to keep in my "back pocket" about attitude:

"Losers talk about what they're going through, winners talk about what they're going to."


"In regard to a painful past: Don't nurse it, curse it, or rehearse it."


"It's the set of the sail, not the gale, that determines where you go."


"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

Have a great day!
Matt

Monday, May 12, 2008

Happy Mother's Day...


I felt so honored last week!! It happened to be Nurse's week, my birthday on Friday, and Mother's Day on Sunday...and it gets better! It also happened to be Teacher Appreciation week, so my dear hubby was raised up too:) We have been so blessed in this life!! Thanks so much for all the well-wishing birthday greetings. You all must have known I was needing some love and support as I approach the big 3-0.

The weekend was fun-filled with Grandma Lola in town...way too many treats and not near enough sleep-who could ask for more? We celebrated with ice cream and birthday cake and a BUNCH of candles for this old mama; Olivia got to help me blow them out. Of course, they were the ones that keep lighting up after you think you've got them out...so 10 minutes and a hand-full of spit later, we resorted to snuffing the silly things out with drops of water! We also enjoyed a gardening project and a viewing of Beauty and the Beast-my personal favorite:) A shopping trip and an elaborate meal were also enjoyed on Saturday. Mom wonders why I want to go to be at 9:30. Those of you who know her can understand this; she's tough to keep up with! I hope I have half her energy in 20-some years:) Then Sunday came; church, brunch, bubbles, pricing garage sale items, and loading Mom's van to the brim; it was quite the day:) We couldn't be happier she was here to help us enjoy it-Thanks Mom!!!

We're hoping to get together very soon with Matt's side and enjoy some lake time and their company-we miss everyone so much!

Hope all the mothers reading this had a wonderful day and were honored by their children...you deserve it!!

Friday, May 9, 2008

"I'll trade you"

Heard an intriguing comment today while shopping at the old Super-Center...WalMart that is...the girls must think there are only two stores in the entire world-WalMart and Fareway, oh well. Getting back to that comment. After nearly running into an old man and his full cart he smiled gently and said, "I'll trade you". I'm assuming he was referring to a trade of his cart, full of miscellaneous household items and supplies, for mine, Sylvia sitting in the front chattering away as she munches on fruity cheerios and Olivia in the "cargo area" making just as much noise-I'm sure singing a made-up song about the particular aisle we happened to be in at that moment. I've gotten similar comments from elderly women at Fareway before too. I think she said, "These are the best days of your life" as she eyeballed me wisely up over her half-glasses. ps. you'll only see moms and elderly women at Fareway. Just as I'm feeling as annoyed as ever, God reminds me-through these gracious people-that I should be enjoying every minute of this. So one of my prayers today is that God fills my heart with peace when there's anything but "quiet" around me and to never take by blessings for granted.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Sick or tired?

We're going on three weeks of health complaints from little Olivia...sick or tired? Over two weeks ago, I picked up the girls early from daycare-Olivia had thrown up twice already and continued to do so for the next 8 hours! It was very unpleasant, but we got through it and thought we were on the right track-a healthy one-the next morning as Olivia bounded out of her bedroom, bright and early, with a grin on her face and a cheerful greeting for her "sissy-sister" and myself. Well, the energy only lasted a matter of minutes, and she retired to the couch, wanting to "lay on the couch a little bit and watch Jonah". Since that day, she's had one odd complaint after another. "My head hurts", "my tummy hurts", "I'm cold", "I need a Princess bandaid". There are other unmentionable symptoms and low grade fevers as well. Every complaint is accompanied with a high-pitched whine and I'm wondering if she's ever going to feel good again!!! Olivia has had moments, minutes even, of energy and smiles, but nothing consistent and I think it's time to get it checked out. Chances are good this is all attributed to some nasty little virus, but if not-this mama's gonna do something about it!

Sylvia is missing her cheerful sister too. While Olivia spends time on the couch, curled up under a blankie, Sylvia tries to lure her out of her cacoon by bringing her dollies and toys. She even takes commands from big sissy; "Sissy, get my bunny"...Sylvia fetches, "Sissy, get my cup"...Sylvia fetches.

Hoping for some answers at the ped.'s office. Also looking forward to a date with Mr. Dreamy and a relaxing weekend at home.


Monday, May 5, 2008

Here we are:)

This happens to be my maiden voyage on our new blog, how exciting!!! We get such enjoyment from our little family, we wanted to share some of the everyday miracles we witness within these walls.






Olivia just got up from her nap and wants to know if it's her birthday yet. She has been asking to have another birthday for days. She has requested "brown cake with cookies on top" and wants to have her "kids" over. After inquiring about who her "kids" are, I discover she's talking about her cousins, Gracie, Logan, and Lucas. I've told Olivia that her birthday is not for many, many days and nights. I can just see the little gears in her head turning as she states, "the sun goes down, the moon comes up", complete with Vanna-like gesturing. Even the slightest comment is a production for this girl.

Sylvia is so happy her sister is finally awake again. If she happens to rise from napping before Olivia, she inevitably ends up sitting in front of her sister's bedroom door, anxiously awaiting her return to wakefulness. When Olivia finally emerges, she's got a cheerful greeting for her sister; "Hi Sylvia", as if they haven't seen each other in weeks. They are generally very loving towards one another. Sylvia enjoyed being like her big sister and dressing up as Snow White this weekend. Her Daddy's hoping she's not as "girly" as Olivia, but odds are not good for Daddy:(


If these aren't miracles, then I don't know what a miracle is.

Enough talk. We'll see if anyone even checks this site. The weather is beautiful and we have to go enjoy it-would be wrong not to!