baby news

It feels like everyone but me is pregnant, which I know is a common feeling among women who want to be pregnant. I've been ready to be a mother for two years now, but Chris wasn't ready to be a father. Well, he's been ready since Christmas, but I'm not pregnant yet. And, I'm feeling pretty frustrated. I'm making an effort to pray and to focus my energy on the following Marianne Williamson quote:

God is bigger than your problem--no matter what its form, size or shape. Pray for a miracle; forces will conspire to heal and make whole.

So, here's the baby news:

Genna and Ari are having a girl.

Heather's having a boy, or at least she's 99% sure.

Jim and Monica are having a girl.

Jeff and Laura think they're having a girl, but won't know for sure until the 18th.

Sarah's having a boy.

I'm not sure what Mike and Harmony are having, and I don't know what Rory and Teresa are having.

A GRHS student is having a boy. Pretty scary for a 16-year-old!

Michelle and Dustin are having a boy.

Correction

For the longest time I believed that Nelson Mandela had given the most incredible inaugural speech of all time. I was wrong. Apparently, I'm not the only person who has made this mistake. Here's the deal:

Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson
from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

(See note below about Nelson Mandela)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This inspiring quote by Marianne Williamson is from her book, A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, Harper Collins, 1992. From Chapter 7, Section 3 (Pg. 190-191).

Note About Nelson Mandela
This quote is often found on the Internet incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela from his Inauguration Speech, 1994, especially the last sentence of that quote, “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

For reference, here are links to two official African government sites with Nelson Mandela's 1994 Inauguration Speech:

Mandela: Inauguration Address - Cape Town, 09 May 1994, via South Africa Government Online Official Web site.
Statement Of The President Of The African National Congress Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela At His Inauguration As President Of The Democratic Republic Of South Africa Union Buildings - Pretoria, 10 May 1994, via ANC's (African National Congress) Official Web site.

Not enough

Dr. Lapan finally got back to me about not being accepted into NAU's C & I doctoral program. Apparently, the committee found that I had "very, very limited professional education related experiences". What that means is that I haven't published any of my writing and/or presented any of my work. It kinda made me regret not having published my senior capstone paper-- "Gendered Education in Training"--when I had the chance to do so in 2004. But, you know what they say...hindsight's 20/20!

You're How Old?

I've been meaning to post a new blog about my b-day weekend for quite some time.

So, I'm now 27. It feels old even though I know it's really not. My Uncle John and Aunt Zandra came to visit for the weekend. They live in Bethesda, MD.

Here's a list of what we did:

Ate at Chretin's
Toured AWC and GRHS
I substituted at YBA and they watched me teach
Ate Shepard's Pie

Walked the West Wetlands Park (saw a coyote for the first time in Yuma)
Ate homemade breakfast
Checked out Yuma Crossing and Territorial Prison
Historic Yuma (AKA downtown)
Read wonderful stories out of the New Yorker
Attended Ballet Yuma's "Current and Classic" (Chris and Zandra both fell asleep)

Woke up to flowers from Chris :)
B-day brunch and Carla Renee's
Colorado King Sunset Dinner Cruise

Petroglyph Site outside of Gila Bend
Ate at "world famous" Little Italy

Farewell!

It was a great weekend :) The hardest part was going back to work on Tuesday.

Another dream

This is an email I received from facebook today:

Deserea wrote on your Wall:

"So this is kinda crazy, but I have random dreams about people every now and then, and last night I had a dream that I was working at the Women's Hospital here in Baton Rouge as a Nurse and you and Chris had just had a baby girl! She had your big pretty eyes and looked like a little tiny Rachel! How crazy is that!"

a dream

I had a student tell me today that she had a dream that I was pregnant and had a baby girl. Someday, I hope that dream turns into a reality for Chris and me.

Easter thoughts

My co-worker and friend, Luz, gave me an Easter card today. Here's what it said:

I hope the first two verses remind you of the love of God demonstrated a Good Friday hundreds of years ago and the hope He revealed three days later.

The last two verses can remind us of how simple it is to show God our love.

"This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." -The Apostle John, 1 John 4:10

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

"If you love Me, keep My commandments." - Jesus, John 14:15

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." -Jesus, Mark 22:37-40

Happy Easter!!!

Denied!

When Chris and I returned from Prescott late Sunday evening, one of the first things we did was go through the mail. There was a letter from NAU's College of Education. This news excited me, because I had yet to hear from the C & I doctoral department regarding my admission to their program. I was denied!

I was more shcoked than anything about this, because I thought I had so much going for me. After all, I had a 4.0 during my master's career, and I graduated with academic distinction. I AM diversity; everything about me is reflective of that fact. Duh! I did average on most of the GRE, and better than average on the math portion of it. I have several years of teaching experience. And, to top it off, I had AMAZING letters of rec. -- two professors who are both NAU C & I graduates; one principal; one department leader; and a fellow teacher.

What more could they want?!?

My mom said it was probably a sign that I should take some time off. But, she has to say that, because she's my mom. Who knows? Maybe she's right.

So, now I'm going to PROBABLY apply to another program. I know that most people who want to become doctors apply to more than one program, but I was just so sure that I'd be accepted to NAU. After all, it's not Harvard!

Do you know what they say happens when you assume?!?

Well, I do. You make an ass out of you and me!

So, now I feel like I have to change the title and address of my blog. But, the question remains...what should I change it to?!?!

Feel free to give me your suggestions:)

99.9% Effective

I'm annoyed right now about something I believe to be a black and white issue. After all, there's only 0.1% of gray, and, in my opinion, that's not even worth counting! This is how it works--women who want to be pregnant will get pregnant (eventually) even without the man's consent, assuming that the woman has earned the man's trust in the bedroom. If everyone I knew who said their child was an accident/mistake/miracle (whatever you call it still suggests the pregnancy wasn't planned) really was using some type of contraceptive, they wouldn't be pregnant! They can't all be part of the 0.1%!!! It's impossible. So, here's my conclusion--women and men who don't want to have a baby at this very moment...WON'T! It's the women who "forget" to take their pill and the men who are too "caught up in the heat of the moment" who have unplanned pregnancies. DUH! Am I the only one who gets this? So, please stop the ignorance now, and save me the headache I've been dealing with from all of these people who tell me, "We didn't even mean to get pregnant. It just happened." Save it! I don't believe you. Remember: honesty is the best policy, so be honest with yourself and be honest with me. Thanks. I'm done. I think I'll get off of my soapbox now.

How to get the husband you want

So, if you couldn't tell already, I'm writing so many posts, because Chris is still @ work, and I'm avoiding my HW. Anyway, one of the things I've done today was listen to a message from TVC, about how to get the husband you want. Drum roll, please. And, the final answer...be the wife you need to be!

Here are three things you need to do as a wife to get the husband you want:

1. Sexual fulfillment

Men desire sex. Duh! And, as a wife, it is your responsibility to become one with your husband. Sex is an important part of marriage. Like fire, it is warm, beautiful, and comforting when contained in the proper place.

2. Attraction

When your husband first met you, he thought to himself, "Holy Smokes! That girl is HOT!!!" Continue to make yourself attractive for your husband. In other words, don't let yourself go, because men are visual beings. Chris always recieved trophies gorwing up for playing soccer, boy scouts, and some other activities. That was then. I am his trophy now, and it is my duty to him to keep myself looking the best that I can. One caveat--men can't exp[ect their wives to look like something out of a magazine, because we weren't created by computer imaging; we were created by God.

3. Respect and Affirmation

Men have big egos, and they need to be praised continuously. Remind your husband on a daily basis that you are proud of him; that you enjoy how he makes you feel; that his work is an integral part of your existence as a family. Tell him that you're amazed by who he is and how he makes you a better person. When you do this, he will in turn show you more affection.

So, now here comes the tough part. You have to ask yourself if you are the wife your husband deserves. When you can honestly say that you are, you'll have the husband you want!

On the road again

Chris and I were so excited to find out that Ron and Nonie had decided to buy us a newer, bigger, and better motorhome! We have been using a 20 ft. Mobile Traveler that they bought several years ago for any of the boys to use. Jim ended up getting his own motorhome a couple of years ago, and Doug was using the one we have now, until he had some personal issues to sort out. So, to make an even longer story somewhat shorter, Chris and I are getting a new RV! And, Doug is going to take back the one we've been "babysitting" for him.

Our new RV is an American and sleeps six people. I can't remember how long it is, but it's considerably longer than the Mobile. Here are a couple of pictures of it:

I like them Latin girls

About two weeks ago, I enrolled in a late-start Latin dance class at AWC. At first, I was dreading the class because it's held from 8:45-10 PM, which is normally my bedtime, but I've actually been enjoying myself. So, I wanted to share with you a little about the three styles of Latin dance I've learned thus far:

BACHATA -
Bachata is a Latin dance originating in the Dominican Republic. It is a romantic dance, as partners hold each other close and sway to the music.

MERENGUE -
The Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic, and also to some extent, of Haiti, the neighbor sharing the island.

There are two popular versions of the of the origin of the Dominican national dance, the Merengue. One story alleges the dance originated with slaves who were chained together and, of necessity, were forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of drums. The second story alleges that a great hero was wounded in the leg during one of the many revolutions in the Dominican Republic. A party of villagers welcomed him home with a victory celebration and, out of sympathy, everyone dancing felt obliged to limp and drag one foot.

SALSA -
Salsa is a dance for Salsa music created by Spanish-speaking people from the Caribbean and their immigrant communities in the US. Salsa dancing mixes African and European dance influences through the music and dance fusions that are the roots of Salsa: SonGuaguancó, Rumba, Boogaloo, Pachanga, Guaracha, Plena, and Bomba.

So far, I've enjoyed the Bachata dance the most. Merengue hurts my hip sockets after a while, and Salsa just plain confuses me, because it's opposite of the grapevine.