Spring Break is Over :(

And it went by so quickly! I flew out last Sunday for Houston to spend a few days with my mom and dad and sisters. Lia was out for the week, too, and Alyssa came on Monday. We had the greatest time. We did a whole lot of shopping and just hanging out. It was fun to sit around in the living room at night and talk until early in the morning. And how great is it to sleep in? We found a prom dress for Lia, so that was really exciting.

I got back home late Thursday night...really late. I went up to the school Friday afternoon to do a little bit of work...just a little bit...and then Lee and I went to eat at Kell and Mary Straton's that night. It was so fun to see them and catch up. We finished out the week with the St. Patty's day parade (see above), lunch with our small group on Sunday, and went to church that afternoon to see Chi Alpha, Pinelake's high school choir, perform.

I love Spring Break. It always comes at just the right time for the teachers and students! We're all just about ready to go crazy, and then we get a long break to get us back together. It's downhill from here!

It's Spring!

My favorite time of year. I love it when the weather gets and stays warmer. I get to start wearing skirts and sandals and flip-flops again. The days are longer, which I love...I can finally get things done during the day. Some people (my husband and sister being one of them) hate that it's dark outside when we wake up, but I love it because it means I can stay outside until 8 o'clock. I love coming home in the evenings to watch the sun set at the end of our street. And being a senior teacher is great in the spr ing. The kids have so much going on that it flies by and we're finished before we even know it has started! The end of spring is a great time to take a trip to the beach...warm enough to get outside on the beach but not so hot you might melt. Some people say that the seasons change to keep us from going crazy...the weather changes just when we think we couldn't stand it anymore. But who couldn't do spring all year long? It's just a perfect time of year. I wish it would stay spring for much longer.

You MUST see this...

Ok, so I know we're a little behind, but Lee and I just watched Facing the Giants last night. What a great movie! I've been wanting to see it, and my friend Stacie told me last week that she had watched it and couldn't wait to tell other people to watch it. So I couldn't wait for this weekend to roll around so we could rent it. Oh my gosh, it's so good. I had heard the acting wasn't that great, and it's not. I'm not sure if it got better throughout the movie or if I was so caught up in the story that I didn't care anymore, but after the first 30 minutes, I never noticed it again. I already knew the storyline and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I don't think I've ever cried so much through a movie! The story itself is great...a wonderful reminder of what God can do in our lives when we let go and allow him. But then we watched all the extras on the DVD, and I cried through most of that. Most people have probably heard that it was all done with the help of volunteers. But to see video footage of those volunteers giving up their time and working so hard and then literally on their knees in prayer thoughout the process was so moving. If you haven't seen this movie, you need to rent it...and invite everyone you know over to watch it with you. If you have seen it, rent it to watch the extra footage. It's worth it!!

How cute is this guy?

FINALLY! Lee got some glasses! He got contacts the week before we got married and hasn't had his eyes checked since. He resisted even getting the contacts, but I wanted to make sure he could see me come down the aisle, so he gave in! Getting glasses has been a constant battle at our house. I mean, I get tired of reading all the basketball scores on the tv at night because he can't read them. For whatever reason, when I mentioned it this morning, he agreed, so I called around all day until I could find someone who would take him this afternoon before he changed his mind. His vision is two times worse than it was when he got them checked last! I don't know what he's been seeing when he looks around! Anyway, I love the new look, and I'm so glad he went. Now maybe he can read the captions on the movies to me!

A Special Night

Last Sunday, Lee and I were privileged to be able to attend Sam's formal ordaination ceremony at Eastside Baptist Church. MoMo and PaPa came up from the Coast, so we were able to spend the afternoon with them, too. The night was really special. Alyssa and Sam have such a great church family who loves and supports and encourages them. What a great place to be for a newly married couple! It was so neat to watch every ordained man in the church walk up individually to place their hands on Sam and pray for him, some of them so elderly they were barely able to make it to the front of the church. As her sister, it was really special to then see them turn around and whisper words of encouragement to Alyssa. We're really proud of Sam and are excited to see the great things he's going to do!

Got It This Time...Kinda

Ok, so this year the cake had the right name on it, but the story to go with it was much funnier. I called last Wednesday to order a cake for Brittnee, my student I mentioned below. When I called, the guy who answered the phone noticed my name on the caller id and said, "Are you Jess Hill?" When I told him that I was Jessica, he said, "I talked to your husband earlier." Well, I immediately realized that Lee had called earlier and was planning to surprise me by getting an ice cream cake. Since Lee was sitting right next to me, I played dumb and went ahead and ordered the cake I needed. I left to eat with some friends and called my parents as soon as I got in the car and told my dad the whole story. I was soooo mad. I mean, no one loves surprises more than me, and, more than anything, I knew that Lee had gone to a lot of trouble, and I didn't want him to find out that the guy had exposed his secret. So I just went on about my week. Fast forward to Friday. Lee and I were getting ready to leave, and he MADE me open the gift from my mom. He was so insistent about it. There were three gifts inside the box and one said "Open first." It was Happy Birthday plates and napkins with gift cards to Bruster's for an ice cream cake. As excited as I was, I felt bad for Lee again because I was thinking about all the thought he had put into getting his own cake. He was being such a good sport and insisted that we pick the cake up on the way to Alyssa and Sam's. I called my mom on the way to tell her thank you. I got out of the car and walked up to the window with Lee to pick up the cake, and Lee just started laughing. The cake was from my mom the whole time! Lee just called and put in the order for her. So when I called my parents to tell t hem about the guy at Bruster's ruining Lee's surprise, I was actually ruining their surprise! It was and still is hilarious!

PS - The guy was so nice. He gave us the cake for free and let me keep the gift cards. I had the option of getting cash for them, but I figure I'll have a better chance of getting Lee to go get ice cream with gift cards!

What a Fabulous Birthday!

Well, the big day has now come and gone. Thank you to everyone who posted such sweet messages! I really did have a great day, and most of that is owed to my wonderful husband. All week Lee was so sweet. One day he washed and folded all the clothes, another I found sweet notes everywhere I went, I got a great shoulder rub one day, and he even took off work early Thursday afternoon so we could just hang out and spend the evening doing nothing. I was flattered but had no idea there was a point to it until Friday night when he gave me my gift. My sweet and thoughtful husband had been showing me love in five different ways all week - acts of service, words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, and finally, on Friday, the giving of gifts. (If you've ever read The Five Love Languages, this should sound familiar. If you haven't, you need to!) He got me some workout pants from LL Bean and a great jacket with a light on the back so I can go walk at night and not have to carry a flashlight. I love it! It was the nicest thing. I cry just thinking about it! How lucky I am!

My yearbook staff girls and Ms. Patty threw me a surprise party at school on Thursday and gave me a gift certificate to Trio that I cannot wait to use. Friday night Lee and I went to eat at Walker's Drive In with Alyssa and Sam and then had ice cream cake at Alyssa and Sam's house (check the post tomorrow for the story on the ice cream cake!) where they gave me some new tennis shoes that were also from MoMo and PaPa. My sweet family went to all the trouble to mail a package to me since they couldn't be here. Lia got me a new bible with my name on it, and my mom and dad got me the Walter Anderson alligator print that I cannot wait to hang up in our house. It is going to look great! And Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Stevie and the boys sent me A Southern Palate, the cookbook by Robert St. John, that Lee and I have already tried out. It has some great recipes! I mean, for a 27-year-old, I really made out! It was a wonderful day and a great week.

My Sweet Cougar Connection

This is my sweet little homeroom class! This is the only group of kids that I see on an every day basis, and I see them each day for 30 minutes. They are a motley crew, but I love these kids. My group is all seniors, so we do a lot of college preparation work. Last week was Brittnee's birthday. Brittnee just moved to our school this year - her 15th school in 11 years - and is moving back to Texas in a week. My class heard her talking about the fact that she'd never had a birthday cake with just her name on it because her little sister's birthday is the day after her's and her mom's is the day after that, and they sprung into action. They secretly took up money all week to get her her very own birthday cake...we got an ice cream cake! We surprised Brittnee on her birthday by singing Happy Birthday as two of the girls brought the cake in. I'm pretty sure she had no idea it was for her until we sang, "Happy Birthday, dear Brittnee!" It really was the sweetest thing. The kids were so proud! I've really been trying all year to get them to understand that they need to take care of one another and support each other, so it was neat to see them really "get it" first-hand. It was a day that I will surely never forget, and I don't think they will either.