A shout out....

to all my amazing friends!! You guys are awesome and I'm honored to know each and every one of you. Just when I've had a questionalbe day and am starting to feel sorry for myself something always happens. Be it a phone call (thanks Holly), a letter, a card (thanks Aimee) or just a quick email (thanks Arika) it always cheers me up! So thanks to each one of you for being there.

Having said all that, please keep in mind that we see the specialist next Wednesday. I've started experiencing nervousness, hopefullness, excitedness, etc. When we got the appointment it seemed so far away but now it is here! I was reminded of God's timing because had we gotten to the doctor earlier and started treatment it would have done us little good because of Joel's hernia surgery. He does ultimately have a plan for us and I feel like we are closer to getting answers. I will update you all when we know more. Until then, we are counting down the days to London!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

My wonderful husband sent me these flowers to work. It is so much fun to get flowers!! Of course the picture doesn't do them justice but believe me they are georgous (and my favorite flower of course!!)!

We also had our Valentine party at school. It is always exhausting but so much fun to watch the kid's faces as they open their cards. I even made out with quite a killing of chocolate and other things. It is nice to be appreciated! I hope you all had a great day too!

For Better.....or for Worse

Remember on your wedding day the excitement of finally exchanging vows. So much so that you don't really think about (as much as one should) what you are actually saying to one another. You just repeat (as lovingly as possible) after the minister and go on to your reception as husband and wife.

Then reality kicks in and you realize that you said for better (the easy part) or for worse (all those other parts you don't think will really ever come!). It dawns on you that there is no turning back.

I mention all this because we've had one of those "for worse" weeks here at the Cramer casa. Joel had day surgery on Tuesday and has been limited in what he can do. Therefore, being a good wife (because someday he will return the favor) I have done many things for him. Yes, it does get old but I keep reminding myself I agreed to this whole marriage thing. So I put on a smile and help him out.

Overall though, it is funny to think that really we have strengthened our relationship because you realize how nice it is to have someone who will stick by you "for worse". I have realized I wouldn't trade it for anything!

It's a sad day

in the Cramer house. We will not be getting our new puppy. It is for the best but still sad to know that we won't have a new addition. We visited her at her current owners and realized she would not be a good fit for our family. She is very high strung and loves to jump on people. It just would not work out. We are hoping to maybe find another puppy but we are willing to wait. Oh well!

In other news, I go to see my doctor on Thursday. Please pray that we get some good news and for clarity as I ask my doctor my list of questions. I will update you all when we know more.

We also enjoyed dinner with Holly and Justin on Friday. We gorged on cheese fries and burgers at Snuffer's (I know you are jealous Mindy!) It was fun to catch up with them as we hadn't seen each other since before Christmas. Maybe we can make it a once a month occasion! (Hint, hint) We also finally took down our outdoor Christmas lights on Sunday because it was sunny and somewhat warm. Luckily we were not the last people on the block!

It Should Have Gone Better

We are back from the game and if you haven't already heard we lost badly. It was a lousy time to play the worst game of the season....it should have gone so much better. Regardless, we had a good time and were very happy we didn't pay $1200 to get into the game. Instead we watched it outside in the parking lot on a big projection screen. It was cold and depressing but there are great memories. The craziest thing is that they predicted 170,000 people showed up for the game. The stadium holds about 72,000. Out of the 170,000 they estimated 30,000 were Florida fans and the remaining 140,000 were Ohio State fans. Didn't speak well for Florida!


They day before the game we joined 35,000 Ohio State fans for a pep rally in the baseball park. Here are some pictures of the band and our friend Chad (who is really an Oklahoma fan!) Doesn't he look thrilled to be rooting for the Buckeyes!

Christmas Chaos and Other Stuff

We survived Christmas! It was a fantastic holiday topped off by the best gift ever from Joel! He gave me a 5 day trip to London over spring break!!! I am so excited. March can't get here soon enough.

For Christmas, my mom, Mindy and Doug came to our house for 4 days. We had a great time catching up and planning the wedding. Mindy and Doug brought their new puppy Fletcher too. Woody wasn't that keen on him because he was so small and kept stealing his toys. However, they learned to get along but Woody was relieved to see them go. It is great practice for his new sister.

Speaking of Bella, we will be getting her in the next two weeks. We decided to wait until after we get back from the football game (we leave Saturday). That will be a fun trip and hopefully we can get tickets to the game!! I'm hopeful if that counts for something.

That was our holiday in a nut shell. I'll post more pictures when I get them from Mindy (hint, hint)!

The Newest Addition

It's official. We are expanding our family by one member. No it's not what you are thinking. We are getting a new puppy! She is an eight month old chocolate lab named Bella. We are not getting her until after Christmas (for several reasons) so I will post pics as soon as I can. I personally think we are crazy for getting another dog but she needs a home and we couldn't say no. Here's hoping that Woody adapts and all goes well!

Birthday Fun!

Today is my birthday. It has been a great day so far. Joel gave me an Ipod Nano so that I don't have to listen to annoying people on the train as I go to work. It was a great surprise! We also drove around to look at land (we are wanting to buy some acreage) and found a new place we liked. We also decorated the outside of the house with lights. Finally to end my big day we are going out to dinner at a local Italian place downtown on the square. I can't wait!! It will be so yummy. I'll let you all know how it turned out. I hope my 29th year is as good (or better!) than all the others. Clear your calendars now for next year though. There will be a huge party for my 30th!!!!

God is good!!!

I sometimes wonder about (but am also thankful for) God's sense of humor. He's got to have one because sometimes things happen you just have to laugh about. For example, I've been on the phone with my doctor a lot today trying to figure out the next step in a crazy series of events. We decided what to do, they called in prescriptions and I went to pick them up. Turns out that just before we went to get them, a prayer was answered. Now I don't even need one of the prescriptions that I got! It also means I'm back on the phone with the doctor tomorrow to verify we are still going to follow the plan. Funny how God works!! He certainly is good!!!

Go Bucks!!!

In case you have been living in a hole and don't know, it's Ohio State/Michigan weekend. We are going to the 10th annual Peteyfest at our friend's house (named after their cat). It is yet another tradition I married into. In honor of the big game I thought I'd share a little diddy with you all. Here goes:

Twas two nights before the Game,
And from High Street to the Shoe,
Not a cat was sleeping,
Even Stella was screaming Screw Blue.
The banners were hung by the flagpoles with care
In hopes that St. Troy would find Ginn and Gonzalez through the air.
Drunken and crazy and tossing in their beds,
While visions of touchdowns danced through their heads.
When all of the sudden there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the keg to see what was the matter.
When there in the sky, in a bright shiny sleigh,
Was Woody Hayes decked out in the scarlet and gray.
He looked to the crowd that was gathered around,
And said that he heard The Game was in town.
I came here to watch it, and wish you good luck.
Though it's not like you need it, cause Michigan Still Sucks!

Just thought I'd honor my fabulous hubby's love for the Buckeyes! Let's hope all goes well!

Update: After a thrilling victory over Michigan, we are on our way to the National Championship Game. We bought plane tickets tonight and hopefully can get some game tickets for a reasonable amount. O-H-I-O! Go bucks!

Thankful for...

strong Texas roots, a great family history and strong women. Some of you know (okay maybe most of you) that I come from a large extended family. I'm humbled to have come from a strong line of Schlenkers who decided to settle in Texas. This last summer we celebrated 100 years in Texas and had a great family reunion. It is always amazing to me how many people come together and celebrate our family. It is always several days of fun. Like most everything, you never really appreciate your heritage until you get older.

This reunion was special because I got to spend lots of great time with my cousins whom I seldom see. As kids we were always running around together and getting into things we weren't supposed to. It was nice to reconnect and reminisce about our childhoods. We spent a lot of time laughing and enjoying life.

I learned a lot about my family roots too. My great-grandmother Schlenker had 11 children. Basically she was pregnant from age 26-46. I can't even begin to fathom that. She also was a strong woman and devoted wife. She followed her husband out to Texas after he bought land (which she told him not to do) on the train with 9 children one of which was a 3 month old baby. By the time she got to the farm it was dark. When she awoke the next morning she could only see black prairie everywhere. Even then she didn't doubt her husbands' decision to come to Texas. I can only hope I'm that kind of devoted wife. Coming from a history of strong women you can't help but be inspired to live up to your full potential. Here's to being thankful for the "diva" in us all!

Inspired by Aimee....

to start a list of what I'm thankful for. It is November after all! Today there are two things on my list.

First I'm thankful for patient people at tech support for Smart Board. Yes, my wonderful new technology in my room is broken and I spent an hour and a half on the phone with tech support. The poor lady was so nice trying to walk me through troubleshooting. I know there were times she probably wondered if I was a complete idiot but she was patient none the less. After all that time they didn't fix my problem and I have to call back tomorrow. It can't be good I've stumped the tech people!

Secondly, I'm thankful for my amazing friends and family. I have received such an outpouring of love, thoughts, concern and prayers from everyone in the last few days. I want you all to know how much it means to me and how much I appreciate it. I promise to respond personally to each of you this weekend but just want to say thanks! You are all awesome and I'm honored to be a part of your lives!

Have a great weekend and thank God for your lists of thankfulness!

No Voice

I completely lost my voice overnight. No idea why or how. I still went to work (I may have the only job where no voice isn't an excuse to miss!)and continued with my day because otherwise I felt okay. My kids were funny today because they couldn't believe I really couldn't talk. After I told them I lost my voice one of the little boys came up, touched my neck and said, "Where voice go?" It definitely made for an interesting day.

I did discover that not having a voice makes you really appreciate the fact you really do have a voice (weird, I know). I realized all the things we miss or take for granted because we are talking or interrupting others. Everyone should have a day with no voice at least once a month. It may be part of what is wrong with the world today!

Adventures in Parenting....(a dog)

We have decided that a dog is the first step to test whether one is ready for children. Everyone should be required to have a pet of some kind before deciding they are worthy of parenthood. Thus our adventure this week.

Woody had been scratching a lot for a long time and like every good parent we hoped it would just go away. It didn't so we finally broke down and took him to the vet. Turns out he has allergies (go figure) and the vet started him on an experimental drug. Yes, our dog is a test subject. Part of the treatment is a week of baths every other day and then a spray every third day. Fun stuff!

Have you every tried giving a dog a bath? Much less in the guest bathroom? Quite the adventure. He has figured out that running water is not a good thing when it comes to the bathroom. It is harder and harder to catch him and drag him to the bathroom. Once in the tub he submits to the fact that he is getting a bath so it is pretty easy. Afterwards, it is interesting to try and herd him outside before he shakes all over the house. We have mildly succeeded so far! However, there is one more bath to go! Hopefully he won't put up too much of a fight!

After this (and dog vomit/diarrhea), kids should be easy!!!

Exciting News!!!!

Some exciting news to share with you from the Cramer household. Are you ready??? Mindy is engaged!!!! Her fiance proposed on top of the Empire State Building today during her break from the cruise ship she's on. After the proposal, she had to get back on the ship for another two week stint. We only talked briefly before she lost cell signal but she was giddy and very excited. I am too!! Congrats Mindy and Doug! We can't wait for the big day (maybe Playa del Carmen??)

Tough Decision

I love my job so much but one of the toughest things about it is making decisions that impact the futures of my children. One of these decisions is upcoming and I'm struggling with what to do. I feel as though I'm not meeting the educational needs of one student and would like to place him/her at another campus. This student is struggling to keep up with peers and I feel it is in his/her best interest to move. However, the campus I'm looking at serves the MR students for deaf ed. This is where my struggle comes in....should I be giving up on a "normal" paced education for the student at the tender age of 10? It is not a decision I take lightly and can only hope that I make the best choice!

Things I learned (or confirmed) about my husband....

this weekend. It was nice because we had a weekend with just the two of us and tons of time to spend together (it's been a while since this has happened). I can honestly say it was a fantastic weekend and I didn't do anything exciting. In the course of spending time with Joel I learned (or confirmed) the following things.

1. While he is a big Buckeye fan, he is not the craziest or the nuttiest one out there! We went to watch the game this weekend at the OSU alumni party. Talk about some obsessed fans! I usually don't go to these things but decided to since he would be alone and I had nothing else to do. I'm glad I went and got to spend time with him. It also helped they won the game!

2. He is really great around kids. We went to see one of our friends new baby, Taylor. She is precious! While I was holding her, Joel was entertaining Ryan. It was fun to see. I've know he is good with kids (toddlers especially) but it's always nice to reconfirm.

3. He wants to take care of me. For example, he gave me the best route to go to the courthouse for jury duty. It's a small thing but I appreciated it b/c then I could sleep in longer!

4. He loves me unconditionally more than I could put into words. We had some real conversations this weekend and I've never felt more loved or at peace than when I'm with him.

5. He is excited we are spending Christmas here in McKinney (even though we were supposed to go to Ohio). He is even excited my family is going to join us! Me too! I only wish that his mom could come too.

I'm sure there are lots more things I could list. But for now this will do. I just want everyone to know how special Joel is and how much I love him! I love you Joel!!

Babies, babies, babies

Everywhere I turn I seem to be surrounded by babies or expectant moms. Three of our friends had new baby girls this week. Welcome to the world Ava, Riley, and Taylor! We can't wait to watch you grow and become young women. It makes me so excited to some day have children of my own!

This made me wonder (among other things) why some people can have kids without even trying (and really don't want them) and others who really want kids have such a hard time having them. It just doesn't seem fair. I have come to the conclusion though that if we are blessed with children I will cherish them so much more because of the road we took to get there. Thanks to all of your for your thoughts, prayers and support!

A Panhandle Wedding

Sorry this took so long to post but it has been an exhausting beginning of the week. We survived the wedding and had a great time hanging out with the family. Some highlights of the weekend included: catching up with my cousins Lori, Nate and Marcy; meeting Mindy's new beau Doug; my dad's surprise toast to all three of us girls and mom; the great food Paul's family fixed for the reception.

The wedding turned out beautiful thanks to lots of hard work from my mom, aunt, sister and the husbands! We spent all day Friday decorating everything and finished up final touches on Saturday. It went off without a hitch (even the weather cooperated!) I've posted some pictures for you all to enjoy (if you want to see more let me know and I'll send you a link to them). Hope you had a great (but not as exhausting) weekend as well!

Texas Fair Adventures

I am exhausted but I survived the annual trip to the fair today with the kids. There is nothing like corralling deaf children and adults in large crowds at the fair. I felt like I spent all day counting to seven (the number of my kids) and yelling at them to pay attention where they were going and mind their manners.

One of my boys kept wandering off and so about the fifteenth time it happened I finally told him, "Fine! Go off again. I don't care. But when you get lost and the policemen try to call me I'm not going to answer my phone. You will just have to stay here and be lost!" He really pondered this and didn't leave the group again! I love little white lies to the kids....makes them wonder when you are serious. All in all we had fun and covered a lot of ground (highlights included Big Tex talking, the huge cow "Peter the Great" and lunch with Texas shaped nachos!). I remember now why this is a once a year occasion for me!

Now we are off to Amarillo for the big wedding. We will be back Sunday so I'll post details then. Have a great weekend!