Yesterday was a great day! I, along with my Pastor Kyle and Cindy, went to a local Elementary School here and fed the teachers lunch to welcome them back to school. It was SUPER easy, much easier than the breakfast we did for them last year, and so very fulfilling (never mind that I got to take home some Subway leftovers too,LOL)

There is something about walking into a school that makes me feel so good inside! I always LOVED school. Yes, I was totally the teachers pet, always the most organized (but not nerdy), I always sat in the front row directly in front of the teacher's desk (you know just in case while it was quiet and he/she sat down I could, you know bring my work up to their desk to ask a question but really just get a compliment on what I've done so far, HA! I really did love love love getting up every morning and rushing off to school, hey it got me away from my dad and stepmom and that right there was a big plus during that time in my life. You could say I was an overachiever for sure, but I didn't get involved in school. I don't know why. It could be because I went to about 8 schools in the 12 years. I also never really had my parents set the example of what "getting involved" meant. They weren't involved in the schools or our community or anything like that. My dad worked all day, all night almost 7 days a week and I was home with my stepmother who didn't like me, resented both my sister and I, and was overwhelmed suffering depression with her two small boys that she had when I was 12 and 15 years old. So life was hard in that house and this post isn't even meant to go in that direction so I'm going to stop right there! :o)

BUT, those teachers....man I LOVED my teachers! Especially my English teacher in the 10th grade. I actually had a BIG crush on him, he was nerdy but classy...I don't even know how to explain it but any of my high school friends reading this know exactly what I mean! :o) I really wanted to love English because of him, and wanted to participate even more, which I did of course but it was not a love of mine for sure! I was a math and science girl. I loved "problem solving" and "dissecting", seeing the inside of things that you normally just don't see everyday even though you know they are there. I also loved Spanish class!!!!!!! Now, besides loving my teacher, I really didn't like English and I HATED History, Geography and classes of that sort! Gym class always seemed like a waste of time (where's the learning there?) I did join a local gym at 16 and always did aerobics, at least 3 times a week but just hated the HS Gym scene. The girls looked like boys, their bodies were muscular but squatty, and even when they did get made up and looked girly, they never looked "feminine". Sports just weren't for me and still really aren't. I am "girly" and always have been.

Anyway, my HS years were okay. They weren't as traumatic to me as to some BUT they definitely could have been more. I always went to my best friend Meagan's house and admired her family life. She was involved in much more than I ever was and her mother knew everyone and everything about the school..THAT IS TOTALLY WHAT I AM GOING TO BE LIKE WITH MY KIDS! I think seeing how important it is to your parents to be involved in community, in the school system, in serving, well that DEFINITELY has influence in the way you grow up thinking what is important. We all want to be like our moms and dads don't we? Even though we don't admit it, I think we all do, especially if they are doing admirable, selfless things.

By being less selfish, by putting ourselves out there more, by giving to and not taking from as much, well Chris and I are both hoping that our actions are what impact both our children and help them grow up to be the people that I always wanted to be and FINALLY am becoming at 31 years old!