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doremimifa
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Name: Mimi
Gender: Female
Interests: My wonderful husband Greg, my family, piano, reading, traveling, trying new recipes, and being outside
Expertise: Teaching elementary students to love music...or at least, that's my goal! :)
Message: message me
Member Since:
3/23/2007
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| I'm alive! It's just that I guess I'm not really into this whole weblogging thing. I love reading about how you all are doing but I feel like there is never anything exciting enough to write about on my end! But here's what's been going on in the last several months....if I can remember. 
School is going well this year. I have a student teacher this semester from Cedarville and we're both learning so much! She just began teaching full-time this week, and it's such an interesting thing to step away and get an objective view of my job. I have a fun job! It's a little boring to sit back and do nothing more than take some notes, but it's also exciting to see my student teacher grow in her teaching skills each day.
We have begun to prepare the 1st and 2nd graders for the spring play and could I just put in a plug right now? If you are in the area, you have GOT to try to come see one of the plays. It's not that they're amazing and full of special effects or directed by anyone spectacular (though I hear I'm funny to watch), it's just that it's good old fashioned entertainment. So refreshing. When you see a kid in a Santa suit running around the stage trying to keep his pants up, or see a chubby kid with her face shoved through a tree costume saying her lines, or see that kid in the front row of the chorus who can't stop picking his nose, you just gotta laugh. I highly recommend you coming to one of the shows...or any elementary musical, for that matter. They're just hilarious. So come on and join us and I promise you'll get a kick out of it. 
Greg and I are doing great! We have been busy working on the house...the kitchen is coming along slowly but nicely! The new counter was installed this week (it has tripled my working space--please sing a rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus at this time on my behalf), and Greg is planning on putting in the floor next week.
Let's see...what else has happened since August...
~In September, we visited our dear friends Beth and Paul in Kentucky. We went to Mammoth Cave and just had so much fun catching up with them!
~In October, my parents came for a weekend and Dad saw the house for the first time. He loved it! We made sure to continue the daddy-daughter tradition of carving a pumpkin for Halloween (I never get to make Jack-o-lanterns with Greg; he thinks pumpkin guts are disgusting).
~In November, Greg and I both played in the pit for GHS's production of "Schoolhouse Rock Live." It was one of the first things we have done musically together and it was fun! We went to PA for Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with my family. We found out my best friend is pregnant--woohoo!
~Over Christmas we spent time with both families and got our first Christmas-tree-in-our-new-house- and-it-looks-so-cute-because-we-have-a-fireplace-and-a-cat-and-life-is-complete. AND we forgot to take pictures of our cute little house.
~In January we got to visit my sister in California for 4 days! Greg's birthday fell during our visit so we celebrated at a super fancy restaurant. We also got to see my sister's school, visit San Francisco, and explore the gorgeous Napa Valley.
~And this month I feel like we've had quite a bit of "down time"....probably due to the fact that we've had a billion snow days. Greg and I have been able to spend lots of time with friends, have gotten involved in a new small group from church, and are enjoying time together. This is a precious time of life...while we look forward to having children someday, we are loving this time together and are making the most of it! And our kitties are fun to take care of for now. Yes, two kitties. I came home from school one night last month and Greg had bought a new kitten! Ha! After weeks of deliberation, we settled on the name Turbo, mostly in honor of the reinstitution of American Gladiators, Greg's favorite childhood show. We had to pick a weird name! Po, Turbo, and their best friends Maeby and Stretchy-Pants! Sometimes our friends Julie and Ransom bring their pets over when they come over to watch Lost with us, and they have a play date. 
I think that's all I can think of to write about for now. Hope you are all doing wonderfully!
Pics below: *Greg, me, Paul, and Beth in the cave
*Dad and me carving the pumpkin (I just realized I'm wearing the same Penn State T-shirt. I promise I washed it. )
* Brianne's pregnant!
We've got some good Cali pictures but of course I don't know how to post them so I'll try to get them on here later.
 
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| Sorry, gang, I know it's been a while. Thanks for keeping me on my toes, Crystal!  I really do enjoy the world of Xanga but it's hard for me to make the time to post regularly.
Grad school's done for the summer, and Greg and I left right from Capital that Friday night to go to the beach! My parents vacation in Ocean City, NJ, every summer and this summer we were able to join them for a week. We had a great time! My best friend and her husband got to come for two days, and we of course got quality time with my parents, and Greg and I even went parasailing! (Parasailing was one of the things on our "DINK" list: Dual Income No Kids....one of those things we wanted to do before God might bless us with children.) It was weird not having my sister there for the first year ever, but she's doing great in "Cali", as she calls it. I talked to her for a while on the phone yesterday and she's loving life.
Sadly, our cat Howie died at the end of last month. We were so upset. I honestly would not call myself an animal person at all--Howie was Greg's cat mostly--but now I understand what it's like to become attached to a pet! Howie was only 2 and died of a genetic disease, and we miss the little guy. He was great entertainment. Po's got some big shoes to fill. 
And....school starts on Monday!!! Ahhh!!! I have been praying that the Lord would help me to be ready emotionally for the new year, and I'm getting there. I have two more days. I'm excited to use the new ideas I got from classes this summer, but honestly I'm also dreading some of the more difficult aspects of my job. If you think about it, please pray for me this year. I have struggled lately with the balance between being a "good sport"-going above and beyond the call of duty (which I am happy to do for the sake of my students)-and letting people walk all over me. I think as a "specials" teacher, I am often considered to be less important in both subject matter and rights. I want to be like Jesus but it is hard to know when to stand up for myself and my subject area (which often includes stepping on people's toes), and when to be gracious and flexible. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it's something I'm really praying about this year.
Speaking of praying, we got an encouraging call from my mother-in-law last night! The road to restoration between her and my father-in-law is long, but there have been some good things happening in the last few days!! Keep praying!
Today I'm going to a wedding of a co-worker. (The last wedding I can think of until next summer!) Are you making the connections here?? My friend is getting married today and will be at work with me on Monday! The poor girl! They have a honeymoon scheduled for November and this was the only summer date they could get their church and reception place, but sheesh. I feel bad for her. It should be a beautiful day, though! Then we're going to the Columbus Crew game tonight to support our dear church choir singing the National Anthem. Woohoo! I can't wait to join choir. And not just to sing in the Crew stadium. 
Until next time!
Howie sledding, Howie driving...okay enough Howie pictures 
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| ...is already more than half over! That's hard to believe. It has been a busy, busy few weeks, as I expected, but things are great! I have two more weeks of grad school and even though I miss summer (I have yet to go swimming ), I'm so glad to be getting these credit hours under my belt. The first three weeks of education classes were really intense (thanks to all of you who encouraged me during that time) with hours and hours of homework and paper writing every night. I have begun the music classes and, naturally, they're WAY more fun for me. It's still super intense, but I just feel so much more successful in these types of classes, and I've been inspired with lots of great ideas for this coming school year. I have been able to spend a couple of nights a week in Columbus with friends which is a HUGE blessing...and Greg makes the most of the time by working on the house while I'm gone.
Today is a fun day; I already decided. I am going out for lunch with a dear friend who just got back from two years in China, and then Greg and I are having a date night tonight. I think it's important that we make the most of our weekends since it's so hard to get quality time together during the week. I think we're going to see SpiderMan3...probably a total boy movie but that's okay. Tomorrow should be relaxing, too. Some homework to do, but hey...only two more weeks of this stuff!
My sister's in California!!! She starts classes on Monday so she and my mom flew there on Friday. They stopped here for a day and a half first, though, which was great! It was the first time they had seen our house and they LOVED it. I came home from school on Thursday to find that they had rearranged furniture and decorated a few rooms and I was THRILLED. The house is so much cuter now! Decorating is not my area of expertise in any sense of the word, so I was so encouraged to come home to a pretty house. Greg took them to the airport yesterday, and my sister's not coming home until Christmas. We are hoping to fly out for a visit at some point. I've never been out West!
Other than school, things have been busy with weddings. The first weekend in July I played the piano in Brian Iezzi's wedding (anyone remember him from Cedarville? I grew up with him), and then last weekend was Marcia Yamarino's wedding. Happy!
Sorry about the long update, but I guess that's what happens when I only do it once a month. Have a wonderful weekend!
Below...me and Marcia at her wedding! And didn't my hair look delicious?!
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