Roy is 32!

Tomorrow Roy will turn 32! Geez, it seems like just yesterday that he was 21 and I was 20, and we were getting married! For his birthday I got him a library embosser. He was wanting one to mark all of his books. The seal has "From the Library of R.E. Garton" around the circle, and in the center is an open book. I tried to take a picture of it, but it was just all white, and you couldn't see a thing. Well, you get the idea, anyway.

Today I spent way too long making curtains for my kitchen. Since we painted the kitchen red, the brown curtains I had up just didn't go, and we needed to get more light into the room, so I made some white ones. I had seen some similar at Target, but didn't want to pay for plain white curtains, so I thought I would make them out of a sheet. Sounds easy, right? Well, it took me about 3 or 4 hours, which is totally ridiculous, and the curtain I made for the other kitchen window is too bad to post on this blog! Maybe Target will have a sale on curtains soon...

I made some more earrings last week. These are two of my favorites. Don't forget to tell everyone you know about www.freewebs.com/debbeads!

I looked at over 1,000 baby names last night, and I still can't find a girl name better than Alyssa Mercedes. I am now trying to bribe Roy to let me name our little girl: I offered him sex and ice cream! LOL He still doesn't like Alyssa because I initially chose the name spelled Ellissa, after his middle name - Ellis - which he dislikes, but now I just love the sound of the name, and it goes perfectly with Garton. Plus, if we have a boy and name him Warren Van, then we need a girl name that goes along with it in style and tone. Warren and Alyssa sounds sweet. I also spent time last night calculating my ovulation schedule from June to December and reading tips on getting pregnant. It's getting closer to trying time....

debbeads

My jewelry website is up and running!!!! Okay, it's not perfect, heck, it's not really even professional, but it's free!!!! (I make jewelry, not webpages!)

http://www.freewebs.com/debbeads/

Catching up

I sometimes wonder why I even have a blog! I haven't updated this blog in almost a month, but hey, I guess that's the purpose of blogging - sparatic communication with no guilt. You know how it is - you see a friend that you haven't seen in a year and you feel guilty that you didn't keep in touch - blogging keeps that guilt from forming. I bet those of you who read this monthly get more info. then you would if I didn't blog... So I am rambling away my own guilt for not updating sooner ... what is it with me and guilt? LOL

School is back in session for both Roy and me. He is getting pretty overwhelmed already, and I am just as tightly wound as usual. Actually, I think it is much better this semester. I am not as busy because we don't have history fair and UIL to deal with. The big thing on my mind is the reading TAKS test - yuck! Anyway, I have been thinking about getting my masters in administration and working toward a principal certificate. I have to pass the GRE first!!!

Roy and I went to the hospital tonight to visit our friends David and Staci. They just had their third baby, a boy named John Thomas. He was almost nine pounds, but when I held him he still seemed so tiny. Staci said, "You're next," and for the first time, I actually got nervous about having a baby. I mean the kind of nervous that feels like someone punched you in the stomach! It was an excited nervous, I suppose ... I think ... maybe. Afterward Roy and I went to Wingstop (totally cheating on my diet!) and talked about having babies. He confessed that he has trouble with poop. He said he will change our baby's diaper, but only with those surgical gloves on!!!!! Then he started into his whole "apparatis" talk about hooking a baby up over the sink and just spraying it off! HELP ME!!!! What I am going to do with this man???!!!!! It was really quite funny. He, of course, said it all with that cute grin and dimple showing, which made it all the more enjoyable.

I am going to try to finish up my jewelry website this week. I am very excited about it, even though it isn't very professional looking. Here are a few pics of some earrings I have made recently:

My fifth grade girls just love my earrings, so when they have a chance to choose a prize for some event in class, they always choose earrings. The pair above was just such a case. The student has worn them every day since she got them!!!!

Christmas in Oklahoma

We have just spent a week in Oklahoma visiting family and friends for Christmas. It was a fabulous visit! Here are some pics:

Roy just loves having his picture taken!!!

My parents

My sister, my mom, and yours truly

My sister and her family

John got a stocking full of pickles!

Sweet Sarah posing for Auntie Debbie

My grandparents

I got a special treat this visit! My best friend from high school, Lacey, was in town with her new baby!!!!

Roy's niece, Keara, is now two years old. Isn't she a cutie?!!! She loves coffee - Starbucks, of course, and when we were visiting one night, she told her mom, "I need my coffee!"

Keara and mommy playing with the new kitchen set from Aunt Debbie and Uncle Roy.

Showing off for the camera with her new teddy bear from Uncle Adam - he built it himself at Build-a-Bear! Such a sweet uncle - yes, ladies, he's single and good looking!

My mom got Cleo a tent for Xmas! She was too nervous to play with it much while at Grandma's, but she has played in it and walked through it several times now that we are home.

I am so glad to be home in Texas where the weather is warm! While in Oklahoma, we got several inches of snow, and it was just too cold!!! Cleo liked the snow, but she would just shiver from being so cold.

If you think this looks like a sad puppy-dog face, then you are definitely correct! We always stay at Roy's grandma's house when we go to Oklahoma, and Cleo loves to hang out with Grandma while Roy and I are off visiting family. This time, however, Grandma was in the city visiting her daughter, so Cleo sometimes had to stay home alone during the day. She would sit in this chair and pout, looking at the front door. I think she was just wondering when Grandma was going to come back home. Poor thing...

We have been back in Texas for a couple of days now, and I must say we have done little but sleep and eat. It has been nice. Next week we both have to start back to schoolwork...

Random Updates

I can't believe it has been so long since I updated my blog! Things have been so busy at school and otherwise, I just haven't had much time. Roy and I are doing well. Roy is out of school for winter break; he did so well this semester: A, A-, and B+ in his classes. He also has become known as a hardworking grad assistant; one which works harder and longer than any other grad assistant, mostly due to the requirements of the professor he works for. Incidentally, that professor gave Roy a $50 gift card to Outback Steakhouse!!! I had a winter white martini, which was fantastic! My school is fine, just busier than ever. History fair just finished up today, and UIL finished a couple of weeks ago. I don't remember being this busy the past two years... I suppose it's because we have about 25 more students than we did last year, but really no additional staff members. That means we all have to do more.

We are leaving for Ponca on Thursday after school. We will be there about a week. We are taking Cleo with us again. She has been so great! Right now she is chewing on her Xmas gift - a peanut butter flavored candy cane bone. She is about 14lbs, so I have her on a no table food diet. I must take full responsibility for her being a bit overweight. It is so hard for me not to give in to her pouty face when she is begging for food. Roy and I are trying to watch our weight, too. It's ridiculous how much weight I've gained in the last two years. My goal is to lose 10-15lbs before the end of May. That way I will be my normal weight before I get pregnant - I hope. It is really exciting planning for parenthood. Roy and I were talking tonight about whether or not we should get rid of our piano. We decided to keep it because our kids might want to learn to play, or we could all take lessons together. Though we still have many fears, mostly financial, about parenting, I think we are as ready as can be.

Roy gave me one of my Xmas gifts early - he made me a lap desk for my jewelry making. It is great. I haven't officially sold any earrings yet, but I haven't exactly taken the opportunity to sell any, either. I have been trying to make several different styles to meet different tastes. I have given a few pairs away, and that has been good advertisement, but now I just need to say, "If you would like to order a pair, let me know" when people see a pair they love.

Okay, enough of this dull update... Merry Christmas, everyone!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

Thanksgiving break has been just fabulous! I had made Roy promise not to do any schoolwork on Thanksgiving day, and he didn't. We just lazed around all day and watched T.V., ate, played Scrabbled, and cuddled. It had been since the beginning of the school year when we were able to spend that kind of time together. Friday morning I got up at 4:30am and went shopping for a couple of hours. When I came home I decided to put the Christmas tree up, and Cleo was excited and wanted to help. (She also wanted to eat everything I took out, but that's another story!) She kept jumping up onto/into the tree box, so I snapped a pic.

Later I put a reinderr headband on her back, and it made her crazy! She kept spinning around trying to get it off! (I'm mean, I know.) And yes, that's her very own mini Xmas tree; notice the base has been chewed on!
After a few hours, the tree finally made it up. Cleo kept walking underneath it until I got all the gifts wrapped and under there.
Last night we were able to visit Johnny and Kita. I once again proved my lack of talent when it comes to making homemade cookies - they turned out cakey. I followed Kita's recipe, so I don't know what on earth could have happened! Roy has told me for a few years now that I should just give up on making cookies. I normally just buy the premade dough; much easier anyway!

Today I have been editing David's book. I met with him a couple weeks ago, and he gave me some additions to insert. I am enjoying the project, but will be glad when it's all over.

Tomorrow is back to school for both Roy and me. He has a couple weeks left and I have four. It's hard to believe that this year has gone by so quickly.

One more thing ... my obgyn says I need to stop the pill at the end of May to have a baby May '09. I know it is not an exact science, but that's what we are shooting for anyway. I can see how mom's who cannot get pregnant can get so consumed with the idea of having a baby. I already think about it several times a day, and I'm not even pregnant yet! We have already chosen names! (boy: Warren Van [after Roy's dad]; girl: Ellisa Mercedes [after Roy's middle name, Ellis]) Here's to planning and hoping!

Surprise!

Last Friday Roy and I were talking about what we should do over the weekend. You know, things like edging, mopping the floors, and so on. As we pulled up in the driveway and got out of the car, Roy said, "We won't have time to do any of that." "Why," I said. "Look behind you," Roy told me. When I did, my mouth dropped open because there stood my mother, and my dad was stepping out of his truck. They came all the way from OK (7hrs) just to see me! I found out that they and Roy had been planning this little surprise for about a month now! Seems I was left out!!!! It was a really nice weekend. We shopped (my mom has lost so much weight she is in a large now!), cleaned (mom brought me these new Swiffer duster things that make dusting super easy), and cooked and ate (we made T-day dinner since they were here). After mom just had knee replacement surgery this summer, it was a difficult trip for her to make. It really was a nice surprise. Now we won't see family again until Xmas. Roy has promised that he won't do schoolwork on Tday, and that we can just spend the day together; I am really looking forward to that!
A few years ago I tried to make a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin (some of our friends will remember the chunky pie), but this year, I didn't just "try" to make it, I DID make it and it was great!!!! It tastes so yummy. A totally different taste than the canned stuff. Heres a pic:

Isn't it beautiful?!!!!!

John and Sarah

This past weekend my sister and niece and nephew came down to visit. It was such fun! I must admit I had to take a two hour nap after they left, but it was well worth it. We played, chased Cleo, went to the zoo, ate lots of junk, talked about Cleo, made cookies, watched a movie, played with Cleo ... are you noticing a pattern here? Sarah is obsessed with Cleo. Most kids play house, but Sarah plays "Cleo." On Friday Cleo was laying on my lap with her nose between my knees; Sarah decided to do the same on her momma's lap, just to be like Cleo. Sometimes we would just be sitting and Sarah would smile and say, "Your dog's nice, Auntie Debbie; Cleo's nice." It is just too funny. Cleo did well; she likes both John and Sarah, but she definitely got tired of being messed with. A couple of times she just turned her head away when they kept trying to get her attention. Cleo adores my sister, though. She practically worships her; several times she was actually whimpering when she saw Kim until she got a dose of attention from her. We all had a great time. So now they are on there way home, and life goes on ... how boring. Here are some pics of our great weekend:

Finally, this stump in our front yard has purpose!
Making cookies with Auntie Debbie (Yes, using a roll of cookie dough is still "making" cookies!)

Now it's time to ice the cookies...

Now it's time to EAT the cookies - about half of them in one sitting!

Sarah as Cleo

Playing with Cleo's toys
Kissing Cleo

Just being a cutie!

Because of days like today...

Apparently I have become old and nasty in the past two years. Today two of my students (boys) looked at a picture of me and Roy that is only two years old, and they said, "Mrs. Garton, you look young in that picture," and "You should grow your hair long again and wear those glasses cause you look better in that picture"!!!!! I guess that's what two years and 8lbs can do to a person! Well, anyway, I gave the boys the speech about never telling a woman she looked better in a previous time, and I also pretended it didn't bug me, but it did. Why does getting old have to be so noticeable?!!! I should have told them that they are the ones making me look like this now! (Which, by the way, I don't think is all that bad, minus the cellulite. I may be 14lbs heavier than I was when we got married, but I am much healthier. I haven't passed out in years!) Oh, and the girl who is obsessed with my eyebrows pulled my shirt together today and said something about me not being able to button it up! (It was supposed to be unbuttoned and I had a cute tank with lace on under it.) Why do I keep teaching these crazy kids?!!!! Actually, I know why. It's because of days like today when I talk to them about sticking up for the underdog instead of making fun, and I see them later in the day actually doing it; it's because of days like today when I listen to them laughing hysterically with each other (rather than talking rudely to each other) as they try to speak in a fake British accent; it's because of days like today when a student practically has to be pushed out of my room because she doesn't want to leave it, even though she won't admit it; it's because of days like today when students come up and give me a hug because they know I will give them one in return ... yes, that's why I keep putting up with the comments and observations about my eyebrows, my body, my hair, my weight, and my age - because of days like today.

My Sweet Cleo

Whenever I take towels out of the dryer, Cleo just loves to get right in the middle of the pile while they are still warm. I was able to capture this cute pic of her tonight ... It is now 4hrs later, and the towels are still on the floor waiting to be folded; they are very patient. LOL