Christmas 2012

 

We stayed here in Texas for Christmas this year. It was a little weird with just getting out of school and then celebrating right away. But, it also makes it nice that we will have another week to hang out and rest up. Christmas Eve we spent at home with our family of 4 and opened presents with the kids. Then Santa came and brought things in their stocking for Christmas morning. Jerimiah's family came over for lunch and we made fajitas. It was so yummy. My dad came in a few days later to spend the weekend with us and tonight we are having a very low key NYE.

 

Hitting Home

As I've had more time now to sit and watch and read of the horrific events that took place in the small Connecticut town, I weep.  As an elementary teacher, it hit home, hard.  Every year we practice drills at our school.  To be honest, it sometimes seems as if it is just quick, let's take five minutes and mark off that we practiced.  When I go to my room tomorrow, you better believe I'll be pulling out my flip chart and looking at it alittle more careful to know what exactly the procedure is.  This year, our district changed the procedure though to an intruder lockdown.  Fight or Run or something like that it is called.  It is now MY choice what I do with my precious students.  Do we stay in the room or would it be safer to run out and get the heck out of the situation.  I can't even fathom having to make that decision, especially if it were in situation like Friday.
My heart is saddened for the families of these beautiful babies and adults that were killed.  I watched a clip on CNN of a 30 year old dad whose 6 year old blonde hair beautiful girl was one of the students killed.  He wept.  He spoke of her and how she made sure everyone around her was happy.  She would carry her markers and crayons around and make cards if someone was feeling sad.  I have 22 just like her.  Although this is going to be a stressful week and students throughout the school are a little more energetic then normal, I'm just going to love on them.  The stories of the couple of teachers who lock their kids in the closet and protected them, breaks my heart.  No teacher signs up to be a defense person like that to children.  I pray that I never have to face a situation like this, please join me in praying for all schools across this nation, that this never has to happen again!

How Great Thou Art

How Great Thou Art...I get choked up everytime I hear that song or we sing it in church.  It was the last song we sang at mom's funeral and thus, I am reminded of it everytime.  It is a beautiful song and since then have sang it at most of the funerals I have been to since.  Today was a tough day.  Jerimiah's dear Aunt Penny lost her battle with cancer on Thursday morning.  She had surgery back in the spring and it was too bad that she did not have any more treatment and was given a short time to live, which turned into about 7 months.  Although I didn't spend a huge amount with her besides major holidays, she always made me feel so welcome to the Kindrick family.  She had such a sweet quiet spirit, similar to mine, and she loved Jesus with all her heart.  She made Jerimiah and I's wedding photo DVD for us and found so many pictures of my husband to add and was so fun to learn some of the storie behind them.  Her spirit and fight in fact was that similiar to mom's.  Maybe that's why today was difficult for me.  It is never fair or fun to have someone die, but when people like her do, you can't help but rejoice that they are now enjoying the streets of gold and living with a perfect body again and do not have to suffer any longer from the horrible cancer disease. 
Lately, I have been missing my mom so much.  There is so much in my life that makes me so sad that I can not share with her and with my sister's life.  Like how Amy lives life to the fullest and is a friend to all she meets.  She strides for what she wants and is excited to start to new job doing things that she absolutely loves and is good at, like taking photos.  Or how my beautiful babies will never know the most incredible grandma ever.  Carlie has taken too carrying around a picture of her that is in Cohen's room.  She knows exactly who is and not that I'm hiding her, but it has just never come up with a one year old who that lady is in the picture.  But no, she know's thats "my gamma".  Break this momma's heart.  I would never wish in a million years for mom to be back and dealing with weekly chemo treatments and MRIs and all the long drives to Sioux City, but dang it, I miss my mom!  8 years sees like a lifetime that she has been gone, but in the other hand, it seems like yesterday.  So  much has happened in those years and I can't hope but believe that she has been up there helping God orchestrate all the wonderful things that I have been blessed with.  Because that was her, wanting to provide and give me and my sister and dad what we wanted.  And most of all, that was her unconditional love.  Just like Aunt Penny.  She left some words that the sweet Pastor read about hopes she had for her two children, Amy and Andrew and her grandchildren.  What a sweet touch and thoughts to leave them with from an incredibly brave mom.  
I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the reason why God chose to take my mom from me so early in my life, but I know that is all yet to be seen in his amazing plan.  I do believe though part of it what my life is now.  Here, in Texas.  There is no way I would have packed up and moved if she was still fighting the fight.  Thus, no Jerimiah, no babies, so I see Gods plan in that, but for me who was depended on Mom for alot of things(just ask my sister who still gives me grief), I often wish I had her here on Earth to help me through life. 
A sweet young family friend of the Kindrick's sang and played piano that Penny had taught her to Natalie Grant's In Better Hands Now.  I...lost...it.  She did a wonderfully job and rejoice in the fact that she, along with many others who suffered from ugly cancer, are in much better hands with healthy bodies enjoying God's presence everyday.  So tonight, I'm going to kiss my babies a little more, hug my husband tight and tell them I love them and thank God for them as we never know when our life on Earth ends and new life with him will begin.  But until a day, I've been inspired again to try and be that light and person of love in this terribly dark world.  Here's the beautiful song that was sang.  Enjoy.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yKlQ6zoqDE

Thankful

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I have so much to be thankful for.  I didn't participate in Facebook's say something I'm thankful for everyday but I really thankful for so many incredible things.
I'm thankful first and for most to live in a country where we are free to worship our amazing Lord and Savior and not be persecuted for it.  I'm thankful for God's amazing grace and forgiveness and that he loves us for who we are in him.  I'm so very thankful for Kingsland Baptist Church and the relationships that we have made through our Sunday School classes there.  I'm so thankful for my home away from home, West Memorial Elementary and the amazing co-workers who are more like family to me.  I'm thankful for Miss Kim and the amazing caregiver that she is for my babies.  I'm thankful for my family, every single person.  And most recently, I am thankful for doctors and my health.
October was a crazy dream that I am so glad is over.  It all started on the 1st of the month and thankfully ended on the 1st of November.  I went to my yearly obgyn appointment hoping and praying it would be like every other, quick in, no questions and off I would go.  While doing my exam my doctor felt a cyst in my right breast.  Worst fear confirmed at that time. I secretly go into those appointments just waiting to hear it.  But this Monday, it happened.   She ordered for me to go have an ultrasound and possible mammogram.  She said because of my age and huge family history, it would be a good idea.  So off I went and made the appointment.  I had to wait a whole other week. It was a very stressful
 week as I went over every worse possible scenario in my head.  Also, how in the world was I going to tell my dad and sister.  I was feeling guilty, when I had no control over having found a cyst.  It took me until the night before my ultrasound to tell them.  Step one over.  Had my appointment and the radiologist confirmed 4 areas of concern but they could not tell from either the ultrasound or mammogram on what exactly they were and they were deemed "suspicious for malignancy".  So, there I went out again and had to make another appointment.  Next step they wanted for me was to have a MRI on both sides.  Now, as much as I am a worrier, I should not be looking on the Internet at this point or, scanning like crazy through my mom's old records that I had to find and say oh crap, she had it on the same side.  Oh crap, she was only about a half year older, crap, this is not looking good.  But, because of who I am, I continued to make it worse then it probably was going to be in my mind.  So fast forward another week and I had my MRI.  As I was sitting getting a needle poked in my arm I said to Jerimiah, wow, is this déjavu or what.  Moving right along they told me someone would let me know in 4-5 days as they have specific people who read breast MRIs.   But some where in those days, people got confused and no one called me.  I called my doctors office and left a message.  I was driving home and my phone rang, I was just getting of the freeway so I told her to hang on a sec so I could get Ina parking lot.  She confirmed they had found the spots but were still unclear on if they were cancer. Great.  One more step.  Biopsy.  There were two spots most concerning that they decided because of my history again and that they were unclear we would go ahead and biopsy them for hopefully  a clear answer.  Another week later my wonderful mother -in -law and I went to the hospital.  It took probably longer for them to prepare me and the room then the actual biopsy process.  They did local numbing so it didn't hurt at the time. I was pretty sore the next few days and in fact, still am bruised.  So again, they said someone will call when they get the pathology report.  Two days later I had my cell phone on my desk at school and I heard it vibrating for a call.  I recognized the number after seeing they left a voicemail.  I listened and they just said to call.  I told my teammate Erin I was going to call them back and she graciously watched my class.  Um..hi, this is Sara Kindrick and I just had a voicemail.  Yes, Mrs. Kindrick has your dr called yet.  Crap, is what I thought.  Really, you are starting the conversation that way.  No, no one has called me yet.  Ok, well the radiologist wanted me to let you know that both your biopsies came back NORMAL!!  Oh praise The Lord, I remember telling the nurse.  Yes ma'am, they will want to follow up in six months, alright I said, thank you so much for calling and have a good day.  Normal.  Wow..  A whole month of agony, and it was over just like that.  All the what ifs and oh my, how in the world is this ever going to work, were over.
Although I had my moments of break downs, the one thing remained constant.  I would hear God's voice, do not fear my child, I am here.  God was ever present in all times.  I remember while I was in the MRI machine for the 45 minutes that after I had taken a small nap, I laid in there face down and just prayed.  Cried out to God that everything would be ok and that this scary dream would be over.  I am so grateful for the good news that I can share and that was there through it all.  I am sooooo grateful for so many wonderful friends and family members that prayed us through, sent emails, texts to tell us they were praying.  So that my friends is something that I am incredibly THANKFUL for this Thanksgiving!

Day at Home

Miss Kim's family is sick so I've had the day at home with my babies. What a nice little break. We have played, ate, Carlie took a nap and now we are waiting for daddy to get home.

Routine

I am a person that loves routines.  Kindergarten fits this well.  We will start our third week of school tomorrow and I am so proud of my class for how much they have picked up how to do things in my classroom.  It has taken me several years to figure it out myself and I'm still learning how to do things better to create routines that will help students learn the best they can and fingers crossed, will help avoid some behavioral problems.  On Friday, Katy ISD threw our school for a loop in our "routine".  It seems as if our numbers are low and other campuses are high.  What this means is three of our teachers will be leaving this week to start again at a different school.  One of our kinder teachers is one of those people.  Again.  Second year in a row.  Enough Katy ISD.  Julie joined our team last year after teaching art for a year at our school and will be going back to art.  I'm excited for her and sad at the same time.  She was a perfect fit for our team.  She became someone I could go to for "mom" advice for my own children.  It is going to be a rough week with getting her ready to move and split the class into their new places and such.  I know it isnt fun for us, but am so happy for Julie to get back to art.you will be missed Ms. Barentine!

In other news, we had a pretty low key weekend.  We went to our favorite spot, Los Cucos for dinner Friday night.  I had a ladies brunch on Saturday morning with our new Sunday school ladies, it was great and again felt reassured we have moved to the right class.  I feel so much more at home and calm and can't wait to build more relationships with the girls there through get togethers, class and mommy play groups.

Never Doubting

Sorry it has been awhile.  This week Jerimiah and I had our first weeks back to school with students.  Man, I forget how tiring this week is.  I forget how much I have tell, teach, show, wipe tears of my little kindergartners.  These first few weeks are so important on laying the foundation of the year and man, I'm pooped!  Good thing tomorrow is Friday and that we have an extra day to rest on Monday for Labor Day!  The kids have been back at Miss Kim's since last week and are getting back to their routine.  She is working on a letter a day with them and Cohen loves coming home to tell me what he learned.  He is even startling to write his letters too, wow, he is growing up way to fast.  Sissy is never far behind and can even chime Ina bit while counting or singing the alphabet song.
This fall we are starting in a new Sunday school class.  We are very excited to get plugged in with them and continue to grow our relationships with our friends from the Northside bible study.  In this last week, God has revealed to me in several small ways that this is where he wants us to be.  Now that Cohen and Carlie are feeling better, I can't wait to plug in with the group.  I had to miss a planning meeting and first Sunday with first throwing up kids and then hand foot mouth kids.  In every aspect in my life, I know God is always there, watching over me and my family.  But sometimes in this crazy busy life, when I started to worry about everything, God shows me through people around me, things and prayer that he has his hand in everything and has planned it out perfectly for us.

NWC reunion

Last Saturday, one of the girls that moved down here the year after Katrina, Kristy and I from Northwestern got married in the Woodlands.  It was a very sweet wedding and fun to be able to attend.  All the NWC girls were there and it was so fun to visit and get update with them all.  It is so sad that we really all live so close together and only see each other a few times a year.  Of us that are married and will be married, have married Texas boys or transplant Texas boys.  It was fun to catch up girls and I hope we can get together again soon!

NWC girls in Houston.

Me, Melissa, Lynn, Katrina, Cassie, Kristy and Kaitlyn

Me and my handsome date!

The original three.

Kristy, Me and Katrina

My Sweet Babies

Sara the Cook

That's right folks, yours truly cooked dinner tonight. And everyone survived, ate it and said I could make it again!

Projects

We have only been home since yesterday afternoon and I completed three of my pinterest projects.  The first one is covering old clipboards from my classroom that the kids have written all over. Cohen and I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. 

Next, I made a prayer board.

And lastly, I picked up some lanterns at Hobby Lobby also and hung them in Carlie's room.  She loves them and calls them balls and tries to reach them by standing on her bed.  Such a sweet girl!

I've already got my list started for the next projects!!  Stay tuned!



Summer Vacation

The past few years, we have made the trip to Iowa more towards the end of summer. This year we headed up there not even a week after finishing up with school. I had my high school 10 year reunion scheduled for June 16, so we planned accordingly. We had a great trip driving there and back. We went a different way then we normally did and we really liked it better then the other way we have gone. It is more of a straight shot and not crazy interstate driving, but instead nice 4 lane highway driving. The kids did wonderfully! We had DVD players for them, books, snacks and they rode like champs. This is the first time in many trips that no one got sick in Iowa, hoorah!! We ate at Pizza Ranch as soon as we rolled into town and ate there 2 more times after that. Had to get my fix! We went to Sioux City one day, Le Mars to the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Shop, Okoboji to Arnold's Park and then of course, my reunion. Jerimiah and I have often tossed around the idea of moving back to Iowa sometime. After this trip, with no offense to anyone, but I have felt a peace about where we are right now, here in Texas. I don't know what it was and nothing really happened, but I just really felt God telling me that I am where I need to be right now and not to worry about it anymore. Not that we never will think about it again, just probably not right now. My reunion was great and I'm glad I had the chance to reconnect with people. About half our class was there and it was a fun night for everyone. We took off Monday morning and got back into Katy about 4 PM yesterday afternoon.

 

School's Out!

Yeah, we made it! Another year under my belt and I'm so excited for summer! Next week we will take off for Iowa. While there we will attending my 10 year high school reunion. It will be fun to catch up with people. I've already decided I need to get some things planned for the weeks to keep everyone busy. We will need to establish some kind of routine with naps also because so far, that is not going so well. Cohen is starting to fight taking a nap a lot. He is only 3 and to be honest, I'm not quite ready to give up that quiet time just yet. One thing though we will be working on is Carlie's B (binkie). She had done really well until she was sick awhile back and we let her have it. Why is it when you are trying to do something like this or potty training or whatever, so much of it depends on your mood or time, crazy I tell ya! I have no pictures ready, sorry people. I will work on downloading some this week to be able to use.

Starting to Pack Things Up

It is getting closer, today I started packing some of the things in my room up.  It feels so good to be so close to summer with my babies!!

Summer Dreamin

Summer will be great with the addition of this to the backyard thanks to Pop Bensema.  I can already see many hours being spent here.  Can't wait!

Things I Love This Week

Thank you Katy for the great idea of a post!  I always have such a hard time blogging and I know I could write about anything, but sometimes in the busyness, it is hard to pick one thing.

Things I love this week:
1. Being 31 days to summer freedom!  Don't get me wrong, I love my job and my students, but I'm super excited for summer vacation.  Also, in just a few weeks we will be getting a playset for our backyard.  We are super excited!  Pictures to come soon!

2. Walks with my good friend Katy.  We have been walking a couple times a week.  We have 4 kiddos between the two of us and it is so much fun to hear them yelling and giggling with each other through the strollers and for us to have girl time to talk our daily struggles and joys out.  I truely appreciate your friendship Katy!

3. Dt. Mt. Dew..there won't be a good day without it!

4.  Pinterest...yes..hello my name is Sara and I'm an addict.  Just ask my husband, who by the way told me he is going to blow the server up for as much as I am on it.  Haha.  I must admit though a big chunk of my time is for finding ideas to use in my classroom and once in a while I will find something for the house, which really makes him happy when I come up with crazy ideas, which then includes some kind of shopping marathon. Oh well, I have become the queen of deals, so at least it isn't breaking the bank! :)

Well, I love lots more things, but duty calls to go get my students soon and end our school day.  Everyone enjoy your Tuesday!

Weekend Fun

This past weekend we headed out of the city to the country in order to shoot some bluebonnet pictures.  Just northwest of us the bluebonnets bloom like crazy this time of year.  Jerimiah's parents, us, Max and April headed out Saturday morning to see what we could find.  We first made a stop at Chapell Hill Sausage to pick some venison sausage up and then kept venturing to find the flowers.  We had gone when Cohen was about to be one but did not get a chance to go last year.  We found the same spot we went to before and it was great.  Being there earlier in the day proved to be good as it was not busy at all. The kids did okay and we got enough good pictures to be satisfied with the trip.  We then kept going a little bit further to Brehnam and ate at a fantastic Mexican restaurant.  We then parted ways and we all headed home.  Saturday evening we then headed over to our friends the Bannerman's for a fish fry with our small group friends.  A great time was had by all and the kids enjoyed running around and playing in their backyard.  The weekends go so fast but that just means we are getting that much closer to SUMMER VACATION!!

Painting

Wow..another entry already..don't get too used to this people.  It may or may not happen again so quick.  We had a great weekend, with NOTHING scheduled.  It was a nice change of pace.  We slept in, did some grocery shopping then pretty much just hung out and played.  The kids are being so cute right now trying to "play" with each other.  It usually consists of Carlie trying to take something from Cohen, and then they run and chase each other.  It is quite funny how she already knows just what buttons to push for her brother.  I'm sure it won't be so cute after awhile, but for now, we usually sit back and kind of see what goes down between them.  For the most part though, they really do get along good which is great.  At the store we bought Cohen some fingerpaints because he kept asking to paint.  He is pretty funny and just kind of rubs his hand all over the paper, but hey, he is only 2. 

Here is the great artist at work.  Wednesday after school I am leaving with two of my teammates for a kindergarten teacher conference in Dallas.  I am very excited to go, not so excited to leave my babies.  Oh well, it will be a good experience and will go fast because the two days are packed.  I also found out tonight that my dad is going to be in Dallas till Thursday morning and will hopefully get to meet up with him on Wednesday night.  I'll leave you with a picture of our sweet pea. She is turning into a little monkey just like her brother.

New Year

So...I know I have said it before...but I really hope to do better.  It's a new year, so maybe I can be better about updating this thing a little bit more.  I love reading blogs, I just have a hard time updating my own.  Anyway, the Kindrick's have been busy and getting along in our everyday lives.

Christmas was spent in Iowa.  We had a great time.  But, no snow.  But Cohen and Nana still managed to have fun on the plasma car she bought for them.  We had 40 degree weather which is so weird for Iowa at that time.  Everything went well until the night before we were leaving.  Carlie starting throwing up about supper time.  She continued through the evening and Cohen began around midnight.  If you would have told me I had to get on the airplane at that time I would have said you were crazy.  They luckily made it back without any trouble on the plane and Cohen had one last dry heave in the car on the way home from the airport, and they were done.  Then midnight that night Jerimiah got the bug.  When we left, Brenda also got it and then my dad.  Here in Houston Gigi and Kim and her family all had it too.  Knock on some wood, but I think we are all done with the nasty bug.

School has been going well since the break and we are all back in the routine.  Jerimiah is not taking classes this semester, which makes it nice having him home everynight.

I'll update more later, but I need to start thinking about going to bed.