Looking for Smiles

This post is all about looking for smiles...awhile back I had posted about texting thankfulness where I a friend and I had texted back and forth all evening the things we were thankful for so that I could snap out of the mood I was in and forget about my neck pain for awhile.  So tonight...as I sit here in tears because I'm hurting pretty severely, I decided to look for the smiles that happened during my day today.  Maybe I'll hurt a little less by the end, and if not...well, at least it took my mind off of it for a bit.  So here are some of my smiles today:

• Brock almost squirting me in the face with a water bottle (doing his hair) when he didn't see me coming to tell him goodbye.
• Seeing the crazy position Kiara was laying in asleep this morning with mouth wide open.
• Hearing just the right song on the radio.
• Text messages from my crazy friend..you know who you are Miss Tumor.
• Talent Show try-outs with 3rd and 4th graders...many smiles!
• Hearing a 3rd grader singing about a broken heart...if she only knew!
• Dropping salad in my lap multiple times during lunch.
• A friend checking in with me by email about something I had mentioned to her last week.
• Kiara dancing around in shorts and a very-too-small spaghetti strap tank top...what a sight!
• Big hugs from my students.
• A kindergarten boy shouting over his shoulder "I love you Mrs. Witmer" as he headed out of my room.
• Birthday treats brought to me by students.
• Shy students rapping for a talent show act...and doing it well!
• Baked french fries...I love them!
• Soaking in a hot bath...ahhhh
• My hubby's hair (after wearing a hat all day) being styled a bit like my Grandpa's was with Bryl cream.
• A student with a heart for missions asking for clothing donations for a re-sale so they can give the money to a cause dear to her.
• Hearing that a friend is praying the exact same way that I am praying for a situation.
• Going through Kiara's outgrown clothes and remembering her wearing the cute little outfits.
• Knowing that it soon bedtime for everyone, which means I can go to bed or read a book!!!
• Huge snowflakes falling...or as we called them here...snowballs falling from the sky.
• Group hug of Kindergarteners...just because they thought I needed it!
• I hesitate to put this one, but it DID make me smile...I went to tell a class that we were going to do a part again and instead said "Let's do this FART again"...Oops!
• Sweet hugs and kisses, along with bedtime prayers.

I caught myself smiling all over again as I was writing these.  Where were your smiles today? We so often take them for granted. It is so easy (at least for me) to focus on what went wrong, how I'm feeling, what my pain levels are...but there are so many joyful things around too...I don't want to miss those because I feel rotten....So glad for my smiles today!

Keep breathing. Keep moving.

If you follow my blog, you know that it has been nearly two weeks since I slipped into my funk.  The neck pain caught up with me and has made me weary. Weary to teach, weary to work out, weary to be a good mom, weary to get going in the morning, weary to do much of anything.  This week, I have had my ups and downs.  I find my laughter and my smiles smattered in the midst of the tears and the pain. I have prayed in thanksgiving and cried out for mercy. I have been thankful and I simply keep breathing and keep moving on.  Some moments are harder than others, but I keep moving and keep making it.  This week has been rough for a variety of reasons...

• the pain hit some levels it has not seen in awhile, even causing me to not be able to sleep which has been exhausting. 
• Phil, Grant and Kiara were sick this week (along with my mom too), and with Phil out of commission...boy, did I realize how much he does for us!  I married a wonderful man and I am beyond blessed by him. 
• My "new to me" treatments that I have been undergoing since the beginning of January were ruled ineffective for me on Tuesday. 
• I underwent acupuncture on Tuesday and seriously felt like a voo-doo doll...not at all a fun experience for me.  It wasn't horrible...just the idea of it is a bit much for me. Trying to decide if/when to do more of that.
• Pain increased after the voo-doo treatments (smiles...that is my sweet nickname for them).
• I had to be observed this week by my principal, which normally doesn't bother me because I teach the way I teach whether he is there or not...but I was overly concerned with my pain levels and how that would affect me.

But, this week has been good for a variety of reasons too.  I've had to look a little harder for these, but they are there, all the same.

• God taught me about forgiveness and mercy when I lost it with my kids and had to seek forgiveness from them.
• A sweet friend prayed specifically for me and although it didn't turn out like she thought it would...God definitely showed up in my day and made me feel His presence, which was really the point of the prayer anyway.
• My students make me laugh and smile when I feel like I could cry.
• I had text messages from two of my bestest buds to check on me and lift me up so often during the week.
• My devotions have been "just for me" this week and have met me right where I am at in my journey.
• Some of "my" students who are now juniors, took the time to seek me out and get a picture with me and share some "old" memories with me.
• Coffee and Diet coke are really my friends...just ask my students...they know when I've had them!
• Kiara tries my every last nerve, but is so stinking cute and loving that it cancels it out!
• Several songs have come on the radio just when I needed to hear them and great times of worship and prayer have happened as a result.
• After 9 years of pain, I have perfected teaching square dancing to 4th graders with very little movement by me!
• I have family and friends that support me and lift me up when I am down, whether by words, or a smile, or a text, or a hug,  or an email...God placed each of them strategically.

So...I'm still in a bit of a funk and frustrated/weary about where I am at in this journey...but just this week God has shown me how to keep moving forward, keep being grateful, and keep breathing.  That is my motto some days as one of my besties knows...Keep breathing, in and out.  And believing that God is not done yet in this. 
Inhale....exhale...inhale...exhale...etc...

A Little Catch-Up

I have been bad about blogging again. I go in spurts I think and I do a great job and then comes "THE SILENCE" from my blogging world! I always have tons of blogs started in my mind, but getting them on "paper" hasn't been happening. I thought I would go back and catch up a little bit on December. I will save our Christmas post for next time, but here's a look at some of the things that kept us busy in December.  First up was Brock's band concert to get us into the holiday spirit. He is the clarinet player in the second row beside the red-head.

Then we had Kiara's pre-school Christmas program. She was a little calmer this year, but still definitely an entertainer.  I can't seem to get the videos to load of either of these concerts...will try again a different time.

She was busy waving to us and making sure we were watching her!

Kiara and her buddy Drake.  They go to pre-school and church together and are QUITE the team...2 bundles of energy and ornery-ness! DOUBLE TROUBLE!  But they are so stinking cute!

SNOW!!!!!  We got a bit of snow and the kids could not wait to get out and play in it. Kiara was a bit of a pest to her big brothers and had to do everything they did, which meant she was in the way!

A little snow-tackling is good for the soul, right?

We live on a bit of a hill, so they kids sled down our front yard.  We stand on the look out for cars, don't worry! (smiles)

Christmas always means cousin time! Hooray!  They were so busy playing together that this is the only picture I got of the four boy cousins!

Girl cousins were more willing to pose! Love these two girls to pieces!

Kiara got a cute dolly that has braids just like her!

Mommy even got in on the sledding action this year. I typically avoid the cold and sledding because of my neck, but I got mad enough that I did it anyway! We weren't out long, but we had fun and I even went down on the sled a couple of times!

More sledding fun...Kiara looks to be in trouble, sledding right into her brothers!

Kiara and Mommy all bundled up and ready for the snow!

December was full of fun, memories and concerts.  I don't have any pictures of my own school concert to put on here, but it is always a relief to have that one over too. So...February and I'm finally getting December pictures on here....I know.  I skipped Thanksgiving...maybe I'll get back to it! Forgive this lazy blogging mommy!