It's JUST hair, right?

A few years back I had a student that made a huge impact on my life.  One day at lunch she told me how bad her head was hurting and I told her to be sure she told mom and dad and that she might need her eyes checked...just a short time later, she was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer.  I watched this tough and sweet girl fight this cancer, lose her hair, become tiny and frail (she wasn't big to begin with)...and she never gave up.  The community surrounded her with fundraisers, t-shirts, bracelets, pins and more.  I remember when she came back to school that I was worried how kids would react to her with no hair and looking frail.  Some days she chose to wear a wig and other days a bandana type skull cap over her head.  I remember telling her it was "just hair"...it'll grow back.  Fast forward about 4 1/2 years (I think).  My life had been turned upside down with a huge job adjustment and an emotional roller coaster that came with leaving my "home" of my previous school.  I was looking for something to do for myself and thought about a new hair style.  I had NO idea what I wanted to do with it and had spent so long growing it out, I hated to cut layers.  The thought of Locks of Love crossed my mind, but I wasn't sure I could take cutting ALL of my hair off.  Here I am on the first day of this school year...

One weekend I was scrolling on facebook and found a picture of a former student's mom who had just donated her hair and she looked simply SMASHING!  Her hair was adorable and her face was glowing...I commented that I loved it and had thought of doing the same thing but was scared to cut it after growing it so long.  She told me that it was JUST hair and that it would grow back...I was taken right back to my encouragement of my student with the brain tumor... I knew I was supposed to do it.  I called and set up the appointment before I had a chance to change my mind.  I wasn't nervous at all the day of. I was so excited to do it but didn't tell many people, wanting it to be a surprise (maybe in case I chickened out!)  Kiara came with me for moral support and to take some pictures.
Here we are before getting out of the car.  She had to kiss my hair and tell it good-bye.

My hairdresser asked me several times if I was sure and without a doubt, I knew I was ready.  I was smiling and couldn't wait for that ponytail snip...We were trying to decide if I should do 10 inches or 8 inches and I reminded myself that it was JUST hair and so go for 10 inches...here it is all ready to cut off!

And here it is...10 inches that will make a wig for a child somewhere so that they don't have to feel self-conscious about whatever illness they have that has made them lose their hair. BIG SMILES!!!

And the final product.  I always said I would never do an angled hair style, but as she made the snip, I looked in the mirror and thought it was too cute so I would give it a try.  My look has been nicknamed "The Sassy Mama" look.  I love it.  It has taken some getting used to, but it feels fun, different and just what I needed to do.

I made a poster page for each of my schools showing the before/during/after pictures and telling that I sent the hair to Locks of Love.  As I was explaining to the kids about why I cut my hair and that a child somewhere would wear a wig made of my hair, one little girl said it so sweetly...She raised her hand and very excitedly said, "Mrs. Witmer, it's like you are going to be a part of that little kid and really make them feel good".  Yes, part of me did it for me as I just needed to shake things up a bit, but part of me remembered that sweet girl a few years back who refused to give up and just wanted to be normal like the rest of the kids.  She made such an impact on me and I pray that my hair can have an impact on someone else that I will never know about. Thank you to my student K.R. for inspiring me and reminding me years later (without even knowing) that it is JUST hair and it will grow back!

Here I am well-adjusted to the haircut!  Love the feel of it!  And it's so easy to do too!

This week I got my certificate from Locks of Love showing they received my hair!

A Series of events...all for a job

I have taken a break from the blogging world for awhile now.  Not really because I wanted to, but because I have simply needed to.  So much to catch up on, but tonight I need to tell a story about a series of events that led me right where God wanted me.
Rewind to July 29th...We had been on vacation to Phil's family for a week and were starting our journey home.  About 4 hours into the 11-12 hour drive, Kiara starts crying, then screaming and then throws up all over the car.  As I try to reach her in the back until we can pull off at a rest stop, my text message alert goes off (around 10:00 pm). I check as I was going to text for some prayers for Kiara and see that my mom has sent me a message that there is a job opening right here in my hometown, the job that I have always said would be the ONLY job for which I would leave where I was.  As I cleaned up Kiara and the car and we re-adjusted the seating so I could be in the back, I began to pray for wisdom..."Really, Lord...is this it?  Is it finally time for me?  Will I even get an interview? Can I stand the heartbreak of not getting hired? Where do YOU want me Lord?"  Of course that was all in between me asking God to settle Kiara's stomach and keep her from getting sick anymore as we drove all night to get home. (luckily she slept and did well the rest of the trip--we think she was carsick from going through the mountains). 
Anyway, we made it home and I spent about 7-8 hours at the computer filling out the application, taking an on-line test, writing a resume (haven't needed one in 12 years), collecting test scores and copies of licenses, cover letters etc to be submitted right away, as the posting ended on the 31st (Wed). My stomach churned, my mind raced and I slept little those next few nights.  After submitting everything online I asked some friends in the corporation to say a few good words to the principals for me, thinking I should pull out all the stops and go for it.  On Thursday morning first thing one of the principals called me and asked me to do a phone interview that afternoon. Yikes! The good news was that I didn't have long to be nervous and could sit in capris and a ponytail for the interview...the bad news was it was all coming at me so fast my head was spinning and I was a mess!  After about 1 hr. 20 minute phone interview with the two principals I was told that they would let me know over the weekend if I would receive a 2nd interview the following week early and they hoped to make a decision by Wednesday.  Unfortunately, I also had to make a phone call to my principal because they had already called him for a reference.  Totally felt like throwing up! 
When I called, he was wonderful!  I cried and he let me know that he completely understood why I was applying and knew this was THE ONE position I would leave for. He told me he gave a good recommendation, wished me luck (sort of --ha) and told me to let him know as soon as I knew anything at all.
Did I mention that in the midst of all of this stress, my oldest son failed his physical for sports and had to have and EKG and echocardiogram?  Talk about a mess...that was ME!  Stress wasn't just my middle name...it was my ENTIRE name. Geesh.  As I was in the echocardiogram for my oldest son, my phone rang and I recognized the principal's number but obviously couldn't take the call during the test.  As soon as we got to the lobby I listened to the voicemail and it just asked me to return his call, so I told Brock there was NO way I was driving an hour home without calling the principal back.  So off to the parking lot we went for me to call the principal back.  I was a ball of nerves and had been praying all morning (and the day before) for God to just make it really clear for me, that I wouldn't be strung along and wondering what was going to happen and that I would know HIS plan for me in this.

When I got a hold of the principal he told me that I had interviewed very well (in a tone of voice that I was sure would be followed by a...BUT...).  He said in fact that I had interviewed so well that they wanted to skip the sit-down interview and just offer me the job on the spot after not even meeting in person.  I was shocked, excited and began to cry...not so professional, huh?  Could God make it any clearer to me?  I had asked for a slammed door or one flung wide open and He provided clearly.  After 15 years of wanting so badly to be on the same schedule as my kids with breaks, delays, etc...and it is finally happening. I cried tears of joy and talked non-stop.  THEN...I realized I would have to resign, tell the principal at my "old" school, let some very dear friends/colleagues know I was leaving, clean out my room and I had a melt down...I cried and sobbed on the phone with one of those dear friends/colleagues.  We both knew that God provided and had laid out this plan for me, but goodbyes are so incredibly hard.  Things will change and I won't be in daily contact with those people, which will be incredibly hard. 

A phone call to my principal to resign held much the same. Tears from me and great understanding from him of why I was resigning and no hard feelings.  He was so supportive and wonderful and for that I am truly grateful.  We set up a time for the next morning (Saturday) to meet at the school to turn in my keys and clean out my room.  My mom came with me to help the process along, lend moral support and just be my friend.  I was fine until I looked around that last time and realized it wasn't my room anymore and the tears came again.  How could I be so excited about a new adventure, yet so devastated? Truly bittersweet emotions flying around.

The next week was a whirlwind with much stress, tears, excitement, HOURS of work (including a new teacher induction for 4.5 days), and getting ready to start over. I went all that week to the induction and my rooms to get them ready, had the following Monday off with the kids and started Tuesday. Definitely a whirlwind without time to breathe it felt like.
So, how's it going?  Well....that is for another post...or maybe even several as I journal through this journey God is leading me through...
Oh...and Brock's test results came back fine and he returned to football practice. Whew...Glad that couple weeks of stress is over...THAT couple of weeks anyway...it continues with different things...
I'll keep you posted on the journey...

What a Morning!!!

Well, what a morning we have had.  I have to laugh now that it's over.  Actually as I felt like screaming DURING the craziness I began laughing.  Let's see...I'll list some of the things that went wrong or at least not the way we would have liked.
* Had to get up early to walk and get Grant to the dentist by 7:30.
* My neck pain is pretty rough today.
* Kiara slept 1 1/2 hours past normal time and we had to get her moving quickly to go to the farm.
* Grant forgot to take his boots to the barn and was wearing his good sneakers.
* We couldn't find "Big Mama" our yearling sheep this morning...after searching we had discovered she had crawled under the manger and was stuck with no way out and we had to remove the boards to pull her out.
* The wheel fell off our walking cart for the sheep as we were walking them.
* I forgot to feed Kiara breakfast before going to the barn.
* We had to race to feed the sheep to get Grant to football camp on time...not to mention all of those red lights we hit and slow cars we got behind! Oops...I just mentioned it.

So as I sit here giggling about it all...I realize that there were hidden blessings to all of it, or at least good end results (for the most part). So I will redefine them a bit.
* My walk was done before 7:00 and now I have the whole day to do other stuff.
* In all the craziness I didn't have time to dwell on my pain. Still hurts but I forgot amidst the craziness!
* Kiara SLEPT IN!  That NEVER happens. Hopefully that translates into a good mood all day (so far so good)
* Grant's sneakers will clean up...would rather not have to do it, but it's okay.
* We got "Big Mama" out and she was not hurt at all and was anxious to walk as she had been cooped up.
* We found the parts to the wheel within a couple of feet of where we were standing and the boys and I were able to put it all back together quickly and keep going.
* Kiara just ran inside at Grandma's for a little snack to make it through!
* We used great teamwork to get it all one in a timely fashion, regardless of the craziness and still get Grant to football camp on time!

Oh...and I can giggle about it all.  Here's hoping the rest of the day washing/shearing sheep goes better than our morning did!  But if not...I bet God will show me the hidden blessings in that as well!

Kids catch up

Spring is always busy for us, but this year seemed to simply be a whirlwind.  Between school activities, soccer, track, concerts, birthdays, t-ball, baseball, 4-H projects and church activities, we felt like we went from March to the end of May in the blink of an eye.  Here are just a few highlights in pictures as I try to catch up...

Grant's last music concert in elementary school.  Where has the time gone? Gotta love that orange recorder (smiles)!

SOCCER!!!! Both boys played soccer.  Brock's team really struggled this year and did not win a game the whole season, but there was definite improvement and Brock had a good time playing. He loves to play forward, but spent most of his time as a mid-fielder.

#5!

Kiara, bless her heart went to all of the games and was so good (for the most part).  She learned what quarters were and KNEW when it was the last one each time and could announce when she heard the whistle that it was OVER!  Here she entertains herself ON Brock while watching Grant play.

Brock also ran track this spring.  He often would have double practices (track and then straight to soccer) or practice for track and go right to a soccer game. He was a TIRED kid this spring. There were nights he asked to go to bed early as he was just physically exhausted!

He ran the 1600 and the 800. Some meets he would do both and other times the coach would have him just do one event.  He would always shock us with a HUGE push at the end (last 200 meters) where he normally would pass a couple of runners ahead of him.  Soccer was his favorite sport to play, but track...well, his girlfriend was in track...so it was nearly a tie for his favorite! HA!

This year Phil coached Grant's soccer team. They couldn't find a coach and were going to cancel the team, so Phil stepped up to coach.  Grant was ecstatic about it. I think Phil got a new appreciation for my job as a teacher with the kids not listening to a word he said!  They had a great season and won the majority of their games. They had several kids on the team that were very good. 

Back when the boys started playing, I said my only rule was neither would be a goalie...hmmmm....Phil didn't listen to me!  He put Grant in goal several games and although I cringed and worried the whole time, he did very well and had some great saves!

One game it was especially warm, so Brock made a tent out of a blanket and chairs for Kiara and him to keep cool under.  It might have involved some bickering...but, at least they were cool while they bickered.

Much more happened this spring with the start of baseball and t-ball, as well as a quick trip back to Pennsylvania...but more on that in the next blog.

School with Mom

Once again, I am way behind in blogging...so my words will be few so that I can keep plugging through posts!  Back at the end of March, Kiara had a doctor's appointment out of town in the morning.  Because of my lack of sick days I was only taking 1/2 day and going to take her back to Grandma's and then drive my 35 minutes to work...on a whim I asked my principal if I could cut out some driving and have Kiara come to school in the afternoon with me.  He said it would be fine!!!  I knew she would be ecstatic about it, so I didn't say a word to her until at her appointment I told her I had a surprise after the appointment.  As we are getting into the car she begged me to tell her the surprise. This is her face when I told her she was coming to school with me for the rest of the day!\

She got to wear a visitor's badge, "just like mommy" wears every day and she ate lunch in the teacher's lounge.   She ate very quickly and was ready to teach music!

She had a little fun in between classes playing all of my normal classroom instruments, along with some hand-made instruments that my 5th graders have been making.

 Kiara felt right at home as "teacher" and cracked me up telling the kids to be quiet and listen to her mommy.  She jumped right in and latched on to several students in each class.  Here she is trying out another hand-made instrument!

One class had a few minutes after the lesson, so Kiara asked to "perform" for them...oh my goodness!

She even took a bow at the end without prompting! My students LOVED her and her spunkiness!

She had so much fun...she can't understand why she can't come every day!  The end of the day...Mommy was EXHAUSTED!  But we made some fun memories.  Love this girl to pieces!

Only at the Witmer's

Snowmen...Witmer style. A couple weeks back we THOUGHT we were having our last snowfall of the winter.  It snowed several inches of wet, heavy snow on a Friday and then was supposed to be near 60 degrees by Sunday, so we all headed out to build our last snowmen of the year on Saturday. It was already in the 40's and quickly melting...Apparently, cute little snowmen with rocks and carrots for the face aren't cutting it anymore. Here's Grant getting started on his.

Brock working on his snowman...I think you are getting the idea of why these snowmen are Witmer-style snowmen...

I forced the issue with the carrot nose and Kiara agreed, so she was the one who took care of putting the nose on Snowman Manning!

Ta-Da...Yes, everything it seems has to do with the Broncos in our household!

Brock, proving to me that he is too cool for pictures. He never wants to look and definitely not smile, so I told him I would put on whatever I got...wasn't lying B-Man!

Grant did most of this snowman by himself.  I helped him pack it in a little bit to make sure it stayed standing, but he did the rest.  If you don't know #88 is Damaryius Thomas...Grant's favorite Bronco!  He got a little happy with the orange spray paint...those are supposed to be orange pants and cleats on DT!  

Sadly...24 hours later, all that was left of Manning and Thomas, was hats, scarves and a carrot nose lying in a heap.  We watched all day as they shrunk until they were nothing!

Little did we know, there would be more snow to come...what a way for the boys to start off their Spring Break, with 5 inches of snow AGAIN!  I enjoyed the delay I got out of it though and hopefully it will truly be Spring soon!

Snow Day

Last week's snow came...not as a surprise in the normal sense, but in the sense that it was the first time ALL winter that the meteorologists were actually correct! HA!  It started mid-afternoon and by the time Phil got home from work, we already had 4 inches or so in the driveway. Since we live on a hill, we needed to do some shoveling if we wanted to get up the driveway!  So out the kids and Phil went to enjoy a snowy March evening.  These pictures are all through the window, so the quality isn't as good as if I was outside...but it was COLD! HA! Grant shoveled off the sidewalk and then would jump on his sled and slide clear across it!

Kiara was all about eating the snow and throwing it. She would walk along and scoop one hand to her mouth and the other hand was throwing it!

Kiara and Grant had a bit of snow "ball" fight...more like loose snow from her!

Grant would use his sled for protection but Kiara would stand and wait for him to throw it and then laugh and laugh after it hit her!

Phil and Brock worked and worked to get our ancient snow-blower going.  They finally got the motor running and it wouldn't blow snow....Hmmm...the chain had come off of it!  Geesh!  So they shoveled the entire driveway.

By the next morning we had about 11 inches of snow and school was cancelled for all of us. I was excited and as I was on the treadmill, I was planning our day and what all we would do outside and inside...but, that wasn't to be.  Kiara had a fever and an earache.  So the boys headed out and Kiara and I cuddle on the couch most of the afternoon.  Not how I had hoped to spend the day, but blessed that I could be home to cuddle her!

I sent the boys out to shovel off our neighbors driveway and they came back with the neighbor's snowblower!  They were shoveling her driveway and she came out and told them to get her snowblower to do it and then sent it home with them to do our drive.  That was so nice of her.  Brock had a blast doing it and it went so much faster!

Kiara was feeling bad that she couldn't go out and play and decided to take a picture of herself INSIDE for her snow day.  What a goofball!

Hard to believe that a few days before our 11 inches of snow, day off of school we were outside playing because it was in the 50s. Here's my SUPERSTAR Kiara!  She is something else!

Kiara wanted to play baseball, but didn't want to use the tee...so I was pitching to her. She did a great job!  This was the look she had on her face every time I pitched and told her to watch the ball.

Playing trucks under our picnic table.

I have more pictures of some creative snowmen that we made as a family over the weekend...those will have to be a new post!