A brief check in

I just thought I'd write a brief note to give people an update. I'm doing better. It's been a hard week. There will be a Rite of Passage Ceremony for Virginia Ruth on August 23rd. I'll be able to see my friends then. I know I'll feel much better once I can hug my friends. It's been hard being on one side of the state while they're on the other side. But, I know it's important for them to have their time as well.

A special thanks to my good friend Aimeslee. She gave me an award and it really brought a smile to my face. Here's the award she gave me:



School starts soon and I'm far from where I hoped to be. I'm having a bout with depression right now and it's hard to motivate myself. Most of my friends have been so supportive and i love them for that. I just have to find a way to crawl out of the hole I've dug for myself.

I'll be back soon with some more upbeat news, I'm sure. But thank you to those friends that stick with me through the good and bad.

Letter to Baby Virginia Ruth

Dear Baby Virginia,

Your mom and dad are two of my closest friends … more like family, really. They have been there for me at my lowest moments and have supported me through it all. Now, it’s my turn.

I remember the day your mom and dad came into my classroom when they got back from their France trip. They made me close my eyes and hold out my hand. When I opened my eyes, your mom had placed her ‘positive’ pregnancy test (in a Ziploc bag, of course) in my hand. I glanced down and saw the line indicated a ‘positive’ pregnancy. I immediately burst into tears of joy. At that moment, you must have felt the love and joy that consumed the room at that time. I was so happy for your mom and dad. There were never any two more deserving people. I have never seen them so happy!

I have always known what strong people they are and what good parents they will be. I have watched them with other’s children. I have watched them in the classroom. Their compassion was evident in every situation in which they found themselves. As such, we were all so glad that they would have you in their lives. We knew that their child would be special.

The pride they felt for you was evident anytime they spoke about you. They were looking for the best for you. Unfortunately, life sometimes throws us curve balls. Sometimes they smack us straight in the face, as this one did. Never in our wildest nightmares would we have imagined that you would come into this world at 22.5 weeks. Never in our wildest dreams would we have imagined that you would be strong enough to give your mom and dad the best gift you could … through your life.

You are a miracle baby. You are our miracle baby and for that, you will always have a special place in our hearts. You are your parents’ firstborn and will never be forgotten. Instead, you will be remembered with love.

On one hand, I am so angry that this has happened. But, on the other hand, I feel so blessed to have had you in my life for such a short time. You brought me great joy and, for that, I will always be grateful

I need you to know how much I love you and how much everyone else loves you. I want you to know that you are part of our family and will be in our hearts forever. You are a special little girl who means the world to a whole host of people. You are our miracle baby.

Baby Virginia, you came into this world such a small being. But, in the short time you were here, you showed such strength. You gave your mom and dad the opportunity to love you, hold you, and say goodbye. With this small life, you have given us strength. You have given us the resolve to stay united as a family … blood relatives and extended family. You have strengthened our faith in the unknown. You have made us believe in small miracles.

You have made me realize that the small things in life are just as important as the large ones. My only regret is that I didn’t get to see you before you moved on. I can only imagine how beautiful you were. But, I will live those memories through your mom and dad and will know that you are an angel watching out for us.

As I sit writing this letter to you, I realize that you will never get to read this in person. But, I still feel that I need to put pen to paper and express to you how much you mean to me. Always remember that you have been loved from the moment you were conceived. And, that love will continue after your death. You are our miracle baby and our own private little angel. The world will be a safer place with you on our shoulders.

I love you, Baby Virginia!

Hugs and kisses!
Auntie CC

Graduation Gift

I made this mini-album for a graduating senior. Kelsey is going to be an English major and has been the editor of her high school's literary magazine. I wanted to give her a special gift that would allow her to incorporate her journaling and/or photos into this mini-album. I included rub-ons that highlighted key words and sayings that I believe will be beneficial to her as she moves forward in her career.

Back on Track

Hello all!
I'm sure many of you were wondering if I had dropped off the planet. I haven't. I didn't realize that life had taken control for this long. Here's a bulleted update of all that's been going on with me.

* I finished my spring grad course and got an A+. I was so pleased with the outcome of the course and when it was all said and done, it was well worth the work i put into it. I'm hoping to work with my professor on an article and maybe do some consulting work with her in the fall.

* Graduation went well. It about put me under the table while I was trying to manage the end of school, a new grad class, and problems with my summer program. It was a beautiful ceremony. It occurred on Friday, June 13th and, in true Friday the 13th form, the panic alarm went off in the building three different times prior to the ceremony. The IT director finally cut the wire to the alarm system. Apparently, someone had pushed panic buttons on three different floors and the system was confused to the point that the security company couldn't reset it. But, in the end, it was wonderful.

* My summer program was filled with problems from the beginning. In the middle of May at orientation I realized my point of contact had not been doing his job. The majority of the students had not been placed with mentors. I was a wreck, because this is the one part of my summer mentorship program of which I have no control. And, you know how much I hate to be out of control. I had to go over his head and just pray. In the end all of the kids have been placed. I'm midway through the program and all is going well. It's an excellent group of kids and I love having them here.

* I started a new online grad course toward the end of May. It was on special education. I love the online class process, but a summer school class was not what I should have been doing when I was consumed with so many other things. I pushed through it and finished it with an A+. I wasn't as pleased with the content and rigor of this course, but one more course off my checklist toward my supervision and administration endorsement.

That's about the bulk of the update. I'm still at my summer program and will be here till July 19th. Then I head to Charlottesville for a few days. I'll get to see Daughtry in an acoustic concert. I can't wait for that. Chris Daughtry is from Fluvanna county and does a concert in Charlottesville each year. I'm just glad we got tickets. At the end of July, I'll be headed to Camp Hill, PA for a four-day scrapbooking weekend. I can't wait for that. I'll get to see a lot of friends I only get to see once a year.

I hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to hearing from you.

I'd just like to give a couple of shout outs to a couple of friends:
* Congrats to Jill for making the callback to the Chatterbox design team.
* Congrats to Kate for her new business in Digg Deeper mini books kit club.
I wish you both the best of luck!!!!