SUMMER!

It's finally here...well, sort of.

I've been teaching summer school for the last two weeks, and thankfully there is only one more week left for me. It really hasn't been that bad, but I'm SO ready for my summer to officially start. On Thursday June 23rd, I will finally be free. No more alarms. No more early morning get-ready-for-school routine. No more pre-determined daily schedule to follow. ...just a summer vacation filled with lounging, pool-time, beach trips, wedding planning, mid-day zumba classes, road trips, and plenty of time to do whatever I want to do.

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I've been a little preoccupied with school and what-not, and I have neglected blogging...for that, I am sorry. Here is a little update on my not-so-exciting life. :P

I've been faced with so much loss lately, that it is really hard to grasp at times. I said goodbye to Lauren last year, Taylor and Patrick during the Spring semester, and last month we had to say goodbye to our good friend Tyler's father. Mr. Watters lost his battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) at the end of May. Mr. Watters actually took his fight with ALS to the next level, and did what he could to help others with the terrible disease; he took part in experimental treatments and was involved in a 60 Minutes feature about ALS and exposing companies promoting fraudulent treatment. I've known him for a very long time (actually...before I was ever really friends with Tyler) because he was a member of the PineyWoods Pacers, a running club that my grandfather was also a member of. My grandparents hosted several Pacers parties every year, and of course (in true Tatum fashion) our whole family also attended. Chase and Tyler have been very good friends since high school, so this loss was devastating to him. He was a very great and extremely brave man.

My workouts are FINALLY starting to pay off! I have lost a total of 13 lbs and 14 inches since May, and I feel great :). The weight loss is actually noticeable now, and I'm pumped! The compliments are really motivating; I can't tell much of a difference, but when other people can and they tell me about it, it makes me want to work even harder.

My little Leroy has been sick, but is finally getting back to normal. The poor boy had a flea problem that we just couldn't kick. Seriously, we tried EVERYTHING we could think of. I'm pretty sure we bought every treatment (dog, home, yard...everything) that Petsmart carries, but to no avail. He started getting sick to his stomach, he had no appetite or energy at all, and he was scratching and gnawing on himself so much, that he was losing his hair in big patches on his sides and his legs. We took him to the doctor, and he had a skin infection (from the flea bites), and the nausea and lethargy were caused from ingesting the fleas and his own skin covered with flea saliva. We applied Advantix for the fleas and he's been on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication for two weeks now, but within days we could tell that he felt SO much better. I hated seeing my little man like that. Hopefully we can keep the fleas in-check from now on...although the doc said they are TERRIBLE this year. We'll just have to be vigilant.

7 months and 3 days. :)

...or 217 days, if you prefer. I'm so excited! The planning is coming along nicely. I managed to get a LOT done last semester, but it's now time to switch into high gear. I'd like to have the majority of the planning done before I go back to school in August. I know my semester will probably be a little on the stressful side, so I'd like to have most things in line before that madness hits. My dress came in about a month ago, and it is amazing. I have this strong urge to go "visit" it every other week. It's sad, really. Once summer school is over, I'll really get to start getting everything in order. We need to register, prepare & send Save The Dates, talk to bridesmaids and groomsmen about dresses & tuxes, finalize numbers and reserve the Rehearsal Dinner location, finalize cakes, pick out and order invitations...just to name a few. Although it sounds like there is a TON to do, and anyone who knows me understands that I can get a little overwhelmed when I feel pressed-for-time, I'm not stressed at all. Actually, I'm enjoying everything so far, and I'm looking forward to tackling the rest of the things on my to-do list. :) Bring on the planning!!

That's really it. My summer is off to a good start, and I can't wait for it to REALLY get in to full-swing.

Too Soon, Dear Friend

I am stunned. I really don't think that I can process this thoroughly, yet.

I just got some terrible news. A very close friend of mine from high school died in a car accident early this morning. The countless memories I have with Patrick make this horrible news almost impossible to comprehend. FUMC youth trips and events, friday night movie marathons, after-prom bbq, alpha chi date parties, summer vacation randomness, late night drives around the neighborhood to hash out our problems, LP football games...He was a great friend.

I'm at a loss for words, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

BBQ Summer 2006

Patty Whack at his finest...

Alpha Chi "Black & White Affair" -- best semi-formal date EVER

Two amazing people...gone much too soon

Always good for a laugh.

Pat...you'll be missed, dear friend.

Dancing...

The dance of life continues. Sometimes it feels like, at best, I am working with two left feet. Occasionally there are moments of grace, even fluidity…and then, just as quickly as they appeared, they're gone. The calm is elusive. Life blows in like a fleeting afternoon breeze...disrupting the stillness just as I begin to appreciate it most.

I really have come to appreciate "home" more and more. Not the home I grew up in, or the home my parents still live in...but my home. Home with Chase and Leroy. Home in our little house complete with leaky pipes that have ruined the master bedroom carpet, rooms displaying the previous owners' terrible taste in paint colors, TV that is much bigger than we can afford placed in front of the hand-me-down furniture that graces our living room; Our house. Our home.

Weekends are my saving grace. I spend the whole time with my "home"...the calming forces in my life. I can relax, as being with them brings about beautiful moments of grace in my dance of life. As Monday returns, so return my two left feet, my awkwardness. I stumble through the week...striving for the weekend.

However...I just had a realization: Life is being present in what ever moment you find yourself in. Sometimes, there is astonishing beauty in the awkwardness of life.

So today, I resolve that (against all odds) I will enjoy my two left feet and wait to see what happens.

Falling into place

Well...most things in my life are "falling into place" right now. All except my professional life. Everything at school is topsy-turvy...trying to teach my kids, while figuring out what to do with Mitchell's students while he is out is driving me CRAZY. I suppose that's being a little over-dramatic. I'm taking it all in stride because it is the only option I have. Well, "freak out" would be another option, but I'd rather not do that to my co-workers, so for the next few weeks I'll just have to deal with it. After talking to his students, I feel like they're pretty prepared for the test, so all I should have to do is give them a few AP tests for last minute practice and discuss essay writing? Sure. That sounds like a plan.

The parts of my life that ARE falling into place?
My workout routine.
ZUMBA! My day really doesn't feel complete unless I take at least one class at ABJ. I have never enjoyed exercising as much as I enjoy these classes. Once I was able to push past the hard work and focus on the fun of zumba-ing, I really fell in love these classes.

The house.
Our house is really feeling like a home now. It has that "lived in" feel, and I love it.

My daily routine.
...life with Chase and Leroy, that is. It's so comfortable. I wake up in the morning, feed our little guy, get ready and leave for work, spend the day teaching, zumba at 5:00, make and eat dinner (then reheat it for Chase when he calls to tell me he's on his way home from work), watch our daily shows that I DVR while he's at work so we can watch them together, and sleep. I know...it's not ideal, but it works for us right now. Thing will get better soon, but right now, we make the best of the little we get to see each other (and I'm enjoying the routine).

The wedding.
Dress? check. Wedding shoes (ahem...boots :P)? check. Maid of Honor said "yes"? check. All bridesmaids have accepted? check. Groomsmen are all lined up? check. Booked the church? check. ...and reception venue? check. "Save the Date" is designed? check. DVR full of SYTTD and MFWw/DT? check.
Seriously...every time my mom throws another "to do" at me, it seems like it's far too simple of a task. Isn't wedding planning supposed to be stressful? Why am I not freaking out? ...should I be? I guess we'll see.


Because of the overwhelming attitude-difference between my personal and professional lives...I've decided to leave all stress associated with school AT SCHOOL this weekend. I'd like to enjoy my Easter break, so I'm not taking it home with me this weekend. I'm going to let the after-work-Callie's positive-ness pour over into the 8-4-Callie's attitude...and LET LOOSE this weekend :)

Wedding Woes

Ok, so there really aren't any "woes", but there have been several "WHOA" moments here lately in regards to the wedding.

WHOA - We're working on a final guest list. I understand that this isn't the most fun part of the whole experience, but let me just share my thoughts on this aspect of the planning process: IT STINKS. Seriously, I'd rather just walk around with a bag full of invitations that I could hand out to people when I see them around town, but apparently "Mrs. Manners" forgot to put that technique in her wedding etiquette guide. Tracking down addresses, inputting names and information into spreadsheets, cross referencing my list with Chase's list to create our master list...that we then cross reference with my parents' list and then again with his parents' list - - IT'S EXHAUSTING. Oh well...I believe we're almost finished with it now. THANK GOODNESS.

WHOA - I have a maid of honor! She actually said yes to nine months of what she referred to as "servitude". Talk about a true friend! :P She knows I'd do the same for her. Gotta love that girl.

WHOA - I finished my bridesmaid letters. :) I'm mailing each of my girls a letter and little gift to ask them to be part of the bridal party. It's dang cute...but I'm not sharing the details on here because some of those girls actually read my ramblings.

WHOA - actually, I think this needs a BIG BIG WHOA...
I. BOUGHT. MY. WEDDING. DRESS. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's true. I put the down payment down on the dress of my dreams earlier this week, and I couldn't be happier! It'll be here during the first part of July, and I can't wait to see it again. I really didn't want to take it off (yes, even the floor sample that didn't fit AT ALL was so gorgeous I could have worn it for the rest of my life). WHOA. I'm marrying my best friend in nine months (288 days according to our wedding website). WHOA. WHOA. WHOA.

:) Life. Is. Good.

WOW

It has been a CRAZY couple of days.

Friday night was book club, and thank God for those women. :) I had a blast and, as usual, the girl-time was definitely needed. I then went to Applebees for one more beverage (that I, at this point, didn't really need) and some time with the gang. We went home, ate the Terriaki boneless wings that we had ordered to-go, watched the DVRed shows from Thursday (LOVED last week's episode of The Office), and then passed out.

Leroy ruined my plans to sleep in on Saturday morning. He's being terrible right now, and I'm not sure if he'll survive much longer if he doesn't outgrow his awful-puppy-ness soon. I managed to get his mess cleaned up, get myself showered and looking presentable, and head off to Ainsley's bridal shower. It was really nice and I had a good time chatting with the ladies. I returned home to find that Leroy had made yet another huge mess (picture a shredded bath mat and a mess that required almost an entire bottle of Resolve carpet cleaner) and Chase had banished him to the garage for the rest of the day. We then cleaned the house from top to bottom and washed the cars. After quick showers, we headed out for a day-date that included a late lunch at Chens and a matinee movie. After another night out with the gang, a late night trip to Walmart for groceries, and the most expensive impulse-purchase I've ever made...we're at home unloading groceries and setting up our Netflix account on our brand-new Wii. I finally hit the hay in the wee hours of the morning...

Sunday was a day-long family fest. Chase's brother Mark, sister-in-law Amanda, and niece Taylor are in town, so we spent the entire day (from 11:00 to 10:00) out at his parents' house grilling, playing games, feeding birds, and basically running around EVERYWHERE before finishing off the night with Hello Kitty cupcakes (Taylor's favorite part of the day) and a very competitive MarioKart tournament of which Heather and I were the victors.

Needless to say, my weekend was far from relaxing...but was most certainly entertaining.

Jerusalem

Yes, you guessed it...we've had a busy busy day here in the Holy Land.

We started off early with a visit to the "old city" of Jerusalem. We went to the Temple Mount for a visit to the Wailing Wall, Al Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock (a mosque that stands where the Second Temple once stood). I wrote my prayers on a slip of paper and inserted it into the Wailing Wall; it was such a moving experience and I wish I could convey the emotions I had, but I'm just not sure if it's possible. Megan and I were left behind at the Wailing Wall, but after 15 minutes of wandering before the group realized we were missing, we were finally reunited with the rest of Bus 2. If you have to be stranded somewhere...what better place than that, right? ;)

We also visited the Church of the Nativity which was absolutely amazing and almost impossible to fathom, and the Israeli Museum to take a look at the Dead Sea scrolls. I managed to snag a picture even though we were forbidden to do so (thanks iPhone) and I've include it at the top of this post.

We stopped at the Shepherds' Field at the end of our day and took advantage of the amazing acoustics in the church there. At a site where it's okay to celebrate Christmas all year long, we sang "Silent Night" and I was absolutely in awe of the entire experience. As we were singing, another tourist group entered the church and joined us...in German. It was amazing to hear us all singing about the birth of Christ in different languages - I still have goosebumps.

Even though it was extremely hot, my legs are killing me because of the hiking we did, and I've got a lovely sunburn from the v-neck tshirt I was wearing, today has been absolutely perfect and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Shalom from Bethlehem, and shukran for reading.