A Christmas to Remember

We had a great Christmas this year. For the first time EVER Brad was actually off work for the entire weekend. It was great to have him home and be able to enjoy time with family without working around his crazy sleep and work schedule.

On Christmas Eve we spent time at my mom and dad's opening gifts with my family. It snowed that day so the kids had a great time playing in the snow. Then Christmas day we stayed home and opened gifts and gutted Grace's room to make space for her big gift from Santa - a new loft bed. Santa actually had to get extra help with her gift this year, so he asked my brother, Brandon, to build the bed. He did a fabulous job! Grace was thrilled and it looks great. Then on Saturday we drove to Oklahoma City to spend a few days with Brad's family. We really enjoyed our time spent with all of our family and the fact that Brad was able to enjoy it all without worrying about work.

We're home now and I am trying to spend as much time as possible sleeping in and hanging out with the girls. We all go back to school next Monday so we only have a few days left to soak it all in. Grace starts basketball soon so I am sure there will be posts to come of her hitting the court. And Lily will turn 5 in a month. It's hard to believe that she is already 5 - not a baby any more!

Thanks Randi Ann!

Thank you, Randi Ann for the tip on how to get a signature at the bottom of my blog posts! This is cool!

Ballet Recital

Gracie had her first ballet recital last night. She has been taking lessons for a little over a month now. I'm not sure if ballet is her thing, though. On the way home last night she asked, "What's next? Can I take gymnastics or play soccer?" I tried to explain to her that she could keep taking dance lessons and she would get even better and have more recitals. She didn't act interested at all. So, we'll see . . . this may be the first and last ballet recital that I have to post. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

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Family Fun

September has flown by. We have been busy with school, soccer practice, ballet lessons, and even a small dose of the flu. Yet somehow we have managed a few fun outings. On labor day we were all actually home together (a rare treat for the Rollmann household) so we took the girls to the botanic gardens and then bowling. It was nice to spend the day together since there are so few times that we actually get to do that.

Last week, I took Grace to her first concert. Keely and I took Gracie and Chloe to see Superchick and Barlow Girl. It was nice to have a girls' night out. Made me feel a little old, though, surrounded by screaming teenagers at a concert. But we had a great time regardless.

Today was Lily's first soccer game. For the first half she stood on the field, just stood there as the ball went by . . . and all of the kids went by . . . she just stood there and watched. She finally warmed up, though, and began to at least run in the same direction as the other kids. I'm not sure if she ever actually came in contact with the ball, though. Apparently that is normal for 3 and 4 year old soccer. There wasn't a moment of the game that our team didn't have someone crying that they wanted to play or that they were tired and didn't want to play anymore. And no one seemed to have any idea which way the ball was supposed to go. It was quite entertaining to watch. And the big hit were the cookies and juice that they got to have after the game.

Back to School

The kids have been back in school for two weeks now, and so far it has been a pretty smooth transition. Grace is in the 3rd grade and it is Lily's last year in preschool. Life has been busy as we adjust to waking up early, packing lunches, doing homework, etc. Grace's teacher this year is Mrs. Crawford, who I have known since I was a little girl. She was actually the best friend of the older sister of one of my best friends . . . so we grew up together. She is a great teacher and I know that Grace is going to have a fabulous year in her room. Lily has the same teachers as last year in the preschool class and is actually back with most of the same kids. She seems really glad to be able to play with her friends again.

My principal, Paula, is back at work. She and her husband are home from the spinal cord rehab hospital in Colorado. (Well they are sort of home . . . their house isn't remodeled yet so they are staying in an extended stay hotel in the meantime.) It has been WONDERFUL to have her back again! Please continue to pray for Russell and Paula as they transition back into life at home. I know that they covet your prayers as they adjust to a "normal" life, including her being back at work. And pray for me - that I can continue to support her in whatever capacity necessary as we serve the students and teachers at our school.

Up next - Grace will start ballet in 2 weeks and Lily starts soccer practice this week. We spent the day running around town shopping for shin guards and ballet slippers . . . never a dull moment!

The Fresh Water Fish Hatchery

As we wrapped up the summer, we took the girls and Chloe to the Fresh Water Fish Hatchery in Athens, TX. It was a great day trip and worth the drive for anyone with kids who would enjoy catching fish.

We started with a tour of the exhibit area - lots of different tanks with glass walls so that we could see the fish up close - GIANT fish.

Then we went into the theater where a diver is actually in the water with the different fish and can talk to the audience while he feeds them live bait. It was great! They let the kids sit up front right in front of the glass and they got to ask the diver questions about the fish.

Then we went outside for the tour of the hatchery tanks and to walk through the nature trails back to the stocked fishing pond. At the pond, they provide poles and bait so that everyone can fish. Gracie and Chloe both caught fish within 10 minutes of casting out.

A Very Merry Unbirthday To You!

May was a rough month . . . a busy and rough month. There were many days (including weekends) when I went without seeing or spending time with my family because of all of the craziness that was going on at school. But things have settled now, and it is time to catch up.

Gracie turned 8 on May 28th. May 28th is not a great birth date for the child of an educator. Things tend to be a bit hectic every year as I am trying to wrap up the school year and am pulled in many different ways for activities and assemblies. So, I have become the master of manipulating. I am GREAT at coming up with wonderful ideas that DO NOT include me cleaning the house, buying party favor bags, and hosting a traditional birthday party. For years we have gotten away with saying, "You can pick whichever friends you want and we will take them to _____ (fill in the blank with build-a-bear, the movies and out for ice cream, etc.) for your birthday." And it has worked fabulously! Until this year . . .

Like I said earlier, May was CRAZY so I convinced Grace that we would have to wait until June to have her party, but that we would do something super special since she had to wait. I tried everything - all of the usuals, plus a few new tricks - gymnastics party, jumping party, Main Event. Nothing worked! Every time we talked about what she wanted to do for her birthday, her only answer was, "I just want to have a party at our house with a sleepover." EVERY TIME!!! I couldn't get her to budge. So, in the end, I gave in. We had a few friends over. Took them to Mimi and PawPaw's house to swim. And they got to sleepover. Although there was very little sleeping at this sleepover. I tried to sleep, believe me, but there seemed to be a constant string of giggles coming from the other end of the house for most of the night. I think they had a great time, and I'm sure it was only the beginning of having a houseful of girls over for the night - isn't Brad a lucky guy?!?

Gulf Shores, Alabama

The Cut

For those of you who don't see me on a daily basis - you have missed out (obviously). Once upon a time I had really cute but short hair for several years while I chased two small people around, worked full time, and went back to school for my master's degree. It was sooooooo easy to take care of and fix, but very short - no ponytails! So, I decided to grow it out and do something different. It has been about a year and a half now and I had officially turned into Rosanna Rosanna Danna. (I told you that you had missed out.) Apparently over the years my hair has gotten a little more natural wave to it, so on days that I didn't feel like spending an hour drying it straight, it definitely had a life of its own. And as the day went on, and the humidity outside grew, so did the hair. Nice!

So, today I finally got a haircut! It was liberating! I don't feel like I have a mop sitting on top of my head anymore. Of course now I have to figure out how to fix it - it's never the same after they send you home to fix it on your own. But anything has to be better than long, thick, wavy, HOT hair!

I took Gracie and Lily with me to get theirs cut too - they were so excited. They both have shoulder length cuts now. I probably should have taken before and after pictures of all of us to add here . . . woulda made this post a little more meaningful probably . . . but that is what "good" mothers do, and we all know that I don't fit gracefully into that category. =) So, instead, here is a visual for you . . . enjoy!

Brad?

Alright, after the sounds of crickets after my previous blog entry, I am pretty sure that no one will be reading this (except for my cousin Kristi). So, Kristi, enjoy!!!

I think that aliens may have abducted my husband . . . he was afraid that this may happen, and now, it may be too late!

It all started Thursday morning as we were packing to get away for a night for our 10th anniversary. At one point he disappeared and when I finally found him he was in the garage cleaning out the vacuum cleaner. Believe me when I say that this should have been my first clue . . . Brad NEVER cleans out the vacuum cleaner on a random day without prior nagging on my part. I thought it was weird, but figured that it was his way of doing something unexpected and nice for me before we left home.

As the morning went on, and we continued to pack for us and the kids (who stayed with the Cooks - THANK YOU, COOKS for giving us some much needed time away) I noticed several other unusual things going on with Brad - he moved his pile of laundry out of the bathroom floor . . . then loaded the dishwasher . . . Again, I questioned his motives, but just assumed he had grand plans for our time away and wanted to make sure that he earned a few brownie points before we left.

But never did I expect what I would walk into when we came home from our trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A CLEAN HOUSE!!!!!!!!! Brad had actually arranged a week ago for Brandon and Michelle's cleaning lady to come by and give him a quote on cleaning the house. Then he hid a key outside and actually let this "stranger" into our house while we were gone. (For those of you who don't know Brad, this is TOTALLY unlike him. "Safety Joe" as we all like to refer to him, would NEVER leave a key outside that any common criminal could find and break into the house with. Much less be comfortable letting someone he doesn't know roam through our house while we are out of town.) And did you catch the part that he planned this all out, on his own, a week in advance?

So, like I said, it is obvious that my husband is long gone, being poked and prodded on the mother ship while a stand-in is doing a pretty lousy job of trying to keep things running as usual back here at the Rollmann house.


Happy Anniversary, Brad! The past 10 years have been amazing! You are a strong, loving, and wonderful husband and father. I couldn't ask for more. I love you and look forward to the next 10, 20, 30+ years.

p.s. You totally surprised me with the cleaning lady! I love it!

Is Anybody Out There?

I know that it has been a long time since I posted anything . . . but between organizing the packing of an entire school and trying to take care of the assistant principal and principal responsibilities for two months, I have been a tad busy. But where is everybody else?

I used to check friends' blogs regularly to keep up with what is happening with them. There was always a new post to read somewhere. Not anymore! Has everyone abandoned their blog and ran to facebook??? I miss the posts, the stories, and the pictures. Is anyone even going to read this?!? Is anybody out there?

God is Great!

I am reminded daily how God is constantly at work in my life. He has surrounded me with an amazing support team. I am blessed with an adoring husband, beautiful and healthy children, fabulous friends, and wonderful co-workers. And every day I see Him at work, putting the right people there at the right time to lift me up and help me find my way.

Paula is still out taking care of Russell. Please continue to pray for a miracle for this family and for peace and comfort as they continue to fight for recovery. In the meantime, I am still the "acting principal". I am starting to settle in a bit now - not quite as shocked and overwhelmed. And I continue to be amazed by the overwhelming support that I have received from central administration and my wonderful counselor and secretary - I truly couldn't do it without these two. Starting tomorrow, I will have an administrative intern to also help ease the load. It will be nice to have an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands to help take care of the day to day tasks.

And through it all . . . late nights, meetings after school, cereal for dinner because I am too tired to cook . . . Brad has not complained. He has gone above and beyond to help me out with the girls - waking up early so that he can pick them up from school, taking care of baths and homework, buying the Easter eggs for Lily's class party . . . He is a great dad and husband!

On top of that, my mom and Donna Carr have stepped in to help watch the girls for me when needed. My sister spent a day in the office cleaning out cabinets for us. Friends have offered to cook dinner for my family. I even have one friend who wasn't satisfied when I told her there wasn't anything she could do to help me out at work, so she insisted that she was going to help me out at home. She has since paid for her cleaning lady to clean my house until school is out.

Some people who were visiting our church today prayed over me (thanks to my husband who drug me over to them and asked them to do this). And it was amazing! They spoke with me and one lady, without even knowing my situation, said "God is telling me to tell you that 'you are equipped'." This is exactly what I needed to hear. I have spent weeks questioning myself, not confident that I was ready to take on the challenge of running a school. (Especially this year because we have to have our entire building packed up before the last day of school.) And then they prayed over me. And I felt the tension and anxiety lift from my shoulders as a peace washed over me. It was like every doubt I had about whether or not I could finish up the year on my own melted. In their prayer they mentioned that God can do this, not me. And I was relieved. Because it is true - He can do anything. And I know that He is going to use me to take care of this situation. And I don't need to worry, He's got it under control. And I am blessed, truly blessed!

Keep The Prayers Comin'

I am still asking you to join me in lifting up the Eagleton family. Russell is awake and alert now and dealing with the understanding that he may never regain movement or be able to breath on his own. And his family is struggling daily to give him the encouragement and support that he needs while they try to take care of financial and medical decisions. Please continue to pray for a miracle for Russell and for peace and comfort for the entire family.

In the meantime, I have been trying to be the principal and assistant principal at the same time. Trying to cram in her meetings and responsibilities while still taking care of mine. I've got to say that God has totally done his "thing" at EH. I am surrounded by a great staff who are willing to go above and beyond in times of need. He has blessed me with office staff who are on top of things and have been handling problems before they even become a problem. And my counselor has been at my side, giving me a shoulder to cry on and helping me to laugh through the frustration and craziness. We are a pretty awesome team! But, man, do I miss Paula!!!! We are all trying to assure her, when she calls to check in, that everything is great - the last thing that I want her to do is to have to worry about school. But she is definitely missed, and I hope she knows that we are doing the best we can, but it is NOT the same without her. So I also ask you to pray for me . . . I am trying to fill some really big shoes, and probably not doing half as well as she would, but I want to try and keep things going as smoothly as possible. And quite honestly, at times, I feel like I am barely staying afloat trying to take care of the things that I know she would do. So I am thankful for the weekend - 2 days to rest and rejuvinate so that I can start the rat race again on Monday. How many days left until summer break?

Calling All Prayer Warriors

Many of you know that I am an assistant principal at an elementary school. I love my job! I love the kids (most days) and the teachers (most days) and the principal (every day). She is amazing! She has been an incredible mentor and has quickly become a dear friend. I am here today to ask you, on her behalf, to pray.

Paula's husband, Russell, fell Monday afternoon while installing a canopy over playground equipment at an elementary school. He is in ICU with a neck injury. His spine was not severed, however, he has extensive swelling in the area which has resulted in paralysis from the neck down. At this time it is a waiting game. The doctors cannot tell the family when or if he will regain feeling.

So I ask you to pray. This family has been an inspiration to everyone around them this week. They are all hoping, praying, and believing in a miracle. Please join me in lifting them up.

If you want more information or to get updates, they have created a website http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/russelleagleton

Wanna Help?

As most of you know, my mom has done fabulous in her battle with lung cancer. At this point she has completed her chemo and only has 6 days of radiation left. She has been such a trooper! And now we can all see the light at the end of the tunnel. As a celebration of her accomplishment and as a way to contribute to the ongoing fight to cure cancer, she has decided to participate in this years Relay for Life. She has formed a team and asked all of her friends to join. So far we have had so many join that she has actually had to create a second team. We have been busy planning decorations, our team t-shirt (thanks, Lindsay, for the cool design), and coming up with ways to raise money for the American Cancer Society. I have had many of you serving as prayer warriors over the past few months. And I want to thank you. What a blessing to be surrounded near and far with such amazing friends! A couple of people have asked about contributing to the Relay in honor of my mom. If you are interested in making a donation to the American Cancer Society under her team name - just go to www.relayforlife.org/azletx and go to Joyce's Journey.

Facebook

Have you tried it? I'll admit, I don't totally get it. I've got people throwing food at me . . . inviting me to join causes . . . sending me flair . . . and I have NO CLUE what most of that means or how it works. But I have been able to find several long lost friends within days of joining facebook. It's pretty cool! I have actually (without much effort at all) been able to get in contact with a couple of friends that I haven't talked to in over 10 years. They are people that I had somehow lost touch with and had even tried to google over the years with no luck. Then I joined facebook, and there they were.

A Rockin' Good Time

In honor of Jessica's birthday, we had a surprise birthday party last Sunday. Her gift (from Matt and Keely) was a homemade video with cameo performances from some of her friends. It is hilarious! You must check it out. Here's the link to their web page: http://homecooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/surprise.html

But before you check it out, let me state for the record, many of us had NEVER heard the song before and the performances were done with no rehearsal time. So, enjoy the show . . . it's pretty funny!

Happy Birthday Lily!

My how time flies! We celebrated Lily's 4th birthday yesterday with a family dinner. It was great to have my mom show up with color in her cheeks and enough energy to participate in the festivities. It was a Barbie birthday. We got Lily a doll house and the rest of the family helped her fill it with accessories and Barbies.

I have high hopes for 4.

3 was pretty rough . . . much worse than the terrible 2's.

4, I think, is going to be great!

Christmas in OK

The good thing about an ice storm . . . no school today so that I have time to update my blog.

We went to Oklahoma City a couple of weeks ago to finally celebrate Christmas with Brad's family. We had a great time and enjoyed spending time with his family.

While we were in OKCity, we went by Brad's cousin Dawn's house. They have a goat farm and actually breed them, milk them, and make goat milk soap. I brought some home to try - it smells yummy and works great! (Click here to see their website - http://www.swingingkdairygoatfarm.com/) While we were there, Gracie jumped in and actually milked a goat. Lily (of course) wanted nothing to do with the fun adventure. I can't blame her much . . . the goats were pretty stinky. WARNING - This video is not the most flattering view of the goat . . . my apologies to the goat, but I was doing the best I could to capture the action.

A Plea to the Wordy and Witty

Boy it has been a long time since I have posted! There is much catching up to do. But that will have to come later when I have more time. For now, I am looking for your input. But first, a quick update: My mom finished her last chemo treatment. YIPEE!!!! We met with the radiation doctor last week. She should have another PET scan done next week and will begin six weeks of radiation around the first of February. She will receive radiation five days a week for the six weeks. Then, hopefully, we can put this all behind us and move on . . .

Now that she is feeling a little better, though. She has decided to create a team for the local Relay for Life in April. She is hoping to form a team of family and friends to celebrate her success and help raise money for the American Cancer Society. Here's where you come in . . . the theme for Relay for Life this year is the movies. My mom has chosen Mamma Mia. Now we need to come up with some way to tie the movie into the fight for cancer. Any ideas? We need a slogan . . . or t-shirt design ideas for our team . . . or decorating ideas for our booth . . . or things to sell that night or other ways to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

So here's your chance . . . put on your thinking caps . . . be creative . . . give me your thoughts.