Queenies Little Kingdom

I have heard about Wicked for the last three years from my kids and co-workers. My kids were in love with the music and were dreaming of actually seeing the show. My co-workers….well, they had actually seen it and well…blah blah blah…couldn’t stop talking about it.

It hasn’t been near us (except in Louisville…at a bad time for us) until now. When I heard it would be in Indy at the Murat…..I was so excited! But, I didn’t have tickets… until just over a week ago. Thank you Molly!

It started with 2 tickets available. Then one more later that same day. On the day of the show….a text message with ONE MORE TICKET!!! Yes, 4 tickets! Hubby didn’t go….but that’s ok. He was glad to let us enjoy this special event. Thanks, hubby! It was indescribable! Really! You have to go see it! I want to AGAIN!!!! NOW PLEASE!!!

After the most wonderful show…..we were wandering out of the theatre minding our own sweet business, of course. Who do we run into? Oh yea, Galinda and Elphaba! THE SHOW WAS FANTASTIC!

How could I ask for more?

My kids with Galinda!

My kids with Elphaba!

And I’m not talking about the slang word wicked! My three teens and I are heading to Indy today at 3:30 to party it up with 28 other friends from our school. The event? Only the best musical out there….WICKED!!

It has been a dream for my kids to see it for years….they know every single word! We hear it playing constantly on ipod’s and the computer at my house. They LOVE it! The excitement is off the charts! We feel so blessed to be invited along.

The sweetest lady in the world made it possible for two of us to go. She has always been someone I loved and looked up to at school. This year….Sweetboy was privileged to have her as his ACP English teacher. She’s had a tough year….physically, mentally, and emotionally. She has faced several health problems and loss in her family. On top of that…she was preparing to retire! That’s an amazing time in your life. Hers has been riddled with attacks! Now her sweet husband is experiencing what may be found as cancer. I haven’t heard if it’s a final diagnosis yet. So my heart is heavy for my kind friend, Sue Hughes!

Lord,
We trust you to work in your mysterious and amazing way. This situation with the Hughes family does not catch you by surprise. You are well aware. It’s my prayer that you would bless them and wrap your loving arms around them as they face uncertainty right now. They need you…and I place them in your capable hands.
Amen

When I walked in the door at school this morning…..I thought I’d stepped into an office supply store bombing! Sticky post-it notes graced every square inch of the halls, walls, and doors! It only took about a nano-second for me to figure out….SENIOR PRANK!!! 🙂

It’s a great day to be a mom of a senior (by the way….I knew where 2 of the seniors were last night….NOT AT SCHOOL!!). The weather is sunny and breezy out and the excitement is buzzing in the Indiana air. This is also a dangerous time of year. Students think they’re invincible and tragedy tends to loom in communities all around. I pray for their safety as they celebrate this amazing time in their lives.

Each year….the big deal at our high school is the last day of school and the SENIOR BREAKFAST! It’s an emotional time of fellowship together, snapping gazillion’s of pictures and watching THE VIDEO! Ahh the video! This is the highlight of it all. Who can resist this walk down memory lane? Nobody, that’s who! I managed to watch it…..and I DID NOT CRY ONE TIME!!!! I love those kids!

Now they are off to practice walking in for graduation for the final time. It’s only days away now. I wish them all the best! May their lives glorify God and bless those around them. The future’s all theirs!

He was the baby I’d always dreamed of. I asked God specifically for a special boy and He went way beyond my human comprehension of special. On June 1st 1990, Gavin Lee Galloway was born. He was 8lbs. 6 1/4oz and 20 1/2 inches long. He was a fat little butterball of a baby and he was very sick. He spent his first 5 days of life in NICU at Lakeland Regional. We were unprepared for any complications. I did everything I could to be a healthy pregnant mom. I cherished the baby that God was creating within me. Yet here we were….watching as our sweet baby fought to breathe. God had big plans for him and he still does. Today is special to our whole family. Gavin’s life is just beginning. He’s turning 19 and graduating in 5 more days. Everything is at his fingertips!

If I had to list what I love about him most…..it would be just about everything I know about him. He’s that amazing and wonderful to me. It’s a mom thing, I guess. I still love hearing from other people how much they enjoy Gavin. He’s just a fun kid! He has a great personality and a crazy fun sense of humor. He keeps us all laughing! But that’s not all…..he’s a loving and obedient son.

Gavin — I have been so blessed to be your mom. I prayed for you and God didn’t cut any corners when He created you for my family. You are the son that all parents dream of having. You set out to be the best you……not for yourself…..but because you care about what God wants for your life. What an inpsiration you are! I admire you for your Godly character and the integrity that you live your life with. It is something that many people never pick up on. You have chosen that path for yourself and I am so proud. I pray that today is just one more step towards all that you dream of. May God bless you as you enjoy your special birthday! You’re 19!!! Wow! Just seems like yesterday, Sweetboy! I love you so much!
Mom

Gavin loves…..

Obviously capes… 🙂
BMW’s and other fine automobiles (foreign of course)
a girl named Allison
Top Gear, The Office, Hulu, Fox-n-Friends…etc
Playing the guitar & singing
Hotdogs (especially footlong chili dogs)
Hanging with his dad (playing something)
Being independant
His cell phone
Smart conservatives
Intelligent conversations
Movies as he goes to sleep
Southern cooking
Living life to the max!
Friendships
and Jesus!

There’s so much more he loves….but it’s late and my brain isn’t quite firing anymore. He’s well-rounded, brilliant, and a magnet of a person. He pulls you in and makes you love him. I hope he knows just how much we love him. I think he does! Thank you God for sharing him with us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETBOY!

I have no idea where that saying came from…..all I know is that I grew up hearing and using it. If someone was deathly ill in my family….they were “sick as a dog”! Sounds crazy, huh?

Our wild and spunky little poodle, Miss Lizzy woke up feeling terrible this morning. We cannot figure out what is wrong. She can’t walk or hold herself up. She’s weak and puny. It’s like she’s injured…but we can find no injuries. I had to carry her outside and then she couldn’t move to do any of her “business”.

I’m worried. This is not like her. She’s never been ill. We bought her as a 6 week old puppy back in 2005. So it’s not like she’s an old dog. If something doesn’t happen or improve we will be forced to take her to the vet. We want her to feel good again.

So, I’m a little more in tune with that “sick as a dog” statement after this morning. Poor Miss Lizzy! She’s sick as a dog!

MONDAY NEWS!!

Miss Lizzy is feeling back to her old self again! We can’t be sure…but it seemed to be something to do with her stomach! We spent Saturday morning cleaning up the results of what appeared to be a very upset stomach! Dang those neighbors throwing out rotten food! 🙁
Thanks to all who wished her well! That was very sweet, ya’ll!

I haven’t tried to hide my true self on this here blog, ever. I love being home! I work a full-time job everyday but come the end of May….I’m looking forward to a summer filled with lazy days and family time. In other words….I LOVE SUMMER!!!! I feel blessed to work in the education world and have summers off. It ROCKS!

Today is the beginning of finals at my high school (for all underclassmen). We run on block scheduling so the students only have 4 classes a day broken into 2 days…..equaling 8 classes total. So, they take 2 finals a day from today until Tuesday. And Tuesday? That’s the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!! Yaahooooo! Do I sound crazy excited? Good, cause I am! Yay!

It feels fantastic to be at the end of a grueling year. Lots of changes took place in our lives this past year……jobs, administration at my school, friendships, churches, finances…..stresses of all kinds. To be honest, surviving this busy school year feels like a victory! I’m happy to see it come (don’t get me wrong…I’m still sad my Sweetboy is graduating). But I cling to the upcoming summer break with all the fervor of my being!

Here’s to 3 1/2 more days! Yipee! I can do it! I see the light at the end of the tunnel! Come on SUMMER BREAK!!