December 2011

Wow! I haven't written in years on this blog! I plan to start updating more frequently on here, now that I will be a stay-at-home momma.  Hopefully I can keep up!  So, I'm 34 weeks pregnant and have tons of kidney stones! UGH! Hoping to make it to the week after Christmas, and then I believe they will induce me.  We are excited to welcome baby Judith Louise Spear into the world! We will call her Judy!  :) We named her after my grandma.  So excited to honor her in that way.  My grandma is the rock of our family.  Anyways, I'm on tons of pain meds until I deliver. So I apologize if there are a bunch of typos.  It's been a rough couple months.  Just in a lot of pain. 
Grace, however, is doing wonderful! She's thriving at her school and is on the student council. The student council has given her so much confidence and she walks around her school like she owns it! It's so cute to see her take all these leadership roles and really run w/ them!!  She has really grown up these past few months.  Michael and I just can't believe it! We are so proud of the lil' lady she is becoming.  She is a hard worker, a caring friend, a super big sister, and a sweet girl.  She simply can't wait for Judy to come! I'm so grateful I will have her help w/ the baby!!
Jackson is our comedian! He continues to make us/everyone laugh all the time.  He loves to break dance and always has a way to throw comedy into everything.  We love this boy!! He's a hoot!!  Jackson loves school and loves to learn!  He has such a great imagination and loves to learn about things and how they work.  Jackson also has become a great reader.  He's currently reading a 4th grade level book and totally understands it! Its crazy!! He will also be a big help to me w/ the baby! The other day he wrote Judy a letter saying how much he loves her already and can't wait to protect her!! TOO CUTE!! 
Michael is doing wonderful still, at Charles Schwab! He loves his job, because he loves helping people.  He also is a leader of the men's group at our church.  He's a great dad, and amazing husband!  I continue to thank the Lord for him daily!!
Finally, we are in the middle of finishing our basement! It's awesome! We all can't wait for the extra space.  Judy will take Gracie's room, and Grace will move into her new room in the basement.  Drywall was finished today, so we are ready for the paint and carpet! WOOHOO!!!
So glad to be back on here! Hopefully, it will be a good place for you all to keep up w/ the Spear's!! :)

Chicago & The Spear's

Hello! We went to Chicago for a quick visit. We started at the Shedd's Aquarium, which was really fun! Then took a water taxi to Navy Pier, which was also really fun! The kids loved the boat. Transformers 3 is filming downtown Chicago, and we watched them film. It was really neat, as you can see in the pics! My roomie, Kristi, from BSU lives in Chicago, and we visited her and her family. That was really fun to catch up w/ her! Can't believe it's been 10 years! YIKES!

JERSEY BOYZ....

Super fun! We went w/ mom, dad, Ali, and Quinn to Jersey Boys downtown. We had a wonderful dinner before at Urban Elements. The show was amazing! Great times w/ the fam! Love 'em all so much!

Maui 2010

Amazing! My husband won a trip w/ his company, Charles Schwab! So proud of him! We went to Maui in Hawaii. It was absolutely amazing! Schwab hired Apolo Ono to speak and The Fray to play for us! We stayed at The Ritz Carlton- which was unbelievable. The whole trip felt super surreal. I was treated like a moviestar and hanging out w/ famous people! Everything in Maui I had to touch! I just couldn't believe the colors! Wow! It was a once in a lifetime kind of trip!

Subpoena...

Yesterday I came home and got the mail. The top envelope as addressed to me, from the Marion County Prosecutor. My heart dropped, I knew it had to do with my student that had been raped. I have been subpoenaed to court on March 15th! So scary. I just can't believe that my sweet student, Katie, has to deal with all of this. It really freaks me out that, I turned her journal entry into authorities, and from that- her brother is now looking at 60 years in prison. Poor Katie, today she had to go talk about his plea bargain. I really encouraged her not to take the plea. He would only get 20 yrs and by that time, she would be grown and possibly married w/ children. I just think that him coming out would rock her world and scare her. I also encouraged her to not take the plea, so that she can testify. I know, I know...why would anyone want a child to have to testify. But I really think it would be closure for her and give her the power back. She has been hiding this dirty secret for so many years, she has been scared to tell anyone, her mom blamed her for lying, he took her virginity, he took her innocence, he caused his family pain, he broke up their family, and I could go on and on. I told Katie that now is her time, her time, to tell the truth, in front of him- and then, no one would believe she was lying! Also, she would be able to make him own this- face to face. I really hopes she chooses to testify. That creep deserves to be humiliated in court. I don't want him to get off easy. We will see tomorrow, which she chose.
Now- to me. I can't believe that I will have to testify! When I walk into that courtroom and see that creep, I hope I can control my anger. What a filthy, dirty man. I might just throw up all over him! Wow! Court date is for March 15th. I will let you know how it goes. Just pray.

Oh- tomorrow is Parent/Teacher Conferences. We will see how many parents actually show up. Hopefully, they are all pleasant and don't get nasty w/ me like last time. Last time, I mom went off on me. The next day I found out she beat her son (my student) with her high heel shoe b/c of his grades!

Cold SORE...

Ok, so I have huge fat cold sore on my lip b/c of the stress. This 1st week has been horrible. I had to take a half day Monday b/c Jackson had a fever. Wednesday, I had to take off early b/c Jackson was still sick. Thursday, Grace's school released early b/c we had a snow storm, so I had to leave early. And today, Grace's school had a 2 hr delay and so I had to go in late. Wow! What a way to start off the year! At least we are finally all healthy tonite. Oh and I just found out that if my school has a snow day, the teachers are still required to go to school! GEEZ! I hate my job so much! How am I going to get through this year? I guess with BIG, fat, ugly cold sores on my lip!

1st Day Back with Kids

Today the students came back. It went pretty well! They all acted like they missed me terribly!! I set new rules and consequences. Some that are easier for me to be consistent with. It really was bizarre. They were pretty tame today and really no drama. Oh yeah, one thing, remember the girl that I told you that was raped?!? Well, she told me today that her sister just confessed that she had an abortion w/ her brother's baby a couple years ago! I had to call the detective w/ that one! Geez! Could her story get any worse?
Oh and Jackson had a fever yesterday and had to be picked up early. I had to leave my meetings and come home w/ him. Then Michael took off work today to stay home w/ him. Tonite, Jack still has a fever, so my dad will take care of him in the morning, and I will have to take a half day! This adds so much more drama to school life! The kids can't handle it when I leave- they get crazy and I get 4 page letters from whoever substitutes my class, on how bad they were! I will let you know how it goes.
Until then, pray for Jackson to get better and for me to hold onto my strength in the Lord, to keep me going. I know I can make it!
Court