Would you rather live in the center of a circle or on the side of a square?
~jm

"I'd give it a 4!"

I had my last real responsibility at Murfee this past week. As the previous Teacher of the Year, I had the privilege of presenting the award to this year's recipient. There have been a lot of things I've missed since leaving Murfee, and I was excited to visit such familiar surroundings. The challenging aspect was actually writing the presentation and then speaking in front of a crowd, which always makes me a little nervous. I spent a lot of time writing and rewriting the sentiments I would share in front of people I truly love and respect. It's been awhile since I've written like that, and it became a laborious task as I searched for just the right words and the perfect flow of speech and language. Having been a writing teacher, I've come to love language and the assembling of thoughts. I've also learned over time, that it takes a lot of courage for me to "put my words out there" where others can hear and critique my style. Well... the presentation went great, I didn't get too noticeably nervous, and the new Teacher of the Year had been honored. As I was finishing, I saw my sister in the back of the room, so I made my way toward her. I sat down and we smiled at each other. She said, "Good job, Neesie. I'd give it a 4!" She ended up being the one with the most perfect words that night.

A few days ago I had a great idea for a new fragrance called... Blue Velvet.  But, as I contemplated this, I realized it might be confused with Aqua Velva, so I guess I won't pursue that.

Love Life!

peace

In the face of adversity, choose peace.

an unbelievable year

 

Today is January 1, 2011.  I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the passing of 2010... it was quite an unbelieveable year in so many ways. 

This year began as most others... a mom of 3 great kids and a teacher of 60 fabulous 4th graders.  My first goal of the year was to write & direct a fantastic production (with my 4th grade teammates) for the kids in my grade level to perform at the end of January.  That play, Night at The Museum of Texas History, was a sensation!  On the night of the performance, much to my surprise, I was presented with the Murfee Elementary Teacher of the Year award.  I was so very honored, and I felt immense gratitude for the amazing blessings I have received as a teacher.

Meanwhile, I continued to work diligently on my master's degree with a June finish date in sight. 

The month of March arrived and brought with it a trip to Dallas with my daughters to see John Mayer in concert.  We had long awaited this big day, which will always remain a memorable event for us!  Unfortunately, the month of March ended with sadness.  My grandmother, Itha Farmer, passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.  We had a huge gathering of family for her funeral.  At the time, I had no idea how remarkable those moments with my family would become. 

We all returned to our homes and continued with our daily lives until 3 weeks later, April 8, my father had a tragic accident and suffered a massive head trauma.  My sister, brother, and I raced to be by his side in Austin, where he remained in ICU for 8 days.  It was an agonizing time and was compounded by my daughter having her 17th birthday while I was away from home.  My dad, Glyn Day, passed away on April 16.  All of our family, who had just spent time together in my grandmother's honor, came together again to remember and honor my dad.  I cannot express how grateful we all were to have had that time with our Poppy just weeks before. 

Amidst this grief, my graduate classes did not wait.  I was not allowed any opportunities to postpone assignments or tests, so I just continued.... I had no other options, and I became more determined than ever to not only finish, but to finish strong.  And, that's exactly what I did.  During the months of May and June, I completed my last 3 courses and all other requirements.  I did it!  I finished grad school... with a 4.0.... a feat I had never in my life imagined possible.  At the end of June, I took the state Principal's exam and interviewed for an Assistant Principal's position.  In July I found out that both of these opportunities were a success.  I passed the test, and I got the job!

On August 14, my daughters, mom, and I traveled to Beaumont where I graduated from Lamar University.  I was now officially Denise Day Smith, M. Ed.  I was so proud, completely humbled, thrilled to be there with my family, and so very sad to be there without my dad.  I knew, though, that I was there by the grace of God, and with the support of so many people who love me.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The rest of the year.... well I could say it has gone beautifully.  I've begun a new career learning so many new things.  I continue to be blessed by my three amazing kids, and I have come to love and appreciate my family and friends in totally new ways.  I'm closer to my brother and sister than I've ever before, and recognize the strong united force we make altogether.  Mostly, I'm amazed at how God has continually met my needs and blessed me.  I could never have foreseen any of this on January 1, 2010.  Today, January 1, 2011 begins a new year with a new set of unforeseen experiences.

make a joyful noise unto the Lord

As Christmas approaches, I am reminded of many memories from past holidays. As a child, I can remember the fun of decorating the tree and rearranging the presents over and over again with my little sister. I also fondly remember the time we bundled up switches to leave for our parents with notes from "Santa" about the bad things they had done that year. Of course, it was all in fun, and we laughed every year when my mom put out the switches as part of our holiday decorating... it became a tradition.

When I became a mom and began to make memories with my own family, it was important to me to create traditions for my children and to make the holidays meaningful and fun. Recently, my daughter commented that our family doesn't have any traditions. That statement really took me aback, and I began frantically searching my mind about what traditions we do have in our family. I began to easily identify the things that we do to make the holidays special, and I took it upon myself to prove that we do have traditions in our home. So, I started making a list. In only a few minutes, I was able to list over 20 things that I consider to be traditions. When I shared the list with my daughter, she disagreed about many of the items being "a tradition". I realized that the word tradition is actually a pretty loose term. I had no choice but to surrender to the fact that my children don't recognize some of the same traditions that I do. That was a little hard for me at first, but I came to terms with it eventually (albeit unwillingly).

I decided that it's ok for us to have different ideas about traditions, as long as one thing always remains. In my home, and with my family, we will always celebrate the Christmas holiday as the birth of our Savior. After all, this is the underlying truth that rules our lives and holds our family together every day of the year.

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth." Psalm 100:1

stay for the day

"Don't for a minute change the place you're in."

Promises

I saw the most vibrant double rainbow yesterday afternoon.

God's promises continually amaze me.

Happy Birthday Poppy!

My dad was a supreme baseball fan. When I was little, he would take our family to see the Rangers play every summer, and when my son was born, my dad made sure that he took Dane to see Nolan Ryan pitch every year until his retirement. When Dane was in 4th grade, he chose to portray Nolan Ryan in the school's Living Museum exhibit. On the morning of the Living Museum performance, my dad showed up on our doorstep at 6:00 a.m. He had driven into town (an hour's drive) to deliver an important artifact for the big day. When I opened the door, he was standing there with a baseball, autographed by Nolan Ryan, for Dane. Although he couldn't come to the Living Museum, he wanted Dane to have something really special for his exhibit. Dane was thrilled, and I (obviously) never forgot that touching act. What a great Poppy!

Today is October 19, 2010, and the Texas Rangers are playing in the club's first playoff series in their history. Today also would have been my dad's 68th birthday. I can't think of a gift he would have loved more than a Rangers playoff win! Happy birthday, daddy!

Day Life Lessons

My daddy was proud and very strong in his opinions and beliefs. I've taken many of his life lessons to heart and made them my own. And the other ones.... well, they just make me laugh... Day girls have class.

Always vote. It's what we do.

A boy will rue the day he lets you go.

Wear nice shoes. People notice your shoes, especially on first impressions.

You're not ready to take your family skiing until you can flush a $100 bill without wincing.

Blue Bell ice cream is best eaten with a tiny spoon.

A man's got his needs.

To wake up, put "feet on the floor".

Never stick your tongue to the inside of a freezer.

I don't have a high arch, it's actually a "Day heel".

After a long day on the slopes, it's good to "ski the bar".

Sometimes, love can best be expressed with "a hun".

"You get in, you get done, and then you get gone."

~by John Mayer, Assassin

This brilliant, insightful lyric is so applicable to my day.

Actually, it's perfect widsom for many things in life.

I'm so proud of my daughter. She's beautiful, intelligent, articulate, persistent, and continually full of surprises. She's fought to overcome some huge obstacles and has kept her end goal in sight. Today she received the payoff for her hard work and was accepted into the college of her choice! It's a very happy day in our house.

"...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

"I'm only good at being young." This must be my favorite John Mayer lyric... I can identify with it.

"I'm only good at being young." This must be my favorite John Mayer lyric...

I identify with it.

just a girl

"You're quite the funny girl today. Thanks."

~That's the nicest thing anyone said to me today.

I saw an old friend today who told me, "You've reinvented yourself." I like that!

a good day

What a wonderful day to be a day girl! After 18 months, I graduated with a master's degree this afternoon. I have learned so much about myself.... such as, I'm not a 3%-er anymore! As my brother said, "It's a hell of an accomplishment considering the circumstances." As my sister said, "This is a new beginning." I like the sound of that.... let it begin!

I have so much love and appreciation for my greatest supporters. It's been a long, challenging road for me with many successes, as well as the devastation of losing my daddy during the last months of my graduate program. I know he was planning to be here with me... we had talked about it when I saw him just a few weeks earlier. Thinking of him today brought many tears to my eyes, but I know he would be so proud of me. That is one of the many reasons I'm proud to be a day girl.

What a wonderful, wonderful day!