9-0, Champs

I told our guys last night to seize the opportunity to call themselves "champions." And they did. An impressive win over a AAA (biggest for you Ohio readers) school. It was a nice win for our team and for our players. We played really good and sustained a major comeback from Albemarle (we had them by 17 at one point and they cut it to 4). Hitting free throws down the stretch was critical and we made them when they really counted. Final score: SHS: 60, AHS: 52. Our record improves to 9-0 and we've got Fort Defiance Friday night at Fort.
-Jimmy

What a game!

Alright, Jimmy is busy today in preparation for their final tournament game tonight, so I thought I would write this update. Last night was Spotswood's game against Charlottesville. I was there of course, with my family in tow...they are all down for our family Christmas. It was an exciting game! It was close the entire way and came down to two foul shots. We were ahead 46-48 with 4 seconds left and C'ville had the ball - as the buzzer was sounding, the refs called a foul on us, so they had two foul shots that could have tied the game. He made one, missed the other so we won! 48-47. Go Blazers! I was shaking for awhile after that one...I don't know if this sport is good for my health! :)

On another note, Gus went to our Christmas tree (which he has been quite good about) and don't you know, picked out his own present and unwrapped it! I came downstairs to find him sitting amongst the tissue paper, ribbon, and his new ball in the middle of it all. Of all the presents, he picked the right one. Needless to say, I took it back and he will get it tomorrow when we open presents. I told Jimmy what had happened when we got to the game and all he said was "that's my boy." I think Jimmy did the same thing growing up, only he was a little less obvious about it. :) - Kari

7-0 and on to Charlottesville

Well, we won on Saturday big time, 74-40. The score was 44-10 at the half. We played everyone A LOT in the second half, so the score stayed even. But it was a nice win after the break. We've got Charlottesville again tonight, at their place (they are a host of the tournament). So we'll see how that goes. It should be a very heated game! I'll try to update tomorrow. If not, I'll definitely update Wednesday when the tournament is over.
-Jimmy

Gus, Cows, 6-0

Well, last night was good. We won 53-36. It was a tough game for our team to play (we had beaten them before by 23 and had just beat Lee the night before). But our kids made enough plays to pull away down the stretch. 6-0 at the break is a darn good Christmas present. We've got the Daily Progress tourney over break- and that has some REALLY good teams in it. Enough hoops. Gus jumped the fence today- I never thought he would do that. He ran off and we found him across the street (4 lane highway) in a farmer's field chasing cows. He was a MESS!! So he got a bath. I'm getting ready to leave for Ohio but wanted to get one last post on here. I'll keep everyone posted on how our team is doing. Merry Christmas to all who might read this.
-Jimmy

Well . . .

It's not often that any coach gets to write a message like this when they've played at Hatcher Gymnasium in Staunton. Only six times in the past 3 years has Lee lost at home. And we are one of those 6. Our kids executed our offensive and defensive game plan to perfection. And while we still missed shots (lay ups and free throws), we were able to win because of our execution. Our team is really starting to believe in themselves and in each other. It was a very fun night to be a Blazer. Final score: Spotswood- 65, RE Lee- 53. The challenge now is to turn around and get a win over a hungry Riverheads bunch. We play them tonight!
-Jimmy

4-0

Well, we didn't play our absolute best game, but still managed to win, 63-51. Rockbridge was athletic and quick and bothered us at times. We've got to keep getting better. It was good, again, to not play our best and still find a way to win the game. I'm looking forward to Friday night. We've got the Leemen and they are the real deal. We'll see what we're made of, for sure.
-Jimmy

Responding to Success

So far, we've passed the test of responding to success. After a big win over Charlottesville, we came back on Saturday and played pretty good against Riverheads. We missed a lot of easy shots but still won the game, 63-40. We are a very unselfish and hardworking group and I think that is key to our identity. Tomorrow night- Rockbridge. They are a very athletic bunch who can really shoot it. We'll need to play well to win.
-Jimmy

BIG TIME!

Well, I'll keep this up to date with basketball information. We played a Cville team that many people think is going to win the state title, on their home floor, and won by 22 points. Our kids played really hard and hung in there against several Cville runs. Once Cville got the picture that we were not going to give in, they gave up. The fourth quarter, we blew them out- 17-3. We are now 2-0, with one ugly win and one win that was pretty much a thing of basketball beauty. Time to find out if our boys can handle success and praise from people and move on to our next opponent. We play a down but fighting Riverheads team on Saturday afternoon. I'll keep this as up-to-date as possible.
-Jimmy

UGLY but . . .

Well, sometimes you have to win when you play very poorly. We did just that. We won on the road 67-61 against a team that was hungry to win their first in front of their home crowd. To do that and play poorly is actually a good sign. There are definitely things we MUST improve to beat regional and state caliber opponents. But we'll take the "W" and go from here. Charlottesville next Wednesday and THAT should be really interesting.

2 Scrimmages- Real One Tuesday

We played our first two scrimmages. We won the first one by 22 and won the last one (on the road against a top 10 team in the state) by 10. We looked good and continue to get better and better. We play our first game on Tuesday at Stuarts Draft and then next Wednesday we play the favorite to win the state title on the road. I'll keep everyone posted on how we do- remember you can always follow our scores at: spotswoodathletics.org and click on Varsity Boys Basketball 08-09.
-Jimmy

It's basketball season!

Well, its that time of year once again. This time I have the dog to keep me company! We had to buy him a basketball chew toy of course! I also thought I would include the hilarious pictures of our boy when he had to where an e-collar after his surgery. Doesn't he look like a satellite dish?

Election Day

Well, Kari and I got up at before the crack of dawn to go and vote. We were at the polling station at 5 till 6. We brought Gus along and he sat in the car- we want a politically-minded dog! We then went to breakfast at one of the local breakfast joints. We went home and Kari went for a run and I did what I've been doing for what seems like forever now- dug post holes! We've got our fence about 1/3 done. We will have it completely done by Friday. I'm so excited to let Gus out for the first time and watch him romp and play in his back yard! How thrilling will that be!??
Anyway, I am at work now. We work from 12-7 today (as with all election days) for Parent/Teacher conferences. I don't have many parents that come visit but that's OK with me. It allows me the chance to get my office organized a little and to help Coach Edwards get organized for hoops. We start a week from yesterday! I am pumped. Remember to check out our schedule at the Spotswood athletic web site and get on out here for a game or two!!
Gus is doing really good. He still has his "moments" but, all in all, he is a very good dog. We love him already! We'll keep everyone up to date on things.
-Jimmy

Meet Gus!

Well, finally here are some pictures of our boy! Each day gets a little better! He can be oh so cuddly at night and he as already learned the fine art of "puppy dog eyes." We do feel like parents some days, putting the dog in time out (I am not kidding) and reprimanding some bad behavior. But he has already come a long ways since the first day we got him. Say a little prayer for him next Tuesday morning as he will be losing his manhood. We hope he will be a little calmer after that!

Gus

Well, we have crossed the 2-week threshold with Gus. Still no pictures to put up (we need to find Kari's connection for her camera). He is really, overall, a sweet dog. He loves to snuggle in the evenings and has taken to sleeping on the bed. He does quite well but we've both come to realize the act of sleeping in has permanently disappeared from our lives. But we'd rather get up and take him out than him having an "accident" in the house. He has had a couple of those and we're working patiently to get him to "go potty" outside. We praise him and celebrate with him when he does the right thing. He's our work in progress- since he's been with us he's learned to "sit", "lay down", catch a ball, and become a slightly better walker on a leash. We love him!

SO MUCH NEW

Well, we did finally close on our house last Friday. It was exciting and relieving to get the process done, especially since we had to go through all the things that Kari mentioned. So now we are settling in, slowly but surely. We had SO much help moving (people from church, Coach Edwards, Coach Sents, several of our players, and my parents). We started moving at 10:00 and were eating pizza by about 1:00 (and that's with a 1/2 hour drive between locations). It was great! We love the new house but the newness and trying to get settled in is challenging. Luckily, Kari's parents were here to help us out this weekend (continued unpacking, cleaning up, organizing, changing bathroom faucets, etc.). A huge help!
We've also got a new dog. We decided, instead of going to North Carolina, to adopt a dog from our local SPCA. We have a Golden Retriever named Gus. He's a handful and we're trying to get him settled in. He's is a really sweet boy and has so many good qualities. It's just evident that whoever had him before did not work with him much. We will, though, and I'm sure that he will do fine. Bill and Mary Ann said that they think he is a good dog. I'm not sure that I'd go quite that far yet, but the potential is there.
We will be posting some pictures soon of all that is new in our lives.

We're in!

I am currently at work, on a Sunday no less! Before you become too impressed....it took me exactly 10 minutes door to door, and I only came to pick up some papers and check my e-mail and pay a bill, since we don't have internet yet at our NEW HOME! :) It's been a rainy weekend, not good for moving, but we did it! We are successfully into our new house. Well, almost.... our original closing date is tomorrow and we found out on Friday that it had to be moved to next Friday. Needless to say, I was really hot about it. Apparently there was something wrong with the paperwork of the people buying our house and it will take until Friday to sort it out. We have been assured that there is nothing to be concerned about and we went ahead with moving in as planned. However, we are now living skeletally at our town house this week so we don't have to pay rent at our new house for the week. We will go to our new house after work, move more stuff around and then go home to the old house at night. A little annoying, but there isn't much to be done about it. We did get the time of closing on Friday to be after work, so I don't have to take another day off! I can't back out of my day off tomorrow (the way it is with being a teacher!) so I will be working at the house all day tomorrow. Shouldn't be too bad! Well, I better get back to the house...we will post pictures later! - Kari

New Email Address

I have a new personal email address. WAY too many issues with Excite. My NEW email address is: uncheel50@gmail.com. Please, those of you who email me, use this account. I'll probably do one of those mass emails, but wanted to let you all know this as well. Those of you who email my work account, that's fine!
-Jimmy

New House, Old House, New Dog

Slowly but surely, we are packing up and getting ready for the big move. We are SO excited! Right now, though, it feels like our lives are packed up in boxes. Walls are empty, pictures are gone. We have a lot of anticipation building about the new house. I finally have a TV worth bragging about- UNC games in high def (SWEET). We have a new couch, love seat, and tables being delivered. Lots of new and it is fun- just can't wait to get settled in.
Perhaps the thing I'm equally excited about to moving is the fact that we think we're going to get a dog in the middle of October. A friend of Larry's (my cousin) has another friend who had a stray show up on her porch. He is a Golden mix who is between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2. So we're planning a trip to NC in the beginning of October to pick up our addition to our family. The lady is supposed to send pictures and when we get those, I'll put a picture up.
That's all for now. Hopefully we'll have some pictures in the next couple of days to show everyone.
-Jimmy

Basketball Schedule Posted

Our basketball schedule for the upcoming season is posted online. Go to: spotswoodathletics.org and find the Boys Basketball 08-09 scroll down link. You can see our "tentative" schedule (it's probably pretty much set in stone, but we'll be official and call it tentative). I hope that many people can make it down to games this year. We'd love to have guests at our new house. And our team has the potential to be pretty good. So check out the schedule and hopefully it will work for folks to come catch a game!!
-Jimmy

BOUGHT!!!!

Well, what a week this has been...and its only Monday! Not only does school start tomorrow, but we just finished negotiating for a home we wanted, and we got it! If you want to take a look at it you can go to Massanutten Realty's web page and type in the MLS #65934 and it will come up! We are looking at a move at the end of September from the looks of it. It's all going to happen so quickly. We are looking forward to ironing out all the details and getting out of here!

On another note, tomorrow is my first day at my new job. My classroom is all set up, after several weeks of work, now all it needs are the kiddies! Everything is so new, I don't even know all the staff's names yet and we don't have a policy manuel yet. My new boss, Kenny (he is the best) describes us as a plane that is being build in mid-air as it is flying passengers. He showed us this commercial to kind of make that point. Lots of changes for us in just a very short time....now all we need is the dog! :) - Kari

SOLD!!!

Hard to believe I'm even writing this message!! But today, we signed the sale contract of our house. We will close on September 29. We looked at 5 houses today, and will look at an additional 7 on Sunday. I know that sounds like a lot. But this next decision is a big one. It will be mine and Kari's first house that we will buy together. We are excited but want to make sure that we make the absolute best decision possible with the houses currently on the market. We will keep everyone posted on the house hunting. It is a relief to know that we will be moving into a HOUSE in a NICE neighborhood. WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

Lessons in Patience

I guess that God just thinks Kari and I are very impatient people. We still have not heard anything about a Golden Retriever- it's looking more and more like we might just put that process "on hold" for a little while. We've got most of the doggie goodies but I think it's getting to the place where we might just wait. I definitely want to go with Golden Treasures, I just don't like the waiting.
Another lesson in patience- our house. We think that, again, we MIGHT have a buyer. However, no offer has been officially made. So, in trying to learn from past lessons taught, we are not getting our hopes up. Although each update from our realtor of positive news does get us excited. How could it not?
Finally- RUDY. This is the lesson that shows that if you're patient you will be rewarded. Now, Rudester is not perfect but boy, oh boy, what a different dog. He has calmed down considerably. He listens nearly 100% better outside. It was actually really great to see him this weekend and see how far he has come with the love and consistency that mom and dad have provided for him.
I guess, thinking of Rudy, I know that if we are patient, there are good things around the various corners for us. At least for the time-being we have each other, a roof over our heads, jobs, food on the table, etc. Very much to be grateful for and much to look forward to as well! It's probably good that we're learning to be more patient!!
-Jimmy

Still Waiting

Maybe we should have entitled our blog the same as the title of this entry. We're still waiting to hear from Golden Treasures. We're still waiting to sell our house (we've lowered the price considerably without much luck). Awhile ago we were waiting about my job. I guess the good Lord is just teaching us lessons in patience- they're hard ones for the likes of Kari and me to learn, though.
However, today is our Anniversary and that makes it a good day. One year surely has gone by fast-I guess it's true that time does fly when you're having fun. We will keep waiting with patience on the things we want and keep being grateful for the ones we have. School is approaching fast (we won't have to wait long to start back to work again!).
-Jimmy

Anticipation

As promised, I have included a picture of Rudy in this blog. What a sweetie- laying in bed and snuggling with Kari. He didn't quite get the camera or what that was all about. Last report says that he continues to adjust and has put together several good days. Hopefully, for mom and dad's sake, the good in him will continue coming out and he will continue adjusting to life in the Miller household (what dog couldn't adjust to that?).
Kari and I are in anticipation mode ourselves. We are in the process of adding to our family also. No, not a kid just yet. We have applied to Golden Treasures (same rescue organization that mom and dad got Rudy from). We've had our phone interview with them and it sounds promising. Promising enough that we have gotten a dog dish, leash, collar, toys, etc. We have even gotten recommendations for a good vet in the area and I'll be calling at some point in the next week or so to talk to them. So, we are in anticipation mode. We're waiting to hear what dog Golden Treasures chooses for us and then we'll wait with complete excitement to meet our dog. Exciting times. Below is a picture of the bond that I think we can have with our future dog (if it comes anything close, I'll be eternally grateful).







Me and Hoss, taken the weekend he died.







Signing off,
Jimmy

Road Trips and Rudy

Kari and I are presently in Oklahoma visiting Grandma Yoder. We got into Kansas City on Thursday morning. We went and helped Emily and Jon in their new house (painting, etc.). It was a good day- we ate some kick-butt bbq from one of the most famous bbq joints in all of Kansas. We left Friday morning and came down to Oklahoma (just Emily, Kari and me- Jon left for Minnesota to play in a wedding). We've had a good time so far- played games, visited with family, etc.
Before coming to Kansas and Oklahoma we made a stop in Eastern Ohio. We met Rudy- the newest member of our family (mom and dad's new Golden Retriever). WOW! What a different dog than Hoss. Hoss was a quiet, gentle spirit. Not "Rudester" (that's my name for him). He is ALL go, especially outside. Inside, he reminds me some of Hoss. Rudy loves to have his belly scratched and will lay on his back with all fours up to allow you the opportunity to do so. He has a habit of rolling over right on you and kind of puts his rear end up in the air and in your face, then just plops down from there (hard to explain but it makes me laugh just thinking about it). We'll post a picture or two of him once we get back to Virginia (no hook up for Kari's camera). He's his own dog and that's the way we like him. We'll take him with all of his curiosity and energy and love him that way.
So far, a very good trip. I miss the mountains of the Shenandoah Valley but the Great Plains are proving to be just fine and dandy. We will keep you posted on our travels.
-Jimmy

Lynchburg Team Camp, My Thoughts on Cowboy

Well, team camp went really good this weekend. Another bonding time for us and for the players. Our team has a great deal of fun with each other- I think that's what I like most. Now, I'll be honest, winning sure makes things more fun. And win we did- 6-0 this weekend. We definitely have the opportunity to be a special team. The more we play, the more I see that. We didn't always play exceptionally good this weekend at times, but even in those moments our kids dug in and found a way to win games. Very promising. I'm pumped!
Arriving home to a wife is AWESOME and mine is the best (I know, I'm biased, but oh well). But throw in a dog to the equation and well, I don't know what words to say about coming home. Cowboy is a great dog. He listens very good and is so much fun. He's taken to laying on the couch or the recliner. In other words, he's made himself right at home. I'm with Kari, I can't wait to sell and get a dog of our own. But for now, having Cowboy around for just a few days has been really good for me.
It's no replacement for the hole left by Hoss (just like Hoss wasn't a replacement for the hole left by Tootsie, and so on and so on). But dogs are magnificent animals who have that extraordinary ability to bond with the humans in their care. Cowboy loves to give kisses and loves to play with his rope toy. It's just really great having him around!
-Jimmy

Cowboy

This morning I was awakened by a wet nose on my hand and a warm tongue licking my face......no it wasn't Jimmy, Marty and Jim trained him a little better than that! :) It was our latest guest, Cowboy! We are dog sitting for our friends Jeremy and Jody while they are on vacation. He is a great dog and has made himself right at home, plopping himself right down on the couch for a nap this afternoon. He had so much energy this afternoon I tuckered him out by taking him on my run. He made it! We walked some but he pulled me most of the way!

It is nice to have him around, especially after having so much dog induced sadness lately with the death of Hoss. I saw some of the light in Jimmy's eyes as he played with and talked to Cowboy. I think that Cowboy has some similar mannerisms to Hoss and it actually feels a little like we have him back. Makes me very ready to get out of this house and get a dog of our own! No word yet on a house, but maybe soon! - Kari

NC State

We had a GREAT week at NC State Team camp with the varsity team. We went 5-4 but played against ALL bigger schools. If we make shots next year and can rebound, we are going to be an extremely tough team to beat. When we did those two things well this weekend, it was an automatic "W." Our kids are so much fun to be around, too. We had such a great time just hanging out as a TEAM. I'm really looking forward to working with that group and working with a higher level of athlete/player. We have little kids' camp this week, then another team camp this coming weekend in Lynchburg. Here's to hoping that we can keep the momentum and the good vibes from this past weekend going into the rest of the summer and into next season (when it really counts).
-Jimmy

Pretty Please?

Well, we have another promising house prospect today. Last week a person came through and really liked our town house. He is looking for investment property in Northfield Court (I guess he lives here as well). He wanted a walk out basement that he can finish off...ours is perfect so we were very excited. The plan was set that he was going to bring his father back through on Saturday (I guess he is a partner in the investment). Saturday came and went with no word from this interested party. Our Realtor even left several messages. We thought it was a lost cause. However, on Monday he contacted our Realtor and they are coming to look at it today! Apparently he had to suddenly go out of town (to a place with no phones) and that is why he didn't come back through on Saturday. So keep us in your thoughts around 4:45 today! We are going to look at some more houses this morning as well. I can't wait! - Kari

Basketball Camp

High school camp ended yesterday. A GREAT week! We put in our new offense (I am, in Coach E's terms, the "offensive coordinator"). So I got to do a TON of teaching- which is what I love to do! It's exciting for me right now because it seems like the players are beginning to "buy in" to what we're doing and it seems that they truly like what we're doing. We go to a team camp this weekend in NC (NC State). We'll be making some stops along the way. We'll go to Franklin Street in Chapel Hill (yeah, the Chapel Hill that is home to UNC) and to the "Dean Dome." We'll also go to that other school in NC, too. It will be cool for our players but I won't even type the name on here- you can figure it out. So I'm just really pumped about the upcoming weekend. It will be a good challenge for our players but also a really good bonding time for our team. I'm looking forward to it.
-Jimmy

Saying Goodbye

I am a little surprised right now that I do feel a slight degree of sadness to be leaving my current job. I am sitting in my empty classroom, watching the last few minutes tick away when I will leave here and begin a new life as a "cub." That's right, the kids voted the mascot for the new Cub Run elementary school to be the cub. I am not very good at letting go of things, and even when I have been counting down the days of this infernal year, I will miss parts of it. I will miss my kids - they were a great bunch, I will miss cross country and our undefeated season, and I will miss my coworkers that did become some of my best friends. I will not miss the hour drive! :) I hate change...why do I do so much of it? :) -Kari

Incredible Life

I've chosen the title of this blog to be "Incredible Life." It's not because I'm not incredibly sad right now. Nothing could be further from the truth. My body is literally aching. But I choose this title because I know the truth. And the truth is, Hoss' life was an incredible one. The number of people that dog touched is inconceivable. I had a friend tell me, "I don't like dogs much, but I like Hoss." Now while I'm not sure that I understand the first half of his statement, the second half makes complete and total sense to me.
I received a call from mom this morning at 8:05 AM. They had just finished putting him down. The doctor informed them that he had begun to develop a heart murmur (another sign that the disease was spreading- not getting better). She told them that they were giving their dog a gift by not allowing him to suffer or endure any pain. These words from the doctor and the updated medical report made this excrutiating decision make sense. How could you let Hoss suffer or have pain when everything he gave you was joy and happiness?
I feel so connected to Hoss despite the fact that he lived 6 hours away and I saw him only on occasion. I have chosen to list some of the memories that I have of him below. They are all good memories, ones that make me smile (or tear up) when I think of what that dog gave to me. Here are just a few of the many, many memories that I have with "My Puppy":

• Calling in sick to work when Hoss was staying with me and taking him to the George Washington National Forest. He LOVED romping through the woods that day (it beat sitting in the car, although he didn't seem to mind that either). And if my boss is reading this for some reason, I do apologize for lying about being sick. But I have to be honest now, I wouldn't trade that day with him for anything in the world.
• Laying on the couch and calling him up to lay beside me. He would nestle in and take up about 3/4 of the space on the couch. I didn't care. He laid his head on my arm and more than once, was snoring within minutes as I rubbed his belly and front legs. And Hoss could snore with the best of them!
• Finding a picture of me and grandpa after grandpa had died, I started crying. Hoss was having none of that. He knew that this was not normal and knew that he wanted to help. He came up to me, nuzzled in against me, gave me kisses, and looked at me with those big brown eyes of his. Those eyes told everything about him, all the time. And in this moment, those eyes told me- it's OK, please don't cry. It was better than any hour therapy session could have ever been. In that moment, Hoss was my counselor.
  
• A funny memory- Kari and I kept Hoss this spring when mom and dad went to Florida. On the first night we had him, he was laying on the floor. I guess he needed to get up. Upon getting up, he proceeded to lift his tail in the air and let out some dog gas. We both rolled on the floor. He literally lifted his tail up to fart!
  
• Watching him be so happy at his Carrollton home- the cabin, or in Hoss terms, the "farm." He loved hiking the trails with "father" and his favorite spot was the creek. He would get in, let the cold water run over him, and drink and drink the cold creek water. He really did love that place. It's only appropriate that mom and dad are burying him there, beside his creek.
  
• Watching him come home from anywhere and running his "lap" around the house. I couldn't ever figure out if he was doing it just to check everything out or what. My gut tells me now that he was just happy to be "home."
  
• And the memory that I will now miss the most. His loving and excited greeting upon "brothers" arrival home. Barking, wagging his tail, not even letting me out of the car before he jumped up and started giving kisses. I'll still love going home, but I will miss that welcome more than words can say.

Those certainly aren't all the memories. I have many, many more. And occasionally, I will probably put a random memory or two up on here. Just to continue sharing with you about Hoss. In today's utter and complete sadness, I wanted to take just a second to remember what an incredible life Hoss had and what that life meant to so many others. If you get a chance, send a prayer up for mom and dad. They loved that dog SO much. I wish I could be there with them right now- so just send a little prayer up for them- I know they'd appreciate it.

Saying Goodbye

How do you say good bye to the sunshine in the pictures you see below in Kari's post? Through a mist of tears- that's how. It is confirmed that Hoss has lymphoma and it is attacking his liver. He has slowed down physically. Mentally he is still alert and still WANTS to do all the things he loves. But physically he is unable to do all of them. He will still chase a ball (although only for about 1 or 2 throws) and he still chases rabbits (although he's worn out afterwards). He's such a wonderful animal and I know that mom and dad will continue to monitor his quality of life (which is still quite good). But, in the end (barring a miracle), his life is coming to a close. It was a very hard weekend emotionally for all of us but I was grateful that I was able to tell him good bye. I told him how much I love him, how thankful I am for his undying devotion and friendship, and that he is the best. I will keep the blog up to date with how he is doing and will continue praying, for Hoss and for mom and dad. For now, that's all I can write.
-Jimmy

A little sunshine

Hoss

As we travel home this weekend, there's really only one thing on my mind. Hoss goes in this morning for an MRI. We think that he has lymphoma and this, obviously, is not good. There have been tears shed by both Kari and me. Mom and Dad will look into some alternative treatments, I'm sure. But, in the end, if the result of the MRI confirms initial thoughts, this is nearing the end of a tremendous dog life. Only when you LOVE a dog, do you know the pain that we all are feeling right now. And trust me, there's a difference between owning a dog and loving one. We love him but we won't let him suffer or endure pain for any longer than is 100% necessary to try a few things. I totally trust Mom and Dad to make a decision that is in Hoss' best interest and to speak for him during this time. If you find yourself saying a prayer and you don't mind praying for the healing of an animal, send one up for us. And if you aren't inclined to pray for that, pray that God will give us all wisdom as we discern what is right for Hoss. We love that dog!

balloons

I came home to a sight I don't often see. My husband standing over the sink (no that isn't the weird part, although I don't see that often either) filling balloons with water. I guess they are using them for a field day at Spotswood tomorrow and he volunteered to do that. I threatened to spray him with one and he promptly informed me that I didn't need to, he had already taken care of that himself, as you can see from the picture! :) - Kari

Weekend Update(s)

Kari filled you in on part of our Memorial Day weekend. We did get up early and clean our cars (inside and out- washed, waxed, and vacuumed). However, we did more than just work on our long weekend off. On Saturday, we went to the gym in the morning, took naps in the afternoon, and went to Winchester for a Japenese (cook in front of you) dinner with some of her co-workers. Sunday we went to church and then to Skyline Drive. They had the one side closed due to a motorcycle accident, so we had to change the trail we hiked. It worked out good though and was a tremendous day for a hike in the woods (even though Kari got a small tick). Then on Monday, we went over to Baker and Lisa's and enjoyed some good card playing (the girls actually beat us in Euchre) and some good chicken- not to mention good sunshine and conversation with friends.
This weekend we will be in Ohio for high school graduations of family members (Kari's cousin and my cousin's daughter). It will be good to see our family and some friends again. But we're (or at least me) as excited to see Hoss (my parent's Golden Retriever) as we are anybody. We kept him for a week back in late February and now we really miss having a dog around (still do even in May). And he hasn't been feeling good lately (he's not eating like he should be) so we're a little worried about him. But we do look forward to our weekend in Ohio and had a great past weekend in VA.
-Jimmy

Clean.

Well, we have had a pretty uneventful, but nice weekend! I am definitely enjoying the day off! And today, Jimmy and both cleaned our cars, inside and out! I know it sounds like too much work to do on a day off, but it was actually kind of fun to do together. And knowing me, it will be the last time mine gets cleaned for a while.... Kari

PS - no word on our house yet...there is someone considering ours, but we are one of their top three. They will make their decision later this week. Here's to hoping!

Upswing

Well, our house viewing has increased over the last couple of days! After almost four weeks with no interest, it got a lot easier to leave a few crumbs here, dust bunny there, and then to my surprise I came home on Thursday to Jimmy telling me that we had people through. Another call from our Realtor yesterday led to two more viewings - one today and one tomorrow. Here is to hoping that all goes well, and maybe we have an offer soon. The people through on Thursday sent their Realtor back again later that day...sounds promising! - Kari

Still a Spotswood Blazer!

After a rollercoaster, whirlwind, whatever descriptive adjective you'd like to use, couple of weeks, a decision is FINALLY made. I had a job offer from Augusta County but Rockingham County somehow, someway came through. My position at Spotswood (the one I was told by everybody and their brother to be half-time) has now become a full-time position. I will remain a Spotswood Trailblazer!!
The really good news is that now Kari and I will be working about 1 mile apart. We'll be able to car pool to work on occasion, we'll have the same schedule (Spring Break for a week- Florida here we come!), the same snow days, same benefit package, etc. I will also be able to continue coaching with Coach Edwards, Coach Baker, etc. And I won't have to tell my players that I'm leaving- something I wasn't looking forward to do.
I can only say THANK YOU to the many of you who had Kari and I in your thoughts and prayers through this process. It has been difficult in many ways- but we've come out of it very happy with the result. All I can say at this point is: GO BLAZERS!!
-Jimmy

rollercoaster week

I think it suffices to say that the last week has been crazy, hence the title. Last weekend I spent time in Atlanta with my college friends, Susan, Tami, and Shannon. We started a tradition of seeing each other once a year in our areas of residence (this year was Susan's), which cover a lot of ground! I am so glad to have their friendships and the knowledge that no matter what, I will see them at least once a year and we pick up where we left off! My new shoes were a hit at school with the sixth graders ladies! :) My feet say otherwise....but who listens to them?
Jimmy's job drama spent most of this week weighing heavily on my mind each day. I checked my e-mail at every chance, which if you're a teacher you know isn't often and each night we debated over what choices to make and how to finally come to a decision. I will say this and only this, to all of you that are wondering....there has been a decision and we are both happy with it, but I am going to let him tell his news. You'll have to call him if you can't wait until he blogs. I know I am evil.
I did get to bookend my chaotic week with another fun weekend of travel. This time not so far, just Winchester (1/2 hour north of work) for the annual Apple Blossom Festival. I have heard it is quite the experience and with Jimmy happily occupied coaching AAU basketball this weekend, I decided it was time to check it out. I stayed with my friend Julia-Faye and we watched two parades, one of which is the largest fire truck parade in the world. I know all of you are jealous. Everyone wears pink and green and it really is a big festival. I ran a 10k and finished in a time I was happy with, 57 minutes or so and my legs hurt now so I know I worked them hard! I'm ready to spend all day tomorrow asleep, resting my weary body and relaxing in the knowledge that Jimmy is fully employed and that we have one less thing to stress about for now! You know me, I will find more. :) - Kari

4 INTERVIEWS!!

One email to the counselor I did my internship with 4 years ago led to 4 scheduled interviews in Augusta County. I have them on Monday, starting at 10:30 and going to 3:15. I really can't believe it- my current principal has already spoken to one of the principals I will be interviewing with and my current principal said to expect good things. So, once again, I'll do the best I can and I will keep you posted. By the way, Augusta County is the county that Kari and I are seriously looking at houses in (if we could ever sell this one). Thanks for all the emails and calls about my job situation. I'll keep everyone up to date on here.
-Jimmy

A New View

As many of you already know, I am moving to a new school next year. After three years of driving an hour to my current sixth grade job I began to apply for new jobs in the county that I ACTUALLY live in. I was lucky enough to get a 5th grade job at the brand new elementary school (Cub Run Elementary) that is being built in Rockingham County. It is very close to Jimmy's school (we hope) and only about 15 minutes from our current home. I got a chance to tour the building on Monday and I cannot wait to move in. All rooms will have Smart Boards! For those of you not in education, a smart board is a white board that has your computer screen displayed on it through a media projector. You then can touch the board and it acts like the mouse. It is the next wave of teaching. I have one now, but had to fight for two years to get one in my room. Those of you in teaching I am sure feel my pain. At any rate, I now have a vision of my new "school" home - although still a little dusty!

2nd Place

We came in 2nd place at this weekend's AAU tournament. An exciting weekend of comeback wins and we finished 3-1. My boys played really hard and I was proud of them. But those of you who know me know that 2nd place doesn't sit well. I wanted to WIN! I was gone for a LONG time this weekend it seems, so I'm anxious to just spend some time at home. We have another tourney in 2 weeks so hopefully the outcome of that will be better. Good weekend, but not a great one!
-Jimmy

Interview Tomorrow, Seth and Joy, and AAU Hoops

Well, I have an interview tomorrow morning at Massanutten Technical Center for a potential 1/2 time position. If I have a good interview and would get that job, I would then be able to breathe my first sigh of relief because I'd then be assured of a full-time position. So I'm crossing my fingers and preparing for the interview as best as I can. I'm hopeful for some good news in the days and weeks ahead.
Seth and Joy are coming into town to visit us tomorrow night. We're excited to have company from back home coming to visit- even if it's a very short trip. I'm sure there will be a post from my wife on the weekend's happenings.
We have our first AAU basketball tournament this weekend too. After a successful season, I'm anxious to see how this AAU group can do for me. It's close by and I'll be sure to post Sunday to let everyone know how we did. I'm working with some of my same players from this year but adding in some current 8th graders as well. If you're wondering why on earth I coach so much (like my wife does at times)- it is so my team can have a successful winter- and that makes all of us happier. I'll keep everyone posted on how our AAU team is doing!
-Jimmy
PS- Still no offers on the house- FRUSTRATING! However, we must remain patient and know that good things will happen- our town house is one of the nicer ones in our area and very competitively priced- so we will sell. Kari and I both are not the most patient of people though, so it is frustrating!!

It's a never ending process...

Well, for my first post I will keep things short. Seeing as writing this post is taking me away from the very thing I am going to talk about. Cleaning! I am sooooo tired of cleaning! We are trying to sell our lovely abode and making sure it presentable every time we leave is exhausting. I have to get up approximately 10 minutes earlier every morning (as if 5:10 isn't enough) just to do the last touches and pray that Jimmy gets anything I missed. I have to admit that my husband is doing an awesome job! I think he might regret the fact that I now know he can make the bed, pick up his clothes, and hang his towel straight (he is better at this one than me!)

Our house has been on the market for about 3 weeks with no real bites yet. We have had a handful of people through and all have been complimentary of the space, there is always just a couple things wrong. No bathroom on the second floor, laundry in the basement, our neighbors trash pile (which we hate too).... and all things beyond our control! We pray every day for an offer and we know that it will happen. We just have to be patient. Its hard when we see the house we want and we creep steadily towards summer. Tomorrow we have an open house so keep us in your thoughts between 1-3pm tomorrow! Well, I am off to buy more toilet bowl cleaner. Pleasant.

Clearing Things Up

For those of you who read my last message and are confused, I am writing this to clear things up a bit (it's what happens when I don't consult my wife before posting a message). My current position is 1/2 funded through a grant that expires at the end of this year. We were hoping that the 1/2 of the position that was grant-funded would be picked up. It does not look like (right now at least) that will be the case. So I will have a 1/2 time position at Spotswood and maybe pick up an additional 1/2 time position somewhere else. I have interviewed for another full-time position as well. It's a matter of waiting and seeing what happens with some of those other options. The waiting and seeing is the most difficult part for both of us. But I truly believe that something good will happen. I hope that clears up any confusion I may have caused. And my apologies for not being clear!!
-Jimmy
PS The next message on this blog will come from my wife. She's annoyed that I keep writing messages!

No News=Good News??

For anyone who was wondering, there is still no news on the job front for me. We are trying our best to be patient, although I admit it is difficult. We are hopeful, though, that it will all work out. My gut tells me that "No News" doesn't equal the "Best News" in this case. But I'm sure that Kari and I are resourceful enough to make something work. Hopefully one day SOON I can post a message that delivers good news on the job front!

The Final Four

An interesting start to our blog- the weekend that we both never thought would happen. Carolina and Kansas come face to face and we both knew the only way we would survive "Semifinal Saturday" was to not be anywhere near one another. So, Kari took off to Pennsylvania and I remained in Harrisonburg. Fortunately for Kari, her Jayhawks dismantled my Tarheels and the rest is history. Two nights later, we watched the National Championship game. I even wore Jayhawks socks in support of my wife. And even though she quit watching the game at one point when her team was down, I continued watching. She watched the overtime though and saw KU finally win a title. I was happy for her but am still bitter about the Final Four weekend. Hopefully the next road trip that one of us takes will be one where we're together- but thank goodness we could be apart for the Final Four.