Two in one day- it is hard to believe.  Well, I think I may change and use a different website for my blog.  I am not positive, but I thought I would at least add the link in here.   I may still update this, but I thought that I would give this other one a try.  We'll see...

Here is the link:   http://janiejo.blogspot.com/

See ya! bye!

Well, sometimes things get a little silly around my parent's house.  So, I thought I would share. First, this is my niece's dog, Tipper.  Tipper lives at my parent's house. 

These are pop rocks... my mom had some for me that she found somewhere so my niece, nephew and I were eating them.

So, Tipper was standing around...and well... I just wanted to see what would happen...

So, Tipper had some Pop Rocks.

 And he really, REALLY liked them.
As you can see, he ate them all!!! 
There was nothing left on my hand, expect for some dog slobber. 

Now, just so you know, I do not go around feeding dogs pop rocks, but well, I just couldn't resist this time.  Did you know that PopRocks pop in a dogs mouth too?  It is quite amazing.  Now, I am going to finish my Pop Rocks. 

There are so many things that I could write about... and right now there are so many things I want to write about, but I just don't know if they will all get written (or if any will).  

I have now arrived in Michigan after going to Blue Ridge with my mom, gram, sister and her family.   It was a good week, I went to some classes that were taught by Randy Harris and it was really good.  There were also some classes that didn't do all that much for me, but it is okay.  It was a different week, since I didn't really know where I fit in.  It didn't feel right going with the teen/college group, and yet I don't fit in the adult group.  However it was a good week.  I really enjoyed the time with my sister and her family.  Since they are moving to Australia in about a year, the time I get to spend with them is really important to me.   I know that I live near them, and see them every week or so (if not more), I do not always get quality time with them, it is not anyone's fault, it just kind of becomes life.  So, to have this week and laugh and play and hike was a lot of fun. 

I really didn't know if I was coming to MI right away or if I was going back to Memphis for a few days for a retreat.  I wanted to go to this retreat, but I also wanted to come "home".  I don't know if either Memphis or Michigan are my home, but at least the memory of my life in Michigan reminds me of home.   The memories of gram's, RC, church, even RU (where I went to high school), bring a smile to my face.  I enjoy those thoughts, but is it really where I belong?  Do I belong in Memphis either?  I don't know the answers, but I know that MI reminds me of home. 

As I was heading to my parent's house, the first place I had to stop on my was 7-11.  I love slurpees!  I then headed to my parent's house and have been here a while.  I saw my dad's new car from a distance, and was told about it, but tonight (while my dad wasn't here...) I took it for a drive.  It was very nice!  I thoroughly enjoyed driving it...I first drove through the neighborhood, and past my high school and then around the block and I then stopped at "Big Jim's" - I don't think it is called this anymore, but it is an ice cream place (like Dairy Queen), and I used to ride my bike there whenever possible.  After dinner, in the summer, my sister and I would go into these "coughing" spells, trying to convince my parents to let us go to "Big Jim's" for dessert.  It is great!  So, I drove by and got a "blue raspberry juicy freeze" (blue raspberry slush with ice cream).   I don't know why it is, but the first things I got when to MI, were cold frozen things, and it is delicious! 

As I drove around, I thought of all of the places and things that have happened.  I drove by houses where my friends used to live, and thought about just silly memories.  It was a nice drive, but as I said I was thinking... and contemplating things.

I started thinking about what I said before, is this really my home?  Where is it that I belong?  Am I suppose to be in Memphis?  Many of things, I pondered the majority of my ride from NC to MI. 

I guess there is a reason for all of these thoughts.  Well, I know there is, it may not be what started some of the questions, but it didn't help with me not asking them.  While I was at Blue Ridge, in the course of the week, I was offered two different jobs.  One is at a christian school in Flordia, and the other is at a children's home in New York.  The first is at teaching position, and the second is to work as a tutor and a liason between the ranch and the schools.  I was not seeking out people to offer me a job, they really just came from me saying "Hi!" and then the person I was talking to asking what I was doing now.  It was really odd, and it made me think a lot about what I am doing and what I am wanting to do.  The difficult part is that I do not know what I want.

Another interesting fact, 2 years ago, the last full week of Blue Ridge I was at, I was also trying to make an important decision.  That was when I was trying to decide whether to stay in MI or to teach at Harding.  That week I had 3 job offers (2 main ones) that were before me.   My sister pointed this out to me, and I thought it was interesting.

Well, I don't have any answers.  I know I will be in MI for a few weeks and I am glad to be here and see my friends and family.  I am thankful for this break.  I really had no intention of this being so long, but there is a little of what has been going on.

See ya! bye!

Today was my last day of school... kind of amazing. It really doesn't feel like this year should be finished, not that I mind, but it just feels like there should be more.  I still have to go back next week for some teacher things, but the students are gone.  And soon I'll get to go home...

This past couple of weeks I have been taking my niece home after school, so that my sister can take some grad classes.  Our afternoons together have been priceless.  She gets dropped off, and walks up to my classroom all by herself (her mom calls to make sure she gets there, but bren doesn't know) and she feels so big.  Then we have spent time in my classroom and she has chatted with me while I've been cleaning.  She's watched movies, we played on my computer some. It has been fun, and then drive home and we laugh and sing and talk, she makes sure that I am singing the song right, then if not she goes, "Janie....It goes like this...." then continues to sing. 

Tonight, I came to drop Brenna off and the other stuff that I was bringing home and I came in and ended up staying for dinner.  My brother-in-law, the kids and I then had a devo, and my nephew wanted to pick the verse to read, he was so big!  It was so neat to see this "little" (he really isn't anymore) boy want to lead and tell people about God, and share.  It was incredible!  We sang and talked and it was just simply amazing...