Thyme to Embrace Change...

The ending of the school year was the closure to a chapter in the lives of my students for the year which we had together, a blissfully wonderful year in my book. The kind of chapter which I hope to have penned multiple times over in my life, just with different lives being intertwined. Saying a sweet adu to those loves was the begining of a transitonal time for me as well for them. Them, as they now have a chance to enjoy a summer of sunkissed glows from days by the pool and afternoons spent playing basketball with the kid next door, walking to the local ice cream shoppe and licking sticky sweet fingers drizzled with melted sugared cream. These are the memories which they will look back upon and smile.

Time in a bottle, it is sung about, reflected upon and something which many people wish they could bottle up. I had such a time this past month. Time in a bottle was what it seemed to be for me with going to the T-Bones game with one of my highschool friends, Jenn Laffler. We sat there, shared what the Lord was doing in each of our lives and talked about boys, Weight-Watchers and overcoming trials which neither of us foresaw in our lives ten years prior. As we sat there, it was easy. Easy as in, even though I had not seen Jenn in nearly a year, we simply picked right back up where we left off...there was no time that had passed.

That same week I came about in Summer Conference for Olathe and discussed different levels of education and ideas with fellow educators. I had the chance to collaborate and dicuss about new ideas and practices which were going to be occuring in our school, district, state and nation with policies and standards for the upcoming year. I was excited to hear about what positive ideas other educators have done and tried in their community to advance changes. I am very excited about the rolling out of Common Core Standards for our contry.

Changes continue to happen as I went to Wichita last week for the bridal shower and bachelorette party of one of my sorority sisters, and dear friend, Laura Craven. I had been working tirelessly the previous week typing up all of my recipes and compling them into a notebook for Laura as her gift. Then it hit me, why not make Laura's wedding shower gift your fundraiser for surgery?! That dear one is exactly what I did. When I gave Laura her gift at the shower on Saturday, I was so proud of what I had made. It was one of those projects which I had worked so hard on, that to see it in her hands was really special for me. I know she will appreciate all the time and effort which I had spent working on it.

Thyme to Lose It! Is the title of the cookbook which I am using to fundraise at this point. I have been shipping and mailing copies all over Kansas this past week and I even have a table this Saturday at Hy-Vee off of 135th and Broughm to sell copies for $20 each to fundraise for surgery. (Feel free to click on the link and order one!) I am very thankful to the sales which have already happened...Thank You to each of you who have helped to fund my surgery which is THIS Monday, June 20th at 7:30 AM. I will recover for the first week at my parents home in Overland Park, and after that, I will simply have to see how my recovery is going prior to moving back into Betsy's. Feel free to come on over and drop by and see me...or just turn on the news.

Fox 4 is coming to the townhouse this Friday to inverview me prior to surgery as well as watch me cook a recipe or two from my book to help with the fundraising. (Still need about $5,000 to raise.) Then, they will come on Monday morning to film the surgery. YIKES! Not quite how I saw all of this rolling out, but truly, if God wanted this to be done without the entire KC Metro area knowing, HE could have done it that way.

It is hard to believe that the change is here...in less than five days, I will be meeting the new Erin Marie Meyer, the woman whom I have been transitioning towards for a few years...some years it seems that I look the Summer to find myself, myself is found, now it is just a matter to turning over my health to the Lord and thanking Him for the Phoenix he is allowing me to become. It is now my time, my moment to shine and embrace the change.