Who am I to speak?

I haven't added to my blog since September. Since then I keep looking at some old friends' blogs and wonder why aren't they blogging. I have e-mailed, facebooked (a verb now), and pestered them about updating their blogs. They since have and I have enjoyed every moment of hearing about their lives. However, here I am not blogging myself. So, I am going to give this another whirl. I will not throw out any promises, but I will give it my best effort. I learned on Shannon Albert's blog (www.shannonalbert.me) the best bloggers have their own domain name, pictures, and regular updates. I will look into these Shannon, I promise.

So, 2009...it is coming to an end. Today is Christmas (well, 12:20 a.m. December 25th) and I can't seem to sleep. Maybe I am waiting up with the hopes I see Santa. HA!! We'll see. Anyway, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the year. Here are a few of the lessons of 2009 for Emily Devor:

Having a teenager is a sure route to cardiac arrest: Juan is 15 years old and a freshman in high school. Without going into a great deal of detail (to protect his privacy), Juan has created some challenges for me this year. I am trying to remember what it is like to be a teenager and be respectful of what he is going through right now, but SERIOUSLY!! Is this age completely necessary...can we just go from 12 to 27. I am sure my insurance company would approve, by not having to pay for any more blood pressure meds.

I will never lose my passion for teaching:
I have been so lucky this year to go from pink slip to Principal. There is a long story. But in the end, I was assigned my first Principal position this school year. I love the position and continue to learn everyday. People often ask if I miss teaching. The answer is always YES. I was born to be a teacher, wanted to be nothing else but a teacher. So, to say I don't miss teaching wouldn't make any sense. This is NOT to say, however, I don't enjoy being a Principal. It is just now I have to be more creative in finding ways to "teach." One of my commitments is to take a grade level a week to teach intervention to a small group of students. This has helped class sizes during intervention, but selfishly has given me opportunities to directly work with students each day.

I love my husband:
I remind myself of this lesson everyday. Brad and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary earlier this month. I love him more each and everyday. Do we drive each other completely crazy somedays, weeks, or monhts. OH YES!!!!!! But when all is said and done, Brad has taught me so much about myself while letting me grow into who I am. Brad has given me nothing but support for anything I want to do. Brad has taught me to calm down during stressful situations. Brad has taught me I can't control EVERYTHING. I love you Brad!!

I love reality TV:
My guilty pleasure revealed. I love all types of reality TV. I am so entertained by the lives of others...real of not. They make me giggle and reflect on us as a society. It's hard to believe there are actually people out there who would put their lives on TV, and I love watching every second of it.

Those are some of my lessons for this year. It is know 12:40 a.m. and I really should get some sleep. I will make every attempt to update my blog for 2010. Fingers crossed! MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

I decided to to the 40 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer for two reasons, one civic in nature and one personal. Civic in nature by increasing awareness of breast cancer and raising money to support education and research.

Personally, I did this to prove to myself I can complete it. The 40 mile walk was over a two day period from Queen Mary to El Dorado Park (+26 miles) and then wake up to walk another 13 + miles from El Dorado Park to Queen Mary. This walk was in Long Beach, and took me through much of my childhood which was very emotional. I walked by places I used to go to as a kiddos (i.e. Baskin Robbins, Flower Shop), hospital I was born, Demille Middle School, and so much more. This was an experience I will never forget. Neither will my feet. I ended up with several blisters and a torn off toe nail. Not just a broken toe nail, but a GONE toe nail. That caused instant pain and tears.

Thank you to all the people on the walk supporting me along the way. A special thanks to my friend, Alia Ihmud. Thank you for doing this walk with me and encouraging me every step of the way.

Here are a few pics of the experience.

Summer Update

The summer is quickly coming to an end. I have already started back to work as of July 21st. I am very much looking forward to the new year and the great experiences which lie ahead. Juan has been very busy with soccer camp for 2 hours in the morning, naps and chores for a little while, and then to soccer club training for 2 hours in the evening. He should be a professional by the end of the summer I am sure. Brad, unfortunately, doesn't get the type of break Juan and I have. He enjoys his time home though by frolicking in the pool, trying to keep cool. The weather has stayed in the 100's for a few weeks now, so we are all looking forward to some cooler temps soon.

Juan registers for high school next week. We have purchased his school supplies and some new clothes, and it is starting to feel for real. It is hard to believe he is high school and will graduate and be an adult in only 4 years. He has grown up very quickly and we are so proud of all his accomplishments and can't wait to see what others areas of success he will find.

That's all for now. Love to all!!

Brad, Juan, and I went to Wyoming last week to enjoy the many amazing views of the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. While there, we met up with Brad's parents, sister and family, and sons of his brother. Had a great time with the family and enjoyed some good old fashion R & R. Here is a scrapbook showing some of our fun times. Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

A little COUSIN FUN!

Luke and Holt were able to stay with us for a few days after the Holt reunion. I am so glad they were able to hang out. It's great watching the boys hang out and get to know each other a little better every time they are together. Here are a few shots of going to see Transformers and enjoying some good ol' night swimming.

Busy Blog

This has not been a very busy blog. I developed this blog with the intention to keep my "not-so-close" family updated on the news of the Devor family. Unfortunately, the Devor family member (me) in charge of updating the blog has been so busy lately. When I have time to relax, that is just what I do. I veg out, watch mindless television, and eat ice cream. Trust me when I tell you this combination has not been beneficial to me physically or mentally. This needs to change, #1. #2, I really need to keep my blog much more current. I will do my best, so keep checking back it to see if there is anything new.

To begin with, we are having the annual Holt reunion in Temecula, CA today. I will post some pictures by the end of the weekend for everyone to enjoy.

Much love to all my family and friends who take the time to check my blog-I promise I will try to do better.

PS So, I went to the reunion and had such a GREAT time that I didn't take a single picture. I asked some family members to send me some, so we'll see if they do. Everyone looked great and are all doing well. It was a smaller crowd this year (no Kansas family, they make a big difference when they are here), but stil had a nice time. This year, Tracy and Laura (Danny's fiance) won the horseshoe tournatment. Thank you Kevin for creating a great tradition.

FAMILY

It has been a long time since my last blog. Life has just been a bit crazy. Here is a "mini scrapbook" of my recent trip to Kansas for Elizabeth's college graduation. ENJOY!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook