student quote

background: a student is walking around, but not very well, bumping into things. I asked, "What are you on?" She looked at me, then the ground, and said:

"Uhhhh, the floor."
~B.B. (4th period)

student quote

"My mom literally killed me this morning."

~M.G. (4th period)

He meant nearly.

student quote

background: I had used the word "idiocy," a student didn't believe it was a real word, so I sent him to the dictionary.

"Idiocy is in the i's, right?"
~M.J. (4th period)

student quote

"Pictate's a word!"

~M.J. (4th period)

student quote

background: I said, "The word begins with 'g' and ends with 'oal'."

"Generator."
~M.G. (4th period)

forty-four and fourteen

The Suns had their first road loss to the East. They are saying that this was going to be the first time ever that someone had totally swept the opposing conference on the road. Stoudemire had a double double perfomance with 31 points and 14 boards. Nash had 23 points and 9 assists. Raja Bell started in the place of Marion, who did not play, but only put in 13 points. Barbosa took over Raja's normal place, but had a poor shooting night, only 4 of 16, but he made a clutch 3-pointer close to the end of the game that put the Suns (44 - 14) within range to take the lead for the win. The Suns just couldn't pull it out. Not enough power without Marion. Diaw still didn't play last night, either. The Suns had just put together a 5 game winning streak, and went 3 for the first 3 games in this road trip, just to have it snapped by the sad 76ers (20 - 38) on the last game of the trip, 99 - 94. The Suns take on the Pacers (29 - 27) for the second time this week (two games in a row for the Pacers) to be able to hand Indiana another loss. It's in Phoenix at 7pm AZ time. GO SUNS!

happy birthday

Today is my husbands 24th birthday! I told him happy birthday before he left for school this morning, apparently he forgot that it was today. I should have got up with him and made breakfast this morning, but I didn't hear him when he got up this morning (I haven't been sleeping too well lately). Sorry babe. I really wish that I could do something special for him today, we don't have any money and he has to tape some stuff for church this afternoon...maybe I'll go with him so I can at least be around him. I am going to make him dinner but we have discipleship group tonight. The only thing that I could get him for his birthday was a CD, and I didn't even pick it out. I wish I could do so much more for him, I'd like to get him a Mac but there is no money for that either. I love you so much, I hope you have a good day today even though you have to work and do other stuff today!

forty-four and thirteen

The Suns (44 - 13) and Pacers (29 - 27) were dead even after the first. The Suns were down by 1 going into the half after a high scoring second. They were down by 6 after the third, but they turned it on in the fourth, outscoring the Pacers 30 - 13 in the final quarter. You can run with the Suns, but you won't keep up. The Suns won 103 - 92. Stat ripped down 18 boards and scored 23 points for another double double. Nash had his own double double with 25 points and 11 dishes. Kurt Thomas was back up to 16 minutes of play this game, he only scored 4 points, but he pulled down 8 boards, and he always is doing things to help the team that don't show up on the stat sheets. This was a pretty low scoring game for the Suns, but it goes to show that the Suns are playing better defense than they used to. Even though the Suns have been playing great basketball since Nash has been back, we can't make up any games since Dallas has put together another 13 game winning streak thus far. Dallas is an incredible team this season once again. The Suns take on the 76ers (19 - 38) tonight in Phili at 5pm AZ time to make it a perfect 4 of 4 road trip. GO SUNS!

cousins

As I linked in the last post, I realized that Jessica Van Liew is actually considered my 2nd cousin, not my 3rd, as I had supposed and said since I was very young. Okay, so see if this makes sense: let's start with my Great Grandma, Mildred Van Liew. She had three sons. Each son had children, and most of those children had children, and now Bethany and I have our own sons. Okay, according to my old thinking, Peter and Jessica would have been my 3rd cousins, because they're parents were my dad's cousins, my dad's cousins were my 2nd cousins, and their children were my 3rd. So it was faulty, but that's what I thought. This is how it really should go: my dad's cousins are my cousins "once removed" because they are in a different generation than I. Peter and Jessica are actually my 2nd cousins, meaning we share the same great grandma and are in the same generation. My dad would be Peter and Jessica's first cousin once removed, because their parents are first cousins with my dad, but they are a generation below my dad. Now, my son would be Peter and Jessica's 2nd cousin once removed because I am their second cousin and he is in a different generation than they. Get it? It's new to me, but I think I can work it. Go family relationship terminology!

february birthdays

There are a lot of Van Liew birthdays in February, come to think of it. My Aunt Valene (Van Liew) Hays, my dad's youngest sister, had her birthday on the 12th. My 2nd (not 3rd, as I'd supposed) cousin Jessica Van Liew, my dad's cousin's daughter, had her birthday on the 15th. My Grandma Irene (Bendure) (Van Liew) Betts, my dad's mom, had her birthday this past Sunday, the 25th. Allison (McFadden) Van Liew, my first cousin by marriage, my cousin's new bride, had her birthday on the 25th, as well. My Great Grandma Van, my dad's dad's mom, had her birthday yesterday, the 27th. And I have my birthday today, the 28th. I'd say that's plenty of people out of the Van Liews (11% of the George Van Liew side - 4 of 38 - not counting Grandma Van or Jessica).

ggvan makes it to 100

Unless there is news that I've not heard of (I don't think they'd keep this quite, though), my Great Grandma Van made it through yesterday, her 100th birthday. I can now say that I've had a grandma who was over 100 years old. That's pretty amazing. She made it long enough to have everyone be able to celebrate her birthday together and get to say goodbye. My parents and sister were very blessed by the Lord giving her a little more time for that. She's now even surpassed her actual birthdate. 100 years old. That's a lot to have sink in. And I said "goodbye" to her back in January. I feel a little silly, but not really. It was a great time that I got to spend with her, and I wouldn't take it back. How much longer will she hold on? The Lord knows, and I don't, and that's just fine. Grandma Van held dearly to this incredible God that we know, and she's rested in His sovereignty most of her life...why shouldn't I do the same? What God does defines what's right and good...that's His character...that's who He is...and that's who my Great Grandma Van sought after and lived for. What a legacy for the rest of the Van Liew Clan to follow! All to God's glory alone.

amy tickles aidan

Now, there are times where having a child gets in the way of what I would like to be able to do. That's the deal: you have to give things up to be a parent, at least a good one. Even with that being said, giving things up doesn't come close to the blessings a child can bring. Amy had Aidan up for his 5pm dinner, and she spent some time with him on the couch as I was working on www.lifesphoto.com. She had him laughing, rolling on the cushion, and enthrawled with her. She was tickling him and playing with him. What a blessing a wife can be! I had to stop working, turn around, and watch this unfold. It was a beautiful thing that stirred my heart. My wife loving and raising our son; my son responding to his mother with enjoyment and laughter.

new version of lifesphoto.com

I have now updated/upgraded www.lifesphoto.com, Amy's Life Story Photography business website. It now has an option for a flash site or an html site, whichever you'd prefer. Eventually I'll be switching over to just the flash site, but I needed to test it out to see how it would go and how people would react to it. So far it's been nothing but positive feedback. Take a look and tell me what you think about the site. You can leave me a comment here, or you can email amy@lifesphoto.com, which is also linked at the bottom of www.lifesphoto.com 's Flash and HTML pages.

aims time

Whelp, it's another lovely day for an AIMS testing. I am in room 204 at DVHS with Virginia Johnson (friend and math dept. chair). I produced the coffee, and she signed her life away picking up the test forms. I believe that's fair. Today is writing, and tomorrow is reading. I'll be able to post a bunch more today and tomorrow...should be worthwhile. I might even get some reading done. Work? What's that? I just have to be in the room, make sure they don't cheat, and have all the materials they need to do their best. That's it. Otherwise, I can do as I please, for the most part. I think I'll pour myself another cup o' joe. Cheers!

forty-three and thirteen

115 - 106, and Stat kicked butt. Stat had a season-high 43 points and 6 assists. He also added in 16 rebounds to give himself a double double. He even stayed out of foul trouble, that is, other than the technical he was given for waving his hand at the ref after a bad call. Just for waving? Yeah, that's all...and it wasn't even a grandiose wave, either. A little rude? Sure, but nothing warranting technical. Kurt Thomas only played 5 minutes this game. Sad to see that he's still struggling to recover after all this time. We need him ready for the post-season, though, so get some rest, big guy. Nash put in 14 points and dished out 13 assists for his double double. Phoenix (43 - 13) had Atlanta (22 - 34) down by 14 at the end of the first, but the Hawks came back to make it interesting, even leading a few times down the stretch. The game was within 5 points at the end of the third quarter, but the Suns finished the fourth strong, outscoring the Hawks by 4 and winning by 9. Joe Johnson (former Sun) looked really good out there. This Hawks team has lots of potential, and it's a young team. They just aren't at the level of the Suns...yet. They could be just the Eastern Conference team to watch soon enough. The next game is tonight in Indiana against the Pacers (29 - 26). GO SUNS!