The White House: January 2014

Snowpocalypse 2014

Snowpocalypse - Snowcation - Snowmageddon....whatever you call it, we're stuck right in the middle of it! We are finishing up our first snow day at home and looking forward to Day 2 tomorrow. My school system chose an early release over a full cancellation, which brought on a hectic dismissal but I'm proud to say that we got every student home safely with the help of all of our wonderful staff. It was really wonderful to see everyone pulling together to make certain that all the students were accounted for and paired up with an adult, assigned to a bus, or placed in the ASP program. After a white-knuckle trip home, we bundled up to play in the deepest snowfall that Emily has ever seen! We've spent our first full snow day sledding in the backyard, reading by the fire, and playing Monopoly - well, Catopoly, to be precise - and are looking forward to a repeat, mixed with some bread baking, tomorrow. I'm so thankful to be safe in our warm house and terribly concerned about the people who are still stranded far from home. We have far too many friends who became trapped on the highways and ultimately needed to take shelter in businesses or hotels. It has been wonderful to monitor all the social media sites and see the outpouring of support for stranded motorists- solidifies my faith in humanity! Stay warm!

Loving my sled from the junk man! I purchased it over ten years ago intending to use it as a Christmas decoration. It has sat in the basement ever since but we are wearing it out today!

Celebrating with the Dawgs

I attended my first Georgia game this season with my oldest and dearest girlfriends. We had such a blast and they surprised me with two of my favorite things to celebrate my dissertation defense - champagne and cookie cake! Let's make this an annual tradition!

Christmas Extravaganza

Take one church with a very small (2 girls!) children's group and add a congregational desire for a Christmas play. What do you get? A Christmas multimedia extravaganza! Donald and I helped the girls put on a fantastic program using green screen technology and a borrowed MacBook. The girls played all the parts and were such a blessing to the church this Christmas! Very proud of their performances - all of them!

Visiting the goats

While Donald was away for the day helping out at Science Olympiad, Emy and I made a mommy/daughter trip to Serenbe to visit the goats. It was too cold to stay long but we had fun visiting the animals and warming up at the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop later. Great way to spend an afternoon!

Volunteering with our furry friends

Emily and I began volunteering with Rescue Cats last summer and have had a wonderful time getting to know all of their lovely cats. Our schedule got mixed up when we started back to school but we are back in the volunteer groove and having a blast indulging our inner crazy cat ladies. . Please consider visiting Rescue Cats if you are interested in adopting a cat. They are also a very worthy cause if you are looking for a group to support financially. Shameless plug - sorry!

Graduation Day!

It's been a long time coming, but on December 14th I graduated with my doctoral degree from the University of West Georgia. Yay me! My sister and I made the rainy trek out to Carrollton very early - she had to drop me at the curb and go look for a parking spot because the traffic was so snarled up that I wasn't going to make it into the auditorium on time. I love the sense of community that can pop up during chaos like crazy weather - all the graduates were sharing umbrellas, adjusting other graduates' robes and hoods, and helping everyone find their right spot in the processional. I had a lovely cheering section who also made the rainy trek to see me walk the stage and get my hood. So proud to count myself among the doctors that West Georgia has produced and to add my research to the body of work covering media specialists and media programs.

Merry Christmas from the White House!

What a wonderful Christmas! The White House was blessed in every way possible - certainly with family and friends. I wish the same to all of you! Best wishes for a wonderful 2014!

Christmas Eve at Mimi and Papa's house - opening up their wish pearl necklaces from me and Donald. Let's don't forget that I bought these necklaces for them probably three or four years ago, put them in a safe place, and only recently re-discovered them. Glad they were a hit!