Mass Band

This past week just flew by. I've been busy getting ready for our mass band guests, making sure there's food in the house & beds and rooms are ready. The group from Winnipeg arrived last Thursday and all of them are staying on this side of the border. We have two young girls staying with us - they're quieter than we're used to but they're slowly becoming a bit more talkative.

We hosted a welcome dinner at our school on Thursday and then had a volleyball & basketball competition afterwards. The kids were grouped into teams which included both schools as a way to get to know each other better. I think they had a lot of fun. They spent Friday practicing together with the 5 schools in Langley. On Saturday they went out together as "tourists". J had to work so she did not join them. Our church service was fuller than usual & we enjoyed a potluck lunch with whoever wanted to stay between services. Today is the last practice before their Mass Band Performance in Surrey tonight. We're looking forward to it!!

I made sure to include some photos of my garden. After my negative post last week I felt I needed to show something a bit brighter. We've had a few sunny days and I made sure to go outside & work in the garden a bit. Here's some of what's up in my bulb garden where I was able to sit and enjoy the sunshine.

Ho Hum

So what's happened since I came back from Arizona? Well, it has rained almost every day and I'm seriously thinking that a permanent move to Phoenix might be a good option. Each day the weather forecast is slightly modified to include one more day of showers, sprinkles, rain, sleet, or whatever other synonym that can be thought of to describe precipitation. Sorry if I sound a bit negative - I'm really trying to see the bright side of things. I do think if the sun shone just a bit then it would be a bit easier to see that side... This week was just a regular run of the mill kind - book study meeting, library duties at the school, volleyball, dog sitting for a friend (well, that's not too regular, thankfully). We just came home from our school's Fine Arts Evening. It was a beautiful evening with band performances, individual performances, displays, etc. This was a first for our school and hopefully we can build on this idea in the years to come. Well, it's time to have a glass of wine and unwind. I'm sure our lives will become a bit more interesting in the next few weeks that I'll have something more significant to post about.

Back from Arizona

It feels like quite a while ago but from what I can remember our trip to Arizona was wonderful... :) We had amazing weather and came back to cold, rain, hail and now snow. The terrain was beautiful - it really struck me that there is beauty in every region and that a desert is just as beautiful as a rain forest. We made it to the Grand Canyon - a long day but worth our drive. We went on a Jeep tour of the Tucson area, including the hills and desert trails. While the guys were at meetings we enjoyed a bit of shopping and mostly relaxing by the pool. It certainly was warm and just being in the sun makes things better. I think it's time for spring - once the snow melts I'm sure I'll have some time to work in the garden and keep my tan for summer. Unless, of course, we're getting another round of winter. sigh...

Hello and Good-bye...

Just a quick update on how my week's been going. I enjoyed a great training on Tuesday - part of the requirements for re-licensing for foster parenting. We are required to complete 36 hours of training in a 3 year period. My license was supposed to be renewed last June & the licensor finally made an appt. with me last week. I was reminded that I was not in compliance with the training hour requirements & if I wanted to continue being a foster care provider I should fix that. So I chose a course called "Helping Children Manage Grief and Loss". I wasn't looking forward to it as most of these classes are not taught from a Christian perspective - a little like suffering through a Psychology course in college. But this class was well worth my time. It was taught by a Pastor and long time Counsellor. He was quite interesting and entertaining to listen to and shared a wealth of information on child psychology as it relates to foster and adoption issues. He is a national speaker and author (Fire Spitters - Gary Benton).

This week was a very short school week as Thursday and Friday were off for our mid-winter break. And, let me tell you it is still winter around here. The forecast was calling for snow on Wednesday but I figured that meant a little bit of white stuff with the rain that was already coming down. By midday, as I was helping with hot lunch at school it indeed looked like it would be staying. It became much colder by evening and the snow kept coming down - enough to close some schools and cause others to begin late the next morning. Ours was already scheduled off so we just enjoyed a relaxing morning while we watched the pretty white stuff outside. This also gave me time to prepare for a short trip we had planned. Henry is attending a convention put on by one of their work suppliers and so I have the opportunity to go to Phoenix AZ with him. (twist my arm... okay I'll come with!) My suitcase is packed - shorts, swimsuit, suntan lotion... you get the picture. I'm looking forward to warmer weather & I'll tell you more about it later and possibly share some pictures.

Fondue

On Valentine's Day weekend I finally used the fondue set that our youngest bought me for Christmas. I borrowed two other sets so we could have different types of foods - one was chocolate for strawberries, grapes, bananas, etc. and the other was cheese for broccoli, french bread and ham and the main one was oil for the different types of meat. The nice part about having fondue is that it takes quite a while to eat - which makes up for how long it took to cut & prepare everything. We had friends join us and we all had a great time eating very yummy food. The kids especially loved it as it was their first time eating a fondue meal. We'll definitely do it again.

What I'm reading...

Not a lot of news to report from our home. I've been reading some good books... I finished Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - a story about the history of South Africa. Interesting but sad... "H"s class did presentations on various countries this past Friday - with displays, maps, power points, music and food to make it come alive. H and her friend did South Africa so we both learned about this country together.

I am also reading some children's literature - which it nothing out of the ordinary since I volunteer at our school library. I really enjoy reading books geared towards the elementary grades (not sure what that says about me...) Several of our school librarians (including me) are registered to attend an Author's Conference at Western Washington University. I am really looking forward to it since I was not able to attend last year. The authors that will be speaking there are Pam Munoz Ryan (When Marian Sang), Sara Pennypacker (Clementine), Joan Bauer (Hope Was Here) and Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret). I do not recommend the Clementine books - they remind me of Amelia Bedelia, except she has a very bad attitude...

Basketball Tournament

This past weekend J had an overnight trip with the Sr. basketball team to play in a tournament in Vancouver. It was hosted by West Point Grey Academy and it was their first year hosting it. I think there were 8 teams involved - mostly smaller schools - some private and some not. We found out Saturday morning that they had won both of their games and would be playing late afternoon for the championship. A bunch of us decided it was worth driving down to cheer them on. They played a tough game but could not pull ahead to win it but were quite happy to take home a trophy for second place. All around it was a great experience for them and a wonderful learning opportunity. Here's a few pictures - not the greatest but better than nothing.

This and that...

This past week has been busy. A couple weeks ago I committed to taking two little ones from a foster family (respite care). I have a 3 yo girl and an 8 month little boy until Sunday. We were all quite excited since we've done this before and really enjoyed it. The little girl is a cutie - far too wise for her years. She was sitting at the kitchen table and glanced at the local paper that was sitting there. She pipes up in her tiny voice, "Hey, that's Bawack Obama". I was so shocked that I laughed out loud. She knows all the "social worker world" lingo - quite sad that she has no "forever family". The little baby however, has not proven to be that much fun. The last words of the foster mom who dropped him off was "he's the easiest kid I've ever had". Well, he must be either sick or really not happy with this change in his life because he cries about almost everything. This is when I feel I'm just too old to keep doing this.... Well, tomorrow is a new day and let's hope he feels a bit happier!! And, by the way, this is all happening while hubby and L are off to Iowa checking out a possible college for next year! Talk about bad timing...

An afternoon out with Edwar & Femmie...

This past Wednesday evening L and I went to Willoughby for the Mission Presentation of Edwar & Femmie. They were in the valley for a week before going back to Indonesia. They've been in Ontario for about 2 months prior to this. The evening was very interesting and more real for me because I've been to the places he described. God is really blessing his work there and it was nice to speak with them again. The next day Henry took part of the afternoon off and we picked them up to show them around the valley a bit. We left our home with bright sunshine & were excited to take them to Vancouver or up Seymour Mtn. When we got there the entire area was covered in fog - so much so that there was no way to see anything past a few feet. We ended up driving east and had a nice time showing them the valleys, mountains, rivers etc. in that area. We ended up on Hemlock Mtn. and then drove back and enjoyed soup and sandwiches at Tim's. Their kids did very well - Moses gave us a running commentary on what he was seeing - especially the volcanoes in the distance... Sorry about the photo - that's up Hemlock but you can't see the people :(

Just for fun....

When you begin a new year it's quite possible that you're looking ahead to change things or looking back to assess what you've accomplished or come from. Here's something fun I read on another blog - one hundred random things you may or may not have done. If you've done them you make the item bold... looks like I have lots of living to do yet...

1. Started my own blog

2. Slept under the stars (as a teenager)

3. Played in a band - does taking piano lessons count?

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than I can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world)

8. Climbed a mountain- with high school students - tough, but I made it

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sung a solo - does in the shower count?

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched lightening at sea,

14. Taught myself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child - I think fostering should be added here

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - stood across the river from it two years ago

18. Grown my own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train- between Calgary and Vancouver

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitchhiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run - I'm sure I did when I played for the Warriors in '86

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught myself a new language- learned some Indonesian...

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing,

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had my portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud - gardening must count...

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason - don't all moms get dandelions at some point?

64.Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check- just this past year...how embarrassing.

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car - our Toyota van

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had my picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House- it was closed in 2002 bcs of 9-11...

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit- when I was 21...

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Rode an elephant

The rains came down, and the floods came up...

The past week has been a tense, difficult one for many people in the Pacific Northwest. The beautiful snow that I described the last few weeks has proven once again to be a problem. You see, with all the rain we normally get in the winter you just know that this snow needs to melt and go somewhere. The weather warmed up, causing the snow to melt quickly, the temperatures caused the record mountain snowfall to melt and then the rains came down... and down... Since the ground was frozen and the snow was covering drains and culverts the rain could not flow downstream at the rate the rain was coming down. We have never seen it this bad before and it made us very nervous as our field backed up because streams further down were not flowing. It came up to our fence line - but our house is up on a bit of a hill so my dear hubby assures me that it would take a lot more to actually flood our house. I try to believe him but this water makes me nervous. Many roads are still impassable and will be for a while. Some schools have been cancelled because it's difficult for buses to make all these detours. L went with some friends to canoe in a flooded area - normally this area is a farmer's field. J took our tube (from boating) and a paddle and went for a leisurely float down our little lake... Oh to be a kid and think this is all fun & games...

Happy New Year!

We went to church on New Years Eve and heard a very beautiful sermon on Hebrews 12. It was about "running the race" and looking ahead at the cloud of witnesses that have gone before us. I will not soon forget it - a very fitting way to end a year and look forward in faith to beginning a new one!

Let us then full of confidence
Run to complete the race
And put off sin and every weight
Which could slow down our pace

We look to Jesus even more
Than to all those around;
In Him, the Author of our faith,
Its Finisher is found.

Fun Times!

So what have we been up to since the last post? Well, I told you I was waiting for a phone call on Christmas morning to say that church was cancelled. We did get that phone call - yes, rather sad because it just didn't feel right to celebrate Christmas without first going to church. The day was absolutely beautiful with snow falling peacefully and the temperatures just below freezing. After a leisurely breakfast, we called some friends to see if they wanted to come for some four-wheeling fun and coffee. H pulled the kids on a tube behind the four-wheeler, and since the roads were covered with powdery snow and not a vehicle in sight they had perfect conditions for this type of fun. My friend took her cross country skis with and we went for a nice trip around the block and just enjoyed the winter wonderland. Later that day we joined a few families at another friend's cabin on the lake. It was a beautiful day. We were thankful for safety on the roads - the snowplows were working hard to clear most of the major roads at this point.

The next day (for Canadians that would be Boxing Day) our family had planned a ski day on Mt. Baker. I had been busy on Craigslist the previous month trying to get good deals on skis and for the most part had succeeded. At this point I am the only one that needed to rent. The day was beautiful except for the last few hours when the snowfall was becoming heavy and the wind was whipping it around a bit fiercely. Our youngest two had not been skiing for a few years so hubby and I spent a fair bit of time skiing with them. It was fun just to see them learn and become more confident.

The following day was Saturday and I had forgotten our plans to do something with cousins in Langley. We arranged to meet at a 5-pin bowling alley in Cloverdale - and our families had two hours of bowling time together. On this side of the border we are not that familiar with 5-pin and I must say I much prefer 10. That's probably because I performed rather horribly using the whimpy little ball they use in this game. We did have lots of fun - mostly laughing at each other's miserable performance... We enjoyed pizza and visiting at their house afterwards.

Another day was spent teaching H to quilt (no, not my hubby). She had a friend (and mom) over who was learning as well. We have become 4H members again through an informal group. There are no meetings and the parents are the "leaders" - that would be me again. We are trying to think of projects that our kids would find interesting and hope to tackle a few of these during the year. H sewed a beautiful "fence rail" quilted pillow to match her comforter. I will try to post pictures later - she is supposed to be sleeping right now. It took the better part of the day but it was well worth the effort.

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Well, it's Christmas morning and I'm enjoying my coffee and the quiet... I am wondering whether I will get a phone call to say that Christmas Church Service is cancelled. It snowed most of yesterday and seems that it snowed overnight as well. It's absolutely beautiful but without snowplows it makes for difficult driving conditions. We are hoping to spend time with friends at their cottage and I'm hoping we'll still be able to get there. For all of the times we've heard the "romantic" songs about white Christmases - I guess we got it!! Wherever you are, and whatever the weather we wish you the Lord's blessing on this day and may the real meaning of the season bring you much joy and comfort!

This and that....

The last few days have been very cold and snowy. The kids were let out early last Wednesday because of blowing snow. Then the next days (both Thursday and Friday) were snow days as well. This is all very exciting for the kids but I find it very anti-climatic. The Christmas Concert was cancelled and all of the fun related to the last day of school didn't happen of course. The kids have braved the extreme cold (9 degrees F.) to play in the drifts but I, on the over hand, have stayed warm inside. L has begun working on her days off - and is especially in demand when the weather is bad and NAC's can't make it into work. We live less than a mile away so she doesn't have much of an excuse not to make it there. We celebrated hubby's birthday last week. He is our "games" person so we gave him a game called "Blokus". We have been really enjoying this game. I highly recommend it because it requires a lot of thinking & strategy and it's new each time you play it. It really depends on what the other players do as to what strategy you will use.

This past weekend we went ice skating with the family - something we haven't done in quite a while. We had a bunch of friends over on Saturday evening and again today lots of visiting with friends. We are looking forward to a relaxing Christmas break. We'll keep you posted!

P.S. I need to run since I am talking on MSN with my niece Becky in Indonesia.

Another good concert...

This past Thursday we thoroughly enjoyed watching & listening to Natalie MacMaster at the MBT in Bellingham. It was the first show after the renovations to the theatre - and they have done a beautiful job. Natalie is expecting her third child and is seven months pregnant. This did not seem to slow her down as she could dance better than most who don't have that extra weight... She is such a beautiful person - both in outer beauty as well as her character. She has a most amazing pianist, cellist, drummer and pipes player. Our house is often filled with the sound of celtic music - mostly Celtic Women and Hailey Westenra but I think we will be hearing more of Natalie's music. We could not resist buying her first DVD and it's nicely done.

'Tis the Season...

I don't have any photos but I guess that doesn't mean I can't post. The weeks after Thanksgiving have been fun. Henry & I took some friends to listen to the Messiah (still as a birthday gift). L and her friend LF came as well. It was an incredible performance by the West Coast Chamber Orchestra, the Abbotsford Youth Symphony, and several large choirs and soloists. It was absolutely beautiful and a perfect way to begin our Christmas celebration. We also had the opportunity to listen to J in the North South Youth Symphony. It was not a Christmas performance, but nice non-the-less. Tonight we have a Ladies' Christmas Social from our church. It is supposed to be a bake exchange but I just couldn't find the time to get that part done. Nice that they left that optional. We are also looking forward to the school's Christmas Concert - lots of opportunities to celebrate!

Thanksgiving for Thirty...

So I'm enjoying a nice, quiet house after a busy Thanksgiving Day. LK went to the Seattle Zoo (in the rain) with some friends and hubby and the rest are in Bellingham for an appointment & a few errands. Yesterday, after our Thanksgiving Worship Service and social that followed, we could have three families & some extra friends for a total of 30 people over for Thanksgiving Dinner. It really wasn't that stressful - one family brought the turkey, another some salads & bread, another the appetizers for before the meal. So between all of us we had four tables set - the adult one was beautiful. The rest didn't really matter - teens really just care about the food - and there was lots! Here's a few pics of the event.

Book Character Day

AK as the "Big Bad Wolf...


HK as Little Red Riding Hood...


LK as Emily Elizabeth in the Clifford series...


JK as Raggedy Ann...

Last week Friday our school leadership team organized a Book Character Day since November was Reading Month at Cornerstone. This year the students were assigned a character - actually there were two of each. Once they arrived at school they were to find their match. Lots of fun - and it was not too difficult or costly to pull this one off. The kids wondered where I learned my sewing skills - I told them that it was not in Home Ec...

And the music plays on...

Just when I thought my week was going to be quiet and non-exciting, I got a call from my sister in Ontario. She was on MSN with our brother-in-law from Indonesia. He was in San Jose finishing up early at a missionary conference and could not change his ticket to return home earlier than planned. So being that he had 6 days to wait, we thought it was a grand idea that he fly up to his nearest relatives - yes, that would be us. He finds it very cold here - today it was a sunny 55 degrees, not bad for Washington. But his blood is used to 110 degrees - a bit hot even for him - and so it indeed is frigid here. He loves music - so our house has been full of guitar, violin, trumpet, piano, recorder and anything else that makes noise and resembles a tune. Sometimes it just takes a surprise visitor to slow things down a bit - we'll just enjoy the music as it plays on...

Who's stealing my library books?

So, my van is very clean and I know exactly what's underneath my living room couches and chairs... And it did not produce the library book that our friendly librarian has told us is overdue. And this is not the first one to disappear. To make problems worse, there's a good chance in our small town that the same librarian who frowned at me last month for losing a video will probably look at me with an assuming look when I report this one. And if you know me, I'm not really a messy sort of person. For the most part, I know where my things are located... There are, however, a few bedrooms to go looking through. I have a few less-than particular children - at least when it comes to bedrooms. I am NOT going through hurricane alley some kids call their bedroom. So, I will take my wallet, and humbly and quietly go to the library and make things right. And I really don't care what she thinks :)

Pumpkin Time!

I love this time of year! Especially if the weather is nice. We've had a beautiful fall - not a lot of wind & rain - and so the colors are quite vibrant. This past week the rain has reminded us that winter is coming. Before that happens we thought we should cut open the large pumpkin that sits by our front door. "A" loves doing this sort of thing. Here he is in the middle of cutting and scooping all that squishy stuff out. I already used fresh pumpkin to make our favorite fall recipe - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Sneak Peek...

Here's a sneak peek at what you might see on our next Christmas card. A friend of ours took these last Sunday - and we are all thrilled with the results. We are happier with these than any "studio" packages we've had in the past. Way to go Lisa!!

Soccer on real "turf"

This past week Hannah's school soccer team played a game against Bellingham Christian School at our local community college. It was a game played on a turf field, under the lights! How exciting for these students. They were undefeated until their last game against Ebenezer in which they played a hard game but lost by a couple points. This was also a very evenly played game - but in the last 10 minutes the other team got a goal during a penalty shot... It was hard to take but they went away knowing they had played a great game!

Three Cups of Tea

I just finished reading an interesting book entitled "Three Cups of Tea". This book is about an American man who grew up in Africa to missionary parents. He ends up in Pakistan and Afghanistan because he is a professional climber. He gets lost after attempting a climb of K2 and ends up in a remote village of Pakistan. The village treats him very kindly and he is overwhelmed by the poverty and illiteracy of the children (esp. girls). He promises them he will come back and build them a school. He keeps his promise, and the rest of the book explains how he continues to work & build schools in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. The thing that is missing is he does not try to share the gospel at all - he feels that all that is needed to promote peace (and fight terrorism) is education... but never intends to share the gospel. This book is very difficult because of numerous references to geographical locations, tribes and ethnic groups. If you are not well versed in middle east geography and history then this book can be confusing. There are photos in the middle that are interesting but I would have recommended a detailed map to refer to when names are numerous. Overall, an interesting read but I am quite sure that peace will not be obtained without knowing the Prince of Peace.

Call me Ruth...

Tonight I did something I've never done before. We live in the country with many different crops growing around us - raspberries, blueberries, corn and potatoes to name a few. I've noticed in past years that the potato farmers are very quick in taking in their crops - the machine comes one day and by the end of that day their job is done. If you look at the field when they leave, a fair bit of the crop (especially where the machine turns) is laying on the field as waste. It's not worth their time to pick this up and by the end of the next day the plow (or disc?) has put them back into the ground. Well, call me dutch or call me Ruth, I went out there tonight before the plow and picked up a box full of beautiful yellow baby potatoes. Once we've had them for dinner I will report back...maybe share a recipe or two.

Musings on Education...

Ever since I can remember, at least during my adult years, I have regretted the fact that I did not go to University and pursue a degree. I grew up in a culture that really stressed working hard - a carry-over of the immigrant spirit that my parents grew up in. Now, I don't belittle the work ethic that was instilled in me but I do think that furthering my education would have opened different doors. Of course, looking back is not a very helpful thing to do - at least it doesn't change the future much. I graduated from a college with a two year Office Administration diploma and really was able to use my talents and skills in that area. Much has changed since those days and much has been learned. It causes me to ask the question again of how important that degree really would and could have been. Have I absorbed that somewhat "worldly" mentality that your education defines you and gives you importance?

I have had the time these past two years to ponder whether or not to return to school and begin that degree I've so long mused over. I've been very close to signing up for a Children's Literature course, but circumstances and timing didn't allow for it to become a reality. It's not a closed door. But when I look at my days and weeks and the things I accomplish I question again what is important. I am able to be a dedicated mother and wife in my home - not a small task. I am also able to be very supportive to our school - also not a small task. The opportunities to serve in our church community are endless. And all of these areas allow me to grow in ways I never imagined. I have learned more about children's literature and library administration than I probably would have gained in a university. You see my dilemma... Without enrolling in an educational institution I am able to pick and chose what I would like to learn. I can take the time to read books that I really want to read! I have the time to practice and strengthen my writing skills - something I've always wanted to do. Would I get this in a secular institution?

So I continue to muse... I may be sorely dissapointed in a formal education. I see my adult life experience as a degree in many different areas. I am sure that by now I have a degree in administration, early childhood education, business, english literature and a host of others that are not offered in an institutional setting. So, I just thank God for those opportunities and for the "life" education I've been able to complete. And, this would never have been possible if I wasn't taught the importance of hard work in the first place!!