Okay...so it's time for another funny story from Mrs. Johnson's class. This week's funny is compliments of Sherrina.

Yesterday, as we were writing down homework and I was passing out the reading assignment for the night, Sherrina raised her hand. When I called on her, she simply said, "I-I know you're gonna have to talk to my mama, but you can't give me homework tonight." You can imagine the look I gave her. (I'm not very good at hiding my thoughts in the classroom) "What?!" I said. "You can't give me homework because I'm going to boot camp," Sherrina whispered. Of course, I did as all good teachers do....I ignored the comment and told her she WOULD indeed complete the homework no matter where she was going. And for that matter, she could do it on the bus! "But, I can't turn it in." So, I asked how long she would be gone. She replied, "A week." Again, I ignored the comment and went on passing out papers and answering other questions hanging off my arm, sleeve, and calling "Mrs. Johnson!" Afternoons are a little chaotic sometimes. A while later, as the students were waiting on the buses to be called, Sherrina waved to me from her desk and said, "I'm gonna miss you!" Okay...she got my attention! So, I called her over to my desk.

Me: "What's going on? Where are you going now?"

Sherrina: (whispering in my ear) "Boot camp. My mama said she'd call but she forgot."

Me: "Why are you going to boot camp?"

Sherrina: "My mama...when one of us gets in trouble, we all get fussed at. And my brother did something bad and, now, we all have to go to boot camp."

Me: "What did your brother do that was so bad?"

Sherrina: "He cheated on his midterm with his cell phone. They took his cell phone downtown. And when my mama came home, she was fussin' at all of us. Me and my sister was asking, 'What did we do?' but she said we all had to go to boot camp. My brother's counselor is coming to pick all of us up this afternoon."

Me: "And you'll be gone a week? You can't be gone a week! We have nine weeks tests next week. You'll miss the review."

Sherrina: "Oh."

Me: "I'm going to call your mother and let her know that you need to be in school."

Sherrina: "Okay."

So, after school, I go straight to the telephone - freaking out about this review week - and called Sherrina's mom.

Mom: "Hello?"

Me: "Mrs. (Sherrina's mom), this is Mrs. Johnson - Sherrina's teacher. She said she would be out of school for a week?"

Mom: (doubled over in laughter) "NO SHE'S NOT." (still laughing)

Me: "Uh...okay."

Mom: "See...she, her brother, and sister have been playin' around and not bringing home good grades. So, I told them I was gonna send them to another school." (the mom wasn't going to tell me that she threatened boot camp...and I never mentioned it either)

Me: (laughing just a little - still confused) "Oh...okay. So, she will be here this week?"

Mom: "Yes. I told her not to tell anybody. I see how big her mouth is! I'm trying to make them start believing what I say...and make them start doing what they are supposed to."

Me: "Well, she definitely believed you!"

Mom: "I know. She wrote me a long note this morning." (still laughing)


After a little more laughter from both the mom and myself, I reminded her of nine weeks tests coming up, and how important it was for Sherrina to be here. Sherrina's mom assured me that she WOULD be at school. I was relieved, but still a little confused about the whole situation. That was such a detailed and long story for Sherrina to just be making up. She really thought she was going to boot camp. She was so serious and sad about the whole thing. It's really funny thinking back on it! I wonder if this will help Sherrina start believing what her mom says. Ha!

Jeremy Camp (and more!) Concert in Hattiesburg

Last night, Russ and I headed out with Pat and Felicia to my birthplace - Hattiesburg, MS. We got free tickets for a Jeremy Camp concert...but there were other incredible bands performing with them!! When Russ first moved to Jackson (until a while after we were married), he played guitar for the Link, a contemporary Sunday morning worship service, at FBC Jackson, and Pat ran the sound. Jacob Sooter, one of the guys he played with is now playing keyboard for Jeremy Camp. Last night was his last time playing for Jeremy because he's getting ready to tour and play for his wife, Merideth Andrews! Yes, I love her...and yes, you've seen her music video, You Are Not Alone, on my blog. So, Jacob was able to give us all free tickets to the concert! Yay!

It was amazing!!! Meredith Andrews sang first and Jacob played keyboard for her. Now, you know that I love her music. Believe me when I tell you that hearing her live is NO COMPARISON!!! It was unbelievable!! She is so tiny and has the biggest sound I've ever heard! Keep in mind that we were on the second row...and some of our group actually had on earplugs because it was so loud! Ha! Please please please try to hear her in concert or, at least, get her cd.

Meridith and Jacob

After Meredith, Fee played. I had never heard of them, but I did recognize some if their songs. Again, INCREDIBLE!! They were awesome! There was so much energy! I was screaming, singing, and dancing to some music I had never heard! It was so much fun! It was obvious that they were truly worshiping. Steve Fee, the lead singer, said, "The way I see it, if I was dead and able to live again...then, that makes me crazy! Well, I was dead. Now, I'm alive! So, I can' t think of a better time to be crazy, sing, dance, be filled with joy, and worship the Lord than NOW!"

Fee

Steve Fee

The awesome pose at the end

After such craziness and fun, we were able to chill out and listen to Bebo Norman. His music is so good! It was very worshipful!

Bebo Norman

Then, it was time for the headliner.....

Jeremy Camp!

Jeremy Camp - the whole group

Jeremy Camp needs no introduction! They were phenomenal!!! It was SO much fun! You could feel his excitement and love for the Lord!

Jacob on keyboard

Jeremy Camp

Jeremy Camp and Jacob

The group with Jacob and Merideth - the cutest couple!

Me and Russ with Merideth
Yes, I told her that I blogged about her! I'm such a nerd! Ha!

Not Bad...

Mississippi State played hard against #5 LSU. It wasn't a win, but it's certainly getting close. I'm just really wanting another HOME game! Next stop for MSU - HOME vs. Vandy! Oct. 11 I'll be back at the tailgate...cowbell in hand! Remember what I said before....fan no matter what - win or lose!

Healthy Eating = Healthy Kids

Today, at school, we had a big celebration and ribbon cutting for our new walking track. We celebrated Health and Wellness with each grade taking a health-related theme. Third grade theme was "Healthy Eating." There were many dignitaries, including Jackson Public School's new superintendent, JPS board members, Wade Overstreet of Blue Cross Blue Shield, and many more! It was a great day for our school to showcase its greatness. Mrs. Johnson's class came out in FULL FORM (as we always do!). My class is known for its fun and outrageous headgear/accessories for special events at Van Winkle. So, I had to figure something out to live up my name. Ha!! When I left school yesterday...I had absolutely NO idea what I was going to do, if anything. So, I made a stop by Hobby Lobby for inspiration. That was a bad idea! I found all kinds of fake fruit and fruit picks. I also bought a few visors, ribbons, and some headbands. You can only imagine what I came up with! Felicia came over last night to help me with this project for 21 kids!

Mrs. Johnson's Fruity Bunch...the whole group!

Yes, this sign was a last minute idea (made this morning) and held up by my broom!

The "fruity" headbands...and the "broomstick sign"

All Vegged Out!
"Fruity" visors

Having fun at the ceremony!
I'm pretty sure we made the JPS channel! Ha! I'll let you know. :)

All in all, we had a great day! Thanks to Mrs. Land for putting together such a nice ceremony!

Mi Corazon

Hello everyone! I'm Russ, Megan's husband, and this is my blogging debut. I never thought that I would find myself blogging, but here I am. As for my first post, I thought, what could be more fitting than to show you all the width and depth of my heart... Literally!
I am in my last year of medical school (finally) and am currently on a Cardiology rotation at one of the private hospitals in Jackson. It has been a wonderful month, and I have learned so much from my preceptor. This morning, as we were interpreting coronary artery CTs, my preceptor asked if I wanted to see how my coronaries looked. Coronary arteries provide blood to your heart muscle. People with heart disease usually have problems with their coronaries not getting enough blood to the heart. Since I'm relatively young and try to work out regularly, I thought "Why not." As the procedure was about to occur, I became more and more nervous thinking to myself, "Surely my heart will be normal... Won't it?" As the procedure began, I was put into a doughnut-shaped apparatus and was told to hold my breath. To better see my arteries, a dye is injected into my arm that goes to my heart. The dye went everywhere else too which made me feel like I was having hot flashes. It wasn't bad though. It lasted only a few seconds and was over. As I got off the table, I looked back, through the glass, into the control room where one of my classmates and the technicians were. They were looking at the images of my heart and chuckling at the same time. "Oh no," I thought, "I've got some kind of deformed heart!" I went where they were and asked what all the laughing was about. They told me I had a lot of plaques in my arteries, but were laughing at the same time. I knew then they were joking, and that I had a normal exam. "Whew!"
The following pictures are of a 3D reconstruction of what my heart really looks like, as well as a picture of just my coronary arteries. Enjoy! Please don't be grossed out! It's just a computerized picture.

This is the 3D reconstruction of my heart. The big artery in front is my pulmonary artery coming from my right ventricle headed to my lungs!

The thin white lines are my coronary arteries bringing blood to my heart muscle so it can pump blood to my body. The one to the left of the screen is my Right Coronary Artery, and the one to the right is the Left Coronary Artery, which branches into my Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery (going straight down) and Circumflex (not seen). The small artery running along the heart border on the right side of the screen is a Diagonal branch of the LAD.

What an Honor!

Well, I must take this moment (as a proud wife) to brag about my amazing husband. Tonight, we attended an initiation banquet for the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Russ was one of 23 inductees tonight. Members are chosen based on three mechanisms: peer survey, instructor nominations, and the ladies in the dean's office nominate as well. The survey consists of 6 questions, as we were informed tonight by Dr. Woodward. I can't remember the exact wording, but I'll try my best! The questions are based on compassion, professionalism, and the preference of others to work with this student. I wish I could remember the questions, because you would fully understand the honor. Of course, I'm biased and Russ would NEVER tell people about this himself! Russ's parents came in last night for the ceremony. We have had a great time!

Russ was ready to leave! We were late, as usual!

Russ and his dad while waiting on his mom to get ready.

The original Johnsons after the ceremony

The Johnsons (updated version...with me!)

The inductees

After the ceremony, we came home and had a little bit of fun while taking MORE pictures. Yes, that was my idea! I had to have more for the blog!! :)

Russ's dad posed while we tested the lighting

Russ's mom and I took pictures of each other taking pictures...who knows!?

The family

Me and Russ

Oh, to be young and in love! :)

Russ's mom playing a little tune

It was such a nice evening...and has been a great couple of days with Russ's parents! Thanks for coming, Mom and Dad! Congratulations Russ!! Love you!

It's Official

It's official. Boy's Bid Day is over, and my baby brother placed an early bid to Kappa Sig! I wanted to make sure I was appropriate and waited until "it was official." :) Russ never did all the fraternity stuff - so I'm not sure about all the specifics. Ha! I was browsing his Bid Day pictures, and it is obvious they had a great time - as always!!

Dustin and Kristin before leaving for Bid Day (I hate I'm not around for the fun!)

I set Dustin up a blog a LONG time ago. However, he didn't care much about it! Recently, he had an assignment to create and update a blog. Well...I'm sure he was thankful to me then! :) He has updated it a little....who knows if he'll update it anymore! You can check it out - but let me make this disclaimer - I am not responsible for its content! Ha ha!! Remember, he is a college guy (which is much different than a college girl), has NO self-esteem issues, and is SOOOOO much fun to be around! I hope you get a kick out of it!

Good Night, Sleep Tight

Russ and I were having a scheduled date night - Don't get excited! It was very low maintenance. We drove through Sonic and made a quick trip to the mall. Then, I talked Russ into watching Freedom Writers when we got home. (A fantastic movie! One of my favorites.) We noticed Farley was MIA, but neither of us wanted to leave the movie. When it was over, I heard Russ say (in a monotone voice...so as not to disturb Farley), "Megan, come here. Come here now." So, I quietly ran to the kitchen. This is what I saw:

Farley had pulled ALL of his toys and his blanket into his bed. He was just laying there. He had, obviously, been laying there for at least an hour! You'd have to know my dog to understand why this is so funny. He is NEVER still! Especially with people around. But, we stood there laughing for a while and I ran to get a camera. He never moved! He is wiped out!

I guess this is his way of saying, "Let's get to bed!" So, I'm off to bed! Good night!

MSU 7, Georgia Tech 38

No words can express! I will not even comment on this right now.

Bring the Rain

Several weeks ago, I came across a blog that has had my attention since. However, I just recently had the time to go all the way back to the beginning of the story. Please check out Angie's blog, Bring the Rain. It is an amazing story full of God's grace, healing, and peace!! The following slide show was made for a song Angie wrote. This slideshow was shown at Audrey Caroline's memorial service. Notice the "unexplainable peace" filling the room. Reading the letter she wrote to her daughter, it is clear the miracle God had given the family. Audrey's life was meant for much more than her family could have ever imagined! Please take a few minutes to read her story! You won't regret it!

I Will Carry You

There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies, wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?

People say that I am brave but I'm not
Truth is I'm barely hanging on
But there's a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this

So I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All my life
And I will praise the One Who's chosen me
To carry you

Such a short time
Such a long road
All this madness
But I know
That the silence
Has brought me to His voice
And He says...

I've shown her photographs of time beginning
Walked her through the parted seas
Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes
Who could love her like this?

I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All your life
And I will praise the One Who's chosen Me
To carry you

MSU 2, Auburn 3

What a game!!! That's pretty much all I have to say. It was SO exciting, and my hands are swollen and sore from all that cowbell ringing. Despite the excitement, it was one of the most frustrating games I've ever seen! By looking at the score, it is obvious that our defense played an amazing game - actually scoring the only 2 points we had! Thank goodness for tailgating!

Mama and Ricky had on their "grilling attire" when we pulled up.

The Smith kids (at least until Lee joins in)

Brother-in-laws

Dustin and Kyle

Daddy and Adam watching a football game on T.V.

Just trying to stay cool behind the screen!

Ricky and Sherra Holcombe

Lee finally joined the fun.
Me, Russ, Lee, and Kristin

Jennifer (one of my college roommates) and Jaysen also came to visit again! Isn't she the cutest pregnant woman you've ever seen!?

We also saw a few other college friends: Rachael and Jimbo Bearden and Aaron and Kelly Rice. We met Season, Russ's cousin, in the bookstore, and ran into Holly Johnson and her cute twins. It was so good to see everyone! We have a couple of weeks off from tailgating...but we'll still be cheering for the dawgs!