To all my friends and family -

May it be filled with peace and contentment!

The Best Card Ever Received From A Student:

"Ms. Creek,

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year. Thank you for being such an awesome teacher and also for being so willing to help me be a better singer. I am hoping to make the Swing Choir in high school so I thank you for helping me reach my goal. You are one of the reasons why I want to become a teacher. I want to be able to reach kids in the way you have reached me. You are truly an inspiration to me.
From,
Mitch"

Well, Mitch, it's students like you that keep me coming back every year. You have been in a wheel chair all your life and have faced more obstacles than most of us ever will, yet you always have a smile on your face and never give up. As a music teacher, I've always just wanted students to enjoy music as much as I do, and I believe you truly do.

Thank you for being the student that you are. Thank you for allowing me to stretch your vocal range and vocal repertoire. You work very hard! And mostly, Mitch, thank you for sharing your feelings with me.

From,
Ms. Creek

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! I HOPE YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON IS FULL OF PEACE AND FAMILY!

Oh, so cozy!

Isn't this the cutest little wood stove you ever did see? We just wanted a little something to take the chill off and we are SURE enjoying it!

WOOHOO!

Last day! Last concert of the season!

Birthday Prezzies!

Mom used to always get teary-eyed when we gave her sentimental cards...now I understand why! Here's my card from Ed and Cathy -
Scott has been working overtime and now I understand why! Here's my new oak entertainment center he custom built for me! Behind the door is the dvd player and as you can imagine...by now...the bottom 2 shelves are filled with books by Barbara Kingsolver, Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, etc...


The girls came up on Thursday night so I could open my gifts with them as they had to work on my birthday. They are so special, I love them dearly!
Thanks, everyone, for a wonderful, meaningful birthday!

Happy Birthday, Husband!

Love ya, oodles!

It's My Birthday!

Whopper Wednesday

I just love gingerbread houses, don't you? They are so cute and happy and sweet and creative and fun! Have a tasty day!

Taco Tuesday

Secret Movie Club is meeting tonight! Pizza at my fav. place then off to see Invictus. I'm looking forward to it. This weekend, I need to get packages mailed to my sisters and then 2 more days of school and we are out for Christmas break! These next few days can't go fast enough!

Have a good day!

E

Don't 'cha

just love this time of year?

Good News!

Ellen's surgery was a success and no cancer in her lymph nodes!!! I get to see my best friend today!

The Concert

was great! I wish I could show you a picture of the kids and the songs and dancing, etc, but I can't post students without permission from their parents and 170 parents are just too many!

It was lovely and we had a great time and now I'm going to relax in the -6 (F) weather!

Make it a good week!

Ellie

What This Week Entails:

Monday: 7:20 AM Swing Choir rehearsal, all day last rehearsal before the concert, 3:00 Dr. Appt.
Tuesday: Set up risers, piano, chairs, and decorate the gym. Have rehearsal in there with my 41 7th graders, Swing choir/soloists and 130 8th graders! BIG concert at 7:00pm
Wednesday: Get up at 5 to post grades. Watch the concert, go to daughter's eye appointment, my best friend is getting a mastectomy, Community Band rehearsal
Thursday: teach until 12:30 then have parent teacher conferences until 7pm
Friday: teach until 12:30, then early out, then mammogram.
Saturday: Fund Raiser/caroling at Barnes and Noble, Ed and Cathy arrive
Sunday: Community Band Concert, Ed and Cathy leave for BALI and will be gone for 2 months :o(

There, I laid it all out, I can just reflect back to this blog post when I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off!

Ever Googled Your Name?

This is Ellie Creek, don't know where the heck it is...

Saturday -

Mr. Sandman,

Where are you when I need you?

December 8, 2009

Just a few more days until my giant WINTER CONCERT. Yes, I mean GIANT.

THe whole gym full of people (usually around 650 or so) and the concert begins with everyone standing and singing JOY TO THE WORLD! ... a tradition I've done for years. It was momma's favorite carol and I just keep on doing it for her :o) While everyone is singing, the 41 7th graders will walk in and go up on the risers. They have 5 more songs to sing, one spiritual called Walk Dem Bones then 4 more Christmas carols, including Mr. Grinch and a medley of Jingle Bells and Jingle Bell Rock!

Next, a piano solo and a vocalist singing WINTER SNOW.

Swing Choir is next with a GORGEOUS arrangement of In The Bleak Midwinter (I'm hoping to get a youtube of it), a spoken piece. Next, I'll kill time talking about our fund raiser while one of the boys dress up like Santa. Soon, when the Swing Choir starts singing a jazzy version of DIG THAT CRAZY SANTA CLAUS, "santa" will make a spirited appareance, delivering a gift to the soundman, my accompanist and the orchestra director that always films for me. (hope to get some good shots)

When the Swing Choir is finished 130 8th graders will get up on the risers (that extends across the whole end of the gym) and sing a latin piece, a spiritual, a jazzy finger-snapping arrangement of Three Great Kings, an arrangement that combines First Noel with Pachelbel's Canon, a medley of Most Wonderful Time of the Year/Let It Snow/Winter Wonderland and end with Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah! (I'm really excited about that one!)

Finally, the 7th grade will come down to join us and everyone will do hand sign and sing WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS :o)

I'm pretty dang excited!

7:00PM in the Gym! Hope to see you there! If not at mine, I hope you enjoy some live Christmas music somewhere during the holiday season!

"Homemade" Present

Here is my present from Scott and the kids. Scott made the frame, isn't it beautiful? Then he and the kids picked out their picture they wanted in it. I love it!

Our Thanksmas Day :o)

So here's the place that Santa visits early. He pops in for some Thanksgiving dinner before he goes back to the North Pole to get ready for the rest of the world! Some of his elves left their pants, tho!
Hee Hee Hee

My elf helpers were very busy all dang day! And yes, that IS a present hanging on the wall! It took me a while to notice, lol.
Yummy munchies before dinner - deviled eggs, peppers/olives/celery/pepperincinis/green olives/carrots/pickled okra/and little peppers, old lady heads and triscuits with Parmesan/spinach/artichoke dip melted on top :o)
Helpers putting the glaze on the ham...
and the small turkey and dressing ready to be browned in the oven.
Ed, the helper, was ready to just jump right in and carve the meat!
And the table was beautiful!
(pictures of us eating and family pictures to come later...)

After we stuffed our tummies with the traditional Thanksgiving feast, we started opening presents...with our festive headpieces, lol.

and opening and opening and opening!

And things were lookin' pretty good!
Then we brought out the big surprise! Scott did a beautiful job making the kids oak headboards! I received a wonderful present homemade from Scott and the kids too, and I'll post that later!
But for now, we'll just watch a little Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is ThanksMas/Christgiving...

Either way, we're ready for the giant feast and Santa and everything!

It's been fun spending extra time with my daughters, Megan and Michelle. We planned, prepared etc.
Tomorrow we just need to clean and cook!
But right now, I see there are some pretty dang cute critters hanging out, waiting for Ed and Cathy to get here!

Have a wonderful day tomorrow! I know you all will be having a fine feast. I wished I could be with my sisters Jolene and Rubye but I am eternally grateful for my family.

Peace

19 years ago today...

Beckie Kay, age 34
Jesse, age 13


Willy Lee, age 11


Tyrone, age 5



Tho' many years have passed since my sister and nephews were murdered, it is still painful and I miss them so very much.

Today:

1. write out bills
2. wrap christmas presents
3. finish shopping for christmas presents
4. go grocery shopping for christgiving dinner
5. get out the decorations and decorate the house!

WOOHOO!

New Moon

@ 12:01AM....AWESOME!
home @ 3:00AM and alarm @ 6:30AM...UGH!

Thanksmas is

a week from tomorrow!

Ellen, my dearest friend...

you will be okay...

Dear Bryan,

You are an incredibly special nephew. I have so many memories of you, of us, and most of which I am amazed at your intellect. Today, as a very handsome young man, I love your sense of humor, your candidness, the love you share with your family and most of all I just love YOU and am dang proud to be your AUnt! Have a wonderful day with your family, and I wished I was there too :o)

Love,

Aunt Ellie

I LOVE FRIDAY THE 13TH!

Today, our school

honored the Veterans at our Veteran's program the history teacher and I collaborated on. The Marines marched in the colors, we had 2 guest speakers, one an army Captain and the other from the Navy. A student played TAPS on his trumpet as we paid our respect to those fallen and to those in our audience. There were Vets there from every decade, starting from the 1940s. We sang the Star Spangled Banner, Battle Hymn of the Republic and America the Beautiful. The kids were very attentive, and I was proud to be a part of it all.

The Air Force couldn't do their F15 flyover, neither could the Black Hawks land as they were all snowed in in Great Falls. Hopefully they can come another day.

She Was Born On Veteran's Day,

1974. I was almost 11 years old. Laura (I called her LOLLY and sang ADVERBS to her) was the cutest little thing, she wore those tan earth shoes with the red shoe laces. She had (has) the cutest cheeks and really got sick of all my luvs when she was little dittle. Now she has her own darling kids with beautiful eyes and darling cheeks! And yes, she was really disappointed to find out what adverbs are, lol.

I lived with Lolly, her little brother and mom when I was 17/18...she came and stayed with me one summer while I was going to summer school and she took care of my kids. She also worked in the garden, cleaned house etc. We became close friends at that time.
She took me under her emotional wing when I went through my divorce. I don't now how I would have made it without her friendship.
That was almost 10 years ago. Since then, we've remained close, always in touch via internet.
She's a precious woman, niece, mother, aunt, cousin...
but most of all, she is my friend, my confidant, my lolly popster. Have a good day, lolly, I wished I could be there and make that indian taco for you! I love you VERY much!

Just a Glimpse

into our home circus.

We Caved In...

For years, there was NO Tv. Saturday, we finally broke down.

George wanted to help with vacuuming the dust from the holes Scott had to cut out of the cement walls...
We decided putting the cords behind the wall was a much better idea. So, preparations were made.
The wall mount is on, next is to get the dang TV out of the box!
For whatever reason, this is the part that made Scott cuss the most.

Up and double-checked for proper placement. George likes it.
Up and signals scanned (we still refuse to have cable or satellite).
But most importantly, we love the best entertainment of all!

Wow.

This has to be one of my laziest weekends, ever!

I"M SO GLAD IT IS FRIDAY NIGHT!

I Took Her For Show And Tell

when I was in 2nd grade...little Lynetta...

I was so proud to be an aunt!




Now she is grown and has a wonderful husband (Doug) and two BEAUTIFUL daughters (Mariah and Katie and sorry if that is spelled wrong!) of her own.



She's quite a special part of my family (even though she's so dang short! haha)
Love you, Lynetta! Have a wonderful 38th birthday on the 6th! You deserve it! I'm so glad your life is content!