In Christ Alone

Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

I had a great Valentine's Day yesterday! My day started with this song on KLOVE.

I need to listen to this song every morning.

Throughout the day I was reminded of how much God loves me.

There is no greater love than His love!

A new word

2012-02-10T21:11:00.001-08:00

Favorite conversation of the day....I looked at one of my students at carline today and noticed that his jacket looked a little different. We've recently had some problems with his jacket so I was a little nervous about it.Me: Jonah, what happened to your coat?Jonah: oh don't worry it is comeoffable!Apparently you can take the outer layer off. But i had to turn around and try really hard when he used the word "comeoffable." Hilarious!!!!

Do Not Be Anxious

2012-02-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

I've had this song stuck in my head all day long.

This song/verse brought about some good conversations with my students today. It is great to have God's Word in my thoughts all day long!

New Plan

2012-02-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling convicted over how much time I spend on my computer and ipad. I don't spend near enough time reading God's Word and praying. So I have a new plan. From now my electrontics (except my cell phone) will be turned off from 9:30pm-6:30am. That still gives me the time I need to get things done as well as do more reading.

I can do this! It isn't the end of the world. Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself? Lol! I rely way too much on these two things for my entertainment.

Starting now!
Ahh! I'm already 4 minutes late!
Shutting down now. :)

Out for a walk

2012-02-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

My mom and Julie had a baby shower to go to this afternoon, so Dani came over to play at my house. We had a great time. Went for a walk, ran around in the field near my house, and met a nice kitty who really wanted to play. It was such a beautiful day!

When we got back to my house Dani looked at me and said, "Auntie, do you have any food?"

"Yes, I do. Would you like some grapes?"

"Mommy, was wrong!" Was her response.

Busted, Julie!!

Hahaha! I will admit that I usually don't have a lot of food at my house. But it was funny to me that they had already had that conversation.

2012 Goals (finally)

2012-02-04T18:40:00.000-08:00

I started writing this post as my goals for this year (last month). The list was too long. There are so many things that I would like to improve on during 2012. Then I was listening to Klove and they were talking about choosing a word to strive to be during the year. They talked about the same thing last year too and I didn't think much of it, but this year I think I'm going to focus on it.

At first I thought the word I would choose would be organized. I am not a very organized person. The most organized part of my life right now is my Pinterest boards. (bad bad bad) Over the last few months I've been so frustrated with how un-organized I am. Let me tell you, I've been really annoyed with this problem I have.

As I thought about it longer I decided that my word for the year was going to be faithful. I want the Lord to find me faithful in everything I do: my time in the Word and prayer, with my family, friends, my job, the commitments I make, my finances, and how I take care of myself. I firmly believe that if I take care of the first two items on that list then the rest will fall into place.

Item #2 check!

2012-01-26T21:15:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting to check off #2 from my 30x30 list for a long time. For the most part I enjoyed growing my hair out. I figured out some fun ways to fix it, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my haircut! The girl who cut my hair (at a "Cool Cuts") was able to cut off 10 1/2 inches. Just enough to donate it. Phew!

I love having short hair. Several weeks after I got it cut my sister dyed it for me. It is a little darker and I really like it. It is fun. :)

I still have to mail in my ponytail that was cut off. It is weird to think that it was once connected to my head. Lol! I wonder if they will send me a picture of what it looks like as a wig for someone. Hmm. I'm excited to send it in a hear that they use it for someone who needs it.

Really?!

2012-01-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

Oh my, has it really been over 2 months since my last post?! Good grief! I haven't even posted my goals for the year. I started to write them and then got too busy to finish.
What has happened since the last time I blogged...

Thanksgiving - Enjoyed a wonderful day with family and friends.

Danika's Birthday - Hard to believe that my adorable niece is 4! We had a get together with some friends. She still hasn't had her party with her friends because both times it has been planned she and/or Julie was sick. Poor thing.

Julie's Birthday - I am so thankful for my wonderful Carmelita. :)

Haircut! - Yes! I finally did it! Chopped off my hair. I love my short hair cut. Julie colored it for me too. That was a first. I might be hooked. I love the color. :)

Christmas - We celebrated Christmas in Wisconsin this year. It was wonderful spending time with my grandparents. We even got a little bit of snow. Just enough to build a snowman. I think I was just as excited as Danika was. :)

New Years - Not a very eventful night. But that is ok. 2011 was a good year.

3rd Quarter of School - I still feel so blessed to be teaching my own class this year. I love my students so much. God is teaching me so much as I teach these kids.

Ok, I think I am somewhat caught up. I know more has happened, but that is all for now.

Jam

2011-11-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

A very fun way to spend a morning off of school. It went very fast with the 5 of us.

Halloween Fun

2011-11-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

We had a very fun evening Trick-or-Treating. Dani was TinkerBell and Julie was Captain Hook. What a cute pair! Julie always dresses up to go with Dani's costume.

These pictures don't show all of the little girls who went with our group. There were a lot of them. It was fun and entertaining. Good times.

Blond Moment

2011-11-11T17:01:00.000-08:00

I had a major blond moment this afternoon. It was hilarious! Thought I'd give you all a good laugh.
I went to pick my sister up at work and take her to a memorial service of a family friend. She told me that she would meet me in front of the library. Easy place to pick someone up downtown. Well, I was several minutes early and had it in my head that I would have to drive around the block at least once before she would be out of her building. So I drive past the library and am about to turn the corner at the other end of the block when I see my sister frantically waving at me from in front of the library!
I have no idea how I missed her! And she was wearing a very red coat! Finally made it around the block and picked her up. I guess I was really wasn't thinking that she would be out there already. Hahaha! She told me that a guy rolled down his window as she was waving laughed and said, "I can't believe she missed you!" Where is my brain?
...I'm so embarrassed.

Very Thankful 1-5

2011-11-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Last year for the month of November I posted something I was thankful for every day. It was such a blessing to me. I was reminded daily of all God has given to me. Some days it was easier to see what I was thankful for that day and other days it was harder. But it made me find the good things from those harder days and not just dwell on negative things.
It is hard to believe that November is here and we are 5 days into it! Time flies when you are having fun (and when you are busy most of the time). So I'm starting out the month playing a little catch up. Ha! I'm not too surprised at this.

1. My Salvation - I'm so thankful that God sent His Son to earth so many years ago. Jesus did for me what no one else could ever do. He provided a way for me to spend eternity for Him in Heaven. I don't deserve this at all. But I've been forgiven. Thank you, Lord!

2. Working at a Christian school - I have the wonderful blessing of teaching at the school I attended for all of my elementary, junior high, and high school education. I'll be the first one to tell you that when I graduated I didn't really want to leave. So to many people it isn't a surprise that I am back. I love teaching there. The best thing is that I am able to share the Gospel with my class. Everyday we spend time talking about the Lord, praying and worshiping Him. It is such a wonderful blessing. Chapel times are especially great as we sing and hear a message. The chorus of children's voices is sweet and I'm able to worship my Savior along with them. It is great.

3. Thursday was a rough day at work for me. By the end of the day I was exhausted, frustrated and ready to cry. When all of my kids were picked up in the car line I started to make my way back to my classroom and I spotted my dad. I'm so thankful that my dad and I work at the same place. Because of a "little" rearranging of school offices this year I get to run into him a lot more. Thursday it was especially nice to see him because I really needed a hug. I love my dad so much! He gave me a big hug and asked me what was going on. It was wonderful.

4. Fridays - For someone who works 5 days a week Fridays are wonderful days. I love remembering that it is Friday when I wake up in the morning. I can dress a little more relaxed at work and it is almost the weekend. But it is also a time when I usually have time to catch up on work in my classroom. I spent over an hour yesterday just working at organizing things in my classroom. I'm nowhere near done, but it felt good to do it.

5. I have to say that this morning I'm very thankful for the heater I have in my apartment. It is nice to have a warm place to be on a chilly morning. I realize that it is colder in many places of the world right now, but to this California girl it is pretty cool here.

Well, I'm glad to have started this back up for this month. I am feeling so blessed already!

Oh yeah!

2011-11-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

I did it!!
I made it through the month of October without buying any Starbucks and I didn't eat a single bit of fast-food! I wasn't sure how it was going to go. About a week ago I almost caved, but then I remembered how close I was and resisted the temptation. :)

Now for November.
My new plan is to again have no fast-food for the month. As far as Starbucks goes...I'm going to put some money on a gift card and that is all I'm allowed to buy for the month. I'm not sure how much that is because I haven't finished my budget yet. But I'll have it figured out soon.

30 by 30 Revisited & Revised

2011-10-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

My 30x30 list has been on my mind lately. I have a 1 & 1/2 years to go and I'm thinking I need to make a few changes. I haven't crossed off nearly as many things from my list as I thought I would have by now. There are several things that I'll be able to get done, but I'm going to take out the ones that I don't think are realistic for me to do.
(Bold items are ones I am working on right now)

Read through the entire Bible
Donate my hair to Locks of Love (I'm growing it out at the moment)
Publish a cookbook of my Grandma's recipes
Read 1 book a month from my bookshelf. (That is only 19 books - totally realistic!)
Draw one sketch each day for 30 days in a row
Make a quilt for my bed
Walk in a half-marathon
Take a cooking class
Loose 20 pounds and keep if off
Make a Christmas quilt (I started cutting out the pieces a while ago and haven't picked it up in a while)
Visit Yosemite
~~Eat at the Melting Pot~~ (Yum!)
Cook through an entire cookbook
Visit another country (other than the ones I've been to)
~~Sew something I can wear~~ (I made an apron!)
Publish a children's book
Stick to my budget for two months in a row (I hope after 2 months it will be easy to stick with it for a long time)
Go on a hot air balloon ride (I plan to do this on my 30th Birthday)
Visit the Grand Canyon
Get into the habit of calling my Grandma twice a month
Clean out my Gmail inbox to zero
Have a picture taken of me that I really like
Visit a winery in Sonoma County
Sing with someone famous (I still want to do this...but I'm going to change it to -- Follow my box of cleaning cards for 1 month)
Go to the middle of nowhere and look at the stars
~~Get a massage~~ (Amazing!)
Learn to play the piano so I can sing a song while I play
Make a pie from scratch
Take a flower arranging class
~~Host a tea party at my apartment.~~

Harvest Fair

2011-10-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time at the Harvest Fair this year. Mom entered some cookies and a cornstalk, and Dad entered a decorated pumpkin. We had a great time watching the grape-stomping, and of course Dani loved going on the rides.

#12

2011-10-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

#12 - Eat at The Melting Pot
Yay! I've completed another thing on my 30x30 list!

Can I tell you that I absolutely LOVE The Melting Pot! Yum, yum, yum! I was totally stuffed afterwards. We had a wonderful girl's night out!

Why?

2011-10-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when I have a bunch of stuff to do all I want to do is clean my apartment? But when I don't have stuff to work on I don't want to clean!
Something is wrong with me!

October

2011-10-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that October 1st is today! September flew by. I love that the weather is starting to get a little cooler. Bring on the fall weather! I am ready!
As I was thinking about October this last week I've decided that I'm going to challenge myself for the month. (Don't worry, not another 30 day blog challenge that lasts for 5 months) In order to help my budget and my weight I'm going to not buy fast food or Starbucks for the month of October. And I have to tell you that at the moment I really want to go buy some coffee. This is going to be hard. But I'm feeling very determined. Christmas is coming and I have to be able to afford Christmas presents for people. :)
So there you have it. My October challenge!

Cute Video

2011-09-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Someone showed this to me and I had to share it. I think it is cute. :)

Sweet Sunday Afternoons

2011-09-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

I love Sundays.
Church to start with is great! I love the worship, teaching and fellowship.
Following church I head to my parent's house. They usually don't get home for a while after I'm done at church so I either fall asleep on the red chair or watch tv. (Just ask my family, I'm always falling asleep on the red chair.) When they get home we have lunch and hang out for the afternoon, take naps (most of us), watch sports, etc.
This afternoon was no exception. While we ate lunch we all sat and watched the 49ers game. - Although, now that I think about it I think I left before the game ended. Oops - Somewhere during the game we got into this huge tickle-fest. It was crazy. Danika thought it was the funniest thing ever. And somehow she was leading the entire thing. She'd tell everyone to tickle someone and they would! (We are all wrapped around her finger. Can you tell?) The funny thing was that she would tell us to tickle her too. It was hilarious.

Good times.

Day 30!!

2011-09-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Day 30!
I finally did it!
I'm not sure if I'm really cut out for a 30 day blog challenge. Lol! It took me a long time to finish "30 days."

Ok here it goes...
Day 30 - A future.

This challenge has been filled with "somedays", "favorites", and "I'd like to"'s. And it is finishing out that way too. Sometimes those things are good to write about, and other times not so much. Maybe it is a good thing I've spread this whole thing out. :) I want to write about two futures. One that I know for sure will happen and one that I'd like to happen.

My for sure future...
Because I have put my faith in Jesus Christ, Heaven is in my future. Not sure when in my future, but I will be there! Personally I don't like thinking about dying, but I've had my mind on heaven lately. The first several Bible lessons I've taught at school this year have been about heaven. I love the looks on the kids faces when we talk about the wonderful things about heaven. They have so many questions and I definitely don't have all the answers. Most of my answers have "I'm not sure"'s or "I don't think so"'s in them. I don't think that I think about it enough. Heaven is going to be so wonderful! I really shouldn't have a problem when thinking about dying because the place I'm going to is so much better than this world!

My maybe someday future...
If I had a choice my future would be filled with teaching, marriage, my own children, a published children's book and a bunch of traveling. That all sounds good to me. The Lord only knows.
I'm happy to be teaching right now, so I guess I'm on the right track. Now I need to work on the book. I have lots of ideas, just have to get going with it.

And there you have it! The end of my 30 day blog challenge!! Woo Hoo!

Day 29

2011-09-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

A place that gives you wanderlust.

I love traveling. I wish that I could do it more. I love flying, as long as I'm not rushing through the airport. I'm one of those people who gets on an airplane and almost immediately falls asleep (much to the frustration of my sister). In a sense I'm thankful that I have friends and family who live outside of California because that means I can go visit them.

A place that I've been to that makes me want to travel more is Hawaii. I've only been there once but it left a good impression on me. I love the beautiful beaches there. It is so relaxing. This picture makes me want to grab my swimsuit, a towel and a good book... and sunscreen of course. :)

Day 28

2011-09-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

A Quote

I'm sure I know some good quotes, but I decided to look at the quotes on goodreads.com for a good one. There were several that I like, but here is the one I chose.

"A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water."
— Eleanor Roosevelt

This can be very true for me. I'm not the strongest person, but when in a situation where I need to be strong I am right there. (At least I think I am) That strength does not come from me. It comes from the Lord who knows what I need and when I need it. Isn't that great!

Dance and Fashion

2011-09-03T21:59:00.001-07:00

My sister shared this video with me. I thought it was pretty creative. My how things have changed.

Day 27

2011-09-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

A thing that makes you mad.

Mad is such a strong word. I don't I get mad very often.
The times I've really gotten mad have been when someone has done something to someone in my family. I love my family a lot and I'm pretty protective of them. You mess with my family and you'll have to answer to me! (yes - I realize that this threat is not very intimidating - lol!)

Day 26

2011-08-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

A thing you want to do before you die.

Oh goodness.
There are so many things I would like to do before I die.
Just to keep it interesting I'm not going to say get married. Even though that is my first thought. :)
So other than that one I'd really like to visit Europe. No particular part. Just some place in Europe. Preferably a beautiful place. I don't care if I see a big city or in the country. I just really want to go to Europe.
Someday.

And someday I'll finish this blog challenge. :) Hopefully before I ever get to go to Europe. Ha!

Back 2 School - And Loving It!

2011-08-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to post about school starting because my dad has some pictures on his camera that I wanted to post. Obviously it is taking me a while to get them (my fault, not his). So here is my back to school post minus the pictures from the first day of school.

_________________________

A few shots around my classroom.

It is official!
I LOVE teaching!!
I've been teaching for just over 2 weeks and I love, love, love it! It is challenging, but it is my class. Oh yes!
I started the day with several of my students greeting me with "Hello, New Teacher!" There was a little bit of chaos as we got into the room and about 5 minutes later I shooed the parents out of the room. Phew! I really didn't want to start with them in there. The parents make me nervous.
About half way through the first day I realized that I didn't plan enough for us to do. This resulted in a few games and an extra recess. The kids thought this was great! It made me nervous. One boy who was sick on the first day was sad because he had missed the best day "they didn't do any work and they had 3 recesses!" is what he told his dad. I laughed and said, "Yep, it won't be like that for long."
I was on cloud nine the entire first week (and really, I still am). My voice started going on the second day. By the end of the week I sounded terrible. I think my voice is almost back to normal. By the end of the day it is a little scratchy.
I feel so blessed to be teaching third grade this year. I have great students. There are a few challenging ones, but I'm working at helping them and trying to not get frustrated with them. (sometimes that is easier said than done) One thing I like about this group of kids is their sense of humor. They know how to laugh. Sometime they laugh at the wrong times, but we are working on that. Not only does this class have a great sense of humor they also love to learn. They are just soaking up everything I give them! It is great!
One of my favorite things to do in class is read aloud after lunch. I've always loved doing this. I give the kids the option of coloring while I read. Half of them just sit there and listen, which makes me love them even more!

I just feel so blessed!

I can tell you right now that I am going to have some fun stories throughout the school year. I'm being good and writing them down in a book so I don't forget them. Maybe you'll see a book of my teaching memoirs in a bookstore someday. If so, it will all make you laugh. They say hilarious things!

Feeling Blessed

2011-08-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

Just in the last week I've felt so blessed.
God is so good and has blessed me wonderful friends and family.

A few weeks ago a co-worker of mine heard me say something about my car window not rolling up or down. Not long after he asked me if I wanted him to fix it for me. He ordered the part and installed it last weekend. It only cost me 50 bucks! I can't even imagine how much it would have cost me if I had taken it in to my mechanic.

And then...today my school computer got fixed! I honestly wonder what my problem is with the computers at work. I always break them. Actually I really think they just die on me.
Well I've been having issues with this one since I moved my stuff from my art room. Unfortunately our computer guy is busy and hasn't had time to fix it. Well I was talking with a few co-workers this afternoon and they felt bad that my computer still wasn't working. As I was sitting in my room working after school one of my co-workers sent her husband down to take a look at my computer. Then while he was figuring it out another co-worker's husband showed up. Between the two of them they discovered that when the computer was moved to my classroom the high school guys plugged one of the cords into the wrong place.

Those are just two examples of how God has blessed me in the last week. I've also had several people praying for me this week because they knew school was starting. And my family and close friends have been such great encouragements to me. God is so good.

Fabulous Friday

2011-08-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

I spent today getting ready for school. It is crazy to believe that it starts on Monday.
Am I ready?
Mostly yes.
As I said at Back 2 School Night...I'm excited.
(Really... I couldn't stop saying that I was excited. It was comical.)

I have a little more to get done before Monday. I'm almost there!

I have to say though that the highlight of my day/week was watching the office ladies race their rolling office chairs around the office this afternoon! It was hilarious!!! They were trying out the new flooring. They were so quick that I couldn't get my camera out fast enough! You'll have to take my word for it, but you didn't hear it from me!
I wonder if I can get them to do it again when I have my camera out. Hmmm... something to try later. :)

Have a great weekend!

Sonoma County Fair 2011

2011-08-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

I love going to the fair with my family. This year my mom, sister and I actually entered things at the fair. It is totally worth the free ticket in! I think next year I'll enter a few more things. It was fun looking for the things we made and what our friends made as well. I'm hoping to do a few projects with my class this year to enter into the harvest fair. Then we can take a field trip! Fun!

I have to say my favorite thing at the fair this year (other than the photo booth pic with Julie and Dani - pics to be posted as soon as Julie emails them to me - hint hint) was the turkey stampede. It sounds ridiculous, but I thought it was really funny. They lady who ran it had a funny personality and she had my family laughing the entire time. The turkeys were crazy chasing after a remote control truck trying to get to the food in the bed of the truck. It was hilarious!

The green one is the one mom made. Woo Hoo 3rd place!

My photo of Dani jumping in a puddle. Didn't win anything, but I still love it!

Julie's 3rd place painting! Way to go!

Dad didn't enter anything, but he enjoyed the food. :)

I enjoyed the food too! Gotta love Pasta King!

Eek! I don't have any pics of Dani! That is shocking! That is what happens when we bring more than one camera to places. Oops!

On another note...

School starts on Monday! Tomorrow night I have Back 2 School night! I know it will be fine, but I'm starting to get nervous.

1 week to go

2011-08-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I'm ready to get into the routine of school again.
I've always been like that. I love summer, but when it comes to an end I look forward to the routine of school.
There is only 1 week left before the 1st day of school. I'm so excited! I still have a lot to do, but I know it will all come together. I also have to remind myself that whatever doesn't get done in the area of decorating will just have to wait a little while. I'm not too worried (at the moment). :)
I also want school to start so that the major prep will be done. I really want to work on some sort of craft/art project. I have 1 baby quilt I need to finish and 1 I need to start on. I was just looking through my google reader and found a ton of projects that look like a lot of fun. Will I ever have the free time? Hopefully in a few weeks. :)

Here are a few of the fun ideas I just found.

10 years already?!?

2011-08-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

Is it weird that during my entire drive home tonight I was thinking about how to blog about my evening? I'm becoming a blog-a-holic! I'm sure all 4 of my readers are just dying to hear about my evening! Ha!

There are many words to describe what my evening was like. Good, weird, sad, awkward, painful, loud, repetitive, and fun. Talk about a very well rounded evening.

Tonight I went to my 10 year high school reunion.
Has it seriously been 10 years?!

I had the blessing of attending a small Christian school while I was growing (yes - the same one I currently work at). There were 46 people in my graduating class. Many of those people had been attending the school since elementary school (myself included). I liked going to school there. But I have to be honest. I was dreading going to this reunion tonight. I'm not the most outgoing person, but in high school I was worse than I am now. I wasn't sure how I would be around my former classmates. I only went because I knew I would regret not going.
It actually went pretty well.

It was good to see some old friends. My best friend from high school and I have grown apart some, so it was nice to catch up with her. It was fun to hear what people are up to, and there were several baby bumps in the room.
It was really weird to think that it has been 10 years since we all graduated from high school. Time flies! Everyone looked pretty much the same, but different at the same time. Most of the people there tonight are married and many of them have children.
It was sad to hear about those from our class who aren't doing well. In high school many people appeared strong in their faith. But I'm not sure how many of the people from my class are living for the Lord now.
There were a few times when I noticed that I was drifting in the background, kinda how I was in high school. But I tried to get out of my comfort zone and talk to more people. There were some awkward moments though. I don't really know these people that well anymore. With a few people we get through the standard questions and then not know what else to talk about. There would be an awkward pause and then "Well, it was great seeing you." Awkward!
How was the evening painful you might ask? I wore heels from 2-10 pm today. My feet were killing me!
Our class president planned the reunion at a nice restaurant in town. The food was amazing. The only problem was that the patio we were on was loud. There were a lot of people in there and we could hardly hear each other. I already have a hard enough time hearing people. By the end of the evening I was feeling hoarse from having to talk so loud.
I answered and asked the same questions all evening. "How are you?" "What have you been up to?" "Where are you working?" It was a very repetitive time.
Even though I was not looking forward to this reunion I did have a fun time. It was good to see many of those people. We probably had about half of our classmates there. Not a bad turnout.

Day 25

2011-08-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Day 25 - A song

How can I just choose 1 song?!?

I really like this one.

Listen to the words they are wonderful!

I'm so thankful for what Christ has done for me!

Maybe when I'm done with the 30 day challenge I'll do a 30 day song challenge. That might be fun!

Rindercella

2011-08-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

This had to have taken a lot of practice. My dad talks like this all the time. :)

Day 24

2011-08-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Day 24 - A topic that makes you think

Yikes, it has been a long time since I posted Day 23. July flew by! June seemed to take it's time, but July...I'm not sure where it went! Now we are into August!

So, on to day 24. (so much for doing 30 consecutive days)
   This may not come to as a surprise to you, but school is what makes me think. School is most definitely on my mind right now. Day camp is done and I feel like I'm at the top of a roller coaster about to go down the first drop with school at the bottom. My stomach is doing flip flops just thinking about it. There is so much to get done and only 2 weeks to go. Along with that I'm not able to work in my room for the next two days due to the carpets getting cleaned. I am thankful to have clean carpets. And there are other things I do need to get done without being in my classroom.
   I love being a teacher. And this year is going to be the best one yet! Have I mentioned that I have my own class this year? (just thought I'd throw that out there in case you forgot - lol!)
   But seriously, teaching really does get my brain going. There are so many things to consider when teaching. The kids are all at different levels and different attention spans. What do I do about the kids who just can't sit still? How can I keep the entire class engaged in the lessons? How can I reteach a subject so the kids understand? How can I encourage the kids to LOVE to learn? When am I going to get all this grading done?
   I went in to work this morning for a while and I got all pumped up for the year. As I was driving home with a list of things to do I was thinking about my relationship with my students. There are about 5 kids in my class whom I haven't met yet. I'm so excited to meet them and get to know them! I want them to all like me, but that is not my goal. I would be in big trouble if that is what I was trying to do. More importantly I want them to learn and to love learning.
   How can I keep learning interesting?

The Magic School Bus books came to mind. I've read a few of the books and watched some of the movies. Those kids love to learn. I started picturing myself as Ms. Frizzle their kooky teacher. She is a little crazy, but she sure does make learning fun. Maybe I should get a curly orange wig. :) Thankfully I don't need that in order to keep kids interested in what we are learning in school. But as I new teacher I'm going to need a few tricks up my sleeve for those afternoons when kids don't really want to pay attention. For now I'll plan a lot of hands on activities, but I think I'll stay away from dresses that have patterns relating to what we are learning, just don't think I'm that dedicated. :)

Uh-oh

2011-07-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

So my sink started making a strange gurgling sound just a little bit ago. Sounded exactly like the bubbles from a large water dispenser (you know the ones I'm talking about?) I kept going over there to see what it was. Then Paul, my landlord, came over and asked me if something had overflowed. Apparently there is water running down the wall (not sure how fast) downstairs in the garage.
Oh dear.
I don't think it could have been anything I've done.
I hope not.

Poor Paul. Now he is downstairs hammering away at the drywall so he can find the leak.
Goodness.
Never a dull moment.

4th of July

2011-07-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

I had such a wonderful 4th of July weekend. As you may have read, my trip started out with a lot of prayer as I waited to get to Seattle. When I think about it that craziness really helped me rely on God more, so it really was a blessing.

It was so nice to actually have a vacation. Don't get me wrong, I love my summer job, but everyone needs some sort of vacation. And let me tell you, it was wonderful.

On the first day my friend Lindsay had to work so I was "stuck" at her house. It was so nice to be able to have a cup of coffee, spend time in God's word and just take my time in the morning. I loved it. A little before lunch time I went for a walk. This is what I found.

Isn't that a beautiful view?! And there was more to it than just that. There was no one around. All I had was the view, the sound of a lawn mower and laughter from down on the beach. Even with the sounds it was a peaceful time with Jesus. I was struck by how awesome God is while I was looking out at the water. I really needed that time to get my focus in the right place.

The rest of the day was spent being lazy. Awww gotta love vacation.

On Saturday Lindsay took me over to see her brother and his family. It was so nice to reconnect with them. Their kids have grown so much and they have another one on the way.

After our visit Linds and I met our friend Ali at a marina where we walked around a farmers market and later on a pier.

This is where we got a little sunburned. Oops! Didn't even think we were out there that long.

Then came the long awaited moment. Meeting Jeff. Jeff was actually one of the main reasons why I went up to Seattle. I had to meet the guy who was marrying one of my best friends! I would have felt a little funny being in the wedding and meeting him the day before. I'm sure that has been done before, but I didn't want to do that.

Jeff is ok. I guess.

Haha! Just kidding! He is great and I can tell that he loves Lindsay a lot. I am so happy for the two of them. I'm looking forward to being a part of their wedding in September.

Sunday and Monday were a lot of fun. After church we drove out to Jeff's family's beach house/cabin. I'm not sure what to call it. It was a beautiful place and I'm not sure why I didn't take a picture of it. Those two days were filled with jet-skis, kayaks, swimming (some of it voluntary - lol), bbq, fireworks, digging for clams, beautiful stars, bocce ball and a lot of laughter. I had such a great time. I'm really glad I was able to go.

Jeff & Lindsay

Ali and I kayaking

God has blessed me so much with so many great friends. I love that even though I don't talk to them or see them too often I'm still able to pick up as if we had seen each other yesterday. God is so good.

Day 23

2011-07-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

Day 23 - A Meme
Meme? What is a meme?
I had to google it. This is the definition that made the most sense to me.

Meme - An idea that self-reproduces like a virus; a catchphrase or concept, or other unit of social currency. Example: "Where's the beef?"

Well, I like the example they gave in the definition, but I can't use that one. The only thing I can think of is "Good Grief" from the Peanuts cartoons. A lot of people relate that phrase to Charlie Brown. I say it all the time and the kids I work with usually remind me that Charlie Brown says it too.

Do this count?

"Are you ready for some football?"
Everything I think of has to do with TV. Does that tell you something? I watch way too much tv.

Can you think of a Meme?
I'm sure you can come up with a better one than me.

Travel Adventures

2011-07-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I flew to Seattle, Washington to visit my friend Lindsay.
I have to tell you I didn't think I was going to make it here. A friend gave me a guest pass to use with Alaska Air which made the flight very (!) affordable. I am so thankful for that ticket from her.
The hard part of the ticket was that I was flying standby and there was a chance that I wouldn't make it on the flight. The flight from Santa Rosa to Las Vegas wasn't hard to get on. There was enough room for me.
The flight from Vegas to Seattle was the one I was nervous about. I had a 2 hour layover there and was number 5 or 6 on the standby list. The flight was full. Oh boy. My coworker, Patti, was really nervous for me. She gave me her sister's number in case I got stuck in Vegas. I guess her sister lives close to the airport there. It got to the point that I thought I was going to have to call her.
The plane ended up having a mechanical problem and the flight was really delayed. The lady at the desk told me that I probably wouldn't get on the flight unless people started leaving the flight because it was so late. She also told me that the following flights to Seattle were full.
I sat close to the desk and saw several people make other plans because of the delay. I was praying the entire time. "Ok, Lord, I'm trusting that no matter what happens You will take care of me. Please let me get on this flight."
They were boarding.
The line was gone and they were calling for people who hadn't boarded yet. Then they started calling people from the standby list. "Please, Lord." The lady started calling names quickly looking for people who were waiting. Finally she called my name. I probably looked like someone on a game show. Hahaha! "That's me!" I yelled as I ran up to the desk. They had to reopen the gate door to let me on! Yikes! Talk about last minute! Thank You Lord!
As flustered as I was I don't think I'd mind flying standby again, but I think I'd prefer it to be a direct flight so that I'd be stuck at home if it didn't work out.

So there you have my adventure. I hope the trip home is a little easier. :)

Day 22

2011-06-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

Day 22 - A thing you do everyday
As I'm thinking about this I'm realizing that there are somethings I do everyday and that I shouldn't. For instance watch tv. I wish I could say that I read my Bible everyday, but I'm working on that one.

I guess the thing I'm the most consistent at everyday is drinking coffee. Hahaha! I'm turning into my dad! The only time I don't drink coffee is if I don't have creamer when I make coffee at home. I love drinking coffee. I haven't had any yet today, but I'm thinking I'll get some while I have a layover on my trip today.

Have a good day!

Day 20

2011-06-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Day 20 - A picture of my "crew"

I have several "crews" one from high school, 2 from college and one from now. I couldn't just choose one of them to post about so I did them all. :) Unfortunately I don't have a picture from high school on my facebook. I guess I need put a few up soon.

My Chorale "Crew"

My Dorm "Crew"

My Santa Rosa "Crew"

Day 21

2011-06-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

So I'm skipping day 20 (a picture of my "crew") because I'm not at my home computer so I don't have any pictures available. If I have time I'll pull some off of facebook, but I'm currently waiting for kids to show up at day camp. Once someone gets here I have to log off.

Day 21 - A dream I had recently

I'm not that great at remembering my dreams. I usually remember only bits and pieces and they are usually very weird. The last one I remember had to do with a snail. All I can remember is Danika holding a really, I mean really, long snail and she was flinging it around. I was totally grossed out, which is probably why I remember it.

This dream stems from two things. The first being that when Danika was little we found her in the sandbox with her finger in a snail and a very zoned out look on her face. NASTY! Secondly, I saw a ton of snails outside a friends house a few weeks ago. Again I say Nasty!

I wish I had a more exciting dream to share, but that's it and there is a kid here now so I have to go.

Have a great day!

Day 19

2011-06-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

A Recipe

This is one of my favorite recipes that I use. My family loves it when I make it. I actually found it on allrecipes.com. You should try it! It is easy and tastes SO good!

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup cooking sherry

Directions

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.
In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Day 18

2011-06-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

A Thing You Are Afraid Of

Oh, I am most definitely afraid of falling. It doesn't matter if I'm on the top of a cliff (which I never am, thankfully) or roller skating (fell once and broke my wrist). I get really paranoid about falling. I'm really funny to watch jump on a trampoline because I hardly relax. When I think about falling I get major knots and/or butterflies in my stomach.

I've had many dreams where I'm falling and I wake up with a start.

Interesting that one of the things on my 30x30 list is to go on a hot air balloon ride. Hmmm. I still want to do it. :)

Day 17

2011-06-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Day 17 - A Secret

Well, if I told you a secret then it wouldn't be a secret anymore!
I really don't have any good secrets to tell. How boring am I?!?
Seriously, I'm sitting here trying to think of something and there is nothing good.

I guess I'll go on to the next post.

Day 16

2011-06-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

Day 16 - A picture you took

Dani's favorite thing to do. I love her reflection in the water.

Day 15

2011-06-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

Day 15 – A wish

I wish I had a craft room in my house. The room would have lots of storage for all of my supplies, visible shelving for my fabrics, a good amount of counter/surface space to have multiple projects going at the same time, a place for my sewing machine (and if I had a craft room I would have a really good sewing machine), a bulletin board for inspirational picture, and a good sized table for laying out and cutting fabric. Oh what a wish. As of right now most of my craft stuff is in boxes under my bed. Who knows. Maybe someday my wish will come true. (Can you hear Jiminy Cricket singing right now?)
Here are some good ideas for craft rooms and craft room accessories:

_____________________________

On a side note: I also wish that I didn't have to do work today. Had a situation yesterday that has to be dealt with today. Please pray it goes well. I'm sure it will all turn out well, but I'm feeling anxious.

Day 14

2011-06-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Day 14 – A bad habit

I'm sure I have a lot of bad habits, but one of them for sure is that when I'm bored or feeling a little down in the dumps I tend to go shopping.
Thankfully half of the time I don't really find anything to buy. But there are times when I end up buying things I don't need (I'm confessing, mom). The good thing is that I'm working at training myself not to do this anymore. For one thing, when I'm bored there are definitely things that I can be doing around my apartment. (I should be doing those things right now) And when I'm feeling "down in the dumps" (usually because I'm overtired and therefore rather emotional) I really need to seek comfort in God. At times like these the random shopping doesn't make me feel better, but when I go to Scripture my focus is brought off of myself and onto Christ. That works so much better than any spending does.

Day 13

2011-06-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

Day 13 – A list of favorite memories.

I like this one :) Some memories are from a long time ago and others are very recent. They are in no particular order.

walks with my mom last summer

playing with Tara during summers when we were kids

Danika at Disneyland

1st time I held Danika

singing in Carnegie Hall

golf cart drive in the woods by the lake in Wi

laughing with ladies at the women's retreat

Alfred Hitchcock marathons with Kelley

walks with Steph

getting hired as the 3rd grade teacher (!)

watching old tv shows late at night with Julie at Grandma Humphreys' house

watching my dad act like Jerry Lewis

Christmas lights turning on for the first time each year

Grandma Bice's humming

building snowmen in Grandma and Grandpa's front yard

when my science lesson backfired, while I was student teaching and my advisor was observing (funny story for later)

Day 12

2011-06-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

Day 12 – A thing that worries you

Ok, why did I decide to do this silly blog challenge? It is making me write about things I don't want to write about. Insecurities and things that worry me. Good grief.
I know that I worry about things more than I should. One of the verses I quote the most is from Matthew 6. "Do not be anxious about your life..."
One thing that I tend to worry about is being late. Just ask my family. I think I drove them nuts when I was growing up. I've been like that for as long as I can remember. In the last year or so I've gotten a little more relaxed in being on time for thing. In high school I didn't want to be late because I didn't want a lot of attention drawn to me. My parents used to give me a hard time about it as they should have. I was a little ridiculous. Now when I'm running late I just have to remind myself that I'm not the only one who has been late to something and it isn't the end of the world.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Pottery Studio

2011-06-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love going to the pottery studio! I don't go very often, but when I do I have such a great time. It is a little stressful at first, but once I get going on a project it is usually (emphasize the usually) smooth sailing. I really find the time there relaxing. I could go with a group of friends or even just be there alone and feel happy.
This is one of my recent projects from the Pottery Studio. I did it quite a while ago and forgot to post it on my blog. So here I am finally getting around to it. This project took a long time. I started by drawing it on the mug in pencil and then went to town with the colors. The black was the last thing and that took a long time too. I ended up having to make two trips to finish it up. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with it. I'd like to keep it, but it would be a fun gift too.
I currently have a plate waiting to be picked up. I'm a little nervous about how it turned out. That is the harder part is knowing how the finished product will look. I get a little paranoid about that.
In the several times I've visited the pottery studio the same lady has been working there. I know her by name and she knows my face (she'd probably remember my name if I went a little more often). I've chatted with her several times and asked her opinion on my paint colors. I've really been convicted lately that I'm kinda stuck in a Christian bubble and this lady has been an answer to my prayers. I'm pretty sure she is not a believer. And I don't think it is by accident that she is there every time I go in to paint something. I don't know what God is going to do, partly because I know I can't afford to go there every week. But I'm excited that there may be an opportunity to share Christ with this woman. If you think of it pray for Sue. I might just have to make the pottery studio a little part of my monthly budget. Who knows.

Day 11

2011-06-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

It has been several days since I've posted. I have a good excuse though. School ended and Day Camp started within one week. I've been running around like a crazy person trying to get things finished and started. My brain is so confused. But today I finished up my school stuff so now I can be in Day Camp mode. I will be thinking about school throughout the summer though, but that is ok. Of course I'll be thinking about teaching my own class!

On to other things.

Day 11

An Actor

I have a lot of favorite actors and actresses. There are some really talented people out there. One of my favorites right now is Nathan Fillion. There are two characters that he has played that I really like. One of them is from the SciFi show Firefly. I make my dad proud when I say that there are some sci-fi shows and movies that I do like to watch. Firefly is one of them. Nathan Fillion plays the captain and I really like him on the show.
The show he is currently in is Castle. I love this show! Fillion plays an author who follows around an NYC police detective in order to write a novel. It is such a fun show. His character is funny, obnoxious, and sweet at times. I have a few more episodes to watch in order to finish the season. That might just be on the agenda for the weekend.

Reading

2011-05-31T07:01:00.000-07:00

So I've decided that since it is summer I'm going to do a lot of reading. The book I recently picked up is The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. My mom has read all of the Mrs. Pollifax books so I thought I'd give it a try. It is a really fun book. I'm not even half way through the book, but I really like it. It is about this widow with grown children who decides she needs to do something interesting with her life. So she goes to the CIA and volunteers to be a spy. Surprisingly she ends up in Mexico City on a simple mission, but everything goes wrong. It is definitely an older book, but I like it anyway. I'm just excited to be reading for fun! I'll let you know what book I'm going to read next. My goal is to read books so that I can keep up with my 30 by 30 list.
Have a nice day!

Day 10

2011-05-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

An insecurity

I have to be honest. I'd really like to skip this one. Lol, I think I feel insecure writing about this. :) Does that count? One of the books on my list to read is "So Long, Insecurity" by Beth Moore. I haven't had time to read it yet, but I know I will benefit from it. A LOT!
One of my insecurities is how I look. I have several pounds to lose so it is hard for me to feel confident in how I look. I'm constantly looking for clothes to make me look skinnier or checking in the mirror to make sure I look ok. I also get really insecure about how I look when I'm not exactly sure how I am supposed to dress for an event. Just recently my sister can attest to this. I get a little nervous about being over or underdressed. Usually I'm just fine, but once I get the idea in my head it is hard to get it out.

The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16:7

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. - Psalm 139: 13-16

The context of the first verse is when the Lord is telling Samuel whom to choose to be the new king of Israel. It is such a good reminder to me that God doesn't see me the way I see myself or the way other people see me. He knows my heart and that is what makes me beautiful to Him. In Psalm 139 I'm reminded that God made me just the way I am. God is perfect, He doesn't make any mistakes. Now I do know that I need to be healthy and work on my weight some, but it shouldn't be something I'm insecure about because God thinks so much better of me.

Stalling

2011-05-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know what I should be doing right now and I don't want to do it. I really don't like cleaning my apartment, which is why it is a disaster area right now. I should have caution tape outside my door in case anyone were to come by. "Caution... messy apartment! Cleaning in progress!"
So in order to stall just a little longer I'm going to make a to do list for the rest of the day. You've gotta have a plan right?

Here's what I'm going to do:

Straighten up apartment

Vacuum apartment

Cut fabric for apron

Iron pieces for baby quilt

Make dinner

Read a few chapters in a book

Hopefully I'll be able to report back later telling you all (all 3 readers) that I've made some accomplishments today. Have a lovely day!

Day 9

2011-05-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

A show

As I think about my favorite shows this one is definitely at the top of my list. I could watch this show all the time. I own the first 2 seasons and it doesn't matter how many times I watch it I still laugh hysterically in all the same places. Shawn and Gus are such a great duo.
I think I might just have to watch a few episodes sometime today.
If you haven't seen it you should. It isn't your average detective show. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Day 8

2011-05-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

Day 08 - A pet peeve

Because school just got out that is fresh on my mind. So my pet peeve has to do with school.
I really, really, really dislike tattling. And you must know that working with elementary students this happens a lot.

Sarah's not standing in line quietly.
Bobby cut in front of me.
Henry's not sitting down while he's eating. (Jen, I used that name just for you :)

Those are just a few examples. Sometimes the tattling is for good reason and other times it is ridiculous. I try to not get annoyed when this happens. I remind the kids to tell me when someone is in danger not to try to get them into trouble. I also tell them to remind the other student of what they should be doing and then let them make the right or wrong choice. And other times I just say, "Ok, thanks for letting me know." Some kids will walk away just feeling content that they've done "their job" while other kids will look at me waiting for me to scold the other child. Kids are so funny sometimes.

Day 7

2011-05-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

Day 07 – A picture of you when you were little.

Yes, it is random that I'm holding a banana in this picture, but I still like the picture.

Day 6

2011-05-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

Day 06 – A blog

I guess I'm supposed to talk about a blog that I read. How on earth am I supposed to pick just one of the blogs that I follow? I use Google Reader to follow most blogs, all except for the ones that my friends set up as private. I follow friend's blogs, art blogs, photography blogs, teaching blogs, cooking blogs, craft blogs, quilting blogs, and Christian blogs. I know I'm a little strange in all the blogs I like to look at. My sister makes fun of me for the amount that I follow. But I really like it. :) So there!

Ok, so if I were to pick one blog to talk about right now it would be... I have to go through them to figure it out.

One that i like to look at sometimes is the Cake Wrecks blog. This blog is so much fun to look through and read. Some of the cakes they get pictures of are hilarious! But not only that there is the running comments by the authors. Sometimes they really get me laughing. Another thing I like about it is that on Sundays they post pictures of cakes that are really done well. Often they show cakes I've seen on the Food Network, but most of them are cakes from other places. Some people are so talented when it comes to decorating cakes. Wow. And as seen on the Cake Wrecks blog, some cake decorator really need some help. Thankfully I think I'm somewhere in between. :)

Day 5

2011-05-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

Day 05 – A person you miss

I know, I skipped a few days, but that is because I spent the weekend in Calistoga babysitting and the family's computer is super slow. So here I am back at my 30 day blog challenge. I tend to not finish things I've started so I'm feeling very determined to finish this blog challenge.

There are several people that I miss. Some that are with the Lord and others who are just far away. Lately I've been thinking a lot about my good friend Kelley. She lives in Sac and I haven't seen her in ages, something I'm hoping to fix this summer. She and I have been close since jr high. We went to the JC together and for those 2-3 years we were inseparable. We loved being spontaneous, having Hitchcock marathons, watching American Idol, and shopping. After we both finished at the JC she moved to Sac to finish college and I went down to Masters. After a year in Sac she got married and now has two beautiful children. Her family keeps her busy so we don't get to talk too often. But part of that is to blame on me too. Lately I'm feeling like a chicken with my head cut off. (I think I need to schedule a day at the spa) Anyway, Kelley has always been such a great friend to me. She is one of those friends of mine that even though I don't see her often we are able to pick up where we left off. I love that. Last time I saw her she was calling me Auntie Jamie so her daughter would catch on to it. So special.

Day 4

2011-05-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Day 04 – A goal

First of all I'm excited that I can say I've met a goal recently. Next year I'll have my own class to teach. I know that is what my posts have been about lately.

So now my goal is to clear my California Teaching Credential. California is such a goofy state when it comes to teachers. There are major requirements for someone going into the teaching profession. I did a lot of work while I was getting that credential after college. But the strange thing is that I'm not done. All I have is a preliminary credential. Now that I'll have my own class I have to do work to clear my credential. It is going to be a lot of work, and I'm hoping to get it done in 1 year. I think the frustrating thing is that a lot of what I'll be doing is things I did while I was working on my preliminary credential.

The good thing about a California Teaching Credential that is cleared is that it is pretty much good in every state. Because California is so strict other states will take it with only a few other requirements. I have no idea where God is going to lead me in the future, so it is nice to know that my career will be able to go almost anywhere.

Day 3

2011-05-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Day 03 – A thing thats on your mind.

Ok, let's see, what is on my mind.
There are a few things that are on my mind right now.

People trying to set me up with guys - sometimes an awkward experience - Something that occurred tonight.
Summer Day Camp
School ending in a week.

Honestly I don't really want to talk about being set up at the moment. I'll have to save that for another post. So I'm going to go with school ending in a week.

Oh my goodness!!! School is over in a week! Yikes! Can I just say that I have so much to do?! This has been a great school year. I love my students, even the sometimes obnoxious jr high students. I will miss having these students, but I'm excited for my new class of 3rd graders next year. It is going to be so much fun to have my own class next year. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to do. I'm really hoping that I can get super organized over the summer so that the school year goes relatively smoothly. :) I know there will be glitches here and there but I really want to start out strong. This will be my first year teaching on my own.

So what I need to do now is to make a list of the things I need to do before and right after school gets out. I need the visual of crossing things off the list. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something. :)

Day 2

2011-05-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

Day 02 - A hobby

I have a lot of hobbies. Part (only part) of the reason why my apartment is messy most of the time is because I have so much stuff for my different hobbies. I'm not sure where to put it all.

I'm kinda funny with my hobbies too. I'll be committed to one hobby for a few weeks and then switch to another one. Thankfully I pretty much go in a rotation. It would be bad if I picked new hobbies all the time. Then I'd need a bigger apartment. :)

My current hobby in the rotation is sewing. I really enjoy sewing. I haven't done anything overly complicated but I like what I have done. The apron is the newest thing I've sewn and I have fabric to make more of them. I've made several baby quilts for my friend's new babies and my niece when she was born. I think it is such a nice gift to give someone.

I especially love sewing on rainy days when I'm stuck at home. It just feels like a cozy hobby to me. My dream would be to have a spare room to just have all of my sewing and craft stuff in. That would be so nice.

Blog Challenge - Day 1

2011-05-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for things to blog about. I love blogging even though I don't think I'm that good at writing. There are a lot of ideas for blog challenges all over the internet.

Here is one I found that looked interesting to me.

Day 01 – A paragraph about yourself.
Day 02 - A hobby.
Day 03 – A thing thats on your mind.
Day 04 – A goal.
Day 05 – A person you miss.
Day 06 – A blog.
Day 07 – A picture of you when you were little.
Day 08 - A pet peeve.
Day 09 – A show.
Day 10 – A insecurity.
Day 11 – A actor.
Day 12 – A thing that worries you.
Day 13 – A list of favorite memories.
Day 14 – A bad habit.
Day 15 – A wish.
Day 16 - A picture you took.
Day 17 – A secret.
Day 18 – A thing your afraid of.
Day 19 – A recipe.
Day 20 – A picture of your “crew”.
Day 21 – A dream you had recently.
Day 22 – A thing you do every day.
Day 23 – A meme.
Day 24 – A topic that makes you think.
Day 25 – A song.
Day 26 – A thing you want to do before you die.
Day 27 – A thing that makes you mad.
Day 28 – A quote.
Day 29 – A place that gives you wanderlust.
Day 30 – A future.

------

Day 1 -
I have to be honest. I don't like writing about myself. But here I go anyway.
The first thing I have to say about myself is that I'm a Christian. I live in Santa Rosa, CA, which is my hometown. I love Santa Rosa, but there are times I would like to move away, usually during allergy season. :) I love spending time with my family and friends. In my spare time I love reading, sewing, quilting, watching movies, shopping and hanging out at coffee shops. I'm a teacher and I'm super excited to teach 3rd grade next year.

Exciting Times!

2011-05-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

So many exciting things are going on in my life right now! I can't believe it has taken me this long blog about it. Ok, where to begin? I'm totally a list person, so I'll make you a list. :)

Next year I'm teaching 3rd grade!! I've been waiting and waiting to tell people this and I finally can! I've been waiting to teach my own class at RVC and that waiting has paid off. I've loved my 3 years of teaching/aiding at Rincon, but my heart's desire has always been to have my very own class to teach. God has taught me so much during those 3 years and I know that I still have a lot to learn, but I'm super excited about next year. One of the blessings is that I know the kids who will be in my class pretty well. I worked with them in Kindergarten as well as this year while they've been in 2nd grade. I already know many of their strengths and weaknesses, which will give me a great head start for next year.
One of my dear friends got engaged a few weeks ago! I'm so excited for Lindsay and Jeff, who will get married in September. I'm going to be her maid of honor! (Another reason to be excited) I am a little sad that I won't be near her to help her with the planning of her wedding. The Lord has blessed me with several people whom I would call my best friends and Lindsay is one of them. I'm excited that the Lord has brought this man into her life!
School is almost out! This is exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. There is a lot to do at the end of the school year. But I know that God will give me the strength I need to get everything done. School being out also means that Day Camp is starting soon. We have a few new families for this summer and several returning. It will be great to see how God uses us this summer in these families' lives. Many of them don't know Christ so this is a huge witnessing opportunity.
My birthday is tomorrow! That is always exciting. :) Just going to spend a nice day with my family. Coffee at Aroma Roasters, walk around Railroad Square (unless it is raining), and finish off with dinner at PamPosh (An Indian restaurant in town). Should be a great day!

Feeling Blessed

2011-05-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Just returned today from Mt. Gilead where my church has their women's retreat. It was such a blessing. For one thing the weather was beautiful and I was able to have a little break from my allergies. It was also nice to be able to spend time with my friends and get to know other ladies from my church. This is only my second time going to a lady's retreat and I always wonder why more ladies don't come. One of the best parts of the time there is playing games at night in the dining hall. Last night the table I was at was laughing so hard that my abs hurt. It was great! I love times like that.

But way more important than the fun fellowship is the challenges and encouragement in my walk with the Lord. This year's speaker was Marlean Felix. She was wonderful. I'm still processing all that I learned. She spoke on Becoming a Woman of Radiance.

Here are a few things I got out of her teaching time:

Don't be paralyzed by the fear of what will happen next. Smile at the future because God is in control.
It is a lie when we say we don't have time to be in God's Word.
We need to continuously be praying for God to order our footsteps because we are prone to wander.

That is only a little of what I got out of the teaching time. I have been challenged so much.

During one of the teaching sessions Marlean brought up a song that I absolutely love and I've had the song stuck in my head ever since.

Don’t Let Me Lose My Wonder - by Keith and Kristyn Getty

I’ve seen days melt into nights in circles of lights,
I’ve watched a spider spin a star between the window box flowers,
I’ve heard you laugh and cry in a single sigh,
And a story form within.

Don’t let me lose my wonder,
Don’t let me lose my wonder.

I saw her broken dreams inside but helping others fly,
I saw his eyes without a doubt though other lights faded out,
And though her calling roared,such graciousness poured
From the vision of her soul.

Don’t let me lose my wonder,
Don’t let me lose my wonder.

A baby cried through the dark beneath a jeweled spark,
I knew Your voice upon the hill and heard my lostness still,
I found my home in the light where wrong was made right
And You rose as the morning star.

Don’t let me lose my wonder,
Don’t let me lose my wonder.

I'm so thankful for the time I had out there this weekend. And I'm praying that I will continue to grow in Christ from what I learned during that time.

Biggest Loser people spotted in Safeway!

2011-05-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Had to run to Safeway around 9:00 tonight. Something I usually avoid doing because I know it would scare my mom. Tonight while I was in the produce section there were only two other people there. I looked at the lady and thought to myself "How do I know her? I totally recognize her. Did I take a class with her at the jc? I don't think so." Hmmm...

After finding what I needed I looked back at her again and realized that she was from the Biggest Loser!! Then I looked at the guy with her and he was too! It was Ashley and Koli from season 9!
Koli and his cousin Sam were my favorites that season.

Do I even need to say that I was excited?! I didn't say anything to them, but it still made my day.

Now I want to keep shopping at that time! Who else can I run into?

#15 - New sewing project

2011-04-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

I can now check another item off my 30 x 30 list!! I just sewed something that I can wear! I'm so excited!

I had a day off of work today. It was so nice. I started the day at Starbucks, read my Bible and laughed as I overheard a conversation at a nearby table. Next I had lunch with my mom and Danika. It was nice to spend that time with them.
I took my mom's sewing machine home with me and had plans of working on a quilt. I didn't get a bit of cleaning done today, but I really enjoyed my day off working on some sewing projects.
(Something I don't get to do very often)
I started out working on a baby quilt for my friend Kelley. She had her sweet baby, Jenna, almost 2 months ago and I'm still working on her quilt.
I made pretty good progress on the quilt, but when I got to the point of needing to iron I was ready to stop.
I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of ironing.
So I started on a pattern I had for making an apron. I was shocked at how easy it was to make! Even adding the rick-rack edges was easier than I anticipated! Yay! I think I'll have to make a few adjustments when I make another one but there is no problem with that.
I am so excited that I was able to make this apron in one day!
I love the fabric, and the style of the apron is so cute.

Now I just need to cook more so I can wear my new apron! :)

Ugh

2011-04-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

The only part of my apartment that is relatively clean right now is my kitchen. Thankfully I can at least say that.
Why do I have such issues with getting my place clean?
I need to plan another tea party so that I will get it clean! Who wants to come over? I got some fun new tea from Disneyland, if that entices you to come over!

Seriously though. I really need to get my act together.

The timing was hilarious!

2011-04-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

This afternoon my students and I were in the auditorium practicing for their chapel performance on Wednesday.
This class of 8 students is so silly. Sometimes it is really hard not to laugh.
This afternoon was one of those times. One of the narrators had just said her line, "The traveler stretched out his hands and said..." and instead of hearing the student say "Peace" we all heard someone pass gas, rather loudly I might add. Everyone burst into laughter. One boy immediately asked who did it, and I'm pretty sure it was him.

How am I supposed to be a composed teacher when something like that happens?
It was hilarious!
That put them over the edge and the rest of the practice didn't go so well. Oh well. Hopefully we won't have that problem on Wednesday when all their parents and peers are in the room (!).

What can I say, teaching is always an adventure!

Random

2011-04-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

A few random things from today...

Dreamt last night that I was yelling at my Jr High art class, and I'm glad it didn't come true today.
2nd grade boy winked at me today - - sorry buddy you are a little young for me.
Excited that Jen is having a boy!
Praying that the Writebol Fam gets better soon! (and that Steph doesn't get it)
I want to go to New Zealand. This is really random, but I was looking at someone's pictures from there and now I want to go.
3 days until I go to Disneyland!

Grandpa and Grandma

2011-04-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

I love looking at family pictures.

I could sit for hours with a box of pictures.

The other day I was doing just that and decided to scan a few. For some reason these two pictures have been favorites of mine for a long time. I think because it shows how goofy my family is. These are pictures are of my dad, his brother and my grandparents. These pictures are... how do you say... typical.

My Grandparents are with the Lord now. I think they are on my mind because my family is heading down south next weekend. I used to love going down to SoCal to visit my grandparents while I was growing up. We always had a great time. I'm so thankful for the time I had with them. Such fun memories. We'd usually get there really late at night and I remember my grandpa coming out of his room to give us all huge hugs. My grandma loved knitting and crocheting. I have a few things that she made for me which I will treasure forever. They both had great senses of humor as you can see from the pictures.

I miss them a lot.

Quilting Inspiration

2011-03-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

Something I've been wanting to do for a while now is make a quilt for my bed. I switched from a twin size bed to a full size several months ago and I still have a twin bed spread on it. It doesn't quite fit. It works, but it just doesn't look right.

I can't remember where I found this picture, but I love the pattern! It doesn't look too difficult to me.

I'm going to use a Moda fabric called Fandango by Kate Spain.

I love this fabric!

I'm going to use a solid cream fabric with it and brown for the trim and backing. My triangles are going to be smaller than the ones in the picture, but I think it will work.

Once I finish a baby quilt that I have ready to piece together I'm going to get started on this.

A good reminder

2011-03-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Interesting

2011-03-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

Why is it that every time I put my Neti Pot (nasal rinse) in the back of my cabinet I end up getting sick and have to dig it out again?

I should just keep it on my counter all the time just so my nose and sinuses feel threatened.

:)

So Far So Good

2011-03-08T22:52:00.000-08:00

So...I'm taking this time to tell you that I am very proud of myself right now. I don't normally think this highly of myself, but today I've accomplished something new in my life.
Today is day 7 of my journey through Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I have been doing this workout for 1 week straight!! Yay! I've never done anything like this before.
This really is such a great work out. The first couple of days I thought I was going to die from my legs hurting so badly. Just ask my students. I would moan every time I got up from my chair. Then on Friday I had a hard time keeping up with my students as we were walking to the computer lab. I felt a little pathetic as I was walking like and elderly woman. My muscles didn't know what hit them. On the 3rd day I was still sore, but not nearly as much. Today and yesterday I've felt so much better. I'm not saying the workout has gotten any easier. I'm just not as sore during the day. PTL.
I could go on and on about why I like this workout. One of the main reasons is because the exercises I'm doing aren't overly complicated. The jumping jacks and jump rope (which are probably the most well known) are what kill me the most. That is when I start yelling at Jillian. Yes, I yell at her. Often I'm telling her to hurry up and that I hate her.
One thing I want to know is how she knows when I want to give up. Can she read minds? Right when I'm ready to give up or take a break she tells me to keep going and not give up. Those are the moments when I really want to yell at her.
I think the main reason why I'm able to keep going with this workout is that I have a few people doing the same thing. I really need that accountability. I am so determined to do 30 days in a row. As for right now 7 days is a huge accomplishment. I'm looking forward to day 10, 20, and then especially 30! I'm still thinking about what my reward for myself will be when I complete the 30 days, but I'm going to make it a good one. :)

Hats

2011-02-25T20:16:00.000-08:00

I am a person with many hats. Work is one of the places where I wear many hats. Art teacher, teacher's aid, teacher, yard duty and computer lab teacher. Goodness, sometimes I feel like I am running all over that school! I'm totally not complaining though. I love my job and it really keeps me on my toes.

Yum!

But work is not the only place where I have many hats. I have my job, but along with that I babysit, housesit and most recently I took on another hat. I'm a Tastefully Simple Consultant. So far I haven't been able to put a ton of effort into this business, but I just love the product! I went into this business with the thought of paying off my student loans a little faster. As of right now it isn't making a difference, but I'm hoping it will pick up soon. I'm trying to be a little more ambitious in getting people to book parties.

My first job as a wedding coordinator.

Now I'm wondering if I should add another hat to my collection. My wonderful friend in Seattle has been talking to me about wedding planning for a while now. A few years ago my church advertised the need for a church wedding coordinator. When I saw it I thought it would be so much fun! But nothing came of it and it left the church bulletin shortly after. It left my mind for a while and then the idea came back to me in November. I drove down to SoCal for a good friend's wedding and at the last minute became the wedding coordinator! Yikes! It was totally last minute, but I loved doing it! It made me wonder what it would be like to do that kind of thing on a somewhat regular basis.

Well, my church is looking for another wedding coordinator (at least they were, not sure if someone stepped up to the job already or not). I have a few friends at church who think I should go for it. I'm wondering if I should do it. It isn't planning the wedding, but coordinating it at the church. Oh goodness, what to do.

I'm sitting in my apartment watching "The Wedding Planner" (love that movie!) thinking how fun it would be to plan weddings. I'm not saying I want to fall in love with someone else's groom. Lol! But I love the idea of getting all the details together on the day of someone's wedding!

Sometimes I wonder if I have too many hats to wear. It would mean some extra money, but it is also pretty unpredictable. Well, it is something I'm praying about.

Peanuts

2011-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Field Trip to the Charles Schultz Museum!

Say What?!

2011-02-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

I walked into my 2nd & 3rd grade class yesterday morning dressed in jeans, a black turtleneck, and a maroon poncho. I'd just gotten done teaching my jr highers for the week and was feeling pretty good. Then one of the 3rd grade boys looked at me and told me I looked like Darth Vader today. What?!? I looked at him, very confused, and asked him to repeat what he said. Then I laughed. He continued to tell me I looked like Vader during the day and kept saying that I freaked him out.

Some people might be offended by this, but I know my students

pretty well. They are THE goofiest group of kids! The 3 boys in the class, yes there are only 3 boys, are always doing silly things and telling me I freak them out. I have no idea where Vader came into the picture, but apparently my reaction was enough to keep it coming.

This particular student went home and told his mother what

happened. The thought it was hilarious. He then told her that he loves me and my sense of humor. So sweet!

Sometimes I wonder if I joke around with my students too much. I wonder that and then I wonder if I should show up at school with a Darth Vader mask on sometime. Lol!

Teaching is definitely an adventure! I wonder what will happen next!

Clouds

2011-02-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

As I was driving home this evening there was a huge cloud in the sky.

This was no ordinary cloud. It had sunshine streaming out from around it.

I love seeing clouds with sunshine coming out of them and around them.

They remind me of how great God is!

Not only that but they make me think of heaven.

I don't know about you, but I don't think about heaven enough. I get really busy in my everyday life and forget all about how my life will be when Christ returns. As much as I love my family and friends, and want to be married with my own family I know that heaven is going to be so much better! I will be spending all of my time Christ!

I'm so thankful for the daily reminders of my Savior.

New Hat

2011-02-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

Julie gave me this cute hat and a matching scarf for Valentine's Day.

I love it!!

She made the hat and my mom made the flower.

It is so cute!

Happy Birthday Lindsay!

2011-02-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Lindsay!

I'm so thankful for you. Praying that you have a wonderful day and a fantastic year! I look forward to visiting you sometime, hopefully soon. We need an updated picture. :)

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

2011-02-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

I am so blessed to have you as a friend!

I hope that you have had a wonderful birthday!

Chair

2011-02-05T20:18:00.001-08:00

I actually had a day without plans today. It was nice. So I started working on a project.

I got this director's chair for free on the side of the road and it has been sitting on my deck waiting for a few free weekend. So today I went out and got some sad paper and started my project.

It isn't easy to see, but I did sand it. The next step is to paint it. Not sure when my next free weekend it, but I'm looking forward to painting this chair. I already have the fabric cut to make the seat and the back of the chair, but I still have to sew it.

I love weekend projects!

30 by 30 - checking in

2011-02-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

I'm excited because I can cross off some items from my list. So I thought I'd post it. :) I am also going to make a few minor adjustments to the list. For instance, I'm going to try calling my Grandma once a week instead of writing to her. I realized that would work better for her.

Italicize things are ones that I am working on.
And crossed out items are done!

Read through the entire Bible
Donate my hair to Locks of Love (I'm growing it out at the moment)
Publish a cookbook of my Grandma's recipes
Read through the books on my bookshelf that I have not read
Draw one sketch each day for 30 days in a row
Make a quilt for my bed (I bought some of the fabric)
Walk in a half-marathon
Take a cooking class
Loose 20 pounds and keep if off for 6 months
Make a Christmas quilt (I started cutting out the pieces a while ago and haven't picked it up in a while)
Visit Yosemite
Eat at the Melting Pot
Cook through an entire cookbook
Visit another country (other than the ones I've been to)
Sew something I can wear (been looking for a good pattern)
Publish a children's book
Stick to my budget for two months in a row (I hope after 2 months it will be easy to stick with it for a long time)
Go on a hot air balloon ride (I looked at some prices and I'll have to save up for a while)
Visit the Grand Canyon
Call my Grandma every other week
Clean out my Gmail inbox to zero
Have a picture taken of me that I really like
Visit a winery in Sonoma County
Sing with someone famous (not sure if that is realistic or not)
Go to the middle of nowhere at look at the stars
~~Get a massage~~ (it was wonderful!)
Learn to play the piano so I can sing while I play
Make a pie from scratch
Take a flower arranging class
~~Host a tea party at my apartment~~ (had a lovely time)

Yay! I crossed off two things! And I have several things in progress!

# 30

2011-01-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

Another thing to check off of my 30 by 30 list!

A few weeks ago I hosted my first (of hopefully many) tea party at my home. It was lovely.

Three of my wonderful friends came over. We had scones, some tea sandwiches and tea of course.

For dessert we had chocolate moose with strawberries in a chocolate cup.

It was yummy, if I might say so myself. :)

Now I do realize that there are no pictures of people, but you'll just have to take my word on that one. I forgot to get my camera out until after they left. Oops!

My goal is to host at least one Tea a month. I want to invite the ladies I work with next. Unfortunately my apartment isn't very big so I'll only be able to invite a few of them at a time, but I know it will be fun.

I'm so excited to cross another thing off my list!

a little crumbly, but very tasty scones


I found a cute chocolate mold at a craft store.

Teas I found at Cost Plus World Market.

Day off

2011-01-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

It was so nice to have Monday off of school. Unfortunately Julie still had to work. But we tried to make the most of it as a family. We met up with Julie downtown and walked over to Sift for some delicious (!) cupcakes. Just in case you don't know. Sift is a recent winner of Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. I've only been there a few times, and I love it. This last time I had a Samoa cupcake that tasted just like the Girl Scout Cookie. Yum!

Julie had to go back to work and I decided to give my parents a little time at home without Dani. We drove over to Howarth Park, fed the ducks (illegally -- oops!), walked on the trail, and played on the playground. It was a gorgeous day and we had fun just the two of us.

Love this verse!

2011-01-19T21:18:00.000-08:00

Matthew 6:25-31
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

# 26

2011-01-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

I've finally been able to start checking a few things off of my 30 by 30 list! Yay!

#26 - Get a massage
Over Christmas break I went and got a massage. It was so nice and relaxing. I could totally get hooked on having them if I had enough money. Someone gave me a gift certificate for my birthday (in May) to Massage Envy. It took me long enough to use it.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Financial Peace University

2011-01-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

About a year ago my sister and I took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class at her church. It was such a good experience. I learned a lot and Julie has been really good about keeping me accountable. I got a lot out of the class, but I am most definitely a work in progress.

Before Christmas my church announced that they were going to offer the same class on Sunday evenings. I knew right away that I needed to take it again. One of the huge benefits to this class is that once you have paid for it you can take it as many times as you want. That totally benefits people like me. You know, the people who have to hear something at least 3 times to actually understand it.

Tonight was the first class and already I am feeling motivated to do well financially. There were things in tonight's lesson which I had written down in my book last year that I most definitely did not follow through with and I am kicking myself for that. I could have been way ahead of where I am now.

Here are some of the things I took out of tonight's lesson on Super Saving:

Saving must become a priority - saving money will help me to feel content more than spending it will.
Use Pre-Authorized Checking withdrawals to transfer money to my savings account before I even know it is there. (and maybe don't even have that money written in my budget to begin with)
Discipline is the key ingredient to do well financially.
I MUST START NOW!!!

I was talking to a friend after the class about how Dave Ramsey really encourages us to get a $1000 emergency fund as fast as we can. This stresses her out (as it does me), but I reminded her that it is just a baby step. It isn't going to happen overnight. We have to take it one day at a time.
Sure there are people who could put $500 into an emergency fund every month, but there are others (myself included) who will only be able to put a little bit in at a time. I think the key is to make a very detailed budget and find things to cut out of your regular spending. For me, I am going to cut out Starbucks and fast food. For one thing it isn't healthy to be eating out like that on a regular basis, and it also adds up very quickly. Dave Ramsey also stresses that it takes a lot of discipline. And I think the discipline we need comes from God. We really need to be seeking God's strength in this area. It is easy to slip back into old spending habits, but God can and will give us the strength that we need.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

- Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

Friday Fav 5

2011-01-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

Asante Children's Choir - This group of children came to school this week to preform for chapel. They were amazing! It was such a huge blessing.
My parents - Thursday was a very tiring day for me and I am very thankful for the encouragement my parents were to me. I especially needed a hug from both of them and that is exactly what I got. :)
Clean water - There are so many people all over the world who don't have clean water. I am so spoiled! My tap water is even clean and I have to use a Brita filter before I drink it.
WOW - On Sundays I go to a fellowship group called Women of the Word. It hasn't been till a few weeks ago that I have realized how much I appreciate them. They are such blessings to me. Each week they ask how I am and they genuinely want to know. I also know that they are praying for me during the week. I am so thankful for them.
Good directions - This morning my friend Jen and I drove an hour and a half to go to a school spelling bee. The directions we had gotten off of google weren't very good and we got a little lost. Obviously what isn't what I'm really thankful for. We stopped at a gas station at one point and a very nice man helped me figure out where I was supposed to be. That is what I'm thankful for. :)

Look out for the Spelling Master!

2011-01-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

I did something new today.
I was the Spelling Master for a group of 22 - 6th graders.
That means I was the one to sit in front of the microphone (wish I had a picture), give the word and a sentence to the students and tell them whether they are correct of not.

I can't even describe how nervous I was to begin with! It was bad.
One of the mom's called it hyperventilating.

I prayed a lot and had several people praying for me. My voice was pretty shaky at the beginning, especially when I had to give the instructions, but after a few rounds I really became focused. I tuned out everyone except for the student standing in front of me.

I was shocked at how difficult some of those words were! Several of them I had never even heard of. Good grief!
As we were getting toward the end of the spelling bee there were several words that I mispronounced and had to correct myself. That was a little embarrassing, but what can I say, they were hard words.

In the end I had a really good time. I loved the response of the girl who won. She and a boy had been going back and forth for a while, and when she finally won she jumped in the air and had this excited look on her face. It was priceless.

I think I would like to do it again, but maybe with a younger group of spellers where the words are a little easier for me to read. :)

Student Quotes

2011-01-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

My coworkers and I do a lot of laughing at school. Working with kids can be hilarious! Here is a funny quote from today. I actually wasn't there, but heard about it after school.

During 2nd grade music the teacher was showing the class pictures of stringed instruments. When she showed them the violin she pointed out the two holes that look like "f"s. One of the boys then said, "They are like two lovers looking into each others eyes."

Oh my! I'm actually glad that I wasn't in there to hear it, because I would have been laughing so hard!!! I'm not sure how the music teacher responded, but I'm sure she did well.

Friday's Fav Five

2011-01-07T18:11:00.000-08:00

This is something I tried doing a long time ago on my blog, and I decided that I'm going to try again. It is a great way to reflect on the week and see what God is doing in my life.

Reading Scripture - this was one of my "New Year's Resolutions." So far I've been staying on track and I look forward to it every day. Yay!
One of my co-workers announced that she is pregnant! I'm so excited for her and her husband!
My students - I can honestly say that I was looking forward to coming back to school this week. I love my students and I was very excited to get back to teaching them! Thank you, Lord, for my job!
Hot coffee - It has been a very cold week. At this time in my life, part of my job is to do early morning yard duty. This means that I am outside from 7:45-8:15. Brrr. This week has been so cold. Once I get done I usually go to the office and get a nice hot cup of coffee, which warms me right up.
Hugs - Three days a week Danika goes to school, and on those days she always runs out to the playground to give me a hug. I love it. It makes my morning so nice. This morning was very cold and she was so cute all bundled up and with her little pink nose.

End of Christmas Break

2011-01-02T20:38:00.000-08:00

1. ~~Sleep in~~ - done pretty well with that one
2. ~~Read a book for fun~~ - I'm reading Inkheart, but still have a ways to go.
3. ~~Take my car in to get fixed~~ - all fixed!

4. Clean my apartment. I mean really clean! - Why is this so hard for me!!??!
5. Get through a few books I need to read for work - I started reading one of the books, but still haven't finished it.
6. ~~Get a massage~~ - amazing!
7. Finish typing out my Grandma's recipes
8. ~~Cook a few of my Grandma's recipes~~ - made my Grandma's meatballs on Christmas Eve
9. ~~Work on my Christmas quilt~~- almost done cutting out the fabric. Then I can start piecing it together.
10. Organize my Tastefully Simple business
11. ~~Clean out my closet and get rid of a few clothes that I don't wear.~~
12. ~~Read a book at Starbucks~~

Not too bad!
Back to school tomorrow. I'm generally looking forward to it, which is good. I do wish that I had a little more time to work in my classroom, but that is my own fault since I only went in once to work in my room. :o/

Stalling - Pumpkin Seeds

2011-01-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

I am so terrible. Whenever I have things to do I usually can find something else to do. I'm sure I'm not the only one and I'm sure my mom is not going to like reading this post.
So today while I had a few things that I need to get done today I decided that I needed to use up the sugar pumpkins I had. I grew them in the garden at school over the summer and fall and they've been sitting around waiting for me to do something with them. So this afternoon I baked them and pureed them. Now the puree is sitting in my refrigerator draining in cheesecloth to get the extra water out. Online I read that I could freeze it and use it for later. I think I'm going to make a pumpkin bread with some of it tomorrow night.
I also took care of the pumpkin seeds. I LOVE PUMPKIN SEEDS!!!! I went onto allrecipes.com to see how long I needed to roast them and I found a fun recipe for them. Oh! They taste just like candy! I posted it on my food blog even though it isn't one of my Grandma's recipes. I might have to get more pumpkin seeds so I can share it with other people. I might just eat all of this batch on my own. :)

Hello 2011!

2010-12-31T15:17:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that 2010 is over as of tonight. Wow! The year went by so fast!
It has been a good year. God has been so good to me. It has been a busy year and I've been able to do some fun things. I've become so thankful for my friends both near by and far away as well as my family near and far.

I'm really looking forward to 2011. I know that God is going to do some great things this year. I don't know what He has planned, but I know that He has planned it. I love having that reassurance. Seriously I don't know how people live without having the hope that Christ give us. Recently I realized that I've been taking it for granted, but 2011 is where that is going to change. I have several things on my New Years Resolutions list, but the one thing I want to do is grow in my relationship with God. And how is that relationship going to grow if I hardly spend any time with Him?! Tomorrow is a brand new year and things are going to change for me. I am feeling very determined. And I hope that I will be able to update you in a month or so and say that I have been following through with that determination.

In addition to this here are the other things I'd like to do for 2011:

Read from the Bible everyday.
Exercise twice a week.
Mail out birthday cards to my friends.
Save $1000 for my emergency fund.
Pay off my credit card from car repairs.
No tv before bed - read instead.
Have 2 Tastefully Simple parties a month.
Check my budget and spending every week.
Host a tea party every other month.
Keep up with my grading so that I'm not cramming it all in at the end of the quarter. :)

Yikes, I hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew.

Recap on Vacation

2010-12-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd check my list of what I wanted to do over my vacation and see how I'm doing. I know there are a few things that I need to do still.

1. ~~Sleep in~~ - done pretty well with that one
2. ~~Read a book for fun~~ - I'm reading Inkheart, but still have a ways to go.
3. ~~Take my car in to get fixed~~ - it is there as I'm typing this

4. Clean my apartment. I mean really clean! - Almost done! One room left to tackle!
5. Get through a few books I need to read for work - ok I haven't started this one yet. Yikes!
6. Get a massage - scheduled for Wednesday - Yes, I finally scheduled it!
7. Finish typing out my Grandma's recipes
8. ~~Cook a few of my Grandma's recipes~~ - made my Grandma's meatballs on Christmas Eve
9. Work on my Christmas quilt- almost done cutting out the fabric. Then I can start piecing it together.
10. Organize my Tastefully Simple business
11. ~~Clean out my closet and get rid of a few clothes that I don't wear.~~
12. Read a book at Starbucks - Planning on going there this afternoon. :o)

Well, not too bad. Most of them are in progress. Better get going on some of them. Only 5 days left.

Puddles...a blessing and a curse

2010-12-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

I have had quite the experience with puddles lately. And I have to say I truly have mixed feelings about them.
On the negative side, my car does not like puddles. I don't just mean any ordinary puddle. I mean the really big ones. You see when I drive through large puddles, which doesn't happen too often, my car throws a fit.
You know that belt in your car's engine? The one that controls the engine fan, water pump, alternator, power steering, and I'm sure a few other things?
Yup, that's the one. When I go through large puddles that belt come off. Not off in the sense that I lose the belt, but off in that those things in my engine are not functioning. So far this winter it has happened three times. It is really obvious when it happens too. I didn't realize how much I appreciate my power steering! My arms are killing my from when it went out this evening.
Grr! Tonight was one of those oh so lucky nights. And I realized it was the same puddle that had made it come off the time before. Yes, I'm learning. My mechanic says that it is common in the type of car I have and there isn't anything that can be done to stop it.
So, I am avoiding giant puddles.
After all that negative there are ways I am seeing how God is taking care of me.

Every time this has happened I have been close to home or work.
Someone just has to put it back on, and it doesn't cost too much money.
One of the maintenance guys at my work can put it back on for me. Thanks Shannon Guisti!
The last two times it came off I was very close to work.

God is so good!

Ok, now here is the reason why I find puddles a blessing.
Danika loves putting on her rain boots and jumping in puddles. The other day we went for a walk specifically looking for puddles to jump it. (she did all the jumping, I forgot my rain boots)
It is so much fun. Every little bit of water we saw she wanted to jump in it.
Finally we made it to a public school near my parent's house and found some good puddles in the parking lot. I think she would have stayed there all day.
So much fun!

Thank you, Lord for your many blessings and for showing me the positive in the negative. You are so good. -- Jamie

Jesus Paid it All by Kristian Stanfill

2010-12-26T12:13:00.000-08:00