Time Off

It seems I can always think of things I want to do when I am busy, but once I have a lot of time on my hands I have trouble getting motivated to do those things. I've decided to make a list of things I'd like to get done before I go back to school so I don't just sleep my holiday away nor spend too much time in front of the t.v.

1. Sew
2. Reorganize my baking cabinet
3. Read
4. Run
5. Organize Recipes
6. Spend time with friends

Grrrr!

At the beginning of the year, the teachers are asked to volunteer to sell tickets at some of the extracurricular events. I signed up to sell tickets this Friday....an early realease day....we get out at 11:50....it is the day we get out for Christmas vacation. What was I thinking?

I am so bad a calendaring. I never know the date and don't really want to remember it. I don't ever remember people's birthdays...not even my parents, siblings, nor niece or nephew.

My good friend, Jodie, who is very organized and always knows the date, decided to help me get organized. One day, we sat down and I wrote and addressed birthday cards for my family for the entire year. I have them in a book and they are filed by month.

Well, today I called my niece to tell her Happy Birthday and to see how her day was. She said, "Newt-Newt, my birthday was yesterday." I said, "I thought your birthday was the 17th." She said, "It was, today is the 18th." (An 8 year old keeps up with the date better than me.)

Grrrr. I don't think I'm ever going to get this right. Even when I remember when someone's birthday is, I don't really remember what today's date is.

Some of you practical people probably are saying... get a calendar...use Outlook....blah, blah, blah, blah. I've tried calendars and I have several... they're not working!

Grrrr!

Brace Yourself

Well, friends. I've been talking about getting braces for the last 4 years and I finally got them. I had originally planned to get them before I moved to Maryland. When I found out we might be moving, I decided to wait so I didn't have to switch doctors in the middle of treatment.

Here is a picture. Try not to laugh too hard. If any of you try to call me metal mouth I'm going to bust you in the chops!

This last week, Little Rachel got braces. I think she and I ought to have a contest to see who gets them off first. The person who loses has to buy the winner a pack of gum or some other thing that is on the list we aren't supposed to have. Are you up for it Little Rachel?

On the stage of LifePoint

I just wanted to let you guys know that the "Susie Moore Dance" is still alive and well. I've seen it performed by Lance Burch multiple times at LifePoint over the last 2 years. Just this Friday night, Lance brought the dance to the LifePoint stage once again while singing to the tune: Cobacabana. It was an amazing show. It made many laugh and some cry. Kudos to Susie for such a great dance and the impact it is having on others. You rock Susie Moore.

Running Update

It's been about a year since I first started running. I'm 4.6 miles short of running 200 miles this year.:)I plan on running tomorrow and that should put me over my 200 mile mark.

On Friday, I ran with our track team at school. Well, actually I ran "after" our track team. I'm really slow, but it was fun knowing I wasn't the only one out there running.

Daily Log

8am Woke up.
9am Went to church.
12pm Came home and had lunch with a friend. (Grilled Cheese and Potato Soup)
2pm Went running.
5pm Went to Jodie's house to eat dinner (Honey Ginger Shrimp) and to watch a movie.
7pm Left Jodie's because I fell asleep during the movie.
8pm Went home and going to get ready for bed.

Shelly's Blog

Has anyone else noticed that when you go to Shelly's blog, you can't hit the back button to go to the previous web page you were viewing. Shelly, is this your ploy to get everyone to only look at your blog? What's going on? Does this only happen on my computer?

Abbreviations

The other day I found out that a CT Scan meant a Cat Scan. So, I began to wonder, are we so lazy these days that we really have to abbreviate the word "cat"?

Blogger Board Meeting

Attention all Blogger Board Members:

There has been a motion made that Clay Walker a.k.a. YPG/Shaman/Sherpa be added as a link to my blog. The motion has been made and seconded. I'd like to open the floor for comments.

Favorite Things

My husband. Red Robin. Eating with friends. Diet Coke (no lime). Shocked some of you guys didn't I? Not the part about "my husband" being a favorite, but the part about "no lime".

One Semester of Spanish Love Song

Emotional Roller Coaster

Well, I haven't blogged in a while because I have been on an emotional roller coaster and didn't have much to say. After 12 years of being married, Jason and I finally got pregnant. We were so excited because we'd been praying for so long for it. The month before Jason and I were about to start fertility drugs I got pregnant. It was quite a miracle. However, after going to the doctor and having an ultrasound we found out that the getsational sac was empty. Somewhere along the way, the cells quit splitting and growing. Last weekend I miscarried which has sent me on a ride I had always feared. We are sad, but we see there is hope. The fact that I even got pregnant was a miracle and my doctor believes the chances are high that it will happen again.

In all of this, there are two things that I'm really glad about. One is that I'm coming out of this and so far, I haven't been mad at God. That was my biggest fear. I tried to be really honest with God about where I am and not ignore Him. Second is the fact that I've not been bitter at others who are pregnant or have children of their own. Before I ever got pregnant, I made a concsious descision to celebrate new life even if I was never to have children of my own. This decision was tested when I was at school day after I had the ultrasound and a teacher brought her newborn baby into the room where I was. Immediately, I felt sadness, but I decided in that moment to rejoice for that life that God gives.

Save the Plastic Trees!

Jason and I went to Home Depot tonight to get some parts for the lamps in our bedroom. The plastic knobs that you use to turn the lamp off and had broken and we were tired of not having enough light. As the cashier began putting our one item in the plastic bag, I said to him, "I'll just put that in my purse and save some trees...I mean... plastic." This was one of those moments where I just wanted to pretend to faint.

Texas

We've been in Texas for the last couple of weeks and our trip is winding down. I'm so glad we had a chance to see family and friends. I feel like for the past week I've been sitting and talking either in a restaurant or in someone's house trying to catch up with others. Although I've enjoyed the fun conversation, I've gotten a bit tired of just sitting. Yesterday afternoon as I was putting some laundry in the machine, I looked around my mother in laws laundry room and decided it needed some organization. I began rearranging and tossing out unwanted items (with her permission, of course) and cleaned it out. Then, I decided that what it really needed a fresh coat of paint. After about $22.00 and lots of hours, her laundry room has been transformed. I went to bed at 4am and slept until noon.

Tagged

Robert "tagged me." Since I've been away from the web, I've not had a chance to respond. I figured that the game might be over, so I'll just share about myself and not tag others.

1. My parents used to tell me not to stare at the sparks when we would see a welder, but I always looked.
2. I have a new found love for pudding. It is soooooo good.
3. I have one set of blonde eyelashes and another set of brown.
4. I love to cook recipes until I've perfected them. Once I've perfected it, I want a new challenge.
5. I'm not picky when it comes to music.
6. I enjoy watching those cheesy Disney Channel movies. I saw High School Musical the first time it was ever aired on Disney. I really enjoyed it, but was too embarrassed to say so. In fact, in the middle of the show, Jason came home. I began recording it and turned off the t.v. so he wouldn't see how cheesy of a show I was watching.
7. I need moments of silence and solitude to get recharged.

Traveling

I'm leaving for camp in the morning. Please pray for us that our lives will be changed and that we'll be more like Christ than we are now.

After camp, we're heading to Texas. Can't wait to see friends and family!

Running Update

Since last October, I've ran a total of 117 miles. Woo Hoo!

This last Saturday, my friend, Ann, and I went and ran a section of the NCR Trail. She is a marathon runner and I wanted to try her tecnique of running. When she enters marathons, she runs for 2 min. and walks for1 min. She says she can make the same time as people who run the entire thing. Well, we tried it and I ran 7 miles. I thought I only ran 6.1, but my Nike+ipod needs to be recallibrated. I checked the trail map and Ann's Nike chip was more on target than mine. I can't believe I was able to do it.

I was quite sore on Saturday and my ankles are still a little sore. I'm icing them as I write.

If I can get the money together, I am going to try and enter a virtual half-marathon. You sign up for it online and then you run with your Nike+ipod chip. You have to upload your information from your nike chip to the marathon site by a certain date and they send you a t-shirt. To me, the best part about entering the races is the t-shirt.

Cars, Cars, Cars

I love the fact that I live in an era where cars exist. I am so thankful for my cars especially the one that is paid off. However, I get so frustrated when they break down. Both of our cars need work. Grrrr. I guess I should just be glad that I have one.

My Garden

Jason, my dad and I planted a garden in the spring and it is beginning to bear vegetables and fruit. I planted tomatoes, bell peppers (green and red), green onions, spaghetti squash, cucumber. Right now on the vines I probably have 20 spagetti squash, 10-15 cucumbers and lots of tomatoes. I'm hoping all will be ready to pick before I leave for camp and Texas. I'm wanting to do some canning so the vegetable won't ruin before I leave for my trips. It would be such a waste of all that work if I can't enjoy the fruits of it.

D.C.

Last night Jason and I and the Burches all went to D.C. to meet Jimmy and Jennifer Williams for dinner. We met them at Union Station and rode the Metro to Alero's Mexican Restaurant. The food was incredible. It's the best Mexican food we've found here in MD. After Alero's, we hopped back on the Metro to Dupont Circle where we rode the tallest escalator ever. As we got to the top, we saw the "orange glow" so we decided to treat ourselves to some scrumptous, warm Krispy Kreme donuts. After the donuts, boardedthe Metro and went to walk around the White House.

It was a great evening with friends. It was great seeing Jimmy and Jennifer and catching up on things.

10 Things About My Parents' House

I love hangin' out at my parents' house. Here is a list of the things I enjoy.

1. Their kitchen always has about 4 things being cooked at a time.

2. My mom always has fresh flowers from her garden in a vase.

3. Fox News is on 24 hours a day.

4. Their garden is full of plants and flowers.

5. My mom has a mountain of projects in her sewing room.

6. Her fabric is sorted by color--even the scraps.

7. Their washing machine holds a lot of clothes.

8. There are enough books in her house to start a library.

9. Their garage has enough food to last until 2010.

10. There is a cabinet in the garage with all the soda one could want.

Friday and Saturday

On Friday, Jessica, Conner, and I went letterboxing. We didn't have much success at the established letterboxes, but Conner was determined to find some. We ended up going home and my dad hid one in the yard for us.

On Saturday, Jason, Jessica, and I went to the coast to see the Tidepools. We saw some crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers, harbor seals, and 3 grey whales. I am constantly amazed at God's creativity. He has made so many things with such order and beauty. When I get more pictures, I'll post them.

Finally a Vacation

Jason and I are here in Oregon visiting with my family. We finally got here yesterday afternoon. Originally we had planned to get here the night before, but our flight was cancelled in Newark, NJ due to weather conditions. So, Jason and I spent the night in the airport on the floor. We finally were able to get on a plane at 8am Wednesday.

I love being with my family. There is always something going on here. My mom is so industrious. She usually has 3 or 4 projects going on at once for which she usually solicits help from the rest of the family. My job was to pick the last few cherries from their cherry tree.

Here are some pictures. Keep checking. I plan on posting some more pics each day. Maybe that will make-up for the fact that I haven't blogged in a while. Now that school is out, I plan to sit down more and write.

It's Official!

I am officially a high school teacher. I am going to be a teacher at Century High School. I'm so excited about working with older kids again. Here is the website to my new school.

http://www.carrollk12.org/century/index.htm

First Dates

I got a blog idea from my friends at work. They were discussing first dates and they wanted me to take a poll from you all. Think back to a first date. How would you feel about someone paying for your first date meal with a gift card or a coupon? Now I know some of you might actually be the ones paying, so here's a question for you. If you were at a restaurant and in your wallet you had a coupon or gift card for that restaurant would you use it or save it for later? Let me know what you think.

Fend for Yourself

I used to hate the evenings when I was growing up and mom would say, "It's fend for yourself night." What this meant is that everyone had to prepare and clean up their own dinner. I always hated that because I hated cooking back then. I also used to think that making a sandwich or warming up leftovers in the microwave was cooking.

Now, I love Fend for Yourself Night. I have declared just that. I'm not cooking. Jason is off mountain biking and I am at home alone. I went for a run and cleaned up and now I'm ready for bed. I'm going to eat some cheesy grits and curl up on the couch and watch some good old fashioned t.v. I hope to be in bed by 9:30. Mmm. I love Fend for Yourself Night.

Job Interview

I went on a job interview on Friday. I am looking to transfer to a high school position. When we first came to Maryland, the only opening for a Spanish teacher in the entire county was a Middle School position. While I have enjoyed my time at the school at which I am currently, I am ready to go back to the HS level.

My interview went really well. I still don't know if I have the job....so I'll keep you posted "literally" as I find out more.

My Most Friend

Isn't this little girl a cutie.

Hillsong Concert

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a Hillsong United Concert. I have mixed feelings about the concert. So here is what I think/thought.

1. I liked their sound. I don't know how to describe it, but I liked it. ( I'm sure Todd Wright would have great descriptions of their style and such.) Not all the songs were theologically sound, but some of them were o.k.
2. We stood in line for a long time because the concert was free. Right when we go to the overflow room, they said there wasn't any room.
3. We stood in the overflow room until the people guarding the doors were out of sight---then we slipped in (all 24 of us). I'm not quite sure how 24 of us got passed them.
4. For the next 2 hours we stood in chairs at the back of the room so we could see. I am quite amazed at how they are able to dance and run around on stage and sing all at the same time. I would be way out of breath.
5. I love listening to Hillsong United on my ipod and in my car. I don't know if I'll ever go to another concert of theirs. I prefer concerts like Derek Webb where all you have to do is sit and listen. You don't have to stand because everyone in front of you is standing and jumping up and down. I think this may be the sign that I am getting old. Yikes.


Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged, but I've been sooo busy. Last weekend was Weekend 180 and my parents also came. This week I've been trying to catch up on sleep. I've been so tired.

Tonight, Jason and I went to the appreciation ceremony for the Outstanding Teacher Nominees. The student who nominated me came as well and she was so excited about coming.... maybe more excited than me. It was quite ceremonial and I felt I was at my high school end of year assembly or graduation. You gotta love those school sound systems that crackle and are muffled. They called our names and we went on stage, received a certificate, and shook a lot of hands. The best part of the night was the awesome crab dip and brownies. They chose eight finalists which will eventually be narrowed down to one. I was not chosen as one of the eight, but it's quite o.k. by me. Going on stage once was more than enough for me. I'm always scared I'm going to trip or something. Yikes.

Peanut Butter Preference

I'm a huge fan of peanut butter. I just realized that for the past 6 months I've eaten peanut butter almost everyday. Some days I've had peanut butter at every meal. You might say...what does that look like? How could someone eat peanut butter for every meal?

Breakfast: peanut butter and crackers

Snack: Trail mix (o.k. not exactly peanut butter but kind of like it once you chew!)

Lunch: 1/2 peanut butter sandwich

Dinner: peanut butter and graham crackers with fruit

I also realized that I am a peanut butter snob. I don't like Peter Pan peanut butter. I am a Jif fan for sure. What peanut butter is your favorite?

I love to shop!!!!!

Jason and I took my mom to the airport today and then we went to the mall to go shopping. Jason really needed new clothes. We cleaned out his closet this morning so we would know exactly what he needed. We didn't want to buy anything frivolous. After cleaning out the closet, we decided all he really needed was a few pairs of pants. So, after about 3 and a half hours of shopping we had bought 2 new pairs of casual slacks, 1 pair of jeans, 2 shirts, 1 windbreaker, 1 pair of biking shorts, 1 pair of wind pants (Jason loves a good pair of wind pants.), 6 pairs of socks, and a new pair of running shoes for me. I love shopping for Jason.

Good Citizens

Last night about 12:30am, Jason, my mom, and I were returning movies to Blockbuster in Hampstead. As we drove by the other stores in the shopping center, Jason sees that the glass door to Radio Shack was completely shattered. We called the cops and they came. We got to see the cop pull his gun, hide behind his car, call for back up, enter the building, etc.... It was like a real COPS episode. (Except for the fact we weren't able to see any real criminals in cuffs.) The perpetrator had already left the scene. This isn't as exciting as Kristen's story, but for the few moments we thought there might be some action, Jason and I got a pretty good adrenaline rush. However, my mom was in the backseat trying to discuss theology with us. I told her she was going to have to stop because I couldn't focus enough to hear great theological truths and take in all I was seeing.

White Christmas

My mom is visiting us this week and she mailed our Christmas presents before she came. Today I am at home because it is snowing. We had a White Christmas this morning as we opened our presents.

Teacher of the Year

One of my students or parents nominated me for Teacher of the Year. It was kind of cool to get nominated. There's a form I'm supposed to fill out if I want to have the chance to win out of all the teachers in the entire county. I haven't filled it out yet...I've been carrying it around in my purse for a week now. We'll see.

Blogger's Block

In case you haven't noticed, I've not been blogging. It's not because the desire isn't there and it isn't the lack of time---because I've had plenty of it this past week. I don't know what's happening , but I've got nothin'. I go to the computer every night and think, "Mmmm? What could I blog about?"

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of this blogger's block? Let me hear your ideas!

Snow Day!

I got to stay home today because of the snow. I have had such a restful day!!!!!!

Brushing Teeth

Tonight after brushing my teeth, Jason looks at me and says, "What's all around your mouth." I explained that the new toothpaste we have been using makes the skin (and chin) red for a little while and then it goes away. He then proceeds to laugh at me and try to figure out how I get toothpaste all on my chin. I told him everybody gets toothpaste around their mouth when they are brushing. It's normal. He disagreed and then showed me how to "neatly" brush teeth. I have to say he DID do a great job. He really didn't get any toothpaste on the outside of his mouth. Am I just a messy toothbrusher or is it normal for the toothpaste foam to escape and get on the mouth and chin?

Football

So my entire life I've hated watching football until recently. Now, I am really getting into it. However, the whole time I'm watching it, I feel like I'm doing something bad and shouldn't be enjoying myself since I've hated it for so long. How weird is that?

The Lady in My Shoe

Jason got me a ipod nano for Christmas. I was totally surprised!!!!! He also got me the Nike + for my tennis shoes. It links to my ipod and while I'm running there's a lady inside my shoe that talks to me through my ipod telling me how far I've gone and how many calories I've burned....etc. Also, if I break a personal record, Lance Armstong comes on and congratulates me.

Jason is a great gift giver!!!!!