Summer Reading Recap

My 2008-2009 school year begins tomorrow. I'm actually not dreading this year as much as I have dreaded previous years because I really love the school where I teach and the faculty with whom I teach. (It always sounds really weird not ending a sentence with a preposition. It always sounds so formal.) Anyway....where was I AT? :)

Oh, yeah. I would like to recap my summer reading.

1. The Shack (I totally agree with this guy about this book. I had so many conflicting emotions throughout the book.)
2. Blue Like Jazz (I loved this book...every word)
3. Excerpts from The Gold Chord by Amy Carmichael (I've been reading this book for about a year. It is a great book, with amazing stories about her work in India.
4. Letters by a Modern Mystic... A challenging book about living with a constant, moment-by-moment, awareness of the presence of God.
5. Real Simple Magazine (May, June, and July 2008.....This is my favorite magazine!)
6. Runner's World Magazine (June, 2008... An inspiration to run further and faster)

New York Vacation Highlights

Here is a picture from our vacation to New York. One of the highlights was when Jason, Jodie and her niece, Casey, and I were driving along this little road and we turned and saw this site from the bridge above. We stopped and climbed down to it to get some pics. It is such an amazing feeling to feel the breeze as the water rolls off the rocks into the river below. I think probably one of my favorite things in nature is a waterfall. They absolutely make me feel alive inside.

Right around the corner from here is a wonderful bakery that makes the most amazing wood-fired artisan breads. They also make the most delicious scones and cookies. We bought a lemon-ginger scone, a cranberry-walnut scone, a chocolate chip cookie, and a loaf of sourdough bread. Mmmmmmm! It was all so good.

I'm a climber!

I went rock climbing today for the first time. It was a lot of fun. If you haven't tried it, you should.

Rosemary Chicken Skewers with Berry Sauce

Here is a recipe I found on the Simply Recipes site that I haven't had the time to try, but intend on making soon. One change I think I'll make is to use lime juice instead of white wine. I'm not too much a fan of white wine on grilled chicken.

Rosemary Chicken Skewers with Berry Sauce Recipe

Ingredients
For the chicken:

4-6 boneless chicken thighs or breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), skin on or off
2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh rosemary
1/4 cup of dry white wine or vermouth
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
For the sauce:

1 3/4 cup of fresh or frozen blackberries or boysenberries
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of red currant jelly (or berry jam or jelly)
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
Method
1 Cut the chicken into 1 1/2 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Mix with the wine, oil, rosemary, and pepper. Cover and set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for one hour.

2 Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Thread the chicken onto skewers and season generously with salt.

3 Grilling Preheat the grill for direct high heat. Brush the grill grates with olive oil. Place chicken skewers on grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place on a platter and cover with foil to allow the chicken to rest.

4To make the sauce, place the marinade and the berries in a sauce pan and simmer gently until the berries are soft. Press through a strainer and discard the pulp.

5 Return the juice and marinade mixture to the pan. Add the vinegar, jelly, and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered until it has reduced by about 1/3 to a light syrup-like consistency.

Plate the skewers and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately.

Back Scratchers

What is it about a seeing a back scratcher that makes your back start itching?

Work Camp

This week, Jason and I have take 7 jr. high students to a work camp in PA. We spent the last 3 nights on the floor of a church in sleeping bags. The first night was a little rough trying to sleep, but each night has gotten better.

We've spent our days helping out at a retirement community. On Monday, we worked with the most disabled residents. Most of them have demmentia and are unable to walk or hold conversation. We took about a dozen of them outside and sat with them for most of the morning. In the afternoon, the girls and helped out with "Glamour Day" by painting the ladies' fingernails. For those that managed to stay awake during the whole manicure, they were very appreciative. Tuesday, we worked at the assisted living facility by helping out with gardening in the morning and we played games with the residents in the afternoon. Today, we worked at the independent living residents' homes pulling weeds. It has been so nice to see the empty faces light up as they see us walk down the hallway. They are so delighted to have visitors that are young and full of life.

One thing that has been in my mind this whole week has been what Jesus said to Peter in John 21. Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." I pray that I don't waste my life on things that don't matter. I want the years that I get to live to count for eternity.

Update on the Summer of the 400-page Manual

Well, the first trip of Summer is over and I'm now gearing up for camp. The last two weeks I've been in Texas visiting family and friends. Here are a few pictures of me in TX with my nephew. While I was helping them take down some old fencing, this colt kept following us.

Manual Update: I'm a 1/4 of the way through and feeling quite overwhelmed.

Stomach Virus vs. Head Cold Survey

If you had to choose between a 24hr. stomach virus or a head cold, which would you choose?

The Animal Kingdom is Going Amuck

Well, I don't know what all is going on in the animal kingdom, but things must be really bad. This morning on my way to work there was a suicide bunny and a suicide mocking bird that tried to sacrifice themselves in front of my car this morning. Also, during dinner, a kamikaze bee flew directly into my face. Not sure what's happening, but you guys might want to watch out. Things must be really bad out there for our furry friends.

I've been tagged!!!

I've been tagged in this questionnaire game by Mrs. Amy!
Here it goes:

What were you doing 5 years ago?

1. Teaching at Hudson High School
2. Working with students in Inside Out Student Ministries
3. Having the Wrights, Conns, and Burches over for homemade pizza and chocolate chip cookies.
4. Saving money to buy our first house.
5. ??? Can't remember much else.

What are 5 things on your to-do list today (not in any particular order)?


1. Run with my husband. We ran 10 miles. Whoo! Whoo!
2. Go to church.
3. Serve in the nursery.
4. Serve in Elevate.
5. Do laundry. However, I chose to hang out with friends instead.

What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

1. Triscuits and Cheese.
2. Nilla Wafers and Peanut Butter
3. Peanuts
4. Graham Crackers and Peanut Butter with Fresh Strawberries
5. Chips and Queso or Guacamole

What 5 things would you do if you were a billionaire?


1. Pay off my student loans
2. Go on more mission trips and pay for others to go as well.
3. Drill water wells in Africa.
4. Travel
5. Buy land and build a house on it. The land would need a river or stream which runs through it.



What are 5 of your bad habits?

1. Interrupting others.
2. Feeling like my life is in shambles if I have more than 1 loads of clothes waiting to be washed.
3. Procrastinating
4. Textin while driving....I know, I know. I shouldn't do it. Sometimes I can't resist.
5. Saying too much.

What are 5 jobs you have had?

1. Department Store Sales Associate
2. Bank Teller
3. Youth Intern
4. Snow ball maker
5. Teacher


What are 5 places you have lived?


1. Nacogdoches, TX
2. Lufkin, TX
3. Westminster, MD (with the Burches)
4. Reisterstown, MD

What 5 people do you want to tag?

1. Jason
2. Jodie Zorbaugh
3. Jessica Sallstrom
4. Jen V.
5. Danielle Jones

Anybody Out There?

Just wondering if anyone still reads this. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Things have been really crazy. I'm trying to wrap up the end of the year at school and I've been staying late at school each evening. Once I get home, cook dinner, and do some housework, there's not much time left to blog. :(

I guess the latest news in my life is that this next year I'm going to try to become a Nationally Certified Teacher. It is going to be quite a rigorous process, but the benefits at the end of 2009 will be worth it...that is, if I succeed. This afternoon, I sat down and downloaded the 400 page manual which explains the process. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

So far, here are my summer plans.

Last day of school: June 11th
First week: Write curriculum for the World Languages Department
June 16-29th or 30th I'll be in Texas...reading the 400 page manual.
July 7-11th: I'll be at Youth Camp ...reading the 400 page manual.
July 27th -July 31st(ish): Going with Jodie to her family's cabin in New York. and...reading the 400 page manual.

I think I might name this summer, "The Summer of the 400 Page Manual".

Retraction

Well, I must confess that I have not yet learned how to play Texas Hold'em. Our friends canceled on us at the last minute, but we have a rain check. I felt like I should go ahead and confess this. I would hate to be lying to the whole World Wide Web. It would be too much for me to bear.

Road Names

Since moving to MD, I've seen some road names that have made me giggle inside.

1. Portia's Delight
2. Tracey's Store Rd.
3. Yeoho Rd.
4. Pretty Boy Dam Road (Sounds like someone tried to cuss and got it all out of order.)

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

Last year Jason and I bought half of a cow and put in in the freezer (after processing, of course). The meat tastes really good. The only downfall is that the ground beef isn't really that lean. I always drain it and rinse it to get as much fat off of it as possible.

Tonight we are firing up the grill and cooking steaks and ribs. Mmmmmm! It's going to be so good.

Later tonight, Adam and Nicole Hunsicker are going to come over and teach us how to play Texas Hold'em. They couldn't believe we were from Texas and didn't know how to play.

Hiking

I've been hiking twice for the last couple of days. The weather here has been absolutely beautiful. It has been so nice to get outside. Here are a few pictures from our outing.

Antshillvania

Did any of you ever listen to this record as a kid? I used to love it. The story is the story of the Prodigal Son. However, it takes place in Antshillvania (an ant hill). One of the ants named ANTony decides he is going to leave and become famous. Here is the song he sings before he leaves town.

I think it is a really funny song to sing when you find yourself in a conversation about making money or getting rich. Right when everyone in the conversation is convinced they are going to become "rich", I like to sing this song. I'm really weird, I know.

Chase vs. Tag

So the other day in my Spanish 3 class, I was totally made fun of for calling "tag", "chase". My students thought that was the craziest thing. One of the kids in the back of the room said, "So what do you call hide-n-seek?-- "go and find"? I thought this was really funny.

What do you call it? Chase or Tag?

Easter Dinner

I've decided to make Easter dinner for a few people and I'm still trying to figure out what to cook. Any of you have any good ideas? I'm taking suggestions.

Vantage Point

Going to see Vantage Point tonight. I'm so excited!!!!

What I Love About Jason

1. The way he can "belly-laugh" at a t.v. show or a video even when no one is in the room with him
2. His way of making me realize that things are never as bad as I think they are.
3. His smile
4. The way he cheers for football
5. The way he can move me from my selfishness to gratitude
6. His spontaneity.
7. The way he can actually lie down while sitting in a chair.
8. The way he goes from ride to ride at amusement parks. He practically runs from ride to ride so he can get the most out of his money.
9. His new found love for coupons and getting good deals.
10. The way he loves me and others around him.

Rachel's Schedule

Wake up
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go,
go some more,
a little more,
Go home,
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go,
Watch Lost or American Idol for 40 minutes, (no commercials!)
Go to bed.

What happened to Rachel?

Anyone wonder what happened to Rachel Ray? She used to be really cool and hip. Now when I watch her show she just gets on my nerves. She is so cheesy now and she does wierd things with her words. She always says things like "yummo", "delish", and "e.v.o.o." I used to like to watch her show but now I can't get past the crazy talk. She is beginning to remind me of Bob Sagett.

I know I'm being critical and I know that Jesus loves her.

Surprises

Well, Jason and I are going to get out of town this weekend. I have off Monday and Tuesday so we're going to leave after church on Sunday and come back on Tuesday. I'm not sure where we're going.....it's a surprise. I'm about to go crazy trying to figure out where we're going.

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with surprises. When I know there is a surprise coming to me, I want to know what it is immediately. It drives me crazy and I can't stop thinking about it. However, if I do figure out the surprise early, I'm disappointed that I found out.

"Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down"

I've always loved that song. I'm a huge fan of The Carpenters. The Lyrics of that song flooded my mind this morning as I entered the school this rainy, Monday morning. Luckily, the later part of the title didn't come to fruition or as my husband likes to say, "truition".

Today was a good day. Everything at school went rather smoothly. After work, I went to dinner with some coworkers to Ledo's pizza. Ledo's has now become my favorite kind of pizza. It has a super, thin, crispy crust with a sweet, tangy sauce, and is made in a square pan, thus---corner pieces!

After dinner, I planned on coming home and washing the sheets on my bed, but my wonderful husband had made the bed. Thanks to him, I get to go one more day without washing them. So, instead of worrying about housework, I'm going to curl up on the couch with a good book until bedtime. I just can't possibly think about doing any other housework if the sheets on my bed are dirty.

Music

Who is a music artist that you think is famous, but in your opinion lacks talent?

SNOW!!!!!!

It's snowing! I truly think snow is God's gift to me so I don't go crazy with the cold, dreary, wintry days. I really don't like cold weather, but when it snows I don't mind the low temperatures so much.

On snowdays I don't ever really get much accomplished. I find myself just sitting beside the window watching it. Sometimes I get up and think to myself, "I've got to get busy". However, if I do get up and go do something, I find that I just end up sitting in a different room staring out a different window.

Snowflakes are so amazing. When examined closely, they really do look like those paper cut-outs we used to make in school. And, no two are alike...so they say. Not really sure how that is proven, I'm sure glad that's not my job.

Why is it that I can be completely exhausted, but can't make myself go to bed? Anyone else put themself through this same misery?

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!!!!!

Gift Cards

Whoever thought of gift cards was a genius. I love getting them. I have received several from my students this past week and have really enjoyed getting them.

So, to you, I pose the question: If you knew someone was going to give you a gift card for $100, from where would you want it to be?

New Blogger

Has anyone switched to the "new blogger". I'm scared it might be like the "New Coke". Wow, that was gross. Let me know what is so cool about the new blogger. I would hate to switch to the "new blogger" and then have to switch back the the "Blogger Classic".

What's Your Magic Number?

As long as I can remember, I've never woken up and thought, "I'm so glad to be awake." I've always wanted to sleep just a little bit more, snooze 10, 20, 30 more minutes. I'm not a fan of waking up.

I've always wondered, what is the magic number of sleep hours I need to wake up and feel great? Well, the last two nights, I've gone to bed at 8:30 and woken up at 5:30. That's it, ladies and gentlemen. 9 hours of sleep and I feel great. I wake up and am ready to get up, eat breakfast, and be productive.

What's your magic number?

Jingle Bell Run

I ran again, however this time I had a head and chest cold. It wasn't quite as much fun because I didn't feel so hot. I had already registered and paid the fee so I went ahead and bit the bullet. Wasn't able to run the entire 3.1 miles due to hacking and coughing.

Despite feeling under the weather, the event was very festive. Santa was there and there was a d.j. playing fun Christmas music. (Robert and Shelly would have loved it!) One of the runners was dressed up like a Christmas tree and another like an elf. Lots of runners had on santa hats which added to the festivities.

If you would like to see pics, click on the link to Suzie L.'s Blog. She has our pictures posted. I've been having trouble posting pictures lately. Not sure why.

I'm a runner.

O.k., so really I'm a jogger. I ran a 5k today in a Turkey Trot in Frederick, MD. I am new to the whole running thing so my time is still really slow. I finished in 41:56. I know this is a lot of time, but I finished it still running and still alive. I also wasn't last which was my main goal. I had a lot of fun and hope to make this a tradition. Here are some before and after pictures. Notice my really red face in the after.

In December, I plan to do a Jingle Bell Run. In this race, everyone wears jingle bells as they run. I love the sound of Jingle Bells.

I feel like traveling.

I'm so wanting to go somewhere!!! We are not planning on going to Texas or Oregon until Summer, but the cool weather and holidays are making me want to be a tourist. I think Jason should take me to Philly. It would be a quick, inexpensive day trip. And besides, I've always wanted to try a Philly steak and cheese sub (never had one). If you think Jason should take me to Philly, then please post a comment on my blog saying so.

Thank you for your support.

Why I Haven't Blogged

5:45am -Wake up and get ready for school.
8:00am to 3:20pm- Teach.
3:20pm to 4:00pm- Attend boring faculty meeting. (They've got great snacks though!)
4:00pm to 4:45pm- Drive to go and tutor.
4:45pm to 4:55pm-Wait for student to show up.
4:55pm to 5:55pm-Tutor.
5:55pm to 6:45pm-Walk with my friend Jodie.
6:45pm to 7:00pm-Drive Home.
7:00pm to 8:45pm-Come home cook, eat, and clean.
9:00pm--Should have graded papers, but went to my friend Suzie's house. Will have to get up at 5:15 tomorrow to make up for not grading tonight.
10:00pm-Shower.
10:45pm-Bed time.

I'm sooooooooo ready for Thanksgiving Break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Acne

Why is it that I am 30 years old and I am still battling acne? What's up with that?

GRRRRRR!

Giant Pumpkins

Every year, I am always intrigued by giant pumpkins. I love seeing the picture in the paper every year of the farmer beside his prized pumpkin. It seems unreal that a vegetable can get that big. Also, once you grow it, what do you do with it.

I was surfing and I found this picture of a giant pumpkin kayak race. Evidently, these farmers carve their pumpkins into kayaks and then race them. Pretty cool.

Sometimes it pays to be old

Last night, Jason and I went to Wal-Mart at 10:15. As we were walking in, the greeter told us the doors were closed and we couldn't come in. We went back to the parking lot and got in the car. As we were leaving, a car pulled up to the door and the passenger got out. She was an older lady with a cane. I couldn't believe it, but the greeter let her in. I told Jason that I am going to begin keeping a gray wig and a cane in my car so I can buck the system.

weather.com

I love weather.com. I check it at least once a day. My favorite is the hour-by-hour forecast.

Library Card

I have a library card!!!! I haven't had one in years. Since I am tutoring at the library, I decided to get one.

Here is my first check-out:

Portuguese Language Tapes--(hoping to better my portuguese)
Trader Joe's (a book on how the business came to be and the inspiration behind it.)

I'm off to read!!!!

Things that Amuse a Language Person

Since I love languages, it is very difficult not to read even when I know that what I'm looking at aren't words. For example, I always have trouble reading the signs that say POW / MIA. I always have a picture in my head of a cute girl named Mia that is getting beat up.

I also always try to pronounce the letters on blogs that are used for security verification. Sometimes they can be really funny. Here are a few for you to try. Let me know your favs.

Extra dough

I have a tutoring job 2 days a week. Woo Hoo! I little extra cash never hurts.

Let me hear you say woo hoo!

Public Restrooms and Cell Phones

I always feel a little weird going into a public restroom and happening on someone who is talking on their cell phone. It happened to me twice tonight.

Anyone else with me?

Voice Lessons

Today I am starting voice lessons. I'm only taking 2, 30 minute lessons a month from the wife of our pastor of Community Groups. I am sooooo excited. I've always wanted to take but never have had the opportunity.

Todd--I hope she'll help me perfect "Victory Chant". (Even though I don't know how it can get any better.) :)

The Taste of Food

So I read in this book once that if you want to get the most taste out of a meal then you should eat one bite of one thing and then eat something else on your plate. If you don't do this then after the 2nd bite or so of the same thing, your taste buds aren't suprised anymore. What do you think? Do you eat all of one thing before you move on to the next or do you like to mix it up?

Women's Retreat

I went on a women's retreat this past weekend and had a fabulous time. Sometimes it is a gamble going on things like this because sometimes they can be cheesy and too emotional. This wasn't at all like other women's functions that I've attended in the past. The speaker was solid and there wasn't a huge cry fest at the end. I loved it. I've attached a picture of me some others that were there. We look a little weary because we took an interpretive dance class. I fell more than danced. I just don't think I have what it takes.

Super Suppers

I'm so exited about this place. There is a new one in Hanover, PA (30 min. from my house). I happened to go by there and see they were having their grandopening. I pulled in and they were giving away 1 free entree. I got Parmesean Crusted Talapia. Mmmmm!

Check it out ladies. It might be putting the end to the question, "What am I going to fix for dinner?"

http://www.supersuppers.com/

A Day Off

I am out of school today becuase it is a voting day. All the polls are located in the schools so we can't go. Today I plan to work on a quilt that I started last year. I got bogged down because I ran out of a certain fabric and then we moved. I sent a swatch of the fabric to my mom and she found it. They have a huge fabric store in OR that has everything.
Well, I'm off to quilt.

Pizza Stress

Anyone else ever get really stressed out by ordering pizza? It all starts when the pizza guy/girl answers the phone almost out of breath: "Thankyouforcalling(pizzaplace)canIhelpyou?" In the background you always hear sounds like hammering and metal objects scrapping together while other phone lines are ringing off the hook. I can't even imagine why making pizza requires all that noise. Anyway, you can tell by the frantic voices and the noise in the background that you need to make your decision fast. To make matters more confusing, on your end you have people around you saying things like: "I don't like mushrooms!", "Anything but green peppers.", or "All we eat is Cheese." Then by the time you actually decide on the best deal and the type of pizza everyone would like, you have to figure out which kind of crust you want for each pizza, but that's not all. What about trying to calculate the most pizza for the least amount of money and wondering if your coupon is a good deal? Now comes the decision of which size pizza will feed your hungry group? And of course, the age old question "How many slices are in a large?" By the time your pizza actually gets to your house (at least 45 minutes) you are still too stressed out to eat? Usually in my experience, I spend way more money than I want and always get too much pizza.

One more thought: If the pizza guys are really working as hard as it sounds when I call, and I am being rushed so much to make a decision, why is it that it still takes 45 minutes to bring pizza only 5 miles to my house?

Bruchko

I just finished one of the books on my Summer reading list. I'm still reading the others.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like missionary stories, this one is full of countless acts of God's faithfulness to reveal Himself to man. This book is a gem.

I know, I know I haven't blogged in a while. I couldn't think of anything worthwhile to say. I did have one really funny story to tell, but I couldn't tell it in this forum. It involved me in the bathroom at Wal-Mart. It is definately for girls only.

New Laptop

I have a new school laptop. I am soooo excited! My laptop case is a backpack. Woo hoo!

First Day Back

Well, I'm back at school. I got my teaching assignment for this year. I'll be teaching four classes of Spanish and one class of Reading. My class sizes are really large which is a little overwhelming. In my Spanish classes I will have about 37 students in each class.

My goals for this next school year:

1. Remember to take my class to the Beginning of the Year assembly. (I forgot last year and my entire class walked in 3 minutes before it ended. As soon as my students sat down, the pricipal dismissed everyone.)

2. Wear mascara everyday. (Last year I forgot to wear it 2 or 3 times. I look scary without it since my eyelashes are blonde.)

3. Get my work done at school and not bring it home.

4. Wear the same shoes. (Last year I showed up with one blue and one black shoe on.)

5. Pack my lunch the night before. (This will help me not to run late in the mornings.)

Four Days of Freedom

So I only have four days left until school starts. I am trying to have as much fun as possible between now and Monday. Today I went Letterboxing and hiking with the Burch girls. We went to Cunningham Falls. The hike was only about a mile, but once we got to the falls, we climbed up to the top of the falls. It was quite fun. Part of the way up you had to be on all fours. Chloe said that she was "doing climbing practice." On the way down we saw two deer. It was a beautiful day to explore.

Tomorrow I hope to go swimming. I have a friend who is house sitting so I am going to try and take advantage of the situation. You know how I love a good pool.

Friday, I am going to PA with a friend from work. She is going to take me to the farm where she grew up and also her neighbor's house who is Amish. It should all be interesting.

Saturday I am going to hang out with Hannah and Rachel and watch "Anne of Green Gables". We are going to order pizza and eat popcorn. :)

Sunday, I am going to hear the greatest preacher on the East Coast, my husband. He is preaching for the first time in the adult service here at our new church. I am so excited and nervous at the same time. His sermon title is "Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee."

North Africa Picture

Here are a couple of pictures from our trip this Summer. One is a picture of our team and our students and also there is a picture of me in a headdress. We didn't have to wear them while we were there, but I asked my students to show me how to tie them.

I love a good pool.

After being at camp and having a swimming pool at my disposal, I rediscovered how much I love to swim. I love the pool and all that comes with it (except maybe rowdy, middle school boys). I love the smell of chlorine and the burning sensation your eyes have after a long swim. I love the smell of sunscreen and suntan oil. I love the way chips taste at the pool. I love playing Marco Polo and Sharks and Minnows. I love playing chicken. I love it all!!!!!!!! I used to spend all day every day at the Nacogdoches City Pool when I was in middle school. I would have a season pass and there were some days I would go twice a day.

I think I should start raising money to build my own pool. Feel free to donate to my cause, however, your donations are not tax deductible.

Eureka!

So after I moved to Maryland, I couldn't figure out why I didn't get many emails that were the "Hi, how are you?" type. (If you did send me a personal email--I'm sorry for making a blanket statement.) What I've realized is that email is just for business. It's used to make dates and take care of day to day affairs. Blogging is so much more personal and I feel like I'm back in the loop. Why did this take me so long to figure out? I always wondered how Jason was keeping up with our old friends--he had a blog. Eureka!

Back to School Blues

I just am realizing that I only have 2 and a half weeks until I have to be back at school. I'm not quite prepared to greet students on the first day. Hopefully, something will click. It hasn't yet. I am still cringing as I walk past the school supply aisle at Wal-Mart.

Second Day Jeans

I realized today that I really like 2nd day jeans. They are always way more comfortable on the 2nd day. You can pretty much guarantee that your day will be great when you put on your jeans on the 2nd day. Everything just doesn't matter when you have them on. The world could be going to you know where in a hand basket and it wouldn't matter because at least you are comfortable in your 2nd day jeans.

What do you guys think? Whose with me on the 2nd day jeans.

Nada mucho

I'm going to be working at the church tomorrow during the day helping Amy set up the new nursery area. I'm so excited. I love setting up rooms and decorating.

Friday and Saturday, I'm going to Women of Faith. I'm going with an anticipation that God will give me a fresh look at Himself. At the same time, I'm guarded, mainly because I've been disappointed by so many women's retreats/bible studies. I hope I don't leave with just a bunch of tips and tecniques on how to be a better wife / mother. I just want to know how to know God and love others more.

I guess I'll go eat worms

After reading posts about who is linking whose blog and who isn't, I decided to look and see who had my blog link on their site. To much dismay I realized that my own husband doesn't have my link on his blog. I am so ashamed.

Thanks to Robert and Todd for putting a link on their site.

I'm back!

Well, I've been back for about a week and it has taken me a while to sit and write. We've had Brittany C. here and have been busy taking her around to see the sites. It has been a blast. We spent a day in D.C. and we also went hiking at Morgan Run. I always feel so free-spirited when I get to go hiking. That feeling was all lost however when I almost stepped on a snake in the water. It was quite scary.

Today after church, we picked berries on our church property. The blackberries and raspberries are ripe now. After our snake incident at Morgan Run, we decided to pick berries from the Jeep so we could get away if a we were to see one. I would drive up to a bush and Brittany would hang out of the window and pick. It was quite funny.

As for our trip, we had a great time in N.Africa. We did some prayer walking and also taught English. On one of the days, I talked about American Celebrations including Christmas and Easter. As I talked about our the religious significance of these holidays, the room was very quiet and you could tell it was the first time they ever had heard these stories. It was amazing. Relationships were formed during the week and email addresses were exchanged. I pray this will result in more correspondence and will lead to spiritual discussions.

There were a few mishaps on the trip.

1. Most of us came home with some kind of stomach bug.

2. I was followed to my hotel by this man who said some not so nice things. I think he must have learned his English by watching porn. Who knew that overweight, 30-year old American women were hot?

3. A full suitcase fell on my big toe. When we got home, I dropped my empty suitcase on it. Then, a little girl stepped on it at church. Jason stepped on it tonight. I'm afraid I'm going to lose my toenail. Now, for you guys that is probably no big deal. However, girls you know how important cute toenails are during the Summer.