Endless Chatter

Like a Good Neighbor...

2012-02-08T21:28:00.000-06:00

I love, I mean L-O-V-E our new house. Sometimes I walk through it staring at each room in awe that I actually get to live here. There's nothing I would do different at this point. Nothing I would change.

Ok, that's not exactly true.

There is one thing I would change if I could.

Our neighbors.

There is nothing wrong with the neighbors we have. The ones I have met have been perfectly friendly and I am sure when we all have kids running around that we will get to know each other much better.

However, I miss our old neighbors.

Ralph and Dolores.

They were the BEST neighbors. Elderly couples always are. I guess that is as long as you don't hold rowdy parties that are loud and keep them awake through the night.

Ralph and Dolores were always there to lend a hand. I mean always.

~ Ralph helped build our old house so he knew some of the ins and outs of it that we weren't ready for when it came time to remodel some of the rooms.

~ They would bring over all kinds of goodies from their garden. Onions, tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini and even turnips (I didn't enjoy the turnip though...)

~ They would feed the dogs when we were gone. Ralph would even bring them treats from time to time during the day. I'm sure the girls miss them too!

~ They watched the house. Sometimes it seemed as though that's all they did. They could report how many times people stopped by, they picked up packages dropped off by UPS, and let us know when people picked up the interest forms from the "For Sale" sign in our front yard.

~ Dolores loaned me carpet cleaner when KC got sick with diarrhea all over the house. I stalled as long as I could before going back to the house and smell of poo. (Secretly hoping that Ethan would get home while I was over there and clean it all up for me.)

~ They let us hang out in their air conditioning one very HOT day this summer when we stupidly decided to take the dogs on a walk while people were looking at our house. I was about 5 weeks pregnant, sick, and we were both exhausted.

We are lucky enough to still be close enough to them and go to the same church that we are able to still see them pretty often. I just wish there was a way we could have moved them out here with us across the street.

And I sure hope the guy who bought our house knows how good he has it!

Can You Hear Me Now?

2012-02-04T16:24:00.000-06:00

I do not have a good history with cell phones.

Or maybe it is that cell phones don't have a good history with me.

I think I used my first cell phone for 3 years. When I finally went for an upgrade it was because the phone was so dead that it would no longer charge. At all. They couldn't even get the phone to turn on at the Altell store (yep, it was Altell...). I would have to reenter all my contacts manually. No transfer available.

Bring on phone #2 and another 2 years. This was probably my favorite phone. Indestructible and had a great ring. Again, I used this one up until it would no longer charge. It died the same way the first one did.

Phone #3 was a mistake. I was not thinking about my future. I upgraded after phone #2 died and signed on to another 2 year contract with Verizon. By this time I already knew that Ethan and I were going to get married. He had T-Mobile. We planned on eventually getting on the same T-Mobile plan. Still, I signed up for another 2 years with Verizon. Stupid. Plus, phone #3 does not have a happy ending.

Phone #3 did not last near as long as my previous two. As I took KC for a walk one day, I accidentally left the phone on the side table of the grill. Breck, it appears, was not too happy about being left behind. She took the phone and tried to eat it. Phone #3 ended up with cracked, split in two, and bite marks all through it. Needless to say, it was done.

Bring on phone #4. Replacement phone. Not a great one. Cheap to get me through the next two years of my contract with Verizon and had no bells and whistles.

Phone #5 happened by chance. As luck would have it, Ethan's good friend works for T-Mobile. They were running a special where they would pay for part of the cancellation fee of breaking the contract with one company and you could sign up for T-Mobile right away. We were sold. Not only would we be consolidating two bills into one, it was still cheaper than paying Verizon cost for another year and a half. Done.

Phone #5 was my first "cool" phone. Touch screen. Slide out for easy texting. Internet. Apps. Definitely cool. However, come to find out, I don't like touch screens, I didn't use the apps other than calculator every now and then, and I think I got on the Internet a handful of times.

Which brings me to today and phone #6. The touch screen decided to stop working. Touch in the bottom right corner and the icon in the top left is selected. Other places wouldn't register a touch at all. Crap.

I'm not up for an update until July. JULY!

And as much as I hate to admit it, I have become dependent on having a phone with me. (Plus in the next two months it might be important for me to have a way to contact my husband in case I go into labor...just maybe.)

So. Now we have to sit down and look at the options.

Option 1: I get a new phone. We pay full price.

Option 2: Ethan gets a new phone. We use the "Early Upgrade Plus" to get it at a cheaper price and sing another 2 year contract. I use Ethan's old phone.

Option 3: We add a 3rd phone to our cell phone plan. Keep one phone hooked up at home at all times and use it as our "Home Phone." I take the new one.

Option 4: Get a used phone for me, which will still cost about as much as a cheaper new one, let Ethan upgrade in April when his contract is up.

We decided on. Option 2.

Ethan got a new phone.

At least one of us will be up to date technologically. And as long as I can contact him when my water breaks. I'm good.

My Progressive Era

2012-02-03T20:25:00.001-06:00

Right now I am discussing the "Progressive Era" with my 7th grade students. It is called "Progressive" because of the political, social, and economic changes that were made during the period. I take this time to talk to my kids about change and how it is not only a good thing, but that it is also necessary in life.

In order to "progress" into the future we must be willing to change.

Change can be a little scary. It can be difficult.

But again it is necessary.

This gets me thinking about my life and the changes that I have gone through in the last 3 years.

Specifically my personal life.

I believe that these changes (dating, to engaged, to married, to selling a house, building a house, and expecting a baby) have all been great additions to the story of my life. When I think about it, they have been easy to embrace, and they have made my life so much better.

When I look at my professional life, that's when I start to really wonder....

Have I changed enough? Have I done enough to progress my teaching into the future?

Then it hits me. If I have to ask the question, the answer is obvious.

No.

Now what? I've identified the problem. Now the hard part.

Change.

How much change is necessary to make me the teacher I want to be?

What is a realistic goal?

When should I start? I know "now" sounds like the obvious option, but I possibly can't fit another thing on my plate at the moment, I have state assessments to prepare my students for and a long-term sub to get organized and ready in 6 weeks. Changing my lessons around and adding new activities is not going to happen any time soon.

All I know for sure is that change is in the air.

Consider this the "Progressive Era" of my teaching.

It will probably be difficult. It will involve a lot of work, trial and error, time, and possibly be a little scary.

But it will be good.

And it is necessary.

Procrastination is...

2012-01-31T20:06:00.000-06:00

~ The baskets of laundry still sitting in our bedroom. I'm watching TV and feeling the baby move my belly.

~ Waiting until Tuesday to completely change around what I plan on doing on Thursday in class. Did I mention that it's a completely new activity AND that I have a sub.

~ Waiting until Wednesday to gather all the information for my presentation on Thursday.

~ Not getting my hair cut for 7 months

~ Living in the Wichita area for almost 6 years and still haven't found an eye Doctor in the area. I'm on my last set of contacts and REALLY need to get on that!

Love/Hate Relationship

2012-01-30T19:31:00.000-06:00

Love it: When I wake up in the middle of the night at see that I still have over 2 hours left to sleep.

Hate it: When I wake up 2 minutes before the alarm goes off.

Love it: That we now have enough room in the garage that we can get both of our vehicles inside and neither one of us has to scrape our windows in the morning.

Hate it: That our doggies have to be pinned up in the garage all day. I feel so sorry for them.

Love it: Fresh pineapple.

Hate it: Canned pineapple.

Love it: When the car is full of gas.

Hate it: When that stupid "Low fuel" warning light comes on. I know I technically have at least a couple gallons left, but for some reason when that light comes on I panic and feel like I NEED GAS NOW!

Love it: Slowly sipping hot coffee in the morning.

Hate it: That having coffee increases my trips to the bathroom...worth it.

Love it: Stir crazy popcorn.

Hate it: Any of the bagged popcorn.

Love it: Snuggling up warm and cozy in a mound of covers on a cool evening.

Hate it: Waking up sweaty in the middle of the night.

Love it: Swimming for exercise.

Hate it: That one of the near by schools uses our YMCA pool to practice in the evenings and it is impossible to get into a lane before 8:00 PM. (They just built a brand new school a couple years ago...they could have added on a pool...)

Love it: When my baby girl moves my belly all around. I can't help but just sit and stare at it.

Hate it: That I still have 8 weeks until she is ready to come out (at least...)

Love it: Pudding

Hate it: Jell-O (and yes...there is a big difference between Jell-O and pudding)

Love it: A nice warm fire going on a beautiful evening (with S'mores)

Hate it: Mosquitoes

Love it: tickling my husband

Hate it: when he tickles me (you would think we would come up with some kind of truce, but alas... we have not.)

Love it: That my husband has been able to single-handily put together all of the furniture for the baby's room.

Hate it: That I still have laundry to put away... He has put together a dresser, rocking chair, stroller/car seat and I still haven't put away the laundry.

Love it: That I've had very little sickness and puking throughout my pregnancy

Hate it: That I've had "chronic nasal congestion" the entire time. I would much rather have this problem than puking all the time...but I've blown my nose MORE than enough times in the last 7 months! (Authors note: The next time I get pregnant I am taking out some stock in Kleenex!)

Love it: The Office, Big Bang Theory, and Bones

Hate it: Glee.

Love it: That we are officially all moved in!

Hate it: All the stupid boxes we have around the house. If you are moving and in need of some boxes...just let me know!

I "Heart" Chocolate!

2012-01-26T14:29:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is approaching. I've never been a HUGE fan of the day. I do believe that greeting card, chocolate, and jewelry companies combined to create a holiday that really can cause more harm than good.

With that said...I am not a Valentine's Day hater.

I do not think that it is necessary for my husband or I to go and spend hundreds of dollars on a gift that is supposed to show us how much we love each other. We've been married just over a year and a half with a baby on the way. We've got that covered!

For the past couple of years I have told my husband exactly what I want for Valentine's Day.

That's right. EXACTLY.

I want one of those Russell Stover heart boxes of assorted chocolates (the bigger the better).

That's it.

Nothing more.

I LOVE those assorted chocolates.

They are so yummy, and they are all MINE!

I can eat them however I want to because I don't have to share them with anyone.

I take little bites out of each one and sort them from yummy to yummiest and then eat them in that order. (Saving the caramels for last...)

This is one day of the year where I can actually SAVE my husband some money and instead of buying me a fancy, over-priced gift for a hundred dollars, he can spend a fraction of that and make me VERY happy!

Daddy Boot Camp

2012-01-23T20:14:00.000-06:00

"I learned that I can have four beers and still successfully care for a baby!"

I wish that wasn't quoted...

I wish that wasn't a quote stated by my husband...

I wish that wasn't the first thing he said about the class he took: Boot Camp for New Dads...

But it was.

At least the class was free.

I joke.

Not about the quote, he really did say that.

I joke because I really do think he got a lot of good out of the class.

The description of the class states that "Veteran" dads share firsthand advice with expectant dads and bring their babies to enhance the new fathers' experience.

Based on that description this is what I had pictured:

A room full of "veteran" dads who have their babies, each one is paired with a "rookie" dad who then gets to spend some time one-on-one with the veteran dad and the baby. Rookie dad gets to hold, feed, and practice changing the baby's diaper. Veteran dad eases the fears of the new dad by telling him that he will figure everything out with experience no matter how little "baby time" he has had up to this point.

That's not exactly how it went.

There was one "veteran" dad. With one baby.

There were about 10 "Rookie" dads.

They sat in a circle and passed the baby around so that each new dad could hold the baby. They discussed many different areas of having a baby. Here are some of the things he learned...

~ Do not complain about the house not being as picked up and organized as it was before. (That would mean that the house would have actually been picked up and organized before there was a baby...)

~ Don't shake the baby.

~ It is ok if your wife tells you that you aren't holding the baby correctly or changing the diaper exactly the way she does for you to tell her, "It's ok, I've got it" (Ethan interpreted that as to tell me to "Go away...").

~ You don't need carry-on luggage, equipped with wheels and puller, as a diaper bag.

~ You shouldn't speed on the way to the hospital, but if you do get pulled over, the cops will usually look the other way (after telling you to be careful...)

~ Umbilical cords are tough to cut (Ethan will not have to worry about that...he's definitely not going to be touching, or even looking at anything remotely bloody...)

~ New dads should be the "bouncer" of the delivery suit. Invited guests only!

~ The 5 S's of quieting a baby: Swaddling, Shhhhh-ing, Swinging, Side positioning (laying the baby on his/her side while you hold him/her), and sucking.

~ Prepare your pets for the new baby (more applies to indoor pets)

~ Make lots of silly faces at the baby so she can learn to copy your movements. Anyone who knows my husband, knows that making silly faces comes naturally to him and I expect Jackie to have that same skill.

~ Due to a baby's poor vision it is recommended that you have a big screen TV. Veteran dads highly recommend the biggest screen possible. (Ethan was delighted at this...we've got that covered) BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE. A study has been done over men who watch football with their babies on big screens. Apparently football is good to watch with babies because of the contrasting colors in the uniforms and the rational reoccurring patterns that occur with all the different plays. Ethan is now planning on giving Jakie a head start in school by spending many Sunday afternoons downstairs watching football with her on the movie screen. I'm ok with it because that means Sunday afternoons I'm free to do as I please!

~ While the women have the typical baby shower, Dads can throw their own 'Beer and Diaper" bash. Bring a package of diapers...get free beer. (Ethan has amended this idea to an "I don't know "Jack" about diapers party", and will be mixing Jack and Cokes for all the guys who bring diapers).

All in all, I think it was a productive day in the sense that Ethan came out of there with some good advice, some questionable advice, and some of his fears calmed.

I still don't know if the beer quote is true, or something he just made up to get a reaction out of me...

Pink

2012-01-18T12:49:00.000-06:00

I like the color pink.

I do not LOVE it, but I do like it.

I LOVE that we are having a baby girl.

I am super excited about all the cute little outfits that I can dress her in, and we have already received some very sweet little pink outfits that Jacqueline will look adorable in.

However...

I am finding in my search for cute little outfits for our baby girl, that pink is the go-to color and in some cases, the only color.

I understand that infant babies all look very similar. Boys and girls alike. And in order to let the general public know if your little bundle of joy is a girl or boy, dress is the biggest factor.

Pink = Girl
Blue = Boy

I want my baby to look like a girl, but why do stores think that all girls need to be plastered in pink in order to be recognized as a little princess?

So...this mama will not purchase a pink outfit for the first 3-6 months of little Jackie's life. (Unless of course the cuteness factor outweighs the color factor). I am sure that we will receive more than enough cute little pink outfits from friends and family. I will focus my attention on finding those wonderfully adorable little dresses and onesies that are yellow, purple, green, brown, blue, black, red, and the other many pretty colors out there! (To be paired with little skirts and bows to make sure that she is recognized as the pretty little girl that she is.)

Random Chatter

2012-01-15T20:45:00.000-06:00

~ Here come the babies! The first of many of my friends and family who are pregnant hat their baby Friday night. From here until August it is a steady stream of baby cuteness and I'm so excited to be part of it!

~ I coached my last basketball came on Saturday. The ending is a little bitter-sweet. I love coaching and I have enjoyed the last 7 years of basketball, and I am sad that it is over. I am, however, looking forward to having some time off and that things that will fill that time very soon.

~ Our cell phone service does not like our new home. Or maybe it is the other way around. Either way, we got an "antenna extender" that is supposed to help extend the service. There is only one place in the entire house that it can go...sitting on top of the bar counter top and it isn't exactly "decor friendly." It works with Ethan's phone. Not mine. Typical.

~ The dogs are settling into a little routine now. I still don't think they like their new situation and I am thankful for the mild winter we have had so far, which allows us to take them outside for walks and to play with the ball. I know they will like it a lot better when we can get a fence up in the back yard for them to be outside most of the days. For now, rawhide bones, doggie treats, and tennis balls are a must.

~ I have been in search for the perfect dresser/changing table. The problem is that I don't really have a clear picture of what "perfect" is. I'm narrowing it down and hopefully will figure something out soon.

~ Ethan and I have been watching X-Files on Netflix. I will admit that I do believe in Aliens. Not necessarily little green men hovering in space ships, but I do believe that there is the possibility of life on other planets.

~ I am not doing a very good job on my ~~resolutions~~ goals so far this year. Maybe I can start them in a couple weeks. Oh wait...one of my goals was to not procrastinate. Crap.

~ We are considering taking a trip to Colorado to see the Rockies play in July. We will have a 4 month old at that time. Could be an interesting trip...but one to sure have a lot of pictures :)

~ I have about 10 weeks or so left of school for the year. I'm definitely a little apprehensive about leaving my middle schoolers in another's care...but I have a feeling those feelings will go away when I get to meet our little baby girl!

Definitely Rocked it Tonight!

2012-01-10T20:38:00.000-06:00

~ Coached basketball practice tonight without getting frustrated or needing to "intensely motivate" the girls.

~ Warmed up leftovers for dinner. Still tasted great :)

~ Went to the grocery store with Ethan...only made it out of there with one thing that wasn't on my previous list. Also made made it out of there without one thing that was on my list because I decided we really didn't need it. I think that makes my list balance out.

~ Made chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips.

~ Cut up a bunch of fruit to take to school tomorrow for a surprise lunch. Including cutting up my first whole pineapple.

~ Tasted each piece of fruit. It was YUMMY!

~ Tasted the cookies...they were yummy too, but I am happy to admit that they were not near as satisfying as the fruit.

~ Unloaded and loaded the dishwasher and did the dishes

What a great evening!

Looking Forward

2012-01-08T16:02:00.000-06:00

"You better enjoy that now before that baby comes, because after she's here, you won't have time for it anymore..."

If I had a dime every time someone has said that to me since Ethan and I started telling people we were having a baby, I'd have a good jump on her college fund by now.

The fact is, I know things are going to change.

I know there are things that we do now and enjoy that will happen less.

I know that alone time for me will become an oddity.

I know that life as E and I know it is going to be a things of the past.

And you know what? I'm ok with that. In fact, I welcome the changes.

And rather than dread the end of the life I have known, I would rather look forward to the many ways my life will change.

Such as...

~ Meeting little baby Jackie. We've been talking to her all this time about how excited we are to see her. I can't wait to see if she has a head full of dark black hair like mine, Ethan's long skinny fingers and toes, or how ticklish she'll become.

~ Seeing Ethan hold her for the first time. Watching him attempt his first ever diaper change, and his second. Watching how all the things that were making him nervous about having a newborn become like second nature to him. I have all the confidence in the world that he will be a wonderful daddy.

~ Introducing little Jackie to KC and Breck. I'm hoping that meeting will result in a life-long love for dogs.

~ Rocking her to sleep at night.

~ Watching her grow and try to figure out all of life's secrets.

~ Her Baptism with so much of our family around. What a special day for her.

~ Jackie's first smile, coo, and giggle. Then figuring out all the things that make her smile and giggle.

~ Taking a picture of her and Ethan taking a nap on the couch.

~ Her first Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

~ Figuring out what fun ways to tell everyone when she will be a big sister.

~ Taking family walks with the dogs (hopefully...)

~ Reading storybooks before going to bed.

~ Taking pictures at the hospital with big sister Jackie and her sibling(s).

~ Family vacations to Colorado for a ski trip or to see the Rockies play!

~ Watching our kids' faces light up when we tell them we're going to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

~ Seeing Santa Claus come to life again!

~ Reading Bible Stories at night and watching them learn how to pray.

~ Trading in the truck because we need more seats for more babies!

~ Going to the swimming pool every day in the summer.

~ Traveling to soccer, basketball, baseball, water polo, piano, ballet, or whatever kinds of activities our kids will want to try.

~ Teaching that a S'more is the greatest thing about a campfire. Watching them roast their first mallow!

~ Going trick-or-treating... and picking through their candy baskets after they have gone to bed!

~ Family pictures.

~ Easter Egg dying and hunting.

And much, much, more.

Why would I want to dwell on the things I won't get to do as often once the baby comes, when there is so much more to look forward to?

A Tough Move

2012-01-05T21:23:00.000-06:00

We have just moved in to a beautiful new home.

We LOVE it!

The move has been a good one for us. Great location, great place to raise our kids, and not a huge change in commute times (about 5 minutes for both of us)

However...

Our dogs have not liked the transition.

In fact...I am sure they hate it.

They went from about a 1/2 acre fenced in back yard to play in, to a dog kennel in the garage.

They are frustrated.

Probably stressed.

And at the moment there's no other option.

I do feel bad for them.

Here's a little insight on their lives in the last two weeks...

Stuck in a dog kennel in a dark garage.
Fight each other for food...we now feed them completely separate.
Go for walks around a new neighborhood with new animals, trees, and mailboxes to sniff.
Break out of the dog pen.
Dog pen gets reinforced...
Fight each other because they are having a major case of cabin fever...Breck probably stepped on KC's side of the pen...
Breck goes to vet due to cut in the ear from previous fight.
Breck goes in to heat at the vet.
Breck fights the vet and won't let them touch her... Poor girl, rough week for her.
Get new cage for Breck to keep girls separate.
Breck barks the entire time because she doesn't like being away from KC.
Buy rawhide bones and tennis balls to keep them occupied.
Doesn't work...
When they get near each other KC wants to hump Breck, Breck is in NO mood for that and fights back.

I need spring to come FAST so we can have a chance to build our outside dog pen for them to be in. Nice and spacious, with grass, and plenty of room for them to be together when they want and apart when they want.

Just a number...right?

2012-01-04T21:16:00.000-06:00

I don't like weight gain.

I don't like watching the numbers on the scale go up.

I know that it is going to happen.

I know that there is a VERY good reason for the numbers going up.

I still don't like it.

I think the reason for my dislike comes in two forms.

1. It took a long time for me to get to a weight I was happy with and I've proudly maintained that weight for over three years.

2. The "goal" my doctor gave me.

Reason number one I can live with. I will get back down and I know that I'll be ok.

It is reason number two that has me stressing.

A little info on me... I am not small. Nothing on me is small. My hand and feet size rival my 6-4 husband's. I am tall and "big boned." I will NEVER be a tiny size 4 or even probably an 8. I have made my peace with that a long time ago.

But...

According to all the expert height and weight charts, pre-pregnancy weight classified me as mildly over-weight. I am (or was) about 10 lbs. over weight. BUT, I eat decently, I am generally active, and I feel like I live a relatively healthy lifestyle.

Now...back to my doctor and that "goal"

She said I should gain anywhere from 15-20 lbs. Total.

I'm at the 15 mark.

With three months to go.

I feel great. I don't think I look like I've gained too much. I have had numerous people tell me how great I look. (I don't think they're just being nice to the pregnant girl either because, they are shocked when they find out how far along I am).

But I'm stuck on that stupid number. 15-20.

Is it realistic?

I have no idea how much more I can expect to gain. I have no idea how much water I'm going to retain in the next 12 weeks. I eat more now than I did before, but I eat when I'm hungry...not just to eat.

I do know that expecting to gain less than 5 pounds in the last 3 months of my pregnancy is probably a long shot.

Stupid number.

Goals

2011-12-31T16:11:00.000-06:00

It is that time again...

That time of year where I start to think about what I need to do to better my life in the next year.

I like to set "goals" rather than resolutions.

Resolutions in the past have not worked. Resolutions last until about mid-February.

"Goals" are more realistic. I am a "goal" type of person.

I like my goals written out like a list.

I am a list person. I get an HUGE amount of satisfaction from striking a line through something on my list.

Sometimes I have multiple lists going.

Sometimes I write something on my list that I have just recently accomplished JUST so I can strike a line through it.

So here we go... My goals of 2012

1. I would LOVE to put lose weight on here as a goal, however since I am just starting my third trimester that goal will NOT be a possibility until April. This one I can actually procrastinate!

2. Other than number 1... Try to procrastinate less. I don't want to say "stop procrastinating" because that is an unrealistic goal. If I say less...then that is something to shoot for.

3. Delete old emails out of my inbox...and keep it cleaned out.

4. Clean the kitchen each night after dinner instead of waiting until the next morning...or two.

5. Fold laundry soon after it comes out of the dryer. No more folding 8 loads of laundry in one afternoon.

6. On the same lines as folding laundry... Do one or two loads of laundry a day instead of waiting 3 weeks and doing 8 loads of laundry in one day. This one actually HAS to happen. Apparently at our new home it is not recommended to do more than two loads of laundry in one day. I'm hoping this rule will help me!

7. De-Clutter and stay clutter free.

8. Get the baby room all set up and ready to go.

9. Sweep/Dust my new wood floor at least once a week, if not more.

10. Finish ALL the unpacking. Get rid of ALL the boxes. (I am so tired of boxes...)

Christmas Chatter

2011-12-27T21:59:00.000-06:00

A little about my Christmas break... (I hesitate to use the word break, but "vacation" or "time-off" doesn't fit either, so break it is.)

~ We closed on both properties on Friday the 23rd. We were officially homeless for about 40 minutes. I am so thankful that everything fell into place as it did. It is so nice to only have one home to focus on and one payment to make.

~ The closing date put a dent in our normal Christmas plans. We were planning on going home to see my family on the 23rd. That didn't happen. So it was a quick trip home on Christmas Eve and then gone again on Christmas Day.

~ My mother out-did herself again with her Christmas shopping. It is her thing. She does it well :)

~ My father really out-did himself this year. I think he made my mom tear up 3 or 4 times. It was sweet to watch them.

~ We got some cute little outfits for our little girl. They ALL involved pink. Ethan was not that thrilled about the pink...

~ We left my parents at noon on Christmas in order to make it back for Ethan's family dinner. We had a "Feliz Navidad" themed meal that was very good.

~ All the kids and spouses chipped in this year and got Ethan's parents an I-Pad for Christmas. I think they are really going to enjoy it.

~ They may enjoy the new Casino more...

~ I finally got all the boxes emptied upstairs (other than the spare bedrooms..) and out of the house. It is finally starting to feel like our home. Now if I can just get motivated to do the same in the basement and spare bedrooms.

~ My parents dropped off a crib. It is the same crib that I used as a baby. I have NO IDEA how to put it together. There are no directions.

~ I officially started my 3rd trimester this week. I think very soon when the house is all settled, basketball is over, and the nursery is organized it will sink in how fast life is going to change for us. We are so excited!

~ Our dogs are not impressed with the new house. I'll post more about their transition later.

~ Our new furnace is loud. It definitely takes some getting used to.

~ I love fruit. I have been wanting/craving fruit for some time now. I bought probably 30$ worth of it today.

~ One good thing about not having Christmas decorations up...I don't have to be embarrassed when they are still up in February. :o)

Wait...you mean it's Christmas?!?!

2011-12-23T08:14:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning thinking it was just another Saturday. I was wrong on two accounts.

It is actually Friday.

And it is the first day of Christmas break.

It doesn't feel like it.

I have no decorations up.

We made no Christmas candy, cookies, or other type of goodies.

I haven't wrapped any presents. Or done any shopping for that matter.

I don't even know where my Santa hat is.

It is funny when I think back to a couple months ago when I found out we would probably be moving into our new house the weekend before Christmas. I had all these plans of going ahead and putting up at least one tree and a handful of decorations. I even thought I might be able to squeeze a batch of cinnamon rolls in to take home to my parents.

Yeah...didn't happen.

The only thing I have up that is Christmasy is a snow globe nativity that was given to me by our Priest.

I'm still working on unpacking boxes and figuring out where everything is going. Changing my mind. Then changing it back. (I have a feeling that's going to be the theme of my break.)

Then realizing with a small since of panic that I still have to also pack to go home for a couple days.

And run to the mall (shoot me now...)

And call the lighting place

And get ready for the closing of both houses today

Wow...

This is definitely one Christmas I will never forget!

It Will All Get Done

2011-12-13T20:55:00.000-06:00

The cabinets will all be cleared
The clothes will all get washed, folded, and packed
The sub plans will get written
The basketball game will get coached
The boxes will be moved
The boxes will be emptied
The old house will get cleaned and ready for it's new owner
The new house will have each room organized with everything put away
We will sign the papers to close on both houses on the same day

It will all get done.

I don't really know how, but I do know that by this time next week I will be sitting in our new house, on our new couches, and enjoying that many of the things on this list will be behind me.

A Plethora...

2011-12-07T21:55:00.001-06:00

Ethan and I are movie people. We don't go to the movie theater very often. We LOVE movies, but we are also fairly logical of the way we spend money. We both agree that it is ridiculous to spend 20$ for us to go see a movie one time. Instead, we wait until the movie comes out on video and we buy it.

We also have netflix.

Our most recent netflix move was "The Three Amigos"

Hilarious.

One scene in particular where Jefe is tells his boss, El Guapo, that there are many many pinatas for his birthday celebration.

The rest of the scene plays out like this...

El Guapo: "Jefe, would you say I have a plethora of piñatas?

Jefe: "Uh, Yes!"

El Guapo: "Jefe, what is a plethora?"

Jefe: "Uh..."

El Guapo: "Well, you just told me that I had a plethora, and I would just like to know if you know what it means to have a plethora. I would not like to think that someone would tell someone else he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has no idea what it means to have a plethora."

I love that scene.

Does anyone really know how what exact number constitutes for a "Plethora?"

I do not.

However, as I was beginning the process of packing things for our big move into the new house in two weeks. I started by packing up our DVD collection.

I brought in one good sized box.

Didn't even come close to holding all our movies.

So I got another box.

And another...

4 and 1/2 boxes later the DVDs are all packed and ready to move.

I would definitely say that we have a "Plethora" of movies!

Car Trouble...

2011-12-03T10:55:00.001-06:00

I am an intelligent person. I'm not a rocket scientist my any means, but I typically grasp concepts pretty quickly. Except for one...

Cars.

I don't understand them.

I use words like "thingy," "what-cha-ma-call-it," and "dohicky."

Conversation on the phone with my husband as I was driving to work:

Me: "Oh crap...what just happened! One of those warning light thingies just flashed on and my car is doing some kind of jerky thing"

Hubby: "What does the light look like?"

Me: "uhhh...I have no idea"

Hubby: "Well, what is going on with your car right now"

Me: "It seems to be ok now, but when that light turned on it jerked me forward a few times and then stopped. Should I pull over?"

Hubby: "Yes, pull over... Ok, what does that light look like..."

Me: "There is no shape in the known world that I can describe to you what this looks like. It is kind of rectangle with a lot of different other pieces on it..."

Hubby: "Does it look like an engine?"

Me: "I don't know, maybe, I have no idea what an engine looks like. I'm going to get out the manual to find out which light that is and what it means."

Now, do you think there would be an easy category in the back of the manual for warning symbols and what they mean. NO! It took me probably 10 minutes to just find a place in the book to tell me that yes, the symbol was the "check engine" light. Seriously...why can they just have the words "CHECK ENGINE" or even the word "CHECK" under the picture to help me figure it out.

We finally figuring out that the car would be fine to get to school and then we could try to figure out what was going on. Once I got to school, I received numerous offers of help. Have I mentioned that I work with some of the most kind hearted, wonderful people?!? The mechanic teacher came down on his planning period, and with a very handy tool provided by my Principal's husband, we (ha...I mean HE) was able to figure out that the problem was with the crankshaft position sensor.

The what???

Crankshaft position sensor.

That means NOTHING to me.

Is the car ok to drive?

Is this fix going to be expensive??

(In case you have missed the last few previous posts now is NOT a good time to have expensive car trouble...we're building a house AND having a baby...I repeat...NOT a good time for an expensive car problem)

(PLUS...we JUST had some expensive car work done not even a month ago. Brakes, timing belt, tires, oil, water pump, the works...this should NOT be happening!)

Turns out the problem with the crankshaft position sensor SHOULD have been something that was either looked at or replaced when the timing belt was changed...3 weeks ago. So, in a very polite but firm voice that meant business my husband called the repair shop that did the work and told them what was going. They said to get the car in right away and they would have a look at it.

Hubby took the afternoon off work (he hasn't been feeling well, so he was planning on going home early to get some rest anyway before the fiasco with the car happened) and came to the school to pick up the car and take it in to the shop. I followed him in with the truck, dropped him off at the house, and returned to work in time for my last class.

The end result...the problem was with the crankshaft thingy and the shop fixed it at not cost to us because that should have been done 3 weeks ago.

Thank goodness for honest mechanics!

After a very long and humbling day I am proud to say that I have learned a few things with this adventure.

1. My coworkers are AWESOME!
2. The car has a very important part called a crankshaft position sensor.
3. These little mishaps are really hilarious when everything is all said and done. (It helps that we don't have to pay for the repair...I'm sure the story would not be near that funny if it came with a big price tag)

And probably the most important thing I learned today...
4. That funny looking symbol is actually the shape of an engine.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2011-11-23T09:08:00.001-06:00

The year 2011 did not start off on a real positive note for me. I spent the majority of January, February, and March sick with a horrible combination of bronchitis, sinus infections, and probably pneumonia. I went to 2 different doctors 6 different times and spent the majority of 3 months on any kind on antibiotic or steroid breathing inhaler to try and feel better. Luckily for me the rest of 2011 made a HUGE turn around!

In April Ethan and I worked every night painting, cleaning, rearranging, and de-cluttering the house in order to try and get it ready to sell. Mid-May...the house went up on the market.

By June we had our first offer. It was low. Too low. We passed.

In July we found out we were going to be parents! Excitement filled us as we waited patiently (and a little nervously) through those first 12 weeks before announcing to family and friends.

August we started the process of building our new home. Ethan went out everyday and took pictures of the progress. It is so neat now to look back at when all we had was a hole in the ground...

October we found out we're having a little GIRL...right before E's birthday. What a great birthday present for him :)

November has flown by so fast I'm not even sure what went on the first 3 weeks...but I do know that now we are about a month away from the new house being finished, the reality of possibly having two mortgages was starting to weigh on us more and more. Clouding the excitement of seeing the progress of the house.

We have had many showings over the last 6 months. Many. Most reviews of the house came back very positive, with a big fat BUT...

"We're going to look for a house with three bedrooms..."

Three bedrooms. Ugh! I know that you want three bedrooms. So do I. That's why we're building...we need more bedrooms. There's nothing I can do about the fact we have only two bedrooms. Whoever decided to only put two bedrooms in this house obviously was NOT thinking about resale value!

About a week ago we decided to drop the price...again. We were a little reluctant this time because the price has never been a problem. All the reviews coming back say that the house is reasonably priced and that has never been a deterring factor. BUT as our Realtor pointed out, we needed to find a price that someone was willing to say "ok...I can do this."

Finally...last Saturday, Ethan checked his email right before we were about to head over to some friend's house to watch some football, and there in the inbox was a message with the subject: Contract for 151st!

YEEEEESSSSS!

My very next thought was..."Please be a reasonable offer..."

It was the same offer as in early June. Same price. Same person.

This time however, that number offered didn't seem so low.

Everything is relative...when you've had the house on the market for 6 months with only one offer, a new house about to be finished and paying two mortgages hanging over your head, AND a baby on the way. That offer seemed just fine.

We accepted.

And now wait patiently for inspections and pray for everything to continue to work out.

What a fantastic light at the end of the 2011 tunnel. SO many things to be thankful for and so many thing to be excited for.

Now, if I could only get excited about packing...

Turning 29...

2011-11-18T13:20:00.001-06:00

I am about to embark on the last year of my 20's.

I am ok with it.

I am not bursting with excitement over my birthday, but I am ok.

I tried to explain it to some of my colleagues today. I made the comment that I wasn't excited about my birthday this year. Now this comment doesn't fair very well with the majority of the teachers in my building. I am, and have been, one of the youngest teachers in the building. So when I say that I'm not excited about turning 29 the other's moan and groan about how the WISH they were turning 29.

It is not the number.

29 is fine with me.

I think the lack of enthusiasm comes from the many other things going on in my life at the moment.

I am happy. I am ridiculously happy. There are times I sit and think that I should be more worried, stressed, and frustrated because there are definitely things in my life that could cause me to be overwhelmed with those emotions. BUT I'm not. I'm happy.

My birthday has always been something I look forward to. A day to celebrate, relax, and forget anything that might not be going the way I want. But this year...there are many more EXCITING things going on in my life, that my birthday just doesn't seem all that big.

I could list for you over and over all the wonderful things in my life, but I think I'll try to narrow it down to a top 10.

In no particular order...

10. We our building a house. It is almost done!

9. We are "building" a baby. She is half way done!

8. I am constantly reminded of what a WONDERFUL husband I have. Not that I need reminded :o)

7. The inside of the house is painted. We will finally be able to see how all of the decisions we had to make over tile, carpet, paint, hardware, wood, and so many other things come together.

6. I get to eat and not worry. Habits are hard to break. I still weigh myself every morning to make sure I'm not gaining too much to fast. But it is nice to be able to have a second helping of mashed potatoes if I want to!

5. I can finally fill out a bra! (Yes, that makes the top 10.)

4. Thanksgiving is only 6 days away. I love Thanksgiving. We will be heading home to my parents for the holiday. We haven't been home since Labor Day. I can't wait!

3. I LOVE all the belly rubs I get from my husband. He is so excited for the baby to get here so he can hold her. He is going to be a GREAT dad!

2. Baby is moving more and more, and I'm finally starting to feel her on a regular basis. Still stops me in my tracks and takes my breath away.

1. One of the perks of having a girl is the added estrogen. For me that means my ridiculously spiky leg hair grows slower and softer. Thank you baby!!!

So...as you can see. There are FAR more important things to be excited about this year than a number. Especially a number that represents the "last" of something, when there are so many firsts heading my way.

By the Way...

2011-11-13T08:21:00.000-06:00

In case I didn't mention it before...

Ethan and I are going to have a BABY!

A little bundle of JOY. A little PINK bundle. (Or purple bundle...E is struggling with the transition of pink into his life)

A GIRL with 10 fingers and 10 toes.

Our little DAUGHTER is going to come to us at the end of March.

In MARCH we will say hello to so many new and wonderful things. Life will change forever as we know it. Getting a full night's sleep will seem like a distant past. Spur of the moment trips to the store will no longer be "spur of the moment" due to taking a baby with me. I might have to get used to not being early and settle for just being on time, or even a few minutes late (gasp!). Grandparents will be coming to visit often to see their newest grandchild. So many wonderful and exciting changes.

Little baby...we are so ready to meet you and hold you!

Things that will never be the same

2011-07-03T08:48:00.000-05:00

I have now been married for one year. Yep that's right...ONE YEAR. I can't believe how fast it has gone. It seems like just yesterday we were helping decorate the reception hall or celebrating with family and friends after the rehersal dinner. It has been an amazing year, married to an AMAZING man. I can't imagine my life any different than it is today. However, I can see after one year how there are some things that I will NEVER look at the same way.

Such as...

Volkswagon Beetle: Ethan and I play slug bug. Everytime we're in the car. It has now evolved to ANY slug bug ANY where you see it. Including TV, posters, and even little toy cars. I don't think I'll ever look at another Beetle and not want to reach out and punch someone in the arm.

"Moo Cows!"

Brazil: How can I not think about our honeymoon anytime someone mentions Brazil or Rio de Janeiro? I love anything that has to do with that country. Ha...we even went to a movie just because it was filmed in Rio. It turned out to be a great movie, with beautiful scenery!

S'mores: Ethan introduced me to the s'more with a Reece's peanut butter cup on it. Never.The.Same.Again!

Labradors: I was always a small dog person...until Ethan came along and his dogs became my dogs. Big outside dogs are definitely the way to go!

4th of July: This is our "Extra day." Since our anniversary is on July 3rd we will always get an extra day to celebrate. We're planners like that.

Colorado: Our first vacation spot, home of the Colorado Rockies, Ethan's ski destination...I wouldn't be surprised if the first thing we do when we win the lottery is buy a cabin/vacation home in the mountains in Colorado :0)

Happy Plate: Ok...Iwill admit. I never heard the term "happy plate" until I had dinner with Ethan's family. When I finished eating and someone told me I had a "happy plate" I had to ask what that was...

Jack and Coke: The drink I share with E's dad...

Brad Thor: Author of books Ethan and I really enjoy. He brought home one of the books on a whim one day, and we've been hooked ever since. We are currently waiting his next one due out this month!

The Office, The Sopranos, Alias: All shows that I started watching either with him or because of him.

Daisies: The friendliest flower and the main flower at our wedding.

Blue and Yellow: Color combination that we picked (I picked and he was VERY happy that I picked two of his favorite colors) for our wedding.

Is the Honeymoon Over?

2011-06-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

The scene: Ethan just got home from work. I just got done getting ready for my very first BUNCO experience here in Wichita by the invitation of Ethan's cousin Dana.

Ethan (being silly) hit me in the head with a pillow.

Me: Ah! Don't mess up my hair...I just got done finishing it!

Ethan: Eh...it doesn't look that great anyway.

Thanks...

Now, knowing my husband, the only reason he was saying that is to get a laugh or some sort of reaction out of me. That is who I married. I knew that 100% before going in.

It worked, and I play into it, "fake" over-react just to give him what he wants.

They say that the "honeymoon period" only lasts the first 6 months to a year. I'd say we're still goin' strong.

In 20 years that comment might hit me a little different. (But I hope not!)

Sunday Chatter

2011-06-19T20:28:00.000-05:00

~ Everyday I wage a battle with my "lazy" side and my "productive" side. This last week, the lazy side seemed to be winning more times that I like to admit. Today my "productive" side kicked it into high gear and somehow seemed to get all the things I kept saying I would get done all week done in a couple hours. I then felt ok about my "lazy" side taking over for the remainder of the day.

~ God continues to give me opportunities to learn patience...I guess He thinks I need a lot of practice.

~ My parents returned yesterday from an Alaskan Cruise. My mother has wanted to go on one for years and my dad took her for their anniversary (even though that was at the end of May...Close enough).

~ I think I have seen our dogs sleep in every funny position in every place in the yard, yet somehow I can't stop but stare at them when they are sleeping in the yard. I have the pictures to prove it.

~ I watched a couple of the first few episodes of British version of The Office. Interesting, but to me not as funny as the US version.

~ I gave Ethan a hair cut today. I was always so nervous to have to do that...but it's really not as hard as I thought. He looks good!

~ I found out this week that our school is going to cut 5 days off the beginning of the school year to try and conserve money. I don't know how I feel about this.

~ I got a sunburn two weeks ago (maybe three...) on the front of my legs. I am still peeling! Gross.

~ Ethan and I went out to dinner tonight. Applebees. They have really worked to re-vamp their menu. I enjoyed it very much and had a difficult time deciding what to get.

~ I want to go back to Brazil.

~ Ethan and I will have been married an entire year in two weeks. It's amazing how fast a year can go!

~ I am so excited about building our new house. I can't wait for that new adventure. We are so wonderfully blessed to be able to do this!

~ I have a WONDERFUL life!

"I have to live with a boy..."

2011-06-16T15:32:00.001-05:00

There was this one Friends episode. If you watched Friends, you might remember it. It is the episode where Monica is helping Rachael pack her things to move out because Monica's relationship with Chandler has progressed to them wanting to live together.

In short the girls do what girls many time do, they argue, they cry, they make up. In the end, there is one line that makes me literally LOL (laugh out loud).

Through the tears and laughter Monica announces in a very scared, whiny voice "I have to live with a boy..."

I often think about that line, because it is something that most girls go through. They realize that they are no longer going to have the support and friendship of their female roommates. It can be a scary thought...living with a boy.

I have had, now for about 2 years, the opportunity to live with a boy, and there are things that I have come to realize will never be the same. Living with a boy changes things, such as...

~ Watching the few chick flick movies that I enjoy will happen only if A) I am watching it alone, B) I won a bet, or C) There is a certain actress in it who my husband will enjoy watching more than the storyline.

~ The decor is as neutral as can be.

~ He will never understand the intricacies of putting on eye make-up.

~ The words tampons and period are replaced with "girly things" and "red time"

~ There is no one to understand my need for another pair of black shoes.

~ If vegetables are served during dinner other than potatoes or corn. I have made them for myself.

~ There should be a fridge labeled "His" and "Hers"

~ I have no one to watch "Sex in the City" with...

~ I can't ask the question "Does this outfit look good on me?" True girl-friends will give you a straight answer. Boys will say it looks good to avoid saying the wrong thing.

I wouldn't trade it all for the world!

Burying St. Joseph

2011-06-03T20:17:00.000-05:00

Ethan and I are trying to sell our house.

We want to build a new one.

A bigger one.

to hold our "someday" family.

Even before the house went on the market I knew that I wanted a little extra help from "up above" in order to help someone find our home.

The great thing about praying is the vast multitude of those to pray to. There's the obvious God, Jesus, Mary, and the Angels in Heaven. But of course you can't leave out the Saints.

There is a Saint for everything.

Need to find something you've lost? A quick prayer to St. Anthony will do the trick. He's helped me find my keys many times!

Need to sell a house. St. Joseph's your guy!

Praying to St. Joseph is a tradition that was started by St. Teresa of Avila who was a nun who prayed to him because he was the protector of the Holy Family and the patron saint of homes. When the nuns needed more land for convents she encouraged the sisters to pray to St. Joseph for help.

However, the tradition evolved from just praying to him, to burying him in the ground. That story is less pleasant. Apparently in the "old days" when burying St. Joseph, you were to bury him with his head towards the ground and facing the house. Then you were to threaten him and say "I will keep your head in the dirt until you sell my house for me."

That's a little harsh...

So, since I believe in the old saying "you attract more flies with honey" I decided not to threaten the saint, but rather to bury him feet first facing our home out by the FOR SALE sign. I pray to St. Joseph to help someone find our home as nice as we do and want to buy it in a timely fashion

We'll see how it goes!

*I have tried to edit this over and over. Everytime I add pictures to my blog it messes up the spacing all throughout the writing and I can't get it right. Anyone who has any suggestions for making adding the pictures easier that would be much appriciated!

Random Chatter

2011-06-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a little of what's going on in my world right now...

~ Our house was officially put on the market last week. We've shown the house 5 times and it just hasn't been the "right fit" for someone. Seems that if the husband likes it, the wife doesn't, or there's not enough room to put a big shed next to it. Little things like that. Hopefully that "perfect fit" will come along soon.

~ Summer is here and was long awaited. Come August I'll be ready to go again!

~ A friend of mine shot a hole in one while golfing today. I'm happy for her and jealous of her at the same time!

~ I bought fresh fruit at the store the other day. Tastes soooo good!

~ My sister graduated from college. And enrolled again...

~ The house is clean ALL.THE.TIME. and I LOVE it!

~ My parents celebrated their 31st anniversary yesterday...what a great set of role models I have!

~ My dad turns 53 today. He doesn't seem 53.

~ In the last year Ethan and I have been given two Scentsy pots with some great smells. I am loving it! My favorite right now is called "snow." Definitely not season appropriate, but smells clean.

~ Ethan's sister, Beth, is coming with her kids to visit from New Jersey at the end of the month. I can't wait for them to get here. I have all kinds of things I can't wait to do with them.

~ Ethan and I got to go look at a house that has the same basic floor plan as we picked out for our new house. This one was a week away from the owners moving in. I was sooo excited after seeing it!

~ I love our dogs!

~ Those silly dogs give me a headache!

~ I got my toes done with one of my friends (who also happens to teach at the same building as I do...go figure). Mine are sparkly blue.

~ I'm into anything sparkly at the moment. Shirts, nail polish, head bands, flip flops, anything...

~ I watched the finale of all my TV shows... The Office, was OK...not my favorite episode. How I met Your Mother, was what I predicted. The Big Bang Theory was funny as usual. Bones, was great! I love that show :)

~ I don't often miss not having cable, but I miss not having the Food Network. It's great background noise.

~ The wheat is turning nice and golden yellow. I love how it sways in the wind.

~ I'm really REALLY tired of the windy days!

~ I'm far to white at this point in the year. I am in need of some major pool time! Hello Summer!!!

My Hubby the Photographer

2011-05-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

Ethan has started a blog! A photo-blog to be exact. He loves to take pictures and has decided to challenge himself to become a better photographer. Each day he will post pictures that he's taken and explain what led to the photo and the technical jarbin (that I don't understand). Check it out!

Picturing My World

Favorite Things...

2011-05-26T21:11:00.001-05:00

The other day I found myself humming the tune of "My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music. I love that movie and that song.

So here are a few of my favorite things...

~ A cup of warm coffee on a cool spring morning with the windows open.

~ The sight of golden wheat flowing in the Kansas wind.

~ School supplies. Pencils, pens, staplers, hole punches, paper clips, and anything that you can think you might never need, but are so glad when you do!

~ Sam's club at noon. Gotta love the taste tests :)

~ Cookie dough ice cream.

~ Tan lines in the summer.

~ Happy Hour at Sonic. What a time to get a great drink at a great price!

~ Holding Ethan's hand. I'm so glad I found someone who likes to do that!

~ A smooth lake in the early morning. So calm, so peaceful.

~ My dogs. Yes, they drive me up the wall, have cost us lots of money, but who can resist those cute faces and happy wagging tails always ready to love us.

~ Blue. Best. Color. Ever.

~ Our Church, St. Mark the Evangelist... the beauty of that church is a constant reminder of how good God is.

~ Diet Pepsi with Chinese food.

~ Ethan's kisses. :)

~ My sister's shoes. I'm jealous of her normal sized feet and how she can always find the cutest shoes in her size.

~ My mother's baked spaghetti. It has been way too long since I've had that.

~ Popcorn from the Stir-Crazy. Kicks the butt of that bagged stuff!

~ The Office. Hilarious!

~ Aladdin, Monster's Inc., Finding Nemo, and I'm sure Rio will be added to that list once I get a chance to see it.

~ The smell of my grandparent's house.

~ Daisies. They really are the friendliest flower.

~ Quiet evenings at home with my Ethan.

Life doesn't get much better than this!

Recycling...Why People Don't Do It

2011-05-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

Go Green!

Every one's doing it.

It's the right thing to do.

And it's really not that hard...

Or is it...

One thing that I have learned in my life so far, is that as a majority people are lazy, and will do what comes easiest. Seriously. I've seen people hire someone to pick up dog poo out of their yard, hang up their Christmas lights, and do their grocery shopping. In general, people will do what's easiest.

Which brings me to my point. Recycling. We have all seen the advertisements to "go green" by using "green" products, "green" shopping bags, and "green" energy systems. And while I am impressed by those who do all of those things, the bottom line is that the easiest thing for most average people to do (without buying a whole new set of cleaning products) is recycle.

And yet, people don't even do that.

Why???

Again, because it's not the EASIEST thing to do. Yes, it is the easiest out of the list of "green" options, but when it comes to recycling or just tossing something in a garbage pail, tossing is easier.

For example: True Story.

Ethan and I have been cleaning out our house. I mean deep down clean. We went though the storage room and collected all the empty boxes of things that we have accumulated over the last few years (plus some we joined together when we got married), broke them down, and went to look up where we could take the cardboard to recycle it.

Guess how many recycling places in Wichita take corrugated cardboard?

TWO.

And only one of those had 24 hour bins available. So, we packed up the large pile of cardboard and set out to our destination. 15 minutes later we pull up to an empty looking warehouse at the address listed. After a couple circles of the place, we figured out that it was the correct location. Now, we just had to find the bins...

So we looked...

and looked...

and FINALLY found a place that looked like it was what we were wanting. There was tons of cardboard in it and a sign that told us exactly what was allowed.

But then...

We saw another sign that said "NO DUMPING!" "Violators will be prosecuted!" With a lovely video camera right next to it.

Uh...now what? Can we dump our cardboard there? Is it just talking about not dumping trash? What kind of prosecuted? Is it worth it?

Nope.

We turned around and drove out.

On a whim, I told Ethan that his mom had said one time that she thought that St. Francis (the church she attends) used to recycle cardboard in a bin out back, but she wasn't sure if they still did. We thought we might as well give it a try. Luckily there was a bin for cardboard.

After the events of that evening, I have come to decide that until recycling can be more convenient and easier, we won't see a huge increase in people participating. Why go through all the trouble when it is just easier to toss it out? Unfortunately that is the world we live in.

The Joys of Home Improvement

2011-05-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

Ethan and I have been slowly remodeling different areas of our home. It started a few years ago with one of the bathrooms. Our house has two. One bathroom had a tub and no shower, the other had a shower and no tub. So E started in the bathroom with no shower, then moved to the bathroom with no tub. The first bathroom project was done with the idea that we would be in this house as long as possible. We would try to add on a master bedroom/bathroom suite and a two car garage. After getting that idea nixed by a contractor quoting a price WAY above what we wanted to pay, the new plan was to fix up the house in order to sell so we could build.

Throughout the last two years we have moved from project to project, not in any real rush. Now that we have come to the last few finishing touches before our house is put on the market, I thought I would share the "oh-so-wonderful-joys of home improvements" that Ethan and I learned...

~ If you are fixing up an older house that you moved in to you are subject to whatever the previous owner did...and will find yourself saying "what in the world were they thinking?!?!?"

~ Handy Dads who have creative "fix-it-up" ideas are life savers.

~ Hearing the words "Oh S*#t!" come from the other room is never a good sign...

~ Lowe's will be your home away from home, and you will know where everything is located and the fastest way to get there.

~ Beer is necessary to have around.

~ You never think you will get the smell of paint out of your house.

~ You compromise on everything from paint color to the type of brushes you use to paint with.

~ Everyone will have advise to give you on the best way to do something.

~ Sometimes they are right.

~ It is much more fun when you are doing all the changes for yourself. The fun wares off when the changes are just to sell the home.

~ If anything can go wrong it will... paint will spill, screws will be dropped never to be found again, measurements will be a millimeter off causing a multitude of problems, and nail guns will fall off the counter and poke a hole in the brand new vinyl flooring that you just put down (seriously...you can't make that up!)

~ The stain of the trim around the house will be impossible to match. The best bet it to get three different kinds and mix until you are close enough for it to pass.

~ Your dreams at night involve painting.

~ If the next owners of the house ever go to redo the bathrooms, they will find themselves saying "what in the world were they thinking?!?!" many times.

My Journey to Heaven

2011-04-24T20:24:00.000-05:00

"Where are you on your road to Heaven?"

A question asked to me when I was a Freshman on my first day of CYO. CYO stands for Catholic Youth Organization, and it was how most high schoolers were involved with their Catholic Church.

After thinking for a while, I answered in my head "probably about half way."

You see, at that age, I had never really been tested in life. I was incredibly blessed to have a wonderful family, warm home, good food, success in school and sports, and many other reasons to be at peace with my life and my faith. I talked to God everyday and was incredibly proud to be Catholic.

I still believe to this day, that at that time in my life I was "half way." But being only half-way, I couldn't see the rivers to cross, mountains to climb, and valleys to try and avoid. That second half of the "road to heaven" is tough.

Somewhere along the way I took a wrong turn. I don't believe that I fell completely off the path, but I definitely took the longer route. I was very good at rationalizing and make excuses why I didn't make it to church every Sundays, why it was ok to do and say things I never did before, and why I no longer prayed at night.

It wasn't working for me. I was not happy.

Then, late one night, I returned a phone call from my brother that I had missed while coaching a basketball game. Little did I know that not only was that phone call going to change his life, but mine as well.

My brother was a Sophomore at Pratt Community College and was in the middle of a very exciting recruiting experience to see what school out of state would pay him to come play baseball, but all of that changed when he found out that he was soon to be a father. Unexpected, unplanned, and upsetting. We both cried that night. He was scared, sad, and disappointed. I was very sad for him and angry.

I was not angry at Joe. His life was going to change dramatically and suddenly. I was angry with God. All I had ever wanted was to be married and have a family, and I was doing things "right." Or what I considered more right than my brother was. He was getting what I wanted (not exactly, but at that time, it's what I thought of).

I prayed that night. For the first time in a long time. I talked to God and asked Him why things weren't turning out the way I knew they were supposed to. And then it dawned on me. Almost instantly...

If everything that is good happens through God, He can't be put on the "back burner" of life. He has to be upfront where your attention is focused. Once I came to that realization, my life started to change. I tried to make my way back to that path toward Heaven.

I started out by going back to church, every Sunday (I don't think I've missed more than two Sundays since that phone call from Joe). I started praying again...when I don't accidentally fall asleep before I finish. And you know what I found?

Life was better.

Not immediately, but slowly through the months, I was happier.

It was after that pivotal moment in my life. After that phone call, after returning to my path that I met Ethan.

Now I try to think often of where I am "on journey to Heaven." Now the challenge has become not only how do I get to heaven, but how do I help my life partner to get there as well. How do we work together to have a family and begin the path for each one of our children. I know there are many more hills, mountains, curves, and valleys along my path, but I truly believe staying strong in my faith and walking with my Husband, we will eventually make it all the way to the top. All the way to paradise.

Easter Fun!

2011-04-23T20:08:00.000-05:00

They say you never stop learning, and after this weekend home with my family, I'd say that is true.

The things I've learned over Easter Weekend:

10. Sneezing with a mouth full of cottage cheese will propel it far enough to touch 8 people sitting at a table.

9. Ducks can be spanked.

8. It is possible to get 10 people, 4 dogs, 2 ducks, and one Easter Bunny in one house for a weekend.

7. We are loud.

6. The Easter Bunny is like Santa Clause, he sees you when you sleep and makes sure you are good before bringing you candy.

5. Baby ducks don't bite, but they do poop...a lot.

4. There are more slug bugs in Wichita than in Burlington. It's easy to get out of practice.

3. Belonging to a wine club is definitely the way to go. If you can't afford to join a wine club, make sure your brother does so he can bring home the wine.

2. In order to hold a fish, insert thumb into mouth, squeeze the rest of the fingers around it and hold up.

1. There's nothing like a weekend at home with the entire family...we are fun people. (I've known that one!)

Lost! Please Return if Found

2011-03-28T21:02:00.001-05:00

I had a perfectly good lunch I took to school a couple weeks ago.

Yep, a couple weeks ago.

It was a breakfast burrito, yogurt, and girl scout cookies.

Yep...it was a breakfast sort of day. So I thought...

I walked in to school that day with the lunch sack in hand. Normally I walk straight into the teachers' work room, grab the newspaper out of my mailbox, put my lunch in the fridge and then walk down the hall to my classroom.

On that particular day, I forgot to put my lunch sack in the refrigerator. But no worries, I figured I would just take it back to the workroom when I went to make copies.

That's where the trail runs cold.

At lunch time I am very disappointed to find no lunch in the fridge, no lunch in my classroom, no lunch in my car, not even in the restroom...yes I even checked there.

No lunch. Anywhere.

Gone.

Audios.

Disappeared.

Me? I had to eat the school's lunch for the day. Beef stew, salad, and bread sticks. Definitely not the breakfast burrito I had my heart set on.

And today?? Still no lunch.

Gone.

Never coming back.

And by this time...the only reason I want to see it, is for my piece of mind.

"Hot Dog!"

2011-03-26T19:29:00.000-05:00

We have two AMAZING dogs who are, at this point in time, our babies. We love them, their silly faces, how they love to play with the ball, go for walks, and give those "sad puppy eyes" when they want something.

They are wonderful!

Most of the time...

There is one thing that they do that continues to cause me grief.

They escape.

KC, the three-year-old black lab mix, has escaped from every single dog pin that we have put her in. She can squeeze through incredibly small spaces when she JUST HAS TO GET OUT! She HATES being put in the kennel alone, and will do anything to bust loose...

Breck, the almost-three-year-old yellow lab mix could probably leap a small building. Whatever kind of dog her full-breed lab mom got "mixed up with" HAD to have some awesome jumping skills. "Breckers" can leap up high enough to get her paws hooked over the top of a 6ft. tall dog kennel and that's all she needs to propel herself over the edge. CRAZINESS!!!

This causes me grief.

Why???

Because that means they have to be put inside at night or any other time we leave the house.

I hate that.

I hate them in the house...they are big, outside dogs, and they like it.

So...we finally broke down and decided to get an electric wire for our fence. Ethan and his dad just spent the afternoon installing the power box and getting the wire in place on a small section of the fence to try it out.

The result???

Awesome! It WORKS!!! It took KC one zap and Breck two in order for them to stay away from the fence! No more dogs escaping...no more late night searches...no more fear of possible "accidental pregnancies..."

Life is good!

Coupons...

2011-03-25T08:18:00.000-05:00

I'm all about saving money. Who isn't?

Ethan and I do a pretty good job of trying to get the best deal when shopping, eating, or just buying anything. He is a very good comparable shopper, and that has rubbed off on me more and more.

One thing that I have always seen the advantage of and never tried is using coupons. I guess I never wanted to take the time to look for the coupons and cut them out or take up even more time at the grocery store checkout line while the cashier scans my hundreds of coupons. (You know you hate getting stuck behind someone like that in line).

However, things have changed. Groceries are getting more and more expensive, cost of living is getting more and more expensive, gas is more expensive...starting to get the picture.

As I look to the future, I don't see those costs going down anytime soon, and we would someday like to have a family. When I think about the amount of money my parents spent on groceries for us kids when we were all at home, I cringe when I think about our future store runs.

I am starting to come around to the idea of searching for coupons, clipping, and caring whether or not I make the person behind me in line wait a little longer to check out.

My "new" cousin Dana, sent me a link to another blogger who lives right here in Wichita and shops at the Dillons stores around me. She blogs about her coupon savings and shows that it can be doable without spending hours and hours. This blog has given me a reason to at least give it a try. Check her out at:

Money Saving Mommy

We'll see how this goes. I'm hoping to have some success with this!

"Unanswered Prayers"

2011-03-21T17:03:00.000-05:00

That used to be one of my favorite Garth Brooks songs. One I grew up listening to, enjoying the melody, and singing along and wishing that my legs were long enough to touch the floor while I sat in the chair.

You know how sometimes you did things as a kid and didn't realize the importance of it until much later in life.

That was me, when that song came on the radio the other day and I began to sing along, just as I did when I was 8.

Now I get it.

I started to think about the meaning of the words "sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers..." and thinking about my life and how many times I prayed for something that didn't come.

That my parents wouldn't be so "old fashioned" and let me do what I wanted...

That I was friends with the "popular group" that went to parties and had boyfriends/girlfriends...

That I was skinny like the other girls...

That I would be a archaeologist...

That I would find a college out of the state of Kansas...

That the guy I thought I loved would finally "come to his senses..."

Now that I sit here thinking of that song and how wonderfully Blessed my life is, I can't imagine what I would be like today if any of those prayers had been answered.

That song was a great reminder for me, as my husband and I start to pray for things in our future, to keep in mind that God always has a plan for us. He may not answer our prayers the way we think...but He always has a better plan.

Red One!

2011-01-22T06:50:00.000-06:00

Whack! Someone just got "Slug-Bugged"!

Two and a half years ago, that someone was me. For the first time in our relationship Ethan had felt comfortable enough with me to punch my left shoulder as I sat in the passenger seat of the truck driving through Wichita. Could this be the same loving and caring man that I was falling for???

But then it dawns on me...This is exactly the man I'm falling for. Part of what attracted me to him in the first place is his joking, sarcastic personality. Playing the "slug bug" game like we are kids is exactly up his ally!

So it began. The next year or so I was getting slugged much more often than I was doing the slugging. Playing constant "Slug Bug" with a guy who can tell the make and model of a car from half a mile away didn't give me much of a chance. He even was able to find probably the one and only VW Beetle in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...yep that's right, he even slugged me on our honeymoon!

However, as time has gone by I have become much more adept at picking out those little bugs and am now slugging him almost as many times as he gets me. It's an unspoken rule in our car...you sit next to one of us and you better be on the look out! (I even got my sister 5 times in one day while we went shopping!)

Sometimes I laugh when I picture us 40 years from now driving down the road scanning the road and parking lots just waiting for the opportunity to yell "Red one!"

Holiday Highlights!

2010-12-19T21:24:00.000-06:00

A little insight to my Holiday Season for 2010...

E and I traveled home to Burlington for Thanksgiving with my family this year. It was again, as always, a great trip home with much laughter, food, and games. Everyone was home for the first time in a long time, which makes my mom so happy.

E's parents spent their Thanksgiving at the casinos in Las Vegas as they always do. I sent a 20 with my father-in-law to try and win it big at Keno. I didn't win...

Both E and I spent the last week coughing and hacking our way through some kind of sickness. No fever, no throwing up (thank goodness) and no missed days from work, but made for a miserable week between the both of us. Thankfully we are on the healthy side again!

3 days left until a much needed break from work. E is going snowboarding in Colorado, and since I have no desire to strap 6 foot polls to my feet in an attempt to try and increase my chances of ending up in some kind of cast. I will be remaining here cleaning, shopping, and finding other ways to occupy my time.

I will be spending my first Christmas away from my family...ever. I am handling this surprisingly well. I think this is due to two reasons. 1) E has a great family and I really enjoy spending time with them. 2) I will be able to go home and see my family over New Years and my mom and sister will be coming up to go shopping while E is away snowboarding.

I'm handling this year's winter better than last year for some reason. I still don't like the cold, but I am not walking around this year with numb fingers and toes like I did last year. Although, I could be saying something different come February.

I still have not gotten E's Christmas present... I better get on that!

Christmas Lights

2010-12-04T19:03:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas lights. All kinds; big, small, white, multicolored. I love how they welcome me into the Christmas season with their twinkling. I love to see how different families put up their lights each year. My parents always have a single string of white lights lining the front of our house with a big white star on the peak of our roof. While my neighbor has every possible type of light up in no particular order. Last year Ethan and I had blue lights in our bushes. This year we added a nice big tree with white lights to the front window.

I think my love for lights comes from a tradition that my family has done every year that I can remember Christmas. Each Christmas Eve we would load up in the car/van/station wagon...all of us, even the dogs (this got increasingly harder as we got older) and drive around the town looking at all the pretty lights. We knew that while we were gone looking at lights Santa would begin his journey around the world with our house. So of course as soon as we went around the block we all asked and begged to go back home straight away and see if Santa had made it yet. Mom and dad always made us continue all throughout the town. I'm very thankful they did.

Ethan even helped add to the Christmas season by taking me around Wichita to see all the beautiful lights the rich people put up when we were dating! I can't wait to do it again this year. :)

New Blog!

2010-11-27T20:12:00.000-06:00

I have decided to expand my blogging to other things besides random chatter. I took one of my new hobbies/interests/loves for cooking and created a new blog all about my adventures in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy!

http://barefootinthekitchen-jill.blogspot.com/

28 Years

2010-11-23T20:24:00.000-06:00

I just recently turned 28. I am very happy with where I am in my journey of life. I have decided that to celebrate my 28 years I would write a post about the 28 things I have learned while still remembering that I have much more to learn...

28. There is always room for ice cream no matter how full after a meal. Ice cream seems to melt on in there.

27. Shaving your legs for the first time is an awesome feeling...until the next day when you realize that it really doesn't last that long.

26. Teachers make mistakes, the difference between those teachers we loved and those we hated was how they reacted to it.

25. Habits are very hard to break.

24. You will find that more people will be polite and treat you well if you start the conversation with a smile and a sincere "how are you today."

23. It is much easier to clean up the kitchen right after dinner than wait till the following morning to do everything. This is something I have learned but still have a hard time following through with.

22. My Mother makes the best breakfast casserole.

21. The parents that don't worry about being the "cool parent" or their kid's friend are the best parents.

20. Kids will make mistakes...even the best kids will do something wrong once in a while.

19. Being with someone who makes you laugh is far more important than if they spend hours in the gym trying to make "washboard abs." The personality stays...the abs don't.

18. Money isn't everything, but life is much less stressful when you have a job.

17. The family activities and traditions as a kid that I thought were silly or embarrassing are the one's I want to carry on with my own family someday.

15. Swimming is one of the best skills I learned early on when my mom took us to the pool everyday. It is a skill that I believe to be one of the most important a child can learn.

14. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, 2+2=4, and K stands for Potassium on the Periodic Table.

13. Sundays are best spent relaxing and enjoying a day with family or just snuggled on the couch with a good book or movie.

12. Coffee and beer are acquired tastes. I have acquired a taste for both.

11. Men prefer long hair on women. Although once you get married...anything goes :)

10. It is always important to remember your blessings and thank God for everything good in your life.

9. The song Lola by the Kinks needs to be listened to all the way through before playing it at school.

8. When dad says your curfew is 12...he means 12.

7. Every girl has in her head what she thinks is the perfect way she would be proposed to. It's never as good as the way he does it.

6. House plants appreciate water.

5. Those people in high school who were constantly surrounded by drama, are the adults who seem to still have drama in their lives.

4. I would never want to be President.

3. Life really is better when you have someone to share it with. If you don't think so try being alone for a long period of time.

2. Age is a matter of perception.

1. We never stop learning.

Beer and Wine

2010-11-21T21:49:00.000-06:00

There seems to be a social divide between those who like wine and those who prefer a frosty beer. The stereotype tends to be that the wine drinkers are willing to spend more money for each sip of alcohol. They slowly swirl, smell, and let the wine breathe before taking a nice long sip. The dinners are pared with the type of wine that will compliment the flavors of the dish. While the beer drinkers are the "common folk" of the drinking world. They congregate in local bars and eat deep fat fried foods while cheering on their favorite sports team after a long, hard day at work.

Which one am I??? Both.

Sometimes I think I have split personalities (my husband may agree...). When faced with making decisions, I tend to struggle with my wine side and my beer side. For example...

Decorating the new bathroom:
My Wine Side...wants a neatly decorated and coordinated bathroom with all the matching colors and towels that are perfectly folded and layered.
While my beer side...thinks that is crazy! I want a bathroom that is usable. One where people can use and not be worried about drying their hands on the fluffy towel that just sits there. As long as it's clean, who cares...

Cooking Dinner:
My wine side...wants a simple pasta dish, light salad with a vinaigrette dressing, while the table is neatly set and the dishes all match with napkin holders and of course big pretty wine glasses at each seat.
And my beer side...wants to make pepper-jack stuffed hamburgers with homemade french fries dipped in a beer batter (of course) and fried in the hot oil deep fryer.

Decorating the Christmas Tree:
My wine side loves the pretty color-coordinated trees with a theme and matching Angel topper. Even the wrapping paper compliments the colors of the tree. Every bulb, light, and bow is evenly spaced and the lights add a perfect glow to the living room.
The beer side of me thinks of my mother's tree...nothing about it is in order. The tree is filled with ornaments that my brothers and sister and I created throughout our youth. Popsicle stars and glitter snowmen with our awkward 4th grade picture a spaced throughout the tree. It is like looking back on my life through craft projects and hot glue. I love that tree...

Going on Vacation:
My beer side wants to get a camper and spend our vacations from one camp site to the next, swimming in the lake and roasting marshmallows by the fire.
But my wine side says "you hate bugs" and wants to stay in a nice air conditioned hotel room with a pool and concierge who recommends all the best restaurants.

However there are times when there is no decision to be made. Sometimes it is just a beer day or a wine night...

After coaching a basketball or volleyball game...beer

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner with my mom and sister...wine

Fourth of July...beer

My birthday...wine

Colorado Rockies baseball game...beer (Coors of course)

Get together with the girls...wine

Olive Garden...wine

Granite City Brewery...beer

Rio de Janeiro...Capriahana

Weddings...Jack and Coke!

Honesty

2010-11-16T21:23:00.000-06:00

Two people commented on my appearance this week...

Monday at school:
Teenage girl: You look really pretty today Mrs. Weber, there's something different about you.
Me: Why thank you! (It's probably the fact that I wore make-up for the first time in over a month...)

Monday night at home:
Ethan: You have a zit on your face here and here.
Me: Thank you... (eyebrows raised)

I wonder which one was honest and which one was trying to get something out of me.

Actually knowing my student, she was being honest and knowing my husband he was being silly. Both comments made me smile!

Barefoot in the Kitchen

2010-11-12T16:11:00.000-06:00

Over the last few years of my adult life I have enriched and embraced a stronger friendship with my kitchen. I have always had the general knowledge of how to do things in the kitchen, but recently I have found myself really enjoying the time I spend over the stove.

Now, I am no Martha Stewart by any means. I prefer an easier way of doing things (and more lively...sorry Martha, but I'd watch golf on TV before you). My culinary skills are more a cross between my mother and Rachel Ray. Now, I have my issues with Ms. Ray also, so I don't want to be too connected to her, but I have found some of her methods useful and recipes tasty.

I can thank my husband for the increased interest in cooking...for two reasons.

#1: We used to have "Dinner Date Nights" when we were just dating where we would find a new recipe to try and cook it together. I found myself really looking forward to those nights and those recipes. Out of all the new meals we tried, there was only one that we didn't add to the normal rotation. Not too bad of a record.

#2: There may some truth to the old saying "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach." I didn't purposely fix meals that would make him love me, but I took a great amount of pride in cooking a meal that he liked. I found myself looking for recipes that I knew he would enjoy, or that I could modify to make spicier or saucier the way I knew he would like it. And I will admit...I have a few recipes that I know to make if he's had a particularly rough day/week.

I enjoy cooking and I hope that this love stays with me through the years. Since I am sure this is not something I am likely to stop doing anytime soon. :)

Home Sweet Home...

2010-11-10T20:22:00.000-06:00

Not long after Ethan and I started to become more serious in our dating relationship and began talking about the future, we realized that the wonderful home he owned would not be big enough for the family we wanted to have. We knew we would be left with one of two options. Move or add on.

We opted first off to try and add on. There are some things we both REALLY like about the house we are in now. One acre lot, in the country BUT 10 minutes away from West Wichita, all brick home with finished basement and HUGE kitchen. We decided that all we needed to make this the "perfect" home was a master bedroom/bath suite. Of course that meant turning our garage into a master bedroom and adding on a new 3 car garage. We were happy with that and sought out contractors to see what the damage might be. It didn't take long to realize that our dream of adding on a simple garage and master bedroom was going to be WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. We might as well try to sell and build if we're going to have a house worth that amount of money.

We have now set our sights on something different. We are going to try and sell and look to either buy existing or build something new. Right now we are focusing on getting our house ready to sell. So...if anyone out there is looking for a cute little ranch home just West of Wichita...let me know!

I'm Back!

2010-11-07T07:59:00.001-06:00

At least I hope...

It has been awhile since I've sat down at my computer and written about what goes on in my not-so-interesting life. When things start getting crazy around here, the first thing I forget about is blogging... So while I lay awake early on a Saturday morning (because my body does not recognize the time change and that I actually can sleep for another hour) I will do my best to catch you up!

~ I got married. Yep, all those previous posts about the engagement and preparing for a wedding never got followed up by the actual event. It was a perfect day, even with the rain!

~ I traveled internationally for the first time. Ethan and I went to Rio de Janeiro on our honeymoon. Such a once in a lifetime opportunity and we had a great time.

~ I started my 5th year teaching...which sounds unbelievable to me that I've not only been part of a great school for 5 great years, but also that I've been out of college for 5 years. It feels like just yesterday.

~ Ethan has started the second bathroom project as we prepare to get our house ready to sell. I am confident that this bathroom project will go much quicker than the last because there is not near as much tile work that has to be done.

~ I received a new mixer from my in-laws for a wedding gift. You know one of those wonderful, do everything for you, Kitchenaid mixers. I LOVE IT! I'm doing things I never thought I would...making my own pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, and baking. Turns out baking is much more fun when you have a machine to do most of the work for you!

~ I was once again so very happy to be a part of the Cheney Volleyball Team, as they made their way to Salina for the state tournament for the 3rd year in a row. It is always such a great experience and I love that I get to be a part of it.

~ And once again since we made it to state in volleyball and since middle school basketball overlaps the high school season (I coach both sports), I have switched gears from volleyball to basketball in one day and coached my first bball game of the season after only 3 practices. We won! I love this time of year!!!

~ November has arrived, thankfully, as October is always such a busy, stressful month for me. I always rejoice on November 1st!

~ I'm looking forward as always to Thanksgiving again this year. We always spend Thanksgiving with my parents and we are a fun bunch to be around! I can't wait!

~ The dogs are doing great...they're spoiled rotten and have learned some new tricks. KC can jump the fence when there is something out there she REALLY wants, and Breck can scaled a brick wall. Yup! Your read that right...she looks like "Spider dog" as she scales up the wall to get a tennis ball that's been placed in the window.

Things that Make Me Excited for Summer

2010-05-28T19:49:00.000-05:00

1. Warm weather! I am so sick and tired of the cold weather and blowing wind. I enjoy lounging around in my tank tops and not having to pack a coat everywhere I go.

2. Tans. I refuse to fake bake. Because of this, I am as white and pale by the end of winter that one can be. I can't wait to get a little color back in my skin. That is as long as it isn't red...

3. Watermelon, pasta salads, home grown tomatoes... I just love summer time foods. There is just something about the hot sticky weather that makes me want to eat better. I rarely want a greasy hamburger and fries when I can have fresh strawberries and a turkey sandwich with tomatoes out of the garden.

4. Morning walks with the girls (dogs that is). I think I've missed that the most through the school year. We had our morning routine down pat before school messed it up. I get up feed the girls, eat my breakfast of Cheerios, we play with the ball, and go for a walk. All before 8:00 AM. I can't wait!!!

5. 2nd Annual Mystery Weekend. Last year we went to OK City, and it was such a fun trip. This year was questionable when we would be able to do it with the wedding and many other things that can take up the weekends during the summer. But we are going again this year...where I have no idea. All I know is that I have to be in Burlington by 10:30 on the Friday we leave.

6. Golfing. This is the third year that I have played golf, and I can't wait to get out on the course more regularly. I will have to because for the first time, I will be playing in a tournament with my mom and some friends.

7. No school! I love my job and I didn't become a teacher just because of the summers, but I enjoy my time off which is necessary for me to recharge and be ready to go in August.

8. Bachelorette Party. My sister is planning this one, and it should be interesting. Along with the "Mystery Weekend" I don't know anything other than it's going to be in KC. I'm super excited to see what she comes up with...I know she is having fun trying to figure to get it all planned.

9. Honeymoon. Beach. Sun. Hubby. Enough said :)

10. Becoming Mrs. Weber!!! After all the dresses, addresses, showers, and planning it is finally going to happen. I can't wait for this next step in my life and all the wonderful things that come with it.

Caught Red Handed

2010-04-30T21:19:00.000-05:00

I have a student in my class who is very bright but really struggles socially to know what is appropriate, and has a much lower maturity level than my other 7th graders. He has been known to just take pens off of my desk to use during class. When I catch him, I always make him put it back and then ask permission.

Today the kids were supposed to be working on an assignment and I noticed this particular student looking at his hands that were covered in bright red ink. I went over and asked him if he wanted to go wash his hands. He said “I don’t know what happened.” It was then I noticed that the pen he had was one of mine off the cup on my desk. I asked him if it was my pen and he immediately apologized for taking it. I then told him that I had a red pen leak all over my cup and all the pens were covered with red ink. He just looked up at me with these big brown eyes and said “Caught me red handed!”

I needed that today.

"Diamonds are My Favorite"

2010-04-24T14:31:00.000-05:00

Ethan: So the jeweler made a mistake and accidentally put 9 more diamonds in your wedding band than we had told him.

Me: Oh yeah???

Ethan: Yeah, and they say since they were the cause of the mistake they will sell it to use for the original price we were going to get. Or we can send it back and they will fix it the way we want it. It's up to you...

Me: Well, it's going to be a difficult task, but I think I can learn to live with more sparkly diamonds...

Technology Woes...

2010-04-21T20:39:00.000-05:00

There is no doubting that many advantages in technology have greatly benefited society. However, there many times when I stop and think "why do we need that?" or "why can't I just do something like I used to?" Here are a few things that technology has brought that I could really do without...

Teenagers having cell phones:
Seriously. What does a 12 year old need to have their own cell phone with unlimited texting and talking minutes. They don't have that much to say. I have even seen parents try to limit their teenager to 300 texts a month...HA! That changed when said teenager rang up a 1500 dollar cell phone bill due to texting...yep, you read that right 1500!!!! I see no problem with having a "family traveler phone" which would go with the teen on road trips or other events where they would need to call home for a ride. With the rate cell phones are going by the time I have kids they will be asking for their own cell phone at age 5. My poor kids...they will be deprived.

Videos instead of articles on the Internet:
I am an Internet surfer. I enjoy reading random things that pop up on MSN or Yahoo or whatever else seems to spark my interest. But, I want to read the articles...not watch it. Seems like everything now has a "click to play." Annoying.

Texting/MSN Talk:
As a teacher I forbid it in my classroom. You know, that new spelling in order to shorten all the words for texting...i teach 8 g8trs n skewl but luv my wknds. This absolutely drives me crazy. How hard is it to type out the entire word.

VHS then DVD then Blue-Ray then Plasma then Hi-Def now 3D:
I don't ever want to buy a brand new tv or DVD player again! Why spend the HUGE amount of money on something that is going to need to be replaced as soon as the newest "bigger and better" version comes out. As soon as we get a Blue-ray player (for which most movies are more expensive...most) there will be some "purple-ray" player that we will need to upgrade.

Facebook:
Don't get me wrong. I enjoy connecting with friends on facebook and seeing what everyone "posts" each day. However I do think it is human nature to not know when "enough is enough." I don't want to see half naked pictures of you, I don't want to see pictures of the car accident a student was in, I don't want to have to worry about who might say something or post a picture that I don't like. There is freedom of speech and expression, but lets learn to sensor ourselves!

Technology is great in many ways. It has helped make me a better teacher, stay in touch with family and friends, and even helped Ethan and I in the beginning stages of our relationship...but sometimes I wish I could go back to "the old days."

Those people...

2010-04-10T13:16:00.001-05:00

There are those people who seem to have a place for everything. No matter what happens their home looks spotless, the bills are stacked neatly in their proper place, the filing cabinet is properly located for easy access and the files are arranged alphabetically, laundry is folded immediately once it emerges from the dryer, dust never has a chance to settle, the bed is made, nothing seems cluttered or misplaced...

I am not one of them.

But I would like to be... I want a spotless house, but many times I choose to enjoy an evening cuddling on the couch with Ethan watching our favorite show. I would love for the filing cabinet to be used for something more than a "catch-all," but as luck would have it, there is rust on the bottom and Ethan doesn't want it on the carpet or kitchen floor...so in a closet is where it stays. The laundry stays in piles of clean clothes until I decide to dedicate my entire Saturday to folding and putting it away (my mother would cringe). When it was hot from the dryer the dogs wanted me to throw the ball with them. In our house, dust is a protective coating for the furniture...or wouldn't I like to think. If the bed gets made it is usually after I get home from work, and only a few hours before we are going to climb in it. We have an ever-growing pile of mail that sits on the counter...I would love to blame it all on Ethan, but I have my fair share of envelopes sitting in the pile.

I guess it comes down to how you look at things in life. I want things organized and cleaned, but I don't want to sacrifice watching a pretty sunset on the porch or cuddling on the couch in order for that to happen. Some people would probably call me lazy, but when I look back on my life I want to remember the sunsets and cuddling, not the dishes and folded laundry.

Home Projects

2010-04-09T17:34:00.000-05:00

Ethan's Aunt Margaret once told us, if your marriage can survive long road trips and home improvement projects, then you can survive anything. The very next weekend we left for an 8 hour road trip to Colorado and spent a nice chunk of money at Lowe's to begin the bathroom remodeling. We were going to test that theory even before we marry.

We survived the road trip, and even decided to try and make that an annual vacation to the Rocky Mountains. The bathroom remodel was about to commence. The task: add a shower to the bath tub, tile the walls, wallpaper what was left, new sink, new toilet, new faucet, new flooring, and do it all ourselves. (Well, actually Ethan and his dad would do the majority of the work, I helped pick things out and learned how to wallpaper).

The demolition began the weekend after Labor Day and continued through most of September. Ethan and his dad were able to get the plumbing done for the new shower head, and Ethan attached the new counter top.

This was perfect timing for a home remodeling project because I was going to be busy most weekends coaching volleyball and wouldn't be in Ethan's way. One Saturday I came home from a tournament and Ethan had replaced the old window with glass tile squares. It looked great!

Soon it was time to begin tiling...but we hit a little speed bump. The cold weather set in and the only place to cut the tile was in the garage. The tile has to be cut with a wet saw...meaning the tile is wet. Cold and wet. Not fun. So the project got put on hold for a couple months.

After January, Ethan and his dad, Bill, set in on the tile. This was something new to both of them (and that's saying a lot, Bill has done many many things.) I was amazed how good it was looking. I now was setting my sights on the perfect shower curtain. This was going to be a much bigger undertaking that I thought.

I found the perfect shower curtain, I fell in love with it from the beginning. It was at Bed Bath and Beyond, and it had the perfect amount of blues, browns, and creams. Now, I have a tendency to make decisions a little too quickly, I find something I like and just go for it. So, I decided to shop around a little...I mean I was in no hurry. Turns out I should have been my normal speedy self...I went to order the shower curtain and, as luck would have it, the darn thing was out of stock and not going to be replaced. Crap. Now I had to keep looking. After months of pouring over every possible shower curtain...this one too brown...that one not enough brown...that one too sheer...and those are just plain ugly...I found one. Again at Bed Bath and Beyond and this time I bought it right away!

Once the tiling was complete everything else seemed to fall into place rather quickly. The sink went in without a problem, new flooring looked wonderful, the toilet was pretty and white, and I helped Dolores (Ethan's mom) wall paper the rest of the walls that weren't tiled. And then finally after a lot of hard work...mainly by Ethan and his dad...the bathroom was finished. We survived, rather easily I might add, our first home improvement project together. I hope that the rest of them go just as smoothly...

Guilty Pleasures...

2010-03-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

You know what they are...those things you shouldn't watch, do, or have but just can't resist. Here are a few of those things that I enjoy (but hate to admit it) :)

- Spaghetti-O's: I love them...they remind me of rainy days when I was a kid at home and mom just happened to have them around, usually because of some sale at the store. To this day, every now and then I get a craving for a bowl of the soggy rings in tomato sauce.

- America's Next Top Model: I hate the idea of models and what they represent. Too skinny, self conscious, mean and nasty, drama-filled who all have that same *sniff, sniff* dream to be on the cover of a magazine that has more adds than articles. But I enjoy watching the last 20 minutes of the show where they are at the photo shoot and then Tyra critiques each girl's picture. I, of course, share my criticisms of the photos and predict who's picture was the worst...and the entire time sit there saying..."I should not be watching this."

- Cookie-Dough: I know, raw eggs and salmonella...you should not eat cookie dough. I do. And I love it. Most times I make cookies for the sole purpose of eating the dough as I spoon out the drops of chocolaty goodness. I argue that I have spent my entire life sneaking bites of cookie dough and never been sick from it, and I will continue to!

- Trashy Celebrity Magazines: Sometimes I don't mind having to wait a long time in the grocery store line. That is the only chance I get to read the magazines that rumor the next big couple or baby bump. I could really care less how they live their lives and think I could do a much better job at spending all that money they unfairly earn...but I do enjoy reading about it.

I am sure I am not alone in enjoying these "should-nots." What are some of your guilty pleasures??

I'm Baaaaaacccckkk!

2010-03-12T18:37:00.001-06:00

I know it has been a while since I've blogged. Call it being busy, call it writers block, or call it plain lazy, but never-the-less all 3 of you who read this blog will have something new to read.

I thought I would write just a few things that have happened since I last wrote something...

~ I survived another round of coaching seasons enjoying the new volleyball coach, who taught the girls so much more than I could have. I was able to coach the JV this year and it was nice to be able to work with girls who already knew how to serve the ball over hand. We had a good season and I look forward to next year. I absolutely LOVE coaching middle school girls' basketball. The girls this year were GREAT and it really is just so much fun. Even though this year I had to actually coach in some tight game situations...we won some, we lost some.

~ Ethan and I had our first Christmas together where we actually got each other gifts, did family Christmases, and combined incomes to come up with gifts for everyone. It was a great Holiday season and I'm already looking forward to the many more to come.

~ Ethan and his dad are close to finishing the bathroom! I'm looking forward to actually having space to shave my legs in the shower, decorating the new space, and not having to walk across the house in the middle of the night to go to the restroom.

~ I survived the flu season with only one bout of the flu that lasted just a couple of days. I did not however get hit with H1N1 and did not (and will not) get the vaccination.

~ We sold the waterbed, and purchased a new King size bed from Denver Mattress. We have not slept on it for 2 nights and I think Ethan is slowly starting to adjust... He is still going through his "mourning period" after loosing his beloved waterbed. (I tease him, but I love him for being willing to give it up).

~ My sister is playing in her last competitive basketball tournament this weekend...I am so proud of her, and can't believe that it is all coming to an end.

~ Ethan and I have booked and paid for our honeymoon. We are going to Rio de Janiero, Brazil and I can't wait. I won't say that I'm more excited for the honeymoon than the wedding...but it is Rio... :)

~ We found out the CO Rockies are playing the Royals in May. I have saved my last personal day for the Friday of that weekend so we can go to as many of the games as possible.

~ Finally the weather has started to pick up some...I have hated, HATED this crappy winter weather we have had this year and am so ready for nice temperatures and sun that I can hardly stand it.

~ My grandpa turned 80. Bryson turned 2.

~ I finished our wedding website. Feel free to visit it anytime. http://www.wix.com/augustynjill/ethanandjill

~ Less than 4 months till the wedding!

Cause I Teach Middle School...

2009-12-11T22:22:00.000-06:00

I can:

~ Tell you all the different flavors of Axe body spray for men solely by their sent.

~ Speak fluent sarcasm. I've got the eye roll down too

~ Give you great gift ideas for either a teenage girl or guy. Girl...anything with Twilight or make-up (bonus points for anything that's sparkly). Boys...Axe body spray for men or flat brimmed hats.

~ Identify the names of songs that I have no desire to listen to. The same goes with the singers who sing them.

~ Say with confidence that middle school students should NOT have a cell phone of their own!

~ Persuade a 13 year old boy to clean something for a mere Jolly Rancher. (the blue flavor)

~ dream of the day when alcohol is allowed at the work-place. There are some days when a Tylenol just won't cut it and I need something just a little stronger...

~ Be cheered up immediately by a silly story or a kind gesture...yes they do happen!

~ Argue why there should NEVER be year-round-school. Spend 9 months in an 8th grade classroom...by month 8 you are inches away from a break-down.

~ Know now that when my own kids are middle schoolers they will not like me. No cell phone of their own. No skimpy skirts or inappropriate shirts. I will not call a coach to tell him/her that my kid needs more playing time. I will not tell a teacher that my child's poor performance is the teacher's fault. I will not hold drinking parties for my kids and their friends. I will NOT be the cool mom... (and will be thanked for it later...Thank you mama Julie!)

Thank You...

2009-11-11T20:34:00.000-06:00

...to all the men and women who serve our country.

I lived for a while in Emporia, KS. The birth place of Veteran's day. Veteran's Day used to be called Armistice day, which celebrated the cease fire of WWI that is said to have occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month. A business man in Emporia worked to get it changed to Veteran's Day in order to honor ALL veterans of the military. Because of this, Emporia takes great pride in Veteran's Day and everything is shut down. Businesses are not open, there is a very large parade and other events, and of course there is no school. Now, ever since having lived there I have always taken the stand that there should be no school, just like other national holidays.

Today was different. I went to school knowing that today would be a different type of school day. The kids were going through a health fair in the morning and then after lunch we were having a Veteran's day program to honor all those who have served or are currently serving our country. Little did I know just how powerful today would be.

At 12 we all gathered in the gym and welcomed local veterans into the gym with the band playing. We had Veterans from every war from WWII to one individual who was leaving at 2:00 TODAY for Afghanistan! They were all recognized, the choir sang the Star Spangled Banner, the band played, students read Veteran's Day essays, and many of us had to blink back tears throughout the presentation.

After this the students were lucky enough to be able to listen to our heroes speak about their experiences. We heard stories of years at sea carring bombs to the Pacific Islands, having to pull the bodies of fallen soldiers on the beaches of Normandy to be buried, flying aircraft in Vietnam, experiencing "friendly fire" and marching in the hot desert in Kuwait. WOW. What an awesome lesson our middle school kids learned today.

I now firmly believe that EVERY school should do something like this to honor our Veterans. If we would have let out school not one of those kids would have showed our soldiers the type of respect they saw today. What our teenagers learned today was far more important than any algebra problem or science experiment they would have done otherwise.

Far too often we take for granted the things that are most important...for all you who have served, are serving, or have lost loved ones, thank you.

Be careful what you say around your little ones...

2009-11-04T21:00:00.001-06:00

Me: Hi "John" how are you?
"John" (Name has been changed to protect the innocent...or in this case, the cute kid): Hi
Me: Have you been practicing your 10 Commandments?
"John": Kind of.
Me: ok...why don't you give them a try.
"John": Well...I really only know the first one "You shall have no other gods besides me" and the 9th one "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife." Cause that's what our neighbor does!

I love 2nd graders!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-26T22:19:00.001-05:00

Our Little Houdini

2009-10-18T20:58:00.000-05:00

I awoke Tuesday morning to barking dogs. This is not unusual. Ethan and I live out in the country a bit and there are many things that grab the attention of our two "guard dogs." However this was different. This was louder. Hmmm...I wondered what had those to all wound up, so I got out of bed (moving rather slowly, as it was the 2nd day I was waking up with the flu) and checked out the window. All I could see without my glasses was some blur of a shape that looked to have four legs. Great. Some animal has our girls all excited and I'll never get back to sleep. I grab my glasses and go to the front door to see if I can't make out exactly what is causing all the commotion.

It was Breck!

How in the hell did she get out of our fenced in back yard???

After getting her safely back inside and causing enough commotion for Ethan to decide to come upstairs and see what was going on. (He slept downstairs while I was sick...how nice of him to give me the whole bed to myself!) He bundled up and went outside to investigate the situation and see how our little magician worked her way outside. All gates were closed. No chairs were next to the fence. Hmmm....

He decided that there was a tree branch that had grown low enough for her to use that to propel herself over the fence, and we decided to keep her inside the crate until he could cut down the branch.

True to his word, Ethan got the chainsaw from his parents house and cut the branch off the next day, and just to make sure the problem was solved we took Breck outside to see if she could still get out...

Yeah, she climbed the fence.

I'll tell you again...SHE CLIMBED THE FENCE!!!

There is roughly 1/2 acre of fenced in backyard for her to run and play in. There are many dogs who would give anything to have that much yard. Not Breck. She needed more.

We should have named her Houdini...

Wedding Planning Surprises

2009-10-09T13:42:00.001-05:00

As I am in the middle of trying to plan my wedding I am finding out more and more that the "perfect wedding" I had in my mind as a kid sure has a lot more to it than just pretty dresses and matching colors. There is so much more to wedding planning than anyone can really tell you about. Here are just a few of the things I am finding out as I go...

~ EVERYTHING is expensive. That stupid TLC "Wedding Show" that had me hooked into watching and getting ideas when I was in my early 20s in college should really include the prices of these beautiful weddings they show. Cause I'm betting not one of them was less than 10,000.

~ You will constantly want to talk about it. I can't help it. I even make goals NOT to talk about it today...and at some point I mention something about it.

~ You will count down the months, weeks, and days. It's so corny...but true!

~ He might just care about helping with the planning. Mine does...and it's nice. :)

~ All the little tiny details...like writing the petitions for Mass or feeding your bridal party lunch on the day of the wedding. (Good thing Bird got married a couple weeks ago so I could see what all I had to do)

~ Everyone will want to be invited. I've had people tell me they had marked the day down on their calendar so they would be sure to be there... How nice of them to remember my wedding day, but I hope they make other plans when they don't get an invite...

~ Apparently it is absolutely necessary for you to have background music while the guests wait at the reception hall for everyone to arrive.

~ The hard part about registering for gifts is actually picking the places you want stuff from. When Penny's has the bath towels you want and Wal-Mart has the shower curtain and Bed Bath and Beyond has the dishes and Sears has the grill and Target has the fire pit it sure makes it hard to narrow it down.

~ There are ultimately not enough of the "good" jobs for all your friends and family...someone has to be the guestbook!

Random Chatter

2009-10-01T21:23:00.000-05:00

~ I only blogged one time in September. Where did this month go?

~ My nephew turned 2 today. He is getting so big and talking so much. It is so fun to watch them grow from a distance...

~ Why is it that the one night you actually want the volleyball games to go fast so you can get home in time for your TV show everything will be done in the universe's power to make sure that it runs as slow as possible and you end up late for your show and eating dinner at 8:15 at night.

~ I like to eat dinner as early as possible without seeming too weird...I don't like to eat past 7:00 or 7:30.

~ I'm coaching the JV volleyball girls this year and I find that no matter what level of girls you coach you will indubitably have drama, weenie-itis, and players that MUST leave practice early to go fix their hair for the football game.

~ Ethan and I are having our engagement pictures taken this weekend and I'm really excited. I think it will be a fun way to spend a Saturday evening along with dinner out downtown.

~ On Monday Ethan and I will have been seeing each other for 2 years...where does the time go.

~ My dad is planning on breeding our new puppy Copper. He is such a good looking and well-mannered dog that dad thinks he needs to help have puppies. I'm hoping that he helps have many litters and someday I can talk Ethan into getting one!

~ I came home tonight to a cleaned kitchen and laundry going. I love that man!

~ My friend Bridget, also known as "Bird" finally got married last weekend. It was such a beautiful wedding and everyone had such a good time. I am very happy for her and Ruben!

~ My mother has a facebook account... I helped her set it up...

~ I got my nails done again. It lasted about 2 months of not going in to have them all "prettied up." I am so glad that I have girly hands again and doubt that I will stop any time soon.

~ I know that I have plenty of time, but I just can't decide how I want to have my hair for my wedding... With the style of dress I have I really should probably have my hair up. But I just LOVE how pretty my hair is down. I guess I have a while to make that decision.

~ My sister is about to start her Senior year on the ESU basketball team. SENIOR! Wow.

~ HA! At the wedding last weekend my dad ended up taking over the bar tending... It was awesome!

~ We are in the process of redoing our bathroom. I will post before and after picture once we are finished. It will look so cool! I can't wait :)

Vacation in the Rockies!

2009-09-08T22:41:00.000-05:00

Two tickets to see the Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Dimondbacks...two nights in The Curtis, the hippest hotel in Denver...dinner at various sports bars downtown...a drive through the mountains...First vacation away with Ethan...Priceless.

Ethan and I took our first vacation together over Labor Day weekend. He proposed the idea early in August when he was browsing the Rockies baseball team's website and noticed that they played at home that weekend. Ethan is a huge Rockies fan, but hadn't ever seen them play in Coors Field. I hadn't ever seen the mountains...or even set foot in Colorado for that matter, so it didn't take much to convince me that it would be a fun trip. A week later, we had tickets bought and hotel rooms booked. It was set.

We left early Saturday morning on our 8 hour jaunt across KS and most of Eastern Colorado. I started out driving since E had just come home from Lincoln the night before and was sick and tired of driving. We had all the necessary materials for a long car ride; GPS, DVDs, and snacks (pretzels and jolly ranchers). Unfortunately Dillons does not sell Mad Libs, so no fun word games for us. We quickly began the alphabet game (I won) and even saw a high speed car chase (going the other way). I also found out that Eastern Colorado is just as drab and boring as Western Kansas. 7 hours driving full of nothing but flat land for days...

Then finally I got to see my first glimpse of the mountains and Denver...unfortunately it was a cloudy day, so it wasn't too clear. We checked in to our hotel, The Curtis, located smack dab in the middle of down town, and is the "hippest hotel in Denver" (which we booked for a discount thanks to hotels.com).

The Rockies played on Saturday night, but we had tickets for the Sunday afternoon game. We decided to just go into one of the sports bars across from the stadium and have dinner, a beer (or three...) and watch the game. After 3 innings and eating an enormous amount of food we decided to walk off some of our chili fries and finish watching the game at the hotel. Well on our way out we got stopped by guys who were still trying to sell tickets. We talked them down from 10$ each to 5$ each and ended up going into Coors Stadium and watching 4 innings of the night game! What a fun, unexpected addition to our weekend!

Sunday we got up early and walked to church. From the outside of the building it looked like any normal Catholic Church, but when we walked in, both our mouths dropped. Gorgeous!

I am pretty easy going and don't usually have any real "demands" on things I want. (Ethan might tell you different...) but I knew that one thing I really wanted this weekend was a hot dog, peanuts, and a beer at the ball game. Well this was not going to be a problem, because Coors Field is a "fan friendly" stadium. You can bring in any food or drink as long is it's not alcohol or glass. We bought our hot dogs, peanuts, and waters outside the stadium for 1/2 the price and brought those into the game. The beer was bought inside the stadium (for a ridiculous price...but hey, it's our vacation!) It was a great day for baseball with 7 home runs between the two teams and a Rockies win of 13-5!

After the game Ethan suggested we take a drive out to the mountains so I could really get a good view of them up close and personal. We decided to drive out to Breckenridge and have dinner. It was beautiful, and such a great day. We stopped to take pictures and the mountains are just breathtaking! Ethan was such a great guy, driving us there and back.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and so did our vacation. Monday morning we packed up and head back to KS. It was a WONDERFUL trip which will hopefully be the first of many Labor Day Colorado Trips for us!

Random Chatter

2009-08-23T18:16:00.000-05:00

~ Last weekend Ethan and I painted the spare bedroom in his house. I wanted to go with a neutral color that wasn't too blah... We decided on "Dust Storm." Which according to the little paint sample looked like a light brown/beige color. Well after getting it on the wall, there is the tiniest, teensiest, hint of pink in there. Ethan is not completely satisfied with the color, but we are NOT going to repaint it.

~ With the completion of the room I finally feel like I'm all moved in. No more unpacked boxes laying around the house!

~ This was my first official week back to work. Beginning with three long days full of in-service (yuck!) and then it's into the fire on Thursday as 197 middle school kids come filing into the building. It was a great first two days with kids and I am looking forward to all the learning will take place this year!

~ Apparently KC and Breck have not enjoyed my return to work. They have been quite spoiled this summer with lots of attention and a walk every morning. After a very busy week for me, and not even seeing the girls in the daylight until Thursday, they let me know how they felt loud and clear. One of the hay bails was somehow dragged out from the shed and into the middle of the yard. I believe it is their way of saying "take that!"

~ Ethan and I are planning a trip to Colorado over Labor Day to take in a Rockies Baseball game and enjoy the Mountains of Denver! I'm sooo excited I've never seen the mountains of Colorado!

~ Volleyball season has started and we have 33 girls out for the team this year. Should be a very exciting season with many new things brought to us by our new coach!

~ Anyone want to buy a boat??

~ I am in need of some new athletic shoes. This usually turns out to be a difficult venture for me. I wear a size 12 women's. How many stores do you think carry a 12 in women's? None. And if by chance they do, the shoes are always ugly. So in order to find the shoes I like, I have to order them off the internet...paying for shipping and the extra cost. The ones I found that I love are 109.99, not good. I have found a similar shoe that is on sale for 59.99...that will have to do.

~ FYI. If you are planning a trip to Brazil they charge the US 100$ for a tourist visa. They do this because the US charges Brazilians 100$ for a tourist visa. Gee-wiz!

~ I finished watching Alias...all 5 seasons. I feel sad that it ever ended. Good shows should be able to keep going, look at Law and Order.

~ Speaking of TV. I know my days of the week by what TV show I watch each night. Mondays is CBS and it's comedy line up, Tuesday is Fox with Fringe, Wednesday is Fox with Lie to Me, and Thursday is NBC with The Office (Friday I do have a life...or try to). Well Fox has decided that Fringe should be opposite NBC's "Must See TV" of The Office. Not good.

School Year's Resolutions

2009-08-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

Being a teacher causes you to have a totally different calendar than the rest of the general population. Christmas and Thanksgiving breaks are two of your favorite times of the year because you get a well-deserved break. Spring Break is for visiting family you don't get to see too often. While Spring cleaning and big household projects are usually done during the summer months when you actually have time. And finally, probably the biggest difference is as a teacher is "New Year's Day." Yes we celebrate with champagne, confetti, and a kiss when the clock strikes 12 on January 1, but that really isn't a teacher's New Year. Our new year starts on the first day of school. A chance to start your classroom over again. New ideas, new materials, new students.

Every August, like every January, I think about the things I want to improve on from the last year and how I can make myself better. Only in August those items are school related and usually don't involve counting calories or heading to the gym. I make "School Year's Resolutions," and like New Year's resolutions, I tend to follow through with them until around October, if I'm lucky... Yet every year I still make these new promises to myself. Maybe this year I'll stick with them.

2009-2010 School Year's Resolutions:

1. I will NOT get behind in grading papers. I will keep the kids' grades updated hopefully every week, BUT will not go two weeks without entering a new grade.

2. My desk will have some sort of organization to it. No piles of ungraded papers in various spots on the desk and floor...see resolution #1

3. I will try my very best to not let those one or two VERY difficult students get to me. I will try anything I or my team teachers can think of to get positive results out of him/her.

4. I will not complain about my co-workers and their teaching habits. However I am aloud to complain IF something they do affects me negatively! (Gotta leave a little room to vent)

5. I will not hate my advisory. (Advisory is like a homeroom class at the end of the day...I have the same students every day for the last 25 minutes, and EVERY year so far they have been hell to end my day. This year it will NOT be like that!)

6. I will NOT go school supplies crazy and buy more of the same thing...I have more pens and sharpies, and rulers and notepads, and fun office gadgets than anyone I know!

7. I will not talk too much about my upcoming wedding. I will wait until someone specifically asks me a question to bring up the topic. (this one will actually be hard...I'm kinda excited and tend to over-talk it I think :) )

8. I will try not to get frustrated with all the IEP meetings for my special ed and gifted students. (Since I have a subject that can be easily modified...I have ALL the students, no matter what their disability, and I love them...but that means that I have to attend ALL the meetings...ugh!)

9. I will limit myself to only bringing home projects to grade. I enjoy my evenings and need that time to step away from school stuff. But projects tend to take me a long time to grade...so grading a few of those each night is ok.

10. I will use my planning period wisely. I tend to take that time to chill out and do a crossword. That, as Dwight from The Office puts it, "is stealing time from the company" (or in my case the school). I will use my planning period to grade papers so I won't get behind!

And there you have it. 10 promises I'm making to myself for my New Year. Maybe I'll re-evaluate these after the real New Year and see how I've done...

The Truth About Marriage

2009-08-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

Now that I'm getting married I am constantly getting "advise" from my married friends or coworkers. Sometimes the advise is good and I think "yeah Ethan and I will do that!" Sometimes the advice is funny and I think "oh I can't wait for those silly things to happen to us." And some of the advice is sad or depressing and I think "I am not going to let that happen!"

Here are some of the best...

~ At your wedding make sure you eat something. The first thing your dad and I did when we got to the hotel after the dance was go to the hotel restaurant (it was open 24 hours) and ordered dinner, your dad had stroginoff.

~ The key to a happy marriage is laughter.

~ Once you get married the romance stops. (I highly doubt that one...it doesn't take too much for us to feel romantic. It's amazing how simply holding hands can make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...I hope that never changes)

~ While you're dating everyone keeps asking when you'll get married. After you get married everyone will start asking when you're going to start having babies.

~ Marriage is about communication and sacrifice. You are no longer living for yourself.

~ Once you get married you won't have to have as much sex with him. HA (that one always makes me laugh...)

~ You will both be obligated to accompany the other to faculty Christmas parties, family gatherings, friends weddings, and anything else that he or she commits you to!

~ A family that prays together, stays together

~ If your marriage can survive long road trips and home remodeling projects, it can survive anything!

~ The best Valentine's Day gift for your husband is a new teddy.

~ After you've been married 30 years you can cut your hair as short as you want. He's stuck with you for that long, he's not going to leave you cause your hair is short.

~ After you have kids make sure that you have a "date night" once a month for just the two of you. Don't wake up 20 years later with the kids off to college and you having to get to know each other again.

~ Make sure the anniversary date is something easy for him to remember, close to his birthday or any other major holiday!

~ Go someplace on your honeymoon that you may never get to go again. It's your honeymoon...you really only get one.

~ You will both lose all sense of Modesty. Once closing the bathroom door to go to the bathroom, you will eventually have one of you on the pot while the other is bushing their teeth. (HAHA)

~ He will want a shop, a man-cave, or some place to "get away"

~ You will want him to have a shop, a man-cave, or some place to "get away"

~ You now have to start shopping for items that are "neutral." Girls don't want to live in a house that looks like a bachelor pad, and Guys don't want to live in a home that looks like a flower garden exploded onto EVERYTHING!

~ With marriage you will work harder than you ever thought. Not just emotionally to keep your relationship strong, but real work. You will fix a toilet, paint walls, plant gardens, help move, and all sorts of physical labor that you didn't think about.

This is just some of the things that I've been advised about marriage. I am sure that Ethan has heard some wonderful tips from his married friends...hmmm, that could be an interesting blog...

The Perfect Moment!

2009-08-03T16:33:00.001-05:00

I have mentioned before that Ethan and my engagement wasn't the typical Hollywood story that people seem to expect. Life happened. Ethan got laid off, we knew we wanted to get married, so after Ethan talked to my parents we announced our engagement. We decided to wait and get rings later after he found a job. (House payment or diamond ring...not a hard choice).

After months of praying and sending out resume after resume, Ethan was offered the full time position in Lincoln, NE where he had been doing contract work for the summer. Even though it isn't the ideal location or where we want to live permanently, Ethan accepted the job and we made plans to go ring shopping this Saturday. I was very excited, talking with Ethan all weekend about styles I liked and where we would go. All the while Ethan having quite different plans...

Ethan usually works a little later Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays in order to be able to leave work around 2 so he can be back in Wichita by 6. This week was no different, but he thought he might be able to sneak out of there by 12! I was excited :)

Well, I sure was surprised to see Ethan walk through the door 30 minutes early, claiming to have left just a little earlier than he had me believing. We enjoyed the extra few hours sitting on the couch and just enjoying being with eachother. Then Ethan suggested we practice dancing to our song we've chosen for the wedding. This isn't the first time we practiced...I can't seem to make it through the song without crying at the end, so we have to keep trying and trying. There we are dancing in the middle of the living room at 5:00 on a Friday, me trying to make it through the song without getting all teary. Finally the end of the song rolls around, and this is where I usually lose it...Ethan then slips a ring on my finger! I just cried and cried as he hugged me. For that little moment everything was PERFECT!

Ethan had it all planned out from the beginning of the week, when he was leading me on about Saturday and ring shopping together. He left work 4 hours earlier than normal and arrived in Wichita at his friend's Jewelry store. He picked out the PERFECT ring. It's a beautiful round diamond in the middle with 5 tiny diamonds on each side of the band. It was EXACTLY like something I would have picked out for myself. And what makes it better...he did it all by himself. I can't really describe in words how much more special this ring is that he picked it out. I just look at it in awe...

I have now caught myself staring at the pretty diamonds shinning on my finger many times through the weekend. I find myself waving that hand around more so that maybe someone will notice and I can show it off and tell the wonderful story!

Random Chatter

2009-07-23T16:26:00.000-05:00

~ Last weekend my mom had a get-together with her college sorority girls (they do this every summer) and this year it was in Wichita. I didn't have anything to do on Friday so I went out to the lake house (VERY nice house...). We played on the lake and after a while a bunch of us decided to go over and try the rope swing into the water. It finally got to my turn and, either very stupid or brave, I got up on the 6 ft. plank to swing into the water. Problem: My legs hit the ground before I got to the water...NOT GOOD. The entire left side of my right knee is bruised and skinned up. My right shin is all skinned and since there's no where around the shin to really swell, it went to my ankle. Moral of the story...If you are a klutz do play on the rope swing!

~ Ethan laughed at me when I told him that story...no sympathy!

~ My wedding dress came in...so pretty!

~ I am in the process of moving into Ethan's house. There really was no point in continuing to pay 400/month + utilities when I'm never at the house in Cheney. Plus, with Ethan working contract in Lincoln, I'm here all the time and that will have to continue through the school year.

~ Along with moving into his place, means I get the "girl it up" just a bit. Not too much though...can't shock the poor guy, have to break him in gradually! HA :)

~ I made zucchini bread for the first time yesterday, my grandmother's recipe. Considering my unpleasant experiences with baking in the past and that I can never get my banana bread to turn out right, I was very nervous. However, it turned out wonderful! I'm going to make up more loaves and freeze them for later :-)

~ I broke a nail today while moving my stuff...I hate that!

~ Ethan and I have Engagement Encounter this weekend. We get to spend the whole weekend at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita. I am looking forward to it, but something tells me I'm going to be very tired by Sunday afternoon...

~ School is starting in less than a month. I haven't done too much school work so far this summer since we're starting a week later than usual. Now, it's less than a month away, I haven't done hardly anything, I can't get into the school cause they waxed the floors, AND I have to pack, clean, and move!

~ I'm so very happy!!!

SKIMP and SPEND

2009-07-07T16:44:00.001-05:00

In today's economy many people are trying to cut back and finding ways to save on certain items that they have been enjoying in order to pay bills, tuition, or survive on one salary. I like to consider myself pretty good at watching my money and saving. Lately I have been trying to save a little more each month. Through college I was able to have more than one job, take 16+ credit hours, have a social life, and still manage to save a little each month. Through those college years I learned very quickly which items were worth skimping on and which ones were well worth the extra dollar. Here are some of the things I do to cut back.

SKIMP on Movies: it cost 10+ for one adult to go to the theatre, plus popcorn and a soda. By the end of the night you're looking at a 50$ outing. Wait till it comes out on video and buy or rent it. Pop your own popcorn and snuggle on the couch. (Although this is much easier for me when Ethan has the big screen in the basement and it's like going to the movies anyway...only more comfortable!)

SPEND on Peanut Butter: For the most part I am a true saver with the "Always Save," "Kroger," or "Best Choice" brands. Normally they are just as good as the original for less. With that said, the cheap peanut butter is terrible. The peanut taste is either way off or there's no peanut taste and you pay for oily peanut butter. I will spend the extra for Jiff. It's always Jiff.

SKIMP on Restaurants: Ethan and I love to cook at home. This is a cheaper option for us because we end up with left overs to last the rest of the week. Although when we really feel like something different or going out to eat, we look for the deals. Two entrees for 20$ and other deals like that.

SPEND on Jeans: I am a total convert to the expensive jeans. I thought it was ridiculous to spend 80$ on jeans. That was until I tried on a pair of Silver Jeans. They fit PERFECTLY! Although because they are expensive, I have two pair and wear them only.

SKIMP on Bottled Water: I don't buy it. The tap water is fine at my place and Ethan's. If I ever live where the tap water is undrinkable, the Brita Water Filter pitcher is what I'll use. Much cheaper.

SPEND on Razors: The better the razor the better the shave. The cheaper the razor the more the pain (razor burn sucks).

SKIMP on Car wash: And basically any cleaning type jobs you can do yourself. Skip the 10$ car was and bust out the hose and your bathing suit and get a tan :)

SPEND on Exercise: I golf and swim. Golfing cost every time I tee off and swimming is a monthly fee for the YMCA. Both are worth it. They get me out and about. Taking care of yourself is definitely worth it.

SKIMP on Cable: Get what you HAVE to have. I cut back from 120$ a month to 60$ a month. I get Internet for 40 and 15 for my main channels, add in tax and it's half as expensive as having the extra channels.

Random Chatter

2009-07-04T10:10:00.000-05:00

Ha...I started out with Sunday Chatter, and that soon changed to "Weekly Chatter" when I realized I could not always blog every Sunday. Now after realizing it's been many weeks since my last "chatter" I have decided to call it "Random Chatter!"

~ Yesterday was my "-1 Anniversary." I love that Ethan and I are getting married around a Holiday. It means we will always have at least an extra day to celebrate free from work. He got me a card, I was very surprised! :-)

~ My sister has decided that she is addicted to chocolate. This is something most of us who know her are well aware of. I told her to accept it and enjoy some chocolate cake. Jamie however, cannot do that. She has had me bet her that she can't stay away from Chocolate for a month. The terms: If I win, she cooks me dinner, if she wins I cook her dinner.

~ Ethan and I are in the process of trying to pick a photographer for our wedding. It really is a hard decision, but we've narrowed it down to 3. Whoever we go with I am sure we'll end up with beautiful pictures!

~ Little Copper is getting bigger. He is such a good mannered dog, and I love asking mom how he is and hearing what funny or silly thing he did when I call.

~ I bought my first watermelon of the summer on July 1. It was a very sweet and wonderful watermelon, making me wonder why I waited until July to get one!

~ While Ethan has been working in Lincoln doing contract work during the weeks I have been trying to find things to keep me busy during the day to make the week go faster. One day this week I cleaned the entire house, cooked dinner, made a potato salad, did laundry, went to the store. I call that my "mom" day. It was a day that sounded very similar to ones my mother has. The next day I helped Ethan's dad load sod in the back of the truck at a grass farm, helped lay the sod, got very dirty. This is my "dad" day!

~ Speaking of Lincoln...I'm praying extra hard, it might work out!

~ I love KC and Breck! I don't think I could ever live without a dog again. Good thing Ethan agrees with me. However, I'll have to keep working on him if I'm ever going to get a little daschound!

The Meaning Behind "I Don't Care"

2009-06-29T20:58:00.001-05:00

I went to Kansas City this weekend to spend an evening out with some of my very best girlfriends from college. We always have so much fun together and I knew that this trip would be the same. After a very long decision process (which is the meaning of my post...) we decided to eat at a Thai restaurant in downtown KC and then walk to the Power and Lights district for a night of drinks and dancing.

I have now spent two weekends with two different groups of women (see mystery weekend) and one common phrase keeps popping up. "I don't care." I noticed myself saying it, my sister saying it, my mom, my friends, and numerous times throughout the trips. I started to think a little about how often I say it, and how often it gets said by women. Then I thought about how many different reasons their might be fore saying "I don't care" and how confusing that might be to men. I thought I would try to explain some of the reasons that I say "I don't care."

1. "I don't care." TRANSLATION: "I really don't care." This one I use mainly when trying to pick a place to eat. I am not a picky eater, and many of my friends can be. So I really don't mind where we eat most of the time. I can find something at any place that I will eat and probably enjoy. Many times I try to get out of the "I don't care" jam by giving a few choices of places that sound good, that way I have at least added to the conversation.

2. "I don't care." TRANSLATION: "My opinion won't really matter anyway." There may have been times when a woman gave her opinion or suggestion and it wasn't taken. This tends to happened a few times before we get to this point, but it does happen.

3. "I don't care." TRANSLATION: "I don't want to seem bossy." Let me clarify. I don't say "I don't care" because I am incapable of making a decision. I am very good at making decisions...sometimes I make them too quickly. But if every time I get to make the decision then I get the stigma of being bossy, or even worse...selfish because "we always have to do what Jill wants"

4. "I don't care." TRANSLATION: "I really do care and I'm testing you to see how well you know me, because you should know me well enough to read my mind and pick what I want you to without telling you" This one is many times used towards men. I hate this one. I've seen many of my girlfriends use this on their boyfriends/fiance/husbands and then end up mad when he didn't pick the right thing. I can honestly say I have never used this myself to date...but I can't promise it won't EVER happen...I am a woman, and we are complex and do things for reasons that we don't even know.

I am sure there are many more reasons behind the "I don't care" but these are the ones that I know and use (or have seen used). If you have any other ideas, don't hesitate to add to the comments!

Mystery Weekend

2009-06-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

This last March, my mother came to my sister and I and said "I have an idea, and if you don't like it we don't have to do it, it's just a thought." Of course Jamie and I want to know the idea, we both know that we will want to do it not matter what it is...mom always has such great ideas.

"I would like to plan a trip for just us girls this summer," she said "I've always wanted to start a yearly tradition of simple trips for just us." Of course right away, Jamie and I are enthusiastic and start brainstorming ideas of where to go. "Here's the catch," mom says "I'm going to do all the planning, and I'm not going to tell you where we're going we all pile in the car and are ready to go. What do you think?" We LOVED the idea!

Over the course of the next few months mom enjoyed planning our weekend in secret and teasing us with little smiles and lines like "I just booked our hotel, and it's supposed to be the best hotel in the area." Jamie and I were so excited...finally counting down the days to our "Mystery Trip."

On Friday, mom picked us up and we left for our fun filled weekend. The destination??? Oklahoma City. This was a great place for us to go because we had all been through it a time or two on our way south to Texas, but never stopped to do much. Plus the Oklahoma City Memorial was there...something all of us had wanted to see. Our trip was filled with many fun things!

The Memorial:

We went to the memorial on Friday right after checking in to our hotel. This is something we wanted to make sure we did right away so that we wouldn't end up with bad weather and miss out. I was in the 6th grade with the bombing occurred and I remember watching the news and feeling sad. The main portion of the memorial is located outside, and there is a museum inside that takes you through the events of the day. It is VERY moving and emotional. A wonderful experience.

Wine Tasting:

On a whim we stopped into a little store in Bricktown in OK City. They had free wine tastings and we thought that it would be fun to try a couple. I think we tried most of the wines on the list (except for the really dry ones) and it was a very hard decision, but we each took home a bottle. Mine is called "dust bowl," Jamie's is "Skinny Dip" and I can't remember mom's but it was VERY good...I had a hard time choosing between the two.

Bricktown:

The local area downtown that has lots of food, drinks, and entertainment. We spent most of Saturday evening and night down at Bricktown. We had a "Progressive Supper" where we ate appetizers at one place, main meal and another, and got marble slab ice cream at the end. There is a river walk and you can take a canal ride throughout the entire area. We took the boat that had cocktails. Mom and I had a "Sunrise" (cranberry and vodka) and Jamie had a "Mango Bango" which was some fruity drink that was yummy! I appropriately titled that the "Booze Cruise" :-)

All in all we had a fantastic weekend! We look forward to next year's "Mystery Weekend" which mom is already busy planning!

Walking the Dogs

2009-05-26T16:05:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned before that Ethan has to dogs. KC and Breck. Both are a mixed breed of lab, both were free. I have come to love those dogs as if they were my own. One of my favorite pass times with Ethan is to take the girls for a nice long walk on pretty days. This can be interesting in many ways, but mostly due to the fact that they are both still considered puppies and get overly excited about anything.

Through our many walks Ethan and I have learned how to better handle each pup because each one is so different. So far we have found out...

~ KC will pull your arm out. She is just so excited to be going on a walk that every smell, sight, and noise will get her going.

~ Breck is weird.

~ KC is the larger and older of the two dogs. I walk KC. As mentioned above, KC will pull your arm out if you don't have a good hold. Well...the more you fight her the more she fights back. I have learned to just let her pull on the leash and choke herself. Eventually she gets tired of that and slows down. Ethan is a little less patient...so he walks Breck.

~ Breck will walk anyway, but a straight line. she will walk in zig zags in front of you. She will walk really fast to get ahead of you then stop until you pass her and walk really fast in front of you again. Breck will try to grab onto and chew KC's leash. She will also walk in circles around you. Again...Breck is weird.

~ KC will poop in the middle of the road before you even have time to drag her over to the grass.

~ Breck will bark at everything...but is a little scaredy cat in reality

~ KC will pee about 15 times during a walk.

~ Breck does not like cars.

~ KC wants to chase the cars.

~ Breck has the longest tongue ever!

~ KC gets very slobbery...it's gross.

~ In order to make the girls a little less crazy excited for the walk, we have found if you throw the tennis ball in the back for a bout 10 minutes before we go, they get tired sooner and will walk nicely by your side (except Breck, who can't walk in a straight line)

While Ethan is in Lincoln I am walking the girls by myself. Now there is NO WAY I can do that by myself, so I play with the ball and then put Breck in the cage, while KC and I walk. KC goes in the cage when we get back and it's Breck's turn. We just got by from our first try at this "single" walking method, and I think it went ok...just means there should be many more walks to come!

Weekly Chatter

2009-05-17T14:55:00.001-05:00

~ I have spent a better part of the last week on the phone with family and friends discussing the new engagement and all the fun details that go along with it. Such an exciting time!

~ My sister is probably as thrilled as anyone that I'm getting married...besides me that is. She is of course the Maid of Honor and has already started looking up what her "roles and responsibilities" include. She has even given code names to my mom, herself, and me. I am BTB (Bride to Be), she is MOH (Maid of Honor), and my mom is MOB (Mother of the Bride). She will be the best MOH!

~ We have 4 days of school left until summer. It is my theory that the kids are extra crazy these last few weeks so that teachers are just as ready as they are (if not more).

~ Ethan just left for Lincoln, NE where he got a short contract position. He was gone just a couple days last week, but will be gone the whole week this time. I just hope the week goes fast and I stay busy to keep my mind off of him not being here.

~ It's graduation time again, and I always seem to have a hard time getting in to it. I have NEVER been real sentimental about graduations. Graduating from HS was no big deal to me, I had 4+ years ahead of me and no real close friends I was leaving. I looked forward to the new life and new friends I would find. Graduation from ESU was nice, but rather than celebrate the piece of paper handed to me...I wanted to celebrate the contract I signed for my first job. To me that was something to celebrate!

~ I tried a Papa Murphy's pizza last night for the first time...that is some gooood pizza!

~ waxed eyebrows, lip, legs, nails redone, hair cut...just a few of the things that I need to do. And all going to cost me a couple hundred bucks...damn its expensive being a girl!

~ Did I mention there were 4 days of school left? :)

BIG NEWS!

2009-05-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

I AM GETTING MARRIED!

As of last weekend everything is official. Ethan and I are going to be married on July 3, 2010. I am absolutely thrilled and couldn't be happier. Everything we've been talking about the last couple months is starting to be put in motion. I have been waiting and wanting this for so long it's hard to believe I actually get to make those wonderful phone calls and pick out those pretty dresses!

As I begin the long and hopefully low stress process of planning a wedding, I can stop to pause and think about how my life has changed drastically in the last two years.

When I moved out to Cheney I knew that it was a small town with a good school, but small towns are made for families. Not single people. I knew that when I accepted the job, and I knew it when I moved into my little rental. My first year teaching I didn't notice too much change in my life than the previous couple years. I was soooo busy, practically living at the school. Trying to coach, be a good teacher, and stay caught up with everything. I just didn't notice how lonely I was.

Then my second year came around and I was a little less busy. I had my first year teaching under my belt and found myself at home more and more. That's when it hit me. I am lonely. I didn't like going home and not having anyone other than my mother and a couple friends online to talk to. I wasn't happy. Even though I had a good job I loved, there was something missing. I could fool most people, but in reality I was miserable. I am convinced that if something wouldn't have changed, and soon, I would have left Cheney.

Now...something happened that was a blessing in disguise, in more ways than one. I have told most of the story of my little nephew and what a blessing he was, but I never really explained how he helped me. At the time when I found out that Joe was expecting a son I was of course sad for him. But I was also mad. I was so mad at him, at God, and everything. It wasn't fair. I wanted nothing more than anything to find someone who I could love and have a family with. I was doing things the "right way" and Joe wasn't. Why did Joe get what I wanted? Then it hit me.

For the last few years before that point I had put God and my faith on the "back burner." Sometimes I would go to Church, sometimes I paid attention, sometimes I prayed. I never left my faith, I just didn't pay much attention to it. I truly believed that God had a plan for me, I new without a doubt that He wanted me to be a wife and mother, and I knew that all things good happen through Him. After I found out about Bryson and asked God "why not me" I got my answer. How can these things happen through God when He is on the "back burner."

So I tried to change. I haven't missed a Sunday Mass since the week I found out about Bryson. I talk to God more often. And I started opening myself up to new people and new experiences. It wasn't until then that Ethan came into my life.

I truly believe that if it weren't for Bryson I might still be waiting for the blessings I have today. I am happier than I have been in my life and my dreams are coming true. There is a reason for everything and all good things come through God...if you are patient.

Weekly Chatter

2009-04-22T20:31:00.000-05:00

~ Ethan and I play Scrabble on the computer. We also go to Lowes just to walk around. We are exciting! (I really mean that...)

~ I am going to KC with my mom and sister this weekend to watch my cousin in a ballroom dancing competition. We will have that opportunity to watch dancing, shop, eat out, and stay in a hotel. Should be a great weekend!

~ Did I mention that this will be the first weekend I haven't spent with Ethan since Christmas...will we survive? Or for that matter, will he survive without me for a weekend...HA! (I am sure he will find something to do...)

~ The official countdown has begun...22 days till summer!

~ I have finally caught on to The Office. Thanks to netflix and the fact that it allows you to watch DVD episodes right on your computer I watched as much of the first 4 seasons as I could. I got hilariously caught up in the lives of Jim, Pam, Michael, and yes...Dwight! Now I await every Thursday night for a new episode. AND have started buying my own copies of the seasons. I have 1-3 now!

~ Ethan and I went and looked at the Parade of Homes here in Wichita. No we are not buying a house, but it is always fun to go and look at the newest things. We started out in houses that were nice, but small. Little square footage and lots of hallways (waisted space). The next houses were the "realistic" ones. Homes that we could afford and look for someday...maybe. Then we went up a notch to the homes that are too expensive, but if I took up another profession and E got a very high paying job we could afford...but not likely. And last we had some fun with the "Never in your wildest dreams" homes. These were huge and only if we win the lottery will we ever be able to even consider. (When we were finished E bought a lottery ticket...we didn't win.)

~ Ethan's dogs now know my car. They start to get really excited when I drive into the driveway. They are just so excited for people to play with! (Even though they get a lot of playtime with E)

Top 10 Reasons I Love Spring!

2009-04-18T07:49:00.000-05:00

10: Longer Days. I love it when it stays lighter longer in they day. I am more motivated to stay "up and moving" when it's still day time at 7:30 as opposed to being ready for bed by 5 during the winter.

9: Light jackets, or even better...no coats at all. I hate having to wear around a big bulky coat everywhere I go. It becomes a pain to keep track of, but yet, I have to have it because I freeze everywhere I go.

8: My legs stay shaved a little longer. During the cold months I can spend 15 minutes in the shower making sure every stupid annoying hair is gone, and then the minute I step out of the shower, I get cold and the pricklies are back! Arrrggg!!!

7: Walks. It is nice enough to start going for walks on Saturdays and evenings. They can be so much fun and good for you too!

6: Plants. I always get a little touch of spring fever and want to buy a couple new plants for my house. Two rules though...have to be inexpensive and able to handle intense neglect without dying!

5: Grilling. I know that summer is the typical "grilling" season, but how many people can wait until June to bust out the grill...not many. If we're not grilling then someone usually is and the smell make my mouth water every time.

4: Baseball games. I love baseball games, and I used to go to games all the time watching my brother play. Now that Joe is done with ball, I have a new player to watch. Ethan's nephew Brandon plays and we get to go to some of the games. Sunflower seeds, homeruns, and good weather...gotta love it!

3: Rain. I'm not talking about the rain that comes every day of the week...I'm referring to the night rain that leaves the morning smelling fresh and clean. What a great start to the day.

2: My free time. The spring is the only season during school that I don't coach. I have my afternoons off to enjoy the nice weather and not feel like I'm married to the school.

1: The weather! The warm sun finally shines and everything turns green or other bright springy colors. My March I am sooo sick of the cold and snow that any break in the weather causes me to be in a very happy mood (and hoping that those nice days fall on a weekend!)

Weekly Chatter

2009-04-11T08:19:00.000-05:00

~ I played an April Fools joke on my middle schoolers and my sister. I wore a fake engagement ring around all day at school...the result? "Hook, line and sinker" I got them all. I did sorta feel bad when I realized how mad my sister was when she found out it was a joke. She was soooo excited for me and telling everyone she knew. Needless to say she was not happy to find out the truth...

~ The kids were mad too. I had one block who wouldn't speak to me and every time I walked to the front of the class they would turn around in their chairs so their back was to me...and would switch if I walked to the back of the class. I praised them for their creativity!

~ Ethan's dad is one who really appreciates a good prank. He thought the joke was hilarious and laughed the entire time I told the story...he laughed harder when I told him the reactions of my kids and sister.

~ The tables soon turned as the next day Ethan ended up having to go to the emergency room for stomach pains. After different tests it was determined that he was going to need his appendix removed. This all happened while I slept in my own comfortable bed and at 6:30 I got a text that said "going to the hospital." Nothing else. Talk about freaking out...I quickly called and found out what was going on. I took half a day off and helped his mom take care of him the rest of the day.

~ He is healing very nicely and still a little sore, but he feels soooo much better than that night.

~ For the first time ever I am not going to be spending a holiday with my own family. I am staying in Wichita to spend Easter with Ethan and his family. I will miss many of our traditions, but just to make sure I don't miss everything, I bought Easter baskets and candy to fill them for E and I. He laughed at me, but he will enjoy the candy!

~ I get to have chocolate today!!! I never cheated...not even once this lent. But today E and I are making "Death by Chocolate" dessert to take to his parents tomorrow! YUMMY :)

~ My parents are getting a new little puppy. A free dachshund puppy who will be named either Gus or Chester...I hope they go with Gus...and I can't wait to see him!!!

Humbling Moments

2009-03-26T19:41:00.000-05:00

One of my students told me yesterday that she over heard two adults talking about Condoleezza Rice.

She thought they were talking about a brand of rice...

Nice.

One of my 8th graders turned to me in shock and said...

"Washington DC is not in Washington State???"

Even better.

Lengthing the School Year????

2009-03-23T17:01:00.000-05:00

Spring break has officially come and gone, with me not at all ready to return to my classroom today. I love my job, but I had a great break and I know what to expect in the last 9 weeks of school. My 8th graders, who have been a delight all year long, will have gained "8th-Grade-itis" meaning they realize they are about to be high schoolers and are WAY TOO COOL to be in the middle school. They then choose to be as annoying as possible and push my every button...

Now...whenever a teacher vents about their job it's not taken too seriously by the other "professionals." Why?? Because of the months June, July, and August. Those who aren't teachers automatically assume that the sole reason we all chose this profession was because of the lovely summer months. Now I will be the first one to admit that I LOVE my summer. BUT I became a teacher because I love working with kids, and wanted a job that I would be happy to get up and go to in the mornings.

I recently read in an article that President Obama would like to extend the school year either by more days on the calender or more hours in a day. Now, Mr. President makes some very big points stating how other countries are developing kids so much faster than we are, and lengthening the time spent in school would be good for our kids' futures. But I ask Mr. President, what about our teacher's present. How many law-makers (including our President) have spent even one week inside of a classroom? Do they realize that we spend more time with these kids than their own parents, that we're responsible for teaching them math, reading, science, budgeting and economics (ha...some of our "experts" must have been absent that day), make sure they get enough exercise, eat the right foods, work on tasks individually, work together in groups, survive the hallways of a middle school, council their emotional needs, teach them manners...I could keep going, but I'm sure you get the point. Does our President realize that I spend 5 days a week for 9 months of the year with 130 middle school kids.

I love my job. But without my summers and breaks I would lose my mind. These kids are great 90% of the time...but they are not my kids. By the end of May I am exhausted. I am short tempered, less patient, and just flat out tired. And I work at a school with VERY GOOD kids...I can't imagine working in some schools with more difficult students in more difficult situations. Teachers need those summers to "re-charge the batteries," and without them, we would quickly run out of juice. Just as much as I am ready for summer by May, come August, I'm rearing and ready to go for a new and exciting school year.

So, Mr. President before you make any big educational decisions, please talk to teachers who have "been there, done that" (and not just the one's who voted for you).

My 180 Turn

2009-03-11T16:25:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed high school. I don't have any horror stories about people being mean to me, I enjoyed most of my classes and teachers, and made lasting memories on a variety of sports teams. But the one thing I regret about my high school days is that I was not more outgoing.

I was a very shy elementary and middle schooler. I believe that that stemmed from one major goal; not drawing attention to myself. Throughout most of elementary and middle school I was at least a head or two taller than everyone else, I was easy to see. To add even more for people to look at, my face turns incredibly red when I get even the slightest embarrassed. So my first 10 years of school was spent trying to blend in and not give people any more reasons to look at me.

They by my Sophomore year something happened. My peers grew. I was still taller than everyone else, but it wasn't so drastic. I saw my height as a big positive rather than something to try and hide. I was still shy though...my face would still turn red. I didn't want that to happen, so I still kept to myself for the most part. By the time my Sr. year rolled around I hadn't been to any weekend parties and I didn't have a large group of friends. I did have a couple real close friends who I would hang out with, but that was about it. The big difference between my Sr. year and my So. year...I wanted more. I wanted to be more outgoing and I wanted to have more friends, but I figured it was too late. All friendships had been established and people knew me as "nice." And we all know how hard it can be to penetrate those thick "clique" walls.

I waited for college. I couldn't have been more ready to try something new. It was a chance for me to start over, make new friends, and gain new experiences. And I did. My first two years at Hutchinson Community College I played on the volleyball team and established friendships that I still consider some of my best today. I love those girls, and miss them terribly. I just wish I was better at keeping in contact with them.

Today my face still turns red. Something I will never be able to change and will always hate. But that doesn't effect how I live my life. I have learned to laugh at myself (along with others) when I make my many mistakes. People who know me now can't believe I was this quiet, shy girl in high school. I love meeting new people and trying new things, and I am not afraid to go someplace I've never been before. I look forward to those challenges! I always tell people that if I could go back to high school with the personality and confidence I have now, I would have many more friends, but probably a few other people who didn't think I was just "nice."

Weekly Chatter

2009-03-02T15:44:00.000-06:00

~ It's Girl Scout Cookie time! I bought four different kinds (to share with Ethan obviously).

~ It is also Lent. I always give up chocolate. This means I don't get to enjoy my Girl Scout Cookies yet.

~ This weekend was GREAT! I had a blast with Ethan and my family. I was sad to see Monday come, but there should be many more great weekends to come.

~ As we drove home Ethan and I stopped to take pictures of the Windmill farm in Beaumont. They are HUGE and actually pretty impressive up close. Beaumont has a historical hotel that allows planes to fly up and park right outside the little diner. E and I were going to stop for lunch, but since it was Friday we didn't know if they served fish, so we'll have to do that another time.

~ Last week had 3 absolutely beautiful days, perfect weather. Did any of those days land on my day off...NO! I take a personal day and it drops 30 degrees and snows that weekend. Stupid weather!

~ Spending the weekend at home has its consequences. I got on the scale this morning...not good. However I ate very well while I was home. I better make up for it this week.

~ ESU girls are conference champs!! The game wasn't a very good one but a win is a win and we still celebrated after with free pizza and beer...ahh the perks of your sister playing on the team :)

~ I am sooo behind in my grading, and since I am not willing to give up my evenings at Ethan's to stay home and grade papers (yuck), I am going to have to resort to taking some papers to his place to grade while we watch TV...maybe I will be able to talk him into helping me :)

~ The year is officially flying by. (And by year I mean school year, teachers have a totally different language at times) It is almost spring break already...and after spring break the year is pretty much over.

~ My nails are very pretty! They do a great job at Nail Envy on 21st and Maize.

Yea for the WEEKEND!

2009-02-26T16:31:00.000-06:00

I have been looking forward to this weekend since January. Ethan and I had been trying to find one of my sister's basketball games to go watch where either he or I didn't have anything planned. We wouldn't have been able to make it to any games until the very last one on Feb. 28. That seemed like sooo far away at the time.

Now it's here. I am taking the day off tomorrow so E and I can have the whole day to do what we please. I will start out my day by getting my nails done while he figures out something to do for an hour...I'm not going to make him sit in there with me (I think that would qualify under "cruel and unusual punishment" anyway).

We plan on going into Wichita and enjoying the day test driving cars, taking pictures, and taking the "scenic" route home. We are even going to stop in Climax, Kansas, just so we can say we've been there! (That will make a GREAT story to tell mom..."Hey mom we just went through Climax!" haha!!!) We'll get to Burlington just in time for a yummy shrimp dinner and I'm sure lots of laughing and story-telling from my parents! Jamie's game is on Saturday and it will be so fun to watch her play...although I do believe I'll need to get E an ESU shirt, can't have him wearing a WSU shirt to the game! Sunday we're going to cook dinner for the family...manicotti. YUM!

I am so excited for my weekend you'd think I would have been packed early in the week all ready to go...Nope. I'm sitting here blogging knowing full well that E will call in about 20 minutes and have nothing packed and ready to go. I best get a move on!

Weekly Chatter

2009-02-18T18:19:00.000-06:00

~ I had my nails done again for the first time in two years. I used to get them done back home in Burlington, but that ended up being too costly to go home and "hope" that I could get in to my very busy nail lady. My nails are now pretty pink and girlie!

~ I almost didn't get a paycheck this month...I am starting to feel helpless with the economy. All I can do is sit back and wait for the more powerful "big-wigs" in Washington to get us out of this mess. That's a very scary thought to me.

~ I have only three teaching days this week. In-service on Monday (suck fest!) and a curriculum day tomorrow. That means I get pulled from my classroom to sit in an office with other teachers and work on stuff. BORING! I would much rather be teaching!

~ Ethan and I had a great Valentines Day...We did absolutely nothing! We were lazy all day long until we finally decided to do some sort of physical activity and go to the store to cook something for dinner.

~ I am tired of being cold. I am tired of wearing sweat pants, my hands being purple, and heating bills. I told E last night that I was tired of being cold and he suggested that I cuddle up to him more...awwww!

~ I love the show "Lie to Me." I am learning all kinds of tells on how people lie. It is fascinating!

~ Ethan and I spent all day Sunday at his parents house. I love spending time with them, they really are great people. (Plus I LOVE hearing stories about him when he was little!)

~ I had to replace my car battery yesterday. I went in to the store and when I came out my car was deader than a doornail. I had someone jump me and I went straight to the Coop. 77 dollars later I was good to go. Considering the cost of other car repairs that could have happened, I think I got out pretty easy. Oh...and an annoying side-note. My radio has shut off due to the power going out and I have to have a code to turn it back on...yeah, my car is used and I can't find the code. Nice.

~ I haven't been home since Christmas Break. I will be going in a couple weeks with Ethan, and I can't wait!

Weekly Chatter

2009-02-09T15:40:00.000-06:00

~ There is a fly buzzing around my house. It has apparently been dormant over the winter just sneaking around and eating food while I am at school because this is the biggest fly I have ever seen. He is now dead.

~ I hit a milestone today. 50 lbs. lost!!! Makes me very happy, but also a little scary to think I had that much weight to lose and how much more I would like to.

~ "Facebook Official": When I first started telling people I was dating E, the usual response was "why haven't you changed your status on facebook?" It made me laugh at how we have come to define relationships based on a personal website and we weren't truly together if our pages didn't read "in a relationship." For all you facebook fanatics out there...we are now "in a relationship" and facebook official!

~ My brother, John, is in Vegas right now. Maybe he'll win some "big bucks" and give a little to me. Maybe...

~ February is going to fly by. By the end of the month I will have had 4 weeks of only 4 teaching days (after inservice, sick days, and a personal day at the end of the month). That means that spring is just around the corner!!!

~ Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day. E and I took the dogs (his two lab pups) for a walk at Sedgwick County Park. KC, the older one, thought she was going for a run and about pulled E's arm out of his socket a few times. Breck, the little pup, had never been on a leash before and thought it was going to eat her. She would whine and whimper whenever I got in front of her. They eventually calmed down and walked like good pups...well, we did take them on a 4 mile walk, so by the end they were worn out.

~ I'm still praying for E to find a job soon. Fingers are crossed too!

~ Valentine's Day is coming up. I have always been a Val-day hater, but this year I find myself looking forward to the day...hmmm, could that be because I have someone special to spend it with.

~ Even though I'm looking forward to V-day this year, I still think it's ridiculous to spend a lot of money on a day that greeting card and chocolate companies dreamed up. We will spend the day cooking dinner and hanging out together...I can't wait!

Sunday Chatter (On Wednesday)

2009-02-04T16:35:00.000-06:00

~ I got my hopes up too early...there was a cute little townhouse for rent in Goddard. Two bedroom, one bathroom, large kitchen (with dishwasher!!!), basement, fireplace, and no lawn to have to mow...sounds perfect! The add had been up for a month. I called the Realtor and arranged to see it Friday evening. It leased Thursday afternoon, and there is NOTHING else to rent in Goddard. Nothing! "Fastest growing city in KS" HA!

~ I am finding myself spending less and less time at my house and more time other places :)

~ With as little time I spend at my house, it sure is messy...

~ I met E's family this weekend when we had a Super Bowl Party. It was so much fun! They are a great family and I can see why E is such a great guy!

~ E and I have a "Tuesday Dinner-Date-Night" each week when we cook something new (including dessert) and watch Fringe on TV. So far we have made fancy mac and cheese (so good), chicken alfredo pasta w/ homemade alfredo (yummy!), and tomale pie. We are off to a GREAT start and are enjoying searching for new recipes.

~ It's still cold...

~ There are very few really fun games out there for just two people to play. So far E and I have made do with playing games that are REALLY fun with 4 people, but are still good with 2. Scrabble (he usually wins...so smart, and such a good speller), Scategories (I usually win...more creative), pool (it's a toss up...he is probably better, but I get really really lucky!), and Jenga (whoever plays first usually loses seems to be the pattern).

~ I might have to change my Sunday Chatter to Weekly Chatter. I tend to not get home Sunday nights until later due to my increase time spent at E's.

Trying to Cheer Up

2009-01-28T17:42:00.001-06:00

As I'm sitting here tonight watching the news while I eat I continue to feel more and more depressed. Top three stories of the night
~ Economy Gets Worse, more layoffs, more business closings, little end in sight
~ Tainted Peanut Butter...all the way back to 2007. May be the worst epidemic in the U.S. ever
~ Ice Storm slams half of the country, thousands without power

I pride myself on being a very optimistic and happy person. But even I am struggling to find reasons to smile lately. I thought it might be a good idea for me to sit down and write about the reasons I am so Blessed in order to remind myself that we should always look for the reasons to thank God, rather than blame Him for the downhill turns life can throw.

My family is happy and healthy. We have no major illnesses or catastrophes. I am always thankful for the family I have and how we are able to smile and laugh to make any situation better. I talk to my parents often. I got to see my brother Joe this weekend when he came to Wichita. Jamie is just a phone call away and she will always listen to my recent weight loss or will tell me she's happy for me when I say gushy-girly things about how things are going with E. I don't get to talk with John as often as I would like, but I know he is happier than he has ever been.

E. I don't tell him enough how much I enjoy his company and our long conversations. I pray everyday that he finds a job soon (he was laid off almost two weeks ago). He is amazing by always smiling and joking with me and never losing that "goofy" grin :). He gives the absolute best hugs ever!

I have a job. The school systems are feeling the money crunch as well, but I am pretty secure in my position. I am very thankful. There are so many people looking for work or worried they might lose their jobs. I truly feel for them and pray the economy picks up sooner than all those "experts" keep predicting.

The sun shined today. I hate the cold, that is well known by those who know me well, but the sun came out today and shined through my windows at school. The sun makes me happier...I hope it continues to shine and help warm us all up.

There I feel a little better...and I am sure that there are hundreds of other reasons for me to be thankful, but these are the BIG ones. I am now going to turn on some cheery Disney movie rather than the news and fold some laundry. I hope you all have a very Blessed evening and pray for those not as lucky.

How to Survive the Cold

2009-01-26T20:31:00.000-06:00

I absolutely HATE the cold weather. I feel that it is only appropriate on a couple of occasions; Christmas and snow days. Other than that, it can just remain sunny and 70 all year round. There is good reason for me hating the cold. I lived in college in a very old and drafty house. We literally used duct tape on the door to cover the cracks. Once I moved out of that cold drafty crap hole I moved into a smaller and colder crap hole in Cheney. It has no insulation, none. I can literally feel cold air when I open my cabinets. Therefore, I keep the house heated at 70, but still freeze (and pay for it). I will find a different place to live, but I am picky.

I have had to learn to become quite creative on keeping warm and thought I would make a of things that I have tried and have been somewhat successful and warming me up.

10. Clean the house from top to bottom, all that movement will warm you up...you might even get sweaty.

9. Coffee, hot chocolate, or tea...anything warm to drink will help for a little while. Problem: Only lasts a short time AND usually makes you have to get out from under the warm blankets to pee.

8. Piles of blankets...the more you pile on the warmer you are...all but your nose.

7. Duct tape, plastic, and towels or blankets used to cover drafty areas

6. Space Heaters: Although I don't have one here in Cheney...it would be a good investment I think.

5. Friction: Climb into bed and move your legs and arms around as fast as possible. Warming up the bed with friction and a great way to burn a few extra calories before sleep :)

4. Cook with the oven: Warms up the kitchen...and you can let it cool off when you are finished by leaving it wide open!

3. Laptop Computers: They are warm when they heat up, set it on your lap for a cozy IM chat or searching google.

2. Electric Blankets: Best thing ever!

And the #1 way to beat the cold: Date someone who's house is warmer and cuddle under the blankets at his house!

Sunday Chatter

2009-01-18T16:07:00.000-06:00

~ I had been cheering for the Colts in the race for the Superbowl. Now, let me explain. My interest in football has only recently grown. Everyone in my family has a team they cheer on each week, except me. I don't mind watching, but never was a "die-hard" fan. So, now that I'm liking football even more, I decided I needed a team to cheer on. I chose the Colts. Why? Two words: Peyton Manning. I LOVE his commercials and he looks so good in those tight pants. The Colts didn't last long...I needed a new team. Now, I'm cheering for the Cardinals. Why? Two words: Kurt Warner!

~ The economy sucks. It has sucked for a while now, but now that those I care about are starting to be hurt by layoffs I am paying more attention and hating it even more. I pray for a fast recovery for both the ones I care for and the economy.

~ Joe has been wanting to come to Wichita and hang out with E and I for the longest time. Next weekend we have worked it out so that he will come spend Saturday with us. He is so excited, Joe and E get along so well and I am looking forward to next weekend!

~ ESU Lady Hornets defeated Washburn! What the hell is an Ichabod anyway???

~ My new favorite TV show is finally returning to new episodes this week. The Fringe just happens to be one that E likes too. Tuesday nights will be spent cooking dinner and watching the show out at his place on the big screen!

~ We are having a biggest loser competition at school from now till May. I have decided to play. I don't really expect to win because I've already lost so much that I doubt I'll be able to lose enough to win. But this is a GREAT way for me to stay on track and reach my goal of losing 15 more by May.

~ My 7th grade basketball girls finished their season yesterday with a win in the Championship game! That made their record a perfect 16-0!!!!! I am so proud of their season and can't wait to see what they can do next year as 8th graders.

~ We have in-service tomorrow. Yea...

Sunday Chatter

2009-01-04T12:12:00.000-06:00

~ I love facebook. I can catch up with so many of my friends who I have lost touch with. And since I am one of those people who is terrible about writing or calling my friends...facebook solves that problem!

~ I have started watching seasons of "The Office" on my computer (thanks to Netflix). That show is hilarious! I recommend it to anyone who wants to just sit back and laugh.

~ I have a tiny TV...but there are other things on my "material" list that I would like to have before spending the money on a new TV. A new digital camera, new glasses (although, those should be on the "need" list), golf shoes, and much more.

~ How long can Christmas decorations stay up...

~ I love Sundays....go to church, relax on the couch, fall asleep to a movie or football, cook dinner. Just gotta love those relaxing days!

~ Why is it, when you need two stalks of celery for a recipe you have to buy a whole bag of it? If I was in business I would have a store called "Shopping for One" here people would be able to buy single stalks of celery and other items needed for cooking for one person. Sorta the opposite of Sam's Club.

~ It's probably a good thing that Christmas break happens during the winter. I would have a much harder time going back to school tomorrow if it was 75 degrees and sunny outside. But since it's freezing cold and the last place I want to be is outside, going back to work doesn't seem like that bad of an idea.

~ E and I went on probably had the cheapest date possible Friday night. I had a gift card to Texas Roadhouse and he had a coupon for a free appetizer. So after waiting about an hour and a half to be seated (we did go walk around walmart to kill some time) we had potato skins, salad, bread, steak and chicken for $5.00!!! Plus I bought a movie for $5.00 at Wally...How often does that happen, steak dinner and movie for 10 bucks!

~ My most favorite comerical right now is the one with Peyton Manning in different cities of opposing teams and he takes everything said by the people as something nice. "Take a hike" "You know I think I will do that...the weather here is sweet!" HAHA! I was sad to see the Colts lost last night...although it was a good game.

Reflection and Renewal

2009-01-01T12:36:00.001-06:00

Each new year usually brings about two things. Remembering the past year's good (or not so good) experiences, and looking forward to the new year and setting personal goals. I take a little time out to reflect on the last year and how incredibly blessed I have been and to look at what I would like to accomplish in the next year of my life.

2008 was the year...

~ My nephew Bryson grew incredibly fast and learned all kinds of new skills. It amazes me how fast he went from crawling and scooting to running as fast as his little legs will carry him.

~ My parents surprise me once again of their patience, understanding, and love for their children all because they want us to be happy and healthy.

~ I started my new hobby...golf. I love it and can't wait for the weather to get warmer so I can play again.

~ I lost 40 lbs. when I once thought that just loosing 20 would be all but impossible.

~ I realized that my sister and I have more in common than we used to. She has truly become one of my best friends in little less than a year!

~ I introduced E to the family. He fits in very well and my family continues to ask when I am bringing him around again.

2009 will bring...

~ Hopefully an improvement to the economy. I feel pretty secure with my job (we kinda need teachers) but those close to me could be affected. I pray that things improve soon!

~ Speaking of the economy. One of my goals of the new year is to start saving more...just a little each paycheck. I used to be really good about it, and I still am better than some, but could be doing more.

~ A new house for me to rent with a little garage, fence for a puppy, and not a ridiculously high rent.

~ A continued loss in weight. I have already exceeded expectations, it is now time to set those goals higher...I have more confidence in my ability to be healthier than I have in...well most of my life.

~ A lower golf score. :)

~ A cleaner house...

I probably should mention that I like to say "goals" rather than New Year Resolutions. I know that essentially it means the same thing, but I tend to achieve goals and forget resolutions. So there's a big difference in the wording!

Christmas Chatter

2008-12-26T19:55:00.000-06:00

~ Santa was really good to me this year. The two best gifts...1) A new golf bag!!! 2) a wireless Internet router!

~ I decided to hang out with E on Tuesday night instead of going straight home for Christmas. Everyone has been giving me such a hard time. (I kinda like it...)

~ Everyone was home for Christmas this year...it was so nice to have us all together.

~ Dad had to work nights through the holiday.

~ I have arranged a way to be "favorite aunt Jill" for the next few years. I got Bryson a little basketball goal that he can play with for the next 2-4 years! Great toy for the baby...and great for drinking games for the adults!

~ The swimming pool at the rec center in Burlington is about 4-5 degrees warmer than the pool at the Y. You would be amazed at how much harder it is to swim in a few degrees warmer water. I miss my Y!

~ Santa still comes to our house. The youngest in our family is 21 and Santa still brings presents and we all get so excited to open presents!

~ We opened gifts on Christmas Eve around 4 in the afternoon so dad could be there with us. Of course since Santa still comes to our house we all had to go in different rooms so that he could deliver the gifts. Jamie told dad to yell "ho, ho, ho" when they were ready for us. About 1 minute later dad yells out "Jamie, Jamie, Jamie!" HAHA!!! (My idea :))

~ I wrapped all of my gifts in Victoria Secret bags this year. It was so funny to see my brother open his present wrapped in pretty pink bags that smelled good!

~ We got a new game for Christmas this year (we always get a new game, we love games). This year we learned how to play "Buzz Word." It is a fun game...I am undefeated! However we did have a ping pong tournament too...I was defeated (many times).

"Because Everyone Else Does"

2008-12-22T17:56:00.001-06:00

One of the childhood favorite responses is "because everyone else..." I remember using those words to try and stay out later, or get the newest CD, or desperately try my parents for anything. And the usual response is "well...if everyone jumped off a bridge, would you want to?" As I have reached adulthood (sometimes that's still debatable) I have found myself uttering the would-you-jump-too phrase. But I still find myself saying...well, everyone else gets to. There are times in life when we should definitely NOT do something just because everyone else does, but there are also times when I think it is OK to "run with the pack."

Here are some things we should NOT do "because everyone else does"

~ Buy homes that are too expensive

~ Wear legging with a big shirt/dress and furry boots. (That style is not for everyone folks!)

~ Get a boob job. (or a face lift, or liposuction, or botox)

~ Be in a more serious relationship than you are ready for. Just because your friends are getting married and having babies does NOT mean that you have to!

~ Sing loudly. There are some people who really should take up a non-vocal activity.

Times when I believe that it is definitely OK to follow the crowd.

~ Vote. No, I don't mean voting for the same candidate, I mean voting in general. We should all vote.

~ Learn how to use cell phones and computers. It's the technological age people...you may not like it, you may wish for simpler times in the past, but it's here. Deal with it, and learn!

~ Try something new. Whether it's a new dish off of the menu or learning ti-kwan-do, trying new things can open doors to whole new worlds.

~ Read. If millions of people like a book, there's a really good chance that you might like it to. Take the chance. What do you have to lose.

~ Get out of school on Friday before Christmas. Everyone else is done with school and enjoying their break with family...Me, I'm still in school. UNTIL TUESDAY, DEC. 23!!! How I wish our school would "follow the crowd"

Sunday Chatter

2008-12-14T14:33:00.000-06:00

~ I have most of my Christmas shopping done, with just a few spare items left to get. The problem is that I hate shopping on weekends during this time of year, so I'm not so sure when exactly I'll be getting the last few things.

~ My 7th graders are still undefeated with only 4 games and a league tournament left. I am finally seeing some improvement in how we are playing together as a team. It has gone by so fast!

~ My brother Joe got his buck this week. He is excited, and I am excited to get some of that deer meat. (Yes, I eat Bambi...good burgers!)

~ It's cold! (I could probably post this on every Sunday Chatter from now till March...)

~ I love to eat out at restaurants. I love the atmosphere and trying to decide between old favorites and new creations. It's just too bad that I'm cheap, I'd be going out to eat all the time...or I guess that's a good thing.

~ We have to go to school the Monday and Tuesday before Christmas. How ridiculous. Our school starts earlier in August, we get out the same time (or later) than other schools, AND we have to go those two extra days before Christmas??? Our board must think that quality learning goes on those two days...HA! (Movies, talent show, dances...what a waste of time!)

Yeah!

2008-12-13T11:41:00.000-06:00

THE HOUSE IS CLEAN!!!

Dishes done.

Last load of laundry in progress.

Floor vacuumed.

Bed made.

Candles smell great.

Any bets on how long this lasts???

Yuck!

2008-12-12T19:52:00.000-06:00

My house is a mess...I need to clean it. If someone can figure out a good way to motivate me to fold laundry, do the dishes, vacuum the floor, and clean the bathroom I would really appreciate it.

My problem is that I have zero motivation to do anything in the evenings work related. Maybe once basketball is done in January and I have my afternoon's off, I'll be able to keep things picked up during the week, so the weekends aren't spent knee deep in a weeks worth of crap.

What I really need is a bigger place to live. That way I have more places to keep my crap and I won't feel like everything is spilling out of the few cabinets and closets I have. So if anyone has a lead on a nice rental that has a garage and won't cost me a month what I could pay in a house payment, that would be great!

Happy Birthday Mama!

2008-12-06T10:25:00.001-06:00

Today is my mother's birthday. She is turning...well, a lady never reveals the age of another lady :). We will celebrate at my sister's basketball game and dinner after. It should be a great weekend!

Scruff

2008-12-03T19:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my little brother's 23rd birthday. Joe, the third born to our wonderful family, has been dubbed "Scruff." I don't know why I call him that, just something that started a while ago. I'm not sure if he likes it when I call him that, but I do it anyway...and will continue to call him Scruff until we are well into our 70s.

Out of all my siblings Scruff and I are probably the most alike. We share similar temperaments, likes/dislikes, are very competitive, we both have undefeated state basketball title (although my game was more exciting and we were 4A not 3A), and tend to be a little more layed back (although Jamie and John might disagree).

There are so many wonderful things about him, I thought I might share what I most admire about Scruff.

~ His laugh. He has this deep belly laugh that just makes everyone in the room want to know just what is so funny.

~ His athletic ability. Joe is so talented in every sport he decides to try. He played football, basketball and baseball in high school, played baseball at Pratt CC and Emporia State U, and has recently taken up golfing. I believe the guy could decide he wanted to become a curler and he would have success.

~ His loud voice. Something else we share, we both have volume control issues...although mine is all the time, and his just happens after a few beers...

~ Joe cannot tell a lie. He's a dead give-away. I love it!

~ His people skills. Scruff is someone everyone knows and or they want to know. He's who you want to hang out with at a party, at work, or at church.

~ His love for Bryson. Little B is just over a year and Joe is learning and growing as a parent and doing the best he can to be a good example to B.

This list could go on and on. It is true how much closer you are to your siblings as adults than you were as kids living in the same house. I hope things never change!

State "Trivia" Assessments

2008-12-02T21:02:00.000-06:00

Teachers of all kinds are required by the state to teach certain information to students. It is outlined in our state standards what specific criteria the students are required to learn. Those of us who teach core subjects (math, reading, social studies, and science) also have to pay special attention to those that indicate "testable material." I teach social studies. According to the state, those "testable indicators" consist of material that should be vital to students understanding of history, geography, economics, and government. Now, I love my subject, and I believe that having knowledge about social studies will make a person a more well rounded and intelligent adult. BUT...you can be a full functioning adult, with a job, family or whatever you choose without that knowledge (not that I recommend it...). Tonight I have spent the better part of my evening creating a PowerPoint lecture for my kids that is filled with random trivial history that the state has deemed "testable." This is not the first time I have been frustrated with what KS thinks students need to know...Honestly can we be a full functioning, well educated adult without the knowledge of the following events?

~ The Sand Creek Massacre
~ The Monroe Doctrine
~ Benjamin "Pap" Singleton
~ The Court case of McCullough v. Maryland

Seriously...trivia questions that show up on a state assessment, and frustrate me. Why? These tend to be the more boring historical topics that the kids will memorize for the test. What a waste of time!

***Author's Note***
I spent probably about 10 minutes at the beginning of class today being drilled about my social life and E (who he is and what he does), so I guess not everything in my class is based on state standards... :)