A little update

Life is crazy for us right now! Amidst Christmas programs, packing, and my new Mary Kay business there is hardly every time to write! I promise once Christmas break is here I'll give a good long update. Until then, we close on our house in 1 week!!!

A little update

Life is crazy for us right now! Amidst Christmas programs, packing, and my new Mary Kay business there is hardly every time to write! I promise once Christmas break is here I'll give a good long update. Until then, we close on our house in 1 week!!!

Let the holiday baking begin!

I plan on making THIS real soon. YUM!

for-ev-er

I know, it's been a while. I'm really not too great at this. Oh well.

Life as of recently:
Work has once again begun. I am teaching 6 periods this year instead of 5 which means less prep time and more students, but I'm ok with that. So far it only seems like a have 2 trouble makers. I can handle that.

The state changed our curriculum the week before school started. I am now teaching Professional Communications. It still fulfills the required speech credit but is more college/career focused. I'm glad.

I finally gave in. After 2 years of buying work purses that break way too easily I decided to order a custom made canvas bag from www.mudpuddlebags.com I can't wait for mine to come in! They are very well made and the X-Large Tote can hold the whole world and keep me organized. An added bonus, it can later be used for a diaper bag! I mean, ya know, some time down the road....

Daniel and I have started house hunting. We are not really planning on buying anytime before June, but we figured it doesn't hurt to go look. Now is the time!

My oldest sister and her fam all moved to California for my brother-in-laws job. Sad to think I wont be able to see Andrew and Claire next time I'm in Weatherford. I'm saving my pennies for a plane ticket!

I'm in need of easy, yummy, CHEAP meals. Any suggestions? I think my husband is sick of taco soup & chili...

I've been reading through Exodus. Sometimes I get frustrated when it says "and God hardened Pharaoh's heart" but then I think of how the faith of the Israelites and Egyptians must have grown through those plagues. Makes me wonder whose actions God has influenced to teach me more about Him.

I'm going to make this tonight. Let's hope I don't mess it up....

Well. That's all I can think of. Be blessed.

Conversations with 4 year olds

I should preface this by stating that I am NOT pregnant nor was there thoughts that I was-


I decided to ask my 4 year old nephew his thoughts on names that I like for my future children. Here is how the conversation went:

Me: Isaiah, one day if I have a little boy would Hank be a good name?
Isaiah: yea, I like Hank. I also like Isaac.
Me: Isaac is a good name. Why do you like that name?
Isaiah: because it starts with an "I" and I like that letter.
Me: what do you think about the name Walker?
Isaiah: wow that's a really great name! Luke Skywalkers name is Walker!!!!
Me: what about the name Cal?
Isaiah: no. I like Walker.
Me: if I have a little girl what do you think of the name Beverly?
Isaiah: well that's pretty cute.
-5 minutes later-
Me: oh I forgot one. Do you like the name Travis?
Isaiah: is that a boy name or a girl name?
Me: a boy name
Isaiah: I like Walker.

its coming

i promise i'll update this weekend.... i promise.... i promise...

the dreaded swimsuit

Let's be honest. No one really enjoys swimsuit shopping. We actually dread it. Every now and then we may find that PERFECT swimsuit that fit us perfectly but really it only lasts a few years before you must take that bold step and begin the look for a new one.

What makes it so hard? 4 words:
Cute. Affordable. Flattering. MODEST.

Because this process can be so miserable I prefer to shop online, try them on in the comfort of my own home, and then return the unwanted suits.

In the past I have always ordered from Landsend.com which has been great but pricey. This year I stumbled across a new website that just might be the source of my new favorite suit. Lime Ricki. Check it out for yourself!!!

And for your humor, when searching for modest swim wear I cam across this website W-O-W

what happened to the King Kid's?

Today it hit me. I didn't see it coming. I've known for a while about it, but I guess today it finished sinking in, finished its processing, and struck me upside the head.

My family is all grown up.

I guess I always knew at some point it would happen. We would no longer be the "King Kids" and would soon be known as wives, husbands, mothers, and fathers, with my parents names changing to Grandma and Papa.

It was kind of strange when Sarah got married, exciting and new when she had Isaiah. Thrilling when Kristy married Ric, and exciting yet again when they brought my nephew, Andrew, into the world. I now look at them, both so happy in their marriages playing the role of full-time mom. Probably not quite the same as when we played it as children. Kristy now has two beautiful children- Andrew and Claire, and Sarah and Jacob have three- Isaiah, Melody, and Joshua. They are awesome mothers. Godly wives. Women I look up to, swap recipes and funny stories with, and am blessed to call my sisters and my friends.

I seemed to age significantly (in my own mind at least) when I got married a mere 4 months ago. Like making that life changing commitment suddenly qualified me as an official adult. However, this event STILL didn't set off the realization that my family has grown and changed SO much in the last few years- the realization that we are all grown up.

It happened while on the phone (you should know I just spelt phone as fone. Apparently hooked on phonics does not work for everyone..) with my wonderful, servant-hearted mother. We were discussing how impressed we have been with Leah this past year. Leah the Last. That's how we would refer to her. When I told a friend that Leah will be graduating from high school next month his reply was "Um, I'm pretty sure she is still 8 years old." And she was, in my mind, right up until last August. Not that she acted like an 8 year old, it was just hard to think of her as all grown up. She has blossomed into not just a beautiful woman, but an AMAZING woman and anyone who knows her would agree. Her heart is huge and her love is contagious. It blesses me to be able to describe her that way.

Then there's Mary & Josh. This is really what brings it home. They will both be graduating from college in just 16 days. Josh with a degree in business and Mary with a degree in art. I am so proud of both of them. Josh has grown up so much during college. I'll never forget the first time I realized he was a man and no longer my little brother. It was my last summer working at Pine Cove and I believe that means he would have been just out of his freshman year in college. He surprised me at camp. At first I didn't even recognize him! He was taller, stronger, and confident. Josh is so kind. Not the type of kind that lets others walk over him , but the type that draws you in and makes you feel like someone has gone out of their way to do something special just for you.Oh, Mary. Over the last few years she has grown from my sister to my friend. She is so full of life. Perhaps that is the artist in her. She radiates the joy of the Lord. I see it in her personality, in her style and flare, in her facebook status's, and in her art. She has such an amazing talent and I am SO proud of her. Just see for your self!
This is her interepretation of the transfiguration in Mark 9
You think that's awesome? Check this one out:


I am truly blessed. I can't wait to see who they marry and where God leads them. While it is strange to think of them as adults, it is also exciting. A new chapter in the lives of the King (Moseley, Holt, Jones) family. I can honestly say that my brother and sisters are my best friends. God is so good. And while we are no longer the "King Kids" rest assured that we are still the same goofy bunch at heart.

failed.

I'm a blog failure. I have every intention of writing a regular blog, with fun pictures of life, but unfortunately life is just too busy for that...

Here are a few misc. updates:

Got to meet baby Billy Minchew yesterday. Precious!! So happy for our dear friends. They are going to be awesome parents!!

Only... 23 more days until summer break! LOVE being a teacher!!

I'm growing restless... I need something to work on... something new. I have now taught speech 4 times (twice each school year) and I'm starting to get bored... Trying to think of some ways to spice it up...

Triple date to night with the Hall girls and their boyfriends (who are conveniently Daniel's friends!) So fun!

I have REALLY been missing my family lately, but am looking forward to going home for 2 different weekends next month. Leah will be graduating from high school and Josh & Mary will both be graduating from college. My family is getting old!!!

Tuesday

Sitting here picking out the raisins in my trail mix leaving peanuts, almonds, and m&m's. So at school we are learning music for our pop show. It is a lot more laid back than the rest of the year so that is really nice. We are doing a michael jackson medley, dancing queen, and life is a highway. Less than six weeks of school left. Kinda weird to think that i'll have my first year of teaching under my belt. I can't wait till summer. It's gonna be refreshing.

So this past weekend I rode in the MS 150 which is a bike ride from Houston to Austin. I heard of it when I was in elementary and it's always been something that I've wanted to do, but have just never signed up. So back in october when they had sign up's I just made myself sign up. I didn't train a ton for it, but I did a handful of longer rides, a few spin classes, and my awesome wife bought me a trainer which is this thing I can put my bike on and ride in the house while watching TV. The only downside to the trainer is that I think I sweat more when I'm riding it than when I ride outside, but it's great and I'm really thankful to have it. All in all the ride was definitly do able. Hills were something I wasn't used to, but were fun none the less. I'll definitly have to do it again next year.

Well I should get ready for 6th period.

reliable cars are worth a million bucks

So our Rodeo has broken down again. Last time it was the transmission, and this time I fear it is the alternator. It is a great SUV with fairly low milage, but those 9 years on it are beginning to get expensive! How much money can you put into a car before it is no longer worth it?

I got to work SUPER early this mornign as a result of Daniel and I having to share the a car. He dropped me off and I'll walk the mile home. Hoping for nice weather this afternoon....

I just sat down and used my extra morning time to plan out the rest of the semester. 7 weeks left! So crazy. Well, a student just walked in to deliver a late speech. Later Gator!

Blogging on the go

Everytime I think about wanting to blog I am not home where it is convenient. Today I downloaded an app for my phone so hopefully I'll be blogging shorter blogs on a more regular basis and the long weekly recaps once a weekish. We will see.

In the mean time, please be praying for some sweet friends of my family, the Turners. Their 7 year old boy had surgery yesterday to remove a massive tumor. You can read about it here: kevinandlizturner.blogspot.com

Is it wrong to always be hungry?

While I am sad Spring Break is over, Monday was a good solid day back at work.

Yesterday I...
Got a hair TRIM and decided to get bangs. Lovin' them so far!
Went and observed a high school choir with my hubby.
Ate chocolate ice cream. Twice......

Today is
Bible Study
LOST
And I'm going to try a new casserole. Tex-Mex Ravioli. Sounds scary, but will hopefully be super tasty.

Speaking of super tasty, I had no idea what to make for dinner the other night so I through something’s I had on hand in a pan and put it on a tortilla. YUM! Try it for yourself:

Seasonings: a dash of- cumin, minced onion, minced garlic, course ground black pepper
Ground turkey meat (browned)
add a little lemon juice and a couple tablespoons of chicken stalk to keep it somewhat moist while it cooks.

After heated, add half a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and a half a can of corn (drained). Heat thoroughly. I then added a bag of brown rice that you heat in the microwave for 90 seconds. Stir it all up good, put on a tortilla and top with Monterey Jack cheese. YUMMO!

MAJOR HINT FOR TOTILLAS-I cant think of the brand name, but they are in your tortilla section at the grocery store. They are not cooked yet, so you’ll have to heat up a skillet and heat them for a few mins, but they are sooooo good. I like them because they are thinner and a little crispy on the edges.

Our Spring Break

Well, I'm alive. You may not understand the significance of that, so I will enlighten you.

I have learned to snow ski. No, I am not a pro and barely survived a few blues, but I am in one piece. You should see the bruises on my legs though. Very cool.

The weather was perfect, and the place we stayed at in Beaver Creek was awesome. I'll post pics from our trip soon.

On another note, I made this pasta for dinner and these rolls. YUMM-O! I highly recommend it.

More details on our trip and pics will come later tonight. In the mean time, HOW STINKIN' AWESOME IS MY BLOG MAKEOVER? Thanks to mastomamamakeovers.blogspot.com

As of late

Sitting here listening to whatever happens to pop up on my itunes DJ just happens to be some old school U2. It's officially spring break and for that i'm so thankful. This week we had pre-uil and the week after spring break is uil so I'll be glad when that's all over. My spring break started out one day early because I was sick. Was definitly thankful for that extra day even though I felt less than awesome.

So tomorrow my bride and I leave for our honeymoon take two. Because we got married just before Christmas and wanted to be able to celebrate Christmas with the family Hannah and I just stayed a few nights in Forth Worth as opposed to going on some long extravigant honeymoon. So as we approach our 3 month anniversery we are going to be spending the week in Colorado doing the coolest thing (litteraly) ever skiing. I've been skiing a handful of times and love it so can't wait to get out there and tear it up. Hannah has only been snowboarding and so this will be her first time coming down the mountain straped to 2 skinny pieces of wood instead of 1 fat one. I know that I will have to use patience, however I'm up for a good exercise of patience.

MS150 is quickly approaching and I'm no where close to where I need to be to finish it. I rode 45 miles about a month ago I haven't touched my bike since then. I did go to a spin class earlier this week and that was pretty intense, and I do plan on going to it more often. I really have wanted to however, i've been a little pre occupied with practicing my new piano to get back into UH. Audition was last sunday and i thought it went ok. There were no major train wrecks so that's a plus. Funny though I have found sometimes when I am performing and get nevous playing piano my fingers just don't wanna move. This happened during the audition it felt like there was lead in there, but I kept going despite the slight retardation of my fingers.

Now listening to some Ravel.....on that note I'm gonna go be productive (maybe)

picture THIS

so i am FINALLY posting pictures of my frame project from FOREVER ago.

when we moved into this house, there were tons of old frames from the previous owner in the garage. the glass was broken on most of them but they were in great condition otherwise. i couldn't just get rid of them!!! i was inspired by this frame that i did last year:

i started by priming and painting them with spray paint. after they were good and dry i lightly sanded them to give them a worn look

i already had an inexpensive staple gun on hand and jewelry wire so i stapled that across the back side of it, and added a mini clothes pin (pack of 100 for $2 at Wal-mart!) to hold the picture.

some of the frames were beautiful as is so i didnt paint those. to add a little pizazz i strung on some beads i made around 10 of these and spent less than $8! i still have about 10 frames in the garage. i may make some for the guest bedroom!!

i found this picture on my camera. guess Daniel must have taken it. i figure it's about time we show the world our new piano!!

Story of my life

Today I ran tons of errands and then rushed home to make a wonderful dinner for my hubby. I was in a hurry so that it would be ready when he walked in the door. Right as I was turning off the stove and plating the food I remembered something...

He had a choir concert tonight and would not be home.

He will have a great lunch tomorrow.

Spring is here!

Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year. Now being a teacher I of course love being off in the summers but really, summer aint got nothin' on the SPRING!

Why I love Spring:

-flowers

-warmish weather

-rain (I do love rain)

-work is busy (I enjoy this fact)

-Tax returns ($$$)

-did I already mention flowers? :)

My mother came in town for a few days and helped me with our garden. And by help I do mean COMPLETELY DID IT ALL BY HERSELF WITH EXCEPTION OF A FEW BRICKS AND FLOWERS..... I was at work and she surprised me.

Here is the finished product :)

Here is something I have started working on and would LOVE feedback. This awesome piece is something my mother has pased down to me. I'm trying to decide if I want to sand it real good and restain it or prime and paint. WHAT TO DO?!?!

so behind....

I haven't blogged in way to long. Why is it that this makes me feel like a failure?

This week Daniel & I purchased our very first washer and dryer. The week prior to that we purchased a grand piano. We have spent way too much dinero in that last 2 weeks, but they were both needed. I promise!

Daniel needed a piano so he can go back to school in the fall. The plan is for to stop teaching and get his piano performance degree. Having a piano means he wont have to spend long hours at UH practicing, and can instead be at home.

My purchase was the washer and dryer. Now I can get caught up on laundry while Daniel serenades me.

a few pics

One of those days...

This morning, I locked the front door and shut it behind me. Seconds later I remembered that my car keys AND my house keys were still inside...
...and I forgot my lunch today.

i blogged already but it got deleted...

I hate it when that happens. Anyway, here is a summary of what I spent FOREVER typing...

Great weekend, Daniel bought a remote control plane and had WAY too much fun with it. I get my wedding pictures today! Stay tuned for those! Tried the PW's cinnamon rolls and brisket. Rolls were ah-may-zing and the brisket was delicious! Finally, here are some websites you will love you little girls clothes, cameras, food...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BabyKDesigns
http://www.etsy.com/shop/denisehytonen
www.thepioneerwoman.com

Dear iPhone

I really only have one complaint, and that would be of my iCal calendar. While I love having my agenda in the palm of my hands, so easy to access, add, edit, and more... however...

When I look at the month, all I see is a dot telling me something is taking place. When I added the daily Bible reading schedule to it, suddenly a dot appears on everyday. This can get confusing when I glance at my calendar to see if I am free for an event. Plus, it makes me feel busier than I really am just because it shows that I am "doing something every single day!" Can we please get a little more organized? How about colors! if it is a red dot, it is my Bible reading, blue dot for birthdays, red dot for school related agenda, and a green dot for fun stuff! Now there is an idea for you!

Thanks MLK

First of all thank you MLK. It is because of you that I got to sleep in this morning and am getting a day of rest. Hannah has been asking me to post on here so here I sit. Posting but not sure what to post about. I guess i'll just ramble about random things.

First I will talk about the happenings of the last month or so. Adjusting to living out from the roof of my parents has been different. There is quite a bit of volume difference in the house going from living with 9 other to living with 1 other person. I like it.

So I signed up for the MS 150. For those of you who don't know what this is it's a bike ride from Houston to Austin to support those with Multiple Sclerosis (sp?). It's a ride I've heard about for years and have always wanted to do however, I just haven't taken the time to sign up. Well this year I made myself sign up. Cycling is a hobby that each one of you should take up. Maybe if there were more cyclists there would be less people that would honk at them on the road telling them to get onto the sidewalk. If these people only tried to ride 20mph on the sidewalk if you haven't noticed alot of them aren't exactly smooth. Definitly not safe to ride that fast on the sidewalk. Anyway I'm trying to find time to ride more so that I can train for the ride. It's over two days so that's about 75 miles a day which is definitly do able. Just not today. By the way I need to raise 300 dollars for it. Let me know if you would like to support MS research.

I'm listening to Aaron Copland's Ballet Billy the Kid. It's pretty awesome. That's all for now.

Julie & Julia

It's official. The first major lesson I have learned in marriage is about food. I won't get into the details of the learned lesson, but I will say it's time to rescue my cooking. My strategy? I'm going Julie & Julia on my Pioneer Woman cookbook. Now I am certainly not going all out and setting a deadline to have cooked my way through her book, but I am going to try at least two recipes each week. She is an incredibly entertaining writer. No worries if you don't have her book. Everything is on her blog! This weeks menu?

Cinnamon Rolls (is it bad that I'm starting with this?)
Brisket (I try to make one thing each week that we can eat some of and freeze the rest. This looked like a good choice)

Any way. We will see if this goes any better. I had to throw my crock pot away... It has broken. (But I have told Daniel that my birthday is coming up and it would be an approved and desirable gift)

On other notes, I feel like I have SOOOO many friends who have recently (in the past few months) gotten engaged. Many of them got engaged right around when I did. It's weird to think I'm already married and they have only begun their planning. I highly recommend 7 weeks. It is PLENTY of time to plan your dream wedding, and then you can get on to being married!

I was recently looking at pictures of my nieces and nephews... can someone PLEASE tell them to stop growing up! Andrew will be TWO this month, Isaiah will be FOUR in March! This summer/fall Meelo will be 3, Joshua 1, and Claire will be 1. Time flies.

And my final random thought for the day- MY MOM AND DAD ARE DONE!!!! Well, not officially, but their youngest child has turned 18 and is enrolled in college at DBU for the fall. Now I know they will continue to be parents, but this is a huge deal. The house will be empty come August. While you may not fully grasp the magnitude of this, you must understand that they have had up to SIX kids living there over the last 29 years. Not to mention all our friends that would spend the majority of daylight over there. It is a huge milestone. They have been incredible parents, and I am so blessed to call them Mom & Dad. I LOVE YOU!

Time to head to church. My students are learning about Jonah today. Love my ninth grade girls!!!

Going Green...

...and by green I mean vegetables. Daniel and I want to start eating healthier. Why is it that the easy meals usually are high in carbs and fat? Just doesn't seem fair. It's been pretty hit-or-miss lately with the new recipes I've been trying out. For example, last nights sweet 'n sour crock pot chicken? MISS! Susan Minchew's tortilla soup? HIT! Crab cakes? HIT! Beef Stew? MISS!

I feel like I've wasted money when one of the meals I make doesn't turn out very good. None of them were awful, but I definitely won?t be making them again. This next week I'm going to try some meals that include fish and chicken and TONS of vegetables. Any suggestions?

movin' on up

I?m contemplating putting a workshop together for teachers in my district on the power of nonverbal communication. As teachers we are required to complete a certain amount of staff development each school year. I always get frustrated with this because the workshops are limited to the core classes (math, science, English, and history) or for those who work with the special, the gifted, and the illiterate. Rarely is there a course that a SPEECH teacher will gain from. I usually end up just sitting there to get the credit, not really learning anything relevant. There are at least 9 speech teachers in our district, possibly more, and the benefit of a course on nonverbal communication is that both speech teachers AND other subjects would gain from it. Speech teachers can use the information for a unit on nonverbal communication while other teachers can use the information to incorporate nonverbal communication into their lessons, better understand the power behind it, and help the interpret some of the actions/behaviors of their students. I feel that between Mrs. Sobhani (my fellow speech teacher) and I we are more than enough equipped to teach this course because we spent 4 days this past fall at a conference that was on nonverbal communication. Not to mention it would look good on my resume and be fun at the same time. Pray it works out!

Does this make me a bad teacher?

One thing I have learned living in Houston is that Houstonians are LOYAL to the Houston area teams. As a result, my students love to give me a hard time when I am rootin' for a Dallas team.

Last Friday after them harassing me for asking, "So, who's going to watch the Cowboy's beat the Eagle's this weekend?!" I was challenged by one of the guys. We ended up placing a "bet" on the winning team. If the Cowboy's won, he would have to write a poem in honor of their victory and read it to the class. If the Eagle's one, I had to attempt the "jerk"

As a result, here is the poem he read to the class today:

The Cowboy's won, I was wrong it's true.
I was wrong to insult the grey & blue.
Mrs. Jones, I'm sorry the Eagles got crushed, it was cold like a frozen slush.
When I watched the game I turned red & blushed.
Tony Romo played well which is weird to admit, Miles Austin caught passes, his hands are legit. The game for the Eagles just wasn't fair, nobody could stop Demarcus Ware.
Nobody can win in the Cowboys lair, with a giant screen with no glare. Jason Witten's a beast, Eagles are his feast.
When you play the 'Boys they're the greatest, your the least.
No matter who you are, Cowboys are Americas Team.
They were ready to make the Eagles cream.
Donovan was ripped at the seams, lit from all sides a sad sight to see.
Nobody's as beast as the 'Boys d (as in defense), but next week on national TV, the Vikings will beat you, you'll see!

Bombs Away

I have LOVED this week. It has flown by. I can't think of a better way to start back after an eventful break. My students are currently learning about group communication. Instead of going through the textbook, they were randomly assigned to groups, had to come up with a team name and leader, and together are participating in a series of games- 11 games to be exact. They have LOVED it and it really has forced them to work together and communicate. Way more effective than book work! Here are some of the games we have played or will be playing:

Human Knot (everyone links hands and try to untangle. fastest team gets the win!)
Block Game (2 versions, team that can stack the most blocks on top of each other with out it falling, and then rotating teams who put blocks on top of one another. Team who puts the block on it that knocks it down loses.)
Extreme Pictionary (they get a card with a word on it and either have to draw it blind, make it out of play dough, or race from the back of the room to the front of the room and draw on board, depending on which round they are in. This was FUN and INTENSE!)
Not Your Mom's Charades (student gets a card with a word on it and has to use the arms & legs of another student to act it out, only the helper student doesn't know the words. They can't talk and have to get their team to guess correctly. Other rounds include acting out a word by yourself but unable to move your arms, or your feet.)
Flip It! (team is giving a twin size sheet that has been cut in half. their whole team has to stand on it and together they have to flip the sheet over to the other side with out anyone stepping off. If even a shoelace is off the sheet they have to start over. Fastest time wins)
Protect the Egg (I can't wait to do this one next week! Each team is given straws, Popsicle sticks, masking tape, news paper, and a raw egg. They have to make a structure to put the egg in that is both creative and strong. We will then take them outside and I will be ten feet above the ground and will drop their egg in the structure to the ground. If your egg doesn't break, you win. There will be additional points given for creativity.)
Hum that tune (students will draw a card and have to hum the tune to their teammates to guess)
Pin Drop (students have a chop stick that they have to hold at shoulder height, arm straight and drop into a water bottle on the ground)
Balloon Race (two students put a balloon between their heads and have to race from one end of the class to the other and back with out touching each other, with out dropping the balloon. only your head can touch the balloon)

This next week will be my last week with my Fall Semester students. It's bitter sweet. I have truly enjoyed them this year, but I look forward to a fresh new group. God is good- I love my job!

check lists

I do well with lists. However I hate making them. I think I feel this pressure to complete something if I actually put it on a piece of paper. Needless to say, I don't keep pen and paper readily available... There are currently many things to accomplish though. For example, I now prefer to keep the door to the guest room closed out of fear that the unpacked boxes lurking behind the door will come after me, taunting me with reminders of what is still to be done. There are also the thank you notes to write. I've got some of them done, and have seriously contemplated TYPING a generic one to send out but I know the wrath of my mother would make me forever regret it (don't worry mom, I love you for it and in the years to come I will thank you for it. Until then...). And finally, there is the daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning.... laundry, dishes, bathrooms... I miss the simplicity of living in a 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment. Took just an hour to clean everything, and once it was done, it stayed done for a few days. However, I will greatly take my new surroundings over the old for they bring many more added blessings (like free rent!).

On another note, I'm on a search for the worlds best (and easiest) crock pot recipes. I recently tried a chicken one. As for cooking the chicken, it couldn't have been cooked more perfectly. However the flavor was pretty much garlic, garlic, and more garlic. I should have known considering the recipe called for TWO heads of garlic. If anything it removed the risk of any bad omens. Or whatever it is that garlic keeps away. Anyway, any good, cheap, and easy crock pot recipes out there, send them my way. I (and my husband) would be grateful.

Well. There is some ironing to be done... why does the dry cleaners have to be so expensive? I could possibly be in the wrong line of careers...........

(Just for your entertainment, as I type this my husband is playing lullabies on the keyboard?????.)

A New Journey

Whew! What a whirlwind the past few months have been! It seems like just yesterday I was laying in a hammock soaking up the sun back home in Weatherford this summer, and now it's a chilly day here in Houston as we jump back into the school year after one very eventful Christmas break! I was doing a pretty good job of blogging at least once a month on my old blog, but things picked up and I got busy! I wanted to start a NEW blog as a fresh start with a new year and a new life with my HUSBAND! Wahoo. I'm hoping he'll write on here some too. So basically, here is the break down of the last few months. Enjoy!!

Oct 30- Daniel proposed, I said yes :)
Nov 1- We decided to get married on Dec 19. Giving us about 7 weeks to plan a wedding. Yes, we were crazy, but soooo worth it.
Thanksgiving- One very full week! Lot's of planning and things to do, people to see, but it was certainly great being home
Beginning of December- I had a shower one weekend, although I don't remember the exact date. Maybe the 5th? It was a blessing. So many people from my life showed up to bless me with prayers and gifts. Truly a wonderful day.
Dec. 3-4 & 10-11 I went to ESL workshops. My students were troopers! They had a sub for several days between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break. That is hard on them (and me), but we made it with no permanent damage!
Dec 16- Drove 5 hours to Dallas to pick up my very best friend Emily at Dallas Love Field, then we drove 1 hour to Weatherford. It was wonderful having some time with just her before everyone else arrived for the wedding extravaganza.
Dec 17- errands & pedicures with Em, met up with Tara & Theresa who had just driven in from Houston for lunch at Olive Garden, then headed to my parents house. That night we had my bacholorette "party" at my very favorite restaurant- Fire Oak Grill. If you are ever in Weatherford, it's a must. It was a great time with friends from past and present, from Weatherford, Fort Worth, Waco, Austin, and Houston. So blessed! After dinner we headed to my parents house and played Apples to Apples after some good talk time. Daniel had flown in that evening and after playing a mean trick on me telling me that my brother forgot to pick him up and he was still at the air port, and we let them join us girls in the game.
Dec 18- More errands, setting up the reception hall, waiting forever for the linens, making center pieces for rehearsal dinner, getting ready, and then off to the church! Rehearsal was pretty short and easy. Then we all headed to Chicken Scratch Cafe for some YUMMY dinner. It was such a wonderful time. The rehearsal dinner is always my favorite part of being in a wedding because it is everyone I love most in the same room. Some good advice was given, sweet encouragement and funny stories were shared, and all in all it was a wonderful time.
Dec 19- I forced my self to sleep in. My mom had told me I would have a hard time sleeping, but I proved her wrong. I slept in until 9:00, ate a good breakfast, took a long shower, then headed to the church. I did my own make up and my dear friend Micah did my hair. Everyone kept telling me I was so relaxed, but I didn't know how else to feel. It was all so enjoyable and fun! All the details and plans were taking care of, so what was there to stress over? I did however begin to feel super emotional. Just about anything made me cry. I was nervous because I didn't want to be one of those brides who sobs through the whole ceremony! Thankfully, as my dad and I waited behind the close doors, all those teary emotions evaporated and were replaced with excitement. The doors flew open and their was my love, looking quite dashing in his tux. I really don't remember anything that was happening around me. I wish I had looked around and taken it all in, but I was so focused on walking down the aisle, making it up the steps, and handing my flowers off to my sister. It was really a strange feeling. I was soaking up every word the Pastor said, not remembering that there was 300 people sitting behind us. It seemed like only minutes had passed when he said, "You may now kiss your bride!" What a wonderful day! The reception was so fun and the cupcakes were a HIT! Off to The Omni Hotel in downtown for a few nights and then next thing you know, we were back in Houston.

So, how did we pull off a wedding in 7 weeks? First of all, God picked the date for us. The church was available, the reception hall (at a discounted price!!), everything was available down to the dresses. 2ndly, a rock star mom who has had some wedding planning experience and can survive off little to now sleep, and friends who worked hard to help pull it all together. I am truly blessed.

Like I said, a whirlwind! I'll save the rest of Christmas Break for another day... that was only the first 3 days!!!