Changing Traditions

This year was full of changed traditions, with a sophomore in college  and a sophomore in high school, family members ill, changing jobs... But I felt the changes most acutely during the Christmas season. All my blog friends with adult children can sympathize, I'm sure. Some traditions remained the same, as well.

1. First, I didn't do our thankful feathers this year-I just was too busy to write up the letter, cut up the feathers, address the envelopes and send them out. My oldest daughter was sad.
2. We cut our Christmas tree with all my husband's family, which is our tradition, but we went to a completely different tree farm. We've been to the old one for many years. At least 15, anyway.
3. We put up our Christmas village, but it was my youngest daughter and I who put everything up and took everything down. Was another mix of kept and changed traditions.
4. We did go up to visit my family, but we changed things up by just visiting for the day to fit it into our schedules.
5. Our New Year's will be different as our oldest will be visiting her boyfriend and his family. Strange to have her not here, but not off at school. A whole different set of worries.
6. I didn't watch either of my two favorite movies-It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas-normally I watch them at least once. We did watch several Hallmark Channel Christmas movies which was nice and romantic. ;) 
7. Our oldest daughter had to work, so our Christmas Eve meal was different-it was just three of us and my in laws. Usually the 6 of us eat and then attend church. This year our oldest wasn't out of work until after my in laws had headed home. So, just the four of us headed to church much later than normal.
8. My mother in law continued her themed Christmas dinner, this year was Sesame Street Christmas, and we continued a new tradition we started last year of the adults drawing names, excluding my in laws.
9. Since I was working at the office a lot, I wasn't home to bake (too many) cookies with my girls. They worked together and baked a few kinds without me. 
10. I don't think I'm doing a one little word this year. I have done it at least the last 6 years. I am just not feeling it right now... Never say never, I still have a little time, right? ;)

I think there were a few more, but this was what I remembered. How about you? Changes or keepers in traditions this year? Kids growing older makes things different, for better and worse, doesn't it? Growth and change...

Happy New Year!

I have been thinking of several things to post. Now to sit down and post a few! :)

I hope your 2011 has started off well! Mine started off with a nice family get together at my brother in law's with his wife, their four kids, his in laws and my in laws. :) It was full of fun, games and good food. There was the toast at midnight, too. I decided on our short drive home that we should start a new tradition as a family of four. We should go on a walk when we got home... start the new year with fresh air, togetherness... family and fitness. :) As we walked, I realized that, although it was an unusually balmy 60 degrees this year... it very likely could be below freezing for our next walk. Hmmm, a good "new tradition" idea? ;)

I have started (yet again) a journal. I have written in it two days in a row. :) Hoping to keep that up. This will help me keep track of my thoughts, and hopes for 2011, which reminds me of my "resolutions, goals, plans, or procedures" that I'd like to start in 2011. I always thought of them as resolutions, but have read this blog post, this one and this post, too, and thought I liked these better. :)

A few plans I have for myself/procedures I'd like to start are as follows:

1. I had been thinking about my goals since around Thanksgiving (leading up to my one little word) and thought I'd like to work on my weight/fitness this year. I thought one habit I needed to break was Starbucks coffee-in fact, a grande, nonfat, vanilla latte with half the normal pumps of vanilla in it... EVERY DAY. So, not only was I drinking 200 calories per day but spending quite a bit as well (their prices went up around Thanksgiving, too.) So, I broke the habit. I quit cold turkey on Dec 4. I had one on our way to visit my family (New Year's Day, early...) and one on the way back. I didn't sleep well either night thanks to all the caffeine! :) I make coffee each day at home, and drink probably about 8 ounces.

2. I also looked at my garmin calendar which tracks each of the days/times/distances I run. I looked at 2010 and saw (after my run on New Year's eve...) that I had ran 596 miles in 2010. So, I set a goal to run 1000 miles in 2011. I will run the half marathon this spring and a full in the fall, hopefully (after stress fractures, we know nothing is set in stone!) I planned out my goal-52 weeks, about 20 miles per week. I have run 3.25 miles on the two days since I wrote out this plan.

3. I have been keeping track of my calories on www.thedailyplate.com and keeping the total low enough to (hopefully, eventually) lose some of the chubbiness my legs have acquired-the pants that don't fit can attest. I just want to be fit again and fit into the clothes I like. These three plans will help with that! :)

4. I'd like to take more photos-not an abundance at special family activities, but some of each day, of our daily lives. I am sad to think that our oldest is almost midway through her sophomore year and will be headed to college in a few short years-she turns 16 this month!! Even our youngest will be out on her own in 6 years or so.

5. I mentioned that I was contemplating my one little word being "Read" and I'm sticking with that, thus far. Since I posted, I have read my Bible, and read a book (got the new Laura Childs scrapbooking mystery, even though I like her tea books far better, these are good reads, too) and I'm halfway through that.

I think that's all for now. Don't want the post to be too disjointed! :) I hope you all are well on this 4th day of January, 2011.

Christmas Eve Plan

Cannot believe it is Christmas Eve's Eve tonight. Our tradition for Christmas eve is to have my husband's parents and visiting grandparents over for dinner and candlelight church service. The grandparents won't be here this year as one grandmother isn't up for it and the others came for Thanksgiving. This year it will be my family of four and my in laws. We're going to church earlier, this year and cooking after. We're doing our own version of Chopped. I have the dessert course four secret ingredients bought, and my husband will do an appetizer and main course ingredients. Then he will have to cook dessert with his partner. We will draw partners, which will be three pairs. Then we will draw courses, except for my husband and his partner, who will do dessert, as I mentioned. Then we will make our course with our four surprise ingredients.

Our Christmas Eve tradition is to make something different than we have before. We've done fondues, appetizers, monte cristo sandwiches, roast beef, among other things. My husband and I enjoy watching food network channel shows together in the evening. Chopped is one of the shows we like to watch together, and as they reveal ingredients, decide if we have ideas for what we would cook with them... I usually have an idea to make with two of the ingredients... but then the third or fourth I am sure I would crack under the timed pressure! :) Just in case, my mother-in-law is bringing a basic salad. :)

As we get closer to the holiday, I wish my parents lived closer, so we could have them over to do fun things like this.

We made several goodies over the last few days. We covered pretzels with white chocolate, and melted Andes chocolate mints, we made peppermint patty brownies (brownie batter on the bottom of the pan, then patties, then more batter, basically) frosted sugar cookie cut-outs, peanut blossom cookies-some with chocolate kisses and some with peanut butter cups-, no bake cookies, and some peppermint/chocolate cookies we had premade dough for. We didn't make our traditional peanut butter pinwheels, peppermint candy cane cookies, jingle jammin bars or haystacks. We took a break this year (although peanut butter pinwheels are my favorite. :))

May you and yours have a wonderful, safe, blessed holiday season!! :)

One Little Word

I have, once again, been revisiting my "one little word". Here are some posts about my previous words: here and here.
My words in the past have been faith, peace, grace and this year I'm thinking Read.
I have forgone book reading for tv watching or computer/online reading, so I want to read more books, again.
I have forgone reading the scale as the numbers continue to climb.
I have not been reading the news or newspaper (except the comics) since I dislike news that makes me sad inside, but I do need to be more informed on our government-national and local-as well as other issues and things I can do about them.
I also need to get back to reading my Bible. I go in streaks. It's always something I want to do, and feel I need to do, but I haven't been picking it up lately. It would be such a good example for my girls, too.
I need to "read" pictures to get back to retelling a story-in my scrapbooking; it's a tremendous gift of memories to give my family.
I need to write down and read my goals, to become the person I want to be-the example, good wife, mother and teacher I want to be.

Have you given any thought to your one little word? Hope all is well, Dear Reader. :)

Attention!

Attention! Finally posting again! ;)

First, thankful feathers are sent and some received already! I say already because it still feels like September, not November! :) And, yes, Thanksgiving is here in a week from today. Wow. Time has truly gone even faster than years past, I think! I saw this wonderful gratitude idea that I think may become another holiday tradition at our house! Be sure to check out it's follow up post, also, that updates you on their gratitude progress.

I have not bought any Christmas gifts, yet, except for a small stocking stuffer or two for my daughters. I just haven't. Terrible, I know, when so many people are done already. My husband is of the mind-well we both have been for years, now-that we should exchange names with family instead of everyone buying for everyone. It is a topic for further discussion... I do have all our Christmas cards and address labels printed, so that's something.

Isabelle, speaking of holidays, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when most stores in the US do some sort of a sale. A big sale, and often open very early (like 5am!) So, people take their ads, their shopping lists, arise at a very early hour to go get the best deals on those Christmas gifts. We have gone for years (picking up the family members around 5:30 or 6) simply for the fun of being together, more than the "deals". :) My mom, aunt, grandma, and more recently, my daughters and I, all go together, and go home around lunchtime. We have, in years past, shopped until dinner time, but most recent years we haven't had any serious deals we really needed that badly. :) It's a fun "girl" day. :) This year, the husband has to work (he works for someone who will be having sales/coupon codes/deals and he's a computer guy, so if there is an issue with said codes/sales, etc. he has to be available to help.)

I have been making a list of things to blog about for the future, so hopefully I can get back into the habit! :) I am thinking this about exercise, too! :)

Our life group has been taking a book from the Bible and reading it over the two weeks between meetings for discussion. This month is Philippians, which has been one of my favorites since I started to read the Bible on my own. Not reading anything other than that, and blog posts, and haven't gotten to read/reply to many of those lately, either!

We are having renovations done on our home, still. Extending our stoop/step to a full porch, siding and windows replaced (here's to lower heating bills! :)) and stone on the lower front of our house. I'm so happy with it. Just a few things to finish up. Except for the melting siding... Well, that's a story for another day!

Here's to a cohesive post next time, with more detail and expanding on one topic instead of random tidbits about everything. ;) Take care, and stay healthy, dear reader, as flu season is creeping in...

Eggs?

Question for you, blog readers:
Do you dye your eggs for Easter (or did you when your children were younger)?
Do you hard boil and then decorate or blow the inside out?
Do you paint or use traditional dye methods? Store bought or natural dyes?

We have tried multiple things over the years, and as the girls are older and craftier I was thinking of trying new things. Today we melted chocolate and decorated molds with them. However, I'm wondering if we'll do eggs...
In years past we've painted wooden eggs, made yarn eggs, dyed boiled eggs and dyed blown out eggs, which was my favorite of the options.

Hope all is well.

Grace

I have finally decided on my "one little word". Just like last year, I sat and struggled through wonderful words in our language. I wrestled over the combination of goals/activities I wanted to accomplish, as well as things I wanted to change in myself and succinct words I could use as motivation. I thumbed through pages of ideas, clicked through websites with similar "one word" interests. I talked them over with my family, too.

Then I prayed about it. And our sermon in church the next Sunday focused on grace; the kind we give others, the kind we give ourselves and the kind we are Given. It made me think. Last year I "received" my word in church, too. It just felt right. So, this year my word is grace.

I picked grace because: first, I am so thankful God blesses us with His grace. I would be nowhere without it. I also picked it because I don't work on my actions showing that appreciation. I don't work hard enough at my daily delving into Words and descriptions of His grace.

Also, I sometimes am impatient with my immediate family. When something isn't going right, I don't extend them grace, I snap at them. That is something I want to work on. I try to be so positive with others, that sometimes in the bustle of life I forget to be positive with my three most beloved members of my family. I need to extend grace.

I need to look at the grace of life, too. I will be thirty five this year on my birthday (I know, a youngster ;)) but I haven't eaten or exercised with grace lately. I haven't felt graceful, I have felt more overweight than ever before (although I'm still average to the population, I am not the fit runner I once was...)

So, these are the reasons I chose grace and am striving to accomplish the goals I've set for myself.


What "one little word" have you chosen for your life?? If you haven't, I encourage you to.

Update

Another blog post from the road. We are on our way back from visiting my family. Had a great visit, exchanged our holiday gifts and are working our way home, now. It is always nice to see my family, but hard when it's time to go. I feel guilty leaving, like I don't see them enough. Part of that comes from the time we spend with my husband's family, I think. I feel guilty that I see them more than my family. Luckily most are in good health. Everyone was surprised to see how much our girls had grown. They are both taller than me-which we knew would happen, but my youngest is in a real spurt right now, where she's growing a lot at once!

In other news, my job is changing! I was interviewed and hired for a long term position over the break. There was a school in another district (different than the one I've been teaching in for the last few years, where my daughters attend) that called and interviewed me for a maternity leave assignment. The woman was supposed to be done in March and I'm not sure of all the details but they called earlier than expected and said the woman was on bed rest. I am supposed to have the job until mid-May! A nice long job with fourth graders, I think. I go in early tomorrow to start the job. I'm very excited. I'm subbing, so it's not my own class, but thankfully, I have a job at the same school everyday and with, from whom I have met thus far, a great staff. I'm very nervous, but also very excited. God has brought me here (several moments of “God-incidences” throughout this process to get me here) and I'm positive about the opportunity.

My weight continues to climb, with several pairs of pants no longer fitting me, so I'm looking forward to working on it. I can watch what I eat better when I'm not at home where everything is accessible, as well as packing my lunch. I have enjoyed the few runs I got to go out on during the school break, too. I like the “New Year” being a good time to reassess goals. I am still working on choosing my “one little word” for the year. 2008 was faith and 2009 was peace. I felt like I worked on being more aware with the words. I have written my resolutions and am hopeful to see at least some of them accomplished. I am hopeful that I can reach my potential towards the person I want to be.

Currently, my husband is listening to a podcast, my youngest daughter is playing her DS and my teenage daughter is resting/listening to her ipod. Too many nights of staying up late, I think. At least for me! :)

I have not been scrapbooking much, although I did start a little project I'm excited about working on. Maybe after I teach all day I will not feel guilty about sitting down to work on my hobby? Or will I be too tired to?! :) One of my resolutions is to sit and get two layouts (sets of pages) done per week. For non-scrapbookers, open a book up with two pages open and facing you. :) Two of those. :)The ablums I have started that I'm working on are all 6 x 6 or 8 x 8, so they aren't too large, I just need to get to them! :) One of the gifts from my parents for Christmas was a storage box perfect for scrapbook paper, so I can organize and that is very exciting! I love how my mom really takes note of things I mention throughout the year, especially concerning my hobby, and lets that be her gift guide. :)

Well, I think that's enough rambling for now. I hope you have wonderful weather and that your New Year has started out great! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Holidays!

After a nice, long family weekend, I am currently typing up my next blog entry. I am in the car, with no network to connect to the internet, but thought it would be a good use of time to blog! I know, I know, it took me long enough! :)

Our weekend was a family gift from my husband's parents. His siblings and their families were also on the trip. We all took a day of driving, went to Nashville, TN, and saw things like the Hermitage, General Jackson's showboat, Charlie Brown ice sculptures and the Opryland hotel. It was a wonderful weekend! We are on our long drive back.

On our last car trip I thought to download podcasts to listen to. I was just starting out with podcasts, so I only grabbed one or two I had seen suggested on scrapbookers' blogs. I enjoyed them immensely, and downloaded a few new ones for this long car trip. While on our trip, we talked about podcasts, and my brother-in-law mentioned that he listened to “things you should have learned in history class” or something like that and “how stuff is made”. Both had really interesting topics. I downloaded a few, but as of my writing this, I haven't listened to them, yet.

For our trip, I prepared the items from one of the contests I won; the scrapbooking kit. It had almost all the items for an embellished Christmas themed album, but needed some things cut on my big papercutter. So, the night before we left, I spent about 45 minutes cutting, assembling, and organizing each page's items into a plastic carrying box. Then, on the trip, with breaks here and there, and a little bit on the way home, I assembled it. It turned out very cute. I look forward to using it as my December Daily album for this year! Especially with the pictures from this weekend! :) It was a great prize! I wouldn't have purchased it on my own, but have loved it and hope to get more kits similar! I will be a regular on their site!

One of the breaks from the scrapbook that I took was to begin reading to my husband. I think I've mentioned before that on car trips we both enjoy Nicholas Sparks books. We've read several to each other since we have been married. On car trips we start them, taking turns driving/reading, and then we are far enough into the book that we can't put it down and read it in the evenings once we're home. If it's a real page turner, we “steal” it from each other and devour it in our spare moments! :) The one we've currently started is the Last Song. I had bought it a few car trips ago, but we didn't get it started. Then, we went to see The Princess and the Frog, and there was a preview for a movie that was based on the book. Now, I have those movie characters in my head when I read it. Blech. ;) I much prefer to form my own pictures in my head before I see a movie! :)

I am ready for the holidays! We have just a few gifts-one we've been looking for all over, but have had a hard time finding. We also have a few things for the great grandparents. But everything else is bought, wrapped and I'm pleased with. Ahhh. :) Maybe I can get a few moments to scrapbook? A little gift to myself, now that the contest scrapbook kit got my creative juices flowing?

This week, as we lead into Christmas, I have baking to do, the last gifts, listed above, and some family time. I look forward to that. I also need to make sure I call my parents and grandparents, since I haven't and feel as though I should do it more often. Then I will need to deliver the previously mentioned baked goods to neighbors and friends.

I have been exercising nicely, as of late. I ran Thursday and Friday of last week, even though the temps were low. Then, Saturday we were driving. Sunday, my oldest daughter and I got up early and used the hotel's exercise room. We worked out; I made myself tired. Today, Monday, we're traveling again. But, back to it again tomorrow. Those were specific attempts at exercise. We also walked around, to most of our destinations this weekend, and at most of our destinations, so I felt good about that, as well. Although, the eating made it all come out in a wash, I think. ;)

Hopefully I really will write again soon! :) Thanks for sticking in there and reading my rare posts! ;) Happy Holidays to you, Reader.

Winter

Hello! I'm sure it seems as though I've been hibernating since I haven't posted in ages again! I have actually had a lot on my mind/list to blog, but when I sit down to blog, I think that I don't have time to get it all down. I will start with a few little things today and try to spread posts out-post more often. :)

I met Molly for dinner a while back, and her lovely daughter, too, while she was in the area. I enjoyed the evening immensely. I could have conversed with them longer! :) Such wonderfully nice ladies! Sitting down with her felt like like I'd known her for ages.

Running has been virtually nonexistent this week, although I did run a few times last week-only twice this week and once was on the dreadful treadmill so I didn't get very far. Blah.

I have been in a bad state in the arena of eating. The cold weather is moving in and this time of year always moves me into hibernation zone where I want to eat every nonhealthy thing in site and have no ambition to exercise!

I have been subbing on a daily basis, as usual, which leaves nothing done at home... That has me feeling overwhelmed about the pending holidays! :) I have started a spreadsheet called "tasks" and I continue to add new tasks, but get to delete the old as I complete them. I don't have the usual suspects on it like "laundry" or "groceries". These are things I'd like to see done a few days after I place them on the list.

Traditionally speaking, we used to have an advent tree-a wooden tree that played music similar to a music box. We got it when my youngest was an infant. It had finally broken down last year. This year, I didn't think of it until December first, we had no advent counters! I saw this one, and am using paper strips instead of ribbon, and have printed out the ornaments. Better late than never?

That is all for today. I hope you are well, dear reader, and are enjoying this holiday season!

Thankful

So many things to write about in the last month. Many unrelated, many linked...

It is November and here in the states we celebrate Thanksgiving this month. It reminds us (or we try to not get bogged down with holiday visits and preparation, while remembering) to be thankful. As regular readers know, in our family, we do a thankful feather letter each year and place the feathers we receive on our gourd turkey (who is holding up nicely, even after losing his head a few years ago! :)) We have the letters sent out and have received one back thus far. Along the same lines, I read this in a friend's post on Facebook: "Every day this month until Thanksgiving, think of one thing that you are thankful for and post it as your status. "Today I am thankful for..." The longer you do it the harder it gets! Now if you think you can do it, then repost this message as your status to invite others to take the challenge, then post what you are thankful for today." I have posted this over the last three days, which is when I first read it, along with some blessings I think of such as my health, Veterans (yesterday was Veteran's Day here in the US) and the internet which connects me to family and friends who I don't see often enough-or some of you I've never met, but am sure I would enjoy in person! :)

I felt really blessed about my health since having the flu. I wasn't tested officially, but was diagnosed with "the flu", but the symptoms weren't like any flu I've experienced, so we are figuring it was H1N1. I haven't been sick sick like that in so many years-and this kept me down for weeks! I slept but still was too exhausted to do anything. The next week I continued the cough that came with it and it developed into bronchitis! I was sick essentially for three and a half weeks! That was after rest, antibiotics and steroids! I was too week and feeling so unwell that I didn't blog or scrapbook! :) I am feeling much better now and realized that I take my good health for granted!

I was up to running four days a week and really feeling good about it until that bout with the flu/bronchitis, so I will have to start again! I did get to yoga this week which was wonderful! :)

I have been subbing in the same classroom for three weeks, a fifth grade math class, and it's been nice to build a relationship with the kids. I will be back for 7 more school days, it appears, and be done at Thanksgiving break. That has filled my days (and I had to miss two of my scheduled days due to my illness!) and I feel behind on all that needs to be done at home.

My parents came down for a visit over Halloween. It was our youngest daughter's last year for trick-or-treat. We have several people in the neighborhood who still go out for candy even older, but we don't. Our kids don't eat that much candy and enjoy giving it out to all the kids we know, so we are done with creating clever costumes. :) I always enjoyed it, but we have a time limit. :) Our youngest has discovered the "secrets of the holidays" so that is another stage of life they have grown out of. It's sad for me-but a relief, also to not have those added details.

Both girls have gotten good grades this grading period and we're proud of them! I hope they continue to enjoy school and work hard.

A neighbor of my grandparents, and a nice member of my family's community passed away this week after cancer ravaged her. Sad that she had such an awful illness. My parents said they went to the funeral home visitation in the evening and they waited an hour to get in-a line was out and around the building. They said over one visitation period 280 people signed the guestbook-and if even some of those were couples, wow! It has had me thinking that I hope I make such a connection, a difference in people's lives. Not that I feel the need for "major recognition in death!" I just mean, I hope I leave such a positive impact on people's lives, a warmth in them. Now, to remember that, who I want to be, not getting caught up in "things"... especially with the holiday chaos lurking around the corner...

Thanksgiving Blessings to you, Reader!! :)

Hello!

I haven't posted in a while... I was caught up in the busy activities of life! :) The summer vacation seems to be speeding by, but things have gotten done, too. :)
Running: I have kept up with the marathon training schedule very well, until the long run this weekend. I had family here Friday and Saturday, so I didn't get to the 11 scheduled. I tried to run it yesterday, but the only time I had was in the heat of the day... it was 85 and very humid. I ran 6 miles alone and then my husband was going to join me... When I grabbed some water at home, after the 6, I was very hot and not feeling too well. We started out for our last loop and I felt very ill, even sporting goose bumps on my arms! When that happens, you're way too hot, so the rest of the run was scrubbed for the day. I was broken-spirited, but my husband reminded me that I'm doing this for fun, not to hurt myself and it's important to listen to your body... so glad he was there as I walked the last little bit home.
Family: My parents came to visit this weekend! We had a wonderful time! At the local convention center there was a sewing gathering (actually, quilting, Thimbleanna and Molly! :)) and my mom is an avid quilter, so we went and walked-A LOT! :) We saw many finished quilts/competition entries, and many vendor booths. I bought some things... not quilting things, mind you, as I am not an accomplished seamstress like my mom. I bought some supplies to scrapbook with! :)
My husband had his birthday week, as I had mentioned previously, and I saved all the photos, notes and mementos, as well as a new letter from the two daughters and I, and compiled them into a "birthday week" album for Father's Day. Very fun. I hope he likes it. He seemed to when he opened it.:)
The two girls are enjoying summer break, although the oldest daughter is taking summer PE (summer gym class) so that it will free up a study hall for her next year. Otherwise, she'd have had band class and gym class, with no study hall (time to get work done, questions answered at school).
Our youngest and I have plans for some tennis and other fun things while the oldest is away at class. We have had some fun, so far! :)She has read like crazy, entering the summer reading program at the local library (a tradition of ours), already finishing the second recording sheet! She's found some great new books, and been inspired to write a book of her own, with chapters! :)
Home: I have gotten a lot of "chores" done in the almost-two weeks we've had off like cleaning under all the bathroom and kitchen sinks/in the cupboards, finished sealing the grout around the new tile and washing them down once more, cleaning and organizing two closets and our pantry, catching up on the laundry-really catching up like washing all our bed comforters and shower curtains, too!
Reading... I haven't read much at all, other than scrapbook idea magazines, but plan on it! :)
Blogs: I have been to some new and interesting sites lately:
The Simple Woman's Daybook
Apple + Orange
Creative Organizing-I especially liked this post about Finish-It-Friday, which inspired some of my tasks above! I plan on working on something every Friday!
Teaching jobs: I have applied for several, have either heard nothing or rejection on many of them, thus far. Frustrating, but still hopeful, and will wait and see...
Today: I am going to rearrange the furniture in the living room and my den. It's been in the current plan for a while, and the living room really needs a new plan! I also need to tend to the paper file/pile on my desk. I've kept up with the bills, but the "look at later" pile has grown too large!
That is all for now. I hope your week goes smoothly and positively! :)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Hope your day is going well! This holiday means only, here in our house, that I make corned beef and cabbage every year. Its smell is wafting through the house as I type. (ahhh) I do not wear green or pinch those who don't and need to brush up on my "St. Patty's Day" facts, as I don't know where the holiday came from.
The weather is absolutely delightful, a sunny 69 degrees. (Great grilling weather, if it wasn't for the "holiday".) This morning, when it was 43 degrees, I went running, and got five wonderful miles in. I was scheduled to have jury duty, went at the appointed time and two hours later the cases were taken care of, without the need of jurors, so I got to come home.
Reading the Lost Memoirs of Jane Austin, currently. It's good so far. Finished Coraline and yikes, it was scary. I was not sure if I mentioned that I was reading it with my daughter for her book club. The last 6 chapters were what nightmares are made of.
We tried a new recipe this weekend, while watching college basketball: honey garlic chicken wings. They were good, but not so delicious that I would want to eat them every night.
It is March and that means "March Madness", my favorite time in sports. My husband and I would order pizza late in the night while watching the first weeks of the tournaments in college. We have a tentative plan for him to come home for lunch on Thurs or Fri to see the games over subs. It is a fun time of year.
I'm still running and working on watching what I eat, especially during the day. When I'm home and not subbing, I catch myself snacking, if there are goodies available. It's helped that I've given up wine and chips for Lent-it has been hard, though! I haven't been to the gym since last Thursday, but am hoping to go for yoga this evening, as I enjoy the class and teacher so much.
My bluebirds are still around, but I caught sparrows going in the birdhouse twice today... I've gone out and emptied their nests. I feel guilty doing so, ruining their hard work, but am still hoping the bluebirds will be able to move in... My pictures from last week didn't turn out too well, I'm afraid, but here's the best one.














Speaking of outdoors, the sounds of children playing kickball in our front yard is coming in through the windows; a great spring/summer sound.
Well, I'm off to do my daily devotional/Bible reading. I hope you've had a wonderful start to your week!

Lately

Lately...

• I did get some running in, before the weather got frigid again. Ahh, the sunshine was wonderful. I'm looking forward to more of the bright stuff again tomorrow! Although the temperature will not show that the glorious sun is out, I'm afraid. :)
  
• I got to be a substitute teacher in a kindergarten class. Both morning and afternoon groups of children were wonderful!
• My photo/canvas arrived in the mail today. A dear blog friend took a wonderful photo of the beach (she is extremely talented!) and I asked her if I could have/use it. I had it made into a canvas that arrived today. My original intent was to hang it in the green laundry room, to make me think I was at the beach instead of doing laundry... However, I love the looks and colors of it so much, I wish I could repaint other areas of my house to match. Considering all the painting I've done lately, I'm guessing the husband will say-it should still hang in the laundry room, and no more painting for awhile! :)
• I am feeling terrible about neglecting something that I firmly believe in... Thank You notes. I always write them, but for some reason, the 2008 Christmas thank yous have not been written. How utterly awful of me.
• I have gone over my notes for the Thirteenth Tale, so that I will be ready to post discussions on it next Friday, the first discussion of the Well Read Ladies Online Book Club.
• I have The Hemingses here to start for our next discussion... It's size is daunting... the nonfiction-ness of it is intimidating... but I look forward to the brain-strengthening challenge.
• I have spent too much time on Facebook, even posting photos of high school this week. Some scary photos... :) But they were me, back then. :) I have enjoyed connecting with far-away family, that I probably wouldn't be able to keep in touch with very well, otherwise.
  
• My husband and I begin teaching Sunday School this weekend. I am very much looking forward to it! I'm EXCITED! :) Ahem... teaching does that to me, even if it is only an hour. :)
• I ordered my youngest daughter some small, inexpensive cookie cutters, so she can make these valentines for school. (It is our tradition for the kids to make their school valentines instead of buying character valentines. We like to be crafty like that. ;))
• I saw a video that was great. It was a 16 minute short movie, if you will, but worth every minute. It made me smile. I don't know how to post videos on my own blog, so you have to go to this site HERE to see it. The post that the video is on is called You... You are awesome. You should see it. :))

I hope you are having a wonderful day, and week, that is halfway over already! :) I hope, also, that you are smiling as you leave this blog. :))

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope it has started off wonderfully! We kicked off 2009 at the in laws', with kids, games and yummy snacks. We spent the night there, as is the new tradition, started in '08, and then headed home after breakfast. When we returned home, I put dinner on the stove to cook: our annual meal of corned beef and cabbage. We have cabbage on New Year's because it's a superstition that if you eat cabbage on the first day of the year, it will bring you good luck all year long.
We went, later in the day, to a furniture store and ordered a new cubby/hall tree for the entry by the garage door. This is where we all enter most, and the kids drop their school bags, we all leave our shoes... etc. It gets cluttered. Thus, the hall tree. We also ordered a kitchen table and a "baker's rack" to go with our "old world" decor. We've had our table for several years, after buying it used, and it's seen better days. We will be painting the kitchen soon. The company who is making our countertop will come to make a template on Tuesday, hopefully delivering the actual counter before the estimated 5 week date, and the furniture will be delivered Wednesday.
I have ran the last two days, since my last post, albeit slowly due to the awful winds we still have. The day before yesterday I could barely open my eyes in the wind and blowing snow, so I cut the run short. Today my eyes watered, but I ran the 4.25 miles, anyway. I have ran 6 out of the last 8 days, so I'm pretty happy with that. Now if I can just quit the Starbucks... I'm going to try. :)
Made any new year's resolutions? Or picked one little word? I am using "peace" this year. Last Sunday's sermon at church was about God's peace, how to work on it, like to avoid worry (I am a huge worrywart!) pray first. So I am sad to see "Faith" go as my word, but am ready to welcome and work on peace in my life, with less worry. We'll see how it works out tomorrow, while our oldest daughter is having surgery to remove her wisdom teeth. Speaking of, please keep her in your prayers and thoughts tomorrow morning, if you can. Thank you, Lanne for the email you sent to us about that! It was so thoughtful! :) And made us smile.
I hope you all ended 2008 nicely and are headed into the new year happily and healthy! :)

Dec 25

Merry Christmas! {yawn}
The girls were "late" risers this year and only got up at 6:30. :) It wasn't around 5am like last year, which resulted in me sending them back to bed until 6! :) They opened their gifts from Santa, we had our traditional breakfast and were done by 8.
I ran yesterday. Probably will again today. Yesterday I got in 4.25 miles, with my new friend, Garmin Girl 1, my gift from the hubby. Who needs diamonds?? :) He looked for a good deal on different sites, better than what's listed on the garmin site. I'd like to help the economy, but wow! :)
My Nike watch quit, my Nike+ went out when keeping track of my time and distance... I still need the ipod for music, but the garmin helps me keep my time on task, and keeps track of my route. I need to keep working at my goals.
We ended up making 5 kinds of the cookies. We ran out of time with cleaning and cooking for the in laws to come last night. We made:

• crab dip
• spinach dip
• cheese fondue
• fruit salsa and cinnamon chips, they didn't have strawberries at the store, so we used a red pear and it was yummy!
  
• store bought pimento cheese spread, and ham salad
• lots of crackers, veggies, and bread to dip
• and some wine. :)

The food turned out well, and then we headed to church. It was a lovely service. A good way to spend Christmas Eve.

Well, off for family time. :) Merry Christmas!!!

Dec 21

Our oldest daughter is healing. The weather is cold and windy. I need to get groceries-lots of them, including ingredients for Christmas cookies, and Christmas Eve dinner, as well as our annual Christmas Day meal. Our Christmas Day meal is a family tradition and it includes: sausage casserole (the casserole is made the day before so it can cook while the girls open Santa's gifts), cinnamon rolls (we tried making the husband's family recipe for about ten years and I wasn't successful, so I decided on Pillsbury :)), frozen fruit slush (we do this recipe with only frozen orange juice concentrate, not lemonade, which we let thaw while gifts are opened) and coffee! :)

I got in a 4.25 mile run yesterday. The wind and cold wore me out, but it felt good to finish it. I ran in a 8:16 per mile pace, and was very tired at the end.

The husband and I watched August Rush last night, and we both thought it was a wonderful movie. The music/soundtrack was excellent, as well.

We still have a little shopping to finish up and a few things to wrap, but other than that, baking cookies is all that is left on my list! :)

Tomorrow is the pre-surgery wisdom teeth appt for our oldest and our youngest has a birthday slumber party tomorrow night.

Hope your weekend is moving along nicely, but not too quickly! :)

December Dailies

Ok, I didn't make the November blog post per day. I'm shooting for December, now. Why should this be any easier, you ask, especially during a busy time of year?? Well, I am working on a "December Daily" album again this year. Last year's didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped. This year, I'm doing things a bit differently, but still trying to keep track of at least one thing per day. Yesterday, December 1, we started the Christmas Mystery, as I mentioned we would. We last read it three or four years ago. My youngest had forgotten all the details, and plot! So it will be fun to read again, this year. It is like an advent calendar with pages to read everyday of December, and bits of the story unfold each time. Wonderful book, and I recommend it to anyone to read as a family.
My albino squirrel is visiting again, today, with the dusting of snow, he is safer outside and enjoys the corn I put out! :) I'm not sure if he's technically albino or just white, but nonetheless, he's unusual. :) Here he/she is in October when I got better photos of him/her.I have a few goals for today, like working on the stack of Christmas cards, organizing presents, and baking, as well as laundry (when isn't that on my list??). I hope your December has started off wonderfully! :)

End of November

It is already the last day of November, unbelievably. In the past week, we have gone and gotten my grandma, spent the week with her (and had a very nice time!), went up to my home state for Thanksgiving, had a great few days there (including shopping on the day after Thanksgiving!), came home, got all my Christmas decorations out yesterday, went and cut the tree with my husband's family today, and decorated said tree. The tradition for the tree, as I think I've mentioned before, is to meet at a coffee/doughnut place, go cut the trees, then head into a nearby town to a small town restaurant, have lunch, head home, the husband puts the angel and lights on the tree, and then the girls and I decorate it. This year the hubby's brother and his family were also able to come, which made it even more fun! :) Our tree wasn't so large this year, it's actually perfect! :)
So far, I don't have any jobs scheduled, except Dec. 10 and 11th, for conferences. I think I will be able to find plenty to do with the approaching holidays, though! :) I will keep looking, as well.
During last week, we had my grandmother here, and one night my husband's grandparents were visiting so we had them over for a big dinner. Tried a new recipe and it was a huge success: Huckleberry BBQ This recipe uses beef brisket, and we used pork shoulder. I cooked the pork on one day, in the crockpot for about 8 hours, then the next day put the pork, that had been pulled apart, in the sauce. We also made a pasta salad, baked potatoes, onion loaf with sauce, and apple fritters.
I haven't run in two weeks. I need to get back at it again.
I did reschedule oldest daughter's wisdom teeth removal for the 2nd of Jan. so she was relieved! :) Wouldn't have been a fun New Year's Eve, if I hadn't! :)
That's all for now! Happy (almost) December! :)

Saturday

It is Saturday, we've watched some football, the husband is napping and the girls are disagreeing... I mean playing together. :) I had scrapbooking here last night. I had fruits, vegetables, chips, and dips, as well as pumpkin gooey bars, crock pot berry cobbler, and corn chowder. I had a very nice time. I cooked and cleaned yesterday, to get the house ready and will only have to do a touch-up before church tomorrow. After church we drive to get Gram, and have her here until Thursday.
So far, we've received 9 of our 30 thankful feathers. The turkey is holding up well, with his new feet and wattle, as well as his repaired neck. :)
I was a substitute for fourth grade last week, and I liked something the teacher did. She read the children a chapter from a book (the book she'd chosen for a read aloud, reading them a chapter per day) and then they had to write down what they thought the chapter should be titled. They shared and talked about their perspectives. Then they had to write a paragraph using text-to-self perspective. It really got them thinking about how they related to the story, and how we read for fun, relating to situations or characters in the books.
I got my letter for jury duty, which will be scheduled after the holidays. I have never had to attend before. I receive the letter, but the trial is settled before I'm set to go. This time I have four different dates, so I'm guessing I will have to go to one of them; my civic duty.
My oldest daughter found out, last time she was at the orthodontist, that her wisdom teeth are blocking her twelve year molars, so she needs to have the wisdom teeth removed. I was scheduling the appt for over winter break... however the only day they had open was New Year's Eve. She's pretty annoyed that I scheduled it, then. She'd rather miss school, of course, but unless the husband disagrees, this is the plan. :)
Next week at this time, I think I will be putting up my Christmas items! :) I'm looking forward to getting our Christmas books out. :) We read a book that we've read twice before, the Christmas Mystery, and it's a great reminder of the holidays. A chapter per day, from Dec 1 to Dec 25, an advent book, so to speak. I look forward to reading it to the family on Dec. 1. :)
Well, enough for now. Hope you are well.