Brr

It's cold, here in the midwest, and has been for the last few days. Brr. The cold that chills you deeply the moment you step outside, and no amount of warm coats or coffee can warm the inside of you. :)
The break between posts has been longer this time, but nothing fantastic has happened. Well, I shouldn't say that. Each day with my family is fantastic, the sermon on the last two Sundays really were fantastic, my youngest daughter sang at a school function on Saturday and she was fantastic...
But the schedule just keeps plugging along. I subbed in kindergarten two days last week and fourth grade Friday and yesterday. A big jump from kindergarten to fourth grade. It challenges me to reset my mind and expectations. Both classes were good while I was there.
I've been working out the gym a few days per week to help me get stronger. Not like huge bulky body builder muscles, just stronger to help me with that fall marathon in under four hours! :) I am running, but less than I was. I have enjoyed my time at the gym, especially the yoga class. I thought yoga was slow, boring and didn't challenge my body. Boy, was I wrong! I've gone the last two weeks, and am attending tonight, and the instructor had us sweating! I felt the soreness that comes from a good workout the next few days, as well. And I really enjoyed the instructor! :)
I'm still juggling my way through my book club book, the Hemingses. I have yet to get into a rhythm that has me chugging along and not wanting to put my book down.
I have started a book with my youngest daughter and her friend. The book is Coraline. It's what the newly released movie is based on. I had heard the book was better than the movie, so we thought we'd read it first. It's a bit spooky, but good thus far. We read about two chapters per week and then discuss it on Fridays. Last week's discussion introduced them to the idea of foreshadowing and they are enjoying thinking about the concept. :)
That's really all from here. My youngest is about done with basketball, and my oldest is about to begin track conditioning. So, another busy spring schedule is sneaking up on us! :)
Hope your week is going well!

New Quote

Saw this quote a while back-so long ago, I don't remember where, and wrote it down. Then I stuck it in my purse. I cleaned out my purse today and found the paper I'd written it on. Again, I thought "I really like this"... So, wonderful readers, I thought I'd share. :))

"Don't just live the length of your life, live the width of it as well." Daniel S. Goldin

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. :))

Snow

Our last two days have been filled with snow. On Tuesday night the flakes started. Small, fluttering flakes. Those flakes gradually increased in size and intensity. There was a break overnight, but that was for the freezing rain to come in and leave half an inch to an inch of ice in its wake. Then the snow came again. By ten that evening, schools had been canceled. About 500 area schools were closed, most of the schools in the state, actually. Even my husband stayed home during our level two snow emergency, and worked from home. He took a lunch break and we all shoveled the driveway, chipping away at the ice and snow, together. Today the kids were off from school, again, but the husband made the trek into work, arriving there safely. We are supposed to receive another inch of snow this afternoon/evening, as well. We have used up all our "calamity" days for the school year. The last day of school is supposed to be June 10, but if we miss any more days of school due to the weather, we will progress further into June to make them up. We three girls trudged out into the weather today in search of boots for my youngest daughter. She did not mention to me that her boots were WAY too small until Tuesday. Due to the recent weather, there were not very many pairs of boots to be found in the surrounding areas, let alone in her specific size. We did end up finding some men's boots small enough to fit her feet, and are exceptionally warm. When she came in today, I made this homemade hot chocolate with a few sprinkles of cinnamon, too. :)
Running... I went four good miles on Sunday, although all the paths and streets were covered in a thin layer of ice and snow on top of that. The flakes falling down that day were beautiful, but my knees did not like the sliding. I felt wonderful afterward, like I'd gotten in a great workout. Then, this new weather hit, and it isn't fit to be running outside without spikes on your shoes!
Since writing last, our countertop came in and looks great. We're waiting on someone to come do the tiled backsplash, though, so it's not quite complete, but getting there.
We had a busy weekend last week. Our "baby" girl, our oldest daughter, turned fourteen on Friday. We had family over that night for hamburgers, per her request, and homemade carrot cake for dessert. Then, Saturday morning, she wanted her hair cut for her birthday, a nice haircut. So, I took her and looks wonderful, although too old. :) Saturday we attended a wedding reception for a friend. Then we picked up a friend of our daughter's and took them both to "get their fingernails done"... which included painting their real nails, not applying fake ones. :) We ordered pizza, and the friend was picked up in time for us to attend church on Sunday. After church we signed up to be Sunday School teachers. I'm looking forward to it! What new challenges/adventures are you considering starting?
I have finished the book The Thirteenth Tale. I thought it started kind of slow, probably because it wasn't what I was expecting, but it definitely reeled me in as I read, and by the last third of the book I didn't want to put it down! Now I have to look over the questions in the back, so I feel ready to discuss it in the book club that is starting Feb 13. What are you reading?
I think that's it for us these last ten days. :) Hopefully you are well.

Fallen off

Seems as if I've fallen off my blog posts. I was doing so well for a while, posting frequently. Not much to say, as of late, I guess.
I am happy to report that it seems our countertop will arrive sooner than expected and is coming this Thursday! Just a few things left to complete the whole transformation: light fixtures and one other wall detail for now, I think.
The laundry room came out as nicely as I'd hoped, although I still have one photo/canvas detail to finish up and hang up. I was thinking this week that I feel blessed to be able to afford these things right now, in a bad economy.
Speaking of economy, looking forward to the inauguration this week. Hopefully wonderful changes ahead.
My family came down for the weekend and it was very nice, as always.
I haven't taught much lately, but I feel like I've gotten a lot done here at home. I rearranged my "office" and cleaned everything out. After painting the kitchen, my husband and I went through all the cupboards and got rid of a lot that we don't use. I also cleaned out the cupboards in the laundry room. We had a charity come on the 12th and pick up things, so we put out about 8 laundry baskets/trash bags full: clothes, kitchen items and more! It was such a nice feeling. Another charity is scheduled for rounds in our neighborhood on the 28th, I think, so I'm hoping to do basement purging and prepare another load! :) Just feeling like we have too much STUFF.
I've also updated my resume, with a few questions remaining, and am taking it to some new schools this week. Scary and exciting all at the same time. :)
I have been working on my one little word, "peace", this month. I looked up "peace" in the concordance of my Bible and have been reading a verse per day, along with the daily devotional and daily Bible reading. I'm still working on the book of Romans, right now, but am 2/3 the way done. I also ordered a peace ring from LizEaton, and a peace charm from Beautiful Soul. I ordered a "faith" charm last year from the same shop. I wore it everyday and really liked it.
I also saw this "butterfly chandelier"
in a pottery barn kids store this weekend, while shopping with my parents. I loved it, but thought 79 dollars was a lot. I thought I could do it myself, but it didn't turn out like I'd hoped. I couldn't find the metal hoops, so I bent metal hangers, which didn't come out large enough to get the full effect. I couldn't find a butterfly punch, so I used flowers, and on one daughter's I lined them up, and on one I didn't, so they look more like a round flower.

Our oldest daughter turns 14 this week! I look at her and she looks so much older these days.
The running had taken a toll on my knees, I think it's the extra weight I have on right now, or the getting older, I'm not sure. :) Anyway, I started walking, fast pace, at an incline, on the treadmill indoors, instead of out on the ice and below 0 temps, and I have felt pretty good. I'm looking forward to getting back outside and running more. I just don't like running on the treadmill.
I am about to start reading the Thirteenth Tale for the online book club I had mentioned previously. We start discussions the second week in February, if anyone is interested in joining.
That's about all the update from here. I hope you are well, and enjoying winter... :))