A Much Needed Update

Hi!  Yes, I know it has been a while since I posted any exciting news about my life, but don't worry I'm back!  Thankfully moving in to the new house is drawing closer every day.  Our goal is to be moving in this coming Saturday!  Despite my bad attitude, I managed to pack a lot of our stuff up into boxes.  This week as I jump back into the school life I know I will be enternally greatful that I did muster up some motivation to pack. 

Stinson and his friend Adrian started making a platform for our washer and dryer.  I can't wait for it be finished.  I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I promise that I will.

With a new year already begun, my mind has been busy thinking of a few things I would like to achieve in 2010.  1.) Maintain a healthy lifestyle. ( I am really good at gettig fit, but then I slack off again.  This year I want to keep that healthy mindset and actions going all year)     2.) Find a way to support and meet each of my students' needs.  3.) Try out some new recipes and host more dinners with close friends.   4.) Continue to get involved in our church and meet more people.   I think that should be plenty to keep me busy this year!

I know this post is gettin long, but I guess tha tis what happens when you are absent for a couple of weeks.  I promise to wrap it up soon.

Christmas was wonderful!  We flew out to New Jersey, where Stinson's brother Brantley and his wife Caroline live.  As soon as we landed it was nothing but laughs and tons of fun.  Brantley and Caroline cooked up some amazing meals, including a 5 course Christmas Eve dinner.  I think we all starved our first few days back home without our world-class chefs fixing meals for us.

While we were they we were able to expierence New York City.  I would love to go back when it is a tad warmer to shop and explore the other side of the city.  My mother-in-law, Jennifer, treated us all to the Lion King.  Words cannot describe how amazing this show is.  The stage alone was incredible.  I never knew that a stage was capable of doing so many technical things!  The costumes were breath-taking.  Overall, it was quite the experience.  I would highly reccomend seeing the Lion King in New York City!

I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.  Hope that the first few days of the new year have been good to you!

Here is the front of Macy's (you could spend a day in here and still not see everything!)

30-Rock

Huge Christmas Tree in the Rockefeller Plaza

The Metropolitian Museum of Art ( it was incredible!)

Stinson and I inside the Met

The Dean Brothers in Central Park

The Dean Sistes in Central Park

Hanging out in Time Square, practicing our kiss for NYE ;)

Hanging out on the subway

One las thing before I let you go.  I forgot to mention that I am growing out my hair, so if you see pictures with ugly hair you know why.  It has only been a month and I am already ready to cut it back to the way it was, but I am determined to make it!!!!

P.S.  Check out Courtney's blog for a blog design giveaway.  Her sister Jenn does such an amaing job!

Unexpected Joys

Sometimes things in life just sneak up behind you and surprise you.  These are not the bad kind of surprises, but the good kind!  Yesterday while getting my hair shampooed by my hair dresser, I realized just how much I look forward to getting my hair cut.  I live for that 2 minute head massage, you know the one that puts you to sleep every time?!  The joy in short hair I have realized is being privileged to these wonderfully relaxing head massages once a month!  I never got my hair cut that much when it was long.  I love going in and just having someone else take care or me (well really my hair) for an hour, don't you?!


Today my students brought me great joy.  How did they do it you might be wondering.  It was not by showering me with gifts, or hugs, or compliments about how wonderful I am.  My heart melted when I saw how excited they got about our writing prompt.  Instantly every single student shouted with glee at the rush of ideas that came to their little brains.  I have never seen them get working so quickly or work so diligently on a list or web for a writing assignment.  I felt great pride as a teacher as they were beaming with excitement and their pencils were racing across their pages.

The prompt they were so excited about is "I know the house on the corner is haunted because..."  I loved hearing them describe to me the things I would hear, feel or see if I were in their haunted house.  In their houses I would hear the floor creak beneath my feet, feel a spider race down my arm, smell dust as it filled my nose, and hear the eerie hoot of an owl.  Oh did I mention that there may be some human soup, and that blood-sucking vampires warm these haunted houses?  Of course I had to set the mood by playing some Halloween music.  I can't wait to read their final copies.

Feel free to your thoughts on how you know the house on the corner is haunted!!!!