Happy Weekend

It started with a rehearsal...

And a few happy parents...

And ended in happily ever after.

Hello, sparkly purses.

 And mashed potato martinis.

 Hello, glowing bride and proud papa.

Hello, happy mama and thankful son.

Hello, sparklers and handsome husband and cousin you love like a brother.



Hello, celebrations and family and happiness!

Please feel free to stay awhile?

A Birthday Dinner

 Steak on the grill.

 Roasted asparagus and tomatoes with cheese.

 They tasted like pizza!

For the happy birthday boy.

I love this time of year.

The busyness is slowing down.

I had A WHOLE WEEKEND with no school work!

We took a walk last night around 10:00.  It was cool yet warm and a little breezy.

I haven't had to start my car like 20 minutes before leaving for work to warm it up.

The daffodils and tulips are blooming.

Our windows are open as much as possible.

Short - sleeves.

<3.

A Sight for Sore Eyes on a Busy Day:

A man who can cook.

Amen.

Some Sunday Things

1. It ended up not being such a busy week after all.  Cheerleading was cancelled 3 days this week due to a state tournament girls basketball game and 2 days of pouring rain for which they cancelled all after school activities.  I believe it was God's provision, because I didn't know how the heck I was going to get all my grading done this week in the midst of the whirlwind.  It actually ended up being a very quiet and productive week.  Tryouts are rescheduled for this Wednesday, AFTER all my grades are due, so I will have time to focus.

2. It has been 65 and sunny all weekend.  <3

3. Our pastor preached an incredible sermon on Judges 16 and the story of Sampson today.  You can listen to it here if you are interested.  I was challenged to quit playing the religious game.  To stop treating God like a waiter at a restaurant who brings you what you want, keeps your glass filled, and then leaves you alone so that you can concentrate on the love of your life sitting across the table from you.  God wants to be the one across the table!

4. I'm growing REALLY antsy for spring to kick into full swing.  Heck, let's just get all the cards on the table...I'M READY FOR SUMMER.  I'm daydreaming about flowers and vegetables and no sleeves and sitting by the pool with a good book. AND FOR THE LOVE NO GRADING.  I'm so over grading papers for the moment.

5. South Beach is going relatively well, except I keep cheating on the weekends.  What can I say?  I have a grandmother who makes amazing food.  But Monday through Friday I've done a really good job.  I've lost 4 pounds, which is not a lot but it is something.  Here are the things I eat the most of: vegetables/salad, string cheese, eggs, beans, milk, soups, pistaschios, and low-carb yogurt (Kroger has this vanilla chai flavor that is AWESOME).  And here is my favorite thing to do when I crave something sweet (this is from the SBD book): Mix 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese with 1 tsp. of cocoa powder and 1 packet of splenda.  Put in a drop of vanilla.  Stir it up.  Eat it all.  It is like chocolate cheesecake, and who doesn't love that? 

Ok, back to grading and enjoying this GORGEOUS weather.  Happy New Week!  Let's see what it holds.

Busy Week; Forgive the Randomness

The crazy busy-ness that is always Life in the Month of March has begun.  Last week I started Program Planning, where 9th grade teachers divvy up the freshman and meet individually with each student and their parents about setting goals for high school.  In the middle of that, this week we have cheerleading tryouts, in the middle of that our girls' basketball team is going to the state tournament, and in the middle of THAT my granddaddy is in the hospital.  Please pray for him; we think it's going to be fine but they are running lots of tests.  Pray for me that I somehow don't lose my mind in the midst of all the running around.

Also Cousin Beth called and asked me to run in the Blue Ridge Relay Marathon (remember that from last year?) and for some reason I said yes.  But only if I got to run the shortest length.  And only if is flat.  And only if it's 4 miles or less. And only if it's ok that I completely bring the entire team down because of my slow running.  Do you hear this Beth?  I mean, I'm sooooo easy to work with, you know.  Not high maintainence in the least...

I almost decided not to coach cheerleading next year.  And then I thought about how God was teaching me so much through it (like how much I'm scared to death about ever having a teenage daughter of mine own, for one thing; the drama...oh the drama) and how it's helped me to really be entrenched in the school and the relationships that I've built with these girls.  And I thought about how I would feel sitting at my desk next year and seeing the girls in the hallways and how I wouldn't get to be the one who they come to anymore and how I would just have to watch as someone else played that role.  I got sad.  I like being a part of it all.  Despite the hectic schedules and the long season and the drama (did I mention the drama?), I love it.  So I changed my mind. 

Also I discovered a great blog for South Beach Diet recipes called Kayln's Kitchen.  I'm planning on making this in the crockpot for tomorrow.  And maybe this and this later this week.  Quick and easy is what I'm going for.  Have I already said how busy this week will be?

Ok that is all I can get my head around for now.  Happy Sunday and beginning to a new (and busy) week!

Thinking About...

• Paying Off Credit Card Debt - We are almost done with completely paying off all of our credit card debt.  We have been chunking away at it for the last year pretty significantly.  Last week, we used the majority of our tax return to pay it down to a very small last little chunk and will be completely done in two months.  It feels SO GOOD.  Next up, student loans.  Thank you, Dave Ramsey.  We love you after all.
• The Way I Dress - I have a good bit of birthday money to spend and I've wanted to be really intentional to buy only things that I will love and wear for a long time.  I've been wearing a lot of dresses lately and have firmly decided that dresses are the way to go.  One piece to put on in the morning.  Throw on a cardigan or a jacket, a scarf, and cute shoes or boots and out the door.  No thinking.  I love it.  And you are instantly looking put together but are surprisingly comfortable.  I have been wearing black leggings or tights, but want to play around with dresses over skinny jeans.  I love the way Lisa dresses.  I want all of her clothes.  She also makes fantastic jewelry, which is how I started reading her blog.
• Doing Without Cable - In the same vein of paying off our debt, we have been thinking about other ways to save around here.  We are considering not renewing our Direct TV contract this summer and just streaming what we want to watch using Hulu and maybe picking up a NetFlix subscription.  Anyone out there doing this?  Is it working for you?  SimpleMom had a good post on this a few weeks ago.  We have found ourselves lately only watching seasons of MadMen and various other shows on DVD format and watching only the few shows we keep up with regularly like Modern Family, Parks and Rec, and 30 Rock.  I think we could do this from Hulu.  Thoughts?
• The Way We Shop - I have told you about the joys of Homestead Creamery and how it's like Christmas every Thursday morning around here when we get fresh, local milk and eggs on our doorstep.  Well, they are partnering with a CSA called Good People Good Food to offer shares of vegetables and fruits for the summer starting in May and going through November.  We signed up for a share of each.  We can also purchase local beef and pork through Homestead Creamery if we wished along with other dairy products like cheese and butter.  I am making it my goal this spring and summer to plan our meals around what we can get through them and try to buy only a few little things that we need at the grocery store.  Instead of the opposite way I'm doing it now.  I'm excited to see how this will work out and what kinds of veggies and fruit we will get through the CSA.

What are you thinking about this weekend?

Movin' and Shakin'

Ohhh February has been so good to us.

No sickness.

Great weather.

And a little dose of motivation.

Are you ready for this?  We have BOTH been working out.

I am back at running.  Patrick is doing elliptical workouts 3-4 times a week.  It feels so good to be on the same page.

We are eating better.  I'm doing South Beach Diet.  I know, another diet.  The doctor actually put me on this, I am sad and a little embarrassed to admit.  But it feels good and I'm sticking to it.  Cutting out the excess sugar.

This week, I'm doing my daily cleaning schedule, which means the house will be lovely by Friday.

We made plans to trim the big tree in the backyard.  Which is, gulp, very expensive.

We FINALLY got the leaves up from fall, thanks to a very willing 9th grader who wanted to earn some moo-lah.

I have four cousins getting married this summer.  Four.  One is a 1920s theme.  One is a Hokies theme.  The others do not have a theme so far as I can tell but all are going to be beautiful and tons of fun.

All of that is to say that I have been looking for new dresses to buy.

And praying that South Beach works.

Cheerleading is winding down so I'm getting my afternoons back.

Hallelujah.

Schoolwork is coming along, as usual.

Patrick is working a lot and has taken on a new position at work.  He is very enthusiastic about it, which is great to see.

Life is good!

Keep it comin'.

Plotting and Planning

I started teaching To Kill a Mockingbird this week, which means Spring is right around the corner!  I always feel like I can breathe a sigh of relief when I come to this unit.  I'm comfortable with it, so the planning is a breeze, and I <3 THIS BOOK.  If you count the fact that I read aloud a good portion of it to my students, on repeat 5 times a day, I've read this book at least 20 times, and it never gets old.  I love that we live in Maycomb County for five weeks, in the childhood world of Scout Finch.  Love. Love. Love.

So, since Spring is coming and since it's been in the upper 50s to upper 60s most of this week and the trend looks to continue, and since we had The Year of No Summer last year (in going to Australia and it being wintertime there) I am seriously craving some warm weather and looking forward to Spring!  The long march to Spring Break has begun; it's so late this year!  But that hasn't stopped me from plotting and planning some projects for that upcoming week.

Here are some goals I've made for Spring Break, which is still so far away...

1. Sleep in! Obviously.

2. Read an entire book.

3. Make drop-cloth curtains for our living room and dining room area.

4. Start some vegetables in containers.

5. Freshen up the backyard.

I'm trying to keep the projects small and doable in a day or so; I only have one week and I want to relax as well!  I'm pushing the other projects formulating in my brain to summer vacation.

We talked to the Australians last night (my sister-law and her family) and they are coming for the first half of the summer!  I have been promised some help with the container gardens.  They are so good at growing things at their house on Kangaroo Island that I am jealous.  I checked out some books from the library to enlist some advice.  I'll let you know how it goes!

For now, we have a busy weekend planned: Grading papers this afternoon - I think I will head to the coffee shop so it feels less like work, Valentine's banquet at church tonight, and a bridal shower for my sweet cousin tomorrow afternoon!  I <3 the weekends but they always go so quickly...

Here's looking forward to Spring!

February

Oh, hello.  Sorry that I have been silent for the month of Feburary so far; it's just that, well, I have been busy living February!  I have never been more excited to see January go and usher in a new month...I feel like our New Year started February 1.  January was so full of sickness, no motivation, and more or less seemed like a ginormous holiday hangover this year.  Yes, there were Happy Things, but it was not our best month despite my despereate attempts to try to make it happy and to find the joy.

I used to hate Febrary.  I had this little calendar when I was really young and each month was in a different color; I still associate the months by those colors.  February was a blue-grey.  And that summed it up for me.  Dreary, cold, and blue-grey.  But this year, I am anticipating Spring with the I-Can't-Wait-Until-Christmas type feelings.  And February just makes it feel that much closer.

So Happy New Year!  Can we get started on life again now?  Please and Thank You.

Happy Things: Days 8-10 - Finishing Up

This post will complete my 10-day series on daily Happy Things.  One thing that committing to do this each day has done is forced me to look through the mundane and routine, even through the bad (like the flu) to find some good and positive and encouragement.  That is something that I will continue to do and post about for sure!  And even though it's called "Happy" Things, I think it points more towards Joy, which is continuous even in the midst of trials and tribulations, as opposed to Happiness which is circumstance-based and often fleeting.  So in light of that thought, I'm calling this last post:

Joyful Things

The Weekend

Friday

1. Obviously the mere fact that it is Friday is awesome in and of itself.  There is a different air to Friday than there is to Monday.  We all know that.

2. Successful completion of yet another Pep Rally.  Oh the joys (and panics) of being the Cheerleading coach.

3. A group of wonderful teachers, to whom I owe so much, who volunteered to dress up and show off their dance moves at the Pep Rally.  They did the Dougie!  It was hilarious.  I wish I had a picture.

4. A quiet Friday night in, eating Chinese food and watching Mad Men.  I am fascinated by Don Draper.  And the outfits.  And the LIPSTICK.  I love it.

Saturday

1. Sleeping in.

2. A mani/pedi Thank You from my wonderful Mama.

3. Coffee with a former student and cheerleader.  Loved catching up!

4. Organizing drawers.

5. Dinner with my entire family to celebrate my grandmother's birthday!

Granny in the birthday hat! (Shot from my cousin's phone, which explains the quality)

Sunday

1. An interesting and good sermon on marriage.

2. Omelets after church!  Our new thing.

3. At the coffee shop, in my spot, finishing up grades and getting school work done so I can enjoy church tonight and then dinner with the Herndons.

4. Waffle night at the Herndons!

And to top everything off, it's about 50 degrees all weekend long.  

Spring is coming, friends!  

Spring is coming soon.

Happy Things: Day 7

Happy Things

Thursday

1. A school meeting at restaurant!  Instead of the school!  With nachos and diet coke.  That is my kinda meeting.

2. Finally cooking dinner for the first time in a week and a half.

3. New cute shoes that came in the mail (for $6 from Target...a steal!)

 4. Mail from Australia!

 Have I told you my sister-in-law and her family are coming this summer?!  For 2 whole months.

Did you know it's summer over there?

Last year, we had a whole year of winter (because it was winter when we were there in June-July).  This year, they will have a whole year of summer.  

5. Bread in the new bread machine.

And today is Friday.  And that is a Happy Thing all in itself.

Happy Weekend!

Happy Things: Day 6 - Back to Life, Back to Reality

Oh what a better day this was than yesterday.  The flu and its aftermath is finally leaving me alone, forgoodnesssake.  I finally ate an entire meal tonight for dinner, and that, my friends, is progress if I do say so myself.  Here are some other parts of this good day:

1. A two-hour early dismissal.  Anticipating snow that never showed up, this day was already a scheduled two-hour early dismissal but teachers were supposed to stay and work after students left.  The threat of snow allowed us to leave early as well.  Oh my lovely couch; how you never cease to amaze me with your goodness.

2. I wrote on Facebook on a whim that I was thinking about purchasing a bread machine.  And then I had 2 offers for free ones.  One of those free ones was delivered to me tonight!

Complete with instruction manual and folder of recipes.  Yum.

This happened once before when our air conditioner went out.  We posted on Facebook and literally five minutes later our neighbor showed up with a window unit at our door.  Patrick says I should post that I'm thinking about purchasing diamond earrings and just see what happens...

3. I love that often Patrick and I send each other links for funny and good articles we find or read throughout the day.  Today he sent me this one.  I sent him this one.

4. Loved when Patrick called me and said, "I have lots of good things to talk to you about.  Let's talk over dinner."  I love that.

5. Coming home to a new magazine.  Always makes for a relaxing end to the day, curling up on the couch.

Also, that tomorrow is Thursday!  And that means that Friday and the weekend are right around the corner!

Happy Things: Day 5

No pictures from Tuesday.  I was still not feeling so hot, but there were some bright spots:

1. My students were kind and were worried about me being sick so much lately.

2. The other cheer coach volunteered to take the Varsity game for me out of nowhere so I got to go home and take a good long nap.

3. Sonic tater tots.  Enough said.

4. Watching 3 good episodes of Mad Men with Patrick, which is fascinating and so good.

Happy Things: Day 4 and an Interruption

We interrupt this version of Happy Things to bring you something oh-so-unhappy, The Flu.

So the baby shower on Saturday went off without a glitch; it was lovely and wonderful and so many of my favorite people and good friends from my church family gathered in the same place to celebrate our dear friend, Rebecca.

Rebecca is the one in the middle.

So I came home Saturday afternoon feeling a little more tired than usual but thought nothing of it; I had, after all, just played Hostess With the Mostess.  And then 4:30 in the morning came.  I woke up suddenly with the chills and feeling the distinct feeling that all the delicious food I had eaten that afternoon was making it's way back up.

And then it hit.  Over and over again until about 1:00 the next afternoon.

And then the aching.

The chills and then the sweats.

The nausea.

The headache.

Did I mention the aching?

I could not move from the couch.

How have I caught every single illness that has come along this season?

And I thought about this blog and how I have been happily posting all the great things lately and how I could post about the flu in the midst of all the "Happy Things"?

But that is what the Happy Things are about, right?  Finding the daily blessings in the midst of the crazy.  Seeing the joyful in the midst of the pain.  Wondering and awing at the God who shows compassion to the needy and provides rest for the weary, who showers us with blessings in the form of not only possessions, but far better:  advice and encouragement from a friend, a hearty chat with the mother-in-law, and a husband who  provides and cares for me so well.

So, today's Happy Things are about how my wonderful husband showered me with kindness while I felt like death warmed over.

He brought me flowers.

Which I put near the couch so I could see them while I dozed in and out of consciousness over the last 48 hours.

He did the laundry and the dishes. 

And he cleaned out the fridge, went grocery shopping, and brought me these lovely things which seemed to be all I could keep down.

And today, I found these on the counter:

Apparently he snuck in a little something Happy for himself at the grocery store. :)

Have I mentioned that I have the best man out there?