Budgets....ugh.

We have tried thousands (ok a little exaggeration) of methods for keeping up with our budget yet still somehow continuously overspend each month and cannot figure out why. This week we decided to put it all down on paper and just see exactly WHAT THE DEAL IS. Patrick printed out all of our monthly statements (we rarely use cash...this could be our problem, I know. All you Dave Ramsey folks out there can stop muttering to yourselves now.) We went through line by line and categorized EVERYTHING. This was exhausting.

Finally, we settled on a new system that will hopefully work for us in the near (VERY near) future. We decided to use PearBudget, which allows you to make as many different categories as humanly possible (ok, we even made a coffee category. We are insane, I know. That is a whole other post topic.) Then you enter your anticipated monthly income. Then, it tells you how much you are over or under budget in your plans. It then allows you to play around with the numbers (if you are over, which, of course, we were) to get things more in line. Everyday you enter any receipts, designating the category. My FAVORITE part about this program though is that it allows you to print "GoCards" which are quick little print outs of available balances in each category. Hopefully when I see that I only have $51.62 left for groceries that month I WILL ACTUALLY STOP MYSELF AND NOT SPEND $23043.87 AT THE GROCERY STORE (again, slight exaggeration but you get the point). Anyways, this is the plan-the new plan-as of this moment.

I will let you know at the end of the month how it all comes out. (Unless of course I'm extremely embarassed about my huge addiction to spending money. If you don't hear from me, you'll know what happened...)

Bring It On!

The cheerleading season has begun! I'm the co-coach of JV and an assistant coach to our competition squad. Our season kicked off on Monday morning, 8 a.m., and since then I have spend many hours indian style on those blue mats watching band chants, sideline cheers being learned, elevators, straight-ups, libs, and round-off back springs, occasionally getting up my nerve to give my input, correct motions, and offer suggestions. It's throwing me back to the many days I spent on those very same mats, learning those very same cheers, and throwing the very same stunts. I AM HAVING A BLAST! Our head coach and the other assistant coach actually cheered on the squad with me so, of course, we are daily immersing ourselves in good healthy doses of nostalgia.

The funny part is I have those cheers and band chants so etched into my mind that as soon as we cut on the music, it all came flooding back.

I'm excited about the season and am sure that as it gets going, I will feel more and more comfortable in my role as a coach. I did do some assistant coaching for a high school squad during my days at W & M but have been out of it for so long that it's taken me a little while to get my groove back. Each day though, I am praying for strength, for wisdom, for opportunities to love on the girls and for relationships with the girls to be strong. As a follower of Christ my ultimate goal is to be able to share His love and the gospel with each girl who doesn't know the freeing grace of our Savior. I'm viewing this as a great opportunity to be more involved in the school and to get to know some students on a deeper level. And why not have a little fun doing it!!

Pray for me as the days have been enjoyable but long. I'm coming home exhausted (from sitting and watching? This puzzles me, but nevertheless. Perhaps mental exhaustion.) This fall will be a little crazy as I juggle school and cheerleading and having a husband going back to school. We decided to go all college-student again and spend many late nights typing away (or grading papers...that would be me.) in our local coffee shop.

This will keep us young right?? That's our hope!

Little House on... Haydon Street?

We talked to our people in Australia (we have people in Australia! How cool is that?). Patrick’s sister, her husband, and their daughter live on Kangaroo Island (YES, that is a real place!), and we will be visiting next summer. We like getting to touch base with them every once in a while on the phone. During our last conversation, Amy, my 7-year-old niece, desperately wanted to talk to me. As soon as she got on the phone, she didn’t even say hello, just launched straight into a full-on discussion of her latest favorite read, Little House on the Prairie.

“Aunt Emily, I have been reading about Laura Ingalls! Do you know her?”
“I remember reading that book! I loved it!” (my response)
“And I am watching her too on the television!” (Remember, she’s Australian, so all of this in a sweet little accent)

Then I went to school for a couple days to meet with the team of teachers with whom I work. Wes, my co-worker, commented on how long my hair has gotten since he’d seen me at the end of the school year.

“Oh, are you growing it out to put into a bun?!”
“Huh?” (my response)
“Oh, my daughter is reading Little House on the Prairie and all she talks about is growing her hair out to put into a bun like Laura.” (How cute is that?)

So apparently LHOTP is a hot topic among the seven and eight year old crowd these days. Maybe I should re-read?

This is all to say that I am feeling very prairie-ish these days. I made my own jam and pickles and canned them the other day (just to see if I could do it). Today, I am making my own yogurt in the slow-cooker (recipe from here). I also have all ingredients ready for making my own bread the minute this current store-bought loaf runs out. And I noticed, while typing this post, that my hair ACTUALLY is pulled into a (somewhat messy) bun. I have also tampered with my sewing machine a little this summer, again just to see if I could do it. A friend gave me a recipe for making my own laundry detergent, which I have yet to try. I find a crazy sense of satisfaction in mastering skills like these, even if I never use them again.

My husband thinks I’ve gone a little mad. I think I’m just getting a little smarter.

Simple Things

In an effort to make myself be a more regular blogger about the daily on-goings, blessings, and adventures in our life, I decided to try this exercise from The Simple Woman's Daybook.

For Today...

Outside my window...

The sun is coming back out after yet another rain shower. Our cat is crawling out from under the neighbor's car.

I am thinking...

about painting my nails but don't want to wait for them to dry before cooking dinner.

I am thankful for...

our ceiling fans because our AC is out! And to think that I have so many times wanted to remove those ugly little blessings.

From the kitchen...

waiting for our food processor bowl to come out of the dishwasher so I can immediately make another batch of salsa.

I am wearing...

my new earrings.

I am hoping...

to squeeze every drop of summer out of the next month

I am creating...

a spreadsheet of my favorite recipes and tips on eating healthy on a budget (because we SERIOUSLY. HAVE. TO. START. SAVING. MONEY. FOR. REAL. THIS. TIME.)

I am reading...

my thesis over and over. Final draft due Friday to the department head.

I am going...

to celebrate on Friday after turning in my thesis!

I am hearing...

the hum of the dishwasher and the buzz of the ceiling fan (s). And the UPS truck pulling up to a neighbor's house. Other than that, quiet. I have sort of liked turning the TV off while I'm home in the afternoons. I used to prefer it on, even just for background noise, but recently I have really begun to appreciate the peacefulness of a quiet house once in a while.

I am praying...

about the upcoming schoolyear, being able to make personal connections with my students, and making an impact for Christ on them.

One of my favorite things...

is the kitty cat curled up at my feet. And rainy days.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

finishing up this final thesis draft, turning it in, Family Dinner (in-law side) on Thursday night, brother coming home on Friday, Family Dinner (my side) on Saturday night, last Sunday School class with our amazing teacher on Sunday.

(We have finally split our college/career class and get to be part of forming a class for young couples and families. This is an amazing blessing and we love the friendships that we've already made that will carry on in our new class, but our AWESOME teacher, Jim, will be staying on with the college minstry. Jim has really challenged us to think with his lessons and has become a regular part of our meals and gatherings. We know our friendship with him will continue; we'll just miss his weekly lessons.)

Sometimes it's nice to journal about the simple things going on all around us that we often overlook...the small ways that God displays His peace, love, and grace. Feel free to try on your own. If you post it on your blog, please link back to the Simple Woman's Daybook like I have done at the beginning of this post.

Summer Happenings

So, I am NOT good at updating this blog. I'm sure the few people that read it live in a dire state of disappointment (read: indifference). My apologies. For those of you who have been on the edge of your seat wondering about the Herndon summer, here is an update. In list format, mostly because we could be here all day if I let myself go into the details of every event. Suffice it to say that it has been a relaxing, productive, enjoyable summer:

In somewhat chronological order we have:
1. worked VBS at our church, leading to the realization that teaching 9th graders and 4 and 5 year olds can have some odd similarities. (See everybody looking around acting confused and not listening while he's giving instructions?)


2. (almost) completed the bathroom renovation. Finishing touches are still in the works.

3. camped with the whole family for the 4th.
4. gone to the beach twice. (Patrick couldn't come so I went once with my mom and dad and then again with my mom to take my grandparents.)

He was pretty thankful for us taking them even though we wouldn't let him smoke his pipe inside the condo.

5. helped welcome two new babies into the world and our church. I am excited to babysit (a.k.a. practice until we have our own).

The Haltermans with their newest, cutest addition, Elijah.

Me with Lane.

6. said goodbye to 2 wonderful friends moving to Staunton with a great night of fellowship and fun at our house.We'll miss you, Rebecca and Billy! (That is not their baby. She is practicing, too.)

Other party pictures:

(Not her baby either. They were all getting passed around quite a bit that night if you can't tell.)

7. learned how to can, an on-going project I am pursuing with the father-in-law.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam
(Who knew I liked rhubarb? Another recent discovery.)
Recipe from this helpful book on canning and perserving.

8. eaten lots of this:

made from homegrown peppers from my uncle's garden

9. enjoyed Bible Study with these ladies every Tuesday night.

10. and started planning our trip here (!!!):


Looking forward to exciting things in August:
1. Brother coming to visit
2. Patrick starting his MBA
3. Trip to Indiana for orientation of MBA program
4. Cheerleading season begins in full-swing (new JV coach right here!)
5. Completing final draft of my thesis and finishing up my Masters degree

Just wanted to say...

...I made it through my first year of teaching!!!

Update:

Things have been a little hurried around here as all the loose ends are being tied up. We have lived in what I have referred to as a Construction Zone for the last couple weeks as the bathroom remodel has come to completion. Or at least a stopping point. What started out as a weekend project turned into much more (it always does) and we still have a few more things to do to really really complete it. I will post a picture hopefully sometime this weekend! Suffice it to say, though, that anything is better than moldly, falling apart retro green tile and a homemade vanity. We are very pleased with the outcome!

The school year ends a week from today! I survived the research paper AND Romeo and Juliet. Now I'm just working on getting everything graded on time. All I have left to do is hand out that final exam. Wooo HOOO!! Then it's off to the beach!! Patrick will be out of town and my parents were headed to the beach the week school is out so I decided to join them (for just a couple days). I have not been to the beach in years! I'm so excited I could cry. I am currently assembling my Summer Reading For Pleasure list and plan to start on the very first pick ASAP while laying on the beach, ocean waves in the back ground. BRING IT ON.

Lastly, we are going on a diet. We finally decided to bite the bullet and get rid of some of this post-wedding weight gain that has crept upon us these last couple years. A friend and I are going to try the Abs Power Diet (you know, the neon orange book??). I did this one once before, albeit not seriously, and I think it's very doable. I am not one who believes in crash dieting, but this seems more like a plan to simply start eating healthy and I AM one who needs some rules while trying to get back in the healthy eating game. My friend and I have commited to it for 6 weeks. We're going to keep each other accountable and meet once a week. I'm also hoping that putting this in print on the Internet will give me some accountability too. Patrick will hopefully just reap the benefits, since he only eats what I cook him, and I will be hopefully cooking healthy stuff. I will let you know. We begin on Sunday (we both needed to read the books and make a good trip to the grocery store. Plus, Sunday just sounded like a good starting day.)

Shortly in my future: Summer days by the pool and warm evening walks. Reading for pleasure and no stack of papers waiting on me to grade. Staying up late and sleeping in. Pure and utter joy.

Slowly Bringing to Completion...

It is officially Spring! Since college I have loved the Spring semester. There's usually a lot of rushing around to finish various projects, etc. but I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with tying up loose ends and heading into the summertime with nothing on my plate! That glorious feeling is right around the corner, as the end of the school year is approaching. So far this Spring, I've completed the following projects:

1. Thesis.
I will be editing well into the summer, but it feels so good to have the first draft done and out of my hands for now! There is nothing more I can do except wait on my professor to get me my first (of probably tons) round of feedback. For now, the burden is gone and that little voice in the back of my mind that keeps whispering, "You should be working on your thesis..." is gone!

2. Prom.
I have successfully made it through my first prom as sponsor (read: in charge, read: head honcho, read: someone shoot me why did I volunteer for prom my first year of teaching). Actually, though, it went SO WELL that I am amazed! The students were so well behaved it was almost suspicious and everything went off without a glitch! I even got to bed by 1:30 (and that's even after having to stick around and tear the whole thing down at midnight)!

3. Bathroom remodel.
Well, this is still techinically in progress. But I marked it off my list the minute that ugly green tile from the 70's came off the walls. Also, as of this evening, we can now at least shower at our own house and not have to drive to my mom's every morning.

Here's the list of all the things that are yet to be finished and that I'm waiting to tie up with pretty little bows on top:

1. The School Year.
One six-week grading period left! This includes the writing and grading of a research paper and a final exam. Please pray for me.

2. Bathroom remodel.
See above. We still have to fix the floor, paint, and set the vanity. Oh, and put in that one little tile that's still missing from the shower that we are overlooking for now.

3. Clean out the office.
So you know that room in your house where you put stuff you don't particularly need at the moment but don't know what to do with? Yeah. It's gotta go. It's embarassing to the point that we close (and I wish we could lock) the door when company comes. Ugh. I'm dreading this one.

4. Final evaluation with the principal.
This is on Wednesday, so I'll be checking it off soon!


Little by little, things are getting done! I am encouraged by the fact that God gives us the grace and energy each day to do the things that He requires. Recently, I read somewhere, that God doesn't have a massive to-do list waiting for us each day, but usually gives us 2-3 tasks that we are to accomplish with excellence and to His glory. I'm trying to start every day saying, "This is the day the Lord has made! I WILL rejoice and be glad in it." Rejoicing and being glad does not mean dreading the tasks that He has for us. I'm trying to be better at praying for what those daily tasks are and using discernment as to the best place to spend my time each day.

Tomorrow is Monday. I'm desperately praying for God to make my heart rejoice and be glad!

Delicious Saturday

The last of my tulips finally opened! (I think these are tulips? I had the bulbs left over and just planted them.) I love that they bloom in spurts instead of all at the same time. It also makes the anticipation last. After lounging around this morning, eating fried eggs and fruit and reading this week's chapter of God's Guidance (our Bible Study book), I went to the farmer's market downtown and bought (or I should say, Mom bought me) lots of veggies to cook up this week. Then I bought (me, not Mom this time) a new teapot! (One word? Two?) I saw it last weekend at Marshall's when I was there with friends and didn't get it. I went back because, of course, all week long after not getting it, I kept finding a million reasons why I HAD to have a teapot. It did make working on my thesis a lot more enjoyable.

Also, I ventured into my first experience of making our own bread. I was inspired by my friend this weekend, who doesn't buy bread anymore from the store, but makes it herself for everything! Sandwiches, toast, paired with butter, everything. It is much cheaper than buying bread every week and I will venture to say that it's healthier, since there are no perservatives and only a handful of ingredients. Very purist of us, if I do say so myself. That being said, you do have to have a 4 hour span to babysit it, though it is mostly just babysitting as the actual preparations do not take very long. I don't know if I'll continue to do this, but today, it was YUMMY!

I used the recipe on the back of the King Arthur's Flour (Traditional 100% Whole Wheat...the red and brown bag).

Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast or 1 packet of active dry yeast dissolved in 2 Tbl. water

1 1/3 c. lukewarm water

1/4 c. vegetable oil (I used canola because we don't have vegetable)

1/4 c. honey, molasses, or maple syrup (I used honey)

3 1/2 c. King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 c. nonfat dried milk

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Directions summarized:

1. Mix it all together in a large bowl until it pulls away from the edges.

2. Transfer dough to lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead for 6-8 minutes.

3. Transfer dough to lightly greased bowl, cover, and all to rise 60 minutes (or until puffy).

4. Transfer dough to lightly greased surface and shape into an 8 inch log.

5. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. loaf pan (I used 9 x 5...it's all I had)

6. Cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise for 60 minutes (dough should rise a little over the edge of the loaf pan and spread out to touch the sides)

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, covering loosely with a tin foil tent after the first 20 minutes.

8. Turn out of pan immediately onto cooking rack.

9. Steal a piece and eat with butter while still warm!

It said to store it in a plastic bag to keep it fresh. Also, you can use a breadmaker or electronic mixer to knead if you wish. I saw it as an opportunity to get in a little exercise.

Spring Rain

There is a door in our bedroom that leads out to the patio. In the spring and summer at night we like to open the door to let in the fresh air through the screen door. I love it.

Right now, I'm sitting in bed, reading and working on my Bible Study, and listening to the gentle rain outside. Perfection.







Meanwhile, Patrick is trying to convince me that he has tennis elbow from a recent hour and a half long conference call. Oh our life...

Good Read

Psalm 46


God is our refuge and strength;
an everpresent help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the
earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart
of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make
glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High
dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at the break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see the works of the Lord,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes the wars cease to the ends of the
earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

Be still and known that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Weekend Chores:

After a bazzillion days of rain, the sun has returned and promises to hold out for the weekend. (Can you tell I'm ready for it?...It's only Wednesday and this is what's on my mind.) This is a good thing because we have GOT to clean up the yard this weekend. We (embarrassingly) still have leaves in our yard from the fall (never got around to it), and lately they've been blowing over into the neighbor's yard, which we feel terrible about. Also our tree over hangs their driveway and drops a thousand tiny buds onto their cars. Oh, and did I mention we discovered a water line break? Which means Patrick will spend this sunny afternoon with a friend and a back-hoe digging up the front yard and I'll spend the sunny weekend putting it back together again. Luckily we have a sweet friend who lives across the street and her lovely husband, who owns a yard work company and thus many helpful tools, has agreed to come and help us out.

Weekend Chores:

• Clean up all leaves in our yard and neighbor's
• Replant the flowers destroyed by digging
• Pot plants and herbs
• I'm hoping to talk Patrick into making my composting trashcan we can put all our leftover food wastes and yard wastes to work in my garden. I found directions for making a compost bin out of a trashcan here and am hoping this will work for us.
• Oh, I'd also like to get my floors vacuumed and mopped and grade a few papers.

Ambitious?? We'll see. I'm not going to fret if I don't get it all done.

Well, my tea is almost ready and the bell is about to ring...

Lent Commitments Update: What I've Learned from Not Watching TV

So it has been 1 and 1/2 weeks since I committed myself to only watching TV on Thursday nights, cooking during the week, keeping up with weekly Bible Reading Calendar, and writing a letter each week. While we haven't exactly done the best job with our Bible Reading calendar and I am yet to write the first letter (though I plan to, I promise!) I have given up the tube most days, and surprisingly, I don't miss it. In fact, I turned it on this past Thursday and actually just turned it back off. I could only handle about an hour of it, then I was pretty much done.

Here is what I've learned:
1. There are enough hours in the day.
2. I really can keep up with the accumulating dishes in the sink (instead of waiting until after this show to do, I just do it right away.)
3. I really can stick to my daily chore list and keep up my house reasonably.
4. I like planning this year's garden and am loving teaching myself about it by reading tons of resources (nerd nerd nerd... I know...)
5. I've taught myself to knit and started on baby blankets for the TONS of expecting friends.
6. My thesis can get done on time without me totally stressing myself out and pulling all nights (I've made significant progress by just making myself do an hour twice a week...usually I decide to keep going after the hour is up.)
7. I really can get to bed on time.
8. Reading for pleasure is lovely.
9. Reading the Psalms while eating my breakfast is teaching me a better way to start the day.
10. Cooking every night is doable and I look forward to it since I'm not just coming home and turning on the TV after school.

Speaking of the cooking: It is going well. I like that Patrick and I actually sit down at the table for dinner each night. He's even started getting excited about what I'm going to cook. I posted the weekly menu on the fridge and almost every night after dinner, he asks: "So what's on for tomorrow night???"

This makes me happy :)

Oh, I almost forgot reason 11. No TV= More time to enjoy the BEAUTIFUL WEATHER THIS WEEKEND!

Busy Day

Today seems to full of hurry, worry, stress, and running around. I had give up my planning periods both 1st and 3rd to proctor SOL writing tests. While I still got some things done, I have come to love my free time in the morning at school to get ready for the day. I realize I won't always have 1st period planning but it has truly been a blessing to me as a first year teacher. It also gives me the freedom to use my time before school to just sit and talk with the students who come by visit or hang out in my classroom. I LOVE this time. I would hate to fill it with having to get ready for the day...I've had to do this a couple of times, and the students can tell I'm busy and don't come in to bother me, which makes me sad. Bother me bother me bother me! I feel like teaching is the form of ministry that God has called me to and part of my calling is loving on the kids I teach.

So...this morning I found myself running like crazy gathering tests, counting booklets, with a room full of students who longing for attention. It was at that moment that a serious act of kindness took place: one of my more michievious students, whom I love, but who also finds himself frequently in trouble in my class for talking, took the stack of pencils that I needed sharpening, and DID IT. Without asking, no big deal, continuing to chat with me and the other students, quietly doing an act of service. In these moments, my soul find rest in God alone.

Psalm 62
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

My soul finds rest in God alone;

my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault a man?

Would all of you throw him down—

this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

They fully intend to topple him

from his lofty place;

they take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

but in their hearts they curse. Selah

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge. Selah

Lowborn men are but a breath,

the highborn are but a lie;

if weighed on a balance, they are nothing;

together they are only a breath.
Do not trust in extortion

or take pride in stolen goods;

though your riches increase,

do not set your heart on them.

One thing God has spoken,

two things have I heard:

that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Surely you will reward each person

according to what he has done.

Weekend Loves

• Sleeping in Friday (a day off from work!)
• Progress on the thesis
• Snuggling with the cutest baby and sitting in the peacefulness while rocking her to sleep
• Pizza parlor date with my lovely husband
• Cheesecake to end the date
• A clean house (finally)
• Relief after finally figuring out how to lift up that stupid vent in our floor and vacuuming out accumulating cat hair
• Freshly washed white sheets
• Beginning to knit a baby blanket for a sweet friend
• Impromptu family dinner with mom, dad, and not-so-little brother
• A good movie on a comfy couch
• Cookies for breakfast
• Christmas carols on the way to church to celebrate the first snow (finally!)
  
  
  Good-bye, February. You were not so blue-gray after all.