Turkey Trottin'

Hello everyone! I am alive, healthy and busy out of my mind!

I have a friend who updates her blog almost daily and sometimes I wish I would, but I have been bad at that. Thank you to those who actually read what I have to say. Haha.

School started back on September 4th and WOW! Have things been a blur since then!  My grad class is going well and I am enjoying the work that I do with the Old English language.  I am more so enjoying doing the research for my final paper involving Tolkien's use of OE in his major works, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."  Total nerd-dom unites!

Add to that, I have started a Harry Potter Reading Club at my school which is BEYOND awesome.  I found some books on Amazon that talk about how HP tends to follow the style and tone of traditional, English literature...aka lit with strong Christian themes.  The book I am reading right now is called "Looking for God in Harry Potter" by John Granger. (Perfect last name, no???)  Highly recommend it if you are 1) on the line about reading the HP series or 2) interested in learning about how this guy will make a Christian connection in ALL SEVEN BOOKS. I had to buy a separate book for the 7th HP book because he published LFGiHP before the 7th book came out. I can't wait to get into "The Deathly Hallows Lectures next."

School has been fabulous this year.  My class is absolutely wonderful and we have a great time, every day.  Their papers keep me grading constantly though! Our Reformation party on Wednesday was a hit...plus it was Grandparent's Day too.  Next week will be nice though because it will be normal and not short.

Our house is slowly coming together too.  We had a house guest for 2.5 weeks at the beginning of October.  My lovely friend, Jeanette, needed a home while her new apartment was getting ready.  It was nice to have a friend around all the time.  I am glad that she is in a new place though AND it has a garage. What a perk! :) We put insulation in our attic also at the beginning of October and it was messy. I am glad though that we did it before it became too cold. I can honestly say that is one of the best investments we have made so far in this house.  Plus, it was funny to see Caleb after he was done blowing all the insulation in:

We also bought a leaf blower today and a new faucet for our kitchen.  We are excited to install that later.  I get to go and break in our new leaf blower this afternoon.
This morning Caleb and I also walked in our school's 1st Annual Turkey Trot.  It was a good time, despite the chilly weather.  We finished in under an hour and had delicious goodies after the race.  Maybe I will run it next year...but I won't hold my breath.  I don't mind running but not when it is 38 degrees out.  (Lined UnderArmor is amazing.)  We even got a race #, t shirt, drawstring backpack, and finisher's medal! :)  I am glad that Caleb did it with me.

Well, I am going to finish watching Michigan demolish Minnesota and then blow some leaves around in my yard. :)  God Bless you all!

First Day of School! First Day of School!

I always think of this video clip as Caleb and I drive to school together each year.
First Day of School!  I feel just like Nemo.

This year was definitely different too because I was not nervous or concerned about what I was doing.  Year 3 is off to a running start!  I had no qualms or butterflies...I was just ready.  It felt nice not being overly anxious and I liked it.

I was welcomed to my classroom by balloons hanging in the hallways and a basket of apple/school bus cookies on my desk from Mary's Creative Cakery (Thanks PTL!).  I also had a note on it from my principal, Eric.  I love his notes.  They are always one to make me smile and remind me that I have a great boss.  Always a note of sincerity with a touch of whimsy.

I made a few last minute adjustments to my room, put up the SAME poster again that I have put up 5 times since August 15th, and waited til the chil'uns came!  We really had a fantastic day minus the muggy-ness lingering in the school because of the rain we had this morning.  My kids were amazingly docile, which I know won't last. :)  We had a good day, played some games, made a few items for the classroom, and I talked A LOT. I drank lots of water to keep my throat hydrated! ;)

Routine will be a welcome thing.

EXTRA FUN NEWS: We got word that we MIGHT be closing on our house next week!! :) That means I can start shopping for paint and begin packing more again!

Last day in August

So it has been a couple weeks since we signed the purchase agreement for our home.  August 9th, to be exact.

We are still waiting.

and waiting

and waiting.

We were forced to also get an appraisal on the home, which cost more money. AND it came back valued at the exact price we payed for it. WAH :(  **Addendum- God takes care of His people.  We are pretty sure that someone, who wants to remain nameless, paid for this out of his pocket.  We don't have to worry about paying it back. God is SO good. **

Buying a home is SO exciting....and yet it sucks too.  Even though we are saving money with our loan company...we still are shelling out stuff here and there. And then we still want to live a normal life? Not happening.  I know this year is going to be the year where I learn how to literally pinch my pennies.  It is probably a good thing since we haven't had TONS of reasons to be so tight pursed.

(In exciting news, we are flying next weekend to see my lovely friend SAVANNAH get married to the love of her life, Noe.  She is one of my closest high school friends who HAS to get married before she goes back to Spain.  She can't get her visa until she is, so Noe is flying back to the US, last minute, to marry her! )  :)  Love makes me happy.

In other news,  SCHOOL has begun again.  Caleb and I have been living and working out of our classrooms for the past two and a half weeks getting ready for students.  I finished up my home-visits and Caleb had his Middle School picnic.  Now we are just putzing here and there at school , doing last minute things that ALWAYS pop up.

Sorry this post is dull. I want to tell you more but nothing will happen until we hear about our loan being approved/processed/ready for closing.

So, Hey Summer. How's It Goin' ? (Plus, Big News)

Sunshine and Summer are here...AND almost gone!

So, remember when we had no snow or cold weather this winter?
Yahhhhhhhhhhhh.....summer has come with a vengeance because winter did not pick up the slack.  I am sure many of you have experienced the over 100 degree temps this summer already.  In Michigan, I can say that we have not had it as bad as other Midwest states.

Let me back up, however, and talk about OUR summer so far. In a word: insane!

School finished on June 7th and it was surreal as last year's last day of school.  It took a day or two for us to realize that school was done!  We wasted no time though, getting on with our summer festivities.  The 8th-9th was Bri's wedding which Caleb played in.  It was a fantastic weekend to see friends and goof around.

**I apologize for the white sweater ruining my pretty dress.  I had a "car decorating" accident and leaned onto wet window paint. :) We didn't want the bride and groom to know.**

After that wedding was the Baravian Fest Parade in Frankenmuth.  Always a nice way to kick off the summer.  We also celebrated my sister in law, Rachel's, 30th birthday.  It was a killer day and with lots of good times.





We later that month went camping at Metamora-Hadley State Park, just south of Lapeer.  While we were camping, Caleb and I left for a day and a half to attend the Michigan District Convention.  We got to see President Harrison and hear some other awesome leaders give a Bible study.  We were all honored with President Harrison's banjo performance.  While we were away the one evening at Convention, our friend Casey (and her husband, Jon, who were camping with us) had her water break and had their baby that night! Talk about an exciting camping trip. 

Right after camping we took a LONG road trip with the ultimate destination being Nebraska.  We did, however, stop at many places.  First, it was my dear friend, Erin's, wedding to David.  Fabulous day and great time with my girlfriends.  Then, we girls drove to Bethany's baby shower the next day.  Also lovely celebrating another friend. :)  After that, we left Michigan for Perrysburg, OH to spend time with the Mugges (the man who walked me down the aisle).  I love spending time there, relaxing in the pool, eating amazing food, and learning much through meaningful conversations.

After Ohio, we traveled to Iowa to visit the Barkleys in Clinton.  It is so refreshing to spend time with friends again through laughter, food, and stories.

After Iowa, we eventually made it to Nebraska where we celebrated my mother in law's birthday and the birthday of my cousin-in-law's fiance. (Make that connection!)  We also went to Caleb's grandma's side family reunion and celebrated Papa's 85th birthday.  It was hot but enjoyable to see the whole family there together.  We even went golfing one afternoon and played a 7 person scramble.  It was a riot.

 After our Nebraska trip, we then took a one way flight down to Texas to help our friends, Jake and Jess, move back from their vicarage church to Ft. Wayne.  We were inundated with EVERYTHING Texas.  They really don't mess around there and I will never doubt how Texans feel.  They make the Spanish pride look tame!

 After Texas, we came back to Michigan and happy to relax...for a little bit.  My momma came to visit for a few days and then we celebrated our 2nd anniversary.  Caleb surprised me with a day trip to Ludington.  It was so sweet and thoughtful.  We had lunch, saw my Lil Grams, picked blueberries, ate fresh fish, went and walked along the beach, and had ice cream at the House of Flavors. Best date ever. :)

Even after all this traveling, we STILL had one more for the Summer 2012 books. :)  Caleb's friend Jacob was getting married in Illinois and he was playing in the wedding.  So, a couple days after our anniversary, we packed a rental car and road tripped to Normal, IL.  The wedding was lovely and the bride and groom were radiant.  After the wedding we stopped in Grand Rapids because I was running the Color Run the next day.  We met with my girlfriend, Kelsey, and spent some more time with the newlyweds, Erin & Dave Wagner and her sister and husband,  Kari and Chris.  The Color Run was a blast and I look forward to doing again next year. :)

So, I appreciate y'all sticking through this incredibly long post.  We are now calmed down and glad to be home and in our own beds.  However, our excitement will be building again because we have been house hunting through our random times at home...and put an offer on a house that we really liked.

The best news is that our offer was ACCEPTED!  We are going to be homeowners!  We close, pending a house inspection and loan application, on August 31st.  We are beyond thrilled and I can honestly say, I literally did "pull up my big girl panties" and agree to buy a home.  It was a tough decision for me as buying a home is terrifying and yet, freeing at the same time.  We covet prayers for the next couple weeks as we prepare to move.  Also, please pray that inspection goes well and that our loan is processed in a timely manner. (Maybe I can get a kitty now!)

Blessings to you all! Soon I will have school things to talk about.  ;P How summer has flown!

Beachy Clean & Sun-Kissed

I love the beach.  I love everything about the hot sun on my face, warm breeze through my hair, toasty sand in my toes, and cool (albeit cold, since I am in MI) water.  There is something so rejuvenating about being outside at the beach, soaking in the Vitamin D.

This was my second beach venture for the year (the first in April for Spring Break) and I forget how much I enjoy it.  I was in Grand Haven last weekend celebrating Erin again!  It was for her bachelorette party and I must say that I would love to go there again.  I had never been there before and it is such a lovely city.

It was also their kite festival so the sky was FULL of kites.  Some kites were absolutely beautiful/cool (pterodactyl) and others were...interesting (a women's legs in heels and a black one that looked like a Dementor).

My favorite thing though is that I did not burn to a crisp!  I put sunscreen on, like a good girl, and prevented a terrible burn.  I now have nice, healthy color on my skin which will help me build up all summer.  I also just spent two days outside for recess at school so that is also helping seal in my bronze-iness. :)

I just need to shrink my tummy now and I will be all set.  I have begun running more/jogging because I hear it is good for me. :P  I forgot how much I have never been a long distance runner; however, I am up, moving, and getting SOME cardio in and that makes me happier too. Speaking of, Caleb and I both jogged to Meijer and back last night.....to buy some ice cream.  I had to work for that dessert! :)

We have 9 1/4 days of school left! I honestly can not believe how fast May flew by.  I thought it was going to drag on but nope...here we are on May 23 and June 7th is around the corner!!!  We had to have some serious discussions about homework and attitudes today in school...or our own beach day will not happen.  It seemed to work though today and I pray they continue the way they did today for the last few days!

Mother's Day came and went.  We went out to eat with Caleb's family and then spent a few hours at grandma's house going through things.  I just wish that I could have celebrated Mother's Day too...

Soon and very soon, right God??