Christmas Prep

Oops, I missed Music Monday!

I have to be honest: I completely lost track of what day it was. That is one of the blissful luxuries of Christmas break. Of course I remembered when Tim and I had to start thinking about dinner so he could eat something before work, but by then I was well into elfing for the day.

Wrapped and ready!

We are just a few minor preparations and some major baking away from being ready to celebrate Christmas with WI family this weekend!!

And we have just a few more (small) steps before being able to mail off a few gifts to other familia around the U.S.!!

Our Christmas cards just may be going in the mail today, but I still consider this a victory as well because last year (and maybe the year before?) we didn't even attempt to send any...and even then I still have not mailed a few from last year because I just found them stashed away! Oops!

I woke up this morning to snow outside. Ordinarily I hate snow, but
A) I do not have to drive anywhere today.
B) Scout loves to play in it so much that he literally begs at the door, and it's fun to watch him. Check out the video on my Instagram if you want to see him play, too. :)
C) It adds to the Christmas spirit!

Happy Tuesday, and happy last few days until CHRISTMAS!!!

Q&A Session

I was nominated for this award by Emily over at Love Woke Me Up This Morning. If you haven't ever read her stuff, you should stop by. She has a talent for being honest yet witty in both her writing and her vlogs. She loves coffee, writing, and musicals, and she's a lot of fun! We actually met in college and have stayed connected through blogging -- it's pretty fun. Seriously, go check it out! Thanks for the nomination, Emily!!

So this award comes with some tasks: 

1. Thank the blogger that nominated you and link back to their website. 
2. Post the award’s logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions you have been asked.
4. Nominator ten other bloggers and ask them ten other questions.

I have to skip number 4 because I really don't follow other bloggers besides Emily that still post anything. Le sigh. But I'll have some fun answering these 10 questions today!! 

1) What is one of the most underrated books/series you've ever read?

I love the book Falling Home by Karen White. It's about this woman who moved away from her Southern home at the first opportunity and hasn't looked back in years. She's become this successful business woman who is engaged to be married to a successful business man, and she feels like she has the perfect life. She gets a phone call from her estranged sister saying their dad is dying, and she books it back home. She ends up staying there much longer than planned and begins to question the life she's been leading. She has to come to grips with the fact that what she thought was perfect is lacking in many ways, and she has to decide if she is going to go back to living a lie or if she'll be brave enough to embrace who she really is and what she really wants. I love this story because this woman learns to open herself up to the support of family and friends and finds her life enriched by it when she just wanted to do it all herself, and it's a reminder that it's okay that finding out who you are is a messy process. I also like the fact that there's a romance story line involved, but there are many other dynamics involved as well.

2) What's your favorite holiday story?

I love the Christmas story. Our school does a Christmas program where part of it is having the Christmas story read from Luke while the preschoolers through 2nd graders act it out, and it's so much fun explaining to my kindergarteners that Jesus is just like you and me because he was an actual person who had a Mommy and a Daddy and who grew from a baby to a grown up, but he was different because he was also God and grew up to save the whole entire world from all the yucky stuff like rudeness, death, sickness, and being sad or mad. This tiny baby was born so we could know how much God loves us and treasures each one of us. He wants us to live with Him in heaven so we can be happy and perfect again like He first created us. I think it's powerful to think about how God chose two special people to parent the Savior of the world, and He really kept all of the promises He made throughout the Old Testament in the details surrounding how and where Jesus was born. It is an awesome thing to get to share this story with the kids in such a tangible way because they have fun and ask a lot of great questions, but it's also such a huge and awesome reminder to me to study this story so closely with them. God loves us so much that He really puts a lot of thought even into the details of our lives and keeping His promises. I am unworthy of that love, but I am thankful to have such a loving and gracious God. The sacrifice He made by coming to earth and dying is something that continues to amaze me the more I think about it. 

3) If your pet wrote a story about the holidays, what do you think it would be about? If you don't have a pet, pick your favorite animal.

Danny and Squirt have been through a few Christmases with us already, but this will be Scout's first Christmas! Danny would just write about how excited he is about the chewy bones in his stocking and snuggles on the couches with us on Christmas. Squirt and Scout would tell you about the struggles of the Christmas tree. Squirt just wants to sniff it, drink water from the tree holder, and pee on it. Scout just wants to know how it tastes and smells, and Mommy is okay with the sniffing but for some reason keeps saying that eating it will make him sick. Oh, and he'd tell you his Mommy got really mad when he kept trying to chew on everyone's stockings, and she had to hide them up high in the closet...but they sure are soft and chewy and fun! 

4) Tell me about your favorite classic story/book/movie.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is by far #1 of my Top 3 Christmas Movies. I definitely make a big stink about watching this every year. It's still on DVR right now, and I told Tim that I need to watch it again at least one time before Christmas is over. I think I love this more as an adult than I ever did as a kid, but I love to sit down with hot chocolate and watch it. I just think it's so funny with all the word play in there, like Yukon Cornelius' "This fog is as thick as peanut butter!" or all of the Misfit Toys like the Charlie in the Box. And Rudolph's pouty little kid voice just is adorable. Then at the end this little underdog reindeer whom everyone made fun of comes back to save the day and shows us that being different is special, not bad. Ahh, all the warm and fuzzy feelings! 

5) What are you looking forward to in 2015?

2015 is going to bring changes with it and new adventures. I'm nervous about some of the unknowns right now, but I'm excited to see how God will be at work for us next year. 

6) What's your favorite holiday dessert? (Can you tell I'm in a holiday mood?)

Christmas cookies!! I've been waiting to be on break so I could start baking and decorating sugar cookies and trying out a few other cookie recipes, too! 

7) Which fictional character do you think you are the most like?

I definitely am a mix of Lorelei and Rory on Gilmore Girls. I love my coffee, and I love books. I can be the quirky one with witty one-liners, and I have been known to be annoyingly and endearingly persuasive at times. I get really anxious when it comes to projects and work, and I don't like my agenda to be thrown off. I love to make lists, and I do find it stress-relieving. I enjoy writing, and I love my family and friends dearly. 

8) What is your latest Netflix binge?

As soon as Oct. 1 rolled around and Gilmore Girls was added to Netflix I started watching seasons 5-7. I own seasons 1-4 and have watched them so many times, but I needed to catch up on 5-7 again! Now I'm on to rewatching Glee. 

9) Who are your favorite YouTubers? If you don't watch much YouTube, share bloggers, Tweeters, Instagramers, etc.

I don't routinely watching YouTubers anymore, more just when I'm in the mood for them. I use YouTube mostly for music while I'm working on school stuff at home these days. Most recently I used it for this:

We sang this as a staff during the Christmas program the other night. I wish I'd recorded it because my coworkers are amazing at harmonies. 

10) What's your current background on your laptop/tablet/cell phone?

On my phone I have a picture I took up in Alaska, and my locked screen is Danny and Squirt. My iPad just has a generic grass picture that came with it. :) 

3 Years and Counting.

Today marks 3 years since I gained a little shadow named Squirt.

His favorite things are snuggles, naps, and piles of laundry or pillows. He goes absolutely nuts for chicken jerky. He's even been known to chew through bags to get to it. Oh, he's also our little Houdini. He helped us find every loose or open space in our fence before Tim put our wooden fence up, and he even let us knew he lost weight by squeezing through the gate the backyard to go for a nice walk over to the neighbor's.

Flash back to 3 years ago. During my first year of teaching I realized I was letting myself become consumed by teaching.  I was becoming restless and needed more in my life than my job. I needed a life. The apartments I lived in also had some interesting tenants, and I wanted to feel totally safe. I liked taking walks to relax, but they got lonely. Yup, I needed a dog. 

When I first saw Squirt's info online, I admit I thought he was cute but bypassed him because he was tiny. I wanted a medium dog so I could feel safe but could also pick it up should the need ever arise (like if the dog got sick or hurt). Something kept bringing me back to his picture, though, so I set up a visit at the shelter. 

Squirt had been in the shelter for just over a year.  He was found wandering around, and they think someone may have kept him as a breeding dog for a while. I just don't think he was taken care of well wherever he once was because of how anxious he is now. He has major separation anxiety and is very easily spooked. Loud or strange noises send him running, and he freaks out during storms. He also gets scared when he doesn't know where I am in the house. He'll pace around until he finds me. Yup, he's a ferocious guard dog. If you're not careful while you're at our house, he'll lick you to pieces or take over your lap so you are forced to snuggle him.

Today is also Squirt's birthday! Well, I say it's his birthday. They think he was 6 when they found him, so he was 7 when I got him. That's technically a senior for a small dog. I decided his adoption day was his birthday just so I could remember it. Today he's 10! He's celebrating by taking a nap at my feet as I type, and he's gotten a few chunks of chicken jerky without having to work for them. 

This quirky little guy was the start of my own little family. It was because of him that Danny came bounding over one afternoon to sniff us, and it was his barking all day that led to Tim dog-sitting and us getting to dog-sit Danny. It was that trade-off that sparked a much-needed friendship between two lonely people. That new friend became the love of my life, the man I am now blessed to call my husband. Our little family of us plus two furry boys has expanded to include an unstoppable force of a puppy.

And it all started with my little old man dog. 

Happy birthday, Little Bit. I love you very, very much. 

Music Monday: Christmas-ing Continues

Today's song isn't anything particularly awe-inspiring or beautiful, and it may not even make you giggle -- it's just one that I really like. I find that whenever it's on, I'm compelled to turn it up. 

The Grinch used to be a running family joke. I don't even remember how it got started, exactly, but for a while this song was my dad's ringtone when he called me. I kept it on year-round, though, not just during the Christmas season.

Maybe this is appealing today because this song is comfortable and familiar, and sometimes you just need that. It's a busy time with the Christmas Program Wednesday, program practice tonight until 5:30, and some crummy weather that made the drive longer. I don't want to grumble because I love my job, but I'm one tired teacher. I don't like being a grump, though, so I needed a song tonight that'd be a bit of comfortable in the midst of crazy. 

Just for kicks and giggles, here you go.

Christmas Classics

The first Christmas that I was in college was probably one of my all-time favorite Christmas seasons. We had this little "family" of us that hung out a lot in college, and a lot of them were huge Christmas fans like me. It was awesome getting to do so many Christmas-y things like baking cookies, watching as many Christmas movies as we could, and drinking loads of hot chocolate.

And then there was the rocking out to Christmas music that we did together. We even sang in the Hot Chocolate Choir together at Concordia's annual tree lighting ceremony.

My friend Aaron made us Christmas mix CDs the following year for Christmas, and it still is one of my favorite things to listen to this time of year because it takes me back to that group of friends and that time in our lives...not just college, but those nights and days around Christmas where we took time to just have fun and enjoy being together. There was so much joy and love in that group of friends when we were together.

Here's just one of the songs on the CD...yup, feels like Christmas now. :)

It's Here!!!

Christmas season is FINALLY here again! I have waited for 11 whole months for this.

I know, technically it started Friday. Don't take my lack of posting about my excitement as a dimmed enthusiasm this year for this Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Trust me, I was super-excited. I got giddy hearing the Christmas tunes this weekend while we were out and about. I was ecstatic when Tim consented to listening to Christmas music for "just a half an hour"...which turned into a good chunk of the 9 hour car ride home...and I have had Christmas songs cycling through my head like crazy -- especially one of the songs my kiddos are singing for our Christmas program this year. It's called "Let's Take a Peek in the Manger" and it's super adorable. 

And this morning I got pumped up for the day by listening to Josh Groban's Noel on the way to school. It's only one of the best Christmas CDs ever. And I listened to another Christmas CD on the way home from school, too. Um, I can't even think of when the last time I was glad to have this commute, but Christmas music sure did the trick today. 

See? Amazing. You're welcome. 

I feel a rush of excitement and joy...and I really feel like there is a lot to squeeze into this month to make the most of this short window of Christmas amazingness. I love getting to see the kids get excited to share the Christmas story in our program. This year we have an Advent calendar in our classroom that we are doing everyday, and the kids are so excited and so am I!! I'm itching to get our tree and put up our decorations. I need to figure out what kind of new creation I want to try making this year to go with my annual sugar cookies and fudge. I want to bask in the glow of Christmas lights and see our 5 stockings hanging up. I can't wait to snuggle on the couch in my jammies with peppermint hot chocolate in my Santa mug with some Rudolph and Elf and all of those wonderful Christmas classics.

Did I mention how much I love the Christmas season?!?!?

Things You Should Know About School Supplies

You've surely heard of the book All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum. My elementary school had a poster between the kindergarten rooms with a bunch of his pearls of wisdom. It may still be hanging there, actually. It looked like this:

I remember dawdling to read it now and then because even at a young age I was good at procrastinating and never being where I was supposed to on time.

Well, allow me to share a few pearls of my own gleaned from actual life experiences.

New colorful pens may not actually help you gain inspiration, but they sure make the doodling while you think a lot more fun. 

Colorful pens do make writing in a lesson plan book or other seemingly tedious tasks a little more fun, too. 

It will always be hard to use the tip on a brand new crayon. Nobody wants to use the crayons with the peeled paper, but ruining that perfect point is the first step to a crayon nubbin. And yet the exhilaration of seeing a box of brand new crayons is too much to overcome. Such a conundrum. 

Markers are preferable to crayons for roughly 90% of all kindergarten illustrations. 
[100% if one of the options is Mr. Sketch Smelly Markers.]

Post-Its are great for writing down To Do lists but also at reminding you to try to limit what you put on there...and who doesn't want to believe they can get everything done each and every day? 

And more recently...

Crayons can come off of clothing even after a long, hot ride in the dryer together -- except orange. If you left an orange crayon in your pocket, yeah, time for a new pair of pants because not even 4 washes with Dawn, OxyClean, and white vinegar will do the trick. But hey, on the upside, if it was yellow you can hold on to a glimmer of hope. 

Laminators that require sticky plastic and a hand crank to use may not do as nice of a job as a laminator with heat and power, but a scarf definitely will retain more integrity if it is caught in the former. 

On a potentially unrelated note, two of my students' finished Thanksgiving place mats went home today with a little extra sparkle.

Can you spot my donation to her artwork?

And this is why we can't have nice kindergarten things. Oh, no, it's not the kids that ruin them...it's the teacher.

Womp womp. 

A Beautiful Day

Today we had Grandparents Day and Veterans Day at school. We celebrate grandparents in the morning with a special chapel and lunch, and then we end the day with a program for the veterans and fellowship.

I'm finding that the more stressful and exhausting the prep for something is, the more awesome it feels when it's finished and everyone is leaving with a smile on. But seriously, it's a rush of overwhelming joy when you know that people have sincerely enjoyed something together and that your kiddos have had a part in bringing joy to people.

And it's a rush of joy to see the contentment and excitement on those little faces when they know they have made other people feel so special. I think one of the most important things I want my little dears to know is at least an inkling of how much power they have to impact someone else.

Today I was overwhelmed at how beautiful it is when two worlds collide. Here were all of these young and old people spending the day together, and watching them laugh and beam with pride all day long was amazing. There were even a few brave souls who played with their grandchildren outside at recess.

I know the pride of seeing my students be absolutely awesome at something and feel that pride bring a sense of happiness that radiates through my entire being and make me fight back tears. Today I realized that feeling must be so much stronger as a parent, but it must be magnified when you are a grandparent watching your grandchild.

And oh, these kids adore their grandparents. I love seeing them light up when they are with their grandparents. I get it though. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my parents, and I know my kids love their parents, too, but there really is no substitute for grandparents. It's a whole different kind of comfort and happiness spending time with grandparents you adore. I can't pinpoint why, but I can sure appreciate it.

Family is definitely a gift from God and a reflection of the unending love He has for us...and that is the most beautiful and remarkable thing. Today I was blessed to get a true glimpse of the beauty of that love...and it has left my heart overflowing.

A Little Token of Farmer Appreciation

It's Music Monday! Hooray!

[Update: Oops, guess I missed the part about this month being about the best songs to drive around to...guess I know what I'll be thinking about this week while I'm driving to and from work! :)]

So I hail loudly and proudly from the Dairy land that is Wisconsin, and I have seen my share of cows, but I haven't seen them dance as well as the ones you are going to see here today, folks.

Before you can indulge in watching some boppin' bovines, my friends, I have to be honest with you. I thought that I learned a lot about farming while I was in college with some kids that came from farms around Nebraska, but I've really learned so much more since I started teaching at a school literally in the middle of cornfields a year and a half ago.

The more that I've gotten to know about what these men do day in and day out and how it impacts their families leaves me in awe. They give so much of themselves and give up so much time to be in the fields or fixing equipment or even just driving materials or the crops they've harvested...and so often they are overlooked and under-thanked. And that's not even touching the impact they have on the community or the economy.

To the men who go through the seasons trusting God will provide the right conditions for planting, growing, and harvesting...

who give up watching sporting events, eating dinner, and reading bedtime stories with their kids to be in the fields...

who have the patience beyond measure to fix a broken machine again to ensure the crops get planted or harvested...

who keep a watchful eye on the weather and the time to provide the crops with the right amount of water to flourish...

who pray the thunderstorms will come without damaging wind and hail...

who stay up late and wake up early to take on the tasks at hand...

and so often do what they do with honesty yet without complaint...

Thank you for all that you do and sacrifice to provide for me and so many others who barely have a clue what it's like to do what you do each and every day. You are awesome beyond comparison. I respect you thoroughly and admire your dedication.

These brothers in Kansas put out videos about farming that are simultaneously hilarious and educational. It may not be your first pick for what you'd watch on YouTube, but I promise you won't regret it. And if you're anything like me you'll end up wanting to watch their many other music videos, too.

But seriously, guys, look for the dancing cows. :)

"I'll Fly Away"

So today's song is one that's part of my life soundtrack. You know, those songs that will always take you back to a certain time or place in your life? Everybody has 'em, and this is one of mine.

I'm so blessed to get to have devotions with my coworkers each morning before we head off to teach. It's honestly one of the highlights of my job. Last year we used to use every Friday morning's devotion time to sing together. My coworkers are extremely musically talented, and the harmonies that we got going on sometimes (no thanks to me, might I add!!) made me want to cry or break out in goosebumps. It was awesome.

I was introduced to this song last year, and it's absolutely beautiful. No, I don't like to think about dying, but I know that heaven is going to be a place where the joy and beauty abound way more than I can even begin to imagine. I rejoice in knowing that I'll be able to jam out with my God and fellow believers someday in the most beautiful harmony. This song reminds me of what awaits us.

And I'll never be able to hear it without thinking of the beautiful harmonies on those Friday mornings when we'd jam out around a small table in the library while one of my coworkers played guitar.

This song is one of my happy places.

Life Lately

I was all excited last time I posted about this whole Music Mondays thing, thinking, "Surely I can commit to blogging once a week!"

Um, or not, apparently. Oops.

Here's what life's been like lately here:

So I don't want to sound like a whiner here, but I basically am a hermit whenever it's time for report cards. I'm a hermit to the tenth power when report cards coincide with P/T conferences. This time I also had to enter a whole quarter's worth of grades into our online system since it took me a) nearly a quarter to figure it out and b) a simple email exchange with the lovely helpdesk to get my grading scales correct on there. But I survived and things went (fairly) well despite the crunch.

After getting through that general craziness we took a road trip last weekend. It was Scout's first car ride that was longer than 10 minutes.We have now learned the difference between his potty whine and his "I've never been in the car this long and don't know what to do with myself right now and why am I clipped to this seat belt because now I can't roam where ever I want to and I don't like it" whine. Let me just say that when your long road trip begins with a solid 15 minutes of whining you questions your life choices a little. It wasn't too long before Danny taught Scout how to live it up in the backseat by cozying up and falling asleep, and Scout only did some minimal chewing on the seat belts and seat cover, so it all worked out. Squirt got the boot from the backseat, though, and rode either in my lap or on the floor by my feet...not that he minded as long as he had a blankie to snuggle into. (Pictures to come another time...)

I know there will always be people that think we're crazy for having 3 dogs and who think we are even crazier for taking all 3 on the road, but we're thankful that Scout has been relatively easy-going. We've had to do a lot of learning along the way so far and so has he, but there's nothing that affirms our choice like watching our boys get along so well together.

Tim's been busy on the house again, too. He finished up around our new door to the backyard by mudding the new drywall, painting, and adding trim. It looks awesome! Everything was cleaned up and nice again until one day I came home and two cabinet doors and drawers were missing and their contents were moved around. I couldn't complain for long, though, because Tim has been working like crazy to install our dishwasher. Our house currently has two -- Michelle and Tim -- but we thought a newer model would be nice. And guys, it's ALMOST DONE. I told him we won't know what to do with ourselves with our extra time. I may have to take up a new hobby! Or work on an old hobby again! Oh, the possibilities. :)

So on the agenda this weekend is cleaning in all the ways I've been behind for two weeks on cleaning and a few school things...along with the usual time with hubby and puppies...and it will be wonderful.

"...when others say I'll never be enough."

A while back I blogged about the fear of not being "enough", and I have to admit that I find myself falling back into that now and then. I used to think it was something that came with being a new teacher, but I've been blessed with conversations with seasoned teachers where they've admitted similar feelings. I was relieved it wasn't just me, but I still chalked it up to a teacher thing.

After I got married and being a wife was thrown into the mix, I started worrying that I wasn't being enough as a wife -- especially over the past 5 months with some time-consuming work stuff. You don't want to neglect your spouse, but you don't want to hold back from what you've been called to do in the ministry, either. I know I'm not the only one to face that, either. Whatever you are called to do each day is your ministry, and you have to juggle that with your home and family life. It's pretty easy to question where you're investing your time as dishes pile up or play time with the kids (or the pups in our case) gets shoved into pockets that are smaller than you'd like.

And the list could go on and on and on.

I started to chalk this up as an everyone thing not too long ago.

We juggle many hats, and what a joy it is to be so many things to the people around us. I love getting to listen to friends that are going through something and then hearing them say, "Well, I feel better after venting for a while." I love getting to catch up with my family on the phone or Skype. I love getting to help a coworker brainstorm some ideas to try to solve a problem. I love getting the giggles with my husband. I love making new friendships here in the place we've come to call home. But the reality is that it's easy for those little voices to sneak in and fool us into thinking we can do so much more than what we are doing with our time.

Right now, for instance, I know I should be investing time in finishing report cards and preparing for Parent-Teacher conferences -- and I may kick myself later for not getting as much done tonight on that front, but I have been stock piling words for this too.

Dear friends, I want you to know that you are enough. You are loved. You are wonderful. You were created by a loving and gracious God who can look past your imperfections. He's placed people around you to uplift and encourage you when you can't see or feel your worth. The fact is that we will feel lousy and broken sometimes, and we need people around us to reflect God's love so we can push back those voices that try to discourage us.

And the bad news is that sometimes those little voices in our heads can be voiced by other people, too. There are plenty of people out there who will try to make you feel awful about yourself. Don't let yourself listen to the voices that try to push you down and hold you back. No, don't give them any of your precious time.

You are loved. You are wonderful. You are greater than some people will ever know.

And that brings me to this song to share with you today. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard this song in the car on the way to and from school on days where I let those negative voices beat me down or how many times it's been stuck in my head during a particularly trying day, but it has become an anthem to power through the Yuck those voices try to spread in my mind and heart. I hope this helps you drown out the voices that try to make you question what you're doing. You are blessed, loved, and treasured.

Let this song wash over you and take away those awful little voices, friends, and let it inspire you to go out and love as best you can in what you do and say. And if nothing else let it get stuck in your head, too, so I'm not the only one jamming out to it these days. :)

A Touch of Nostalgia

A friend shared this article the other day called "51 Reasons Living in Chicago Ruins You For Life", and it made me smile. Now technically I have not lived in the city of Chicago, but I'm sure I get points for living in a suburb of Chicago for 2 years of college.

I almost didn't live there. I remember trying to fight my dad tooth and nail about going for a tour of the Concordia campus. By that point I'd made up my mind that I was going to go to the UW school 20 minutes away from home -- nevermind the fact that their teaching program was so-so in comparison. I even tried to talk Dad into staying home instead, and I think I even tried to talk up my "school of choice" on the way there. By the time we were done with the tour, I was hooked. (And that, my friends, is just one example of how I know God has a sense of humor.)

The first few weeks after my family moved me into the dorms were scary, though. I kept wondering what I had gotten myself into. That fear changed when I got the chance to go to the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum not long into the year. None of my friends had signed up, so I joined a bunch of other people from school that I didn't know and indulged my inner nerd for a day. I ended up meeting up with another friend, and it was even more fun, but I started to really appreciate what Chicago had to offer after that chance to wander the museum.

Looking at those pictures in the article fills me with nostalgia as I remember other times that city was our stomping grounds whenever and however we could get there. I even remember raiding my stash of laundry quarters a few times for the El -- or how sometimes we'd share cards that we'd put extra money on in a time of prosperity and foresight when someone else was low on cash. Oh yes, it was worth it. I don't think there was ever a time we went for adventure and came home disappointed.

I'd love to gather up my trusty group of adventuring college friends and hit the streets of Chicago again. Some of us did get together a small handful of years ago when our friend Jen was coming home for Christmas; she was teaching in Honduras at the time. (Yikes, I just did the math...that was 4 years ago already!!!) We had a blast just wandering and talking...and goofing off in a part of Macy's that maybe we weren't supposed to be in but never saw a sign clearly stating we shouldn't be in...but that's another story. :)

It was hard to leave Chicago when I decided to transfer to another school knowing I was leaving those adventures behind. When I got to school in Nebraska, I welcomed the sounds of the crickets and wind again, and I relished being able to see the cows and the stars. But I got homesick for Chicago sometimes even after I came to terms with the fact that I am a better city visitor than city resident. Truthfully, I still get homesick sometimes for Chicago.

It's crazy to see some friends are back in that area again and seeing pictures of the adventures they're having and even passing down to their children now (as crazy as it is that suddenly we're adult enough for kids and such). That's heartwarming in a whole new and awesome way.

Maybe I've over-thought a list that was supposed to be entertaining, but I love being able to look back on a big leap of faith that reaped such awesome memories.

Where have you lived that's left you with some of the best adventures?

The Teething "Toddler" Adventure

I haven't been able to update on our new little addition as much as I had hoped but suffice it to say that it's gone pretty well so far.

Aside from the occasional (and to-be-expected) accident inside, there has only been one big No No so far a few weeks in when Scout wandered out of sight for a second or two and came trotting back into the room with a tiny piece of our bedroom carpet in his mouth. A couple of days of scouring led me to discover he'd torn it from a spot under the bed that nobody will ever, ever see. Whew. We lucked out a little there. 

I've been reading about teething and waiting for our little pup to hit that milestone. [Side note: By "little" I mean he's now 30 pounds and almost as tall as Danny.] I can tell we've hit it hard now because suddenly he must have his mouth on any and everything all the time. Before it was just something to do coupled with curiosity; now it has become a compulsion. 

It only took getting my hands, pants, legs, shoes, feet, and toes all chewed on in the matter of a 10 second time span after getting home from work to know we've got a teether on our hands.

I can only liken it to Ryan Stiles' head in this legendary segment from "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" 

Yup, just like Scout. 

Frozen washcloths are his favorite teething toy -- chewy, soothing fun!

Add this to the list of reasons why puppies are really just training babies...

Our Growing Little Family

I know the title of the post has automatically put some hopes and dreams of babies out there, but nope, no nurseries or bottles or diapers needed here yet. We have welcomed a bounding, curious, and playful little boy puppy into our home and hearts.

I love these boys. 

Yup, we are officially a 3 dog household. It gets crazy sometimes, but the fun and joy makes the crazy moments worth it.

Feeding Time at the "Zoo"

We've had him for 3 weeks now but kept fairly quiet while we made sure it was the right choice. We wanted to make sure we could give all 3 boys the love and attention they needed, especially with school obligations starting up literally at the same time. Fortunately the little guy has been so smart and a quick learner that he is doing pretty well with potty training, enjoys sleeping all night, and doesn't take much to know what a command means.

It took a week after we got him to decide on a name, but after much debate and some scientific testing [AKA trying out our top 3 name choices to see what puppy seemed to respond to/like the best] we decided to name him Scout. Well, technically he's Scout Henrich. Henry was one of my favorite possible names for him, so we put it as his "middle" name and changed it to the German version because we are just that clever, haha. :) (IN case you were wondering: Danny's middle name is "P" -- he was named "Danny P" at the shelter. Squirt doesn't have a middle name unless you count "Go potty!")

Taking a break from exploring.

He is a 3 month old German Short-haired Pointer. That's a hunting breed, but they also make nice house dogs. He is going to be very energetic and is/will continue to be a great playmate for Danny (and our future children). He could get up to 70 lbs, but he won't be as muscular as Danny. He'll be a tall, lean guy. His legs have already gotten so long in the last 3 weeks.

Things Scout enjoys include...
chewing
exploring everything
trying out new things to chew on
running, wrestling and playing tug-of-war with Danny
chewing
chasing everything from Mommy and Daddy's pant legs to butterflies to his siblings
staring at things with his head to one side while he considers what it is and its chewability
barking at things that frustrate him
tearing up grass
chewing
playing fetch with sticks (and sometimes the ball)
chewing on a peanut butter and kibble filled Kong when Mommy leaves for work
sitting when Mommy and Daddy tell him to, especially when he gets a treat afterwards
chewing
learning new commands
dancing while Mom and Dad get the food bowl to his spot
chewing
antagonizing Squirt to try to get him to play
snuggling when he is sleepy
sleeping on Mom and Dad's shirts in his crate
and did I mention chewing?

Om nom nom. Chew all the things.

Neither of us owned a puppy before, and it was crazy at first thinking that we had to teach him everything from the obvious potty training to how to go up and down the 2 steps by the kitchen door. We have a very clean rug by the back door from the frequent washings when we don't move fast enough to get puppy outside, and we've learned the art of getting a wiggly puppy to settle down on the couch by holding a chew toy in one hand and him in the other.

He's already learning to "sit", "lay down," "get the ball," "drop it," "hush," and, most importantly, "No" and "Scout" (not necessarily always said at the same time). He's showing an inkling now and then of knowing "come", too.

So what do his brothers think of him?

Danny says...

"Don't worry, I'm watching over him."

"Man, baby brothers are exhausting."

Squirt says...

"Stop it! No, I won't play with you! STOP IT! Go find Danny!"

"You're not bad when you are sleepy and snuggly."

We're pretty excited about how well everything's going so far. There are moments we've questioned ourselves, but it's been great for all of us. Well, time to go take the pup outside to romp around for a while.

Happy weekend-ing, everyone!

Prairie Shark

Day 19:

Blog about your favorite local restaurant. 

Confession: We have only eaten at the chain places in town, not any cute "local" places. 

And now I'm realizing that we need to get out more...out of our box, that is.  

There's one place I'd like to try called Wave Pizza Company. Yes, I love pizza, but my motivation is from curiosity more then a craving. The first time I drove by it I remember thinking, "What's that thing sticking out of there? Is that a....it's a SHARK! Hahahaha. A shark in Nebraska. A beachy restaurant in the middle of Nebraska. With a shark." Even though we haven't eaten here, this is my favorite local restaurant to drive by. 

Source: restaurant.com

I cannot make these things up, people, but I applaud the ones that do. 

I shall name him Prairie Shark because he is in the middle of the prairie instead of the ocean where he belongs. He kind of looks like he's either fierce or in agony up there, doesn't he?

All of this shark talk has me thinking about this scene in Clerks now...which I naturally quote to Tim almost every time we have chips and salsa. 

My Top 10 Websites

Day 18: 

List the 10 Instagrams you stalk or your favorite Instagram feeds.

Ugh, I just am not getting this blog challenge right. I'm not keeping up every day, and I'm not always sticking to the prompt. I'm still going to call this a success for blogging at all this month, though. :) 

Soooo I have been on Instagram for a while, but I haven't really started following anyone or having my own followers until the past few weeks. I don't know that anyone I follow regularly posts enough for me to "stalk". 

So let me put my own spin on today's prompt...again...because my blog, my rules. ;) 

Here are the top 10 sites I visit regularly: 

1. gmail.com

To quote Strongbad, "Here I go again with the email." Gotta keep up with my adoring fans, you know. 

Just kidding. I make sure I'm not missing anything from school or my family. Sometimes I get coupons by email, too, and get nerdishly excited. It's the little things in life, and they're even better when they are $5. Kidding. The best things in life are priceless. 

But $5 off things can be nice, too. 

2. yahoo.com

I like to get at least a quick idea of what's going on and read a few articles now and then. 

3. Weather.gov/Weather.com

These two go hand-in-hand because when I check one I usually check the other as well. I just really like to make sure I know what's happening with the weather. I get really nervous with bad weather when a) I have to drive b) Tim has to fly or c) I have recess duty. 

4. blogger.com

Naturally. Even if I don't post for prolonged periods of time, I have a few blogs that I like to keep up with.

5. merriam-webster.com

Don't judge me. I like words, and I like knowing what I'm reading. Like many writers/readers, I am drawn to look up words often. Sometimes I like to double-check that a word I'm using in something I'm writing means exactly what I think it does so it has the effect I'm hoping for. 

6. pinterest.com

I call it "research" sometimes because I look up school things...but I have honestly found a lot of handy ideas for around the house, too. 

7. proverbs31.org

Proverbs 31 Ministries is geared toward women, and I love their daily devotions. I first caught wind of them from the radio station I listen to a lot on my way to and from work, KLOVE. One of the ladies does a little blurb on the radio each day, and it's crazy how often it fit perfectly for what I was feeling. Many mornings it was a little extra boost to lift me out of a funk, calm my nerves, or silence my fears. I love how real these women are honest about challenges and truths. 

8. pandora.com

I have music on pretty much anytime I'm on the computer. Even when I'm away from the computer I tend to tote my iPad and speaker around the house with me with some tunes. 

9. youtube.com

Because where else can you find and share gems like this? (This one goes out to all of you dear people who are just as crazy about grammar as I am...for better or worse!)

10. facebook.com

Of course. Sure, it can be a time-suck, and it can get dramatic sometimes, but I like being able to keep in touch with friends and family a little more easily in between phone calls and visits. :)

Am I missing out on anything good? Let me know what some of your favorites are! 

The Fear of "Enough" - Part 2

Friends, I don't like the way I ended that last post. I've felt like I needed to put in more words to help us power through those moments, but I wasn't quite sure what to put. Let me offer you a follow-up post now to fill in some of those gaps.

Source:Pinterest

Sometimes I think we don't feel like enough because we feel like we must juggle everything and solve all the problems, but we don't. We need to accept that some things are beyond our control and gain peace from that. It's okay if your best isn't enough to solve every single problem. We have a God that can handle everything.

Romans 8:28 helps spell it out: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." See? God works. Yes, we can serve God with our talents and time, but He is always there. We may tire or get frustrated or stressed, but we can trust that God is endlessly at work with a plan greater than we can know falling into place for our lives. He already sent Jesus as part of that plan to die for every single imperfection in our lives. Do the best you can, but accept that your best will never save the world. God already did.

Unless you hurt someone's feelings or make a real mistake, don't apologize for being who you are...even if you let yourself think that you're not being who someone else wants you to be. So what if you need to ask another question to clarify what someone else is saying? If you're cold, take back those covers from your warm and cozy significant other! Sharing is caring, friends. Armrests are public property -- yes, even on an airplane -- so don't apologize for using it...unless you bumped someone when you tried to put your arm there. Often we say "sorry" when we should just say "Excuse me" and go about our business. I am extremely guilty of this, and I really was left thinking after watching this video. So be confident and be YOU. You won't impress everybody, but you'll feel more at peace with letting your good qualities shine.

And if somebody tries to make you feel bad about being yourself, shake it off. You can get mad, or you can use humor to keep it from plaguing you. Like this girl. I want to be more like her when somebody is talking negatively about me.How often do we let comments haunt us? And how often were those comments said for that very purpose? Letting them sink in is letting the other person have some control over yourself. Do like Elsa and just Let It Go. It's not worth stressing over. (And if you are stressing about something someone said, why not talk to them about it? Maybe they need the peace that comes with apologizing for being a pain.)

Source: BuzzFeed

Go out and rock who you are today, friends. Accept that you will make mistakes and leave some things on your To Do list unfinished. Go do the best you can. You're awesome.

The "Enough" Fear

We hit the road this weekend to see my side of the family so I'm a few days behind with the prompts. I'm changing up today's post by using a prompt from the weekend instead of the listed one. Yup, I'm a rebel.

What is the fear you want to overcome? 

I've thought a bit about this one since the beginning of the month when I read the prompts. I thought it'd be kind of easy. I mean, c'mon, I can name the things that I'm afraid of. When I started thinking about my biggest fears, though, I got nervous to share one of them because I thought it'd sound really stupid. That helped me realize what one of my biggest fears really is. 

I get scared that who I am is not enough. 

I worry that who I am will disappoint people around me if I don't do enough of what they are looking to me for. 

Do I encourage my friends enough? Do I call my family enough? Do I take care of my husband enough? Do I teach my students enough? Do I love on the dogs enough? Do I organize the house enough? Do I help other people enough? Do I make people laugh enough? 

The list of "enough" could go on and on, but why should it? 

I'm worried about measuring up to other people's standards and my own, but it seems so silly. I know that I will never be enough for everyone around me because I'm not perfect and neither is anyone else. We all get disappointed by the people in our lives for big and small reasons. 

God knew I wouldn't be perfect and thankfully does not expect me to be. He doesn't expect you to be perfect, either. He knew Adam and Eve wouldn't be able to resist the fruit He told them not to eat, and He knew that we wouldn't be able to love the people around us selflessly with our actions or words. He knew people would get sick, angry, depressed, lonely, frustrated, hurt, and all around rotten at times. But He also knew we'd need love...and He sent Jesus to die and rise again so we could have love even when we are awful. We can have hope because we are loved. We are enough in God's eyes even when we aren't enough in the eyes of the world. 

I want to overcome that feeling of failure that goes hand-in-hand with not feeling like I'm enough. I want to push away that side of me that tries to feel defeated before I try something new. I want to stop guessing people's reactions before they even have the chance to react to something I say or do. I want to stop being afraid to be the imperfect me who tries to do better each day. I want to stop being afraid to be me. 

The beautiful thing about this is knowing that I'm not alone. I've heard it and read it and watched it in so many different ways around me to know that it's a natural thing to feel. The reason I wanted to post about this instead of something like being afraid of deep, deep water (Fun Fact: also a real fear of mine) is that it's not talked about openly. I've felt like I had to keep this kind of insecurity to myself so I wouldn't seem weak, and it used to make me feel ashamed to admit. I'm done feeling that way, though, guys. We shouldn't be ashamed to talk with the people around us who can help us when we feel this way. I'm thankful to have family and friends to talk to when I feel this way and learn that I'm not alone. I hope that I can return the favor, too. 

Consider the Alternatives

Day 11: 

Not considering monetary gain, what is your dream job? 

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I love teaching, and I am blessed to be able to have a teaching job where I can share the love and grace of God with my students. This truly is my dream job, friends. 

But again, I won't take the easy way out. :) 

If I were not a teacher, I would be a writer. Probably not one with books on a Best Seller list or anything, but I'd put stuff out there somehow. 

Just because I'm a teacher doesn't mean that I can't also be a writer, but things would definitely be different if I could focus on writing more. I think being a teacher gives me some good inspiration sometimes, too...and some ideas for how to set up a children's book. Now I just need a less-than-lame idea to run with to write one. (The only one I have in mind seems like it could either be really silly or really stupid in the end...then again, isn't a lot of writing like that?!)

These two quotes sum up a lot of what I feel about writing and why I'd do it for a living if I could: 

'

My Celebrity Dinner Party

Day 10: 

If given the chance to invite 3 famous people over for dinner, who would you invite?

Oooh, this could be fun. 

After a whirlwind of cleaning up around the house, I'd set about making an awesomely yummy dinner (probably with some awesome veggies from the garden!), set the table, and then my guests would arrive.

I decided to make it a Girls Night, so I'd settle down to dine with...

Lauren Graham

Source: Google

Emma Stone

Source: Google

and 

Emma Watson

Source: Google

I'd pick these 3 because they seem to be down-to-earth, intelligent, and playful. I think that any conversation with these three could go just about anywhere and be really entertaining and interesting, but I think they'd be very real and honest, too. Anytime I see one of these women in the media I see their grace and humbleness while still getting to see their true playful personalities come out, too. They have a host of talent on-screen and seem to be like great people in real life, too. Definitely low-key dinner guests, too -- you know the kind you don't feel like you have to impress because they are so laid back? Yeah. Those kind of guests are the best. 

I would also insist on going out to do karaoke because I know that at least 2 out of 3 of them have some rockin' karaoke style. Here's proof: 

and 

Let's Go See the World

Day 9: 

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? 

Everywhere. 

There is so much to see in the world, and although I feel like I've traveled a fair amount, I know that I've only seen a fraction of the wonders out there. 

But I won't take the easy way out here with such a broad answer...after all, I have to start somewhere in order to see everywhere.

I want to travel outside of North America. I've been outside of the United States a number of times to visit our lovely Canadian neighbors, but that's the only other country I've been to. I'd love to change that. 

Of course I'd love to go down to some beach down in the southern part of North America sometime, but I'd rather head east to Europe before tackling beaches. My dream vacation to Europe would include a handful of stops. It's a place rich with history.

Germany - I'd love to explore some of the places I hear about from my husband and his family...including castles!! 

Disney fans, did you know that the Cinderella's castle is modeled after the Neuschwansetein Castle in Germany? Pretty cool, huh?!

Source: 8thingstodo.com
Click here for more info :)

Poland - Hello, ancestors and great food!

Italy - Rome...the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the wonderful architecture there, too.

France - The Eiffel Tower, naturally, and the beautiful art in the museums. Notre Dame has intrigued me ever since I read The Hunchback of Notre Dame for a book report in high school. It's also just so heavily referenced that I feel like I'm missing something unless I see it first hand. I actually have some French in my family blood, too!  

Ireland - It just seems beautiful there. 

I'm sure there are plenty of places I could add to my list, but I'll leave it at that for now. That's already about 2 weeks worth, I'm sure!! 

Where would you pack your bags and journey off to see?

Source: pinterest

It's Aliiiive!

Day 8: Share your dream house.

I spent almost two years living in an apartment before Tim and I got married, and I was ready to get away from the crazy music and the upstairs neighbors' elephant feet. Here I am just over a year out of apartment life and loving our beautiful home. 

Can I just take a minute to tell you how awesome my husband is?! I'm seriously in awe of this man's talents.

He has redone our living room floor completely (redoing subfloor and everything...it was nuts.), 

pulled all the carpet,

redone the trim, 

painted pretty much any and everything that can be painted (some of it more than once!!), 

installed can lights in the living room (huge thanks to my brother-in-law Greg for helping with that one!), 

replaced/installed fans, 

made our lawn look fabulous, 

redone some of the concrete in our driveway, 

removed some of our concrete to repair a crack in our foundation, 

and so many more things that it doesn't seem fair to forget to mention. 

I have very little handy skills -- unless you count fetching tools. 

If that counts as being handy then I am AWESOME at home improvement. 

Tim sacrificed some space from his beautiful lawn for us to embark on a gardening adventure. I was pretty psyched because my thumb has gotten green tinges to it since my first year of teaching when every plant I was given perished under my care. We bought a small variety of seeds, got them going, and planted them in late May after all the frost (finally) stopped. 

Aaaaand most of the seedlings died. I was so bummed! After my state of denial ended, we bought some seedlings and found much, much more success. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I now present you with pictures of our rockin' garden!!! 

(AKA proof that not every living plant dies under my care.)

Celebrity Tomatoes

So many cherry tomatoes!

Cantaloupe is a-growin'.

Peppers

Basil - one of 2 surviving seedlings!

Cilantro's already almost done for the season.

Tim's corn...because why not.

Some sort of onion? It was actually already growing in the yard.

Bonus: our neighbors' grape vine has grown into our yard! 

We'll be rethinking our spacing next year...we have some jungle areas goin' in there! 

 Yup, we call this a success!!!