Okay, I'm blogging not because I have anything interesting to say, but because I'm tired of seeing the same OLD post every time I log on!  So, here's an update by way of a list:

• I had a fabulous summer - Peru was amazing, we camped with my in-laws and did a pretty great hike, I spent time with friends, unpacked my classroom, and had fun hanging out with my husband.  We had another successful garden - this is slowly becoming something I truly enjoy and I can't wait to have a yard that's more suitable for growing our own food.
• The school year got off to a great start.  I love meeting the new 6th graders!  I have a fabulous student teacher, and so far things are going really well.
• My dad had open heart surgery and I flew down to OKC to be there for the surgery and the recovery time in the hospital.  It totally sucked that he had bypass, but it was awesome to see my family.
• Will turned 30!  We are in such a good place right now and I can't wait to see what's next - I am so blessed.
• It's really starting to feel like fall around here.  I'm looking forward to getting the yard cleaned up and winter-ready, canning some of my abundant green tomatoes, buying pumpkins, and making meals in the crock pot.
• I'm slowly learning to use my new camera - Will bought me/us a Rebel T1i for our anniversary, and I LOVE it.  It's so familiar because I learned to use an SLR on a Canon...I just love it and I am having fun experimenting!
• I've been crafting a lot more lately and trying new things.  Alicia and I hope to have our new etsy store up and running sometime next month - just in time for Christmas shopping!  We'll email out when it's open.

Okay!   Now I feel better.  I really do have things to say and document, but I need to get back in the groove.  I'll make an effort!

Recapping what I didn't blog about this year...

 Rang in the New Year with my crazy family...

In February, we surprised Alicia for her shower-that-never-was (but we got in some great girl time!).  I don't know why I have crazy eyes in this pic...

We had some sun in March, but then it left...we're still waiting for it to come back and stay a while (on the news they are calling this month, "June-uary"...

We had the Goolsbys (and Matthew) up for a visit - we crammed in a lot for a short trip, including a visit to the market, the coast, and a cupcakery just for Marla!

After the quick visit from our Georgia family, we headed to Texas to meet our new nephew, Parker.  Amazing - these pictures say it all!

 As timing would have it, Parker's birth coincided with a Dabney/Smylie Mini-Reunion and Charla's birthday!  I was able to get in a few snuggles with Mr. Ian, too.

So, there is a lot more, but this whole blogging thing is a bit overwhelming, and I have some cleaning and packing to do - Peru, here we come!  In just 3 days...

Maybe one day I'll be a good blogger...don't hold your breath!  Happy summer!

How is it June?  Seriously...Now I just need to get through my National Board exams on June 11th.  Ugh.  Then I'll be able to think about blogging, and going to Peru, and what to do with the rest of the summer!

Alicia and I have been working on another blog to help us stay organized and on top of meals for our families...I'm so tired of last minute scrounging for something to eat for dinner at 9 pm!  This is our attempt at a solution: Feeding Our Families.

Let me know what you think...any suggestions for meals?  We are planning to add a section for freezer meals/batch cooking, but we're not there yet.  How do you plan for meals?

I'm working on a post, but it's getting l. o. n. g.  Guess that's what happens when you go 2 months without getting all of the things out of your head and on to the page(?).  But, that post will have pictures and this one, not so much.

Happy Monday.  It's not raining yet here in Western WA, which is always a good thing.  (Although I heard it's coming by early afternoon).  Hope your week is starting off well, too.



How old do I sound talking about the weather? Hmph.

Wow...goodbye, February!  This was one crazy month.  Now if I can just make it to March 31st, maybe I'll have time to sit down and blog about it.  March 31st = deadline to have National Boards portfolio in the mail.  I think I can, I think I can...

Today, I'm taking it pretty easy.  I'm trying to ward off the crud that is attempting to make it's home in my lungs and sinuses.  Yuck.  I'm off to the local food co-op to check it out...I'm picturing t-shirts, Birkenstocks and patchouli, but I'm so excited! (To be fair, I probably will be wearing Birkenstocks with my t-shirt and jeans...but I'm fragrance-free today.) I have a few things I am looking for that I just have not been able to find anywhere else. 

I'm making a big pot of Green Soup with Mushrooms from my favorite soup cookbook.  I will have it to dip into all week long for lunches!  I am going to eat a big bowl of soup and a nice big salad before heading to a Super Bowl party tomorrow to try to ward of unnecessary snacking.  I'm bringing a big bowl of guac - healthy and delicious, so I'm going to try to stick to that...and a beer (it is the Super Bowl, after all).

I've been crafting away.  I made a photo pillow for myself, and I brought it to the Peru fundraiser Silent Auction, and will be making a custom photo pillow for the winner.  I also made a wristlet key chain as an example, and will be making five somewhat-custom key chains according to the color preference of the winners!  The fundraiser was a lot of fun and I think quite a bit of money was raised. 

It's a pretty lazy, blah day here in Washington.  The day dawned sunny, but the clouds have slowly crept in.  Right now the skies are gray, and I'm feeling like napping.  I'd better head to the co-op before I lose my will to get off of the couch!

Happy weekend, y'all.

Today I'm baking...

...chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter cookie dough center, covered in dark chocolate ganache.
...sopapilla cheesecake minis (in a cupcake tin).

It's game night with two other couples, and I'm so looking forward to it!  Last time we had game night, Will was out of town, so I did not have a partner...it's so much more fun when he's able to come.  Here's hoping we dominate (he doesn't like to lose)!  ;-)

I'm crafting...

...key chains.
...coffee cozies.
...baby tag blankets.
...letters to spell Parker.

Good thing there is football on today - my husband won't even miss me.  Hopefully he'll be okay with making his own lunch (he already made his own breakfast).  It's rainy and cold and absolutely perfect for hunkering down with fabric, thread, my sewing machine, and a fresh cup of coffee.

Well, Christmas is all put away, and life is kicking back into full gear after a fantastic break. Now it's time to buckle down and edit my National Board entries (well, three of them - I still have one left to do) and start preparing for the tests in June. It's such a great process, but it is hard. It's time consuming, and I'd rather be working on sewing/knitting/craft/cooking projects in my spare time. But it's not going to last forever, and I'm ready to get a few of my entries wrapped up and ready to go. The entries are due on March 31st. Deadlines loom, but they sure do help me keep on track! If you need me, I'll be here, working on boards, when I'm not, well, working.

Hello, 2010. I think I'll like you a whole lot better come summer.

I love Christmastime! This fall has seemed a bit more fast-paced than ever, but life is so good. I have been working on some handmade Christmas gifts, and I'm enjoying thinking about and praying for the recipients as I'm working - sustained, quiet time is a great way to sit and enjoy the season. An added bonus is that I have mostly avoided the stores!



I just love this ornament (Will and I are both youngest children)...I think I may have posted this on a previous Christmas blog, but my mom got all of us one of these a few years ago (Cindy's says "Oldest Child, Mom's Favorite," Brian and Alicia's both say "Middle Child, Mom's Favorite). So cute.

Here's hoping your days are merry and bright.

I have a beautiful, sweet niece (well, three of them, actually - but two are teenagers, and have long since reached all of the cute milestones) and I am so excited to spend some time with her over the holidays. Usually we do so much here, there, and everywhere that we don't get to spend much time with both of our families. This will be the first year since we've been married that we will both get to see both families, and I'm so excited. Leave is hard to come by this time of year for Will, and it's not the dates he would have chosen, but leave is leave and we'll take it! Next year he will be deployed over Christmas, so it's especially nice to get to spend a bit of time with both sides this year.

So, onto my niece! Just this past weekend she has started saying "Aunt Amy" and "Uncle Wee Wee." And she says our names with great enthusiasm. And she wakes up wanting her mom to "Call Aunt Amy? Peas?" And my heart melts into a puddle on the floor. The last time Will saw her (February) she was not walking or talking. She was not even a year old! I was able to see her over the summer, but gosh, they change so fast, huh? I am just so excited I can hardly stand it. I can't wait to see her silly antics and hear her sweet voice in person, and for Will to get to be there, too! There's something so precious to me to see my husband play and laugh and enjoy our friend's/family's babies and kids. This year we'll spend some special time with our niece, and in the back of my mind I'll be thinking about what it will be like next year with a baby boy in the house - my first nephew. Crazy.

And this brings me full circle to ask a special favor of you - I have a beautiful, passionate, faithful sister-in-law who would love nothing more than to have a niece or nephew for us to love on (well, that may not be the top reason) and won't you join me in praying her through this season as she and her husband wait? I believe that their situation is purposeful (I have to believe that it is, because the alternative goes against the very nature of our God) - and nearly every time I open up my Bible, scripture speaks to me of purpose, of the personality of God, and of the faithfulness between God and His people. And I think of Charla and Rich. In a Bible study I attended this semester, we studied the I AMs. Christ declaring his nature, His person - God and man, to us. As we studied "I AM the light of the world," I could not stop thinking of the parallel between the blind man in John 9, and my sister-in-law...bear with me, here:

¹As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
²And His disciples asked Him, " Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?"
³Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
⁴"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
⁵"While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."
⁶When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,
⁷and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent) So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

So here's how I see it - the appointments, meds, procedures, and waiting are the process and path that God has set them on. And they seem just as foreign, strenuous, and like jumping through hoops, as putting mud made from spit on his eyes and walking to the pool of Siloam (rather than the numerous, closer water sources) seemed to the blind man. In the end the man could see and his story was a testament to the living God. There were steps to take, a very specific path to follow, and the man had no idea if he would wash off the mud and open his eyes to see. But he walked the path and followed the instructions to cure his blindness - an affliction that was not a result of sin but an opportunity given to this man that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Charla and Richard are walking to Siloam with mud on their eyes. They can't see what's going to happen when they reach the pool and wash it away. They don't know if the answer that lies before them will be in the form of a baby blessed to them through conception, through adoption...they simply don't know. But they are walking faithfully, without sight, according to the directions they have found in scripture to be faithful servants of the living God. And we are all so blessed to be privy to this testament of God's faithfulness to us - to sustain His people, to provide hope, to provide light. Let's pray for their plight, their long journey to the pool, and remember that they will be passing by many, many paths that are closer, but outside of His will for their lives. And they will be passing by people who already have sight, and will question why they are following this path, this God. And most painful of all (in my estimation) will be how many people they will pass who have been through this journey, but already have their answer, their baby. So, let's pray.

If you're so led, please leave a comment (here or on Charla's blog) about the works of God you've seen or experienced because of their story. I sent her an email this morning with a few of mine, including how this story has opened the door of friendship and fellowship with a gal at my school who walked a similar path. Knowing I have someone at work who is praying for me and for the kids we see everyday has greatly changed my perspective about work. And that's just the beginning...

Homemade.

I made rolls for the first time on Thanksgiving. They turned out beautifully, were fairly easy, and were definitely a whole lot tastier than store bought (and I love Rhode's). I used another recipe from my Love Soup cookbook by Anna Thomas, which has fast become a standby in our home!

Who has time for work when there's so much to do?

Today I'm wishing that I didn't have to go to work so that I could clean (really clean) my house before my parents get here tomorrow. And I'd also put together a few dishes for Thanksgiving - anything I could do ahead. Oh, and the dogs need a bath...desperately. I've been thinking about pulling out some board games for the weekend, but they are buried in the back of the coat closet (that could really use some organization). And Christmas decorations!! I've been wanting to decorate for a few weeks now, and I rearranged the furniture over the weekend to make room for the tree.

It's all going to stay on my list because it's time to head out the door. I have quite a bit to do there to get ready for Camp Dabney tomorrow - fake fire, blankets on the floor, popcorn, and stories.

Guess now is as good a time as any to get started!

There's a great giveaway going on over at Adam & Andrew! A genius product - I think a certain niece of mine might need one as she transitions to her big girl room and bed to make room for her little brother (my first nephew) in the Spring!

Today has been chock-full of those moments where I sit back, take it all in, and think, "This is as good as it gets..." All little things, all probably common to a lot of people. Here's what is making me love life today:

-Sleeping in. Past 9 am.
-My husband made the coffee.
-The house is clean.
-The Aggies on TV (of course, a win would have been preferred).
-USAFA on the TV.
-Lunch of green soup (from Love Soup, a cookbook by Anna Thomas ) with grilled cheese made from homemade bread (also from Love Soup) and pepperjack (Will's favorite).
-Two movies from Netflix - The Proposal and Duplicity.
-The fire going all day because of the windy/rainy/crazy weather.
-Spaghetti squash for supper.
-Staying in sweats all day long.
-Having my husband home on a weekend that he was supposed to be away.

Here's hoping your Saturday was equally as blessed.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk - October 10, 2009 - Tacoma, WA

A group of teachers from my school formed a team to walk in this year's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Tacoma. We had a lot of funny names in mind, but decided to just go with our school mascot (Firebirds) so that we could wear our shirts to school! The students had a team, too (how about that?) and they went with Pink Fire. I was impressed at the number of students and parents that showed up to support the event. We had a blast and the walk took us through a beautiful section of town - huge, old homes and a walk by the waterfront. And no rain! I found a home for sale that I loved and would move into tomorrow, but it was selling for $999, 900. A teensy bit out of our price range.

The most touching part of the walk was the survivors - each survivor wears a pink sash, so they are easy to identify. Here are two of our survivors - a high school English teacher who joined our team (her daughter is a student at our school and walked with team Pink Fire) and one of our office professionals (both of our OPs are survivors - amazing). We laughed and talked and they told me their stories...sobering and uplifting at the same time. A great day.

It's beginning to look a lot like...FALL! I finally got the garage cleaned up while Will was out of town. With all of my decorations accessible, I just had to sort through what I wanted to use. I don't have a lot of fall decor, but I found some adorable, real mini pumpkins and gourds to use to liven it up!

My favorite use of this pedestal yet!

A little bit of fall in the downstairs bath!

On the table in the entryway. That mini-pumpkin in the middle is real and is a perfect replica of a regular jack-o-lantern pumpkin...I love it. My Yankee pumpkin spice candles help to set the mood, too. Fall smells are my favorite.

Air Force Ball - 62nd Birthday (and Will's birthday, too) - September 26, 2009

Several weekends ago we went to the fair. I love the fair (I think Will could take it or leave it...which is funny because my sister just told me the other day that Chris loves the fair, but she could take it or leave it - ha). The major draw on this particular day for me was the fact that James Taylor was playing that night! We found some tickets on Craig's List that morning, and headed out to enjoy the gorgeous sunshine.

Another big draw for me was the Charley Harper exhibit. They had 20 or so originals on display, and I just loved getting to see them up close. Of course, I wanted to take a few of them home, but we just couldn't afford the $18,000 price tag...maybe someday? I have always thought about doing our nursery (one day) in Charley Harper - there is an ABC book with his work, and I think it would be precious to frame the pages with the letters spelling the baby's name. Will's Nana had a Charley Harper print of foxes (right, Mom D?) that is vivid and bright and fun. Will enjoyed the exhibit, too, and we found some favorites.

It was such a perfect day.

Just look at that sunshine!

We tried the scones - a bit hit at the fair up here - but we weren't impressed. Really it's just a biscuit with butter and raspberry jam...don't understand all the fuss (or the 20 minute line).

It was SO COLD that night at the concert. We huddled together and tried to stay warm. The seats were so close together, so when the rest of our row showed up there was a little relief from the cold as we were smashed in.

One of my favorites was a song I didn't know - Shed a Little Light. It was so moving the way they performed this song, too. The concert was packed, but JT is the kind of performer that makes big venues seem intimate. He had conversations with the audience and totally interacted with us. Just amazing.

I just love a man who plays the harmonica.

I love my job. I have always loved teaching - the planning, the implementation, the constant monitoring and changing - it's dynamic and interesting and purposeful. My first three years were a mix of treading water, surviving trauma, and balancing the extreme lows with the extreme highs. There was such a steep learning curve. I had no idea what I was getting into...and I never would have made it without the amazing, life-changing folks who showed up there everyday to fight the good fight. Those years were so influential, absolutely molding the teacher I am today.

The last two years, working at an elementary school, were challenging in their own right. I definitely grew in my understanding of how kids change from the early years of school to the middle grades. I laughed every day and I loved seeing the itty-bitty ones whose backpacks swallowed them up at the end of the day, wound so tight from being in class that they literally burst out of the doors. The energy was contagious and I loved being there. But, I always felt like a witness, a bystander - never really fitting into the equation...like I just worked there.

Now that I am back in middle school, my heart is happy and I feel settled. I know this age makes some people cringe, but I l-o-v-e it. It's hard to put into words the crazy/funny/awkward/absolutely-full-of-life world I experience everyday. Fantastic. Invigorating. Exhausting. But everyday if feels worth it (sometimes it's just a little glimmer of purpose, but it's there).

And just yesterday I had one of those moments where, as a teacher, you raise your hands to the heavens and say, "Hallelujah! They GOT it!" Six of my students from last year attend my new school. They all have the same teacher for seventh grade language arts, and yesterday I was at a training with their teacher. We were talking about instructional strategies and such, and she turned to me and asked, "What is 'The Whole Enchilada?' The kids keep saying this when I'm talking about summary." YES, YES, YES! They listened and remembered! I explained that when we're sorting out the difference between main idea and summary, we use hand motions and catch phrases...for main idea, we draw a little heart in the air with our hands and call it the heart of the story, or what it's mostly about. For summary, we spread our arms wide and call it the whole enchilada, beginning, middle and end. (It's important to note that these ideas came from my amazing mentor back in my first years of teaching...Sara B., you're the best!) The joy I felt when hearing that my students are using these terms and movements was almost embarrassing! When it works, it works. And it feels so good!

Just needed to share/document...for posterity and pick-me-ups!