Beauty - Day 31

Today I find beauty in sticking with something. I don't remember the last time that I have stuck with something and did it everyday. I have managed to complete this blog challenge on SS. I found myself looking forward to jotting my thoughts down real quick. Now that I have started blogging and adding it to my daily routine, I have found that I am also reading a lot more blogs too (as you can see from my blog list). I know that I will appreciate these thoughts (as random as they are at times) in years to come. I also realized throughout this month that the little things are what make our lives so special.

The Letter "D"

I was reading my friend Cyn's Blog and she posted a list of 10 things she loved starting with the letter L. I thought it would be fun to do too, so she gave me the letter D. This was a bit harder than I first envisioned when I saw the letter.

10 Things I love that start with D.....

1. Dear husband, Cory. I cannot imagine life without him. I know I was hung up on the whole name thing back in college when we were first dating, but now it's unique that my husband and I have the same name. He truly is my best friend and I love him completely. :-)

2. Duluth High School. I was not sure what to expect when I moved down here and started teaching at DHS. I love it!! I love my colleagues. I have not had the privilege of working with so many wonderful people who are so helpful. I have not had to deal with the typical petty drama that usually happens at work. I have a great group of men and women I work with, and the students are wonderful. They are great!!

3. Dramas. I watch a lot of tv and most of them are dramas such as CSI, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Desparate Housewives, and Brothers and Sisters.

4. my brother Daniel. I wish that I could go out to Salt Lake City and visit him. He's lived out there for almost 5 years, and I have not been out to see him. The only visits we've had have been when he's been in Nebraska.

5. Digital camera. Love how I am able to take all the pictures I want at a time without having to worry about running out of film.

6. Digital video recorder (Tivo). Since I love watching tv, I love my dvr. I am able to record all my shows without having to worry about making sure there is a tape in there or anything.

7. Die-cuts, double-sided paper, and all other scrapbooking related items. I love my scrapbooking hobby. It is so relaxing to create memories that will last beyond the present. I love how excited Ian is to show someone his kitty album. Or how Alex loves to see how he reacted when he got that Christmas present years ago. I have also met some of my best friends through scrapbooking.

8. Diving into a good book. I love to read. Unfortunately, there is not enough hours in the day to read. I need to make sure that I find time to read everyday.

9. Dinner out. No mess, and everyone is able to order their favorite food.

and last but not least,
10. my dear children. They may aggrevate and irrate me some days, but they are a joy to me. I don't know what I would do without them in my life.


If you want to play along, post in the comments section and I will go to your blog and put your letter in your comments.

Friday Fill-ins 1/30

1. I'd really like magically wiggle my nose like Samantha and always have a clean house.

2. Dang it! is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is something that can comsume a person.

4. I'd be a happy captive of Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like hugs and kisses.

6. Alex and Ian make noises on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing a whole lot of nothing. I'm sure we'll go out to eat or something. Tomorrow my plans include cleaning up a bit, laundry, hanging out with Ian (while Cory and Alex go out for lunch) and some scrapbooking. Sunday, I want to watch the Superbowl with Cory.

Beauty - Day 30

Today I found beauty in being adventursome and fearless. Tonight we went out to dinner (which seems to have become our Friday ritual lately) to a new, at least to us, wing place. Cory and I love wings. Alex has also become quite the wing afficionado. Cory and I ordered a sampler platter that included Chernobyl flavored (pretty high up on the heat scale). I ate one doused in ranch dressing and still burned my tongue and lips. Cory was able to talk Alex into eating one as well. I wish I would have had my camera with me. The look on Alex's face when the heat started kicking in was priceless. Cory was so proud of Alex for trying the hot wing.
Even the little adventures we take in life can lead to bigger and better things.

Beauty - Day 29

Today I was able to find beauty in being appreciated. Too often we do our jobs because we have to. I am sure that many love their jobs, and I am one who loves my job. I love teaching kids and no matter how much I may complain at times, I love my job!! I had two different times yesterday where I had two of my assistant principals tell me that I was doing a good job. I don't teach to get accolades from my principals, but it was nice to be recognized for the job I do. It is the little compliments at times that will get you through the hard times. I am glad that I moved to Georgia for this job. I know that it is the right place for me. I am excited about what is to come and what could happen for me in the years to come.

Beauty - Day 28

Today it was beautiful to let Ian go back to school after having to stay home with a fever. Unfortunately though, Cory called me about 12:30 to say that Ian was sitting in the nurse's office. Poor guy's throat hurts now. Tonsils are swollen. He has to wait until tomorrow morning for a doctor appointment. Times like this makes me definitely miss Dr. Jane (their pediatrician) back in Nebraska. I could call them up and usually have an appointment that day. Hopefully, this new pediatrician will be just as good. I just hope that it's really nothing and Ian is able to start eating again. He's hardly eaten this week since he's been sick. :-(
Being sick is never fun.

Beauty - Day 27

Today there is beauty in music. I love music. Have to have it on in the car. Sing in the shower. Listen to the radio or my iPod during my planning period and before/after school. I was in choir and band during high school. Marching band in college where I met some of my best friends, including my dear husband. I miss playing my clarinet on a regular basis, although, I am not sure when I would find the time to be a part of a regular ensemble now. I could not imagine my life without music in it.


This year, Alex started going to a middle school. He was also able to start playing in band. He was so excited to be in band. Cory and I were excited for him too. I was thrilled to pieces when he chose the clarinet (and no I did not persuade him in anyway). Tonight, Alex had his first concert. For a group of first year players, they were actually pretty good. Even Ian was able to recognize their version of We Will Rock You by Queen. It was a good time, and I couldn't have been prouder of Alex. He even let me take this picture of him after the concert. :-)

Beauty - Day 26

Today the weather in Georgia was beautiful. I am loving the weather down here this summer. Being from Nebraska I am used to subzero temps and snow all winter. Having to wear a light jacket most of the time has been great. There have been a few days where it's been nippy, and I have laughed at the "natives" and their reaction to the cold (less than 30 degrees). LOL
Cory is from Wisconsin, so he too has been used to cold winters. The weather today was in the 50s and it's supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. Definitely love this part of living down here. No more snow or really cold winters -- BEAUTIFUL!!!

Beauty - Day 25

As silly as it seems, I am able to find beauty in being a couch potato. I love my tv shows. Don't know how I would get along without my TiVo. I watch something every night of the week. There are even shows, like all 3 CSIs that I watch with Cory. It is something that we can do together. Since our cable was out last week, we were able to cuddle up together on the couch together to watch some of our missed episodes on the laptop. It's so nice to relax in my chair and watch tv. My TiVo and my computer are two of my most beautiful gadgets. :-)

Beauty - Day 24

Today I had plans to meet up and scrapbook with some of my friends on SS. Unfortunately, Archiver's was too full and our plans kinda fell apart. On the bright side though, I was able to enjoy a nice lunch (soup, salad & breadsticks from Olive Garden - yummmy!!) with Marta & Chris. We did have 4 kids with us, but we tried to ignore them. LOL :-)
Thanks to Marta though, today, I found the Dekalb County Farmer's Market. OMG!! This place was awesome! I could not believe all the fresh produce, fruits, organic breads, imported cheese, and fresh meat and seafood. I have already eaten quite a few of the strawberries and pineapple (which they even cut & cored for free!). Cory and I shared the most yummiest of soft pretzels too on the ride home. Ian ate almost all the cookies I bought for him.
It was a great way to spend a couple of hours, and I can not wait to go back again!

Friday Fill-ins, January 23

1. Oh, I am so TIRED. There never seems to be enough hours during the week to sleep, work, spend time with the boys and Cory, and everything else that life has to offer and make me do.

2. I am not a big fan of changes, whether they are big or little.

3. During Home Makeover, I cry.

4. Alex and Ian are not fighting or yelling at each other?? are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be on vacation.

6. My TiVO is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out with Cory, Alex, and Ian tonight, tomorrow my plans include meeting up with some SS friends at Archiver's and scrapbooking and Sunday, I want to not do anything, but will need to grade some papers and work a bit more on my dissertation.

Beauty - Day 23

Tonight it was nice to have a family dinner together. So often I don't feel like doing much, so I will make the boys a quick sandwich or something for dinner. It's such a simple thing, but sitting down to dinner with Cory and the boys is nice. Granted the boys are into mono-syllabic answers they still will talk to Cory and I. I cherish the time that we all get to spend together as a family, even the simple times of eating dinner or playing a game together. Mom gave us this dice game Doodle Dice Deluxe for Christmas. It has become our new favorite. It reminds me of Yahtzee, but the dice all have lines drawn on them and you need to make pictures to win. It's not too often that we can find a game that all four of us can play together.

Beauty - Day 22

Today I find beauty in my Mom. I have been thinking of her a lot lately. I miss her a lot. I knew when we were thinking of making the move to Georgia that Mom would be the person I would miss the most. I was so used to seeing her all the time and being able to drop by if I wanted to. Now, I have to call and maybe try to convince her to come and visit. Seeing Mom again is the main reason why I will be taking the boys back to Nebraska this summer to visit. Mom's wisdom, love, and friendship mean so much to me, and I know that I need to tell her what she means to me.

7 word bio

I saw this posted on a couple of my friends' blogs, Cyndi's and Jayne's.

I thought I would give it a shot :-)

• dedicated


• loving


• fun


• compassionate
• sarcastic
• caring
• teacher

Beauty - Day 21

Today I realized that there is beauty in responsibility. This weekend, I realized that being a grown-up and all its responsibilities can stink. I had something happen that was totally my fault. I couldn't blame it on Cory or school or any other outside forces. Responsibility can be a hard lesson to learn, but sometimes it takes those hard lessons for us to realize our mistakes. To learn that next time I will not make the same mistake.

Beauty - Day 20

Today there is beauty in pain. I was so excited this weekend when I was at Walmart. There was actually a Wii Fit in stock!! I've been wanting one ever since I knew we were getting a Wii for Christmas. Boy, is my body out of shape. LOL I've only been working out on there for two days, but I can feel the pain in my body. I know that I need to keep going and push through the pain to get to my goal. I want to get back down to a more healthier weight. I had done Weight Watchers a while back, but with the move and starting a new job, I just put going back to Weight Watchers on the back burner. I need to do this for myself. There are times when I look at the mirror and don't always like what I see. I need to do something so that I will be able to feel better about myself all the time.

Beauty - Day 19

Today I get to hang out with Ian. We are off of school today for Martin Luther King Day.
I wanted to grab a bagel at the Atlanta Bread Company, so I brought Ian along with me (plus Cory is able to sleep without so much noise LOL). He is so funny. His smile and his laugh are so infectious that they just make me smile and laugh too. I cannot believe how grown up he is for his young 6 years. I just cannot believe my baby is 6 almost 7. Where does the time go? I realize that I need to make time to spend with Ian and Alex. They are my greatest blessing, and no matter how aggrevating they can be, I cannot imagine life without them. I need to let them be kids and appreciate thier silliness for what it is (as Ian is banging his fists on the booth seat at ABC :-) )

Beauty - Day 18

Today there is beauty in finally getting something done that you've been procrastinating doing! :-)
I finally managed to write a very rough draft of my first chapter of my dissertation. The topic deals with low performance of students in math classes with our new Georgia curriculum. I'm still ironing out all the details, but I know that I am in capable hands with my mentor. It is such a huge relief to be finally have it started. That's been my biggest hang-up, just sitting down to get started on it. Now I just need to work on all my research and get that started written up.
But in the meantime, I will bask in the relief of it being started now :-) Still have a long way to go....

Beauty - Day 17

Today I find beauty in "escaping." As I type this, I am hiding out at the Atlanta Bread Company. I have enjoyed a yummy lunch and even managed to get a couple of pages typed of my dissertation. I knew that I would need to "escape" the tempations of home to get going and actually get some work done on this paper. I needed to take a bit of a break real quick, so I thougth I would go ahead and post this entry before I got back into writing mode. I want to have a few more pages done before I call it a day and head home to scrapbook. Nothing like rewarding myself for a job well done than with something I really would rather be doing in the first place. LOL.

Beauty - Day 16

Today, I found beauty in looking forward to a three day weekend. I already know that I will be a bit busy though, as I have a deadline now of Monday to get a rough draft of my dissertation to my mentor. Nothing like a deadline to get this procrastinator hoping and in gear. I will enjoy tonight though and work on my dissertation tomorrow. The true mantra of a procrastinator :-)

Text Thursday

I saw this question asked on another blog I read, Sisterhood of Scrap.

My favorite color is PURPLE. I love how it reminds me of a warm summer sunset. I also love soft and luxurious it can make you feel.

With two boys, I don't always get to use a lot of purples, but I did this layout a couple of weeks ago. I love how great it turned out.

Beauty - Day 15

I am really enjoying this blogging thing. :-)

I love how this month, I have had to sit and find beauty. It goes along well with this other challenge I've been doing on Scrapshare. Another sister on there found the idea to create a layout each week to display the blessings in my life. Today I was going through some older pictures that I hadn't scrapped yet, and found a great one (although I really don't look great) of me with my friends Cyn and Marta. Their friendship has been a source of beauty and blessing to me since I moved to Georgia. I had actually talked to Cyn online before moving to Georgia, and she was so sweet online. I couldn't wait to meet her in person. Marta was another friend I met within a week or so of moving to Georgia. We hit it off instantly! I have been fortunate to share my scrapbooking hobby with them, and had it not been for Scrapshare, I would not have met these two beautiful women! I love you gals!!!

Beauty - Day 14

Today I am so thankful that I have sick days. I normally tough it out when I don't feel well, and usually use my sick day for the occassional "mental health" day. Today though, I woke up feeling cruddy, figured I could tough it out. I had a bad headache and knew that it would probably get worse. It was beautiful to walk in, talk to the secretary, and have a sub arrive in less than an hour for me. It's always touching when my students don't want me to leave them, but it was easier to take a day now then several days later. I did manage to sleep most of the day, drank lots of liquids, and ate some soup. Now it's off to bed again, and praying that it was nothing and not the flu or something.

Beauty - Day 13

Today was no different than any other day. I went to work, taught students a subject detested by most, and came home. No matter how much I may complain to Cory or my friend about my job, I truly love teaching. I love math. I think it's fun to do problems. I love my new school and the students that I get to teach now. I truly believe that our moving to Georgia was God's leading. I am once again doing what I love, teaching students algebra and algebra 2. Today was one of those rare days that truly shows why I do what I do. I had one student "get it." It was so exhilirating to watch him grasp the concept and understand how to do the problem. He told me that I was a good teacher. It's not too often I get told that by students, so when it happens, it truly makes me appreciate and love my job even more.

Beauty - Day 12

Today I saw beauty in my two kitties, Sherman and Patches. Growing up I was always a dog person. We always had a dog. I knew that when I had a place of my own I would have a dog. Well, along came my husband and youngest son. LOL. They are cat people. Cory had cats and a dog when he was growing up. So, he always planned to have the same. I am not really sure where Ian's fascination came with cats. He was given a stuffed kitty, whom he named Spud (after his sitter Deb's cat), for Christmas when he was one. Since then, Ian has amassed quite the stuffed kitty collection along with our two real kitties, Sherman and Patches. Even now, as I type, they wait for me to go to bed. When I am on the computer, they tend to jump up to get petted while I am trying to type. I never knew how these two creatures could come to be such an integral part of our family now.

Beauty - Day 11

As I sit here thinking about the day's events, I realize how nice it was to go to the store without any kids. Granted Cory didn't want to go with me, but he was nice to not make me take Alex or Ian with me. I leisurely walked the aisles at Walmart resisting the urge to spend even more money (lol). In thinking back it is nice to have that quiet time to myself, and also to complete a task in a lot less time without two kids in tow.

Beauty - Day 10

Today I just stumbled upon "beauty." I just happened to look over at the boys as they were playing the Wii, and saw Ian just lying on the floor watching Alex play. I just love how cute he looks, how relaxed he is lying there, and how lucky he is to be young still. To have the stress-free, carefree life of a 6 year old. Granted I love my life and where I have been and where I am going, but sometimes it would be nice to have nothing to worry about at any one time.

Beauty - Day 9

Today's beauty search found me seeing my husband. Cory is the greatest father, husband, and friend a wife could ask for. No matter how grouchy I can be (I'm not grouchy that often LOL) he still loves me. He puts up with me spending countless hours with my scrapbooking hobby and even supports me when I want to go away for the weekend to scrapbook. He is my BFF :-)

I love how he loves me no matter what. He loves spending time with the boys and they always want to be with dad. I am truly blessed to have him in my life.

Beauty - Day 8

There is nothing better than a clean house. LOL
As I look around at the dirty dishes, laundry that needs to be done, trash that needs to be taken out, I can not believe how often these things need to be done. Seems like it's never ending. It is nice sometimes to use cleaning as an excuse to procrastinate some more, which I'm sure I'll do this weekend when I am supposed to be working on my dissertation. Being on vacation with the boys for two weeks didn't help keep the house clean. Oh well...I will just appreciate the beauty of the clean house once it's clean again :-)

Beauty - Day 7

Today I marvel at the beauty of God's creation - the human body. I have gone back to school this week. After being off for two weeks and having the luxury of staying up late and sleeping in, this week so far I have had to adjust to my normal sleep schedule. During the day I am able to rely on my adrenaline to keep my going (along with keeping up with all my students). Today though, when I got home, my lack of sleep caught up with me. My body needed sleep. It is amazing how God created us in such a fashion that we are able to adjust and answer our body's wants.

Beauty -- Day 6

Today's search finds me appreciating the beauty of technology. I have been reading a few of my friends' blog for a few months now and loved how they were able to find a way to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. I told myself that I would use this year to start blogging. I know that as I become more involved with my doctoral program and writing my dissertation, it will be nice to have this blog to go back and read and savor even just the little things in life. Like tonight, I was able to spend time with Ian. Our routine this school year has been for him to read his "bag book" to me after dinner/before bed. I am so proud of how well he can read and his love for reading. He was so excited that he was almost to the next level in his PIR folder (passport into reading program from school where he is rewarded for all the books he reads). We took even more time to read Mittens and The Creepy Countdown so that Ian was ready for his next level tomorrow. I am so thankful for the time, as little as it is sometimes, that I am able to spend with Ian and Alex.

Beauty - Day 5

Today's search for beauty was found in the opportunities we have for a fresh start. Today was the start of a new semester for me and my students today. One of the first things I told my classes today was that it was the start of a new semester, and it does not matter what happened last semester. So many times, I wish I could start over after knowing how I would screw things up or have things not go the way I had envisioned. The chance to start anew is a thing of beauty.

Beauty - Day 4

Today I was able to spend the day scrapbooking. I don't remember the last time that I have been able to work this much or have gotten this many pages done. I will need to use my Cricut to cut a few titles, but the pages are all journaled and done otherwise. I was able to update Alex's school album (I hadn't done anything in that album since he was in 2nd grade. He's in 6th grade now). I also updated Ian's kitty album (a small 7x7 album with pictures of all his stuffed kitties. He loves this album and shows it to anyone who comes over). I was also able to update by SS friends album using some of my most favorite paper from Basic Grey. The BEAUTY of the paper makes it my favorite. The colors are so bright and vibrant. I just love using this paper.

Here's one of the may layouts I did today using this paper

Beauty - Day 3

Today's search for beauty was found in my friendship with my friend, Jen. Jen is the one who convinced me to apply for my job down here in Georgia. She was the only person I knew when I moved down here 5 months ago. I was a little worried and scared about moving so far away and only knowing one person. I have since met some other very wonderful people in Georgia, but my friendship with Jen has grown. I am thankful that my husband has been able to meet Jen's husband and become friends with him. Even our children have become the best of friends. Friendship is definitely a sign of beauty in a person's life, and I am so glad for the friendships that I have been able to gain since moving to Georgia.

Beauty - Day 2

Today's search for beauty found me seeing how God answer prayers. The beauty was that it was not a "big" request, but God does answer prayer when we least expect it. My colleague today had misplaced something. She and I looked all over our classrooms for the item. She even drove home twice to look for said item. After lunch, she happened to ask our secretary about the item. The principal had said item. She and I were so happy that it was found. No matter how big or small, whether we feel we deserve it or not, God does answer our prayers.

Beauty - Day 1

Since I have started my new year's resolutions (starting a blog was one), I will be able to join in on the blog challenges each month that are posted on SS.

This month, we have been challenged to find beauty in everything around us. For today, I find beauty in sleeping in. I have enjoyed the luxury for the last two weeks, but I have to report back to school tomorrow for a teacher workday. I'm not too happy about having to go back to work, as I have been spoiled in doing nothing during my vacation. However though, reality sets in tomorrow as I return to my daily routine of working and back to my own classes. I have enjoyed a two week break from my doctoral classes too, but I need to get back on track as I have my dissertation to start writing. I want to stay on track for graduation, so I need to get crackin'. Off to bed now since I can no longer sleep in during the week.....