Christmas Vacation

I've already had a very enjoyable Christmas break, and it's only day two! I spent yesterday cleaning and running a few errands. Now, that may not seem like a relaxing day to most people, but I really had an enjoyable and productive day. It's amazing how much work you can get done with business when they're open because its a week day. A savings account was opened, bills were paid, some items were cancelled all because I had a Friday off.  Beautiful!

Things did take a turn for the stressful at 7:30 last night. A group of Ulysses High School alums get together with a world famous magician to put on a fund raiser performance of "The Woman in Black." I was terrified. Bonnie and I slept together in the living room with the Christmas Lights still on.  Now Bonnie's at work, and I'm still nervous to be home alone. There is a reason I don't watch scary anything...

Today I'm still chilling on the living room floor, but I'm planning Christmas Dinner tomorrow. My sister and I celebrate at our house on the eve of Christmas Eve.  Yep. On Christmas Eve eve. I'll be making ham, yams, salad, rolls, green bean casserole, and a (hopefully) delicious cranberry orange sparkling juice. It's the whole sha-bang. Then we'll open our presents from each other.  Unless I can convince her that we should open presents tonight!

Today Bonnie and I are spending the second Saturday crafting with our friend Victoria. With a little Christmas spirit, some hot glue, lots of glitter, and after a long shopping trip at Hobby Lobby I have created a couple things I would like to share. 

These are the wall ornaments I made. I bought some fun Christmas fabric and wooden fabric rings at Hobby Lobby. With just a bit of trimming and hot gluing they are complete! I can't wait to see how cute these will be hanging on the wall in our laundry area. 

If you don't know already, I'm a fan of the Indianapolis Colts and my classroom is decorated in white and blue. This crayon wreath will fit in perfectly with my blue football tree and who doesn't love a few Jingle Bells?

I cannot claim these as my own work. Bonnie made thes for my classroom tree as well. Isn't she awesome?

These are not all the crafts tha have kept me busy, but the melted crayon tree looks like it stabbed somebody and my ornaments with the paint inside are definitely leaving a lot to be desired. 

I hope you have a merry Christmas and a Wonderfully Happy New Year!!!

I just started sponsoring a little fellow in Indonesia through Compassion International. I wrote my first letter last night and was able to include our Christmas card for a picture, but I'm looking for ideas of flat paper items to send him in the next letter. Of course stickers, bookmarks, and photos are the listed options but I want to send him some fun items. I tried my hand at origami tonight, so I think that will be fun shipping that to him, but I'm looking for more ideas.

Can you offer any other suggestion for flat paper items I can send to Danu?

I'm back!

Just like the Terminator, the Backstreet Boys, and other horror film characters I know nothing about, I'm back.
The last post on this beauty of a blog was in June... of 2011. Oops.
I seriously contemplated just starting a new blog to see if anyone noticed, but that involves a new name and template and creativity that I don't have lots of now. Instead I'll just pick up where I left off and go from there.

A long time ago I moved to Ulysses. I had a crazy school year-lots of issues, lots of learning opportunities, lots of learning about the issues... Long story short, I survived!

Over a year later, we've created life-long friendships, moved up in our careers, found a church we love and that helps us grow, eaten more Mexican food than I'd ever thought possible, and actually gotten tired of Sonic. I never thought that last thing would happen.

Basically, we're happy! As I read my posts from during the moving process I see how much I was freakng out over nothing. But that's how it goes, right? We're worried about the next step, what's over the next hill or waiting for us around the corner.  This is my inspiration verse for the week:

“Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen!  Do you not recognize  it? Yes, I will make a road in the desert and paths  in the wilderness. (Isaiah 43:19 NET)

Now, I'm pretty much living in a desert, and its dry and flat out her. We have more cows than people, and without irrigation, we wouldn't even be able to feed them!
But, I'm not going to be worried about the valleys of life, or where this path leads. If He is creating it for me, then I'm taking it. Do we know what awaits us? Nope. Who knows what will happen at the end of the school year, or if Bonnie & I decide to "divorce?" He's got the path laid out and if there's anything Kansas can teach you, it's to follow the (yellow brick) road no matter what.

P.S.  Thanks to my neighbor for allowing the use of her wi-fi and to my school district for the use of the iPad. Without both, this blog would still be waiting for me.