Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Oh, do I love that man.  I mean, I love everything he did for civil rights in this country, and that he was committed to non-violence, and that he wanted a peaceful nation.  But right now I'm loving that man because I. don't. have. to. work. today.  

Which means....

• I got to sleep in til 8 in my deliciously comfy, warm bed with my fluffy "down" comforter
  
• I got to make myself an egg sandwich (workday morning breakfasts are always something boring and fast, like PB toast)
  
• I got all of my lesson planning for this week done before 9:15
  
• I get to start a batch of banana-chocolate-chip muffins at 9:45 in the morning
  
• I get to go hang out with a good friend today and watch only one of the greatest movies of all time: Anne of Green Gables
  

I mean really, what more could a girl want? Okay, maybe a mani-pedi and a full body massage, but I'll take it. ;)  

Whether you're working or relaxing today, or somewhere in between, have a great Monday!  

P.S.  I do this all the time, and forgive me, but Sandy has such incredible giveaways that I can't help myself.  I'm linking to her amazing, fantastic, full-of-gorgeous-pictures-and-ideas-blog so I can get entered in her giveaway twice.  Maybe this time........

Ugh.

Bad vomiting today. Again.

Sunday night, I made enchiladas for dinner (I've made these a bunch of times - we love them). We sat down to eat, and Chris took a bite before me and made a face. lol I took a bite and soon realized they were GROSS. Like, totally bitter and disgusting. We narrowed it down to the wrap tasting bad, because the cheesy meat inside tasted totally normal. We threw what was on our plates and what was left in the pan out. I am usually super cautious about expiration dates, etc., but I did look on the wrap bag and realize that the wraps had expired on Dec. 27th. I just figured, okay, not horrible, because it's not like they were moldy or anything - I threw those away, too.

Well.

Monday morning, I was getting ready for school, and just as I was about to go downstairs to make breakfast, I knew it was coming. I'll spare you the disgusting details, but suffice it to say that it was very, very violent puking. It was horrible and I wanted to die. Unforunately, call-offs have to be made by 6 am and it was about 6:40 at this time. I felt "better" after I puked and Chris reminded me that if I got to school and couldn't make it through the day, to just come home. I didn't feel that great, and had an upset stomach, but somehow I made it through the day. No more puking, however!

I knew it would be weird to start puking at exactly 12 w, so I chalked it up to food poisoning. However, Chris didn't get sick at all, which I thought was weird.

I didn't throw up or feel sick on Tues, Wed, or Thurs.

Last night, I made taco salad (also with ground beef). Well, surprise, surprise! I woke up, got ready, and realized with dread that it was going to happen again. And this time it was waaay worse. Ugh. It was about 6:30, but I didn't care - there was no way I was going through this again. Besides, this time it felt like I could puke again at any time. I called my principals, and went back to bed. My stomach did get upset, but I slept for a few hours and when I woke up I had some saltines and a little cold water. I feel better now.

So, my question is, is it the beef or what? Chris thinks it is the Mexican spices in both foods, because our beef is from Chris's uncle's cows and we've never had a problem with his meat before. Also, the beef last night came directly from the freezer and I defrosted it in the micro. I would think that he's right, but I'm so depressed because I love Mexican food! He thinks maybe it's just too strong for my stomach to handle during pregnancy. I'm not sure what I think.

Anyone care to put in their two cents?

Drama, Drama, Drama

A few random thoughts from my big ol' comfy armchair in my living room. That's right, people! Living room is moved in! I am SOOOOOOO pumped to have this room basically put together - now my house really, really feels like home again. I am a definite picture person, and it was so soothing to have all of my photos and frames out again yesterday. Plus, it was kinda like an early Christmas to unwrap all of my things again - I forgot I had some stuff!

This afternoon, I spent two hours searching for my keys. It was a nightmare. Not so much because of my personal keys, but because I have about 6 keys on my ring that belong to school. And one of those happens to be a master key to the high school. I was bawling like a baby, but I couldn't help myself, because all I could imagine was that I'd get fired or at the very least, fined a huge amount of money to re-key all the locks. Do you know how many doors are in an average high school building?! Anyway, praise the LORD, they were found in a box in the garage that we had already looked in twice. How we missed them the first two times, I have no idea, but I was a wreck.

I don't know if its the fact that my home feels homey again or because of all of the economic problems in the country (or a mixture of both), but I'm going to start getting into the CVS thing again. Kathy has been inspiring me to get my butt in gear again, and there are a LOT of great deals this week.

I'm going to make myself some decaf with my Vanilla Caramel creamer and cut me some coupons ;).

Thanksgiving is only 18 days away!!!!!!!!!!!!



P.S. I posted a video link on my Facebook site (99 balloons) - I found it from myheartismyhome.blogspot.com and seriously, seriously....you need to watch it.

Randomness

Aren't you just loving fall this year?! We've been drinking a lot of cold apple cider this year, but on Saturday I was at this cute little shop and they had hot apple cider with oranges as part of a big fall sale. It was blissful. lol

The older I get, the more I appreciate Thanksgiving as a holiday - in fact, it's now my official favorite. Of course I appreciate Christmas more in the sense that it's symbolizes Christ's incarnation (and all of the wonder and mystery and grace and promise that involves), but if we're strictly speaking holidays, Thanksgiving now tops my list.

Why? Well, it suddenly dawned on me last night that for the past 6+ years, Thanksgiving has represented the first time after many months that all of my immediate family is together again. The food, the parade, the fall colors, spending quality time with everyone, the knowledge of Christmas still coming....it all combines to make it just the best day/weekend of the year! I think every year that I get older, I appreciate my life more. Especially after this year, with all of its unexpected heartache - my family really is so special and I cherish them all so dearly.

Anyway, if I had the motivation to load pictures right now, I would show you my fall decorations, because they're super cute and classy if I do say so myself.

But I currently have over 500 photos on my camera. Would you want to upload them and sort through all 500?

I didn't think so. ;)


Time for Curves! I'm slowly losing weight again and have a definite goal I'd like to reach before I reach the holiday season!

Embrace the loveliness of today!

In the spirit of blantant copying, I'm taking Amanda's idea and making bulleted points....I have not the brain power after a long day of work to actually write an entire post about one topic. Thus:

• my husband got done from work early today and actually made dinner tonight. fish-sticks (yes, i keep them in the freezer, they're a throwback to my childhood!) and white rice. ahhhh....processed and bleached american comfort food! lol
• i worked at cracker barrel today and decided that since i was starving (thank you, job that barely allows you time to go to the bathroom, never mind bringing food to work like normal human beings) i was going to order myself strawberry shortcake off of the new dessert menu. i do believe i could eat some kind of strawberry/cream/sweetbread combination in very large quantities, daily, until the day that i die. which would probably be in 3 years if i actually did.
• i have been thinking a lot about the presidential elections, and the guy i thought i was going to vote for is actually no longer the guy i am going to vote for. i'm not sure which shocks me more, my initial thought of a candidiate or the one i am now probably going to vote for. and yes, i specifically said "guy." she is not even an option, thankyouverymuch. does anyone else out there just wish we had another option? i will probably be writing a lot more about this in the future, but that's all i'm typing about it for tonight.
• it also dawned on me yesterday (apparently this has been a week of awakenings?!) how odd substituting really is. i mean, seriously, in what other job are you given no orientation, no map of the building, no specific rules or guidelines to follow (other than "please don't let anyone bleed to death, hold anyone hostage, or blow up the school"), no training in the subject matter, no knowledge of anyone in the building's title, status, or position, and yet still expected to ensure that learning takes place? the thought hit me as i was teaching "desktop publishing" (the teacher left no lesson plans, class charts, or even the titles of the classes she was teaching, by the way). i was baffled yesterday by the absurdity of it all. so odd.
• i am reading the atonement child by francine rivers. this is the second book of hers that i've read - the first was redeeming love. i bawled like a baby over that one. i still think her writing is a little cheesy at times, but somehow so compelling. i can't seem to put it down.
• last but not least, we are still looking at houses.....we think we may have found a great one....we just need have our realtor take us inside first. ;)
• aren't you just dying for your stimulus check to just get here already?!
• the end. :)

I am so excited about the next few weeks! On Friday night, we'll be going to Olive Garden with my in-laws and another couple to celebrate my sister-in-law's 30th birthday. Saturday, we're packing it up and going out to Cedarville for a few days! I can't TELL you how excited I am to see my brother and sister (and meet her boyfriend) and a few college friends that still live in the area. We'll be staying til Tuesday morning, which means we also get to go to chapel and eat in Chuck's! haha *sigh* the memories! Chris used to be in an Irish folk band at Cedarville (way, way cooler than it sounds! :), and he's going to "reunite" with their annual St. Paddy's day performance. We arrive home on Tuesday night, and on Saturday my parents and Jill are coming to visit for Easter! Can't wait.

I subbed today, and I think I actually might be falling for the little people. *gasp* Yes, it may be true. I've been seriously contemplating getting my master's in education, and not music education, for two reasons. First, from a technical/job standpoint, it broadens my horizons, and second, I'm thinking strongly about possibly teaching (upper) el. ed some day. Of course, it will be a while before I get my master's, but the thoughts are simmering, that's for sure. I thought I was a die-hard high-school girl, but who really knows..... ;)

It's time to wash some dishes before hubs (I love how she calls her husband that - it kills me) comes home. We're having burgers (we just paid for 1/4 of a cow from my husband's uncle, who raises them - to say we have a lot of available beef would be an understatement - yeehaw!) with grilled onions, homemade pasta salad, and either sauteed zucchini or garden salad with cukes. I don't know about you guys, but I am NOTORIOUS for letting produce go bad. I'll typically use 3/4 of a cucumber/bag of carrots/bag of lettuce/bag of apples, and magically *forget* what I have until I periodically purge the veggie drawer and find it inedible. So, I'm trying to be better and save a little cash.

Speaking of cash, I had a fantastic day at CVS today, but that's just another post for another day. :)

I heart Jon and Kate + 8, Project Runway, and Flip That House.

I heart getting hired as a substitute, even though I still have to get a drug test and a physical (Hallelujah Chorus now resounding in my head!)


I also heart Rachael Ray's "Janet's Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake*", which I made today. Yum-o!



Ahhhhh.....love all around.

The end.




*Everyday with Rachael Ray, May 2007, page 105

Today at work a girl came in with her parents and sat down. She looked to be about my age, and she also appeared to have Down Syndrome or some other mental disability. The thing that got me about this girl is that she was wearing a headband. This wasn't just any headband, though - this baby had sparkly Minnie Mouse ears and a veil coming down the back. Basically, it looked like what they'd give a bride who was celebrating her honeymoon at Disney World. Otherwise, this girl had normal clothes on. She just sat there, the whole time, quietly eating dinner with her parents.

I don't know why exactly, but that just warmed my heart today. I'm guessing she loves that headband, and asked to wear it out, and her parents simply couldn't refuse. To see her, so content with herself, her headband, her veil, and her shrimp....well, it did my heart good.

Happy New Year!

Warning: Completely random post....

We have been so busy recently! We had Chris's (immediate) family's Christmas on the 21st, his extended family Christmas on the 22nd, I directed and wrote a teen play and conducted teen girls in a musical number on the 23rd, we drove to Connecticut and had my family's Christmas (extended then immediate) from the 24th-26th, and then we traveled to Indianapolis from the 27th to the 30th for Mark and Kari's wedding. hahaha....I am just glad to be home. As much as I love people, I don't like constantly living out of suitcase or always being on the run like that. I swear, Chris and I must have spent literally months of our lives driving in the car over the past few years. At least, I feel like it. Well, it was definitely worth it to see family and friends.
- - -
In other news, my PA certification finally came, the day after Christmas! Hooray! I had to work all this week, but Monday I am going to drive a few school boards before I teach lessons to drop off a copy of my cert. Hopefully I'll be subbing within two weeks! I am DYING to be back in classrooms!

- - -

Last year, I kept our Christmas decorations up for a while, but this year, we are so squeezed for space that I took most of them down last night. It is SO tedious to have to take down Christmas ornaments and wrap them, isn't it? Thankfully, I had Friends to keep me company last night. Chandler makes me laugh, without fail, without question.

- - -

I am so happy it's Friday -waitressing all week wears me out! Although, I am picking up a shift for a girl at work tomorrow night. The restaurant has slowed down a ton since Christmas is over and I need a little cash-o-la (as my mom would say). I tried to make a 3-bean 15-minute chili tonight, but I have to say, it didn't turn out that great. It's so disappointing when you spend the time and food to make something and it's just gross, isn't it? Anyway, we still had homemade bacon and onion pizza tonight. I taught my husband to make it, and I have to say, it wasn't half bad.
- - -
Chris and I are totally addicted to house shows - "Flip that House", "Property Virgins", "Property Ladder", and the list goes on. It is truly amazing to see how stupid people are with major financial decisions. :)

- - -
Okay, really, really random: if anyone shops regularly at Aldi, you HAVE to try their "Southwestern Salsa" - you can find it on the side with cheese and meats. It is, bar none, the best salsa I have ever had! Whenever we buy it, I inhale it. Which is why there is a half-full jar of salsa in my fridge tonight that has only been open for about, oh, 25 hours. :)


Have a lovely weekend!