3 years ago…

Three years ago, a girl and a boy from Kansas drove 1,555 miles into New York City.  He was dropping her off for her to live and work for a semester on Long Island. She knew that she wanted to do this, to see what it exactly was she wanted from life. The boy and the girl drove for days on end and ended up in the city.

The girl and boy went through you know what trying to get into the city through the Holland Tunnel a couple of days before New Years Eve. EVERYONE was trying to get into the city to celebrate in Times Square! It was packed and the car they were riding in about got clobbered by a bus. True story….. The girl cried. The boy asked “Where do they sell I hate NY shirts? Where can I buy one of those?” The boy was trying to make light of the situation. The girl cried more.

After about losing their lives trying to get into the city, a wrong turn was somehow taken and they got lost. The girl cried more.

After hours of being lost in NYC, they were finally on Long Island driving on the LIE- which can otherwise be known as torture during ‘rush hour’. Right before it was completely dark they drove up to the girl’s new home. There were no curtains on her windows, the new roommate was a fitness model (true story) who does competitions, and her bed was not put together. The room was cold and empty and the boy was going to leave the girl there all alone. The girl cried more.

The boy and the girl went to bed on tear a tear stained pillow. The next day, the boy helped the girl put her room together and make it home to her. The boy was being such a prince charming.

AFTER the boy helped the girl get her room together.

The boy walked out of her new place in New York on New Years day and the girl stayed in New York.  The boy got on a plane and flew back to Kansas, without the girl. The girl cried when the boy walked away from her and she felt her hear break….. She thought she liked that boy quite a bit but didn’t think she would actually feel her heart break when he walked away and left her there. Yes, she cried all the way to New York and for a few days after she arrived but ended up having the time of her life and learned the most important lesson of her life. 

The lesson that girl learned: She loved that boy with all of her heart.

This is a true story based on the real life of Julie and her now husband.

I’m pretty sure the boy in this story learned the same lesson, loving the girl with all of his heart. You should hear HIM  tell the story! It’s waaaaaay better than my version!

Dear Body,

Dear Body,

I am not amused that you know when a break from school comes along and you decide to break down. Yes, Body, I remember your Thanksgiving doosey complete with silence and misery. I didn’t need you to remind me that you have this power of me- I already know. I am not okay with you taking my Christmas break too. This is not cool.

I am not appreciating the fact that you are completely worn down, I have tried to take care of you! I am not a fan of the fit you throw when you are taken away from the couch for a minute or two. I am also not a fan that you think it is necessary to be lying down all the live long day. There are only so many minutes I can watch Netflix or the Whinnie the Pooh movie I got for Christmas. All great but seriously Body- get your act together and find life outside of the couch and Netflix.

Body, are you not aware that I have things to do? School will be here soon and kids will eat you alive if you are not prepared! Do you want to be eaten alive come   Tuesday?! I didn’t think so! So, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!! I need to get my rump to school! It is the best thing for both of us!

I would also like to address this nose business. It hurts. Can you please unplug and help me breathe like a normal person. I am not cool with this running around like crazy. It is not fair that I am on the couch while the nose is running. I want to run around too. Also, what is with this throat that is generally uncomfortable and hurting.  Couch drops aren’t doing the trick and I want relief.

The worst part is that I am unable to take any medicine to help you fight this- so I am pouting like it is no one’s business. Do you hear me body, I am trying to help you and you are giving me nothing in return. I want to take something to help you, Body, but it is not an option so here I lay trying to get better on my own when I know of a million things I have to do! Body, when are you planning on finding the time to bake, clean the house, do the thousand things I must do at school before Tuesday, put away Christmas gifts, and tie up loose ends of 2011? Again, when are you going to find the time?

I know this may be harsh. Sorry Body, truly I am. But, I would appreciate it if you would GET YOU ACT TOGETHER!! Please, be corporative. I have tried to be nice and take care of you. How about returning the favor. Please and thank you.

Sincerely,

Julie

6 days without internet and I am 100% okay with that.

I took a break from the normal routine of life that I am used to. ♥Home is where the heart is♥ an I was able to brave the snow and make it home to my side of the family. It was wonderful to be unattached to technology and just focus on the things I love about being home. 

FAMILY

My angel of a niece!

I rub it into my sister all the time that her little girl is sooooooo much like her Aunt Julie! It is so uncanny how she has so many characteristics that remind everyone (not just me!) of her aunt! My face identifer even asks, “Is this Julie” because some of our facial features are alike. Poor sister of mine! She spent 18 years living with me and now she’ll have another 18 with a mini Julie!

The nephew curled up with a good book!

The  nephew: He crawls into bed all by himself and grabs a book and can be found there for about 30 minutes just chilling and ‘reading’! He is going to be such a smart cookie! It makes his teacher aunt (and teacher mom, and teacher dad, and teacher Uncle) very proud! I fall in love with him more every day! Such a stinker with stubbornness of his mommy’s side of the family- but with the heart of his mommy’s side of the family to accompany it! What a kid!  SIDENOTE- he turned TWO on Christmas Eve! <3 

Dad + baby girl = love forever!

I will always be my daddy’s little girl. FOREVER!

Angel + Aunt Julie

HOW on earth did the time at home sneak away without a picture of me + mom and me + sister?!?! I know they are on other cameras. Booo! I’m missing part of my family!

BLISS

Running with the cows!

I live in the country- this is true. While at my home or my parents home, I get to run with the cows. I see a cow on every single outdoor run I take.  For real, I took this while out on a run. I’m not embarrassed of this, in fact I don’t know why I haven’t shared my running buddies with you before.

Celebrating the birth of Jesus

The reason for Christmas!

What a wonderful reason to celebrate! The time at home was filled with family, fun, food, and celebrating the reason for the season. Candle light Christmas Eve service was great and I enjoyed the Christmas service at my home church (where the husband and I were married.) It was a wonderful Christmas!

I hope that each of you had a wonderful Christmas and that it was filled with loved and laughter!

QUESTION: ….Did anyone else take a break to enjoy Christmas to the full extent?

Christmas fingers!

I finally have a free moment between wrapping presents, going through my jam packed closets, and trying to make my house look a little less –ummmmm– horrible. What did I do with this free moment? I tended to my poor, poor, neglected fingernails.  I never take the time anymore to make them look girly. I need to change that. There is so much inspiration out there on Pinterest!

What I want my nails to look like…..

These are my favorite for Christmas & New Years!

I cannot do this though. I smashed my thumb really bad in early September and it look atrocious! It is all purple and yucky under my nail- I wore nude nail-polish to school and my kiddos were completely distracted and/or disgusted by it. I have to wear color to cover it up now. Hopefully it will go away but I’m not crossing my fingers.

I thought these were super cute! Kind of over the top for me- but cute nonetheless.

What my nails now look like:

Not too over the top but a tad Christmas like

I like them- lets see if they hold up till Christmas! Just a simple red with some glitter on the tips. I never take the time but today, I took the time! That’s what Christmas break will do to a person!

QUESTION: What do you do when you have a free moment? -OR- Do you enjoy doing your fingernails?

 

Christmas Party- 3rd Grade Style!

Yesterday was the day- The 3rd grade Christmas party.

Melted Snowmen & Hot Chocolate <3 ......Someone may or may not have followed directions and licked the snowman BEFORE they were supposed too. Oh 3rd grade.

They had fun decorating their melted snowmen and drinking hot chocolate. Along with- their teacher letting them be a little more crazy than normal. I mean, ‘hey it’s their Christmas party after all. The other party goodness was wrapping each other as a gifts, playing a Santa relay, and just having fun.

We also got to tie up loose ends yesterday. Our finished projects looked a little something like this:

Symmetrical Rudolph 

The perfect way to discuss lines of symmetry during Christmas!

How to Make the Grinch Grin

How to make the Grinch Grin--- eat Whoo hash with him

The kids got so incredibly creative and I couldn’t have been more proud of them. They all took different stances. One of the kids was going to seal Santa’s reindeer  to give poor Max a break and to make him go faster to steal Christmas. Whoo hash was going to be shared, stuffing him full of Christmas cookies, tickling him in the tummy, telling knock-knock jokes,  gifts of love and kindness, and even giving the Grinch and warm bed to sleep in were all ideas. Those kids were creative!

Christmas Lights 

Beautiful Christmas Lights!

Santa Cupcakes 

Cute Santa Cupcakes!

These were made by on of my students. Aren’t they the cutest! It was one of my boys- I have an extremely boy heavy class this year (only 4 girls!) I thought they were the sweetest!

A Gift for the Teacher

Made by one of my kiddos (with help of his grandma) complete with a heart cut in the top! Sweetest gift ever! WAIT- I also got other gifts that were amazing, I’ll share those later and make you wait.

QUESTION: Are you participating in any holiday parties this year? 

To be completely honest, this is the only holiday party I’ll attend. They aren’t the biggest things around here- so no one throws any. Therefore, I don’t get to go to any. Bummer@

It’s the final countdown!

T- 2.5 days

That is right everyone, the countdown is on in my household. CHRISTMAS BREAK is coming in 2.5 school days. So that means 2.5 days till the kids belong to their parents for 10 days solid and I am elated! With both the husband and I being teachers, Christmas break is a time we can both look forward to.

Oh goodness have my kids been chatty. I am trying my hardest to be patient and make cute activities mixed in between the end of the semester tests that are thrown their way.  I don’t know if the teacher’s patience is short or if the kiddos are really that crazy. It may be a toss up. It is everywhere. I think we all just need a week away from each other so we have a chance to miss each other. Yah, that’s it…. or something. I don’t know.

The FUN we have been up to…

Thumb-print Christmas Lights

This is the cutest little craft EVER. All it takes is: a sharpie, white piece of paper, paint, and fingers. Talk about a winning art project in my classroom! I have as much art talent as Monet had in his little pinky joint- just the end of it…. basically none. This project is perfect! 

How to make the Grinch grin writing project

This project was supposed to be fun but I am a little OCD about their writing so it has turned into quite the project. Poor kids. It was a boat load of fun to brainstorm and get our ideas on paper- then, crazy Mrs. H had to turn it into 3 point paragraphs complete with all the other jazz that goes into proper writing. At the end of the day, I’m hoping they can be a cute keepsake if the parents want.

Melted Snowmen cookies

Last but not least, we will be making these melted snowmen on the last day of school for their Christmas party- since their teacher has to throw it. No parents can get off of work. Yay for being strapped for cash and having to throw a Christmas party for a room full of 3rd graders. We will have a TON of FUN. Mark my words. We will have a TON OF FUN!

Question: Any good ideas to make the party a TON of FUN?!

Any ideas or links for: food, drinks, games, anything would be *super* appreciated! 

Gingerbread Protein Dough

As I was making a staple in my household, Cookie Dough Protein Balls- I can’t live without them- I am so thankful that Mareya opened my eyes to them. She posted the invention and I’ve been in love ever since. I want to make the new version and send them to her growing family as a thank you gift! …Task at hand? Oh yes, I was making the cookie dough protein balls and  *I had a revelation*. The revelation went a little something like this….

Christmas + Protein deliciousness = Gingerbread Protein Dough

Gingerbread Protein Dough

I have to admit- I’m quite glad I stumbled into this great idea! It is adding so much holiday joy to my days when I can go grab one of these to give me an extra boost. Plus, they are uber healthy. Yes, I just said UBER healthy and I’m pretty sure I’ll say it again later. Watch for it.

What you need:

Gingerbread Protein Dough Ingredients

• 1/2 c. almonds (ground into fine crumbs- Do this FIRST)
• 1 can Garbanzo beans (rinsed + drained!)
• 1/8 ish c. milk (your choice- I used soy)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• heaping 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• heaping 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 c heaping whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp molasses

Directions:

First, grind 1/2 cup of almonds into fine crumbs. Add 1 can of rinsed + drained garbanzo beans. Pulse until combined and beans are broken up. Add milk, vanilla extract, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and whole wheat flour. Mix together- it should be getting dough like. Add honey and molasses. Mix together until a dough forms- just like cookie dough, pretty thick. Taste the dough to make sure the spices and sweetness is to your liking! That’s the best part.

(If it is too dry- add a splash of milk. Too wet- add more flour. This recipe is pretty forgiving!)

Dump onto a plate with saran wrap to chill in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Once chilled. Roll out and cut out your gingerbread men! Or turn them into dough balls if you are strapped for time. I did half gingerbread men and half dough balls

NOTE: This is not a cookie dough to cook. It is a dough that is to be eaten ‘raw’. No eggs- you’re safe. They keep perfectly in the freezer for weeks. Just set them out for a minute or two from the freezer. Finally- eat them!

Enjoy! 

As you can see from the ingredient list, these are insanely healthy. Yes, they are husband taste tested and approved. I am loving them for the season and am on the fence about sharing them with others at school.  To share or not to share? That is the question.

Warning: the UBER healthy nature of this dough may cause you To o.d. on gingerbread dough

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Serving suggestion: By the Christmas tree- only Christmas lights on- hot chocolate in one hand- gingerbread protein man in the other- Christmas movie playing in the background- cozy slippers.

Perfect for Santa! His waistline will thank you!

 Question: What is your serving suggestion?

You can’t catch me….. I’m the gingerbread man!

Who here is busy?!?

(we all just raised our hands didn’t we!) Golly! Aren’t we busy with Christmas programs, shopping for the perfect gift, hanging lights on our house, spending time with family, and watching Christmas movies?

Tis the time of year! We are all super busy but I did manage to bake a tad yesterday. The husband hit the road for a while so I had the kitchen and the entire house to myself. I baked up a storm. While the storm hit—- I just made the smartest move EVER!

I made gingerbread protein dough cookies.

Oh.My.Heavens! Yummm!

Gingerbread protein dough cookies

If only I had time to share. Tonight is my day for after school tutoring and it  is my student’s Christmas program at school– so that leaves me at home for a grand total of 40 minutes. Whew….Told you the gingerbread man was hard to catch.

If I have spare time I’ll try to catch him and I’ll share him tomorrow

QUESTION: What keeps you the busiest this time of year?!

Nope. Not sorry.

I wish I could tell you all that I was sorry about being away. I’m not sorry though. I can’t lie. My mother taught me to never lie. So, therefore I am not sorry.  I went home to my niece’s dedication to the church and I didn’t open a computer once. Not even one time.

I had a coffee date.

Okay, so it was steamed milk and he had a doungut.

I also held an angel.

Yep, she is truly an angel. However, we believe that she is starting to teethe (OUCH!) So, at times- she was not the happiest camper. I don’t blame the poor thing though. That couldn’t be a walk in the park.

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!

 

Technology + Me = Not Friends!

That’s it- We’re through!

Yes- we are taking a break from each other right now. I can’t take being in touch with technology right now. I have been trying off and on- in between decorating the rest of my christmas tree- to upload my first video blog. It’s NOT WORKING! It says it was too large. So, I cut it down a lot, to 40′ish seconds and it still said it was too large and wouldn’t use it for security purposes. What.Is.The.Deal.?!?!  After all that time I wasted trying to do that, I don’t feel like posting. Technology has gone and ticked me off. I’m not going to let it dampen my day. I’m going to drink some hot chocolate and watch “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Santa Clause” …..

Goodnight technology. I’ll see you again when you decide to play nice.