Then Sings My Soul

This Could Be Fun...

2012-01-08T18:57:00.005-06:00

It's time for me to experiment with photo editing, namely because I have the honor of taking a dear friend's engagement photos in the near future. At my cousin's suggestion, I've downloaded a free trial of Lightroom 3, and I've had fun playing this weekend! My mom was sweet to be my "subject" at a park near her house, so you'll recognize her in the pictures below. :)

Chickpea Goodness

2012-01-03T19:24:00.006-06:00

Okay, so I've never posted a recipe before, but this one is too good not to share. It's from Every Day Food, and it was easy to make...and so flavorful! Enjoy! :)

Chickpea Curry

Cherry tomatoes (whole package)
Head of cauliflower (cut into small pieces)

Toss in olive oil and roast these first for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

1 cup long-grain white rice (I made brown)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 cans (15.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2.5 cups baby spinach (I used a LOT more - I love spinach)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
coarse salt

Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and gently simmer 8 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until cauliflower is warmed through and chickpeas are tender, 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and cilantro and season with salt. To serve, divide rice among four bowls and top with curry.

My Pinterest Problem

2011-12-17T16:55:00.003-06:00

I was introduced to Pinterest by a dear friend of mine. It's a great tool for the crafty person (crafty in the "I like to make things" kind of way), and it's a super fun website to browse! However, I'm realizing that any project I find on this site - no matter how great an idea it might be - takes way longer than I anticipate to actually complete. I keep thinking, "Once I get the hang of it, I can whip this out in no time".

That time has yet to come.

Working on Christmas gifts today, thanks to Pinterest. I can't give away too much, since there are people who read my blog who might be the recipient of such a gift. But here are some pics for now. :)

Thanks, Mom!

2011-12-16T21:54:00.004-06:00

My mom had my Christmas present delivered early, and it arrived on my doorstep today. This is a camera bag I've had my eye on for awhile, and she remembered a conversation we had about it months ago! I LOVE it.

Look how everything fits so snuggly! :) Thanks, Mom!

Quelf

2011-12-03T23:54:00.006-06:00

This is most certainly a new favorite game of mine! We had our home group over tonight, and we decided to try a game one of the girls brought over. I love it for several reasons:

1. It's called Quelf.

2. The description on the box says it's "the game that gives random a new name".

3. Take a look at the picture below. The people you play with set the tone for the whole game. How could I not love it?

4. Each of the pieces has a name. This one is called "Mrs. Picklefeather".

5. During the game, I got to serenade my roommate, opera-style.

6. Kim had to make a mask out of household items and wear it until she landed on a green space.

7. She never landed on green.

8. Rebekah had to lay under the table until her next turn.

9. For awhile, anytime someone passed Rachel on the board, she had to scream, fall over, and shout "You thwarted us again, you vile beast"!

10. It was a great time with great girls.

Too Early?

2011-11-19T22:17:00.004-06:00

Family plans fell through this weekend, so I was left with some extra time. I really was going to wait until after Thanksgiving to put this up. But with an entire evening staring me in the face, what was I supposed to do??? To me, the choice was clear.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Love this...pine cones, cinnamon sticks, and cranberries. This would be fun to make!

The tree topper...my favorite!

Mom relaxing with a cup of apple mint tea - after working hard! :)

A Turkey's Perspective

2011-11-17T14:54:00.003-06:00

The assignment: Write about Thanksgiving from a turkey's perspective.

The result: Brilliance.

These are my two favorites:

Fried Turkey

Hi! My name is Wings. I am here to tell my perspective of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a very sad holiday. Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce. Those are the words that make me shiver. Humans are so lucky. They don't have the risk of being on the dinner table! One Thanksgiving I almost got fried! Who fries a turkey? There are other ways to cook a turkey! Anyway, I was about to get fried when the human turned around. I climbed out an open window and flew out. Yes, I really flew! Thank you for coming to hear this lecture. Now I better go hide. It's almost Thanksgiving!

Turkey Interview

Before we start, let me get one thing straight: I'm not a turkey. I am interviewing Bob the turkey, so he is the turkey, not me! Okay - as most turkeys are, Bob is very nervous about Thanksgiving. It appears that the turkeys are teaming up with the cows. They want people to eat more chicken. (Poor chicken.) For Bob's safety I'm not going to say where Bob lives, but he feels it is a safe place, and even though he is hiding, he wants to enjoy himself. I can understand that. Thanks for tuning in to Journal News, I'm J.W. and this is Bob. So good day and Happy Thanksgiving!

Meet Jean.

2011-11-15T22:48:00.004-06:00

In the midst of a whirlwind of busy schedules, Jean and I meet in her home every week or two to go through the Bible study I'm involved in this semester.

We talk about sin. We talk about our struggle with it. We talk about forgiveness. We talk about our Savior's perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection that makes forgiveness possible. We talk about God's grace, and how it's only by this grace - through faith in His Son - that we can know Him at all.

It's an encouraging time. And...Jean always has something ready for me to eat. :) On this particular evening, she brought home some delicious Jason's Deli for us to enjoy.

I'm grateful for my time with her - for her words of wisdom and encouragement, for her boldness in reminding me of truths I often forget.

"For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God." ~2 Corinthians 5:21

Game Night!

2011-11-07T22:21:00.001-06:00

...with the home group. :) Love it.

Pumpkin Bread Attempt #1: Fail

2011-11-04T23:43:00.006-05:00

We were supposed to make this. Cinnamon sugar pumpkin bread. Isn't it lovely? Moist and gooey and pumpkiny...

Gena and I were both so motivated to make this beautiful loaf of bread - we set aside a whole evening in order to bake together. Note the excitement on Gena's face as she prepared the starter for the bread!

We stumbled through the recipe, sort of skimming through what we didn't understand. *First mistake*. Did we have a way to measure the temperature of the water before we put in the yeast? No. Did we have the correct kitchen appliances for this recipe? No. Did we have the pureed pumpkin that was needed? No, but we had pumpkin butter - that's almost the same thing, right?

The dough looked great, kneaded and ready to rise...

Unfortunately our yeast didn't activate properly, so half an hour later it didn't look much different than when we stared.

So what did we do? Were we discouraged? Never! We formed the dough into balls, rolled them in cinnamon sugar, and baked them for a half an hour, knowing full well they wouldn't rise.

Gena was the brave one to try the first bite of what we affectionately call "Pumpkin Balls". Was it any good?...

...Meh.

But at least we had fun. It was a good bonding experience. And we'll know next time to be a little more prepared. :)

Tuesdays

2011-11-02T16:32:00.007-05:00

This semester, I look forward to Tuesdays simply because of good, quality time with my dear friend Megan.

For this friend I am grateful. She's beautiful. She's real. She's a great encouragement to me.

After my work at school is complete, I head over to join the Myers family for the evening. It's a privilege to jump into their lives - which on this particular Tuesday involved me making acorn-shaped biscuits. Obviously. When there is no biscuit cutter around, always, always go for the cookie cutters. The acorn shape was a nice touch for the fall.

After dinner and fellowship, Kc leaves for the remainder of the evening, and Bennett and the girls are left to hold down the fort...

"What is this large, black object with flashing lights she holds?"

"I do not know about this whole situation.

Mother, what should I do?"

There's that smile! Isn't he precious?

After a bath, it's bonding time with Mama! I loved hearing "Caps for Sale", a favorite of Bennett's. Megan's not really mad, it was just a very dramatic reading. :)

And after the little one is fast asleep, Megan and I have our own bonding time! Post-catching-up-on-each-others-lives, we pull out "Anne of Green Gables", which Megan recently found out I had never seen.

Unacceptable.

We are taking care of that, one Tuesday at a time.

Cooking with Fungus

2011-10-31T21:24:00.003-05:00

Tonight I made stir-fry with shiitake mushrooms. This might not seem like a big deal, but for one who is typically grossed out by mushrooms, it was a huge step!

If you've never seen one, a shiitake mushroom looks like this:

It's weird. It's fuzzy. It's ginormous. And it's fungus.

It's hard to get past the fact that it's fungus. It grows on TREES. And as my roommate so thoughtfully and tactfully stated tonight, "You wouldn't want to eat fungus off of someone's foot. It IS weird."

But...thrown in with some soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, red pepper, shrimp, and snow peas? Delicious! I'd cook with fungus again in a heartbeat.

Ridiculous

2011-09-09T17:41:00.005-05:00

The motto of the Boy Scouts is "Be prepared". I know this because I was one. A Boy Scout, I mean. We can have that conversation later.

So, I'm not sure if this falls under the motto, or if I just have a problem.

This week I have realized I have 4 bags of almonds in the pantry:

A multitude of chaptick:

And a plethora of hand products, most of which I pulled out of my purse the other day. Do you even know what a plethora is? (Name that movie!)

All this to say...these things will be used and will not go to waste, but I'm not sure it's necessary to...you know...have all of the above.

Just trying to do my duty as a Boy Scout, I guess.

Seriously.

2011-08-23T20:02:00.004-05:00

A new favorite. Seriously, so good.

All natural with only five ingredients - milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and [insert flavor here]. Still crazy high in fat, but hey...sometimes it's just an ice cream kind of day!

A Bouquet of Freshly Sharpened Pencils

2011-08-16T18:11:00.007-05:00

Freshly sharpened pencils. Brand new books. Notebook paper straight out of the package. There’s something about the smell of the start of school that just makes me happy.

Tomorrow I meet my 8^th group of kiddos that I get to spend the next 10 months with. We’ll spend the day getting to know each other, discussing procedures, and learning a bit about what life in 3^rd grade will look like...

I can’t wait.

Tomorrow I’ll greet students that might be feeling anxious, shy, ecstatic, energized, apprehensive, terrified, or giddy. All will be on their best behavior for the first day…maybe for the first three. They’ll sit up straight, raise their hands, and follow directions perfectly. But by next week true colors will begin to shine as they become more comfortable...

I can’t wait.

Tomorrow the tone of the year will be set as the students get a glimpse into the heart of their teacher. Who is this lady that will teach me? Will she be strict? Will she like me? Will she make learning fun?...

I can’t wait.

Tomorrow I’d love your prayers. See, God has given me 23 students this year on purpose. He’s given me a job to do, and I don't take that lightly. And it's only by His grace that I can do it. So please pray.

Pray that I’ll depend on the Lord for strength, patience, and joy.
Pray that I’ll love my students well, because God first loved me.
Pray that I’ll extend grace to these children, since God has shown me amazing grace in His Son.
Pray that I’ll affirm them in their strengths, help them in their weaknesses, and point them to their Creator who made them uniquely who they are.
Pray that I won’t fall into complacency or mundane routine, but that each day would be seen as an opportunity to minister to 23 children made in the image of God.
Pray that even in the times when I’m most exhausted, I'll remember His grace is sufficient for me.
Pray that my students will see that I don’t have it all together.
Pray that I’ll point them to Jesus every chance I get.
Pray that the Lord will work in their hearts, even now softening them toward the truth of the gospel.

Tomorrow is my 8^th first day of school.

I can’t wait to see what God will do. Lord, be glorified in me.

Smile

2011-08-06T10:51:00.003-05:00

Mourning Christian, why are you weeping?

Are you mourning over your own sins and failings?

Look to your perfect Lord,

and remember, you are complete in Him. You are in God's sight as perfect as if you had never sinned...you have the righteousness of God...remember, none of your sins can condemn you. Your standing is not in yourself, but in your Lord. So I urge you, take hold of this precious thought - perfection in Christ! Christian, let your heart rejoice, for you are "accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6) - what do you have to fear?

Keep a smile on your face!

~C. Spurgeon~

So Excited!

2011-08-05T15:21:00.004-05:00

A preview of their new album, coming out October 4th (not that I'm a fan or anything...).

....Or, you can get it early here....which is what I did.

Not that I'm a fan or anything. :)

I couldn't figure out how to get the full picture on here - sorry it's cut off! Enjoy!

A New Leaf

2011-07-18T17:38:00.003-05:00

My brother has inspired me. Since I got back from Colorado, I have decided to change some eating habits. After a visit to the grocery store, I have begun eating more of these:

Some of these:

And even a bit of these:

I've got fish and chicken in the freezer for when I actually cook something. We'll see how it goes. Already this afternoon I had frozen yogurt (Reese's PB, espresso, and cookies & cream flavored - yum!), but that's healthy, right? It's yogurt!

Obviously I'm not following all the rules, but a girl's got to enjoy some fro-yo during the summer.

If you're someone I chat with often, I'd love for you to ask me how this is going. Trying to be a better steward of the body God's given me...a little more energy wouldn't hurt for the work He's given me!

20 Lessons Learned in Guatemala

2011-06-26T22:29:00.015-05:00

1(a). Responding with "si" to every question you don't understand at Wendy's is ineffective. You will end up with a bottled water, when what you really wanted was a chicken nugget meal.

1(b). God humbles us in humorous ways sometimes.

2. Roosters do exist. They crow very loudly in the morning.

3. A genuine hug from a complete stranger has the potential to bring forth tears.

4. A language barrier does, in fact, result in a huge communication problem. It does not, however, prevent the display of Christ's love and His gospel.

5. Cleaning dishes is one of my favorite chores, especially when a handful of teenaged girls works with me - smiling, hugging, giggling, and chattering - repeatedly asking "Como te llamas?" and "Cuantos anos tienes?".

6. Weather conditions change more rapidly in Guatemala than they do in Texas. Who would have thought that possible?

7. I could hold babies all day long (this was not learned...fun fact for free!).

8. There are fascinating people in this world who are brothers and sisters in Christ.

9. I think about myself far too often. FAR too often.

10. Praising God in acapella with complete strangers is a beautiful thing.

11. Guatemala has an equivalent to Costco. It's called Price Smart. We went there, and It. Was. Awesome.

12. God is faithful to strengthen, provide, and bring peace, even in the moments when I feel sick, asking myself "What in the world have I gotten myself into?". Standing in front of 50 strangers - expected to teach them and desiring so badly to share Jesus with them (and having opportunity to do so, praise Him!) - is a scenario I never would have imagined.

13. The money I spent on my North Face rain jacket is money well spent.

14. Translators are a gift.

15. Fundaninos is an incredible place. The people there serve an awesome God, and they love those kids.

16. Being disconnected from the world of technology for 10 days was very good for me.

17. Guatemalan coffee. That's all.

18. There are sad, horrific things going on in this world. My eyes have been opened this week, and my heart is broken.

19. Watching people walk in their gifts while serving the Lord brings joy to my heart.

20. Dios es bueno, todo el tiempo. Todo el tiempo, Dios es bueno.

Guatemala

2011-06-08T23:09:00.003-05:00

Okay, friends. I promised Guatemala updates, but I'm redirecting you for now...

Beginning today (and continuing through the end of our trip), you can find detailed updates here. The first post - with prayer requests - can be found here!

Please join us in praying over this 10-day trip to Guatemala. For me personally (and specifically), you can pray that I won't be anxious about the teacher training part of it. God is pulling me way out of my comfort zone on this trip, and I'm excited to see what HE will do! Please pray that I'll use my time this week well in order to take care of last minute preparations.

We leave on June 16th. :)

Playdate

2011-06-07T22:07:00.005-05:00

Today was a good day.

Megan and I had a playdate. Megan has a 1-year-old son, so you might be wondering if the playdate had anything to do with him...

Kind of. But it was mainly for us. :)

Yes, we are adults.

We started the day off at their house, playing and chatting. Chick-fil-a was next (obviously), where we enjoyed a fabulous lunch.

That's about what I looked like, too, whilst enjoying my meal!

Touchdown! Isn't his mama beautiful?

In the afternoon, we went outside to swing. Bennett was obviously thrilled with this activity.

We played in the sandbox...

And by the time all was said and done, Bennett was ready for the camera to be out of his face...

Ha! Not really, I just caught him at a bad moment. He really is a smiley child! :)

I had a blast hanging out with these two for the day. Megan, I'm thankful for you!

Time Flies

2011-05-31T19:11:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe! Welcome, June.

Ouch.

2011-05-30T17:39:00.001-05:00

Silliness

2011-05-30T00:18:00.002-05:00

Costco is Amazing

2011-05-28T22:26:00.003-05:00

About to head down to Dallas with part of my home group. Playing with and serving lunch to precious kids makes for a great Saturday! :)

Smile

2011-05-27T23:03:00.000-05:00

Mom's Back!

2011-05-27T23:02:00.002-05:00

For a little while, anyway...:)

So Happy

2011-05-25T22:52:00.003-05:00

This made my day! Much to her chagrin (although she did it joyfully - and with style), my assistant teacher had to let the kids dress her up for a day. This was the ultimate classroom incentive this year. The kids had to work together for 150 "points" - which they earn for good teamwork, smooth transitions, setting a good example, etc. They dress me up at 50. It's never been done before, but here Sharon is! :) I love working with her.

Gospel in Life

2011-05-25T22:51:00.001-05:00

Preparing for small group with Rachel. We're going through Tim Keller's Gospel in Life right now. So good.

Late Night

2011-05-25T22:47:00.003-05:00

The reason I stayed at work until 9:54 p.m. Monday night. This night typically comes once a year...in the month of May(hem). :)

Captain Obvious

2011-05-25T22:44:00.002-05:00

It is not a good idea to defrost a bag of tortillas with the twistie-tie still on. It will catch on fire and burn a hole in the plastic.

My Weekend

2011-05-25T22:39:00.002-05:00

I could go on and on about this weekend, but I'll just say this...after two days of speakers covering topics like the kingdom of God, contentment, and identity in Christ...I left feeling very ministered to. Thankful for the truth spoken at this conference!

Eventually you can podcast here.

P.S. I know I cheated and didn't actually take this picture. Sorry!

Field Day: Plan B

2011-05-25T22:37:00.002-05:00

Rained out this year! Half my kids went home, and half came back in to watch Finding Nemo (LOVE that movie). This sweet girl is borrowing my Snuggie. I am not ashamed.

Don't Worry, I Didn't Forget

2011-05-25T18:01:00.003-05:00

Hi, friends. Due to internet issues, a busy work schedule, and life in general, I haven't been able to post recently. :) Bear with me as I catch you up on the month of May.

May 19:

"Teacher" for the day. This precious student got to teach the class for the morning, and she did a great job! And yes, we match on purpose.

Here we are looking strict. Not sure why I've got more of a Blue Steel kind of look. I'll work on it.

Splishin' and Splashin'

2011-05-18T22:24:00.004-05:00

This is a terrible picture, but it's all I had without students in the shot. Today I got to play on water slides all day long. And I got paid for it! Best. Job. Ever.

Cutest Parade Ever

2011-05-17T12:36:00.002-05:00

The 4th graders at my school put on an annual state "float" parade, and it is SO cute. They're each assigned a state to research at the end of the year, and they finish the unit out with a bang. Each child is given a foam lunch tray (yep - like the ones they use in the cafeteria!), and they decorate it with anything they can that pertains to their studied state. The rest of the school lines the hallways, the high school drum line leads the parade (along with our principal, wearing - of course - a funny but patriotic hat), and the 4th graders proudly march through the school, dragging their floats behind them. It's pretty much one of my favorite things to watch at my school. :)

I also had a fun visit from a friend of mine, Natalie. We're in the same small group, and she's a graduate of the school where I work. She came to see my classroom today, and then we enjoyed a lunch at Fuzzy's Tacos. Delish. Here we're being "Star Students", can you tell?

Outdoors

2011-05-16T19:25:00.002-05:00

My break from the Mayhem. I love walks on beautiful days. :)

Delish

2011-05-15T19:13:00.002-05:00

This has nothing to do with May, but this is my new favorite peanut (almond?) butter. :) Sorry so random.

Cousins

2011-05-14T18:53:00.002-05:00

Charlotte's Web Day

2011-05-13T15:23:00.003-05:00

Movie day at school. SO not as good as the book. :)

A Gift

2011-05-13T12:25:00.009-05:00

The morning of May 12:

A student walks in with the announcement, "Miss Cunningham, I have a gift for you!"

"What is it!?" I respond.

She proudly pulls out:

I love my job, and I love my kids. :) You'd think I'd respond sweetly, but it's May. Which means whatever I'm thinking is what's coming out of my mouth.

So when she hands me the balloon, I - as any good teacher would say - responded with, "A balloon!.....

.......WHY??"

At least she laughed. :)

Carpool Duty

2011-05-11T15:34:00.008-05:00

He covers the heavens with clouds;

He prepares rain for the earth;

He makes grass grow on the hills.

Psalm 147:8

Friendship

2011-05-10T12:22:00.007-05:00

Today we finished the last two chapters of Charlotte's Web. My eyes get misty every year. When Charlotte dies...oh, my word. And with an ending like this, who wouldn't cry?

Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.

We wrote a journal entry about friendship today. The kids did such a good job! I could tell it's an issue near and dear to their hearts...:)

Endings

2011-05-09T18:05:00.003-05:00

May is also a month of endings. Tonight is my last night of Bible Study Fellowship for the year. As I answered the questions for reflection, the first thought that came to mind is that the book of Isaiah paints a very clear picture of God's holiness, specifically in Isaiah 6. This is where Isaiah immediately recognizes his sinfulness and unworthiness in the presence of a holy God. It's a beautiful picture of God's love and forgiveness toward unworthy sinners, and it was one of my favorites to study this year.

I Want Them to Know...

2011-05-08T17:43:00.003-05:00

Today I'm writing letters to my students, which I'll give to them on the last day of school. In addition to pointing out their God-given gifts, I want each one to know...

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Oh, Boy!

2011-05-07T19:56:00.004-05:00

Addressing invitations for my dear friend Cary's baby shower. Why I chose to address all 30 envelopes in such a fashion, knowing they will thrown into the trash can upon opening...I don't know. Perhaps the people receiving the invitation will take notice of the fun writing.

But probably not. :) Love you, Cary!

Mayhem

2011-05-06T18:50:00.008-05:00

May stresses me out, I'll be honest. Consider this the "busy season" for teachers. It's not necessarily a bad stress, but it's a stress nonetheless. What the end of the school year throws at a teacher is similar to trying to drink from a fire hose. That creates a funny picture in my mind. :)

Anyhow, I've decided to give myself a project in the midst of everything else. I miss Project 365, so May will be a mini-version with the same basic idea. Each day I'll take a picture of something contributing to the "mayhem" in the month of May...and I'll blog about it. Not a novel idea, I know, but fun glimpse into everyday life for me. So to begin...

This...is the Roman Forum. The middle schoolers at my school put this shindig on each year, and it is SO much fun. To celebrate the end of a long unit on Roman history, they host an outdoor marketplace for the entire school. My kids bring $5 each, and it goes a looooong way. A bag of popcorn for a penny, a wide-brimmed hat for $0.50, baked goods, Silly Band bracelets, sodas, flowers, and jewelry are just a few items sold at this thing.

We used our only class time to attend this today, and it was a blast. My old students were selling things, so of course I had no self-control and just about spent my full $5. But I now have the coolest purple and black checkered shoelaces.

After we got back to the classroom, I was explaining to the kids that they needed to save candy/soda/treats for after school - they had already indulged enough. We were about to go to Computer class, which was then followed by lunch and recess. My favorite conversation of the day occurred at this point. I had just been very clear about what to do with their new purchases, when a student raised his hand:

Student: Miss Cunningham, I bought some ice cream, so can I come back up to eat that after lunch?

Me: You bought ice cream?

Mrs. Miller (my assistant): Honey, where is your ice cream?

Student: In my backpack.

My thoughts: [You want to leave your ice cream in your backpack for the next hour and a half and eat it after that? This is amazing...]

Mrs. Miller (praise God for her): Honey, we need to go put that in the freezer!

I seriously love my job. A child's thought process and the things that come from the mouths of my students...priceless.

So there it is...my first post about May and the "hem" that comes with it. :) It has only just begun.

Three Things

2011-04-28T15:54:00.008-05:00

1. This year I have a class full of poets. If you remember, several months ago I posted a cinquain about a turkey. Today I post a haiku about a rock. If you're not familiar with haikus, a quick review: A haiku is traditionally a Japanese poem, usually about nature. It consists of three lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables making up each line. Thus, the poem:

ROCKS

Rocks are very hard.

They are awesome in weird ways.

Rocks can make my day.

Love it.

2. I'm a tad bit obsessed with this CD recently:

Honestly, this is partly because the album cover is so cute. Look at it...it's so cute! Currently my favorite song is "Rock of Ages". These lyrics really stood out to me this week:

Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law's demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Humbled and grateful that the Lord saved me.

3. You should read this. :) It's really good.

Time for Tea

2011-04-22T18:31:00.003-05:00

Last week I received my very first invitation to afternoon tea. One of my sweet students handed me a formal invitation, and since then I've been looking forward to this special treat!

It was a blessing being able to spend time with this family outside of school. I've had two of the children in my class over the last few years, and I've grown to know and love their mother (and of course, the kids!).

Olivia and her mom spent the morning making delicious cheesecake, hot cross buns, and getting everything ready for their guest. The table was lovely!

This is Olivia's little brother, who often makes guest appearances in my classroom. My students love him, and it's such fun to watch Olivia be a big sister.

I had to get a picture of a random flower...this one was in their beautiful backyard. :)

My first afternoon tea was a lovely experience! I think I might be okay living in England.

Cup of Salvation

2011-04-22T11:34:00.003-05:00

A current favorite song of mine, based on Psalm 116.

I love the Lord, for He heard my voice

And answered my cry for mercy

Because He listened to me

I will call upon Him as long as I live

What shall I render to the Giver of life

And who all things are made?

What shall I render to the One who paints the oceans blue -

Jesus Christ?

I will lift up a cup of salvation

Call on the name of the Lord

How do I repay the life that You gave?

I'll call on the name of the Lord

Lift up a cup You have already poured

What kind of rendering is found in this taking

Found in this drinking of love

Love so abundant He meets me in depravity

With one thing to give

What shall I render to the Giver of life

And who all things are made?

What shall I render to the One who paints the oceans blue -

Jesus Christ?

You have delivered my soul from death

My eyes from tears

My feet from stumbling

And I will walk before the Lord

In the land of the living

I will lift up a cup of salvation

Call on the name of the Lord

How do I repay the life that You gave?

I'll call on the name of the Lord

Lift up a cup You have already poured

~Shane & Shane~

Mmmmm...

2011-04-15T15:56:00.002-05:00

This is what we do in Miss Cunningham's class. :)

Cousins, Part 4

2011-03-18T20:29:00.005-05:00

Traveling day...

After a pancake breakfast (that Allison so cheerfully made for us), we headed south to my dad's ranch.

We stopped in Natty Flat, of course, to see the world's largest wooden rocking chair...

About an hour later we stopped in Dublin at the Dr. Pepper museum...

We may have each gotten a genuine Dublin Dr. Pepper! :)

Cousins, Part 3

2011-03-18T20:04:00.005-05:00

Whew! Thursday was a FULL day, and we barely fit everything in! It was the perfect "girl day", although we had a surprise visit from a boy (gasp!) during the evening.

We slept in late and took our time getting ready for the Arboretum, but we made it just in time for a lunch picnic (it was a beautiful day!).

The tulips were lovely!

This is a favorite of mine. That kid headed toward the frog put his hand in front of the stream of water, which made it spray ALL over Annabel. Hilarious!

Preparing calzone dough for dinner.

While the dough rose, we painted pottery at a cute place called "Paint Yer Pottery"...VERY quickly. We got there at 10 after 5:00, and it closed at 6:00. Everyone else did a great job finishing, but I was too stressed out! I'm going to have to go back to complete my salt and pepper shakers. :)

Calzones! Here we're making our own dinner, filling each calzone and making it into whatever shape we desire. :) The random boy you see is a friend of my cousin Catherine (in the pink). He joined us for the evening and then drove back home to Fort Worth. It was fun to get to know him a bit!

Snow cones at Bahama Bucks - delicious!

Cousins, Part 2

2011-03-16T18:40:00.004-05:00

Allison and Annabel came back to school with me today - two days in a row, and during their Spring Break! We had fun, although I think we're all glad to be done with school for a couple days. :)

Annabel helped teach a small group during reading, and she did a great job! She's a natural!

Allison was in charge of a group, too - she had to play the same two games with four different groups, and she did it with a smile!

Both girls helped my classroom assistant take down the bulletin board this morning. Little did they know they'd have to work so hard while visiting their cousin's school!

During my small group tonight, the girls saw this movie with my mom. Wary of it, I waited until I heard their opinions to form a more complete judgement. They liked it, but I still don't think I'll go see it. :)

Week with the Cousins, Part 1

2011-03-15T22:09:00.002-05:00

This week my sweet cousins, Allison and Annabel, are visiting in Dallas. They're staying with me for most of their spring break, and we have all sorts of fun events planned! They're troopers to come with me to work for two days. Below is a brief overview of what we did today at school:

They accompanied (ha - get it?) us on our field trip to see a beautiful organ at a nearby church. The music minister even let them sit on the bench!

Allison, teacher extraordinaire, was so helpful to write instructions on the board for the class. She also took care of several random classroom tasks during the day - we're thankful for that!

Annabel, servant-hearted and full of joy, helped with all sorts of odd jobs around the classroom. She is a fast and efficient worker!

We ended the day in pajamas, with popcorn and a movie. After a hard day at work, it was a treat to relax for a bit!

Oh, Yes It Is

2011-03-10T15:40:00.003-06:00

Click here for proof. :)

I Like Taking Pictures

2011-03-06T22:21:00.003-06:00

It's late, so I'm headed to bed, but I wanted to share a few precious moments from the last week. I went to visit Cousin Ashley (and family) and was blessed to be around them for a few days.

100% boy.

Sweet girl.

Real life. ;)

Throwing Myself on the Gospel of Grace

2011-03-01T14:06:00.006-06:00

Well, hello.

Today I came across this blurb while reading my BSF notes, and the Holy Spirit - once again - revealed an issue in my heart I just can't seem to shake.

On what basis are you trusting God to save you? Your behavior or His faithfulness to His promises in Christ? Could it be that you are trying to "self-manage" your sins rather than throwing yourself on the gospel of grace through trust in Jesus Christ?

Why is it that I continue to think I can handle things myself? That I can manage my issues - my anxiety, selfish desires, impatience, unbelief, [fill in the blank with whatever here]?

This is why it's so important to preach the gospel to myself each day. To throw myself on the gospel of grace through trust in Jesus Christ. So yes: confess and repent. But don't forget to return to the cross; remembering that He has covered my sin, He has saved me from its bondage, and He works in me to change my heart in order to reflect His more and more each day.

Behavior modification? I will fail. Heart change belongs to Him, and He is my only hope. Lord, help me to remember to walk in the freedom that comes from knowing You.

Listened to a great sermon today, too. :) I love Spring Break.

Wonderland

2011-02-04T22:45:00.007-06:00

Snow Day #4. Seriously, it's been like Spring Break. Only not really, since we can't really go anywhere. And it's winter. So really the only part that's the same is the "break" part.

This morning the first thing I yelled downstairs to Jamie was "Oh my word! Where do we live again?" It snowed buckets overnight, and everything is covered in a blanket of white! It's just beautiful.

My friend Gena came over this afternoon (she's much braver than I to drive on the ice), and we took a walk around the block.

Gena stayed for a cup of hot chocolate, a game of Quiddler, and a special showing of "High School Musical" - her choice, I promise! :) That movie never gets old to me.

So Dallas people, I hope you're enjoying this beautiful gift of snow and rest. If you're suffering from cabin fever and need someone to talk to, give me a call. Remember, we're all in this together.

Sorry, I had to.

Snow Day #3

2011-02-03T21:12:00.003-06:00

Today's reading:

Tonight's dinner, compliments of Jamie. We have had so many delicious homemade meals the last few days...it's amazing the food that has come out of the shadows of our pantry and fridge!

We've Got Mail!

2011-02-02T18:45:00.004-06:00

Snow Day #2. We've already found out we have tomorrow off school, too.

Running in circles sounded appealing tonight, but I didn't ever make that happen. Instead, my roommate Jamie and I went on a walk! To get the mail!

It really was exciting, and I LOVED getting to be outside, even though it was 19 degrees and difficult to walk on the ice.

Behold the excitement of our day:

Thundersnow

2011-02-01T15:28:00.009-06:00

Last night we had a thundersnow. Really! Thunder, snow, and sleet all at the same time. The sound of it was amazing, although altogether distracting at 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00 in the morning.

My alarm went off at 5:15 this morning, and I searched carefully for any sign of school closures I could find. There were lots - not including my school. Administration finally posted a bulletin on the school website at 5:30ish, and by 6:00 I was dozing off into a couple more hours of blissful sleep. At that time, a phone call and voice recording jolted me out of sleep to let me know school was closed for the day. Thank you very much.

It is a blessing to be at home. Texas snow days always come at just the right time.

Here's some evidence of the storm that blew in last night. For Texas, it's a big deal! :)

After getting up this morning, I made a list, because that's what I do. To accomplish today, Lord willing:

*Blog (done!)

*Dust, launder and change sheets, put away clean clothes that have been sitting on the floor for entirely too long now (almost done!)

*Write letters

*File important looking documents that are necessary for tax season. Blah.

*Play with camera (hoping to learn at least one thing new today)

*Read, just because I can (a lost art for me)

*Cook dinner for the roommies

*BSF

This week we finished Isaiah 40 in BSF. I reread that today and continue to find encouragement in this passage. It's a beautiful reminder of God's incomparable power and might, His unfathomable greatness, and the way He provides strength for His own weary children. Read it if you get a chance.

That's all for now! Enjoy this blustery winter day. :)

Of Course!

2011-01-14T20:56:00.003-06:00

Today my class celebrated my 1/2 birthday (we have a party any time we can think of a reason to at my school), and two students gave me the following as soon as they walked in the door:

One said, "Happy 1/2 Birthday, Miss Cunningham! We made you a campsite!".

Of course you did!

This might be my favorite student gift I've received. Hidden beneath the tent is another paper person sleeping on a paper sleeping bag. Another message inside reads "Happy 1/2 Birthday".

My students make me smile. A lot! And I hope my paper campsite made you smile, too. :)

Adventures in Dogsitting

2011-01-10T15:54:00.006-06:00

This week I've been dogsitting at my mom's house. Let me be honest - I am not a fan of dogs; and unfortunately, my mom's dachshunds don't do anything to persuade me otherwise. In fact, they probably heighten my feelings a bit.

Brownie and Xander are hyperactive, licking machines. Brownie has no boundaries and bounces like a pogo stick, while Xander has no interest in obeying humans whatsoever.

Despite that, we've had a good week, and I even got a fun picture of them below. On Sunday we had snow!!! Leaving church was like entering a winter wonderland!

Look at those sad faces...I'm so mean to leave them in the snow so I can take a picture.

A fire was burning for a large part of the weekend - SO nice. Brownie liked to sit and stare into the flames. A good use of time, Brownie. Well done.

Happy winter! :)

Reason #387 Why I Love My Job

2011-01-06T15:59:00.005-06:00

Earlier this morning, I had the following (paraphrased) conversation with two of my 3rd grade students. We'll call the girl student "G" and the boy student "B".

G: Miss Cunningham, B is staring at me from across the room and I can't concentrate on my math facts.

[I look over and see B staring pointedly in that general direction]

Me: Okay, B - come here, please. [B comes obediently] B, what is going on?

B: [Deep breath]...Well, yesterday when you let us practice our math facts with these math cards, I didn't know we could keep them until you told us we could later, so I put them back in your box...I had named mine Kimosabe, and so when you said we could keep them I went to go get them and they weren't there so I had to get some different ones...I figured out G had them and I really want Kimosabe back. So I'm staring at her.

[Thoughts running through my mind...You named your math flash cards Kimosabe? That's awesome!...Seriously. That's awesome.]

Me: Okay, B - are you going to be okay with the cards you ended up with?

B: Yes.

Me: You're sure?

B: Yes.

Me: Then will you stop staring at G while she works? You're kind of creeping her out.

B: Yes.

Me: Thank you.

[Children scamper off, and my day...Has. Been. Made.]

Treasure

2011-01-02T15:58:00.010-06:00

Happy New Year! It's hard to believe it's 2011...it feels like just last week it was 2010. [insert pity laugh here]

So. Typically, along with a new year comes resolutions. Grand ideas and goals to strive after in the year looming ahead. I'll be honest - when I've made New Year's resolutions in the past, they don't last for long. Usually they involve goals related to physical health. And usually, they're out the window in a matter of weeks.

This year, Cousin Becca and I decided to take a different approach. After reading a book called "Shopping for Time" by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters (who are writers for a blog I LOVE), we decided to pray and think through some more specific, attainable, meaningful goals for the year to come. Mahaney suggests making a list of biblical priorities first, and then listing more specific ways we'd like to see growth in those areas. Knowing that it's by the grace of God alone we can accomplish these things (and understanding that if we fail in an area, God doesn't love us any less - if we succeed, it doesn't make Him love us more), we - in typical Cunningham fashion - began making a list. It is not yet color-coded, so don't make fun. :)

Here are a few desires/priorities I listed for myself:

*PRAY - this is a recurring theme throughout my list for 2011.

*humility/confession - I'm asking the Lord to work on my pride this year, knowing that in sharing struggles and confessing sin, I'm pointing others to and reminding myself of my need for a Savior.

*walk at least once a week (don't laugh - it's more than I currently do!)

*evaluate my commitments and see what I need to drop/change

*go to bed at a reasonable hour

There are many more, but I won't bore you with the details. Moving on...

This morning, my pastor gave a timely message about resolutions and goals. This is really what I wanted to share, because it perfectly complimented what Becca and I had done the night before. Here's the gist of what he said:

Goals are not a bad thing, but CHECK YOUR HEART. This is an important reminder that I too often forget. Jesus is after our hearts, not our behavior, and if we're making goals for the sake of proving our righteousness, we need to rethink what we're doing. All is rubbish compared to knowing Christ, and I need to remember that He is my treasure. I don't DO these things to gain favor in the Lord's sight. That's the whole point of the gospel. All our deeds - no matter how "righteous" they may seem - are as filthy rags to the Lord. That's why we need Jesus! Only His perfect life and sacrifice on the cross make us righteous in His sight. When our faith is in Him, He becomes our righteousness. We don't obey to find favor, we obey because we've been accepted by a holy God - not by any merit of our own, but because of Christ alone.

As believers, every act of obedience is out of the overflow of our hearts and because of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The goals I set shouldn't be the point - Christ should be the point. He is my ultimate treasure.

Pray for me, friends.

Forced to Rest

2010-12-18T13:49:00.014-06:00

I'm sick. Could it be from picking up all the used tissues lying around my classroom, mentioned in the post below? Could it be because I spent time with my mom earlier this week, who has been sick for the last several days? Could it be because one of my roommates is sick, too?

Who knows? Either way, I'm forced to be still and rest today, which is a very good thing.

I spent some time reading in the book of John this morning, and I love these words found in the first chapter:

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." (v14)

As Christmas draws near, I want to meditate on this truth. God - the God of the universe, the One who created you and me - put on flesh and entered the world as a baby all those years ago. He did it because of His glory. He did it because He loves us. He did it to reconcile sinners to Himself.

Do you feel like you don't deserve that? You don't.

I don't.

"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God..." (v12)

He is full of grace. He lived the perfect life I couldn't and bore the wrath I deserve. Oh, come let us adore Him.

I don't have many pictures from this week, but in preparation for Christmas break, my coworkers and I celebrated appropriately at school. Meet Diane. She's amazing.

And on that note, I'm signing off. Thanks for reading my random thoughts! :)

I love you, but...

2010-12-12T14:50:00.006-06:00

As you can see, I'm ending Project 365 with great gusto. One picture from this week is below...enjoy! :)

I keep finding these treasures around the classroom, and after confronting some specific students about it (who I knew had a hand in it), the problem just grew worse. So I sat down with my kids, pointed to the tissue, and began my spiel like so:

"Boys and girls, I love you, but this is just plain gross."

They agreed. They're getting better. :)

Christmas Time is Here

2010-12-05T17:04:00.008-06:00

This week I've been able to freely listen to Christmas music without being teased. And I have LOVED it.

Enjoy! :)

November 28: Grandma & Lee, the day we left San Antonio. We had a great visit with them!

November 29: Mmmm...Starbucks. On Mondays I pick up a Chai Tea Latte for my mom before I head over to her place for dinner. I may get myself something, too. :)

November 30: No picture

December 1: My classroom assistant, Sharon. Ask me about this picture...it has a story.

December 1: A small peek into one of my favorite days of work...ever. My rule while I'm working with reading groups is "Do not talk to me". If my students have a question, they can ask a friend or our classroom assistant...or wait. But they know they are not to interrupt me while I'm working with a small group. So after group rotations were over, I found this tissue on my desk. Yes, tissue - as in Kleenex. A student had written her question on the tissue and left it on my computer keyboard. And she had signed her name (which I had to erase) - and better yet...she had put her classroom number underneath her name. In case I wasn't sure which student she was. Precious.

December 2: We started our simple machine unit in science, and for most of the unit we work with Legos. This is so much fun - and VERY clearly shows one way boys and girls are wired differently.

Another from the 2nd: A family at school delivered this to my room while I was at carpool duty - chicken spaghetti, dinner rolls, and brownies. Part of the card reads "We hope this makes this evening easier. Enjoy!"...what a blessing!

December 3: No picture

December 4: Cousin Ashley and family came in for a visit this weekend! Little Aaron enjoyed his straw for lunch at Chuy's.

Thankful

2010-11-27T08:54:00.007-06:00

It's been a great week! I'm thankful to the Lord for family, friends, and some time off work to enjoy with them...

Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy the pictures! :)

November 20: Some friends of mine asked me to take a family photo for this year's Christmas card, and I was happy to do it! This is their precious little boy, Bennett.

November 21: My roommate Jamie had family in town for a few days, and I had the pleasure of baking with them on Sunday afternoon. You can tell they are both a lot of fun! :)

Making snacks for small group...

November 22: The 3rd grade team - 4 gifted teachers who make me smile!

November 24: My brothers, looking all westerny (It's a word, I promise!). Aren't they handsome? :)

Elise and Abi, my sisters-in-law who I love. They are just beautiful.

November 25: No picture, but here's another of Eric from the 24th.

November 26: I took several family shots on this day, some of which I've posted below. Here's a small glimpse into the personalities of my family. I love the above picture of cousins (and a brother), although Becca may not like that I posted this one. She may have been in the middle of eating an apple. ;)

Cousin Allison - such a sweetheart!

Cousin Ashley

Aunt Lisa & Uncle Will

Cousins Catherine & Rachel

Cousin (in-law, I guess) Caleb

Grandpa Bob & sweet Cousin Annabel (my gpa is actually wearing a visor with attached gray hair - I'm not sure where he got the hat, but it was hilarious to see him with spiked "hair". He wore it all week long!)

Fall Colors

2010-11-20T11:40:00.008-06:00

This week, the colors around Dallas have been incredible. I don't remember this variety in years past, although maybe I didn't take time to notice. God's love is so evident in His creation, and His works so clearly proclaim His glory! I love this verse of a hymn I recently saw on a favorite blog of mine:

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest;

sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,

join with all nature in manifold witness

to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

November 13: Dallas Arboretum with Kim - it was the perfect day to go!

Isn't she beautiful?

November 14: Puzzles with the little ones at church. These kiddos bring a smile to my face.

November 14: I may have turned around on a busy street and creepily stood in front of a stranger's house to take this picture. But can you blame me?

November 15: Chocolate Kahlua cake I made for a coworker's birthday. Thanks for the recipe, Julie!

November 16: A bit of Christmas shopping.

November 17: Group Connect! We had our own sign and everything! :) Rachel and I have officially begun a small group through our church (thank You, Lord!), and we were able to meet some girls on Wednesday night who will help start the group off.

November 18: Baking with Megan...always a pleasure!

Six of Seven. Not Bad!

2010-11-12T22:14:00.008-06:00

Halfhearted attempts to take pictures this week...but there ARE pictures!

Enjoy! :)

November 6: My new craft project. A few months ago I started thinking of birthday ideas for my assistant at school. I decided I wanted to order a name plate for her desk - you know, one of those fancy plates that CEOs of big companies have (or maybe that's just in my head!). But I wanted one that was cute, not...professional looking. Turns out nobody sells those!

So...a piece of wood, some cute scrapbook paper, paint, and Modge Podge later...voila! I give you...Mrs. Miller's desk plate! There is a different design on the other side, so it's like two gifts in one! I got a little stand for it tonight, too.

I realize I'm a huge nerd. I'm okay with that.

November 7: To bake or not to bake? As soon as the question was asked, I realized we didn't have enough eggs, so...........not to bake.

November 8: No picture

November 9: Cary and I went to see a screening of the movie "Courageous" this week. It comes out in September of 2011 and is made by the same people who made "Fireproof". It is a great movie - check it out!

November 10: Hummus. Yummus.

November 11: The best homemade apple pie I've ever tasted. Thanks, Megan!

November 12: Making a diaper cake for a shower my roommate is throwing this weekend! The finished product (minus a teddy bear on top):

N.D.I.

2010-11-05T19:25:00.003-05:00

A first-grade teacher recently told a story of a little boy in her class who was writing N.D.I. on several papers he was turning in. Most questions would be answered, but the mysterious N.D.I. would randomly appear on a line or two.

It happened enough times that the teacher finally asked him about it. After a gentle, "Honey, what does it mean when you write this?", the boy looked directly at her and responded with:

"Not doin' it."

Ha! So straightforward, yet entirely unacceptable! :)

This relates to the week, I promise. And now for my pictures...

October 31-November 6: N.D.I.

I have no excuse for failing to take a single Project 365-related picture. Such is life. Tomorrow begins a new week, and hopefully I'll get back into it!

Just for fun, below are a few favorite moments from the week:

*Being interviewed with my roommate for home-group leadership by one of the pastors at church, in hopes of beginning a home-based ministry to single women.

*Taking my mom to Bible study with me on Monday night.

*Wearing galoshes at carpool duty in the rain.

*Taking a moment to really watch my kids learn in class - watching them use the minds God gave them, and thanking Him for my job that I love.

*Rejoicing when my students respond to correction with teachable hearts.

*Listening to Christmas music.

*Decorating the lunch table with a Christmas tablecloth and centerpieces, knowing full well it would make two coworkers mad.

*Spending time with one of my favorite families.

*Singing hymns with Jamie when she pulled out her guitar after a year of no practice, and laughing hysterically because we couldn't find the right key.

*Partaking in Jamie's "snack" that she so proudly offered me. When I asked what it was, she said with a smile "cake batter!".

*Turning on the heat and wearing my comfy robe.

Short & Sweet

2010-10-29T23:46:00.003-05:00

Enjoy! :)

October 23: The result of leaving an anxiety-ridden dog in a crate with a bed for several hours. Oh, Precious.

October 24: No picture.

October 25: Building volcanoes with my students.

October 26: Such a bummer! I had about 1/3 of this drink left when I got home and was so looking forward to drinking the rest after I reheated it!

October 27: Dinner date with Mom! :)

October 28: No picture.

October 29: The best parallel parking job I've ever seen! Notice the space left behind us - it took us about 5 minutes to get into this spot! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time...

October 30: Women's conference at my church. Lauren Chandler walked us through Psalm 107, reminding us of the Lord's steadfast love in all seasons...in loneliness, in bondage, in folly, and in trials. The Lord is good to His children, and it was refreshing to have our focus brought back to the love of the One who sustains us.

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!"

~Psalm 107:1

Randomness

2010-10-22T19:12:00.005-05:00

Feeling kind of "bleh" about pictures this week, but enjoy the ones I have! :)

October 17: Cousin Ashley made this little guy for me. Isn't he cute? It was a craft she did with some younger cousins of ours - made out of socks, stuffing, and buttons. I love it!

October 18: These leaves I picked up while on a walk, and I was so excited! Red, brown, and yellow are colors you don't see very often in Texas. During a Texas fall, you really only see...well, brown. So like a nerd, I carried these leaves another mile until I got to my camera.

October 19: We celebrate a national holiday each day in Miss Cunningham's 3rd grade classroom. Some days there just aren't any good holidays to celebrate, so I usually make one up. On this day a student came up with one for us - "National There's a Pencil Stuck in the Sharpener Day". There WAS a pencil stuck in the sharpener. So we celebrated accordingly. I like the way this kid thinks! :)

October 20: Evidence that I haven't dusted in a very long time. Gross.

October 21: No picture.

October 22: The poem I wrote about here. :)

October 23: Rachel had some coupons/gift cards for a fancy restaurant called "The Place" in Uptown (great name, I might add...). So we had a bonding night! We got all dressed up and enjoyed a meal and fellowship, ending the night by renting "Night at the Museum 2" from Redbox. It is currently one of my favorite movies.

Cinquains

2010-10-22T14:26:00.007-05:00

The assignment: Write a cinquain on a topic related to autumn.

The format:

Title

2 Adjectives

3 Verbs ending in -ing

4 word sentence describing your feelings

Synonym for title

The results:

Turkey

obese, ugly

running, jumping, cooking

You are so repugnant.

Dinner

My response: Speechless

This from a 9-year-old with a phenomenal vocabulary! :)

The Main Thing

2010-10-18T17:53:00.006-05:00

One of the many gifts my school gives its teachers is a spiritual renewal day. We have two of these that we are required to "use or lose" before the end of the year. The day is to be one of rest, during which we can spend extended time with the Lord that we wouldn't normally have on a weekday.

Today was mine. And oh, how I love these days.

Aside from a 3-mile walk on a beautiful morning, a cup of coffee and some time in Scripture, I spent the afternoon reading this book:

Julie gave me this book several years ago, and I finally got around to reading it! I'm a little slow...

Usually when I read a new book, I expect to learn something new. This book was exactly what I needed to read today, because its message was one that isn't new but is too often forgotten.

C.J. Mahaney exhorts his readers to come back to the gospel. To make it the "main thing". To remember daily that Jesus Christ died so that sinners would be reconciled to God and forgiven by God. To remember that the holy God of the universe gave Himself up for us because we could never know Him on our own. To remember that it is because of Jesus alone that I am forgiven, accepted, and righteous in God's sight.

I was challenged by this book today. I'm distracted by too many things in this life. Busy schedules, responsibilities, commitments, and worries consume my thoughts. If I truly had the gospel at the center of my life, in the center of my thoughts, how much more could I focus on what truly matters? How much more would my day be governed by this one defining truth? Jesus died for me. He loves me. Because of Him I have hope.

Lord, help me live a cross-centered life.

A Gift

2010-10-16T22:30:00.007-05:00

This week I was able to spend time with some people I love dearly. I'm grateful to God for the good gifts He gives His children, including relationships that spur us on toward Him. They are just further evidence of His grace!

Enjoy the pictures! :)

October 9: My sister-in-law, Elise, was in town visiting a friend for the weekend. So fun to spend a day with her!

October 10: Notes from Sunday's sermon.

October 11: Huge boxes of math manipulatives were delivered to our school last week, so naturally - pranking must commence. This is Melissa. While she was out of the room, three teachers on my team (including me, I must admit) stacked about 10 boxes inside the door to her room. And we locked her out. And we hung the bathroom sign on one of the boxes because...well...we found it on the ground in the hallway, so why not?

You can tell Melissa is very angry.

October 12: Some GOOD cousin bonding time on Tuesday evening. Becca and I haven't had a time to sit and chat in awhile, so we went on a coffee date together. It was refreshing to sit and talk about life with her.

October 13: Mom is home from Colorado! Woo hoo!

October 13: Sorry, another one from the 13th. My brother and Abi stopped in Dallas on their move from Austin to Colorado, and it was such a treat to see them!

October 14: Pumpkin day in Miss Cunningham's 3rd grade classroom! We measured, weighed, and counted seeds in class this week, and it was a blast. It also wore me out.

October 15: Decorating mini-pumpkins with our Kindergarten friends.

October 16: Cousin Ashley, who I saw this weekend for a few short hours. Isn't she just beautiful?

Flan and an Oven Fire

2010-10-08T21:53:00.007-05:00

Enjoy!

October 2: Sisters? Or cousins? It's so hard to tell! Cousin Catherine came into town last weekend for the OU game. She's a freshman there and is so grown up! She used to be 7...I'm getting old.

October 3: Jamie, one of my roommates, made a flan for a coworker's birthday celebration on Sunday. All was well until the flan spilled over the edges and the oven caught on fire. From upstairs, I hear "Erin? Erin!! Come help me!!!". This is not a normal request from Jamie, so I flew downstairs immediately, where I found her extinguishing the fire like a pro. Things get rather exciting 'round here.

October 4: Things to do while sitting in traffic:

1. Take pictures of other people sitting in traffic.

2. If you have any other ideas, let me know. That's all I've got.

October 5: Sharon and I were sneaky and left school to grab a Sonic drink. We thought the kids could handle themselves. :) Not really, they were in Music class.

October 6: Summer gave me this book for my birthday, and I've just started reading it. I love it already!

October 7: Lesson planning.

October 8: These apples were part of a baked apple crisp I made tonight. It turned out to be delicious, but after peeling, coring, and slicing each apple, I decided this might be on my Christmas list this year:

91 Days & Counting

2010-10-01T23:09:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe there are only 91 days left in the year. It feels like Project 360 just started!

Enjoy the pictures!

September 25: Cousin Becca and I went to the Greek festival with friends from home group, but I did not come away from that with a single (good) picture.

September 26: Sunday afternoon nap. What is it that makes those so amazing?

September 27: I know this is my foot and that's gross. I apologize. This is the first day I wore close-toed shoes (since the weather was cool and beautiful!), but it didn't go well for my feet.

September 28: It was homecoming week at Rachel's school, and to celebrate, they had the opportunity to dress up from any decade in the past. She modeled her outfit for Jamie and me, and I must say she looked pretty rad. Is that what they said in the 80s?

September 28: We got a little carried away with the costume items.

September 29: One of my favorite moments of the week! I allow my kids to sit anywhere for their silent reading time...on Wednesday I looked over and saw this. These boys were smashed between the table and the wall, and they were completely on task (these three boys are rarely on task when they sit together). :) I couldn't help but laugh, and - of course - break out the camera.

September 30: Roses my coworker Sharon gave me. :)

October 1: Enjoying the beautiful day with Precious.

Welcome, Fall!

2010-09-24T19:13:00.007-05:00

An apology is in order for the 5 millionth picture of the sky. :) The sunrises and sunsets have been spectacular this week! Several times I've caught myself staring at the sky while driving...this, I've realized, is not the best idea. It actually is quite the safety hazard!

I'm in awe of the way God has chosen to reveal Himself in His creation. Romans 1 says that His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen in the things He's made, and Psalm 19 says the heavens declare His glory and the skies proclaim the work of His hands. I'll never tire of watching the sun rise and set - thank You, Lord, that we can enjoy it. What a mercy.

Enjoy the pictures!

September 18: Cary, Chris, and Dante - a family that I love. Cary was a college roommate of mine, and I love being able to see her when I can. Their dog, Dante, is - hands down - the funniest dog I've ever known. Just look at him and try not to smile. :)

September 19: Welcome, fall! (The season doesn't officially begin until the 22nd...I got a little excited.)

September 20: On my way in to BSF - lovely!

September 21: Yes, I am a huge nerd and pulled out the camera while getting my hair cut. If I'm posting 365 pictures of daily activities, eventually I have to embarrass myself! This is Dawn - she has cut my hair for over a year now, and she's very talented! She was a good sport about the picture...

September 22: Partner reading in class. Two of my girls are sharing the "teacher's chair" - a big treat! They're so cute.

September 22: Sorry, had two shots for today. I had to post this, because it documents my first drill experience! A coworker of mine let me borrow his drill, since we had blinds that needed to be mounted on a metal door at home. Rachel and I were rather proud of ourselves for correctly using this intimidating tool. The blinds haven't even fallen down yet!

September 23: No picture.

September 24: Reverting back to my college days. :)

Beauty

2010-09-18T12:50:00.006-05:00

Praising God for His creation...how gracious of Him that we get to enjoy this!

How is it Already Mid-September?

2010-09-17T14:23:00.007-05:00

Enjoy! :)

September 11: Cleaning day...one of the few days my bed is made.

September 12: When I was in Houston, Aunt Lisa gave me a can of coconut milk - with the condition that I had to find a recipe for it. Sunday I made green curry, a thai dish served with rice. It was delightful, and I'll most certainly make it again. Here it is!

September 13: Bennett came to visit me at school. :) Okay, maybe he didn't come to visit just me, but I did get to see him while he was there.

September 14: Storm's a brewin'.

September 15: So...we've been practicing the cursive alphabet in class. I kept up with the grading until the letter "C". We are on the letter "M". Bummer.

September 16: Dinner with a dear friend from home group. Unfortunately, after I took the picture we found out the restaurant was closed, so we went for mexican food instead! :)

September 17: Two things to notice here:

#1 - We have the internet! Woo hoo! This is my first blog post (since July) written from home. In the last few months I've learned that one can, in fact, live without having the internet.

#2 - Subway is just plain tasty.

A Couch and Some Football

2010-09-11T17:39:00.006-05:00

'Twas a short week and I missed two days, so there is a shortage of pictures. Enjoy!

September 7: This is my "spot" at home...where I do my morning reading, and where I can curl up and comfortably get some work done. On this particular evening, thank-you notes (that I've been putting off for too long) were top priority.

September 8: No picture

September 9: No picture

September 10: On Friday, I attended my first football game at my school (sad...this is my fourth year there). This little girl was adorable. Below are more pictures from the evening. Go, team! (Did that convince you that I'm a football fan?)

I went with a family I've gotten to know recently, and we had special "box" seats, since the mom is married to one of the coaches. It was a great night of fellowship (I didn't watch much of the game, but I know we lost 0-40 something), and I was able to see good friends (Tamra, I'm sad I didn't think to get a picture with you!) and students - old and new!

The sunset was gorgeous!

Houston

2010-09-06T20:17:00.005-05:00

This weekend I went with Cousin Becca to visit family down in the Houston area. We stayed with her family and spent an afternoon with our grandparents - it was wonderful to see everyone. Below is a smattering of photos from the weekend. :)

September 4: As we headed south, we made a rest stop across the street from this cute place. Since I was traveling with my cousin, it seemed only fitting that this be the picture of the day.

September 5: My beautiful cousin Rachel, waiting at the airport. Her sister Deborah left that morning to study in Greece, so we all went to the airport to send her off for the semester.

Deborah going through security. Bye, cousin - learn a lot while you're there!

September 6: Rachel made delicious paninis for lunch today. Sourdough bread, ham, muenster and feta cheese, yogurt dressing, fresh spinach, and ham. Umm...I plan on making this for myself at home...very soon!

Cat...in a box. Just thought this was funny. :)

Back in the Game

2010-09-06T19:53:00.005-05:00

Notice: I have a picture for every day this week! My rebellious phase is over, and I'm back in the game. :)

Enjoy!

August 28: Kim, Nik, and I enjoyed dinner together at Mama Pita, a Mediterranean version of Freebirds or Chipotle. It was delightful! Each customer goes through the line and chooses fillings for a pita-style burrito; but rather than the normal chicken and beans, you have choices like falafel, lamb, feta, rice, and hummus. Mmmm...I would definitely eat there again!

August 29: Sweet encouragement from a girl who was promoted to the 3-year-old room at church. She colored a picture for me, and her mom wrote a thoughtful thank-you note. She's been in my room for the last year...I'll miss her!

August 30: Enjoying a brisk walk one night. The weather has been beautiful this week!

August 31: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." ~Psalm 19:1

September 1: My grandmother got me started on this terrible snack when I last visited her. She bought me this jar at Costco, and I'll have to give her a hard time about it when I talk with her next. By "terrible" I actually mean "delectable", but perhaps they weren't the healthiest snack I could have eaten. I'm so glad they're finally gone!

September 2: The time I got home Thursday night. It was curriculum night at my school, so it was a 14 hour day. Bleh.

September 3: It was hard to find a way to photograph the beauty of this day. The temperature was in the 80's, and the sky was so blue! I probably should have taken a picture of the sky, but these flowers are pretty. :)

I Need Thee

2010-08-31T16:33:00.002-05:00

I need Thee every hour
Most gracious Lord
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford

I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee

I need Thee every hour
Stay Thou nearby
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh

I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee

I need Thee every hour
In joy or pain
Come quickly and abide
Or life's in vain

I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee

~Annie Hawks, 1872

6 Days, 4 Pictures

2010-08-28T14:21:00.008-05:00

I'm lacking motivation. In a major way.

At some points this week I couldn't have even told you where my camera was. So when it came to taking a picture for the day? For some reason I just wasn't interested!

Enjoy the (few) pictures that I do have! :)

August 22: This is my favorite picture of the week! :) I serve in the preschool ministry at my church with a guy named Josh. He's great with the kids, and at one point I looked over to see the above scene. I love having my camera with me at times like this! These kids were so entertained by putting a basket on his face, and Josh was very patient. My favorite part of this picture is the little boy in the striped shirt...completely oblivious to what was going on.

August 23: When I was in San Antonio last month, my grandmother treated me to these shoes. They're kinda flashy for me, so wearing them to school on Monday was a step out of my comfort zone. :) It went well.

August 24: I could have gone to bed at this time on Tuesday.

August 25: No picture.

August 26: No picture.

August 27: I babysat for little Bennett on Friday, and we had a blast. The evening took a nasty turn (literally!) when I found a surprise in (and out) of his diaper, but he was very patient with me as I tried to help him. It made for an entertaining story when mom and dad came home. :)

So True

2010-08-25T15:49:00.003-05:00

On Monday I texted a "How was your first day of school?" to four of my teacher friends. These are exerpts from the responses I received - they made me laugh out loud!

1. I am super tired...
2. My feet are killing me...
3. A bit stressful at times...
4. I am super exhausted...I forgot what a workout this teaching thing is...

These comments came along with positive ones, but the theme throughout the texts made me smile. Oh, to teach. It's a wonderful and exhausting job.

It's...

2010-08-21T21:34:00.006-05:00

...the weekend!!! How often I took it for granted during the summer! Being a spoiled teacher, every day felt like a weekend over summer break. And after three days of school? Boy, was I ready for a day to sleep in! :) Thank you, Lord, for Saturdays!

I love my kids. Love them! They are going to be an energetic bunch this year (in a good way), and I am already looking forward to getting to know them better in the next 9 months.

Enjoy the pictures!

August 15: Take-out and movie night with Rachel and Jamie. Pei Wei kids' meals all around!

August 16: My mom treated me to a back-to-school pedicure Monday afternoon. I have to admit...the flower on my toe just makes me happy.

August 17: About to begin my 7th (how did that happen??) year of teaching!

August 18: No good picture today. :)

August 19: Little Bennett eating rice cereal...Kc and Megan's precious son. I just love him!

August 20: My new friend. I recently went to the doctor for a physical, and I failed my breathing test six times! My doctor prescribed me an inhaler, which I've been too afraid to use until this week. I used it Monday morning, and I discovered it is possible in one's life to breathe deeply and comfortably! How interesting...

August 21: I made dinner for my mom, Jim, Grandma, and Lee tonight. They came by on their way to a concert, and it was wonderful dining with them! My mom brought over some wine, too, so I enjoyed a glass - UNTIL - I felt something strange entering my mouth and discovered a fly...

Check it out at 2:00. Disgusting. Thankfully I didn't swallow it! :)

Not to Us

2010-08-17T15:42:00.003-05:00

My morning devotional really hit home yesterday, so I thought I'd share an exerpt. I needed the reminder that it's not about me.

God's glory is the result of His nature and acts. He is glorious in His character, for there is such a store of everything that is holy and good and lovely in God that He must be glorious. The actions that flow from His character are also glorious; but while He intends that they should display to His creatures His goodness and mercy and justice, He is equally concerned that the glory associated with them should be given only to Himself. Not that there is anything in ourselves in which we may glory; for who makes us different from another? And what do we have that we did not receive from the God of all grace? Then how careful we out to be to walk humbly before the Lord! The moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory only in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High...Shall the clay pot exalt itself above the man who fashioned it upon the wheel?...Or the drops of the ocean struggle with the storm? Give to the Lord, all you righteous, give to the Lord glory and strength; give to Him the honor that is due His name. It is, perhaps, one of the hardest struggles of the Christian life to learn this sentence - "Not to us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory." Psalm 115:1

~Charles Spurgeon, Morning by Morning

Special Talent

2010-08-14T13:06:00.004-05:00

Enjoy the pictures! :)

August 9: No picture today. I didn't forget, I just didn't want to.

August 10: These girls make me smile. This was our last official Bible study for the summer, so of course we decided to bring tasty treats to enjoy. We finished our 12-week study called "Battling Unbelief", and it was great! We learned about the importance of living by faith in Christ and His grace alone when faced with things like anxiety, bitterness, and impatience. I enjoyed discussing and studying with these girls who love the Lord. Thankful for them.

August 11: I picked Mom and Jim up from the airport on Wednesday. They are home from Colorado for a couple weeks! We went to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner, which hopefully explains Jim's outfit. ;)

August 13: Our third roommate moved in this week! This is Jamie. She's been moving her things in little by little throughout the week, but I didn't officially meet her until Friday.

August 14: I have the special talent of killing plants. A student gave me this little guy at the end of school last May. Her mom told me it was an easy plant to take care of - it doesn't need much water, and it doesn't need too much light. I've really been trying to take care of it this summer, but it has pretty much looked wilted all summer long. It used to have flowers, too. They are no longer.

So Long, Summer Vacation

2010-08-09T19:16:00.018-05:00

Tomorrow marks the first official day of the 2010-2011 school year. I'm amazed at how quickly the summer flew by! I think I feel that way every year, but this year it seemed to go by even faster!

Please pray. Pray that I will be able to teach my students well this year. That God will be glorified in the work He's called me to. Pray that I would take opportunities to talk about the gospel with my kids. That even in a math lesson, grammar lesson, or science lesson, God's love would be evident in the classroom. And pray that I would depend daily on His grace.

That's a lot of prayer requests. :)

I have quite a few pictures this week, so bear with me. Enjoy!

July 31: My roommate invited me to a missions fundraiser last Saturday. It was the most creative way I've seen to raise funds for a mission trip! A group from my church is going to Sudan, so they decided to show a movie in the backyard of someone's house. They charged a ticket price of $10 and a school supply to get in.

August 1: Is it bad that I'm ready for fall? It's only August.

August 2: A full day of work. My classroom assistant and I organized supplies Monday - we got a lot done!

August 3: Back-to-school shopping whilst using gift cards? My favorite kind of shopping! :)

August 4: If you can figure out what's wrong with this picture, you've earned yourself a high five (it might have to be an imaginary one, depending on where you live).

August 5: I traveled to San Antonio to visit family this weekend, and this was the bag I took with me. It's so small! I was rather proud of myself - I'm trying to turn over a new leaf and pack lightly. I won't tell you how many bags I ended up bringing home from San Antonio. That information is irrelevant.

August 6: My first morning with Grandma and Lee. They made a delicious breakfast!

August 7: My grandma has trained her dog Lance to be a therapy dog, which means he'll soon be visiting patients in nursing homes. He got his certificate in the mail while I was there, which was very exciting! It became the weekend joke since "Certificate of Certification" is a tad bit redundant.

August 8: Lance, official therapy dog! He's pretty adorable.

Lance loves my grandmother, and he's got good reason to! I love this picture. :)

Aches & Pains

2010-07-31T16:58:00.007-05:00

My 28th year of life has been going on for two and a half weeks now, and signs of aging keep popping up. ;) Three of the pictures below relate to recent ailments; in addition to those I have a fun collection of chigger bites. Good times!

Honestly, nothing to complain about. :) It's been a great week.

Enjoy the pictures!

July 24: These are the stairs I fell down last Saturday. It was a rather dramatic fall since I was holding a glass of water, which flew into the air and watered the carpet. Not the best fall I've experienced since I only fell down four steps (in college I fell down an entire flight - head over heels) but a good fall nonetheless! Soreness followed shortly after...

July 25: These people make me smile. :) My home group. I'm so grateful for this fellowship of believers. What an encouragement they are!

July 26: A sweet student of mine, who joined me on a frozen yogurt date earlier this week. We had a great chat and some tasty treats!

July 27: FACT: Getting a filling means you have a cavity EVEN if you don't have to get a shot. I discovered this devastating news after a trip to the dentist this week. I went in to get a "groove" filled (no shot necessary!), and Dr. Nolley told me it still counted as a cavity. Maybe I was foolish to ask! This was sad news to me since I thought I had never had a cavity before. Now it turns out I've had two! :)

July 28: Cary and Kim took me out for a birthday dinner Wednesday night. We went to Blue Goose - mexican, my favorite!

July 29: Cancelled my Thursday plans and came home from work with a stomachache, which actually hasn't completely gone away. After some 7Up, Chick-fil-a soup, a nap, a movie, and an early bedtime, I felt a bit better.

July 30: Joined my home group for some Friday night tapas! Delicious!

Ma'am?!

2010-07-23T22:10:00.010-05:00

My 28th year of life has been going on for about a week and a half now. Since then I've been addressed as ma'am by two different young men. One was on an airplane, where I was sitting next to a college sophomore. He and I had a nice chat, but he answered every question with a "yes, ma'am" or "no, ma'am". A college sophomore. Am I so advanced in years that he felt like he needed to do that?

Tonight at Barnes and Noble, I asked two young men if they were using a third chair at their table. The answer? "No, ma'am".

Really?

This week I kind of dropped the ball as far as pictures go. The first one was provided by my friend Dani, who graciously shared her pictures with me.

Enjoy! :)

July 17: My small group enjoyed fondue and games on Saturday night. One pot of cheese fondue, one pot of chocolate. Throw in good friends and a game of Balderdash, and it's the perfect combination!

July 18: Frozen yogurt with Kim. We went to a place called Fresh Berry, which is owned by a former coworker of hers. I love this picture. :)

July 19: No picture today.

July 20: Finally got pictures hung up on the wall! I think that means I'm officially unpacked!

July 21: Iced coffee whilst reading on a hot day in July? Yes, please.

July 22: This is my walking buddy, Precious. She belongs to my roommate, and she's been a great dog to have around! She and I have bonded on some recent walks around the neighborhood.

July 23: Dinner with Cary. :)

Me: I need to take your picture before we lose the light.

Cary: What should I pose with?

Me: [Looking around, pondering]

Cary: I could stick my finger in this jam.

Me: Of course!

And that's why we're friends. Love you, Cary!

Adventures in North Carolina

2010-07-14T20:12:00.005-05:00

Last week I spent time with Julie, Flynn, and Lara in the beautiful state of North Carolina. It was such an encouragement to get a glimpse of their life for a week; it's clear their heart's desire is to honor the Lord in all they do. I LOVED watching Julie be a mother - she is a wonderful one, and God has blessed her with a beautiful daughter!

Enjoy this week's pictures!

July 8: No picture today. :(

July 9: There is a science/nature museum near Julie's house, and she and Lara frequent it often. It is a great place to visit, complete with science exhibits and live animals. This little guy was pretty cute...and a little creepy up close, I won't lie.

July 10: Blueberry picking with Lara! She did a great job picking blueberries, but she then tried to put them down the back of her dress. She hasn't quite mastered the art of placing them in the basket. She will, though, I'm confident of that! :)

Another from the 10th: Mom and daughter enjoying the swing.

July 11: Before the evening service at church, we stopped for a treat at Local Yogurt. Peanut butter and banana - delicious!

July 12: Another shot from the science museum, where they have a butterfly house. This was one of my favorite things we saw there!

July 13: Sewing project. Julie is quite the seamstress, and we decided to try a new project while I was there! It went smoothly until the very last step. We had a hiccup at that point, which we attempted to correct for the next several hours. Sewing is hard work!

July 14: My birthday breakfast. :) Below is a picture of the beautiful meal Julie prepared.

July 15: The finished product, hanging in my room at home. This was the first day I carried it to work, and I love it!

July 16: Melissa, a coworker of mine, and her daughter Riley had me over for a birthday lunch today. Riley was in my class a couple years ago, and I love her! Her brother is taking this picture. He loved the sound my camera makes when it takes a picture, so he kept clicking...and clicking...and clicking...

This is about the 40th picture. :)

Happy Dress Like a Cow Day!

2010-07-09T17:59:00.006-05:00

Cowningham, the One-Eared Wonder!

FREE FOOD!!!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

2010-07-07T16:46:00.009-05:00

This week I received one of the world's greatest souvenirs from my friends Kc and Megan. They recently returned from a three week trip to England. While they were there, they saw something flying through the air that intrigued them. So of course, they investigated and discovered the World's Smallest Kite. It's adorable. Why is it that most things seem cute when they're small? Babies, puppies, kites...

Enjoy the pictures! :)

July 3: Boring picture, I know, but not a boring concept! Renting a movie for $1/day is genius...

July 4: Spent the day with my aunt, uncle, and cousins and forgot my camera. I took a picture with Becca's camera, which I'll post soon. :)

July 5: My friend Araenae came to help me unpack the other day, and we went out for frozen yogurt when we finished. I love this shot...she did not want me to take her picture!

July 6: There it is! The World's Smallest Kite! Actually, the WORLD Smallest Kite. It's cute enough to look past the missing "apostrophe s". :) When Kc and Megan gave it to me I was itching to give it a try, so we all went out for some kite flying fun. With no breeze, we were a sight to see running down the middle of the street trying to make it fly.

So excited!

Kc giving it a try...

Kc untangling the large knot that formed in the string...:)

July 7: My roommate made cheese enchiladas for lunch today. Delicious!

And So Begins July...

2010-07-03T14:30:00.012-05:00

Enjoy this week's pictures!

June 26: No picture. Whoops.

June 27: Began this morning with exploding oatmeal. Whoops! :)

June 28: Rainstorm on Monday evening - evidence of God's mercy in the middle of the summer heat. Grateful that my move was changed to the next evening! Summer thunderstorms are one of my favorite things!

June 29: I went to see Toy Story 3 for the second time this week (which, by the way, if you haven't seen it - GO SEE IT. I've cried at the end both times). I saw this little guy in the parking lot after the movie, and it stopped me in my tracks. If you can't tell, it's the imprint of a sprawled-out frog. Needless to say, it raised a few questions in my mind! How did this poor, unfortunate frog get caught in the middle of the cement while it was drying? I wonder if he knew he was forever making his mark in history. Poor guy.

This was also moving day - you can see those pictures here.

June 30: One of the first things I organized at the new place. I have much less closet space, so I had to be creative in how I used it. I love the feeling of being organized. Is that a nerdy thing to say? Don't answer that.

July 1: Turns out one of my walls was blue in the new room. Obviously I couldn't leave it that way. :) I have every other color in my bedspread, but not baby blue. Kari came over to help me paint on Thursday, and I love the way it turned out!

July 2: My dad was in town for a day, and I was glad to spend a couple hours with him. He suggested ice cream, so we went to Marble Slab, where he then ordered a banana split for us to share! So many flavors - in the words of Cousin Becca, it was like a "party in my mouth"!

Then Sings My Soul

This Could Be Fun...

Chickpea Goodness

My Pinterest Problem

Thanks, Mom!

Quelf

Too Early?

A Turkey's Perspective

Meet Jean.

Game Night!

Pumpkin Bread Attempt #1: Fail

Tuesdays

Cooking with Fungus

Ridiculous

Seriously.

A Bouquet of Freshly Sharpened Pencils

Smile

So Excited!

A New Leaf

20 Lessons Learned in Guatemala

Guatemala

Playdate

Time Flies

Ouch.

Silliness

Costco is Amazing

*Smile*

Mom's Back!

So Happy

Gospel in Life

Late Night

Captain Obvious

My Weekend

Field Day: Plan B

Don't Worry, I Didn't Forget

Splishin' and Splashin'

Cutest Parade Ever

Outdoors

Delish

Cousins

Charlotte's Web Day

A Gift

Carpool Duty

Friendship

Endings

I Want Them to Know...

Oh, Boy!

Mayhem

Three Things

Time for Tea

Cup of Salvation

Mmmmm...

Cousins, Part 4

Cousins, Part 3

Cousins, Part 2

Week with the Cousins, Part 1

Oh, Yes It Is

I Like Taking Pictures

Throwing Myself on the Gospel of Grace

Wonderland

Snow Day #3

We've Got Mail!

Thundersnow

Of Course!

Adventures in Dogsitting

Reason #387 Why I Love My Job

Treasure

Forced to Rest

I love you, but...

Christmas Time is Here

Thankful

Fall Colors

Six of Seven. Not Bad!

N.D.I.

Short & Sweet

Randomness

Cinquains

The Main Thing

A Gift

Flan and an Oven Fire

Smile