100 Things I Love about 2008

I'm not really into New Year's Resolutions, because they always involve weight, working out, and eating healthier BOO!!!! So, I gave myself the challenge of listing off 100 things I loved about the year 2008 ...not in any particular order by the way, just off the top of my head:

1. Smashbox sheer lip gloss
2. Chocolate Peppermint Coffee
3. Santoku knives
4. Quitting a crappy job
5. Starting a job as a teacher (goal: not to look like a frumpy teacher)
6. My Mama getting remarried (and to a wonderful man!)
7. Paying off my Nissan Maxima WOOHOOO
8. Organizing the office
9. Putting our house together
10. Being around to see my best friend and her husband have a baby!
11. Watching my close friend Gabbi get engaged!
12. Dermologica Face Wash (I'm not sure I spelled that right...I'm too lazy to go look)
13. My wax appointments
14. Peppermint mocha creamer
15. Gelato-chocolate hazelnut
16. My NY&Co purse I waited to go on sale and bought for $20 instead of $40
17. Making cookies in the shape of baby bottles and having them turn out decently cute
18. Highlighting my hair
19. Learning a new way to put on eye shadow
20. My OBGYN-they are freaking awesome
21. Bubble baths
22. Getting a special ed basset hound...she eats dirt and cigars now...weird.
23. Booting the doggies out of the bedroom so I can sleep all night again (THANK YOU ERIC!!!)
24. Teasing my husband (and vice versa)
25. My Humboldt Jacks sweatshirt (Thanks Sarah K!!!)
26. The location of the Christmas Tree this year-so cute!
27. Cleaning the house
28. Reading for fun
29. Being part of a book club
30. Knee high socks (I'm looking for knee high tube socks...any ideas where I can find them?)
31. Pedicures
32. Small group-they have children and are totally normal and adult like still. So awesome...
33. Tea
34. My grief share group
35. The tervis tumbler my friend Cami bought me
36. Sarah A.'s photos! freaking awesome...
37. GAP jeans
38. Ghiradelli caramel filled chocolate
39. Finding a good eye doctor-thanks Gabbi!
40. Hanging out with Garrett and Georgia. Always fun.
41. Getting a new family-especially sisters!
42. The Thai food place
43. Foodnetwork
44. Adding a list of my favorite blogs (see to the right)
45. Sleeping in and having major holidays off-not to mention two weeks off every few months. Freaking sweet.
46. The cookie exchange party at Jihae's.
47. Suffering through Dave Ramsey and FPU with a really awesome group of people
48. Figuring out our neighbors go to the same church as us
49. Working the cafe at church
50. Making fun of the book Lolita-dumbest book ever...

Yikes, I'm going to have to keep thinking...

Julius Caesar

Answers to quizzes...may I add open book quizzes...

Question: Why do Brutus and Cassius bid each other farewell before the battle begins?
Answer: They plan to meet after the battle.

I'm sorry-did you even read the question? If you're bidding someone farewell in a Shakespearean play, you know they are going to DIE...

Question: When Cassius sends Titinius to ride into his camp, Titinius is surrounded by cheering soldiers. Cassius assumes...
Answer: That Titinius has been killed

Nice-if Titinius is surrounded by soldiers, he is obviously still ALIVE

Question: What reason does Brutus give the Roman people for killing Caesar?
Answer: He loved Romeo.

Yes, the student put Romeo. I'm assuming of course that he mean "he loved Rome" but you know what they say about people who assume...

Love Notes

From teens. I went to confiscate a note I saw a few of them giggling over, and I thought I was being all stern and strict, but instead it goes like this:

Girl Student: "Mrs. E!!!! (giggle). Read this note a boy wrote me!!!"

(In my head: Oh awesome, this is going to be dirty or something...)

Mrs. E: "What kind of note?"

Girl Student: "It's a love note! (more giggling). You should have Joe* read it outloud! He reads it (more giggling...can't get words out..). It's so funny..."

Mrs. E.: (takes note and begins to read quietly to herself...whichever boy wrote this seriously poured his heart out...this is awkward...)

Joe*-(in a deep voice) "Your eyes...they sparkle..."

Mrs. E.: "Sheesh Joe..." (can't finish, it is hilarious the way Joe is acting out the note, but I cant' risk mocking the student who wrote it if he is in the room).

Joe*-"You are...so beeeyouuuutiful"

Girl Student-(yes, still giggling) "I can't believe someone wrote me this!!!"

Mrs. E.: "It's very thoughtful..." (in my head: it's very cheeseball, but still, poor guy...)

Joe*-(really not listening to anyone, just reading verses outloud) "The river has nothing...*dramatic pause*...on the way your voice sounds"

Mrs. E: rolls eyes.

Joe*-(Suddenly comes out of his love note reading trance) "DUDE, this is your handwriting Rob*!!!"

Rob*-"NO. No it's not!!!"

Mrs. E: (IN my head, "yes, yes I think it could be Rob's handwriting...now this is even more awkward...)

Girl: "Oh my gosh, it does look like your handwriting!!!"

Joe*-"Totally is your handwriting. You wrote it. You love her!!!"

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the actual students..and the love-note-writer...

Really, I just walked away. Awesome classroom management I'm sure. But, if there is one thing I know, teens cannot focus if there is a love note in the room. Yes, I should have just confiscated it and walked away, but then they involved me, and really, I wish you could hear audio of Joe* reading the note...I couldn't keep standing there with Joe* acting out the lines of the poem. Poor guy who wrote it. If he was in the room...he's probably mortified. I would be. But, then again, I would not risk giving a note to someone in a class. I'd leave it for them to find at their car or something. And seriously, I know students' handwriting...I think it could have been Rob*.

Speech!

Here's the speech I gave at Mom's wedding (again, not just written by me!):

13 boxes to pack up Mom's amethyst glass- $60.

4 guys, 8 hours to load moving vans-$700.
(Eric chimes in here and says "Wait, don't you live on that big hill? Add $200!)

Correction to moving vans-$900.

1 new bedroom set and 1 new sectional sofa- $6000 (mom gasped at this so I'm thinking I was way under or way over...)

Custom remodel of Ken's living room and kitchen-$15,000 (or more like $30,000!)

Determining who snores the loudest? Priceless!!

You might thinking I'm kidding about the snoring, but I'm not. We all know Trudie snores the loudest with Mom a close second (and I've heard Ken can rival both of them!). So, Ken, the four of us on this side of the family want to welcome you with the perfect gift. We really think we went all out on this one. (Give Ken earplugs!).

On a more serious note, I want to share this verse I've clung to for the past year now. Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

In the past year, I questioned the truth behind this verse and disagreed with what it seemed to mean for our family. But today I see God proving Himself once again. He knew what both our families needed to begin to feel whole again.

So, watching God keep his promise of holding our families together through the marriage of Mom and Ken, that is what is truly priceless.

Mom's Wedding

Mom & Ken

So, this past weekend we flew up to California for Mom & Ken's wedding! Thank you A TON to Sarah Albin for sending me some pictures to post on my blog. YOU ARE THE BEST! Our camera isn't working, so I was going to buy a cheap-o one at the store, but that never happened...

Anyway, Garrett and Georgia, Eric and I met at the airport Thursday after work to fly. Georgia found us a killer deal so we could fly all the way to Arcata/Eureka. Here's the catch-it was through United but the outsource it with US Airways. So, yes, we went to United to check in and they told us to go to US Airways (different terminal of course!). Eeesh. Let me tell you, I have the greatest family, because I am a nervous lunatic when I fly. It took us forever to check in because they couldn't find (then access) our reservation. Sheesh. We made it though...on time! Of course we had to switch terminals in San Francisco, of which the route is through a terminal being remodeled...with huge cracks in the floor...kind of creepy...

Let me tell you, it was cold. Luckily Mom supplies lots of blankets for me and we were staying at the house (sadly, for the last time!). Friday morning I met my friend Sarah for coffee-which was a nice way to ease into the business that was ahead! We then had the rehearsal (yes I cried!) and then dinner at Ferndale Pizza Co. (mmm...yumminess....). We sat with Sarah and Andy, which as always, was fun!

Saturday the girls all met up at the Spa to get pedis and pampering before the wedding. Everyone's toes were so cute with the little diamonds! It was especially nice to get to spend time with Brenda and Barbara (my new sisters!!!).

We did pictures outside, which I have to say, turned out BEAUTIFUL!!!! The pictures are seriously amazing. If anyone needs a photographer, I have the perfect one for you! I am excited to get the pictures and frame them.

Here are some:

New Family Picture

Immediate Family Picture (except I seriously need to work on my posture...sheesh)

Me and Mama!!!

In the middle of my speech.

There was a desert reception immediately following the ceremony. It was nice to get to spend time with people and talk. I gave a speech, which I could not have done without the help of Garrett, Georgia, and Eric. We wrote it together in the airport. I had no idea what to say, but then Georgia had an awesome idea. I don't know if anyone wants to read it or not. If so, I can post it later. I was congratulated on making everyone cry (always my goal since I'm always crying).

I admit, Saturday morning was tough. I went and hid in Daddy's office for awhile (then got pissed at the printer and had to go get Eric hehehe...), and had a good cry. But I have to say, even through the tears, I was at peace. I definitely know God's hand is holding our family. I could not ask for a better spouse for Mom and a better step dad. Ken is absolutely the sweetest and very thoughtful. I am excited our kids will get to have him as a grandpa! The whole family is wonderful, and I am especially looking forward to spending time with Brenda and Barbara.

OHHHH LAME!!!!!

So, I need to blog about the wedding of course, but I don't have any pictures, so I'll have to see if I can get some from people to post on here...but first...

THE CLASS OF 1999 IS TRYING TO FIND ME!!!! NOOOOOOO....

Yes, that's right. This is a curse of Facebook. The class reunion is coming up this next July. OH joy. So now they are leaving me messages "need your address reunion july". That's the exact message. No, "hey how are you?" Just need my freaking address. WHY? So I can go and re-live my joyous high school years? Noooooo. Though, high school wasn't all bad, but I can't see what good would come from going this in July. For one, what if I'm pregnant? It'd probably be the awkward clothing stage where your normal clothes don't fit but maternity is too big. So, I already have nothing to wear. Or, I'll run into ex-boyfriends and we can carry on conversations like this "Oh, hi, this is my ex-boyfriend Eric, I'm sure you'd really like to meet him..." aaackkk.

Most likely, Eric and I would ditch the reunion and find Andy and Sarah Albin and hang out with them all weekend. Which would actually be quite fun. So that is point one for reunion!

I was actually hoping that since Mom got married Fortuna-ites of 1999 wouldn't find our address. But, I'm thinking that they would still send it to Mom, then it'd get sent to me...so even if I avoid giving my address they'll then torture my Mother to find me...or they could be like Ferndale High's class that advertised a list of "missing" class members-DAD being one of them ( a few years ago of course, when he was out and about town and everyone knew him!)

So...I thought I was free from all stress. But no. Now I have to be all decisive about a dumb class reunion. What do I talk about with these people? I hardly talked much in high school, except in Newspaper. Uggg...the dilemmas...

Help meeee.....

Essays

I'm in the process of grading essays...so far pretty good, but I like the amusing ones best. This is a thesis statement for one paper:

"The Sniper has courage, wits, and a good dose of testosterone."

I laughed so hard I really thought I was going to pee my pants...