29... Where Has The Time Gone?

I celebrated my 29th birthday on Saturday and I was struck by the fact that my life is incredibly different then I imagined it would be when I was planning my future as a little girl. I never saw myself as a wife or a mother, never pictured me having my own classroom, and I sure didn't picture myself living in Nampa, Idaho. Having said that, I also could not have imagined so many wonderful things in my life. I have a husband who is also my best friend, a son who is both artistic and independent, and my life is filled with wonderful friends and family. Every experience that has marked my life thus far has helped me to become who I am today and because I like the person I have become, I refuse to regret any of it. The balance between the happy and the sad and the accomplishments and the mistakes are a combination that allows growth in people. :)

Wow... I didn't intend to get so deep, but rather had planned on dishing about my day. We refused to do housework on my birthday and sat in the living room relaxing and watching the game until we headed to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner and then to see Blind Side (which is amazing). It was an awesome birthday spent with my boys and a perfect closing to a fabulous weekend. My birthday present to myself was finishing organizing my classroom filing cabinets. :)

A Day To Give Thanks

We spent Thanksgiving at Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Neils' house this past weekend. It was fun to see family and to get to have some delicious food. Steen was exhausted after working an all night shift and spent a good portion of the day napping in various places. Playing with the other kids kept Spencer occupied for most of the day and it was a delightful time for all of us.

Things that I am thankful for:

• My family and friends
• Health and happiness
• Steen & I having jobs
• A comfortable home
• Shared hobbies with the people I love
• Creativity & imagination
• Literature, art, & music
• Being a student of life

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to count many blessing in your life.

One Pink, One Blue, Sometimes Blessings Come In Twos

Tammy's shower was a hit. :) She looked beautiful and we all had a great time eating yummy food and spending time together. I stayed the night with her over at Ross & Carla's on Friday to help prep for the party and to make headbands for the occasion. We stayed up late chatting before getting some much needed sleep.

On Saturday morning we finished preparing for the event before I nabbed Tammy for some primping. I had so much fun and it was awesome to have time with such a wonderful woman but I am relieved that I can just relax at home tonight. I made the boys orange/cranberry chicken roast with sweet potato stuffing and gravy. Now it is time to watch a movie with Steen before passing out from exhaustion. Yippee for the holiday rush!

Over Indulgence

Overindulgence. That was the theme of Anna's beautiful "New Moon" release party. She made an awesome spaghetti sauce from scratch to go on cheese & mushroom ravioli. We had red velvet cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory as well as many other goodies. Anna put together goody bags with a CD, candy, and vampire teeth; really it was like a grown up slumber party. :)

Most of us had our picture taken with Edward before loading up our plates and sitting down to giggle and watch "Twilight". We left for the theater a little before ten and then sat for a couple of hours, laughing over the fact that Anna's sister-in-law, Chandra, took a spill and she sprinted for the theater (the funny part is that she is a grown woman, happily married with two kids and yet she acted like a 13 year old with a movie star crush).

I loved the movie. :) It was much better than the first, although the overload of sugar and carbs at the party combined with the spinning shots resulted in miserable sickness after the movie. I took a sick day and spent most of the morning and afternoon laying in bed and catching up with Steen on how things have been going for him at work. It was a magical night filled with rich food, fabulous entertainment, and great friends. The perfect way to kick off the Holiday Festivities.

Scorer's Block

Wow, as much as I love my colleagues, I am thrilled to be heading to bed and taking time away from reading persuasive papers. :) We worked through our common assessment today and it was both encouraging and frustrating. I have included two videos that Tammy showed me. Both of them work as motivation and comic relief when the days get long and the grading pile remains deep. Enjoy!

Tea With Jane Austen: JASNA

We have a delightful tradition in my Jane Austen Book Club. Every winter we attend the JASNA Jane Austen Tea which includes delicious tea, yummy scones, and interesting guest authors (writers of the popular Jane Austen fan fiction). The years event is going to be on December 12th and I can't wait. It will be a busy day (Spencer's birthday party is that evening) but well worth the fanfare.

Last year's event was enchanting; they brought in a string quartet that created the perfect ambiance. Syrie James, author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, was the guest speaker and we all enjoyed it immensely.

The first year we went, we were all amused to see a young gentleman in a period costume. When we asked him about it he explained that he dressed up "just because". He did so the following year as well. Pamela Aidan, author of An Assembly Such as This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman, was the speaker the first year. She was a treat.