Time to Celebrate Marriage

As the years go by and I see another wedding anniversary pass, I can't help but think that the years are going pretty quickly, and that the couple in the wedding pictures look a little younger than they do in the mirror.  But that's ok because we've got time on our side, right?  I mean we've had time to travel, be together, compromise, fight, forgive, and love.  We've laughed and cried, been healthy and sick, acted like 21 year old youngsters (just with far worse hangovers), and acted like 80 year old retirees in our pajamas at 7:00 on a Friday night.  Time has been good to us, as it has been to many of the marriages that I see around me.  

So with all that time on our side, why is that my friends and I have been talking about marriage more than usual?  Although not as much about the great parts that used to consume our giddy conversations, but more about the challenging parts, the give and the take, and the parts that make marriage seem not so glamorous.  The parts that sometimes remind you that marriage will be work as time continues onward.

I'd be the first to admit that marriage is work.  Some days the work is easy and some days the work is hard.  Some days you feel like doing it and frankly, some days you don't.  Some days are full of joy and some days frustration.  I think that's a pretty honest opinion about marriage.  If someone says otherwise, then good for them, but most would probably agree with me.

So the question is why do you continue through life with the same person that you've promised to marry years ago if it can be so much "work?"  Sometimes, especially in today's world, the answer is you don't, and there are times that you shouldn't.  But for the many that continue down the  road of marriage (or who are currently choosing marriage), it seems this question has no generic answer.  Marriage is a choice.  A fun, fulfilling choice, but still something that you must decide you want to stick with and pursue.  It is different for every person and marriage.  What works for one, might not work for another. 

So even after all the work that marriage can be, sometimes it isn't work at all.  There are times when you and your partner are truly in-sync, times when you feel like you can conquer the world just by being together, and times when the beauty of marriage is overwhelming.  Those times solidify the choice you made and make you realize why you continue to do it day after day.  The love from marriage can truly sweep you off your feet, which is why you can continue when some days are a little harder than others.

 It confirms that even though it is work sometimes, most good things in life are.  Because if it wasn't work every now and then, would we truly appreciate and respect marriage for the gift that it should be? 

Unfamiliar to Beautiful

Five days a week,  9+ hours a day, we spend at our jobs. These jobs are things we have chosen as our passion, career, or way to make a living. Yet even though we chose these jobs, we inevitably go through good times and bad, times we love and times we don't.

This year is one of those times where I am often thinking,"There is nowhere I'd rather be than working with these people at this school."  When you are genuinely happy to see the people you work with everyday, when you learn from and listen to each other, and when you have each other's backs no matter what, you know you're in a good place. You're in a place where you are better at your job because of the people around you. A place where others support and build you up. You're in a place that makes you appreciate the responsibilities that you possess as a teacher. A place that feels like a family. 

I am in that place, and lucky for me this has been the case through ALL my years in the teaching profession. I've taught at two of the greatest schools with the neatest kids, coolest teachers, and best bosses.  I consider this to be some of my greatest opportunities and most enjoyable periods of my life thus far.  I'm so blessed that those unfamiliar faces from the early days have turned into beautiful friends who I truly respect, cherish, and love. 


That's a pretty great place to be. 

Appreciation

While using my time wisely last week and browsing Facebook, I read a status that said, "If you appreciate someone, tell them today. They might not be here tomorrow." I thought two things:  first, that is one of the most true statements I've ever heard and two, I guess I need to step up my Facebook statuses.  "Go Broncos!" doesn't seem to have such a motivational punch. :)  

So I started thinking about it and there are so many stories of gunshots, freak accidents, and sicknesses, that make it seem more true now than ever, that you have no idea when your time on Earth will be over.  So how are we showing appreciation to all those around us?  I feel like it's somewhat easy to show appreciation to a spouse or your parents or your best friends, because they are around more often in your daily lives (not saying we do it enough, but it's "easier.")  So I started thinking about the others that I'd show appreciation to and so many people started flooding my mind.  

What about the friends you've had for over 20 years who have seen you through many of life's ups and down, but that you don't talk to as much anymore?  How about your cousins who were your first friends and are always there to laugh about your family's disfunction?  Or the person who was the first to teach you what love feels like?  A coach or teacher who taught you lessons that you still use everyday?  Or a child who has taught you much more than they'd ever know? I know it made me sit back and think of all those people in my own life and how truly special they are to me.  Some I told, regrettably some I didn't.  

So here's the question, who are the people you appreciate and have you told them lately?  

Time

As I sat back and thought about the new year, I realized I needed a resolution.  A good resolution.  One that would actually inspire and change me.  As I thought, I stumbled upon an article that posed the idea of picking a single word for yourself for the year as your "resolution."  There were words like patience, kindness, grace, and so on.  This word, the article suggested, was supposed to mean something to you and obviously help you achieve different goals throughout the year.   

I liked this idea, but what word could I use that would mean something to me and help me enjoy this year?  I came up with the word "time," and it just seemed to work the more I thought about it.  

So in my 30th year of life, to celebrate all the time that has passed and the times yet to come, I'm focusing myself on the word "time."  Here are some of my ideas of how I am planning on using "time" this year.  I'm sure some will happen and some won't, just as I'm sure the word "time" will take on its own meaning in my life throughout the year.   

Time to try something new.
Time praying and growing closer to God.
Time to continue dating my husband.
Time spent with my girlfriends.
Time to laugh and act silly.
Time to reconnect with old friends.
Time to plant a garden in my new backyard.
Time to go on trips and travel to new places.
Time volunteering and giving back.
Time to actually be with my family.  
Time to think about the future.
Time to become a better teacher.
Time having long conversations on the phone with friends.
Time to send real mail!
Time to get to know my parents more while they are young and vibrant.  
Time to try a new form of exercise.
Time hanging out with my brother. 
Time putting down the cell phone and technology and look around at this beautiful world.
Time to take pictures. 

Time to blog (so I can actually realize and remember all the things that the year will bring.) 

Time to celebrate 30 great years that have shaped me into the person that I am today!

Here's to all the great things that "time" will bring.  :) 

Food for Thought

I said I was going to keep the entries shorter and today I'm going to do just that.

Today as I easily walked into the grocery store, got all my groceries, and came home to make dinner, I realized that it's so easy to forget about the gift of food.  It gathers people together, it gives you a glimpse into different cultures, and fills our stomachs.  It is in our refrigerators and cabinets, it is at restaurants around every corner, and I don't know about you, but I really enjoy it!


But there are people all around our country and world that have no food.  Children who have no idea where they will get their next meals and people who go days on end without any food or water.  I don't write all this to make us feel guilty, because I don't necessarily think we should.  Instead, I write it so that as you sit down to dinner tonight or walk to the cabinet without thinking, you take a moment to appreciate the gift that you have and the nourishment that it provides for your body.  It is truly a gift that many humans don't have and we should just be grateful that we do.

A Haitian child named Shelley,
who changed my life forever.
She came to the church to ask for food.
We filled her bucket with
spaghetti and gave her shoes,
clothes, paper, and crayons.
 It seemed so small to us,
 but meant the world to her.    

If this makes you think and want to do more, then do more.  If it just makes you think how lucky you are, then I'd say I've done my job for today!  :)

Man's Best Friend

(I'm bringing the blog back!  I'm going to make a better effort to add more posts.  They may be shorter, but I am wanting to make sure I do more.)

Just hanging with my friend Duck.
Duck doesn't love the friendship
as much as me! ;)

It's been awhile and I have so many things to be thankful for and appreciate.  I decided to start back with something that was surprisingly rewarding over the last couple of weeks.  Some of you may know that when we moved to Washington, Pat promised to get me a dog.  Well, almost three years later we decided to give it a try.  I wouldn't say that we're huge animal activists, but we do love dogs and feel like they should be part of the family.  We have always had our eyes on a Weimaraner, so when we decided to adopt a dog, it was a very easy choice.  We arranged a meeting with the D.C. Weimaraner Rescue and found a wonderful, friendly dog named Jäger.  His owner had given him up because he was moving and didn't want him anymore.  :(  The lady told us that she was happy to allow us to foster him to make sure that he would adjust well.  So we went to Petsmart, spent hundreds of dollars, and got everything we "needed."

It was the last day of school and I went to pick up the furry guy.  It was a little challenging getting him home by myself, but we made it and we all instantly fell in love.  He was a lover and thought he was a lap dog (a 65 pound lap dog!).  The next couple of days were definitely a learning experience, but his sweetness made it very easy to look past the challenging parts.  Long story short, he had a lot of stomach issues and wasn't adjusting very well.  After a few vet appointments, we found that he had a double ear infection and thought he must have a parasite due to his very lean appearance and stomach issues.  We started a variety of antibiotics and hoped for things to get better.  Over the next week, things didn't really improve as quickly as we wanted.  We tried to still get him to the dog park and take him on long walks, but it was evident that he still wasn't feeling well.  After many more vet calls and another visit, he gave us one more antibiotic and told us that since we were fostering we needed to decide if we were going to be willing to run some expensive blood work if his conditions didn't improve.

Where's my dessert?

There was so much going on with him and we felt like we hadn't really had a nice opportunity to spend time with him without worrying about him being sick, etc.  After lots of deliberation and communication with the rescue leader, we decided it might just not be the best fit for him.  Possibly, he was a dog who needed other dogs around or needed someone who would be home all day.   So we decided to take him back to the rescue.  There were plenty of tears to go around, especially because he was such a wonderful, sweet dog.  I'm sure that some people may not think favorably of us for taking him back, but we thought it was in his best interest to give him a better home.

Yeah, I'm a lap dog... what?!

Anyone want to rub
my belly?

With the disappointment of having to take him back, I did learn a few things.  I learned how nice it is to have something so excited to see you when you come home (besides Pat).  I learned that no matter what, they really do love you unconditionally.  I learned that vets are expensive (totally worth it though).  I learned that a dog's sweet little face can make your heart melt.  I learned, after having him for only 2 1/2 weeks, it was really sad to say goodbye.  Mostly, I learned that I can't wait for a house with a backyard and another opportunity to adopt a Weimaraner.....I just hope he's as great as Jäger.  

Guilty Pleasures

**Again I've been bad about updating my blog, but there have been so many wonderful things happening over the last couple weeks that I haven't had much time to sit and write.  There have been pumpkins, mugs of chai tea, a weekend at home, a baby shower for my new niece, a classroom of respectful, fun students (some days), and a lot of laughter and good times among friends.  I hope you've been appreciating all your favorite things, as much as I have my own, and have been taking some time to sit back and enjoy this beautiful time of the year. **

The leaves have changed and are starting to fall, pumpkin scents have begun to spew out of my oven, and I've been switching my tank tops for warm, woolly sweaters.  The months of October, November, and December, have to be my favorite times in the year!  They are filled with my favorite people, foods, colors, and weather.  It's a beautiful time to really enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature; a time to love God's amazing Earth; a time to be thankful of the beauty that is all around us.


It's also a time of the year when we shouldn't feel bad about indulging in a guilty pleasure (or two.)   
For example, these might be things I should feel guilty about, but absolutely don't:

• I watched "Charlie Brown's The Great Pumpkin" four times.
• I wanted to pick out the perfect pumpkin, but felt bad for the loop-sided one, so got that one instead.
• I hoped my students brought me the "good" Halloween candy instead of tootsie rolls and smarties.
• I bought a bag of candy in case any trick-or-treaters came, but none did, nor have they ever the last two years.
• I decided to put my pajamas on at 5, because that's when it gets dark, and watch movies instead of going to the gym.  
• I giggled like a school-girl when I heard the first Christmas song advertisement on the radio.
• I stared out the window as the first snowflakes fell and thought, "I hope I have a lot of snow days this year."
• I started a countdown in my head (don't tell Patrick) for how many more days I have to wait until I can put the Christmas Tree up.  14 days....

It's a time of the year when you can indulge in all things that make your holiday season cheery and bright; a time to enjoy the people and things that bring you joy.  I hope you get to cherish this time of the year, and all your favorite things, by removing the guilt and replacing it with utter joy and bliss.
As my grandma used to say, "Ice cream for breakfast never hurt anyone!" and I know if she was here, she'd be enjoying all of the holidays' guilty pleasures, as much as me.     

A Weekend Getaway!

Marathon training, busy weekends, and leaving all my energy in my classroom are all the reasons that I'm going to blame not updating my blog for a month!  Not great reasons, but my vow is to try to get back to updating and blogging about my favorite things at least a couple times a week.  Here's to hoping it works out.

Today's favorite was easy considering Patrick and I just got back from a great weekend getaway to Charlottesville, Virginia.  It's a beautiful college town located about 2 1/2 hours from D.C. and it was a well-needed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Our weekend was perfect with beautiful fall weather and all the quaintness of this great town.

We went to wineries, a UVA football game, dinner and drinks, an apple orchard, and just enjoyed each other's company.  It's amazing how easy it is to get caught up by the mundane routines during the work week and not actually make the most of your time together as a couple.  This weekend we laughed, acted goofy (with the help of some wine), and reconnected on the things that have been happening in our lives lately.  We made goals and plans for our next adventures.  We just relaxed.

I really hope every couple, married or not, gets a chance to getaway or just vary the normal routine to reconnect with each other.  It was such a beneficial weekend for us to spend time together and fall in love a little bit more.  As my grandma use to say,"Marriage is hard work.  Make sure you're in it with someone who you can have fun, laugh, and continue to fall in love with as you go."  I definitely have to agree with her and say that this weekend and my husband are two of my favorite things.


**Note:  I don't mean for this to be too mushy or gag-me-like, but I felt like it'd be good to refer to Patrick in one of my daily favorites.  ;) **

The Dog Days of Summer

With summer winding down and school starting in one short week, I know my days of freedom will be no longer and "my-summer's-over-depression" will begin to set in.  Today's favorite is enjoying a perfect summer day!  I LOVE a good summer day that is warm and full of sunshine.  Not a blazing hot day.  Not a humid day where my hair turns into a frizzball like Monica on Friends.  A nice warm day with bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds.  I love the way the sun shines down and makes all the colors of our earth seem magnified and beautiful.  Those days are pure perfection and I wished they lasted forever.

                                     

                                               

So, as the school year is about to begin and soon the fall season will be making its appearance (which I can't wait for), I'm soaking up this perfect summer day.  I hope it'll give me the energy I'm going to need, as my days will begin to be filled with summer stories, multiplication, and 25 third graders.  With that said, I'm headed back outside with my book to enjoy the day's beauty and soak up the last of the summer's sun.    

My Hoosier Home

Disclosure (as not to offend any of my east coast friends):  Before I start this post, let me start by saying that we moved to Washington, D.C. two years ago in September.  It was a difficult move at first, but we've met some amazing friends, had wonderful experiences, and grown closer today as a couple.  I can definitely say that I do not regret this opportunity at all, and in fact can say that it has been one of the best adventures we've ever taken (this is a big confession for me.)

With this said, I'm a Midwest girl all the way!  I love everything about the Midwest, and this summer I was able to spend a lot of time in this favorite place.  Many people assume that Indiana doesn't have a lot going on and that it doesn't have much to offer.  Well, according to me, they are very wrong.  Indiana has my family, friends, memories, simplicity, peace, and all the comforts of home.  So after spending two weeks in Indiana, it was very easy to pick this as one of my favorites (I know it'd be one of my grandma's favorites, too).


The first thing I love about Indiana is that it's been my home for 25 out of my 27 years of life.  So, needless to say it's comfortable.  I love the way my parents' house smells as you walk in after my mom has made banana bread; the way the trees hug the road with oranges, reds, and yellows in the light of fall; the beautiful waterfall my dad made in our backyard pond; roasting marshmallows in our fire-pit; the way my brother and I use to rush down the short hallway to see what Santa brought us (we did that last year too).  There are just so many wonderful memories and things that I love about home, that I could go on all day, but who has time to read that much!  :)

The other things that I love about Indiana range from perfectly planted cornfields, the coolness of a drive in the country, the way people wave at you when you let them out in traffic, weekends at the lake, the smiles and "Good Mornings" you receive by everyone you pass on a run, and the way the sky is filled with so many stars on a clear winter night.  The Hoosier state may not have a lot going on according to the average person, but to me, it is a state with filled with compassionate people and simple beauty.  I'm sure my grandma would agree that it was a wonderful place to call home. 



What are your favorites about home?

Friends are a Beautiful Thing!

           My Friends are a Beautiful Thing            
                

It is a beautiful thing to laugh so hard with your friends that you're crying and have a stomachache.

It is a beautiful thing to explore the world together.
It is a beautiful thing to learn new things about each other. 
It is a beautiful thing to be surrounded by people who know you better than anyone else and still accept you for you.

Drinking wine with a friend is a beautiful thing.

Solving the world's problems with a friend is a beautiful thing.
A long phone conversation with a friend is a beautiful thing.
An unexpected card or email from a friend is a beautiful thing.
Sitting and just letting the afternoon turn into evening with a friend is a beautiful thing.

This summer has been full of beautiful things with my friends: traveling, laughs, lunches, fuzzy slippers, candy necklaces, movies, hugs, smiles, and just FUN!   They are beautiful people who make my world a better place.  They are caring, compassionate, hilarious, fun, motivated, wonderful people, and I think they are the BEST friends in the whole world. 

My friendships are truly a beautiful thing and I am very thankful for them! 



Music to My Ears

My dad use to hold me upside down
to "dance on the ceiling."

You know when you're running on the treadmill and your favorite song comes across your shuffle and you want to jam along but people might stare?!  Or when you're driving home and you crank up the music when you hear that song you haven't heard in forever, or atleast since yesterday?!  Or when that dreaded alarm goes off and you're still exhausted, but somehow that one song pulls you from that tiredness to dance around in your bed and sing loudly at 5:45 AM?!  (Yeah, that's never happened to me either!) ;) 



The favorite for today are those songs that make you escape reality and take you to another place: your childhood, the college night when you and your friends had a dance party in your dorm room, or the first dance at your wedding reception.  Music always seems to fit the mood that you're in and I love that about it.  It seems to know what's needed at exactly the right moment.


So the next time you hear your favorite song or the song that transports you back in time, turn it up, pretend that no one is looking, and sing along loudly (and out of tune if you're me)!!  Because that's exactly what I did today and why I continue to love those 4 1/2 minutes of joy throughout my day.  

College dance night selection of choice!

Our first dance as husband and wife

The Beginning of a Beautiful Thing

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things."   If you don't recognize these wonderful song lyrics, they're from the song in The Sound of Music called "My Favorite Things."  If you've never seen this movie, rent it!  This is one of my favorite movies, that my grandma showed me when I was young, and I've seen it more than 20 times.   Whether I was laying in my grandma's living room, nestled on her lap, or in my own home introducing it to my husband, it's become one of my favorite movie.

In February, that grandma, the best grandma in the world, claimed her spot in Heaven.  Although we were all sad, we knew she was much happier in her paradise where she could see and enjoy all of Heaven's beauty.  If you didn't know her, she was the most remarkable single mother of 8 children, grandmother of 19, devoted Catholic, teacher, and counselor, and the most ideal person to tell people to think positively and live in the present.  She truly appreciate all the little things in life:  the smell of lavender, a good blizzard from Dairy Queen, hearing children's laughter, poetry, a moving prayer, making those around her happy, drives in the country, and so much more.  She was a simple person, yet had such intelligence and faith, you had to believe everything she said because she seemed to know it all.  She has taught our family and me so much about keeping the right attitude during life's ups and downs and how every morning you have the choice to make it a good or bad day.  Even in her last stages with Parkinson's disease, it was evident that she was taking in all the little things she could, interlacing hands, holding the rosary, or enjoying a Wendy's frosty that we'd sneak into the nursing home for her. 

While I try my best to carry out her lessons daily, sometimes busy schedules and the negativity of life can catch up with me.  I've decided to take her lessons and do what she would always tell us, look for and enjoy the little things.

So that's that; my new project.  I'm going to pick one beautiful thing on a crummy day  or a pretty thing on a amazing day, and share it with you.  Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Happiness isn't a goal; it's a by-product."  I think these wise women, Eleanor Roosevelt and my grandma, knew just what they were talking about!

I hope you journey along with me and look for all the little things that bring joy and happiness to our normal everydays!