I've Been Mooned!

Not THAT kind of mooned!
I'm talking about going to see New Moon...the movie!

So, here's how I was "mooned"...

The plan had been in the works for weeks...
the date was set...
the theater was selected...
the girls were notified by our "event coordinator"...
the tickets were purchased...
the meeting location and time were determined...
Finally... The Day Had Arrived!

The girls gathered...
the cars pulled out of the driveway...
the drivers made their way through traffic...
the excitement was building...
the drivers continued to make their way through traffic...
the caravan pulled into the parking garage...
Finally... We Had Arrived!

We all got into one elevator...
zipped across the street...
waited for our tickets to be placed in our eager little hands...
took a quick detour to the bathroom...
got snacks...
and found our seats...
Finally... The Time Had Arrived!

But wait... what's this... previews... more previews...
WOULD THEY EVER END!!!!!

FINALLY.... NOW it was time!

A hush fell over the theater (it was pretty much just us!)...
with bated breath we waited...
and then...
the movie began!

Of course, since I was hanging out with my grown-up friends (and some of our mothers!), we did our best to be grown-up and mature movie-watchers...

Yeah, right! Jacob took off his shirt and we all started wondering (out loud) how the heck this kid got to be so chiseled.

And then Edward took off his shirt later on in the movie and we wondered (out loud) why the heck he wasn't chiseled, at all (plus, not only could you see his hip bones, but his abs were painted on... GAG ME!).

Edward should be chiseled, he should be cut, he's supposed to be this over-the-top, drop-dead, drool-on-yourself, gorgeous vampire, and while the Edward of the books cuts it, the Edward of the movies (aka: Rob Pattinson) definitely DOES NOT.

Needless to say, as mature grown-ups, we spent quite a bit of time after the movie analyzing these points in depth, as well as discussing the overall quality of the acting, how closely the movie stayed to the book, etc. etc, all while enjoying fried gator, fried pickles, and desserts at Razoo's (dinner of the critics!).

The evening was a blast and I enjoyed a night out with The Girls!

Hip Hip Hooray, it's time for a vacay!

'Tis the season of thanks, and as I have mentioned before how grateful I am for my fantastic career. Well, today I am also really grateful that I get the entire week of Thanksgiving off from that wonderful job!

I appreciate the time to enjoy the beauty of the season, to get things done around my house, to visit with friends and family, to relax, to do whatever I want!

It's day #1 of our Thanksgiving break and today I: helped a friend rearrange her classroom, had lunch with B, cleaned my house, and done laundry. Productivity feels great!

And although this is a week away from school, I am committed to spending some time on a large work-related project that is never really complete... you know, READING!

Ah, the bliss of time off in the fall!

Sunrise, Sunset (NOT the song!)

Can anyone explain why the month of November seems to fly by so quickly?

For a month that is centered on gratitude, family, things that matter most, and giving thanks, it sure doesn't seem to stick around very long!

Maybe that's the answer... maybe because we spend November focusing on so many good things, time really flies!

Well, before the sun sets completely on the month of November, I wanted to take a minute to jot down some things that have filled my heart with gratitude and mattered most to me this year:

1. SERVICE. As I have had different opportunities to serve others, I have learned the truth behind the statement, "it is better to give than to receive" and have seen how incredibly blessed my life can be as I strive to be there for others.
   



2. BRIAN. There is not enough I can say to accurately describe my love and appreciation for my husband. He gets me (and loves me anyway!). He supports me. He encourages me. He listens to me. He loves me. He is my rock.
   



3. FAMILY. It is an interesting thing to be a grown-up in your family - roles change, responsibilities shift, relationships stretch - and yet we all still cherish, support, and look out for each other.
   



4. FRIENDS. I have really come to see how blessed I am to have incredible friends in my life. People who build me up, value my standards, encourage me to excel, make me laugh, boost me spiritually, care for me when I am down... this list of good that I see in my friends could go on and on and I recognize just how lucky I am.
   



5. CAREER. I have been blessed to have a career where I really, truly get to make a difference. I get to help children (of all ages!) learn and discover and that is an incredible feeling of happiness in my life. Plus I am blessed to work in a great school where I have tremendous opportunities.
   



6. HEALTH. I appreciate being healthy. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual - all forms of health that must be maintained and nurtured, and although I am not perfect at it, I am working to take better care of myself in all these areas.
   



7. HOME. It may not always be 100% organized (okay, it's never 100% organized!) and my shoes may not be put away (ever!), but I am so grateful for the home that we have and for the Spirit of peace and love that resides here. Even though I am still trying to purge, sort, minimize, simplify the things that are found in our home (I have a "creative collecting" problem - you know, I get a "creative" idea so I "collect" what I need to get it done - someday!), our home feels warm, inviting, peaceful, and comfortable and I love it!
   



8. EDUCATION. I am always learning and I am grateful for the opportunities that come my way to make this happen. Education comes through formal school experiences, but also through daily life experiences, and from interacting with others. I am grateful for the things that I learn in all these educational forums.
   



9. TESTIMONY. I am so grateful to know that I am a child of God, that He loves me, and that Jesus Christ is my Savior. Daily life can be hard, trials can be overwhelming, things don't go as planned, and because of this I am so grateful that I know God has a plan for me. This knowledge brings me peace, even in the most difficult times.
   



10. THE LORD. He loves each of us. He sees the best we can be. He is there for us no matter what. He paved the way for us to return to live forever with our Heavenly Father. He is our brother, our friend, our exemplar, our Savior, and for His love I give my thanks.

I am so glad that I sat down and thought about this list and that I took time to reflect and record some of the things that matter most to me.

The sun may be setting on November, but for just a few minutes tonight time has slowed down a bit for me and I feel a sense of peace and happiness that comes from taking time to just be thankful.

Can't Get a Grip

Have no meal plan... haven't been to the grocery store since I got back from N. Carolina... need to prepare 2 lessons for Sunday... my house is definitely NOT in order... currently in the middle of several projects and other work-related tasks... my head has been pounding and I've been sick since Wednesday so EVERYTHING has come to a screeching halt...

And today I feel all the pressure of what I haven't done.

I can't keep up...

... and it's ONLY Monday!!!