Petrified Wood Branch

While we were in Moab, we went to Lin Ottinger's Moab Rock Shop. We found a few treasures there, but my favorite was a petrified wood branch.  I have a piece of petrified wood, but for some reason I had never imagined you could buy a branch of it!

"Plumbing Day" and a yummy dinner and treat!

Today I didn't have work because the plumbing at my school wasn't working for some reason.  So similar to a Snow Day, we had a  Plumbing Day!  (I'll take it!)  I was able to clean the house and make roasted vegetables and strawberry crepes with homemade whipped cream for dinner! Yum!

Adventures on the Way Home

We stopped in Durango, CO, had a yummy burrito, and looked at the trains. So cool!

Then we pit-stopped in Pagosa Springs, CO and tried skipping stones in the river.  We did not do well, but it was fun!

Upheaval Dome

Today we hiked Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands National Park. Even though it was quite warm and a long hike, it was still quite fun, and very beautiful. Next time, more ice water!
                                 

Nathan's on the left.  :)             

Caterpillar!

Moab!!

Great times in Moab, UT.   :)

(Pine Tree Arch)

(Private Arch)

(Dark Angel)

(Navajo Arch and my favorite tree in Arches. I'm hugging it!)

(Yay for red Moab dirt feet!)

Sillabub (Syllabub)

I am reading The Borrowers with my students.  Every time we read a chapter, the students write down words they don't know the meaning of, and then we look them up in a dictionary or on the computer.  Usually I know the meaning of the words, but today, I did not!  "Sillabub" came up in the book, and we all though, "Hmmm!?"  We looked it up, and it means: A spiced hot milk with rum or wine.  The kids all went, "Ugg!!" whereas I thought in my head, "That sounds quite nice!" :)  Love learning new things!

(Apparently these are sillabubs (or syllabubs) - though I really wouldn't know...) :)

To whom I belong:

It’s not often I hear God speak to me.  I feel his presence often, and His gentle nudges of the right things to do, (how often and how well I following those nudges is an entirely different topic) but rarely if ever do I hear Him speak to me.  Tonight I heard His voice. 

I have been consumed with an idol, though I didn't know it until this evening.  I have been homesick to the point of anxiousness for Colorado.  I have been praying and praying for peace and contentment, but instead of focusing on the beauty that lies all around me where I am, I have been exacerbating the problem by thinking about the scenery I miss.

But our God is a jealous God, and he wants His children to be His, nothing and no one else’s. 

This evening, an angry and jealous God called out to me, “You do not belong to Colorado, you belong to Me!”

Stunned.

Stunned one, because of the force of the words, two, because God, GOD, was speaking to me, and three, because in that moment I realized what I had been doing.  I had been making an idol out of a state, a location, a scenery.  My treasures have been in a state, and not with God.  I do not belong to Colorado, I do not belong to New Mexico, I belong to God.  He is worth more than, and can give more than, anything on earth we set our hearts, hopes, and dreams on.  He is my God, I am His child, and He calls me to be His!

1 John 3:1a:  See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Celebration

My wonderful co-workers threw an after school surprise celebration for a fellow teacher and me.  We both just became Level II teachers. What fun!

(The peeps are from my peeps.) :)

Trust

Part of the reason I have this blog is to make sure I keep living while waiting for the myriad of things I would like to do in life.  I have developed a bad habit of becoming anxious about the future and wanting the future right now.  Since that's not going to happen, I really need to learn to live in the present, and trust God with life.  I found two quotes that I thought were great that apply to this situation.  They are both by Brian Andreas who writes the StoryPeople quotes. I also added a favorite Bible verse.

"I can imagine it working out perfectly, I said.  I can't, she said & I said no wonder you're so stressed."

"Trust is a lot easier when you quit worrying about what could go wrong & remember how much life you're going to live no matter what happens."

And also:

"Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done." Philippians 4:6.


*I do have SO much to be thankful for.  It's so easy to think about all you don't have instead of all you do.

First Flower

The first flower of the season! :)

Snacks!

I think one of my favorite things about going on a hiking trip is getting all the snacks ready.  Making all the baggies of trail mix is so fun, and makes me so excited!

Foggy Morning

Yay for beautiful foggy mornings!!! :)

(View from my classroom)

Lunch

The days I get to go home for lunch are so wonderful.  The day was cloudy and cool, and I ate my hot ramen while looking out the window, petting the cats, and enjoying some quiet time. :)

(The view from where I ate lunch.) :)

Frog and Toad Together - "Cookies"

I recently read to my class, and then later to Nathan, my favorite chapter of Frog and Toad Together.  The chapter is titled "Cookies," and throughout the entire story, Frog and Toad are trying to refrain from eating all the cookies that Toad has baked.  They try a variety of methods which do not work as they keep on eating "one very last cookie." Eventually they feed the cookies to the birds, and Toad gets sad and goes home to bake a cake.  That's how I feel so much of the time!  Just one very last cookie never quite seems to be the last! :)

Leprechauns

Leprechauns visited my classroom last night!  Even though each student made a trap, we didn't catch even one... ;)

Lucky Charms

Getting ready for St. Patrick's Day!! :)

Cat Birthday and Hike

Zoomer turns five today; Happy Birthday Zoomer!

A beautiful hike to the end of the mesa:

 

Pi Day 3/14/15 9:26:53

Happy Pi Day, with a popcorn pie!!! :)

Carne Guisada

Nathan's making us dinner!  Carne Guisada (Beef Stew) and Nathan's homemade tortillas, yum!! :)

  

Unpause

So much of life is a waiting game.  We wait until we find a significant other. We wait until we get married. We wait until we move to the perfect location.  We wait until we pay off loans.

Until ----- happens, we wait.  Then, everything will be great, everything will be perfect.

This blog is a response to fight all of the above.

I am determined to un pause my life.

Christmas 2014 and Misc Memorabilia

:)






























































:)

Past Photos

I hadn't been blogging yet, but I have several photos I would like to remember.  So here are a bunch! :)

Nathan and I at our first home together - September 2010

At the Caldera - October 2010

Turkey Trot 2010 in Loveland. Very cold!!

Anniversary Dinner - May 2013

I always seem to win Zinnia a stuffed animal at Bob and Tony's. :) Estes 2014

Thanksgiving 2011

Moab 2012 - Longest, coldest hike ever.

Sitting at my new loom Nathan made me! :D March 2014

Beth visiting us in Los Alamos. We are at the Kite Festival. 

First Batch of Root Beer:

Balloon Fiesta 2014:

Mr first CNC creation!

Nathan looking like Poirot!

KayLynn and I hanging out!

(**Love**)

Siblings!

The girls... :) (And Andrew awkwardly in the background...) ;)

What a handsome guy!!