training is kinda like super market sweep

so, as any good blogger would do...wait a minute, who are we kidding? i'm not a good blogger, i am merely a person posting silly stories online so that my friends know what's UUUPPPPP! so don't worry, it's not about to get bloggy-er-y-ish-may it never be!

but back to my story! me.me.me.me.me! (some would call it the me monster, but hey, it's my blog post, i do what i want! because i can, mind you).  

so, yes, we slept in a little on tuesday morning, 7:30-right? did some morning prep-stuffs, and then made our way to the site, but first...drum-roll please, yes, yes, a little starbucks en route. and since this was in effect breakfast and would have to last all afternoon, we got two each. one hot to start the day and one cold to last through training (sort of). while in line waiting...and waiting, the lady in front of us had like 4,201 drinks. bless her, the angel of the medical center. yes, i was exaggerating-if you didn't catch that, you really don't know me well enough, and may want to consider finding a different blog to read-although you would miss all of my witty banter (with myself). but let us continue. she had like...14 drinks, needed a box, and even at that, needed like 1 more arm, and she still would've spilled someone's drink on herself, so i helped her out to her car, and by the time i returned, they were still working on ours.

once we got to the car it got real-a very honest conversation-the kind i like best; thanks for being authentic!

we rolled up and found the office, and sat with the contact. julie laid out kind of what she'd planned, and was informed of a twist. which was sorta like going to the grocery store and thinking you have a $100 budget for a meal, and 3 bags to pack your treasures in, with about 6 hours to then prepare, and getting a text saying: oh, hey. um...you'll be serving two different parties, and you actually have $50, they'll be there in three hours, and still plan on the same meal for both parties, but make sure you can get that in one bag...and by the way, there may be a VIP at the party as well! hmm. and like a pro, julie started changing the menu and getting to the meat of the matter, and said, well, let's do the main course, and we'll just have to save the dessert for another time! a little tweaking, but under control! in volleyball, our phrase was WIT-whatever it takes!

in the midst of making changes, deAn's call came in, so i went out to take it and find her, as she had just arrived. when we found each other, i brought her up to speed with the plan and the changes, then we went back into the office, did introductions and went to find our portable and get set up. while setting up, we shared a lunchable, because one is never too old for a lunchable! #notjustforfieldtrips

people began arriving, and we directed people to the math session or our session, depending on age-group. we worked first with middle school teachers and they were dears. some of them on the newer end of the spectrum. so it was a lot of information, but info they should have been able to take back and use. then, as the changeover was happening, there was somewhat of an additional challenge thrown in (just keeping it real, i guess!). instead of going from 2:30-4:00, you now have until 3:30. clasps hands with arms straight out, turns them palms out, cracks knuckles, cocks head from side to side, cracking the neck, shakes it all off, YES, MA'AM! can do! and did-with grace. it was decided that a portion would be taken out, but in the end, even with the shortened amount of time, julie was able to get to it, because this was the elementary school group, and most had a better grasp on the concept and what was going on. they were on the ball and had good questions and thoughts. it went smoothly and i am confident that when they return, they will be able to really put it all together and use their data like masters!

the great thing about this was that it was a great opportunity for deAn and i to see adjustment on the fly when things aren't going quite as planned, so you have to switch it up. when it was done, we bid farewell to deAn and made our way back to the homestead, passing by the little shop where joy works. who is joy, you ask? just a local kevin had mentioned the day before. moving on. bella was ecstatic to see her mama, and needed some lovin'. so stinkin' cute! and then julie said something to her about daddy being home soon, and of course, from that moment on, she had her eyes on the door, acute awareness that at any moment it could happen! so we (and by we, i mean julie) got the food out for dinner preparations. it was going to be good!

when kevin arrived, he came in and got to work, after explaining boxplots, and some workday talk. then we sat out on the deck while he was getting the grill ready. and soon it was time to put on the asparagus. with that it was also apparently time to go get some propane...after some banter of who was going to get it, and how a good wife might have anticipated this...kevin went and exchanged a tank in record time! and julie did a second batch in the oven while the mediterranean seasoned chicken was grilling. sitting around the table enjoying a home-cooked meal with friends- how pleasant! delicious, i tell ya! the chicken, the asparagus (both), the couscous, the pita with tzaziki sauce-like, i'm licking my fingers mentally!!

so this is the really cute pic of ju and kevin preparing our delicious meal!

after clean-up, we were back on the deck with some light music in the background, so as to not bother the neighbors, nor interfere with conversation, once it began to get dark, kevin turned out the porch light (again respectful of the neighbors), and brought out a small lantern light, and dialogue continued. kevin explained exactly what a psychometrician does, beginning with the history. it was very interesting. and after some time, he had another early morning, and i may have kinda' help volunteer julie to get up early and make hubster breakfast, promising to get up and lend moral support! smile. so he went to bed and we spent a little more time talking about traditions and such. parents, family, etc. and we then had to get some shut-eye as well, as we were getting up early and would be looking at work stuffs the next morning.

and now we'll call it a night, as we did!
julie 1-but only because i'm older.

choosing gratitude and re-finding that forgotten enjoyment

ok, so here we are-almost halfway through january.

i need to get up to oklahoma soon to visit with bmayes, because it's been entirely too long. unfortunately this weekend-which would have been a great long weekend to play, she is unavailable...so another weekend it will have to be. that leaves this weekend open for adventure-not sure exactly what that will entail...spontaneity has never scared me! (watch me sit at home, watching t.v. or old movies...gah!) heaven forbid.

i have to go into the dentist once again the day after mlk jr day. mo' money (outta my pocket). it's all good-gotta' get this done and over with.

anyhoo, the other day, i received a very thoughtful gift, and i am pretty sure that i could have filled it all up in one sitting, because i have so much to be grateful for...i am a fortunate person- gratitude is a choice..and i choose it!

#friendsaremyfavorite

 yes, i am grateful for friends... adventure seekers, comfortable friends-[read: i could sit and read or color or just watch t.v., drive for hours, sit on the balcony, or just run errands and be perfectly content], lovers of God, transparent hearts, world-changers[even if it's just your corner of the world], lovers of fun, laughers, food lovers, eclectic music connoisseurs, new-thing-triers, encouragers, lighthouses, solid rocks, listeners, a needed shoulder in rough times, truth-speakers, advice givers...and so much more (lookin' at you bmayes, shea  nika, ally, nicolette, stacey k, brandy, stevie, carmen, erika, sheryl, trish, jo anne, laura, carla, hellen, carrie) <tip of the iceberg, there are so many others i can add too this list..and in another post, i will catch some of the people that i may not have mentioned here, because i can never completely express my gratitude for those friends who have chosen to enter into my life and stay for a bit. again, i am fortunate. i am grateful. to you i raise my glass, because while i try to be, i am not always on my "A" game...in fact sometimes i fail miserably. thanks for sticking around when i do.

i am guilty of not writing many letters as of late- i was doing so well, and then something happened and i have obviously fallen behind...so sorry! the great thing is: i received the perfect stationery to write on, and i will be getting back at it soon! my bad. i have also added to my card-arsenal...so there's that. now just to get the motivation. sometimes i can make a letter out of pretty much nothing....like looking out on the balcony and seeing bruno throw a piece of poop up into the air...for attention #truestory... but lately the ordinary and mundane are so much so, that this passtime which i love has not brought the enjoyment that it usually does...i think it may be kind of like when the lord spoke to haggai, because the people were like: oh...no, we don't want to do that, we're not feeling it...we really don't want to build the temple..the house of the Lord... and God was like...um. what? you have time to do this and that and make good for yourselves, but you don't have time to build my temple? (jerks), and they were like: just not feelin' it. and HE was like: whatevs, just DO IT. commit yourselves to do it, THEN i will give you the desire, after you make the commitment-when it's the idea of doing it because it's the right thing to do...then, i will give you the joy. so yes, i just need to suck it up and get back to what originally brought so much joy not only to me, but to building the kingdom-with the gifts i have been given.

again, thanks, because this is what i needed to kick-start one of the things that i am actually pretty good at. 

 what are the things in your life that you used to really enjoy doing, that now just seem a littleblah?  my challenge to you is to man up/ woman up, whatever, and just do, find your enjoyment again, because life is not meant to be lived in black and white. color. it's time to re-find that which brought color into your life! RE-FIND YOUR ENJOYMENT!

in other news, it is going to be a busy few weeks, both at school and...at school.

choose gratitude, there is so much to be thankful for-find it!
julie

Christmas break 2015--just keepin' it real

ok, i have been 'home' since sunday, only it isn't really home, it is mom and dad's new place. i try to get over to see my parents as often as possible, because they are special to me (is there really any other reason?). anyhoo. for some reason this time has been more difficult than usual. i love being with them, i love relaxing and having 0 responsibilities...so why so difficult?

i think unwinding is hard. i'd gotten used to the pace, and going, going, going and now not having anywhere to go or anyone to go with is a hard change of pace. but i know it's good to reboot.

i have enjoyed finding a spot to run, regardless of how slow my pace is, at least i'm doing it..i also did a lap around the little neighborhood on the other side of the road with ranger-the dog i named. i'm really growing quite fond of him! he accompanied me from mom and dad's and just kinda took off, staying about 25-50 ft from me. then a huge mastiff came running up behind us and got a little too close to ranger so i ran up to him because ranger is not an alpha, he's a sweetie...and i yelled at the other dog to go home and pointed him home until he obeyed...then the same thing happened a little further up with a boxer, who was a little less friendly, but he ended up listening and leaving as well. so we believe that ranger is a herding dog, and i was going to share a video of him, as proof, but alas, i think there were file-size problems...and now everything is slow, so i can't even upload the pics that i wanted to of just the dog. boo, rural missouri. boo.

so, this is the one i'd take home! smart one, he is!

and this is the park i've been frequenting while here in lebanon. it's cute. it's quaint. it works!

what else has been difficult? well, seeing friends doing things with family and friends and the close bonds and affection. i love it that so many of my friends have such tight-knit families- if i were being 100% honest, i long for that. my family has never been super affectionate; i am more than anyone in my immediate family, and i find that i desire and miss that-that's my HONDURAN side showing through. this is why it's at times like this that i really wish i had a sister. now this is nothing new. i've always wished i had a sister; thankfully i have sheryl and erika, who are like sisters-only sadly they are both thousands of miles away. boo. i miss them greatly and often (and i don't tell them nearly enough). seeing so many friends-classmates and schoolmates back in sps getting together and getting the opportunity to reunite-that's always difficult! (note to self, must set up a skype or hangout with sheryl tomorrow and erika and hellen soon for a coffee date! next best thing!)

i re-read a blog post  from last year that added to the feeling of unsettled-ness...sorry, hopefully this isn't a bummer, there is good to come, hang tight. but the blog post was speaking to the love/hate relationship with Christmas. parts of it resonated with me, and i think the important thing that i need to keep bringing myself back to is that this season is not about me! nothing about Christmas is about me...i need to keep my focus and remember that! i love the last advent service that i went to-it was about joy--not only the joy of the remembrance that our Savior was born, but even a bigger JOY in looking to the future and the fact that he is coming again! that is where i need to focus.

i truly did enjoy the candle-light service and was very proud of my mom, who sang O Holy Night 

and then mom makes bearclaws (a favorite)

and cranberry bread-hard to pass up...

another difficulty is the food. but it's a yummy problem to have...mom loves to cook and bake more than i do, and it's all so delicious, that i have to really monitor myself to ensure that it's all in moderation! yikes.
that 'real struggle' that everyone's been talkin' about...yep...it's real.

so i've been trying to do well, but this isn't quite as good...

and i may be at my wits end with my phone-it has been a little on the lame side the past few days...it may just need a new battery, i may just need a new phone. she's been good to me, but we may have to put her down gently.

so....one of the best things about this break to date was getting a text from one of my good friends this morning-it lifted my spirit, just to hear from a friend--i thrive on these things! it was a simple text, but that's all i needed, because it was thoughtful. she is starting a book that we spoke about over our orlando trip, and i am so excited for her to finish it! my hope is that it will be as good of a tool for her in understanding and meeting others' needs as it has been for me! i first read this book when trish, my mentor and friend, introduced it to me years ago- i remember seeing it on her shelf at the old house--good read! and because she sent that text this morning, it inspired me to want to sit and read over break...only i didn't bring some of the reads i wanted to get to-i may need to take another trip into springfield tomorrow to barnes and noble!

alrighty then...this is where i call it a night! blessings!
julie

kermit is green, but one day i will be energy efficient!

i wanted to write over the weekend, but i just didn't get around to it.

we didn't do anything super fun and exciting, but i got a call from dad. he said he really likes the saw that i gave him (the one i bought a replacement for) they seem to be putting it to use! yea! i also received a cd-rom in the mail, which i was excited about! i spent many hours of my long weekend watching the videos and reading the manuals...when i get a house, i really want to use solar and wind energy-not so much because i'm dying to be green (that's for kermit, not me)...more like i just want to save $$.

just a few of these on top o' the roof and ixnay on the 'lectric bill!!

ya'all! seriously, i could do this! i will be a beast with the soldering gun!!! then i will use it to fix every other small appliance i have that has loose wiring!!!

 so, i think next time i go to visit mom and dad, perhaps we can put a few together and see if we can put some together! i'm looking forward to it-if we can get it right for them, then when i get a place, i'll know what to do to put my own together! (there were also manuals for solar cooker, solar water heater, wiring, wind power, crisis 101...) i'm set.

so yeah, i spent a chunk of time doing that. another chunk reading a leadership book bestowed upon me from my principal. and my third major chunk yesterday working on lesson plans, trying to get my objectives worded correctly and in alignment with the standards...and in the in between times, we did take some walks in the cool morning, a trip to petsmart, i made my way over to tom thumb for some necessities and i grabbed this just to try something new:

almond milk! not bad!

 and on the way home from petsmart the other day, we saw a raising cane's on the way home and decided it was a 'must stop!' best chicken fingers! thanks to shea, lo and ally for taking me there when i was in ok a couple of years ago for the first time! i think the one here is kinda' new. i need to take the survey on the receipt-drawing for a year of free chicken fingers!!

the sauce is to die for! parents, if your kiddos like chicken fingers, use the kids as an excuse to go here!! you won't be disappointed!

 cute commercial on t.v. cleaning oil of duckies with dawn soap. it reminded me of a visit long, long ago to grandma's and the kids always got the privilege of doing the dishes. well, one time i was doing dishes with my aunt beth, and i recall her saying, "i HATE dawn." she was talking to one my other aunts, and i just looked at her, as i was drying dishes and very innocently said, "it isn't good to hate!" i thought they were discussing a person, and i must have just had the sunday school lesson about hating being evil or something. i'm pretty sure they either weren't paying attention to me, or wondered what in the world i was talking about.

this reminded me of kamp, too. when we go out to camp at k-wet, across the lake to do water sports, we don't get to shower, but we do get to go down to the lake to use joy dish-washing soap to wash the dishes and pans. well, one group we had, i told one of the girls who was new to this camp, "don't forget to take joy down to do the dishes!" and i was told later that she kept asking everyone who joy was...like mother like daughter...i guess that phrase doesn't really work since she wasn't my daughter, but 'like counselor, like camper' makes even less sense and sounds ridiculous.

so, there is this program out to help teachers communicate with parents and students. it's called REMIND 101. i am intrigued, and i am going to try it to send out mass texts to students to remind them of upcoming events an projects, field trips, etc. i am super excited about it, and the best part is that they cannot txt you back because it is done through an alternate #. check it out here. so far only 2 students have signed up, but then, i just gave it to them today. i might have to offer some sort of enticement to motivate them to activate!

why am i still so tired? it's so hard getting back into the swing of things.
julie