The Countdown Begins.....

As of today, there are exactly 20 days left of school this year, so the countdown to summer begins! Last week we took the TAKS test, so everything is pretty much downhill from here. This year has flown by. I have allot to do before it is over.... I have to pack up my entire classroom by the last day of school because moving crews are coming to move us into our temporary school building for next year. I have already started packing a little and it is amazing how much stuff I have collected since I started teaching. I would like to find a home school momma that could use some Pre-Kindergarten material that I am getting rid of...If you know someone leave a comment and let me know.

This summer is going to be very busy for me....I had an appointment yesterday with my advisor at Lamar to register for summer classes towards my Master's Degree. I have until next summer to finish all my classes, so I am taking 3 classes this summer and I will be taking classes next Fall and Spring also. It is going to be allot, but I am excited to get more classes out of the way.

Last Friday, I found out some disappointing news about my mission trip to the Philippines. The trip has been postponed until next summer because of many reasons...one being that the cost of the airfare sky rocketed, there is political unrest over there right now due to their elections being held this summer, and some other factors. Pastor Rodney and Kathy have been praying about it and felt that it was not safe right now and that it needed to be postponed. Of course, when I heard I was almost brought to tears because I was really looking forward to it and I have been so excited about going this summer, but I trust them and I definitely don't want to go anywhere God is not leading!

I read this this morning and it was such a Word in due season for me.....

"The issue is does God have a plan set out for our lives? Will He help us find that plan? Will God direct our path? Even when we don't realize we have lost the path or need the path, will He intervene in our lives and the lives of others? Or is He just an impersonal God that set the World in motion and just stands back and observes? I am convicted that He intervenes."

"As you will see in the passages below, God is a personal God and does have an individual plan for each of our lives. If we will allow Him and ask Him, He will direct each (step) along that path. He knows where we are on his path (plan) and if we are straying or slipping. The Bible tells us we can know His plan through His Word (both written and reveled) and by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Our problem is we want to see the whole plan. God however usually only reveals one step at a time as we need it."

I love this version of Jeremiah 29:11

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11

Healthy Snacks

I have been trying to eat healthier, but my biggest problem has been at work. I am a one of those people that snacks all day long. I don't understand people who can not eat breakfast or anything until lunch.....I have to snack throughout the day or I get so hungry. I keep a snack stash at work and it is usually full of 100 calorie snacks, but I know they are low in calories but not healthy at all. If you are going to eat healthy it takes some planning and preparation, so I finally went to the grocery store this weekend and bought some healthy snacks.

I have a small refrigerator in my classroom, so I bought vegetables and fruit and I found a recipe online for a healthy vegetable dip made out of low-fat Greek yogurt and a Ranch seasoning packet....it tastes just like Ranch dressing to me. I also found a recipe for a homemade trail mix and a healthy granola bar. I made them last night and put them in Ziploc bags so I can bring them to work. The granola bar recipe is very easy and so much better for you than the store bought kind with tons of preservatives and sugar!

Healthy Homemade Trail Mix

1 Box of Whole Wheat Chex
Low-Fat Pretzels
Nuts ( I used pecans and walnuts)
Dark Chocolate Chips

Raisins (you could use craisins or any dried fruit you like)

Homemade Granola Bars

2 Cups of Trail Mix (any variety)... I used a Mountain Trail Mix
2 Cups of Oats
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/3 Cups Honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

Chocolate chips (My trail mix had M&M's)

1. Preheat oven to 350, and spray cooking spray on a 12X9 inch cake pan

2. Combine oats, trail mix, and cinnamon in a medium size bowl

3. In a large bow, whisk together the eggs, honey, and vanilla. Add the oat mixture to the egg mixture and stir until completely combined (if you don't combine it really good the bars won't stick together!)

4. Poor mixture in to the baking pan, and flatten with a spoon to spread evenly

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Let the bars cool, and then slice and serve!

I also painted the bookcase I got last weekend at the Sawmill. Here is a look at how it turned out....

Before

After

On Saturday, I visited my friend Katie and this little guy...isn't he so adorable :) We ate lunch and it was good to get to talk and catch up with each other.

Me and Ryan

Trade Days

Mom, Grammy, and I went to the Trade Days in Winnie this Saturday. My cousin, Dana, has a booth out there and mom wanted to get some Yellow Box flip-flops she has been wanting from her and just look around. I was looking for a bookcase for my room because I really need a place to store all my books! It was cold and rainy when we got there, but the rain stopped and the sun came out and it ended up being a beautiful day. It is one trade days after another for me lately :)

You have to get a Lemonade at Trade Days!

We ate chicken and sausage gumbo for lunch..it was really good! Can you believe this woman is 80 years old? I pray I got that gene and I look as good as her when I am that age!

We each had a mini pies for a snack....look at that meringue!

After Trade Days we went to eat dinner at Cheddar's and then to the movies to see Letters to God. I will be honest, the acting wasn't as good as it was in movies like Facing the Giants or The Love Dare, but the message was awesome! I was glad we went to see it. Grammy is a breast cancer survivor and she really liked the movie. At the end, when the credits are rolling they put up pictures of cancer survivors and tell a little bit about their story...I was crying like a baby!

Letters to God

I heard about this movie this morning while driving to work on American Family Radio. It is a faith based movie and it is only opening in 800 movie theaters in the U.S. On the radio, they were talking about how important the first weekend a movie opens is. If this movie has high ticket sales this weekend it will send a strong message to Hollywood and the movie industry that people want to see more movies like this! I don't know about you, but I sure would! I think it is important that Christians support Christian movies. Hopefully, Hollywood will get the message that people want to be able to go see a move that is good, clean, wholesome, and family friendly! I looked it up and it is playing at Tinseltown in Beaumont, so I am going to see it tomorrow! Here is a description off yahoo movies about the movie....

"Tyler Doherty is an extraordinary eight-year-old boy. Surrounded by a loving family and community, and armed with the courage of his faith, he faces his daily battle against cancer with bravery and grace. To Tyler, God is a friend, a teacher and the ultimate pen pal - Tyler's prayers take the form of letters, which he composes and mails on a daily basis. The letters find their way into the hands of Brady McDaniels, a beleaguered postman standing at a crossroads in his life. At first, he is confused and conflicted over what to do with the letters. Over time he begins to form a friendship with the Doherty family - getting to know not just Tyler but his tough, tender yet overwhelmed mom, stalwart grandmother and teen brother Ben - who are each trying to stand strong against the doubts that come with the chaotic turn their lives have taken. Moved by Tyler's courage, Brady realizes what he must do with the letters, a surprise decision that will transform his heart and uplift his newfound friends and community - in an exhilarating act of testament to the contagious effect of one boy's unwavering faith against the odds."

Hope you have a great weekend! TGIF :)

Easter Weekend

This Easter weekend was a lot of fun! My brother, Glenn, came home for 10 days from Pennsylvania. One of the first things he wanted to do when he visited was go to the golf course. He hasn't been able to play golf for months since all the golf courses in PA are under snow! Ross and Stephanie also came in this weekend and we all went to play golf together on Saturday.

We played in Pinewood at the Idlywild Golf Course. My senior year of high school we moved out there and we lived right across the street from the golf course for seven years. My dad and Glenn both love golf! Glenn got a golf scholarship and played for Texas State in College. I have so many good memories of going to the golf course with my dad growing up and watching Glenn in tournaments in high school and college.

Steph and Ross

Even Maggie got to come with us! When we lived out there she would ride with Glenn in the golf cart and play with him and dad all the time. She became known as the clubhouse dog and everybody just loved her! By the way, we took Maggie to the vet last week for her shots and they found a mass growing on her shoulder. They are doing blood work this week to find out if it is cancer or not. She has not been acting like she is hurting or anything, but it makes me sick to think she could be. We have had her 13 years so we know her time is coming, but it doesn't make it any easier. When you have a dog that long they become part of your family. I can't imagine not having her around, so please pray for us and her (I know God cares about what we care about). I hope we find out it is benign and that she is not in any pain!

Me hitting practice balls...I might look like I know what I am doing, but I have never really learned how to play despite many efforts from dad and Glenn :)

Glenn and Maggie

Ross and Glenn

Steph in her golf cart reading a book :) We played behind a group of older guys and we had to wait a lot!

Me and Glenn aka "Bubba"

I love going to the golf course and being outdoors in nature. It was such a pretty day on Saturday, but it did get pretty hot and the temperatures were only in the 80's. I can't imagine how anyone can play in the summer when the temperature reaches 100 degrees.

Dad had to work this weekend in Fort Worth so he wasn't with us this weekend. On Sunday, we went to church and then to my aunt and uncle's house for lunch. One thing we didn't do this weekend was watch "The Passion of Christ." I have the DVD and I like to watch it on Easter. I will probably watch it this weekend. It is not an easy movie to watch, but I think it is important to remember exactly why we are celebrating Easter and remember what Jesus did for us on the Cross. It is not all about Easter bunnies and eggs! I read something the other day that I thought was so good. It talked about how Satan must have really been strutting around bragging about killing Jesus on Friday, but imagine his face on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the grave! We serve an awesome God and I am so thankful He is in the resurrection business!!

We saw this video in church the other day and I have seen it on other blogs and I can't watch it enough!! It makes me want to shout and reminds me of who my King really is!! Do you know Him?

Hope you had a happy Easter!!

Simple Home Planning Journal

I was inspired to get more organized after coming across this simple idea on a website. It gave information on how to make a home planning journal and after seeing it I got excited....I love to organize and make things simpler. It even included a link to print free Spring themed pages for the journal and I got to printing right away.

I make lists for everything and until now they have been scattered all over the place. This helps me keep everything in one place and it has been so convenient and easy to keep up with. I made it my own with tabs that work for me. Here is a look at how mine turned out.

It is so simple to make! All you need is a 3-ring binder, a 3-hole punch, dividers, and you can print the themed pages or make your own.

My Tabs:

Goals-to write down goals I have for the week, month, and year

Budget-pages to write down my budget and keep track of my spending

Calendar-monthly calendars to record birthdays, appointments, etc..

To Do-daily, weekly, and monthly lists

Books-a list of books I want to read and I added a page of music I want to buy or download

Recipes-I print recipes out all the time and this gives me a place to store them until I try them. If I like the recipe I type it up and add it to my recipe book. I also printed shopping list pages and put them behind this tab.

Clothes-I thought of this one because I needed a place to write down any clothes I need to buy as it comes up....like if I need a certain color tank to wear with an outfit, etc. That way when I shop I will know what I really need! I also put a clear sheet protector in this section where I can put store coupons and receipts.

Contacts-friends and families phone numbers, addresses, and birthdays

You can have as many tabs as you want. Some other tab ideas would be...a cleaning tab for weekly and monthly cleaning chores, schedule tab (especially if you have kids!), gift tab for gifts ideas for friends and family, prayer tab for prayer requests and praise reports, menu tab to plan meals for the week, grocery tab for grocery lists....you can be as creative as you want. I hope this helps you like it did me to get more organized!

More Pics...

When I go on vacation I like to pretend that I am a professional photographer and take tons of pictures :) I am the crazy person saying, "Stop! I want to get a picture of that!" I have always loved photography and my dream has always been to do photography on the side one day or maybe even full time, who knows? Right now, it's just a hobby and I would need to learn a lot before that could ever happen!

In Fredericksburg there were so many gorgeous, old churches, barns, and so much beautiful scenery to take pictures of. I would like to print these out and frame them someday and maybe do a collage of them on a wall in my house. I am thinking they would look really great black and white too! Here is a look at some of my favorite scenic pictures from the trip.....

This was in the backyard of our house and it was the perfect scripture for the weekend!

I pass this red barn every time I drive from Beaumont to Dallas or Waco and I have always wanted to stop and take a picture of it....I am so glad I finally did!