I'm thankful for...

I know we're all thankful for the usuals...food, clothing, shelter, friends, family, etc.....
SO...I'm going to try to think of some unusual things that I am thankful for....

• Sweet, innocent children to remind me of all I have. A student came up to me on Tuesday and said, "Teacher, my family wasn't going to make a Thanksgiving dinner because we don't have enough money. But then the school came and brought us a turkey and all the other stuff so we can make dinner now!"
• Insurance...my mom just had neck surgery, and had to stay in the hospital overnight. Just to USE the OR and the room...no medicine, no iv, no nurse, no doctor...it was $26,000 before insurance....yikes.
• RJ's faith to help me figure mine out!
• My mom...she'll ALWAYS answer the phone, no matter what time, and listen to me. And she's pen pals with lots of kids in my class. Plus she keeps our whole house running at home...when she's sick the place just falls apart!
• When my dad calls just to say hi.
• How my brothers both say I love you to me before they hang up...even if they're at work or with friends...
• RJ's family...they've always been so kind and accepting of me. His mom and dad always ask how work was, etc. Morgan is always so fun, and willing to come help me in my classroom....plus she's really good at making caramels! His siblings have always been so nice....Sara is always fun to go to movies with or shopping...and she teaches me how to be more domestic with knitting and other crafty things!
• I'll be honest...Starbucks and Diet Coke...sometimes they just keep you going!
• College...not only do I love my job because of my degree, but I have such great memories and such great friends!
• RJ...ok, I know everyone's thankful for their spouse, but he always makes me laugh and is always nice...
• Addicting tv shows....Grey's Anatomy, S & TC, The Office...

I'm sure I'm thankful for more....I'm too full from yesterday to think! :)

99 Things...

I got this from my friend (and first college roommate! :)) Kristin...thought it'd be fun!
(Ok, Sara and Sallie...this totally reminded me of that post we were laughing about at Sallie's house that one night....remember?!)
To participate just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done. Mine are in blue.


1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo--does my car count?
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables-mom, remember when you helped me grow radishes?
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Ran a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen-kinda, it was a thanksgiving dinner for the homeless, my brother and I went....
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check-haven't we all, at some point? I hope I'm not the only one... :)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy-ha, my Maggie Simpson doll from my grandma, my mom still has it!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House--well, only outside....
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Ah...I got thinking that some of you may think as you open our blog page, "Ah...that looks like a cheesy posed photo of a puppy I would have had as a poster in my room when I was twelve..."
Yes, it may...but I love it because it's OUR adorable puppy! She's getting so big now, and they're just like kids...grow way too fast. We already want another!

Oh, and no, we didn't actually set up the background and pose her. The breeder did, and sent that to us when we were interested in getting her. The second we saw pictures we knew she was for us!

OK, totally off the topic, because my dog is not a vampire...but has anyone seen Twilight yet?! I can't wait to see it!

Third Grade Science

So, we've been learning about the moon at school. The other day I was reading a moon book in my guided reading group, and they were filling out a sheet about what they discovered. One little guy still had a blank space on "What question do you still have?"

Me: "Oh, it looks like you still need to write a question."

Confident Student: "Oh I don't have any questions about the moon."

Me: "Ok. Do you know how the moon was formed?"

Him: "Yes."

Me: "Oh, cool...how?"

Him (TOTALLY SERIOUS): "Well, you know how astronauts have to go up in space for a long time? Well when they're there they have to use the bathroom sometimes. The spaceship doesn't have a regular bathroom. It just has like a hole in the side. When an astronaut has to go, he just sits by the hole. The air is so strong outside that it immediately rips a hole in his spacesuit. Then he can just go to the bathroom."

Me (somewhat confused about where this is going...): "Oh...so....how is the moon formed?"

Him: "Well, when he goes to the bathroom it just goes right out into space. When it's out there, it gathers rocks and meteors too, and it made a giant ball...and that's the moon."

I was trying so hard not to laugh, because he thought this was exactly right. The little girl next to him was going red in the face from trying not to laugh, and when I looked at her we just both burst out laughing. She said, "So....you think that the moon was made out of some man's potty?!"
He answered, "Yeah....it's true, I saw it in a movie..."

Seriously! I think we'll do a little reteaching about the moon....

We're totally runners!

What our treadmill is really being used for...(She's not dead, just asleep! :)

Barack my world!!!!

Enough!

I'm sure like everyone else, I am SO READY for this election to be O-V-E-R. It's so....political! Ha, but really....we get it, Obama has terrorist friends, Palin now has a stellar wardrobe, McCain is old, Biden says weird stuff.....but...the only thing I am not ready to end is....How funny SNL is again! As Newsweek said, "Great political skits, now can we do something about the other 90% of the show?"The rap at the end of the episode tonight...hilarious.
Love these two....