Fingers crossed!

This could be us!!!

Cross your fingers!! We submitted our bid tonight! We're hoping that even with the holiday the builders will follow through and let us know this week. Our realtor submitted our request after talking with the builder tonight by e-mail. He lives out of town and isn't sure if he's coming in tomorrow so he wanted to do everything he could from home and let us know. Lord, grant me patience.

We could actually be in our place by early April.

A year wrap-up

Today completed our Christmas celebrations. We had my dad's side all over from Wisconsin for a nice lunch and family game. While cleaning up today and talking with my aunts I started to realize that next year 2010 could bring about some big change. With that comes a lot of reflection on this year. With reflection comes gratitude. Some things I'm grateful are, in no particular order-

1. My boys- I love these two guys more than anything. They can truly turn around my day in seconds. A hug from either one of them is the absolute best.
2. My parents- hello, how many parents would let or want their married daughter, husband, and son live with them while the finish school and save for a down payment? Not too many, my parents are excited for us to grow and move out, but they have no problem assuring us we don't have to leave
3. Starbucks- I don't just mean for my favorite tea and coffee beverages, but I like to just peruse the aisles and sit back with a book or magazine for few minutes. Plus the smell, so good!
4. Having a job- it's up and down but I'm so lucky to have a job and a classroom full of great kiddos.
5. Target. Love, love this store for so many reasons.
6. Reading, I'm trying to get caught up on all the good reads I've been hearing about.
7. Our house, it's in the making, still the idea stage but just talking about it makes me giddy.

There are so many more things I'm grateful for. I can't wait to see what the year brings. What are you looking forward to?

Merry Christmas!

We got way to caught up this week and I let my blog go. We have had a pretty mellow Christmas this year. The North was hit with heavy snow and freezing rain so some family won't be making it down until Sunday. Here's T opening up a couple of goodies:

He's been loving to color and these are the new goggles for snowmobiling! Just what every 4 year old needs.

Here is my favorite gift- made by the Man himself. A bookshelf which took a lot of time. He worked close with my Dad which is so super sweet. He's hoping to make another and a matching table to go in our living room. I love homemade furniture.

As you can see I had no problem putting some Vera Bradley on it. This will actually go in the living room without the purses.

And drum roll please......

This is where our new house will be going! We took the Man's grandparents by the spot since its a block from their first home with their children. So excited. Fingers cross we hear from the bank soon so we can get rolling with the paper work and break ground by first of the year.

What I've been up to...

So I've finished my four student books, with study guides, quizzes and a final test for each one. Even with two of my books being very popular I couldn't find exactly what I want on the Internet. Luckily in the teaching world there are a lot teachers who share what they create and use in their rooms. After Hubby watched me work through these units he mentioned why not start a teaching blog of my own and put my stuff out there for others and maybe have other teachers share theirs. So now I have something else to think about.....

Anyways onto Christmas, what started with a picture turned into homemade cards. I found

some great paper and a snowflake punch that inspired me to create our own. The Man's mom is a fab photographer so she takes our pictures every year. I made a second but accidentally mailed them out before snapping a picture of it. We always have one on the Man's snowmobile that we mail to some family and his pals. It was fun but I'll have to start earlier next year or maybe just go with Shutterfly or something like that.

I also put together a few of these:

Just for my team mates at school, our teacher aid and T's teachers. I found these super cute holders at Hobby Lobby for $1, throw in some shredded festive filler, Ghiradelli (I butchered that I know) and Hershey kisses, plus gift cards for T's teachers and you have a simple gift. I'll a personal note to each one before handing them out. Even though we're trying to stay on a budget I want to make sure we thank the people in our lives that have helped us get to where we are.

Stay tuned tomorrow night for pictures of the lot we're building on. That's right- we're building a house! So exciting.

where does the time go...

I can't believe its been almost two weeks since my last post! Really? What in the world..?!?!

How I love to catch up on my favorite blogs but there's never enough time to write on my own. Tomorrow is time for catch-up. I'll post pics of our Christmas card, some crafts I want to try out, and of course fill you in on the home buying situation. One hint- the house we "found" will be brand spanking new and we spent an evening this week finding a nice grassy area for it :)

How many books can you read at once?

So I just realized that I'm kind of reading a lot of books all at once right now. It's not uncommon for me to have a couple going at once but this is a lot for me.

Here's the first by Jen Lancaster. Man I like her! She's witty, sarcastic, ballsy and a great writer. Very honest and preppy, but real. I literally laugh aloud while reading her. The Man thinks it's crazy- he's also not much of a reader.

This is one of her memoirs. I think she has four in print right now and she has a blog. I've loved all the books that I've read of hers.

The next four are the books my class is reading in lit circles. The Giver I have read before, so, so good! The other three were recommendations so we'll see how they go.

This one is for my higher level group, I'm excited because it discusses traveling through some areas I've visited so it'll be nice to talk with the group about it.

This is for my mid-level girls. I usually don't split girls and boys up but upon reading into this book I don't think the group of boys that are at this level would enjoy it- meaning they would whine, and whine.

So they are reading this, a controversial but enlightening book. I just hope they get a lot out of it.

My lower level group is reading this by Paulsen, the guy who wrote Hatchet. I'm not as excited about this one as I am the others. But it should be a quick and easy read.

The two other books I'm reading are very sporadic. This one I'm going to have to start all over again because it's been forever since I've read it. I love, love the Scarpetta series. These are all murder mysteries, with great character and plot development. I really enjoy reading books by Cornwell.
This one my mom recommended and I'm doing pretty good with it. Very interesting story line, I've stopped myself from reading the last chapter (which is what I ALWAYS do, ALWAYS). I'm giving it a try but it's really killing me not to know what's going to happen. I suggest it so far.

So that's all. In two weeks my student ones will be done. Hopefully I'll have read them by this weekend. It makes it little easier to teach and follow along with them if I know what's going on!

What books are you all reading? Anything good?

The rest of the Christmas Decor

So keep in mind, we're currently living in a basement. We don't have a fire place, we don't choose the outside decor, although my parents do a wonderful job, our space is pretty limited. But we make do, and we love the kindness my parents give us on a daily basis of letting us crash here to put away a nice down payment.

So- without further a do:

I used our book case to hang our stockings this year. My grandma actually made these stockings. Every single person in our family has at least one and my mom is one of twelve.

Every sibling has at least two kids, my mom still has stockings for my brother and I. When a grandchild gets married, you and your husband get stockings and a tree skirt- crocheted by grandma. Of course she also makes all her great grand kids stockings as well. It's incredible, we're talking over 200 maybe 300 stockings, all made by her.

Anyways, my Nativity set is also a favorite every

year. It's the Willow Tree (I think) set. I love the idea that each piece is individually made. There is a stand that's available with it but I like this way better. It's on doily also made by Grandma.

Then you have the staircase decorations, I tried to get the pictures during the day but I couldn't pick up the colors of the balls.

I can't wait to really decorate. This weekend is exciting we're going to look at houses and I'm going to grade my tail off so I can get my mid-term grades all squared away. It's cold and snowing which makes a perfect weekend to cuddle up!

Have a great one!!

Playing catch-up

Isn't it crazy what an unplanned day off can do to your schedule. I can't compare it to other jobs, but with teaching a day off doesn't just involve walking out the door and hoping the sub can figure things out.

Monday evening T was a little under the weather, by dinner I wasn't feeling so hot. I figured we probably caught something from our many Thanksgiving get together. Tuesday I woke up still feeling a little blue but I hate spontaneously leaving my classroom even when its organized. T woke up unexpectedly as I was heading out the door crying. I was not about to leave him so we cuddled for a few, my dad assured me that T and him would be fine. Fast forward to me being at school and just starting the morning off crappy.

By the time it actually came time to teach I didn't even want to be there. I had a ridiculous head ache and a sick little man at home I wanted to be with. I called our secretary and requested a sub. Luckily, my students were great and I was able to have them work and write up sub plans.

So today we of course have another morning meeting, followed by a building meeting. My double prep today disappeared because I covered for the music and media teachers who were out. It's not a big deal and I didn't mind, but its just a lot of lost time I usually work my arse off during so I can be home at a decent time.

At least tonight I got home and the Man was already here, which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! With him in school Monday and Tuesday night I feel like I don't see him between Sunday night until Wednesday. We made dinner, I caught up on all my grading, the Man did homework, I cleaned and now I'm sneaking in some blogging.

In better news Christmas came to our house this weekend. I love our tree, it's an artificial pre-lite from Martha Stewart. I love putting it up every year. My favorite part and the least at the same time is that the Man played with the lights to get them to blink and now the middle section doesn't even light up!! Hilarious. It's a good things we're still in the basement and no one really sees it but us.

Here' s picture of what makes me smile, minus T who likes to re-arrange the ornaments daily.

Now, I'm going to enjoy relaxing, smelling my lovely cinnamon something candle and get my blog stalking fill.