Weekend wonders

This morning Dave had the whole day planned out for our date day. We haven't had a lot of time to ourselves lately because we've had so many events to attend and friends to see. He made me breakfast of apple waffles (the BEST!) and fruit smoothies (I picked up an easy recipe at the gym the other day). It was so good. The smoothy recipe is really good. It's just:
1 banana
1 cup frozen fruit
1/4 cup of flax seeds (optional)
1 cup orange juice
1-2 cups of yogurt
2 cups soy milk (I use vanilla flavored)
and MIX!

This afternoon we are going to the flea market and then off to Asheville. I think we might pick up a book to read together and read for awhile at Barnes and Noble and then see a movie I've been wanting to see for awhile, Slumdog Millionaire. Then dinner some new place :). Probably drinks afterwards with a friend too! Can't wait to spend the rest of the day together!!! Hope you guys are having a good weekend so far!

Wednesday I start my student teaching and I am done with my lesson plans for the first month --woot woot! I'm excited, nervous, scared, but mostly excited. I just want to do a good job and still enjoy teaching by the end of it :). Well, I'm off for the day! see ya later!

p.s. B--sorry about pressuring you to move up here for the summer, I know you want to make your own decisions, I would just be ecstatic if you were closer to me! I love you!

Time flies when you get up early :)

Wow--it's been a bit since I've posted. So, I've been up to--well not that much actually. We got back from our trip to Ireland and I immediately went back to school schedule. I've been observing/assisting at the high school 5 days a week and planning like crazy for when I start teaching full time on the 27th. The students have their final exams this week for this semester (their 1st semester doesn't get over till after Christmas--rather sucky if you ask me), so all the students are pretty stressed right now. We had 1st period's exams today and most of the students passed the class, but a couple are pending. I hate when students fail a class. I know that must be embarrassing, plus it's a lot of work wasted, but these students just really slacked off and figured they would pass, and it didn't turn out that way. Anyway--my host teacher's test is crazy hard--I seriously don't think I would come even close to passing it myself right now--without studying of course (horrible for an English teacher to say you think--you should see the test). I love the students though--I really do, even the ones that scared me stiff at the beginning of the semester-and that gives me just a tiny bit of hope I may feel the same way about the ones I'll have this coming semester. It does make me scared of if/when Dave and I have teenagers though--is there any way of SKIPPING the whole "I hate my parents faze," cause some of the things they say about their parents--oh man--why can't we all just get along???? :) lol One thing I have learned about parenting a teenager--sometimes you should just let them fall on their butt, because trying to kick them up the hill to success only prolongs them being a child and not an adult (learned from some students who just don't have the urge to push themselves up the hill). Oh--and I think I like going to bed early and getting up early now--I know--never thought you would hear me say that huh??? lol But my body has responded quite nicely actually--I get up at 6:30 every morning, alarm or not I wake up, and I feel...wait for it...RESTED! It's quite the epiphany. Well--that's all I've got for now. I've enjoyed reading everyone's blog so much lately--dont' stop posting all the adorable family and friend pix (I LOVE the pic of A with the grocery cart Carey!)

P.S.--update on New Year's resolutions--I have been enjoying readying the Bible again--doing a deeper dig in Romans right now and starting to read The Sacred Romance which I'm really excited about. Plus, I ran for 45 minutes on the elliptical at school yesterday then swam/treaded water for about half an hour--and it felt SOOO good. Dave was exasperated that it took till my 3rd year of school at WCU to figure out I like their facilities--lol

Following suit

well, Shannon posted a New Year's Resolution post, and it got me thinking. Usually New Year's Eve I think, "What's the point of New Year's Resolutions--they always seemed destined for failure," but then I usually make some anyway. So, here's a list of my own resolutions--hopefully something good will come from them.

1. Spend more time enjoying God--in nature, reading, quiet time, prayer, and fellowship with friends and family.
2. Find some sustainable exercise activity I actually enjoy doing and therefore might do for longer than a day or two
3. Stop complaining--God has blessed me so much and I complain about everything--ugh
4. Enjoy and support my husband--with time spent together, good conversation, etc

So far that's it. I really would love the jump on the exercise band wagon--but I usually fall off because I realize I hate doing whatever I keep trying to do (ie. running, cycling, etc). I love hiking, but the winter hours are not really best for that-so it turns into a weekend thing and that's just not enough.
Anyway-I'm going to do some dishes and get some baking done. I finally got to the grocery store and our cupboards are now stocked--now I just need to work up the energy to get off the couch :)

Goodbye sheep

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we'll be off to the airport in Dublin. It's about a 2 hour drive, so we're leaving here around 6:40 am. Our flight leaves around 10:50 am this time, and arrives 3:10 NC time--so we'll be gaining 5 hours (and probably arrive somewhat tired). But at least we'll be able to get a good night's sleep before we head off. On the way over I slept very little, maybe an hour or two, so it'll be nice to get home fairly well rested, even though we'll have to stay up for 5 more hours in the day. We're hoping since we are flying on Dave's birthday something awesome will happen, like the airline will give us an upgrade to business or 1st class (fingers crossed). Who knows--it could happen! Anyway--just thought I would say goodbye to you from Ireland, and next time I blog, I'll be typing from NC. Miss you all!

Goodbye Ireland, until next time, and thanks for all the sheep ;).