Life as Emily knows it...

29 years and counting!!!

2012-01-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

This week was my birthday week! This week marked the last "twenty-something" birthday of my life. Next year the big 3-0! Yikes! I went back to school with the kiddos today and it was fun hearing several Happy Birthdays from my students. A beautiful flower arrangement showed up at work compliments of my wonderful husband Chad! It was just a great day all around.... the evening was no exception (for a while). I hadn't been feeling good all day... heavy chest, coughing, no voice,etc. But I wasn't about to let that spoil my birthday. I went to dinner with several friends (Megan, Nate, Lindsey, Andrew, Natalie, and Chad) to Red Lobster - my absolute favorite!! I ordered my usual cesar salad, grilled tilapia, baked potato, brocoli, and for desert got Key Lime pie. Unfortunately not feeling good caught up with me so I ate very little of my dinner - saved the pie for home later. After dinner Chad and I went to prompt care to get me taken care of. I went home with 2 antibiotics, one inhaler, and advice to stay home the next day and rest.
So I stayed home on the 5th sleeping and resting on the couch. I went back to work yesterday and helped chaperone the junior high dance. It was a blast last night. I came home exhausted and ready to crash. I woke up this morning really stuffed up not feeling up to doing much. So here I am staying home instead of going to Peoria to visit Libby and her new addition, as well as Dad and Lori. :( Sad.... I am going to stay home and try to do a few things around the house as well as rest. 29 years should be exciting and hopefully once I kick this respiratory thing it will be!

Happy New Year! 2012!!!

2012-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Elijah Crate Moore born 1/1/12
to Libby and Dan Moore

Well... 2011 has come and gone! Now it's 2012 and we are ready for it!!! So many good things to come in this year - I can feel it! It started off good with Libby having her baby yesterday - Elijah Crate Moore was born last night at 7lbs. 11 oz. Congrats to the new Moore family!

Here are some resolutions Chad and I have made for this new year....

Emily is going to start Weight Watchers today. I weighed in at my largest weight ever (sad) which is 161. I have never been here before and want to lose 15-20 pounds by next year. Hopefully sooner...
We are going to stick to a budget using the Quicken program. Hopefully we can cut expenses and prepare for a baby in the next year.
Emily is continuing grad school and will be finishing in 2013.
We both hope and pray that God will bless us with a baby this year. We want to become three!

It's been a Good Year! So long 2011!!!

2011-12-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

2011 has been a great year filled with ups and downs. A lot has happened this year... let's review!

Chad got promoted to Black Belt meaning more time at home and less stress at work!
We are in the process of adoption and have a lot of activity going on - now we just need to have the right birthmother and baby for us! :)
Emily took up many new hobbies such as sewing again, blogging, card making, etc. What projects will she do in the coming year?
We went to Gatlinburg, TN on vacation with the Wurmnest reunion crew! Lots of fun things happened there!
Emily rejoined the theater world at Bloomington Community Players in the Spring production of Titanic (Kate Murphey)
Chad had a great harvesting season - able to spend more time at the farm

A lot of good things happened and more will come in 2012! Hopefully this time next year we will be three instead of two!

Christmas is over - the New Year is approaching!

2011-12-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas was an amazing event this year! It was more relaxed even though we had the same amount of families to visit. It was definately one to remember! Chad was definately surprised by his new Toshiba Tablet which came in an EXTREMELY large box just to throw him off. He surprised me with a beautiful heart shaped diamond necklace and a new Nook Tablet! It was great to see everyone and spend some quality family time together.
We began on Christmas Eve with my family in the morning. We opened stockings and presents, while eating a Butterbraid. MMM..... Lori and I went to Peoria to do some last minute shopping exchanges while Dad and Chad went to Grandpa Knapp's to look at guns. Chad and I headed to Wurmnests for our immediate family gift exchange around 3:30, then to Grandma Henry's at 5:30. Grandma surprised us all by having Uncle Brad grill ribeyes for dinner. Then she gave me a fantastic gift this year. She surprised me with a photo album and box full of memories that we made at their house. She kept every card, letter, and coloring I ever made for them - all were even dated!! I still have to get through all of it but it was definately a surprise.
We went to Aupperles for Christmas morning brunch followed by Wurmnests for the Knapp Family Christmas that evening! It was quite an enjoyable time with all!
We were exhausted the next few days but we just keep on going. We are heading to Biaggi's tonight with Chad's family for the Roth Cousin dinner. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve which came so quick! Seems like we were just beginning 2011!!! Tomorrow I will wrap up thoughts from the past year and begin again in the new year 2012!

The Christmas season is running full speed ahead now!

2011-12-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

The busyness of the season has officially started to kick into full gear. This weekend alone was one crazy ride - but very fun indeed! We started out yesterday going to EIU for Jenna's graduation! She is officially an EIU alumni - in with some very good company if I do say so myself! Now the real world will start to take over and she can join in the teaching force!

Jenna on Graduation Day from EIU - December 17, 2011

After Jenna's graduation we hitailed it back to Washington, IL after picking up Mitzi in Maroa - we were off to the Waughop family Christmas! It was so much fun seeing everyone together again and this year everyone was happy! JW is getting so big - he is all over the place and back! He was quite the little entertainer with all of his faces and funny noises!
Izzy, Hannah, and Zach seem to be doing much better as well! I think Sean is a good thing in their lives and hope they continue to heal! I enjoyed catching up with them last night!

This week is the last week before Christmas break... only 3 days left! Tomorrow our hallway is wearing jeans and red shirts, Tuesday is jeans with green shirts, and Wednesday is PJ pants day! Should be a fun week in all! I will post more during this wonderful holiday season!

It's a Party Tonight!!!

2011-12-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

Our annual Christmas party is tonight and I am excited!!! We have invited all of our dearest friends, family, and co-workers to come share in a fun filled evening! We do our party open house style so people don't feel obiligated to stay for long amounts of time. We know this time of year is busy but we would like to see everyone during this holiday season.
Tomorrow our parents are coming down to enjoy the leftovers and to see our house decorated for Christmas! We are so lucky to have supportive families who like to share in our new traditions! Pictures will be posted later on.... hope to see you all later!

Thanksgiving Weekend is coming to a close!

2011-11-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend is coming to a close and it was a fantastic one as well!!! Thanksgiving morning was so much fun with Dad, Lori, and Grandpa Aupperle showing up at 8:15am! I made French Toast Bake and scrambled eggs for breakfast! After breakfast we sat down to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade while looking through Black Friday Ads. It was a great time to spend together! Around 10:00 we decided to prepare the turkey in my Great-Grandma Miller's roaster. After about an hour

the smells of the turkey began invading the house! It smelled like Thanksgiving!

Great-Grandma Miller's roaster

Dad teaching Chad how to carve the turkey!

Everyone began arriving at 3:15ish and we ate dinner at 4:00! It was a fun night with family. I learned how to play a new card game with Vicki, Diane, and Jenna called 7up! Very fun! Around 8:30 I went to bed ready to get up at midnight to go shopping on Black Friday! I stayed out shopping until around 5:00am. I had managed to get through Bergners, Target, Best Buy, and Kohl's! I slept until around 10:30 then went back out again for 2 hours.

Saturday was a day to sleep in and take Mitzi to the vet! She lost 1 pound which is great because the same morning I weighed in 2 pounds lighter! How I did that on Thanksgiving weekend I will never know?! Anyways afterwards I went shopping in Bloomington to finish up more Christmas shopping since Chad was in Indiana all day snowmobiling!

Today (Sunday) we are going back home for dinner with Chad's family to celebrate the Knapp's baptism at their house today! What a great day for all!

Where are you Christmas? Everywhere but here....

2011-11-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again... pumpkins, turkeys, and leaves are out, but so are all the Christmas trees. What?! It seems that Christmas has begun yet again before Halloween and Thanksgiving. Every store is already played Christmas tunes, many of my friends are putting up their Christmas decor, and here at the Wurmnest residence we still look like fall.
I have been in a Christmasy mood for weeks now - begging and pleading with Chad to let me decorate early. But Chad is sticking to his guns and insisting we wait until the day after Thanksgiving. So wait we will....
This hasn't stopped me from shopping early for Christmas. I have a few presents already waiting in the other room. I also have purchased a few Christmas decorations for our house this year. I don't know why but I want it to be the Christmas season RIGHT NOW!
I think I love Christmastime so much because people in general are in a better mood. (excluding black Friday shoppers). People seem to hold doors for others, smile more, etc around this time of the year. I think THAT is what I am ready for. I love the feeling Christmas brings - I know for me it is a season of hope and anticipation. That is exactly what I need this year - Hope and anticipation as we wait for a baby to adopt and bring home! :)
So I will say it loud and proud for now... Happy Thanksgiving! But in 2 weeks you can bet I will be saying MERRY CHRISTMAS with all of my might!

Fall Fun...

2011-11-08T05:12:00.000-08:00

Grad school has monopolized my time lately so blogging has been set aside for a while. Here are some updates from the past few weeks....

A few weeks ago I traveled to Schaumburg with my friend Natalie Dale, meeting Carrie at IKEA. We also went through a few stores in Woodfield and ate Gino's East Pizza. Fun Girls Day Out!!!

Chad and I bought our new table at Furniture Row.... It has leaves built into the table to extend it three different sizes.... It can extend to 96 inches!!

Decades Day was last week where we could choose a decade from the 60s to the 90s... of course I chose 80s! What you don't see are my leggings with legwarmers and black high top converse!

Mitzi of couse loves being wrapped up in blankets but she did this to herself! Hilarious!

Libby is due with a baby boy on January 12th this year! So of course being her best friend I got to throw her a shower! It was so much fun! I can't wait until Baby Moore arrives!

The same night as Libby's shower we had Chad's birthday party at his parents house. He will be 29 on Nov. 9. One more year till 30!!! His mom had the cutest cake made!

A few weeks ago Dad, Lori, Chad, and I went to Tanner's Apple Orchard for lunch and a little fall shopping.

I finally have organized my closet to where it works for me. If I can't have a walk-in at least I have an organized look!

That should catch you up for a while..... Until next time my friends!

Ooops.. I did it again!

2011-10-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was back to school after a beautiful 3 day weekend. I was excited to be back with my students and things were going along swimminly. By 1:30 my right leg (which was sore - I thought due to weather changes) was really beginning to hurt. By 3:00 I had shooting pains which I tried to ignore and I was slightly limping. By 5:30 when I left school I was definately limping and couldn't ignore the shooting pains in my leg. After checking out my knee at home I realized it was very swollen so I called the doctor who told me to get to the ER right away to get an x-ray. I sat in the ER until 8:45 that night and came home with a brace and crutches. Apparently just from walking and living life I have sprained my knee. I know I have a bad knee to begin with ever since my birthmark surgery 9 years ago but still --- No idea how I did it!!
I tried crutches during teaching on Wednesday - really hard to do. So yesterday I went without crutches and only my brace.... another bad idea because I can't just sit and teach. So today I am home this morning resting my leg before going into school. I also have a call into the doctor. How do I manage to do this to myself without even knowing where it happend?? LOL

Reflections...

2011-10-11T05:08:00.000-07:00

I have always been a person who loved reflecting on myself or situations. I find it very therapeutic and healing for the soul. It can also bring up some very touchy moments in my life. When I reflect on life sometimes I can go too deep and it can hurt - sometimes causing me to feel sick to my stomach because the memory is so intense. For example, yesterday the song "Miss U" by Incubus came on my IPOD. The song always reminds me of the days following my friend Brian's funeral. I immediately began welling up with tears and my stomach felt nauseous. For me there is no closure to Brian's death because it was so unexpected and sudden as it is with most suicides. However, when I hear the Spirit Song at church which was played at my mom's funeral I don't that same feeling. Yes the tears come, but a joy fills my heart because I know a feeling of peace with my mom's death. I know it was her ultimate healing and it had been coming for so long.
Throughout this three-day weekend I had the chance to step back in time and take a journey through the past. I have been working on converting old home videos from VHS to DVD. As I was watching myself through the years I went on a journey remembering good times and bad. Some of the videos made me smile, while others brought tears to my eyes.
One thing that was made apparent yesterday while watching these movies was my desire to become a parent. I had such a great childhood, regardless of my mother's illness, that I want to become that amazing parent. I can't wait to have family vacations of my very own, birthday parties, Christmas mornings, etc. I was so blessed while growing up I want to share that with a child of my own.
Many of the movies I converted yesterday were of show choir/madrigals. I miss singing with a group so much that it hurts. I think that is why I am so into the show Glee. It wasn't just the performance factor that I loved so much - it was the people I was around. I love my friends now - but my friends in the arts are a different breed. There is something so different with us - like a thread that connects us that is unseen. We aren't aftraid to be ourselves around each other and the love is unending for each other regardless of stupid squabbles.
It is a good thing to enjoy the past but I feel I relive it too much... why do I do that?? I am going to end on a song that sums up what I was feeling yesterday.
Reflection By Christina Aguilera
Look at me

You may think you see

Who I really am

But you'll never know me

Every day

It's as if I play a part

Now I see

If I wear a mask

I can fool the world

But I cannot fool my heart

Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

I am now

In a world where I

Have to hide my heart

And what I believe in

But somehow

I will show the world

What's inside my heart

And be loved for who I am

Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?

Why is my reflection

Someone I don't know?

Must I pretend that I'm

Someone else for all time?

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

There's a heart that must be

Free to fly

That burns with a need to know

The reason why

Why must we all conceal

What we think, how we feel?

Must there be a secret me

I'm forced to hide?

I won't pretend that I'm

Someone else for all time

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

Anticipating a great weekend....

2011-10-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling in your stomach where you aren't sure if you ate something wrong or if you are just excited?? I have had that feeling for the past two days. Why, you may ask?? I have been super excited about my three-day weekend for Columbus Day weekend. This weekend is the break I feel I need after a long and tedious week at school. However the week was a successful one. I got my students through MAP testing which was very frustrating for them but they stayed in the game until they were finished. They also gave their best effort which made me extremely proud. Yesterday we had a SIP day where I invited our speaker, Dr. Orlando Ramos to share his story and perspective on educational systems today. It was interesting afterwards. Some people thoroughly enjoyed him while others were shaken with what he had to say. Orlando puts it out there and tells us what needs to change and that is an uncomfortable thing for some. However overall I feel people enjoyed his story and it was a successful SIP day.
Today (Saturday) I am heading to Schaumburg with Natalie Dale. We are meeting up with my wonderful roommate from college, Carrie. The three of us will be power shopping our way through IKEA, Marshalls, H&M, Forever 21, and the Disney Store. We will also be dining at the fabulous Cheesecake Factory. Yummmm.....
Tomorrow and Monday the house is being cleaned by none other than yours truly. Laundry awaits, furniture is just begging to be dusted, things need to be put away, and baking needs to be done. Lots of chores that are hard to get to throughout the week. Sad that I am looking forward to cleaning but it is exciting when it really needs to be done and there is an extra day to do it. Ahhh the joys of growing up and having your own house. LOL I will have to update you with pictures from the trip today and maybe a few of th clean house. Part of the clean house project will be to "fung shui" the house as well. I want to clear the house of as many knick-knacks as possible. Especially during the holiday season when there will be tons of decorations around. Until then my friends....

Busy busy busy = no blogging for a while!

2011-09-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been since August 31 that I last wrote on my blog. Life has been very busy and hectic. Back to work has been a challenge for me this year. We had several new students move into the district last minute and I get the pleasure of working with them. I have to work more on differentiating instruction more than ever!!! My teaching is not the same as it was the last 6 years because the makeup of my class is so different - more needs, more instructional levels, etc. Maybe I need a new profession... but I would miss teaching because I love working with my kiddos! I am too passionate about what I do to change jobs just yet.

I purchased a new book on my Nook yesterday called My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife. It is absolutely relavant and hilarious at the same time. I think I am going to enjoy this book. Summary: My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife - a personal account of author Sara Horn's one year domestic experiment, offering full access to see if this biblical model can be embraced by a modern woman—even one who can’t sew. With humility and humor, Sara sets out to pursue the Proverbs 31 characteristics through immersing herself in all things domestic, but when her family's situation changes and she must return to a full-time job, she's forced to look at the Proverbs 31 woman with a whole new viewpoint. I will have to update you on how this book goes.
Proverbs 31:32 has to be my favorite (and now most feared) verse in the Bible. I have always loved how it focuses on women fearing the Lord first above all else. It reminds us that beauty is fleeting and charm is deceptive. However I didn't realize what the verse said. It's an acrostic poem written by Solomon about the Proverbs 31 Wife. THe Proverbs 31 Wife sounds great in theory but here what I think.... it's almost impossible today....
Proverbs 31:10-31 New International Version (NIV)
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

10 [a]A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still night;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her female servants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Footnotes:

a.Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Getting through the Hubbabaloo....

2011-08-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

It's almost September already! The first two weeks of school have just flown by. It's going to be a challenging year this year juggling everything I have on my plate. I am just trying to figure out how I did it with dance team on my plate last year as well. No wonder I felt like I was burning out.
I have adopted a phrase this year that applies to soo much. "It is what it is." So many times we can't change what is going on around us. Things just happen. For example I have no idea what happened to my purchase order for math RtI. The program simply didn't get ordered. So I wrote a new order and will be waiting for the program to get to us. It is what it is. No use stressing about it when there is absolutely nothing I can do to make this process move faster.
I hope that my new outlook of not "stressing over spilled milk" will be a good change tihs school year. We also have good news about the adoption process -- our website profiles are finally up and running! I am so excited that we are on our way to becoming a family of 3.

Another school year has begun....

2011-08-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was back to school officially for teachers.... for kiddos today! As tired as I am right now I am still glad that I am back ready for another school year. Of course yesterday after all of the meetings, gathering lists of things I have to do I felt the same overwelming weight that took me all summer to get rid of. But I also felt ready for a new year. We have several new teachers and staff this year that I look forward to working with and getting to know. Schedules, first week details, etc I know are always hectic and seem like they will never work out like we need them to, but we always get by and survive. Grad school also begins again tonight for me (all weekend). It's all hitting me at once. My devotional is called Dancing with Lazarus. It asks if we feel like we need to be raised from the dead and unwrapped. Whether we feel bound spiritually, emotionally, or wrapped up in our own self-oppression - Jesus wants to raise us from the dead and the first thing He wants to do is to unwrap us so we may dance with Him. Right now I feel like this happened to me at the beginning of summer - I was freed. Before I wrap myself back up again with the messy stuff at work I need to remind myself to take time for myself this year. Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, "So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink you wine wih a happy heart, for God approves of this!" So here I go - ready to work hard at school but ready to enjoy life along the way!

A Different Perspective....

2011-08-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I didn't forget about your - just went through a very busy week last week. School is approaching fast (this week) and I wanted to have one more "hurrah" in Peoria with my friends and family.

My devotional has taken a turn into a very cool subject entitled A Different Perspective. The major comparison in this section is art. When we look at art we can hate it one minute and love it the next... we begin to view it differently and it takes on a whole new meaning. Our life can be like a piece of art. Sometimes we need to step back from the canvas and look to see that all things, even bad things, have worked together for good. Can we shine a different light on our tragedies or crises? Are we far enough away from the bad thing to see the beautiful realities that have emerged?

Sometimes we need to move our art around. As we grow up our outward appearance and our inward beauty begin to change. It seems as soon as we mature our inward beauty the outward beauty fades. We need to change our perspective from our face to our heart. The author challenges us to become a generation that changes our culture's obsession with beauty. We could be the ones who teach future generations the art of being beautiful.

Lastly are we all unique or uniquely alike?? If you compare any two women in the world they will always have the same thing in common. God loves them unconditionally - no matter how different they really are. Nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:39. We all have the same heart. We all long to love deeply. We all need to be loved unconditionally. We all have been hurt badly. We all wrestle with how to forgive completely.

I need to keep this in mind as I venture back to the working world. I need to remember that my perspective on things need to be rearranged once in a while, that my inward beauty is what really counts, and that we all are God's chosen one and He loves us all the same.

Oh what a beautiful morning... Oh What a Beautiful Day... I've got a beautiful feeling... EVERYTHING's going my way!

2011-08-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very productive and busy day! I went up to school to work on RtI with Diana for an hour or so. Then I got my oil changed at Miles in Decatur (something that needed to be done 1000 miles ago). During my oil change I watched a thunderstorm rolled in for about 30 minutes. I miss thunderstorms...I like the ones that aren't scary - just a summer storm. At 1:00 I met up with Kathy Bradd, my classroom aide who is now retired. She and I like to catch up once in a while and we did so yesterday at Starbucks. Afterwards I drove to Mt. Zion to Megan's house to drop off stuff and to enjoy a visit. I also stopped to make an eye appointment. I have been squinting on a regular basis to do regular things like watch TV, etc.... So I may need glasses for long distance now. I already have reading glasses for extended reading time - now I may need them for more. We will see after today. I made salmon for dinner. Chad and I enjoyed watching Bachelor Pad while putting up the new fan/light in the living room. Then we enjoyed a bowl of Red Velvet ice cream... YUM!

I began Allegra today to try to head off any allergies coming my way. I think I am late though since I am quite stuffed up already - how did they begin so early this year??!!! I am a little tired this morning also since I stayed up a little later to read more of my amazing book, The Help. I love it the more I read it and can't wait to see the movie when it comes out this week.

In an hour I am heading back up to school to do a training with Phyllis on our new project of the MAP assessment. I think this assessment will help us dramatically with RtI and in the regular classroom as well! :) Another project to spearhead - YEA! Things are just falling into place which is good, but I wonder how long they will stay good. I am always skeptical because it seems when life is full of good things something is waiting. I wish I could shake this mentality but it always plays out this way. Hopefully life will continue being sweet just as it is now....

Almost through the fog....

2011-08-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

As I move through this chapter of my daily devotional "Moving through the fog" I can see the light piercing through the fog. Today's topic was entitled Shave your Legs and Paint your Toenails. After going through a major disappointment that will happen in life to every normal human being (especially women) -- we can join the club of WHEW! (Women who Have Experienced Washout) After going through a disappointment the last step, and most critical, is to get up, shave our legs and paint our toenails. We have to get back out there and not let our disappointment define our future. (Excerpt from the devotional: We must be resilient. We must be open to learning. We must be open to making new mistakes. It's not the failures that will get your in the end --- it's the decision to allow it to limit the future.)
It's the end of summer and I feel that creeping feeling of disappointment.... Disappointment I didn't get more done, disappointment that my relaxation ends, etc. But I have to reflect on all of my accomplishments that I DID get done this summer.

Run/Exercise/WeightWatchers - This is one of my disappointments, but an accomplishment as well. I may not be getting into a routine and may have only maintained my weight this summer, but I have been cooking healthy meals at home. I am glad to be cooking at home again - HUGE accomplishement. I enjoy cooking so much and it is definately theraputic.
Becoming crafty... nothing new since my last post but I still have the drive and desire to continue this hobby.
Project storage room - HALF DONE!!! I worked really hard last week and have started my pile for garage sale. You can see half of the storage room floor again. Things are more organized and on shelves. Go me!
Landscaping - Everything is dying due to the heat.... after we were gone on vacation the plants just haven't been the same. But next year I have some ideas.
Grad School - FINISHED my class! I begin again next week with The Principalship. Here we go for another fun semester of grad school.

Life this summer has been pretty sweet and I am disappointed to see it end. However I am ready for a new color of toenail polish, some new lotion, and clothes - new school year here we come!!! :)

It's the end of the (summer) as we know it!

2011-08-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hello from a very hot and humid August morning! Outside the sun is shining and there is humidity clinging to my windows! Yes it truly is August.... time for back to school. It is a bittersweet event really. I am excited to get back into a routine with my students, but I will miss my relaxing mornings with my coffee and blogging as well as my time to get things done around the house.
Yesteday was a busy day all centered around the homestudy for our adoption journey. We did really well and celebrated last night with a date night. We went to Red Lobster and Babies 'R' Us. We even bought a bassinet and other fun things for Baby Wurmnest. I can't wait for the day when we get a phone call saying our baby is coming home to us soon! What a surreal moment that will be!
But for now I am doing to live in the moment and enjoy my time with Chad while it is still just the two of us. My devotional has taken a turn this month into a new topic --- Moving through the Fog. The past 2 days have been entitled "You can't do a swan dive in shallow water." How true is that!! Sometime our self-disappointments are self-inflicted.... we know how the situation will end up because we have done it before. Yet we return to it knowing what is in store. However when we fall we need to pick ourselves back up and learn from it. If we take time to really analyze what is at the root of the situation we may not repeat it as quickly. What was the lesson learned? How am I better for the experience? How can I turn this disappointment into a springboard to greater accomplishments? I love how the author ends the devotional by saying this: You can't do a swan dive in shallow water. It's only when the water is very deep that your beautiful soul is truly revealed. Rejoice through the pain and allo God to turn your belly flop into something beautiful.

I'd settle for a slow down...

2011-07-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

Take time for all things; great haste makes great waste.

-Benjamin Franklin

I'm back in Illinois from my vacation in Tennessee. It was a nice vacation but I was ready to come home. After my relaxing summer where I could do things at my own pace, vacation was almost too rushed. To get everything in we had to keep moving and there was no time for relaxation. Isn't vacation supposed to be about relaxing?? LOL. Here is a picture from vacation of the family in front of our gorgeous vacation home.

Now we are back at home and life has resumed back to normal. Today I will be heading into my classroom to work on stuff for the fall. I went to Target and Dollar Tree yesterday to gather basic supplies, so I will be taking those into school today. My goal this year is to make my classroom feel more "comfortable." I am adding wall art instead of typical posters. I am hoping to get an area rug and some bean bag chairs. I need to make an IKEA trip (possibly tomorrow).

My devotional for the past 4 days have been about taking time to slow down. This was a very reassuring 4 days. Through my fast paced year last year I kept getting sick (and I mean REALLY sick). I think that was God's way of helping me slow down. Since I wouldn't do it myself something had to do it for me. So this summer my number one goal wasn't anything on my list of "to-dos." Instead it was a time to rest and relax so my body, mind, and soul could relax and refocus. I feel very accomplished in doing that and my whole spirit is renewed because of my time of slowing down. When we take time to slow down we get things accomplished like I have this summer - and we do it well! I even enjoyed most of it because it was something I could do at my own paced (unrushed).

"Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating." -Denis Waitley

Have you taken time to slow down and

just enjoy the small things in life???

Another beautiful day in Gatlinburg

2011-07-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. ~ Dolly Parton

Hello again from the Smoky Mountains! Chad and I are sitting on the back screened in porch of our house here enjoying the beautiful day. It's still a little warm and humid out, but such is life. Today I have no idea what is in store because we can't seem to make up our minds. LOL (I think) we will be going to the Smoky Mountain Knife Works first. Then Kyle and Chad (maybe Mike) will be going to some car museums while I plan on shopping at the outlets. I need some "me time" to just shop and enjoy the bliss of being a consumer!
Yesterday Chad and I enjoyed the Titanic museum which was quite amazing! Then we went to downtown Gatlinburg for lunch and sightseeing. We bought a few yummy marinades, some sweet treats (including my Smoky Moutain Taffy), and other fun things. In the afternoon we all, meaning 25 of the Wurmnest reunion gang, went to the Dixie Stampeede for an early dinner and show. It was brilliant! Gotta love Miss Dolly Parton for begin so clever with her show. Then it was time to gather to mingle for the reunion. It was quite fun and I enjoyed getting to know Chad's family and some of their history. Went to bed late again last night but didn't set an alarm - just woke up when we felt like it.

Hello from the Smoky Mountains!!!

2011-07-22T04:42:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Ya'll! This morning when I awoke I was in a less than familiar room. Then I remembered I was in the Smoky Mountains and this was my vacation!!! Yesterday was a long, tedious day of driving, driving, and more driving!! We left the house at 4:30am and arrived at our Smoky Moutain resort home around 6:30pm (their time).While in the car Chad and I enjoyed Comedy radio, reading through Clinton Kelley's hilarious books, and just hanging out together. When we arrived yesterday we were greeted with the friendly faces of several Wurmnest relations. We ate dinner around 8:00 at the Applewood Resteraunt up the road from our house. We came back for some sleep since we hadn't really slept much the previous evening. Sleep deprived Emily is not a good thing on a family reunion.
So here I am sitting on the screened in porch on the side of the mountain in the humidity. It is definately a beautiful morning and beautiful sight!
This morning Chad and I are breaking off from the family. While they go hike in the 90-100 degree weather we are going to the air-conditioned Titanic museum. I figure now that I am "fresh off the boat' now is the time to see it. I am really excited. Tonight (or late afternoon I should say) we are all going to the Dixie Stampeede around 3:30. Yee-haw! I remember doing that when I was younger in Branson and it was a lot of fun. I will have to take tons of pictures on my new Cannon Powershot. We decided not to get the SLR camera I had been looking at but it's halfway there. It's kind of amazing!
Well more to come from the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee... time to go get ready!

Getting it done... Or am I just beginning?

2011-07-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

It's already July 18th... my summer is coming to an end! I thought it would be a good time to check in and see how I am doing on my list of summer "to-dos."

Run/Excercise/ Weightwatchers - Ok ok... I haven't done well with this goal. I have actually just maintained my weight all summer (not what I hoped for). I have managed to make better decisions when eating and cook often from my Weight Watchers Cookbooks. The weight just seems to be hanging on. I know this means exercise needs to happen. I just need to do it! Easier said than done right?
Become crafty... accomplished! I broke out my sewing machine last week and finished 2 of my crafting projects! I made my rosette necklace and an adorable stuffed owl.

Project Storage Room - Not so much. No rain in weeks! :) I have been accomplishing other things and rooms. I managed to tear apart our upstairs purple room clearing it out and organizing in case of the adoption agency calling with a newborn! I also have organized the upstairs office to the best of my ability. One by one these rooms will be organized.
Project Blogging - You should know more than anyone I have accomplished this without falter!
Landscaping - The backyard is wonderful! The front yard has some work that needs to be done. I have daylillies to split and replant, bushes to trim down, etc. If the weather would cooperate and cool down for a minute I would get out there. We are reaching extremely high temps with tons of humidity!
Grad School Classes - Almost done!The end is in sight.... This has been an extremely frustrating situation due to the lack of promptness on my professor's part but I am almost at the end. I have no idea how I am doing due to no grades being posted....but I am pressing on! :) This week's goal is to work on the powerpoint for our group project.

Looking at all of the accomplishments this summer I feel good about my goals I made at the beginning of summer. But for some this is just the beginning. I feel like this is how it is in my life right now. I feel like a chapter is ending and another is beginning! I am definately nesting and am loving it! Many of you probably know but we are going through the adoption process (that was my big secret a few posts ago). You can follow our adoption blog http://chadandemilyjourney.blogspot.com/ to know more.

I am going to post a verse that hit home with me today in my devotional. It is very relavant to our adoption journey and I love the comfort it gives me, knowing that God is taking us through this one step at a time.

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16.9)

People vs. Paper?

2011-07-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

During my devotionals the past few days I have been reading about the question "What would you do if you could "re-do" something in your life?" One of the women said she would focus more on people than paper at work. She missed out on so many great personal relationships because she was so focused on her work stuff.
This is something I struggle with but not in the way it seems. I have such a hard time balancing work and relationships. I have always been a people person - never wanting conflict or confrontation. Harmonious vibes between others and myself are what I strive for. Some years I was very work driven and didn't get to know my co-workers like I should have - I just stayed in my own little classroom content with my students and me. When I realized this I decided to branch out and form friendships among my co-workers... really getting to know them. It can be tricky because it can be easy to get caught up in the friendships at school and forget your purpose of being there. I have to work on finding a balance. I work very hard at my job and I feel I do a great job - but I know there is more I can do. I work hard at my relationships as well. I have been taking initiatives more this summer on inviting co-workers to hang out, outside of school. :) Way to balance! School starts again in 4-5 weeks. I will begin working there today. I can't believe summer is ending so soon.

If I could do it all again....?

2011-07-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

God brings men into deep waters not to drown them, but to cleanse them.
Good morning fellow bloggers! We promised to myself I decided to wake up a little earlier to spend time in my devotional! I had to back up about 6 days to catch up on the new topic which is: Getting a do-over. As females we probably ask ourselves often... "What if I could do that over again?" If you could what would you "re-do? As I was reading through the examples of re-dos that women would like to make I think mine would be looking for God more often.
I was raised in a church setting where we went to church not only on Sundays, but Wednesdays for children's choir, committee meetings during the week, potlucks on various evenings for parenting groups, etc. I was constantly involved throughout my teens years spending 80% of my time with my church friends at youthgroup. Even in the summers I was at church camp counseling or participating. God was an active part of my life and I surrendered my life to Him at an early age of 11 - I truly understood what our relationship was and how much it meant in my life. I was called "Biblegirl" throughout school which at the time wasn't appealing, but now I would be embracing it.
Now that I am out of college a few years and am in a routine called life I feel like my Christian walk has stalled out. As I am emersed in the world through my daily life I keep one eye on God and one eye on the world. This causes conflicting ideas and my relationship can't move forward like it used to. I need both eyes on Jesus. The writer of my devotional puts it best... "The Chrisitian life is like dancing the Texas 2-step (two steps forward, one step back). Eventually you get around the dance floor, but it might take you the entire length of the song. We need to place God as the DJ and change the song to a waltz (forward 1...2....3...)." The dance can be truly beautiful and fun, instead of just fast and fun.

Everything is coming together!

2011-07-10T09:02:00.001-07:00

After spending several hours on my house this summer I feel like I finally got somewhere! I just went to pick up and straighten up before my At Home America party and it only took me 30 minutes to pick up and dust - record time!!!
I have been so busy lately I almost forgot to take time out to relax once in a while - so the other day I decided to treat myself to a shopping spree in Springfield (never been to that mall). I had a successful trip buying most of my clothes at Express for 70% off! :) I also remembered to stop in the midst of all of my paperwork yesterday to go lay outside in my hammock and read - even if just for 30 minutes. I picked up some sun yesterday as well - about time! ;) Vitamin D does a body good if applied in small doses.
The one thing that is still missing is my quiet time with God. In the midst of all this "business" I haven't taken time to just be still and know Him. So I have decided I need to take at least 15 minutes at day to do my devotional and perhaps blog about it. It was very effective earlier this year and I want to get back into that routine instead of going on and on about events of the day. This blog whould be meaningful not just words on a page. So tomorrow (or the next time I blog) it will include something I am reading in my devotional! :) See you then!

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

2011-07-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July weekend! It was a busy one but a great one! Our party was a huge success and couldn't have been better. Friday and Saturday was a busy day of getting final preperations ready. I worked on the house all week cleaning and organizing and then baked on Saturday. Chad worked on the outside of the house mowing the yard, laying woodchips, etc. He also organized his office finally! :)

Then the big day arrived.... the 3rd of July party day! Sunday morning was busy. I worked on frosting cupcakes and pies and organizing food items, while Chad touched up the yard. By 2:30 we were ready. Aunt Jackie was the first to arrive - a nice suprise from Ohio! We were able to visit for half an hour before the Waughop side began to trickle in. After another half an hour we had a house full of Waughops - Dad, Lori, Aunt Betty, Katie, the kids, Jackie, Sean, and Aunt Jackie. Then around 4:30 the Wurmnests came bringing Mike, Diane, Jenna, as well as Grandma and Grandpa Knapp. We had a house full of food and family who were finishing off several appitizers.

Chad began grilling around 5:15 and right before everything was ready our friends all began to show up. Megan, Nate, and Reddington pulled up at the same time as Andrew, Lindsey, and the kids. We have been trying to get them to meet for the past 2 years since Issac and Reddington are only 2 weeks apart. Right behind them was Clint (who I am trying to set up with Jenna... so far so good). And finally Taryn and Curtis (along with baby Samantha carried by Taryn).

The group was all here and it was time to eat. We had a lot of good food and fellowship. Chad and I were exhausted by the end of the evening... but happy. However it wasn't over yet....

On the actual 4th of July Chad headed to the farm early in the morning and I came up after. We went to Aunt Terry and Uncle Steve's house for a Waughop cookout. Sally, Doug, and JW were there as well! :) We had a great visit with everyone and returned home around 8ish that evening. I wasn't feeling well yesterday so I had a hard time sleeping. But sleep came and here I am recovering from our busy weekend! :)

A little bit of bliss....

2011-07-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

What are some of the things that are simply blissful? Delightful?

Things so wonderful you would miss them if they were gone?

For me these things are the small things in life. Before summer break started I kept imagining how wonderful it would be to be laying out on the hammock in our backyard reading a good book, soaking up the sun, and possibly taking a nap. Just this thought was amazing but I have been enjoying this scenario on a weekly basis. Currently I am sitting on the couch sipping my caramel latte while blogging and watching Sex and the City reruns. This has been my morning routine this summer - I love waking up slowly and relaxing in the morning.
Another small thing I love is accomplishing a task like yesterday. I finally finished the spare room/office project. I still have a few things to do on the office but overall it is done! It is amazing how much stuff can accumulate over time. After completing this task I enjoyed dinner with Chad. We spent time together just hanging out at home. This is my favorite part of marriage. He went to bed early because he had to go in early (3AM) and I stayed up watching Grey's Anatomy:Season 2. I love watching new TV series episodes on Netflix late at night in the dark just imagining myself in another life. Last summer I spent my evenings in LA watching the Hills. The beginning of this summer was spent in NYC watching The City. Now I have moved to Seattle to pursue my career as a surgical intern. ;) It's amazing how the small things in life are the best! I have learned how to reconnect with my bliss this summer!

"Nothing is more important than reconnecting with your bliss. Nothing is as rich. Nothing is more real." ~ Deepak Chopra

End of June checkup....

2011-06-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

I had to go back to look at my list of "to-do's" to see what I have accomplished so far. Next week I would like to get back into my classroom to begin working on RtI and setting up my curriculum so the house projects need to be getting closer to done. My EIU class is also an odd situation - my professor has been rather late on getting assignments to us so he decided to make up for it he would drop 3 chapters of study guides and application activities. This is a good thing because it is less work, but I feel like I may be missing something out of this class. Who knows?!Anyways back to the check list of items to accomplish this summer....

Run/exercise/follow WeightWatchers - This goal has been hit and miss. I have done better with following weightwatchers but am still not tracking points faithfully. As a result I have maintained my weight - not lost. Exercise is not happening although I have gone running a few mornings so far this summer. But no daily routine has been established. This is my goal for July!

Become crafty.... Getting there. I need to get my stuff organized first before this goal can be truly accomplished. But I am going the right direction.

Project Storage Room - saved for a rainy day. Go figure last summer was rainy this one is sunny. Will get to it when the upstairs is done.

Project Blogging - ACCOMPLISHING!!! I am so glad that I have kept up on this blog as much as I have already. It has been fun and I even started a new blog topic which is privately kept elsewhere and will be revealed in time! :) (Are you anticipating it's arrival?) No I am not pregnant! LOL

Landscaping - Doing REALLY WELL!! My yard is blossoming and blooming everywhere. Chad bought woodchips last night and we are going to weed and lay that down before our 3rd of July party! Yard looks fantastic. I got my little potted plants table done on the front porch and it looks great!
Grad school classes - Already filled you in on that odd situation with Curriculum. Dropped the Principalship so I can take it in the fall through Decatur. Cheaper and less gas money/travel time!

I added a 7th project because it is already accomplished! I decided impulsively to paint the kitchen 2 shades of green. I did the whole project by myself! For someone who has never painted a room I did a great job! :) 3 days - 1 person.
We also bought our hutch for the kitchen which has been something we have wanted to do for some time. Diane and Jenna came down last weekend to help me paint the master bedroom and it looks phenomenal! We have an accent wall painted a deep purple (don't be scared of dark colors) and the other 3 walls are a light marble grey. I helped with the trimming and have come along way with my painting projects! :)

Playing it smart....

2011-06-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

Chad and I had a wonderful weekend away
last weekend in Ohio. We visited my Aunt Jackie and Uncle Emmette, as well as Neal, Michelle, and Hazel. Hazel is getting so big - 14 months already?!
After a great, but short, visit we headed 4 hours north to Cleveland to see Next to Normal starring Alice Ripley. Much to our disappointment Alice called in sick for that performance. However her understudy Pearl was amazing!!!! We sat front row - center! It was one of my favorite shows I have seen in a while. I am completely obsessed and I love it!

I also changed my hair color last week - I'm now a blonde again. At least I am getting closer to blonde. It's more golden than blonde.

This week has been another week for projects. I decided to finally paint the kitchen - a project that has been running though my head for 2 years but never officially decided on. On an impulse I finally chose my colors and began painting on Wednesday at 8:30am. Last night I quit painting at 9pm. It was a long day but a good one. I began again this morning at 9am and finished around 3:00pm. I still have some touch up to do behind our fridge. But all in all the project is done.

We also bought a new hutch - something we have been looking at for a while. It is absolutely beautiful! :) It's amazing how much one piece of furniture can add to a room.

Tomorrow's plan has been altered a bit. I was enrolled in the Principalship class at EIU every Thursday night for the next 6 weeks. I decided to withdraw from my class because I am already taking a difficult and demanding curriculum class. Along with my other projects at the house I decided to do something good for myself.... to learn how to destress and relax. It also saves me money since I will be taking it in the fall in Decatur instead of at EIU. It eliminates on campus costs, gas money to drive there, and parking fees. I decided to play it smart instead of trying to cram in as much as I can in a summer. I cram in a lot during the school year - so I need my summer to be somewhat relaxing. (but productive) :) Sooo....
Tomorrow's project is to head to IKEA and Woodfield for some supplies for my office project. I am meeting Carrie for lunch and shopping so we can spend some quality time together. I am very excited and hope I can sleep tonight. I love going to Schaumburg! I will blog about my trip on Friday!

Creating my serene spot for the summer...

2011-06-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

Throughout the beginning of the summer I have been working with Chad on creating a beautiful backyard full of flowers and plants to give our backyard that "special flavor." I wanted a spot I can go during the day to be completely calm and peaceful. Mission accomplished!!! Here are some pictures of the garden - highlighting some of my favorite plantlife!

A pool would be another relaxing addition to our backyard, however Chad is not exactly excited about having a pool to take care of. Therefore I decided to compromise and do the next best thing. I bought a small blowup pool that I can float around in while relaxing. :)

Fun shopping trip.... oh wait all shopping trips are fun!

2011-06-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Today I went shopping at the Tuscola outlet mall today because it is the last day before EXTREME heat comes through Illinois. I finally branched out of my comfort zone and purchased a COACH clutch and camera bag. Everytime I go in there I feel like I should want to buy something but the prices scare the bejeezes out of me. Even when Chad was offering to buy a purse for me I couldn't decide on one. Well today I finally took that step of faith and purchased 2 items. My total was still under $100 which made me feel better. I also went to the GAP outlet and bought several items --- 12 to be exact. They had 40% off their already marked down prices. My total was $65 for 12 items... CRAZY! :)

Finding my voice....

2011-06-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl I was never what you would call the "shy type." I loved to talk to everyone I met, even people in line at the grocery store. When family was over for holidays I would often "entertain" them by singing, dancing, or just being me. I loved to be the star of all occasions. Since I was a young girl I have gone through various stages where I feel I have "lost my voice" (in a manner of speaking). When I moved to Washington, IL I was at the awkward pre-teen stage. I just wanted to fit in. Some of my so-called friends wanted to silence my voice, change me into something different. I began to believe them and wanted to conform to the trends of the day... trying to fit in as much as possible. Throughout my junior high, even into high school I was always a bit behind the current trend. As soon as I would catch on, the trend would change. But I wasn't ever quick enough to change with it. Looking back at pictures of me and my peers - I noted that I was always trying to stand out by blending in. After high school, college seemed like the best thing that could have happened to me. A chance to start over where no one knew my past - only my present. I could be a new me! However I ended following suit and trying to be like others again. Even when I was highly involved in Christian Campus House I found myself in Christ, but outwardly I wanted to be like the other girls. They all seemed so confident and sure of themselves. I wanted to be just like them.

After college I decided enough was enough - I would find the true Emily Anne at any cost! That's when I found my voice. After my first year of teaching and living with my parents I moved out to my own apartment. Being on my own at last gave me a chance to really get to know myself in many new ways. I also got involved with community theater. By playing different characters I got to try out many new people - through each character I found myself! :)

In Once on the Island I found my passion for dance.

West Side Story was where I truly fell in love with the stage and found myself to be more bold with others. I also met Chad during this experience and without my boldness who knows when we would have started dating. ;)

During Sound of Music I found a fun side to myself in the green room by joking around with others and just being me.

During All Shook Up I lost 11 pounds and became more comfortable with my body in general. Mark and Nyk pushed me to dance to the best of my ability and I felt like I had achieved the world through dancing!

Miss Saigon was where I found my complete confidence in myself..... uninhibited about anything. How can you be an Asian prostitute during Vietnam dancing around in a show skirt and NOT be confident?! LOL

Then my last show - Titanic - was where I truly found myself. I had been so lost without my theater life and I had found it once again..... at home on the stage with the spotlight on my face. Even now I find myself trying to become who I am supposed to be - but I remember my voice is right here inside.... waiting to show the world who Emily Anne Wurmnest is! And that is truly amazing!!!

So far so good...

2011-06-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Summer has proved to be a very productive time for me so far. On Wednesday I ran errands in the morning and worked on the yard for 3 hours in the afternoon. I weeded, planted, and split hostas. Thursday was a rainy day so yard plans were out the window. Instead I got groceries and baby shower gifts. I also started working on making fabric rosettes for headbands, pins, etc. (see picture to right)They are easy to make but I definately got a blister from the hot glue gun. I have now switched to regular fabric glue - no heat involved. Today's agenda includes splitting day lillies, transplanting them in the backyard, and cleaning the kitchen.

Cards I made on my Cricut thus far!

I made this Strawberry pie for tonight! (Cool whip to be added later) :)

How to begin...

2011-06-01T06:41:00.001-07:00

It's official! Summer break is finally here! I feel a relief of freedom from early morning alarm clocks, cafeteria food, stressful deadlines, constant meetings, etc. Don't get me wrong - I love teaching, but it does wear on a person after a while. Besides I need time to get things done for myself around the house. The hard part is where to start??? I decided to publish a list of "to dos" on my blog so that I can see how much I really accomplished over the summer. I want this summer to be a productive time instead of a time where all I do is sit around or shop. So here goes....

Run or exercise each day while following the Points Plus system of weightwatchers... I would like to get in a routine so I can get back into shape. I have almost gained back all of the weight I lost last summer. Time to get it back into gear.

Become crafty..... I have decided to take up some hobbies in the crafting world. I recently bought a Cricut which is very addicting. I would also like to learn how to make headbands, necklaces, etc out of fabric roses, buttons, etc. If time permits it I would also like to relearn how to use my sewing machine which has been collecting dust over the past 10 years.

Project Storage room.... I would like to go through all of the boxes of stuff my parents continue to bring down from their house. I want organization and space again.

Project Blogging... I need to blog more often - let's be reasonable with saying at least twice if not thrice a week (how fun that I got to use the word thrice).

Landscaping over time.... I have a vision of what I would like our yard to look like. I know this takes time but I need to start by working more actively among the flowers. For example... weeding more often than at the beginning of the spring. :)

Grad school classes - I am taking 2 classes this summer - Curriculum and Principalship. My goal is as always to get an A and to absorb as much as I can from this master's degree.

We will start there with my list and see what happens from here. I will be blogging about projects and accomplishments over what I hope to be a productive summer. Keep posted!

On another note, my summer began last weekend with a girls trip to Moline, IL with my friend Taryn to see Josh Groban in concert! He was amazing! We were in row 44 of the main floor which was a good distance from the stage, but he started the show on a platform with his piano in the middle of the floor (right by us!!!) Here are some fun pics from our journey!

Sink or Swim... Here we go!

2011-05-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Titanic the musical has finally opened and what an opening night it was! The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the show concluding with a standing ovation! :) Last night was a bit rough since we were all very tired from running the complete show all week long. Can't wait to have 3 nights off after today. It will be very much needed. It feels so good to get back onstage with the lights shining down, knowing you are connecting to the audiance on an emotional level. So far I have had several friends come see the show including: Chad and Carrie on opening night, The Williams family, Taryn and Bonnie, Natalie and her mom on Friday night, and Rodjahnae (a student) and her family. So far they have all loved the show.

After the shows we have gone to several wonderful dining establishments for refreshments. Thursday night we went to Steak N Shake, Friday we went to Buffalo Wild Wings, and last night we went to TGIFriday's. I have a Pink Punk Cosmo which was delicious! It is served over pink cotton candy. Yumm....

One more show this weekend at 2:30, then home to relax before beginning a work week. Only a few more weeks to go and it will be summer break! Hallelujah!

Life is a stage....

2011-04-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

It's one week from opening night of Titanic the Musical and I am full of mixed emotions! I am excited that the big night we have all been working for is almost here, yet I am nervous as well. We wore our costumes on stage last night for the first time and it was the final touch for many of our characters. I am very grateful I only have 2 costumes to worry about... some of the women have 5-6 costume changes. This cast has been a pleasure to work with. I feel like they have become another family for me. I have definately made some life-long friends. See pictures below.

As much fun as I have been having the rehersal schedule has definately run me down. Getting home at 10:30 or 11:00 has worm on me... hence I am home today with what I fear is (yet another) sinus infection. This time I am going to the doctor to get antibiotics so I can be ready for next week. Until then I will rest when I can and get a lot of fluids. I have also discovered the most amazing herbal tea in the world. It can be purchased at the Naturally Yours health food store.... It is called Good Earth Sweet N Spicy tea. Delicious when you are feeling a bit stuffy! :) I purchased 3 boxes for the run of the show. The cast has gone through a lot of it in the last few weeks.

Easter was fun and tiring at the same time. We managed to visit 3 families in 6 hours. Grandma Henry's, Wurmnests, and then the Waughop/Aupperle family.... lots of familly and food in a short period of time. (Pictures below)

When God closes one door - He opens a Window!

2011-04-15T12:25:00.001-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since I have written but a lot has gone on in the past month. First of all, I have had Titanic rehersal every night until 10:00 or so. This makes for a very tired Emily. On top of that I am into my heavy IEP season, rewriting IEPS and holding meetings frequently. The title of this blog isn't just a good quote. It serves it's purpose in my life right now. A week ago today I turned in my resignation letter resigning from the position of dance coach for the next school year. I just can't put myself through all of that extra stress for 11 months out of the year. I love the girls and the program itself, but there are other factors that make the whole Dance Coach something to love. However ---- even though one door is shut, another has opened it's window! The high school has posted the theater position as an open position for next year. This would be a position to direct the fall play and spring musical. I am considering putting in for this position as it would be more theraputic than stressful for me. We will see what happens!! Not only am I busy with work and the show, I begin my grad classes again for the summer tomorrow morning. I am driving down to Effingham tonight to stay since the class is in Olney from 8-11. I might be a very tired Emily tomorrow as well. When I get home we are having Dad, Lori, Taryn, and Curtis over for dinner and a movie! We are going to watch Burlesque since they havent' seen it yet. :) This week has been a stressful one - which includes having our power shut off because of a phone payment that didn't go through. It was a miserable situation (one that will not be repeated) but I believe it was God's way of telling Chad and I to slow down and just be together. We had to stress together, then get each other through that situation. Our fridge may be empty since we threw away all of our spoiled food, but our hearts are full of love for each other in a marriage that WILL NOT spoil. :)

And I'm BACK!!!

2011-03-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

This has been a very eventful week indeed. Monday I decided to face my fears about auditioning again for a show and went to the Bloomington Community Players auditions for Titanic the musical. Turns out it was a great plan.... I got cast as Kate Murphey who is a young Irish girl in 3rd class. Soo excited!
Getting back in the theater even for auditions was a wonderful thing! I missed everything about theater from the Green Room to the costumes, lights, etc. I even missed the smell of an older community theater (sad but true). I felt like I was home again when I got on the stage. I know I am meant to do this because God has put such a passion in me to love the stage! While I am not the strongest dancer, singer, or actor -- the passion I have is immense! :) God made me theaterical and I will continue to be the "drama queen" I know I can be.
Stay tuned to hear more about my return to the stage....

New Beginning....

2011-03-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

My women's Biblestudy is about to commence in t-30 minutes. I am so excited to meet with this group of women on a weekly basis as we go through our journey through the book Uncommon Woman by Susie Larson. ;)
I feel like God wants this study to happen because the books finally arrived today! How devine is that?! I will keep you posted on how this study goes. Thank you in advance God for giving us the group and the desire to know more about YOU!

Burnout... am I there?

2011-02-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

My devotional has shifted to a new topic.... BURNOUT! Frustration, being bored, restlessness, and feeling unsatisfied. All of these words describe someone who is being burnt out by work, relationships, and life in general. Unfortunately as I was reading this issue is very relevant to my life currently. I am feeling all of those things through my past few months. I have stretched myself so far at work with teaching, leading RtI, and coaching the dance team (along with all of my extra committee work). Without a church family to support me it has been tough getting through this. Part of this is my fault.... apathy has begun to set in and I am not driven to join a church like I know I should be. Chad has been very supportive in trying to get us to a church, but between being sick, having several competitions, and Chad working on Sundays avoiding church has been too easy. Hopefully when the spring begins to set in I will be more energized to go.
One good thing is my spiritual life hasn't completely dropped off the face of the earth. Every morning I begin my day with my devotional (which I believe was written and geared right towards my life in every aspect right now). On the way to work I have my daily "chat" with God while singing praise and worship to start off my workday with joy in my heart. Throughout my day I find myself constantly talking to God asking for advice or thanking Him for small things like the sunshine. I know I am missing out on the fellowship of church, but I do have fellowship with several Christian women through my week so the support is there.
During these next few weeks I will be getting ready to begin my Women's small group going through the book Common Woman. I am very excited about this opportunity and hoping it will be another driving force for me to get involved in church again.

It's a Brand New Day!

2011-02-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

As I am sitting here pondering what to do next in my classroom I decided to take a break from all of the papers, essays, lesson plans, etc to just reflect on the beautiful day outside. After what seems like the never ending snowfalls we have had this year the sun is finally shining and the snow is almost completely melted. The temperature is a gorgeous 61 degrees outside! Just 2 weeks ago we were off for a total of 3 consecutive snow days and now it is beginning to look a lot like Spring!

I feel as if the weather outside isn't the only thing that is changing and beginning again.... I feel I am dawning on a brand new day as well. I am at the point in the year where the weather begins to rejuvenate my soul to its very core. I get excited in my teaching, at home, everywhere!! The Dance Team season is quickly coming to a close with the state finals a short 2 weeks away. I am excited to have my personal life back, but I will miss the girls and the fun we do have most of the time. My stress levels are on the way down as we have this season coming to an end. :) It's almost ironic that my devotional has been on filling the hole in my soul - which right now I am trying to fill with everything else and avoiding what that hole really is or what has been causing it.

Tomorrow Chad and I head to Chicago for a fun filled weekend with Taryn, Curtis, and Angela. We are seeing Les Miserables and having a shopping spree as well. Should be a fun time with friends that I feel I haven't seen in a very long time.

Disappointing Someone....

2011-02-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

My devotional these past few days has been steps to living intentionally. From faking it, staying behind, breaking hips, whining, and being confused as steps in living intentionally I have now reached the perfect devotional at the present moment --- Disappoint Someone! This could not have been a more perfect day to read this particular devotional.
When serving others you can either serve from your heart or your head. When serving from the heart it often feels great! When serving from your head it feels like an obligation or expectation only. I am a person who sets high expectations for myself.... I am a high achiever. When high achievers like myself expect a lot of myself others often place high expectations on me as well. This can result in disappointing others. This often results in personal attacks (from others as well from myself) and can be detrimental to my well-being.
Yesterday we competed in the Tuscola competition where my girls were nervous since we were coming back into the competition scene with only one day of practice behind our belts since we were out of school with snow days 3 out of 5 days. Monday was out as well because all after school activities were cancelled. That left us with Friday only to practice. Several parents were upset because I didn't call a practice regardless that we were on snow days. They felt that I had dropped the ball. I explained to them that ALL after school activities and events were cancelled along with school on the snow day and I wasn't about to break that rule the school set forth. The parents disagreed with my decision saying that a lot of other schools had broken that rule so why couldn't we. No offense to those parents... but why should I sacrifice my integrity and teach the girls that winning is so important that we should break rules just to get there? I refuse to do that. Call me crazy but I thought parents would want to demonstrate following the rules to their children.... not "how do we get around the rules anyways."
I was very frustrated and disappointed last night to no avail. Along with a lot of other issues going on amongst the parent community this one really broke my heart. I wish everyone wouldn't get so caught up in the competition end of things with the dance team. Yes I would LOVE to take 1st place in all of our events.... but this isn't always going to be possible. My goal for my team is for them to do their best and to continue to beat the last score. If we beat other teams along the way -- GREAT! :) But I want my team to be a team of good character above all.
My verse that I am going to keep very near and dear to my heart in the following weeks is Psalm 37:5-6: "Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you. He will make you innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun."

Spreading Myself Too Thin....

2011-01-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

My devotional is covering spreading ourselves too thin for the next week or so. This topic was actually the reason I picked this particular devotional book. So many times I feel like I am spread out too thin with all of the things I take on. But that isn't the only reason I feel like I am spread too thin.
So often there are little voices we hear in our head... now I'm not talking about literal voices, but the self-concious voice that continually makes us relive problems we are currently experiences, speaking negative voices into our head that seeps into our soul.
The first step to not spreading yourself too thin is to stop the negative thoughts and voices in your head. We waste so much time by dwelling on current obstacles and problems in our lives. We relive hurts more than we relive special, happy moments. I choose today to focus on the good and positive things in my life. I want to stop giving so much of my time and thoughts to the negative. It only brings me down in the end.
Another step was to take a sabatcial or break... Since this isn't an option since I am still teaching and summer is far from here I need to take the time I do have to rest. I feel like I accomplished that today already by taking time to sleep in - Yes I actually planned sleeping in on purpose. Sometimes, even on the weekends, I make myself get up and get to work, which doesn't give me the rest I need. So today I wasn't concerned with the piles of laundry downstairs or any of the other unending household chores. I took time to sleep in and enjoy my morning. Now is the time for renewal in my life. I felt God speaking to my heart and soul the other morning which brought me to tears. I know He is still very present and active in my life - even though I have not been as active with Him. He is back in my life and I am enjoying being back with my best friend. God is sooo good and I am blessed that He loves me regardless of all the other worldly things that I have allowed to drain me down. AMEN!

Keeping my Joy!

2011-01-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

This week I have been reading about keeping my joy in my devotional! There are so many things that try to steal my joy every single day. Joy awaits us all when we do the following:

Stop allowing others' disapproval of me to disrupt my sense of well-being

Let go of those things I hold onto me so tightly and reassign God as my treasure.

Choose to let go of yesterday

Become aware of being in the moment with God

Give something away

Glory in what we have.

I hope and pray that God will help me do all of the things I can to keep my joy without allowing other things to steal it away. Life gets tough and our joy gets snatched away in the blink of an eye. I choose to keep my joy so I am more able to respresent who it is that God wants me to be... His daughter spreading love to all around!

Finding Joy!

2011-01-02T08:07:00.001-08:00

As part of my own personal New Year's resolutions I have decided to read my new one year devotional daily (Inspiration for Girlfriends by Ellen Miller). If I just woke up 5 minutes early I could read my devotional and blog about it before getting ready for my day. By spending a few minutes focused on God to start off my day could be truly amazing.... therefore I am going for it! This will serve also as a topic to blog about. I hope this can benefit you as well by taking this journey together.

The first topic at hand is joy. Joy is a state of the heart that we can control. No one can mess with our joy unless we let them. God promises our joy can overflow!! John 15:11 Today I read that we as women are usually always seeking approval from others. Many times we want approval because as little girls we craved getting praise from our parents. So often we tie approval to respect claiming they are synonomous, but they aren't. People can respect you without agreeing with you all of the time.

So often I feel that I am constantly looking for people's approval. I try to gain my co-workers respect and judge that based on if they approve of what I am doing. If I really think about it they may agree to disagree, but they still respect me as a teacher and professional. Even when I am struggling with my dance team parents, I stress out hard core when they are disappoving of something because it didn't go perfectly. They still respect me as a coach - at least I feel they still do. Even my battle with the need to feel approval from my in-laws is something I need to come to terms with. I love my husband's family because I am so blessed by gaining a family who is very much like mine. I do struggle with this because I am always feeling the need to "win them over." I always try to get everything just right when hosting for them, making food for a family function, or just as simple as talking to them in everyday conversation. As I reflect back on things I realize I am just me and they should respect me just the way I am. I believe as time has gone on they are seeing they have a pretty good package in me as a daughter-in-law. I want to fit into their family and make them proud of me. I want to do whats best for not only Chad and I, but them as well. Most of my battle occurs in my mind because I have become extra self-concious around them. I need to let it go and realize they do love me and are glad I am part of their family. I have nothing to prove except to be myself.

That leads to the last point in my daily devo..... I liked the last quote in the devo that may become my daily mantra for the next few weeks. "Someone will not like something I say or do today but that's ok --- God and I are well pleased with me." I also need to remember Psalm 16:11. Please read it and relish in the verse! :)

Are you holding on to YOUR joy today?? Or are you letting others take it from you? Or giving it away yourself?

It's a New Year!!!!

2011-01-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Last night was a great New Year's Eve! Probably one of the best I've had in a long time. We had 12 friends at our house. We had lots of good food to eat and fun company to visit with! We played a new game called the game of Things. It was hilarious and was a great game to play while getting to know each other. We all talked and played games until about 2:00 am, therefore getting to bed around 2:30am. We all stayed in bed until 10:00ish and got up for a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and muffins. MMMM....

Carrie, Chad and I are watching Bridget Jones Diary currently while inspired me to blog about life in general. This year will be a great one - that I am sure of! :) Hope you all had a great New Year's Eve and have a great beginning to your New Year! Here's to a great 2011!!!!

New Year's Eve countdown...

2010-12-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

Today is New Year's eve and we are having our annual NYE party! ;) As usual I am stressing about getting everything ready before the guests arrive. However, I decided to take a moment to blog before the craziness begins.
Oh how I love New Year's Eve!!! I remember going to our neighbor's house every year when I was little, playing with the neighborhood boys until midnight! The games usually involved the new Nerf guns they got for Christmas with me as their target being the only girl in attendance. Then when Nintendo came out in 1988 that was the new craze.... I had to fight for my right to play! I was good - let me tell you! :)
During college I had some more memorable New Year's Eves to remember. During my sophomore year I went to the burbs of Chicago to meet up with a bunch of my CCH friends to go to a Madison Green concert. This sounds like the ideal New Year's but there was a bump (literally) on the way. My back right tire decided to blow on me and I drove on it for a 1/2 mile before realizing what it was. After pleading with an auto dealership they stayed over to fix my tire. I made it safely to Carrie's house that year, only about 3 hours late. But it turned out great anyways! The concert was amazing and my friends threw me a surprise b-day party since we were all together so close to my b-day!
My senior year in college was also a great New Year's Eve even though I didn't make it until midnight. The Aupperle crew flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico to get ready to set sail on our cruise in the Carribean! Having been up since 2:00 AM I decided to turn in early around 9:30 our time. I woke up the next morning to cannons being set off to celebrate the new year! Kind of crazy!
Last year was the first New Year's in our house as a married couple. I fell asleep about 11:45 waking up to say Happy New Year to Chad and going to sleep again shortly thereafter. Our party died out a little early since Lindsey and Andrew had to get home with their newest addition and Jenna and her bf went to his Uncles. Without the people around I couldn't make it until midnight.
But then tonight we will have a house full so I am sure it will be a successful evening! I will have to post pics later! Hoep you all have a safe and Happy New Year! See you next year right here on my blogspot! :)

The beginning starts now....

2010-12-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

As we approach this New Year 2011 I want to be prepared! Therefore I am beginning my New Year's "intention" early this year. I have decided that I will not make New Year's resolutions because to resolve something is a scary thing. It seems whenever I make resolutions they fail. But last year I called it my New Year's intention because I intended to do it and lo and behold I followed through on my intention!! :) I joined Weight Watchers last year and lost 20 lbs in 5 months. After keeping it off almost all year I have gained 10 lbs back since August. Gotta love the stress of work and coaching!

This year I have decided to start my New Year's intention today - the day before New Year's Eve! I guess I am just excited to get going. This year I am intended to stick with Weight Watchers once again and get back to where I was this summer... 130lbs! I also want to create a budget and STICK TO IT! I plan on logging onto Crown Financial to get their perception of my budget and adjust from there. I have decided that I have a major shopping addiction (not funny actually). I want to be able to shop but not go overboard. Clothes and accessories have taken over my life as we know it. Materialism is not a good thing and I need to be mindful of this. God has to take over my mind, heart, and soul again. I want to fulfill these intentions for the glory of Him this year. He made me in His image and I should be more careful about how I treat this gift of life he has given me. I want to renew not only my body this year physically, but my mind and heart as well. With God's grace I will be able to succeed on all accounts! ;)

What are you "intending" to resolve this year?? Are you taking up something or giving up something? Where is God leading you in 2011?

A Very Merry Christmas indeed...

2010-12-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone yet again! This Christmas was indeed a great one filled with memories for years to come. Chad was the most amazing husband this year who surprised me with several exciting gifts: a Nook e-reader, Mario Kart for Wii, Dance on Broadway, and the Michael Jackson Experience dance game for Wii!!!!

After Christmas we went on a fun-filled adventure up to Chicago. We went to Ed Debevic's for lunch and had the rudest waiter ever... which is the point of going there! ;) Then we shopped our way back to the hotel on Michigan Ave (aka the Magnificent Mile). We stayed at the Majestic Hampton Inn in the Chicago Theatre District which was beautiful. But the highlight of the trip was eating at the Grand Lux Cafe followed by going to the brilliant Broadway show WICKED! We had seats in the 4th row center! Probably the best theatre experience of my life - Hands Down!

Tis the Season to be Jolly....

2010-12-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Today is one of those days that one looks forward to all year long. The Christmas season is by far one of my favorite times of the year. Everyone seems happier and more willing to help others. There is a warm fuzzy feeling around the world that is unlike any other. Traditions from years past keep my anticipation high as we get nearer to this wonderful time of the year!
Last night we had our Christmas Open House. Our house was beautiful with the sights and sounds of Christmas. We had a lot of food, a warm fireplace, and the Christmas spirit alive. Unfortunately the weather wasn't on our side... with blizzard conditions up north so our families had a lot of decisions to make. My family was unable to come which was sad, but understandable. We did have several friends stop by including Angela, Tammy and Jeremy, and Taryn and Curtis. It was still a successful party - one that was memorable!
Today I woke up to the sound of wind blowing snow to and fro. There is a nip in the air... one that says Christmas is near. Since it's so incredibly cold outside I decided to stay in my PJs, watch the Polar Express, and address my Christmas cards. So here I am in our cozy living room with the tree all aglow surrounded by the sounds of the season. Later today if the weather cooperates I am going to attempt trekking through our mall to shop for Chad. He is probably one of the hardest ones on my list because he never wants anything for himself. He is so selfless, always putting others first. I want to get him something that he will enjoy for himself! What to get.... hmmm. Any suggestions?

The next best thing to saying a good thing yourself, is to quote one.

2010-03-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Quotes... Quotes... Quotes!
Quotes are everywhere. Some are inspirational. Some are happy. Some sad. Some are funny. Others disturbing. Quotes are found on billboards, coffee mugs, t-shirts, necklaces, journals, etc. The list goes on and on. Quotes are EVERYWHERE we look! Either way quotes are a part of history --- history in the making sometimes.

I would love to have a famous quote someday that is published on a mug or t-shirt somewhere. It would be something that would live on and perhaps inspire someone else hundreds of years down the road. But hopefully I have already left my mark on society. I hope that instead of my words, my actions are remembered. I want people to remember what I have done for them. How I have a passion for teaching my students.... how I love to dance even though it's not my strongest talent.... how I am not afraid to speak my mind... but above all my faith in Jesus Christ. That is the most important thing of all.

The other night I was inspired to watch End of the Spear. The movie is a true story about Jim Ellion and other missionaries who gave their lives to spread the gospel in the jungles of South America. I have read many books by Elizabeth Elliot (his wife) and Jim Elliot's journals through his missions. These men were so inspiring by the way they lived out their faith. I want that same legacy... to be known for living for Christ each and every day!

Here are some inspiring quotes that inspire me on a daily basis:

"Not all who wander are lost." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. - Jim Elliot

The way I see it is if you want to see the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain. ~ Dolly Parton

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. - Audrey Hepburn

Snow Day!

2010-02-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to a wonderful phone call.... the phone call I was hoping and wishing for... the phone call that would change my Tuesday.... the phone call that I absolutely needed today.... the phone call from my principal announcing there would be no school today due to the inclement weather conditions. :) A SNOW DAY!

So what does that mean for me?? First of all it meant I got to sleep in today. I only slept until 8:00 but that was a treat from the normal 6:00 alarm! :) When I woke up I didn't have to jump out of bed and get ready like normal. I stayed in bed and finished my book that I have been trying to finish for a week now. Then I got up, let the dog out, and fed her. I fixed my coffee and am enjoying being in my PJ's for the time being. But I definitely have an agenda for today.

I am planning on finishing the last loads of laundry downstairs, while dusting the living room, bedrooms, etc. I also plan on cleaning the upstairs bathroom. YUCK! I also have to work on student data for the RTI comprehension groups. That will take a lot of my time today. I also want to surprise Chad with a banana cream pie for tonight. So I have to make that from my new weight watchers cookbook. And if time permits I want to clean and organize the hall closet - it has become a place to throw things we just don't have a place for.

It's going to be a busy day but these are actually fun days for me. I enjoy cleaning for some odd reason... especially if I have the time to dedicate to doing a good job! Until next time....

Getting to my goal!!!

2010-01-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

So I have decided to inform my readers (you!!) about my recent journey into Weight Watchers Online. I thought I might as well try it since I can't lose weight on my own. Amazingly enough it is working for me and I actually like it. It has given me the freedom to choose what I want to eat but keeps me within a limit for the day/week. I have been very diligent about tracking ALL my points daily. I have also been trying a lot of new foods.... most of which I like.

Today I reached a huge goal of mine. I have lost 10% of my starting weight! Hallelujah! I am only 2 pounds away from my goal weight. After I hit that I have 10 more pounds I REALLY want to lose by summer. But since I reached such a huge step in my weight loss journey I am giving myself a small shopping spree. The best part about this shopping endeavor is the fact I will be trying on a size smaller --- because the size I am currently wearing is TOO LOOSE! YEA! A good problem to have. Last week I thought I was going to lose my dress pants in front of my class because they kept slipping down.

Goal for this week: Begin a workout routine and stick to it! Begin with treadmill!

Question for you today: What goals have you met during the first month of the new year? Be proud of your accomplishments!

Beginning a New Book....Feminine Appeal

2010-01-14T18:10:00.001-08:00

I just began a new book that Carrie, my amazing roommate and best friend from college, bought me for Christmas. It's actually a God thing" story.... Carrie knew she wanted to buy me a book about being a godly wife since I am a newlywed. She knew that I was facing new challenges often in being new in the profession of a WIFE! :) So she asked her family members if they knew of any good books they had that had made their marriage and relationship with God stronger at the same time. They recommended 3 books. She went to Amazon.com to research them and saw that something was already in her cart. When she clicked on the cart, there was one of the books she was going to look at. Apparently God had a special message for me in that particular book. So Carrie took that as her answer, ordered the book, and had it shipped to me on my birthday!!

I started the book today. It's called Feminine Appeal. So far I have cried about 3 times during the Introduction and First Chapter. It was definitely something that God has been trying to tell me, but I was just took lost to hear it! Thank you so much God for knowing what I needed to hear and thank you for using my friend Carrie as the vessel to get this message to me. The author knows EXACTLY what I am going through with moving away from my friends and family for the man I love. Her message is centered around a verse in the book of Titus Chapter 2. It is about being the female that God has created us to be not only in marriage, but in life! I am sure I will be blogging about it as I go! Stay tuned for more....

It's a New Year! 2010!!

2010-01-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! My New Year's Eve wasn't exceedingly eventful, but nevertheless it is a new year! Since it is a new year I always try to make New Year's resolutions....although I refer to them more as "intentions." Because that is really what they are... things I intend to do. Resolutions are harder to keep than intentions.

Chad and I made the first 2 for the both of us...

Intention #1: Chad and I are keepinga budget this year. We are tracking ALL expenses and are following a free Money Map put out by Crown Financial which is a Christian based organization. We would like to put away more in our joint savings account. :)

Intention #2: Chad and I are going to choose a church and try it out for 3-4 months straight. No more church hopping. We want to get involved in a small group ministry and meet other Christians in the area.

My personal goals...

Intention #3: I am going to do Weight Watchers using weightwatchers.com. I am beginning to track my points as we speak. Cross your fingers it goes well. I want to be more aware of what I eat and how much eat. I would like to find foods that are healthy yet filling.

Intention #4: I am going to blog at least 2 times weekly - if not more. So far I am doing well with this.

Have a Happy New Year Everyone!

A new experience I don't want to repeat...

2009-12-29T06:59:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday I went in for my pH monitor that I had to wear for 24 hours. It wasn't the most fun thing ever... and I don't ever want to repeat it. Basically they put a small tube down my nose into my stomach to measure the pH levels to see if that is what keeps making my stomach sick. I had a little sling pack on my arm with a computer that tracked when I ate, took meds, etc. The worst part about this whole process is having the tube in my nose (it hurts) and not being able to eat many solid foods because it pulls on my tube which makes my nose REALLY hurt.

Last night was fun however, even through all of the discomfort. Chad and I went to his parents house and had dinner with them. Then we brought Culver's ice cream and watched National Treasure. It took my mind off of my nose and throat for about 3 hours.

This morning I pulled out my new book that I am reading. It is a collection of stories about martyrs who gave up their lives for Jesus. Many of these Christians were tortured for hours, days, even years before they lost their lives for their faith. Some of these Christians were as young as 8 years old.... how bold and courageous of them! I only pray that I would have the boldness to stand up for my faith as well. I would like to think I would... but facing being burnt at the stake or being thrown into a pit full of lions might make me question what I would do. I would pray that God would take my hand and I could stand boldly for him! This book made my uncomfortable 24 hours of this tube seem very insignificant. There is good news however... I get my tube out in 3 hours! YEA! :)

A Very Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

Well... It's December 26th! That means another Christmas has come and gone. Time to start moving towards a new year. I had a terrific Christmas with both my family and Chad's family. We were (as usual) blessed with WAY to many gifts - not that we're complaining! :)

Our first Christmas will always be a memorable one.... rain rain rain -- then Snow snow snow! In fact - it's still snowing as I type this. Chad unfortunately had to work 3rd shift last night, but we managed to get in all of the family Christmas traditions before he had to leave around 8:00pm.

We spent Christmas Eve with my family. We woke up around 7:30 and pretended it was Christmas morning. We opened our stockings which is a tradition I could NEVER give up. It's so much fun. Then we opened presents under the tree. Chad did really good this year: he got me a new pair of leather gloves lined with cashmere, a small crystal I LOVE YOU figurine, a CAT polo, and my favorite... a Tiffany key necklace - from NYC! :) I got him a pair of Illinois fleece gloves, a zip up reversible GAP sweater, new casual/dressy shoes, and a top of the line leaf blower! :) Good Christmas with my fam!

Then we went to my Grandma's on my mom's side that evening. She always goes overboard, but the time spent with my mom's family is priceless to me. We always end up talking about Mom and Grandpa Henry every year which is hard... but we also share some wonderful memories. It's nice to have a time to share with those who loved Mom as much as I did! Almost a tribute and time of remembrance. :)

On Christmas Day we went to the farm to have Christmas with Chad's family. We had a beautiful breakfast and then opened presents. They were also very generous this year. My favorite gifts included the beautiful clasp bracelet from Diane and Mike and the fleece jacket from Jenna! Jenna also got us a monogrammed pillow for our living room! LOVE IT! After the farm we went home so I could make my dip for that night and we caught a 30 minute nap. Then off to Aupperle's for Christmas with my step-family. Chad and I did very well in the gift exchange.... I got a radio/IPOD player for under the kitchen cabinets with an LED light! Chad got a $25 gas card, chocolates, and popcorn. Then we opened stockings and presents. It was hard this year since it was the first year without Grandma Aupperle. We all missed her tremendously! Then we braved through the snow to Pekin to visit Carol and Bob's house for the Wurmnest family Christmas! We had a great time with all of the family. They are so blessed that everyone is still in their family and they haven't lost anyone. Everyone is in good health and in good spirits! They don't take that for granted either.... they are such a close-knit family... one I am so proud to now be part of! At 8:00 Chad had to leave and shortly after I left as well to get home through the snow.

Now Christmas is over and I have to put away all of the decorations till next year. But it was a very memorable Christmas full of love and laughter! Merry Christmas to you all and to all a Good Night!

My new life philosophy.... is like Audrey Hepburn's!

2009-12-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."
— Audrey Hepburn

Such a wise woman.... I believe that she was on to something. If only more people would think like this. I broke this quote down and wanted to share my thoughts on each part.
Pink of course is the most girly color out there and we need to embrace that!

Laughing is something we should do often... just think if we laughed more how many calories we could burn.

Kissing.... enough said! It's just fun... especially when kissing your soulmate!

The next part is especially encouraging on a day like today. Chad came home with some disheartening news from work. He isn't going to move to first shift after Jan 1. They want to keep him on 3rd instead. He isn't happy at ALL about this.... he wants the other job more. But instead of getting down with him I decided to stay strong for him. I wanted him to feel encouraged that this is just a small setback in his plans, but if he stays positive it will be over before you know it! :)

Happy girls are definately prettier.... I have noticed when I am exceedingly happy that my complexion just glows! When you are happy your eyes sparkle, your cheeks blush, and you can show off those pearly whites. Smiling also prevents wrinkles... I read that somewhere.

And of course the last part is true... Tomorrow is another day (with no mistakes in it - yet) and miracles happen everyday! I have seen them. God makes each one happen because He loves us that much! Have a great day everyone! :)

First Christmas gathering ...

2009-12-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, Chad and I went home for the weekend to celebrate the Waughop family Christmas with all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. It was a great success! I made my mother-in-law's amazing recipe for scalloped pineapple and it was the hit of the party! DELICIOUS! (Thanks Diane!) I am going to make it again next week at some point.

It was so much fun to see all of the family together in one place --- doesn't happen very often now that all of the older cousins (I'm now in that group) are all grown up and married. Most of us moved away - no farther than 2 hours though.

I loved seeing the little cousins open their gifts -- so much fun! Reminds me of when we would have those traditional Christmas get togethers a week before Christmas when I was little. Hot ham and cheese sandwiches are always the main dish, along with many other yummy sides. The tree is packed and the gifts are always fun! But most importantly the time together is the best part of the holiday season!

I hope you - whoever you are - have a wonderful Christmas season with your loved ones! And remember... Jesus IS the reason for the season! :)

This should make you laugh....

2009-12-18T10:32:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was just "one of those days" I guess. I didn't stress out as it was occurring, but is could have made anyone else 'snap' around Christmas time. But I just kept my cool and things worked out by the end of the night. Here's the story....

I got to school yesterday morning early and got stuff done. My 1st hour class does recycling for the school on Thursdays. We were taking the recycling out to the bins and I saw my tire was flat. So I called Chad and he told me that he wanted to take care of it and would be there as soon as he got off work. Well that got fixed and was ready to go by the time I got out of school. Not a big deal.... it was done.

So I went to get our dog Mitzy at the groomers. She was very excited to see me and I bought her a Christmas cookie shaped treat! We got back home and I was going to get her out of the car as soon as I flipped on the outside Christmas lights. While I was gone (20 secs) she managed to get in the front seat and locked the door. Keep in mind --- my keys were in the car. So was the spare because it was in my wallet since I wasn't the primary driver of that vehicle. So I called Chad who was bowling to ask what to do. He told me he would come home and maybe call a locksmith. So I called a locksmith --- as embarrassing as it was to do. Needless to say half an hour later the dog was out of the car! Good thing I bought her a treat after that traumatizing experience. :)

Well I am going on break today at 2:20!! WHOO HOO! We are driving home to the Peoria area later this evening so we can finish getting things ready tomorrow before the Waughop family Christmas! :) I have to make scalloped pineapple and an appetizer dip! So excited! :)

Thoughts on Friends...

2009-12-17T04:25:00.000-08:00

I once heard a pastor give a sermon on Jesus' perfect example of friends. Jesus had His closest friend or best friend that He confided in - John the beloved. Then He had His smaller "inner circle" which included Peter. Then of course He had the rest of the 12 disciples. The rest of His accquaintances (all of us) were still called His friends, but they weren't the same as the 12. Jesus' model of friendship was like a ripple effect in a small pool of water. The inner ring is small and tight. Then the ripples get bigger and farther away from the center. Not to say Jesus isn't close to us - He is. That is a definate truth.

All of my life it seems as if I had modeled this same pattern. In Jr. High I had my best friend, Natasha. Then I had my "inner circle" of Deanna, Jamie, and Chelsea. They were the ones I had late night sleepovers with, talked about boys with, and just goofed off with.

Then in High School things changed... Libby became my best friend (still is)! Then there was Lacey and Kim. The four of us always seemed to hang out. We were in the same youth group and hung out with others in that group as well. But the four of us girls always seemed to have a close-knit bond.

Later when I went to college I still had Libby as my best friend, but we were now apart and really busy with studies. Carrie came along into my life and I was blessed to have 2 best friends. Carrie happened to be my "best friend on site" so to speak! Then there was Maryann, Beth, Lacey, and Ann! Roomies and hallmates.... they were my closer circle throughout college. They were all there through many heartaches such as many breakups, frustrated study sessions for finals, and Brian's suicide. I will always love these girls. God placed them in my life at that time for a reason and it is so apparent now why they were there for me.

When I moved back home from college, Libby was again the best friend on site. We began to have weekly dinners together and many, many cups of Starbucks coffee!! :) Libby was the first person I got tipsy on wine with, the first person I went on a double date with, and the person that I always poured my heart out to without worrying about judgement or criticism. Thank goodness for Best Friends!! Then Libby became my matron of honor, after I served as her maid of honor. Getting married in the same summer - one month apart! WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED?!

Now that I have gotten married and moved away I am praying very hard for a small group of girls that I can call up to hang out. A group of girls to confide in. A group of girls that I can call my group of friends! This is something I desperately need and pray that God will eventually bring into my life. Libby is only an hour and a half away and we have made a point to get together frequently. She is still and always will be my best friend. But I need some "on site girls" to chat with on occassion. I know God will bring them along... I just pray He does it soon. He has already begun that process with my friend Megan who lives down here. She has started including my in her girl events for which I am soo thankful! And there is Jamie at work, who even though pregnant has befriended me knowing she won't be teaching next year. I pray that our friendship will continue even though she will be leaving the school next year. And how can I forget Lindsey who I went through grade school with but never really got to know - she lives here in town! God is awesome! This is a start, but I don't feel like I am hanging out with these girls yet. Maybe someday soon...... I hope!

Thoughts on Christmas traditions....

2009-12-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

Since this is my first year married, Christmas looks a little different this year. I know a lot of people say "You'll make new traditions with your husband." So far no new traditions, but that doesn't mean we won't have any coming up! :) I'm trying to stay positive.

Chad and I last Christmas 2008

Christmas traditions are so important to me because it was something my mother felt very strongly about. I was wrapping Christmas presents this year and began to cry. I was just so overcome with thankfulness for my parents. They provided me with such magical Christmas memories that keeping up with that is near impossible. I am so grateful that I have those memories around this time of year. I only hope that someday I can be a parent that instills those same memories and traditions in my own children.

Chad's aunts and mom at the annual cookie party 2008

As far as getting ready for Christmas I am getting closer... Only 2-3 gifts to buy without including stocking stuffers. Everything is wrapped except the unpurchased gifts. I have all of my Christmas candies made, just the last batch of sugar cookies to go. That will just have to wait until next week when I have some free time.

2 more school days till break and I can't wait! Next week will feel like Christmas simply because I will have a flexible schedule to sleep in, relax, and get stuff done that I need to do! YEA! I have officially decided that junior high students are more antsy than elementary kids before break. They look forward to the relaxation just as much as we do! Well 2 days left and they are planned fun days! WHOO HOO!

First Day of Blogging....

2009-12-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

Well I decided to start a blog after watching the wonderful movie, Julie and Julia. This is more for my own thoughts rather than a second chance at a writing career. I need a place to journal and this might just have an impact on someone. It is also a great way for my friends to keep up with my life!

Tonight was a good night. We had Chad's parents over for dinner and just hung out with them. Quite a good evening if I do say so myself. Chad and I had more fun preparing for tonight's event earlier this morning. We baked and frosted sugar cookies together - a first for us! We worked well as a team and found it quite fun!

I got a lot accomplished last night when Chad was down in Effingham visiting his college friends. I decided Mitzy (our dog) would help me while I wrapped all of our Christmas presents. Her job was to sit behind me and observe. It was nice to just have company since Chad was gone. I got all of the presents wrapped and that's one more thing I can check off the list. Only a few more presents to buy and then I am done! WHOO HOO!