It is a New Year

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year? I became a teacher!

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Finishing grad school to become a teacher! Mostly those darn work samples that I thought were almost going to kill me! Plus all the drama from grad school was emotionally taxing.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year? Loving teaching 1,000 times more than I ever thought possible.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle? Not being able to get pregnant as quickly or as easily as I thought I was going to. I thought by right now, the New Year, I would be several months along. Not so much happening.

5. Pick three words to describe 2009. Challenging, delightful, emotional.

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2009 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you). Stressful, challenging, tiring.

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2009 (again, without asking). Challenging, rewarding, motivating.

8. What were the best books you read this year? Moral Classrooms, Moral Children and Creative Curriculum.

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships? I would say those with my mentor teachers. They were so supportive and there is absolutely no way I would be the reflective and effective teacher I am today without their support and encouragement. I probably wouldn't have been a teacher PERIOD because grad school would have eaten me alive and burped me out!

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year? I would say I am slower to anger and more able to see things from different perspectives. Also, as a teacher, I am constantly reflecting on my relationships and how I act towards others. It feels hypocritical to spend hours each day teaching children to be kind and empathetic, how to problem solve and compromise, how to evaluate decisions based on what is equitable and then not implement these things in my life as well.

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally? I am trying to become a kinder person. If I am throwing an unnecessary emotional fit with my husband, I am using tools to stop myself, walk away, and revisit the situation after calming down and considering his needs in a RATIONAL MANNER. Disclaimer: I am trying to do this, hardly accomplishing it!

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually? Grad school reaffirmed that I can do all things with God's grace! I really didn't have the confidence in myself to think that I could make it through such a tough program, but with His peace and strength was able to. I really relied on and revisited often the idea of being yoked to Jesus - He helped me shoulder my burdens with a yoke custom made for me! Also, I am needing to rely on His peace and patience daily with this whole TTC drama. I am praying for stillness - when and IF God intends us to become pregnant we will, and not before. His plan is greater than mine!

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically? OUT! I am much heavier than this time last year, and that is depressing!

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others? I have never been QUICK to judge others (I don't look at people's clothes or appearance and make face value judgments EVER) but I know that I can judge people after coming to know them for having different beliefs than I. I think I became just a smidgen better at withholding judgment this past year. If not that, I at least grew to see the value of reflecting on my already preconceived ideas and attempting to challenge them.

In addition, I developed close girlfriend relationships, something I haven't really been able to do for a long time. I am still cautious and slow moving, but I am thankful for my girlfriends who are accepting, not demanding, and push me out of my comfort zone (you know who you are!)

15. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home? Decorating! I got new cube shelving from IKEA and a new T.V. and it transformed my living room! We also re-tiled our master bath! I love home decorating. It is sort of a problem for me.

16. What was your most challenging area of home management? Meal planning and cooking on a regular basis. We ate out more this year than I can even count. Trying to break out of that habit and devote myself to frugal, clean meals.

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? Facebook and Hulu. Gotta limit those this year!

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year? Teaching and spending time with my husband and dogs.

19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year? That there is a time and purpose for all things!

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2009 for you. I have never been good at "creating" my own quotes, but I do love to borrow! Here is my quote for 2009:

"The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we may become."

Charles Du Bos

Reflection questions borrowed from Simple Mom.

Dear Immune System,

Anytime you want to kick in, it would be appreciated. Thanks. Bye.

I have been sick for over a week and a half (almost two weeks). Not okay. It is this weird virus going around our school. Starts with nausea, then goes into nasty cold and then finishes up with a delightful cough. In my case, I also lost my voice, which is especially great if you are a teacher. My kids were more than semi-freaked-out by my gravely braying as I sang them transition songs. I was told by more than one child, "Ms. Katie, you look BAAAAD!" and "Ms. Katie, you sound WEIRD!!!" One kid stomped around the room during my absence muttering, "Grrr, I am so mad at Ms. Katie. So, so mad. Grrr." For. Two. Days. Straight. Thanks for the support, muchkins.

One positive thing about me getting sick and my class being resentful of my absence was that I was able to be very dramatic when I got back about how germs got into my body and how I was so, so sick because someone didn't wash their hands or cover their mouth. This was all shocking to them. Hopefully I will get at least one or two to remember to thoroughly scrub up before putting their hands all over me.

One result of being so sick for so long was that I missed several parties that I have been looking forward to for quite a while. This weekend was my friend Julie's wedding shower and my friend Amy's cookie party. Even though I am feeling much better than last week (just a residual cough) I wasn't able to make either because I am staying as stationary as possible trying to encourage and support my immune system to actually work so I can have one week of health before Christmas break. In the case of the cookie party, I had stored up several recipes that I wanted to make, but to no avail. So I thought I would share the recipes here in mournful remembrance of all the fun I missed in the name of teaching.

Oreo Truffles

Shape Magazine's Christmas Rocky Road:

1 1/4 cups bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate, chopped or chips
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup light corn syrup
4 cups small amaretti cookies
1 cup shelled whole Brazil nuts
2 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows
2/3 cup candied cherries
1 tbs. confectioners sugar

Melt chocolate and butter with corn syrup i a heavy-bottomed pan over low heat. Put cookies in a freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin to get a mix of big crumbs and sandy rubble. Set cookies aside, then crush nuts in same bag. Take pot off heat and add cookies, nuts, marshmallows and cherries. Turn carefully to coat everything with chocolate. Pour mixture into 9 x 12 pan lined with foil, smoothing top with spatula. Refridgerate until firm (up to 2 hours). Transfer block of rocky road from pan to a cutting board. Use a strainer to dust top of block with sugar. Cut block into 48 almost-squares. (These are only 137 calories per piece).

All that work produces THESE:


I am drooling on my sweatshirt just thinking about them! I am blessed to have a husband downstairs making me broccoli cheddar soup from scratch to fill my belly.

In the past, I have hosted my own annual cookie party. Usually I make sugar cookies in Christmas shapes and a fun activity for guests is setting out a variety of frostings and decorating materials for them to decorate their own cookies to take home. I also thought about bringing those to the Christmas party.

Oh cookies, I love you. Any tips for staying well so this NEVER. HAPPENS. AGAIN?

Thanksgiving...

...or, "Why my class will not be making feathered headdresses this week."

As a teacher, I made a commitment early in my graduate studies to teach "nothing that is wrong." This particularly applies to history, as most of what my generation was raised to believe as historical "fact" is nothing more than Anglo-Saxon/Christian/male tainted accounts of what actually occurred. Rarely are children taught the "real" version of history, or even that there ARE diverse accounts of our nation's (and the world's) historical events. This is never more true than in the case of Thanksgiving.

As a child, I grew up hearing the traditional account of the "pilgrims'" first harvest feast, complete with sweet Squanto, abundant food, and peaceful relations between the new settlers and the Native Americans. We made "Indian" vests out of paper bags, paraded in headdresses, and acted out the pleasure of the indigenous people as they were invited to share in the pilgrim's bounty.

Ha. Ha. Hahahahahahaha.

All this was well-intentioned, I am sure. Sometimes, if the teacher was REAL liberal, we even read a Native American poem or two about the earth. This was a more well-rounded, balanced approach to teaching about Thanksgiving, you see.

Well, times have changed. This Thanksgiving, in my school, we are not celebrating the European's encroachment onto the Wampanoag's land. We are not celebrating the 95% of all Native's who were wiped out by smallpox and other forms of European biological warfare. We are not celebrating the fact that those in power have altered these peoples' story and that millions of children grew up with a skewed and dangerous view of history.

Instead, in my class, we are talking about Stone Soup. We are talking about how alone, we have little, but together, we can feed us all. We are talking about distribution of resources, sharing, and how to confront selfishness and greed. We are talking about bread, and families, and how each culture has something to offer one another. And yes, we are thinking about what we are Thankful for, with no mention of "Indians" and pilgrims.

If you are a teacher, or a parent, please read the resources below before your next Thanksgiving re-telling. Question what and how you are celebrating. We have much to be thankful for, but how are we introducing that concept to our children? Are we using an archaic, false and skewed tale at the expense of real history? Who is hurt by this perpetuating myth? Is there a way you can introduce Thanksgiving (the true story) and encourage children to have a reflective, grateful heart without glorifying what was essentially the beginning of genocide?

1. Oyate.org – Deconstructing the Myths of Thanksgiving: http://www.oyate.org/resources.html

2. Resource to find out about the indigenous people that lived here before colonization: http://www.native-languages.org/states.htm

3. Kids FAQ about Native Americans: http://www.native-languages.org/kidfaq.htm#1

4. A great list of children’s books (organized by age) : http://www.native-languages.org/children-books.htm

5. Rethinking Our Schools: Myths and Misgivings: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/24_01/24_01_thanksgiving.shtml

6. Webquest on the first Thanksgiving (this gives a more accurate, balanced approach without highlighting the violence between the Wampanoag's and Europeans. http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html#

Hiatus

I am full time teaching now, taking over for the preschool class at my school. A bit stressful, to say the least! I have started a new blog for the class. You can find it here at The Daily Dolphin.

Until I get back on my feet and into a routine, I am afraid Medical Miracle will have to be suspended for a while. Not long, maybe a few weeks, maybe even less. Just wanted to let all y'all know that though I am gone, I am not a blogger slacker! Keep up with my class at The Daily Dolphin! They are so cute!

Raising Readers and Writers!

As a teacher, I am pretty much obsessed with literacy and books!

I always tell everyone who asks that the MOST important thing you can do for their child is read to him or her all day, every day. I'm not talking about restraining your child in a chair with picture books for hours on end, but instead making the most of authentic opportunities to talk to your child about print, how words are used to convey meaning, and the various ways people use print to communicate with one another.


Discuss signs, notes or cards, cookbooks, grocery lists, and even your blog (or texting!) with your child. Show them that writing and reading is something that is useful and fun all throughout your day. Talk about print as you read it or write it - "Oh! Since I am starting a new word in my card to Grandma, I am going to make sure to leave a space between the word I just wrote and my new word to make it easier for Grandma to read! This is what real writers do, and you can do it, too, in your own writing! Just like me!" "Since there is a question mark at the end of this sentence, I know that Daddy is asking a question in his note, and I should make my voice sound like this when I read it!"


Of course, there is nothing more special than the tried-and-true before bedtime reading session. My dad read to my sister and I every single night, and it was not only bonding time with my family, but also instilled in my sister and I the love and value of reading. My mom swears it is how come we are so smart and well-adjusted (ahem!) and actually research supports her claims. Reading aloud to your child is THE single most important thing a parent can do to ensure that your child becomes a successful reader.

I can go on and on about literacy and probably will have several more posts on the topic over the course of my lifetime, but for now, I leave you with a few resources. While perusing the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) website, I came across this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics. It lists some good guidelines for selecting books for your children depending on their age, and encourages parents to be purposeful in their selection of literature. For you medical folk out there, there are also some neat links on how pediatricians can support literacy and even some pre-designed handouts to give to patients' parents.

Secondly, there is this book called the Read Aloud Handbook my mom gives EVERY mom-to-be. She says it is the mother of all books, and will literally save your life as a parent. It gives you a list of the best books, as well as ways to encourage reluctant readers. It is a must own!

Now, do as I say and your child will never make a poor choice or disappoint you. HA!

No baby + the hatred of Halloween =

Poor McSexy.

Most People do Meal Plan Mondays...

BUT....

I am not most people.

And since I currently work Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, it makes more sense for me to do meal plan Thursdays because I usually grocery shop on Thursdays during the day.

I have been doing a half-hearted job of meal planning because of McSexy's P90x routine (which by the way is FABULOUS! He looks RIPPED! Pictures to come!). He eats very simple, pretty clean meals, which is great for losing weight, but not that fun to plan. Now that he can eat more varied, I am attempting to come up with dinners that are still relatively healthy, but also easy and soothing for my cold weather-depressed self.

Here is our menu for the next two weeks. I plan to keep this menu through at least Christmas, probably January, with some tweaks if one of the Mc's (hubby or I) start to gain weight or I get pregnant. For us, eating the same meal twice, three, or even four times a month is more than okay. We also like to eatout (or order veggie pizza) at least one or two nights a week on a date or with friends, so that helps keep things varied :)

Notes: We are an almost completely vegetarian family, but we still have frozen chicken left to consume. When a recipe mentions chicken, it will either be the real thing, or Morningstar Chik'n strips. We also use the Quorn brand alot (my ABSOLUTE favorite!), but it is harder to find than Morningstar.

By the end of the week, we always have plenty of leftovers. If we don't, I supplement with my FAVORITE (but not great for you!) - Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, or we have soup again!

I also sometimes mix up a fruit salad in plain yogurt to go along with dinners. Also is good for breakfasts!

WEEK 1

Monday (Soup night): Soup (Red Pepper or Butternut Squash) and salad or sandwich (BLT with fake bacon).

Tuesday (Asian night): Shrimp stir-fry with rice or quinoa (recipe calls for chicken, but I do frozen shrimp).

Wednesday (American night): Chick’n (or other garden burger) patties with salad or cut veggies (usually pepper strips and baby tomatoes). Sometimes I do sweet potato fries if I swing by Trader Joe's!

Thursday (Italian night): Southwest Lasagna with steamed veggies. I am making this not in roll form, and probably adding some frozen red peppers or corn to the mix. McSexy hates when I try to sneak in veggies, but most of the time he doesn't notice!

Friday (Mexican night): Chik’n (or Chicken) Fajitas. Frozen peppers sauteed with chicken, thrown in a tortilla with black beans and cheese.

Saturday: Out to eat/pizza or leftovers.

Sunday: Out to eat/pizza or leftovers.

WEEK 2

Monday (Soup night): Soup and salad or sandwich (grilled cheese or creamed tuna).

Tuesday (Asian night): Honey glazed chicken stir-fry with rice or quinoa.

Wednesday (American night): Chick’n nuggets with soup (again, red pepper or butternut squash).

Thursday (Italian night): Calzones with steamed Italian veggies.

Friday (Mexican night): Black bean and cheese quesadillas.

Saturday: Out to eat/pizza or leftovers (or protein shake).

Saturday: Out to eat/pizza or leftovers (or protein shake).

For breakfasts McSexy has a protein shake with berries, an egg sandwich (on whole wheat english muffin), or makes a veggie omelet for both of us. I usually have Fiber One cereal with berries, almond butter and banana english muffin sandwich, egg sandwich or oatmeal with protein powder and berries.

For lunches we eat leftovers, cheese or almond butter sandwiches, or cheese and crackers. Sometimes I pack soup, too. I usually pack fishies (major comfort food for me), a hard boiled egg, an apple/grapes, yogurt/cottage cheese, and cut up veggies (peppers, baby tomatoes and carrots). McSexy packs an extra protein bar for his snack. We also bring nuts (almonds mostly) and dried fruit to work early in the week in case we (or in my case McFatty and McBossy at school!) get hungry. I rarely eat it all, but I like having lots of food in case I get hungry!

I am constantly thinking about how many fruits and vegetables we are consuming each day and each week. McSexy doesn't monitor his veggie intake (one reason he would die without me, but that's another post), so I do and will adjust meals if he or I haven't had enough in the day or past couple days.

Hope this gives you some ideas! I'll let you know of any changes or substitutions or when we change it completely in the next few months!

Cinderella

This is me, age two or three, throwing a huge fit. I had a mullet. Don't judge me.

I want a baby. I am tired of waiting (patience is NOT my strength)! I know that it will happen in God's timing and for His purpose, but man, I am really looking forward to having a itty bitty baby.

One reason (of many) is to give Jason the best gift a man can ever receive - a child. I had the best dad in the world, and I secretly (shh, don't tell) hope that we have a little girl so that Jason can have the kind of relationship my dad and I have.

He doesn't want a girl because he says he can barely handle one.

(Me crying because my sister accidentally shaved Jason's head BALD one Christmas. I was obviously NOT a happy camper. Now why wouldn't Jason want more of MEEEEE?)

This song by Steven Curtis Chapman just makes me want a little girl even more, though of course, I really just care that he/she is healthy. BUT, if I had a choice, which I don't, I would have a girl.

And this is what our kids will look like, btw (courtesy of makemebabies.com)

or

or

or

Hideous.

Woody Goes to the Vet

Woody is my Pit Bull/Mastiff mix. He lives with my mom and dad because they refused to give him to me when I got married and moved out. My mom's exact words -

"There will be a custody battle if you try to take him."

Um... okay. Won't press it.

Recently, Woody has had a string of misfortunes that has left him highly debilitated. His vertebrae are out of place from whiplash (my mom totaled my dad's car with Woody and Diesel inside - note to self, ALWAYS put the dogs in their car seats). He tore his CCL (cruciate ligament in his knee - it is like the ACL in humans), probably from Diesel regularly running into him like a linebacker. His front leg is out of wack and he has hip displasia in one hip and arthritis all over.

Poor baby.

Despite looking like Elmer Fudd/a beached manatee, Woody really is THE sweetest dog ever, and it is so hard to see him in pain and suffering.

Instead of surgery and more traditional treatment, my mom decided to take an exercise/physical therapy based approach, coupled with prolotherapy. There is this wonderful facility by where we live called Back on Track. They developed a whole course of therapy for Woody, including hydrotherapy. He had his first treatment today, and I'll let Woody tell you the rest.

First, they put this stupid vest on me. It was not down or chenille (the fabrics I traditionally wear). First indication that this was NOT going to be a good day.


Then, I had to go in this secret torture chamber box with a lock that I didn't know how to undo. That is right - it was difficult for even an expert baby-lock-buster like me to find an escape route. Bad omen number two.


They put me in the secret torture chamber box and turned on a secret waterfall. The box filled with water and I thought I was going to drown. It was very unsafe.


This is me near death in that secret torture chamber. Did I mention I almost drowned?




To make matters worse, they made me walk in the secret chamber. The bottom of that secret chamber moved! This also was not safe for my body. I was never meant for strenuous activity.

Finally, they let me out. My mom and dad don't know this, but I am NEVER going back there again.

Keeping Yourself Busy

We are in the middle of delightful 0-chem. More like McSexy is in the middle of o-chem, I am in the middle of being left alone several nights a week and at least one day out of the weekend.

Even though I am gregarious and love to be around my family and friends, most would be surprised to know that I am pretty introverted. I do not get my energy from people and have really no problem being alone for long periods of time - I almost always find things to do.

I know that as McSexy speeds towards medical school, I will find myself alone more and more often. Here is some things I do to keep myself busy (you can do them, too, if your husband is busy or in medical school!) I also did these when Jason was in Shanghai for work for two months:

1. Read. Check out books from the library and read, read, read. Parenting books, teaching books, and books for fun. I am also part of a teaching book club.

2. Working out. Working out will make you a sexy little thing for your husband, give you more energy, help you sleep better and make you happier (boosts endorphins, you know!)

3. Walk the dogs! Bonding with your fur babies, and exercise and fresh air to boot.

4. Cook and bake. Meal planning is a girl's best friend. As is baking. I bake and eat a few and then bring the rest to work so I don't become fatty McFatterson.

5. Blog. It is like an online journal of your life. I also like to peruse other people's blogs and get housekeeping, recipe, and frugal living ideas. It also is nice to keep up on my friends' lives through their blogging.

6. Volunteer. This is the MOST important one! Volunteer for kids, animals, the elderly. Find your passion and change your little part of the world.

7. Watch t.v. I know this sounds boring and lazy, but I am enjoying watching Heroes. We rent it from Blockbuster and have really gotten into it. I have a few shows that I like watching, and that helps pass the time.

8. Craft. Be crafty. Decorate your home, make some pillows, placemats, jams. Repaint some furniture. There are lots of fun, cheap home decorating ideas to keep you busy!

Ok. That is my two-cents. What do you do to keep yourself busy when your husband is away?

Safety Alert

As if parents are freaked out enough already, HERE is a video I found about child safety hazards and item recalls. I knew about most of these already (so sad about the cute crib bumpers - we'll use a mesh one) but some were new to me (like the wipe warmer). It is surprising that companies could, in good conscience, even sell some of these items knowing that they have caused infant deaths, but I guess the bottom line is more important to some people than some stranger's baby. Hope this helps all you new moms or moms-to-be!

MSNBC video.

P.S. One of the preschoolers in my school (he'll be in my class next month) is really ill from a ruptured appendix. I know... really bad. He is in the hospital and they can't do surgery yet (I am assuming he is not stable enough). His mom teaches at my school and the husband and daughter are very involved in all we do and help out several times a week. We love this family!

Please pray that this munchkin is able to recover fully and quickly (he is at Doernbecher). He is quite the tough little man. Pray for his family - that they are able to find comfort and peace. Pray for the doctors, that they are able to ease his discomfort, stifle the infection, and operate successfully. Thanks all.

10 Reasons to be Happy You're a Doctor

I found this the other day and it was fairly motivational for a person (McSexy) who is in the middle of the VERY long road to becoming a physician. Since I am sick and bored I thought I would post it. Have I already?

10 Reasons to be Happy You're a Doctor

Baby Names of the Day

I am sick. First time of the school year (yea!), but sick nonetheless. Sadness.

Because I am sick doing nothing, I have plenty of time to think about things that are not relevant in my life right now. Like babies. And baby names.

My new favorite baby name is Noah. Boy name, obviously. It means rest, comfort. I like it because of the associations with animals. Like the Noah who built the ark. Jason likes it because the bad-ass dad from Heroes is named Noah.

I don't have trouble coming up with boy names, just girl names. Well, I have girl names, but Jason and I disagree on most girl names. He is SET on Hannah. I am not set on Hannah. I like it, but I am not freaking in love with it. At least we have a ton of time to decide since we aren't even pregnant yet.

If these walls could talk...

Conversation this morning.

McSexy: I finished my quiz yesterday night.
McDorky: Um... When?
McSexy: Yesterday night.
McDorky: You mean LAST night?

Pretty sure my husband talks like a Kinder.

Teaching Tidbit

A teacher in our school overheard one of the Kinders talking to her mom as she left school today. Her mom was packing her up, and she announced...

"Today...I fell asleep in school...and Ms. Aja turned and yelled in my face,

'WAKE UP!'"

WHAT?!

If you know my co-teacher Aja, you know that she is the most wonderful teacher on the planet and even while being bitten by Kinder fangs is able to keep her cool. She never loses it. Ever. Where this child got that idea that her teacher would wake her up by screaming in her face I'll never know.

Um... and she never fell asleep today. Or ever.

Kids are so weird.

Fall Fun

Fall is always a hard time for me. Not as hard as the rainy, cold days of winter, but the transition from bright, sunny, warm, long days to cold, wet and dark ones is difficult. I am definitely a sun baby and need my light fix. It isn't even the cold - it is just the dark and the rain. As long as I am cold but dry, I don't care. In Northwest, however, dry days are few and far between. This hurts my heart.

There are some routines and traditions I do for myself and my husband to make the transition into fall less traumatizing.

1. Starting mid-September, I purchase those cinnamon smelling pine cones for the front console table. They smell like fall (delicious) and make the whole house seem cozy and inviting! You can find them at JoAnns or Albertsons and a bunch of other stores, I am sure. I buy new ones every month through January or February to keep the house thoroughly scented.


2. Baking and cooking. I try to center my meal planning around fall-themed foods and try to make use of seasonal produce. Fall is a great time to reintroduce squash, sweet potatoes and pears into your family's meals. For breakfast I mix sweet potato or pumkin puree into my oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice! Yummy! I also start baking fall themed foods such as pumpkin muffins and gingerbread cake. Here is my super easy pumpkin muffin recipe:

Need:
1 yellow cake mix
Can of pumpkin (8 or 9 oz or whatever the small can is)
1/2 cup water
Pumpkin pie spice to taste

Mix together, put into muffin pan with liners, and bake following directions on the back of the cake mix. EASY. (No eggs, milk, etc required!). You can also add walnuts or a handful of oatmeal to these to make them healthier.

3. Fall-scented candles. Yummy. I keep them all over and lit whenever I am home. Helps brighten the house and something about candle light is very comforting to me. My favorite things to do is light the candles in the guest bathroom, turn off the lights, and take a nice, hot bath before bed. Sometimes I can persuade Jason to put my towel in the dryer and give it to me when I get out of the tub. Talk about relaxing!

4. Dog costumes. I am not a big Halloween type of girl AT ALL. My parents used to be really into it and I would help my dad transform our house into a haunted mansion every fall complete with a graveyard, creaky gate, lights, bloody skeletons, scary music piped on loud speakers etc. I never dressed up as anything scary however...


Except maybe a BIG, SCARY BOILED ARTICHOKE!

I was an artichoke one year, a birthday party the next, Molly from the American Girl series another year, a doctor, etc. Never anything scary because even from a young age I felt like dressing up as a bloody anything glamorized and desensitized kids to evil and horror. Same reason I won't watch R-rated or any scary movies. Coraline was pushing it for me.

That being said, I do enjoy picking out costumes and dressing up the dogs every year.

McSpoiled has been Darth Vader, Superman, a cowboy, and one year, a pimp. (That was Jason's doing. Imagine trying to explain that to kids who come for candy).McNubbins has been a cowgirl and a princess. We tend to stick with the princess costume for her because it fits her perfectly and she looks like a little sparkly jewel walking around in her tutu. This year for McSpoiled, however, I was thinking

a turtle....


a cow...


or a lobster.

What is your vote for a handsome man-baby such as he?

I'll let you know what we decide and post pictures of the actual costumes once we get them! Now I've got to run. I need to workout bad. I am Fatty McFatterson. Then my co-teacher Aja and I are going to our students' soccer game in FG. Ta ta!

The Story of Us

On this day, three years ago, I married my best friend, my soul mate. The one I tell all my secrets to, cuddle with, laugh with, and live to see each morning. Even though we have been together for six years and eight months (yes, I still keep track!) I still find him as amazing as I did as a lowly first year RA at Oregon State.

(Taken a week after we got together! I was 19! And much skinnier. We hadn't even kissed! I think I surprised him by kissing his cheek!)

I had the BIGGEST crush on Jason since that fall. I had met him the year before through one of his best friends (whom I was dating, shhh!) and thought he was hot then. He had olive skin, bright green eyes and was the best dancer I had EVER seen :) He was confident (maybe overly!), smart and kind. We became friends during RA training because our staffs were close and worked together.

I would call my mom to tell her about my crush. I wrote journal entry after journal entry about him, praying to PLEEEASE not like him, praying for contentedness, praying about whether he was the one, my future husband. I liked him so much, but didn't think he liked me in "that way" by any means. Jason Furgison could have any girl he wanted! Why would he want me? I was a total dork! I prayed that God would help me get over him, or somehow open that window for us to become more than just friends.

Thankfully, I had some very good buddies (Chelsea and Tony!) who knew my heart's desire and tried to make it abundantly clear to Jason that I had a thing for him. They asked him what he thought about me, and he said, "Katie? She is gorgeous!" My friend Tony hinted that he should ask me out to coffee and J (always dense) replied "Why?" I think my friend Chelsea was about to hit him over the head with a textbook (that is what we carried around back in the day). Finally he got the message. Later he would tell me that HE didn't think he had a chance with ME!

Our other good friends, Brandon and Tarek, were planning a group get-away to Sunriver the next weekend. Brandon and Tarek made a plan to MAKE SURE Jason was going, so that we could spend time together. To make a long story short, Jason took care of me the whole weekend (I was super sick, including car sick), we watched movies, talked all night and in general got to know each other on a much deeper level. I remember sitting next to him in the hot tub and his leg brushed mine. In my head I was screaming, "OMG, JasonFurgison's leg TOUCHED mine!" My girlfriends and I threw intense knowing looks at each other. It was love.

(By the way, we did always refer to him as JasonFurgison. Because we had another Jayson in our crowd, it was always, "JasonFurgison did this, JasonFurgison is so hot, JasonFurgison, JasonFurgison." One name. No fingerspace).

We had a rough couple of first months. Jason took an internship in Medford spring term and I missed him terribly. My last boyfriend had left my heart in bad shape and I don't think I was anywhere enough healed or completely over him. It was a bad situation. In all honesty, I probably should not have been in any sort of relationship until I worked out my issues, but God has His own timing and purposes, and I truly believe that He sent me Jason to help pull me out from a hole I just didn't have the strength to get out of on my own. I don't know if I ever would have healed had he not sent me such a patient, understanding, non-judgmental man, who is the best communicator and listener. Jason encouraged me, he loved me, he accepted me right where I was. More than anything, he prayed for me fervently and fiercely. He fought the battle for my heart, and he won.

Through the years, it is Jason who has always supported me and pushed me to discover who I am. He encouraged me to go back to school, to follow my dreams, to pursue higher education just for the education, for the learning and stimulation. He has held me through the deaths of dogs and family members, laughed with me at my family and my students, indulged my craziness, and protected me from anyone who hurt my heart. There is nothing about me that he does not know .... and he loves me anyway. He makes me a better person just by being around him. All that is wrong with me is right with him, and someday, I hope to be half of the person of character and integrity that he is.

Now, as my husband sits in the next room, dutifully studying o-chem after working all day to keep me fat and happy, I am excited for the rest of our lives together. Not excited for medical school necessarily, but happy that for once, I am going to be able to give him at least some of the support and encouragement that he has given me. For once, in these coming years, it will be my turn to push him, pray for him, help him achieve his dreams. I want to be the wife he deserves. I want to give him the children he desires and needs and should have the chance to raise. I want to make him proud that this is his life.

God, thank you for my husband. He is more, waaay more, than I have ever asked, prayed for or deserved.

If these walls could talk...

In my family, we have three thousand dogs. Well, not really that many, but it feels like it sometimes! When I am at my parents, it is usually Woody, Duke, Maddie, Diesel and my sister's cat Poppa-C who acts like a dog and all the dogs are obsessed with. Anyway.

Duke doesn't like Diesel.

Cannot stress this enough.

Duke is HIGHLY IRRITATED by Diesel.

Probably because precious Diesel snorts like a pig and Duke always thinks he is growling. Diesel cannot help it, he has squished respiratory turbinates in his nose and can't breathe. Duke does not like the noises he makes. And instead of feeling bad for Diesel because he has this disability, Duke is a punk and will regularly attack Diesel for no reason.

Last night I was at my parents (Jason had a guys' weekend in Crooked River, but that's another story!) We were talking about nothing (well, FOOTBALL) and I decided to sneakily record the convo on my dad's iPod because my mom most of the time is hilarious and says really blunt and funny things. I was hoping to catch one of these inappropriate comments when Laura let Diesel in from outside (I guess my dad trapped him out there accidentally). When Diesel came in, Duke attacked him. It was a fiasco - all recorded on my dad's iPod. LOL. Here it is. I put it to pictures of the perpetrators :)

Enjoy.

P.S. My mom is NOT hitting Duke-Jason when you hear those smacks in the background. She is clapping at him, as if he cares. Also, Duke didn't actually do any harm to Diesel (he never does...)

Welcome to ME

I was depressed after that Brooke Wilberger post, so here is funny photo my dad sent me. It was taken last Thanksgiving at my parents', almost a year ago. It always cheers me up to see pictures of my dogs, and this photo basically sums up my family. A thousand dogs, my dad sleeping, Woody draped all over him, and me in my pajamas and boots. It also captures the personality of each dog perfectly. Diesel is alert and curious, such a good boy. Madison NEVER stops searching for birds to contribute to our supper - there is no relaxing for her. Woody is a beached manatee. Duke just looks irritated and slightly depressed (he hates being the "biggest brother!")


I know, I dress like a kinder.

Peace

They finally found the remains of Brooke Wilberger today. For those of you who live outside of Oregon, Brooke was the woman abducted May 24th, 2004 in Corvallis, Oregon right outside of the Oregon State University campus. I lived about two blocks from where it happened, and my husband was literally walking right by there when she was taken.

Today, over five years later, they have finally found her body. Some psycho took her at knife point and raped and killed her. While they have had him in custody for a while now (he tried to abduct and rape another girl in New Mexico but she got away and was able to identify him - they found Brooke's DNA in his van) the bastard has refused to disclose the whereabouts of the body until now. He made a deal to tell what happened and where he left her to get out of the death penalty.

I have mixed emotions. I have thought about Brooke often since she was abducted. She was beautiful, young, a college student, she had a family and a boyfriend. I knew Brooke was dead, but the whole situation was so close to home. I thought often "That could have been ME..." It could have been one of my friends. It happened on my campus, next to where I live. The next year, I moved into the apartment building next to where she was abducted. Since that day, I have always been more cautious, more aware, and also more afraid. I have run images over and over in my mind - how would I react, how would I fight back, if it HAD been me, if it ever IS me. My parents' best friend is a homicide detective, and he schooled me well on how to react if someone tries to abduct me, so I have imagined repeatedly what I would do.

I am glad she is finally found. Now her family truly knows what happened to her and can experience closure.

Brooke, if you can read up in Heaven, if you listen to prayers sent up for you, I hope you finally find peace. I pray that God is holding you in His arms, comforting you, and that you are experiencing joy beyond what you ever knew in your earthly life. Know that hundreds of people have cared about your story, and will continue to remember you. Rest in Peace.