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boy was it a busy week. I had a cold at the beginning of the week which meant I spent more time resting than being productive. in fact, I was in bed before 9 one night...I can't even remember the last time I did that. but it definitely helped so that's the important thing.
wednesday evening I was scheduled to do recreation for children's choir at church and that's always a fun experience. the kids really just want to play outside on the playground equipment and that's fine with me. they always make me laugh which can be a great pick-me-up in the middle of the week.
yesterday was the big 10-mile race I had signed up for at disney. my aunt and my cousin were both signed up as well and my mom was going along to be our supporter. well, I decided a couple weeks ago that I wasn't going to be able to do it. I figured I don't want to start anything if I can't finish it. and to be honest, I had not put forth the training efforts that I should have. so my goal (one of many) is to work hard so that next year I can sign up for this particular race again and complete it. I really want that medal.
anyway, the weekend was still great because the four of us stayed at the boardwalk inn at disney and we had a lot of fun. did a little relaxing pre-race (which began at 10 pm) and Mom and I did our best to cheer them on when we finally saw them on the course...I think it was with just about a half mile left. after the race we could stay in the park (the studios) until 4 am and we almost made it till closing. needless to say, after a short night's sleep...we are all pretty tired today. my cousin's husband was flying in today and they are spending the week at another resort on disney property. lucky them. the rest of us...back to work tomorrow.
here's hoping the kids treat us well!
we made playdough this week at school. the kids absolutely loved it! it's definitely something we'll do again throughout the course of the year. we chose to make our first batch of playdough yellow and lemon-scented. unfortunately I don't think we added enough flavoring so the scent didn't last very long. lesson learned: it's okay to go a little heavy on the scent. regardless, it was another fun activity to do with my 4-year old students.
I met a friend for lunch on friday and we stopped by a new frozen yogurt place. I'm so glad we decided to try red mango because it was delicious and absolutely worth it. I had a combo of raspberry and nutty potion. good stuff y'all.
some family members and I are heading to disney in a couple weeks and we've been trading emails all weekend. we've been discussing what things we want to bring to eat and drink and let's just say the list of libations is quite a bit longer than the list of food stuff. my cousins really know how to make some good drinks so I'm definitely looking forward to that. and spending time with them of course. ; )
another week come and gone...have a good one!
this past week was another busy one. watched a lot of the Olympics...so hard to avoid spoilers but that's just the way it is in this day and age. will be sad to see them end in a week but at least I'll get back to a more normal bedtime. especially because school will be starting up again; can't keep going to bed at midnight every. single. night.
speaking of school, I got a new job this past week! I'll be teaching a VPK class at my church's preschool and I'm very excited. this should be a great experience and will definitely bring a new, and valuable, perspective going into grad school *assuming I get accepted somewhere that is ;)
how to possibly top getting a new job?! spending 3 days out and about shopping during the annual tax-free weekend of course! Friday was mostly about getting supplies for school. as any teacher will tell you, we are always buying supplies for our classroom and students. because sometimes it's necessary...and sometimes it's just fun! Saturday my mom, aunt, and I made our semi-annual trek to the ginormous Florida Mall in Orlando. we love shopping there and usually spend the entire day there. and we always go to the same stores, in the same order. such creatures of habit. today was a shorter shopping day (thank goodness...it's tiring and well, let's face it, I'm not made of $). I have to say though, today was probably the most successful shopping day for me. great bargains...great clothes.
so this is officially now my last week of summer vacation and I plan to enjoy it to the max. have a blessed week!
I am a huge Harry Potter fan. seriously, huge. while I would like to watch all 8 movies back-to-back at some point, I'm not quite ready to do that yet. however, I did watch the last two movies (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1 and pt. 2) back-to-back one night this past week. and that was fun. as I was watching them I realized what a great job the filmmakers truly did. they took a massively detailed book and split it at just the right point. both movies pack an emotional punch and it just feels complete when you watch them. Harry Potter is a highlight for me always.
I started work (finally) on my applications for grad school. while they are time-consuming, as well as stressful, it was definitely a good feeling to get going on them. and while working on the essay/personal statement questions I realized what a good choice my chosen field is. it feels really right for me and I think my work and personal experiences over the last several years have been leading me to this decision. educational psychology for the win!
my mom came home from visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews on Friday...yay! after picking her up at the airport we stopped by our favorite cupcake place on the way home. seriously, this place makes the best cupcakes I've ever had. my personal favorites are the black and gold, and the white raspberry. for real though, they're all good. you just can't go wrong. we always get the minis and split them in half. this way we get to enjoy double the amount. I like them best with an ice cold glass of milk. sooooo good.
do you have a favorite bakery/cupcakery?
okay, so last week I told you I'd be seeing Magic Mike and that was sure to be a HotW. well, I'm sad to say it didn't make the cut. don't get me wrong...there were some really good moments in the movie (it's a Channing Tatum movie, 'nuf said). it just wasn't quite was I was expecting. at the end of the day, I'm glad I saw it but don't feel the need to watch it again.
I did see a movie I loved this week though and The Amazing Spiderman was definitely worthwhile. I would highly recommend it. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have electric chemistry (obviously b/c they are dating in real life). and let's face it, most super-hero movies are just good fun.
the 4th of July is always a great holiday and this year was no exception. the end.
this week I was able to read quite a bit...yay! I love to read and am always adding to my "to read" list. I believe I'm currently around 150 books on my list. at any rate, right now I'm reading Joanne Fluke's tasty murders series. I like them because they're an easy read and she includes lots of yummy sounding recipes. if you're looking for a new author to try...check her out: Joanne Fluke...Murder She Baked
tomorrow I'll be getting up super early to take my mom to the airport. we're talking 4 a.m. here people. blech. thank goodness I can come home and go back to bed. anyway, she's super excited b/c she's going to visit my brother, sis-in-law, and two nephews. I am, of course, super jealous and wish I was going to but I'll just have to plan a trip at another time. :) and maybe not pick a flight that leaves so early in the morning!
happy living!
wow. so another week has come to a close. and it's the first of July. complete. craziness.
the weather has been just wacky all over the place the last couple weeks. I am so thankful for the modern convenience of A/C and hope everyone that is currently without power and suffering in these out-of-control temps remains safe and have their power return soon.
last weekend I fell down the stairs when I was getting ready to take the dogs outside for their final walk of the day. I sprained my ankle pretty severely. it was definitely not fun. but, I am thankful I was able to pack up the dogs and myself and head to my mom's for the rest of the week. she has a huge fenced-in backyard so being able to rest my ankle without having to walk the dogs 4 times a day was a big highlight for me.
sadly today was my last day watching the "boys"...but I'll get to see them again soon. if you follow me on instagram (pendygal80), I hope you've enjoyed seeing pictures of the dogs these last 3 weeks. I just love them!
another highlight of this past week was making these. not only are they completely delicious, but they are a healthier alternative to the standard version. and because they are petite, they're just plain cute! you should try them. immediately.
I think the final highlight from this past week was working in the garage with my mom. see, the thing is, her garage is jam-packed full of stuff. there's no room for one car, let alone two. our goal this summer is to remedy that and at least clear out enough stuff to get her car in there. and I am happy to say we are slowly but surely starting to make some visible progress. I must admit, there is a lot of stuff in that garage that belongs to me and she is graciously storing it for me. she's a good mom.
so there you have it. another interesting week in my world. I must say that this week is shaping up to be super busy. I'm going to see Magic Mike tomorrow and I'm uber excited! a couple years ago when I was in Las Vegas I saw the gorgeous men in Thunder from Down Under and every. single. time I see the preview for Magic Mike I relive my time at that show. so much fun!
have fun!
wow. so I haven't done a post in awhile. sorry about that. things have been crazy. my home-school teaching "year" ended a week ago and boy was I ready to be done. definitely time for a break. this past week I was staying at my aunt & uncle's house taking care of their precious cat Maddie. tomorrow I'll head to my friends' place for 3 weeks to take care of their three dogs. so...busy busy busy.
highlights for this past week:
1. challenging myself to try new recipes and having them been deliciously successful!
2. hanging with friends at a "goodbye" party
3. celebrating my nephew Kayden's 10th (!!!) birthday today...much love today and always K-man!
enjoy your week friends!
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I am thankful I got to spend time this Mother's Day with my mom, my grandma, and my aunt...they are three of the absolute best people I know. I definitely would not be who I am without them. Thanks Mom, Grandma, and Aunt Pat for being exactly who you are and for being such great influences in my life. Love today and always!
this past week went soooooo fast. anyone else feel that way?? my most favorite thing that happened---I got to see my cousin and her husband! they flew down for the weekend because E is in a wedding. before they drove down to Vero Beach though they spent a couple nights at her parents' house. my mom and I drove down after work on Friday to meet them for dinner at Disney. I love seeing them and wish it happened more often. *sigh*
at any rate, another HotW was trying a new restaurant. I had a coupon for a fondue place so last night the family went with me to check it out. basically it's just like The Melting Pot restaurant except way cheaper and not-a-chain. oh, and it's fantastic. we all ate way too much but it was seriously good stuff. I love trying new restaurants and all the better when they're local, non-chain places.
and oh yeah, I finally upgraded to an iPhone. I've been wanting one forever but the timing was just never quite right. but, I finally made it work and I picked it up on Thursday. I love it!
have a great week!
completing my first 5K!!! runDisney event: Three Caballeros Family Fun Run 5K my sneaker (prior to the race) with a TigerHawk to keep me strong
going through EPCOT: across from the globe
closer to the finish with globe in the background
the finish line is in sight!!! I did it! there's my mom: almost 65 and she completed her first 5K today too...way to go Mom!!!
mission accomplished...I am IOWA-strong!
so for the last few years my family has gathered at Disney for a weekend in October. we dress as Disney villains (because what's more fun than being a baddie?!) for the Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. as there are generally 9 of us who attend, we manage to make quite a statement walking around the park. not only do we compete to see who collects the most candy (my uncle, aka Syndrome from The Incredibles, won this year), but we also compete to see who gets the most picture requests (again, my uncle won this year...gack!). it rained on us this year but thankfully it was only for the first hour or so.
the other big event we attend on this auspicious weekend is the Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT. now, this is perhaps my favorite special event that happens at Walt Disney World. who doesn't love to eat and drink their way around the "World"?! it rained on us. again. but we managed to enjoy ourselves in spite of the nasty weather. the only thing we really missed out on over the weekend was some pool time because yes, it rained all day Saturday too. though the young ones (6 of us) did hang out in the hot tub a little at night. in the rain. and that was kind of fun.
to recap the weekend: trick-or-treating in the rain Friday night. playing games and drinking in the room all day Saturday. eating and drinking around the "World" Sunday. yep, I'd say it made for one memorable weekend. and Monday when we left, that's right, bright blue skies and lots of sun. go figure.
below are just a few interesting pictures from the weekend:
so you've seen the first five challenges and now I'll share with you the next five. I hope you're also taking a moment to check out some of White Peach's entries for the different set-ups. if anyone wants to join in by sharing a photo you've taken that fits in one of the categories...let me know. it's always fun to see what different people come up with.
I have to say, I think my favorite challenge in this set was number 10. narrowing it down to a specific example was quite fun.
the easiest, by a wide margin, was number 9. I'm sure it'll be quite obvious why that is. enjoy!
Day 6: from a low angle
Day 7: fruit
Day 8: a bad habit
Day 9: someone you love
Day 10: childhood memory
my bad habit: cracking my knuckles. I do this all. the. time. seriously, I cannot help myself. I need to quit. and I know that my picture has three people I love but who cares?! I just love that picture; I can't help it! oh, and anyone up for a quick game of scrabble...hehe. :)
between all my house/pet-sitting gigs this summer I was able to take a quick trip to Iowa to see my family. it was great to get away for a few days; even better to see my brother, sis-in-law, and gorgeous nephews. I took lots of pictures (as per usual) but decided only to post my absolute favorites of Kayden and Jayce (2 each to be fair). I also had to take some pictures of a beautiful Iowa sunset...and a couple flowers. because well, that's what I do.
my mom...love love love her so much! *even though she's an Edward fan*
my aunt, Grandma, my mom *everything I know about being a strong, unique, AMAZING woman I learned from these ladies*
Happy Mother's Day!!!
Even though it's not yet the middle of April, it already feels like summer here in sunny Florida. Ugh. I am not ready for this. However, it is fun to re-live last summer's amazing week at the beach. Starting back in the spring of 2009 our family started planning a big family reunion at the beach. None of us had ever been to the Panhandle and we were so excited to spend time together there. After 14 months of planning, hundreds of emails exchanged, and vehicles stuffed to their brims, 11 family members and I descended upon a gorgeous house right by the beach.
I had so many fun pictures of our time at the beach that I decided to split them into two posts. Today's post cover's the first three days. Whenever we get together we do things up big. During the planning process we decided to have theme days. We divided ourselves into groups and each chose a theme. Our first day was "Christmas". That's right, Christmas in the middle of June. We had a traditional Christmas feast and "Santa" even left stockings. Our family has a tradition of playing bingo on Christmas day so we had to do that of course. If I remember correctly, we also had the movie White Christmas playing in the background. Like I said, we like to go all out.
The next day we said "Aloha!" to a fabulous luau-themed extravaganza. As hard as I tried to campaign for a fire on the beach with a roasting pig, that just didn't make the final cut. Maybe next time. At any rate, we had a feast and it almost felt like we were on the big island. Well, maybe not. But it was sure fun! How do you top a Hawaiian luau you ask? Well, that's easy...you plan a big "4th of July" celebration. That's right, everyone dressed in their patriotic best and enjoyed a yummy cook-out followed by fireworks on the beach. Okay, so maybe we didn't really have our own fireworks...but we did see some fireworks going off in the next town. So that was actually a fun, unexpected surprise!
Don't worry, between all the theme meals and evenings we had, we all still managed to take advantage of the pool at our house as well as the beach. It was great to be able to just spend hours relaxing around the house. *sigh* I think we all managed to come away with sunburned faces. It was worth it!
Yeah, I'm ready to go back...
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