Spring Has Officially Sprung!

Signs I Know That Spring Is Here:
7.  My students have checked out.  For some reason they think it's May 20th already...I am giving a practice state test today and a girl asked me (completely serious) "Do I have to do this?"...um yes, you do.  And you must try.  I haven't resorted to begging yet, but I believe that's next.
6.  The skirts are getting shorter.  Enough said
5.  I would sooooo much rather be outside than at my desk.
4.  Farmer's Markets have opened...Yippee!!
3.  My skin has a little color, as opposed to the ghost white sleeves I've been sporting since September
2.  New couples have emerged at school.  It's funny, because around March all the winter couples break up and new couples form just in time for prom.  The freshman girls are salivating right now...

And the #1 reason I know spring is here...
1.  I literally must sweep the house EVERY DAY in order to control the massive amounts of dog hair that has been shed over the past few weeks.  Is there business in wigs for dogs?? If so, I think I've hit a goldmine

An Affair To Remember

I'm having an affair.  Every morning I wake up at 4:45 and sneak quietly out of bed.  I put on the special clothes that I set out the night before, and I quietly leave my house (can't wake the hubby, hello!)  I walk down the road and spend one glorious hour with my man, Shawn T.  He makes me sweat, and moan, and groan... Ok, you may now remove your mind from the gutter :) I march my happy butt down the road, not for pleasure, but for pain.  Serious pain...but I feel AMAZING afterwards!  Shawn T and I have a love/hate relationship.  He makes me workout really hard, and I hate him for that, but I'm hoping to love the results.  I was in pretty good shape before, so I'm not dying, but I need to tone back up like last summer.  And quick!  I definitely do better with the peer pressure of a group, so I'm hoping to stick with this :) I'll let you know how it goes!

Feeling Good and Gettin' It Done!

I decided that no matter what my knees think, I'm just going to run.  I've been running for a few weeks and I feel GREAT!  My legs are a little sore, but that's all part of it!  Don't get me wrong, I really don't enjoy running, but I really love the way I feel right after I'm done.  I have more energy and I find myself looking foward to the feeling afterward. 

Those of you that know me know how much I absolutely love to cook.  I would love to own a restaurant (maybe someday, but right now I'm not willing to deal with all the regulations and money to get that started...) and if I could cook with unlimited ingredients every day I would (again, money is the only obstacle.)  The kitchen is my sanctuary.  To me there's nothing like putting together a really good meal, and thankfully I've only had one disaster.  By the way, it's never a good idea to have an entire bottle of wine and then decide you want to make spaghetti.  Things like oregano and cumin can get confused which can result in an odd Mexican/Italian spaghetti sauce.  And lemme tell ya, it really wasn't very good.  Edible (which is surprising) but really not good.  Someday we'll have a house big enough so that I can entertain, but until then I fill my time coming up with new things to make family and friends.  I have my little notebook, and when I get an idea for a new recipe I just jot it down.  Maybe someday I'll publish a cookbook.  That would be cool...So if you ever get bored and want a new idea for supper, check out my sister site http://www.yuminmytum.com/ .  It has lots of recipes.  And if you are apprehensive about cooking, don't be!  Really anybody can cook, I promise!

I've also been more on top of keeping the house clean lately.  For some reason something just started to click and I realized that if I just do it (even when I don't want to) that will leave more time for me to do what I want...which is mainly cooking, reading, and relaxing. 

Excuse Me Life, Could You Please Slow Down?

Sometimes I am very unaware of the fact that the Mr. and I have been married for almost a whole year.  I can't believe it!  Our life together has seriously been in overdrive since we got married.  I'm not complaining, but we are in serious need of a date night.  I am very thankful though for all the wonderful things that God has given us to do.  We are healthy, happy, and busy as ever.  Right now that's not such a bad thing while we can still handle going 100 mph all the time.  Someday things will slow down and I'll look back and be able to say, "yeah, we at least attempted to live it up before we had kids."  For instance this weekend we had a great dinner party with friends and it was just plain fab!  At one point I looked around the room and just realized that even though life is so crazy, it still blows my mind how lucky we are.  We have the best family and friends, hands down (although I know all of you beg to differ)

Just one more thought....
In this time of job/economic uncertainty I am so thankful to have a husband that keeps me grounded and helps me to not worry.  I do really feel like we compliment each other in that area.  I am a hard-core thinker.  Always have been, always will be.  I'm not sure that will ever change.  I think about things waaaayyyyyyyy too much (yes like the car commercial) and he really helps me not be so much of a worrywart.  I am a firm believer in God's plan for our life so I know that whatever happens, it's only part of that plan.  Timothy reminds me all the time that there are some things that are just out of my hands. So for now, I'm really going to attempt to just sit back, and enjoy the ride...

70 & Sunny

No, this is not the weather forecast here in the midwest, but it is what I would like for it to be.  I had a dream last night that I was wearing flip flops.  That's all it was about, flip flops.  Not sure why, but I didn't care.  The closed-toe shoes were a thing of the past and my little piggies were free! Free as a bird!  I am so sick and tired of it being cold.  Not just cold, but really stinkin' cold...so much for global warming huh?!?  Thanks a lot Al! ;)  I was watching the weather this morning and today it is supposed to be sunny and 35, so that helps...but I'm still left wanting more.  I am realistic, I realize it's only February, but it feels like it's been winter for like 4 months now!  I heard on the radio that we have had snow an average of every three days this winter.  Every. Three. Days. 

I'm officially ready for sun, and the smell of stuff growing!  And my washer and dryer are tired of me having to wash so many darn socks...and sweaters...and pants.  I want it to look and feel like this.  Hey, a girl can dream right??

Baby Boom

It seems as though everybody is having a baby.  Lots of my friends are having babies, celebrities are popping them out left and right, and every commercial I see seems to scream "Have Baby Now!"...However, we are bucking the trend I guess.  Sure, seeing my friends with newborns and even holding them tugs at my heartstrings a bit.  But then I realize how much responsibility that is, and I'm not quite sure we're ready for it.  Although I'm pretty sure my hormones have another idea.  On Friday I happened to watch a Baby Story on TLC.  I haven't seen it in a long time, for good reason.  I should have avoided this again like the plague, but I didn't.  Big. Mistake.  I sat there in my PJ's and bawled my eyes out.  Not like an "awwwww that's so cute cry", we're talking "ugly cry with an awww that's so cute smile on my face" It was one of those moments where my husband would have looked at me in horror.  I can honestly say I have no freakin clue what happened!  Sure if I'm honest, I do want a baby...but if I'm realistic, it's just not the right time.  Darn reality!  So until it is the right time, I'll just live vicariously through my friends, knowing that you can always give them back :)

School's Out!!

No, not for the summer...yet.  But I got that fateful text message this morning.  Yes I've joined the 21st century and I get texts now instead of having to call on a phone tree!  I love it!!  So what am I doing at home today you ask?  Relaxing?  Surfing the internet? (well yes I'm typing on my blog, if you call that surfing) Painting my nails?  Stuffing my face?  No. No. No. and No. I'm cleaning!  And believe it or not I'm pretty thankful for this day, because our laundry has gotten out of control.  Is it weird that I'm constantly blogging about feeling like my life is a mess and my laundry is uncontrollable??? Probably, but who cares! Today is the day that I get to catch up, and I think the biggest reason I'm so excited is because I don't have to clean tomorrow since I'll get it all done today! :) I've been at it since about 8:30 a.m. and I'm on load #4.  Yay!  I'm also doing a test drive with the new Bounce dryer bar, so I'll let you know if I love it or hate it...