Gingerbread houses

 Today at school we made Gingerbread Houses with our Kindergarten Buddies. . . The teachers also had ugly sweater day and this is what Jill (my kindergarten teacher friend) and I wore. . . Yes she is tiny and I am a giant and we decided that on top of it, we had ugly socks so we showed those off too!

 

 Here is the crew. . . all 49 of them. . .

Here are the finished products. . .

And here are my favorites, if you look closely, you will see the frosting on the face and the frosting behind the ear. . . and in the hair :-)

We fed them lots of candy, made a big mess, and had some fun :-) We decided this might become an annual tradition, and can you believe we did not win the ugly sweater award?!?!  One teacher actually told me she was kind of offended because she thought my sweater was really cute and she would have worn it. . . Only in elementary school!

I can't think of a title. . .

Our pastor recently did a whole series on thanksgiving and how we need to continually be thankful for everything in our lives, even the little things because in the end, we don't deserve any of it and it truly does not belong to us, it all belongs to God.  This weekend, I am thankful for this:

 

because it helped me do this: 

 

some of this was done before and in the freezer but I feel like I am now officially ready for Christmas.  Most of these cookies will go to other people, my friends, Ryan's work, etc. . . but it is one of the things I LOVE about Christmas.  I grew up helping my mom in the kitchen and if you know her, you know what a fabulous cook she has and the love she has for others so when I started to think about what I want to give others this Christmas, I thought of her and how she gives away cookies and decided I could do the same.  There are 6 kinds of cookies and chocolate dipped pretzels, all baked with love. . . feel free to stop by if you want to share, I am sure Ryan won't let me give them ALL away. . . 

Bloooooooduh! and Excitement

So my kids in my class have this odd obsession with pulling out their teeth and I often catch them with most of their hand in their mouth and then they pull out a hand covered in slobber and blood clutching their tooth and off they go to the nurse to get the much desired treasure chest.  Well, yesterday I had a little talk with them about pulling out your own teeth because in the middle of one of my lessons a boy does the above mentioned act and yells "I got another one!" (this being 3 in one week, mind you).  So we had a little chat about how it grosses me out that they have their hands in their mouth, covered in blood, and then touch my things. . . eww  Well today, no teeth were extracted, they decided to have bloody noses.  TWO in one day!  It is a good thing I am not squemish around blood!

And excitement. . . I am SO excited for Christmas.  I can't wait.  I feel like my 5th graders. . .  I don't know if it is the traditions that I love or the feeling of the season, this is just one of my favorite times of the year!!  Some things I am excited for: (in no particular order)
1.  The annual Wooldridge/Kuhlman/White Christmas Party
2.  Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
3.  Seeing my family and spending time together!
4.  Watching A Christmas Story
5.  Fires in the fireplace
6.  Reading the Christmas story by the tree in our jammies
7.  One step at a time. . .
8.  Christmas Cookies
9.  Celebrating the greatest birth there ever was
10.  Giving gifts to my favorite people
11. NO SCHOOL
12.  watching Katie eat gag down a fish stick
13.  pinochle/boxers or briefs/malarky
14.  Playing mario (stop jumping on me, put me down, hey, hey, hey)
15.  spending time with the best families in the world!

Enjoy the season,

This guy

Can I toot his horn for a few minutes?!  So Friday night we had a Christmas party to go to and I have just been super busy with school and basketball and I had no time to make anything to take to this party.  So this guy leaves work early, makes the treat, and when I walk in the door, he is cleaning up the kitchen and left it just as clean as he found it.  He didn't think a thing of it but I was sooooooooooooo impressed that I needed to toot his horn!  Thanks for your help and your support of my career and my coaching.  I love you Ryan and am the luckiest girl in the world!

Rants and Raves

Rant:
So I got out of my car at work today and a colleague looked at me and looked at my car (a 2010 ford fusion) and said to me "Wow, that's a nice car for you to be driving. I didn't realize you drove such a nice car. . . teaching must be a good business for you." You know what, he really pissed me off!!!!!!! Who is he to judge me based on the car that I drive?! What makes him think I shouldn't drive a car like that?! Does he know how hard my amazing husband and I work at managing our money?! Does he know that the car is over halfway paid off and we have only owned it for a little over a year?! Does he know that Financial Peace University was one of the best choices we have made in our marriage and that we have had ZERO fights about money in the last year and a half?! Does he know that our money does not control us, we control it?! Does he know that we are living like noone else so we can live like no one else?! You know what, he doesn't know those things and I am sure that he doesn't care. But I sure wish that more people would look at how I act, how I talk to them, how I respond to them when all I want to do is punch their guts out, and what drives and motivates us to work hard for the things that we have rather than looking at the things that we have. Things are only things and we don't get to take them with us when we go. We have been very blessed but I truly believe we have worked hard for what we have and have not been handed everything we have so Mr. Teacher (with your head up your you know what), Can I introduce you to my friend Dave Ramsey?!

Raves:
So I found out this morning that a para that is in my room for a lot of my morning (and is a part of my cobber family) was in a car accident yesterday. She was hit by a semi that was going between 50 and 70mph! Her car was totaled and the EMT's have told her she is lucky to be alive. The amazing part, she walked away from the accident! She said that "I must be right with God and his angels sure were protecting me." Then I went to Beth Moore's blog on my lunch break and read this:

My dear Siestas, talk to me today about miracles. I know some people who could use one. Take some stones of remembrance this day and be used of God to build up somebody’s faith. Ground rules: No exaggerations. No make believe. Just pure honest Biblical truth about what you know your God can do from first hand experience.

You guys are so dear to me.

Lord Jesus, show up in a mighty visitation this week in our community. You are our Hope and our Salvation. In You we place our trust. The very sign of that first Christmas was a miracle: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’” O Come, O Come Immanuel. So many need to know You are here. Grant us eyes to see and hearts to love. You are our everything. Thank You for Your goodness to us.

WOW! talk about miracles and feeling tingles down your spine! My rave today is that God is GREAT! He works miracles, saves lives, and loves us all no matter what. I was reminded today just how precious life is and that it can end at any second. I am thankful for you and who you are and the role you play in my life (whether I know you or not)! Tell your loved ones that you love them this Christmas and enjoy every moment, it may go away all too soon. . . Jesus and I love you, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter how long it has been since we last talked,

Need a Laugh?

So I decided today that I must teach some really interesting things. All of the things in red are what was actually on the paper of my students, spelled exactly as they had spelled it. . . While reading and responding to 14 reading letters today I came across talk of a comevarer belt (conveyor belt), I learned how to become famoose or famouse (famous), I was expeshily (especially) delighted when I read that your hockey team came in farts (first), and I lavet (laughed) when I read your information about hobos having weed/pot conventions that you learned about on the History Channel. I also had a student write to me about a book, check out the title. . .


and I will leave you with my aetegerafe (autograph)

Thankful!

I have noticed that some people have been posting something they are thankful for each day on facebook. . . I didn't start at the beginning of the month but I decided that I wanted to make a list of the things I was thankful for so here goes, 30 things I am thankful for in no particular order. . .

1. I am thankful for my husband that works hard and loves me.
2. I am thankful that my basic needs are met daily.
3. I am thankful for my family and all of their love and support.
4. I am thankful for Jesus and the fact that he died for my sins.
5. I am thankful for the fact that I live in a country where I can be free and worship the God I love.
6. I am thankful for the students that I get to work with every day, even when they drive me nuts.
7. I am thankful for my co-workers that are my friends and also challenge me.
8. I am thankful for my car that gets me to and from work safely and reliably each day.
9. I am thankful for hot water in the morning for my shower.
10. I am thankful for my love of running and ability to do so.
11. I am thankful for all of my grandparents and grandparents-in-law and their unique impact on my life.
12. I am thankful for my cell phone because it connects me with the people I love most on a daily/weekly basis.
13. I am thankful for pastors who preach the truth and teach about what God desires from us.
14. I am thankful for music, I just like it.
15. I am thankful for my friends, old and new, near and far.
16. I am thankful for the laundry machines IN our house that we do not have to pay for per load.
17. I am thankful for diet coke.
18. I am thankful for my health and the health of those I love.
19. I am thankful for fleece blankets that keep me warm!
20. I am thankful for the kids that I coach and each of their unique personalities.
21. I am thankful for technology, even when it does not work. . .
22. I am thankful for clothes and shoes. . . I don't think I need to explain that one.
23. I am thankful for hats and mittens, especially in the winter!
24. I am thankful for the drive to work each morning that I get to spend with God.
25. I am thankful for facebook/blogs/etc. because it keeps me connected with other people.
26. I am thankful for pictures and the memories that they provide.
27. I am thankful for hot chocolate/apple cider on days like today.
28. I am thankful for airplanes and the fact that they take us fun places and bring people we like to us.
29. I am thankful for another year of blessings and life.
30. I am thankful for the gifts that I have been given and the places I get to use my gifts to help others.

Skype

We have Skyped two times recently (well kind of. . . ) Papa tried to read us Skeleton Hiccups but the technology people blocked me so he had to read it over the phone. . .

My mom then read us Thanks for Thanksgiving and we told her what we were thankful for and Skype kind of worked (we could see her but she could not see us. . .) Hopefully in December it will work great because we have something super fun planned. . . Let me know if you want to be a part of our Skype experience!

Honest

Honestly, I have been very overwhelmed lately. With conferences coming, and basketball in full swing, I feel like I get nothing done at school and I have a very, very, very BIG, busy, LOUD, and even naughty group of kids. I did get a little break from my overwhelming feeling today when I was reading something a little girl had written to me she said
"In my book, Anastasia is going to a career fair to choose a career she wants to have someday. If I could choose a career I would choose a daycare lady. What career would you choose Mrs. Miller?"
Well, I am thinking now that I don't quite know what career I would choose. . . haha just kidding, I LOVE my job and I am SOOOOOOOOOOO incredibly blessed and I would never do anything else, even if it is overwhelming. . .

That Time of Year

It is that time of year where I offer to make Christmas cards for others. I really, truly enjoy it and all you have to do is send me some photos and let me know your thoughts. I will even print them for you this year if you so desire. I charge a flat rate of $10.00 and then if I print them for you I will have you pay me for that too. Email me at ljwhite07@gmail.com, comment, or call me or facebook me and let me know if you want one. Here are some that I did last year :)

Halloween Fun

Ryan and I took Financial Peace University last fall and I have to say that I really have a lot of respect for Dave Ramsey. I laughed today when I saw the link to these on facebook because although I could care less about halloween, I care about becoming debt free and sharing what we learned that has changed our lives!


Happy Halloween!

4

4 years ago we took this picture the night we met. . .
4 years ago today Ryan asked me in his own cute little way to be his girlfriend. . .

Today he came home with these. . .
I am so blessed! My heart is smiling so much I can't even begin to describe how blessed I am! I am also so thankful for you Ryan and everything you do for me. I can't imagine being married to anyone else in the world and I love you with all of my heart! Thanks for sticking with me through all of the ups and downs. God has a plan and I am enjoying every minute of the journey with you!

Favorites

1. Favorite Flower
Calla lilies and spider mums but I would take anything (hint hint hint!!)

2. Favorite Color Combination
Brown & Blue
3. Favorite Celebrity Couple
Brad Paisley & Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Got to love Father of the Bride and Brad Paisley is just funny

4. Your Theme Song
While I'm Waiting- John Waller




5. Favorite Terrible Day Food
DIET COKE!


6. Lipstick or Lipgloss
Clinique lipgloss

7. Favorite Magazine
Fitness

8. Favorite Thing About Fall
Leaves like this around the corner from my house
Now Kylie, Mary, Danielle, and Aimee it's your turn!

If you have time. . .

Go here and read what one of my students said about me. . . You will be taken to his caring bridge website, he had leukemia and it is how his family shares his story :) Pretty funny comment!! A friend from school texted me to tell me to check it out and make sure Ryan doesn't get jealous! haha

Cobber 5k

It was Concordia's homecoming this weekend and Ryan and I ran the cobber 5k yesterday morning. I LOVE to run and do it often...Ryan, not so much. I am super proud of him as his running did not just happen yesterday, he put in lots of hours at the Y which has been fun for both of us. It was also his first 5k that he ran which was fun too. Ryan was number 209 :)
I was excited, Ryan was not so sure. . .
Experiencing the awesome feeling of finishing :)
And learning the importance of re-hydrating...
Ryan, thanks for running with me! You did awesome and I am so proud of you because I know you don't like to run like I do. I love you!!!

Stone Soup

So lunch at school today was stone soup and we invited a very special guest into our classroom to read us the book. . . NANNIE!!! She used to read the book to me all the time when I was little so I thought it only fitting that she read it to my kids. We skyped with her and she read the words and I showed the pictures.
The kids LOVED it! I can't even tell you how much they were talking about it and telling everyone. They really loved meeting Nannie and Papa and even called them that! Papa and my mom are up next. . . I am thinking about once a month?? If you want to join the fun, let me know and I can put you on our schedule :) Thanks Nannie, Papa, and Mom for the fun today!

You Bretcha

Sooooooooooo BIG things have been happening here at the Miller household. Not really, we have just been super busy :) School workshops started last week and I am a nerd and totally was excited to get back into my real job but I knew I would miss Syd and Wy too. Well Thursday I got to meet my new crew and holy buckets are there a lot of them (28 at last call) and are there some doosies! One kid walked in, looked at me, and said "gosh this room is a better place now that I am here. . . " Yeah first impressions are always interesting. I also had one that told me that he did not have to do what I said and that he was going to do his worst work all year. Friday then took us down to the cities for a weekend of fun. We went to the twins game Friday even though it was COLD and when we got home we found Tim and Danielle (Thad and Dar) at my parents house. Saturday we went to the fair and saw more than anyone would ever care to see (think full moon. . . Ryan has the pictures on his phone) and ate a ton. Sunday we went to church and then the girls shopped and the boys golfed. We had family pictures taken Sunday night and then Nannie and Papa came over for dinners and some fun games. Monday took everyone home and although we were sad to go, we know that we will all be together at Christmas for a few days.
Tuesday took me back to school and back to the reality of no snacking, going to the bathroom only at specific times, parent emails, parent phone calls, and of course student compliments like "Mrs. Miller, I like your green shirt, you look like a Christmas tree. . . " It sure will be an interesting year but I can already tell you that I am excited for the impact I will get to have on a few students lives as I have already watched them open up in the past four days. Pray that I find a way to manage all 28 and connect with them each individually each day as that has been my struggle in the last four days.
Ryan is good too, busy at work (not really but he pretends well) he did not want to be mentioned in this post so we will leave him at that . .