what's been going on?

spring is here which means summer is close. that means no school. which means more time to watch bones (my new favorite show!) and more time to spend with my sister (who is coming to live with us) and more time to find/make cute things.


until then, here is a little look into what we've been up to...

we've had some really fat birds hanging out in our trees.

my sweet husband surprised me with some gardening tools to help me grow some herbs & fruits and veggies this summer.

i traveled to delaware to visit my very favorite students.

it's amazing how much kids can grow in a year!

i spruced up a bookcase in our living room with some white paint and painters tape.

 

i made some fabric bows to decorate easter candy for my hubs and missouri family.

i made some yummy birds nest treats.

fist pumping in arizona.

my sweet cousin ashley got married a few weeks ago. kyle and i traveled west to scottsdale, arizona to meet up with my family to celebrate with ashley and her new husband, adam. the weather was BEAUTIFUL! we enjoyed the sun, some shopping, good eats, hiking camelback mountain, and lots of laughs with family.  the wedding was at my aunt's house at the foot of some beautiful mountains. here are a few pictures from our weekend...

 Gram looking ever so stylish in her ray-bans.

 ash with her parents.

my uncle ken reading a beautiful version of 1 corinthians 13.

the cousins + kyle.

the sibs.

first dance as husband and wife.

i come from a family of extraordinary dancers.

even my dad can get down.

which side are you on?

we saw this new miricle whip commercial the other night. i thought it was so funny! i'm with pauly d.

sorry for being a "jrk".

i've recently started working with a first grade class on more of a regular basis at school. i've been doing reading groups and helping them with their writing, which has been really fun! i've always loved the little "love notes" and pictures that students have given me. last week i started getting a barrage of love notes. here are two of my favorites.

translation : "dear mrs. short, i am sorry for reading, you know, when i was a jerk."

my name often changes. mrs. good, mrs. small.

kids are sweet, and funny.

snow-tastic!

early in the week we found ourselves right in the middle of a blizzard. school was cancelled for 4 days in a row, kyle's work closed early, and most of springfield was essentially shut down for a few days. it was so fun to just sit and watch the snow pile up outside out windows. the roads are still very snow covered and icy. they could take some tips here from northeastern states on snow removal.

it's been fun to have some time off to sew, spend time with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law, and catch up on stuff around the house.

here are some pictures from our snowy day.

my shovelin' man.

meal of regret.

a month ago i was voted staff member of the month. i was pretty excited about it. some perks of this recognition included a parking spot near the front door, a certificate, a "supersaver card" to local restaurants, and two free meals at golden corral.

last saturday night kyle and i decided to cash in on a free meal. i don't think i had ever been to a golden corral before. i now know that i will never be going back. we should have turned around the minute the scents of the buffet wafted towards us when we opened the door. but, we stayed, and we ate, and we left feeling really sick.  

my brother really loves golden corral. i have a feeling if he ever visited our corral he might change his mind. it was a true picture of the midwest. yuck!

we're famous!

not really. janae posted some engagement pictures she snapped a few weeks before our wedding. the pictures she took at the wedding will be soon. here are some of my favorites.

snow day = sew day.

last week we had a snow day. i loved it. i giggled when i read "springfield schools" on the TV and then shook my head when i looked out the window and saw only a few inches of snow on the ground.

i took it upon myself to really enjoy my unscheduled day off. i completed a mountain of laundry and put my sewing machine to good use. it was great. i didn't talk to one person all day (except for kyle, who called 3 times to ask if i'd talked to anyone:)).

the first thing i made was a pretty ear warmer. i used the tutorial found here.

then, i made a matroyshka doll for hazel. she turned 2 on the 24th. i can't tell if she's stoic, sad, or sleeping. it took hazel a little while to warm up to her.

finally, i made some paper heart garlands to decorate our home. so easy and so pretty.

i would love it if every day was a snow day!

good eats.

we've been eating some pretty delicious meals from "The Food Matters Cookbook" lately. my favorite so far is "pasta with asparagus, bacon, and egg" (and i added baby portobellos, because i love them!). don't be put off by the egg, it really makes the whole thing. here's the recipe...

ingredients:
salt
2 TBS olive oil
4 oz chopped bacon, pancetta, or guanciale(whatever that is?)
1 1/2 lb asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
8 oz any pasta, preferably whole wheat (i used fettuccine)
2 eggs
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
black pepper

1. boil water for the pasta. meanwhile, put oil & bacon in large skillet over medium heat. cook until bacon starts to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. stir in asparagus and raise heat a bit. cook until it has softened, but is still crunchy, 5 to 10 minutes. turn off heat
2. cook pasta in boiling water until tender, not mushy. meanwhile, warm a large bowl and beat the eggs in it. stir in the asparagus and bacon, along with any leftover bacon fat from the skillet.
3. when pasta is done reserve some cooking water. drain pasta, immediately toss it with the egg & asparagus mixture adding some cooking water if necessary. add cheese and black pepper to taste.

the heat of the pasta and the cooking water cooks the egg right away. i was still a little nervous though, so i nuked the whole dish for 30-45 seconds to be safe. it was delicious!! so delicious that kyle at ALL of our left overs as an extension of his dinner. oh well.

i also made the best bread ever this week. it's the "best bread EVER" recipe i found here. when kyle tasted it last night he said, "you've done it! this is the best bread ever!", he didn't even know the title of the recipe:)

4 day weekends are awesome!

i love having long weekends! they're like mini vacations.

i saw a beautiful sunset from our living room window. i swear the sky is bigger here in missouri.

i made a yummy mexican dip for our home fellowship group. its super yummy, easy and a staple at holidays and family reunions.

two of my former students, shakira & tanijah, went to visit Bethany, another teacher from Urban Promise, in Pittsburgh this weekend. they sent me emails and picture updates throughout the weekend. i was sad i couldn't make the trip out there. 

don't be fooled by their tough faces.

yesterday, kyle and i stocked our fridge and pantry, finally took down our christmas decorations (always sad), cleaned like crazy (he is the best bathroom cleaner, ever!), and we got to watch hazel. it was so fun. we ate some snacks, watched the movie "up", giggled, and taught her new words. i can't wait til we can have our own!

i found a new blog that i LOVE! check it out here. i didn't get a chance to sew anything this weekend. i'm going to try to make up for that this week. delia has some great sewing/craft tutorials and some yummy recipes. i'm going to try out her "best bread EVER" recipe tonight. most bread is pretty delicious. we'll have to see how this turns out.

shiver me timbers!

source

frozen fog. i had never heard of it until i moved to missouri. i don't know if it's a southern thing, or just a missouri/arkansas thing. either way it's really beautiful. today it was far too cold for frozen fog. it was cold enough to make my nose stick together as i sniffled on my way to inside the school building this morning.

i've been cooking away with recipes from "The Food Matters Cookbook" all week. We've had some really delicous meals. I'll post my favorite. I've also been scouring websites for cute sewing projects that will promise success for me on my upcoming 4 day weekend (yipee!).

until then, bundle up & drink some hot cocoa. and happy birthday mom!!!

babies & birthdays.

this past week has been a busy one! school started up again, my sister-in-law gave birth to a sweet little boy, Ezra, and my husband and his twin celebrated their birthday with yummy chicken spaghetti and double the desserts (cherry cheesecake & mint chocolate chip oreo ice cream pie)

i tried another sewing project. a blanket for little Ezra. i found the pattern here. it didn't work out quite like i planned. rick-rack can be tricky.

i made a mini-banana bread for Hazel this week and have been loving the pictures my talented sister-in-law took of Hazel and Ezra.

next week's goals: 1. document our lives with pictures, 2. stick to my resolutions of exercising and eating healthier, 3. sewing success!

a new year.

i always get excited at the beginning of a new year. resolutions and changes and ideas have been  jumping around in my mind. i've wanted to start a blog for a while now. it seems like fun, and also a neat way to keep in touch with friends and family at a distance. so, on the narrow list of resolutions that will actually stick past this week, a blog is one.


my husband got me a sewing machine for christmas. when my family came to visit my sister helped me put it together. i've been a little apprehensive about using it, fearing i would somehow break it, or sew through my hand. i gussied up some courage yesterday and made an apron to wear during breakfast and lunch duty at school. i figured, if i have to hold extra silverware and ketchup i might as well look cute while doing it!

kyle was sweet to model my creation:) i think i've caught the sewing bug!