Yesterday Paul and I went to Seattle:
-We got our customary Pike Place little doughnuts and original Starbucks lattes.
- We visited the skyscraper where my best friend, Sarah, works. Amazing!
- We found FREE parking. It involved walking ten blocks and catching a FREE bus but it was FREE.

Things I have learned about living in the country:

1. Garbage can be a complicated thing. When I used to visit my parents I would always have to ask, "Where do I put this?" when I had something that needed to be thrown away. And I knew I had committed a garbage faux pas when someone said, "Who put this in the compost?" (it was always me). Now I am wiser and Paul and I even have our own little complicated garbage system. We actually have at least five places that we put our garbage, depending on whether it is burnable, compostable, recyclable, or just garbage. It was so easy in Portland - we just put it in the dumpster.
2. Horses know when you are afraid of them.
3. Potlucks are better here.
4. There are not as many things to do here, but that's just fine. At first we were always looking for something to do. We stopped looking for things to do and just did the things we felt like doing. We do less things now but we enjoy being together more.
5. We still miss our friends - a lot.

Paul, Jeff and Emmaleigh 

This is a picture we took a few weeks ago. It was snowing very big, wet flakes! 

"Teacher, duct tape is the strongest thing in the whole world."

List of things I want to do this summer:

1. Garden
2. Eat most meals outside
3. Go for a walk every day
4. Learn to fish
5. Read a book by a new author (any suggestions)
6. Learn to sew
7. Convince Paul and my landlords to let me get a dog
8. Train my new dog

I had to go to the bathroom really bad this morning so I called a teacher's aide from another class and asked her if she could watch my class while I went to the bathroom. When I got back one student who is quite mischievous asked me, "Why did that other lady come?"
"Well I had to go to the bathroom and I just can't leave you guys here all by yourselves, can I?"
"Oh, next time you don't have to worry teacher, (with a twinkle in his eye) I can take care of things while you're gone."

"Teacher, my hiccups are interupting me."

-Kindergartener

The secret to weight loss 

These are some baby goats that visited our classroom! 

The picture below is of our friend Jeff and Alysun's daughter, Emmaleigh!

Keep a lookout for this outlaw. She may be in your area soon. Known as the "Toothless Bandit", she is frightened of old women and most animals. Although she is ruthless, you have nothing to fear if you can walk or run, since she cannot. A million slobber kisses from the criminal is your reward for capture.
 

"Teacher, I'm gonna cut your pinky off."
-kindergartener
Do I have a dangerous job or what? I't 3:35, I'm going home!!! If you don't live with me, you don't know that this is not normal. I'm going to watch Oprah for once and make taco salad for dinner!

"I was a hold ringer in a wedding one time."

Kindergartener

Grandma's Potholder 

Old Milk Bottles 

Frosty Morning 

I don't claim him. (Christmas 2004) 

I know. I just hate it when people don't keep up on their blogs. And here it's been a month since I've written one word. I could make up excuses, but I won't. Paul and I are home on a very rainy Sunday being lazy before the long week ahead and conspiring plans to save money, buy a house, and otherwise become independantly wealthy. Work has been good and Paul loves school. We have DVD's from the library (another money saving scheme) to watch and chocolate cake to eat. We have started attending a church regularly after church "shopping for many months. We seem to be finally settling in to life here. I promise to be a faithful blogger...I promise to be a faithful blogger...I promise to be a faithful blogger.

Well, I'm waiting for it to snow. As a kid I never thought teachers were really PRO-snow day. I kind of pictured them sitting at home watching the snow come down, scowling. "Foiled again!" they would say. Some of my colleagues are ANTI-snow day. "We'll have to make it up at the end of the year when the weather is nice," they say. I guess I'm just one of those live-for-the-moment people who thinks that snow IS nice weather. Paul and I got a super-duper sled for Christmas and we are looking forward to testing it out on the hill behind our house. Today we were two hours late, but that's just because there was ice. Hope you're having a happy winter!!!