Oh yummy...

Oh, look what came in the mail from sunny Hawaii....well, I guess I am assuming it is sunny there. I'm sure I'll get an update as my baby sister, her famiy and my Mom all left for Hawaii this morning!! My four year old niece was pulling on my heartstrings, saying "Auntie Rachel you come too!" oh I wish...anyhow I digress....

Remember that fun Aloha package I won from Jen at TuTu's Bliss? It came in the mail the other day...I cannot say thank you enough!

Just a few different views...I'm really looking forward to trying the dressing, the jam and the popcorn....and of course all the different types of chocolate that came OH and the coffee!

And here we have a fun towel, a cute bowel and some yummy smelling stuff! Ah bliss....

Joaquin Phoenix

Ok, first of all, I apologize...youtube.com is giving me the finger and not letting me copy the codes for embedding videos onto my blog...blech!!!





So a few weeks ago Joaquin Phoenix was on David Letterman to promote his lastest and last movie. The interview? Extremely, extremely strange....click the link below to watch it!!


This is a latest picture of Joaquin...be careful watching...you will definitely fall on the floor laughing hysterically!




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXpYk7WGN5Y



Secondly, last night on the Academy Awards (Oscars right Holly?) Ben Still presented awards with Natalie Portman and he came impersonating Joaquin...so stinkin' funny!!! OMG...I was dying last night! Click the link below to watch Ben Stiller at the Oscars.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPj74YaqcVg

I love Joaquin Phoenix as an actor and I am very disappointed in his decision to quit acting and take up singing. Oh, have you not heard that bit of Hollywood gossip? WAIT!!! It gets better...one might assume that he is going to sing country after witnessing his performances in Walk the Line as Johnny Cash...but NO...he is going into Hip-Hop.

Have you ever heard anything so STUPID!!!!

Aloha!

Jen over at TuTu's Bliss had a wonderful Hawaiin Aloha giveaway going, to which I put my name in the running....

Logged on to my email this morning and saw comments saying, "Congratulations on your Aloha win!"

You got it!! I won! Jen amazingly put together not just any ol' giveaway either, but a FANTASTIC giveaway....including:

a stunning Sand and Sea bracelet with seashell dangles from My Precious Peanut Designs
AND
Hershey's Kisses with Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts!!
AND
Chocolate Covered COFFEE beans. (YUMMMMMY)
AND
Guava Macadamia Cookies
AND
Papaya-Pineapple Jam from Hawaiian Sun

AND

Pack of Microwaveable Pineapple Kettle Korn

AND

Little Hawaiian Cookbooks "Tastes & Flavors of Hawai'i

(Includes exotic recipes like Liliko'i dressing and Tropical Ambrosia)
AND

ALL THESE OTHER GOODIES FROM THE PAST REVEALS....
Sampling of handmade soaps from North Shore Soap Factory
Caramacs & Chocolate covered Macadamias from Hawaiian Host
Papaya Seed Dressing

Li Hing Powder

Kona Coffee

Carved Coconut Dish

"Beauty Pack" from Purse Passion
Aloha Hand Towel from Curly Top Boutique

Can you believe it? I'm so super stoked!!! Thank you again Jen for having such a great giveaway!!! Aloha

Someone thinks I'm Kreativ!

I love blogging and meeting new friends from all over the world! Elaine, from At Home 'n About, honored me a few days ago by giving me this Kreativ Blogger Award...isn't it cute!!!????!!!

Thank you so much for thinking my blog is Kreativ...since I've started student teaching it doesn't feel as if I have been so creative...funny story about student teaching though. I answered the class phone today and told the person on the other line that I was Mrs. R's student teacher...once I was done a student looked at me with this look and say, "You're a student teacher?"

Hmmm....I wonder what he thought I was doing there? Gotta love clueless teenagers!!!

So here is the rules for accepting this award....I have to list 7 things that I love and then pass the award on to 7 people...tagging them and letting them know they won! You can copy the picture of the award and put it on your sidebard letting the whole wide world you are KReATIV!

So here are my 7 loves.....

1......I love my nieces and nephews...and this includes all the kiddos who are related to me but still call me Auntie

2......I love books...small books, big books, hardback books, paperback books....books, books, books!

3......I love to travel all over the world

4......I love entering the presence of God through worship

5......I love talking to friends over a good cup of coffee

6......I love to give....presents for holidays....for non-holidays...I just like to brighten someone's day with a gift

7......I love who God has made me to be and I pray that I further that person He has made!



My seven blogging friends:

1. Rachel (gotta love friends with that name!) at Made with Love & Glue

2. Melissa (please pray for her Grandpa!) at My Little World: Choo-Choos, Cars and Lipgloss

3. April (check her cute V-day gifts) at 4 Kennedys and a Dog

4. A Thorn Among Roses

5. Julie at Journey to Family

6. A Duck in Her Pond

7. Kelley at Yeah, sure, youbetcha

Little Ditty for you....

“Volunteer—not so you can build your resume, but so you can build yourself.”

Erasers

When I was in high school (that would be the late eighties, early nineties for those of you who are trying to figure it out...and yes, I did have the big feathered hair!)....back to when I was in high school I used to write all my homework assignments in pen, including MATH!!

Being a teacher I get to watch what students use nowadays, and lo and behold most of them use a pencil!!! Ok, so this isn't ground breaking news...the thing that struck me as odd though is just about all of them have a separate eraser...remember these big 'ol pink ones from when we were in Elementary school???

I also see the kids have these big 'ol white erasers as well....

Anyway...this was just my observation for this week!!!

FYI...

THESE THINGS ROCK!!!!!

THEY ARE AWESOME....

I NEED SOME MORE!!!!

Atomic Bombs

We were reviewing for a unit test today in my Sophomore Modern European History class...we've been studying World War II. We briefly touched on Pearl Harbor as it is a European History class, yet that is what brough USA into WWII.

While reviewing we were discussing vocabulary words...one of them being ATOMIC BOMB!!!! The point was for them to understand we used the ABOMB, where it was used (what people) and so on and so forth!

I had one student insist and I mean INSIST that one of the A-BOMBS was dropped on Pearl Harbor. We discussed it for 2-3 minutes; however, I think he still walked out of class today convinced that I was incorrect and that he was right...an ATOMIC BOMB was dropped on Pearl Harbor.

Hmmm....do you think he will get that question right on the final tomorrow?

PS...the two atomic bombs were dropped by the US in Japan (Hiroshima and Nagasaki to be exact...just in case you forgot!)

Thank You!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

For all the SITs visitors today I extend a warm thanks for all the bloggy love! I had a wonderful little welcome post for you to all read today. I had it set to publish automatically at 12:01 this morning; however, I went in and made a few corrections yesterday and I guess that it deleted the auto-publish time...so it never appeared...sheesh....here it is in case any of you come back to read my blog again!

I solemnly promise that I will visit each and everyone of you that visited (I had well over 300 emails today just from SITS comments!)....but it might not be until this weekend.

Also, thank you for the encouraging words about my blog post Banquet Begets Sermonette many of you encouraged me to write sermons, inspirationals and to teach Sunday School. Thank you for the encouragement. I love to write and funny enough after reading those comments I was reminded of a prophetic word I received when I was about 20 the word was that the words that I write will set people free. I had completely had forgotten about that! God has not called me to be a preacher (even though we all should share His word and love) but a teacher; however, I will try to write some more and if I do I will definitely share it with you all!

Ok...so below is the post that was supposed to show up this morning for you all....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know I said I wouldn't be around much as I have added student teaching to my already full plate; however, I received an email from Heather over at SITS (The Secret is in The Sauce) that my day was coming soon! And that day is TODAY!!! Welcome everyone girl (and guy) from SITS.....here is a warm welcome to you!

(Do you still not know what SITS is all my non-SITS friends..and by the way why aren't you a SITSa? Hmmmm!!! SITS is an awesome family of bloggers who show unconditional bloggy love to everyone from here to there and back again! It is a great place to meet new friends and read new blogs. So what are you waiting for? Go check them out!)

Ok, back to my SITS visitors....Come on in.....

My house is your house!

As you enter, please be careful of all the snow and ice that you might encounter on the way to the front door (I keep asking Mother Nature what the Hell she is doing with this year's winter and all she does in drop more snow!!! Then she reminds me that there is still two more months of Winter...ugh)!

The refrigerator is bare; however, there are pop-tarts in the cupboard and some red wine on the counter...help yourselves (I'm sure that they taste great together!).

I have cable, so come on sit down and watch Disney with me...is it strange that I am 34, single and watch Disney? I guess I have my 10-year old niece to thank for that!

You can open the front closet and pull out a game if you'd like...we just played Candy Land the other day so I can recommend that, or there is Monopoly, Life, Rummikub, etc....pick one and have fun!

Even if you can only stop for a few minutes have fun looking around (I have nothing to hide and probably share more than anybody wants to read about!)....feel free to poke here and there (I have some great pictures hidden in the archives (check February and March of the past few years as I was in SE Asia a few years in a row)....and all the kids you see in the pictures? NOT MINE!!! I am Auntie to 8 and "Auntie" to many, many more...there is always some kid's picture on here!

And always, when you see:



Remember to leave some bloggy love!

Blessings
Rachel Ann

Blog Award

OMG!

You chose ME?

For a blog award?

Oh, be still my beating heart (yes, someday I am going to write a corny romance novel and put that line in there!)

Kelly over at Yeah, Sure, YouBetcha honored me with my first ever BLOG AWARD!!!! I'm so honored...here is a lookie loo at the award

I truly love meeting all the fun people via blogging! I have "friends" all over the USA and even some in other countries...I have green friends, sarcastic friends, creative crafty friends, friends who are Mom's, friends who are Dad's and friends who simply like me for me!

No blog award is worth anything if you don't pay the love forward. So here are seven blogs that I find worthy of the Lovely Blog Award. All you need to do is right click on the award, save it to your desktop and then add it into your blog post and then honor seven of your bloggie friends with the award as well!

My seven honorees:

Ronnica: Ignorant Historian
Jenny: Jenny and the Princess Peonies
The Blond Duck
The Other Rachel Ann: Bloggling Your Mind
Dena: From Mine to Thine
Holly: Team Switzer
Nina: A Day in The Life...her blog is private so no clicking over

Ladies...I love your blogs!

Student Teaching Week One

Well, I have my first week (of twelve) of my student teaching done and over with! It was pretty much just a week of watching the class, copying papers, and entering grades. This week I will be phased into instruction time a bit more, an activity here and there! The week after will be me teaching my host teacher's lesson plans as she will be at the Presidential Inauguration (January 20th for all of those who want to watch!).

Then Tuesday January 27th? It's all mine!!! I will be teaching one class of Senior Government and two classes of Junior U.S. History...fun, fun times!

**Side Note** I took the Welcome SITSA's post down as I found out the actual date that my friends from SITS will be visiting. The day before I will put it back up!

Have a wonderfully blessed week!

I'm Here!

So I've been around...lots of time this last week sitting on the couch watching TV and reading as I've been on New Year holiday since Wednesday afternoon! However, I haven't had good access to internet so no updating my blog for you faithful friends and family!

I will be starting my student teaching tomorrow morning (well, I will if the snow stops falling and we actually have school...there is more snow advisories for Grant County and there is more snow on my car right now too! UGH!!!). I will be spending the next three months at the local high school in the history department. I am coming in at the tail end of the semester so my actual teaching time will be with the next semesters' classes....US History and Civics. I'm excited, nervous, overwhelmed...etc, etc.

Since I won't be in front of a computer all day my internet and blog updating will be very limited for awhile..sorry in advance! I will try to update as much as possible, but I'm not making any promises. In addition to student teaching, I have to attend weekly conference calls with my school, begin working on my thesis project and I said I would work part-time at my regular job as well (at least I think I'm still going to be working there...my BIL hasn't said much about it and I'm not sure how the head boss is going to take this whole thing...internally I'm stressing out about this since I don't really know how it is going to work and how everyone is going to take it!).

How has your New Year's been so far? Mine has been quite boring I have to say and a bit lonely...I never realized that when you live by yourself and don't go into work for quite a few days that there isn't many people to talk to...well, with the exception of my niece Maddy...she came over for a few days to visit!

I'm also stressing about money! I thought I was pass the point of money stressing; however, with the start of student teaching (which you don't get paid for) and with the expectation of money that never came in I am starting to get a bit worried. I was supposed to get a Christmas bonus; however, it didn't happen yet like all people I had the money spent on bills and such! I know I shouldn't stress as God always keeps me provided for...it just makes me have to depend on him that much more!

I think I'm emotional as well because I have been lacking in my prayer life and Bible reading...Sorry Lord! Tomorrow is a new day...although I could use some encouragement to keep at it!

Sorry to be so morose but just wanted to let you all know where I am at! Bless you all!

New Year

Happy New Year

Who knows what movie this baby new year is from? Hint...it was on TV last night!!

I hope that you all have a SAFE New Year's Eve and a Blessed New Year!

Christmas

I pray you all had a BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

I did.

The reason we celebrate?

Jesus...His birth and the choice God made to let His precious Son come to Earth as a defenseless baby and then die for our sins.

Thank you God for such an AMAZING Gift!

New SITS giveaway

Still don't know what SITS is? It is fantastic site dedicated to bloggy love...know what I mean? I'm sure all of you love to have people leave you comments (aka...bloggy love)...but sometimes it is hard to get traffic to your blog. Enter SITS...these wonderful ladies created a website dedicated to featuring blogs every weekday, weekly saucy blogs and great giveaways!

This month (well, ok for the month of January) the lovely SITS girls are giving away a KEURIG PLATINUM BREWER!! This would be fantastic for anyone of you, and especially for me! :) Every day you leave on a comment on the daily blog roll gains you one entry into the contest. You have the whole month of January to enter and try to win! Good luck!

Look What Betty Made

Oh, yummy...I've been craving Meatloaf and so I finally broke down and made some! And it was my first time making it!!!!

I totally stole this recipe from someone online...and don't know who...so sorry I can't give you credit...but here it is!

Meatloaf:
1 lb. Hamburger
1 tsp. Salt1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup instant oats
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheese

Topping:
1 1/2 Tbsp mustard
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar


Mix together all main ingredients and make into small loaves should make about 6 then pour topping mixture over loaves and bake for 1 hour at 350.

It was so good that my sister Shannon who professes she HATES meatloaf ate some and claimed it good! High praise indeed.

I have...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung Karaoke (only with the kids!)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a Soup Kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Seen the Lincoln Memorial in person
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (made a strip quilt, not a pieced one, but I'm counting it!)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (school paper count?)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (just the outside)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own (this one...stolen from Jenny over at Jenny and the Princess Peonies...Thanks...I love these.)

If you didn't figure it out..the blue ones are things I HAVE DONE!

Sorry

Sorry for the lack of lengthy posts....

My small town finally got hit with all this snow crap that the rest of WA State saw last week. Starting Saturday night it snowed non-stop till yesterday night sometime dumping at least 6 inches...if you don't know me then let me tell you how much I LOVE snow (um, I know you can't hear sarcasm in writing, but it is there!).

With this snow stuff the internet that "I borrow" isn't coming in too well, so no internet at my house. And we are only working till Noon this week so not much time on the net at work either.

Work Christmas party on Friday night pretty much was a drag....I'm going to be a bigger person and not tell you all the reasons why it sucked!

I got stuck in said snow this morning on my way to work...in the parking lot of the drive thru coffee place...I made a little turn around and it cost me! LOL...it really wasn't that much snow either...my brother-in-law came and said, "You got stuck in this?" Really, I did! The trooper that he is, he dug me out and on my merry way I went!

Christmas is coming for those of you who haven't figured it out yet!

For those of you who I haven't returned bloggy love to yet, my apologies see the note above about internet!

Ta Ta friends and family...I'll check in later this week

Goofing Around....

Mason was at work this morning before going to school and found some styrofoam inserts to play with! They quickly became hats for us to wear.

Here we are...acting all goofy!!!

I have to say that you can be in the biggest funk (and let me tell you people I know around me are making my funk even deeper...UGH!!!!) and kids will always bring you out of it!

Secret Santa Revealed

Kori over at Between a Whisper and a Roar (My Life as a CFer's Wife) hosted a lovely Secret Santa Shindig this holiday season!

This is the button you've been seeing on my side bar for the last month or so! I love getting and giving presents and so I thought I'd jump right on in and participate!

I checked the mail box first and found a box with my goodies that I won...a new book and the Barlow Girls Christmas CD...that was enough to start my fun evening.

Then I pulled into my spot and saw a package nesting against the front door...I was excited to see what came.

Here it is...all the way from Carson City NV...ok I actually just deleted the picture because I wasn't sure my Secret Santa Katrina wanted her address on my blog!
Here is what I found when I opened my box...a fun Christmas sign....a few wrapped presents and a stocking full of goodies!This was one of the wrapped gifts...a great book for a Scrapbooker like me...a book full of quotes for scrapbooking!This was the other wrapped gifts...YUM...Junior Mints are one of my favorite candies!Here are the goodies from my stocking...new socks, a cute hand towel, a PEACE star ornament, a candle, a Gingerbread recipe ornament and LICORICE (really yummy black licorice...oh yum!).

Secret Santa...thank you so much for all the goodies!Here is the PEACE star on my tree...and that is what I wish all of you this holiday season...the PEACE of Jesus Christ!