First post in a while

Life has been very busy but I really have no excuse for not blogging. Right now I'm home with the tail end of a migraine while my students are at school with a sub. I have a really hard time calling in sick. I know that sometimes it's better for me and my students but on a day like today I knew that I "could" make it through the day but I really wanted to get this migraine over with because I know that yesterday I suffered through the day and no one was the better.

My last several months have been really busy. I am many days into teaching Grade 3 and I am enjoying Grade 3 overall but it's definitely not without its challenges. I have lots of amazing children in my class. Some that pray for me, some that encourage me, some that challenge me on a minute to minute, second to second basis, some that make me laugh. I even have twins that have said on the carpet "let's change the topic to hockey". I work with an amazing staff that has been super supportive during the challenges of the last couple months. In our school student-led conferences are tomorrow and I have just finished grade 3 assessment and report cards.

But what else have I been up to?
I have gone to my SIL's parents cabin (September Long)
Joined Biggest Loser Niverville which unfortunately hasn't been going well for me
Went to Vancouver with Karyn to see Monique (and meet her boyfriend)
Went to Minneapolis with my mom and some friends for shopping and the Women of Faith conference
Have done a bunch of little renos and decor stuff in the house
Are still ANXIOUSLY awaiting our two nieces and or nephews due December 25th and January 20th. (My ticker says only about 30 days until the first one is due to arrive!!!)
Got a class pet, that died and now we have another one.
My grandma passed away (sad for us but now she's in heaven)
Been enjoying our new church in Steinbach
I looked today and updated my 101 list and I have 70 items completed!
Totally re-did the guest room
Had our first guest stay the night (Karyn) followed by our second (Chad).
I have been doing lots of little crafts and sewing projects for our pending nieces and/or nephews

Recently I have been dealing with huge amounts of stress due to school and dealing with some matters of the heart that are very difficult. Prayers would be very appreciated.

Well that wasn't a very exciting post but if you've been wondering what I've been up to, now you know!

Krista

ps. If you want to see some of my creations for these babies on the way check out http://presentsforlebebes.shutterfly.com/

Summer has almost come and Gone

School is coming so soon and although I am excited I am also TERRIFIED to teach Grade 3. And I am so sad that summer is coming to a close because it doesn't feel like it has even started. This week I'm trying to get in just one more breakfast with several people and I am going to a teahouse with some of the teachers from my new school.

But I've also been racking up the 101 dones...

Specifically-

20. Go on a plane with Steve.
We were visiting my cousin and her family in Sioux Lookout on the August long weekend and it was the Blueberry Festival there and they were having float plane rides. And... you guessed it, we went on one. It was super fun and Steve actually liked it. He even got to ride in the co-pilot`s seat.

29. Cook a meal for my family.
Yesterday my whole family was over plus my parents neighbours who have become like family. We had steak (brought by my parents), roasted potatoes, a wonderful blueberry feta salad (brought by Rachael) and a blueberry cheesecake for dessert. It was good. And it was Chad`s first time at our house.

95. In cure no late fees at the library for one year.
This day has come and gone. Yay for me!


In progress.
36. Go on a hot holiday
We are most likely going somewhere hot and wonderful for Christmas. We`re in the researching location stage right now. Maybe Mexico or Jamaica or ?

77. I have been shopping at the Farmer's Market a little bit and I need only one more time to get this one checked off.

98. Get a pet
I'm going to cheat on this a little bit and get a CLASS pet. I'm getting a fish for our classroom. I think that's as pet like as I can handle with 22 8 year olds.

As for not biting my nails. It's actually getting harder and not easier like I thought it would. My magical 4 month date is just around the corner.

Well for now I need to get to bed so I can get back on schedule to get ready for school.
Cheers.

101

As of today I am ALMOST half way done my 101. I have 50 things checked off my list and some others that are close to completion. And I'm not even half-way done my time. I still have 22 months left to finish all of this. Piece of cake!

Well maybe not cake, but there are a couple of things that will take a little bit of time... that can't be done in a motivated moment...

On another note did you know that we're expecting... two niece(s) and/or nephew(s)? Late this year and early next year we will go under the alias' of Uncle Steve and Auntie Krista and we are very excited. What's making me even more excited is all of the crafty things I can make for these babies, all the things I can buy and etc. I was looking at some sweet fabric today and was a little bummed that I don't know whether they are boys or girls (or one of each of course). There are so many adorable fabrics that are just not gender neutral. And here I am with all this free time to sew and make things. I guess I will have to make a trip to the fabric store and see what cute things I can find that I can make now without knowing.

Anyways, that's enough of my babbling.

Cheers!

Happiness is...

I have to say life has been pretty great lately! The school year came to an end and everything got done. My classrooms got cleaned, my report cards went out and I was able to get to my new school to see everything before they closed up for the year. Got some "light" reading for the summer on Grade 3 things.

Since I said adieu to Kindergarten I have had some great relaxing and productive days. We celebrated Father's Day with my dad on Canada day followed by the Goldeyes game. We went to our friend's cabin this last weekend and I've had my breakfast out on the patio.

And to make life even more grand... we got a new car! Yesterday we bought a 2008 Mazda 3 in Charcoal.

So now happiness in pictures...

My new Zoom-Zoom

Fresh banana raspberry bread

Peonies from my garden

I am so thankful for time to refresh after the year of Kindergarten and get excited for Grade 3. I am having fun kicking back and relaxing. Next week I am going up to Beaver Creek Bible Camp.

But don't think I am too busy for you... because I'm not. Call me up, lets have some fun!

Cheers to summer and to life!

19 days

Well I am very grateful to know what's going on next year but yet am trying to get through the rest of this year as I have 43 report cards to write and so much assessment to do to write them.

So I'm bringing in my secret weapon tomorrow... the Steve Smith to be known tomorrow as Mr. Smith. My assessment helper!

But at the end of the day, I only have 19 days left of Kindergarten. In that is 4 field trips, one kindergarten show, a whole whack of birthday celebrations and Fathers Day.

Then it's onto... summer. So far there's not much planned for my summer. I'm going to camp for a week, camping at least a couple times, and I am looking forward to tending my garden.

Have a good one!
Krista

News

So today I found out what my plans are for next year. After waiting and waiting, and waiting some more. (They said they were going to hire early this year... but I got hired 4 days later then I did last year...) I will be teaching Grade 3 next year!!! I am very excited, although I know nothing about Grade 3. I will be going to a different school but such is life. The principal is great and I heard he is amazing at supporting his teachers.

I will have to do lots of learning to teach Grade 3 but I am confident that I can do most of it from the comfort of my patio this summer. Now that I'm wireless and life is good.

Other then that I seem to have many different projects for the house on the go. This week I finally installed some storage in my office so that my multitudes of books are not a clutter any more. This picture seems to be shadowy but you get the drift. It's a floating Lack shelf from IKEA.


I'm working on a couple of my 101 right now. Specifically...

60. Quit biting my nails for 4 months- this is a hard one. I've tried breaking this habit many times since I started in my childhood. My mom tried many different tricks but none of them worked. I would always stick with it long enough to get my "prize" and then go right back.
56. Lose 10 pounds and keep it off for 6 months- so far I've lost two pounds. Not much but it's a start.

Also I'm only one book away from reading 10 non-teaching books and we are tilling the garden tomorrow so I should be able to start my garden on Saturday.

Have a delightful day!
Krista

Life

Well it seems as if we have become the type of homeowners that have a new project to tackle each weekend. This weekend it was the garden and the lights. I weeded the front flower bed and am very excited to go buy some plants in the next couple weeks. As for the garden in the back... well after the snow melted we found out it was a sandbox a really big sandbox. However, upon further inspection we realized it was sand on top of a tarp on top of the previous garden. Whoo hoo!! So with some muscle from Steve this week we hope to get the sand off and expose the garden.

Today Steve's dad who is an electrician got around to coming to replace our lights and it was a little bit of a bigger procedure then we thought.

For before pictures look at my previous pictures of the kitchen and living room.

New Pendant fixture from EQ3 for the dining room.

New pendant for over the sink and track lighting both from IKEA. Next mini-project is painting the ceiling where the old fixtures were as it's a different colour there. Some paintings I did for the entrance area.

Art that I did for the living room a couple weeks ago. On the left you see a big mirror that is my next project. There were two mirrored closet doors that were left in the house so I thought I'd make at least one into a big leaning mirror. I popped off the frame tonight and now I need to get wood moldings to frame it.
We also have a new entrance light but I didn't think to take a picture of it.

Anyways, have a great weekend!
Krista

#9

Well I just completed my 40th goal on my 101. It was... Get a new computer! So here I am blogging from my new computer. Our old one just wouldn't go any longer. To the point that we couldn't even get it to work in Safe Mode. So we were only without a computer for 2 days. Thankfully we had already started looking already when our old desktop gave out.

So enough rambling. We got a HP laptop and the screen is just as big as the screen we had on our desktop. Sweet.

Well, have a happy spring all!

Making the House Ours!

Makeover items and Opinions Needed!

Alright, I'm having some problems posting pictures in here so I'm going to do a slide show. But I need your opinions on my lamp situation.

These are the lamps before. My dad bought them in the 70s. They do have peacocks and butterflies. He was sad to let them go but alas they felt into my paint happy hands.And after... I spray painted them with a hammered silver finish but my problem is I bought shades that were smaller and more contemporary and I am not 100% confident that they look right. (the plastic is still on so I can return the shades if necessary)

Thoughts.... opinions? All are accepted.

101 as of Today

As of today I have 39 of my 101 done!! I have had a really busy spring break which has included quite a bit of shopping for the house. I bought a coffee table and end tables, curtains for the living room and bedroom, I painted the bathroom and the pink stripe in the computer room. I have also re-arranged the living room and installed a new mirror in the bathroom and new accessories (towel bar, etc). Tomorrow is going to be my first relaxing day on Spring Break I will try and post pictures tomorrow of the bathroom makeover. It's a whole new look.

My List
1. Buy a house
2. Get a full-time permanent job

Purchases and Creations
3. Buy a new coffee table
4. Get a label maker
5. Buy a new TV stand
6. Get a KitchenAid Stand mixer
7. Get a food processor
8. Buy a bike
9. Buy a new computer
10. Buy a piece of jewelry at Tiffany's- I have my eye on this http://tinyurl.com/4f34gf
11. Make an upholstered headboard
12. Make pillows for the couch
13. Make a gift for a friend
14. Sew 4 things 4/4
15. Buy a new(er) car (I would like a Mazda 3)
16. Make bread from scratch (And it has to taste good)
17. Get two new games 2/2... I got Scotland Yard for Christmas and Steve got Deal or No Deal (our household acquired two new games)

People and Places
18. Go to New York with Steve (I've been twice, and he would really love to go)
19. Go to the observation deck of the Empire State Building
20. Go on a plane with Steve (he's been on a few planes, I've been on more but never together)
21. Go to camp for two weeks (not necessarily in the same year)
22. Make Steve breakfast in bed
23. Go camping with just Steve
24. Go on an anniversary trip (probably won't include #23)
25. Go on a road trip longer then 6 hours away
26. Throw a birthday party - My mom's 50th bday party- 09/07/08
27. Have a dinner party once a month for 6 months
28. Visit a new state
29. Cook a meal for my family
30. Cook a meal for Steve's family (I think this will have to be after we buy a house, there's not room for all of them in our apartment) - By not saying entire family I am completing this 09/13 for my Mother-In-Law's bday- there will be a couple family members missing but we invited them all.
31. Have photos taken of the two of us
32. Send out Christmas cards (most likely including #31)
33. Have family pictures taken with my family
34. Visit 3 out of town family members 3/3
35. Buy 3 friends flowers
36. Go on a hot holiday
37. Sponsor a missionary we're not currently sponsoring
38. Email or call Monique once a week for 3 months
39. Email or call Karyn once a week for 3 months
40. Go on a date night once a month 9/32
41. Invite a new friend out for a meal
42. Bake for 5 friends 5/5
43. Take my parents out for supper
44. Have pictures taken with Karyn and Monique

Out and About
45. Eat at 5 new restaurants 5/5
46. Eat at my old Boston Pizza (for some reason I just haven't been going back)- Went 9/5/08
47. Go to a Goldeye's Game
48. Go to two Bomber Games 1/2
49. Eat outside 10 days in 3 weeks 0/10
50. Eat at the dining room table every day for a month
51. Go to a concert
52. Try 5 new flavours of gelati 4/5- first new flavour tried was Blood Orange 08-15, Pink Grapefruit 08-17

Healthy Living
53. Get a gym membership
54. Go to the Gym 3 times a week for 6 months
55. Eat vegetarian once a week for 6 weeks 0/6
56. Lose 10 pounds and keep it off for 6 months
57. Be in bed by 10pm for 2 weeks
58. Wake up before 7 am for 3 weeks
59. Watch no TV for one month
60. Quit biting my nails for 4 months Started May 5th
61. Reward myself for not biting nails by having one manicure a month for every month without biting 0/4
62. Don't eat fried chips for two months 1/2
63. Drink only water for three weeks

Home to Stay
64. Create a sports room with Steve
65. Paint a room in our house by myself
66. Create a welcoming guest/Karyn + Monique room
67. Have flowers waiting for overnight guests
68. Start a garden
69. Buy a Christmas Tree
70. Buy a Christmas Tree Skirt
71. Install new lights, one of which must be done by me.
72. Buy or make curtains for the upstairs 6/6
73. Repaint the blue squares
74. Repaint the stripe
75. Get couches for the basement
76. Get two new pieces of art/mirrors 1/2
77. Shop at the farmers market 3 times
78. Paint the bathroom
79. Read daily for 15 minutes, for one month
80. Install a wet-bar downstairs
81. Host a party in the new house
82. Install dishwasher
83. Replace the mirror in the bathroom
84. Refinish one piece of furniture for the house
85. Honour Renee in one way in our house

Organization
86. Label my files in my filing cabinet at home and at school
87. Frame three pictures I have taken 0/3
88. Start and Finish our wedding album
89. Make a new list by May 12, 2011- by then the list may include... kids...

Can't Put it in a Category
90. Take a cooking class
91. Take a dance class
92. Watch all the seasons of SATC- started with season 3- 09/12
93. Start putting money into RRSP's
94. Read 10 non-teaching books - 9/10
95. Incur no late fees at the library for 1 year (this may be hard)- Started August 16 with a clean slate!
96. Watch a sunset
97. Watch a sunrise- I drive into the sunrise every morning
98. Get a pet
99. Go credit card-less for one month
100. Watch our wedding video (yes, it's been 3 years and we haven't watched it)
101. Blog 3 times a week for 2 months

Breathe in, Breathe out

Well I haven't necessarily been avoiding blogging lately. Life has been crazy. I had a Norwex party and our housewarming party, I went on a girls weekend to Fargo, and teaching has had it's ups and downs. Today was not an up.

This whole week one thing or another has led me to feeling very out of control.

But there has been some silver in the clouds. I got to meet baby Hudson, I went for coffee with a friend who lives in Steinbach and spring break is only 6 teaching days away.

Oh spring break come closer. My plan is to paint our bathroom, get new curtains, organize, organize, organize. Sleep... and maybe even drive into the city one day.

But for now, good night!
Krista

Who's on the Phone?

I'm thinking of calling it quits on this blog. While it has been a somewhat useful form of communication I'm really not seeing it's point as of late.

I do like the fact that I have "somewhere" to track my 101.

Maybe it's because I do not know who is reading my blog, or how often. I had my ticker which I deleted by accident...

I think I'm having the same problem with my blog as I'm having with my life.

One Year Ago

A year ago tomorrow we lost Renee. At 6:35pm Central time (for she was in New York) she left the earth for heaven. Oh how I miss her. Some days more then others, but she will remain a part of my heart forever.

I don't know what to expect from tomorrow. I know it's been a roller coaster of emotions this week leading up to the sad anniversary. I have also had a couple of migraines and rowdy students which haven't helped.

In the year since she past there has been a void, in the foursome that we were (if you're lost in all this look here) in the celebrations of life's victories and challenges, and who I was because I knew her.

She was one that I loved, my cousin and my friend.

I miss her laugh, her craziness, her smile and even her complaining.

Cheers to you little one!

Oh say can you see?

My blog?

When I come into my blog I can see the header and side stuff but no posts. Is that the same for you? Has anyone else had this problem? I can still access my posts by selecting them individually from the side.

Let me know...

100 Posts!

This is my 100th post and my first one about living in the house.

As you can see from the pictures below we're starting to get a little more settled into our place. We've planned a date for the housewarming and I just made cookies in my new oven!

I am really enjoying the short commute to work and right now we are dogsitting for Steve's brother and our sister-in-law and have really been enjoying little Sophie. It's definitely been giving us the itch... to get a dog.

I've also had the opportunity to do some 101's. Some in progress and some completed.

11. Make an upholstered headboard. - You can see it in the picture of our bedroom. It's not quite completed to my liking but we could leave it the way it is now. I need to mount it yet and put on nailhead trim.

37. Sponsor a missionary we're not currently sponsoring

50. Eat at the dining room table every day for a month- this has gotten a lot easier since moving into the house.

62. Don't eat fried chips for 2 months. - this one is hurting. I might even cop out and find a loop hole and do one month and then another month. It will be one month on Thursday.

72. Buy or make curtains for the upstairs 1/6- This is my mission right now. I REALLY dislike some of the curtains in the house. In particular the bright pink one in the office and the venetians in the living room. Bleck.

There's a bunch on the list that I plan to tackle on Spring break, and purchases I would like to make when in Fargo with the girls in just two weeks!

For now, signing off from Steinbach!

Cheers!
Krista

Our House!

2 More Sleeps

Until we're home owners. We've done all the most important things on my list of to dos. We've given the big check to the lawyer, we've signed all the papers, I have finished all my report cards, almost everything is packed. The table has been taken apart, the bed has been taken apart (for which I needed to use my new drill YAY).

Tomorrow I am having two Valentine's parties complete with goodies, finishing packing and then to bed and when I wake up it's off to Steinbach to get the keys to the house, to prime and paint the master bedroom. Back to Winnipeg to load up the truck and then officially move.

It's so close I can almost feel it! And what's also great is my parents are coming out on Monday and my mom hasn't seen the house yet!

Cheers!
Krista

What's Up?

Well I have
- one set of report cards done
- the others well on their way
- 7 commuting days left : )
- a whole lot of boxes packed
- our address changed at Canada Post
- I bought a killer pair of jeans this weekend (and got a teacher's discount!!)
- Moving Truck (thanks to Henry) ready to go. Movers still appreciated on either the Steinbach or Winnipeg end after work on Friday the 13th (let me know...)

and today while Steve was making himself chicken fingers I heard "man I can't wait to have a convection oven". And yes, most of our appliance selections are finalized (and I didn't pick anything that was all done by dear Stephen)

Still left to do
- call Shaw and figure out whether we are going to go with them or figure out who we're doing cable/internet through
- call Dufresne's and tell them about our chipped chair, I know if we call after we move they are going to blame it on the move.
- pack all the other boxes, clean
-Finish second set of report cards, meet with parents from first report cards
- Buy paint and painting supplies
- Meet with the lawyer to sign all the papers
- So many more little things.

Oh and celebrate my 26th birthday this Saturday. How did I forget about that?

That's how life is going right now! Things are falling into place slowly but surely. However, I still haven't figured out why we CHOSE to move during report cards and winter... Oh well. It won't kill us, but maybe make us stronger!

Cheers!
Krista

No Time to Blog

Things have been pretty busy lately between teaching 44 little people, packing and getting everything sorted out for the move and oh yeah report cards for those lovely little people. Plus other general life things.

The move to full-time has been going pretty well (excluding today). I have been noticing that I'm a lot more tired and more and more I cannot wait for the move and only having to drive 5 minutes to school. Yeeee haaaw!

Well, time to get back to the report cards!

Cheers!
Krista

New Years...Resolution?

We had a New Years unlike we've had for many years last night. There was only 5 people at our party and that included us. We rang in 2009 with my cousin Monique and her really good friend Lynne who is now a mutual good friend (we've just started doing things together even when Monique is gone) and her boyfriend. A good time was had by, I think, all.

The new year always strikes a chord in me about who I want to be in the next year. In 2008 I wanted to be more self-disciplined. I don't know that it happened but I did attain my goal of running the half-marathon that in my mind was linked with self-discipline.

This year, 2009, I want to be a kinder, softer and less critical person. If anyone has any good suggestions on how to do that I'm all ears.

Cheers to love, life and 2009!