Best Weekend.

You may think from the heading that I did something exciting this weekend, but I did not.  It was cold and rainy here all weekend, and we did absolutely nothing.  Well, close to nothing.  I did a little cleaning, grading and my lesson plans, but that is it.  We watched movies and hung out.  Our mutts haven't been very impressed with us.  Oh, I also made cookies.  They were mediocre at best.  
Saturday night we went to the local winery.  Yes, there is a winery in Miles City.  I was hesitant, as I am a bit of a wine snob....but it was fantastic.  Yes Grandma, I got you a bottle that we can drink in May.  

The Tongue Tied was my favorite, very yummy.  We got the Red Raspberry for my mom and the Deep Purple for Michael's sister.  They have a fantastic selection of fruity wines, if you like that kind of wine - I do not.  I like good 'ol, dry red.  

It was gloomy today so I picked some of the neighbor's lilacs for the house :)

Does anyone know where a person can get these?  Quite a few people have them around here, and I want one.

I love these flowers.  They are one of my favorites - especially the dark purple ones.

Hello Rain

According to the "blog schedule" that I made for myself, I am supposed to blog about my to-do list.  I do not think there is enough room in one blog to list my entire to - do list.  We'll see though - I love writing lists, the issues arise when it comes time to prioritize those lists though.  As the school year is coming to an end, a lot of my to-do's have to do with school. 
I will try to prioritize here, for my own sake.

1.  Lose 20 pounds. Ha. Not going to happen anytime soon, but it my main goal.

2.  Get all of my stuff to check - out of school put together.  (should be #1)

3.  Clean my house.  This is constantly on my to-do list.  I hate doing it.

4.  Laundry. Obviously.

5.  Get in shape.  I have been trying - kind of.  I do really well for like 10 days, and then stop.  However, I recently found some motivation.  A girl I went to high school with has recently become a bit of a work-out freak, if you will.  She is a mother of two of the cutest girls I have ever seen (seen pictures of , that is) and wanted to lose her baby/marriage weight.  She started going to Zumba and has progressed from there.  She looks GREAT - and she is really motivational, via facebook.  Anyway, Zumba is definitely not my cup of tea but it has made me want to start up INSANITY again.  I love that work out.  It is one of the best things that I have ever done.  However, you have to be in pretty good shape to even make it through the warm-up.  So, I have been doing Jillian Michaels and running about 5 times a week.   Jillian used to be easy for me but it just about kills me now. 

6.  Attend some professional development and get prepared to teach 1st and 2nd grade.  I think I should see an organizational specialist of some sort.  ASAP.

I am so excited to teach first and second grade.  My school has been great and offered me so many wonderful opportunities.  I love it out here.  I interviewed originally for a Title 1 position, but I had always wanted to teach first grade.  I also LOVE teaching older kids, particularly reading and language arts.  I have now had the opportunity to do all of those things.  If the schedules allow, I will continue to teach 7th and 8th grade Language Arts next year - exciting.... :)

Lately however, I have been feeling really burnt out on teaching.  I hit a wall so to speak.  I had a cold, I was crabby and just annoyed with my job in general.  I think it had something partially to do with the fact that my students are SO well behaved - usually, and lately they have not been.  Spring fever hit big here about two weeks ago.  My classroom was crazy, my kids were naughty and I HATE summer - so obviously I was grouchy.  Anyway, I was observed yesterday by our superintendant and taught a terrible lesson.  Terrible.  BUT - my kids were awesome little workers yesterday :)   Have you ever tried to teach exchanging money to  5 year olds?  How about trying to teach it when 50 other kids are having recess right outside your window....AND they haven't been in school for a week due to field trips and various other reasons.  Disaster is what that equals.  It was awful to say the least.  Regardless, my kids were good :)

Also on a positive note, IT IS RAINING IN EASTERN MONTANA.  I love rain and hate heat - so things are good.

Catching Up...

The love of my life :)

The best Wilderness.

One cold puppy!

"Where you go, I will go.  And Where you stay, I will stay."

"Every love story is great, but ours is my favorite!"

I have good news!  I have a job next year :)  My contract was renewed, well technically it was changed, not renewed - but I am still excited.  I have taught Kindergarten and K-6 Art this past year, and get to switch to first and second grade next year.  So excited!!!!! That means my poor kiddos are stuck with me for two more years though - poor guys.  I also get to continue teaching 7th and 8th grade Language Arts, which is great.  


However, on a not so great note....this is what happened today.

Ouch!  Michael and I went to a Pioneers baseball game - actually two games.  It was fun, but HOT.  Plus, my knees are scabbed so double ouch.  The Pioneers beat Dawson which is suhweet! !  


Being outside all day did allow me to take some pictures of the prettiest time of year in Miles City, Montana though.

I love tulips - and my absolute favorite color of flower is orange.










Unfortunately, these flowers are not in my garden, but there are nearby.  Mine have not bloomed yet.








I am growing basil and an assortment of flowers though - 

Aren't they perdy?!?!?!?  I am super excited for the basil.  I LOVE basil. 


My bountiful basket had basil in it this week, which I was incredibly stoked about.  I had it tonight on my grilled cheese.  I love grilled cheese.  Especially with basil on it.


Anyway, while it may be spring time here, it isn't at home.  These photos are from Easter Weekend.  Michael and I hiked part of the way to the West Boulder Meadows (one of my favorite places) and enjoyed time at home.

Sandhill Cranes are my favorite birds.  My dad and I got to watch them dance one Spring and to this day it was one of the neatest things that I have ever seen.  I love them - and the noises that they make.

It was cold and Zippy did not like his haircut.  He still doesn't like it.  

The tail to the Meadows.

Cool icicles on top of the moss.  I like green.



I found this on Pinterest and felt the need to share.  Such truth.

 

A compilation of thoughts.....

I have been really good at procrastinating lately.  Really good.  I always procrastinate, but typically not to this extent.  I have obviously procrastinated doing laundry - surprisingly enough, not Michael's - just my own.  I suppose that is alright though, the deeper I dig in my closet, the more "new" clothes I have :) Want to know something embarrassing?  I found a shirt hanging in my work closet (yes, I have 1.5 closets).  This particular shirt still had a price tag on it....yikes.  I love it.  Michael told me it was hideous.  Whatever.  Speaking of this shirt, I wore it to Billings last week for my mom's initial chemo treatment - which she handled very well.  Enough on that - I imagine I'll already get a phone call telling me not to blog about her :)

Anyway...I wore this "new" shirt to Billings.  My husband's job is in the top 10 - worst - things - that - have - ever - happened - to - me list and I had to drive myself.  While my dad is a fantastic teacher when it comes to most everything, he didn't really cover big city (and by big city, I obviously mean Billings...) driving.  We spent years learning how to drive so close the edge, you might as well have been in the ditch - but DON'T. DRIVE. IN. THE. DITCH!  He taught us to how drive through drifts as tall as the pick-up, how to put chains on, how to drive on ice, in mud...etc.   His general philosophy for winter driving is "It's just a little ice....."  Obviously my mother and him do not really see eye to eye when it comes to appropriate transportation.  Nonetheless, he did teach me to be a careful and fast driver.  I am thankful for this because I love my husband dearly, but he drives slower than my mother - and her max. speed is like 40. Maybe.  If she is in a hurry.  :)  Just kidding, Mom - I think we all know you drive faster than Mike.    Back to my initial point...My dad was flabbergasted that I could not drive in Billings....  I suck at it.  Pure and simple.  Thank God for my i-phone.  


P.S.  I despise Billings.  What an awful place.  I love Bozeman though, and miss it dearly.


Speaking of thanking God for the i-phone - while in Billings, my Grandma gave me the most beautiful book I have ever seen.  It is a family heirloom of sorts.  I am not sure when it was made, but it was given to a great - great - great - great grandmother of mine in the 1800's.  It is a Bible, that I am not sure I can read.  I started reading a little bit of it, but it is incredibly hard to understand.  I think I need to educated muhself with a simpler text.  I will get a picture up in the future.


I am excited to go home this weekend for Easter and take some new pictures!  There is nothing here to take pictures of.  No mountains.  Well, there are some small mountains in the alley behind my house that just seem to keep multiplying.  Last week these totally obnoxious kids - who do NOT even live on my block seemed to think that MY alley was the perfect location for their bike jumps.  Not cool.  Clearly I ran them over.....3 days in a row....and yesterday they were back.  Not only do they build jumps - BIG jumps, they leave their bikes laying in the alley.  These are not small children mind you - at least 10 years old.  Finally, I told them if they left their bike in the road again, I was going to run it over.  Obviously.  Also, I run these damn jumps over on a regular basis and they just stand their and scowl at me.  Seriously, kid????? Go get your OWN alley.  I drive a Subaru, not a monster truck.  Also, wear some clothes.  They are out there in their shorts and that is all  - not even shoes.  It is not THAT warm out - well, one day it was.  But not most.  


Where are your parents?
Where are your clothes?
AND
Where is YOUR alley?


Go home and stay there.  Please and thank you.  


While I am venting about my neighborhood. . . A lady decided it was appropriate to tell me yesterday that my dog barked at her kid and chased it.  The barking part was probably true - my bad.  However, keep your scroungy little kid OUT. OF. MY. YARD. and away from my dog.  What I wanted to tell her was that if her child let my dog out of it's kennel one. more. time. I am going to let it bite her.  Seriously.  Well, I would be half way serious if my dog would actually bite someone.  And...to giver her kid a bath.

I want this bit.  Bad.  Unfortunately, my Dad is stingy with his tack.

Lime green is my fav.

Even though I am not a fan of Spring / Summer, I do like flowers and robin eggs......