Saturday Fun

Saturday mornings hold a special place in my heart. Chad and I are (usually) both free on Saturdays with no place to rush off to. The morning usually begins with a cup of coffee before moving on to a house project or errands or maybe a long walk with Koda. Koda and I are getting some snuggling time in while Chad sleeps a little while longer-he's been waking up with me this week (TOO early)!

On our agenda today : more shelving in the laundry nook and some free standing wall shelves for the office. Photos to come. :)

The Sweet South

Since moving to North Carolina I have experienced/discovered several new things (new to me) :

1. Sweet tea (go on and laugh it up native southerners...). My first exposure to sweet tea was by simple reference in Nicholas Sparks' novel Dear John when the two main characters enjoy a casual dinner with "the best sweet tea around". What the heck is sweet tea? I thought. I continued reading with little problem. It's just iced tea where I come from. I love it.

2. North Carolina is not all palm trees. Growing up in New York my exposure to "The South" was based on movie depictions of the (stereotypical) South and my travels to south Florida....in all of its palm tree glory.

My move to North Carolina was rash and the time between the decision and actual move was all of two days. I thought since North Carolina was in the South, there'd be palm trees...everywhere. Not true.

3. There are good and bad people everywhere. But generally speaking, southerners are more pleasant people. I'm trying to become more like a true southerner.

4. The majority of youth in Charlotte, North Carolina don't have southern accents. It's sad really. If they do, they are faint. Nevertheless I will find a way to have children with darling little southern accents.

5. Summers are hot. Incredibly and brutally hot. Air conditioning is a glorious thing.

6. Food. New food I've been exposed to : hush puppies, shrimp and grits, grits (I do not like), gravy that is not really gravy and actually eaten at breakfast, biscuits, coleslaw (slaw) served on top of hot dogs, barbecue-which is actually a food and not the outdoor cooking device you make it on or the event of eating it-just the food, and so much more that I'm sure I will remember as soon as I post this.

7. Getting to know and sharing in the lives of beautiful women and roommates. Bethany Early Marum and I crammed both of our female lives into a one bedroom apartment for several months. You know you have a great friend when the friendship doesn't end after your cat pees on her stuff (repeatedly...I'm still really sorry!). Heather Boswell Gatch opened her gorgeous home to me as I looked for a new living situation that would be a better financial turn for me. Her home is fabulously decorated yet still charmingly cozy, she loves Friends and has one of the best movie collections, and she bakes cakes and offers leftovers-score! Thank you Heather for your hospitality and friendship. Mikala Hooper is the most uplifting and fun person to be around....ever. God's anointing is all over this woman and I enjoyed sharing my home with such a beautiful woman (inside and out). She survived my pre-wedding mania and is still my friend....this girl is amazing.

Then my pseudo roommate, Taylor Cote, who I have never actually lived with but have had two roommates in common with her and I feel like she deserves a shout out! AND, I want to plug her blog because she's adorable and her blog-covering fashion, fun, and her life in Cali-is incredibly entertaining and will leave you walking away with ideas for your home, closet, or belly. :)

Check this girl out:

Taylor Cote's sweet blog

Living and Learning

Teaching is challenging, there is no way around that. It is also incredibly rewarding. The rewards are scattered here and there and sometimes you may go a while without seeing one, but they do show up.

This morning one of my classes took their final exam which covered all areas of study since the start of the semester in late January. The majority of the exam was multiple choice, but the last three questions were short answer, and more personal. High school is not just about grammar, spelling and literature but also-and most importantly-about living and learning. In short, students had to :

1) Recall their most memorable life experience, explain why it was memorable and how it has influenced their life and who they are today.


2) Share the best advice they ever received, convince me why it was the best advice and let me know whether or not they took it.

and lastly...

3) Complete a bucket list with at least ten things they want to do before they die (FYI : skydiving was the most popular aspiration).

Some insight into the lives of youth today...

One student-talkative but incredibly sweet-saw his father murdered right in front of his eyes. He told me he tries to forget that it ever happened but it's really, REALLY hard....


One boy was involved with a gang and spent time in jail for various reasons. He lived wildly while his ill mother fought for her life. Before she died she told her son, my student, she wants him to graduate high school and do well in life. Since that moment, this boy has changed his ways and is currently working toward graduating next June. (In a class discussion he even quoted scripture. I'm praying for another soul in heaven!)


One young lady is going to high school, working, and taking care of her mentally ill mother, alone.


Another sweet student has recently moved to Charlotte from New Orleans to live with her father. She moved because her mother died.


This teeny tiny girl, filled with the largest, joyous personality, almost drowned this past weekend before a lifeguard pulled her out of the water. She described her thoughts, as she struggled to stay above water, to be filled with the desire to tell her family how much she loved them and was sorry for not appreciating them as much as she should.


And one boy wants to marry a supermodel before he dies.