Feliz Thanksgiving...?

I teach my students one or two Spanish phrases at the end of each school day and they always try to come up with some crazy word or phrase to stump Miss Henderson.

Well. Yesterday, one sweet child asked me if we could learn how to say "Happy Thanksgiving"...
I replied that there is not an exact Spanish phrase because the Thanksgiving holiday and tradition began in America.

Their faces turned to gloom. It was as if I just told them that they would never have recess again, as long as they lived.

Perturbed and reflecting on how we had been discussing the importance of the Thanksgiving holiday and origin, I reiterated to the class that other countries do not celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. And...then I taught them the Spanish word for turkey. El pavo.

The bell rang as I was shaking my head, in disbelief, that my students were heart broken over the fact that the Pilgrims did not sail to Mexico. Or Spain. Or Ecuador.

Whew. I am ready for Thanksgiving break with my family and Grant!

Staying Busy

The Boy has left for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with his best friend and two buddies from college. They are going with the Cherokee Gives Back program. I am waiting patiently to hear whether he has made it safely.


Meanwhile, I am enjoying teaching in the third grade and staying busy until he returns on November 7th. Hopefully, I will have time to keep you all posted on the silly things that 8 year olds say. :)

Romans 8:28.

In transition.

I have graduated from college.
I am patiently awaiting a job offer in MHC while staying in Cary.
I miss my kindergarten students.
I hope to slowly re-enter the blogging world.
I love the Boy.

For a visual of my life in the last few weeks, please visit the Boy's photography blog. He has been better about documenting our lives...

I had to...

Formal weekend with Chi Psi in Williamsburg, VA.
one word: legitimate.

This is simply a sneak preview until I have time to breathe (read: compose a more appropriate post and become a better blogger...)

PS -- my student, fondly known as Rat Tail, got a buzz cut. Big changes for this little guy.

PSS -- I have 3 little days left with these kiddos. super sad!

Scout.

I had the privilege to meet the Boy's family dog, Scout, back in November before our memorable road trip. Our time together included walks on the golf course, cozy weekends by the fire, and a field trip to the flea market. Well...this chocolate lab, old and wise has been in a lot of pain and was sadly put to sleep yesterday.
It's been a sad little week. We loved him!
Aren't they handsome?

in love.

I fell in love with Smith Mountain Lake, VA, on Friday. Stayed for the Easter weekend with the Boy and his family. {Image by CGL II}


Trying to prepare for a week of parent conferences, teaching the kiddos, portfolio, resume, and gearing up for formal weekend in Williamsburg.

Been an awful blog friend...will check up on everyone soon. Promise.

Good Times

I've been busy with:














while the Boy has been sailing here:













{Image by CGL II}

So, following his safe return, we had a wonderful, relaxing weekend. And we found a new favorite dinner dish...it turned out to be prettttty yummy! :)

Island Spice Salmon

4 salmon fillets, 1/2 pound each
2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the salmon in a shallow dish. Pour pineapple juice over the fish. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but no more than 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Remove salmon from the marinade and discard the juice. Put salmon on the baking sheet. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Evenly distribute sugar spice mixture all over the top of the fish.

Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish is cooked to the desired doneness. -Recipe by Katie Lee Joel



Good times :)

wonderful weekend.

I'm still blown away at how perfect this past weekend was. After an extremely stressful week, I enjoyed the following:


Valentine Card Swap with the kiddos on Friday afternoon, complete with the following quote from Wanna Be Jay-Z: "Ms. Henderson, you smell sooo goooood. Not everyone can smell as good as you. Wow!" I felt honored. Truly, ha ha.




Lovely dinner at Crook's Corner and Valentine's Day fraternity cocktail with the Boy. Splendid time. I'm so blessed!


Brunch at my favorite place in Raleigh. Strawberry waffle! yum!

Piddled with the Boy and his chocolate lab, Scout. Scout was in heaven as we ventured to the flea market at the NC State Fairgrounds. I saw so many wonderful antiques and treasures. And the weather was beautiful!

Dinner with the Boy's parents and then a late night movie...followed up with the hilarious home movies of him and his little brother. So precious. I almost died of laughter. He was a wild child. End. of. story.

Lovely church service at Hope Community Church. Today's sermon was The Case of the Devoted Church. Acts 2:42-47.

2009 is going to be a great year. I can just tell!

Love.

Yahoo! We're having a Valentine's Day Card Swap tomorrow for the little munchkins. In preparation for our fun afternoon, today our students decorated big folders for their itty bitty Valentine's cards, candy, stickers, and HSM tattoos (yes, I'm making that prediction).

While gluing his pink, purple, and white hearts, onto his bright red folder, Rat Tail proclaims: "Ms. Henderson, I'm just a-workin' for love." Oh boy.

AND

Amidst the gluing, cutting, and coloring, 5 year old who insists he is the next Jay-Z was being absolutely absurd and I went over and quietly asked him what was going on today and why he was having such a hard time making good choices. He replied: "Oh I just don't know...I think I need to go back on that behavior contract, Ms. Henderson...I need more support you know. I need to be able to tell my mommy and daddy when I have good days...you know, when I get all smileys."

No surprise, but the same two little boys were sweetly featured here.

PS -- Valentine's Cocktail tomorrow evening with the Boy. Pretty dresses and bow ties. yessssss. love love love.

Yes please.

There is just something so sweet and classic about this ring. Thoughts?

Forget Me Knot


Gold or Sterling Silver? I say go for the gold.

Valentine's Cocktail on Friday. Get excited.

ridiculous.

Life is ridiculously good right now. Random thoughts/purchases...get ready.


Longchamp Le Pliage. Yep. I finally did it. And I'm thrilled. I couldn't turn down the Green Pistachio.

Going home to the beach this weekend and bringing the Boy (so thrilled to see my family!). Sadly, we won't be dressed in such attire from last weekend. See below :)


Attended a cocktail at his fraternity house. Those ridiculous boys had putt putt holes set up all throughout the Lodge and of course we had to dress accordingly. I loved his green blazer and my argyle socks. Later in the evening I sported his Masters visor. I may have looked like I could golf. Not truth. But it was all so much fun!

Fell in love with a pea coat while being silly with kWb on Saturday. Cream wool blend with sweet buttons and it's just precious. Sadly, cannot find a picture on the internet in the cream color. Trust me, it's gorgeous. AND because I loved it so much, I called a Banana Republic in VA and the toasty coat arrived on my doorstep today.

Bible study tomorrow night and we are starting to study the book of James. yay! Love that precious book. Favorite verse: James 1:2-4.

My students are finally getting used to 2009. None of that "Today is...Tuesday, January 27th, Two thousand Eiigh Ninnnnnne"....ha ha. But seriously, I'm not as tired as I was in the beginning of the semester and the class is going smoothly. Just finished up second quarter and report cards go home on Tuesday, next week. My supervising teacher and I are working well together and we are getting those five and six year olds to write their first AND last name. Big step.

And finally, I stayed around after school today with some other kindergarten teachers and experienced my first P90X workout. We don't mess around. Bring it.

The truth comes out...

Such an eventful week: new jeans from my lovely sunrise sale experience (a blog post in itself...be patient with me), a new president, two snow days, field trip tomorrow and rush cocktail tomorrow evening. whew! The clever and beautiful cBr sent me a teeny award a few days ago and I'm just getting around to it...so here it goes!



Soooo I've chosen a few blogs that I think are simply sweet as pie :)

With Love from New Orleans
Mrs. Bliss
Monogrammed Teacher

You get to play!

-Choose a few blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

-Show the winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap." Well, there's no prize, but you can keep the nifty icon :)

-List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

1) I'm obsessed with Special K cereal. Fruit and yogurt. Vanilla almond. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes I have it for dessert. Makes me feel like I'm eating healthy...?

2) When my alarm goes off, you can usually find me leaping out of bed. I'm not one to press the snooze.

3) I always make my bed before leaving mi casa.


{Wish my bed was adorned in such a classic way. I've got one monogrammed pillow. Note to self: I need to work on that.}

4) I have a strange obsession with pretty paper. Stationery and I are pretty much bff.

5) I love everything single thing about a wedding. Anyone who knows me well...already knows this. What's not to love?
“Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love still stands when all else has fallen.” -1 Corinthians 13:7

6) I'm a sucker for a bow ties...'nough said.



7) the Boy says that I'm "ridiculous", "absurd", and "legit". And I like that. It suits me.

8) I was a ballet dancer for a grand total of eleven years. Saut de chat anyone?

9) Throughout high school and the first three semesters of college, I was dead set on being a pediatrician. Then Organic Chemistry and I met and sealed my fate to become a teacher. I could not be happier in Elementary Education.

10) Even though Organic Chemistry kicked my tail and I decided that majoring in Biology was not my cup of tea, I truly believe that it was the Lord working in my life as I found my calling to be a teacher. I was had been so focused on the wordly needs in life instead of living a life that brings glory to God. So...play dough, dry erase markers, band aids, journal writing, IEPs, profile cards...ta da! And I'm immersed in Elementary Education. Even though there are stressful days, I honestly love being a light in the classroom and the children make my day! I want my students (and the world!) to know that my heart is sold out for Christ by the way I walk, talk, and breathe for my Lord. And well...since I'm being honest...it's a hard thing to do! But who doesn't like a challenge?!


Well kiddos, there you have it. Southern Sunshine at her finest. hah.

Waist Watchers

Another reason why I love kindergarten:

"Look Ms. ____________! My mommy gave me a Waist Watchers snack!

oh my :)


PS - The Boy is amazing.


PSS - Please excuse the short posts and lack of comments. Life is crazy.

Holding Hands

With the celebration of Christ's birth, my loving family in town, and a new beau by my side, I'm quite joyful this holiday season.

A visual image of what I've been up to for the past few days...
{Image found here}


PS -- One of my favorite things to do: holding hands with loved ones.

Hip Hip Hooray!

Wrapped a few gifts last night for a special someone...



The Boy is coming today! AND staying for a day or two :)

I can't stop smiling. That's all.

Sunday Lunch

I had the privilege of joining the Boy for Sunday lunch last week after church. He decided to treat me to my first visit at The Weathervane. I had no idea I was in for such a lovely, Southern experience. Located off 15-501 in University Mall in Chapel Hill, NC, this restaurant once started as a teeny treasure located within A Southern Season. Since 1975, The Weathervane has blossomed and is no longer a cafe but an acclaimed restaurant dedicated to serving the beaus and belles of the South.

When browsing their website, I can across this letter by the founder of the restaurant and wanted to share:

"We all smile when folks notice that A Southern Season's weathervane has all it's arrows pointing south. It's symbolic of traditions where service and hospitality hold honor and respect, and we hope that those traditions are shared each time you choose to visit the store and the restaurant." -Michael Barefoot

Boy and I had the wonderful opportunity to browse A Southern Season while waiting for our table. At the moment I entered the store, I think my jaw dropped. I was in heaven and thinking to myself that I have been living in a hole if I've never stepped foot in such an amazing place. Word on the street is that the Boy loved watching my eyes light up as I discovered such treasures:

All pottery by VIETRI.





Hmmmm, Lemon Drops :)



The December Wine Case

{All images from A Southern Season}

Not to mention that the assortment of paper goodness was beyond belief...Crane & Co., kate spade, and PAPYRUS... so yummy.

Beloved Craig Claiborne of the NY Times labeled A Southern Season "wall to wall and floor to ceiling, a visual and gustatory delight" and I could not agree more. Politely devouring my fried green tomatoes, cheddar scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit, this little lady was in Southern heaven. I think a tradition of having Sunday Lunch there wouldn't be too shabby.

I'm just sayin'.
And thank you to CGL for such an amazing lunch. Let's go again...my treat!

Ridiculous...

So I was right about the Boy. This Thanksgiving will be significant in years to come...I can tell :)

I ended up packing an overnight bag and joining him on a photography road trip across NC. Yes, that's right. Nags Head, NC to Stone Mountain, NC.

Started out in Cary, NC and drove in the late Friday afternoon to Nags Head. Arrived around dinner time and began looking for a place to fill our tummies. Mulligan's, it was. We each had almond-encrusted Rockfish, mashed sweet potatoes, and cute little hushpuppies. I had just had Thanksgiving dinner and seafood extravaganza with my family but the seafood was a treat for the Boy. Oh, one thing we realized over dinner...Boy had forgotten his whole backpack of clothes. Yep, sitting right here on his bed in Cary. No bueno. So, we ventured to Kitty Hawk Sports and Surf Shop where he got this Patagonia fleece -- in the color North Sea -- and it looks great with his blue eyes. He figured he could manage the rest of the weekend without the rest of his clothes but warmth is a necessity.

The plan was to originally camp in the back of the Yukon...but our mothers were not keen on this idea. So we ventured out to the Clarion Hotel and booked a little room for the night.

And to the moooooovies we go to see Nicole Kidman in Australia. I completely recommend this movie. It was a lovely blend of romance, action, passion, and comedy. Plus, little Nullah was the cutest little boy. We were both captivated throughout the entire movie and my favorite aspect was how the film included references to the Wizard of Oz and one of my favorite songs, Somewhere Over the Rainbow :)

We, then headed off to the Harry Teet for the necessities (that was still on his bed in Cary) for the Boy -- toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. This chica was completely exhausted at this point and needed rest. Going back to the Clarion, we bunkered down for bed, waiting for the sun to rise.

Boy has to capture sunrise shots of this part of North Carolina so we got up at 5:45am, with his back hurting tremendously, and in his words he was in a "terrible way". (Still aren't sure at this point what is going on with his back but I say "doctor" soon) We headed for Oregon Inlet where he took some great beach shots and of the Bodie Island lighthouse. Then, we drove back towards Nags Head and we went on Jockey's Ridge where the sand won the adventure. We were c-o-v-e-r-e-d. And everyone in unison say: BRRR. For some more photos, we drove a little ways down Hwy 12 to Kitty Hawk and he took a few shots of the Memorial to the Wright Brothers.

And then the big jaunt begins for the other side of North Carolina. Lots of music. Lots of having to stop for the bathroom (my fault...I'm not a camel by any means...). Lots of conversation and laughs. Stops for gas (it's getting cheaper!) and lunch. And then the rain begins. Rain!? what?! in the mountains?! no way. yes way. It always rains there.

Not to mention that this gal got carsick (that never happens) and I finally get out at Stone Mountain State Park and the fresh air was amazing. I immediately felt better (like magic) and the rain slacked off as well. He took pictures of this neat waterfall that was about .6 miles down the trail. Then, we headed toward the Blue Ridge Parkway but we stopped in awe of the deer that were in the Park. At one point, I counted 12 deer just munching away in a field. Boy then shoots amazing pictures...it was like we were at a petting zoo. We then saw two bucks after a doe -- never in my life have I seen something like that in real life! Racing against the rain, Boy finally finds the overlook he wants to photograph and we begin our journey home.

Please keep in mind that the Service Engine Soon light keeps flashing to no end that should be considered in this tale. We stopped in Yadkinville (apparently, there, they say it in only two syllables...I still can't get that one) and talked to the Advanced Auto man named Chan. He and the Boy diagnose the truck and everything is fine. We put some magical seafoam in the fuel tank and everyone is happy, including the Yukon. Boy gets high-quality recommendation from Chan to go to Taste of Italy for dinnnnner. I was suspicious but hungry and ready to eat :) Food was yummy, service was quick, and we had lots of leftovers.

At this point, the rain is coming down pretty hard but we still had a ball on the way home. I keep my eyelids open and we just talked and laughed a lot...Boy told me lots of stories about his fraternity, growing up, and all the crazy times he has had in college. We realized we had been in the same room, restaurants, conferences, multiple times before but never knew it. Crazy huh? Small world. Arriving back in Cary around 9pm, we said our goodbyes and he headed off to Chapel Hill. Yes, that's right...he is a Carolina boy. eek! I will be seeing this fellow again tonight...it's time to cram our quality time in before his finals and my projects begin to pile up. OH wait, they've already piled.

I love road trips. His photography may follow soon. That's all.

Did not see this coming...

There's a boy :) with lots of potential.
That's right...Southern Sunshine is smitten.

Excuse the lack of posts...life has been cRaZy. Hopefully, I will get creative/have time to breathe over Turkey Break.

Leave love!