UNO!

UNO has become all the rage at la casa de Spaeth in recent days.  It has become an every night phenomenon.  Luke cannot get enough...after 5 games, it's still, "Who wants to play another game?"  Luke was the undisputed champion tonight, Brandon last night.  Maybe tomorrow will be my night...

Welcome Fall!

We've spent the weekend welcoming the official arrival of fall.  The mornings and evenings are cool, the trees are starting to turn, and my 2 small loads of Sunday laundry have turned into 2 really large loads that maybe should have been split into 3.

I have not been a good blogger of late.  My new job is keeping me far busier than I expected.  I am loving it, but just trying to keep my head above water with planning each week.  If you know me well, you probably know that I'm not a day-to-day person.  I like to be way ahead of where I need to be, so this has taken me out of my comfort zone, but I feel like I'm finally starting to get into the swing of things and work it out. 

On Friday night, we spent a fun evening with family celebrating my dad's & my birthday with a good old-fashioned wienie roast.  Growing up, this was how we celebrated our birthdays every year at my grandma's, and it always felt like it was my special thing.  I mean - no one else had a wienie roast in their honor every year.  It had been years since the last one, but now that the grandkids are getting a little older, my folks thought it would be fun to have one this year.  They were right...the kids had a blast!

Next year at this time, there will be 2 more grandkids added into the mix!  I have a nephew due to arrive in January and another neice or nephew who will arrive in March.  There are many more fun times awaiting all the grandkids.

After stuffing ourselves on hot dogs and s'mores Friday night, we hung out with some friends in the city last night.  They surprised us with more s'mores made over their fire pit after dinner last night.  I think Luke's s'more total for the weekend was 5, along with many single roasted marshmallows as well.  I'll apologize to his teacher if he is still on a sugar high tomorrow!

Reflections & Ramblings

So we're finishing up dinner tonight and Brandon asks Luke if he's ready to go outside and do his chores, which I know nothing about.  So Luke says, "Mom, Dad is going to pay me to pick up acorns.  That IS NOT a rip-off!"  Cracked me up. 

My husband is in the running for "Husband of the Century" or some such award that he should be given, hands-down.  For the 3rd week in a row, I've come home to a clean house.  The man HATES to vacuum, but he's done it...for me...for 3 weeks.  Wow...hubba, hubba.  And not only that, he surprised me with flowers on our anniversary last week.  Neither of us are gift people.  It's not one of my love languages (have you read that book?).  I'm a words of affirmation person - compliment me sincerely and I will love you forever.  However, I have to admit, my heart did go pitter-pat and my eyes teared up when Brandon told me to go look in the fridge to figure out what was for dinner and I found a dozen roses in there.  Love.That.Man!

We had a great time visiting with friends last Friday night.  The former youth pastor of our church, who is now a missionary in Ecuador, his wife and one of his daughters came for dinner, along with another of our best couple-friends.  It was a great night of visiting and catching up.  I'm so thankful for their friendship - even if we only get to spend a little time together once a year when they come back to the States to visit.  An added bonus was that we were talking about this awesome church video that our friend, Bennie, was part of several years ago that was so funny.  He told us it was on YouTube, so we watched it with them and once again over the weekend.  And I'm not going to lie, I just watched it again before I put the link in.  It is funny everytime.  I'm putting the video below...if you don't think church can be funny, then please watch this video.  It's a hoot!

I LOVE my new job.  I can't stop smiling.  I can't stop gushing.  I'm so happy doing it, it's ridiculous.  I love my new team, I love the kids, I love, love, love, love, love it!  I knew I needed the change.  I had no idea how badly I needed the change, though.  I wake up and I'm excited to go to work.  Someone told me last week that they had never seen me so happy at work (and I thought I was a generally happy-and-even-if-I'm-not-I'm-going-to-look-like-it kind of person), so that really told me something.  Tomorrow is IEP sign-off day and instead of worrying about who will or won't sign all my IEPs, I actually have to go sign someone else's.  How cool is that?  I know - not really that cool, but I'm excited. :)  I know the feeling will likely fade as the year wears on and August becomes December and then (cringe) March, but I hope that even if it fades, that it won't completely go away.

My reading for pleasure is definitely suffering now that I'm back at work.  Between trying to walk the dog, spend time with family, work out, and also get a little extra of my job-work done, I haven't had much time.  Add to that, today one of the sweet girls on my team brought me a Young Adult book that she feels is a must-read.  So sweet of her, but yikes, when am I going to get that done?  I just started The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale a couple nights ago, but haven't gotten very far.  Labor Day weekend isn't too far away - maybe it will be a Labor Day Marathon Reading Weekend?  We'll see!

So, there you have it...my reflections and ramblings on my life as I know it these days!

I Hear Ginger is a Birthday Girl!

Happy 10th birthday to our sweet Ginger girl!  She celebrated the occasion with a cup of Frosty Paws Peanut Butter puppy ice cream...and several restful naps, of course!  We're so thankful that she's such a special part of our family.  Enjoy a look back at Ginger's puppyhood.

Ginger at 9 weeks - the day after we got her.  Couldn't you just die at how stinking cute she is?

Enjoying a treat in the sunshine.

Practicing tricks with her daddy.  If you've never seen Ginger do her tricks, you're missing out.  Not to brag, but she's a smarty-pants.

1st Christmas...

Enjoying a favorite pastime of kicking herself in the face & then biting the foot that is kicking her in the face...she still ocassionally pulls this one out, but don't let her catch you watching her do it.  That'll stop her in her tracks.

Just so pretty.

LOVE this one...she still loves to cuddle up and sleep with her daddy.

Love that ear flopped back. :)

Ginger with what remained of her first birthday present - Hermie (the 1st).  Still one of her favorite toys if she's in the mood to play.

We're so thankful that she survived her illness of 2 years ago and is still with us to celebrate reaching double digits.  Everyday we give thanks for all the joy and love she brings to us!  Happy birthday Ginger!

This Day in 1996

Do you know what you were doing?  I was getting married.  I can't believe how quickly 15 years have gone by...gulp...it makes me feel a little old.  Of course, I was still essentially a teenager when I got married.  I didn't turn 20 until a month later. :)  I'm so thankful for Brandon and for all the amazing memories and adventures we've shared over the last years.  To celebrate, enjoy a look back in time at the two of us...

1994 - High School Graduation

1996 - the spring before we got married.

1997 - in St. Louis

1998 - before graduating from college

1999 - Heading home after visiting Brandon's brother in Des Moines - he gifted us with some of his garden tomatoes...that's what's in the bucket I'm carrying.  Maybe even the whole reason for the picture?  I don't know. :)

Christmas 2001 - Ginger was just a puppy...look how little she is!

2003 - At Graceland II in Holly Springs, MS.  If you ever go through Holly Springs, you MUST stop in & see this place.  It is a visit you'll never forget.  If you go 3 times, you become a lifetime member!  We still haven't made it back that way for visit #2, but we've promised that one day, we will!

2004 - At a friend's wedding.  I think the old couple behind us was jealous of our young love.

Easter 2005 - only 5 short days before Luke was born 8 weeks early!  And I thought I just had indigestion that day...little did I know what was to come.

2006 Arizona trip - Painted Desert & Petrified Forest - beautiful.  Go if you're in the area!

2007 Arizona trip - the lady with us is Rusty.  She and her husband own(?) a Pioneer ranch and restaurant we love to visit.  See picture below.

2008 Arizona trip - Rusty was so kind to help us recreate the previous year's photo.  We brought her a copy of the one from 2007.  I'm sure she still treasures it.

2009 - Utah ski trip.  Brandon's first experience skiing...lots of memories there!

2010 - Summer fun at home.

2011 - I think we're so much better looking now that we're older.

I discovered that 2000 & 2002 must have been really bad picture years - we had NONE that I could find of us together.  I also realized that once we got a digital camera in 2005, I started taking A LOT more pictures.  The first 15 have been amazing.  I can't wait to see what's in store for us in the next 15!

Back to School!

The day has finally arrived...time to head back to school.  It seems that the summer is WAY too short every year, and this year was no exception.  I'm happy to report that everyone had a good first day back and had lots to share about what we did today at school.  Luke had a good day of 1st grade, but he reported that it was not nearly as fun as kindergarten.  However, he says that he already loves his teacher, which makes my own teacher heart feel warm & fuzzy.  I also had a great first day in my new job.  It was so much fun getting to meet my new students and get to put some faces with the names.  I feel like I will remember a lot of names, but I know it won't be all of them, so I'm going to have to work on that.  Normally, I've been able to get away with it...not so much this year! 

 My big 1st grader!

Ginger's got to join in too!

My handsome guys (and Ginger)

First day of 1st grade & first day of 8th grade...and Ginger was so sad that we were leaving her today.

My new team. :)

Keeping Count

So, I haven't blogged for nearly 4 weeks.  Mainly, because I haven't had much to blog about.  We decided last Sunday to take a quick trip to Colorado, and 2 days later we were on the road.  It was Luke's 1st real trip, and was he ever excited!  On Tuesday morning at 6 am, we loaded up the kids (Ginger makes 2) and headed out for Colorado Springs.  Brandon and I being the road trip warriors that we are (Phoenix to KC in 17 & 1/2 hours & 3 stops - personal record), we weren't sure how Luke would do in the car for so long.  With both of our families living fairly close, he's never really had to make a really long trip in the car.  But, 8 & 1/2 hours and only 2 stops later, we made it to Colorado Springs.  He may just be a road warrior too!  Since it was too early to check into our hotel (Google directions said it would take us 10 hours - ha!), we decided to go check out a nearby attraction, 7 Falls.  Luke was in heaven!  He was fascinated with the mountains and loved looking at the waterfalls.  In order to really see the falls, though, you had to walk up a LOT of steps...like 224 really steep steps.

We weren't afraid to take them on, though.  Ginger made it up the first set on her own.  Brandon helped her out and carried her up the second set - that's a lot of steps for a nearly 10 year old doggie.  Luke didn't even bat an eye...

We hiked up through the canyon to check out more of the falls.  My favorite part was when we saw a sign along the trail that said, "Caution - Bears in this Area"  (which honestly kind of freaked me out too) and Luke says, "Is that really true?"  He questions everything...we assured him that we probably wouldn't see any bears, but yes, the sign was true. :)

 We absolutely LOVED Seven Falls.

On Day 2 of our quick trip, we decided to take Luke up Pike's Peak.  Along the way, we stopped to enjoy the beautiful Crystal Reservoir.  Luke thought it was amazing.

Eventually, we conquered the 14,110 foot mountain and here's the proof.  Just a note - this is Ginger's 2nd time achieving this feat.  The first time, though, she was only about 10 months old, so I'm not sure she really remembers much about it.

 This is Luke's "I'm really cold" face.  It was a cool 45 degrees at the summit of Pike's Peak.  Talk about a change from the heatwave we've been experiencing here at home!

Here we all are at the top.  After this picture, we were like, "Let's get out of here!" because we were so cold.

Our last sight-seeing stop was the Garden of the Gods.  I'm not sure if there is a more beautiful place on Earth.  Just. Absolutely. Gorgeous.

 My 3 favorite people (yes, I consider Ginger a person).

On Thursday morning, we packed up and headed back to KC.  The theme of our car trip seemed to be counting, which is why I decided to honor that theme in my blog.  What did we count? 

• 45 bull haulers (you know - cattle trucks - it's a Spaeth family tradition)
• 99 oil pumps
• We wanted to try to count the big windmills, but they're just staggered too weird and you get confused, so we'll just say a whole heck of a lot.
• And we saw 35 out of 50 state license plates (as well as 2 from other countries) - including around 8 from Hawaii.  Yep - Hawaii (they were on a car hauler, but it counts because you NEVER get Hawaii when you play the license plate game).

A little less than 8 & 1/2 hours and again only 2 stops later, we were back home to the 100+ degree heat.  We had a great time & I'm looking forward to what our next family adventure will be. 

What else have I been up to?  Working, working, working...trying to get myself ready for 8th grade reading.  I'm making progress, but have so much to do still.  I've still been reading, reading, reading...some for myself, but more recently, trying to catch up on my young adult literature.  I'm just finishing the 3rd book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  Wow...super good reads, even for adults.  I didn't know if I could get into the kind of fantasy-type story, but it is realistic enough that it totally grabbed my interest and sucked me in.  Other than that...nada...you can see why I haven't wasted your blog-reading time!  I'll post more pictures from our trip on my Facebook page if you want to see them. :)

Need a Good Summer Read?

I've had a few friends ask me to list some good books I've read recently and several come to mind.  I've been plowing through a new book about every 2 or 3 days this summer, which has been amazing!  There is just not enough time in the day to do all the reading I want to do during the school year.  Here are some of my favorites.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith - this novel was actually published in 1943 and is told from the perspective of a 9 year old girl growing up in Brooklyn in 1910.  I was skeptical before reading - I mean it was published in the 40's, right?  It was fabulous - I thought about the characters and the story for days after I read it.  Loved it!

The Thirtheenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield.  A suspenseful story about an obscure biographer who is asked by a reclusive writer to write her story.  The story that unfolds keeps you guessing the whole time you read.  It started a little slow, but once I got into it...wow.  Great read!

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows.  Again - I was skeptical...this story is told completely through letters from one character to another and I thought, what?  How can you really tell a story that way?  It turns out you can!  It's about the German occupation during WWII of an English Channel island.  It's a quick & easy read and at the end, you'll love the characters you meet through their letters.

Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden.  I'd heard of the movie - thought it looked weird (I am clearly SO judgmental!), but as I was looking for audiobooks for Brandon & I to listen to on vacation, this book kept popping up with extremely good ratings from readers, so I thought, what the hey...I'll give it a shot.  Again - wow - totally fascinating (fictional) story of a young Japanese girl who is sold into slavery to be trained as a Geisha in the Gion district of Kyoto.  It takes place during the depression and WWII and totally had me riveted.  I could hardly put it down.  I now have the movie on my shelf to watch, but I can't imagine that it could be anywhere near as good as the book.  This is a must read!

In the Woods,  by Tana French.  In this story a murder detective in Ireland must face the tragedy and crime he experienced in childhood, but does not remember clearly when he gets a similar case that comes out of his old neighborhood.  Very mysterious & suspenseful.  I also really enjoyed this author's next 2 books - The Likeness  & Faithful Place.   I recommend them all!

Lottery, by Patricia Wood.  This last one I did not read - I listened to.  I chose this for one of our audiobooks we listened to on our vacation drive this year.  We LOVED it.  It's the story of an almost mentally retarded man (as he says, the cut-off to be mentally retarded is an IQ of 75 - his is 76) who wins the lottery.  I'm not sure if it would be as good to just read, because listening to the voices of the different characters had Brandon and me rolling in laughter as we traveled across the states toward home.  Brandon was sorely disappointed when he looked to see if this author has written any other novels...unfortunately, she has not. 

So - there are a few favorites.  Hope you can find some good reading time in the near future!