Conference, Thanksgiving, Birthday Season, and Christmas...Will we make it?

It's already been rough...
I loved the National Council of Teachers of English (heretofore known as the FREE BOOK conference)! Besides the 74 free (or 3 really inexpensive) books that I came home with, it was a very inspirational conference. Our team got a chance to meet our idol, Donnalyn Miller, and to learn some great new tricks (yes, sometimes we do refer to ourselves as old dogs)!
Here's my name tag... (picture coming)

Thanksgiving at the beach...turkey and cranberries and waves! Sarah saw the beach for the first time. She does love the water, doesn't mind the sand, but it tasted funny, evidently. She and Dad (Andy) played quite a bit. We hung out there with the Rogers' family for about 5 hours on Friday...SO relaxing, especially when Jack and I had a nap.

Birthday Season (as I like to call the beginning of December) is upon us...the Vandervoorts, then the Whites. You do realize that they use up 4 of the 7 first days of December, right? Just craziness!

When he survives FINALS week, he will get a chance to rest for about a week before we head for the frozen north. New York, here we come. I'm getting advice from a 12 year old whose family goes every December for 1 day, and Andy's getting advice from natives who can tell us where to get the best pizza!

It's like...6 weeks to Christmas

14th Anniversary 10/17 - Best lillies EVER!

Yes, it has been about 3 months since I last posted. I was never supposed to get THIS behind. However, it just seems like the carousel never stops. We have had field trips and conferences and guests almost every weekend...don't think about how dirty my house is!

So here's a little check in:
Krista - HAL (GT) facilitator, 3 Lang Arts classes (75 students) and 2 Social Studies, singing in the choir, trying to make it to yoga and another class (turbo kick or Zumba) each week...
Andy - 3 upper division science classes (all with labs) and an ed class, working out almost every morning at the DSC gym, helping out with the Star Parties at all the intermediate schools this fall, and the cave project...

Tempest - reigning Old Lady of the house...keeping the bed down, warming by the fire (just started up this weekend, she's happy).


Sadie - second Old Lady...still gets WAY too excited to go for a walk, even at 4:45 am, but she's pretty much deaf and has major cataracts. Her fear of storms has gone up several levels, and we've been grateful for MB living in Hurricane. She's come up a few times to check on the girls while we were at work...we LOVE Grammie!


Sarah - she had her 5th birthday 3 weeks ago...she still loves to run, but her hip is definitely starting to trouble her more. Have to do fewer off-leash walks (just one a week), and now budget in for her "pills" every few months.


The House - new family heirlooms (see below) are present, there are ACTUAL beds in both guest rooms.

So what's next? Well, Sarah will finally see the ocean when we drive to Chad and Cindy's for Thanksgiving. We are really excited to see it ourselves (it's been a while)...and to visit with Jack! Then we have tickets to go to New York for Christmas - thanks MIL & FIL! It's kind of sad to think that with the devastation from Sandy there will be things we can't do, but we will enjoy being with the Meisel/Brethour crowd for a holiday for the first time in 3 years ;)  Both of these trips are also made possible by Grammie, who will watch Sadie at Thanksgiving and both girls at Christmas. Love having a relative housesitter/dogwatcher! I hope the nieces from Colorado will have a good time out here...

Can't believe how fast this year is going...