thanks...

...for thanksgiving!

blake and i spent the weekend in sylacauga for our first official "harvard family thanksgiving". we drove down after i got home from work on friday (read: in the D-A-R-K...not a fan of driving at night) and got to spend all day saturday and some of this morning down there. it was fantastic and full of excitement...
--as soon as we got there we took jasper out of the car to let her into the back yard for a potty break...she ran out (this is her FAVORITE yard) really excited and went straight to the door...we let her out and then realized (notice the order of events) that there was an OPOSSUM in the yard! jasper froze & then took off! she is fast...really fast...and before we knew what happened she was literally on top of the opossum. fortunately, our ferocious guard dog did not know what to do next. she stayed on top of it while it ran back and forth but never growled, swiped, or bit the critter. (THANK YOU, GOD!) the thing finally got away...blake stepped in...and scooted out from under the fence.
--later we put jasper to bed. it was when we went in to the room to start getting ready for bed ourselves that we realized she had thrown up in her crate. (btw: doggie throw up is possibly the worst smell in the world...i am very grateful that my hubby is capable of dealing with it because i had to leave the room) i took jasper and loved on her (she always feels remorseful afterward) while blake cleaned up. YUCK! thankfully she doesn't seem sick...we think she may have been a little car sick & dehydrated when we got there & then she ran and played for a long time before she got in bed. she seems fine now but we are keeping an eye on her just in case. :) she is our baby after all.
--saturday we had a yummy breakfast & then a DELICIOUS thanksgiving lunch. the turkey was possibly the best ever and then we also had: traditional harvard pineapple casserole (apparently blake's favorite), zipper peas (my favorite), corn casserole (a close second to favorite), oyster dressing, gravy, and rolls. needless to say we were beyond full. the funny thing was we ate an early supper (around 4:30/5) so once we finished we seriously thought it should be LATE. it was literally 7:00. we had 2 more hours before bedtime. hilarious!
--today we got an early start and stopped at the b'ham whole foods market on the way home. what a fun store! jasper got a treat...a stuffed moose that we have named "milton". we spent the afternoon with mom & daddy at their house in h'ville...always fun and comforting. :) i love my parents & lucky for me, my hubby does, too.
--tonight? home-made mac&cheese, roasted broccoli, and spicy italian sausages. mmm...we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow and tuesday (and that will leave our fridge empty during thanksgiving holidays...what a plan!)...and it will taste even better the second time around! blake is cuddling jasper (illegally) in his chair (technically she is not touching the furniture so is it really against the rules?) and we are watching "the amazing race". we LOVE our little house of dreams.
--last but not least...i have big-ish news. saturday i got a phone call from calhoun community college & they offered me a part-time job. starting in january i will be teaching a saturday morning class. history 202 (u.s. history) from 8-10:45... i am still in my warming up phase headed toward excitement. blake is over the moon ecstatic. he is very supportive...i am a lucky girl. of course the parents (and in-laws) are proud...i'm looking forward to a challenge. something to think about and work toward. like, an actual goal.

so that's it from me...i've spent enough time on the baby laptop for one night. my hubby is just so cute holding my sleeping puppy...sure, she weighs 70 pounds...but that doesn't make her any less "our baby". such a beautiful family and life. we are grateful every day...even when jasper throws up and we have to use a ton of oust to be able to sleep in our room. :)
love, me

it's...

...COLD outside!!!

or at least it feels like it's going to be soon. for those of you who don't know...i am of the breed that genuinely enjoys cold weather. i love bundling up in sweaters, coats, & scarves. i especially love how clean everything feels. no humidity...no sweating for no reason...just crisp, cool air that gives me a valid reason to stay snuggled up inside my cozy little house of dreams with a cup of hot tea and a blanket.

to celebrate & welcome the season, blake and i did something we have never done before. we had a fire in the fireplace of our very own home. no parental supervision required! it was fantastic and i was looking forward to it all day long...i got home & put on my special outfit. (the red flannel pajama set from last christmas and my green sweater sock slippers...what were you thinking?!) blake had already built the fire and while he worked on getting it lit, i started supper. i made a yummy risotto with turkey, mushrooms, and peas. mmm!!! risotto is so cheap to make & it feels fancy. plus, it is warm and it "sticks to your ribs" to make you full and content. after supper we watched our favorite shows while sitting in front of the fire (jasper was on her pillow that we moved away from the fire as she is mildly alarmed by the fact that we are willingly letting something burn inside the house)...

overall, it was a very pleasant evening & i can't wait to do it again soon...after this weekend since we're headed to sylacauga for our first official harvard family thanksgiving. (should be fun!)

before i go...i am getting very excited about thanksgiving (the official one with the bianchis) and i can't wait to see my "famiglia italia" in north carolina! it is going to be so nice to walk into mama b. & babaloo's house (which always smells like "home"...or spaghetti...which i am realizing as i type are pretty much the same thing) and getting hugs upon hugs upon hugs! mama b. always sways a little and hums. so peaceful. we'll get to spend the traditional halfway night in a hotel & go to a movie (usually a holiday movie...except one year we saw "legally blonde") with the family (our little foursome...now fivesome...of alabama bianchis) which has also become a tradition. the trip won't seem nearly long enough and yet we'll squeeze in a lot of good family time. also, i absolutely LOVE the road trips. laura hates them...or says she does & blake has fallen in love with them. (his family never really did road trips so it was a new experience for him when he joined us for his first one)

so anyway...the cold weather is here (to stay?) and i couldn't be happier...and not just because of the weather patterns. :) i am very blessed indeed.

twenty...

...months!

that's right...blake and i have been blissfully married for 20 months as of today at 4:18 p.m.

to say that our life together has been magical is an understatement. even since we became friends, being "us" has come naturally & just seems to happen on its own. we squabble every now and again, but overall, our life is one of contentment, laughter, and security. i am not saying this as a braggort but rather as an admirer of God's plans in action. i am one of those who believes that God creates someone for everyone...i feel lucky to have found my someone & i do not take even one day for granted. we are blessed beyond measure and we know it.

this weekend was another lovely one. friday we spent the night at the decatur-bob jones playoff game. (conveniently played in madison) it was a GREAT game & we left with hoarse voices to meet the harvards (blake's mom & daddy) at our house. they came up to watch blake's 1/2 marathon with me saturday morning. we spent some time with them and then went to bed...got up early & headed to the race. blake got a good start & then we walked down to get breakfast. we waited (patiently at first & then i started to worry) until blake got finished--what a man!--and then drove home to get ready for lunch. we had a yummy lunch at bridge street & then they went on their way to sylacauga...blake and i went home for a perfect afternoon nap. that night we went over to tricia's & she surprised us with our friend bethany!!! we had mexican for supper & got a lot of good hang-out time in...then headed home. today we had a slow and comfortable morning with cbs sunday morning (my favorite show), a sleepy puppy, and lots of snuggle time...then we took jasper to the dog park & let her play. for lunch we got to have bianchi spaghetti with mom & daddy and spent the afternoon with them before heading to the grocery store & then home... tonight has been uneventful & snuggly with the amazing race & hang-out time.

tomorrow starts another week & will mark an exciting first. blake will be preparing our supper...NOT hamburger helper or pancakes! i have left specific instructions, ingredients, and a crock pot out and at the ready. hopefully, by the time i get home the house will smell delicious and we will be almost ready to eat. :) we'll see how it goes. i have faith that my husband is beyond capable...i just wish i could be a fly on the wall. :)

since we last "spoke"...blake & jasper treated me to a picnic on veterans day (the weather was beautiful & the food was delicious)--it is SO nice to see them in the middle of the day, we have invested in new computers (thanks for the great deal, best buy!), and we got to watch one of my "babies" (former students) play in a soccer tournament last weekend.

so for now...it's off to a chick flick that my husband is manfully sitting through (sure, he's reading with earplugs in, but we are "together" and that is enough). daddy is going out of town this week & i will be missing him/worrying all the while. next weekend is our first thanksgiving with the harvards...very exciting!
--me

november...

...already?!

it has been a while since i posted last and all of a sudden it is NOVEMBER?! apparently time has been flying by while we were busy doing other things... don't get me wrong. i LOVE autumn & winter...i would much prefer to be cold than hot as i can pile on the layers and snuggle under a blanket while drinking hot tea. last year this time we had just realized our heater didn't work! thankfully, our house is warm and cozy with what seems to be a functional heater. what a blessing!!

the view outside my office windows is getting lovelier by the day. the leaves are changing and the air is crisping...if only i could enjoy the outside a little every day (without clocking out).

this past weekend was lovely. we had a relaxing friday night with mom, daddy, and LAURA. she was stopping in on her way to nashville with some friends so we got to have a family dinner and spend a bit (not enough) time together at home. saturday morning we got up and watched a soccer game, went to the grocery store, had lunch at schlotzky's with the mongans and spent the rest of the day watching football and hanging out.

we had mom's chili for supper (a halloween tradition at the bianchi house...& now harvard house) and dressed jasper up as a hot dog!!! we took her for a walk and while "trick-or-treating" she even got a bone from our neighbor jan. it was adorable. we had a few trick-or-treaters...enough to validate buying candy...even though blake would have thought that was a great idea even if nobody came since he's been sneaking pieces since we bought it.

THEN we were totally spontaneous and drove to bridge street for some frozen yogurt! blake and i are semi-obsessed...it's a place called the orange tree & it is self-serve frozen yogurt. you get an empty cup and fill it with whatever flavors & toppings you want. they weigh it when you're done and charge you by the ounce. it is FABULOUS & apparently doesn't close until 11:00.

sunday we woke up to sunshine & were totally disoriented...what time was it??? 6:30 AM!!! thank goodness for the "fall back" time change. we had gotten 8 1/2 hours of sleep...can't remember the last time that happened. after hours of lazing around (easy to do when you wake up at 6:30 for no apparent reason) we finally got showered & dressed to head over to mom & daddy's for a family lunch with laura before she headed back to school. we had a surprise supper at Cracker Barrel (blake didn't want us to mess around with cooking...or dishes) and spent the rest of the night relaxing at home....until bedtime at 8 o'clock!! mom says we're "weird", but we thought it was fabulous!

anyway...have a beautiful monday! (no rain predicted all week...yippee!)

crowded...

...thoughts in the ole brain at the moment. not all of the stuff piled up there is bad, don't get me wrong, it just seems like there is a lot going on at the moment.
Before I get involved with the list...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SA-SA/RHO!!! (love you.)

Allow me to explain:

1. Rachel had her baby! I got to spend part of the day yesterday with Rachel, Walter, and Rebecca...while Rachel was in labor. Rebecca and her "Gigi" got a lot of quality time and I am glad to have been part of the experience. It was also nice to have hang out time with Rach & WO...things were very tranquil and comfortable. I am very proud of my dear friend & her strength/determination/independence. I can't wait to meet little Emma Kaet later today!!! Uncle Baba is equally pumped. We were thrilled to get the text message this morning (3 am) and couldn't wait to catch up...life is wonderful.

2. Jasper has pancreatitis. Let me back up...last night when we got home (we spent the night at mom & daddy's in case they needed a sitter, etc.) Jasper had thrown up on the porch. It wasn't her usual throw up and she didn't eat any of her supper. Plus, it looked like there was a little blood in it. This morning she didn't eat her breakfast. SO I called the vet & they said to bring her in...I had to leave her there to come to work but they have been wonderful about calling to update me along the way. We can pick up her up at 5:30 & have a consultation with the vet. This is our BABY, people! Granted, she is not a human baby & though we look forward to having some of those someday...it does not diminish how much we love her and care about her. I realize I sound like one of those crazy animal lovers & I just don't care. :)

3. Jessica's granddaddy has been diagnosed with cancer and has his first chemo treatment today. Rationally I understand that there is nothing I can do to "help"...however, as a person who loves her friends like family, it is extremely difficult to not "be there" to at least offer. Granted, we talk on the phone at least every other day, it just seems wrong to be 2 hours away. I'm doing the most that I can & keeping them in my prayers.

Okay...this is a clear example of why list-making is such a positive process for me. I have felt a little mentally hectic all day & there are really only 3 things on my list. The first is one of pure JOY & excitement...I just can't wait to visit my friends and the new baby! The second one has been occupying most of my conscious thoughts today...even after I got the "diagnosis"...I just need to see her with my own eyes. After a phone call from Blake I am feeling a little bit more steady. Obviously, I never feel quite as strong or prepared as when Blake (my "lobster") is with me...I realize that's cheesy, but it's also true so deal! The last one is just something that we have to wade through together slowly but surely. At the very least I can make her laugh...

Now that I've finished my self-induced therapy session, I am off to "work" through the last 2 hours and 42 minutes of my day & get ready to see my baby & hubby. THEN it's off to the hospital to visit our newest niece! Like I said...life is wonderful.
-me

workin'...

...for the weekend!

let's be honest. there's not a whole lot to complain about with my current job. i am enjoying it. i have little or no stress. i am earning "enough" money and then some for our monthly budget. still, this week has been long already & it's just wednesday. i have just been feeling restless and sleepy...maybe tomorrow will be better. after that it's FRIDAY & that is enough in itself to get me through no problem.

life has been good since i posted last. friday we had supper with the olsens and then got to hang out a bit. we went bowling with mom & daddy on sunday. that was a lot of fun as usual. daddy is out of town AGAIN but will be back friday (good thing, since it's his birthday!) and says he doesn't have to travel again until january. let's hope so...i just don't like having him out of town.

blake and i are going to have a "date night" tonight. i don't have any idea what that really means or what we will be doing but i am excited just the same. i am a very lucky girl!

have a wonderful day!

ready...

...to go back to bed now!

before i get started, there is a very special message that i would like to send...
HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY, NORA! (LOVE, aunt fave & uncle gus)

okay! for some reason, neither my husband nor i got very much quality sleep last night. booo! AND it is supposed to storm this afternoon and evening which does not bode well for our DHS homecoming game tonight. booo! on the plus side, our new skylights are still doing their thing & worst case scenario we will end up in our cozy little house of dreams listening to the rain and watching some sort of something on tv. we are blessed to have such a comfortable life!

today i find myself in a rare situation. both mama & daddy are currently out of town. daddy left saturday to visit mama b. & babaloo in salisbury and then headed to pittsburg for work. mama left yesterday to go to LA for a conference. daddy gets back tonight & mama gets back tomorrow. it is just a little unnerving for me to have both of them "away". i much prefer having everyone safe at home...

last weekend we went down to sylacauga for a harvard family cookout. since we skipped the traditional labor day weekend soiree (they were in key west...what a hard life!) we had an oktoberfest instead. it was lovely and the weather was fantastic! i'm hoping we can make some sort of executive decision to change our tradition from now on. the weekend before that the harvards were visiting us in madison. i am blessed to have such wonderful in-laws!

last thing before i head back to my other desk to continue re-reading (again) the "twilight" series. we have been LOVING having rachel, walter, & rebecca in town and close by! sooner than later we will be welcoming little emma kaet olsen into the mix! it makes me ache to be closer to my neices & nephew who live down near b'ham! so my point is...well, i guess i don't really have a point. it is just a hard thing to be away from the people you love... even though i am grateful to have more time to talk on the phone than i used to! that helps dull the ache...but i'm thinking until i figure out a way to see them more regularly (or get them all to move up here...rachel did it & is loving it...i'm just sayin'...), i'm just gonna have to learn to deal!

have a beautiful day & stay away from storms!
love, me

p.s. got contacts on tuesday and am LOVING being able to drive with sunglasses on! it's always the little things in life. :)

finally...

...it feels like FALL outside! {my favorite season...spring is a close second...then winter}

i am sitting at my desk at work gazing out the big windows & doors at the front of the lobby. there is a breeze blowing, the sun is shining, and you can almost see how crisp everything is! i would give anything to have a window next to my desk so i could leave it open and let the weather keep me going.

in other news...we FINALLY got our skylights replaced! a piece of hail came through one of them in april and we have had the hardest time getting the company to be any sort of responsible or accountable since then. but no more! they are fixed and we never have to talk to those people again. hallelujah!

i have become restless with my reading on the sly plan for downtime at work. don't get me wrong, i LOVE to read...i have always been & will always be a bookworm...it's just getting a little monotonous. so i have decided to begin a self-improvement project. i will be using part of my downtime on the sly (i will still be reading a lot of the time) to organize ideas and start prep work for possible teaching jobs. i am hoping to create some lesson plans, make some hand-outs, and maybe even start building powerpoints (once i get my new laptop)! i can easily see the content that would need to be covered in any given grade level or class...so i don't see a reason to just wait. i'd rather start a new year with a new job at a new school with some sort of resource to pull from. i am also determined to learn new types of technologies and/or ways of using old ones in the classroom. not only will this help me be ready for whatever job may come....it will also keep me busy and entertained. i have always loved organizing, planning, and being creative. teaching covers all of those things. :)

so now i am off to continue my shredding (i had to take a small break to cool off...that machine gives off heat like you wouldn't believe!) and then have some time with "twilight".

hopefully, i will be a productive homemaker tonight while blake plays basketball and get the laundry folded & ironed. we shall see...it is infinitely more difficult to do such things when jasper loves nothing more than to chew on socks and sniffing through piles of neatly folded clothes. (she tried to carry off a pair of pajama pants the other day but they were so long that she didn't get very far...it was pretty funny. when she knows she has something she's not supposed to and you've caught her, she puts it down and looks up at you like she's ashamed. what a cutie!!)

now...

...is the time.

i know, i know...you are SHOCKED to see an actual post on this highly stagant blog. i understand your initial confusion, but bear with me...the wrinkles will shake out over time.

to put it plainly (and mildly) last year was one of the most stressful of my young life...as far as teaching goes. it is a long story that really doesn't need retelling. the end of the story is really the most important part because it turned into a new beginning. basically, this may, i "resigned" from my teaching position at decatur high school. i am still not thrilled about this turn of events and i miss my colleagues ("family") and students ("babies") more than i can explain. however, as i am an eternal optimist...i know that things will work out...eventually. that is not to say that this has been an easy process for me...far from it...fortunately, i am blessed with a wonderful & supportive family, fantastic friends, and HOPE.

blake and i are still ridiculously happy...we laugh all the time (even when we're "fighting"). i can't imagine going through last year without him. thankfully, i don't have to. he is still teaching 7th grade civics and coaching soccer at the high school.

jasper is growing and maturing right before our eyes. she is a beautifuly, loving, and hilarious puppy...she is also very much a part of our family. our little girl.

i am currently working as a receptionist at a law office in downtown huntsville. the people in the building are very nice and welcoming. i answer the phones, take care of the mail, help with filing, and shred old documents. basically, i am a "jane of all trades". {i also find time to write letters, read books, color pictures, and play on the internet...but only after my work is done.} my job is the opposite of last year. i have NO stress. i show up at work, stay all day, and go home. i don't have any carry over, i don't have any homework, i don't have any drama, and i don't have any nasty parents. other than the fact that i sincerely miss teaching...i am content. we are calling this year my "sabbatical". hopefully, i will find a new school to call "home" starting next fall. until then...this is where you can find me. with make-up on!!!

the rest of our lives is pretty much normal...except for the fact that i don't get home until 5:30ish. we have our shows to watch. we play games. we play with jasper. i cook supper & blake does dishes. we have our little homeowner chores. we get to spend time with mom & daddy. we get to hang out with the olsens & babysit rebecca on occasion. and of course, we have decatur high school football on friday nights. would NOT miss it! it was hard enough not going back to school...there was no way i wasn't going to support my babies & see my friends. i am grateful to know that i am missed & still thought of.

anyway...i am hoping to be able to get in a good routine for posting more regularly. i want to keep up with our day-to-day. pictures will come as soon as i get my long awaited new computer (i will still be waiting for a while) since our computer at home refuses to cooperate. :)

i hope you all have a lovely day & i hope you haven't given up on us forever. check us out...there will be exciting news to come. at the very least funny stories.

love, me (plus blake & jasper)

SHOCKED...

...it has been SO long...

i do apologize for that. seriously...there is so much to catch up on i really don't have time at the moment, but i will (before we get back in the actual real-world swing of things) post and explain my naughty, naughty self with stories & pictures.

until then...just wanted to reassure you that we are happy, healthy, sickeningly in love, and laughing all the time.
(& jasper says hello.)

love, me