Laziness Breeds Copying

I stole this from the blog of my longtime friend, Stephanie. Why? Because I'm lazy, and it's easier to steal something she stole from someone else than be creative myself. :)



1. Which is worse: a long, boring meeting or standing in a return/exchange line after Christmas?
I'd say boring meeting. At least while waiting in line I can people watch or use my phone for email, FB or whatever.

2. Except for maybe Rosie O’Donnell or Ann Coulter, nobody likes confrontation, yet we all have to deal with it. When you feel cornered and defensive, do you “bite back” or become passive aggressive?
Depends on who the agressor is in a given situation. I've been known to do both, and it's very easy to recognize which reaction I have at the time.

3. Do you know anything about your genealogical background? (What country, culture, ties to prominent historical figures, or other stuff.) I think I'm a mutt. I know I have Cherokee Indian and Scandinavian from my Dad's side. My mom's side is English, Scottish, and maybe some French or something. Author Mary Shelley is from my mom's side of the family.

4. What is the quickest way a person can endear him/herself to you?
Being open, honest, and sincere.


5. Cake, pie, cookies, or ice cream? (Note there is no “all of the above” option. You must choose one. Feel free to elaborate on flavor or memories tied to this dessert.) If you’d like, you can share a recipe, but you certainly don’t have to.
Pecan pie - with the pecans chopped (not whole) and Cool Whip on top - is my favorite. I don't really care for cake that much because I don't like icing. In fact, I asked Todd if we could have wedding pie instead of cake. (He obviously said no.) I love Blue Bell ice cream, but pie stays at the top of my list.

6. Females: Do you regularly change your handbag to coordinate with your outfit?
No, I don't really give a crap if my bag matches anything. All I care is that it carries all of my junk.

7. Are you task-oriented or relationship-oriented?
Definitely relationship-oriented. If you know me, you'd agree.

8. IHOP, Bob Evans or Cracker Barrel?
Guess I'd have to say IHOP because I have no clue who Bob Evans is & I've never been to a Cracker Barrel.


9. Have you ever left a movie in progress in a theater? Why?
No, but I should have since I've seen a few terrible films. I rarely go to the movies, so I'd hate to waste my money. Guess I'd prefer to be tortured by terrible movies instead.

10. What is one area of life in which you would like to develop more discipline or organization?
Just one?

11. Was middle school fun or painful?
A little of both. It was a tough time of life, but I was blessed with lots of friends.

12. What is your favorite Fall beverage?

I dunno. The same as any season I suppose - cold water or Dr. Pepper. I enjoy apple cider, but it is usually in the winter since Dallas isn't very cold until then.

It's September

Other than the exhaustion of the beginning of school, September means that it's time to start thinking about Halloween costumes!! I prefer the "homemade" costumes vs. spending a bunch of money on costumes. How about a few pics of us in years past?

2004, The Priest & The "Bar Wench - Tavern Slut"




2005, The Lonely Pregnant Housewife & The Milkman. We kept it for 2006 because we were lazy.




2007, Todd went was "Dick in a Box". He was awesome! I went as MawMaw & (thankfully) have no photos to share.




Last year (2008), we went as Blackeyed Ps. :)



So, now it's time to start thinking about this year. We have two sets of friends who have great Halloween parties every year. Next year will be HUGE because we have friends getting married on Halloween & having a costume reception. Woohoo!

Costumes are important to me, so much thought must be put into them. My first brilliant idea is . . . drum roll please . . .

TRAMPOLINE. Get? Tramp + Lean (or a leaning O)? Todd was so overcome by my brilliance that he couldn't even speak when I shared that one!

Guess I'll keep thinking.

Friday Fill-Ins on Saturday

1. That's a difficult place to be.

2. Hey stork; I'm over here!

3. The possibilities include: sleeping, cleaning, cooking, relaxing, laundry, grading papers, and TV. Guess which ones win?

4. Todd's clam chowder or my chili are one of my favorite cool day recipes.

5. How will you know that you know you know?

6. Today is an awesome rainy and a stormy sky.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping, tomorrow my plans include relaxing all day & meeting friends for dinner and Sunday, I want to hang out & see family to celebrate my Dad's birthday.

Remembering 9/11

This morning I posted the following on my Facebook status: "Kristin remembers the innocent victims, thanks those who served those terrible days & prays for those who still sacrifice & protect us. Never forget. God Bless America." It was hard to use a limited number of characters to describe how 9/11 still feels today.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was at home asleep when the first tower was hit. My roommate kept calling the house, and after not answering many times hoping the rings would cease, I finally answered the phone. She was in a panic and just kept saying, "Oh my gosh. Turn on the TV. Turn on the TV." From being in a deep sleep to receiving a panic-stricken phone call, I was a bit confused at first. That changed quickly.

I turned on the TV to watch the 2nd tower get hit and later saw both towers fall. Feeling very scared and worried, I immediately began calling family members locally and across the country and trying to get in touch with a couple of friends in NYC. Thankfully nobody that I knew personally were injured or lost their lives that day but friends of my friends did. I still remember those eerie days afterwards. After a Thursday night bible study I attended each week, I joined a friend on the patio of Starbucks. Having spent several days with everyone being kinder than usual to one another, following the laws more than not, and the oddly silent skies, I became fearful as I heard and saw that first plane in the sky. My friend and I discussed how scary it was to simply see an airplane in the sky. Everything just looked different from that day on . . .

I guess one of the oddest things about remembering 9/11 today was from a discussion with my students. I read my class a book titled "September 12th" which was written and illustrated by a group of first graders in Missouri. It's a neat book for kids that focuses on the fact that on 9.12.01, we (well, at least most children) knew things would be okay because everything to them continued to go on as usual. Of course, we all know that wasn't the same for many, many adults and children in New York, DC, Pennsylvania, and all across the country. However, as adults, we worked hard to reassure others that everything would be okay. My kids thought that all made perfect sense because they don't remember. They don't remember 9/11. My students were about a year old when that terrible day seized our country.

Yet they 'remember' in a different way. They remember their parents, family members, and friends being away at war. They know Iraq. They know war. They know battle. They know the military. When I said "9/11," my boys and girls didn't understand what it meant like the rest of us do. Some of them knew what the "twin towers" looked like from the illustration of a first grader in a book. They might not remember that tragic day, but they still feel it from their perspective.

So, yes, we must still be in remembrance, remain cautious, honor those who protect us, pray for those who will always feel the grief loss. It is also the responsibility of our generation to help future generations understand and remember 9/11.

Labor Day Weekend 2009

What a fun and relaxing weekend we had! Todd and I joined three other families at Lake Bob Sandlin and camped "Kristin-style" (aka cabins with a/c and bathrooms!). Our friends, the Shollacks, are members of a church that owns a wonderful camp right on the edge of the lake. There are several cabins as well as other facilities for summer campers and other events. You may remember hearing about the site in this post from July.

The time we spent with the Shollacks, Westfalls, and Barkers was awesome! On Saturday, we got settled, hung out for a while, walked around camp, went out to eat, and then chatted around the campfire. It was a nice day to just hang out and relax.

Sunday morning, we got up and Tom cooked almost most of our delicious breakfast on the grill. We had biscuits, sausage, gravy (that I made inside), scrambled eggs, and fruit. Something about a campfire just makes food taste better. After our breakfast settled, we went out on the Barkers' boat and did some tubing. Boy, are my arms sore! Here are videos of both Todd and me tubing. You won't see any demonstrations of grace or skill, but we had fun!






The ladies watched the kids and men dive and slide at the dock while we sunned and floated. For dinner, we grilled chicken, hot dogs, grilled corn, and s'mores for dessert. Another delicious meal. Afterwards, the kids were beat and fell asleep early. That gave the adults another chance to sit around the fire while drinking and chatting.

Enjoy some of our photos!

Weekend Wrap-Up, Labor Day Weekend

Worst part of the weekend: learning this evening that one of my long-lost cousins passed away this week at age 43.

Best part of the weekend: an awesome trip to the lake with great friends! (pics & video coming)

Most random part of the weekend: taking a detour off the busy freeway & driving through towns with more cows than people.

People I saw this weekend: Todd, the Barkers, the Shollacks, and the Westfalls

Something I wished I did this weekend that I didn't get around to doing: reading more of my book.

Things that I am looking forward to this week: enjoying a short week, trying to pull the reins in on my class a bit more (chatty children!), and making it to Friday!

Things that I am not looking forward to this week: trying to pull the reins in on my class a bit more (chatty children!), going to thr grocery store

Friday Fill-Ins

1. I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and . . . (a friend and I were just singing this - ha!)

2. Hanging out with family and friends is always fun.

3. Right now, I can hear these things: children cutting paper, feet, a few whispers, but mainly silence. :)

4. It's FRIDAY and I'm glad it's a holiday weekend.

5. The last time I slept was too short.

6. I'm looking forward to relaxing this Labor day weekend.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting pedicure & some sleep, tomorrow my plans include heading to the lake and Sunday, I want to kick back, drink, and boat!