Thanksgiving fun for everyone!

I had a wonderful time in Portland.

Thursday consisted of lots of family time, cooking with mom, watching christmas parades/movies with the fam, and then the thanksgiving event!







Friday mom and I braved Target and the Columbia outlet!!! And starbucks of course. Had a wonderful day shopping with mom. Then watched the UofO football game, the blazers game, and the BSU football game. Crazy!

Saturday was Christmas tree day with lunch with the neighbors. We found a great tree!! Then I visited baby quinn and Ruby who are SO BIG NOW!!!!!!

Then I hung out with my hold highschool d group!!





Overall, a great weekend. Finished off with a wonderful breakfast with team Baylis.. I love being home.

Analisa and I returned to soooooo much snow. We are waiting for a snow day!!!

loving the season.

Here I am, sitting in Starbucks with Analisa, drinking peppermint hot chocolate, listening to Christmas (it's allowed in Spokane before Thanksgiving because of the snow), and doing lesson plans for the next two weeks.

Thursday morning I awoke to find a bit of snow outside. I cried, but then I got over it. It was just a tiny bit and it melted. I decided I'm ok with it, as long as it doesn't:
a) inhibit my driving abilities
b) stop my trip to Portland on Wednesday.

Being completely and udderly eager to go home later this week would be an extreme understatement. I am in major need of family time, in my cozy home, with all of our holiday traditions underway. In the Baylis family, we live by traditions. Thanksgiving weekend traditions include: Thanksgiving dinner with the neighborhood, shopping with mom on Friday, Christmas tree hunting and McMenimans with the neighbors on Saturday, and since i've been away from home, crazily decorating the house Saturday/Sunday. I am hoping to fit in a trip to the columbia outlet with mom, and sushi with dad, along with visiting many of the families I babysit for. Baby Quinn is growing too quickly.

This week has been interesting at school, we have had half days because of parent-teacher conferences. I have actually had a great turn out of parents which I wasn't expecting. They have definitely been overwhelming and honestly a bit depressing. It breaks my heart to see these broken families, and the relationships they hold. On the positive note, my students have made WONDERFUL progress since the beginning of the year, and even if no one else is, I AM SO PROUD OF EACH OF THEM!!!! I do have a few parents who share my proud feeling, and work with their students, which is so wonderful to see.

Last night Analisa and I had a roommate date night, including dinner at a new burger restraunt (Rusty Roofs). The food was good at the time, but after I ate it I felt like I had eaten a brick, not burger and fries. We then journied to RedBox to rent a movie, which we both fell asleep in my bed watching, after we had drug the TV into my room, stacked on a few boxes, as always, keeping it classy.

I hope this almost December month finds you thankful and joyful.

I am back from a much needed vacation to sunny california, and have returned to good old spokane. Thankful it is not snowy!! It is great to be back in R apartment with my lovely Analisa, and was so good to be back with my kids today. Missed them! I have such a hard time leaving them!

I've been a bit homesick lately, and am so excited to go to Portland next Wednesday. My one question phone conversation quickly turns into a 45 minute chat with my parents. I love them so much. So lucky to have parents that are my friends and support me.

Had a fun day at kindergarten, one of the other teachers had a birthday and brought chinese food in for us four K teachers. I LOVE my team so much. They are incredible.

Well, it's 835 and I just decided to make potatoes. Healthy life choice? no. Delicous? yes. living the dream.

The holidays have a special feeling about them.

I am feeling on top of the world.

I love my job. Honestly, growing up and graduating, I never expected that I would actually want to wake up and go to work everyday. At 6:30 my alarm tells me it is time, and while I, like any other human would love to snooze for an hour plus, I think about where I get to go. I have 24 students who brighten my day everyday, that's not to say that everyday has its challenges, but every one is worth it. I love the responsibility of being the protector of these children. No matter how much one of my kids may bug me when they CAN'T stop talking, if they fall on the playground, I feel like a mother with the concern in my heart for each of my kids. I can't wait to go back each day and make a difference in these kids lives. No, I didn't grow up in a neighborhood where it was no big deal for the SWAT team to show up, for amber alerts to be put out on my classmates, but God did give me a heart and the strength to serve these kids.

Thursday night 2nd Harvest foodbank brought 6,000 pounds of food to hand out to our families. Borders donated 1000 dollars worth of prizes for a Bingo night literacy event, and each kid walked away with 2 new books. Good things are happening.

Analisa and I got our first peppermint mocha of the season, in the much loved holiday starbucks cups, courtesy of Claire for our princess day treat :) Thanks Clairey you are so thoughtful.

We then went to the Dollar Tree to buy gifts for our "Operation Christmas Child" shoe boxes. I love this time of the year and how giving people become. I just wonder, why can't this spirit be consistent, from myself as well, all year long?

I purchased new snow tires this weekend. That was huge. I feel so grown up, buying things like tires, by myself, with my own money, not relying on my parents anymore. However, I do still appreciate all they do for me and where they have gotten me to in life. Go team Baylis.

The clouds are moving so quickly outside, my ear and sinus infection are seeming to dissapear, thanks to last nights margaritas probably :)

Keep high spirits this week people.

All the world will fade, one thing will remain, love that took our place.
All the world will fade, still our hope remains, in amazing grace, love that took our place. Jesus took my place.

Have a good week.