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.

Good morning and happy Sunday!

It is 10:55, and I woke up.. 10 minutes ago. Got a good 10+ hours of sleep and I'm loving that. Analisa and I just took shots of our cough medicine. We both have been under the weather the past few-five days.

Used our best judgement accordingly in planning our halloween fiasco.
Yesterday she and I went on a shopping adventure at the valley mall. Got my first real job pay check on Friday and decided I needed to invest in more professional clothing. Got 2 skirts (each were on sale 50% for 6 dollars at oldnavy!!) A pair of black pants, and 3 shirts from Nordstroms Rack, which my friends just moved from Northtown to the valley. By the end of our shopping experience we desperately needed a snack so we stopped at Aunties pretzels for the "but 2 get 1 free" which we werent able to finish. Anyways, we finished off at Claires and bought our halloween costumes: cat ears, a tail and mittens. Pictures on Analisa's to come.

We couldn't figure out what we wanted to do for halloween, but the local radio station was having a party so we decided it might be interesting, so Analisa Joanna and I headed down! We were contemplating it when we got there but then we saw BOBBY HUGHES and his 3 friends so we decided it would be fun. Had a really fun time with those boys. Super fun and super respectful like I have never seen at a bar/party. And! Billy was bartending so that was fun too!

We only stayed til about 12, made a mcdonalds run and were passed out by 12:30.

But what I wanted to show you was my classroom! I was inspired by Lindsay's office pictures post.

FUN FUN SATURDAY!

I think yesterday was a day that we all need every once in a while. Here is a brief timeline of the day Analisa and I had.

10:00 AM Wake up, go to yoga class.

11:30 AM Make delicous salads.

12:00 PM Keith comes over.

12:15 PM We all go to winco, buy ingredients for our amazing day.

1:00 PM Carve pumpkins, I made pumpkin bread, Analisa made bran muffins, Keith made pumpkin milkshakes AND pudding, and we roasted pumpkin seeds. While watching Nacho Libre!






4:45 PM Keith leaves for work. Goodbye Keith!

4:46 PM Analisa and I rest, do some homework/watch online TV shows.

6:30 PM Decide all we want in life is to watch hocus pocus.

7:00 PM The search begins to find Hocus Pocus! Go to Walgreens (no luck) Redbox (no luck) Fred Meyer (no luck) Red box (no luck) Target (no luck) Best Buy (LUCK LUCK LUCK!!!) Analisa screamed and I started crying. (Took us an hour to find it. We were ready to drive to canada.)

8:00 PM We celebrated by going to Burger King... don't judge...

9:00 PM Went home for about 15 minutes, and decided we wanted to go to Value Village

10:00 PM Leave value village with childrens books and fairy wings in hand.

10:30 PM Keith returns. Hocus pocus starts. Hot cocoa drank.

Who can beat our saturday?

what will this week hold?

I am constantly reminded how blessed I am.

This week, and weekend have been busy, but wonderful ones.

Highlights of the week:
- Working out with Analisa at OZ
- The boys made us dinner :)
- Reunited with a student who was taken away
- Lunches and breakfasts with wonderful co-workers/fellow kindergarten teachers
- Was given an award at our school staff meeting
- Visited the farm

Highlights of the weekend:
- Ande and Claire coming from Seattle
- Going downtown
- Picnic at Manito Park
- Wonderful church service
- Felicia's baby shower

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us, and if our God is with us, then what can stand against us?