Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for lots of things, but especially my family:  my mom, dad, brothers, sisters, husband, kiddos, in-laws, nieces and nephews are awesome!  I'm thankful for Heavenly Father, Jesus, the Holy Ghost, Prophets (past and present), food, shelter, clothes, the ability to find sales, kids that fall asleep early, and talents that I may (or may not) take for granted.
I'm so thankful for the opportunity to learn and become a better teacher through it.  Block 2 has been hard, but I'm making it with tons of help!
I am thankful for good books to help me relax when I'm really stressed out and HGTV/DIY shows that help me want to fix up my house and tell me how to!

We had a blast eating with family yesterday!  I don't think my food was up to par, but it still turned out okay!  I tried to make brotchen, but was too busy and didn't pay close enough attention to the measurements and it was just a huge ball of dough that never rose.  Oops!
I went out for some cheap buys for Christmas, using my mom's money.  Pretty nice for me, because she hates crowds, and I love bargains!  I went to Wal-mart, which was crazy crowded, but no line.  Then Target  for a few things, and I got to wait in line a very long time.  I found out they have White Chocolate Peppermint Pringles.  Who knew!?!  They're pretty good!  Then I went straight over to Old Navy to stand in line there.  By then it was getting cold.  BBrrrr!  I read some of my Classroom Management book in between talking to people around me.  I got some great buys at Old Navy, but had to wait in line a super long time.  The people in front of me were trying to steal stuff, so I was glad when they left early and dropped all of the stuff!  Phew!  I wasn't looking forward to that confrontation!  When I was done there I got gas and headed to the mall.  I forgot that JCPenney's didn't open until 6, so I wandered the mall for an hour and hung out on the couch by the door for the next couple of hours, alternately reading Classroom Management and nodding off, with a little reprieve when Scott woke up at 3 and texted me for a little while.  At about a quarter till six, the crowd got up and surged to the doors. I was up closer to the front, but not the front.  I made it in okay amidst the hundreds of people.  I even managed to get an $8 waffle maker (the cool one that flips over) and help a few others get one too.  Once I got in, I just handed them over until I wanted to keep mine.  After I got out of there, it was even crazier!  I was glad I made it out okay!  I wasn't willing to even try for any other ones!  Once I checked out I was outta there and on my way home!  I got in bed and was out of it until one in the afternoon!  Luckily Scott was willing to let me do that!
Ben also had his birthday and it was a pretty great day!  He loves all of his books and his movie that I got for him!  Scott went and got him cupcakes for his class (he was super worried about it).  I was super sad that I couldn't be there for it!  So, I have no idea what the cupcakes looked like!  Mamaw took him to pick up Chinese food (he loves Chinese food) and pick his cake.  She's so sweet!  Afterwards we went home and I helped Ben put his new fantastically awesome toy together.  Check it out!  It took us until eleven, but we did it together (I had no idea what time it was)!

 He immediately started reading the books!  They're Garfield comic books!

Can you see the pilot?

Secrets of the Red Box Book Tour

About Vickie Hall

Author Vickie Hall

Vickie is a native of Utah, but growing up, lived in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Nebraska. When she's not writing, she's composing music, or shopping with her sister. She loves animals of all kinds and camping with her family. Her favorite pastime is watching old movies on TCM, and unashamedly has a crush on Cary Grant.

Links: Blog * Website * Facebook * Goodreads

Her Top Ten Favorite Books

1. Before I Say Goodbye

2. Letters In The Jade Dragon Box

3. Follow The River

4. The Notebook

5. The Short Stories of O. Henry

6. The Miracle of Forgiveness

7. Wild Swans

8. A Christmas Carol

9. Comfort and Joy

10. No Doubt About It

About the Book

Secrets of the Red Box

Bonnie has secrets to keep - secrets with the potential to destroy lives, including her own. Running from her destructive and pain filled past, she recreates herself, believing she has escaped the evidence hidden in the red box. When her former life is revealed by a cruel twist of fate, Bonnie faces losing everything, including Glen, the only man she’s ever loved. But is Bonnie the woman he thinks she is? Set against the backdrop of the 1940s, Secrets of the Red Box is filled with intrigue and suspense - sure to keep you guessing to the very end!

Purchase Link: Amazon 

My Thoughts

I was looking forward to reading this book, because I have enjoyed other books by Vickie Hall.  Sadly, my life got super busy, so I'm only a quarter of the way into the book.  It is okay so far, but not a favorite.  Bonnie lies constantly, and can't seem to keep her lies straight.  That and I have no idea as to why she's swearing at a box!  I'm looking forward to finding out more information!

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First week of full-time teaching down

And I am exhausted!  Trying to keep up with laundry and kids' homework, bills and a budget, meals, snacks and general housekeeping on top of it.  I'm trying incredibly hard to make sure my kids feel loved and listened to, that I will stop whatever I'm doing to listen, comfort, read or sing.  I would like to think I'm doing a good job, but it's making it so that I'm not getting enough sleep, so I'm going to add in time management!  I have always needed to work on that!  I got some awesome deals at Children's Orchard, so Josh is looking super cute in his $2 outfit!  I'm cancelling cable and considering buying a blue-ray player, so I can pipe in Netflix/Hulu onto my tv.  With black Friday sales, I can buy one for less than the price of a month of Cable.  Hurray!  And there's not commercials!  So, I'll save money and my sanity (my kids want everything they see on tv)!  My kids are fantastic kids and are growing up fast!  Yesterday Josh waved at me!  Cecilia is going potty regularly, maybe she's unregressing?  Leah is in Preschool on trial.  Emma can now write her first and last name.  Kira isn't feeling well, but is taking it in stride.  She's excited for me to be out of school, so I can eat lunch with her.  Ben is making new creatures like crazy!  He is still missing Aurora, and I was supposed to set up a day for us to go down to Emporia by his birthday, which is next week!  He's turning ten!  November is flying by! I just have a week of full-time teaching, a few days of teaching a few lessons, and a few days of observing in the school! I'm glad we're getting out of school a few weeks early!  I'm looking forward to spending time with family, working on some crafts (making Christmas presents) and Kindergarten lesson plans!  I'm excited that the women at church came together and decided on Bunco once a month.  It's fun to have a night out once a month and in January I'm hosting!  So, I need to figure out what I'm going to make for prizes...  Maybe bows and bowties, taggie blankets?  I'm still working on the idea.  We'll see I suppose!  I'm very thankful that we're lucky enough to be a family forever!  Hurray for awesome family!

Whew!

I feel like I'm running and running and running!  People always ask me how I get things done.  I don't!  I prioritize and pray that it's enough!  Last weekend I wasn't able to work on my big thing that was due on Monday and I'm pretty sure it was a class all by itself, so I'll be lucky if I pass that class.  I hope that if I don't I can just redo it!  I really hope that doesn't put me behind a semester!  It wasn't my best work at all, so I was sad when I turned it in!  But, I spent time with my kids, and got caught up on laundry, so that was good!
This week has been nice, because I was able to teach most of the afternoon everyday except Tuesday.  Tuesday I brought a fellow intern with me to go to the Career Fair in Emporia, to have my tire tread completely come off at the halfway point!  We were blessed that no cars were around, so no one got hurt!  Since that was my spare, I had no options!  I had Scott bring his spare to my parents' house, for my brother (and his family) to drive 45 minutes to help me have a spare.  A really nice State Patrol Officer stopped and talked to us for a minute.  We played checkers (I lost soooo bad) and Bill rescued us!  We were sad, but decided to just head back, because by then we couldn't have gotten an interview anyway!  We looked nice though!  I dropped her off, came home and changed into regular clothes in order to get a new tire.  I ended up spending $44.  Not bad at all!  Not good, but not bad!  Our class had a field trip on Friday and we got to see the Robin Hood play.  I thought they did a pretty great job!  I just finished writing up 15 super short lesson plans for next week and I'll have to get started on the next two weeks after that.  Only this week and then seven more days of teaching this semester.  Although I'll probably still be teaching after that, just not full-time!  Then I get to observe around the school, including (hopefully) my class for next semester.
In the meantime, Leah gets to start an extended eval for Preschool, so she gets to go to Preschool!  I'm very excited for her, and she's pretty thrilled too!  Poor Emma is very disappointed (and I don't blame her)!  I hope Emma gets into preschool soon too!
Cecilia is talking more and letting her wants be known.  Whew!  She is quite the snugglebug and wants to cuddle with me and Josh in the morning!  My mom says she weighs 30 pounds!
Josh is over 18 pounds!  He's quite the little brick!  He's absolutely adorable though!  He kept talking during the Adult Stake Conference Session.
I went through shoes today and we straightened up the Living Room for the party that didn't happen.  Oh well!
I also took pictures with my tripod and self-timer today!  I was so excited!
The first set of pictures is the stuff I made at Super Saturday last week!

 How cute is this ornament?

 Cecilia loves the sign!

Cover Reveal of Heart of the Ocean by Heather Moore

Author Heather B. Moore

Heather B. Moore is the award-winning author of ten novels, two inspirational non-fiction books, and two anthologies, including The Newport Ladies Book Club Series, A Timeless Romance Anthology, and Christ's Gifts to Women (co-authored by Angela Eschler).

Her historical fiction is published under the pen name H.B. Moore. She is the two-time recipient of Best of State in Literary Fiction, two-time Whitney Award Winner, and two-time Golden Quill Winner for Best Novel. Her most recent historical novel under H.B. Moore is Daughters of Jared (2012 LUW Gold Award of Excellence & 2012 LUW Best Book Trailer).

Links:

Author Website:
www.hbmoore.com

Author Blog:
http://mywriterslair.blogspot.com

Timeless Romance Anthologies Blog:
http://timelessromanceanthologies.blogspot.com/

Heather B. Moore Amazon Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Heather-B.-Moore/e/B007HLYZ6A/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_2

H.B. Moore Amazon Page:
http://www.amazon.com/H.-B.-Moore/e/B001K8942Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1351275833&sr=1-2-ent

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/heather.b.moore.3

Facebook “Fans of H.B. Moore” page:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/37783537691/?fref=ts

Twitter:
@heatherbmoore


Book Summary:

Heart of the Ocean
by Heather B. Moore

A dark secret . . . a grieving ghost  . . . a handsome stranger  . . .
What more could Eliza Robinson want?
Except for maybe her life.

In Heather B. Moore’s enthralling 1840’s historical romance, Heart of the Ocean, Eliza Robinson has turned down the very pretentious Mr. Thomas Beesley’s marriage proposal. As a business partner of Eliza’s father, Thomas quickly discredits the family and brings disgrace to the Robinson name.

While her father scrambles to restore his good name in New York City, Eliza flees to the remote Puritan town of Maybrook to stay with her Aunt Maeve. Although relieved to be away from all- things-male and unforgiving gossip columns, odd things start to happen to Eliza, and she is plagued by a ghostly voice. Her aunt’s explanation? That Eliza is being haunted by a woman who died of a broken heart twenty years ago.

After Aunt Maeve is tragically killed, Eliza's life is put in danger as she tries to uncover the mystery of her aunt's death. She encounters Jonathan Porter in Maybrook, whose presence in the town seems suspicious, yet she finds herself drawn to him. When she discovers that Jonathan’s dark secrets may be the link between the dead woman who haunts her and her aunt’s murderer, Eliza realizes that Jonathan is the one man she should never trust.

Cover Reveal:

Upcoming Blog Tour Schedule:
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/10/heart-ocean-blog-tour.html

Sad day

Today was not a happy day.  I stayed up late last night working on my resume for the career fair today an hour and a half away.  I was running a few minutes late, but not bad!  I picked up a fellow intern and we headed down to Emporia.  Halfway there my tire completely blew!  Craziness!  That was my spare, so I called Scott and he brought his spare over to my mom's house for my brother to come bring it 45 minutes to us.  He changed it for me and aired it up.  What a sweetheart!  We agreed to just head back, since we could only go 50 and were already too late for the Career Fair.  Bummer!  So, I went home and spent some time with my kiddos (which was awesome)!  We had Fluffernutters, which were pretty much unknown to my children.  They LOVED them!  I found a tire place and went in to get mine changed.  It only cost me $44.  Pretty awesome!  I worked on reading for my lesson plans while I waited!  So, they are well on their way!
Now, I hear that Obama probably won.  And I'm falling asleep sitting up.  Good night!

So close!

I have a HUGE assignment due tomorrow and then class is officially over for this semester!  I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and family that have really helped me out this Semester!  I still have a month to go, but I'm sure it will go well, because I have such a great support and foundation!  We have enough and will be fine somehow!  I feel incredibly lucky to have such an awesome family (the one I was born into and the one that my husband and I have made)!  I have a husband who works hard to teach children Spanish!  I have a baby who has started laughing, a snuggly toddler and preschooler, a super smart five-year-old that already knows a lot about reading, an eight-year-old that wants to help cook, and an almost ten year old who wants a creature cake for his birthday!  Fun times!