A Finals Week Disaster

So, as many of you already know, I am a middle school reading teacher. I love it. It is the most challenging job I have ever had, and had no idea the extent of hard work required of a teacher before I was thrown into the classroom (just one of the things that I missed out on by doing alternate certification instead of student teaching).

Well, today is the third day of final exams for our little darlings here. It is an early release day (my first ever as a teacher! woo!). It is also Staff Potluck day, AND I was able to leave the house early enough to spend a little of my well-hoarded "frivolus spending allowance" at St. Arbucks this morning on the way into school for a surprisingly delicious cup of steaming hot, toffee flavored joe. So, all in all, this was shaping up to be a FANTASTIC day!

Enter my mistake:

I had my arms more than full as I loaded them down with all the goodies to take in for the potluck later this afternoon, and did not have a hand to spare for my delicious coffee, so instead of unloading my arms again to put the cup back in the cupholder until i could come out and get it in about 5 minutes, I opted to simply leave it on the roof of the car. "No one will mess with my coffee! I'll be right back!" I told myself, foolishly.

On my way back out (less than 5 minutes later) to the car (AKA: temporary coffee haven), I mention what I'm doing to one of my fellow teachers. He tells me that another teacher grabbed it off my roof and was asking around to see who's it was. "OH! awesome! I'll just go get it from him, " I think as I head for the stairwell. When I get to his room, I am happy and perky, and excited to have my coffee back (that I had only had about 4 sips of so far). I walk in and say, "I'm hear to claim my long lost coffee!"

He had thrown it away.

Ultimate waste of $3.00. Ultimate fail.

Moral of This Sad Tale:

Don't throw away someone's coffee if you do want to be nice by picking it up off of their car for them! If it's hot, they probably still want it!

Happy Thursday! ;)

As I put the finishing touches on my first Semester Exam that I will be giving tomorrow to my lucky 2nd period class, and I finish reading the new Christmas cards we received in the mail today, I think I will further my multi-tasking abilities to add a third thing to my plate: I'll update with some lovely pictures :) ALWAYS FUN!

I'm totally stealing this first picture from my friend Alyssa's blog and the others from our dear friends the Irwins because we didn't bring our camera to the wassail fest this year! BUMMER!

Kelley, Me, and Alyssa (Can you tell how happy we were to be at Wassail Fest!?)

It wouldn't really be us without some odd picture like that one, right?!

Okay, that's a little better!

Wassail fest is one of the things we look forward to every year! Last year, we were unable to attend, however, because Aaron had a last minute work trip to the lovely Lufkin, TX... but this year we made it a point to be there!
One of the things i LOVE about Denton is that we have small-town celebrations. I was talking with someone the other day about how it's almost a Stars Hollow feel (for all you Gilmore Girls fans - you know who you are!!), and I LOVE that. I LOVE that we have an anual Lighting of the Christmas Tree on the square coupled with a Wassail fest which means that the streets around the square are shut down and blocked off for pedestrians to run hog-wild as we go from shop to shop to shop around the square to taste and vote for the best wassail in town! For those of you who do not know what wassail is... the best and easiest way to describe it is to say that it's like apple cider...but different. Google it :)

aaaaand, of course, another goofy picture... :)

Next, we have Denton Family Christmas. We were able to share a meal with some of our closest friends recently. Christmas is a great excuse to get everyone together. With so many newlyweds and busybodies among us, it's just plain hard to do... EVER, but we were glad to have a group together on this particular evening to celebrate friendship, love, and the grace of our King who allows and created it all. We drew names to participate in a gift exchange, too, so I'll share some of the fun with you now:

Potluck and "bring your favorite beverage to share" is the best way to do any party! :)

There were DEFINITELY many laughs this night. I keep many of the laughter pictures at bay simply because laughter is not necessarily the most attractive facial position that most of us want to be captured and remembered (at least, not when things are REALLY funny...).

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff and Jen Holm share a sweet moment after the gift exchange :)

Nels is VERY excited about his new lighter!! can't you tell??
(we missed his wife at the party! She was out of town, many states away, at the time)

Jeremy already knows he's getting an iPhone, so his gift was iTunes Gift Card and an iPhone case!

Ryan got two DVD's of his favorite director's movies. Very great movies... however, for the life of me I cannot think of the director's name. I will have a head (at least one) shaken in my direction for admitting this, and Ryan? I'm okay with it. Just get it over with.

Alyssa's gift was definitely one of the most creative and most personalized! Great Job, Jen! Her logo for Pink Antler Cakes (her delicious bakery business) was printed on personalized recipe cards and now she has an official Pink Antler Cakes Recipe Book!!

she was so excited about it!!!

Kelley's a bit more prepared for next semesters many late night class days with her new Crock Pot recipe box (i think that face means she likes it? haha)!

and, anyone who knows Kel, knows that she LOVES her rubber gloves! Now she's got some stylish rubbers (um, gloves, that is...)!

Aaron was lucky enough that his video game playing partner drew his name, so he got a... GAMESTOP gift card! woo! now... what to get?! the world is your oyster!!!

Jeff got some great fishing gear! I'm sure they will be put to use at the very first opportunity! :)

Jen got some great earings and a great houndstooth scarf! Perfect gift!

Alyssa has been roped into helping me decorate and redecorate too many times to know that I need nothing more than great art to hang on our walls!!!

So, what's the solution?! Well, she painted me a canvas, of course!! Such a creative woman! It's perfect. We both love the colors she used, and I can't wait to find the perfect place for it in our home that we buy in the spring (Lord willing!!).

Another thing that I cannot go without mentioning is the delicious homemade Hot Chocolate with ...wait for it... HOMEMADE marshmallows courtesy of our very own Alyssa of Pink Antler Cakes. Her recipe is actually her most recent post, I believe! BUT... just in case she has been able to sneak another post in since this post, here is a direct link do that delicious bit of blog.

Okay, it is officially WAY past my bedtime, and I'm sure you're a little more than tired of my novel of a post, so I need to wrap this up.

The last thing that I will share is how one of my very favorite things about this time of year is opening the mailbox to find letters and PICTURES of our friends and family in the form of Christmas cards/postcards. We got three more today, and it was all I could do to keep from letting out a giggle of glee as I sat, alone in my car, in the garage opening christmas cards because I couldn't even wait long enough to get to the kitchen table. :)

We'll get ours out...eventually :/ haha

Video from Matt

I'm providing a link to view the video Matt made on Thursday before going into surgery on Friday to have a 2"x1" brain tumor removed. I know many people are asking for updates, and I think this is probably the best way for you to get them! :)
Warning: It's only about 5 min long, but you may want a tissue handy...

http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/blog/hvpastor/

Yum!

If i owned this:






I would make THIS recipe and THIS recipe.
If you didn't catch it, this was merely an excuse to both advertise Alyssa's site and to share some delicious recipes :)


love, denise.

this is a very short and to the point update.

while i was sitting in a professional development meeting this evening, i received a text from my mom that simply said,
"pray for mawmaw. on her way to the hospital. says her heart is "doing funny things". I'll keep you posted"


please please please pray for my grandmother. she is the greatest grandmother on the planet (no offense to your gmaws...), and we are to visit her and my grandfather at their home in Cape Coral, FL for the christmas holiday, in just a few weeks. please please keep her in your prayers. I need her to be okay.


well, need... obviously not like i need Jesus, but i do - i need her to be okay.


please pray.


thank you, and i'll keep you posted. I love you all, and I covet your prayers in these moments.

My beautiful grandmother and me at my little brother's HS graduation about a year and a half ago.

Much Needed Addition to Every Coffee Table

Today I have written two office referrals (and very close to a third)...
One was for a particular student sleeping in my class EVERY time we read our novel aloud in class, and showing no remorse. On the contrary, the response to me when I question why this is a constant struggle (sometimes there are legit issues at home!) is, "MAN! It's so BORING!!!". This response gains zero sympathy from me. Suck it up. You won't enjoy everything you learn (I don't say that, of course...). Today, he/she fell asleep 8 different times. During one of these instances, there was drool spilling over lips into his/her lap... nice.
The second was a student from whom I have personally collected at least 4-5 notes from and seen writing notes at least 10 times... After today's addition to my collection, this student will be visiting the office.

All of this to share my sweet, hilarious husband's ingenious idea with you. He is encouraging me to keep all of the funny notes that I pick up over the years and to publish a collection of hilarious notes by middle schoolers when I have a significant number of them...Names will have to be changed, of course, but the beauty is NOT in the names. I assure you.

so, if you teach middle school (or other grades, too...) please lend me your hilarious notes. I would like to recognize these students for their phenomenal dedication to their education.

love, THE Mrs. Power
;)

p.s. my favorite note still stands as the first note I ever took up in my classroom. It is actually from the aforementioned student, believe it or not...

from a 7th grade female written to 8th grade male.
My favorite line: "I love it when you be wearin' them skinny jeans, yo booty be lookin' extra big!"

wow. i love my job. :)

LA FITNESS

Thought i'd share with you: maybe you work for DISD or know someone who does? :)


Attention D.I.S.D. Employees:


L.A. Fitness International, LLC is now offering all Denton ISD employees a discounted membership program.

Denton ISD employee only discount:
Enrollment Monthly

Employee: $25 $29.99
Family Add-Ons: $0 $29.99

Regular Rates: $149 enrollment (savings of $125); $49.99 monthly (savings of $20 per month)


Amenities and terms of membership

LA Fitness offers a 25 yard heated lap pool, hot tub, dry sauna, full locker room facilities w/ private showers, full court basketball, 5 racquetball courts, group fitness classes including- yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, boxing, hip hop, body pump, step, cycling, water aerobics and more. We also carry over 200 pieces of the most state of the cardiovascular machines, resistance training equipment and free weights to meet all your fitness needs. Also included w/ your membership is one complimentary orientation w/ a certified personal trainer. Kids club is available for a nominal fee. This plan will give you access to every LA Fitness location excluding Signature clubs.
Membership is monthly w/ no long term contract. First and last months dues must be paid at time of enrollment and electronic draft is required for ongoing monthly payment. Other terms and conditions apply. See club for details.

This offer is only available at the Denton location (1350 S. Loop 288, Denton, Tx 76208). The deadline for this offer is November 30th, 2009. This is the last day you will be able to take advantage of these unbelievable rates so don’t miss out! We look forward to helping you achieve all your fitness goals.

Ask for Matt or Allison
(940) 380-2904

Synonym for Torture = Christmas Music

November is here, which means that Thanksgiving is almost here, which means that Christmas is in that petri dish at our major retailers and is currently growing like the Cloverfield Monster (or Godzilla, in case you didn't catch Cloverfield) into what will be a full grown monster. Think about it, nobody panics when the monster is small. It's fun, it's cute, it can be ignored. When it gets big though, you'll see the panic. You go about your normal day, enjoying November to it's fullest glory until that inevitable day of pandemonium...Black Friday. They call it Black Friday because people act like blindfolded 12 year old children hopped up on Mountain Dew and Pixie Sticks. The blindfold implies darkness...black...darkness...are you following me yet?

So where were we? Christmas. Yes, Christmas. Just you wait, you can ignore that monster until December gets here. But at that point this monster gets harder and harder to fight. The panic level goes up, up, up. Don't even think of waiting until the week of to start shopping, because at that point the monster is huge, out of control, and the city has turned to havoc induced frenziness. I made that last word up for dramatic effect.

So why title this blog about the torture that is Christmas music? The reason is that it plays everywhere you go 24/7. Chic-Fil-A is notorious for this, which is why I won't go there during the holidays. I wouldn't create a playlist of 50 or so songs and distribute them to every major restaurant and retailer and ask them to put it on repeat for 1 month, but for some reason this idea is OK during the Holidays.

Hear me out...there is a point to this.

I don't hate Christmas music, I just am quite picky about my Christmas music. I made some friends a Christmas Mix CD last year and quite honestly, it's really good. I mean just ask Darrell. It's good. Especially Relient K's rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas". They make a great point when singing the self-written/inserted chorus line discussing the weirdness of these presents. They round out said chorus by saying "...but I can bet those are terrible gifts today".

That's hilarious.

So this Christmas I'll try not to get grumpy. I'll try not to feed, ignore, or even complain anymore about the X-Mas Beast. This year we plan on enjoying a little Secret Santa to cut down on Christmas spending. We plan on investing our time and effort into one present for one person. It's fun and easy. Sure, we'll spend on our immediate family as well, because let's face it, our grandparents always need new pictures of us, my mom always needs some sort of house decorating thing, my sister needs money.

And yes, my dad will never avoid getting socks.

see you next week.

All Things Go!

I woke up at 5:30 AM this morning in a bed all by myself because Denise is staying at my parent's house. She has a conference in Richardson so Allen to Richardson is much less of a beat-down commute than Denton to Richardson. So, as the John Mayer Village Sessions EP is playing on the oh so handy iPod alarm clock I begin to get ready for the day. I know it's going to be a good day, just like all other Corporate America does, when it's Casual Friday. I leave the house, stop by St. Arbucks, and head on into work.

My wife will tell you that I have musical A.D.D. I can't ever just let the stereo do it's thing, I have to find the right song for the right time. This can be difficult on the way to work at 6 in the morning. Sometimes I need some wake-up tunes, so I'll blast something upbeat and catchy, maybe a little MuteMath, maybe some Cobra Starship, or maybe some Bruce Hornsby. This morning was a little different, I was awake and not in the mood for anything loud and fast. I decided to go with some Sufjan. Illinoise was the choice for this morning. That CD has everything: Great harmonies, great musicianship, and well-crafted lyrics.

When the song Chicago came on I felt something. I started singing this song and really thinking about the words and it really moved me. I mean, I was somehow worshiping to this song. The chorus (in bold if you're unfamiliar) is a really great picture of what Christ as done for us and our relationship with him. I don't really know why these songs get me like they do. I just know that I've never heard this song like I heard it today. It's really cool that God uses song and music to reach down to us. It's a really great way to start off the day. All things go.

I fell in love again
all things go, all things go
drove to Chicago
all things know, all things know
we sold our clothes to the state
I don't mind, I don't mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

I drove to New York
in the van, with my friend
we slept in parking lots
I don't mind, I don't mind
I was in love with the place
in my mind, in my mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

if I was crying
in the van, with my friend
it was for freedom
from myself and from the land
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
(I made a lot of mistakes)
all things know, all things know
(I made a lot of mistakes)
you had to find it
(I made a lot of mistakes)
all things go, all things go
(I made a lot of mistakes)

I just need to say...

"Thank you" to my sweet, wonderful, amazing, patient, loving, understanding, helpful servant of a husband...

I would not make it through this year of my life without him.

The Lord was/is gracious and merciful to allow me to spend my life with this man.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

A thousand times thank you.

love, wifey.

Cleaning Shop?!

just a quick plug/reminder for all:

if you have (or know anyone who has) rugs, beanbag type chairs, lamps, bookshelves, a couch or armchair that they are trying to rid themselves (or their spouse?) of... :) I WANT IT ALL :)

trying to transform my classroom, so if you want it gone, i'll take it (well, probably...) :)

LOVE, denise

p.s. and, as always, if you have any books you are trying to get rid of to make shelf space, i'll take those, too! :)

The Truth is...

The truth of the matter is that it is too easy to feel overwhelmed. It is all too natural for my flesh to scream out in panic instead of listening to my heart that says, "Slow down. Take a deep breath, and listen to your Father who wants to bear these burdens FOR YOU!"
Why is it that we allow so many minor things of this life to rise up and take over the thrown of our hearts and to consume our thoughts? Why is it second nature for me to become irritated at my students for not understanding such "simple" ideas, or to think to myself, "How am I supposed to work from 7-5, attend countless meetings and trainings, cook dinner, be HOME for dinner, grade mounds and mounds of papers and still have enough time and energy to give my husband the attention and encouragement and love that I truly desire to show him all before bedtime (which is SUPPOSED to be 9:30 f0r us old, early risers... yeah right...)?!"
Why can I not just be still for 30 minutes to spend time in the presence of my Father who can put these things into perspective for me and take the irrational panic out of my day?
Why, in the times that I am NOT diligent and consistant in my time with the Lord, do I feel that I "cannot possibly spare another moment in the day even to read The Word" when if I DO make the time and I DO spend it with Him, it seems ridiculous to think anything contrary.
This life is short, this world is sinful, and I am a daughter of the King of it all.
Maybe it's time I start acting like it... Or maybe that time was many years ago...

Words of Beauty.

Oh, to have the gift of writing like those whom I admire...

To have the ability to paint pictures of beauty and sorrow and laughter in someone's mind's eye just by penning words onto a page...

Thanks, to all who stir my heart with their words.

Love, Denise.

Classroom Deco

So, a few weeks ago i sent out an email to the few contacts i had onhand at the moment. that was not a lot of people... ;) so... i just realized that i should just post the email here! it's pretty lengthy, but the attached article is so great, i really hope you're intrigued enough to read it.
love you all, denise.

Hello All! Just wanted to drop you all a note to say “Hello” and to let you know a need I’ve come across in my classroom. Well, I say a “need”, but honestly it’s a desire… I have always wanted my classroom to be a comfortable place where my students WANT to be (as much as you can WANT to be in a classroom, I suppose).
I was sent an article/video yesterday that absolutely made me green with envy (in a good way?) because this woman’s 7th and 8th grade classroom (which is EXACTLY what I teach…) is my dream class. No joke… I’m attaching the article/video if you want to read/watch it at all. I found it fascinating, but maybe it’s just because it’s what I do? Anyways, to the point: I am brainstorming every possible way that I can transform my classroom (SLOWLY…) into this dream room that I have in my fantastical imagination, and one way that I can start is to just let people know some of the basic needs for the “look” of the room:
The big need there will come in the form of beanbags (or other type seats beanbag-ish), lamps (table OR floor lamps), and RUGS (big and small). I'd also LOVE to have at least one love seat or couch and one arm chair. I know this sounds silly, and I know that if I go to yard sales and thrift stores I’ll find some, but the reality of it is that it will take me years and years to have the time to find them and, more realistically, have the money to purchase them (even if I do find them at thrift stores or yard sales).
SO… I’m not asking for money!!! Please don’t think that. All I’m asking for is for you to please tell anyone you know who is trying to get rid of these things that I WANT THEM! I don’t care HOW ugly or old they are, I’ll transform them if I need to and clean them up the best I can. I just need things to work with.
Sorry…that was TOTALLY long… I tend to be long winded, no? anyways. I love you all and you’re great. Thanks so much, in advance, for your help with this!! Hope to see you soon!

Mrs. Denise Power
7th/8th Reading
Navo Middle School

Has is been that long?!

WOW!!!
ok, so i'm just now realizing that the last time i posted... i was still at Fidelity Investments, we were planning our trip to Annapolis, and our friends Sarah and Ben were still living in the US... man. that was a while ago, eh?
ok, so to run through just a FEW things that have gone on:

- I am now a middle school reading teacher in Denton ISD! Praise Jesus! Aaron and I have been praying for an opportunity for me to teach since before we were married. The Lord was more than faithful to bring that about. What's even better than just getting hired on to any school is that one of my Assistant Principals here is actually half of our Pre-Marital Mentor Couple from just before we were married last year! It's been such a blessing and releif to know an administrator and to feel comfortable enough to ask questions that i may have otherwise kept to myself...as silly as that may seem.
- My sister, Lynn, and her husband, Luke, just received Luke's acceptance letter to SouthEastern Seminary in North Carolina! This is bittersweet news for us. They live in the south part of Fort Worth right now, so we hardly ever see them anyways... but in mid-January, the Henderson Duo will be making their big move to (just outside Raleigh, i think...?) North Carolina for Luke to persue his Masters. Such a great opportunity though :)
-Aaron and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary on August 30 of this year... so... that's neat :) We took our trip to Annapolis, MD to stay with my Aunt and her family and it was SUCH a blast. We really did have a great time. i'll post pictures sometime soon... hopefully ;)
-i really want to go home...

sorry for the intterupt. just realized that i CAN go home. so i am.
:) more later.

Mr. and Mrs. Ben and Sarah Long

So our dear friends, Ben and Sarah, are off to Cairo, Egypt for two years... they leave next Tuesday. There was a going away party at the ever hospitable Clay and Emily's casa last night for our sweet friends. We will miss them SO MUCH!! But we're all so excited for the amazing opportunity they have to preach the gospel of Christ with their lives in the city God is placing them in! Please be praying for Ben and Sarah as they prepare to leave all that they know to live in Egypt for the next two years. THANK YOU!!

Annapolis, MD!

We are going to Annapolis, MD for our one year anniversary at the beginning of September!! My Aunt Karen and family live right on the Chesapeake Bay so we will be boating/kayaking/sailing/crabbing/maybe a jog or 2 through the Naval Academy grounds, etc. for 4.5 days! We have to introduce AP to life on the East Coast! He's never been! i'm so excited that we're able to do this! I thought i'd gather a little preview of what we get to look forward to! unfortunately the site is not cooperating today, so i'm unable to label each picture, so i'll post some from the Naval Academy, some from downtown Annapolis and just some random photos to give you an idea of what we'll be seeing! Enjoy! :)

Power House

Well, we are all moved in to the new place. We will drop off the keys to the apartment (our very first home together! aww!) tonight. Hot water should be waiting for us at the house tonight (very exciting!!!), and internet will be hooked up tomorrow morn. :) it's coming together -slowly, but surely... we are really just swimming in boxes at this point!
it's amazing how it seems that we have NO furniture now that we're in the house as opposed to the apartment! haha.
I'll post pictures soon. we'll do a before/after scene. :)
We're hosting 2 wedding showers in the next 2-3 weeks, so hopefully i can pull this off!!! YIKES! any tips on pulling the place together fast would be much appreciated!! :)

more soon.

Chair Heaven

Hello, all :)

I need to do a real update, and that will be coming shortly, but first, i'd like to share with you a little piece of love: from the Power home to yours... the current domestic obsession of mine... my vintage rocker that i picked up for FIVE DOLLARS at a yard sale saturday. I removed the YUCK-UGLY fabric that it had, and am in the process of reupholstering it as we speak! I got the new fabric for 50% off at JoAnn's Sunday. i just finished the back cushion, as i had a bit of time before work this morning, and actually found my staple gun! WOO! i wanted to share a few pics of the almost finished work! :) enjoy!




love, denisie.

p.s. staple guns make my right pinkie numb... haha.

New Picture Post! Woo!

Ok... recap of the past few weeks? But of course! Here goes:

Work is going well for both Aaron and myself. Memorial Day is about a week away and we're really looking forward to the day off to go hang with the Power fam out at the In-Laws' place! Hello free veggies!! ;) man... i don't think i'll ever get over their garden! haha

Audie and Joannie (AP's parents)
This was their garden back at Easter. I can't wait to see it next weekend!

We are still in the process of looking for a house to rent this next year starting at the end of June. We are actually leaving in just a few minutes to go look at a handful of houses before church tonight.

Aaron's sister Jordan will be living with us this coming year, which is exciting! So if anyone knows of any great homegroups for freshman ladies, please let us know, because we really would love to see her get involved and have some fabulous women around her this year! Jordie's will be graduating from Allen High on June 2! WOO!

Our dear friends Ben and Sarah got hitched Friday evening, and the wedding was beautiful and perfect. :) Here are a few great shots from that night:

Mr. and Mrs. Ben and Sarah Long!

Mr. and Mrs. Aaron and Denise Power ;)

The Men

Miss Kelley Howard and myself striking a pose on the dance floor...

Jeremy and AP

"Was there dancing?!" Are you kidding me?! This woman was a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader for goodness sake! OF COURSE THERE WAS DANCING!!!
We showed those cheerleaders how to bust a move Denton-Style... ;) hahaha

And speaking of graduation... my baby sister, Lynn (whose wedding is in less than TWO WEEKS now!!!!) graduated yesterday from University of North Texas with a degree in Finance! Way to go, Lynnie! Here are a few shots from the day:

Family Love

Aaron made me do it... ;)
Also, I'm pretty sure this was just after I managed to slam a full cup of punch into Aaron's arm, soaking and embarassing myself in front of everyone... Goob.

We are somewhat lopsided siblings... don't judge us.

After some mild coaching, we straightened up again...

AP and my dad on the way to Lynn's grad ceremony in the rain

Lynn and the man she will marry in T-minus13 days and counting! The Mr. Jerry (Luke) Henderson :)

Also, I know many of you have been praying with us that I might be able to find a teaching job this fall, and I actually had an interview this past week with the school that I would REALLY like to teach. The interview went well, and I am praying to get a call for a second interview. They want to have all of their teachers for next year in place by the end of the month, so please keep praying! I really appreciate it!! Thanks!!

And last, but not least... Random updates!

*our tomato plants are SO HUGE now! it's unreal! they were both only about 8 inches tall when i bought them! I'm excited for them to ripen so that we can eat our homegrown tomatoes!! :)

*I planted some seeds to start a few string bean bushes, and they have sprouted up so quickly! I am about to transplant them into a few more containers to give them growing room :) beans will be exciting to have, too!

*the asparagus is strange... i keep thinking its done...(it doesnt produce much...), but then i'll find another one random stalk growing! haha. so strange...

*I have located the recipe for Chili's Honey Mustard recipe, and it is fantastic! :) it's so delicious on chicken sandwiches or pita paninis (lovingly referred to as Panitas). It is equal parts mayo, dijon mustard, and honey. add a few sprinkles of paprika, and mix together well! Presto! you're done:

I'm really hoping that wherever we rent this year, they will allow me to use a small bit of the backyard to have a real garden! maybe i'll just do a raised garden that we can move with us :) that would be cool... Let me know any ideas you all may have!

Oh! I know several of you lovely ladies are sewers, so if anyone knows of someone that is wanting to get rid of a sewing machine (that works...) tell them i'll take it! Or even if you know someone who has one and just never uses it, so they would like me to babysit it for a while! :) i've been itching to make things lately, but my sewing machine is SUPER old and keeps knotting up on the back stitch and/or not stitching at all... one day i'll have a real sewing machine that was not once someone's junk they needed to get rid of!! one day... ;)

Happy Beautiful Sunday, all!

Love, Denisie Power.