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.