Friday, April 29, 2011

Goin in deep...

First of all, I'm so heartbroken over the devastating tornadoes and loss of life in the south...
Some of the scariest times of my life where sitting in the bathtub with my babies wondering if a tornado was going to hit the house...
I'm so very thankful our friends in the South are all safe...


On another topic ~
I'm all set to go...
I've registered for my first class in my Masters of History program, Historical Research...ugh...
I've ordered and received my books...



Don't let the small size of the books fool you...
With titles like "The Information-Literate Historian" and
"From Reliable Sources An Introduction to Historical Methods"
Page turners they are not....


I already see something I don't know..
What is a Monograph??????????
Good thing I have this handy book!

Class begins on Monday...
It is an online class so I'm hoping that flexibility will work in my favor...
Today I read where I should plan on spending 10-15 hours a week on the class...
for the next 16 weeks!
I panicked...

That's a lot of time....
I had budgeted about 4 hours a week...
I'm gonna have to reevaluate that...

I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew...


And finally~
I think I'm finally feeling better...
My cough is lessening which is really good because I sound like a seal dying on the beach...
My voice is croaky but my husband says its sexy...

I've manged to get better just in time to clean and cook for company on Sat
and to do last minute errands for the banquet on Sunday...

Tune in on Monday for a summary of our banquet...
The theme...
NNO = Nerds Night Out!

Frychik

Thursday, April 28, 2011

What would you do?

What would you do if something that was your "dream" landed in your lap?

All the barriers that were keeping you from your dream were suddenly removed?

What would you do if following this dream meant leaving your family for 6 weeks?

What would you do if an opportunity, that spoke directly to your heart, plopped down in front of you?

When is it OK to put yourself first?

When do you listen to fear, when do you push it aside?


What would you do?

Frychik

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Random

1. I woke up coughing at 3:30 am and stayed awake until 5 am...

2.  Jeff came home from a meeting at 10:45pm and left this morning for a meeting at 6:30 am

3.  I have to be up and feed and shuttle my children and I don't want to!

4.  As SA Sponsor I have a banquet to plan, organize and hopefully pull off this weekend

5.  Uncle Brent from Tennessee is coming in the weekend...

6.  Mother in law's oven broke so she called last night and said, "can we have lunch at your house?"

7.  Oldest is playing in the band at Orchards church

8.  Husband is teaching in our home church

9.  Making a salad for long time church member's funeral Sabbath

10. Midterm grades are due today

11.  Oldest son's girlfriends birthday today....

12.  I have a glob of nasty in my throat that I can't cough up or swallow down...gross I know...just wanted you to know I'm suffering!

13.  My garden still isn't planted...

14.  Seriously, becoming mentally ready for oldest to have his license so I don't have to drive his behind everywhere...

15.I  Really, really, miss my house husband!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frychik

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Biology Trip - Part 2

We were gone to Rosario for 3 full and busy days...
I was so thankful that the weather was nice...
It was cold but it wasn't raining!

We began our day with a 6am bird walk...
I seriously debated sending my girls out the cabin door and curling up with a book while they went bird hunting...
Have I mentioned I don't like birds?
But I'm glad I went because I saw this...


I had been to Rosario twice before and I had no idea the Olympic Mountains were just out there...
The clouds do a good job of disguising them.
They were gorgeous!



The kids were busy and I wasn't needed so I did one of the things I love to do best
I took off....
I had no idea where I was going and neither did anyone else...
I discovered a trail and began following it...
While I was on the trail this guy showed up!
I was thrilled!
I had my telephoto lens on and it was just me and him!
I was grinning ear to ear for the next 10 min!


I really enjoyed hiking and taking pictures...
It was weird that no one knew where I was...
But I kind of liked it ;)








The trail was about 2 miles and it led me up and down the mountains and along the water and eventually to Deception Pass...
It was beautiful.


The day ended with the perfect sunset!  We could see the sun until it was just a tiny sliver.  Very cool!


On the negative side those varmints got me sick!
My throat is killing me!
I was just sick two weeks ago!
Grrrr

Oh well....

Frychik

Monday, April 25, 2011

Biology Trip 2011

I'm back from my 3 day excursion with 30 teenagers...
I volunteered for this job...
I could of had a week off from teaching but I decided it would be more fun
to go with these guys on their Biology Trip to Rosario Beach in the Puget Sound

We took the ferry at Mukilteo...Jeff and I had just taken the same ferry 3 days earlier...


The kids got right down to business looking for birds. 
As part of their class they have to identify 100 birds by the end of the year...
I don't like birds one  bit...
The Biology teacher asked me to please keep this little fact to myself...

Some of the kids are a bit strange....

Next stop was Useless Bay, a lovely place with an unfortunate name...
The trip was planned so we arrived at low tide

It was essential to have the proper footwear!


I really enjoyed this part of the trip.
I have always loved exploring the beaches and this one was covered in marine life!
It was exciting discovering all sorts of critters...
The kids had been studying and certain kids were assigned to be "experts" in an area...
Who's the crab expert?
Not me!
The kids dared me to hold him...and yes, he was very much alive...
The colors were amazing!

 We ended every day on the beach around the campfire with the waves crashing behind us...
It was cold but beautiful and dry! No rain!

Day two tomorrow!

Frychik

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Garden

The weather is driving me crazy!
I'm happy the rain has stopped!
But we just can't seem to warm up...

The sun is pouring in the windows this morning and its such a lovely way to wake up!
But it's deceiving...
Its 29 degrees outside!
My tulips and daffodils are not happy :(

Yesterday I went out at 3:45 to mow...
it was sunny and 64 degrees...

By the time I finished at 5 it was 50 degrees and it was raining...

We did manage to till our garden last night!




I remember that last year at this time I was fretting big time about Florida...
This year I'm so thankful to not be in limbo!
It's wonderful to just live here and not feel like the rug is gonna be pulled out from under me at any moment!

I'm hoping to plant some potatoes and onions tonight, they can handle the cold but it has got to warm up!

I also planted 3 more raspberries.
I have spring fever!

Josh finally comes home tonight! He and I and 31 other teenagers are headed to Rosario at 6:30 am for a Biology trip...
These kids will have just gotten home from a 6 day trip to California...So after being home for about 12 hours they will be on the road again...sounds like an Amazing Race pit stop :)

So Wed - Fri I will be exploring tide pools up in the Puget Sound.
I hope it's warm!



Frychik

Monday, April 18, 2011

Unsolicited Advice

I'm very blessed to be married to the perfect guy for me.
He's not perfect, I'm not perfect but we are perfect for each other...

This is our 23rd year of marriage...
Along the way we have learned a few things...
One being that we need time with just each other...
That may be a walk at night after work,
A quick dinner out,
Lunch together,
Racquetball,
Or when we can, a weekend getaway...

It had been a long time since we had gone away together...
I believe it was our 20th anniversary...

Yesterday morning we woke up 32 floors up to this view...


We headed to the Seattle for the weekend...

First stop was Bainbridge Island
We like staying there because its just a ferry ride across from Seattle and it has a lovely, laid back
island feel




I love the ferry rides...
I romanticize about what it would be like to live on one of the islands and commute by ferry...
The change in atmosphere from Bainbridge to Seattle is amazing!
From relaxed layed back to high energy, intense in just a twenty min. ferry ride...





I was disappointed that Art Wolfe doesn't keep weekend hours...
But we went by his Studio anyway...
And it looks like he's planning on moving...


Then we headed to Pikes Market


 And went directly to the mini donuts....
They are so yummy and I have to get them every time I go...
They are warm and gorgeous! Well not gorgeous, but they taste gorgeous...
Does that make sense?



The flowers...
The tulips...
I love the market this time of year...
Gorgeous!




We spent the rest of the day exploring...
I will be working on pictures all day and I will post more later...

The weather was chilly but no rain!
It was a great weekend spent exploring, talking, laughing with my best friend!
If you can get away with your significant other do it!
Right now!
Plan it!
Go!!!

Frychik

Friday, April 15, 2011

My Agenda

My husband and I are headed to Seattle for the weekend...
Just the two of us...
I can't remember the last time we were alone for the weekend...

We went to Seattle last year...
Actually it was exactly a year ago...
But we took Ty with us that time...
He doesn't enjoy all the same things we do...

So this year we are dumping the kid on my dear friend Shannon

THANK YOU SHANNON and Galen!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited!

My agenda
1.  Talk about whatever we want, whenever we want
2.  Sleep when we want
3.  Eat what we want, when we want
4.  Go where we want, stay as long as we want
5.  Take pictures
6.  Visit Art Wolfe's studio ;)
7.  Explore, go where ever the road takes us

Have a great weekend!

Frychik

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Pictures...

Today, I'm just gonna share some pictures.
With the lack of spring outside I hope these will brighten your day :)

I've been exploring Lightroom photo editing.
I find photo editing the most frustrating thing!

I've tried Photoshop Elements and all those darn buttons confuse me!
I have Lightroom for 15 more days (its a free trial)  I'm considering buying it...

Here are some of my recent favorite pics.
Enjoy










On another note, my teenager has left for 6 days...
I'm excited about the extra money we will have in the food budget this week!
He's really excited about spending the next 6 days with his girlfriend....
Uggh!!!!!!!!!!

Frychik