A letter.

Dear students,

Thank you for your curiosity and for asking questions that truly challenge me.  Thank you for waving to me across the hallway during class change.  Thank you for your hand-made cards and letters.  Thank you for sharing who you are with me--in Spanish!.  Thank you for testing the limits because it's my job to help teach you what they are.  Thank you for laughing at my jokes (that often flop).  Thank you for laughing at other funny things that I (as the responsible adult) am not supposed to laugh at but are truly funny.  Thank you for appreciating the work I put into help you learn even if you don't directly say it.  Thank you for your energy.  Thank you for always wanting to help pass back papers and erase the board.  Thank you for making mistakes that help me grow as a person to teach you how to "do good" because I'm not perfect, either.  Thank you for your positivity.  Thank you for your honesty and frankness.  Thank you for teaching me as much as I teach you.

With love,
Mrs. S

HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!!!

Our appraisal came back today...$33,000 over what we paid!  We're so happy!!!!!! Comps in the neighborhood sold for around $220, so we made out with a steal.  Yay for deals.

Craigslist

I adore Craigslist.  Saturday afternoon while working in my thesis (and taking one of my many necessary breaks), I happened to be browsing it looking for moving boxes and other home decor at a discount.  I then came across a gem of a breakfast-nook table: dark espresso finish, pretty design, perfect size, and a great price.

I was geeked.  I love tables.  I love cheap tables.  And we need one.  Our family unit conversation pretty much unfolded as such:

However, after Charlie carefully considered the "happy life happy wife rule"..and knew it was important to me...

 ...we went to pick it up.. and after all we need a place to eat in the kitchen!  So we borrowed a truck from a friend and headed up to Huntersville.  Ed and his wife were selling it, and they helped us load it into the truck.  What made the pot even sweeter?  They had just moved from the same area we live in now, so they had a garage full of moving boxes and they gave them all to us!!!  This made Charlie also very happy.

We arrived home and promptly fed Luna.  And now our home is filled with boxes galore and another table.  Yay deals!

Here's the exact table we snagged, too.   (They told us where they bought it so I found it online).  We saved almost $500 through Craigslist.  Score!

Lowe's!

Charlie and I have been spending a fair amount of time at Lowe's lately. We don't even officially own a home yet, but Black Friday had us calling and besides, we like to walk up and down the aisles pricing everything to see what we are in for in a couple of weeks.  Rake $14.95, Spackle $3.95, Fan for the master $89.99...stopping to take your picture on a toilet, priceless. 

Okay, so a little awkward.  But where else would you find a "Kathryn suite"?  I think I almost made a lady pee her pants when she saw us take this picture!  It was a busy Saturday, so I'm pretty sure I had some guts! ;)

In all seriousness, we were in there scoring a deal.  So, without further ado, our kitchen lovelies to be delivered in a few weeks.

We'll start off with the microwave... We originally wanted a microwave over the oven, but it wouldn't fit with the cabinets, and when this $100 MW went on sale for $69 we scooped it up!  I don't know about you, but I seriously cannot live in a home without a MW.  I use it every day.  And you better believe frozen meals will be a staple the first few days.  Lowe's is working with us and delivering it for us, too, even though it's normally something you buy in store and take home that day.  Yay for one less thing to lug around.

And this is my favorite of all purchases...our fridge.  Swoon.  Thanks to Black Friday this fridge was originally $2,249 and well out of our league, but we scored it for about $1,500.  Back before I knew anything about home-buying, I always thought homes came with a fridge and all the appliances, but I guess that isn't standard, but we are so lucky to have found this baby.  Plenty of room for bulk shopping, too with all my couponing.   

In other news we have been keeping busy.  My thesis is almost...dare I say it?...DONE!  I have the conclusion and one section to write about globalization and Epals.  And I'm through!!!  Well, the editing will take time, but the big chuck of the the writing is done.  I feel so accomplished.

We went to a Holiday party last night with some friends and played Taboo... such a fun game, and one I happen to be very good at (and quite competitive at!).  LOL.  I lost on "robbery"...how do you describe "robbery" if you can't say bank, steal, money, take, or police???

Christmas "within"

This year Charlie and I aren't decorating for Christmas.  (Collective gasp for those who know me, I know).  But it is no lie: we have not a single bulb or garland to be found in the entire apartment....

Don't get me wrong.  We could have decorated.  We could have opened the tree, the ornaments, the whole shebang, but considering we are moving at the beginning of January, frankly it just didn't make sense.  We are going to be packing and unpacking boxes so much that we may so much as never want or see another box again.... it seemed like the smart thing to do.

For me this is a huge deal, though.  See, I am a huge traditionalist.  Every year, "Santa" brings Christmas to town in the Detroit Thanksgiving day parade, thus making Christmas music "legal" to play (I will kindly plug my ears and exit the room if you play it before this day).  I love the advent calendar, and the decorating of the tree with hand-crafted childhood ornaments, and the hanging of the garland, and mistletoe, and so on and so forth.

It's not necessary at all: Christmas is about Jesus and family and has nothing to do with decorations and "stuff," but they sure help the holiday feel so merry.  So, I'm choosing to look at our lack of Christmas decor as a way of celebrating from "within", a-la John 3:16-- For God so loved the world that he gave his only son.

Today this is our garland and decor!  Happy time of Christmas cheer from the Snearly's undecorated home, bursting with joy and thanksgiving :)

Whirlwind trip!

We went to Michigan this Thanksgiving...the day we found out we were under contract on our first home, we left the state.  Here has been our last couple of days.  They were great.  Family filled.  Fun.  Entertaining... but I am not going to lie, we aren't in any rush to relive how hectic they were.  I feel like I am going to collapse... in the good, satisfied kind of way :]

Tuesday: Work all day, complete leg one of the trip and stay in a hotel West Virginia, dog cries all night because people are walking by the door.
Wednesday:  Drive the rest of the way to MI.  Visited Susanna, Chris and baby Sam upon arrival.  Went bowling with Charlie's family.

Thursday:  Thanksgiving.  Walking in the park with my sister and cousin in law during the morning.  Thanksgiving with entire family + mom and brother.

Me, Laura, and Jenny!

Friday: Haircut, 10:30 am, drive 3 hours to Grand Rapids.  Rehearsal dinner for Nick and Annie.

Saturday:  Thesis all morning.  Nick and Annie's wedding and reception...arrived home at 12:00 am.
Sunday:  Brunch at Nick and Annie's parent, drive 3 hours back to Northville.  Buy super discounted appliances at Lowe's.  Visit Grandma and Grandpa.  Dinner with mom.  Dexter with the Snearly's.
Monday:  Wake up at 6:45, drive to NC, arrive at 7:30 pm.
Tuesday:  Teach!?!?!??!

AHHHHHHHH!  Crazy times, good times.  We are very blessed!

Our Casa

I always wondered where our first place would be.  Charlie and I would always say: "Somewhere, right now, our perfect house is out their waiting.  It just doesn't know yet, and neither do we."

 Turns out, that perfect house was built in 1986.  The year after were born.  :)  How cute.  It waited almost 25 years for us.

 So without further ado...the story of la Casa.  We are under contract to be proud home owners.

 It all began in a time long ago...

Charlie and I began seriously house hunting--em--like 2.5 weeks ago.  Hehe.  Actually, we have been looking and researching for several years, but never officially started the process of "Okay, now it it time."  When we did, we figured it would take us months to find a great place.  I am picky and so is Char.  We wanted a yard with lots of privacy, tall trees, a mature neighborhood, but not old, in a great, convenient location, close to work, close to uptown, near good schools, 4 bedrooms + a bonus room, lots of storage, walk-in closets, a fence, hardwood floors, crown molding, an updated kitchen, stainless steel appliances, etc. etc.... all for under $200,000.  With a list like that I got a lot of polite "fat chance" remarks... but didn't let it stop us. 

But I figured we would start our search early.  We could take our time getting approved, see what we could really afford and go from there.  We had a plan... a month-to-month, week-to-week plan.  But life is what happens when you are busy making plans, right?

We looked at houses and our goal was to spend under $190,000.  Unfortunately, what $190,000 buys you where we were looking was a 3 bedroom house and backyard with a highway view.  Or, a really run-down, fixer-upper.  Could we get approved for a more expensive home?  Yes.  Do we want to be house poor?  Absolutely, positively NOT!!!  So, $190,000 quickly became our ceiling. 

The other houses we liked with all the upgrades and the location were at least $250,000.  Double yuck. 

Then, on thenest.com...I happened to be browsing and came across the now dubbed "La Casa"  It was cute, updated interior, and FABULOUS LOCATION.  5 short minutes from downtown Matthews, around the corner from Harris Teeter and a Target.  Wooded lots, tall tress, immaculate yards, beautiful homes...and this little guy listed for $184,900.

WHAT!?!?!?

Charlie and I drove out there at 8:00 pm on a Sunday, the day I saw it online, in pitch black darkness, to walk around the neighborhood.  (Yes, we are mildly crazy).  We feel in love with the yard, and without even seeing the inside, I said to Char, "this is the one."

 So, the next day while I was at work, he went to see the house.  And here she is!!!  (Sorry there aren't many photos...these were the listing photos!)

 That day after school, we made the offer.  Charlie called work directly, which he never does, and I ran up to the office to here him say, "Kathryn, you've got to see this place."  Immediately following a long day of teaching, I made it so.

Here's what we saw....

• Hardwoods throughout the kitchen and downstairs
• Lots of light
• Crown molding
• Fresh paint

• almost .4 acres
• A wooded lot
• A completely fenced backyard

• 4 bedrooms
• A bonus room
• A den with a fireplace and built-ins!

• A GREAT LOCATION...5 minutes from downtown Matthews, around the corner from a Target.  YUS!
• Mature neighborhood
• Tons of storage and a walk-in attic
• Walk-in closets in the master
• Huge closets in other bathrooms
• A great deck with French doors leading out

Too good to be true, right?  This home was originally listed on the market at $220,00 or so in May.  The market was down, the sellers moved, and it sat and sat.  They dropped their price to $198,000, then to $189,00, then to $184,500...and 3 days after the last price drop, we saw it.  We put in an offer at $177,000 that day because we couldn't pass it up.

But, so did another family.  BIDDING WAR!

 This was crazy.  We had to list our highest offer without knowing what the other people were bidding.  After agonizing contemplation, we came in at $182,000.  If we had to walk, we would.

And, about 6 agonizing hours later...

we got her!  It was meant to be!!!  The price is amazing, especially compared to the comps in the neighborhood, and we are geeked.

 We can't wait to move in, make it home, and make it ours.  There are a few things we want to change, but at the price we got it at, they are in our budget to fix over time.

 Here are some of the cons...

• There is one sink in the master bath
• The master does not have a separate bath and shower (but does have a jacuzzi style tub with a shower)
• The appliances are older, and we need a fridge... so we are updating these when we move in!  The rest of the kitchen is great, though!

• The laundry room is HUGE with tons of storage, but not connected to central air.  It has a mini-heater.

So, that's the story  :)  More to come... more pictures, more projects, as we transform our baby...who happens to be as old as we are.  I'm sure it will slowly take over the blog.  Yay house!

Blogaversary and Thesis update...

So, I got to thinking, "It's been about a year since this whole blogging thing started."...and what do you know?  It has been exactly a year as of yesterday!  My gut intuition is never wrong.  November 11, 2009 was my first virtual entry...and I'm proud of myself for keeping it going!  There have been breaks in between due to travels abroad, visits home, and busy months, but I still find time between the joys, triumphs, frustrations, laughs, and craziness to keep you updated on the happening in Snearlydom.  If you are seeing this, or my other ramblings, thank you for reading and putting up with my virtual blabbering. ;)

Here were some of my highlight posts and some of my favorites from the past year!

The one where Susanna came to visit! (June, 2010)
The one where we dressed Luna up like a bunny and laughed about it! (February, 2010)
The one where I got accepted into my Master's program in SPAIN!  (February, 2010)
The one where we updated our bathroom on a budget! (January, 2010)
The one where I made my first Flip video! (December, 2010)
The one where we spent Thanksgiving on the beach! (November, 2010)
The one where we went on a hot air balloon ride! (November, 2010)

As an update...I am also half way done with my thesis.  Yup, that's 25 pages (not counting the cover, dedication, index, bibliography, or annexes as per the University's request!).  Yay.  I'm proud of myself.  There were difficult writing times, much chocolate consumed, many-a-night spent on word reference.com looking up obscure terms like "scaffolding"...but it has all been worth it.

Happy Veteran's Day everyone!!!  Thank you to those who have served our country. :)

 

Fatty!

It seems I find myself biting my tongue...a lot.  I have this awkward way of saying the wrong thing in a conversation, even when I don't mean anything by it or when it's supposed to be a compliment.

I grew up verbally abusing dogs.  Not in the cruel sense of the term; rather, in the "I love you so much" way.  When you love your dog, you say things like, "Hey, fatty!"  "Hi stupid."  "Come here, Bozo.  You dummy.  Get over here!  She can't come over because she's too fat to walk!"

This may seem like senseless talk to you, but I grew up in a house where my father called my childhood dog a "sausage on toothpicks" pretty much daily.  

So, when I talk about the weight of your dog, it's because I think it's cute.

Case in point: 

At the car-rider line in school, a sweet old lab (reminiscent of my childhood dog, Brianna) was in the back seat.  I pet him kindly, a student I teach and her mom were beaming.

I turn around and say to my friend:  "I love fat, old dogs."

My friend's face was a look of shock as the window was still down, and she didn't reply.  Oops.

He was so cute, though!

Serendipity: n. a chance happening

On Thursday night I was reading facebook updates when serendipitously, a girl I went to high school with posted a new photo album of her life in Ecuador.  I happened to click the link.  She showed pictures of where she's living, her Ecuadorian friends, her school (she is a missionary and moved there last year to be a teacher).  I really enjoyed the pictures, and I laughed out loud at some of them.  There was a link to her blog, which I began reading immediately. 

I saw pictures of smiling faces of her students, her view of the Andes mountains from breezeway inside her school, and pictures of her traveling the country.

She writes in her blog,

[The people here] are extremely generous. Smiles, hugs, stickers, pictures, food. They'll give them all away. If one of my students bought food during lunch they will inevitably share it with me and their classmates. I mean, today four of my fifth graders gave me candy, a seventh grader gave me shrimp, and a third grader gave me a pear. Like many Haitians I've seen, they will take whatever they have and share it with the five people around them -- without thinking otherwise! I've not yet heard a kid ask another for something (like food) and received, "No!" for an answer. Really? Does this happen in the States too?

My Ecuadorian friend, Mika, expressed that one difficult aspect of adapting to life in the States was their independence. It's something we value, right? If we can have our own car, job, house, and dog we've reached the height of success. We're proud that we did it on our own and only used people if we needed something from them. And so we sit back in our houses, turn on the tv, and enjoy being independent of those around us... 

I am learning here that community is essential. There's no way I'd survive here in Shell without others. Hearing their stories of struggles, hurts, breakthroughs, and healing strengthens me and reminds me that I'm not alone in this battle. Maria, my house mom, cries at least once a week. Actually, many of the women I've met here in Shell cry. . .often. Their hearts break for others and themselves and they're not afraid to show their emotions. They're not afraid to call out to God for help. They're not afraid to share their short-comings and their walk towards redemption.

Okay...I'm crying now! :)  This is growing in another culture and learning to grow in your walk with God.  This is what I wish I could share with my students, this is what you can't see in a textbook.

I tell you this because this little class in Shell, Ecuador will be pen pels with my students in Weddington, North Carolina.  These students will share who they are, their language, and there culture with us...and we will return the favor. Yay for an exciting end to the week.  I look very forward to this!

Investments

We invest in everything in life, and investments nearly always yield a return.

When I think back to a few years ago, and the students that I have now that decided to stay in Spanish, the ones who came back--because they don't HAVE to--were the ones I invested in.   Not the ones I taught the best or the smartest (although that would be nice, wouldn't it?).  In fact, I have had kids fail Spanish and sign up for it again the next year.  This always blows my mind!  I'm beginning to realize that the majority of students come back because I click with them, I get to get to know them, I laugh with them, and I talk to them.  It has very little to do with acutally learning Spanish.  They come back because I know their cat's name and that they only eat peanut butter and jelly for lunch.  (Spanish discussions can always go in fun places). 

This year I'm having a hard time making that investment in one class in particular.  I KNOW I'm not investing, so everything feels forced.  I'm stressed to cram everything in because of the new standardized test.  To top it off, they are a low group of kids.  I feel rushed, and I'm not allowing the time for a natural discussion because somewhere in the back of my mind a little voice is reminding me of "how far behind" we are.  I hate that voice.

But I really need that investment and I need to take the time to make it.  I need to move slower, I need to look them in the eyes more, and I need to mean it.  It's not going to happen over night, but I'm working on it.  :)

Wedding!!!

Katy got married in Chicago this past weekend!  I skipped school on Friday (yay, skipping, lol).  Charlie and I made our way by plane to Chi-town in the a.m.  I was honored to be Katy's Matron of Honor and stand next to her on such an important day.  Wouldn't have missed it for the world.

The day was effortless... because the couple was so happy, how could it be anything but?. :)  Strong wind gusts, ominous clouds, and sprinkles of rain couldn't wipe the smile off the bride's--or the groom's--face.  The bridal party even took pictures outside and turned to popsicles.  All for the sake of love!  I'm so happy for Katy.

Katy lived in the same dorm room for 4 years and only 20 minutes apart in N.C....but now 700 miles separate us.  That's hard.  It's difficult to be away from the people that you love.  Katy and I always said, though... "BFF, maid of honor, and godmother of the firstborn."...and that's not even something  700 miles can separate!

 Life is so seasonal and changes so fast.  When I think about how much has changed since we moved to Charlotte, it makes my jaw drop.  Not every day has been perfect, but we are still so honored and humbled by what the Lord has provided us with.  We have more blessings than we can count and friends--like Katy--we treasure are among those.  I hope all of you have a friend that you'd freeze like a pospicle for.  Those are the best kind. :) 

Off to Chicago this weekend!

My best friend from college, Katy, is getting married!  Charlie and I leave on Friday for the wedding.  I can't believe this day has come.  I miss Katy with over 700 miles between us, but I'm so honored to fly to Chicago and stand next to her as her Matron of Honor.  :)  Let the good times roll!

THE crock pot.

We are obsessed.  Officially.  We received a crock pot for our wedding, and after moving it into the new place, it sat on a back shelf in its box for almost a year.  One of those things we knew we would use, "just not right now."

When we broke it open a year into matrimony, we were bored with the same 'ole stir fries.  I hate baking because it makes the house hot, and I really just don't have time for it, frankly.

Crock potting is great... you chop and throw in.  Why had I not discovered this simple pleasure before!?!?!  And you do it early enough in the day that when dinner rolls around, it feels like you didn't have to even cook and you somehow cheated out of actually working.  This this always a bonus.

We have the exact crocker pictured above from BB&B.  We've only made one bad recipe so far, and that was because Charlie and I discovered that we just don't have a taste for tomato paste.  Yuck!

Other than that we've been enjoying all sorts of chicken recipes, and tomorrow is Pork Tenderloin.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
3/4 cup red wine
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce freshly ground black pepper to taste


Directions

Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.  
 
Let you know how it turns out. :)

mi casa es su casa

Part of me wishes we could be homeowners.  There are many pros to this scenario...

1. a downturned market...we could find a deal
2. teacher breaks/discounts
3. tax breaks... there is even talking of the $8,000 tax credit coming back
4. our own space and yard
5. not having to take Luna down 3 flights of stairs just to go outside; not having to lug groceries 3 flights up stairs
6. HAVING A GARAGE!
7. decorating on a dime (only one of my favorite things to do!)
8. having a craft table / a creative room.... which may also dub as the so-called "man cave"...with a girly corner ;)
9. escaping from our Saturday night party neighbors and the crying baby downstairs... and all the other crappy parts of apartment life
10. being part of a community
11. making an investment

There are also cons...

1. breaking our lease
2. upkeep is all on us!-- and we might suck at that.
3. having to mow a yard
4. the extra $$ you pour into a house when you first buy
5. time-- to do it all.

We are not in the business of looking for a house at this immediate juncture, but our short-term plan is beginning to look in January, closer to when our lease is up (knocking a con off the list!).

So, just for fun, here are some ideas I've seen over the past year or so that I thought were really inspirational...



http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/

 I love this girl's blog and living room... I think it's so cute.  She's witty and funny and has a really great, frugal sense of style.  We would *die* with a white couch + Luna (that would drive me bonkers), but the whole aesthetic is great.  The best part: most of the items she got at thrift stores, Goodwill, or consignment shops.  (With some IKEA thrown in for the modern feel).  She sewed all of the pillows herself.  I really love the colors, too.


I'm obsessed with floating shelves.  I think they are really cool.  Functional, too.

http://www.younghouselove.com/

The bonus room/man cave might rock (they really don't have basements in the south)...

Okay...totally kidding!!!  Haha.  I don't think I could stand having a giant football player on our wall, but I would be open to the idea of having a D.Lions accent wall and a framed jersey.  Or even some fun throw pillows.  For fun for my husband, who will probably gladly have little to say in how we decorate our home, but who does so much for me and deserves something he loves.

Okay, that was an enjoyable waste of 20 minutes.  LOL.   In the mean time we will continue to live life in our little place and enjoy spending time at other people's houses. ;)

Off to the races...

...literally. I've been so busy these past few weeks. It's been insane. It's such a different busy than this summer, too. Nothing can prepare you for teaching. And I mean nothing. It's a give-it-all-you've-got-all-day kind of thing. Rewarding but hard. I'm barely keeping my head above water with the workload, and this other prep is killing me (6 classes, 4 preps), but leading kids to learning is something that never gets old.  Not even for a second.


One of my books...
the one I'm most excited
about. :)


Starting my thesis has also been on my mind, and I finally sat down to buy the books I'm going to use as my resources. I scoured amazon.com for about 3 hours, and tons of research later, I settled on $77 worth of books about reading in foreign language. I told my students about my "memoria final" and a 500 page book that I bought to learn more about teaching Spanish and how their brains work! Some were amazed, others baffled, and still others confused, but regardless, they are all sooooo excited when I take pictures of them in action to use as an appendix/documentation of my research. They so desperately want to be "famous in Spain."

"Take one of me, Mrs. S! I'll make it such a good picture!"

"The point is to act natural..."

"Okay, I'll act natural with my pose."

I empathize with this, though. I, too was that kind of child.

Drugs and Puzzles

Well, for about the last 14 days or so Charlie or I (or Luna) have been sick. It's been a long trek that we wish not to repeat any time in the near future.

I came home from Spain with a bad, dry cough which later morphed into a cold. Then Charlie came down with the same thing as soon as I was starting to feel a bit better. The doctors weren't quite sure exactly what was making us sick, but it was some form of bronchitis, ear infection, strep, and a bacterial infection that required antibiotics and steroids. Oh joy. Our kitchen counter makes it look like an ad for a pharmaceutical company.

So what does one do couped up in an apartment for so long when sick???  Start a 1,000 piece puzzle of course that renders your kitchen table useless!  Vicki had bought us a personalized puzzle for our anniversary (of the wedding party).  We've begun to work on it, and slowly but surely we are making progress.... hopefully the grand reveal to come.  Yes, we know we're so interesting.  :)

Home Sweet Home

It's been a while since I've updated--but with a legitimate excuse... I've been in Spain for a month and a half. I was getting the first part of my Master's degree in Spanish Education through a Cursos Internacionales program in Salamanca. I hardly had any time to sleep (let alone blog), so "Snearlytales" took a back-seat. But fear not... I'm baaaaack!

Palacio Real, Madrid

The experience. was. out. of. this. world. I think any time you visit a foreign country it changes you. I've lived in Spain before several years ago, so when I flew in in late June, a part of me felt like I was going home.  I missed the language, the food, the people, the atmosphere, and I couldn't wait to find myself in true language immersion.  It was beautiful.

This time around wasn't exactly a vacation, though.  Our 6 weeks was jam-packed.  Class all day, studying, adjusting to dorm life, excursions, city visits, seminars... you name it.  And trying to fit in a little bit of fun here and there. ;)

View of Salamanca, Spain

My University was built in the 13th century.... so walking to class every morning was such a joy (we definitely walked a LOT!).  The city streets are so rustic and unique...I just love them.  Beauty is everywhere... over half a century of students have passed under the same doorways I did to get an eduction. I'm honored :)  Here's a little video I made of the last 5 minutes of my walk to school... I hope you enjoy and are able to experience a piece of the beauty of Salamanca.

Spain wins the World Cup!  Gooooooool!

Salamanca by night

Catedral de Segovia

My journey was the experience of a lifetime, but by the end, I was so ready to come back home to my husband, my pooch and my life in Charlotte. I remembered all the things that I love about home and why I'm so proud to be an American. A piece of my heart will always be in Spain, but my one true love will always be home and my family :)

See you next summer, Salamanca!

Shopping for School Supplies!

Freshly sharpened pencils, notebooks, erasers, paperclips...the essentials for starting the school year.  Definitely not the key words of June...and for sure the most empty aisle in the entire store!

Yet, as one of my school years comes to a close, another is just beginning.  Today I went out to buy a few things for Spain... I could probably buy it there (at a marked up price of course), but I want to come fully assembled, ready with everything.  Just in case.  That's just my style.

My goal was to get some skirts, sandals, all my school supplies, an umbrella, and some pjs for under $30 out of pocket.  And I did--very, very craftily.  So craftily in fact that I will tell you.

What I got:

• 2 pairs of Steve Madden Sandals
• 2 pairs of PJ pants (one short, one long) and a tank
• 2 skirts and 2 matching tops
• 2 notebooks, 1 hard-cover folder, 1 notepad, 40 mechanical pencils, eraser, metal clips, led refills, and post-it notes

What I got for my husband as part of his b-day present:

• 1 Collared Shirt
• 1 Graphic Tee
• Addis athletic shoes

How I did it:

• COINSTAR:  These machines ROCK.  You take all of your loose change sitting around the house dump it into one at your local grocery store and cash out.  The key is, most people want cash, and the machine takes 10% of your total.  No thank you!  To avoid this surcharge, take a giftcard.  It's 100% money in your pocket!  A mason jar on our table totaled over $70.  (We've been saving up for about a year or so).  Cha-ching!
• BECOME A TEACHER:  Basically, you can assume that all your students will fill your pockets with Target gift cards.  And this is a fact.  I had a few leftover from students just waiting for the taking.
• ROLLBACKS AND COUPONS:  Target does have lots of clearances... you just have to know where to look.  Don't buy your items as eye level (because they are the most expensive).  Lots of them have sticky coupons right on the items.  For example, some of the sticky, clear post-it notes had a coupon on it for $1 off, but it's on ANY of their products.  They put it on the most expensive one.  Take it off, and buy the cheapest one.  Easy! 
• REGISTER REWARDS:  Off Broadway shoes gives you 10% back of your previous total on your next purchase.  I had about $8 in rewards leftover.
• AAA: New York and Company gives you an automatic 30% off if you are a AAA member.  I used my expired card to get it because the lady was nice.  Yusss!  PJs were 50% off, plus my 30% off, making them 80% off!
• SHOP THE CLEARANCE RACK:  Ummm...duh? ;)

Here's the booty:

Gettin' ready for school!!  Can you tell I love color?

love&family :)

This weekend was a great one.  We flew into Baltimore, MD for Charlie's cousin's wedding.  It was a CRAZY afternoon, trying to get to the airport by 4:40pm, but we somehow managed.  I was worried about recreating a scene from Home Alone, but luckly, we avoided the frantic, airport mad-dash.

Baltimore is a beautiful place--- it's historic, trendy, and scenic.  I think I loved it so much because it reminded me of Europe? ;)   

We spent Friday evening at a bar downtown enjoying bluegrass music, crab cakes and family.  By all accounts a winning combination.  It was so good to see everyone and kick-back.  Sometimes being so far away from family I think it's easy to fall into a groove, work ourselves into the ground, and when we come up for air, we forget how good it feels.

The next day we spend touring Baltimore with the family! Our shirts were sticking to our backs and the overcast sky was somehow relentlessly sunny...but it was a great time.

The wedding the next day was beautiful...and I can honestly say that I danced to every song...which was the plan.  It was a blast.  It was held at a beautiful, historic home (where Will Smith got married) and the ceremony was in the outdoor garden.  The vows were lovely, the night was a blast, and it was well-worth our trip to see everyone and share in true love.  Who DOESN'T want to be a part of that?

Here's the happy couple!

The flight back home wasn't so perfect...we battled a 3 hour delay due to the weather, but no matter.  We had a deck of cards, good books, and a Droid Incredible.  There's nothing a little Double Bexley and Bejewled can't cure. ;)

25th birthday surprise.

I turned 25 on May 25th. My golden birthday! I knew the next weekend that Charlie had a surprise planned for me. He just told me: "I have all the plans taken care of. Trust me."

That's when my wheels started turning... in my normal "wifely" way.

A surprise? Are we going on vacation? How long will we be gone? Should we let the apartment know? Do I need to pack a bag? What do I wear? Do I need to grocery shop this week? Do I need to buy anything special? What will happen with Luna???

"Trust me, Kathryn."

"I know...but..."

I was excited but anxious about it because nothing seemed to be planned.  I hadn't seen Charlie working on anything!  Come Saturday afternoon, the day the "festivities" were about to begin, I was confused. Charlie told me noon, and then 5:00, and then 6:00, and then it was close to 7:00... I was getting mad. Where is the plan? Are we leaving? Did you actually plan ANYTHING!?!?!?

Then a got a text with this picture inside:

A late birthday text?  Still confused.

Then I realized (with Charlie's prompting), that was OUR APARTMENT DOOR! My best friend in the world, Susanna (and her new baby and her sister!) had driven all the way from Michigan to surprise us for the weekend!! I couldn't believe it. I cried when I opened the door-- The best birthday present EVER!

I hadn't met her son, Sam before...but I loved him instantly.  Just as an "Aunt Kathryn" should.  I don't think you realize, until someone really close to you has a baby, how incredible they are and how special the gift of being a mother is.  It was so moving to see Susanna and how she has grown as a mother... and share that with her.  Sam's little smile melted me away!

The first day we went to the pool and soaked up the sun. :)  Sam got to go in the water for the first time!  Dinner was a night uptown.

The next day we went to Discovery Place and messed around like kids.

 I feel so thankful and blessed to have shared these precious moments with my best friend as she raises her son and spend such concentrated time together when there are normally so many miles between us :)

Sigh.  Did it really have to end?