While 2008 has been trying at times, it has also had its great moments. Surprisingly enough, today I found inspiration in words spoken by (now former) Denver Broncos head coach, Mike Shanahan:
"Tough times don't last, tough people do."
Happy New Year, everyone!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wrapping Up December
Hey everyone!
I drove back from Casper on Saturday. I stopped at my grandma's in Cheyenne on the way back for a couple of hours. I've never been in a photo booth before, but here's what I think it would look like:
Funny and incredibly unflattering!
I hopped on the last leg of Eric's trip on Sunday. He was the pilot flying that leg from Denver to Detroit: A+ landing in Detroit. We rented a car and headed to Dayton for a very quick trip to see Eric's family. It was great to see his family and catch up. Unfortunately, this had to be done during one of our popular 24-hour trips.
Click here to view more pictures from the last few days.
I drove back from Casper on Saturday. I stopped at my grandma's in Cheyenne on the way back for a couple of hours. I've never been in a photo booth before, but here's what I think it would look like:
Funny and incredibly unflattering!
I hopped on the last leg of Eric's trip on Sunday. He was the pilot flying that leg from Denver to Detroit: A+ landing in Detroit. We rented a car and headed to Dayton for a very quick trip to see Eric's family. It was great to see his family and catch up. Unfortunately, this had to be done during one of our popular 24-hour trips.
Click here to view more pictures from the last few days.
Finishing the December Dailies
Friday, December 26th:
The view of Casper Mountain from the back of my parent's house.
Saturday, December 27th:
The boy and his dog.
Sunday, December 28th:
Eric doing the pre-flight inspection of the airplane. I rode on the last leg of his trip, from Denver to Detroit. Super-smooth landing by Eric too!
Monday, December 29th:
The Brusvens and Harlows!
Tuesday, December 30th:
Our send-off from Ohio- Jordan, Marlowe, and Jean.
Wednesday, December 31st:
Taking down the Christmas lights- I had to take advantage of the 60-degree weather.
The view of Casper Mountain from the back of my parent's house.
Saturday, December 27th:
The boy and his dog.
Sunday, December 28th:
Eric doing the pre-flight inspection of the airplane. I rode on the last leg of his trip, from Denver to Detroit. Super-smooth landing by Eric too!
Monday, December 29th:
The Brusvens and Harlows!
Tuesday, December 30th:
Our send-off from Ohio- Jordan, Marlowe, and Jean.
Wednesday, December 31st:
Taking down the Christmas lights- I had to take advantage of the 60-degree weather.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 25th:
No-Bake Bars (Name change via Janina: Scotcharoos!)
(Made by my mom using a recipe from my aunt Marita. According to the recipe card, it was served at my graduation from ISU in 2000.)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
Bring to boil for 1 minute (no longer or bars will be bricks).
Add 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup oleo (or butter, etc.). Pour over 6-8 cups of Special K or Rice Krispies cereal. Press into a buttered cake pan.
Spread with frosting made by carefully melting 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips over hot, but not boiling, water.
No-Bake Bars (Name change via Janina: Scotcharoos!)
(Made by my mom using a recipe from my aunt Marita. According to the recipe card, it was served at my graduation from ISU in 2000.)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
Bring to boil for 1 minute (no longer or bars will be bricks).
Add 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup oleo (or butter, etc.). Pour over 6-8 cups of Special K or Rice Krispies cereal. Press into a buttered cake pan.
Spread with frosting made by carefully melting 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips over hot, but not boiling, water.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve in Casper
Yep, I'm up in Casper again. Eric started a five-day trip today. After dropping him off at the airport this morning, I headed for the North border. It was WINDY!!!
David, Kelsey, and Stooey arrived from visiting Kelsey's family in Green River, Wyo. We attended the Christmas Eve service at church tonight.
David, Kelsey, and Stooey arrived from visiting Kelsey's family in Green River, Wyo. We attended the Christmas Eve service at church tonight.
Some more December Dailies:
Monday, December 22nd:
A simple wreath from King Soopers- I added the ribbon.
Tuesday, December 23rd:
Eric cooking us dinner last night. Lasagna- yum!
Wednesday, December 24th:
Eric heading into DIA.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmas in Casper
Eric and I drove up for a quick trip to Casper this weekend. Enjoyed the chance to spend time with my parents, David, Kelsey, and Stooey.
Click here to view a slideshow of pictures. (These were all taken with the new camera Eric gave me for Christmas! A Nikon D-40. I love it!)
Plus, a couple more December dailies:
Saturday, December 20th:
Before opening presents, David finishes our reading of the Christmas story from Luke, Chapter 2.
Sunday, December 21st:
All six (seven?) of us in Casper at the same time (for the first time).
Click here to view a slideshow of pictures. (These were all taken with the new camera Eric gave me for Christmas! A Nikon D-40. I love it!)
Plus, a couple more December dailies:
Saturday, December 20th:
Before opening presents, David finishes our reading of the Christmas story from Luke, Chapter 2.
Sunday, December 21st:
All six (seven?) of us in Casper at the same time (for the first time).
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Denver Zoo Lights
Eric and I went to Denver Zoo Lights on Thursday evening. We both really enjoyed it.
Click here to view a slideshow of our pictures.
Click here to view a slideshow of our pictures.
Friday, December 19, 2008
December Daily: 16th-19th
Tuesday, December 16th:
My desk in the office next door to my class room.
Wednesday, December 17th:
Eric at home.
Thursday, December 18th:
Denver Zoo Lights
Friday, December 19th:
Merry Christmas! Eric and I celebrated our Christmas today.
My desk in the office next door to my class room.
Wednesday, December 17th:
Eric at home.
Thursday, December 18th:
Denver Zoo Lights
Friday, December 19th:
Merry Christmas! Eric and I celebrated our Christmas today.
Monday, December 15, 2008
December Daily: 15th
Monday, December 15th:
It's COLD here. The record-setting low overnight was negative 19 degrees. Thank goodness we have a garage that fits both of our cars.
Over the past few years, my grandmas have starting giving items back to us. That trend has continued this year. I received a Christmas letter from my Grandma Ringkob a couple of days ago. She also included a postcard I sent to her from when I traveled to Spain in March of 2004. I went with one of the Spanish teachers (my good friend Candace) and seven students. Reading this postcard made the memories of that trip flood back. We left for Spain a few days after the deadly attack on a train station in Madrid (March 11th - Once de Marzo). While in Madrid, we decided not to take any public transportation and probably walked around 10-15 miles a day. Luckily, there were plenty of ice cream shops to fuel our trek.
Today, I received a Christmas letter from my Grandma Starrs. Part of her letter made me laugh: "One of the ladies invited me to her apartment to see her tree. What I really enjoyed was her Hummels. She has 89 of them and her daughter has 100. The daughter is an only child, so you can imagine who will have 189 someday."
She also included the following picture from Christmas 1988- twenty years ago! My mom made my Christmas dress with the fashionable bubble skirt. (I sewed the doll sitting on the rocking chair.)
It's COLD here. The record-setting low overnight was negative 19 degrees. Thank goodness we have a garage that fits both of our cars.
Over the past few years, my grandmas have starting giving items back to us. That trend has continued this year. I received a Christmas letter from my Grandma Ringkob a couple of days ago. She also included a postcard I sent to her from when I traveled to Spain in March of 2004. I went with one of the Spanish teachers (my good friend Candace) and seven students. Reading this postcard made the memories of that trip flood back. We left for Spain a few days after the deadly attack on a train station in Madrid (March 11th - Once de Marzo). While in Madrid, we decided not to take any public transportation and probably walked around 10-15 miles a day. Luckily, there were plenty of ice cream shops to fuel our trek.
Today, I received a Christmas letter from my Grandma Starrs. Part of her letter made me laugh: "One of the ladies invited me to her apartment to see her tree. What I really enjoyed was her Hummels. She has 89 of them and her daughter has 100. The daughter is an only child, so you can imagine who will have 189 someday."
She also included the following picture from Christmas 1988- twenty years ago! My mom made my Christmas dress with the fashionable bubble skirt. (I sewed the doll sitting on the rocking chair.)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
December Daily: 8th-12th
Monday, December 8th:
Eric trying on his new Delta uniform. He's not too keen on the double-breasted coat, but I think he looks very handsome.
Tuesday, December 9th:
We picked out a Christmas tree from the McCoy's tree lot. (That reminds me- I need to go water the tree.)
Wednesday, December 10th:
Another sunrise on my way to work- waiting for the light to turn green.
Thursday, December 11th:
Our decorated Christmas tree. I can't show too much of this picture, because I'll probably be using it for our Christmas card.
Friday, December 12th:
To me, December will always be synonymous with the beginning of basketball season. During the 2nd half, I moved over to the score table to catch up with Karen. Best seat in the house.
Eric trying on his new Delta uniform. He's not too keen on the double-breasted coat, but I think he looks very handsome.
Tuesday, December 9th:
We picked out a Christmas tree from the McCoy's tree lot. (That reminds me- I need to go water the tree.)
Wednesday, December 10th:
Another sunrise on my way to work- waiting for the light to turn green.
Thursday, December 11th:
Our decorated Christmas tree. I can't show too much of this picture, because I'll probably be using it for our Christmas card.
Friday, December 12th:
To me, December will always be synonymous with the beginning of basketball season. During the 2nd half, I moved over to the score table to catch up with Karen. Best seat in the house.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
December Daily 6th & 7th
In an effort to continue to avoid grading Stat quizzes, I have been working on gathering more photos for the ol' blog. My cousin Julie is also working on a December Daily album- I can't wait to see her work in January.
Saturday, December 6th:
Planting an amaryllis from my mom- the "before" picture. The dirt comes in a dried-out disk to which I added 4 cups of water. Last year's did so well that it had two blossoms. Unfortunately it grew a little too big- one day after school I arrived home to see the plant sprawled out on the floor after it fell off of the counter.
Sunday, December 7th:
Me. Our family room sits on the south-west side of our house, which I really love. We get lots of sunlight coming in during midday through the afternoon.
I proposed a new class at school for next year: College Algebra. It was approved, so my next task it to pick out a textbook. I'm excited to be creating a new class. I'm also really glad to give our students the opportunity to take a class that many of them have to take in college. Now they will be able to earn college credit by taking it with me at the high school.
Remember the post where I said I re-numbered the calculator caddy with puff paint? I thought that the last time I had used puff paint was when I decorated Christmas shirts for me and Julie. My Aunt Marita came through, big time! Here are two pictures from that 1991 Ringkob Christmas.
Saturday, December 6th:
Planting an amaryllis from my mom- the "before" picture. The dirt comes in a dried-out disk to which I added 4 cups of water. Last year's did so well that it had two blossoms. Unfortunately it grew a little too big- one day after school I arrived home to see the plant sprawled out on the floor after it fell off of the counter.
Sunday, December 7th:
Me. Our family room sits on the south-west side of our house, which I really love. We get lots of sunlight coming in during midday through the afternoon.
I proposed a new class at school for next year: College Algebra. It was approved, so my next task it to pick out a textbook. I'm excited to be creating a new class. I'm also really glad to give our students the opportunity to take a class that many of them have to take in college. Now they will be able to earn college credit by taking it with me at the high school.
Remember the post where I said I re-numbered the calculator caddy with puff paint? I thought that the last time I had used puff paint was when I decorated Christmas shirts for me and Julie. My Aunt Marita came through, big time! Here are two pictures from that 1991 Ringkob Christmas.
Friday, December 5, 2008
December Daily: 1-5
Howdy. Long time, no blog. So here's the latest...
Eric was called out for a trip starting the Friday after Thanksgiving, so we both hit the road Thursday morning. He went to the airport to fly up to Detroit and I drove up to Cheyenne to have lunch (Thanksgiving dinner) with my parents and Grandma Starrs at her assisted living facility. It was nice to be able to catch up with my grandma. My parents drove back down here to spend the rest of the weekend with me. My mom and I did a little Christmas shopping, including a visit to the Sons of Norway Christmas goods sale in Lakewood:
Eric was called out for a trip starting the Friday after Thanksgiving, so we both hit the road Thursday morning. He went to the airport to fly up to Detroit and I drove up to Cheyenne to have lunch (Thanksgiving dinner) with my parents and Grandma Starrs at her assisted living facility. It was nice to be able to catch up with my grandma. My parents drove back down here to spend the rest of the weekend with me. My mom and I did a little Christmas shopping, including a visit to the Sons of Norway Christmas goods sale in Lakewood:
This week was a busy one at school. (In nine years, I don't think I've actually had a non-busy week of teaching.) Trying to get the cherubs through the end of a semester is always interesting, but the end is in sight!
To fill my crafty needs, I've been taking pictures for a December Daily album. The idea behind this album is to include a picture from every day in December. I read about this project on my favorite scrapbooker's blog. I really like Ali's eye for design.
Monday, December 1st:
The transition from November to December. My parent brought down a Christmas present for Eric which is sitting next to an Autumn cross stitch that I made.
Tuesday, December 2nd:
A beautiful sunrise on the way to school.
Wednesday, December 3rd:
Main Street in downtown Littleton. I love all of the Christmas lights they have on display.
Thursday, December 4th:
Watching Grey's Anatomy, surfing the internet, and checking out the latest J.Crew catalog.
Friday, December 5th:
A close-up of a poinsettia plant that I bought from one of my students for the Lacrosse team fundraiser. I teach with his mom, and I actually like this fundraiser. Otherwise, I've had to make it a policy to turn down students when they ask me to buy items for their fundraisers. My entire paycheck would go back to the school!
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