Let's getaway!

On Friday afternoon I texted Jon asking if I could sweep him away on a romantic getaway. I know, that's kind of backwards...it's supposed to be the boy sweeping the girl away, but at this point, all I knew is we needed to be swept! So, we swept ourselves off. We enjoyed a luxurious breakfast on Sabbath morning:

Then, we hopped the noon boat to Anacortes. We hit up Gere-A-Deli, our fave sandwich place. Then, we hit the road. Our plan was to head up to Bellingham (where the nearest Trader Joe's is!) via the Chuckanut Highway. It's a picturesque, winding road that goes through farmland, a cute little town, and then along the coast with incredible views!

We took some pictures, went for a short hike, then ended up at a nice pathway where we went for a walk while enjoying the sunset.

It was pretty freezing yesterday! But luckily I had my newly made cowl to keep me warm!

It was a great day...so many amazing memories and things to add to my grateful list.

Aaaand....the results are in, and so far for the year 2012 I have listed 965 gifts! Way closer to 1000 than I thought! I will definitely reach my goal by the end of the year! Hooray! I need to start thinking about what my goal for 2013 will be...any ideas?

Love,
Rachel

New Goal: 10,000

It was a little bit of a long week. Okay, a hugely long week. Last weekend was packed with events on Friday night, Saturday night, and all day Sunday. So, last week just kinda blended into this week and there wasn’t the usual rest and rejuvenation in between. Needless to say, this week was hard. I got sick on Monday. We didn’t have a weekly menu, which is the first time since school has started that we didn’t have a plan for dinner each night. We had a couple late nights working at school.

I found that each night when I would slide in bed and pull out the trusty old thankful journal, it felt a little forced to write things down. I remember thinking that I was having an “off” week with my list. Like the things that I was thankful for were not as good as they usually are.

But I gotta tell ya. Looking over my list right now, I’m thinking, “Man, there were a TON of really good things this week!”

Like:

Lounging by the fire with Squeaks

Take-out Thai food from Anacortes

Laughing hard about blocking Jon’s eyes from the book when his head was in my lap

My students putting forth such a brave effort with their speeches

Support and collaboration from another teacher

Rain on our green roof

Being able to read and relax in bed while Jon cleaned

Having talks about our budget and being a financial team

Dressing up as a patriotic cheerleader and having Jon wear his pants and vest as a press person for the school election rally

Chapstick

Even when it feels hard, ESPECIALLY when it feels hard, I’ve gotta keep listing, rather than give into the lie that it’s all bad or hard or stressful or hopeless. Because there is so much good around me. SO much.

I really like the new song by Chris Tomlin, “10,000 Reasons.” It says:

“You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find”

Hmm…new goal? 10,000 rather than 1,000. I think so.

Stay tuned for the next blog in which I will reveal how close I am to my goal of 1,000 gifts for the year 2012.

The rich young Rachel

It is my personal opinion that Sunday afternoons are best spent in a coffee shop. Decaf soy latte, thankful journal, and my laptop are all I need for a little relaxing "me" time. Nothing like spending a Sunday (which can be a busy, stressful day with laundry, lesson planning, grading, grocery shopping, etc.) by taking some time for myself!

First, some pictures, then the latest snippets from my list:

Lily floating in the water near Deception Pass Bridge

Sabbath morning hike up Turtleback Mountain

Water droplets on leaf

I love the green against the blue!

Water droplets on a blackberry bush branch

This is Orcas Island. It is pretty stinkin' beautiful.

So, here are some things from my list:

big, yellow maple leaves swooping down on a gust of wind

sitting in the sauna with very symmetrical beads of sweat on my arms

new Instructor magazine (so many fun teaching ideas!)

playing Monopoly deal at dinner

Dan in Real Life (best Fall movie AND I've been to the house in Rhode Island!!!)

being all ready for tomorrow right at the end of the school day (no prep needed - WOW)

waving to Day (my sweet, four year old buddy) in the back of the car

being observed and affirmed by a seasoned teacher

hair damp from the rain

love notes for everyday he's gone

having a clean(er) house

sweet family baby pictures

good colleagues to work with

finding 2 tiny acorns on Turtleback

happy, carefree dating pictures

sister talks

God planning the holidays

not being rich

my amazing day of solitude

Just typing that up fills me up! What an overabundance. Maybe I AM rich...

All it takes is five minutes...

I attended a professional development seminar last week that was on fatigue and the brain. The presenter was a psychologist, and at one point was sharing a few strategies that could help a person struggling with anxiety and specifically struggling with getting to sleep at night. One thing he recommended is to take five minutes each evening before bed, and to write a list of things you’re grateful for. Inside of me, I was like, “I DO that!!” And it really helps me to end my day in such a healthy way. Instead of writing in my journal like I used to, and focusing on problems or things I was worried about, I’m focusing on the things that made me happy that day, things that “worked” that day, rather than didn’t “work”, things that I’m excited about and looking forward to, etc. So here are a few highlights from this week:

Bike ride in the cool morning air

Weekly menu for dinner making life so easy and making dinner something I actually look forward to, rather than dread

Working out after school

Lentils and bruschetta

Stopping the Louie Giglio movie I showed my kids at a place that left them hanging!

Racquetball date and lots of laughter

A chill in the air

AMAZING discussion with my class about judging and God seeing Jesus when he looks at us

Being wowed by laminin (again)

Squeaks climbing into my lap

Impersonating George Washington Carver with a lab coat and an accent

Sleeping in on Sabbath mornings

Crocheting my cowl

My husband’s backrubs

Delicious pears from our orchard

Being in love

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Philippians 4: 8

Still grateful

It has been about SIX MONTHS since I last posted on this blog!!! In the intervening months, much as occurred. End of school year craziness, summer excitement and travel, and new school year starting up, to summarize it in just a sentence. But I HAVE still been listing the things I'm thankful for. My husband has joined me; we have a family thankful journal. I'm guessing I'm up to almost #600 right now! I hope to still make my goal of one thousand things in 2012!

I talked to my dear friend Tiffany today, who is an amazing person and has a pretty sweet cooking blog! She is always inspiring me with her blogging, so I decided that I would take a second and just scribble a blog down. Because I think what has been holding me back is feeling like it's such a huge ordeal to actually sit down and write. But it doesn't HAVE to be! I can keep it simple.

So, here goes:

I'm thankful for:
a gathering of crows outside my classroom (they're all huddled together...looks like a board meeting to me)
pizza night tonight with the Millers!
extended Indian summer!! (let's keep this warmth around through October! come on!)
best husband in the world (he is such a servant...that sounds bad; maybe I should say he has such a servant heart)
trees turning colors
autumn candles bringing light and delicious smells!

Until next time!
Rachel

(Ohhh! I DID write a post awhile back, and saved it on my computer! Here it is!)

It has been several months since I’ve posted on my grateful list blog! With the craziness of the end of the school year, and then all the traveling and visiting family of the summer, I haven’t taken the time to fit this in! But I still have been listing all of the things I’m thankful for, which has been so helpful to my well-being and peace this summer. I’ve really felt that God is calling me to take a serious stand against worry, doubt, and despair that can bring me down from time to time. I’ve struggled with being a major worrier for much of my life, and it’s not something that adds to my life or brings me closer to God. As I’ve pursued this idea of seriously eradicating worry from my life, I’ve realized that it can be simple. When situations come up or random thoughts pop into my mind that may start the addicting habit of worry, I must pause and ask myself “What is the truth?”

For example, we’re flying into Seattle right now from being gone for about a week and half. Visiting my sister and new brother-in-law and attending an incredibly rejuvenating teachers’ convention have taken us to Nashville and Rhode Island, and it’s going to be so good to get home and sleep in my own bed and pet my kitty (AND hopefully admire the multitudes of tomatoes that have popped out of their flower buds on my plants…finally!). But, school starts two weeks from today. Yes, that’s right, all the glorious, free days of summer will come to an end and the reality of waking up early, grading papers, and late nights of work will sneak up on me, wrap their arms around me, sink in their claws, until BAM! I’m enslaved to the teaching profession once again. Bye bye personal life, cooking new recipes, having an orderly house, being physically fit…

Wait a second! Stop right there! Before this becomes an all-out pity party and spirals down into despair, I need to take a good look at the truth. Not the often-used line of thinking, “Don’t worry. Look at the positive side of things!” No, I need to take a look at the truth, just the plain old truth.

Truth #1: I am employed.

Truth #2: I get great meaning and purpose out of my job.

Truth #3: I am given the space to be almost as flexible and creative as I want to be in my classroom with the topics I teach and the activities that I plan.

Truth #4: I have a membership to the gym, and so at some point I will exercise.

Truth #5: I have a husband who is a good support and helper, and somehow between the two of us, we eat good meals, clean them up, and have a clean house.

Truth #6: I have friends who want to talk with me and hang out with me, and so I will not spend all my time doing school-related activities.

I could go on. But I’ve gotta tell ya, looking at all of these truths takes me from the twisted feeling in the pit of my stomach to feeling centered and confident. And, I think as I do it more, it will become my new habit. Instead of worrying, my habit will be peace-ing. Or maybe truth-ing. Yes, that’s it.

So, I have many grateful list things to share from the past couple months, but here are the highlights:

Hot, humid air greeting me like a hug

Hope for my facial skin issues (yay for estheticians!)

Snuggle time with kitty in the hammock on our porch

Dancing at Michele’s wedding

Joyful celebration with family

Deep belly laughs

Thai peanut noodles (thanks for the new recipe, Mom!)

Tan skin

Morning moments with God

My husband’s wisdom with finances

Summer blooms and grasses

feeling blue

It's just been a little bit of a rough day for me, and so I know that posting my list will help bring me out of the blues. Here they are:

179. warm, moist cinnamon toast
180. crackle and popping of bonfire
182. familiar cadence of laughter with a friend
187. tea made of pine needles and berries
191. silhouettes of evergreens, pointing up to night sky
194. ache of muscles after a day of doing yardwork
196. having a fun day - working in the sunshine with Jon, eating ice cream, watching a movie

:)

cat, splat, bat, thwack, smack, tack, come BACK! (Jon)

This is my life with my husband out of the country: 

Squeaks and me!

He's good company, and is learning that Jon is not his only snuggle buddy. He actually kinda demands a lot of attention, and is not so happy when I just wanna lie on the couch and read my book! He chirps at me until I chase him around a little bit.

176. my faithful companion, Squeaks (no, he's not a dog, but he does like going on walks in the woods)

Others from the list:

165. cuddly dog snuggled up to me with his head in my lap

167. keeping Sabbath holy

168. having a good, long toot after holding it in for a long time

169. sweet sound of small children talking

171. fun message from Michele on answering machine

173. being strong in my vegan convictions and not giving in (tempted TWICE this weekend!)

174. loving God

177. worship music

178. Daylight Saving's Time (woot! to the max!)