creepy factor

Ok so, we Christian schools in the state of Arkansas get together for a conference once a year. This year it was Paragould's turn. Two other teachers and I carpooled up to Jonesboro yesterday, so we wouldn't have to leave at the crack of dawn today. We were almost to the Searcy exit when we see this red oldsmobile riding right beside us, and then we all scream simultaneously. There is a man driving and in the car with him are three toddler size dolls. In the passenger seat in the front, the doll is wearing a Santa hat. There are two in the back; one has wild looking blond hair and the other is wearing a hooded jacket with the hood on. The dolls are all strapped in their seat belts AND............they all had bloody faces!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How creepy is that?? No telling what he has in his trunk. We should've called the police, but were too freaked out to think straight. It wasn't the most comforting sight.

better late than never

I know i haven't posted in a while. boo hoo. You can now sleep better at night :) My life since November--let me see. I spent Thanksgiving in Paducah and got to eat Aunt Vangie's awesome food. And then Christmas came, and I got two weeks off school. That is a total plus to teaching, so therefore I will more than likely teach forever.

Brittany, Caleb and me goofing off on Christmas Eve. Caleb looks so happy!

Randy Hainen (a long time friend), and my cousins Wes, Seth and Jamison.

My protege cousin Addie singing away. She entertains the crowd like me...

and eats like me.

Last night I just got dumped by a guy for being "perfect." He said I was too good for him and that I would be unhappy in the future with him. Well, you know what? I wasn't planning on marrying him! We'd only dated for a month, and he whips that out. He's smart. AND what makes the story even funnier is he called me crazy because I didn't want to be friends with him. As I was walking out of his door, I said, "You will never find a better girl than me." Then I left. I mean honestly, what WAS he thinking? Maybe it's because he never ate any of my cooking...who knows. Next guy, please!

Cali, Erin and me at Ashley and Jordan's wedding. Audra couldn't be there so I superimposed her. Yay! Now the group is complete!
Ashley, the beautiful bride, and me.



One of my 9th grade girls asked me the other day, in all seriousness, if babies came out of the mother's stomach. I explained to her that babies can come out of the stomach if it's a c-section; other than that they are birthed through...you know where. She still didn't believe me because she didn't understand how the baby fit through. So then I had to explain that. I love that those girls are so innocent! At least I know I scared her from having sex for a very long time :)

Happy New Year at SO with my girls Lauren, Karson and Heather!


My friend Lauren (and my new roomie) and me.

So that's my life thus far. Much love!

twinkle, twinkle lucky star

Uncle Danny and me 1985

My Uncle Danny would sing that song to me all the time. He would just sing. It was two years on Oct. 30 since he died, and it still is hard to talk about. He would always give me advice on boys. "Now AP, (my middle initial is P and he never called me Ashley or Ashe....always AP), all you have to do is kiss 'em." He'd always tease me about boys, even up until it took several breaths for him to get anything out. I really need his advice right now though I know what he'd say. And oh was he a chef! He made the best biscuits and gravy you've ever eaten. Thanksgiving really makes me thankful for him and for my entire family on Jamison Road. I honestly don't know what I would do without any of them...even the weird ones.

Halloween was eventful this year. It was the first time I've dressed up since I was in the 6th grade. That year I was a Diet Coke can. Oh yes...you read correctly. I might add that I still have that costume. I'm saving it for that special occasion. This year I was an Indian. I had so much fun dressing up and straightening my hair until it was board straight. Mind you, it took me about 45 minutes to do that. I really did have a marvelous time, but those of you who know me well know that I LOVE to dress up and live vicariously through my costume!

for the times they are a changin'

My sister and I went on a four day excursion to Chicago this past weekend. We missed two days of school for one reason and one reason only: so I could miss two days of school. My job is wearing me out! I haven't exactly warmed up to the teacher idea yet; I'm hoping to by May. Don't think me negative if you ask me if I like it and I say, "I don't know or not right now." I'm never one to make rash decisions, so that's why I'm giving it until May.

So about Chicago, it was marvelous weather! We ate at Giordano's for the best pizza ever. You can feel it slither down your throat and grow inch by quick inch to your hips. We hit up the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium--and yes I, who hate fish, went to see a large mass of fish--and we shopped till we literally dropped. We had to walk everywhere. It was such good exercise, but our feet paid for it. Shopping was good; eating was good. We stayed at the Hotel Allegro, this old hotel that had been renovated to be posh and modern. Great service and they use Aveda products and I LOVE Aveda products. We saw the musical "Wicked." I've never laughed so hard in a play before. It was a wonderful production that I highly recommend to everyone!

The Teacher from the Black Lagoon

hey all you lovable and loathable people. glad you stopped by. so much as been going on...


yay! school finally started. I have been working so diligently on my classroom. There's still a few things that i need to do; they aren't crucial to my teaching though. so Voila! groovy huh? now you can picture me more precisely: writing on the board, sitting at me desk.

we started Wed. Aug 13. the first week went very well. there were no snakes and no one glued my bottom to my chair. are all of them angels no? do they know not to mess with me and that i mean business? yes. the other teachers at school said the students were saying that was i horrible and mean, and that they might one day have fun in my class. another boy thought i was going to hit him with my pointer. i'm not THAT mean. i guess you could say i got my point across! ha ha

the second day of school they loosened up a little because we sang the alphabet song. i truly think it will be a good and weird year. i have already grown so much just in this short time. i can't imagine what will happen by may. it's also weird though because it still feels like i don't belong there-like i'm a substitute teacher and am going back to sell insurance the next day. very strange, out of body experience. i mean, i weird and totally abstract as it is. you honestly can't imagine the non-normalcy going through my cerebellum right now.

ok so while i was getting my room ready, i was also moving into a house! yay for me! i'm still living with jillian, and we got a third roommate, kirstin. super gal. AND i also became a big sister. my little sister's name is ta'keia (very ironic since i have a cousin named tekia), and she's 11. i hope it will be a helpful experience for her as i know it will be for me. so my plate, not my saucer, has been pretty full. i'm not going to lie about it. at least there haven't been any burning barns, right callie?

Preservation Station

it's peach season once again my fair friends! and what better peaches than good ol' Jamison peaches!

in my travels back and forth to Nashvegas (that's Nashville, AR) this past week, i sweetly asked my uncle bob to pick me a bushel of peaches. he loves to pick them, and he loves me. one can't find a more awesome combination of loves! so i decided that with so many peaches, i would make preserves. whoever said making jam wasn't fun should be kicked. now, mind you, i was a bit rusty. that last time i made jelly (which is way more difficult than jam) i was 9 and in 4-H. it was so easy though! and my mom helped me. mother-daughter bonding time for sure.

anyone who would like to visit the preservation station is more than welcome!

Yay for peaches! Red globes are my favorite.

I'm mashing the boiling the peaches.

My mom and I taking a picture break.

My 2 almost 3 year old (Sept) cousin Adelaide. Yes Callie, this is Adelaide Vashti. She came over to play while we made peaches. She's so dramatic! At dinner, she kept saying, "I have to throw up." My dad told her to throw up on her plate. She said that she could only throw up in the potty. She runs to the potty. I follow her, but she doesn't know I'm there. She giggles and pats the toilet. She runs back to the dinner table and says the vomit thing over and over. We just kept laughing because she's totally lying and being dramatic. She really is my protege!

She's my partner in crime. My mom said she acts just like I did at that age. When she got to my house, she opened the door and said, "I'm here! I'm here everyone!" She's something else.

My Dad and Addie. In this picture, she looks identical to me when I was that age. I'll have to find the picture. It's eerie.

Realia

there were horses everywhere--just roaming. isn't that amazing? they were so beautiful and tranquil despite being wild. also, their horses are so much smaller than the ones here. they must be a different breed. no se.


the monkeys are not as nice as they appear though the mother and baby are quite cute. they were everywhere. they would throw things (including their caca or poop) at you. one guy even got his passport ripped to shreds. pobrecito!


this is playa (beach) samara. this is where i wandered for 2 very short, profitable but beautiful weeks.

this will give you an idea of what class was like everyday. this was one of my teachers, Nelsy. she was awesome.

this was the more mountainous areas of Guanacaste (the region we were in). everything is so beautiful and lush. i could look at it all day! i love the random house...

the queen of the zip line. yeah baby! i can honestly say i've never felt more liberated and seen more of God's wonder. it's breathtaking in every possible way!


the rainforest was awesome. we were in the area by the volcano. listen to how loud all the critters were. also, listen for the monkeys. so cool.

so the black shiny stuff? that's the lava that has cooled off. we were that close!

read it closely. they try really hard to write in english. que bueno!

my mama tica putting heat to my foot where the sting ray got me. she said heat is the only thing that can extract the venom, and she was right.

mi hermana tica, Maria y yo cantamos las canciones latinas. que divertida! (my costa rican sister, Maria and y sang latin songs. What fun!) i'm horrible because i don't know all the words. it's fun to watch her though. she thought the ipod was the coolest thing ever!