Cool Factor

Sooooo Idaho gets pretty cold(for me). Last week our highs were in the 20's, and my job involves quite a bit of time outside supervising recess. I'm learning there are a handful of things one doesn't even fathom until really truly working/living in the cold. (No my time on exchange doesn't count. I lived in this happy on campus bubble.)

1.) Shoe SizeS 

As in more than one. I've got the shoe size for ballet flats and Tom's and dress shoes with thin socks or a little liner sock, I've got a shoe size for when I'm wearing my wool socks, and I've got a shoe size for when I'm wearing wool socks and have toe warmers. This has made the debacle of choosing winter boots all the more interesting. 

2.) Cool-Factor

Cool-ness is no longer a factor. Socks with Toms? Yes please. I don't care if I'm dorky. I'm warm and comfortable - ish.  (My Tom's do stretch over time. They're now wool sock size.)

3.)Wiggle Wit It

 Wiggle room. Be sure to have some in your clothes. When you're getting ready for a full frigid day outside one must be wearing long underwear (top and bottom) a long sleeve shirt and a sweater, pants for inside and snow pants for wearing over the top outside. Some people think I'm ridiculous on this one, but snow pants cut the wind and insulate. Cool factor is out the window peeps. So that sweater you got to wear with a cami...its now rather snug with so many layers underneath. And those pants that make your butt look great? If they show off your butt they're too tight for this layer business. 

4.) Frozen Wood Chips

This my dear friends is a bizarre sensation. Woodchips normally get everywhere. On the clothes, in the shoes... when they're frozen they just clump together! They can be broken apart, and even come away in chunks. They're like a dense, mildly spongy, mat. The beauty is that when they're frozen the cling factor of wood chips is reduced dramatically, and they don't get in your shoes!

5.) The Hair
Ah, the symptoms of cold weather hair are generally a result of consistent hatting.
-static (dry air, lots of wool, static!)
-consistently mussed looking
-even if I've washed my hair THAT morning, when I get home after a day of hat application and removal my hair looks like I haven't showered for a week!

Coping mechanism: Braids. Lots of braids. Especially french braids. I braid my hair damp, to keep all wispies in. I wrap my head in a scarf at night to make said braids last longer.

6.) Frosty the Windshields
We're back to parking our cars outside and now time is to be allowed for warming up the car and scraping off the windshield. This always evades my mind until I walk out to my car and it needs to happen. Our clocks are all set to be 6 minutes fast now.

American Golfic

One in Every Color-Golf Shirts

The golf course Luke is currently working at is hosting the Women's Open this year. Which of course means all the pros need a new shirt for each day!

The colors really are quite striking. Actually most golf clothes are vibrant and pretty which is why next year I plan on making an Easter egg to resemble each one of Luke's work shirts past and present next year.
In case you plan on watching the open and keeping your eye out for Luke, here are the days he will be wearing each shirt:
Monday, July 4

Tuesday, July 5

Wednesday, July 6

Thursday, July 7

Friday, July 8

Saturday, July 9

Sunday, July 10

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy New Year!

Guess what Luke got me for Christmas! Adobe Photoshop Elements! Wooooh! He had heard me talking about my conversations with the talented Christa (her digital scrapbooking skills are for sale here) about programs for digital scrapbooking, and my exclamations to him as I spouted off all the amazing things the Photoshop program would do. He listened to me lament at how much it cost, and exclaim when I realised the difference between Adobe Suite and Elements, mainly the price! As much as I thought he wasn't listening, guess what was wrapped under the tree for me! (He might have been a little annoyed with me for buying it the night before Christmas Eve because I was sure he hadn't been listening and the sale was going to end...a little sheepish, but man does he get bonus points for that one!)

You may have noticed my new header,

and my new avatar.

 They were inspired by our New Years Letter theme:

Letting the pieces fall into place. Our plan vs. God's plan.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

What a year it has been, and what a year it will be!


We got married May 22, 2010 and were lucky to have the chance to visit with many of you at our receptions! We honeymooned in Yellowstone and continued on to Colorado Springs where Luke had an internship at (Golf Course that cant be named.) Jess worked at a private child care facility/private kindergarten and preschool, and learned how many blessings are to be found teaching upper grade in a public school. As the end of Luke’s seven month internship came closer offered Luke a couple job opportunities following the end of his internship (at said golf course.) We agreed he would turn them down and search for golf jobs in California so that Jess could resume her schooling in California where her full ride scholarship was still active at Fresno State. While Jess was on her way to California for class registration (Golf Course) offered Luke a full time position through the winter which would give him a chance to work through the Women's Open in July. (Translation: Resume building opportunity you can’t refuse.)


What a tough predicament. Ultimately, we both felt a calling to these separate places. We have spent a lot of time talking, discussing, praying, and in conversation with mentors. While it still remains a tough decision, we have been receiving a lot of affirmation in what we have been able to learn and through many other experiences.


While in Fresno, CA, Jess has been able to get an apartment with her sister Valerie, dedicate a lot time to going through her mother’s things, work on wrapping up some of her mother’s unfinished projects with her sister Valerie, and dedicate some time to intentionally grieve and do some family counseling with focus on a new family structure. She has been substitute teaching frequently at Pinedale Elementary and has appreciated the huge compliment teachers and administrators there are showing in her by trusting their classes in her care.


In Colorado Springs Luke has been learning a lot about what goes into forecasting and getting ready for a busy golfing season. (Golf Course) will be hosting the 2010 Women's Open which is going to create an exciting atmosphere. It will also create more work for all the current staff members which will allow Luke to have more responsibility and opportunity to learn. Luke has enjoyed working for (Golf Course) so far and hopes that the next season he can learn as much as this season. Luke has also visited his parents in Grand Junction, and has enjoyed the chance to go hunting with his father.

We had a warm Thanksgiving in Manhattan Beach/Hermosa Beach, CA where Valerie and Jessica cooked dinner for their side of the family. Luke had Turkey carving duties. Christmas was spent in Grand Junction with Luke’s immediate family. We enjoyed all the family traditions and some good relaxing time together! We got particularly addicted to the Wii version of Tetris which explains the theme of this years letter.

As you can tell, we’re trying hard to be flexible and fit into God’s plan for us. Please pray for us as we wait to see what He has in store for us!

Much Love,
Luke and Jessica Nickodemus


Why the ( )  Please note that certain words were taken out of this letter. Luke has been asked by his work to publish the name of the group/company online (I figure this includes his wife too.) Should you have interest/concern/questions please email me and I can A) email you a copy of the letter or B) Fill you in.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

The last update can be found <here.>

Marriage: Still long distance. Luke is in Colorado, Jess is in California. Not the most fun. Definitely kind of has its lows, buuuuut we've both been receiving affirmation (in various forms) that we're learning, and growing in a good way, and for now this seems to be "The Plan" for us. Until His plan changes, we're lucky we got so good at skype and scheduling phone dates when we were long distance dating. Now I guess we're long distance married.

Job: I have been kept very busy subbing at my home school! I love it! I love the kids, I love how much I'm learning about how to help them learn. It's been a great opportunity to be in so many classrooms learning class management techniques, concepts and gain ideas from such  highly skilled educators who also love the kids they work with. This is not to say there aren't days where you feel like you've been put through the wringer, but the sense of fulfillment I have after a day of work is not one to be ignored.

Family Home Front: I miss Mom. All the time. She would be the one I would call, or stop in to talk to every day after work. She would have been the one who would understand my excitement and enthusiasm. She would have been the one to throw out some other ideas and suggest more ways for me to grow.

There are lots of things going on that I don't post, with the consideration that some of my personal conflicts/struggles aren't all mine to share. So I don't.

Valerie and I have moved into an apartment on a 7 month lease. (That will take us through the end of the spring semester of school. Being here before the semester started has given me the opportunity to join my sister in tackling the daunting task of going though my dad's very full garage. We threw away a lot, gave away a lot, and kept...a lot. It's amazing how many things one can accumulate in a lifetime. Together we've been sorting, remembering, and condensing special family items. While the main task (emptying my dad's garage so he can park a car, and motorcycle in it) is completed our living room resembles a storage/craft room. There are many boxes still needing to be gone through and sorted. There are also many projects needing just a bit of completion. This afternoon "Aunt" Nancy will be coming over to teach us how to put one of my mom's quilt tops on a frame so we can hand quilt it.

Yep, I said so WE can hand quilt it. It's true. My sister, made famous in the quilting circle for her story of calling my mom and saying "I'm making a dress, where's the hot glue gun?" has recently started going to Wednesday morning quilting with me to learn the art of hand quilting. I'm pretty sure my mom's beaming down from heaven to know that some of her projects will have been worked on by all THREE of the Harper Girls.

People:
I have also been trying to be purposeful about seeking out people to hear their stories, get their advice, and converse with them about life in general, and things that apply to my life these days. I have been blessed with so many wonderful mentors, friends, and role models. It's amazing how powerful a cup of coffee (steamed milk in my case), a lunch, knitting etc. and some good conversation can be.

Thanksgiving:
Thanks to a practice session last year (read about it here) Valerie, Luke and I weren't TOO intimidated by the idea of helping Grandpa and Shan host Thanksgiving dinner. Valerie rocked the mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry relish, and keeping her chaotic sister organised (we're talking excel spreadsheet grocery list and butterball turkey iPhone ap people.) Luke tore up the turkey, literally, he was in charge of carving 1 mama bird and two babies (breasts only on the bone/white meat) as well as keeping me calm, and in good spirits (Twilight readers, he's sort of like Jasper in that mood altering sense.) It was a great time of family and visiting.

Church:
Val and I have enjoyed getting involved with a homework help group on Wednesdays as well as both being in town for multiple Sundays! When we're not in town, we're lucky enough to be able to catch sermons on podcast search North Fresno Church.

I have been challenged and supported by one of these podcasts in particular. It's titled, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and was from November 14, 2010. This sermon has stirred up so much. It managed to find things happening in my heart I didn't even realise were happening. It addresses the age old question "why."  It brings up a search for answers, and guidance. I still cant wrap my head all the way around the sermon but man it's got my wheels spinning in many directions and I think that's a good thing. Because, I'm looking and looking and looking, and I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

Christmas:
Luke and I will be in Colorado Springs (me as of the 17th.) Luke has work on Christmas Day which will make for a mellow time. We're both allergic to evergreens and not yet wanting to add a Christmas tree to our growing collection of STUFF we look forward to a mild day with cocoa in front of the fire basking in each others company. (Something we haven't shared in quite a while.) The only thing keeping me from starting a countdown is that I know in my head just how much I need to get done before I leave! Yikes! Better get a move on!

Cheers

to curling up under flannel sheets tonight.

Only two things could make it better. The first, if Luke was here, or the sheets and I were there. The second, if I didn't have to wake up for work in the morning.

What a peach!

Pie that is. Luke's mom sent us home with a plethora of very ripe peaches! So, I decided to make pies with B! (And freeze some.)

I made crust with cream cheese and butter this time. Let me tell you folks, while I'm still no Jane Harms or Tracy Neufield, THAT is the way to go. The flavor is, YUM!

B really likes taking pictures and these two from his perspective crack me up.

B helped me fill the pies making sure to get just the right balance of white and yellow peaches!

And maybe a few escaped to his mouth...

 

And one more of B's photography!

*The recipe for the crust I used can be found here:*

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Perfect-Cream-Cheese-Pie-Crust/Detail.aspx

I added a bit of milk and B added a bit of ice cold water so I could "fork" it to the side of the bowl. Otherwise it was pretty crumbly.

Which home team?

Way back in August (okay last month) we went to see the Fresno Grizzlies play the Colorado Springs Skysox. It was a sunny day! Luke and took advantage of free parking down the road. Check out these cheery flowers! This is as close to your flower photos as I get Grandma G!

We watched the game in good fun! I ate two hot dogs and a caramel chocolate covered apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Then around the 6th or 7th inning it started to rain. Sigh.

Sometimes you can wait it out and the weather will change, but when it started to rain harder the fans started to really jump ship!

We found a spot under cover to watch the rest of the game, and hoped they might still do fireworks. No such luck. It kept raining.

So we walked to our further away parking. In the rain. Luke says it wasn't cold. It was. Very cold.

Just in case you're wondering the Skysox won this game. I guess its okay since they're both my teams. Well more the Grizzlies to be fair.

Ps. Luke's work has offered him a spot for next summer that may or may not include a promotion. This is a HUGE compliment! Especially because they're hosting the women's open! So far the plan is to head back to Fresno where I will finish up my credential (3 semesters Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012). (I still have a scholarship there, and I would have to go waaaaay backward if I change to Colorado's program. Plus California doesn't accept Colorado's credential straight off it I want to switch.) Luke will come back to "the Springs" in April, I will join him after my friends wedding in May, and head back to Fresno in August before school. He will join me at the end of the season back in Fresno. Whew. Complicated. Though its a pretty okay situation. I know a lot of other married golf pros have much messier situations.

2nd of July Fireworks!

Yesterday (Friday) Luke and I went to the Skysox game with two of my co workers and their husbands.

L-R Luke, Andrew, Sarah, Aly, and Bryan (Brian)

It was as Aly says "Fuller than I've ever seen it before." This MIGHT have been due to the fireworks they have every Friday night game and the people of this patriotic city trying to get in avery fireworks moment possible!

Can I just say that it became quite aparent as we were walking to the game from work, that none of us married short. We were dwarfed. The picture below is my knees in between Andrew's (left) and Luke's (right.) No wonder they're more concerned with seating on an airplane than I am!

Aly got these stylin glasses for watchiing fireworks in 3-D. We all gave her a lot of grief but then she let us try em out for a bit and let me just say....they're pretty cool.

Here are some of my non 3-D pictures of fireworks!
 

Happy Fourth of July!

icecreamN4Quiche

So now Im working 40 hours a week. Whew. Its a new thing for me. Being with kids for 8 hours....I love kids. A lot. I think they're funny, personable, and each of them has their one thing that makes me as a teacher able to connect to them. Heres the thing. Even when I was subbing I was never with them for 8 hours. I would get there, have an hour to prep, greet the kids, spend the morning together working intensely on projects, have a breather during recess and spend some time getting recharged for the next phase  and so on...you get the picture. 8 hours with 15 kids with high levels of need is a new gig. I can definately use your thoughts, prayers and encouragement in giving these kids the love, encouragement, and energy they need from me as their educator and caretaker.

On another note, after a long day of work, when getting ready to mix up a nice batch of onion dip look what a pleasant suprise I found under the lid of our sour cream. I can't say it didn't make me smile. Im kind of a sucker for good marketing. I'll be the first to admit it.

Our "N" wall is growing. Some of the pictures need to be filled in, but Im liking how the collection is comming together. The next piece I hope to add is a 6 inch scrabble tile <check em out they're cool> and maybe someday I'll con my new brother in law Mark to make a big curly cue one out of wood! (I'm not very subtle am I.)

We've been having lots of fun playing with our new ice cream maker.  So far I've made a couple strawberry lime sorbet's, a Coffee Toffee ice cream for a play date with some of my co workers (inspired by Christa) and mint chocolate chip. Pictured below is all that's left of it. Im day dreaming of the next flavor to make.

I'm a little nervous about our oven because its kind of old and teeny tiny. Plus once again, we have no air conditioning so thats another thing that makes me heasitant to use the oven. A few days ago I made a roast in our crock pot and today I baked a quiche in our RED toaster oven! Isn't it glamourous?

Here's the finnished product! It has some hash browned potatoes and onion with Italian seasoning in the bottom, sauteed mushrooms and asparagus with some garlic salt, bacon, spinach and cheddar cheese. I followed the Better Homes and Gardens recipe called Spinach and Bacon Quiche for the egg mixture.

Some egg over flowed to underneath the crust and got shiny and hard, but that was my only "wish I'd done that better."

Woah.

Life got crazy busy. I took a week long subbing job in Kindergarten. Quite the kids. If nothing else they for sure make me feel good about myself. My top self esteem boosting moment: "You're beautiful Miss Harper."
Ahhh...that made all the "not so pleasant-ness" less prominent. At least for a minute untill I had to remind my friends to "Keep their hands to themselves" and listen to some tattling.

Ill still stand by my internal clock flat out refusing to adjust. Late nighttime is so productive. In the morning I feel like a slug. The first two days I could take it. At this point I'm back to stomach aches. The countdown til the wedding is under 30 days! Yay!

Issues around the house have subsided because...well, I'm at school all day. When I'm home...I'm a slug. I do have "small" to-do list that may be looming over my head. Ill worry about that when I'm done worrying about those k kids.

The b-party was this weekend. The girls and I went to the Clovis Rodeo. We had so much fun! Val did a great job coordinating! They got me a hat that says "Bride to Be"...the feathers sequins and sparkle streamers MAY have attracted some attention.

Dying Almost Killed Me

What do you get when you mix 40 kids, 40 plain white undershirts, too many rubber bands, bottles of dye, and two over ambitious after school program workers? Tie Dye!!!! Yayeeewwwhhatwerewethinking?!

Two Fridays ago Friday the 13th to be exact (ominous? I think so.) My co-worker Miss Sarah rounded up materials very generously donated by Target and discounted by JoAnne's so that the students at our work could tie dye shirts with green in them to wear to the Shamrock Shindig we would be hosting the next Wednesday (yep, we know that Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day, but more kids come to our program on Wednesday so we held off!) Since I had all my previous Camp Keola and Pinedale Spirit Shirt tie-dying experience, I stayed inside to help the kids twist their shirts into different patterns and rubber band them all up. Then I sent them out to Miss Sarah who put the dye on where they pointed, (no...were not so crazy that we let the kids hold the dye) and then they came back in with their shirts dyed and bagged and ready to sit for 24 hours before being washed. When the kids tried to take their shirts I said "no, no, no, leave them here I think Miss Sarah is going to wash them all at once." Sooo the kids looked at me with their confused faces as their parents looked relieved and quickly encourage their children to indeed leave their shirts with us! Turned out Miss Sarah was house sitting and wasn't exactly able to take all those bags of dye loaded shirts home...soooo....Miss Jessica got the job! Yayeee! Oh, did I mention I was supposed to be heading out the door to pick up Luke in LA?

Yep! Luke was on his way to see me for his spring break! No time to argue I stuck those suckers into my trunk (luckily I was able to layer my Kids Day paper (still un-read) and some dirty towels still in my trunk from drying off my car after a car wash to protect the upholstery from any stray dye. Then I scooted off to LAX.

We interrupt this story for explanation:

Why am I carting all the way off to LA to pick up Luke? Even Sacramento has a main airport that's closer right? Well when Luke was purchasing his plane ticket, I was galavanting around San Francisco (on our Wicked Weekend) without my camera, and I had the clever idea that if he flew into LAX we could spend the weekend with my family in the LA area and then come home in time for school. How wrong was I, as soon as I got home I open my computer to put Luke's flight times into my calendar and realise that I have the CSET (a group of 3 very important test I have to take to get my teaching credential, and have already slept through once) the very next Saturday morning at 7am! EEEEEEEK!

And now back to our feature presentation:

So I pick Luke up from LAX, he crams his suitcase into my VW Beetles back seat, because my trunk is full of tie dye shirts, and we get right back on "the 5" for Fresno. We get home, I crash on the couch (Luke offered to take the couch since I had the test,but I was afraid that if I did I would fall into too deep of a sleep and wouldn't wake up in the morning.) And my mom AND Luke come out to make sure I wake up in time for my test. They take such good care of me. I take my test, manage to complete it and not fall asleep at my desk, and escape back home where Luke helps me rinse, wash, label with names, and fold ALL the tie dye shirts. What a man.

This is how my favorite ones turned out. At least the reward was some good color therapy? That and a reminder of how great Luke is! :D

Then we went for a nice bike ride and enjoyed the weather.

Wow. That was way longer than I meant it to be. The end.

Ps. When I finally took the towel and newspaper out of my car the special edition Kids Day Newspaper fell right open to the coupon page and I found the best buy one sandwich get one sandwich free at GREAT HARVEST (Fresno)! Good deal people! If you still have your paper go snag that coupon!

Nishnobblers

How cool are these?!

I'm helping to plan summer curriculum for work, so I've been browsing the internet all day looking for fun, interesting, unique and not TOO involved international foods. I was getting nervous about finding something Australian when I came across the concept of Fairy Bread. I was searching google images and was taken right to Cupcakes and All Things Sweet (click here for link) The first thigs I saw were these Nishnobblers which are made with bubblewrap! Cool! And then I found her butterfly fairy bread which was cool too! Check it out!