2009

I hope everyone has a wonderful year in 2009. I'm super excited about it.

I also want to wish a belated Happy 30th Anniversary to my Momma and Daddy! Yesterday, December 30, was their 30th wedding anniversary. I know it was so great to spend part of it worrying about me and my wreck. They are an amazing example of what a wonderful marriage should be like. I only wish that I can be so lucky in my marriage. You both are the best and I love you very much!!!!!

I'll be back later with pics of Micah and me chilling at the house since I can't really move around and do anything else. Also, I'm going to decide what I'm going to try to accomplish this year and think about what I accomplished in 2008.

Happy New Year!!!!!!

Blessed

As the year ends, people are looking back on 2008 and thinking what went well and what they are thankful for. Today I am thankful to be alive.

I was in a really bad car wreck this afternoon going down to El Dorado to spend New Year's with Micah. I got up this morning and cleaned out my car, which those of you who know me well, know that that was a HUGE undertaking. I washed my car, vacummed it, and was super excited about going down there. Well, God had other plans for me.

Anytime I get on the highway, I always say a little prayer that God will watch over me and protect me no matter what and to help me get to my destination safely. He did that in a way. I made it back to Conway safely this evening, had my faith restored in the kindness in strangers, and just am so thankful that he was protecting me.

I"m okay and the other person is okay. It happened on a stretch of highway where they are changing the two lane into four lanes and a wreck pretty much happens there daily. I saw the other person at the hospital later this afternoon and since he hit his head, they are going to keep him overnight for observation, but I think he will be all right. Say an extra prayer for him, also.

I was in East End, which is about 20 miles north of Sheridan. I didn't know anyone and if it were not for this angel named Jana, I don't know what I would have done. Both my airbags deployed, my front bumper was about halfway under my hood, my windshield cracked, everything in the back ended up in the front, and Bonnie, who rides up on my shoulder, had fallen down onto my chest. I know that that is not the safest place for her at all, but the vet that examined her told me that it probably saved her life because she would have been squashed or thrown in the car or her carrier would have be thrown. I am all right except for lots of bruises on my stomach and chest. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!!!! I have a bruise line where my seatbelt was and if I had not been wearing it, who knows what would have happened.

I did go to the hospital and got some chest x-rays, but they were all clear. I did not go until I knew my dog was all right, which is not very smart, but it's how I was thinking. This angel, Jana, stopped to check on me and stayed with me when she realized that everyone close to me was way out of town. She held Bonnie when I talked to the police, she found me a vet and drove me there, and then she drove me to Baptist to the E.R. She is also a teacher and was like, "We teachers have to take care of each other". Just a wonderful, wonderful saint. It really gives you hope for the world and reminds you what is important in life. I only hope that one day I can help someone else just as much as she helped. This little girl who was with Jana told my friend Jamie when she got to the hospital that Santa was really great to her this Christmas and Jesus was really great to her friend Jennifer (me) just now. She was so happy that they were there to be saviors for me. This lady will forever be on my Christmas card list and you can be darn sure that she is going to be getting a sweet thank-you and something special that I will make for her. It also goes to show how much strangers can teach each other and how that little girl learned that you can really touch someone's life. She loved Bonnie by the way and kept wanting to hold her.

All is well and remember that God is good, all the time! Say an extra prayer of thanks to your guardian angel tonight!

Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!

Today is the 1 year anniversary of Micah's and my first date. I'm not really sure if I wrote that grammatically correct, so if I didn't--I'm soooo sorry!

Last year at this time, I was nervously getting ready to go to Mike's Place and meet up with Mr. Micah Cabe Fullerton. He was already in Conway, having driven up from El Dorado and already visited Conway's Best Buy. Best Buy is his favorite store. ever.

We met for dinner and had a great time. I, of course, talked a lot. Micah, of course, was a great listener. I had the gulf shrimp and I think that Micah ate the pork chops. This would be the point that my sisters would be rolling their eyes at the fact that I still remember this.

When we got done with dinner I was like, "Okay, lots of fun hanging out with you!" and Micah was all, "Well, we don't have to be done right now. We could hang out and do something else." I said, "Well, Conway doesn't really have a nightlife scene." He said, "We could see a movie". So, off we went to see I am Legend.

I didn't tell Micah that I already knew what happens in the movie because Victoria had told me. I was glad that I knew already because I was kind-of scared. We got done with the movie and then we left. Micah asked if I wanted to hang out again and I was like, "Totally! It was really awesome." He left thinking, "Totally? Does that mean she had a good time?" Ha-ha!

Turns out I did because here we are 1 year later!

Pictures

Christmas Tree 2008

Micah with his "Yooooouk!" shirt

Micah opening his Old Navy pants

Me with some of my presents from Micah--not pictured Friends DVD and a blue scarf

I'm going to have to rely on other family members for pictures from the family Christmas because I did not think to take pictures at all. At least I'm getting some of these pictures uploaded now since Blogger is being semi-cooperative.

Christmas

Close-up of ice from the ice storm
My Driveway and street

View of my house

I hope everyone had a wonderful, happy Christmas! I had the best Christmas ever!

I sang at 4 p.m. Mass and then had Midnight Mass. Micah came up in between the two masses and then we went to Midnight Mass together so I could sing. When we got back, we opened presents and then on Christmas morning we drove up to my Mom and Dad's house for Christmas festivities up there.

When we arrived we opened presents right away. I got a Kindle!!!!!!! Jeal-ous?!?! I'm super excited about it. It can store tons of books and it's really awesome and totally recommended by Oprah. For a big reader like me, it's an awesome gift. My sis Alex got me the Pride and Prejudice disc set. I'm soooooo excited about that! Me and Mr. Darcy! Yea! Mary Margaret got me some fabulous Mary Kay products. If you are in need of Mary Kay stuff--talk to MM--she will hook you up! Victoria got me a "J" koozie and some very pretty chopsticks.

Micah's presents were super awesome. I couldn't wait anymore to open them, so when we got back at 2 a.m. after Midnight Mass, we got to open presents. I got two gorgeous scarves, 2 fabulous big purses, some pretty earrings, and the first season of Friends DVD disc set. My sisters and I are obsessed with Friends and pretty much quote it all the time. I know have seasons 1, 5,6,7, 8, 9, and 10. I'm almost there to a full series. I love it. I got Micah a Razorback hoodie (I let him open it early, since I got the tickets to the Christmas Spectacular), a "Yoooouk! can do it shirt" (he is a big Boston Red Sox fan), 3 pairs of flannel Old Navy pants, and Fallout 3. He is super pumped about the pants and Fallout 3--I know he loved all his gifts though!

Micah and I came back to Conway on Saturday. Friday night we went out to Grub's to meet up with my old High School buddies. It was great to see everyone! Saturday we went shopping up at Pinnacle after the horrible storms moved through and we ate a bite at P.F. Chang's.

Blogger is being difficult, so I'm having trouble uploading some pics. I was able to post some from the ice storm we had a couple of weeks ago.

Baby it's cold outside!

As I'm writing this it is 14 degrees outside! I know that it's much colder in other parts of the state and world, but that's pretty darn cold!

I cannot wait until Christmas. It's only 3 days away!!!!!! I'm excited about seeing my family and friends over the holiday, but I'm also really excited about opening my gifts. I've had 4 gifts from Micah under my Christmas tree since Thanksgiving and I have not been allowed to open any of the presents. I haven't even peeked! It's been driving me bananas not to open them, but I can be patient for 3 more days.

Part of my Christmas present came on Thursday when we went to go see the Christmas Spectacular presented by the Rockettes. It was FABULOUS!
Our seats were amazing and we had the best time. Seriously, I was grinning like a little kid the entire performance. I told Micah it was the best Christmas gift ever! He told me to wait before I made that distinction because I haven't opened my other gifts under the Christmas tree.

I also found my camera cord, so am now able to post pics from my camera. Hallelujah! I'm also going to post some pics from the ice day that we had last week. It made that last week of school totally awesome in that it didn't last very long. We came back Thursday--had Christmas parties, came back Friday--left at 1 p.m. I loved it!

Micah and I will be spending Christmas with my family up in Fayetteville. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

Jeal-ous?!?

I have another SNOW DAY.

Ode to a Snow Day

This time of the year is wonderful because we are celebrating the birth of our Lord and it's a great time for families to get together. However, this time of the year also is wonderful because it means that there is a chance of the coolest thing ever. A SNOW DAY!!!!!!!

I realize that as a teacher, I am not really supposed to have this love of the SNOW DAY. Perhaps it is because the already crazy students will be even wilder when they come back, since they are shaken from their routine. Maybe it's because we will have to 'make-up' this day in May or June. Or it could be because I'm supposed to be an adult and not love things like a SNOW DAY.

Well.

I totally am excited because we have a SNOW DAY on December 16th!!!!!!!! I know that we get out for Christmas break this Friday at 1:00 p.m, but I really wanted a break for just one day. I'm going to sleep in and then lay around in my bed for a while. Then, I'm going to get up and organize things, wrap Christmas presents, and just relax. Also, they called school off at 6:00 p.m. tonight, so I don't have to stay up, watching for my school's name scrolling across the bottom of the t.v. screen, just for that tiny flare of joy at realizing that I don't have to go into school tomorrow.

A SNOW DAY. Utter and complete bliss.

Let me count my blessings!

As we near towards Christmas, I'm tempted to count my blessings. I am always aware of my blessings, but Christmas is a totally appropriate time to count these blessings. I don't think it's fair to be this happy, but as this is a time that has brought some sad memories, I'll take being really happy this year. The last several years have been kind of hard at the holidays because we lost my wonderful Grandmom and Pop-Pop. I know that they are happy in heaven, but it's made the last couple of holidays kind of sad because we all miss them so much. This year it seems to be better for me. I'm sad, but I'm also excited about the holidays and all the glory that goes with it. Here are some of my blessings:

• My family. I don't think you could ask for a better family. I love my Momma and Daddy sooooooooo much. They have taught me how to be me and they have done a rockin' job at it. My sisters are the absolute best. I don't think I could come up with words to describe how much they mean to me. My Sissy---who else would I want to spend every Sunday with?!? My family in general just completes rocks my world to no end.
• Micah. He is just the most wonderful person in my life. We met right about this time last year and this past year has been beyond describing. He's so great and makes me so happy. P.S. I already got some of my Christmas present and it's two tickets to see the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes next Thursday. How totally completely wonderful and awesome is that? Plus, he laughed when I got the tickets and (jokingly!) said, "Wow! I wonder who I'll pick to take with me!" Of course, Micah and I are going. =)
• My faith. I do spend every Sunday at two Masses and it does make my weekends kind of busy. However, if I didn't have that in my life, I imagine it would be hard to make it through the week. The weekends that I don't have two Masses don't really seem complete. I am just happy and blessed by my faith.
• My friends. I have pretty awesome friends. I have ones that I've been friends with since Junior High and some that I've made from working. I also have some that my Mom pays them to be my friend. Just kidding! I do have awesome friends. It doesn't matter how often I talk to them or maybe not so often if they live out of state or even out of the country, we seem to just pick up right where we left off. My friends are awesome. P.S. I'll see some of you at Grubs on December 26th at 9 p.m.!
• My job and students. I am truly happy at what I do. Even on the days that I'm tired and it's a bit difficult, I love it. My students rock. They are the best. Even at this time of the year when they are bouncing off the walls because they are sooooo excited. They always make me smile.
• My pets. I have two cats, Serendipity and Bloomsbury, and a dog, Bonnie Blue. I love those animals so much. They are so funny. Bonnie is totally smaller than the cats, but she doesn't realize it and wrestles with them all the time.
• Little things in life. It doesn't seem like much, but it can be that little thing that makes you smile. I always try to find something to be positive about every day. I was told last night that even my handwriting is happy. This person said that they felt like they should be happier just looking at it and they decided that they were. It may not be a big thing to most, but to me it made me smile.

I know there are more to list, but for right now, these come to mind. It's great time of year to be with your family and to do family traditions and make memories. I am going to try and make it through this last week of school before our holiday break and then we can all start preparing for one of the best days ever. January 15th. =)

Where, oh, where art thou, Camera cord?

I can't upload pictures because I cannot find my camera cord. It's way upsetting. Maybe this weekend I can find it.

Right now, though, I'm not too bothered because I am watching The Santa Clause. I'm so loving holiday movies. I went to Target and got Elf and then a two disc set of It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas.

This weekend is all about holiday cooking, so if you are in the Conway area, stop by. I'll have holiday goodies to munch on.

Not much is happening in life right now. We are just trying to get through school to the holiday break. Students are bouncing off the walls and I am singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" in my sleep.

I wouldn't trade it for the world though.

Thanksgiving Feast

I'm up at my Mom and Dad's and we have a full house. All of my sisters and I are home for the holiday and my aunt is here also. Adding to that mix is Micah, Joe--Alex's friend, Jodie--Mary's friend (just coming for dinner), Dinah--Alex's cat, and my precious Bonnie Blue. We have been up since the early morning hours (9 a.m. for me) cooking and getting ready. We are also going to take our Christmas card picture at West Fork, then onto eating around 3 p.m. We are going to have a lot of great stuff. Most of us came in yesterday and my Momma cooked some great Ham soup. I made some bread and both loaves were inhaled by everyone. Today I made the chocolate pie and then I'm going to make some green bean bundles that my friend Jamie told me how to make them. They are going to be delicious. We are having turkey, ham, duck, oyster dressing, horseradish cranberry sauce, regular cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, green bean bundles, sweet potatoes, sourdough bread, rice, chocolate pie, pumpkin pie, hummingbird cake, chocolate pecan pie, and custard pie. I'll post pics later.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Check it out

Go check out Hui's Joys and see my cool turkey place card for the THANKSGIVING FEAST.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I've started the wonderful process of decorating for Christmas by changing the background on my blog. I love the colors on this one and I like the "Ho, ho, ho!". One of my best friends, Jamie, has the sweetest little boy--James Paul. When James Paul was little, we tried to come up with a great little 'name' for me, since I would be major important in his life. (wink) Jamie calls me 'Jenni H' and we tried and tried to have James Paul say that. The only sound we could get him to make was "Ho". Thus, my name became "Ho-Ho". It was pretty funny when we went to Walgreen's right after this naming and James Paul yelled up and down the aisles for "Ho-Ho". Then, when I would appear, he would say, "Ho-Ho!" with a great, big smile. The name has stuck and James Paul even knows when his mom talks about her friend, Jennifer, that that is his "Ho-Ho". He is super smart. ;)

Next weekend, I'm going to decorate the house for Christmas. I am going to 'clean out' some of the decorations I don't use and either give them away or take them up to school and decorate with them there. I am going to take my huge tree and my white Christmas tree up to my rooms at school. Then, Micah is going to let me have his Christmas tree and so I'll decorate that! I'm going to find my camera cord, so I will take pics and then post them.

Sundays with Sissy

Every Sunday I sing at Mass at 12:05 and 5:30 p.m. In between Masses, I hang out with my Sissy. My Sissy is my aunt, but she is also one of my BEST friends. She is my Mom's younger sister and I'm so glad that we live close to each other. Usually we hang out at her house, but today we went out to eat at Outback Steakhouse and then shopping for holiday crafts. Our plans were reversed because Outback does not open until 3 p.m. So, being the ever easy-going people we are, we went holiday shopping and then out to eat. We went to Michael's Arts and Crafts store, Hallmark, and then Tuesday Morning. We had a blast and worked up quite an appetite for our mid-day meal at Outback.

Here is a pic of all my booty that I scored today. Totally awesome!

Sorry for the poor pic quality--had to take with cell b/c I couldn't find my cord to transfer pics from the camera to the computer.

Deck the Halls with.........

Okay. I have issues with people who like to push the holidays, namely the whole shopping industry. It was the Friday before HALLOWEEN and there were CHRISTMAS decorations up all around the stores. Before a holiday even arrives, it's already been cast aside for the next upcoming attraction. When I was heading to my house last night, I noticed a house in my neighborhood that had their Christmas lights turned on and their manger out front. It was a beautiful sight, however, Thanksgiving is not for another couple of weeks.

Well, despite all this griping, I think I'm going to join these early greeters of the Holidays and join in the Holiday fun. Is that bad? I plan to get my Christmas tree next week. Micah is letting me have his and we are going to decorate it at my house over Thanksgiving break. We are spending Thanksgiving with my parents, sisters, and Sissy, but once we get back to Conway--Christmas decorating will commence. I'm almost done with my shopping and I'm way excited about my gifts this year.

I will refrain from posting any pics of Christmas gifts, lest someone tries to see what Santa is bringing this year. However, most will be made by my own two hands! So, while the weather outside is not frightful and it's too hot to have a fire, know that the Christams spirit is stirring in my soul.

Tonight I have a date with wonderful Micah. Could life get any better?

Beat It

I know we all have songs that we hear and we are taken back to the first time we heard that song, etc., etc. I had a total trip down memory lane the other night. I was driving along in my car and all of sudden "Beat It" came on. Well, if you are like me, then you immediately think back to the 2nd grade and start doing your France Stokes dance. I loved that routine. I have had several memory flashes with other songs--Mony, Mony, Hippy-Hippy Shake, Pumps and a Bump (remember that one Kate?), Wild, Wild West, the list goes on and on. I cannot wait until I have kids and I can put them in dance and then I can tell stories about when their Momma, all their aunts, and Momma-Momma were in dance and how we rocked it!

Whew!

What a week! My second graders put on a play yesterday, "A Barnyard Moosical". It was a hit! They were the cutest grade and everyone raved and raved about it. I will let you know when we go on tour.

Tonight, I am vegging at my house. I am watching Sex and the City--the movie and am cleaning up various things from around the house. I have changed my Halloween decorations to pumpkins, turkeys, and pilgrims--oh my.

Not very exciting, but I'm still content for the moment. Later this evening, my Micah will call to check on me and see how my day was and then my whole day will be complete.

I love.....

I haven't been doing a great job of updating because life is getting hectic. I seem to have something every night and every weekend. However, I did have a really funny story to share about one of my students. I have a student in my Kindergarten/First grade choir that wrote me a note. I asked him what the note said and he replied, "I love Mrs. Hui." I didn't feel it was right to correct a Kindergartener about the fact that I'm "Ms. Hui", not "Mrs. Hui", but what got me was what he actually wrote on the paper. When you look at it, it reads, "I love Mrs. Hoe".

P.S. I'm keeping it and framing it. Cracks me up everytime I look at it.
P.P.S. I love my Micah! =)

Sisters

My sweet Mary Margaret! She is so precious! You can't believe a package this cute is so smart!
My favorite Victoria--she has such a pretty smile! Maybe she's smiling because she is very intelligent!

My beautiful and intelligent Alexandra!


I would like to take this time to thank all my sisters for being the best friends in the world. They will read this post (if they are checking it) and think, "That's sweet, Jenn, but really, really cheesy!".
My sisters are wonderful and are some of the most important people to me. I don't think my life would be the same if I didn't have them.

Thanks Mom and Dad for having all of them!

Tomorrow is Victoria's 18th birthday. I can't believe that my baby sister is 18 years old. She is so mature and I am very proud of her. I still remember the day that she was born and getting to hold her for the first time. I have special memories of all my sisters--I remember reading to Alex when we were little and I used to dance over Mary's cradle to wake her up so I could hold her and play with her. All of my sisters are special and they are the best in the world.

Happy Birthday, Victoria!!!!!!!

Game 6

Okay.....I should be sleeping, but I'm watching the Red Sox stay alive for upcoming Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays. How crazy! If anyone would have predicted that I would be watching something like this and could actually follow along---well, I would have lost money on that bet.

Thanks to my Micah, I'm watching the Red Sox and am soooooo happy that they came back from 7-0 to win 7-8! How totally awesome is that? The answer is--WAY AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I'm glad that my Micah is super, duper happy now!

Jennifer and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad--well, maybe not so bad day

This morning
Now

This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. One of my preschoolers told me yesterday, when she arrived grumpy at my class, "I guess I just woke up on the wrong side of my mat!" It was very cloudy, slightly drizzling, and cooler. I don't mind the cooler temps--in fact, adore them, but the rest of the weather was not great. I woke up very early to do some cooking. We have a couple of potlucks coming up for school and so I was getting a head start on my cooking. I didn't sleep well the night before. My mind was racing, full of what-ifs and planning on the future of all sorts of things. It's very hard to sleep at night with full brain and lots of questions. I am the type of person that likes to know what to expect. It may not happen for "years and years", as my Pop-pop used to say, but I still like to be privy to any inside knowledge. However, I know that God is trying to tell me that I have to be patient for whatever treasures await for me in life. I'm the world's worst at spoiling a present or any surprise treat that I may have gotten for someone because I want them to know about it right away. That kind of defeats the purpose of a surprise. =)

So, all this was on my mind last night and I woke up kind of grumpy. Then, my mom wasn't feeling well and I never like that, so that just added to the day. But now it's 1:15 p.m. and the sun is shining. I have had some great classes today with wonderful students who have made me laughed. And now I think, I don't have to plan everything out. I can take things as they come--I can just roll with the flow. And now I think it's NOT a terrible, horrible, no good, very day!

Whew!

Micah and I at the event

It's been a while since I last blogged, so here I am. I had a busy week, followed by a busier weekend, complicated by the fact that ragweed decided to do whatever it does in full force, therefore escalating my allergies.

Friday I took a personal day and went to see my dad model. That's right, model. He was one of the GENTLEMEN of DISTINCTION for the Hope fundraiser. It was so great. The cause is a wonderful one--Helping Oncology Patients Excel. My dad was the cutest one up there. The best moment was when he and the other model decided to dance at the end of the runway. My dad has a lot of talents, but dancing is not one of his bests. Well, he broke out some new moves Friday night and they were so great--almost M.C. Hammer worthy. (Not really, but the effort and energy were amazing!)

Micah and I came back to Conway on Saturday and watched football. I also did some routine chores around the house. I went out and celebrated Jamie's birthday. We had lots of fun. I had to bail out early due to allergy sickness, but we had a blast.

Sunday I cooked Sarah Lehren Greer's fabulous Chicken Dumpling recipe. Super Yummy! I sent the leftovers back with Micah since he loved them so much.

Tonight I made myself some chili. I wish it was a bit colder outside, but I was in the mood for chili. Bonnie was sneaky and licked my bowl a little when I was done, so now her mouth is stained a nice red color.

This weekend will be a busy one--my mom and I are going to have a sleepover this Saturday--and this week I'm working on some house projects. Hopefully, I can post some finished product pics later!

Cha-Cha Slide

Last Thursday, Radio Disney stopped by our school to host two assemblies. One was for our Elementary students and the other was for our Primary students. Some might have grumbled at the fact that the teachers had to attend the assembly and participate. I was not one of those grumblers. I was right in the middle of the kids, doing all the dances. Surprisingly or sadly, I knew all of them and even received a couple of compliments from the Radio Disney people themselves. They are promoting their new thing of "5 different activities for 5 minutes and all 5 food groups" during the day. It made exercise fun for these kids and not scary at all.

When the assembly began, I sat in the back so I could keep an eye on everyone, however, that soon changed whenever they would have us dance. I ran up to the front and got in the middle of the students and we all had a blast. We did the Cha-Cha Slide, the Chicken Dance, the Step, and then we jammed to "Camp Rock". It was so cool. (wink) Honestly, I did have a lot of fun!

At the Primary, we did the Cha-Cha Slide and Chicken Dance. Then, we did some of the best dances! There was a silly dance and the kids loved it. I cannot wait until I have kids and we will dance around all the time. Those of you who have younger kids (or no kids) probably don't listen to Radio Disney all the time, but it is really fun for children to listen to. It's music that they like and you don't have to worry about it being inappropriate or vulgar. It's a great thing!

One thing I do marvel at, is the fact that some students cannot remember that 2 + 2 = 4, but put on a Jonas Brothers song or Hannah Montana and step back! They will blow you over by singing ALL of the lyrics perfectly! Amazing!

Baking

More awesome homemade bread
Layered cake from scratch and homemade icing

Tonight, I baked a layered cake from scratch. I also made the icing from scratch. It looks delicious! I tasted some of the scraps and I can't wait for the whole thing. I made it in honor of REILLY. She won school secretary for our Student Council.

She and her family are involved with Karate and they are so dear to me. We are having a Congratulatory party for her tomorrow night.
I made some more bread and again, it is fabulous. My aunt gave me a wire rack and it totally rocks. I included pics, but they are not the best quality since I took them on my phone, but they will do.

I'm loving baking and being all homemaker-y. Not quite sure if that's a word, but I just used it. I'm going to make some mittens for the family that bought my scarf and hat at our Teacher Auction tonight. They paid a pretty penny for it and so I'm throwing in some hand-made mittens.
Totally awesome!

Tomorrow night I'm making a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for my friend Jamie. Her birthday is next Wednesday, so we are starting the festivities this weekend and will continue until the next weekend.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

OCTOBER / ROTHTOBER

I love Fall! I think it is the start to all things that are wonderful. It's leading up to the great holidays and then after all the holidays--my birthday, which we are dubbing "Jen-tacular" this year and each year after.

October is the time during the school year that the students have settled into the routine of school, football season has started, the weather changes, lots of birthdays are celebrated, and we begin to think about upcoming holidays.

My family is big on traditions and we are very close. October would not be October without an email from my Sissy wishing us a "Happy Rothtober" in honor of David Lee Roth. Then I get to prepare for the upcoming birthdays--my Sissy's, Jamie's, Victoria's. THEN, we get Halloween and the start of November with All Saints Day and the countdown to Thanksgiving begins.

I love that time of year because my family always gets together and it's so great. I cannot describe all the wonderful memories we have together.

October is also a bittersweet month because my Pop-Pop's birthday is in October. He was one of the coolest person I've ever known. He amazed me with the amount of knowledge that he possessed and he was the sweetest person ever. He loved the Three Stooges and Babe Ruth. I miss him every day.

This weekend we have our annual choir fundraiser "Spaghetti Serenade". If you are in the Little Rock area and want to have some good spaghetti and great entertainment, come by to the Cathedral of St. Andrew. It's on Saturday night, McDonald Hall, 5:30 p.m. You won't be disappointed. I'm doing a lovely little number from "Mamma Mia".

I'm free this weekend, so I will finish decorating for Autumn and post pics.

Weekend Fun

2 loaves of homemade bread
new handmade hat in Razorback red
Micah and Bill--who I think is hilarious!
Me using my new mixer

This weekend I went and met some of Micah's longtime friends. We had a great time hanging out. Unfortunately, it was not a great time watching the football game. We hung out at Bill and Crystal's house and had a lots of fun. I got to hear great stories of when they were in high school and younger grades.

Last night I sang at a Mass for the Ladies of Charity. It is a group that was started by St. Vincent de Paul. It was really great and I'm excited about joining. Yesterday was the initiation Mass for those who have already decided to join. I'm still thinking and praying about it, but I am pretty sure I will join.

I'm also finishing up and begining new knitting projects. Christmas is coming up in several months and I need to start now if I'm knitting things. Plus, there are several projects and gifts I need to finish now. This hat that I knitted is a fast and easy knit and looks like something you would get at Anthropologie or something. I love it.

Homemade Bread

Last night I was doing some chores around the house and getting ready for the weekend festivities. Micah and I are going to his friend Bill's house and we are going to watch the game with his family and some of Bill and Micah's friends. I made cupcakes in ice creams, circa 1988. That was THE dessert to have at your birthday party. I decided if I made the cupcakes now, then I could ice them on Saturday and they would be perfectly cooled. So, whilst I was making cupcakes (and totally using my new handheld mixer!), I decided I was going to try this bread recipe I found on the internet. Yes, I typed bread recipe. I made homemade bread from scratch. I did not use a bread maker. I mixed the yeast and let it get frothy and then added the flour and and set it to rise for about an hour. Then, I got to punch the dough and hear the air escape. That made me really happy because it meant that I did it right. I did a little happy dance in my kitchen. I know my Grandmom is super proud of me. Her mom, Granny Hall, would have declared that it was from her side of the family. I divided the dough into two bread pans and I made sure not to tear it when I divided it. I felt very talented. Then, I let the bread rise for another 30 minutes and then I watched it bake. I sat in the floor of my kitchen, with the oven light on, and watched this totally great bread rise and bake. When it was done, I cut a piece of the bread and it was delicious! I had some for breakfast this morning--covered with strawberry jam and butter. It's what we have for breakfast whenever my momma makes bread.

So, now I'm pretty pleased with my baking skills. They are improving daily by great leaps and bounds. Next thing you know, I'll start a garden. Wouldn't that be something!

How sweet it is!

I realize that I've been missing pictures from my blog the last couple of times that I have posted a new entry. I do have some pictures for this post. But first, I need to sing the praises of someone really special.

I came in from a day of hard work shaping our future to find a special treat on my dining room table. It is a NEW hand-held mixer. I had one that I had gotten from my very momma, but sadly, it is no longer with us. Never mind that the mixer was about 40 years old. Well, I relayed this sad tale to Micah one night over the phone several weeks ago. Maybe even a month ago. Today, I come back to my house to find this great gift sitting on the table. I cannot wait to bake something with it. I will definitely post photos of treats that I will be making soon. So, a huge thank you to my sweet MICAH for making my heart so happy. Please note the pink bow on top of the mixer box.

On another note, I am posting a bulletin board that my talented first-graders made. We read "There was Old Lady who swallowed a fly". The students created a new item for the lady to swallow. I think the end result is totally awesome and soooooooo precious! That old lady is pretty darn cute!

I'm also including some pictures of the baby shower we did for my friend Mandy. Her baby is supposed to arrive this Friday! I cannot wait to meet Baby Keaton. I'll post pictures of him whenever he arrives.

Finally, my allergies are calming down a bit, thanks to my allergy shots and Benadryl. Gotta love it!

Allergies

Today I was supposed to be watching some friends get their black belts in karate. I was all set and so excited about it. As I went to sleep last night, I had a sinus headache. I was thinking, "Take some medicine, you will be fine by morning." Oh no. That was not the case at all. When I woke up early this morning, I still had the headache and did not feel like riding in a car all day. I was also worried that the sinus headache would turn into a migraine like it did earlier this week. So, I texted people and told them I wasn't coming and went back to bed. I woke up around 11 a.m. and watched the Hogs put up a fight against Alabama. I'll be honest--I didn't really expect for us to win. I was happy that they made two touchdowns. That was good enough for me. So, I could have gotten up then and proceeded to be useful today.

I did not.

I stayed in bed and watched old Hallmark movies, "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and "Skylark". It's now almost 5 p.m. and I have decided to get up and do some chores around the house. Thankfully the headache has gone away. I am in the mood to clean and organize. I don't really get Spring Cleaning fever, but instead, mine hits in the fall. It's been an uneventful Saturday, but hopefully, I can make it worthwhile tonight.

I've missed my calling!

I've totally missed my calling as a party planner. I'm planning a baby shower for one of my friends and it's going to be totally awesome. It's a jungle/safari theme and everyone at school is invited. It's my friend's fourth baby, but we are still having a shower. It's an "Everything But" party. She needs everything but clothes! They've scheduled her to be induced next Friday (September 26th), so I can't wait to meet Baby Keaton!

Also, I've read a new book that I think is completely awesome. I read it in one night. Those of you who know me, know I read at a sickening fast pace. It was the one thing about me that my mother was always shocked at. I was notorious for getting a book at the bookstore and halfway home proclaim, " That was the best book ever!". Drove my mom nuts. However, she is happy that she instilled a love of reading in me. =) I read Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand. It is a wonderful book, somewhat intense. I'm going to read her other books. They are all set on Nantucket. Now I want to go there. I'm also reading An American Shaolin and Knit Together. I know, I'm a dork. I read knitting books.

I'll post pictures of the shower later this week. Also, I'm going to post a bulletin board that my first graders did. It's hysterical.

Update

I just heard about my Uncle and they made it through Hurricane Ike all right. They haven't stepped outside yet, but they haven't had any flooding in their house or stuff like that. Thank goodness for prayers.

Blogging, Football, and Lumping

This weekend I am doing something that my father despises. I am lumping. I am doing nothing, but being a lump on a couch. I like to feel that this lumping is slightly productive because, as you can see, I have redone my blog background. I've been working on lesson plans and watching the progress of Hurricane Ike and subsequent weather issues from the storm. My father is not a fan of lumping unless he is really, really tired. I admit that I am a lot like my father in that I do not believe you have done a good day's work unless you have worked at least 20 hours in the 24 hour day. However, when a weekend of lumping is possible--I'm all for it.

I'm down in El Dorado. While some people might feel neglected or slighted by the fact that I am glued to my computer and thus occuppied, Micah does not. We have been watching various football games from Friday night and all day today. Some girls might feel neglected by the fact that their boyfriend is intently watching several games at once. However, I am not one of those girls. Nor is Micah one of those people who are upset with the fact that I'm sitting on the couch with my computer. I do LOVE college football and there have been some great games today. We are currently watching Georgia/South Carolina and Michigan/Notre Dame. We watched Maryland beat California. Last night, we watched South Florida beat Kansas in a great game. I was worried for that Freshman kicker. If he missed that field goal, his name was going to be mud. Lucky for him, he did not and now he is the man!

Weather watching has been going all right. Micah will switch over to the local weather channels for me during timeouts and commercial breaks. Those of you who know my momma, know that we watch the weather during any possibility of inclement weather. Jim Cantore and the Weather Channel have a direct line to our house to confirm weather outbreaks with my mom. Luckily, I think we are doing okay. I'm waiting to hear how my Uncle Brother, Aunt Vicki, and sweet, sweet Callie Marie faired during Hurricane Ike. They were gathering supplies and hunkering down. They live in Houston and during Hurricane Rita, they tried to evacuate, but traffic was a big problem. This time, they stayed home and were prepared for anything. We haven't seen any horrible weather yet in Arkansas, aside from some thunderstorms and high winds. Hopefully, the weather will not be too bad.

My sweet Bonnie Blue is also enjoying this weekend of lumping. She loves nothing more than laying in my lap or beside me, sleeping or chewing on a bone. Tomorrow, Bonnie Blue gets to spend the day with her Sissy, my aunt, while I have to sing at church. We will all meet for lunch and hang out in the afternoon, but while I'm singing at noon Mass and 5:30 Mass, Bon-Bon gets to play with Sissy. They have lots of fun--they play chase and Sissy spoils her completely.

This is probably the longest post I've ever posted. So, I think this means my lumping is highly productive and much needed today.

FYI-Name change

I have been teaching Music to the 4 year old class at our school for the last two years. Yesterday, one of the preschoolers (Peyton with a P) kept calling me Ms. Joy, Ms. Joy! Soon, all the other kids were calling me that. So, now my name is not Ms. Hui, it's Ms. Joy--apparently.

Also, Peyton kept telling me she was Peyton with a "p" because there are two girls named Sydney--one spells it Cydney and the other is Sydney. So, I always specify Sydney with an "S" or Cydney with "C" and Peyton would always answer, "I'm Peyton with a "P". Kids are too funny!

1-0

Mary Margaret and me
My mom!
Sissy and me
View from our seats
Happy faces at the end of the game!
Alex and I tailgating

Last night was the start of Razorback football season and it was so great to be back in the routine. Our weekend began with an early morning drive Saturday to Fayetteville. We arrived around 11:00 and made a quick stop to Wal-Mart for a small radio. (You have to keep up with the game while you are a watching it) Then, we went to my good friend Jessica's house. Jess and Mark were having a pre-game party. It was wonderful to see everyone again. At the pre-game party last year, Jess and Mark announced that they were expecting and this pre-game party we got to play with Charlie-man. The best time was when I would bring Charlie close to my sister Alex and she would say "Peek-a-boo" and Charlie would giggle. It was so precious!

We arrived at the game and tailgated a bit before going into the stadium. My parents have season tickets and we all got to go. Micah really enjoyed our seats. We were on the 2nd row of the Indoor club. The game was a nail-biter, but in the end, we pulled out a win. We had a big breakfast this morning-waffles, biscuits, eggs, bacon, and sausage. It was yummy. I'm pretty tired now, but it was a great weekend.

One week down.

I have been in school a full week. It has been so wonderful to be back around the kids. A lot has happened since I last posted.

My youngest sister is now in college at Tulsa University. I just finished talking with her and she really enjoys it there. I tested and passed my 2nd blue belt test. The picture above is Grandmaster Han and myself. I also started back to school and have already had two parent orientations!

This weekend I have Karate Instructors course and next weekend I will be at the Razorback game. Most everyone will be in town for the game, so that is going to be a lot of fun.

Martial Arts

For those of you who don't know, I've been involved with martial arts for almost a year. I train with Grandmaster Han Martial Arts. I love it! It's been something I've always wanted to do and I have been so happy since I started it. My belt level is First Blue and I am taking the instructors course right now. I'm really sore after our first weekend of 8 hours of training, but I love it. I can't say that enough. The first picture is with my mouth guard, right before I sparred. The next is with a pretty smile!

I train 3-4 times a week and soon I will have some classes on my own. It's going to be so awesome. If you have ever had an interest in Martial arts, then you need to try our organization. It will be one of the best decisions of your life!

The joys of plumbing problems

When I got up this morning I didn't realize all the excitement that would be had today. I got up at 6:50 a.m. to be ready for the cable guy. I did get a DVR box (FINALLY), but the real excitement came when the shower in the guest bathroom would not turn off. Micah tried to fix it and I just wanted the water turned off so it would stop running. Micah told me I would need to get a plumber in to fix it and it was just too much to deal with. I started to cry because I just didn't plan for this kind of stress to occur today. Of course, no one would really want to plan for anything like this. So, I calmed down and called the lovely folks at Roto Rooter and they sent out Greg to fix it. I was also having some issues with the toilets, so I figured I might as well get it all fixed right now. Well, 3 hours later and several dollars lighter--all is well at Jennifer's house again. Many thanks to Micah, Greg, and Mom and Dad. Everything works like it's supposed to--showers turn off, toilets do not run constantly. I'm going to hang out and watch things I've recorded on my DVR. It's going to be a calm, stress-free evening.

Let's Go Red Sox

I just got back from experiencing my 2nd MLB game. The first one is filled with great memories of hot dogs and that's about all. I was a lot younger. This one was a birthday present for Micah, since he is a big Red Sox fan. We watched the final game in their series with the Royals. All the baseball lingo and traditions are very new to me. Those who know me well know that I am not the sporty type. I do have my moments, but baseball is definitely not it. However, I really enjoyed the game last night. It was nice and cool up in Kansas City. We had great seats out off the 3rd baseline, in the outfield. We sat near some nice people from Indiana and of course, ate some great concession stand food. My favorite was the cotton candy.

The Red Sox won the game 8-2 and we even got to see a home run! That was hit by Jacoby Ellsbury. The funniest moment occurred after the game when a little girl, who was 9, asked me who my favorite player was. I looked at Micah and then honestly said, "I can't really pick a favorite. I like them all." I didn't really let her know that the reason they are all my favorite is because I don't really know the players that well. That is going to change since watching them and really enjoying the game. I know somewhere that there are Red Sox fans rejoicing. They now have another fan!

One week to go!

This time next week I will (hopefully) be asleep anxiously awaiting the day I return back to work. I always enjoy summer, but I do crave the routine of my school days.

This summer has been one of my favorites. I've spent lots of time with family and friends. I have been all over the state of Arkansas-up to NWA to visit family and down south to El Dorado to visit my sweet boyfriend, Micah. I've been to the beach, saw Taylor Swift in concert, had a great time on the river at Fourth of July, and so much more. I got to spend quality time with all my sisters. My youngest sister will be going to college this fall and I will miss her terribly, as I do all my sisters.

Micah and I are headed up to watch the Red Sox (his favorite team) play the Kansas City Royals for his birthday on Wednesday. I'm excited because I actually know some more about baseball and I think I will be able to follow along. Sad, I know. His actual birthday was July 28th, but the Red Sox weren't playing anywhere close by then.

So, as we get older, the summers fly by faster and faster. Yet, somehow they are just as wonderful.

Where has the summer gone?

It's officially less than a month until I go back to school. When I reach that point I'm mixed parts of feeling so happy and so sad. It's hard when you realize that summer is almost gone. Right now we are getting to the dog days of summer where it is 100+ degrees outside. I love sunshine, but I detest heat and humidity. I would much rather have the beautiful days of winter where it is sunny and blue skies, but chilly. I love that contrast. So, it is with a heavy heart that I realize I'm on the downward spiral back to a regular routine, but it's all good. I'm super excited about seeing all the regulars again. After all, it's a brand new school year!

Jumping on the Bandwagon!

I am totally joining everyone in the world and starting a blog. I love, love, love reading about other people's lives and so now I'm letting people read about mine. It's also a wonderful way to stay in touch with friends and family who live far away. I will try to update as often as I can. Hope you enjoy!