at long last...

This past spring break (yep, end of March), I decided to paint and refinish our "dining room" table. A good week-long project, I thought. Hah! I just finished this week! It's October. I definitely could have finished it before now, but with a nanny job this summer and my full-time job starting at the beginning of August, I didn't have many full days to work on it. Plus, using oil paint in 100+ degree heat didn't speed up the process. Here's what the table looked like before:

 

The table was a hand-me-down from my sister, and it had a hard, light maple finish. Here are the steps I had to take to get it to what it is now:

1) Sand it all down

2) Prime everything

3) Paint two coats of white oil paint (I called Uncle Phil a lot during this process!)

4) Strip and sand the table top with an electric sander

5) Stain the table top

6) Paint two coats of polyurethane on the table top

7) Sand it all again 

8) Paint on a gel stain and rub it all off (my mom helped with this)

I know you probably could care less about all of the steps, but I'm just trying to justify why it took me so darn long! Here's the final product:

 

I think that Peyton's favorite part about it being done is the fact that he can park his car in the garage again. He has been patient!

Sometimes I just want to...

...hit my students upside the head.

Ok, ok I really do love my students. Most days. The link below is to a 20-second video that perfectly encapsulates what I would like to do to a few of my students on those rougher days. On Wednesdays I have a block (90-minute) study hall with 26 sophomore and junior students, 21 of which are male. I REALLY wish I had had this video yesterday to a) threaten them, and b) comfort myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZRXf5fYk6c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I hope it makes you laugh!

The Start of a New Season

In many ways Labor Day is the symbolic end of summer and the symbolic start of fall. In Arkansas, the switch of seasons come Labor Day is truly only symbolic, though, with continued 90+-degree weather! I curbed the desire to pull out my boots and scarves by switching out some of my house decorations instead...pumpkins and acorns and fall-scented candles help me to live in denial of the scorching heat outside.

This weekend Peyton and I ventured to Fayetteville to help ring in the start of another, different kind of new season: Razorback Football!!! Peyton's parents have season tickets to the home games, and since Fayetteville is only about 2 and 1/2 hours from Little Rock, we'll be going to almost all of them! This year it's a double dose of fun since we also get to see my nephew Taylor when we go to the games. Still can't believe he's in college! The Razorback's opening game against Jacksonville State was a bit disappointing because we played a sloppy game, but we still won 49-24 in the end, which wasn't too bad. (Most people were predicting it to be more of a blowout). I think this is going to be a good season for the hogs, and I'm already excited about playing Alabama at home in two weeks!!! Biggest game of the season.

I didn't take any pictures at the game itself because we were all dripping with sweat, and I didn't want to document the grossness. Below is a picture of the boys in Taylor's dorm room, underneath a "Razorback Country" sign that Peyton passed down to him. Taylor is actually living in the same dorm that Peyton lived in, so the trip this weekend was quite nostalgic. (P.s. Does anyone remember this sign being in my dorm room in MacEvans??? Weird.)

Woo Pig Sooie!!!!!!!

Virginia

On our way home from Virginia Peyton and I discussed our favorite moments from the family trip (we had plenty of time...16 hour drive). Peyton said that his faves were golfing with the guys in Lexington, touring Jefferson's home at Monticello, and getting to see the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta at the Archives in D.C. I loved getting to see the Holocaust museum, going on a carriage ride through Lexington, and, of course, discovering new restaurants and spending time around the dinner table with all 14 of us together. Top moment, though: getting to walk through the Vietnam Memorial in D.C. with my Dad, who spent a year in Vietnam during the war. And last, how could I leave out Linden? All of us spent lots of time holding our new little 7-week-old niece! Here are some highlights:

 Can you believe that this is Nate and Christi's view from their backyard?!? So jealous. It's beautiful.

 Hannah loved holding her only girl cousin

 Here the guys are having a friendly competition blasting fallen apples from the multiple trees in their backyard!

 

Virginia has this really random drive-through safari park, where you can feed animals (camels, llamas, buffalo, emus, etc.) from your car. The animals are super aggressive.  Look how far this llama is in the car! That's Peyton holding the bucket.

 The Tomlinson's car getting attacked...  I was dying laughing. I mean, how bizarre?

 Andrew holding a little parakeet!

 Mom and Dad at Monticello

 The gardens at Monticello are unreal.

 We ventured in to the National Zoo in D.C., but regretted it a little due to the ridiculous crowds. We were all tired and annoyed, but Nathan perked us up a bit with his weirdness. 

 So fun to stumble upon a little French patisserie!

 The Lincoln Memorial was really powerful.

 Andrew ready to hit the pool!

 We even got to do a couple of wine tastings at some vineyards near our B&B. 

Thanks, Lord, for family.

It's almost here...

I have always found it incredibly difficult to enjoy the last week of summer before teacher in-service starts. I would like to be able to sit back, relax, and soak up my last few days of lazy mornings and schedule-free days, but I just can't! I inevitably pull out my binders of lesson plans to preview things, think about what I want to change, start moving boxes into my classroom, and begin getting a little frazzled thinking about all there is to do come August 14th (our first day of school). In fact, I've already created a new blog for my students as I try to meet all of the school's new tech standards. (If you're curious: madamelkg.blogspot.com). This year, there's one more thing to think about: coaching varsity cheer. Oh, and the fact that I'll have three lesson preps instead of two to do EVERY day. Why do I do the things that I do?!?!

Thankfully, I know that God will sustain and give energy and calm a stressed heart.

In other news, we just got back from a 10-day trip to Lexington, VA and Washington D.C. with my entire family. I'm in the midst of doing laundry and catching up! The trip was a blast, as we got to see my brother Nathan and Christi's new house and town and D.C. for the first time (for me). Peyton and I are posing below with Thomas Jefferson outside his house at Monticello. More pictures soon!

Our First Year

It's hard to believe it's already been one whole year since Peyton and I exchanged vows at our wedding...and what a year it's been! Do you remember this hanging "G" outside the church on our wedding day? I found it in my parent's garage this weekend, and now it's hanging outside the door of our house. Appropriate, I thought, for our anniversary!

It's difficult to sum up a whole year in a few words, so I'm going to do photos instead. One word that comes to mind as I look back through these pictures and think back over our first year of marriage: blessed. We've had our challenges, but in the big scheme of things I am humbled at how God so carefully brought us together and how he's so faithfully sustained us. Here are a few moments--both big and small--of our first year of marriage...

The view from our hotel in St. Thomas on our Honeymoon

A ferry ride from St. Thomas over to the island of St. John 

Our first dinner at home after coming back from our honeymoon

Our first road trip as a married couple...up to Wheaton! (And, maybe more importantly, Peyton's first sandwich at Shane's Deli)

Our first trip down to Garven Gardens for the light show during Nate and Christi's Thanksgiving time in Little Rock

 

Our first Christmas tree

Our winter weekends consisted mostly of traveling to Taylor's basketball games. Truly, this picture sums up our life from November til February quite perfectly! We'll both miss having games to look forward to and hoarse Saturday mornings.

 Here is the Little Rock part of the family at Little Rock Christian's graduation this May.

This weekend we are headed to the Capitol Hotel to celebrate, but tonight we are settling in with a bottle of Hogue white wine--the same wine Jordan bought us to kick off our honeymoon. Here's to our first year of marriage! The sweetest part of time and love: I love Peyton more today than I did when I walked down the aisle one year ago.

San Diego

Together at last! Seeing old Wheaton friends was such a happy start to my summer...the fact that we met up in San Diego was the icing on the cake! Truly, getting to be with Lauren and Michele was a blessing, and I think that every time we are together is a reminder that we need to continue to make an effort to be with each other, even as we move on to new stages and places. Our time in California consisted of lazy afternoons at the pool, a quick trip to the beach, good meals, and mostly just catching up. Reunions are always bittersweet, though, as we rekindle bonds and then pack up to leave. I already miss you two! And Ily. And the Mosers. And Dan. Here are a few snapshots from our time together:

The view of the ocean on our misty morning hike

How can you not just kiss her?

Mama and baby at the beach

Just look at those blues!!

I remember being silly with Lauren in our Smith dorm rooms Freshman year and Stupe runs with Michele on Friday nights...it's hard to believe that now, more than six years later, we are flying across the country to see each other and watching the second generation grow up. Where has the time gone?