Happy Halloween!

So today we celebrated our first holiday in our new house that involved putting up decorations. We enjoyed about 60-70 trick-or-treaters of all ages and luckily did not end up with too much halloween candy for me to overindulge myself. We met a few neighbors and they were delighted to learn that we are expecting a baby. One of the boys who used to live in our house came back to the neighborhood to trick-or-treat with his friends and when we opened the door he and his friend said, "Whoa!! Your house looks so different!" I happily consider this a compliment, although I was a bit surprised that they had this reaction just from the entryway. Then, I realized that yes, it really was noticeably different: gone are the powder blue walls and the bright teal carpet that used to line the entryway and stairs. Plus, I think our decorations were pretty cute, if I do so say so myself (pregnant belly included).

Hellos and Goodbyes

Happily and sadly, with many smiles and tears, we said "Auf Weidersein" to Jenny and Greg this month as they begin their adventure living in Munich Germany for the next few years. I'm excited that they will have this experience (and we will get to visit them soon!) but sad that they will be so far away and not able to visit when our baby girl is born. We celebrated together at Dawn and Chris's with one last dinner to wish them well and had fun telling stories and taking goofy pictures. We will "see them again soon" via skype, so this is not truly goodbye!

The girls rub my belly for luck.

The boys imagine life without each other.

On the "hello" side...We have been welcoming my parents more often to our new house in Adamstown. They keep reminding us that it is SO FAR away (a little under an hour) but I think they will soon come around to the fact that we made a great decision to move to Frederick County and we would never have found our dream home (or afforded it) in Montgomery County. They seem to be very impressed with what we have done with the house so far (and I promise to post before and after photos soon), but I think they are most proud of becoming grandparents...and I can't blame them!

It's a Girl!

So I suppose it's time to break our online silence. We are expecting our first baby in January 2011 and yesterday we had our big ultrasound! Baby Tippets was very hyper, but they seemed pretty confident that the baby is a girl. We will know for sure in a month because I have to go back for the images that she wouldn’t pose for.

I guess it's my fault...I made the mistake of having a chocolate croissant for breakfast, so apparently the baby responds to chocolate the same way I do! I've never had anything very sweet in the morning before. The technician also said that she only got one picture of the defining area because the baby only opened her legs once. She made a joke that Dad will be happy to have a modest little girl. However, that is not enough to stop Jon from wanting a shotgun. Watch out boys! =)

Eating our way through Frederick

As Jon and I are settling in to our new home, we have done a pretty good job of having date nights and going out to explore our new neighborhood establishments. So I thought, as we eat our way through Frederick, it might be a good idea to record where we have gone and our favorite dishes. By far, my favorite places are in historic downtown Frederick.

Firestone's: Delicious burgers on a challah bun. I really liked the upstairs dining area with a window view overlooking the street.
Brewer's Alley: Great french onion soup and amazing apple pie. We enjoyed the outside dining area on a beautiful, cool September evening.
Frederick Fudge and Ice Cream: Every flavor of soft-serve imaginable... so good!
Mangia e Bevi (in Urbana): Great pasta entrees, delicious bread, and steamed veggies.

And we have also visited the chains...
Pizza Blitz: Great greek salad and calzones and discounted movie tickets!
Mimi's Cafe: Good chicken pot pie, bread, and desserts
TGI Friday's: Love the 3-course menu
Uno's: Nothing special
Chipotle: Can't beat the burritos and bowls!

Can't wait to visit more!

3 Days Down... 181 more to Go!

The first week of school is halfway over and I'm exhausted! I have some great classes, but I suspect it will be one of the most challenging years because of the students' diverse ability levels, yet all of them are in "Advanced" English. I have a 1st period and 7th period this year, and it is astounding how quiet (and sleepy) they are in the morning and how chatty 7th period is in the afternoon. I know it makes sense and isn't all that surprising, but it still feels like a big hurdle. More than anything, I miss sleeping. It was so nice not having to set an alarm for most of the summer and waking up at 5:30am is a big adjustment, to say the least.

This week does have it's positives, though... even though it feels like the longest week ever! For example, I got to continue the tradition of seeing some of my favorite students after the first day of school. They helped me to set up my room last week and we got ice cream together. I can't believe they are now Seniors in HS. On Tuesday, Jenny came to my school to see my 6th and 7th period classes. It was so awesome to be able to share another teaching experience with her. And for the last three days, I've really enjoyed having lunch and spending more time with my colleagues. They are an amazing group of people, and I am resolving to not work through lunch this year. I deserve a break!

Nonetheless... I am reminded of this comic every morning when my alarm goes off...
Thank goodness we have a three day weekend to look forward to...

The Eve Before Teacher Week...

It is Sunday before work begins and this about sums it up...















The countdown begins!

Holy Moly! August is almost over?

Every year, August flies by. It's not the shortest month of the year, but summer has a sneaky way of making it feel like it is. Before I know it, back to school commercials are tormenting me and school nightmares begin. Of course, I wouldn't be a teacher if most of me didn't love it. But I especially love July and August too. I suppose it's so hard to go back because I do not look forward to grading 150 of every assignment, eating breakfast before the sun comes up, or having to hold my pee indefinitely.

This is also the first summer that I have not had a vacation. My days have consisted of graduate work, trainings, unpacking boxes, napping, watching TV, shopping, and not as much reading as I had hoped. Thrilling I know. My "to do" list is still quite long, and it is only about to get longer. One would think that there can't be THAT much to do as I'm heading into my 8th year of teaching...and one would be wrong. I have a 3 page list to prove it.

It would probably be easier to go back to work if I didn't feel so unappreciated after last year. And there were so many times I felt that "the system" was making teaching harder than it needs to be. But ... I do like my job. Most of the time. I love it when I'm in the middle of a lesson and everything just seems to come together. I love seeing students "get it" and actually be excited about an assignment. I love using technology and planning new units to get kids interested in learning. Oh, and school supplies, I'm a total nerd about new school supplies and bulletin boards. I love decorating my classroom, even though it is time-consuming and tiring.

But, I have decided that July is my favorite month of the year, even though this year it was unbearably hot and humid. In fact, it is simply my favorite month because of this metaphor: July is a really long weekend. The entire month is like a Saturday morning where you wake up and feel like you have plenty of time to relax or get done what you need to. So, July is an whole month where teachers feel like the summer might possibly never end.

But August has become my least favorite month. It is like a Sunday evening where you feel bummed that the next day you have to go back to work and go back to the daily grind. I imagine that for all teachers, August is like one big long Sunday...and I wish there were some way to change that.

Summer shopping spree!

Since I'm being taunted by back to school commercials, I figure that I can make the most of it by sharing some great coupon codes with you! Every day my email inbox is flooded with advertisements and I have to fight the urge to go on another online shopping spree.

In fact, online shopping has become my newest hobby and I wish it could be the only way to shop. I would really love it if I never had to set foot in another store or wait in another line again! Anyway... all of these coupons expire in August or September, so act fast if you're interested!

Online Coupon Codes:
Ann Taylor Loft - 30% off dresses - DRESS30
Spiegel loves Teachers 15% off - TEACH
Chico's 20% Off 4036
Soma Intimates 20% off everything - 2031
Linens-N-Things 99 cent shipping and $10 off $50 purchase - AUGWHITE2010
Snapfish 50% off photobooks - GRANDBOOK
Target - $5 any $50 purchase must follow link at http://www.retailmenot.com/view/target.com and discount appears at checkout

Big Sales:
Target Save 20% and get free shipping on $75 clothing purchase
Allposters.com and Art.com Free shipping, 75% off, and $4.98 poster sale
Macys.com Save $10-$50 depending on $ of purchase
Ellenshop.com - Free shipping and Save 50% on Ellen DeGeneres merch
Bed Bath and Beyond - Huge clearance sale!

Sell your stuff:
Ebay.com - Free listing / insertion fees until Sept 7

Fireworks in Frederick

Happy 4th of July! This year, I bought my first fireworks. Since they are legal in Frederick County, I was able to buy them at Target. I was pretty psyched until I got to the checkout line and got carded. Seriously? I don't look old enough to buy fireworks?

Since we have not unpacked as much as we hoped, we did not have a big party. However, we had a great time with Jenny, Greg, Dawn and Chris the entire day. We enjoyed the afternoon on the screened-in porch, and topped off the evening by setting off fireworks in the backyard, along with many other neighbors. It really was an awesome night, and as I looked around and could see 3 firework displays (plus ours) I like to think of it as a "Welcome to the neighborhood" celebration. Now, Jon's vowing to buy bigger fireworks next year to compete with the neighbors. =) I guess we will have to have a big party at our house next year!

Goodbye Olney...Hello Adamstown!

This is it! Our last day as residents of Olney. Even though it means sleeping on a mattress in the dining room...Adamstown, here we come!

Closing Day!

Today's it is official! We are now the owners of an amazing first home. In fact, it may be the only home that we ever own, if all goes well. We really think it has the potential to become everything that we want it to be. There are many improvements that need to be done, but we're excited.

Many boxes are packed, but many more still to go, and we will begin moving soon. Thankfully, we have a nice window of time to clean, paint, and replace the carpet in the new house before we bring things in. Our last day in Olney is officially June 30, so we don't have to rush. But, I will be sad to return our keys to our landlord; I lived here with Lisa, Jon proposed here, and we spent our first two years of marriage here. I will definitely miss the Olney area and the condo that has been my home for the last 3 years, but at least I can happily say that we are movin' on up!

I am very grateful that my mom is able to help me clean and pack, and Matt is willing to help Jon move everything. We are so lucky!

I will post pictures of our house progress as soon as I unpack the camera cord!

College friends take Chincoteague

We had our second amazing girls' weekend at Chincoteague, thanks to Erin and her mom! We enjoyed a crab feast, games, and a long beach walk. I can't wait to do this again!

Two Years!

Wow, it's been two amazing years and I feel like the honeymoon is still going! If only we could be back in Mexico, like this photo!

We had a great weekend of dates instead. On Saturday, we had a yummy dinner at Cheesecake Factory (and actually managed to save room for cheesecake) and went to the movies to see "Date Night." Loved it! On Sunday we had brunch at the Inn at Brookeville Farms and had a great dinner at home. On Monday, our actual anniversary, we celebrated by going to downtown Baltimore and enjoying a romantic dinner at Fleming's Steakhouse. We would definitely recommend it!

Happy Anniversary, honey! Every year gets better and better!

Thirty is Purty!

So... I'm 30, and I am surrounded by great friends, an amazing family, and a wonderful husband. I had a great early celebration at Ruth's Chris steakhouse on April 24 with Sarvin, Sam, Jenny, Greg, Chris, Dawn, and Jon. We had a nice family celebration at the Olney Grille with my parents, Lisa, and Jon's parents. Nothing wild or crazy, just being surrounded by the people I love, and that made it an amazing birthday.

But THIRTY... 3-0... XXX... it's an age that everyone makes a BIG deal about, but to tell you the truth, I don't feel any different. In fact, I feel awesome. I suppose it also helps that I don't feel old because nobody is telling me that I look "that old."

Still...what is 30 supposed to look like? Is it supposed to seem like everything is downhill from here? Do people get depressed because they feel like they should be farther in life? Well, then maybe that's why I feel so great because I'm happy with what I have accomplished, and I can only imagine life getting better and better. It's an uphill journey from here and I'm excited to see what will happen in the next 30 years.

Plus... how many people can say that they got a house for their 30th birthday present? =)

How to buy a house in 4 days!

4 Days. That's right. 4 miraculous days of house shopping and by day 4, we made an offer in the afternoon, had it accepted a few hours later, and signed a contract that evening that will control the next 30 years of our bank account. It's pretty surreal, really.

I suppose, in all honesty, we had been "online" window shopping for quite some time so that we would know what we were looking for. I think I had downloaded every real estate iPhone app (or at least the free ones) but my go-to favorite was Redfin because I would receive email updates on my favorite houses. So when we were ready, I called up Diane Faulkner of Weichert Realtors who was highly recommended by many of my co-workers to show us around Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Frederick. Day One, April 14, we explored Montgomery County and saw a few horrific foreclosures. Day Two, we explored Frederick County, and saw our "dream house" in Adamstown for the first time. Day Three, saw another house and got our financials in order because we learned an offer had been placed on the Adamstown property. Day Four, April 17, we returned to Frederick to see a few more houses, including said "dream house" for a second time, and the rest is history... We are going to be homeowners!









4 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen that flows into the family room, partially finished basement, screened in porch (possibly my favorite feature), deck, and a beautiful neighborhood. Welcome to rural farmland, corn fields and the mountains!

View from the back porch.

Happy Spring (Allergies)!

So this year I'm welcoming spring with the most wicked stint of allergies. For a week now, I have been fueling my new daily addiction to medicine with a combination of Vicks Vapo Rub, Benadryl, and Ibruprofen. Yeah, I know that's hot.

I've also had to live vicariously through my friends to witness the D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival in photos. I wish I had taken these, but here are my favorites by Jen. Thanks to these lovely trees and the gorgeous Bradford pears in my neighborhood, the pollen count has kept me indoors. Ahhh... to be out enjoying the sunshine! Maybe next week...

Easter Hunny

It is Spring Break 2010, and the longest one I can remember! This is the first year in recent memory when students do not go back to school until Wednesday. So that means from March 27-April 6, I must have a fabulous vacation planned, right? Well, I didn't go anywhere exotic, but I had a fantastic break!

I got to hang out with many girlfriends, enjoy a relaxing Facial, and visit Philadelphia to see Sarvin, Sam and Ary. I hung out with Jon and caught up on many movies and TV shows. We celebrated Easter at the Tippets house with our families over a scrumptious feast. I even got to see my sister three times in a week (a new record!) and we enjoyed sushi twice while catching up on Grad work.

Earlier in the week we had a massive indoor Easter Egg hunt (almost 300 eggs!) at the Tippets house with nieces and nephews from WVA and VA. It was a busy, fun-filled break, and while many people enjoyed beaches or cruises, I wouldn't trade the time I spent with friends and family for anything else!

Lucky Day Brings Twins!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, and Happy Birthday Rory and Thad! Tonight Alisa and Peter doubled their offspring by bringing twins into the world.
Pictured on the right, beautiful Aurora (Rory) weighed 6 lbs 2 oz and beat her brother out by almost an hour. Handsome Thaddeus (Thad) weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and is 1/2 an inch longer. Both are perfect and enjoy sleeping, eating, and keeping their parents and older sisters busy! Lucky us, Jon and I are now an aunt and uncle to 12 nieces and 3 nephews!

Random Thoughts of the Day

Occasionally on the drive home from work I turn off the music and think about the day and what tomorrow will bring. Today I found my thoughts wandering to random places. Then I thought, hey! I have a blog for this sort of thing. Maybe someone will find my thoughts mildly entertaining. So here you go...

Why are they called Swedish Fish if the bag says they are made in Canada?

Is it called a diet because you die trying?

Why do I only forget what I needed once I reach my destination?

Why do we hate technology when it stops working, but when people do the same thing, we call it retirement?

Do the slow drivers know that they are holding up traffic and actually making the roads more dangerous?

If they want people to travel at the speed limit, then why don't they make the number more reasonable?

If I have been eating healthier recently, why haven't I lost any weight? (Ignore the fact that I just admitted to eating Swedish Fish)

If I had been born somewhere else, would I have ended up in the same place and be a teacher?

Two Grad Classes Down... Eight to Go!

Despite anything negative I may have said about all the snow this winter, there have been many positive things to come of it like:

- Spending more time with Jon.

- Catching up on movies and TV shows.

- Capturing beautiful photos of the landscape.

- Getting to sleep in and stay in my pajamas if I want.

- Getting paid to not go to work, and then having the state "forgive" the days we went over our quota.

- Finishing my second graduate class! I'm still shocked that in a few days of being home, I wrote 12 papers to finish my online course. In eight more classes I will be a "master" teacher (because apparently reading and writing papers instead of grading and lesson planning will make me a better educator)

So, thank you snow! You helped me to relax for a bit and be productive!

Snowiest Winter Ever!

Now, I love snow, but it has got to stop!
Here are just some of the storms to hit Olney, MD this year...

Dec 18+19 dropped 23.5 inches which resulted in schools being closed for the three days before Christmas. This made it the longest and best winter break ever! Not to mention, a beautiful White Christmas. The beautiful scene didn't last long though because rain came and washed it away shortly after. Little did we know what 2010 would bring...
On Jan 30, 6 inches accumulated and Dawn and I bravely went out during the snowfall to visit Jenny for lunch! The venture turned into quite an adventure! With 95 closed for accidents, the drive from Columbia to Baltimore took over an hour on the BW Parkway, but we had a great time walking through the snowy streets. It then took me over an hour to drive home from Columbia to Olney.

February 2, the first of many more February snow storms arrived. 4 inches fell, causing MCPS to close for its 4th snow day on Feb 3. February 5, schools closed early to get ready for the big one.

The biggest storm took place from Feb 5-6. Over 28 inches fell in Olney, causing us to lose power. We drove over to Jon's parents for heat and entertainment because they, in their infinite wisdom, decided to go on a winter cruise and missed all of this mess! The photos below show the roads during the storm, virtually untouched with no plows in sight as we made our way to the house to check on the home and enjoy electricity.

When we first arrived, it was a trek just to make it to the Tippets house. The snow was still coming down and we had to park the car at the neighbor's house and dig our way down the street and up the driveway. Luckily I had a strong man with me and only one shovel. All I could do was take photos as my contribution! =) Here's what it looked like when we first arrived.



















February 6, the snow has stopped and the sun is out. There are blue skies ahead (or so we thought). The untouched snow and window patterns are gorgeous! I could have stared out the window for hours...





























However, the power is back on at home and there's a Superbowl to watch! We drive back to Olney and enjoy the roads all to ourselves.

A few days later from Feb 9-10 another 10.5 inches blanketed us. Even though it was less snow, the storm created blizzard conditions due to the high winds and white outs. Luckily, this time we didn't lose power, but we are losing room to put all this snow! The back to back blizzards shut down school all week, causing us to go 5 days over our "winter snow fund."

Yes, that would be a 7 foot tall snow pile in the "fire lane."

It is now President's Day February 15, and it is snowing again. The ice dams have caused water to leak through the siding and into the carpet and bathroom ceiling. The longest icicles have met their doom, but just check out these killer icicles that haven't fallen yet!

Be My Valentine

I can hardly believe that 12 years ago, Jon and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day together. This year, the day started out beautifully with three dozen roses and Jon's amazing homemade waffles in the shape of a heart.
















I surprised Jon with some red Maryland gear, and we will be going to the Maryland Basketball game on Feb 24th.

3 years ago, Jon proposed and so this day is no longer really V-Day for us... it's "Happy Engagement Day." The funny thing is, Jon wanted to propose on Feb 13 under the guise of giving me my Valentine's Day presents early, but we had another snow storm that year which delayed the gifts I had ordered for him. I asked him to wait one more day to see if his present would arrive... not knowing that after years of wondering when he would propose, I was making him wait another day!

All I can say is... everything was worth the wait! =)

Vegas, Baby!

Meet Taegeon! Our second nephew is the son of Ben and Kelly who live just outside of Las Vegas. He is a bundle of joy and has the best hair! Teirza is a very proud big sister. We are so happy that our prayers were answered and he is doing well after having a rough start to his life.














After celebrating his blessing earlier this month, we enjoyed time with family in Las Vegas. This was really a special and fun trip with Jon's parents and brothers. It was great to see Kelly and Teirza again too. We enjoyed great food, walking around town, and two shows. Here are the Tippets brothers having fun with Penn and Teller.

We also explored the M&M store and later, we enjoyed the Ka Cirque du Soleil show... it was AMAZING!











I now can't wait to see more Cirque shows. We walked down the strip to check out the other Casinos to pick out where else we might like to stay, and other activities we would consider doing in the future. We've already decided that the next show we will see is the Beatles "Love" Cirque show at the Mirage. We love Beatles music, and Jon might not admit it, but I also have a feeling the light display had something to do with his decision to put this show on his "Definite To Do" list...















Jon and I also got to stay at the Bellagio for two nights and enjoyed the city at night. We asked nicely for a fountain side room and received a free upgrade! I loved being able to watch the water shows from our window and listen to the music through the TV. The lobby and indoor gardens were decorated beautifully for Chinese New Year, and the blown glass attached to the ceiling was especially impressive.
















The only thing I didn't like was the amount of smoke in the Casino, which you HAD to walk through (of course) to get to the rooms. Otherwise, the rooms were very nicely furnished and the view was awesome. Here's what we saw from our window during the day and at night...










And here we are during one of our evening walks... It was really nice to be back in Vegas when it wasn't crowded or hot.














So, I'd say we hit the "jackpot" with this trip. We only wish it was longer!