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I followed Stephanie's lead and googled my name to see if my blog showed up, and sure enough, there it was first thing. My bank account got hacked into earlier this year, and I work with some pretty computer-saavy 7th graders...Thus, I've decided to make my blog private. I plan to do this later this week, so e-mail/leave me a comment to let me know if you want me to add you to the list. Thanks! I hope everyone had a great holiday...more on mine once I upload the pictures :)

Holiday Update

When I was younger, December seemed to take FOREVER, but the older I get, the faster the month goes. Geez, I'm really starting to sound like my mother..

So, since my last post, things have not slowed down one bit! I got back from a wonderful trip to New Mexico (minus falling and twisting my knee...again...where, you ask? Not on the ski slopes, not on the hike...in the shower. Go figure!!) and had a busy week of teaching.

I've been working with my classes on a Women's History project. Each girl picked a woman from history and wrote a report about what she contributed to society, then made a poster. The girls L-O-V-E making posters! We also were busy developing curriculum for younger girls. Then, each of my classes got to take a field trip to the elementary school to put their lesson into action. They had a blast! My 6th grade girls developed lessons on honesty and fairness. My 7th grade girls developed lessons on the 5 senses. It was so neat to see them teach, and to hear their feedback - they all said, "I didn't know it would be this hard." HA! This week we're focusing on taking care of your body, eating disorders, and dating violence. We're ending the week with a self-defense class. Hopefully the girls will use it only when necessary and not to fight with their friends - we've had several talks about this in class!

My 7th grade girls teaching the 2nd graders about the five senses.




I went to Pullman, WA a couple weeks ago to visit the Kappa Delta Chapter at Washington State University. I'm officially the Chapter Advisor for the chapter now, and spent the weekend meeting the girls and learning the ropes. I got to stay in the guest room at the beautiful KD house. It was really fun and I'm looking forward to going back.

The KD House


A building on the WSU campus - I passed this on my morning workout in the 8 degree WINDY weather - BRRR!!


Last weekend was spent at Girl Scout Camp River Ranch with 16 middle schoolers. I'm part of a team developing a new program that trains girls to become public speakers for Girl Scouts. We spent the weekend in one of the camp cabins and led sessions on developing speeches, stage fright, positive feedback, and talking to adults. We also went on a "no flashlights allowed" night hike - the girls screamed most of the way - it was hilarious!! I was in charge of the meals and cooking for the trip, which I really enjoyed.

The girls in front of the "Feedback Podium," where they learned to give positive feedback to each other


I'm REALLY looking forward to Friday - TWO WEEKS of no school. I still have to work, but it will be nice to taking advantage of working from home, sleeping in, and gearing up for next semester!!

Red River for Thanksgiving

I flew in to Colorado Springs late on Tuesday and stayed in a hotel with my parents. We drove to the cabin Wednesday morning and enjoyed an afternoon of skiing. It was great to be back on skis again!! Only half of the mountain was open, since it was the first day of the season, but we got some great runs in. We headed back to the cabin and hung out for the night. Today has been a great day at home, relaxing and enjoying some delicious food. We're heading into town in a bit for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Tomorrow we're heading to Taos for a Christmas Craft Fair - yay!! I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Looking forward to a busy and fun Holiday Season!!

Red River Ski Area


My dad and me on the slopes

Me after a fun afternoon of sunny skiing


Thanksgiving Dinner


Sadie and me


My parent's cabin

Moving Fun

Things have been pretty crazy around here lately. Marcy and I moved to Ballard (a neighborhood in Seattle). We are really excited to be closer to downtown/my work/friends, but the move brought some big changes. Marcy is working full-time with a live-in client, Linden, who has Down's Syndrome. We moved into Linden's house so her parents could travel to Mexico to teach English for the next 8 months. We have free rent, minimal bills, and a great view, but it's definitely an adjustment to have a roommate that requires a lot of extra care. We're almost out of our old place - just have the couch and kitchen table left to move over - and we have until November 30th to get those moved and the cleaning done. However, since I leave Tuesday to go to my parent's cabin for Thanksgiving, that doesn't leave much time... Looks like I know how I'll be spending my weekend.... :) I'll post pictures of our cool new house soon - gotta wait for the rain/wind/more rain storm to let up a bit......

Green and White, Rose and Pearl

....I hope all of my sorority sisters are singing along now :) .... I'm a Kappa Delta Girl!!

I officially stepped in as the Chapter Advisory Board Chairwoman for the Washington State University KD Chapter!! I am SO excited to serve Kappa Delta in this new role!! Pullman, Washington is about 4 hours from Seattle, and I've made the commitment to travel to Pullman once a month to visit the chapter. I know I'll face many challenges, as I know my advisors faced when I was in college, but I'm thrilled to be volunteering for KD!! This chapter is one of the top on the WSU campus and I'm looking forward to going out there soon to meet all the members. Check out their website: http://www.myrso.wsu.edu/kappadelta.aspx.

One More Candle on the Cake

I turned 28 on Sunday, and celebrated with a weekend filled with fun activities.

Thursday night Marcy put together a Happy Hour at Chandler's Crabhouse (can I just say, YUM!). It was great to get together with close friends for some delicious wine and appetizers. I even scored a $50 gift card to go back to Chandler's because it was my birthday. How cool is that?!?!

The last of our group (Melissa, Trish, Brandie, Me, Marcy). Everyone else had to leave early, but we stayed until the lights dimmed signaling the end of happy hour :)


Thanks for a great night, Marcy!!


On Friday, I worked a half day and then enjoyed the rest of the day lounging at home!!

Saturday morning, my weekend of surprises began. Marcy planned the whole weekend and it started with brunch at the 5 Spot Cafe in Queen Anne. I had the black bean omlette, which was awesome! Our next stop was Sonic...I know, probably not a treat to all my Texas friends, but there's only ONE Sonic in Washington, and it's not close to our house. It is on the way to Mt. Rainier, so we had to stop for a brunch dessert. YUM!

The 5 Spot. They change the theme of their restaurant every few weeks to a different region of the world, and this time it was "St. Louis." They had a bunch of memorabilia from St. Louis - reminded me of Grad School.


SONIC!!


We spent the afternoon in Mt. Rainier National Park exploring and enjoying the crisp fall day. We got a few peeks at the great mountain, but not quite the view we had last year (We made this same trek for my birthday last year. Perhaps it will become a tradition!!).

Isn't she gorgeous!! - I know you can't see much of her, but trust me... On a clear day...breath taking!!


Awesome photo-op


Our signature picture


We checked in to Wellspring Resort around 6:00 and enjoyed a nice picnic dinner, wine and Scrabble (LOVE that game!). Our room had a hot tub right outside on the deck under the stars, so we had private access to that all night. It was incredibly relaxing, and I had a great time. Our picnic breakfast was waiting for us in the morning, and we enjoyed leisurely strolling around the property before heading home.

Entrance to the Resort


The resort is very "hands-off" and don't want to disturb you, so this is how they handle check-in. Your key is pinned to a cork board and you just take it from there, park your car, and hike to your cabin. LOVE IT!


The hot tub.


Our cabin.


On our drive back we stopped at the cute little winery, had lunch at a Greek Cafe (yum - Veggie Euros), and stopped for cupcakes at Trophy - delicious!

Isn't this winery cute!



Trophy Cupcakes - AHHH-mazing!


I chose a S'more cupcake - that's marshmallow buttercream frosting on top. The cupcake is chocolate with graham cracker crumbles.... Perfect end to a great birthday


Back at home, opening presents. I got some cute Vera Bradley stuff from my brother. And an iPhone!!!!! from my parents!!


Thanks for all the birthday wishes, treats, and fun!! I had the best birthday!!

Gossip Girl

Does anyone else watch this show? One of my coworkers loaned Season One to me this weekend, and I can't seem to get enough. What is it with the teen drama that draws me in?? I used to watch "Privileged" until they cancelled it...sad day. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has the same obsession as me...

Going to Red River for Turkey Day!!

I am so excited. I procrastinated buying a ticket and last week when I checked, the ticket prices had jumped to over $700 to fly to Colorado Springs for Thanksgiving. Tonight, by chance, I decided to check ticket prices again and I got lucky!! I found a flight for just over $300!! Colorado Springs is about a 4 hour drive from my parent's cabin in Red River, so they'll have to do a lot of driving to come get me, which I know they're not thrilled about. Hopefully the fact that I am coming makes up for it though :)

The typical fall weather (gray and rainy) has set in for the week here in Seattle. I'm actually enjoying it because a nice warm bowl of veggie chili for dinner coupled with old "How I Met Your Mother" episodes makes for a great fall evening!!

Red Raider on the West Coast

I love reading the "Show Us Your Life" posts on Kelly's Korner, and since I love my Red Raiders so very much, I thought I'd participate today. It's not often that I get to celebrate my school spirit up here in Washington, since Red Raider fans are few and far between. I also have to pay homage to my Mizzou Tigers, since I went there for Graduate School. I love a great Mizzou basketball game!! My younger brother and I both went to Tech, and then I worked a year at Tech in the Office of Admissions. I decided after that to go to Mizzou for Grad School, and my brother decided to go there for his Master's, too! So, we got to move to Columbia together, which was so fun!! It was nice to have him close, and it meant that my parents only had to make one trip to visit both of us!

The year after I graduated from undergrad, one of my good friends, Dayme, had her grandma make her a t-shirt skirt, and I fell in love with the idea, so I decided to make my own. Then, when I went to Mizzou, I made one for the Tigers, too. I turned some of my students into Red Raider fans after I taught the "Gun's Up!" and the Fight Song before the big Tech/UT weekend this fall. Even though we didn't win, it's always fun to recruit new fans. Some of them even ask how the Raiders are doing - LOVE IT!!



Here's some of my favorite pictures of the Tech and Mizzou campuses:
Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas:




University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri:

Ear Infection

It's only been a couple of weeks since I posted, but it feels like it's been months. I got a cold a week after I started teaching - everyone in the education world has told me that you will be sicker than you've ever been during your first year of teaching. While this isn't my first year, it's my first year with the same kids every day, so I think that's what makes the difference. And now, to top of the cold, I have an ear infection. The doctor laughed because he says he doesn't see many adults with ear infections. My mom said I used to get them all the time when I was little, so I guess this is nothing new. My manager at Girl Scouts substituted for me today, and if my ear pressure doesn't let up, I think I may ask her to substitute for me again tomorrow. It's only 8:00 here, but my Theraflu Nighttime is starting to kick in, so I'm off to bed. Hope all is well in your corner of the world!! And, hopefully it won't be two weeks before I post again :)

In A New York Minute

I had a blast in New York!!

Here's a (not so quick) recap of what we did:

I took the red-eye flight on Thursday night and arrived in New York at 6:00 a.m.. After (not so gracefully) navigating through the airport with my backpack, bag, and crutches, I made it to the subway downtown. I stopped for a nice breakfast at Cafe Europa - one of my favorite little New York bakeries, and then went to my hotel. I was exhausted because I'd only slept about 2 hours on the plane. I tried to check-in but the room wasn't ready yet, so I just found a couch and took myself a quick nap in the lobby. Classy, I know, but hey, I was tired!!

My parents, Bryan, and Leann arrived around noon, and we headed to Cafe Europa (again!!) for lunch - it was delicious!! Our next stop was H&M, and then a tour of GIRL SCOUTS headquarters - so much fun!! I really enjoyed getting to meet some of the headquarter staff, look around the museum, and of course, stop by the shop! Next, we went to a really cool coffee shop, did some shopping at Grand Central Station, and then headed back to the hotel to change for dinner. Dinner was at a fabulous restaurant called Friend of a Farmer. I had a blackened salmon salad that was amazing!! Bryan and Leann left for a broadway show (they saw 4 while we were there), and my parents and I leisurely walked back to the hotel, enjoying Gramercy Park and Midtown. We stopped for drinks at the Waldorf Astoria before heading back to our hotel for the night.

At lunch...


Friend of a Farmer




The Waldorf




Saturday morning we went to Cafe Lalo (where Meg Ryan was waiting for her pen pal in "You've Got Mail") for brunch. We met Leann's cousin, Megan, and her boyfriend. It was really nice to catch up with Megan, and brunch was delicious. I actually opted for lunch - an avocado tomato sandwich - YUM! After lunch we explored Central Park. It was crazy crowded because it was beautiful outside! We made a stop at Crumbs for some AWESOME cupcakes - I had one called "The Good Guy," and it was vanilla cupcake with sprinkles in the batter, a vanilla buttercream filling, and a cream cheese frosting topped with sprinkles - I'm totally craving one right now - YUM! Then, we walked around Times Square for a bit. After changing at our hotel, we headed out to dinner at Lombardi's Pizza, and then to the Palace Theater to see "West Side Story." It was wonderful! I loved it!! After the show we headed to Magnolia Bakery for a midnight snack - delicious!! I indulged (hey, it's vacation!) and got two cupcakes - caramel and pumpkin - YUM! Okay, how many times have I said "yum" in this post - but seriously - all of the food we ate was, well, yummy!

Central Park - I was relaxing in the grass while my parents did some geocaching


Ahh, Crumbs!




West Side Story


Our cupcake selection from Magnolia



On Sunday we went to the old meat packing district and to the market where Food Network headquarters are located. We enjoyed some great bread from Amy's Bread, and then explored all the cool market food shops. This was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. We went to Eleni's cookies - I was so excited. I fell in love with her shop after I saw her on Martha years ago!! We left the market and caught a subway to Queens for the Mets game at the new stadium. It was really fun to see them play at their new stadium (my dad and I were there five years ago and saw them at Shea). We had a quick barbeque dinner before Bryan and Leann left for another show, and then my parents and I acted like true NYC tourists and boarded one of the double-decker buses for a night tour of the city. It was actually really fun, and we got to go over to Brooklyn for some great views of the city, and some awesome ice cream. Since I'd been crutching it/limping around the city, it was nice to see the city from the bus!!

Eleni's Cookies




Citi Field




Monday morning we woke up really early to go to the Today Show. We saw Sean Kingston perform as part of the summer concert series. He was pretty good! After hanging out watching him perform, we had breakfast at Dean and Deluca, and then went to the Top of the Rock (top of Rockefeller Center). It was super cool to see the city from up there. Last time I was in NYC I went to the top of the Empire State Building, but it was cool to see the Empire State Building from up there this time. We met Bryan and Leann once we were back on the ground, and did some shopping at Anthropologie in Rockefeller Center - I was in awe of the size of that store - wow! I found a back-to-school outfit - yay!! Our lunch spot was Serendipity 3 - a delicious way to end the trip!! We split the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate and a Brownie Sundae for desert - no need to talk about our entrees - dessert was definitely the highlight! After lunch I caught the subway to the airport with a quick stop in Greenwich Village - where I saw the Stonewall Inn (site where Pride began 40 years ago).

Our view from the Top of the Rock




Indulging in my sundae at Seredipity 3 - I did actually share...I promise :)




Stonewall Inn


I had a wonderful trip and I always leave New York excited to go back, and this time was no different. I love that city!! If you're interested/bored, feel free to check out my dad's New York album: http://gallery.me.com/donwendell#100143
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