Hanson Girls

My parents :)

2012-02-14T14:49:00.002-08:00

I am so proud of them...

Here is a video of the new Duluth Police Squad cars that my dad is building: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/222251/publisher_ID/36/

And here is my mom's website of her beautiful artwork:
www.mnartists.org/margie_helstrom

Love you so much!!!

Really!!!???

2012-02-11T14:32:00.001-08:00

I am guessing that Target thinks Aubrey is old enough now, and it's time that I have another baby. This is a picture of a very THICK catalog with a $20 gift card when I start my Baby Registry!

If you were wondering...

2012-02-09T17:28:00.001-08:00

Yes, we have been busy!

1) Aubrey started playing Upward basketball this January. She told me tonight that she likes it better than soccer! A boy on her team also told me that "her dad needs to teach her how to dribble!" Regardless of her skills and ability, she is enjoying it and that's all that matters. (On a side note, if you aren't familiar with the Upward Sports program, you must check them out. They are fantabulous!!! http://www.upward.org/)

2) Aubrey is constantly making me laugh! Her one-liners are priceless and so rapid that I can barely remember the following as I type this...just before bed she said, "come on missy!" This was stated because she was ready to read books, and I just hadn't made it into her room yet to read them to her.

Another thing was how she made her bed this morning, and even though we were running late, she insisted on making it. I am not going to discourage her ambition!

Anywho, she does this fun thing with laying out her quilt, and then laying Bubo on top, all spread out. But the super cute thing was how she tucked her new McD's mini teddy underneath Bubo. (I know, I let my child eat a McD's happy meal yesterday! Ugh!)

3) Aubrey continues to increase her knowledge so that she is more than ready for Kindergarten next year. I am amazed at all she has learned. Makes her teacher mama proud!!! And above is her preschool picture!

4) As for me, yeah. This is a lot to keep up with, on top of my teaching, but we make it work. Here are my other 2nd grade "kids" making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and then writing our how tos! :)

HAPPY HALF BIRTHDAY!!!

2012-01-10T18:04:00.000-08:00

You are
A mazingly bright for your age
U nique in so many ways
B eautiful inside and out
R eally fun to be around
E ncouraging to me
Y eilding to discipline

Snow Drives

2011-12-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

Minnesota has very little snow this year, but yesterday, we did wake up to a dusting. Last night as we drove up the driveway, Aubrey noticed the car's tracks. Her words, "Look at all the cool snow drives!" Don't the "snow drives" look lovely?

The Life I Planned

2011-11-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

Has someone seen the life I planned?
It seems it's been misplaced.
I've looked in every corner;
It's lost without a trace.

I've found one I don't recognize --
Things missing that were dear;
Promises I'd hoped to keep,
And dreams I'd dreamed aren't here.

Faces I had planned to see,
Hands I planned to hold;
Now absent in the pictures;
Not the way I told.

Has someone seen the life I planned?
Did it get thrown away?
God took my hand from searching;
Then I heard Him say --

"Child, your ears have never heard,
Your eyes have never seen,
Eternal plans I have for you
Are more than you could dream.

You long to walk by sight,
But I'm teaching eyes to see;
I know what I'm doing --
'Till then, you must believe.

He's done so much, I felt ashamed
To know He heard my moans.
To think I'd trade in all He's done
For plans made on my own.

I wept over His faithfulness
And how He'd proved Himself;
How He'd gone beyond my dreams
And said to Him myself,

"No, my ears have never heard,
My eyes have never seen,
Eternal plans You have for me
Are more than I could dream.

"Yes, I long to walk by sight
But You're teaching eyes to see;
You know what You're doing --
'Till then, I must believe.

I felt His great compassion --
Mercy unrestrained.
He let me mourn my losses
And showed to me my gains.

I offered Him my future
And released to Him my past.
I traded in my dreams
For a plan He said would last.

I get no glimpse ahead;
No certainties at all,
Except the presence of the One
Who will not let me fall.

Are you also searching
For a life you planned yourself?
Have you looked in every corner?
Have you checked on every shelf?

Child, your ears have never heard,
Your eyes have never seen,
Eternal plans He has for you
Are more than you could dream.

Perhaps you long to walk by sight,
But He's teaching eyes to see;
He knows what He is doing --
Child, step out and believe.

By Beth Moore

No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived what God
has prepared for those who love Him.

{1 Corinthians 2:9}

Fall!

2011-11-22T18:06:00.000-08:00

Family Pictures

2011-11-12T13:52:00.001-08:00

My friend Lori Jo of Lucid Light Photography does AMAZING work! Check out the latest pictures...

http://lucidlightphotography.com/hanson2011/

Halloween

2011-11-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

My daughter is 4 years old and I took her trick-or-treating for the first time this year! We had a great time with friends as we ate dinner with them, and then headed out. Here are some pictures...

The Water Cycle

2011-10-28T05:25:00.001-07:00

HAAAA!!!! This is an example of the posts I put on my school blog, but accidentally posted here!

Science: We have been doing so many cool things with the water cycle this week that it needed it's own separate post! (2.6)

We watched a video about the water cycle .

We've studied posters.

We've created awesome diagrams and wrote stories about Wally and Wilma the Water Drop's Trip. (These will be in the hallway!)

We've sang songs to help us remember the cycle.

We've even done an experiment! Once again, sorry it's sideways :(

Reminder: Our Science 9 Weeks test is next week on Thursday, November 3rd.

Ugh...school!

2011-10-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

I feel like I just posted yesterday how school was out, and now I could play because it was summer!!!??? Now work has consumed me once again! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my job because of the awesome students I get to teach, but it is a taxing job. It takes a lot of time and thought and money and other resources to get into the groove. Us teachers call it the "Back-To-School-Blackhole", and we've already had our first retreat! And that's also why I haven't posted in a month.

To catch you all up with the Hanson Girls, we've had an AWESOME month. Soccer is going well; Aubrey has finally adjusted to school; my parents came to visit; saw Disney's Princesses on Ice; we picked pumpkins; and just have enjoyed day-to-day life being together. Here are a few pictures...

She has started posing now!!!

"MOM!!!!! ALL THE PRINCESSES ARE HERE!!!!!!"

Coach Will

Craftin'

2011-09-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is Aubrey's new favorite hobby. She crafts, which means she cuts, tapes, glues and colors.

P.S. Her first soccer game is tomorrow if it doesn't get rained out. :)

FIRSTS

2011-08-30T16:37:00.001-07:00

As Aubrey gets older, there are less and less "firsts", so when there is a new first, it's exciting. Like Aubrey's first soccer experience. She had evaluations in which she had to complete 5 stations and show her skills at dribbling, kicking, and running.(We now know what we need to work on!) Practice starts in a couple of weeks and then her first game!

She also had her first day of preschool. She was so excited! She told me that she would have to do "homework" when she got home. Her first day was a success! She was a good girl, learned lots, and made new friends.

We almost had another first of cutting hair! Aubrey came out of her room with a pair of scissors in her hand and asked if she could cut her hair. Boy was I glad she asked before she did, which has been a lesson we're learning lately!

2011 Minnesota Top 10

2011-08-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

The best way to summarize my vacation home last summer was with a Top 10 list, and so the tradition has been started... :) To see more pictures, like 250 some, check out: http://hansongirls.shutterfly.com/

10. Birch Trees. I really miss seeing Birch Trees in VA. I love their white bark with black/gray splotches and tiny, silvery green leaves.

9. The Duluth View from the hill side. This was taken near Enger Tower, and EVERY time I see this, I want to cry! On a funnier note, we were soooo worried about Aubrey falling on the rocks, and guess who did instead!?

8. Canal Park. A trip to Duluth just wouldn't be complete without visiting this very touristy spot. It's also great for rock climbing, and where else can you see a rock beach?! :) I also loved doing EVERYTHING with my mom. She's a great companion to share life with!

7. Potato Salad Challenge. So boring of an entree, why not kick it up a notch when serving it!!?? Here are the winners-Griffin, Jen and Isla :)

6. The Bobcat! Grandpa has the best toys, and here's Aubrey testing it out. Check out the cheeser! (I got that word from my cool sister!)

5. One of the best parts of being in Minnesota is my parent's large backyard and all the ROCKS they have to play with. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of Aubrey playing with her rocks on the deck, but she loved it. And I loved knowing she was playing outside by herself and was perfectly safe! :)

4. Pike Lake, only this year was with Isla, the cutest niece ever!!! It was so fun watching her play in the water and I cherished being able to see a mini-milestone like this.

3. Spending quality time with Jen and Isla. My niece is so sweet, calm, and loveable. I adored that she bonded to me right away, and would give me the biggest cheesers! And my sister is an AWESOME mom. It was great to bond with Jen now as mothers with sweet daughters!

2. Camping. We had the opportunity to take Aubrey tent camping up the Arrowhead Trail where I grew up camping. I was ecstatic to share a HUGE part of my childhood with Aubrey and the experience was spectacular. She did so well, better than I could have expected because she didn't whine ONCE! It was also fun to spend some quality time with mom, dad, aunts, uncles, and cousins up in the woods. Talk about FFF (forced family fun as Aunt Carole calls it)!!!

1. Just being HOME with the PEOPLE we love in MN, and these are just a few...

My Savior, My God

2011-08-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

We were driving to our friend's house yesterday and listening to K-Love, a local Christian station, when all of a sudden, Aubrey asked me to turn this song up and sang along. It made me smile with gratitude to hear her worshiping our savior, our God :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iSVF2XM7yQ

Borrowed Idea

2011-08-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

My friend posted a list titled "We Want To..." and it included a list of things she wanted to do with her family. So, I am "borrowing" this idea and have created my own for the last 2 weeks I have off with my charming daughter. Check back to see which we've completed with pictures and to see what we've added :)

1) Fish at Chippokes State Park -done 8/13. This was the best $2 ever spent for entertainment, thanks to my friend's son Matt :)
Here is Aubrey holding her pole like a spear. She said the "real" handle was too fat for her to hold.

Waiting for the bobber to go down.

She caught a 6 and 1/2 inch PERCH. She was so excited!!!

She tied and got a prize for the biggest fish-2 free scoops of ice cream at the Chippokes pool store, to be redeemed at a later date!

2) Ride our bikes together -done 8/23 We were filling up our tires and the car rocked hard. I wasn't sure what it was until later I heard it was an EARTHQUAKE!!!

3) Pick some vegetable ourselves! -done 8/13 We picked the most scrumptious, juicest sweet corn ever. It was so delicious, we ate it right off the stalk without cooking it first!

Finding one...

Got it!

4) Make Blueberry Pie - done 8/12 YUM! except I probably wouldn't use wheat flour next time for the crust. Too earthy:)
5) Tour the Mazes at Norfolk Botanical Gardens - done 8/10 with good friends! :)

Potato Salad Challenge

2011-08-08T07:58:00.001-07:00

We were having the extended family over for Burger Thursday. Usually this occurs on a Sunday and we have fabulous burgers! While planning, mom said she was going to make her potato salad. Jen said she really liked her own potato salad and that she was going to make hers. I said, "Heck! I don't have a potato salad recipe I love, but I will make one and we'll have a challenge!"

It was great fun, even Aubrey made her own.

Here are the 3 salads. Potato Salad # 3 was mom's and it was very traditional. Jen's was #2 and had a "kick" to it. Mine was an Italian potato salad thanks to Dawn coming in at #1. Everyone was to take a bite of each salad, vote for their favorite, and place their ballot in the blue cup. The competition was high and everyone was on edge!

Here were the results... Which makes Jen and Griffin the WINNERS!!! (Don't you love how Isla is loving it?)

P.S. Here's Ryan LOVING Jen and Griff's salad. He looks guilty doesn't he?!

Boy vs. Girl and sharks

2011-07-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

I guess if you only have one kid, it's best to have the best of both worlds, all combined in one awesome kid. Therefore, I live the high life with my daughter.

Aubrey is all girl in appearance. Dresses and skirts are her favorite attire. Accessories are also her best friend. The girl likes shoes (we once spent at least 20 minutes in Target trying them all on), purses, jewelry, make-up, crowns, etc. Not quite sure where she gets it because if you know me, its NOT from me. At the same time, she is all boy in what she likes to do. For her past two birthday parties, she has had a boyish theme. Crocodiles for age 3 and Sharks for age 4. Ask her what she wants for her 5 year old birthday party and she'll tell you lions. She loves to play in dirt, touch bugs, and get those dresses dirty.

All that to say, my mom and I made a ROCKIN' cake for Aubrey's birthday this year. I couldn't have done it without my mother and it just made it SO fun to create something with her for Aubrey.

Cakes baked and ready to decorate!

Shark mouth.

Shark done and onto the water.

The finished product.

All gone!

I work hard and I play hard :)

2011-07-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ecc 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

There was a season for work, and my how JUNE flew with the busyness of the end of the school year. So thankful it's over. It was a challenging, but VERY rewarding school year. Believe it or not, I miss those kids and think of them often.

BUT, now it's the season for play! Welcome SUMMER!!! :) I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my almost FOUR year old (July 10th!!!) and my mom who is visiting until we drive "home" to MN next week.

Here is a short picture recap of our trip to Busch Gardens, one of the many things we've done the past two weeks.

All sunscreened up and ready to ride some rides!

Pilot Aubrey, maxing and relaxing.

Flying the dragon with best bud Alex. (They're smiling now, but they were fighting over the joystick. It got ugly.)

It's hot in VA, high of about 91 degrees today, so of course we played in the water.

Sleeping like a princess after a busy, fun-filled day.

Precious.

Proverbs 21:31

2011-05-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

31 Do your best, prepare for the worst - then trust God to bring victory.

Too cute :)

2011-05-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

So I told Aubrey to play in her room for a few minutes before her friend came over. I heard her talking so I walked in to see what she was doing and this was what I saw.
I was tickled to see her reading, and in her dresser nonetheless!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

Thank you for impacting my life as a mother. Each and every mother I encounter teaches me something new to help me be the best mom I can be!

This is Aubrey at our Mother Daughter Tea

This is Aubrey walking her baby on our Mother's Day Trail walk :)

Thank YOU!

2011-04-30T17:01:00.001-07:00

Today, Aubrey and I walked for the Walk For Life. We had a GREAT time and here are a few pictures. We got our faces painted, saw the new Trail of the Tiger at the zoo, and walked (of course I didn't take any pictures of us doing that).

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us raise $750.00 for this worthwhile organization. We appreciate your generosity... Auntie Karen, Mom/Omie, Auntie Donna, Nancy, Tina, Brett, Tammie, Karen, Michelle, Janice/Grammy, Anne, Becky, Stormy, Kimberly, Close's, Beverly, Cooper's, Meredith, Overby's, Mary and Carter's.

Walk for Life 2011

2011-03-29T19:51:00.001-07:00

On April 30th, one month from today, Aubrey and I will be walking in the Crisis Pregnancy Center's Walk for Life.

We are very passionate about the ministry CPC offers, and the money we raise this year will enable CPC to continue providing confidential services at NO cost to women who are in the situation of unplanned pregnancies. The money you donate today will help RESCUE lives of pre-born babies and offer life-affirming to women throughout Hampton Roads. (For more information about this awesome ministry, click here: http://www.cpcfriends.org/)

Our goal is to raise $1,250.00 and we will need your help to do this! So far we have raised $450!!! Join in and sponsor us for any amount, but most people do $25.00. this is not a per-mile pledge, but a flat donation. Your donation of any amount is 100% tax deductible.

To donate by credit card today, simply click here:http://www.blueskycollaborative.com/cpcot/participantpage.asp?fundid=1692&uid=3105 to go to my personal Walk for Life webpage.

Or perhaps you'd like to pay by check at a later date. For your convenience, CPC will mail you a pledge invoice shortly after the walk event. Send me an email at haleymhanson@hotmail.com with the following information.

Yes, I will sponsor you for $__________

Your name

Your address and zip code

Your phone number

Thank you for considering helping us reach our goal. The theme for this year's Walk for Life is a powerful reminder, "Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need, rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me." Psalm 142:6

Love and hugs and blessings,

Haley and Aubrey

Memories and Modeling

2011-03-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Today was a day of elation for me! Running has recently become a passion of mine, and being a mother to my daughter is also an intense passion I have. I had the blessed opportunity to combine them this morning and create a memory I won't forget!

First, I ran a 5k while Aubrey looked on. I absolutely adored having her cheer me on from the sidelines, and then being able to love on her when I was done (in 27 minutes to boot! Fastest time yet!). This is where the modeling piece comes in. I am very thankful I have the privilege to model healthy exercise habits at such an early age.

Then, we got the kids ready for their 1 mile fun run. It was so cold and damp, but they were troopers. Aubrey did awesome running her race, and she did just that. Occasionally she would walk and catch her breath, but kicked it into high gear as we crossed the finish line. She was stoked! I wish I had a video of it.

After the race, all kids were awarded a medal and the awards ceremony. Aubrey felt so proud and special (as shown below!).

What a FABULOUS day in the Lord!

March: 3 Truths and a Lie

2011-03-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

There are 3 truths and 1 lie in this post. Let me know if you figure out which statement has been fibbed...

1) I have no idea where March went or why I haven't posted since the end of February. In fact, when I tried to post this, I posted it to my classroom blog. Wouldn't that have been funny for my parents to read!!!???

2) One of our guinea pigs suddenly died. :( May Piper rest in peace.

3) I found TWO gray hairs at the age of 31. Ugh. I have nothing else to say at this...

4) Aubrey learned how to rhyme orally. This is a part of phonological awareness and a key building block in the stages of learning how to read. Yes, she uses nonsense words, but they still rhyme!

Sleepover!!!

2011-02-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

Aubrey and I had a sleepover in the living room Friday night:) We watched movies, ate popcorn and candy, drank soda, spilled soda, and snuggled. It was sooooooo fun! I just LOVE my daughter!

Running races...

2011-02-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

If you would have asked me 3 years ago to run a 14k (8.67 miles) race, I would have laughed out loud and said, "What ____? I don't play sports!" This year I ran it for the second time and beat my time by 2 minutes! That may not seem like a lot, but normally I run about a 10 minute mile and this race was a 9.44 minute mile. Woot woot!

Introducing...

2011-01-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

2 new Hanson girls :) We welcomed Phoebe and Piper (guinea pigs) last night. They are sweet, cuddly, and so friendly.

Here is Phoebe. Look at that proud girl!

Here is Piper.

And here is Alex, Aubrey's best friend. He came over for her first playdate!

Aubrey and Isla...

2011-01-17T17:55:00.000-08:00

...soon to be best cousins!

Simple Crafts...

2011-01-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

Aubrey and I bought this cute little tree and placed it outside of our apartment door to make it a bit more inviting. Each season we have decorated it to share the love with our neighbors. Not only do we hopefully make those around us smile, Aubrey and I love doing it together. It's so fun to do something artsy-fartsy with glitter, glue, construction paper, scissors, bling-bling, stickers, etc. I've always had these grandiose plans of being this fabulous "stay-at-home mom" that would do all of these fabulous "stay-at-home mom" types of crafts with their child. Well, God had a different plan for my life, but He has still given me an opportunity to be crafty with my beautiful three year old and here is the result. Happy Love Day!!!

P.S. We made a Chicken Pot Pie tonight. I had leftover pie crust, which Aubrey loved to play with and so she made "muffins". Check these out...Oh, how it made me laugh:) She even served them to us for dinner. She walked around with her little muffin tray and asked if we would like any. It was too cute!

Games

2011-01-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

I've always looked forward to the time when I could play board games with Aubrey! It's such a good, wholesome activity that encourages her to think. For Christmas, she received several new games. One was a Panda Bear/Brown Bear matching game that we played with my grandparents.
This is a picture of Aubrey showing Great Grandparent how to play.
They made a good team!
Here is Aubrey with Great Grandma...the opposing team! It was a good, fun game night with family :)

Aubrey Cooking Rock Soup and Rock Pie

2010-12-27T10:35:00.001-08:00

So this is Aubrey's "kitchen". Here she lays out all her utensils. This is Omi and Aubrey wearing their handy aprons.

This is Aubrey's "oven". She would even use an oven mitt to get out her Rock Pie.

Aubrey showing off her mad cooking skills. This was Rock Soup.

My cute little chef...

This post is dedicated to my cool mother who is highly creative and is the best person to play with (according to Aubrey).

Here is Isla!!!

2010-12-26T12:16:00.001-08:00

This is my adorable niece and as you can see, I had my mom take the pictures. I just can't put the cutie down...
This was before I grabbed her to hold.
Here is Aubrey holding Isla. She LOVED it, and told Omie, "I get to hold her before you."

I am an AUNTIE!!!

2010-12-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

I didn't think I would be this excited to be an aunt, but I am in love with my adorable, sweet niece named Isla Nicole. I will post pictures as soon as I can stop holding her to actually take some :).

I am woman...hear me ROAR!

2010-12-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

For the past month, my "check tire pressure light" has been on. I brought it to a tire place and, free of charge, they checked all my tires on my adorable blue Rav4 and put air in them. But, the light never turned off. So I did some research and found out that my SPARE also has a sensor in it, and I need to check that. Sure enough, it was 12 psi lower than the rest of my tires. I found this out after I bought a tire pressure checker (yes, I don't know the exact terminology!), tore off the soft/hard cover of the spare, and checked the tire myself. Finally, I drove the car to an air pump, put in 4 quarters, filled the tire up without going over the max psi of 40, and shoved the spare cover back on. You know how I know I accomplished something today? Three reasons: 1) I did it all by myself. No man was involved. 2) The "check tire pressure light" turned off immediately. 3) My hands got dirty!

BTW, yesterday I also figured out how to utilize the Bluetooth that is already installed in my Rav4, and paired it with my phone so I now can talk hands free while driving. This makes my dad and Ryan very happy:)

ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas for many different reasons...

like decorating our tree....
like drinking hot chocolate out of adorable snowmen mugs and spreading cheer....
like baking and eating yummy, cute reindeer cookies...
like creating a paper chain to count down the days until Christ's birth AND decorating our outside tree with homemade snowmen...
p.s. we practiced our cutting and gluing with both activities AND we practiced counting circles :)

like making our advent calendar, yes we did make this, and reading our devotions to learn more about GOD....
like just loving on each other while doing these fun things together as a family, all while celebrating Christ's birth :)

Teaching is in my blood...

2010-11-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight was fun! I taught Aubrey how to play Memory. You know, the old fashioned game of flipping over cards to find the match? She received the game for her birthday in July and since then we'd play the game by placing all the cards on a table face up and find the matches. I wanted her to get the concept of finding matches. (In the teacher world, this is called building prior knowledge.)

Back to tonight...for the first time, I took 16 cards and placed them face down. I showed Aubrey how to find a match (teacher talk for modeling) and told her that I was going to remember where the cards were so because the two cards didn't match (this was me using explicit language). She caught on quickly and we played our first game of Memory successfully!
I told her that as she got older, we would keep adding cards until we were playing with all of them. (Finally, this is scaffolding. Less teaching/coaching/modeling by me and more independence/confidence/success on her part).

Cooking and Quilting

2010-11-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

There are two things that I love to do relax. Yep! Cooking and quilting. Yes, they both require work, but I really enjoy doing them and they make me feel like I actually accomplished something to make our world beautiful.

Yesterday I made my grandma's Chicken Dumpling Soup and it was so good. I loved reminiscing about all the times I ate it when I was younger. After talking to my mom today, she said that grandma made it yesterday too! What a coincidence:) I also made the best granola...here is the recipe to try at home: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Megans-Granola/Detail.aspx YUMMY! I want to eat it with and on everything:)

Today I spent time working on my mother's quilt. Mind you this has been a LONG process, but I am finally getting my rear end in gear and finishing it by her birthday...next November:) HA! Here is a completed square.
The whole quilt won't look like this. If you know my mom, then you know she wants all different colors and patterns:) It's been fun to make for her.

ahh.....life is good.

I'm Gonna Miss This

2010-11-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Our life is crazy busy! People always ask, "How do you do it?" Sometimes I say, "You just do what you gotta do." Sometimes I say, "God is good and is my rock!" Sometimes I say, "I HAVE NO IDEA!" No matter my answer, we do do it and we keep smilin' the best we can :) And when I am not smilin', I think of the song by Trace Adkins "You're Gonna Miss This". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBDN8yWyNYU

It's so true!

The Story of Jumping Mouse

2010-10-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read the above pictured book, YOU HAVE TO! It's about this loving and giving mouse who wants to reach the far-off-land. It's a long journey, but before he goes a Magical Frog gives him jumping legs to help him along the way. So off mouse goes and as he does, he encounters other animals who are not as fortunate as himself. So helps each one immensely by giving away his sense of sight and smell and then he finally gets to the far-off-land to live there forever. Ahh.....I just LOVE this book!!! So, when today was Book Character Day at school, I was jumping mouse with a big ol' heart :)

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-23T06:42:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, our good friends The Clark's came to visit Smithfield. But instead of staying in Smithfield, which was already a good 30-45 minutes away from their house, we continued to drive another 30 minutes to Surry County. Surry is even more rural than Smithfield, but it has the best "you pick" farm. In the spring, we go strawberry picking. In the summer, we could pick blueberries and corn. In the fall, you can pick pumpkins. Above is us getting ready on a cold, rainy day to do such. Here is Aubrey, her best friend Alex, and the tag along buddy, Liam.

We first tried the corn maze, but got rained out. So we back under the shelter for the rain to stop. Then we got our umbrellas and drove to the field. Ryan was also along for the trip, which was so much fun. Here they are cutting Aubrey's pumpkin off the vine. And below that is Aubrey with her pumpkin.
It was so fun to watch Aubrey and Alex explore. Liam was also pretty cute! (See our Hanson Girls Shutterfly account for more pictures...) Below is a picture of Alex and Aubrey with their pumpkins.

We finished off the day by trying some yummy, but COLD pumpkin ice cream. Aren't they cute feeding each other?!

I love FALL and good FRIENDS:) What a great combination!

one of my favorite things...

2010-10-18T04:18:00.001-07:00

...is reading something just when I need to hear it. This morning I read, "I do not ask to be set free from sorrow, pain and care, but only that I be given strength my cross on earth to bear. May take me by the hand and help through this day; then trusting him, I'll carry on and work, love, laugh, and pray."

I don't like good-byes, but I like knowing I can trust God to give me strength to carry on and work, love, laugh and pray. (sigh)

I love my town :)

2010-10-09T15:17:00.001-07:00

Smithfield is the cutest little town. If I have to live in VA, I am SO grateful that I get to live where I do:) Today was "Town and Country Day". Check out the link http://visitsmithfieldisleofwight.com/townandcountryday.html just to see how cute my town is!

My friend Christina and her two-year old daughter, Eleanor, came out to join in the festivities. Last year, I ran in the Hog Jog (named such because of Smithfield Hams), but was slacking this year and didn't. Instead, we walked down to the after party and along the way we saw LOTS of old, fancy, shiny cars. It was fun! Then we tried to find the Kid's Fun Run, but those kids were MIA so we walked to the Farmer's Market. Yummy goodies and beautiful crafts!!! Here are the girls taking part in the longest hug ever while standing in front of some plants for sale.
After that we walked to the Windsor Castle Trail and walked in the woods for a bit with the girls while waiting for lunch. We spotted lots of spiders and enjoyed the sun and conversation.
Finally, it was 11 o'clock and lunch was ready. Local Smithfield churches all band together to provide "Souper Saturday". Tons and tons of people make all kinds of soup and desserts. The soups are donated to one church who houses the event. The charge is $5 for adults and $3 for all you can eat, and all the money is donated to the Isle of Wight Christian Outreach Center. Talk about small town community working together for the greater good! Christina and I devoured 2 yummy bowls of soup and the girls thoroughly enjoyed their cupcakes for dessert.
What a GREAT day in a GREAT town:)

Feeding the Fish

2010-10-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

There is a nice housing development behind our apartments that has a pretty big pond in the middle and is within walking distance.Here is stopping to smell the flowers on the way:

The pond is nice to walk around, maybe a 1/2 mile and has pretty Willow trees and fountains. There is also a dock to launch a small boat from.

One day, we discovered there are fish in the pond that LOVE to eat. We have fed them Goldfish crackers, Rice Krispie cereal, even french fries!
The majority of the fish are small sunfish looking things, but there were 2 BIG catfish around this summer. Well, we just fed the fish tonight and there were at least 5 HUGE catfish who were feeling frisky! They were going at the bread we fed them tonight, so hard in fact, that Aubrey and I were all wet because of all their splashing!

You can also check out some more pictures and a video at: http://hansongirls.shutterfly.com/

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2010-10-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation is always wonderful. I love and cherish the extra time with Aubrey, and not having to work is, AWESOME!!!!!! And then reality hits and it's September, well August since that's when teachers report back. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. Teaching is my hobby and I am thankful that I truly do enjoy what I do. (And NO, not because I get my summers off. I actually love the kids!) I am also SOOOOOOO grateful that I do get at least 6 weeks off in the summer because many people are not that fortunate.

But, going from working to playing and then back to working again is an adjustment. It has been a challenge this year to get myself, Aubrey and the dog back on a "working mom" schedule. There have been 3 blocks to making the process easier:

First, my dog is MAD that mommy went back to work. It means long hours all alone. So, when Emma gets mad, she pees. She has decided the best places to do this were under my dining room table where I could "feel" it, Aubrey's bed, and my bed. All in ONE night, I realized what was causing a funky odor in my apartment (the saturated pee carpet under my dining room table) AND she peed in Aubrey's bed while she was in it. This was after she thought that peeing in my bed a couple of nights earlier would also get her point across. Yes, she is still alive!!!

I think the cutest thing about that whole awful night was Aubrey's comment as I was pulling off her sheets to wash them at 9 p.m., after I had just steam cleaned the carpet and still had a lingering scent so I had to go buy 2 bottles of Nature's Miracle and douse the carpet (yes, the smell is gone!)...was when Aubrey looked at me, smiled and said, "Mom, I am lucky because I get to sleep in your bed now!" God is good to give me a girl like her!

The second block has been figuring out our "schedule". I could go on and on here, but mornings are a bit of a struggle to get out on time. Plus, now that we have a bazillion 7:45 a.m. meetings, it has made it even harder this year!!!!! For example, we've had quite the bout of rain the past week. One morning, Aubrey and I walked Emma and it was not raining. So, we got ready to leave for the day and loaded ourselves down with 3 bags, purse, lunch sack, coffee mug, and garbage. You get the picture of LOTS of stuff??!! When we stepped out of the apartment door, we could see and hear that it was pouring! So....we put everything down, walked back in the apartment and put on our rainboots and got our umbrellas. Finally, we loaded ourselves back up and off we went. All that took time so yes, I was late for my 7:45 a.m. meeting.

I won't even go into the evenings and cooking dinner, but I will say that Aubrey is learning lots about cooking and made the best chocolate chip blueberry heart pancakes with me:)
Third, being a teacher is a lot of work. It's not a job that you just leave at the work site and forget about. I have spent many hours after Aubrey goes to bed working on "stuff". As I get ready to leave Aubrey after we read our books and say our prayers at night, she always asks, "Are you going to do work mommy?" Yes. I am. But, the important thing to me is I try very hard to not let my school work overwhelm me. I focus on being with Aubrey when I am with her becuase that's my first job! School will always be there. I will always have something to do. And it always gets done, just when it's supposed to.

So....the moral of my ranting and raving about my life is that no matter what's happening with the dog, no matter what our schedule is like or our lack of one, no matter what we eat for dinner, no matter what the house looks like, no matter what school work I get done, no matter what time I get to work, no matter what........

It's all about the relationship I have with my beautiful daughter,
And it's all about the relationships I have with my students. Those quality relationships make the adjustment back to work alright, and well worth every struggle:)

Minnesota...great place to visit!

2010-08-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

I know why Dorothy repeats, "There is no place like home." There truly isn't. When I go on vacation, it's fun to be somewhere new, see new things, stay someplace new, eat new kinds of good food, etc. BUT, by the end of the trip, I am ALWAYS ready to be "home".

For me, my "home" is Minnesota and my "vacation" is actually where I live in Virginia. Just imagine, I am fortunate enough to vacay where my "home" is! :) No....all silliness set aside, my "home" and "vacation" is actually two places...Minnesota where my blood family lives, and Virginia where my friend family lives. Both feel like home and a vacation at times....God is good and am I loved in either place! What more could a girl want?

So, here is a top ten list of my 2010 summer vacation trip to Minnesota:

10 Wilderness Walk in Hayward. Aubrey and I got to pet and feed a real fawn! It was so sweet and cute and fuzzy! I have never done anything like that in my life:) Plus, it was funny to watch the fawn try to eat Aubrey's skirt.

9 Pie. My mom and my grandma make awesome pies! We had rhubarb and blueberry, and they were oh, so good :)

8 Hermantown Police Department. Aubrey and I got to tour the department and see Uncle Griffin at work. So glad I have never seen ANY part of the police department before that, if you know what I mean?!

7 Swimming in Pike Lake with Aubrey and Omi. It was so fun to take her where I went swimming almost everyday in the summer. The water was just shallow enough for her and had plenty of snail shells to find.

6 Perkin's. It's MN's version of an IHOP. I love the Granny's Country Omelette! And they have the best pancakes.

5 Train ride to Lester River. Aubrey loves pointing out trains while we drive. This time she got to actually be on one and point out cars on the road! It was so exciting....she fell asleep :)

4 Spending quality time with family. There is nothing like family and seeing Aubrey interact with them (aunts, uncles, cousins, great grandparents, etc.) was priceless. My parents are the BEST grandparents!!!
3 Hepzibah's Candy Store. I used to go to this adorable candy shop in Canal Park A LOT during every summer with my friend Kara and get A LOT of Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Belly Beans. (Thanks Kara for recommending that I update the blog BTW.)

2 Aubrey's first bus ride in a REAL school bus. She even had her pink fish backpack from Auntie Carole with her. Thanks Aunnie Ennie for hooking us up...check out this excited girl:
1 Aubrey is the BEST traveler! She is such an expert at flying now. I told her to fasten her seatbelt, to which she replied, "Mom, the seatbelt light isn't on yet so I don't have to!"

Painting like Omie

2010-05-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Even though my parents are far away, it is nice to be able to do things with Aubrey that makes me feel like they are here with us. For example, the last time we went to College Run Farms was to pick pumpkins with Omie and Grandpa back in October. This May, we went to pick strawberries, and the reminder of the experience with them was GREAT.

We also paint like Omie. My mom is an amazing painter, and I love that Aubrey shares the same passion for it:) Everyday she asks if we can paint like Omie. I look forward to the day that she doesn't have to paint like Omie, but with her.

To check out pictures, and even a video, go to: http://hansongirls.shutterfly.com/

My Single Mom Life

2010-05-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

I just started reading the book My Single Mom Life by Angela Thomas. I've wanted to read it for a long time, well about a year now, and finally found it in a local book store. I was thrilled! In the first few pages, I've cried so hard and laughed even harder. So, I'd like to share...

pages 3-4 "From that day until now I have been a single mom. I've done a hundred things wrong and finally gotten a few things right, but whichever the way, I am absolutely sure this has to be the hardest job anyone could have. ... Someone should stand and cheer every time we get the kids to school on time, fed and with clothes on. Or put stars on our single-mom charts for making it to the soccer games... There should be a finish line to run through at the end of every day's marathon...and there should be someone to hold us tight because we've given all we had to give."

A sticker chart!!! Ha-I would love it:) May I get a cookie if I get 10 stars? :) On a serious note though, I've learned through being a single mom that God is the one who holds me tight, and really gives me my stickers or blessings! I have a redeemed heart. I am stronger and able to navigate through the circumstances and inevitable challenges this life brings ALL because of God-who is holding me.

What Angela writes on page 33 echoes this.
"Just this weekend, I received voice mails and emails that brought difficulty to our family of five. We may have to go to court. The next few months could be hard and expensive. But my soul is full, and I am at peace. I remember all that God has already done for me. He'll do it again. We will walk through whatever comes. And I won't be dead on the other side. This mom has been filled by the powerful presence of God, and there is no going back."

When I first read this, I cried. Hard. I am going to court to have a judge decide whether or not I can move home to be with family. The next few months will be hard. I have to wait and not worry. If you know me, those are two things I do REALLY well:) The next few months will be expensive with lawyers fees, possibly moving costs, even emotionally. BUT I CAN FEEL AT PEACE, remembering all that God has done; believing that He will do it again; and trusting that He will be with me. Amen!!!

New Pictures

2010-02-17T11:55:00.001-08:00

On a side note, I have added lots of new pictures to our Shutterfly account:
http://hansongirls.shutterfly.com/

Enjoy:)

Aubrey's Eye Surgery

2010-02-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

At the end of January, my baby girl had minor eye surgery. She had a muscle deviation called Strabismus. Basically, when she looked to the far left, her right eye moved up instead of to the left. It was an easy, outpatient surgery at a Children's Hospital and my friend from Care Group performed the surgery. She did phenomenally well with the surgery, was SO brave, and recovered quickly! I am so proud of her!!!

Decorating the Christmas Tree :)

2009-11-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

Aubrey was ready to be done, but she did a great job putting up ornaments.
She was working so hard...
The final product:) Isn't it cute?
Please enjoy the video...

Merry Christmas :)
P.S. I know we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet...HA!

My beautiful little princess!

2009-11-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

video

2009-11-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

I tried to add a video of Aubrey singing "Jesus Loves Me" and "Happy Birthday" but it was too big to add here, so check out our Shutterfly account.

Aubrey's Halloween Sweater

2009-11-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

Haircutting

2009-10-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

I cut Aubrey's bangs last night and by the end of it she was over the scissors. Early this morning, I wanted to trim them up in new light. Aubrey shook her head and said, "They're fine. They're fine!" and walked away! So grown for a 2 year old:)

Aubrey at school? Isn't she a bit young?

2009-10-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

My parents brought Aubrey to school to meet all of my great students! It was so much fun. It was also embarrassing as my mother took a picture of me (30 years old) at the bus stop in front of ALL of my new teacher colleagues! I about died and forced her to put her camera away!!! Here is the only ONE she got...
Aubrey also enjoyed working at school as you can see below. She kept telling everyone that "I have to do my work. Let me do my work."

Suitcases and Grandpas

2009-10-25T12:58:00.001-07:00

My buff little girl decided that she wanted to roll Omie's suitcase to the car from baggage claim. After a while, it got heavy so she let grandpa help her. Grandpa proceeded to help her by rolling Omie's suitcase as well as his own. Aubrey, however, still wanted to haul Omie's suitcase so she looked back at him and said, "Grandpa, you have your own suitcase!" and took Omie's BACK!

P.S. We were ALL (everyone in the airport including us!) that she could even haul Omie's suitcase around!

Counting with Aubrey

2009-10-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Aubrey has learned how to count, at least say the words, all the way to 10. I am pretty sure she doesn't have 1 to 1 correspondance, but it cute to hear her actually count.

On the way home today, she was counting...not sure what...but I hear, "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, fourteen, eleventeen" and then she just kept saying, "fourteen, eleventeen" over and over. When I tried to tell her about eleven not being a teen she said, "You can't count!"

Uncle Griff

2009-10-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

At least once a week we Skype with Omie and Grandpa and Aunny Enny. It is so fun to be able to see Aubrey interact with her family via the computer.

Even though Aubrey has plenty of people to talk to, she always asks where Uncle Griff is. He is usually at work so Aunny Enny will tell her that and Aubrey says, "Otay."

Later that night, we were laying in bed saying our prayers and thanking God for all of the wonderful people in our lives. Aubrey says, "Thank you God for Uncle Griff," and then asks, "Where did Uncle Griff go?" I told her, "He's at work." She responds with, "At work. That's nice." :)