Sickie

I am so, so sick.

I am ending week 5 of being sick. And yes, I saw a doctor, who told me there was nothing she could do about it. She tested me for whooping cough and even gave me antibiotics for whooping cough "just in case", but those tests came back negative yesterday. She said I just have to live with the cough until it decides to leave.

Being sick isn't the hard part, though. In the process of coughing for 5 weeks straight, I have severely torn muscles in my rib cage. I have never, ever in my life experienced such pain. I thought I had broken a rib, but my doctor said I only tore muscles and ligaments around the rib cage. She said it can happen in extreme cases of cough such as mine.

I am basically immobile. I can't bend over. I can't breathe without pain. Coughing brings me to tears (and I'm doing that every minute). When I sneeze, I just want to die. And sadly, when I laugh, it makes me cough, which makes me crumble over in extreme pain.

Like I said, I have never been in such pain, even after surgery. I sympathize with anyone who has ever broken a rib or had rib problems.

The doctor said it will probably take weeks for me to feel normal again after tearing these muscles. So right abut the time I'm headed back to school in January......

Ornament Exchange

Shannon and I hosted our 5th Annual Ornament Exchange. It was another huge success with 20 ladies, our largest yet! My friend, Tiffany, who moved to New Jersey this past summer, even participated from afar. She mailed me an ornament, and I mailed her new ornament back to her. She loves it so much that she wanted to join in on the fun even though she isn't here. We missed you, Tiffany. 

All 20 of us, and we all ended up with a beautiful, new ornament. 

It was a night filled with food, wine, laughter, and fellowship. What a great group of friends we have!

Sully Love

As most of you know, I'm not a huge fan of dogs. But they sure do like me! This past weekend, Josh dog-sat for my friend's dog, Sully. Sully came to my house, along with his bed and toys. I was gone for the day/night with my girlfriends from Nebraska, so it was just the boys hanging out in my apartment. 

When I got home around 1 a.m., luckily Sully was not in my bed. He also didn't bark at me as I came in the door, as I feared, but he was quick to try to snuggle up with me as I laid down to bed. I slept on the futon, and Sully slept right beside me all night (I wouldn't allow him to crawl up with me, so he laid on the floor). The next morning, I couldn't keep him off me. 

Josh and I took him to the baseball field to run around. 

Once we got back home, this is where Sully sat for the rest of  the day. On my lap. Yup, he wouldn't move, and he refused to lay anywhere else. I wasn't feeling well, so the two of us were lazy and slept the day away, him on my lap, me not too amused, Josh laughing that Sully loves me so much.  

Girls' Christmas

Every year, my Nebraska girls (Katie, April, Irish, and Michelle) get together to celebrate Christmas. We draw names and then get together for a fun night of laughs, drinks, and games. 

This year was our 10 year anniversary together. We had originally decided to celebrate in Kearney because the girls came to Denver last year. But it just so happened that Katie turned 30 last week, and turning 30 wouldn't be as fabulous without a fun party. It worked out just so that we planned Katie's 30th birthday party for the same weekend as our girls' Christmas. The girls packed up and headed to Denver this past weekend. 

Katie also had a fun, new idea. Rather than draw names for one girl, each girl had a limit of $6 per girl, and the gift was "My Favorite Things." So rather than drawing names, each girl got a $6 gift from everyone! I think we all went over our budget by a few dollars, but look at all the girls' favorite things:

Snickers, PB Cups, Beta fish food (the other girls got dog treats, but I don't have a dog), a handmade coaster with my initial, lip gloss/lipstick in one, a hand-held mirror (because Michelle said, "I'm always looking at myself"), orange nail polish, lavender nail polish, a burned CD (I don't remember what band, but April said it's one of her favorites), a candy cane pen, a purple Sharpie, a very nice black ink pen, Christmas napkins, bubble bath, five different martini flavors, a nail file, a Christmas tin, a bottle of wine, Bobbie pins (with a fancy jewel on the tips), and shimmer lip gloss. April also printed off some wedding pictures for us, and I got a Christmas card and picture from Irish and Katie. 

It was so much fun to get all these fun gifts, and I think this may be our new tradition. 

Here's what I got for my girls: 

A Cranberry Pear candle from Bath and Body Works (my favorite smell!), a pair of feather earrings (my new favorite accessory), homemade Puppy Chow (all of our favorites), homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer with the recipe, and I made each girl a picture frame earring holder. 

No Words

For the very first time in my life, I was victim to a crime. I wasn't even present when the crime happened, and I guess technically you could say the crime didn't even happen to me, but I felt so violated and robbed. This crime consumed my mind for three straight days, and I was filled with anger every time it popped into my head.

My bike was stolen. From Josh.

You see, I am blessed to have two bikes. I have a mountain bike my parents got me 10 years ago, and then I have my road bike that I got 5 years ago. My road bike is my primary bike and the one I ride in the MS150. Josh has taken over possession of my mountain bike, and we make a pretty good team with our respective bikes.

Josh rides my bike to and from school. He dutiful locks my bike up every morning, and he makes sure to take very good care of this possession, my possession.

And then one day when he came out of class, my bike wasn't there.

Taken. Stolen. Robbed.

Josh called the police. He called me. He was not happy. I was not happy.

Someone took what was not his to take.

(To make a long story short, a week later, Josh was walking to school when he found my bike. The thief, dumb as he was, rode his stolen prize to school, and Josh found it. The police were called, and I/we have my bike back).

Today, someone took that which was not his to take. A man...no, a selfish, self-center, repulsive, hideous, nauseating creature walked into a school and took the lives of at least 27 children and adults. As an educator, as an aunt, as a future mother (God willing), I am filled with hatred. Complete and utter disgust. Rage. Sorrow. Sadness. Grief.

Why must people take what doesn't belong to them? There are just no words.

I rely on God's peace right now. I got my bike back, but these people, these parents, will never get their children back. And for that, I cry, I pray, I lift up those hurting.

There are just no words.

Our Love Story

Josh and I started dating two years ago today. Two years of long-distance dating. It has been hard, but we have made it work and we are happier now than ever before. Things are going well, and we are both anxious for him to finish school so we can finally live in the same town.

Josh told me today, "Yes, I am happy, and yes you make me happy. Two years ago today I falled in love with you." (Rather than editing his words, I want to point out that Josh is very aware that FALLED in love is not the correct way to speak. He does that to make me laugh (and it does!). He's always being silly like that).

Last night, we were remembering how we met. His version is a bit different than mine.

My version: I was at The Grizzley Rose with Kari and a few other friends. I had noticed Josh all night, partly because I thought he was cute and partly because he was one of the few young men out on the dance floor. I could see he knew how to dance, which caught my attention. We made eye contact a few times, but nothing came of it. Near the end of the night, he came up to me and said, "You should go out there and dance. You look like you want to dance." I said, "Ok," and grabbed his hand so he could lead me to the floor. We danced a few times, I tried to get him to line dance, we talked, he asked for my number, I gave him my number, I told him I had to leave. We said good night. The very next day, Josh called and left me a message. I still have it saved. It said, "Hey there, young lady, this is Josh, the gentleman who tried wooing you on the dance floor last night." I didn't call him back until the next evening, and he was surprised to hear from me. We set up our first official date for the following Saturday.

His version: He noticed me standing with my friends because I was wearing a green dress, and he thought I was very pretty. As he danced that night, he couldn't help but notice me every time he went around the floor. He said I looked eager to dance. He finally got enough courage to come talk to me. He said, "You should go out there and dance. You look like you want to dance." He was not asking me to dance, he later told me. He thought I would say NO, so his intention was not to ask me to dance but to tell me to go dance with someone. (I still give him a hard time about this). He was shocked when I grabbed his hand and said OK. While we danced, I asked him two questions he said a girl should never ask on a first meeting. I asked him if he was a Republican or a Democrat (why? I don't know) and I asked him if he had a DUI (again, why? I don't know). It must have flowed with the conversation! He said he never lined danced, but since I asked him to try, he decided to do it so he could be by my side. After we said our goodbyes, he said he came looking for me (I had already left with my friends, as I told him I was). He said he searched the bar for over 10 minutes trying to find me, and much to his disappointment, he figured out I really had left. He told me last night, "I fell in love with you that first night we met. And the fact that you disappeared with your friends made you even more appealing to me." After he called me on Sunday and I never called back, he figured I wasn't going to call. He was excited and shocked when I called him back the following night.

That's how our love story began. We talked every day that week, and we went out the following Saturday for our first official date. He brought me a rose (his mom picked it out for him), and he dressed like Zac Brown so I would think he was cute. He watched the Husker game with me that night, and then we danced at the Grizzley Rose to end the night.

Two years later, here we are :)

Love Birds

My grandparents, Van and Bill Kloepping, are the two coolest people I know. Hands down. 

If you have not met them, I hope you have the opportunity to meet them soon. They will greet you with open arms and love and create interesting dialogue to keep you entertained. 

What is even greater is their love for one another. Their love story is amazing, and this is them on their wedding day. 

 A few weeks ago, they celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. 68 years! They are even more in love today than they were 68 years ago and what a great example of an incredible marriage.

At their Anniversary party, my Aunt Jan gave them a bottle of Hot Sex. Grandpa said, "I'm a bit tired for this tonight." Grandma didn't quite know what to say. The family got a good laugh out of it (especially if you know anything about my grandma and alcohol). 

I love you, grandma and grandpa. 

Girls on the Town

I mentioned in a previous blog that April got engaged on the night of her 30th birthday back in May. Zach surprised us all by getting down on one knee in front of 40 of April's closest friends and family. She said yes, so the wedding planning began. 

April and Zach set the date for October, so that gave her five months to plan. I was honored when April called and asked me to be her Maid of Honor, and I was excited to being planning her shower and bachelorette party. 

We sent the date for her shower and bachelorette party for the same weekend in September so Katie and I (Denver people) wouldn't have to make the drive twice. 

April's shower was in the afternoon, and it was a lovely time. Around 20 ladies showed up, and April got some great gifts. After the shower, we had two hours to get ready for the bachelorette party. We had reserved a hotel for the evening, so we all got ready there. 

We arrived at The Rose (Zach is the head chef, and it's the nicest restaurant in Kearney), and about 12 ladies had a great night together. We ate dinner, had Better Than Sex cake, and played a few games. The most fun game was Pin the Lips on the Hot Man. (Sadly, I don't have a picture of this). Karen (April's soon-to-be mother-in-law) "won" by placing the lips in just the right place. It was a hoot! All the ladies also got several sets of pearls to wear for the night, and mustaches, lips, and glasses were distributed (see below). 

After dinner, we roamed the town, hitting our favorite bars and seeing old friends scattered around town. We had a scavenger hunt, too, and then ended the night back at our hotel laughing, telling stories, ordering pizza, and falling asleep by 1 a.m. (we are all 30, you know!).

 Take 1

 Take 2

 Take 3

 Take 4

 Take 5

Sadly, our dear friend Katie (also a bridesmaid) wasn't able to make the weekend, as she had a family emergency that called for her attention. We sure did miss Katie!

YES

3A and 3B passed last night. I sat with tears in my eyes watching the election and the numbers come across the screen. People cared. People are willing to give up a Starbucks coffee every month to help Jefferson County School District.

It also passed in Denver County, Cherry Creek, and about 15 other districts in our state.

Every. Single. One. Passed.

Amazing.
Glorious.
Praise the Lord.

I can gladly say that I will have a job next year. So will my friend, Liz. And so will about 600 other teachers in my District.

Thank you, Jeffco, for voting YES!

Thank you, Lord, for answering our prayers.

Sweet Treats

Thanks to Josh, who found these costumes at Goodwill, Liz and I were the

two sweetest teachers at Chatfield on Halloween! :)

Greeley Activities

Whenever I come to Greeley to visit, we try to find fun activities to fill our weekend. Josh doesn't have a TV, so it forces us to get out and try new adventures. When we aren't eating at Roma's or The Wing Shack, you may find us participating in some of the following activities. 

THE POUDRE TRAIL

Josh and I have found this trail, which begins in Greeley and goes to the other side of Windsor, 20 miles there and 20 miles back. It's paved and flat, so we spent a lot of time on this trail this summer training for my ride. It's a gorgeous trail, and we will often see snakes, wild animals, and other wildlife along the way. 

THE CACTUS CANYON

When we're feeling dance moves within us, we will head to The Cactus Canyon, a country dance bar. Even better yet, from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m., their drinks are only $.50, so it's a cheap night of dancing. We usually head home around midnight before the crowd gets too wild. We are old, you know. 

UNCO SPORTS AND CAMPUS

UNCO has a beautiful campus, so we spend time walking down the sidewalks and taking tours of old buildings. We also go watch a lot of sports there, too. Yesterday we went to the football game (UNC lost by 2 points in the last 3 seconds of the game). It was a great game! We also watch volleyball, basketball, and wrestling. We've gone to a baseball game once, too. Sometimes Josh makes me go to the gym on campus, which isn't my favorite, but I go nonetheless. This campus, like UNK in Kearney, brings a lot of life and activity to Greeley. I love the feel of a college town. 

ESH'S FAMILY DISCOUNT STORE 

Esh's is a small grocery store that sells damaged food. If a cereal box is damaged, or a can of food gets a dent, the regular stores won't sell it, so they ship it off to Esh's. Here, everything is super cheap, so if you don't mind a crumpled box, then this is a great place to get your food. The contents change every week, depending on what gets sent to the store, so Josh and I find new, cheap finds every time we visit. 

FRISBEE

Josh and I (pictured above) have started playing Frisbee at a park on UNC's campus. If the weather is nice, we'll take a walk to the park and toss the Frisbee around for a while. Then we'll sit on the grass and people watch. We've even watched a game of Quiditch (from Harry Potter) while sitting. 

So you see, we don't spend ALL our time eating. We do try to get out and find fun things to do on our weekends in Greeley. 

Greeley Food

I really like the town of Greeley. It reminds me a lot of my hometown. It's a little bit bigger than Kearney, but it still has the small town feel and friendly attitudes that make it feel like home. 

Josh always kids me about going back to Kearney. He says, "Are you going there to visit your friends and family, or do you go for all the food?" He says that because there are a ton of restaurants that I love in Kearney that can't be found here in Colorado. So whenever I make a stop in Kearney, I have to make sure to hit: Runza, Amigos, Skeeter Barnes, Eileen's Cookies, Daylight Donuts, and Taco Johns, just to name a few. That's a lot of eating in a short weekend. 

Likewise, Greeley has a few of my favorite places to eat. Josh and I have become "regulars", and while they may not call us by name (yet), our servers definitely know our faces. 

Here's where you'll find Josh and me every other weekend, and here are some MUST eat at places if you ever make a stop in Greeley. 

ROMA PIZZA

Roma's has these amazing Calzones (called Caroli's) that are to die for. They are huge (it covers the entire plate), and they are stuffed full of deliciousness. Josh and I attempted to share one (we did it once), but we quickly decided that 1). they are too good to share, and 2). we're not willing to give up our favorite toppings. Josh gets pepperoni and pineapple. I get pepperoni and jalapenos. Order with a side of ranch to dip (instead of marinara), and you will have heaven in your mouth. Even better yet, Roma's has coupons online for half price Caroli's, so Josh and I both get a calzone for under $10!

THE WING SHACK

If you like wings, then this is the place for you! O.M.G., these wings can't be beat, and believe me, Josh and I have tried to find an equivalent match in or around Littleton and can't find anything that compares to these wings. If you like a little kick, get the Garlic Hot (pictured above). It will get your noise running, but man oh man, they are so good! They are big wings, too, so you'll get your fill of meat, and they slather the sauce on, so it just drips off the wings. Their happy hour special is 24 wings, an order of fries, and a pitcher of beer for only $17.99. This is our favorite place to eat and watch football. 

EILEEN'S COOKIES

This is a favorite in Kearney, too, but if you are in need of a cookie, then this is the place. Their cookies are thick and soft, and there isn't a bad flavor to choose from. My favorites are the Monster Cookie (pictured above), or their sugar cookie. Josh prefers Macadamia Nut. Whatever you choose, you will fall in love with their cookies. 

WINCHELL'S

Anyone who says a donut is just a donut has not had a donut from Winchell's (or Daylight Donuts in Kearney). These donuts are SO YUMMY! Winchell's is directly across the street from Josh's apartment, so it's easy for him to grab us a donut for breakfast. We only eat one each, and we're always sad when it's gone, but it is totally worth the calories. We each get a cake donut with white frosting and sprinkles (middle left). 

And Josh and I wonder why we can't lose weight....... :)

Asking for Prayer

In three weeks, Jefferson County, my school district, has a bond/mill on the ballot. Vote YES on 3A/3B signs are everywhere, and teachers and parents have been going door to door to spread the word. The same 3A/3B bond did NOT pass three years ago, and it is even more important to pass this time around. The cost  increase is $.10 per day for house owners, which is $3 per month. Easy peasy.

My school district has been in some very serious financial problems over the past four years. Over the last two years, my school district has cut over $70 million. Part of these cuts included salary freezes, a 3 percent paycut for all staff, and furlough days sprinkled throughout our school year. Health insurance has gone up, benefits have gone down, and it has been a tough few years for many of us struggling on a tight budget.

Among many other consequences, here's what will happen (probably to me) if this bond/mill doesn't pass:
Chatfield Senior High alone will have to cut 10-15 teachers (and every school in Jeffco will have to cut 10-15 teachers).

My school, the place where I have labored for the past three years to get a permanent job, will have to cut 10-15 teachers. I will be among those cut.

By cutting 10-15 teachers, our classroom sizes will go from an already overflowing classroom of 30 (which is nearly impossible to teach) to upwards of 40 students per room. We teachers cannot even fathom how this is possible, as our rooms are so small that 30 students are busting at the seems.

By cutting 10-15 teachers, my co-workers will go from teaching 5 classes a day to 6 classes a day, each class with 40 students.

My school will have to cut a counselor, a principal, a librarian, several Pera's, and the list goes on and on of all the cuts.

It's serious. It keeps me up at night. It is very, very serious.

I know none of my blog readers are in Jefferson County. If you were, I would demand you vote YES on 3A/3B. But since you can't vote YES, I am asking for your prayers. Pray this bond/mill passes, or yet again I will face being cut at my school.

We NEED this bond to pass.

Dear Lord, help people see the importance of this bond. May the voters of Jeffco understand why our schools need this money. May your presence be felt as people consider this bond.

Thank you for your prayers over the next three weeks.

Panic

There are four things that send me into panic mode.

Like, real panic mode. Sick to my stomach, I'm going to puke, I'm shaking uncontrollably panic mode. Chances are, you probably don't know these things about me, so sit back and learn about Shiloh.

The first thing that will set in the panic is getting trapped in the middle of a long row. For example, a church pew, or a row of bleachers at a baseball/basketball/football game, or a row in a movie theatre, or the window seat on an airplane. The reason this causes me so much panic is not because I'm claustrophobic but because I fear I will have to go to the bathroom. And if I'm stuck in the middle, how can I possibly get out? And even if I could get out, how annoying is it for everyone else to have to stand up to let me through? And not just once, but twice! Whenever possible, I sit on the end.

The next thing that really gets me nervous is not having food around me. I think I was starved in my last life, so now I have to have food on me or near me at all times. Even a granola bar in my purse gives me enough reassurance that I'll be okay. This abnormality has brought about the "bag of fun" whenever I travel. This bag of fun is a lot of fun because it's full of goodies for the long trip ahead. Usually, I don't even eat any of it, and if I do, I eat a very small amount. But just knowing that food is available should I need it brings me comfort. I have a very hard time being out of my routine (including weekends) because I just don't know when I will get to eat next.

I think a lot of ladies can relate to my next thing: shopping for jeans. I sweat. I turn read. My heart rate goes up. Enough said.

Finally, I nearly throw up every time I have to call someone on the phone, especially people I don't know. It usually takes me 5-10 minutes to press the send button, and that's after preparing myself for the call. You know who I'm talking about: the hair dresser, the bank, the cable company, a parent of a student, a business call. Imagine how life was when I worked in sales (hence why I went back to school and eventually quit). I don't know why I am like this. You would think it would be easy to call someone because they can't see you and have no idea who you are, but nope. If I can, I will drive to a place and walk in to talk to a person face to face. Even more ideal is this thing called online shopping/appointment making/paying bills. If and when I can, I do everything online. Need a hair appointment? No problem, I'll do it online. Need to pay a bill? No problem, pay it online. Need to ask a question? More than likely, the answer can be found online. This panic has gotten worse over the years, and now Josh has become "Shiloh" when the time arises. Shiloh is a transgender name, right? Most people think my name is a boy's name anyway, so no one second guesses when Shiloh is a male voice. What would I do if my name was Rebecca or Sarah or Elizabeth? Josh makes the phone call for me when face to face or online won't cut it, and thanks to Josh/Shiloh, my cable bill is lower than it's ever been, and I have more channels that I've ever had. Thanks, Shiloh! This little problem of mine often causes me to procrastinate.

For example, over the summer, I had a crown done on my back tooth. I had a temporary crown for about two weeks, and the dentist called me to come in for my permanent crown. I went in to the dentist, and long story short, the dentist told me she thought I needed a root canal. She gave me the name and number of a root canal specialist and my homework was to make an appointment with him, get a root canal, and then call my regular dentist to get my temporary crown fixed (but she couldn't do it until I had a root canal). Well, every time I even thought about calling the root canal dentist, I started to panic, so I would set the thought aside and continue with my day. One week passed. Two weeks passed. Three weeks passed. Four weeks passed (all, by the way, while I still had a temporary crown in my mouth). After about four weeks, my dentist called to find out if I had my root canal. Nope. But the good news was I wasn't in pain anymore, so the dentist agreed to fix my crown. I didn't have to get a root canal after all, and I never even had to call to make an appointment. It paid off in the end! ;)

There you have it. Those four things make me want to puke. What makes you panic?

Craft Time

Can you guess what I made yesterday?

 

 I started with a framed white board.

And some fancy, bedazzled material.

 I took out the "innards" of the white board, so I was left with just the frame.

 Then came the hard part.

 I glued the material to the frame. 

 Almost there.....

Ta da! This is the final product. An earring holder.

Now I can see all my earrings without having to dump them out every morning.

I also see that I have room for more! :)

I hung it above my mirror so I can try on earrings to find the perfect match for my outfit.

 

I gained my inspiration from this one, which I found online while shopping for an earring holder. I thought, "I can make that," and headed to Hobby Lobby. I, of course, added my own spin to match my taste (lace just isn't me), and I love my final product. It only cost $6, too, which is even better.