Thursday, December 22, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Snow from the Past
Since we have no snow I figured I would share some pictures of years past and what it is supposed to look like here in MN in the Winter. Isn't it beautiful??
Thursday, December 15, 2011
White Christmas
For the last four years we have flown from Georgia to Minnesota to spend time with our families for Christmas. Every year we had beautiful white snow for Christmas and New Years. It was perfectly wonderful!
THIS year, the first year we are living back in MN, we have NO snow!! (sense the tone, I am a little peeved :) We have had two small snow falls but that snow has all melted away. Every morning on NPR they tell me that there will most likely be no more significant snow before Christmas....we are going to have a brown Christmas. I am bummed! Not only is it brown and dead looking outside but it is cold and we can not participate in our winter snow & ice activities. Like snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding, and cross country skiing (wanted to try it this year). Yes, this is my pity party.
So, this weekend Eric and I plan on getting outside....despite the cold and muddy ground and do something! Most likely this will just be a long walk around a lake, but I have to get outside! And, I am praying for snow. It is going to be a long winter with out it! And, I feel a little cheated. :)
THIS year, the first year we are living back in MN, we have NO snow!! (sense the tone, I am a little peeved :) We have had two small snow falls but that snow has all melted away. Every morning on NPR they tell me that there will most likely be no more significant snow before Christmas....we are going to have a brown Christmas. I am bummed! Not only is it brown and dead looking outside but it is cold and we can not participate in our winter snow & ice activities. Like snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding, and cross country skiing (wanted to try it this year). Yes, this is my pity party.
So, this weekend Eric and I plan on getting outside....despite the cold and muddy ground and do something! Most likely this will just be a long walk around a lake, but I have to get outside! And, I am praying for snow. It is going to be a long winter with out it! And, I feel a little cheated. :)
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
This time last year: December
This past Thursday Eric and I went to downtown Minneapolis for the annual Target Holidazzle parade with our friends DJ & Rachel. I love having all the different events going on around Christmas like parades. This time last year we went to the Christmas parade in Athens. We went every year while we lived there. I missed the Athens parade this year since it is a heck of a lot warmer in GA this time of year than it has been here in MN!
The holidazzle parade was OK. We mostly watched from one of the skyways in the city and were able to stay warm inside. (FYI...The skyways are a way for people to walk ALL OVER downtown without having to go outside. This is very important during our winters here since it can be biter cold and there can be a lot of snow, ice and slush on the roads/sidewalks.) The parade was very short. It only lasted 30 min. I don't blame them since it is so cold out, but still kind of a disappointment. I wanted LOTS of lights and there were probably only a half dozen floats. Even though the parade was a little bit if a disappointment it was fun to hang out with our friends!
The holidazzle parade was OK. We mostly watched from one of the skyways in the city and were able to stay warm inside. (FYI...The skyways are a way for people to walk ALL OVER downtown without having to go outside. This is very important during our winters here since it can be biter cold and there can be a lot of snow, ice and slush on the roads/sidewalks.) The parade was very short. It only lasted 30 min. I don't blame them since it is so cold out, but still kind of a disappointment. I wanted LOTS of lights and there were probably only a half dozen floats. Even though the parade was a little bit if a disappointment it was fun to hang out with our friends!
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| Rachel & DJ |
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| Me & Eric |
Monday, December 5, 2011
This week is going to be great!
Monday: Lunch with my mom and Dinner with my friend Kristen! (Plus a little Christmas Shopping)
Tuesday: first night of Tutoring
Wednesday: Church Small Group and dinner
Thursday: Holidazzle Parade!!!
Friday: nothing planned....yet!
Saturday: Cooking baking with my mom
Sunday: Christmas Concert at Park Ave United Methodist Church
Tuesday: first night of Tutoring
Wednesday: Church Small Group and dinner
Thursday: Holidazzle Parade!!!
Friday: nothing planned....yet!
Saturday: Cooking baking with my mom
Sunday: Christmas Concert at Park Ave United Methodist Church
Friday, December 2, 2011
Tutoring
Since being back in MN Eric and I have been thinking of ways we can be involved in our church and community. We have decided that we wanted to tutor kids through a program at our church. Its called Park Avenue Youth and Family Services and we will be tutoring a child once a week helping them with reading. The kids are mostly from a school near by that has a very low population of students that pass the states reading exam (I think only 20% passed last year). Most of the kids in our neighborhood are very behind in their reading levels and need help catching up after school.
I am very excited to do this but I am also super nervous. Eric kind of had to talk me into it because I wasn't sure I was "smart enough" to tutor kids. I was never good at spelling, math, or science so I don't want to mess up the kid more! But I think I will be able to handle reading. I know Eric is going to be really good at it. He has tutored kids before at another school in South Minneapolis.
We will work with our kid for a whole hour on a reading assignment that is designed to catch them up to the reading level they should be at. After they have finished the reading assignment we will have 30 min of fun time. During this time we can play games, read more, or work on other homework.
I found out yesterday that I will be tutoring a 2nd grader and Eric is tutoring an 8th grader from the same family. I am excited to build a relationship with my student and to help him/her grow in their reading abilities. I am sure I will learn a lot in this process as well! Wish us luck!
I am very excited to do this but I am also super nervous. Eric kind of had to talk me into it because I wasn't sure I was "smart enough" to tutor kids. I was never good at spelling, math, or science so I don't want to mess up the kid more! But I think I will be able to handle reading. I know Eric is going to be really good at it. He has tutored kids before at another school in South Minneapolis.
We will work with our kid for a whole hour on a reading assignment that is designed to catch them up to the reading level they should be at. After they have finished the reading assignment we will have 30 min of fun time. During this time we can play games, read more, or work on other homework.
I found out yesterday that I will be tutoring a 2nd grader and Eric is tutoring an 8th grader from the same family. I am excited to build a relationship with my student and to help him/her grow in their reading abilities. I am sure I will learn a lot in this process as well! Wish us luck!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Our Christmas Tree!
This past weekend we also picked out our Christmas Tree. This is the first year we have had a tree in 5 years. We never got one in GA since we would always be in MN for the holidays. So this year I was super excited to get one! I love having a tree and decorating it.
We picked our tree at a place in Zimmerman, MN. It was fun to walk the row of trees and pick out the one for us! Eric's mom and step dad came with us. It was such a mild and comfortable day to be outside and pick a tree.
It didnt take us long to decorate our tree. I like having the tree in our living room, it adds a nice ambiance and makes everything more festive. After decorating the tree I spent some time decorating the rest our our apartment for Christmas. It didnt take long since we dont have such a large space but it was still fun.
We picked our tree at a place in Zimmerman, MN. It was fun to walk the row of trees and pick out the one for us! Eric's mom and step dad came with us. It was such a mild and comfortable day to be outside and pick a tree.
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| Eric & his mom, Becky |
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| Me & our tree |
It didnt take us long to decorate our tree. I like having the tree in our living room, it adds a nice ambiance and makes everything more festive. After decorating the tree I spent some time decorating the rest our our apartment for Christmas. It didnt take long since we dont have such a large space but it was still fun.
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