ANTM inspired

alyssa in town for the premiere. nice claw alyssa

how could i not include this crazy cat pic? he was also inspired.

I just drove home in a blizzard.

no, seriously. there was a blizzard between abbotsford and agassiz. huge flakes. so many, i could barely see out my windshield.

could there BE any more driving issues today?

driving issues.

this morning i got to school 50 minutes after it had started. i missed chapel -- a chapel that i was in charge of. why, you ask? traffic. i now know what all those who commute the OTHER way feel on a more frequent basis.

i wasn't carpooling today so i stopped at starbucks. who should i meet there but my carpooling buddy sally! we had the same idea. she got her coffee and left and i waited another couple minutes for my drink and then left. as i hit chilliwack, it started to snow and the road got slippery and all of a sudden everyone in front of me was coming to a stop. there was an accident. i couldn't see it because there were some semis in front of it but i was pretty close. was it sally? i didn't know. then i saw a silver jetta up ahead of me a ways and thought to myself -- that must be her. she'll call the school on her cel (as i'm not carrying a cel around these days). well, a few minutes turned into 15 minutes, which turned into 30 minutes. i thought to myself, i should go check if that's really sally. so i get out of my car (which at this point, many people are doing) and start walking up the side of the road only to see a man standing beside the jetta. shoot it wasn't sally. now i'm worried again that it's her in the accident. plus it's 8am (school starts at 8:15) and they don't know where i am. i walk up to a mom-looking lady and ask her if she has a cel phone i could use. she lends it to me and i call the school.

sally's there. it's all good. except that i'm stuck in traffic. the people on the radio are saying, "if you're on the #1 by #3 road, get off the highway. they've closed it down and who knows how long this is going to be!" oh man. i did some soduku puzzles. thanks rach. and all of a sudden, things got moving by 8:45!

i made it to school unscathed. my kids were sitting quietly doing silent reading while our part time teacher supervised. i got there in time for bible class. in fact i had many a hug from my students when i arrived.

yep. that's it. you were expecting more excitement? insert seinfeld quote about the pants here.

things that are bad

#1 thing that is bad? shopping.

BUT today i went to winners. now i have stayed away for over a month and today i knew tim was working late and i thought to myself..."maybe i'll just go have a look around..." i bought something. a shirt. but it was only $9.99. how's that for self-control?

#2 thing that is bad? fast food.

BUT i went to wendy's anyways.

#3 thing that is bad? skipping the gym.

this is especially bad on days that there's no good tv, you're husband's working late and there's no reason to stay home. how could you NOT go to the gym? umm...if you stay home and bake the #4 bad thing...

#4 thing that is bad? too many cookies.

i had gotten this jar of ingredients for christmas from one of my students that all that was needed was an egg and some butter. i assembled it today and made the cookies. now, you just can't have that many cookies around because they are TOO tempting. however, when i pulled the first dozen out of the oven, i dropped the tray and splattered cookies all over the floor. so now i only have one dozen. i guess that's a good thing. (but i'm still sad)

so that was my "bad" evening. (however, i'm feeling pretty good...haha)

what's with this hair?

or what's with this smile? ha. with no where to go today, i washed my hair and have been letting it dry with no dryer or straightener. whoa -- weird curl. you know, my hairdresser always wants to make my hair wavy before i leave the shop -- like trying to subtly tell me that i wear it too flat. then i go home and straighten it out. maybe she has a point.

or maybe not. it looks a little wild from behind. haha.

my teaching practices...

i'm mid-evaluation right now at school which means my principal drops into my class every so often and takes notes. eek. one portion of the eval is me choosing someone like parents, kids, other staff to also evaluate me. i chose the kids this time. so the other day when he taught them music, he gave my kids a survey and went through it with them. 8 questions for them to answer "always true", "sometimes true", or "never true" about me. these statements were like, "i understand my teacher's rules" and "My teacher answers my questions", right? the number one statement that almost all the kids said is "always true" about me was...

My teacher wants me to learn a lot.

now that's not so bad, right? i have high expectations! coming in tied at number 2 in the placings?

I learn lots of things in this class &
My teacher helps me with my work when i don't understand something.

it's funny to wonder what was going through their minds when they were filling these out.

Wii

so i tried out a wii for the first time on tuesday night. oh my goodness i want one. have you tried it? it's so easy to use and it's not just a thumb workout. i was running around, swinging for tennis, jumping over hurdles - it was awesome. we were at tim's friend jeff's place for games (regular ones) on tuesday and we'd finished a couple games and i was feeling desperate to leave because it was getting late and i was so tired and then jeff says to his wife, "i think we should teach rebecca how to ride the cows. she'll really like it." and i'm like, "wha?" well, tim and i didn't want to go home after trying this out. i kept saying, "okay -- just one more game of tennis." and then we'd keep going. it's a fantastic device. i'd recommend trying one out.

do i look a little unsteady?

it was skating day on friday. even though both me and my student don't look to happy here, we did have a really great time. there's actually another one of my kids behind me here pushing me along. now that's the way to skate.

you know you're a teacher when

you keep waking up in the night thinking of activities to teach "change the y into an i and add es". city - cities. i couldn't go back to sleep.

not impressed?

okay, so no one likes the "things i hate" post. i understand. what do you say to that?

how about a movie review? if you don't mind violence and a lot boston swearing, rent The Departed. did i already rave about it you after i saw it in theatres? well, the plot is just so fantastic. you're saying, "wait, he's a bad guy? what? he's a cop?" the whole time. edge of your seat with interest. it's not a movie that i'd recommend to my parents...even though i already did. it's so rough and violent. but i'd say it's worth the watch just for the cleverness. jack nicholson is the best at this role and even though you go into it wanting to dislike leonardo, you can't help but root for him.

what did you think?

things i hate?

so having missed last season, i thought i'd be returning to survivor this season now that it's on a night that i can watch it. let's just say, it's 8:45pm and i'm not interested enough to watch the rest. it's a little bit sad for me having been such an avid survivor fan for so many years. it was even mentioned numerous times at my wedding. ah, well life has got to go on, right? ha.



well even though i've been lacking in the LOVE posts this past 10 days of valentines, it's not because i haven't thought about it. everyday this week as i drove to and from school alone because my carpool partner was sick, i thought about things that i love. things such as my magic bag, cheese pleasers, ang's posts, cruise control and my straightening iron jumped to mind. however, i had many things that i hate jump to mind as well. i know, hate is a strong word. but i was feeling strongly about some of these things. so to counteract the love-in we've had this past week, as much as i enjoyed it, i just had to get these things off my chest.

i hate that cheese pleasers have 400cal. a bag.

i hate it when you're using cruise control and you pass someone only to have them then speed up and tail you until you pull into the right lane and they pass you. then you pull out again behind them, still on cruise control, and they slow down again, forcing you to step on the brakes and end your cruising.

i hate it when i'm straightening my hair and some hairs just want to stick out no matter how many times i straighten them THEN they're fried from being straightened too many times.

i hate ridiculous questions - there IS such thing as a stupid question.

i hate photocopying things then losing them on my desk and having to go re-photocopy them.

i hate finding things that i've already re-photocopied.

i hate headaches.

i hate hearing the alarm in the morning.

i hate days that you want to call in sick but know that you can't.





umm...alrighty then. maybe you're guessing that i didn't have a great day. i re-photocopied a ton of things today and then found them again later. i lost a lot of things on my desk today. i have a headache. i want to call in sick tomorrow but most definitley cant. i did eat a bag of cheese pleasers though which made feel temporarily better. i wish tomorrow was saturday. but at least it's not monday. and i'm just a big complainer. and i know it. but sometimes it really is nice just to get things off your chest.

ahhh...i think i'll sleep good tonight. haha.

twu? what?

so what kind of university is T-dub turning into? tim's spent some major hours at work overtime lately working on a view day video. you know -- have prospective students and their parents watch a little promo video? little did i know what this video was about. since when does twu have humour like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooHKC_F7ics

maybe i'm biased because it's tim. haha.

I LOVE So You Think You Can Dance

I absolutely adore this show. i didn't watch the first season but this past season was fantastic. my favs were benji and heidi though. after the season was over, MUCH started replaying it again on sundays. i watched the entire season a second time and i liked just as much if not more! whenever a show was finished, i just wanted to dance around the house. now that's love. the question is: when is the next season???

I LOVE...

i admit. i've been avoiding this. i've now had a couple questions about it and then today i walked into the penn village starbucks and sharelle was working. second thing out her mouth? where's the I Love posts? good question. i have some ground to make up.

but here was my first thought when i read ang's first I LOVE post:

"I like my sketchers, but i LOVE my prada backpack." "but i love my sketchers." "that's because you don't have a prada backpack."

name that quote.

I LOVE pedicures

i know that i've spoken of my $18 pedicures before but i came home early from work this past thursday and thought to myself, "i should get a pedicure.", walked in and got one. the price has gone up to $22 but it's still a steal. the woman recorgnizes me and was quizzing my down as to why i hadn't been there in so long. i told hre that i don't usually get pedicures in winter. she asked, "so you not going somehwere else?" and i said no. and then when i took my socks off, i still had a bit of old nailpolish on my big toenails and she asked, "this my colour?" like she hadn't believed my first answer. i assured her that it was. my toes look fantastic inside my socks inside my shoes. i'd be willing to take my socks and shoes off for you if you were to ask. ha. i love my pedicures.

I LOVE sleeping in

i was torn between "sleeping in" and "my duvet". like maybe i love to sleep in because of my duvet? but i decided that i'd like to sleep in anywhere. tim can't understand how i can possibly sleep in as late as i do and i always feel like i'm getting up earlier than i would because he's already up. i called my brother lasst sunday to ask him if he was going to watch the super bowl and my dad's like, "he's still sleeping"...it was 12:47pm. tim thinks sleeping in must run in the family. but i can fully wake up and look at the clock then think to myself, "naww." and go back to sleep for another couple for hours. i love it.

I LOVE diet coke

it sounds like i'm lacking imagination but i honestly love it. last year, it was the only thing that got me through the afternoon at work -- when i drank my diet coke in the peace of the staff room each day. this year, i've been cutting back to one a day so i drink my one at dinner. water with lunch is always a little disappointing but it's been okay. and then this past friday? i'd carpooled with sally so my car wasn't there. at 12:15, i walked into her classroom and said, "i NEED a diet coke -- can i take your car?" and i drove to the gas station to get one. sometimes, you just need one. i love my diet coke.

speaking of points...

so have you heard all the Z-points stuff on the radio? (for those who don't know -- on the radio, they give you a bonus word and you type it in on their website and they give you 500 points. keep your points and then you can bid on things in their online auctions.) well i never hear the bonus words at 12:15, 5:15, or 8:15 so i never bothered typing in the one word that i'd hear just get 500 points. there are people out there getting points for everything, right? well, yesterday i discovered a forum where people are posting all the bonus words to get points. in two days, i've gained 6500 points!

if you want to get started, type in the following:

akon
witty
hoopla
banter

that'll get you 2500 points right there!

i'm saving up for tickets to see rod stewart. ha.

airmiles obsessed

so i've become an airmiles collector through signing up for one of these westjet mastercards. if you're a gold member card, you can fly anywhere in north america for 1600 points. without the gold card, these flights can cost up to 5600 - 6400 points.

now tim and i want to go to the maritimes this summer and do the east coast trail plus see the other provinces too. so my great idea was to rack up airmiles to fly there since tickets to fly east are outrageous. so now the countdown is on and we have approximately 5 months to get as many airmiles as possible.

so safeway seems to be the best place to do this. this past week in the flyer there were tons of coupons for "buy 3 of these and get 25 airmiles" and "buy 8 frozen things and get 50 airmiles" etc etc. so i went there and scoured the aisles for the points. how many items do i need to get 50 points? it was a little crazy - i was there forever trying not to buy things that i didn't need but also trying to tell myself that "you'd be buying that anyways...oneday...". i bought 4 ragu spaghetti sauces, 5 boxes of popcorn, 8 lean cuisine meals, 2 frozen pizzas, among a list of other things. okay...maybe not the best way to get points BUT if only i could shop FOR someone else who needs to buy more than i do and use my airmiles card for them. it would be perfect.

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Buy your groceries through Rebecca! She'll give you the list of participating airmiles products for the week and you give her a list of what you want! Read MORE!

so here's this week's list -- if you need it, let me know and i'll buy it then you can pay me back. (haha...i know none of you will do this but i thought i should put it out there JUST IN CASE you are willing) seriously. i'll make a trip to your house to deliver it. delivered groceries? what a deal!

General Mills cereal - $5.49
Tropicana Orange juice - $4.49
Nicorette - 20% off (i don't know the price)
Advil Pain or Cold and Sinus - 20% off
6 Pack of Royale Facial Tissue - $9.99
Redenbacher Popcorn 10 pack - $7.49
Kraft dinner 12 pack - $6.99
Post cereals 2 for $7
Kraft peanut butter - $3.99
Nabob coffee - $3.49
Kraft singles Cheese slices - $4.49
Anything Old Dutch - potato and tortilla chips, pretzels, cheezies, salsa
Delissio pizzas - $6.49

buy food from me -- it's for a good cause.

ahh...sunshine

after all the dark mornings driving to work before the sun's up and all the dark afternoons driving home after the sun's set...this week has been beautiful. it was very david gray's cover of a new day at midnight. tomorrow morning i'm not driving --sally is, so i'll take my camera and see if i can get a nice shot. it won't be done justice i'm sure.

here's a haiku inspired by my drive to school this morning:

sun behind mountains
it cannot hide daybreak
light pouring out

okay, i'm a little rusty.

man, i'm sick. i have a wicked cold. not just stuffed up but also runny nose. man, runny noses are terrible. if you don't have a kleenex handy at all times? things could get ugly. do you remember being a kid (or maybe more recently?) when you had a cold, you sneezed with no kleenex and a ton of snot came out accidently? oh, the horror as you asked the teacher if you can go to the bathroom with your hand up to your face holding a handful. can you tell this happened to me? haha. this is how i knew how one of my kids felt today when it happened to her. aww. colds in classrooms - if one has it, we all will soon.

here's a haiku inspired by the student who was embarressed by her cold today:

my nose is itching
i can run for a kleenex
ah choo! too late. eww...

(yep, count the syllables: 5 7 5)

i love to snack

this is what makes eating well so very difficult. i could be quite full but still want to snack on something. if you know my pain, here are some new snacking ideas for you.

> frozen peas -- they're small, you can eat lots of them and feel good about yourself for eating vegetables, and because they're frozen, they're almost like candy...but not.

> cucumber. if you buy a couple cucumbers and cut them all up right away and put them in a tupperware in your fridge, you can pull them out and eat as much as you want because they have close to no claories. however - also close to no nutritional value. but that's not the point here.

> smart pop popcorn - 100 cal. bags. i tend to eat the entire bag of popcorn no matter how large it is so these not only are great tasting for being healthy but they limit your intake.

> thaw some frozen berries and put them in non-fat no sugar added vanilla yogurt. i have been using raspberries and it's almost dessert-like.

> chocolate frozen yogurt. tim and i are big ice cream eaters. tim's anti-frozen yogurt but i found this brand at superstore called chapman's. the dutch chocolate? we won't be going back to ice cream.

> veggie burger -- a pattie can be microwaved and if you eat it knowing that it doesn't taste like meat, it's not bad. it also fills you up with protein.

> nabisco 100 cal. cookie packs. at first i refused to buy these but actually, each pack has quite a few cookies in them and at recess in the staff room when someone brings in cake or cookies - it's nice to not feel deprived by eating these instead of those.

> wholewheat eggos. for breakfast lately i've been having a wholewheat eggo with some more thawed frozen fruit on top. no syrup. it's really great. it would actually probably be good with yogurt too.

> kitkat and aero have put out "singles". pay 3 bucks for a box of individually wrapped kitkat pieces or just buy a bar for $1 and eat one piece? i will most definitely never eat just one piece of a kitkat so i am loving these singles despite the price. i think these are a little longer than the bars. there's also dark chocolate in both aero and kitkat. when you're craving - these are a great substitute. you just have to eat them really slow.

so snack away.

if you were a bad guy...

and trying to break into our house by looking in the backyard for a key...where would you look first? here are the options:

> on top of the light fixture
> under the mat in front of the door
> under the bbq somewhere
> under the pile of cement bricks under the porch
> under the large rock in the dirt by the fence
> under the steps in one of those magnetic key holder things

tim and i were going to do this but everywhere tim thought of, i said was too easy and everywhere i thought of, tim said was too easy. so prove tim wrong by telling me where you'd look. ha.

in school news, we spent some time on the bus today traveling to and from chilliwack to go skating. here's a joke one of my grade 2s told me:

"where do fair people who are always fair like to go?" "the fair." when i asked her if she made that up herself, she asked, "how did you know?"

dodge ball

yes, my students love this game. when it's games day (once a week in PE), there's no doubt that the student in charge of Parks and Rec that week will choose it. so today it was played in PE as usual. i have one student who figured out that "hey, if the ball hits you above the waist, it doesn't count so..." he started bending over and letting the ball hit him in the head whenever it was thrown at him. it was actually pretty hilarious. oh kids.

time's up

for those of use who played this game on friday night, i have some news for you. norman bates isn't an artist. he's the owner of the bates motel in psycho. also, turns out sandro bottecelli is the artist who painted the birth of venus, not one of the three tenors (as seen below). and the guy who's name rhymes with melafonte? he sang the song, "Day-O". just so you all know for next time.














in preparation for the next time this game is played, i've compilied a few more unknowns for you to commit to memory. i'll hope i'm on your team.

clarence birdseye was apparently the frozen foods mogul.

Bjorn Borg is a seventies tennis player.

and Yuri Gagarin? he's a "cosmonaut" - the first man in space.

heep? heep hop?

so every monday night is hip hop. as you may have read in my resolutions...one of them is not to complain about hip hop. which is what i was logging onto here to write about. so i guess i won't...but if you want to see something funny...check out my dance teacher's website and click on Adult Hip Hop on the left then scroll down to see videos. Check out video 1. this was day one of this choreography. as you can see...i don't have my groove yet. heehee. umm...nor have i yet gotten it. but i'm sure it's coming.

heep hop anonymous?

an update...

there was about an hour of wet snow this past tuesday before it turned to powder in the cold temperatures and wind...that's all the time they needed to make this giant snowball. it will definitely be around for awhile.

in resolution news, i have had some difficulty drinking my 3 nalgenes a day so far. i usually get only about 2 done. maybe my new years resolution will be to drink TWO nalgenes a day. ha. i lose my bottle around the school everyday then have kids bringing it me, saying, "you left this in the computer lab. you left this in the gym. you left this in the gr.5/6/7 class." i need a belt to clip it onto. wouldn't that be a hot look?

also, in hearing about alyssa's exciting first triathlon news, i've decided that i'm going to attempt my second triathlon this summer. i've already signed up for adult swimming lessons for myself this may. yep, getting all planned out. i can surely do better than i did last year considering i barely could swim and i walked most of the run. haha.

i'm dreaming of a white jan. 11

i was hoping for a snow day this morning...maybe tomorrow...

poor tim has been sick for a week

rebecca? baking?

yes, that's what i did this weekend. i baked muffins. and i'm here writing about it because these muffins are the best ever. i got the recipe from my mom. ground flaxseed...oat bran...grated apples and carrots -- are they not the healthiest sounding muffins ever? AND only two tablespoon of oil!

however, they are totally amazing. and i'm not one to enjoy a healthy snack.

so here's the recipe for you:

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour would make them even healthier i guess)
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 cup oat bran or wheat bran
1cup brown sugar
2tsp. baking soda
1tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs beaten
1tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups shredded carrots
2 apples, peeled, shredded
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 cup chopped nuts (or my mom used coconut)

directions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners -- i'd recommend liners because these are really sticky.
2. In a large bowl mix together all dry ingredients. add milk, eggs, vanilla and oil; mix until just blended. stir in carrots, apples, raisins, and nuts. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full.
3. bake for 15 - 20 min. or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.



it makes a little over 2 dozen. (not all seen here.)

yum.

i'm not a pusher

okay, i get it. no one likes the idea of hometown 7. i'm on my own. oh well...you'll all learn a lot about abbotsford then. haha.

now in regards to the title of this post...this is something that i've learned about myself over the last week or so of my new years work-out resolution. i don't push that hard.

i'm doing this "bikini body by may 31" (i know - lame name) workout plan in shape magazine and i really like the strength training portion because it only uses 2 5 or 8 lb. weights (i use 5lb.) and a resistance band. every month, they give you a new set of strength training exercises and suggestions for cardio.

however...i've discovered that i don't push myself very much. i thought i did. i mean, i'm pushing myself to do the work-out, aren't i? they tell you to do 2 sets of each move. i've only been doing one set because i'm huffing and puffing by the end of the first one and i think to myself, "i don't want to overdo it". i just can't do one more lunge or whatever. i seriously think that i can't. then the next day, i'm not even sore. well it occured to my this weekend that maybe i can do one more lunge. or even a whole set more lunges. well to my total amazement, tonight i just kept going onto the second set and even though i groaning as i counted aloud, i made it! sweat was dripping onto the mat. hey - maybe i'll become a pusher after all.

my attempt at "hometown 6"

perhaps one or two of you remember my attempt at "hometown 6" way back this past spring.

let me re-explain:

last year, i was reading my cousin rachel's blog and she had posted these 6 pictures that she entitled "hometown 6". i thought they were interesting despite not understanding why they were posted. HOWEVER, i eventually found the inspiration to rachel's hometown 6 photos. her friend was doing a year-long blogging project (yes, it's true) where each month of 2006 on the 6th, she gives 6 categories to inspire photos of your hometown. it's quite an interesting project. for example, january's 6 were 6 signs of your hometown or area's name. well...i think this is a great idea. so last year i tried it out once and then she didn't continue her project. the hometown 6 project fizzled out. hopefully michelle will be feel flattered and not completely annoyed if i attempt to totally copy her as closely as possible and introduce you to my own year-long blogging project. i just love the concept so much. drum roll please...

hometown 7

like i have implied in the above explanation, every month of 2007, you can check here on the 7th for your challenge. your challenge will involve you introducing us to your hometown through photos. each month will have a theme of 7 things that you will need to photograph in your hometown.

for this project to be truly successful, it would require some participants. you can participate for all 12 months, however, if you would like to participate on a month-to-month basis, that would be great too. not everyone has the time or energy to, as my dad put it, "drive around looking for things to take pictures of". i personally think this could be great fun.

so check out this blog on the 7th for your challenge and then you have about a month to complete your photo montage. post it on your blog OR if you don't have a blog but would like to participate (ontario-ites...), email me with your pics and i'll post them. let me know you've participated and i'll post an entry each month of all the participants links.

wouldn't this be cool if there were pics of hometowns from all over? not just the lower mainland? so encourage your blogging friends and tell them to participate. i know some of sharelle's artsy friends would love this. and maybe photographers domi and james would too. spread the word about hometown 7 (umm...and give the credit to michelle)

here's January's SEVEN theme: where do you live?

> find SEVEN signs in your town that tell us where you live. this could be the "welcome to..." sign, or a combination of signs that say your town, district, province, country...i don't know - be creative.

go to it camera fiends! let me know in the comments if you plan on participating. (yes, even those of you without a blog)

resolutions?

this concept of "new years resolutions" is an interesting one. i've always liked it - feeling that the new year is a good time to make some new plans and new goals for yourself. but when i was standing in line at save-on numerous times this week, looking at the front of magazines, i'd have to say that the majority of them had something to do with losing weight. and really, my main new years resolution is along the same lines -- get in shape, lose weight, eat better etc etc.

i guess after all the christmas baking that we eat in december, it's only enevitable that we're sick of ourselves. or is that just me? haha.

there was this ad on the radio in december about how to "eat guilt free this christmas season!" what was it? it was to eat all you want (they honestly said that) and then hire this personal trainer who will come to your house on your schedule in the new year. whaaat? what kind of a plan is that?

once when i was a kid, my nikkel cousins were in town over the end of december i guess and my cousin rachel and i sat down to write our new years resolutions. she explained to me that new years resolutions can be anything that you'd like to do in that next year -- i remember writing, "buy glasses that have just glass in them". hmm...

but on that note, here are some of my resolutions for 2007:

> eat my full 5-8 servings of vegetables everyday
> follow my Shape mag workout plan 3 times a week
> park far away from stores so that i have to walk farther to get to the door
> stop drinking coffee at work
> learn to play the guitar (since we have one now)
> drink 2.5 - 3 nalgenes of water a day
> keep in touch with my grandparents
> begin buying caffeine-free diet coke
> plan more fieldtrips with my class
> read something other than chick-lit
> buy "little miss sunshine" on dvd
> quit grumbling about going to hip hop on mondays
> get to the maritimes this summer
> see what bangs look like on me again
> trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding (prov.3:5)

there you have it. maybe i'll post a resolution update in a couple months and see if i can keep these up.

what are your resolutions?

additional fondue photo...

the first annual fondue party

dear alyssa, james, ang, domi, liz, darian, lynn and adam:

we missed you all very much tonight at the fondue party. we had enough food to feed you all. i hope you can come next year...or maybe the next time you're in town we'll just have fondue because it's a way of eating sugar and fruit that people just don't do enough. if i knew how, i'd photoshop you into these photos.

happy birthday liz!

love from, bec

liz - where are you?

if you're reading this, please call me. :)

boxing day

for boxing day we were in abbotsford at our house. we went and saw "the pursuit of happyness" then had dinner at home. at the end of the night we realized we hadn't taken any photos so we re-enacted our rousing game of "scene it". haha.

macdonald christmas - dec. 25

we like to try things on immediately - umm...not necessarily the way they are intended...
this is a tree skirt (which my mom loved by the way...for the tree...not herself)
thanks janice! perfect size.
judy thought this baby blue neckwarmer/headwarmer would be perfect for matt on the construction site. haha.


matt loved this distance finder thing for golf. he measured distances around the house all day.

carolyn -- i told matt to take a picture of me with my popcorn bowl. this is what he took. he obviously missed the concept of what i was doing. that popcorn you sent though? oh dear...it was SO buttery and i ate all three bags myself over the past week. it was a fantastic treat from my "light" popcorn that i force myself to eat instead. thank you!

shulba christmas - dec.24

see if you can match the pics to these captions:

the girls' year to do the dishes

yes, there are always accordians just sitting around...and shaun knows how to play ONE song...

so this is a radio? --jerry (upon opening satellite radio thingy)

the scene

joy tends to get tools for christmas every year from jerry - this is a drill set

the shulba fondue. shaun and i went all out making it our duty to finish it off...

the most exciting thing ever

i used the above phrase when talking to rachel this afternoon...that "the most exciting thing ever had happened!" she said, "you're pregnant?" i said, "i got my computer to upload music to my ipod!" okay...so maybe it's not the most exciting this ever but i'm pretty pumped about it. i've spent the past evening/day putting cds into the computer and transferring them to itunes. sweet!

and now...what you're all waiting for...Soundtrack to my Life (this is when you press shuffle in your music library and write down the songs in order...no cheating)

opening credits: hand in my pocket - alanis (hey! i love this song!)

Waking up: dead in the water - david gray (that's exactly how tim would describe me)

First day at school: when the stars go blue - ryan adams

Falling in love: rosebud - ryan adams and the cardinals

Breaking up: black horse and the cherry tree - kt tunstall (this must be a metaphor)

Prom: let's hear it for the boy - footloose soundtrack

Life's okay: raven - dave matthews band

Mental Break down: firecracker - ryan adams

Driving: turn this car around - tom petty (ok...i skipped over a "track 3" song to use this one for this category. how perfect hey? and who wants track 3 to be their driving song?)

Flashback: December - david gray

Getting back together: damaged by love - tom petty (okay...so this doesn't sound like the best "getting back together" song...)

Wedding: same in any language - ruckus from elizabeth town soundtrack II

Birth of child: blue eyes - cary brothers

Final battle: sexy plexi - jack johnson (maybe my final battle is against...umm...i'm not sure how to make this one work...)

Death scene: absolutely zero - jason mraz

Funeral song: rescue blues - ryan adams (blues i guess because i wasn't rescued?)

End Credits: i just don't think i'll ever get over you - colin hay

okay...the closing credits song makes this the best soundtrack ever...the rest were okay. i'm a little disappointed in how many ryan adams songs there were considering i only have 2 r.a. cds downloaded. 4 songs? weird. anyways...now you know.