Recently.

So, I must admit that it has been pretty exciting around the McLaughlin estate lately. There are a few pictures here, just because I wanted to share! Come along with me. :)

Remember when I told you we picked apples a few weeks ago? Well, like I said, it was tons of fun! We've still got lots of apples left, so if anyone is interested, you are welcome to come and enjoy one with me! My favorite snack lately is a sliced apple with peanut butter. Yum! I've also made an apple pie (which Grandpa finished off when he came! More on that in a minute). Here's the bounty when we first arrived home from the farm.

The next exciting event was the arrival of part of my family! Steven, Grandma, and Grandpa flew in for the weekend. We had lots of fun at Medieval Times, the Renaissance Fair, eating delicious seafood, and just hanging out! It was much needed time for me. :)

And now . . .
[cue NFL music . . . buh, buh-buh-buh, buh, bah, bah, buh, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, ba-da-da-dum!]

Brent and I took a ride on the Metro down to FedEx Field in DC where we watched the Colts-Redskins game, and it was a BLAST! Brent got me tickets for my birthday in June and, believe me, I have been looking forward to this day ever since! It was the late game last night and we had so much fun that I can't even describe it to you! Let me just say, though, that it's a bit of a strange feeling to walk onto a crowded Metro car and be one of the few dressed in blue, not burgundy and gold. :) No worries, though, I wore my colors proudly!

It was definitely amazing to see my team for real! Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, and the list goes on . . . yep, I saw them in person! Funny thing, though, the others sitting around us weren't quite as appreciative about the fact that they were in the presence of such incredible football players! What? Ha. I guess it's been awhile since I was at an away game, because it was so strange (yet, so very, very satisfying) to be standing and cheering like a crazy person when the majority of the stadium was silent. If you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing this sensation, you should consider doing it. It's loads of fun. :) The first of these photos is a panoramic that Brent took, very impressive. The second is just us preparing to watch the dominance of the Colts! ;)

For now, I am headed to bed and trying to mentally prepare myself for our first field trip of the year tomorrow! We are headed to the National Building Museum (who even knows what that is? I don't. haha.) and it is sure to be an eventful day. I'm sure I'll have updates on that next time!

Thanking God for his many, many, many blessings to us! We love you all.

[hugsfromMD]

For Mom.

Today is my mom's 50th birthday (she won't mind that I shared that, I think . . . ).

I hope that you have the privilege to know my mom. If not, you are missing out on knowing a pretty special lady. I would also say that, if you know me at all, you know my mom, too. We are a lot alike. I like walking into a store or somewhere, and people say "Oh, this must be your daughter!" We do look alike (and like my beautiful grandmother as well), and as I get older, I realize that I act like her as well. Some things that I love about my mom:

     1. She cares about people. She works at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, where she works 
         with cancer patients and their families every single day. I've seen her interact with patients and
         the people with whom she works, and she is loved for her attitude, love, and care that she gives. It
         takes a special person to take care of these hurting people, but she does her job so well. Her
         coworkers and nurses celebrated her birthday accordingly today . . . decorating her office with a
         grim reaper, balloons, and a cake! I'm glad they're taking care of the big day since I wasn't there
         to do it! :) She also cares so much for our family. And the friends of our family. I love seeing how
         she not only interacts with us, but she also treats our friends like her own. I love that. Anyone is
         welcome in our home and Mom takes that seriously.

     2. She is always ready to listen. This has become even more clear to me since I've moved away
         from home, and I love knowing that I can call home and get a listening ear about my long day at
         school or my personal triumph of the week. I spoke to my dear friend, Kye, this week about how
         moms are the best for that listening ear. It's true, and my mom's the best at that!

    3. She is an awesome cook. I have made so many recipes from her already. This week's recipe from
        her was egg casserole for our Lifegroup. It was a hit! Brent also loves (seriously adores) her
        meatloaf, which came from Grandma. Yum! Thanks Mom! (Brent thanks you, too!) And I almost
        forgot the most important one--turkey and cheese sandwich with ketchup = the best!

     4. I have definitely acquired (and embraced) her taste for decorating. This is largely made up of
        antique (or antique-looking) furniture and other things to hang on the wall or sit on the shelf. My
        dear friend, Mrs. Brown, states that eloquently as well. Needless to say, I will be happy to inherit
        any decor she gets tired of, including Granny's old cabinet and kitchen bowls!

     5. Most importantly, my mom gave me the foundation for my faith in Jesus Christ. She is a constant
         example of how to love others, even when it's hard, and how to trust that God has a plan, even
         when we may not see it. She is able to see the amazing work of God even in an environment
         where there is so much sadness and hopelessness. She helps lead worship at church on Sundays
         and helps lead her family by setting that Christian example as well, no matter the circumstances.

Things that I do not love about my mom:
    
     1. She lives in Oklahoma. I live in Maryland. That is a problem.

In conclusion (did I just write an essay?), I just wanted you to know that I think my mom's pretty much the best ever. I credit her for who I am today, and I know she has many many beautiful years ahead of her! Happy Birthday, Mom!

Love ya,
Al

[hugs]

Ain't she pretty?

 

This beautiful month.

Oh, how I love this month. October is simply beautiful.

Maryland is really a very pretty place. It has actually felt like fall here lately (super cold earlier this week), and the leaves are starting to change. We had our Fall Festival at school today. We spent all day hanging outside at the park. That also means jeans day. Awesome. :)

Another fun fall thing . . . we got to go apple-picking last weekend! It was fun, and we have lots of delicious apples that we hand-picked ourselves! So cool. Bonus: Brent was able to reach higher in the trees where most people can't reach . . . where the apples are bigger, more ripe, and more abundant! We even had people make a few comments about the advantage he had, haha. I was lucky to pick a few now and then, because at the height of lots of the kids that come through. :) Oh well, it was fun. And we picked out pumpkins! Pictures so soon of our lovely fall apartment. We had some delicious homemade apple pie too!

However, my favorite part of October so far? Part of my family is here! My grandparents and brother, Steven, are here right now! They flew in last night, hung out with me at the park for awhile today, and now we have the weekend to enjoy! We kicked off the weekend with dinner at "Medieval Times," which Brent has been to but I have not. Tons of fun! We cheered for the blue knight (Colts color? Yes, indeed). It has been so great to see family and show them our apartment, town, etc. I'll share more later!

Another quick update: Brent and I joined a lifegroup at church this week! We met some great people and are looking forward to getting to know them and grow in our faith. We're going through a series called Faith, Hope, and Luck by Andy Stanley. It's about moving our faith away from being "circumstantial" and into a solid, unwavering faith, no matter what our circumstances. I am really looking forward to this time to take a serious look at my faith and how much I really trust God, no matter my circumstances. For sure, a place I can grow. I'll keep you updated. :)

For now, I am planted on the couch watching the OSU game on ESPN! This is 2 weeks in a row that I've seen the OSU game since they have been on "off" nights. Fantastic! Makes me so proud to be an OSU alum. My husband was generous enough to give up Halo for awhile to let me watch the game. He's the best. :)

Well, I'm off to cheer for the Pokes! I'll leave you with the focus verse from our bible study, Hebrews 4:14: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Keep in mind that as Christians, we have something unique from everyone else: we have a living God who conquered death and gives us a living and constant hope to cling to and trust. I'm trying to let that change my perspective of my daily circumstances this week.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone! Love and miss ya'll (speaking of "ya'll," remind me to tell you a story next time).

[hugsfromMD]

Superhero.

Like I described in my last post, I have a classroom full of characters.

But did you know that I have a superhero in my class?

During reading groups one day this week, one of my boys (we'll call him Bobby), was in the middle of a deep discussion (as deep as third graders can go) as his group was answering questions. I had other groups going on as well, so I was circulating around the room. Without warning or hesitation, Bobby approached me and tapped my arm. This is the conversation that followed (please picture the very straight and serious faces we both had throughout this conversation):

"Mrs. McLaughlin, did you know that I have really tough skin?"
"No Bobby, I didn't. How do you know?"
"My mom told me I have tough skin. It's really hard to cut it."
"Well, I hope you haven't been trying!"
"No, but when I was a baby, just 'borned' in the hospital, they tried to cut my skin and my face was just like this." [insert very serious, stone-cold, third grade boy's face--no pain there!]
"Wow, Bobby. That's impressive."
"Yeah, and I heal really fast, too. Like, it just closes right up if I start bleeding."
"That's amazing! You sound like a superhero or something, Bobby!"
"Yeah, I know."

And then he returned to his seat and continued his reading discussion. And that was that.

I love third graders.

Speaking of amazing things, I am attempting to run a 5k in the morning. New feat? No. But it has been awhile, and I have not been running like I should be! It will definitely be a struggle. But I can struggle for a good cause. The run is for the pregnancy clinic in the town in which Brent and I have been attending church. Speaking of that (as Mrs. Meryhew asked), we have been attending a church for a little over a month now. We are really liking it and are hoping to get involved with a lifegroup this month. This last Sunday was their youth sunday, where the youth served and led, and then the youth minister preached. Aftershocks anyone? It made us a little homesick, but also glad to be involved with a church where youth are given that important opportunity and encouragement to lead. We plan to continue to go there and get more involved. Oh, and bonus (Lydia and Pam, this one's for you!): their women's ministry just started a Zumba class 3 days a week! I do love Zumba! :)

Well, that's about all from the McLaughlin estate for now. Brent is currently trying to take over Reach and I have been grading papers. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! We'll be spending the day on Sunday watching football and preparing for the big game Sunday night (the Manning brothers playing against each other, hopefully big brother Peyton will have a better day!). Enjoy the weekend, ya'll! :)

[love&hugs]

Fall officially arrives (ignore the calendar)

Helloooo and long-time, no see, friends!

Sorry about the drought between posts again. I promise, I'll get better!

Since my last post, I have started school. We visited our nation's capital. And, most importantly, football season has started.

YAHOO! I love football.

I went to Pier 1 yesterday and got a fall wreath and a few fall candles (pumpkin candles = best ever). The woman at the register sort of laughed at me, saying "Well, I guess you're ready for the fall already, huh?" There was definitely a hint of sarcasm in her voice . . . I suppose from the pre-autumn purchases I was making (the calendar doesn't officially say it's fall until September 23). But in my head, I was thinking, "Lady? Football season is here. Don't you know that football = fall? Quit making fun of me!"

I didn't say it aloud, but I was definitely thinking it. When I came home and told Brent the story, before I told him what I had been thinking, he actually said "Well, it's football season. I think that means it's fall!"

I love my husband. :)

So, yes, I am a teensy bit excited about the fact that football season has arrived once again. However, it is definitely bittersweet because it just doesn't feel the same here. For one thing, I can't get anything about OSU games and I didn't get to see the Colts-Texans game (ignoring the fact that they lost embarrassingly). It's also very different to watch football without family or friends around.

Anyways, I love football. Truly. Love.

But let's move on to school. What a night-and-day difference it has been in just these first weeks! I am in heaven compared to my situation last year. I am thanking God for the wonderful work environment that I have at my school, and the extremely-reduced stress load. I don't dread going to school every day, and it's just such a relief. I have a very chatty (emphasis on VERY chatty) group of kids. But you know what? It's ok. I can deal with that. It's really not bad at all.

I have a VERY involved group of parents (positives and negatives, but mostly positives) and a very bright group of students. They are quite a characteristic bunch, but so much fun! I love being back with 3rd graders. My favorite story from one of them so far:

Scene: Lining up for lunch (just to show you the complete random-ness of this conversation)
"Mrs. McLaughlin, did you know there are motion-sensor lights in the bathroom?"
"Well, no, Macy, I didn't know that."
"Yeah, there are. And if you are ever in there and are pooping and so you have to sit still for more than 2 minutes, they will go off on you and you'll be pooping in the dark."
Me = trying to keep a straight face. Then another student chimes in:
"Yeah, but if they go out on you while you're sitting there, all you have to do is wave your arms around like this." [yes, she did proceed to demonstrate what it looks like to be sitting on the toilet when the lights go out on you and you wave your arms around to get the lights to come back on] "And then, they just, come back on!"

Wow, ladies. Thank you for the information.
It was definitely hard to keep a straight face for this very serious conversation between myself and my two 3rd graders! But that's why I love them.

So, school is going well. What a nice phrase to be able to say! I also had a conversation with a first-year teacher at our school. What a relief and amazing feeling it was to be able to say that 1) yes, I understand how miserable you are and 2) yes, I promise it gets better. No really, it does!

And enough about that for now. This weekend, Brent and I got to go to DC! Neither of us had been, so we had been looking forward to it. The best part was the fact that it was a 20 min. car ride and 35 min. Metro ride from our apartment to the center of DC. Awesome!

As we stepped off the Metro, we headed to the escalator, which took us up into the city, where we were greeted by the bright sunshine and a crowd of protestors marching down the street (remember, it was 9/11). We were amidst a Tea Party Rally!

We headed towards the Washington Monument, with the surrounding flags at half-mast. Truly beautiful.

Then, we walked past the WWII Memorial and the reflection pool, to the Lincoln Memorial.

Then, we had lunch with Washinton and Lincoln (on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial).

We then went to the White House (you've seen enough pictures of that) and then walked a few blocks where we toured the Ford Theater where Lincoln was assassinated. The theater is still putting on plays, and they have the inaugural box set up where you can walk up and look through the door into the room where Lincoln was. It was pretty cool!

And I'll end with 2 more pictures. This last one made us laugh. :)

teehee. :)

Hope you all have a fabulous week! God bless.

[hugs]

Annapolis

As I said before, Brent and I headed to Annapolis, MD, yesterday. Our good friend, Teeman, attends the U.S. Naval Academy and gave us the best ever tour of the historic city of Annapolis.

We started the day with him driving out to see our apartment, and then we jumped in his car (a pretty blue mustang, I might add) and we drove to Annapolis, which is only about half an hour away. Since he is a senior (also called a 1st class midshipmen, I believe?), we were able to drive onto the Academy grounds and park there. Definitely a privilege! We immediately walked just a few minutes to old downtown Annapolis, which is a really neat, eclectic mix of shops and restaurants located in the same building where colonists and government leaders met to sign treaties and things. Did you know that Annapolis was once the capital of the United States, before Washington, D.C.? Teeman showed us the old national capitol building, which is now Maryland's state capitol building (Annapolis is the capital of MD, now). But yes, downtown was definitely a neat place! We had some amazing seafood for lunch, as well. Teeman definitely knows his way around!

Because it is located right near the naval academy (and because old towns just seem to be more like this), it was very patriotic. Here is a picture that Brent took of one of the streets downtown.

I love being in places like this. It makes me proud. :)

Another neat thing about downtown Annapolis . . . because so many people have dogs, many of the stores keep bowls of water and dog treats outside their doors. I think that's cute. :)

One more fun random tidbit . . . one of the downtown restaurants was host to Food Network's show "Man vs. Food." The restaurant makes 8 lb. milkshakes. Wow! It did seem funny that this famous restaurant was just an old, little, hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Here's the picture posted on the front window of the shop:

After lunch, we walked back over to the Naval Academy campus, where Teeman showed us around all of the buildings. It's amazing how much unique history you'll find there. The chapel basement even comes complete with the crypt of John Paul Jones, the father/founder (I think!) of the U.S. Navy. Take a look, and you'll agree that it looks like it comes from the set of Pirates of the Caribbean!

Crazy, huh?

The end of our on-campus tour ended by the Chesapeake Bay. What a pretty place to go to school! Teeman then surprised us with a run through the Navy's endurance and obstacle courses! Let's just say that the wall climbing, rope bridge-crossing, beam-balancing, and monkey-bar swinging left me sore today! But it was definitely worth it and so much fun!

Best part of the day, though, was just getting to hang out with a good friend. We got to see some cool things in the area, and the boys got to play Halo back at our apartment. :) It's great to have a friend up here! Hopefully Teeman enjoyed himself as much as we did. :)

Old friends. :)

[hugs]

P.S. Wedding photos are in! Posting those soon! :)

Delivery!

Hello there friends!
I am writing to you today from my NEW computer that was delivered today! Ok, well it was "attempted" to be delivered but unable to thanks to the difficulties of living in an apartment. So, my wonderful husband drove with me to pick it up at the FedEx office! Yep, he's pretty awesome. :)

But, yeah, my new computer is so pretty! It is an HP Netbook, so it is little and white and cute and light and easy to move around, and I just love it! Brent and I have had extensive conversations about the importance of a "pretty" computer (let's just say it's high on my list of necessities for a computer, not so much on his . . . ). But I think he approves of this little guy, so we're good! Here's what it looks like . . . (I know, I just had to post a picture!)

 Isn't it so pretty? This pictures is not the greatest, but you get the idea. It's really small (only 10 1/2 inches I think! But it's awesome!)

And, enough about my computer. Sorry. :)

It has been a busy week around here, with me getting my classroom ready this week. It is coming along, though, and Brent has been a big help! It cuts so much time out when he can help me put the high stuff up on the walls instead of me getting up and down off a chair a gazillion times. (Yep, a gazillion) I sure appreciate him giving up his time after work to help me! It is really looking good and I can't wait to post pictures when it's all done! School starts on Tuesday, so it better be done soon! :)

More excitement for the week . . . I went with all of the teachers from my school to a high ropes course/teambuilding day on Tuesday. If any of you know me well, I am not the bravest person, but I did do everything! Brent told me when I dropped him off at work that I had to at least try everything . . . and I did! There was a zip line with ropes to cross to get to the platform (about 25 feet in the air), a giant swing (40 feet in the air), and the low level of the high ropes course (30 feet). The actual physical part wasn't bad (a huge log vs. a 4-in. wide beam, hmmm) but it was just so mentally CHALLENGING even if you know you are harnessed so you can't fall! I called my former coach, haha. I knew he would be proud since I was always the scared one trying new things! It was definitely a good experience though, and allowed me to get to know a lot of the other teachers.

Been thinking about something all week, since church on Sunday. The sermon was about Barnabas (many have heard of him), but I found out that his real name was Joseph. People knew him, though, as Barnabas, the "Son of Encouragement." The message was about how people know you. What is your "niche" or "sweet spot"? Each of has a specific role in the church:

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts . . . But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? . . . Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." -1 Cor. 12: 12,18-19, 27

As I listened to this sermon, it was impressed upon my heart how incredible it is that each of us was specifically created by God to fulfill a certain role. God molded me to fit a specific need in his church. He may not have created me for the upfront, seemingly uber-awesome position of beautiful-singing worship leader extraordinare . . . but he gave me a role that is just as important in his kingdom and to the body of Christ. I believe that part of that role is to minister to children, which is why it is such a fulfillment for me to teach children and help them realize their potential. And also, to simply love them. Barnabas had the understanding that God gave him specific opportunities to give encouragement to others. What is your role? Are you taking the opportunites God brings, even if they seem like an  impossible challenge at the time? Or are you just expecting that "someone else will do it." Newsflash: it's your job!

I'm going to brag on my parents for a minute. I won't share all of the details, but they have recently accepted an opportunity that is giving them the chance to love and care for someone whose needs are great. It is a huge task to take responsibility of another, without knowing exactly how things will go or what may transpire along the way. I'm proud to have parents who put others' needs above their own, in order to make a difference in another's life and show God's love to them. What an incredible opportunity! Pray for them as they continue along their journey.

My point here is to challenge you also to accept the challenges that God places in front of you. I am trying to embrace that thought as well as I settle into a new role, new church, new school, and new home. No one else has been placed in your same situation with your talents and abilities, because God designed you to fill that spot. Take God's word that He will be the "light to your path" as you trust Him to help you succeed. Accept the challenge and watch God work in your life!

Sorry about the long post! Lots going on this week. :) And just think, tomorrow's Friday! Oh, happiness! :)

I am for sure excited that it's almost the weekend! :) (Ok, so I just wanted to try out my new webcam!)

Next post: Our trip to Annapolis and the naval academy with a personal tour from Teeman himself!

 I hope you all have a blessed Friday and weekend! [hugs]

P.S. Here's a shout out to my girl, Brittany! Miss you friend. Btw, check my first post. ;)