Untitled.

So, I've got a feeling that this is going to be a pretty random post. This is the conversation I just had with Brent:
"Are you blogging?"
"Yep."
"What are you blogging about?"
"I don't know. It's current title is 'Untitled.'"
"Sounds like it should be very interesting."

Indeed.
Where shall I begin?

School has been hectic, but still going well. Finished my first round of report cards last week and parent conferences this week. Overall, it was not a bad experience. I count that as successful. We also had another field trip this week, to the National Museum of the American Indian. It's one of the Smithsonian museums. Wait, did I really just say that? I am taking my students on field trips to our nation's capital in Washington, D.C.!? That's just wild to me. These kids are pretty lucky. We have 3 days of school this week, though I will only be attending 2 and then flying HOME! More about that in a minute. Considering our last day off was Labor Day, I am seriously in need of a break! I can't wait to not see those angelic little faces for a few days, no matter how much I adore them.

Brent and I, as I have mentioned before, are part of a lifegroup with our church. We've got a fantastic couple leading our group and have been going through a great curriculum by Andy Stanley about faith. It has definitely challenged me to take a serious look at how much I trust God with all of the parts of my life. I think the biggest change I've felt is in my perspective. God desirse for us to fully depend and trust in Him, not just when life is going well, and not just when times are really tough. In my experience (based on the tough year that I had last year), I draw closest to God when times are tough. This study has changed my perspective about "tough times" to help me see that God does allow those things because that is when our faith and trust in Him grows the most! When I was struggling last year, I was much more devoted to daily bible reading and prayer than I am now. (Yikes, didn't realize I'd be sharing so much, but here goes) I will admit that I am less consistent about reading my bible and less passionate with my prayers. I hate to admit that, especially after going through this study, because I SEE my choices are not right, but it's so hard to make time to do those, and it shouldn't be. Since going through this study, I have really felt this lack of . . . devotion, and I don't like it. One thing I've changed, is that I read my bible for the first few minutes of my plan time at school every morning. It's not a lot, but it's a start, and it gives me a solid start to my day. I challenge you as well to take a look at your dependence on God. When do you rely on Him the most? Do you cry out to him only when you are struggling? Do you thank Him only when life is easy? Make the commitment to devote yourself to him no matter the circumstances. Trust that He is truly in control of circumstances and will do what's best for you and His will. I love this familiar verse because it reminds me that what I see (or don't see) is not what's important, because I've got an all-knowing God on whom I can always rely, and so can you.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Speaking of things I do not see, I have not seen my family (aside from Steven, Grandma, and Grandpa) for 4 months! That is a super long time. But, that is about to come to an end! We are flying home late on Tuesday night where my dad will be picking  us up at the airport at 11:15 pm! Party at the airport . . . all are welcome! ;) Just kidding. But seriously, I am so excited to see everyone and I know Brent is, too. I'll be checking out for a few days while I veg in Oklahoma! A few things I'm looking forward to:

• Seeing family (duh!)
• Hanging out in the kitchen with Mom and Grandma
• Staying at the McLaughlin's house (new experience!)
• Making a trip to Skiatook to see my other family
• Watching OSU beat OU in Stillwater with Nick!
• Hanging out with my husband on our first trip home
• Beginning the Christmas season

I'm just a little bit excited for all of the hugs, laughter, and delicious memories that I know are to come this week!

Speaking of delicious (did you like that transition?) Brent and I made PW's Chicken Parmiagiana for dinner on Friday night. It was glorious. Good thing our lifegroup leaders introduced us to this recipe! I knew we were in the right lifegroup when Pioneer Woman came up on the first night. :) In case you missed it this week, she threw down with Bobby Flay. And she won. I'm just sayin'.

Also, I want Bobby Flay's Throwdown Cookbook for Christmas. And then I want to throwdown with Bobby Flay. Are you up for a Frito Chili Pie throwdown, Bobby? Or a Chocolate Chip Pancakes throwdown? (Ooops, better leave that one to Dad!) Or a Strawberry-Pretzel Salad throwdown? It's on! Get ready!

And, I'll stop there. Wow.

Oklahoma, I'll see you soon!
[hugs]

P.S. I introduced a new and dear friend to Hobby Lobby this week. Don't worry, she's in love with it.
P.P.S. I'm watching Elf right now. Bring on the Christmas season!
P.P.P.S. I'm trying to convince Brent to do a guest post on here. What do you think?

Familiar territory.

I had an absolutely wonderful experience on Saturday.

Columbia just had their Grand Opening of their newest store in town . . .

HOBBY LOBBY! :)

Now, 'round these parts, Hobby Lobby is new and unfamiliar territory. (Sort of like most things are to me around here!) However, for the first time since we've moved, I was in familiar territory!

Please forgive me if you have no knowledge/experience of the wonderfulness that is Hobby Lobby. You may want to stop reading now.

So, I walk into the store, and was welcomed home. I looked to my left and saw the Thanksgiving decorations and what I knew were infinite (or at least, close to infinite) aisles of Christmas decorations that are available all year long. I looked in front of me and saw picture frames and what I knew would be paintings and old-fashioned metal signs and candles galore. To my left were aisles of fake flowers, fabric, and the ever-popular wedding aisles.

Ahh, sigh. Happiness. I knew that I could find what I needed here, without asking an employee where these crazy MD'ers hide the Velveeta cheese or peanut butter. I meandered down many of the aisles, reminiscing about projects with my girls at OSU, trips with Mom to buy scrapbook paper for my school calendar that we worked so hard on, and of course, all of the wedding projects that consumed so much time and energy (well-spent!) of the last year. Basically, I took a walk down memory lane.

I didn't buy a thing. But I enjoyed every minute of my time in "this new Hobby Lobby shop" as I heard one woman refer to it in a conversation on her cell phone.

Thanks, Hobby Lobby, for the trip home. That will help me make it to Thanksgiving, which is officially 2 WEEKS away! I can't wait to be back on OK soil. :)

And, thank you, dear friend, for reading my ridiculously lame, but oh-so-true post about what Hobby Lobby means to me. You're the best.

So, so blessed.
[hugsfromMD]

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]