She's Coming Back! {By the Numbers}

It's true! If you read Aubrey's blog, you'll know that I'm telling the truth. She's moving back! She's not entirely sure where she's moving back to...but she'll at least be in the states when Baby Entzel is born. Which is much better than first meeting him/her at Christmas!

Here's a little history of our relationship by the numbers (years).

We met in the fall of 2009 when a mutual friend duct taped us together and we've been inseparable ever since.

In the spring of 2010, we took an epic spring break road trip. We took in two basketball tournaments (for two different states), put approx. 1,200 miles on my car driving all over ND/MN, and made so many memories in that short week.

In the fall of 2010, we walked to and from classes together and saw each other every day. She also celebrated my birthday with me (and my mom)! We went to see Wicked at the Orpheum.

During the spring of 2011, Aubrey moved into the building right next door to me. She quickly became friends with my roommates and spent most of March Madness at our apartment with Kayla. And unfortunately, I am unable to find the footage of her playing "My Heart Will Go On" on her recorder. Stay tuned *get it?*,  I may be able to find it yet.

Aubrey moved home during the summer of 2011 to start her student teaching that fall. We still kept in contact even though we were 333 miles apart.

We spent a ton of time texting and emailing back and forth trying to figure out if this one boy liked me and if he did, when he'd ask me out. I can't even venture to guess how many texts were sent between November and February 2012.

Once we found out that he really did like me, I think the texting only increased.

There were a few times when I did take the Amtrak to see her. It was probably the springs of 2012 and 2013? (Aubrey, correct me if I'm wrong)

Then in the summer of 2012, she came to visit in Grand Forks on her way to camp.

During the summer of 2013, I was honored to have her stand up by me when I married my best friend.


Since then, our friendship has still been long distance with me being in ND and her teaching in Thailand for 2014-2016 but we've continued to see each other about once a year. We will FaceTime off and on. But we've remained friends for so long, that I know I can always count on her.

I'm so looking forward to having Aubrey move back to ND this summer and it can't come fast enough.

If you've got a By the Numbers post that you'd like to link up, please use the button and share with us! I'll add you to our collaboration section.

Happy Tuesday!

Making Friends: Dating Edition

If you've been around here a while, you may recall this post. I just stumbled across it yesterday when I was looking at the stats on my blog. Someone ended up reading that from over a year ago. Crazy! And here's the thing, I didn't necessarily forget to write a follow-up post, but I didn't necessarily remember either. Sorry!

And as I promised at the bottom of that post, here's another installment of Making Friends. This time, it's the Dating Edition.

When Kyle and I started dating, we were transitioning from being friends into being...more than friends. It was an interesting scenario. We met sometime during the fall of 2009 while I was working at the Huges Fine Arts Center Music Library. Again, nerd much? I thought he was cute. So what did I do? I tried to figure out who he was. Duh.

As it turns out, he was a friend-of-a-friend. Okay. I know. Not the point.

Fast forward to February 2012. We started dating and we were trying to figure out how to make friends with others. I had my friends. He had his friends. We had our mutual friend group. How in the world could we make all three of those groups work together?!

It's chaos, I tell you.

Okay, it's not really. But what ended up happening is that we took turns spending time with different friends. Sometimes we would have a game night with my friends. Other times we would go out to eat with his friends. Even other times, we would make sure to see our mutual friends. And do you know what? Eventually my friends became his and vise versa.

It was magical!

The hardest thing for us as a couple, was making new friends entirely. Usually it would happen if one of us knew someone from work and we'd meet their S/O (significant other) and then we'd all be friends. This happened with Kyle's music colleagues.

The main thing that I recommend for making friends when you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, is to be open to new relationships. Sometimes your S/O's friends really are cool. Sometimes your S/O will be wary of meeting your friends. If this is a relationship that you want to make work, be open to involving your man friend or woman friend in your life. He/she will greatly appreciate it.

Happy Friday, all! 

Next week is Christmas!! Woo!

Tuesday Traditions: Tacos

I'm not sure about you, but our family loves tacos. I'm not just talking Kyle & myself. I mean, our family.

My mom's family has tacos for Christmas Eve. Every. Year. They've even discussed getting together every July 4th for tacos.

We. Love. Them.

Confession: I like tacos.

Notice I said "like". I'm not the aficionado that my husband and the rest of my family tend to be. I used to dread having tacos on Christmas Eve.

Can't we just have ham or turkey like everyone else? Gah.

But then I grew up. I love the tradition. I love the jovial nature that reverberates around the room as we're dishing up our tacos and getting ready to try Grandma's hot sauce and homemade tortilla shells.

I love sitting at a new table every year talking with my cousins or holding the newest baby while mom and dad eat.

I love seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter as we take bets on when Grandma will ask, "Is the hot sauce hot enough?" (It happens every year, folks.)

Mostly, I love the tradition and the sense of unity we have as we enjoy our tacos on Christmas Eve.

And the real reason I have tacos on the brain? It's Tuesday. Taco Tuesday. Every other Tuesday we go to the Krueger's house to eat tacos with them. Tonight is the night.

You may be thinking, "Why only every other week?" And that's because they're at our house on the opposite weeks. We make something and they make tacos. It's the best of both worlds, because Kyle would eat tacos every Tuesday if I made them. Granted, I probably could be convinced. But there's just something about sharing tacos with other people.

Just like Christmas Eve, it's the unity and friendship that you share over a meal that makes it special.

Enjoy your Taco Tuesday! I know I will.

 

It's time for a party!

I know, I know. I've been slacking on the whole, "I'm going to blog twice a week" thing. It's already Thursday and this is the first you've heard from me. I am ashamed.

So, here we go.

Growing up, I remember many things vividly. Three such things are coloring Easter eggs at Grandpa & Grandma's house, carving pumpkins at Grandpa & Grandma's house, and Deer Hunting at...you guessed it...Grandpa and Grandma's house.

I have many, many fond memories from that house and with those people. Once grandchildren started growing up and moving away, some of these events started being just memories. The two that turned into memories were Easter egg coloring and pumpkin carving.

Eventually, my parents started hosting a pumpkin carving party. It was a blast! My brother even put a pumpkin on his head. Here's photographic evidence to prove it.


The attendees usually changed from year to year. Some years we would have family friends, other years we would invite young families from church, still other years we would just have our friends and their parents over. We always had a good time and it was frequently pretty chilly in the garage.

As I've gotten older, I've longed to have a house where I could carve pumpkins and set them on our stoop. I've wanted to invite people to our house to carve pumpkins, eat snacks, and enjoy being together. Well folks, this is the year!

We are hosting the First Annual Entzel Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza! Okay...it's not that exciting, but it's the first pumpkin carving party we'll ever host. Hopefully it won't be the last...

I'm trying to figure out some sort of menu, but I'm not sure what I'll have time to make. What about chex mix and/or puppy chow, veggies (?), possibly some pumpkin bread, maybe some soup to warm everyone up, and beverages?

Help a friend out! What kinds of snacks would you like to see at a pumpkin carving party?

Happy Friday!

23 | Guest Post by Aubrey

Today you'll have a chance to read Aubrey's words about our friendship. And because I can't keep to myself...I'll be throwing in my 2 cents. That being said, I answered the same questions over on her blog. Check it out!

And away we go...

How did we meet? We met at an InterVarsity Christmas party my fourth (her third) year of college. We were at Eric and Lyndsey’s apartment and somehow ended up duct taped together. I think we became friends mostly over texts and cat videos, but I suppose our common faiths, majors, and love of road trips kept us going as well.  --It's me, Kelly. I'll be the purple one. Go see Aubrey's blog to see photographic evidence of us duct taped together.

How old is Aubrey/Kelly? When is her birthday? Kelly is currently 2* (a woman never reveals her age, sheesh!) and will turn 2*+1 on September 24. That's tomorrow!

Where does she currently live? She currently lives in a house with a lovely olden charm in Grand Forks, ND.

What is her dream job? Kelly’s dream job is to be a mama who runs a cupcake business on the side.

What was her first job? Her first job was at the Dairy Queen (or A&W?) in Fosston. False, my first job was technically at the Dollar Store in Fosston. DQ was my second. :)

What is her shoe size? 9. I think. Most days. Sometimes 9 1/2 or 10.

What is her favorite color? Red. I should know this but I don’t. False again. Purple.

What is her favorite book? Does Kelly have just one favorite book? I’m going to say To Kill a Mockingbird because it’s the good English major (now English teacher!) answer. Good answer.

What is her favorite (non-alcoholic) drink? An iced Americano, two pumps hazelnut with a splash of cream. Hazelnut? Seriously? Barf. 1 pump sugar free vanilla. It's okay, I forgive you. Just remind me to not let you order me coffee.

What is her favorite cosmetic item? Mascara. Sure? I don't wear much makeup. I do love me some Essential Oils though. Want some? Let me know!

What is her favorite TV show? Psych or Arrested Development. Two of the best!

What is her favorite dessert? Cupcakes! Kelly loves cupcakes! Woohoo!

What is her favorite season? What’s her favorite thing about that season? Fall because she loves the scarves, skinny jeans, chunky sweaters, and lovely coffee drinks to match!

What was her high school mascot? The Greyhounds, of course! Aubrey, you love playing the "Guess that school's Mascot" game!

What is her favorite restaurant? Darcy’s Cafe or Parrot’s Cay, I’d say. (Look at all that rhyming!)

What is her favorite movie? She’s the Man I really do love it.

 

Who is her celebrity crush? Ryan Reynolds? Liam Hainsworth? So many choices!

What are Kelly & Aubrey most likely to do on a night together? We are most likely to go grab half price apps, take a lovely evening drive, and then come back and crash for a movie, all while treasuring the few minutes we are in the same place at the same time.

What keeps them being friends? As above, mostly texting, now ridiculous memes instead of cat videos, and our common faiths, now occupations, and love of road trips kept us going.

What is your favorite memory with Aubrey/Kelly? Honestly, the little life moments with Kelly are my favorite. I thrive off of quality time spent with people so the times that Kelly and I have been able to just kick back and do life, whatever that may mean at the time, are what I treasure most. I have many memories of late nights spent talking and/or eating HApps (half price apps, for the non-lingo savvy), planning shenanigans, and just dreaming of what life is and could be-- all of which I treasure with this sweet gal! 

It's me again. Thank you, Aubrey for sharing with us today! This was fun...I'd love to have more guest posts. Just let me know! My post for tomorrow is ready to go...so no blogging on birthdays for this girl! Happy Wednesday!

11 | Friday Night In

I haven't linked up with A. Liz Adventures for her Five on Friday posts in a while. So while I'm working on my Sept. 11, Blogtember Challenge post, I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.


One  |  Pizza
We truly having a night in tonight. One of my favorite Friday night traditions is making homemade pizza for Kyle. I'm not a true master chef...I don't make my own crust. I don't make my own sauce from my tomatoes from my garden. But I do make a mean Margherita pizza. And unfortunately fortunately for you, my recipe will be up in the coming weeks. *clap clap clap*

The traditional Margherita pizza is made with tomato sauce, but I've opted for the kind that looks more like this. Mostly because we love olive oil and garlic so much. But also because I don't eat fresh tomatoes unless they're in fresh salsa (pico) or on this pizza.

Oh. And we make it on our grill.


Two |  Friends

What is a Friday night without friends? More often than not, we invite people over for supper on Fridays because we know what we're making and we don't have much planning that has to go into it. We already know that we're going to make two pizzas. Since we know we're going to have plenty of food, why not have people over? 

One thing we've really loved about having our house, is that we are able to entertain company and not feel like we're filling up the entire place. Yeay for a wonderful dining room table that seats eight!

Three |  Coffee

We are suckers for coffee. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Coffee Company has the best coffee. Ever!

Sarah roasts her own beans and usually a few times during the week. That being said, the beans are never more than 14 days old. They'll even ship the beans to you! AND! If you order on Mondays and buy two pounds, you'll get your second pound for 1/2 the price! Woohoo!

*No, Sarah does NOT pay me to say these things. I just really love their coffee.*

Seriously...call and order. 701-772-1995

We will make coffee to go with our conversation and maybe our...

Four |  Dessert

I'm not sure if you know this or not. But I love to bake. If you've read this blog here before, you may have seen some cupcakes. I try to post recipes as I'm able and as I've found one I love. But, I've been going back to my same-old, same-old chocolate cupcakes lately. But tonight, a new type of cupcakes will be made for our company. 

Stay tuned...I'll share! If you're on Instagram, make sure to follow me over there. I'll be adding photos as the cupcakes are done. 

Five |  Games

Kyle and I are also big fans of games. We tend to play Hand and Foot quite a bit. We also love Rook. But don't think we're so shallow to only associate with card games.

A friend introduced us to Ticket to Ride, we play Settlers of Catan quite a bit too. If you play card and/or board games, come over for a visit. Odds are, we'll pull our decks of cards out and offer to play anything else with you. 

Got a good board game? Let me know. We're always looking for good games. 

Our Friday nights usually look different, but we do love a good night in. If you have any suggestions on how to improve our Fridays in, shoot me an email or contact me via Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook too!

Happy Friday!  

 

Let it snow, Let it snow...Wait! It's May 18! {By the Numbers}

Yeah, you read that right. It's snowing.

On May 18.

But that's okay. Because with the forecast for the rest of the week, we're looking at mostly sunny with highs in the 70s!

Wahoo!

So I figured that today was as good as any, to do a By the Numbers. It's been a while since I've hosted one...so, why not?

As teachers, we look forward to summer. Not necessarily because we get a break (because I'm hoping to teach summer school this year & Kyle is hoping to help a beekeeper--another story for another day), but because we have a new routine. Sure--some of us do get a legit vacation, but most of us have additional jobs, we work on our curriculum, or we even take grad classes. And some of us have family obligations (por ejemplo--weddings coming out of our ears!!) that can't be attended to during the school year.

And if you've survived that crazy train, here's the rest of my school year By the Numbers.

626 miles

7 meetings

5 dinner dates

4 graduation gifts to buy

3 graduation ceremonies

2 birthday presents to make/send

2 graduation parties to attend

1 wedding
 
1 Federal Holiday

And only
17 days to do it all in

As always, grab the button and join in!

The Glass Menagerie and other stuff.

Because I'm the worst. That's why.

Oh, you didn't ask why it's taken me so long to get this post up? My bad.

And so here's the thing. I'm not entirely sure what I was anticipating (fair warning, these questions will probably not be in order). I guess I was anticipating something that I'd love. I've heard so many great reviews--raves, if you will--about this play. I guess, like Aubrey, I was anticipating something along the lines of A Streetcar Named Desire. There's just something that stuck with me after reading and watching Streetcar. With The Glass Menagerie, I didn't feel a whole lot. And because I love reading plays and watching plays...I was left wanting.

Boo.

But, I'm always in search of a connection with a character. I really did want to connect with someone so when I didn't really connect with anyone in Menagerie, I was left a little empty. As I'm writing this, I wonder if that's the point? Was I supposed to feel empty while reading the play just like Laura? She seems like such an empty and fragile character--just like her menagerie. A stretch? Maybe.

Okay, now this is the thing. I still am struggling to write this post because I wasn't very invested in this play at all. I had other things I would've rather been doing while reading. Poor Tennessee Williams. I loved Streetcar, but your Menagerie was not my cup of tea. Sorry to those of you who loved it. I cannot join you. Maybe I'll read it again one day and I'll change my mind. I'll let you know if that happens. But until then, I'm going to give A Glass Menagerie 1.5 stars out of 5. (mostly because I feel bad for not liking it)

But...on a happier note! We've got another book coming up this month! I'm behind, but Aubrey is the one hosting for March. So stay tuned for her questions, our discussions, and now get reading

Wuthering Heights!

If you're joining us, go grab the button here

It's coming! (hint: not just spring)

Spring is on the way in! And I couldn't be more excited! I took the dog for a walk last night after school and she (and I) loved being outside in the sunshine.

But spring isn't the only thing on the way in--house selling season is coming! I don't know what it is about spring (and summer too), but so many more houses pop up on the market around March/April/May. Don't you think? Maybe I'm just losing my mind.

So here's the thing...if you're in our area and you're wanting to buy or sell a house. We've got the guy for you. (and no...this is not a sponsored post) Plus--I told you over here that I'd have more information for you about our wonderful realtor!

source

Our pal, Emmett Lynch, works at Coldwell Banker in Grand Forks. Call him up, I dare you.
*Emmett recently moved back to Minnesota, so if you're in the Twin Cities area, look him up*

Here's our story--we started "working" with a different realtor by accident. We saw a house we wanted to know more information about, called the office, and were assigned to this lady. And while that might work for some people, it wasn't for us. She showed us three or four houses the first time we met with her face-to-face. 

I know that the market in Grand Forks is outrageous. Trust me. I understand. But what I don't understand is treating us like we aren't important enough because we won't spend enough money. And then using the excuse "I don't like working with young couples because I don't want them to get in over their heads." Yes, that is what she told us (in person, on the phone, email, etc). 

After multiple comments like that, we made the decision to switch realtors. Last fall, I remembered seeing something about Emmett joining the real estate world on Facebook. I asked Kyle if he thought I should contact Emmett and see if he'd work with us. So I did.

How do I know Emmett? We actually took classes together in the Education Program at UND. We had a few classes together and worked on a few projects during that time. Honestly, I wasn't sure if he would remember me. 

After my first email to Emmett, and I was reassured that he did in fact remember me, we started to pick out some houses to tour. From day 1 of our partnership with Emmett, he did so much work for us and he treated us like we mattered.

Time after time. House after house. Kyle and I would revel in the fact that Emmett was putting in so much work behind the scenes. He would call other realtors to set up showings for us. He would meet with us any time we wanted. AND--he was still working his other job, as a farmer.

When our house came on the market (on Tuesday), I called Emmet and said, "There's this house we want to see. We know it's the middle of beet season, so whenever you can get back to town--we'd love to get in." Emmett asked right away, "I won't be back to town until Thursday, but how well do you like it? Do you think this could be it?"

"Yes--we love it. It really could be it, so Thursday works well. Just let us know when you get back to town."

We set up a time to see the house and Emmett said he'd call us if anything changed. Meanwhile, Kyle & I prayed hard that "if this is the house" God wanted us in, that He'd make it work.

Wednesday rolled around and Kyle and I were getting excited to see the house on Thursday. We know some of the previous owners, so Kyle visited with them. We even contemplated putting an offer in without seeing the house, since houses were going so fast in town.

But! I got a phone call from Emmett Wednesday afternoon asking if we'd want to take a look at the house THAT NIGHT!?! Of course!

When we met Emmett at the house Wednesday evening, we asked him, "We thought you weren't going to be in town until tomorrow? What brought you back?"

And Emmett replied, "If me not setting up a showing tonight kept you from getting the house you're meant to be in, I'd kick myself."

That, my friend, is a great realtor. He drove over an hour, one way, to set up a showing for a house we had a hunch on.

If you are looking to buy or sell a house in the area (not just GF proper), consider giving Emmett a call. He will work for you and he will make sure that your voice is heard.

*More to come on the house saga, but I needed to share about our awesome realtor...especially with spring arriving!*

{Five on Friday} What I'm looking forward to...

...this weekend.

I'm looking forward to only a handful of things. That's why I decided to have my Five on Friday not be things that I'm currently loving...but things I'm looking forward to.

[one]

We are having friends over to our house tomorrow. For dinner. A turkey dinner. And yes, I do know it's not Thanksgiving or Christmas. I'm thinking about making this one?

Or maybe this one

Or possibly even this one

minus the excessive greenery

Help a girl out...which one? I'll make gravy and twice backed mashed potatoes, if that sways your decision at all.

[two]

I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time with these Friends. (see what I did there?)

[three]

In addition to friends, I'm planning to spend all of Sunday at my kitchen table (maybe the futon in the basement) with my grading spread out in front of me. I will.be.caught.up. no ifs, ands, or buts, about it. Hold me to that?

[four]

I think I'm going to start saving up for my next tattoo. So I'll start planning that out so that I can make that happen in the near-ish future. (hint: it's gonna be a family affair!)

[five]

Last, but certainly not least, I'm planning to spend some quality time with this guy:

What are your plans for the weekend? 

Since it's Friday, I'm linking up over at:

A. Liz Adventures

Hello! Happiness

The Good Life

North Carolina Charm

Five on Friday

I've never participated in a Five on Friday--so I figured today is as good as any!

1. Seriously. Pretty!

Kyle asked what I wanted for Valentine's Day. I said flowers. At work. So he dropped off these beauties for me today. He's a good one.


2. I cannot wait for supper tomorrow night...

A Valentine's Date with some of our good friends?! Why didn't we think of that sooner? We are ordering cheesy fried pickles and the world will be good.


3.  I'm currently working my way through this:

I'm still unsure how I feel about it. I'll let you know. But check over here and especially here for our book club details.


4. I'm not sure what my weekend will look like (other than tomorrow--see #2)...but I do know I'll have plenty of grading to do. Yikes. Pray for me?

5. We've been blessed with a warm day today! It's 12 above zero! (it does feel like -4, but who cares) At least it's not as cold as yesterday! So I'll bask in the warmer temps and wait until it dips below zero air temp again.

Until then...

Happy Friday!

I'm linking up over here so go check it out.

A little switch up...

So, because we're terrible people at life, Aubrey and I realized that currently our Book Club discusses the same day as The Life of Bon. We cannot have that! We both love reading Bonnie's blog and would be so sad (the saddest of sad, really) if we made her mad by having our Book Club on the same day as hers. 

That being said, we are going to try things a little differently this time around. For February's discussion, we will be trying out a coffee shop vibe. On the last Saturday of February (which just so happens to be the very last day in February--the 28th) we will be having a coffee shop date. We want you to grab your coffee, tea, hot chocolate, iced tea, milk, orange juice and bagel, and join us as we discuss this month's book. 

During January, we didn't have much response in our book and discussion. So we are hoping that in making our time together more relaxed, that you'll feel more comfortable joining in.

Throughout the month, as you're reading Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie.

"Menagerie was Williams's first popular success and launched the brilliant, if somewhat controversial, career of our pre-eminent lyric playwright. Since its premiere in Chicago in 1944, with the legendary Laurette Taylor in the role of Amanda, the play has been the bravura piece for great actresses from Jessica Tandy to Joanne Woodward, and is studied and performed in classrooms and theatres around the world. The Glass Menagerie (in the reading text the author preferred) is now available only in its New Directions Paperbook edition. A new introduction by prominent Williams scholar Robert Bray, editor of The Tennessee Williams Annual Review, reappraises the play more than half a century after it won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award: "More than fifty years after telling his story of a family whose lives form a triangle of quiet desperation, Williams's mellifluous voice still resonates deeply and universally." This edition of The Glass Menagerie also includes Williams's essay on the impact of sudden fame on a struggling writer, "The Catastrophe of Success," as well as a short section of Williams's own "Production Notes." The cover features the classic line drawing by Alvin Lustig, originally done for the 1949 New Directions edition."  --Goodreads

Like before, we'll try to have the questions/points of interest/discussion/etc up that week before our coffee shop date. --It may be something like Monday or Tuesday before we discuss.  But we promise they'll be up.

Link up with us as you're reading and after you're done. Come back and leave comments and we'll go from there.

If any other changes surface, we will let you know with ample time. *Honest*

February 1--What will you be doing?

I don't know what you'll be doing...but I know what I'll be doing.

Source

Superbowl 2015, baby!

What Kids Say: Ms. McNary

 I love teaching. I always have. And one thing I love as much as teaching...is sharing my passion with others. One of my greatest friends is also an English teacher. If you've never been to her blog...you're in for a treat. Because! Today happens to be

Grab a guest post! Swap blogs with someone, and share about anything. :)

over at Brave Love.


So, without further adieu, I'll turn it over to Aubrey.

Hello to Kelly’s readers! I am very excited to be sharing with you today. Both Kelly and I are English teachers, both of us work with high schoolers, and both of us have heard quite the funnies from our students.

As grown up as high school students try to be, they are still such kids at heart and leave Kelly and I in stitches at the end of the day. They also leave us in tears, both literal and hypothetical, at points as well, but the memories of the laughter are what bring us back after the particularly rough days.

I am in my fourth year of teaching so I, by no means, have everything figured out, but I do have a solid list of funny things my students have said “over the years.” (Have I even earned the right to say that?) I have also included some funny moments with the elementary kids I coached because they were just too good to keep to myself. Clearly, nothing is off limits with kids. They tell it like they see it, which is both entertaining and frustrating.

Without further adieu, I share with you ten of the funniest moments in my teaching (and coaching) career.

10. Junior boy: Hey Miss McNary, when is the State B Boys' Basketball Tournament?

    Me: Like March third through the fifth?

    Boy: (To his study hall) Hey guys! It's March 34th and 35th!

9. A Very Shocked Freshman girl: (Reading her teacher-revised essay) Seriously? You're

   telling me that a fetus and a feces aren't the same thing?!

8. Fifth grade girl: Ms. McNary... My sister (who I taught in English 10) and I googled you

           last night.

   Me: Oh? What did you find?

   Student: You are on Pinterest.

   Me: Yes, that is true. Anything else?

   Student: No... You're really as boring as you say you are. But Google has pictures that

           really are you!

7. A Very Enthusiastic Third Grader: Miss McNary... I really like your outfit today! It's

   better than some other days. Did your mom pick it out? My mom always picks out my

   best outfits!

If you’d like to see the rest of my crazes, please come visit! Things only get better from here.

That's aubrey in the scarf...not in the vb uniform.

**Kelly again...** Go say hello to Aubrey and finish reading her "student-isms". They really are hilarious.

And as always...what makes you laugh?

Fall Favorites

 Fall Favorites. What do you love most about this season?


What is there NOT to love about this season? I mean, seriously. First and foremost, fall is my favorite aspect of this time of year. Just fall. Period.

I love the crisp air, the apple cider, the beautiful leaves, and my birthday.

via

via

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Fall is the perfect time to go camping with friends and have a bonfire.

If you've not had the opportunity to go camping during the fall, make sure to try it out!

Making Friends: Grown-Up Edition

When I think about making friends, I always picture my baby sister at the campground at Bemidji State Park.

"Hi, my name is Emma. Will you be my friend? We can play."

Those sentences will be forever ingrained in my memory. 

As a small child, it's easy to make friends. You consider everyone who appears to be younger than Dad and Mom, friend potential. Simply saying, "Hello." to someone could keep them in your life for years to come. 

As an elementary aged child, making friends (initially) comes with very little risk. If you're (un)fortunate enough to go to a small school, your friends or non friends could be in your very class (the horror)! If you're (un)fortunate to go to a large school, you might only see your friends or non friends on the playground or the bus. Again, these friends could stay with you for life. 

*Disclaimer: I do still talk to classmates from elementary school...but we aren't close anymore.*

Middle School and High School are harder. In my case, everyone in my class in High School had been in my class since Pre-k. If I wanted to make new friends, I had to look to older or younger classes (say what?!). 

College is where it starts to get easier again...at least for your Freshman year. You're all in orientation groups together. You have dinner together every night with your "brother/sister" hall. Maybe you're fortunate to have familiar faces in a GenEd class that you know from Freshman Orientation. Hopefully 3 or 4 of tense friends from that first college year will stick with you to the end. 

*I DID love my Orientation group! Honest!*

Then, say you transfer to a different college. You end up in a random apartment placement. You have NO idea who anyone is. Your roommate seems nice enough, but your suite mates? No thanks. 

This happened to me. It was hard making friends that semester. Most of the Sophomores had made their college friends last year. So...the next best place to meet people...class. Yep. I'm a nerd and some of my best friends I have are because we took classes together.

Maybe you made friends at a Christmas party and someone duct taped your leg to someone else's leg. *Hey...it happens! I'll find the photo to prove it!* And she could be your best friend for years to come!

Now, all of these things are entirely possible. They're also some of the easier ways to make friends. Early childhood, Elementary, High School, and college are all perfectly acceptable places to make friends.

My big dilemma is HOW IN THE WORLD DO I MAKE FRIENDS NOW THAT I'M A REAL ADULT WITH A BIG KID JOB?!

That's what I'll be exploring throughout the next few weeks.

Stay tuned and Happy Monday!

**Oh...and if you have some sure-fire way to make friends as a grown-up, pleeeassseee comment and let me know. Or Facebook/Tweet/IG me if that suits you better. I'll be putting feedback on here one day coming up too!**