We're The Griswolds! Apparently.

Every December my whole family ventures into the forest and chops down our own Christmas trees.  Whenever I tell someone about this, I normally get: "You're the Griswolds!"  To which I respond: "I've never seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  Sorry."

So, I youtubed it.  Turns out, we are totally like the Griswolds!  Apparently. 

Christmas tree chopping is no joke.  It takes a lot of patience, a careful eye for Charlie Brown trees, proper tools, and good vocal chords ("Timberrrrrrr!")...and, in my case, shorts and snow boots in the 65 degree weather. 

Long live Christmas traditions. 

God-Approved Lock Downs

Religion is a complicated thing.  Everyone has a different perception and relationship with religion.  Out of respect for our differences, I rarely bring religion up in conversation with friends. 

So you can imagine my surprise when my friend Kari turned to me suddenly and asked: "What is your relationship with God like?  How do you perceive Jesus?"

Kari and I got locked down together on Monday.  I was on my way to pick up Pedro for some testing when  the school went into lock down mode due to an armed bank robbery down the street.  Lock the doors.  Close the blinds.  No one in or out of the room.  No phone usage. For hours.  

(I would like to take this moment to thank God for letting the lock down happen when I was walking by Kari's room, since I was very nearly locked down with my nemesis...Pedro.)

After Kari asked me about my religious beliefs, my immediate reaction was to get uncomfortable.  Oh crap, is she going to try to convert me?  Is she going to judge me or want me to go to some church?  

Turns out, she just needed some space to process her own religious journey.  And once we started talking, I realized that I did as well.  Looking back on this conversation, I am embarrassed that I got uncomfortable when she brought up religion.  I know now that it's ok to talk about it, and it's ok to not be sure how to talk about it. 

So there we were.  Doors locked.  Blinds closed.  No phones.  No bathroom.  Just us.  Forced to talk about things that make us nervous and scared and sad and excited.  I can't really put my finger on it, but this conversation felt good. 

They say God works in mysterious ways.  And while I'm pretty sure God didn't endorse the bank robbery, I'm pretty sure he endorsed the lock down. 

I'm 27!

My 27th birthday was pretty much the best day ever.  Here's why:

My students gave me some birthday love over the morning announcements....ahhhhhhhh....

My BFF Antoinette (+ boyfriend Mike) was in town, and got to participate in the annual family birthday extravaganza.

I got some awesome birthday gifts: a new ski jacket, a handmade scarf, and a giant calculator.

Katie gave me some free chiropractor services. 

I learned that not everyone I know is able to stay awake after 9pm on a Tuesday.  Lame, Katie. 

Plus, I got the rest of the week off work!  Happy Emily's Birthday to everyone! 

27, I love you already.

Ugg, My Birthday Party...

I had my birthday party in Central City this year.  And it was, well...it was something.  After lengthy debate with Allison K Peterson, I have decided that instead of blogging a you'll-be-so-mad-you-missed-it version of the night, I will tell how things actually turned out.  Which I believe might potentially be more entertaining for you.  And me.  

Central City is an old historic town in the Colorado mountains, originally founded as a gold mining town.  Growing up, my family would visit Central City to go to the opera there.  In the 90's the city added casinos - turning Central City and neighboring Black Hawk into weekend hot spots for Denverites.

What better place to party than a casino town, right?  So, on Saturday night my friends and I headed to the casinos.

  

Well, we soon realized that none of us are big gamblers.  However, given that Central City and Black Hawk attract sold out crowds this time of year, I assumed that the towns would also have great bars and fun dance floors.  

Nope.  Turns out the average age of those sold out crowds is about 75.  So, we roamed from casino to casino.  Not gambling.  Lying about gambling to get free drinks.  A mildly entertaining activity. 

Finally we landed upon the Easy Street Casino.  Which did not have a dance floor, but it did have a jukebox.  And a phone booth.  And no customers.  Things started to pick up for us!

  

The end of any night is traditionally when things fall apart, and this night was no different.  Some fights might have broken out on the walk home.  Maybe. 

And I know it was stupid, but I booked all of us to sleep in one hotel room to save money.  8 adults.  2 beds.  1 bathroom.  That happened. 

And yes, one member of our party wanted to smoke weed in the hotel room.  And when I told him to stop, he held it up to the smoke detector until all the smoke detectors on the entire floor went off.  That happened. 

And when I looked out the key hole, I saw the entire hotel management staff standing outside our door trying to decide what to do with us.  That happened. 

And once all our lights were out, yes, the fire department did bang on our door.  And firemen did walk around the 4 people sleeping on air mattresses to check the smoke detector with flashlights.  That happened. 

And of course none of us slept at all due to several incredibly talented snorers.  That happened. 

Eye roll. 

I would really like to thank my phenomenal friends who drove all the way up to an old folks home for my birthday party and had a great time with me.  And for forgiving me for yelling at them to just go to sleep.  It didn't quite turn out how I had envisioned it, but this birthday party will not soon be forgotten.  I loved it. 

(I mean, it even says No Smoking on the door...)

P.S. If you can find something in common from these pictures, I'll give you a [gluten free] cookie:

Give Thanks

Last night I was joined by my middle school best friend at my birthday dinner.  Tonight I am meeting up with another group of my middle school friends. 

Which got me thinking: how lucky are we, that we get to keep some friends for life?

So, while I normally try to avoid trendy Facebook lists, I feel compelled to honor the things that I am truly thankful for in 2012. 

1.  My first period class.  If I told you the makeup of this class, you would be appalled.  However, these students have gelled together to push each others as learners, while also making time to quiz me/advise me on my love life daily.  

2. Gramma Kinghorn.  She is always up to hang out.  Plus, her stories become more exaggerated each year. "I'm telling you, baby doll, your grandfather hit a MOOSE!  Maybe it was a deer.  No, no, definitely a moose!"

3. Crystal Light Peach Mango Green Tea.  Because I'm not really into the taste of water.  And this stuff is addictive.  But at least I'm hydrated, right?

4. The Mill Levy of Aurora was approved by the voters.  My school district can now use this money to give me a raise for the first time in 3 years.  Thank God!

5. Over 300 days of sun a year!  I am not a winter girl.  I hate, hate, hate being cold.  I am so grateful that even during the winter, the sun shines and everyone goes outside to play!

6. Sunday morning FaceTime conversations with Alyssa.  Thank you Apple for inventing a way for me to re-cap/over-analyze the previous night's gossip with my best friend without having to leave my bed.  

7. Bear Broyles. My heart. 

8. The freedom to say, believe and act as I see fit.  There are so many people of the world without the freedom or opportunity to be who they dream to be.  I am so thankful for my freedom. 

9. Second chances.  I am thankful of the opportunities to start anew and rediscover myself.  This year, I will reintroduce myself to Saint John's Cathedral.  It's time to make you a weekly home. 

10. The BroylesDaigleKinghorn family.  Always there.  Always willing to listen and entertain.  My foundation. 

The Bear Necessities

I have found no greater joy and no greater challenge than being a single parent to Bear Broyles.  (And I teach 17 year old boys all day...)

Some days I find it nearly impossible to not scream at him.  

Whether it is his ongoing fear of babies, or the fact that he prefers to pee in the middle of the sidewalk (his highness hates getting his feet wet on the grass) - every day I am pushed to the limits of my patience. 

And yes, one might think that the chewing would subside after the first year.  However, I am getting the impression that we are just getting started. 

A good friend of mine lost her dog this week in a freak accident.  The terrifying story has haunted me for days.  I have been reminded that tomorrow is not promised to us, not even a tomorrow with our beloved canines. 

So, yes, Bear I think I can fit in the dog park after work today after all. 

And you're right.  You do deserve one of the fancy treats. 

I know.  It's my fault for leaving your new coat out where you could grab it.  Ha!  I can almost imagine how your tail must have wagged as you shredded out that lining. 

I love that you chewed up the coffee table.  It gives me incentive to save for a new one. 

And thank you for carefully ripping out the insoles of my new Toms, while leaving the rest of the shoe untouched.  I love the comfy new insoles I bought better than the originals anyway. 

Because at the end of the day, the bare necessity of life is loving every creature for what they are (although I might need to call in his trainer again...).  Bear's not perfect.  But, honestly, neither am I - and he still loves me more than I can understand. 

So, I thank God for the opportunity to spend another day with my wimpy, squirrel-obsessed, allergic-to-everything, drop-dead-gorgeous puppy dog.  Amen. 

I'm An Artist!

Being a teacher, you learn something new everyday.  And I learned something kind of amazing recently.  I'm an artist.

As everyone knows, one cannot possibly read Lord of the Flies without a white board, some markers and an imagination.  

And as I drew the climax scene on my white board, I realized two things:

1. I might be the best artist in building. 

2. There is no finer way to engage a student in learning than to allow them to make fun of your art work.

And so, I give you: Lord of the Flies, Whiteboard Edition

What?  You don't remember sharks in Lord of the Flies?  Well, yes, I added them to see which students were paying attention.  And to entertain myself.  Hey - drawing stick figures over and over all day gets repetitive, ok?

Jo & Tom Getting Married - Vol. 2

September 22, 2012 was a gorgeous, sunny, blue sky kind of day.  Which was great for me, because I had been promising exactly that to every new person I had met for days. 

The ceremony started at 1pm, so the house started bustling with activity just after sunrise.  And if you know me, you know that if I'm not allowed to sleep late, I better be drinking champagne and rocking out in my pajamas at 9am. 

Joanna Claire was the most calm and amicable bride I have seen on her wedding morning.  If she was nervous, she didn't show it. 

I had taken this opportunity to have a wedding hat designed for me, and it was kind of amazing.  

After I got back to America, I wanted to wear the hat all day everyday, but soon realized that it is truly exhausting being that glamorous.  

I was joined by some other fancied up wedding guests.

The ceremony took place in an old church, the same church where Jo's parents had been married. (ahhhhhhhhhh...) It was a classic, timeless ceremony.  

Turns out, Tom was a handsome stud and Jo was a vision to behold. 

Next up, the reception on Lusty Beg Island. It was like a setting from a dream.  Peaceful, beautiful, historical.  However, Lusty Beg, as much as I love waiting in line for your ferry, I would consider some new strategies.  Have you thought about row boats?

My favorite distinction between American and Irish weddings is the length of the wedding and the party culture.  Dinner and cocktails were at 5pm, followed by our second dinner of fish + chips at 10:30pm.  

We got to dance, and eat, and drink, and dance some more.  I met people that I now call my friends.  

Genius, really. 

Saying goodbye to Jo gets harder each time.  And this time, it was impossible.  I am tearing up a bit right now just thinking about it.  

I'm not going to lie, I lost it once Jo walked away from me. But in that moment I was rescued by two incredible ladies, Cat and Claire, who held me as I cried.  They reminded me that oceans are only as big as you allow them to be.  

Tom and Jo, I wish you a life of laughter and adventure.  Of unexpected surprises and mountains to climb together.  A marriage that lets you both grow and question.  That reminds you everyday of how special you both are to all of us.  

Thank you for inviting me to witness your love.  I look forward to our lives together. 

XOXO, Emmie