Christmas Tree 2013

Our excursion began on a cold Monday evening for Family Home Evening.  Taylor was the lucky one to get to pick out the tree this year since she will be heading for college soon.  Secretly we all hoped she would pick really quickly since it was a bitter cold night...here we go...

This one looks good Taylor...how about we just blind-fold you and spin you around and the one you smack into, let's get it!

She chose a good one.  The rule was...it had to be about as tall as Tim because anything taller wouldn't fit in our living room.

Now the fun part begins in the warmth of our home...

"Laurie, run into the garage and get me the channel locks."  "The what?" I replied.  I know what many tools are called and can be pretty handy when running to the garage for tools, but that was a new one for me.  So...if you are ever sent to the garage for channel locks, this is what you are looking for.  Guess you learn something new everyday!

 It sure does look a lot smaller in the wild!

His name is GUS!  He looks a lot better in real life, especially when the house lights are turned off and his Christmas lights glow.  Notice what Taylor put on the tippy top...a tiny snowman hat.  She thinks this is absolutely hilarious!

25 Days Until Christmas....YIKES!!!!

 Winter Wonderland started early in Ohio this year!  I just had to get the ruler out and measure, the weathermen are usually wrong and blow everything out of proportion.  Half-way through the storm we had almost 5 inches, it was very impressive! 

 The dog loves when we join him outside for playtime!  Dallin and Carley played outside for hours on Tuesday night as the snow fell and as Tim plowed many driveways and shoveled walks.  What a white Thanksgiving!

Just Some Randomness...

That's My Boy...

He has the bug!  This is where our family can be found many evenings watching #17 perform his fancy footwork.

13 is Kind of a Big Deal...

 ...so we agreed to her slumber party idea with these 5.  She became great friends with them at girls camp this year, and of course Ginny and Carley have been close friends since they were born.

 I can't believe my baby is a teen.  I am not getting old though!!!  I am still 27, one of my former young women told me that the other day, although she now has 2 children of her own with the 3rd on the way...YIKES!!!

 It was an evening full of fun and lots of laughter and absolutely no sleep!  That's what birthdays are for.

His Pride and Joy...

 He is so thrilled to be on the high school soccer team and carry on the Mangum legacy.  He faithfully follows soccer and seems to have "amazing" goals to show me on youtube daily.  These new beauties make soccer even better!

 

The Transformation is Complete...

 Mom is really the only one that can appreciate these pictures since she saw the "before" version with the 6-million boxes and my total bewilderment as to what to do with them and where to start.  The custodial staff of my new building and I became great friends this summer as this transformation took place.

 With days to go before school started, I finally got it all organized and put to rights.  Now...I had days to figure out what to teach these 7th and 8th graders as I pursued my new career at the middle school as one of the Language Arts teacher.

 I love this board.  Unfortunately we only spent one day in this room...the air conditioner decided to break the first day of school, and with no windows and 29 hot bodies, it was a state of emergency.  Thompson Heating and Cooling was called in.  The bad news..."Mrs. Busch we need to get you a new compressor" (whatever that means, just get it done!).  And this could take weeks because we have to push a purchase order through and then order the part and then get it installed and tested before you and your students can return to this room for instruction....are you kidding me?

 So I begrudgingly left this room that I so painstakingly worked on through the summer and we are in a boring unorganized room with no color whatsoever as we await the compressor to arrive.  We have been creative in livening up our temporary quarters, have no fear.  7th and 8th graders still like to color and create I have discovered.

So....I am excited and scared to death each morning as I have to be to the middle school by 6:50am and face 2 blocks of 8th graders and 1 block of 7th graders and all the newness that comes with a change in life.  I am almost to the point of knowing what each bell sound means.  That first week was rough, I was constantly asking the students, "What's that sound mean?"  But I will get it!!!!  Love to you all!