I'm on Vacation!

I LOVE the English school calendar. We start in September, go for six weeks, get a week off, go another six weeks, get three weeks off for Christmas, go six weeks, get another week off, go six more weeks, get three weeks off for Easter, go six weeks, get a week off, go four weeks, and then out for summer! Granted, I'll be singing a different tune come July when I'm still working. BUT! I'm enjoying my vacation so far.

Nathan helped me celebrate my first day off with breakfast in bed. He particularly wants you to notice the apples sliced and placed on the plate like rays of sun.

Happy day!

Want to hear something even more exciting? My friend Heidi is taking me on a cruise to the Caribbean! 

AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I know, right?!

We leave out of Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday and will cruise around - just us girls - for six days. She is so, so kind to take me. It's just so, so sad that her husband, Joey, wasn't able to join her because of work and I have to go instead... NOT!

Want to know something else exciting? I get to see Kristin and Katy while I'm in Florida. My heart just goes all a'flutter when I think about getting to see Taylor friends. And the sun. And America.

Speaking of America, our friends Justin and Julie are coming on Tuesday, and they'll be with us until Friday. And I'll be off work the whole time! Yay for more friends!


Thank you, Jesus!

Can't Get This Song Out Of My Head

I'm thinking I should take up flamenco dancing.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Pamela posted it first, and then Charissa. I suppose I should jump on the bandwagon as well. I had no idea that the Keep Calm poster was first discovered in the Northeast, and just in the last decade. We went to this very bookstore on our Day of Love!

Please Pray and Give

I don't know how else to plead with you to support our dear friends, Dave and Allison Weber, as they prepare to be missionaries in the red light district in Bangkok, Thailand, other than to say PLEASE read their support letter and check out their website. Pray and give. 

Catchin' Up

Our dear friends the LeCraws came last week during Whitefield's spring break, and it was AWESOME to have them. We also got to see Toby and Stuart Kilgore for an afternoon while on a college tour of the UK. I had Stuart for Spanish when he was in 7th grade. Crazy... 

Anyway, in this picture we were on a special night in the cathedral where they lifted the "no picture-taking" ban for us. Since Nathan had already given them a proper tour earlier in the week, we took two pictures and then went out to dinner. Yay for Italian with friends!

Here's a bad picture of the inside of the cathedral at night.

Last weekend, Nathan and I took my international kids and a few other boarders to a professional basketball game. It was pretty much like a high school basketball game in terms of the size and energy of the crowd, but the level of play was better than expected. Our home team, the Durham Wildcats, lost, but it was still lots of fun. The kids really liked it since they play basketball all weekend during their time off.

This is a blossoming tree right outside my classroom window. On our walk to school two weeks ago (just before the trees started blooming) on a very cold morning, Nathan and I were having a semi-serious conversation about something I can't quite remember when he interrupted me to say, "I fear for these blossoms. I really do." He's so random. It looks like they survived the winter!

We took the long way from home on Monday this week, and despite the fact that it took an hour and 48 minutes to get there, we were happy to get the exercise and see the sunset. You can only see a sliver of it because it was so cloudy. You can't tell from this picture, but 1) I am trying to jump up close to the horizon, and 2) that tiny sliver of orange was really bright!

Nathan zoomed in a little for this one. That's the cathedral on the right.

And a lot for this one.

Sorry I've been MIA lately over here. We've just been really busy with work, church, visitors, etc. Last weekend I missed speaking to my family on Skype because we are now 9 hours apart (until next Sunday) and I actually went to bed at a decent time but before they got home from church. This week I have felt really sad and far away from everyone. I think blogging and Skype helps me stay connected, and when I don't do it often, I feel like I'm floating away from the shore on a little raft. A little dramatic perhaps, but true. Please leave us a little comment and tell us how you are! We miss you!

I Had to Do Something

Bowes is the Bomb

A colleague of mine was giving away about-to-expire vouchers to a number of attractions in the area, and when that e-mail came around, I jumped on it. Our English Heritage membership had expired, and Nathan and I hadn't really been anywhere "cool" lately because we and Dave Ramsey made a pact to be uber-serious about spending habits. Plus, we recently learned that we don't have to pay tuition after Nathan submits his thesis, which has strongly encouraged him to work hard to get that baby in by Christmas. With my long hours at work and his long hours studying, we've just missed each other lately. We needed a date!

I had heard about the Bowes Museum and seen signs for it when we were in Barnard Castle for Nathan's birthday, but we didn't see it. Now I'm wondering how we could have missed it. Barney (that's what the locals call Barnard Castle) is small and this museum is... big. We went last Sunday afternoon, and there was hardly anyone there. Cha-ching!

My handsome husband in front of the museum

It was so nice to spend the afternoon together.

A stuffed two-headed calf. Interesting.

Here's us pretending to be a two-headed creature.

And here's Nathan pretending to play the harp.

Cool old furniture

Beautiful couture evening wear from 1912

The clothing exhibit was my fave.

Such cool stuff

Beautiful

I'd wear that... if I had somewhere to wear it.

These disposable men's briefs from 1970 made me laugh.

This chair looks like it belongs in my dad's counseling office.

A Bible box. Nathan was a fan.

Here's the explanation for the Bible box.

This is Mr. Bowes, who built the museum.

This is his wife Josephine. She was a great painter too.

Staircase and big mirror

Monkey see, monkey do.

Huge rooms full of paintings

This swan does tricks, but not sure what it does or how exactly. They only turn it on once a day at 2 p.m., and we missed it.

I think we could probably find a spot for that cow painting in our house somewhere.

Josieeeee... who does this remind you of?

The front yard - I'm sure it's even more gorgeous in the spring and summer.

He said he'd only take my picture if my mouth was open.

Bye bye Bowes Museum. Thanks for the free fun!

We are looking forward to having our friends, Chris and Jan LeCraw with us next week. They arrive on Monday, and we can't wait! Yay for visitors!!!