New (to me) Car

While we were enjoying a little extra "togetherness time" when we shared a car, our schedules were demanding that we get another set of wheels here at the Jackson's. Basically, we did a bit of hunting and took our time. We just needed something dependable to get me to and from work.

Praise the Lord! Eric found THIS for me:

It is a 1994 Volvo. 

Mind you, when this car was brand new, 

I wasn't quite old enough to legally drive. Ha.

It has a few stickers. Pretty flowers:

 Okay, so it also has a bit of wear and tear. (So do I, since I was 14... look how many adventures I've had since then...) The car got hit, and the front head light has some damage. It still works though! The car needs a really good bath, inside and out, but could be worse. It has over 160k miles, but we got it on the super cheap. The driver's seat does not move; but at least it works in this position for me. So far, the car always starts when I try. Of course, it WILL roll backwards if I don't use the parking break. (and if I release this break out of order) Perhaps driving this car will increase my prayer life a bit. Ha. Hey, insurance is also cheap. Last week, I took this car on the highway for the first time. It got up to 62 miles per hour. (downhill, but still) I stay to the right, but someone still honked at me for going the speed limit. Whatever.

   Perhaps this car makes our (other) old car look a bit more luxurious; which is funny if you've been for a ride in our other car. However, this car is a blessing and I am super thankful to have my own wheels. It means I can spend less time waiting around in the parking lot for Eric to get released from work and I can sleep a bit more in the morning. Hooray! We will have a few things repaired before November, when it has to pass its next safety inspection. Volvos are known for lasting a while, so we aren't concerned about the high mileage. It just needs to safely go (and stop) around the island for a bit. We don't need to move her with us whenever we leave. I will clean this car and think of a good name for her; but I thought I'd share a few pics and whatnot now. If YOU come visit us here, now I can pick you up at the airport in style. Ha. It's a car... with a bit of an adventure.

Door Decorating

  One of my first tasks for work this year was to "decorate the door". This is the inside:

 This is the outside:

 The flowers have each student's name in the center. Most also have a smaller flower with that child's picture (out of the last year book) nearby. This was a bit time consuming, but it is also a super fun and festive way to add some cheer and welcome the students each day.

   Recently, our "Girls Night In" plans changed to "Let's go to the ballet" plans. (Um, more on the ballet later.) It was a bit last minute, and we did some creative navigation to grab some dinner, so we were driving onto the campus with just enough time. However, when we saw some fun sculptures, we knew we could squeeze in a quick detour. My friend, Stephanie, and I knew the photo op was just calling to us. HERE are a few of our snapshots:

 Stephanie got to think about her pose a bit longer.

We really should research what this monument commemorates.

In the meantime, we were just playing around:

 

 Taking pictures with the sculptures made me miss Korea and my friends there.

One picture... 'nuf said.

THIS is why one should not try to use regular dishwashing soap in a dishwasher.

Of course, it did help clean the kitchen floor. (always positive, right?)

Longer story, but the picture says it all.

Don't worry, lesson learned.

Book shelves, anyone?

We don't really have enough shelving here, but I also don't have my many of my books here yet. Our walls are mostly concrete and it's a bit of a pain to hang things. However, there are a few small items I wanted out on display. This makes our apartment more like home and lets us enjoy some things more often. So, after a few months of being here, I decided to try something. I didn't even ask Eric first, I just did it. Happily, he came home and liked it. Yay. Here is a shot of our new shelves:

 I made some shelves - out of books!

 The teapot was my great grand mothers. My grandmother hand wrote the story that goes along with it. (Thanks to my sister, for "share gifting" this item this past May.) Then I also added some matrushka from Russia and a small tea cup. Super fun!

How do YOU display special items at your house? How to YOU decorate to make your space your own home?

Schooled in Cupcakes...

  Most of July, into August now, has been VERY  busy for us here at the Jackson house. Also, I had a few minor technical difficulties, so now it's time to play catch up a bit with this blog. I'll start with a few fun shots of recent cupcakes - and try to fill in some gaps soonish.
  August 5th was "Teacher Dedication Sunday". We had already started school, but it was officially the Welcome back to school party at church. All the faculty and staff of the Lutheran school with my church attended worship at Trinity. We teachers sang a song during the service, and all teachers were recognized. Prayer partners were announced. After church, our usual snack hour was extended into a full luncheon. The congregation was asked to bring a side or dessert to share.
  While I also took my delicious cucumber salad, I wanted to take some fun cupcakes, too. After a little digging online (not my idea, but still executed nicely, I think), I narrowed down a few options for back-to-school cupcakes. Finally, I had Eric helping me hunt for the proper supplies. I looked online and found this idea, then tweaked it a bit to make it my own.
  Back to school cupcakes!

 Most of the "chalk boards" got A, B, C or 1, 2, 3s. 

 Then I got a little more creative:

 I even tried to add the Trinity logo with frosting.

 Some were in pairs, like "Welcome Back!"

 The green and blue background colors helped designate which cupcakes were vanilla and which ones were chocolate.

 The "chalk boards" are chocolate covered graham crackers.

 The piece of "chalk" is a white good 'n plenty candy. 

 Any school-ish words will work:

  I wondered if kids would even know what a black board is today. Some didn't, but, overall, the cupcakes were a hit! Again, I borrowed this fancy smanchy cupcake carrier. I really want/need one like it for myself! YOUR CHALLENGE: Take some time to thank a teacher this week. Remind a student that they are in your prayers this year. Here are all 36 cupcakes, packed and ready to go:

  May the Lord continue to bless the Trinity o'hana. May He strengthen the students and they learn and grow. May the Lord provide supportive parents for both students and teachers. May He bless us, the teachers and all staff, with diligence, patience, and innovation. In all that we do and say, may the Lord continue to be our main focus. To Him alone be the glory.

August 9th: Celebrating my Mums & Daddy!

HAPPY 43rd ANNIVERSARY to my dear parents, Warren & Joan!
  Thank you for the example you have set for me. Thank you for your prayers and patience as I took my time finding my mate. Thank you for letting me be independent as I discovered that which I did not want. Thank you for loving each other, even when you don't like each other. Thank you for setting the One priority. Even thank you for being wonderfully weird. Most importantly, thank you for teaching me about Jesus. 
    From Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."