BRING ON THE ADVENTURES

So Thanksgiving, huh? 

I had two of them this year. I don't think that's ever happened to me before? Thursday was Thanksgiving with my family - a mild affair. Dad smoked a small turkey and Nathan, Miranda and I made the stuffing and mashed yams. It was just five of us, so small. 

Growing up Thanksgiving was a huge deal around these parts. My family who lived in Southern California would fly up for the holiday and we would have a house-full of people for four or five days. I looked forward to it every year and Thanksgiving was my absolute favorite holiday in the history of ever. 

But then after my grandpa passed away things changed. And this year Jimmy and Rylie's work schedules wouldn't allow them to join us either. So a feast that used to include at least 11 people was reduced to less than half the amount. I mean, what even are traditions anymore these days?

And so on Saturday Nathan and I drove down to Moscow and had a second Thanksgiving dinner with his family.

All around it was a pretty good holiday given the circumstances. Gobble, gobble and all that. 

But now, here we are December! December is just crammed full of things always. Which I guess helps make up for the fact that I spend winter in a constant state of agitation since I'm almost always cold. It's just about the best thing ever. 

Actually, I've been going to the tanning salon this year in preparation for my upcoming trip to the Caribbean and can i tell you? Laying in that tanning bed is the only 8 minutes of my day I spend warm through to my toes. Can we have summer back yet? Anyway, moving on. 

First up in December is my sister-in-law's birthday. Her first birthday as part of the family. Too bad she lives too far away to get a good home made award winning apple pie with the number of her years on it. (But I didn't get one of those this year either. 2014, you have been interesting). 

On the 8th will mark two years that I graduated college. It seems surreal. How has it been two years already and how am I that old? I get to thinking that I can still do the things I did in college without consequence. Ha! If I want to pull an all-nighter I'm basically out of commission the entire next day. Who even am I anymore? An old woman, I suppose. 

The 10th is a day of adventure! We fly out for the British Virgin Isles for a long vacation on a yacht going from island to island. Dudes, I am going to be in the sun and the sand with a drink my hand. For ten days. I can't wait!

Jimmy's birthday is the 13th. He turns 22 and just - where does the time go? Crap. 

Then! The 21st we arrive back home which takes us to Christmas Eve, Christmas, and then Daniel's birthday (somewhere in there Daniel flies back home for the holidays from his place of residence in Arizona for school) and then we have New Year's Eve. 

Shoot you guys, this is gonna be fun. 

Plus, I colored my hair super blonde. I mean, I catch a glimpse of my reflection and I do a double take. Who is that blonde girl that's always around now? Oh yeah, that'd be me. 

these are the joys of high lighting your entire head. we weren't even half way done yet.

all finished here, it had been cut and styled and it was blonder than I imagined! 

it's weird for me to go back to this color after having been brunette for so long. it's like i'm not myself with this color and i have to figure out who this blonde girl is. When I look at myself I see 17 year old Natalie instead of 24 year old Natalie. 

and then Megan braided it for me and put a flower in my hair. we had a total blast.

anyway, it's passed my bedtime. 

natalie out.

JUST WHAT I NEEDED

Today I think was one of the first days where it has actually felt like autumn. It was windy and rainy and just downright gloomy outside, which actually pleased the dusty little corners of my soul because I just needed a gloomy day is why.

Working inside the restaurant, running back and forth, seating tables, telling servers, cleaning all the things because it's slow. I worked up the temperature of my body and my sweater was just a pinch too hot. But then I walked outside in the rain and weird cloudy dim lighting and just, I didn't ever want to go back inside again.

It was a soft rain that drizzled down from the sky in the sort of way that is just the perfect kind of rain. And the wind was blowing my bangs in my face just like so. And I wished that Nathan wasn't at work so that somebody could share that simple little moment with me so I didn't have to be alone. But he wasn't and I was and still, it was a pretty good moment.

Actually it was kind of exactly what I needed in a weird way.

I unlocked my car and sat in the driver's seat listening to the rain drops beat against the roof of my Lancer. The leaves on the trees rustled in the breeze and the clouds were this dark grey color against a grey sky and I probably could have sat there forever watching the world move around me. It was peaceful and satisfying in a way that almost makes you want to cry.

I know I'm being dramatic here, but go with it.

And then I drove to the grocery store with this insane need to buy all the things to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies but then I decided to just go home and watch Gilmore Girls instead because I didn't have "the" recipe and also, I didn't know what we had at home and I really wasn't keen on buying all the things and then having doubles of stuff I didn't really need. I mean, good grief.

So. Gilmore girls it was.

Once Nathan got back from work we went to the gym and then made breakfast for dinner, which is the best kind of dinner, and then we sat around asking ourselves just what we should be doing now. And if you're new around here, this is a constant debate.

We are always looking at each other and asking "well, what should we do now?" and then we roll our eyes because we can't ever decide on a thing to do as one of us (me) is listing off ideas and the other of us (nathan) is being frustratingly noncommittal. But this is real life and what are you gonna do?

So we dug down into our souls real deep and decided that we should go to the mall to buy some new jeans. And we ended up buying a nice pair of new jeans (on sale!) and then three sample bottles of lotion from bath and bodyworks because impulse purchases are the best? I don't know, it just felt right at the time.

And if today is any indicator of how fall is going to go, then maybe it won't be so bad after all.

HAPPY WEEKEND

I love when new people come to Coeur d'Alene and I get to show them the cool stuff around my city. I grew up in Hayden, technically. Which is sort of like telling people you're from Seattle when you live in Kirkland. It's all the pacific northwest, but to outsiders Hayden and Coeur d'Alene are the same place - at least according to Nathan, who is apparently an authority on the subject.

Anyway, the two of us got to play tour guides of sorts for his grandparents this weekend. We took them to some great restaurants with some beautiful views - because if there's one thing Coeur d'Alene is not short on, it's them views. Lakes and mountains and pine trees and the forest is right in the middle of town - I mean, this is a dream world, people. 

Friday night we went to Dockside, which is hidden in a back corner of the resort and it over looks the marina. Nathan's grandma had never tasted huckleberries, which are basically the best berry you could ever eat in your life, so naturally that needed to be remedied. We ordered the huckleberry cobbler for dessert and it was ah-mazing.

Saturday Nathan and I drove out to a little tiny town an hour away to help celebrate my friend Joel's daughter's birthday. Joel, in all his expert communicator glory, did not relay the information that I would be in attendance so upon my arrival the kids ran out of the house and Jack jumped into my arms for the biggest hug I think you could get from a six year old. Which, that just made the whole drive out there worth it. Good gravy I love that family. Sheeeeesh. 

We met back up with the grandparents for another dinner with a gorgeous view at Tony's On The Lake. Nathan and I discovered it on a late night adventure last summer and he's basically been dying to go back ever since. And then we stood outside to take our picture with this giant bridge in the background because we are the coolest. 

And then, to round out our incredible dining experience, we hit up Le Peep (my favorite restaurant!) for lunch Sunday afternoon before we hugged and kissed goodbye. I love Le Peep, but I did not want to go. I was not ready to say adios to that Nathan kid. Sometimes these weekends with him just feel like a giant wonderful dream and then I have to wake up to a harsh reality that he lives two hours away. Sad face. 

All in all, it was a good weekend with great company and delicious food. Just come back already, Nathan. ♥

CLEFAIRY CLEFAIRY CLEFAIRY

So, this weekend.

I went to Moscow to see that man who I am loving more and more and more every stinking day. And we did a bunch of super happy fun things this weekend, too. On Friday we went out and lit up the town. We started at La Casa in search of margaritas, but holy goodness everybody and their dad was waiting for a table! Yikes! So we headed towards Applebee's thinking, really, who goes to Applebee's these days... but, yeah, no such luck. We waited for what felt like an eternity before two seats at the bar opened up (which was way sooner than if we had just sat in the foyer and waited for a table. goodness). And we followed up our Applebee's time with a trip to the downtown. I don't think we were home before midnight, and shoot. Sometimes that's just what you need.

Saturday we did a whole lot of nothing. Nathan made chocolate chip pancakes and we watched old episodes of Pokemon because dang, that boy is obsessed. Subsequently I have been going around the house saying "Clefairy, clefairy, clefairy" because. Pokemon.

We wrapped up Sunday with more Pokemon episodes and cuddling on the couch. Sundays are the worst, I tell you what. I hate leaving. Nathan always says things like "so, you're just gonna stay the whole week, right?" knowing that it is both exactly what i want to do and also completely impossible. Stupid job. It's like i'm an adult or something. Weird.

And now it's back to perspective drawings, typography, photo-a-day, and ceramics. It's also the week of homecoming, so spirit days. hash tag teacherlyfe. These kids are the craziest.

LIFE MOVES FAST

You guys. I am using my New York Minute of free time to write this post. Perhaps I should be using this small window of time to do yoga or go on a run, but I don't have time to shower and clean up before I'm off again to save the world. And by save the world I mean eat dinner with some extended family. There are no breaks for Natalie!

I started out today behind schedule and I have been playing catch up ever since. It has been one thing after another, I tell you what. Shoot.

This last weekend I was in the greater Seattle area to visit that brother of mine and his extra lovely fiancé. They are the bee's knees. I got to have my whole family around for Saturday - I'm talking the whole fam damily, you guys. The Boyfriend, the LoveBirds, the Sibs, the Rents and Rylie's mom and sister to boot. For a girl who loves family get togethers, I was basically in heaven.

There was plenty of wedding talk and excited hugs. And also elephant ears, barbecue, and more teasing than may have been necessary. The only downside was that I have been so incredibly exhausted that I haven't really had a chance to forget the world and sleep everything off.

School is keeping me more busy than I'd like to admit. I have grading that I'm a little behind on, but not bad. And prep work for upcoming lessons. I mean, this teaching thing is no walk in the park. Sure I can stand in front of a group of students and explain in thorough detail five different ways of creating value, but that my friends is the easy part. What people outside of the profession don't necessarily realize is all the behind the scenes work that goes into teaching.

There is grading, for one. So much grading. Like drowning in grading. And then prepping for classes. Creating rubrics. Making power-points. How many handouts do you need to copy, when do you need them by, etc. What materials do you need and how much of them do you need and when do you need to have them? And the paperwork. Charting data. Making sure your students are meeting their standards sufficiently - and not only the department power standards, but also the common core ones too. Oh, right, and are you following all the 504s and IEPs too? Are you compensating for your special needs students? Are you tailoring the lessons so you can most effectively reach every student?

Let me just stop and say that I love my job. I love my students. I love teaching art. I love creating art. I love my school and the staff members that I work with. There are WAY more upsides than downsides, and that is what keeps me plugging away. That is what makes the endless project grading and prepping worth it.

Because who else gets a chance to influence 100 kids a day? Who can instill creative thinking and critical problem solving skills in a somewhat upbeat fun happy way? Who lets them play with colored pencils and sharpies for an hour a day? Oh right. That would be me. I am so lucky.

This life is so crazy, so full of one adventure after the next. It's insane how fast life moves. One minute you're a student with a three hour painting studio and your biggest worry is having your frames finished for your upcoming critique. And then all of a sudden you're a high school art teacher with over 100 students to look after each day. Everything happens in the blink of an eye, really. So don't take where you are for granted because tomorrow you might miss it.

nobody likes you when you're 23

This weekend my house was filled to the brim with dogs and people. I like to think they were all in town for my birthday on Saturday. I turned 23 and I spent the day up on top of Schweitzer at Fall Fest with my favorite boy, our friend, my aunt and uncle who were in from out of town, and my family - minus Jim because he was too cool to drive over from Seattle (insert winky face).

The view from the top of the mountain was gorgeous and the hard cider and elephant ears weren't bad either. Plus, I'm pretty easy to please so I was just happy that everyone was here and that I didn't have to work. 

Birthday weekend celebration was in full swing yesterday too on the lake in a tube behind the boat. Every wave is a personal challenge and it takes quite a bit to throw me off into the water. The only downside I have found to this comes the next day when my shoulders and forearms scream at me every time I try to move them. Worth it.

And come tomorrow I will be walking into a classroom full of sarcastic teenagers who aren't ready to say goodbye to summer and hello to homework. It's so crazy that this time last year I was a student teacher and now I'm the one who's large and in charge. The world is not ready for me yet! I'm taking the education world by surprise. I will warp values! I will twist minds! All in the name art! Muahahahaha!

All in all though, as I look back through all of the things I have done this summer, it has been a good one. I started out in Honduras and then I spent time with Nathan. I went camping, I went to Silverwood and Boulder Beach. I went fishing. I went tubing. I cliff dived and jumped off a rope swing. I worked in a restaurant. I made new friends and caught up with old ones. I herded cattle in a truck. I took Daniel's senior pictures. I soaked in a hot tub underneath a sky full of stars. I went to the fair and ate elephant ears and jumped on a trampoline. I fell asleep to thunder and lightning. There were adventures galore. I'm not ready to see this summer off just yet, but I am excited to walk into my classroom tomorrow and start my first year of teaching.

I don't know what this school year is going to bring and I can't predict the challenges that will come my way, but I do know that this is going to be one of the greatest life adventures I will ever embark on. I am so happy that I have the family I do, that I have Nathan, that I have God watching out for me, and that I'm in the position I am in now.

I remember I used to wonder what it would be like to be 23. I wondered where I would be, what I would be doing, where I would live. I would have never imagined that I would be in a full time salaried position living in the same town where I grew up. God is so good and I am so blessed.

summer shenanigans. life is fun.

I don't know what I had imagined really for this summer, but it hasn't exactly turned out at all like I thought it might. I talked dreamily about moving back to Moscow for the summer and working and hanging out with all my friends, but then that plan kind of fell through and I ended up staying home.

It's funny to me how life almost never works out the way we planned, but it always works out.

This month I'll turn 23. And if you ask me what I want for my birthday I will tell you the same thing I say every year. A big fat resounding "I don't know!" Show of hands for those shocked? Yeah, that's what I thought. No one.

But the more I think about it, money is always a good option. Art supplies too - I mean, an artist can never have too many supplies. Beyond that it's a toss up. I trust your judgement. A million dollars? You shouldn't have! (But seriously, anyone? Anyone? A million? I'll put it to good use, I promise!)

And now for the picture part of my posts, because how will you understand all my summer adventuring without visual representation? Ahem.

 view from work! what! up!

 miss megan just turn 23, exactly a month before me

we're almost birthday twinsies. it's our thing.

 nathan and i played on the rope swing at the beach

somewhere along the way i lost my boyfriend and gained a tarzan

it was awesome

we needed a good adventure so we got in the car and drove

we found this little restaurant on cda lake so we stopped for drinks

i love this guy so much

he's the funnest

climbing mountains

So this week TheBoy had a break from school between the end of his spring semester and the beginning of his summer session and he came up to visit me. On Wednesday we decided to hike Canfield Mountain. Well actually we went to Paul Bunyan's for burgers and debated whether we should hike the mountain or run by the lake downtown and TheBoy was all "you pick! I always pick!" So I drove to the mountain because, well, I'd never been there before so what the heck?

At first we wondered if we would really go all the way to the top. The higher we climbed the steeper it got and we both already had sore legs. (But Nathan's legs were way more sore than mine, let the record show. He wins the sore muscle award!)

We would look at how steep the trail went and say "we'll just get up this last peak" and then we'd get up there and the trail would go up even higher. Two hours into it and we were seriously debating turning back. But we'd come this far! We might as well keep going. It would be foolish to turn around now!

So onward and upward we put one foot in front of the other. TheBoy even had a makeshift walking stick for a while.

And then, just when I thought my little legs could take me no further, behold! The top of the mountain! And what a view, let me just tell you.

Check out that view! 

I know right? Gorgeous. 

From the top you could see the lake and the entire town. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We just sat and stared at the city for probably half an hour. We spotted the resort and then we were trying to make out other buildings, but that proved to be a little difficult since there are really no distinguishing markers. Oh well.

It was so worth it to get to the top of that mountain, you guys. Once I was there I couldn't believe that we had even considered turning around and going back to the car.

We daydreamed about climbing Mt. Everest or McKinley and then climbing Kilimanjaro and some of the Himalayas, because now that we had conquered Canfield we were experts. I mean, clearly.

And this whole thing got me thinking, guys. Like real deep stuff even.

This whole mountain climbing thing, it's tough work. The path is rocky and in some parts it goes up at a sharp angle. You work up a sweat taking step after step, feeling like the journey is lasting forever. Sore legs and sometimes labored breathing. There are moments where you want to give up, where you feel like walking back down the mountain would be so much easier - and you're right, it totally would be. But if you turn around and give up, then you never get to experience the euphoria of making it all the way to the top. You will never get to see the glorious view and rest in knowing that you conquered the mountain.

How similar that experience is to life.

We all go through bumpy patches, where you are climbing a mountain and circumstances are rough. There have been plenty of times where I have felt like running back down my mountains and clinging to things that I know instead of feeling courageous and plunging ahead no matter what. But that's what I am trying to do. Plunge ahead.

It would be so easy for me to go back to school. I know school. I can do that student thing like it's nobody's business. It's scary to move ahead with my life and take that big girl job and become a working class citizen. There are other areas also where I am climbing mountains too, not just with my career plan. If I just keep pushing ahead though, if I just keep pressing on then eventually I will reach the top of these mountains and the view will be spectacular.

And then I will look down from the top of my life mountain and wonder how I could have ever considered running back down. I am climbing and I am building myself and I am creating who I want to be. Life is all about discovering who you are and what purpose you serve. It is really the grandest of adventures. Sometimes I am so lost and I wonder what the crap I'm doing here, you know? Like what in the world is the reason behind my existence? Is there even one? But I know I have to be alive for a reason, or else what's the point?

So I keep climbing. And even though I'm not at the top yet, my path is still beautiful too. There is something to be said for the view of a mountain side. For wildflowers. And for good company.

oh murgatroyd

Do you know what is amazing? Driving in the car to work with the sun shining and country music blaring out of the radio. It makes me feel like it's finally summertime, and guys, that is my favorite time of the year. The smell of fresh cut grass, sun warmed hay, shorts, tanks & flip flops, swimming, camping, biking, being outside....I could go on and on and on...and on. But in all seriousness, summer is where it's at.

There are just some moments in life, like this morning, where the perfect song is coming through my speakers, the weather is glorious, and I just could not be in a better mood. I have to tell you that I am feeling so much better. About life. About the future. About myself. Not only do I feel a lot less anxious, but I just feel...happier. And happier is usually paired with brainless acts such as belting out all the words as loud as I can and car dancing like the champ that I am. Get your shimmy on, please! It's a good thing my windows are so tinted...talk about embarrassing.

Yesterday I came home from work in a really weird mood. A good mood, but a weird one. This mood, you guys! This mood possessed me to clean! Clean all of the things! I picked up my clothes that have been dead on my floor since my Houston trip and I finally (finally!) put them all away (mostly). (I'm running out of drawers and closet space...) (First world problems.) And then after that I cleaned the bathroom. The counter, the sink, the toilet, the floor. I picked up the living room as much as I could and vacuumed. I opened windows to let in fresh air! My sister did the dishes and I cleaned the counters in the kitchen. We put groceries away. Good gravy you guys, I couldn't be stopped! And then we watched the season finale of Duck Dynasty because you guys! Duck Dynasty! !!!!

And heavens to Murgatroyd, I'm paying for it today. All that scrubbing! My shoulders are tired. And protesting loudly...especially when it comes to getting dressed or anything that involves lifting my arms above my head. Silly shoulder muscles.

(Also, I have no idea why I said heavens to Murgatroyd except that I was thinking about that phrase this morning but I couldn't place where I knew it from so I looked it up. Snagglepuss, you crazy cat you.)

I just can't explain how nice it is to be myself. There is something to be said for period of loneliness though, where you are just a bit lost and have no idea what to do about any parts of anything. I have been learning that this is something a lot of people experience, and it's slightly necessary maybe. In order to appreciate what you have? Perhaps? Whatever the reason that caused me to shove everyone out of my life while I dealt with things and stuff and feelings about things and stuff, it's nice to have the confidence to now face those obstacles head on. I may not know exactly where I am going, but I definitely am not as scared or anxious about it as I was a couple short weeks ago. I know that no matter what happens God has my back and I'll be okay with whatever circumstances the future brings. Just watch me.

Not everything in my life is perfect, and actually there is a lot of stuff left to hurdle over. It may involve playing chicken on the railroad tracks, but I'll come out on top. And better for it, too. Life is one crazy adventure after another, and heavens to Murgatroyd (!!) I'm gonna work it like it's my job.

Also? Purple hair. Check it out. I'm cool.

she is the sweetest. like, seriously.

also? she drives now! ah!!

lots of talk about beauty lately. i love dove though. 

and i also like this typeface.

dad broke out the remote controlled camaro. the pups were terrified.

it was hilarious.

what a week. i'm super glad tomorrow is friday!