January Photo Challenge Days 1 - 7

In case you're wondering what the January Photo Challenge is... This is a challenge to take a photo a day, using a prompt given here. I'll post my photos for the week every Sunday and then make a photo book using my 365 photos at the end of the year. Feel free to play along. :)

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Day 1's prompt was "Today..."

Today I went to see Breaking Dawn Part 2 with my brother and sister-in-law. ...so good! :)

Day 2's prompt was "Something New..."

This new addition has brought so much joy to our family over the past 4, almost 5 months :)

Day 3's prompt was "Heart..."

...a Valentine's Day decoration piled in with other supplies ready to be packed and brought back to Dakar. 

Day 4's prompt was "The View From Here..."

This was my view looking down into this cutie's crib. A sleeping baby has to be the most precious thing ever :)

Daisy was a little fussy and all that'd calm her down was looking at pictures. She loves this one of her Pawpaw :)

Day 5's prompt was "Movement..."

We ate out for dinner tonight. My dad's pretty fast at peeling his boiled shrimp. I don't enjoy having to work that hard for my food :) 

Day 6's prompt was "Mine..."

These are my grandparents and I'm glad they're mine :)

Day 7's prompt was "Street..."

I downloaded Google Earth and have been playing with it. If you look closely, you can see the street I live on in Dakar. The red "dot" on the screen is Dakar Academy, the school where I teach in Dakar.

January 2013 Photo Challenge Prompts

In case you're wondering what the January Photo Challenge is... This is a challenge to take a photo a day. I'll post my photos for the week every Sunday. Feel free to play along. :)

Here's the prompts for January.

*Source*

December Photo Challenge Days 24 - 31

In case you're wondering what the December Photo Challenge is... This is a challenge to take a photo a day, using a prompt given here. I'll post my photos for the week every Sunday. Feel free to play along. :)

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Day 24's prompt was "Tradition/Something You Always Do..."

Every year we give my dog a stocking full of doggie treats :)

Day 25's prompt was "Lunchtime..."

I made sweet potato casserole (for the first time) for lunch today. I guess it was a hit :)

Day 26's prompt was "Mess..."

I went to Taco Bell with my parents. This was our mess afterwards.

Day 27's prompt was "How You Relax..."

I'm not able to do this often, but this is a nice way to relax and kill some time. ...a trip to Starbucks for a chai tea latte' and a rice krispy treat and catch up on my Bible reading :)

Day 28's prompt was "Cold..."

I realize it's a little hard to read, but this was the temp outside when we left this morning. 30 degrees!

Day 29's prompt was "Hot..."

McDonald's is getting all "fancy" with their hot beverage options now. :)

Day 30's prompt was "Something That Made You Smile This Year..."

This cutie has made me smile a lot this year :) P.S. Isn't this canvas print the cutest thing ever? :)

Day 31's prompt was "Self-Portrait..."

Here's my self-portrait of me holding my favorite baby girl :)

December Photo Challenge Day 17 - 23

In case you're wondering what the December Photo Challenge is... This is a challenge to take a photo a day, using a prompt given here. I'll post my photos for the week every Sunday. Feel free to play along. :)

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Day 17's prompt was "On the Floor..."

I leave for the airport in approximately 48 hours (from the time I'm writing this sentence) and here's my packed suitcase on the floor :)

Day 18's prompt was "Makes You Feel Merry..."

...our Elementary Christmas play at school - "Christmas in Egypt"

Day 19's prompt was "Something Beginning with S..."

My cousin's grandmother-in-law wrote this book, Savannah Sweetwater, and had my cousin and her husband as the models on the front cover. 

Day 20's prompt was "Weather..."

...looking out the plane's window when we landed in Birmingham. It was raining pretty hard.

Day 21's prompt was "Tree..."

My sister-in-law is quite the artist! She painted this tree.

Day 22's prompt was "Decoration..."

This hippo is my favorite decoration at my brother and sister-in-law's house. Isn't he cute? :)

Day 23's prompt was "Joy is ________________..."

Joy is spending time with this beauty over Christmas Break :)

Thankful Thursday #10

On this Thursday, I'm thankful for safe travels back to America and...

• getting to FINALLY meeting my niece :)

• getting to see my parents again :)

• getting to see my brother and sister-in-law again :)

So what are you thankful for this Thursday? 

December Photo Challenge Days 10 - 16

In case you're wondering what the December Photo Challenge is... This is a challenge to take a photo a day, using a prompt given here. I'll post my photos for the week every Sunday. Feel free to play along. :)

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Day 10's prompt was "Under..."

Under this end table is my batter inverter. This wonderful invention keeps power going to a few small things (internet, computer, fans, lamp, etc.) when the power goes out. I am so thankful for this thing!

Day 11's prompt was "Sweet..."

I forgot to take a picture myself for today, so I used this one my brother sent me instead. How sweet is this picture?! 

Day 12's prompt was "Hat..."

I took a personal day today to stay home and take my 4 (eek!) exams. When I saw the prompt and realized I wouldn't likely see a hat on a person today, I thought a hat on a reindeer was the next best thing. This is my Christmas reindeer. He rocks in his rocking chair, while singing "Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer." Ha! :)

Day 13's prompt was "Lights..."

I love love love Christmas lights! :) Here's my little Christmas tree in my apartment all lit up.

Day 14's prompt was "Something green..."

I had dinner with my neighbor tonight and my contribution was the salad. Since the tomatoes all looked really gross, we had an all green salad. :)

Day 15's prompt was "Outdoors..."

Look! It's my feet and a neighbor's tire on my walk to a friend's house tonight. :)

Day 16's prompt was "Something You Made..."

Here's my To Do List I made earlier this weekend.

The 43rd Dear ____ Post

There are so many things I could write about for this week's Dear ____ Post, but I can't bring myself to do it. All I can think about are those kids (and adults) that were killed in Connecticut today. This was my Facebook status tonight...

I'm just so sad after hearing the news of the horrible events that happened in Connecticut today. As a teacher, you're trained in what to do if something bad like that ever were to happen. And you can bet, those babies' safety was the main thing on those teachers' minds. You put their safety ahead of your own. But then a lunatic comes in and does this... It's my worst nightmare as a teacher. I just can't imagine the pain those families are feeling right now. ...especially right at Christmas.

So my one "Dear _____" for this post is...

Dear God, 

Why did something like this have to happen? Why did children (ages 5 to 10) have to die today? Why did men and women, trying to protect those and other babies, have to die today? Why did some court back in the history of our country feel the need to remove you from schools? And God, when is America, the country I love, going to get its act together and realize that we need you? We need you now more than ever before. God, please be with those families, friends, teachers, and classmates that are now in mourning. Please be with those families with gifts under their trees for children who did not live to open them. 

You know what God... I wish you'd come back soon. We need you.

Sincerely, 
A Broken Hearted Teacher