 "Teachers teach because they care. Teaching young people is what they do best. It requires long hours, patience, and care." --Horace Mann Teaching is what I've always felt called to do. I've known for a very long time that God was leading me to be a teacher and I love where I am in my profession and I really do love my job. Although some days are hard, most days are really good, and a lot of days are absolutely wonderful. I teach fourth grade at a wonderful school in NC and I love my fabulous fourth grade friends. I think fourth grade was destined to be my thing and I can't imagine teaching any other age :) I love the quote that I have posted above and I think that it says a lot about the life of a teacher. I care deeply about my students and desperately want them to succeed, be happy, and know how to respect themselves and others. I spend a lot of time thinking about my students and planning for their days, and even though the hours are long...it's worth it in the long run to have a student tell you how much they have learned or see them grow throughout the school year. So...here's to all the 9 and 10 year olds that I spend every day with and I know will change the world one day Happy Teaching - Courtney |
0 Comments
 I LOVE going to the farmer's market to find fresh produce, delicious baked goods, and beautiful plants! We went this afternoon and came back with quite the abundance to add to our meals this week! It is a beautiful day in NC and a slight crispness is in the air, which means it's almost time for the most beautiful season of the year...fall. Today we found:
Go check out your local farmers market for some fresh produce today and Happy Cooking :) Courtney  This weekend, we were looking for a fun and interesting way to spend our Saturday and were hoping that it would involve our dog, Lucy! With a suggestion from our friend Laurie, and some convincing for J, we loaded up the car and headed for the vet school at NC State! They had vendors selling cute dog accessories, dog rescue organizations, and lots of athletic events for dogs and their human friends to compete in! Although Lucy didn't compete (she should have won the gold medal for the most enthusiastic dog there), we had a blast seeing all the dogs and even meeting up with the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue organization, where we adopted Ms. Lucy from about a year and a half ago. Laurie and Derrick's dog, Crosby competed in the musical sit and won the silver medal! It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning and we'll be going back next year for another dog-gone good time. Happy Living :) Courtney  Crosby is such an athlete!! Here she is making an awesome high jump!  Crosby proudly displaying her musical sit silver medal!  Yep, definitely should have won gold for cutest, most enthusiastic dog!  Each week J and I DREAD the question..."What do you want for dinner this week?" We often race to see who can ask the question first...just to avoid having the job of the answerer! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook and don't even mind the task of actually going to the grocery store to search for all of the beautiful ingredients that go into making delicious meals, but the hard part is the prep and the decision making. It's so easy to sift through recipes online or flip through a cookbook, but the act of planning is quite the task every week. Over the past few years, we have refined our weekly grocery planning to fit our budget, our schedule and our taste buds, which definitely helps, but that doesn't mean it's in our top ten list of things to do on a Sunday afternoon :)
After a few years of going to the grocery store whenever I had time, or whenever we needed something, I figured out that was not the best way to ensure we were being health-conscious and budget friendly. J and I decided to give our weekly grocery shopping habit a makeover. Each week, we go to the grocery ONLY on Sundays. I know, you must be thinking, "What if you run out of something throughout the week or decide to cook something different?" Well, of course that happens, but we do try really hard to prep for the week and stick to only going one time, which certainly helps the budget. We plan a menu for the week, taking into account busy nights or long days at work, and then we make our list from there. Nothing spectacular or noteworthy, but it works for us, and going to the grocery actually isn't so bad when you have someone as cute as J to do it with! So...here is the menu for this week! We just got back from the grocery, and also decided this week to head to the farmers market for some fresh fall flavors! Sunday: Grilled Cedar plank salmon (the fresh organic kind what on sale at HT and looked delicious) Veggie Quinoa Monday: Grilled Balsamic chicken Fresh local corn Fresh cheddar semolina bread (also on sale at HT) Yummy salad with FM tomatoes Tuesday: Veggie stromboli http://www.pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/2010/12/18/veggie-cheese-stromboli.html Wednesday: Stuffed sweet potatoes (we got 6 at the farmers market for only $2!!) Fresh lima beans Thursday: Veggie and rice stir fry with fresh FM veggies and whole grain brown rice I'll add some pictures after these yummy meals are made this week! Happy Cooking :) Courtney | AuthorI'm Courtney...I love to cook, I live to teach, and I love living life with my sweet husband and our crazy puppy! Here, I will aim to document our lives and share delicious recipes and teaching ideas. ArchivesCategories |
RSS Feed