"They Won Miss Kristina!" They most certainly did.....

This morning Genessis came running into the teacher room to tell me that my team won. "They won Miss Kristina!". Yes sweet girl they did. Yes they did.

For some of you, you may very well think that I am a bit crazy.... a bit over the top at times about the cardinals..... but I think on any day, sports does that to people, makes you obnoxiously proud, makes you talk about players like you know them personally. Brings goosebumps to your skin, tears to your eyes and makes you feel apart of something more. Sports has that ability. Makes the insignificant guy on the team become a hero and even those most proud humble.

There are sports moments that I will never forget, moments that climb to the list of top 10 quickly.......... the Louisville Florida state game in 2002 when it poured down rain and we upset the at the time #11 powerhouse, flying home to watch the West Virginia black out football game on Thursday night one cold November day in 2005 (my dad booking the flight on Monday), heading up to Lafayette for Purdue's homecoming games,  the Colorado Rockies run to the world series, never missing a playoff game hanging a broom outside of our apartment in honor of the sweep and being there on Monday Night for the 13 inning NLDS tiebreak game that sent Matt Holliday into one of the most gut wrenching final sprints to home plate (we wont mention that they later got swept by the Red Sox in the world series), The Alabama Auburn game in Tuscaloosa the very same year that Alabama went on to win the national championship,  watching Rajon Rondo when I was in high school when we lost due to end of the game technicals, The college world series in Omaha the Schemer's and The Dennison's together cheering on the Cards, there is of course the NFL game at Wembley, cheering with people I had just met for San Diego (Saints vs. Chargers) in London, a Monday night football bengals/colts game, and most recently the Louisville Kentucky game this year at Yum Center ...... All of these I will cherish.....but none of these games, none of these events come even close to how I felt last night watching this team win the National Championship.

With my roommates surrounding me and Spanish commentating......I sat in near shock watching the clock wind down.....only a few minutes left and it began to sink in....they really did it. Louisville was going to win.  My beloved hometown, the Louisville cardinals just won the NCAA National Championship.

Congratulations boys from my temporary home in Honduras to a place that will always be home Louisville. I am proud to say I was born there, raised there and proud to be a Cardinal Fan. Now lady cards, show those huskies how we play basketball in Kentucky........

Your Reality vs. My Reality. 11 Questions

Your reality versus my reality......

Your reality: you probably stayed up late cheering on Louisville with friends at a bar or cheering from your comfy couch at home surrounded by platters of food and endless options of appetizers like buffalo chicken dip or had wings from bootleg barbecue, some of you stayed out late celebrating, drank beer, you wore cardinal red and bar hopped with everyone in the city (Louisville or cat fan alike) or maybe you are in Atlanta and you saw the game in person and you barely remember the celebration it was so good. But you along with nearly the entire city of Louisville celebrated big in ATL and the likes of Shaq.

My reality. Thomas and I hopped in a tuk tuk with my backpack and my laptop because I did not know if the place we were going would have the game on tv. (backup plan laptop stream the game). We arrived at a Honduran restaurant and had to wait to see if it was open. (place is empty) I sat down at a table. I learned that ESPN Deportes will have it on tv. The game starts, it is in Spanish. The place gives Thomas and I free beer because they must have sensed my anxiety overload or perhaps they thought I would calm down and not bang on their table anymore. We ate fried plantains and watched the game just us and the whole restaurant. Beers later (frees ones at that) Louisville won and we took a taxi home. Yes that happened.

So now it is Sunday, I made cupcakes for my kids, with Louisville flags and a banner to hang in class. I explained to my roommates its like Christmas morning.... I am so excited for tomorrow night. We will return to that same restaurant  but hopefully others will join as well (I promised I would buy beer, if they sit with me and watch).

So here's to it ladies and gentlemen. Go CARDS GO!

Ps: Refrigerator that was broken is now fixed, toilet now flushes without a string and and and and the hole in the ceiling that the bats fly into our room through, now is covered with a pretty new tile. (all is right in the world).

As well can you believe it.... 9 weeks left in Honduras. 4 in Costa Rica and boom...... Colorado

________________________________________________________________________

The below is a series of Eleven Questions..... I stole this from Julie’s blog and thought I would post myself.....Enjoy!

1. In baseball each player gets a “walk up song” that plays on his way up to the plate. What song would you pick?  

The Beat, by Ben Rector. Click here.

2. What’s the best thing that happened to you last weekend?

 Well this is an easy one. LOUISVILLE WINS (TWICE) My hometown team, the team I grew up watching, the school I had the honor of attending (for a bit) men and women's basketball teams won their games in the Final Four to take them to the Championship game. Could not be more proud to call Louisville home. Proud of the University, proud of the teams and so excited for this weeks games! 

my self picture before the game when my nerves could barely stand it any more.

3. If you could have a starring role in any film already made, which movie would you pick?

Blue Crush. Female surfing movie. What more do you need some sun, surf boards and Hawaii. It would mean I would get to learn to surf if I was in the movie as well which would be really cool.

4. What actor/actress would you have play you in a movie of your life?

Rachel McAdams. She is beautiful, smart, witty and funny. (perhaps if she played me I could be those things too) 

5. What is your favorite quote?

"i have my opinion and desires for how i’d like our stories to be written. but i trust God more than i trust myself. i know He loves us and desires way more for us than I could even fathom. now there are times where i’d take the boring life with nothing impactful happening. but that’s not what He’s got in store for us." - Amy DiBias Patwa 

my dear friend amy wrote these words. she is now dancing in heaven for eternity.

6. What was your first concert?

I think it was Backstreet Boys. Not sure I remember to be honest.

7. What Internet website do you visit the most?

Gmail is open all the time and my google reader. I love my reader!

8. Which of Snow White’s 7 dwarfs describes you the best and why?

Probably Happy. (most of the time) Overly bubbly often, sometimes talk a bit much, or willing to talk to just about anyone (ask my roommate even if it is half broken spanglish)

9. If you were on death row, what would your last meal be?

Such a weird question to ask..... probably Barbecue, pulled pork sandwich with a Big glass of sweet tea (loaded with lots of sugar) Macaroni and cheese, fried okra, corn bread. I would then have a piece of pumpkin pie with lots and lots of whipped cream, and a scoop of ice cream.

10. What is the background of your computer?

This picture is one of my favorites in a long time.... these girls are kindred spirits in denver. This was at Megs goodbye party last august. The pictures just appeared now and made me cry. I miss them very much. Grateful for the memories, and grateful to have something to miss.

The Day My Kids Made it on WHAS11.... Go Cards!

Just made a homemade latte, with almond milk. My dear roommate Faye, it must be her european blood, assisted in the frothing process. With a spoonful of sugar,  I never knew my heart could be so happy over a cup of joe. It is raining.... the breeze is coming through the window and it is game day. It feels a bit like Christmas morning. Louisville tips off at 4:00 and I will be watching, cheering proudly..... although I wish I could tap my shoes like Dorothy and be in Atlanta, you can be certain my heart will be in Georgia today.

As many of you probably already saw......  I taught my kids the C-A-R-D-S Cheer. Yesterday on a break before my kids Spelling and Art class  I decided to send the video to the WHAS 11 news station facebook page. I thought I would pay tribute to cheer on the men and women's basketball team in their run this weekend in the Final Four. Moments after I sent the video, I received an email back from the producer at WHAS11 asking permission to use the video..... What transpired over the course of the day was the video then being placed on the website, facebook page and then shared from there....... the video has since been shared by Louisville fans and Cats fans all over the place.

Just wanted to say Thank you!  (Although my kids do not understand, even when I tried to explain to them). It made me really proud to call Louisville home, to cheer on the Cards today in the game and proud to share my sweet kids joy with my hometown.

All of this aside, yesterday I sat at my desk while watching as my kids worked on their art projects...... I had to take a deep breath to keep tears from falling from my eyes. Why am I so lucky to be the one to teach these 22 kids second grade? I am not sure I will ever understand. One thing I am certain is God is really good....... really really good.

You can click the link below to see the video of my kids posted on WHAS11 News Page  :)

http://www.whas11.com/community/Must-watch-video-Cards-fans-all-the-way-from-Honduras-201629821.html

or you can view it here on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WHAS11?fref=ts (scroll down to see it)

Happy Game day to you! Cheering from Honduras. GO CARDS GO!
Love me :)

Scenes from Here

Already Wednesday? Where did this week go? The weather here was really cold, low 50s. Let me disclaimer before you think to yourself, that's not cold at all.....when it is a nice 50 degrees outside in the States, you have your heat on inside. Your house is nice and toasty. In Honduras if it is in the low 50s outside then in your house (ours in this case) is even colder. Our house is made of concrete cinder blocks, tin roof and tile floor so we girls bundled up like it was below zero, with what little warm clothes we have. For example Alison wore her beach towel around her to keep warm..... we watched movies, drank tea and coffee around the clock....it has been really chilly at night..... something that I think in a few weeks time we will be wishing to have back. Dandiest thing, always wanting what you cant have.

Speaking of which my dear friend Megs told me today she was longing for summer days and country music.... Which had me thinking of Colorado and hard to believe a year ago I was skiing in Vail for the weekend, heading to work on Mondays to my new job position. Snow covered the ground in Colorado and I made my far too often visit to Starbucks.  How times have changed.. Change for the best.


I stumbled across this book.... excited to read it. Here is a quote from the book below:

“And for me, I’ve realized that I used to be afraid of failing at the things that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.”

Night from here. to you over there..... enjoy picture from this week....

Saddest alert ever on my phone. Streamed the whole game. Screamed and shouted.  Feeling better now... just hoping we learn now so we do not make the same mistakes come March

View from my bed. Dance Sing Floss and Travel. (thanks lululemon)

New coffee shop in town serves up an incredible latte. 

Roommate molz carrying a book on her head from my room.

Matt just eating lunch with a first grader.

Must see movie list that Kylie and I have created. This is what happens when it is  nasty weather and raining.

Weather from the soccer field.

Love this...... Yoga day 17 complete. 

Watching the Bachelor and dying laughing at the tears, the drama, the whole thing.

My kids today copying their study guides. They were being so good.

Faye after a hard day at school.

Tonight while at the D and D, Paul, who we met while in Rio Dulce my birthday weekend was staying for the night. He is passing through on his way down to Nicaragua. He let me know that he had a bunch of pictures from my Birthday Boat ride. Here is one he took of our pontoon. Hilarious.

Meet "Little Creature" the cat that lives at the D and D Brewery. She was sleeping up on the CD player on top of the refrigerator ......It was heated... 

tonights fire around at the d and d.

Joy.

learning to find joy in little things. celebrate what happens in real time without trying to wish too much time away, is a real challenge. but it is simply the best.....

When I describe to others what living here is like, one of the only ways i can attempt to explain is by saying i experience real joy. real joy that comes from the faces of children. real joy that is found in tasting the really sweet watermelon that you just paid one dollar just up the road. real joy in a hot cup of coffee that you know was carefully tended too by people that live in our village.

joy from watching our house cleaner put on my jeans because she just ripped her own cleaning our house. she smiles and says "thank you prof"....

smiling because I am eating smartees in my bed while watching college gameday live from butler on my computer at ten o'clock in the morning all the while painting my nails.

complaining because of the chilly air that is finding its way through our house....

enjoying the overcast day, that makes staying in bed, watching tv, reading my new book, and drinking coffee all day long not only fantastic but totally excusable.

facetiming my sister just moments after she wrote on facebook that she wished we could drink coffee together. thanks to the Internet we can.

trip planning for spring and this summer. incredible backdrops for kayaking. volcano's. drinking champs. starry nights. scuba diving. beach drinks. hiking..... its is enough to get anyone excited.

listening to ed sheeran.... just bought this cd. obsessed.

looking back at pictures from the week would make you smile too........

Henry.... Notice that he skipped over problem 2 and 3 because he could not reach so he opted to answer number 4.

Cockroach next to Kylies coffee. We left him to lie there for a day or so.  

Louisville Fan officially created. 

Freezing day at school. Ignore how I look but notice how Nahomy and I had matching black jackets.

South Africa themed dinner night... 

Watermelon.. so sweet.

Making signs for my class..... and watching college gameday. 

And here it is..... The Louisville Cheer......

from one full heart to hopefully yours as well. kristina