My Ol Kentucky Home

Today's post is a special one indeed in honor of a place so near and dear to my heart. A place that I was born, a place I was raised and a place that I have a feeling one day will call me back.

This Saturday the city of Louisville will be put on stage while the everyone watches the Kentucky Derby...... The Run for the Roses.

No matter near or far away the first Saturday in May always holds special meaning......

 Thank you Louisville for making me proud to call you home. 

Being the most northern southern town there is..... (my opinion if you ask me). 

For your fast horses, the sweet taste of a mint julep, your rolling green hills, your old Louisville charm, your incredible restaurants, your Kentucky hot brown, for loving basketball like more than most people love their families, for your summers spent on the lake, for catching fireflies as a kid and for making my childhood now look like scenes from a movie..... (almost too good to be true). 

You are missed but I am so glad I always have a place to go home too. 

(most certainly now that my whole family will be there)

• The home my parents brought me home from the hospital too.

• The house where I learned to ride my bike.

• Where I played basketball with my dad and attempted to shoot threes from the line near the garage. (missed nearly every time)

• Where my best friend lived next door and we would run between our yards.

• Where my sister and I lost our hamster in his rolly ball thingy when he rolled out of the garage.

• Where we waited on the steps Christmas morning.

• Where we ran after golf balls that dad would hit out of backyard into the field behind our house.

• Where we ran after the ice cream man as he drove by our street.

• Where we waited for dad to come driving down the street with his fishing boat behind him and we would hop in the back just to ride up the drive way.

• A place that was home for the first 15 years of my life.

• The home that my parents built right before I went into high school. Just down the street from our old house.

• The house I brought my new car home too on my sixteenth birthday so my friends could surprise me and decorate it.

• The staircase that hosted many prom pictures.

• The house that held my sixteenth birthday party, with all of my friends and ruined mom and Dads carpet.

• The screened in porch that saw many a high school late night study sessions, Saturday morning paper readings and late nights with friends talking.

• The house that was home for many basketball football watching parties.

• The neighbors with the adorable kids that my mom played aunt/grandma too.

• The house that I packed out of to leave for college.

• The house was home for five years.

From my home in Honduras I will do my very best to pay my respects to my Ol Kentucky Home by making my kids celebrate the Derby. My roommates and I will drink bourbon in the first Saturday in Mays honor and will eat Drink and Be Merry. Happy Derby Week everyone!

More Kentucky Posts in Tow for this week.... As well no School tomorrow. Dia De Mayo (May day!) Woohoo! Whatever it means I will take it :)

"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........

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 :)

Wednesday thoughts....

First week back I knew would be a challenge but I was not prepared for this. I think my kids forgot how to act, how to behave, or maybe they are just being seven and eight year olds...  At one point yesterday I walked out of the classroom to avoid breaking down even more than I already had. Out of complete frustration. Had to hold back from breaking down in tears..... They make it so very impossible some days.......

However last night I was able to connect with a dear friend, laugh about our past and smile about many things to come...... for that I am very grateful. We shared joy in her recent engagement and I attempted to admire her beautiful ring through our blurry computer screen. (Dearest Meg and Rory I am so excited for you both and grateful Meg that you met a man who will love you well for the rest of your days, so look forward to celebrating in Colorado in July).....I am as well looking forward to my mom visiting Honduras (fingers crossed she is coming). I am patiently waiting as she secures her flight and excited to share with someone why this place has been my home for a year, to see what I see, to see what an incredible, yet incredibly frustrating place this is.....Hope she knows what she is in store for...

Heres to hoping and praying on this Wednesday. From my desk in my room.... (pardon my messy table) I am double tasking Louisville game and grading second grade math.... warmest to you...

I am listening to this song over and over again.... Enjoy...

I could just sit

I could just sit and wait for all your goodness

Hope to feel your presence

And I could just stay

I could just stay right where I am and hope to feel you

Hope to feel something again

And I could hold on

I could hold on to who I am and never let You change me from the inside

And I could be safe

I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home

Never let these walls down

But you have called me higher

You have called me deeper

And I will go where you will lead me

-------lyrics from All Sons and Daughters, Called Higher........ reflecting on waiting on God.

Monday a Bit Late

*** Disclaimer this post is coming a bit late because we have been without internet. This was my Monday.

Spanish. My spanish needs some help. Slowly I am learning but I realize that if I want to leave this country and be able to articulate and understand I need more practice. Sunday after a good long run by myself (yes I ran alone for the first time, now that I am familiar with where I am, I took a gravel road through farms in the sun, it was one of my favorite runs since I have been here). On my way home I stopped by the souvenir shop in town, that sells mass produced Honduran gifts, the usual shot glasses, coffee mugs, picture frames etc. The lady in the store I recognized because her sister lives next to the boys house. (Matt and I needed directions to church one time and we asked them.) I bought a headband that I had had my eye on. While looking in her shop the lady in the shop said that she needs to practice her English and I said I need to practice my Spanish. I told her I would come back in the afternoons and sit out front of her shop with her and we could practice together. Today I was done at school at noon and I ran home from school. The girls took my backpack for me and I just took my phone, my keys and some money. I ran straight to her store. I sat out front of her shop with her for an hour. It is so helpful to be able to exchange vocabulary and talk. I am going to be visiting her each day after school. When I told her I could not come tomorrow because i have swimming, she said, “aahhhh ok!” (disappointed look) and then said  “I really like you”. I think this will really help my Spanish

Today was a good day, we got some new furniture today delivered (the teacher that came and went, the older lady from the States had a house by the boys that they moved things into and we got the things from her house). I mopped our floor while the girls were still at school. (therapy for me)

Our trash bin lid had fallen over the side of our balcony. Over the side of the balcony is really gross, filled with trash and we live on the second floor. I had no clue how we could get around to retrieve it. But today I saw a woman down below, burning her trash. I saw her only after I went outside to see where all the smoke was coming from. In my broken spanish I got her to grab it and throw it up to me. First attempt was a fail but then I made a motion of a frisbee and she gave it a try, it successfully made it up! 

As well Matt and I carved my pumpkin that Stephanie brought me from Guatemala. We decided to pay tribute to our favorite college football teams who are still both 8-0 this year. (notre Dame and Louisville of course). We are pretty proud. 

I did a load of wash, and decided I needed to take a picture, of the ridiculouslness that is my room. (will post later). As well we all just hung out, drank coffee, Matt was being a goof as per usual. We made cards for Philips birthday tommorow and I later did an hour of yoga. (addicting). 

Check out what I have now successfully mastered :) Matt is clearly so proud of me and I am so excited! It is now a nightly ritual to practice more.