My Bucket List

Ever since the movie, Thee Bucket List, came out I have been compiling a mini list of things in my head that I would like to accomplish in my life.... This list is often changing, things are being added and often deleted...... the list is an ever growing compilation from my heart.

I hope you are a dreamer. too. I Hope that you dream big things that you want for yourself  :) I decided not long ago to not waste my days doing something that did not bring me joy and welp here I am. In Honduras. Loving on Some Kids...... hope your dreams take you to far away places and bring you lots of joy.

Here's to dreaming about the only two weeks that stand between now and Semana Santa (Spring Break).......

Disclaimer this list is in no particular order.... here she is....

• Walk the course at Augusta for the Masters... even if it is just a practice day. 
• See a concert at the famous Gran Ol Opry in Nashville.
• Superbowl
• Teach a yoga class.
• Have a Frrrozen Hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 in New York (Scene from the movie, Serendipity filmed here)
• Backpack the Appalachian Trail.
• Cook a full Thanksgiving Meal for my Family. Host one year.
• Own a pickup truck.... 
• Alaska, go fishing and kayaking on the sea... see the glaciers
• Spend a weekend in Austin Texas. See UT play, tailgate and then go to the bar to listen to music.
• Girls trip with my best friends from High School. Doesn't matter where. Someplace.
• Learn to make pie crust and homemade pies.
• Go to the Final Four (preferably when my team is there :)
• Attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans
• Recreate the Sleepless in Seattle scene at the top of the Empire State Building in New York.
• Weekend in Charleston. Eat yummy food, drink wine, explore the cobblestone streets. Admire the homes. 
• Have children someday and a must do is take my kids to Disney World.
• Visit every baseball park in the USA ( I can go ahead and check off the following Colorado, Atlanta, Cincinnati  Baltimore  Houston)
• Run another half marathon
• Walk on the Great Wall of China
• Own my own home someday, call it mine and hopefully my own family.
• Attend Wimbeldon in London.... (my roommate confirms she can easily assist in making this happen)
• Celebrate Queens Day on a boat in Amsterdam. Dress in lots of orange to celebrate in Holland.
• Drive a car from Seattle down the coast of Washington, Oregon and the coast of California all the way to the border in Mexico......
• Cape Town, South Africa, go on a safari and visit Alison my roommate.
• Master the perfect homemade latte
• See the pyramids in Egypt
• Attend the Rose Bowl and Rose Bowl Parade in Southern California
• Finish a Sprint triathlon
• Travel New Zealand... visit both islands. (would like this one to happen sooner than later)
• Attend Houston Rodeo....
• A summer week spent in Martha's Vineyard...
• Ice Skate in Central Park around Christmas time, See the big Christmas tree too.
• Attend the ACC Tournament.....(would have been go to the Big East Tournament in Madison Square gardens) but now I suppose it shall be this.
• Ski Keystone, Crested Butte and Steamboat (Yes I lived in Colorado 6 years and never made this happen..... silly me)
• Visit the Greek Isles..... get lost in the painted white buildings and blue roof tops.
• Climb in Patagonia.... hiking, backpacking trip. Ski and play in the mountains of South America
• ..................................................................

I am thinking of trying to do something with my kids this week about dreaming big.... Who do they want to be? Where do they want to go? Will let yall know if I do.

Cheers on this Sunday.

March Madness. Helen Keller. Lessons in Our Class.

I do not have to say it..... You probably already know that I am a big Louisville Cardinal Fan. So in honor of March Madness, I decided to decorate our classroom with basketballs. David C and I  created a basketball goal to install in the classroom as well. It has been a big hit.

To all my former colleagues at Graebel, you remember my basketball goal that I had in my cubicle. The paper one made out of a paper plate for the hoop, that was above my recycling bin :) This was my inspiration.

Your probably thinking what a horrible idea. But hey these kids do not know the magnitude of my love for basketball (maybe they do now) so what better way to incorporate some fun by putting in a goal. If the trash can is under the hoop they are allowed to throw paper through the hoop. That's the rule, although I have watched anything but paper being thrown up at the goal.... pencils, pencil sharpeners, soccer balls etc...  After the goal went up we had some practice sessions..... check out below :)

(Top left, it is installed up high enough that they cannot dunk on it :), top right practice dribbling, bottom left the fake and bottom right David  in for the block while Roberto pretends to dunk)

Gisel dunking the ball. She is quickly climbing to the top of my one of my favorites list (shhh don't tell the kids that a list exists)

Above is a picture of Gisel trying to dunk on the  basketball goal. Here below are pictures of her playing futbol with the boys. She and Ana, a first grader, are the only girls that play futbol with boys. I have a special place in my heart for any girl that is willing to get out there and play sports with the boys. I did not capture the moment but just after I took these pictures Gisel scored a goal and celebrated in the most stereotypical international futbol goal scoring way.......She ran across the field, arms stretched out and shouted in a long drawn out kind of way...... G___OOOOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!! It was great.

Here below is a picture of Henry and Samuel, posing for me as if there was a free kick and they are protecting themselves. Hilarious.

In class this week I decided to continue our lessons on  Helen Keller. In the library I found another book about her that had Braille printed on the back. Side story, last week I read a story about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. To my amazement my kids did not know who she was. They were fascinated by the thought that she could not see and could not hear.

Today I took the opportunity to write the Braille alphabet on the board. I then gave my kids a piece of paper so they could write their names in Braille. To my knowledge disabilities are not readily talked about....... even more so it seems that unless you are of the wealthier class in Honduras there is very little to offer to you for a future.....

I want my class to be aware of others around them, understand that they are healthy second graders but that not everyone is like them and not everyone gets to grow up like they do.  I desperately want my kids to know how to love well and love others that are not just like them well. Showing them Braille, and watching them run their little fingers over the letters and asking them if they think it would be hard to read that way..... so incredible.... I hope gives them a little perspective....

Here below is a picture of my kiddos writing there names. Some went on to write their families names as well.

I have been giving a lot of thought about the example I am setting for my kids. What I say, how I act, and how I discipline? Am I building them up? Am I setting an example of love and truth? With a heavy heart, I am realizing how many ways I have failed.  Children, as we all know, pick up on the smallest of things. They remember the silliest of things (even those that we wish they did not). I have no resolution per say but do have a few things I am going to be challenging myself with over the next coming weeks......My prayer is to have more patience, to listen more attentively and most importantly to teach them to love people well. I think that's what God wants from us. Love Him and Love Others.

Happy Saturday to you. From my cough, cold, a few spoon fulls of peanut butter, my coffee and my bed. Warmest Kristina

Thoughts on this found below......

Love is always given freely - it’s not rooted in demands, ritual, obligation, or what you can do. It cannot be contained, it cannot be limited, and will always defy the tidy theological boundaries that we create in our collectively small imaginations.

We have fooled ourselves into believing that love is too simple to be the most important thing. We believe that we have to do something, but love reminds us that we don’t have to do anything to be loved – we just are.

And that's the brilliance of love ... it's utter simplicity.

Taken from here

Yoga Q&A 101

Long overdue post about me going to yoga teacher training and my yoga love......

A little background, about two years ago I bought a groupon with a friend for a hot yoga studio in Denver that gave me 30 days unlimited at the studio for $45.00. If you take hot yoga regularly you know it is expensive so this was a steal. I had taken regular yoga classes at the 24 hr gym in Denver but never tried hot.

Welp long story short, I went to a class and then went the next day and then the next day and the next..... I was hooked. So I signed up for the full price and continued it until I moved to Hondy. I love the benefits of yoga, using my body as a weight, constantly being challenged, the relaxation, and a good sweat session (sorry tmi). So this now lead me to spread my yogi love to my roommates here, my family and friends. My mom and I took a class over Christmas in Louisville at Betsys Hot Yoga and took a class in Cabo on the beach..... I take full advantage anywhere I go with a chance to do yoga and look forward to teaching soon.

Some of you may have some questions so I thought I would answer them this way about Costa Rica....

• When is it?
• Starts June 15, 2013 ends on July 11, 2013
• Where is it?
• It is held at the Pura Vida Spa. This is a eight acre mountainside estate in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. It is about 45 minutes from San Jose.
• Where do you sleep?
• I will share a bungalow/ tent room with another person who is as well in the training. They have two queen size beds, they are luxury sort of looking huts.... Shall see when I get there.
• Do you know anyone?
• Nope :) And that is ok. Excited to meet others from all over the world participating.
• What do you learn?
• Ashtanga Vinyasa method. A series of  70+ asana (poses). I will learn all the names,  opening/closing chants, principles of synchronization of breath corresponding to each posture. This type of practice is about the flow of the movements and can often be thought as more high intense than meditative. Although I believe yoga has incredible benefits for meditation. Hot Yoga will be taught s well as  Vinyasa Flow, Yin, Gentle and Restorative Yoga will be learned, and some prenatal yoga as well.
• What will you be able to do after you are complete?
• I will be 200 HR Yoga Alliance certified. My hope is to get connected in a studio to start teaching Vinyasa Flow classes and or Hot yoga classes. I am open to a lot of things, would love to teach kids, maybe at schools, and or in the corporate world in workshops. Who knows? One on one personal classes, options are endless, but really just start teaching.
• What does you training include?
• All classes, lodging and a three meal a day vegetarian diet. This is set up as well to be a retreat/ detox for the time I am there. (So excited for this part!)
• How many people are there?
• Not sure, in the past they have had around 16 people or so and then two teachers. SO it is very small and intimate to learn a whole bunch.
• How long is it?
• 28 days....6 days practice and training, 1 day rest. 
• How will you get there?
• I am going to take a bus from San Pedro Sula, Honduras to Managua, Nicaragua. I will stay overnight or maybe a few days in Nicaragua to then catch another bus to San Jose, Costa Rica. 
• When are you flying back to the States?
• The mystery question. At this time I do not have a flight booked. Scary? :) I don't think so. I looked at flights and lucky for me it is much much much cheaper to fly from San Jose, Costa Rica to Denver than from San Pedro Sula, Honduras to Denver. It is not that surprising seeing that so many people are going to Costa Rica and nobody seems all that enthused with Honduras. (disclaimer Costa Ricas economic stability and tourism boom is to blame, Honduras just has lots of work to do). 

All of this to say. I am beyond excited and nervous. I have no idea what to expect, and I already made a joke to my roommates who goes to yoga teacher training without being able to master a Pincha Mayurasana????  Welp that would be me.

I am a bit intimidated by other yogis who seem to be able to do all sorts of inversions and things that I cannot.  I am working on it, still practicing a bunch but it is certainly a work in progress. As well if you have ever taken a class  you know that a lot of poses have complicated names too...... yikes! Cheers to trying to pronounce them all.

Here is a Pincha Mayurasana in case you were wondering :

So to all of you who have never done yoga, think its weird, hard and or are indifferent. I can assure you will not be disappointed if you give it a try.

You may have noticed as well that I am flying to Denver.... That is because my things are locked up in a storage box and my car in a house in the mountains... Remember me unhooking my battery before I left here. I am going to hang out with friends, visit my very favorite places, hopefully play in the mountains and then get my things together to move.......... (yikes)

Alright cheers to friday yall. Enjoy your weekend. I have lots of posting. I have not forgotten to post about my kiddos either. Just waiting to organize the pictures of them :)

Warmest
Kristina

TGIF. Happy National Woman's Day

Its friday and that is always a good thing. I just didnt anticipate spending my night sniffling and coughing. I am not alone is this either, my roommate and I are quite the combo. With piles of tissues next to our beds, and hot tea I am tempted to go and buy disinfectant spray.  Although a runny nose is always a sexy thing on a lady if you ask me......

Needless to say this is not how I saw my Friday going down..... either way I am looking forward to the weekend. It was a long week and feeling a bit under the weather I can't wait to get some rest...

Today at school I am looking forward to giving out the star of the week award to David C. (see below) (I have two Davids, David C and David P) He will be shocked. He has done a great job this week and is most deserving in our class so I look forward to seeing his face.  (Side note, he is often notoriously bad so it was nice to see him behave well and reward him for it).

My kids this week.... where do I begin..... they were wonderful and then they were rotten. Yesterday while sitting outside during reading class, I began to read a super hero book about the Incredibles to David P. (picture below)

Next thing you know I have a whole little crew of boys pilled around me on both sides listening to me read the story. One of them was nearly on my lap. I loved each second of it.  The boys love the adventure, the action and the bad guys. I kept on reading because these moments are rare and you got to take them when you get them. ( I do not have a picture of the moment, but they are the same boys that are pictured below that are biting off their art project, so sweet they are :)) The girls you might wonder, where were they? Off reading books about princesses and puppies of course.

Left to Right, Roberto, David C, Caleb and Sergio

This got me to thinking that some of the best memories in life are not captured on film. The very best memories have simply happened and you were there to experience it, no cameras needed. I prefer it that way. Often times we are so busy behind the camera or behind our phones trying to capture that perfect image but we never actually see it happen with our own two eyes. Like a dinner with a friend or a funny joke told, a quiet moment spent between two people, an adventure, or skiing down a mountain. Some of my very favorite memories have occurred at these present moments........

Here is a picture of my whole class.... yes I told them to make a funny face. I do have a normal one as well but I like this one, because this is a more accurate picture of them. When they are sitting there and smiling, they look sweet and innocent and sweet and innocent they most certainly are not. With big vibrant personalities (putting it nicely) ..........they are my class of 22 and I could not imagine this year without them.

I have more pictures to share... of our classroom decorations, learning sign language and braille, and playing soccer.

For now it is almost time for the end of the day... counting down the minutes. Feeling a bit rough. As well Happy National Woman's Day! This is a new holiday to me, but hey cheers ladies!

As well side story, one of my kids told me I should shut the classroom door because he was cold and I said its not cold, your fine. He insisted, "But MISS, it is cold and your sick!" So sweet. I smiled. (I didn't shut the door, it may be cool here but it is most certainly not cold enough to need to shut our classroom door to keep the breeze out)

From windy, sunny Honduras, Kristina

Looking Ahead

When life gives you more than you can handle or perhaps it is God trusting you with more and you don't seem to know why.... how do you respond? I often fight back. I am quick to want to fix things, and I am even quicker at trying to analyze the most minute of details of my life to try and understand.

However...... I am learning... s---l----o---w----l----y. I am learning that things will happen without explanation. I can only trust and hope in what the past has proved to be true.... All things have always worked out for good. For the good of others and (selfishly) for the very best of me.

So today I am choosing happy..... despite being up all night with a fever and a aching sore throat.... I am going to choose joy......
Whats on deck for March.....

• March 5-8- This week nothing---- and nothing is a good thing. It means lots of catching up with my kids school work, and an open schedule to go on adventures. Although some of us are going bird watching on Saturday morning with the very famous Malcom. (unplanned being in bed all day Wednesday sick)
• March 15-17- Next weekend we are going on our mystery visa trip? We are heading away to Guatemala or Belize (not sure where yet, or even if we will know in advance) Honduran planning is what we like to call this, last minute trip planned.
• March 20- Last family dinner with Jason. His farewell fiesta!
• March 18-22- Last week of School before Semana Santa. (Spring Break)
• March 22- Science Fair Day at School. Yes the tri-fold board whole thing. I am in charge of 8 projects. Just call me Ms. Frizzle. I am loosing my brain.
• March 23- 31- UTILA! This week 9 of us are spending the week on the island of Utila. This island is just off the coast of Honduras. The island made famous for its backpacker crowd, loud bars, and scuba diving. Our week will be enjoyed while Faye and I read our books, snorkel, lay in the sun and try our best to stay out of trouble while the rest of our group is getting scuba certified.

APRIL (how is it almost april?)

• ***** Month of visitors, Kylies family, Matts family, Fayes Friend and My Mom!
• April 1- April Fools Day
• April 3- The Hohlers and The Bertschs Arrive (Families of my roommates)
• April 17- 21- My mom comes from Wednesday to Sunday.
• *** I am sure there will be more to add to this..

As I am thinking ahead to the last few months in Honduras... news of babies, weddings, new houses purchased, and graduations are occurring at home... So I thought I would take some time to mention a few people who are on my heart these days, people that are going to be embracing something new and exciting this year.... I am grateful to have you as friends....your in my thoughts and prayers in Honduras and hopefully I will get the chance to give you an in person Congratulations very soon.

• Bethany Stamp-- you get married so soon. Yay for another wedding of friends! Praying for you and Austin and I cant wait till August to celebrate with you both.
• Katie Bocchino--baby girl is due any day! You will be an incredible mom and I am certain that little princess will be beautiful. So look forward to seeing that sweet face in pictures.
• Meagan Day-- you are an engaged to be married woman. you know you are incredibly special to me and I would expect nothing less than a man worthy of loving you well and Rory most certainly does that. Praying lots for you and see you in CO July!
• Christie Lee-- your birthday is this month. From 1st grade until now i am so glad to have you be my best friend. Happy soon to be almost 25.
• Laura and Blake Wearren--- Happy Almost 1 year anniversary... crazy how fast a year goes.

In the mean time... I am resting up... fighting off my sickness that came out of left field. I will share more of what has been happening in my classroom this week, including our special March decorations for our classroom.

Cheers on Wednesday.
Kristina

Grateful

Grateful for rainy cold Honduras days that allow me to curl up in my bed and watch movies. For children that are consistent as the sun each morning, that will be rowdy, loud, disruptive, sweet, and will arrive tomorrow morning in their blue uniforms  to school. Grateful for a new month, new start. Grateful for hot green tea that I am drinking right now in our freezing cold house. Grateful for my family, that is far away that I cannot wait to share the same town with again. Grateful for old friends who come back around. And for words shared by someone over the weekend, "I want to be the best version of me for someone else, and I am going to keep going and continue to learn and grow into who that person may one day be." Grateful.

As well I Encouraged by the words shared on this blog, (thanks blogging world for introducing me to encouraging people and revealing truth to me) 

 Here's the miracle of tiny babies: They are a blank slate. They're wide open with promise and grace. They don't see us through the same lens as everyone else in the room. The shadows of our past mistakes don't settle down around our shoulders, making even our good parts seem more like a fluke. They see only who we are right now. Life becomes an opportunity to be exactly who we always knew we were. Everything moves forward, nothing in reverse. 

happy sunday night to you.... kristina

Letters to Things this 1st of March......

Letters to things.....Happy Friday to all of you....

_________________________________________

Dear class,

So glad that making a funny face at you while I walk by your classroom and your supposed to be paying attention to the Spanish teacher, makes you giggle and laugh. Your fragile hearts and honest souls continue to remind me why God calls us all to have a childlike faith. Thank you for that reminder

Love your teacher who was sticking her tongue this morning...

_________________________________________

Dear Cabo,

Thank you for the sun that rose each morning, for being a place that the whales migrate too so I could admire their beauty from a small boat (that often felt like it was going to capsize). For your incredible sunsets and crisp morning air. More than anything thanks for bringing my family together for a week to soak up some sun, play cards and spend a week relaxing together.

Love a recent visitor

__________________________________________

Dear Louisville Basketball and Rick Pitino,

Yes you have only a week left of regular season, then you move on to big east play in the big apple and then you will receive your bid for the big dance. Play hard and don't make me stream games just to watch you fail to close out the games well. As if the static Internet is not enough, your inability to secure solid shots drives me often crazy.... lets do this. Just play with your heart, that's all I ask. Besides you have a class of 22 second graders in Honduras that know how to do the "CARDS" cheer and I would hate to tell them that you lost. 

Love Cardinal Fan living in Honduras.

__________________________________________

Dear Future,

Yep you, still not sure what you hold. Still trying to trust that its OK, because you are often best when it is a surprise....  trying my best to trust that God has something good up his sleeve... Trying to know that you have something even more than I could ever imagine......

Love anxious me

___________________________________________

Dear Yoga Training in Costa Rica,

AHHHHH!!! I am so excited yet on the other hand I have no idea what i am in store for. Promise me you will help me pronounce all the crazy terms correctly, and that I will meet incredible people to practice yoga with for 28 days. More than anything give me the wisdom to teach and to hopefully soon find a teaching spot in Kentuck. As well is it too much to ask if  you could help me master a few inversions? 

Love excited future yogi teacher

___________________________________

Dear Mom and Dad,

On August 19, 2013 (sorry previously wrote the 20th) you will celebrate 33 years of marriage. Thank you for being the truest example of selfless love to my sister and I. Thanks for setting an example for something I hope to one day have. Thanks for being true to you and thanks for giving me many of your greatest parts...... Sorry I am scaring you by living here but just know that I am your daughter and you taught me to be strong, to be brave, and to love people well and I am only trying the very best I can to do that here in Honduras. So soon I am coming home to live with you, don't you look forward to that day :) (hehehehe)

Love your youngest daughter me

____________________________________

Dear Snowy Colorado,

Stop It. You are breaking my heart, your powdery goodness on the slopes are making me jealous. Yes the grass may always be greener on the other side but seriously... last year the snow was terrible and I had only a few good days on the mountain. But now you have fresh powder for days and I am desperate to ski.... Just stop already

Love Your former resident.....

____________________________________


Love this one:

Taken from Here