Just a little Som Thing

ATC Calender Card Swap

2011-09-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends from Santa Rosa, CA and I are doing an Artist Trading Card Swap and I am having so much fun with it! The theme this time is "Calendar", so every week we do a new month themed card. If you aren't familiar with ATC Swap HERE is a link to explain.

I've also gotten into mini-albums of late and am loving the opportunity to refine my scrap booking and trying new ways to do it! You can totally see mini-album influences on the cards :)

Here are some pictures of my ATC Cards I have done so far. They are all interactive so I hope you get the gist via pics.

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

June:

Months July-December are next! I'll post when those are done! :)

MOVING!

2011-06-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I have noticed while packing up all our stuff...

1. Maggie is NOT excited to move. She just lays around the house moping from room to room and is acting very strange to it all.

2, Sometimes I find myself doing something that really I shouldn't be but it just makes me happy in that moment so I do it anyways...

Like organizing the hangers by color when they are all going to get thrown in a box in a day.

3. I have MANY socks that don't have matches... Although since I took that picture 3 pairs have been reunited. They were in really random spots around the house. Like in a box at the top of my closet and in a pile of Michael's shirts in his drawers...

I found a jackpot of socks a (and underwear) behind the dryer which was awesome!

4. I found it to be really sad to pack up my craft stuff because that meant I couldn't craft for the next month...

5. Magaret Anne Frank McMaggerton is going on 3 boxes for her stuff.... It's a little ridiculous. I must admit.

6. I have a lot of stuff to give/give back to a lot of people. Hopefully they will all come to our goodbye party.

7. Our house is full of boxes and we haven't packed the kitchen, the bathroom or the shed yet... :( SUPER SAD FACE!

Margaret (Maggie) McMaggerton

2011-01-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

I just love my dog. Probably more than I should but she is just so amazing it's hard not to. Here are the top 11 reasons why I love her.

11. She is so curious and smart!

10. She is so small we can take her/she can fit anywhere.

9. She loves Sprinkles cupcakes (both dog and people versions)

8. She always lets me know if something is happening outside that should not be happening. Or if Michael is home and I didn't hear him come in.

7. She gives everyone kisses.

6, Sometimes I feel like she knows what I'm thinking.

5, She does really awesome tricks!

4. I think we need to sign her up for agility training because at the dog fair she did great and learned so fast!

3. She puts up with a lot.

2. Everyone that meets her falls in love because she is so happy and sweet and cute!

1. She is the best cuddler in all of the world.

My new friend Andrea!

2010-12-28T09:12:00.001-08:00

I made a friend at school, her name is Andrea and she is awesome. Almost every morning we both get to school earlier than we need to (out of habit from the beginning of the year when we DID need to get there early) and we sit and chat for like 10 minutes before staff devotions! It's basically just social time for me and her before we are with students and everyone else all day.

Anyways, she listens to Greg and Fernando on Movin' 99.7 every morning on her way to school and at the beginning of the year she told me about how awesomely funny they were and would tell me about "the good, the bad and the ugly, the three stories you need to know to get into the day". So, of course, I started listening to Greg and Fernando because Andrea listens to them. :) And now our 10 minute conversations before devotions often start with what Greg and Fernando were talking about.

The week before school got out for christmas break, Andrea told me that Greg and Fernando are going to be at the Safeway for a food drive in San Jose on Friday (the last day of school) and asked if I wanted to go visit them. Of course I said YES. I could put faces to the people I listen to every morning. The only way we could go though was to wake up and see them at 6AM so that we could make it back in time for school/morning staff devotions at 7:30AM.

So we went. And it was so awesome. I felt really creepy because 1) we woke up so early, 2) we drove a good 30 minutes and 3) I feel like we know Greg and Fernando just by listening to them every morning but they definitely don't know us.

It wasn't that awkward though and we got free t-shirts, mugs and stickers. They talked to us for a while and then we got starbucks at safeway, said goodbye and left.

Then we listened to see if they would mention us (because they had been mentioning people that dropped by all morning). They could have said that two school teachers came down to the food drive, or that two girls named Andrea and Sommer came to say hello. But NOTHING! We got no recognition. So lame.

I just wanted my name on the radio Greg.

Fernando, I talked to you for a good 5 minutes and gave you gold, GOLD (in terms of funny stories you could tell). But no. It's alright though, atleast we got to meet them and we got free stuff and starbucks (which was much needed after waking up so early and to sustain us through the entire last day of school before break.)

I'm glad I have a friend that will do these things with me at school.

Psalm 13 and this season of the Nunans lives!

2010-12-28T01:24:00.000-08:00

I feel like Psalm 13 speaks greatly to this season of my (and Michael's) life right now. I heard it in a bible study I went to and couldn't believe how much it expressed what I have been feeling.

I know God has wanted us here in Redwood City but God definitely took/is taking his time in showing us how exactly he is going to use us here. I love that it says, "restore the sparkle to my eyes." I can't tell you how many people have described me a sparkler, bubbly, bright, etc. But it's been so hard. It's like this ongoing battle to keep trying to trust that God has a plan for us here and that he will take care of that cell phone bill even though we totally don't have money for that. Or that God will pay for the tires that Michael needs on his car even though we don't have an extra $400 lying around. Or that God will provide a job for me in the Spring.

But at the same time, this season has been so sweet because I have seen God work through and grow Michael and me in ways I haven't before. Since we don't really have anything else, we have been forced to rely on God and it's so awesome how he has provided every bill and every need. Like the random check from a year ago that I found in the shed from Michael's last job that payed for the cell phone bill. Or the $400 in christmas money we got to pay for Michael's tires. Or the job that God provided for me in the spring so that I can continue to work at King's not only teaching math but also teaching health to 8th grade girls.
After connecting with a lot of the 8th grade girls this semester in Geometry, I felt a little sad that I wasn't going to see them again. But now I not only get to see them, but I get to teach/discuss how they are beautifully and uniquely made in His image and can be confident and claim that truth! So awesome! What a blessing!

It is just so sweet how God has taken care of every step of the way and I can now claim His promises in confidence. I love that during this harder time in our lives that our "roots are going deep" (as my friend Helen puts it) and that we will come out of this with such a strong confidence for future hard times and could possibly help encourage others facing the same struggles.

Psalm 13

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me.

As a fun sidenote:
For Christmas Michael got me a necklace that has two hearts on it. One side of one heart says "love, Michael" and the other side says "Psalm 13". So sweet! Then he said that he got a free jewelry box with it and they told him they can engrave something on it. So on top of the box it says, "Real Fancy". SO AWESOME! I love it.

I have noticed...

2010-10-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of pictures of me eating various things...

Michael is the culprit for taking such pictures.

This last one I wasn't even drinking anything. Just pretending I was drinking... Oh man.. it's gotten REAL bad!

B-Per

2010-10-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

So I decided I wanted to post the top 10 reasons why I heart my sister-in-law/favorite friend Becky so much!

10. She married my brother and gave birth to my awesome nephew, Luke, who I love!

9. She will wear "Team" anything with me.

8. She is proud to be a Perry

7. She loves anything associated with Tigers and UOP

6. She is apart of the fellowship of the hood and is on TEAM BRITNEY!

5. She will point to something, hold an object, jump, give a certain look or dress up just to make the picture more FUN

4. She loves Starbucks, The Office and Target as much as I do

3. She inspires me to be more athletic, more stylish and just cuter in general

2. She loves libraries and vegetables with faces.

1. She completes our family!

I don't know why I love Marcel the Shell so much but I think I could watch it 1,000 times :)

2010-09-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Feeding the Toothless

2010-03-21T22:53:00.001-07:00

I have wanted to give the homeless people I see around town something when I drive/walk by, so I bought a box of granola bars to keep in my car and hand out. The first day I saw a man outside of Trader Joes. I said hello and asked if he was hungry offering up the granola bar. Surprising to me he said, "No Thanks" and I was disappointed in not being able to help in the way I wanted to (which sounds ridiculous when I write that sentence).
A week later I went back to Trader Joe's and saw the same man. I thought I would offer my granola bars but I expected him to deny me once again. But instead he explained that he couldn't have it because he didn't have enough teeth to chew the hard granola bar.
So I bought something softer and easier to chew for this man. (Which I got the idea from my friend Melia who has been doing this for years). Svenharts pastries. They sell a big pack at Costco for $12. I am pretty sure they are not nearly as nutritious as granola bars but at least he won't be hungry for a good hour or so until all the sugar burns off! Needless to say, I'm really excited to see the man this week!

Show and Tell

2009-09-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

I started a new activity in my classroom this year. During the last five minutes of my day, I show some set of weird/interesting/funny pictures or video. I have called this the Show and Tell portion of the day. Basically I do it to have the students not feel the need to pack up/ line up at the door/ keep their attention, etc.

My goal also is to make the students leave on a positive note, so that maybe, psychologically, I can trick them into thinking coming to math class is a positive thing and remove the stigma that is math in this society 125 students at a time. :) But that is me dreaming big.

I have really liked the effects so far. Sometimes they have even been educational, but mostly not. And they never have anything to do with math.

Then I decided, I think everyone (and by everyone I mean the few that will come to read my blog) should benefit from the happiness this brings to me at the end of everyday.

So on this first post, I'm going to catch you up and then every couple of days I'll post the show and tell!

Day 1: I think students didn't quite understand what I was doing yet. I may have even scared a couple out from my class. Plus, I had no speaker hook ups so the video was kind of anti-climactic without any "jaws" music in the background. I had to wait a little bit for speakers before I could show a video again.

Great White Shark Video - For more of the funniest videos, click here

Day Two: was a little different. I decided pictures would be a little easier to show (because they require no sound)
Hence, My First Fail came to Show and tell.

http://myfirstfail.com

Here are some of my favorites...

Day 3: Still no speakers so more pictures... This time Pictures taken at the exact right moment.

http://www.sawse.com/2007/11/02/25-photographs-taken-at-the-exact-right-time

Day 4: 3d sidewalk chalk art.

This guy draws on the sidewalk and if you take the picture from the correct angle, it looks 3d! So cool!

http://www.impactlab.com/2006/03/09/amazing-3d-sidewalk-art-photos

Some favs... The 2nd one down is from the wrong angle and then the first picture is the same drawing from the correct angle!

Favs!

Day 5: The speakers are finally hooked up and I was able to play another video! I decided the best video to show when speakers are there had to be the food court musical!

Maggie

2009-05-10T22:45:00.001-07:00

My brother found this dog in the parking lot of Bank of America in Stockton. The dog and Justin/Becky's cat didn't get along so it was sent down to Lafayette. My parents say Mike and I can have the dog.

All we need is a place that will let us have an animal.

So we are thinking about moving. Basically we are moving for Maggie the dog. (We also want a washer dryer/more storage space.) But mostly for a dog. :)

How can we resist this adorable face.

I went down to see my parents this past weekend and tried to play with Maggie.

She. Would. Not. Have. It

She is forgetting that she is going to love me. I think once she sees that I'll have some food for her I can bribe her love.

We'll see!

Fun Surprise!

2009-03-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Michael surprised me on Tuesday with this....

after a long week of students yelling out "penis" in the middle of class and parents telling me I'm not doing a good job and that I should grade homework differently, getting pink slipped and advised by other teachers that I probably won't get hired back so I should start looking, it was a fun surprise for me.

I had been wanting burgers for dinner for a few weeks now too so it made it all that much special.

Basically Michael is good to me and I like him.

alot.

lame water faucets...

2008-08-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I really don't like the push down water faucets that are in public restrooms. You know the ones that if you push for 2 seconds the water doesn't even last until you cease pushing and put you hands underneath the spout. Then you hold it down for 10 seconds and it still doesn't last enough time to get all the soap off your hands. Sure, they are supposed to conserve water but I don't think the whales would mind helping a girl out with soapy and nasty bathroom hands.

I guess the next worst kind of faucet are the twist water faucets where you have to hold the twist in order to get any droplets. You have soapy hands and clean one while holding the twist with the other, and then you have to get your "clean hand", dirty (which now has soap leftovers from touching the faucet). It's an endless cycle of soapy and germy lameness. I am not a fan.

I am in full favor of remodeling all public bathrooms to "automatics". These are my favorite kinds of bathrooms, but usually only exist in nice hotels, US airports and fancy restaurants. The doors, sinks, water faucets, toilets, paper towel dispensers are all awesomely automatic. Everything just works at the wave of a hand and it is a beautiful thing. I think they need to implement a automatic toilet paper releaser! OOOh! I could be a millionaire with this idea.

High school group tonight

2008-04-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight at high school group we discussed how we as men and women are wonderfully made by God. In our small group we discussed one thing we like about ourselves and one thing we don’t like about ourselves. Some girls couldn’t think of something they liked about themselves but everyone could think of something (or more than one thing) that was “wrong” about them. I just thought this was really interesting.

Why can’t we as Christians be more confident in how God made us. Why can’t we see that God loves us EXACTLY how we are and we don’t need to be skinnier or larger or more outgoing or less talkative. But instead we can use those things to glorify God! Like by being confident in our skin we can show other girls it’s ok to have the body God gave you and be content and happy with how God made us. Others will see that confidence and wonder what is different. Without even saying much, it is apparent that God is good and he loves everything about us. And this has a purpose! That we can love others the way he love us! So really by self doubting ourselves, putting ourselves down, not being confident in who God made us... We can’t fulfill what God has for us. We’re missing out in what God has for us and others are missing out because of it too! It’s kind of like that saying, “You can’t love others until you love yourself.”

All this talk reminded me of this verse...
Psalm 139:17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.

Our thoughts are so intimate and private. And to think that God cares and thinks every thought is precious seems amazing to me. So I can’t imagine what God thinks about when he “hears” our thoughts of self doubting and dissatisfaction.

How disappointing it would be for me to create something and then my creation told me or thought to itself that it hated how I made it. How frustrated and saddened would I feel if my creation didn’t use those talents or abilities I gave it because it didn’t like that aspect of themselves.

I have had several conversations with women (both high school and my age) where they have mentioned how when they are following Christ and confident in who God made them, that life seems easier, happier and they see Christ working through them. By not having the angry front or changing for the guy to make him happy or comparing ourselves to the prettier girls they are being used by God and fulfilling their purpose!

So I think that’s all... I can stop ranting and raving now. :)

Wax to the Max!

2008-03-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

The woman repeats over and over to me, "it's exhilarating"... which I found to be an interesting adjective for such an experience. So I looked up the word on dictionary.com
1. to enliven; invigorate; stimulate
2. to make cheerful or merry.

Hmm.. still interesting word choice.

My hands were SWEATING like crazy and she put the hot wax on!

OH GEEZ it's going to happen!

I was worried that she was not going to give me warning. She told me to breath in and when I breathed out....SWIPE...

in one fluid motion was the first of it all.

I cannot believe I actually went through with it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and I would definitely do it again.

And it sure is nice to be smooth as baby's bottom!! :)

God is neat...

2008-03-12T23:16:00.001-07:00

That is true... I like these days. Where I actually feel like alive with... or feel a piece of God's goodness. I wish I could share that feeling of knowing with those that don't know. Like instead of having to tell them I could just hand over the feeling and they could be like, oh thanks for that "knowing God is real and good thing" you let me have... it was neat.

I wish I was more bold with my faith. I don't want to go around the street talking crazy and holding out picket signs yelling at abortion clinics saying "babies have fingernails". I just want to be able to ask the hard questions to people and not feel so uncomfortable and quickly switch the subject. I want to have courage enough to ask... and the "know how" to keep the conversation going.

Although I've noticed lately that I definitely talk a lot A LOT when I get nervous. I JUST KEEP GOING! And I hear myself talk and notice most of it isn't making sense but I'm like a train that has lost it's brakes.

My poor poor future students. I'm going to be a crazy talking teacher.

But everyone has their crazy side to them right? Fact: Becky is a crazy cat lady. And she is basically everybody. :)

My goal this month is to take more risks with God stuff. I think I play it safe too often and it's just not exciting. I rarely get out of my comfort bubble but today I definitely did and think it was beneficial to all parties involved! I want ask people the hard questions that makes me keep talking uncontrollably. This is how I want to grow...

I don't think i've ever blogged about something real... OOO It's can go in the FIRST BOOK!

I joined a band...

2008-02-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

I have finally found a video game that is fun to play (besides the wii of course)... it's Rock band! It is so fun! I am totally addicted. Steve and Heather got it, and the four of us (heather, steve, mike and me) played for like 4 hours straight the other night!!!

So the game has all these songs you can play (drums, guitar or sing into the mic) and some of the songs I haven't heard in a couple of years! The one below made laugh because the lyrics are whiggity whack (fo shizzle) but I have to admit when it came out a few years ago I totally loved this song. SO funny...

It was an episode of cops... and I watched it LIVE!

2008-01-21T19:16:00.001-08:00

It seemed like a normal night in the Perry household. In Lafayette, the city of all white, rich people, where nothing ever happens. Who knew that this was one night that the Perrys did not have to go far for adventure.

I was in my brothers room on the computer when all of a sudden my mom comes in the room and tells us that we need to lock all the doors and windows immediately. Apparently, as she was driving home there was a parked cop car that was blocking off the street and forbidding anyone to pass through. My mom explained that she lived two houses away and the cop said to go straight to her house and make sure all the doors and windows are locked because there is an armed and dangerous suspect in the area!

As we are walking around the house and lock every door and window, my parents begin to turn off all the lights and we notice there are helicopters with spotlights shining in our neighbors and our front and backyards. We all gather towards the windows and watch the police begin to accumulate across the street in our neighbors front yard. Police dogs are sniffing around in the bushes and the police have a flashlight and their guns drawn while circling the area.

My brothers got their baseball bats out (I think just so they could feel cool) and we all watched intently out the bedroom window. It was seriously like out of an episode of Cops! We watched for about 30 minutes the police and dogs and then all of a sudden the police began leaving and the helicopters disappeared!

We got really nervous now because now there was no one around to protect our neighborhood. My mom called the police and they confirmed there was one or MORE suspect(s) in the area and the police were leaving to look in other areas for him (or them).

We waited, listened and watched outside and hoped we would not see anyone in our yard! Then all of a sudden 3 police cars came out from No where and swooped into the driveway across the street!! The police dogs jump out of the car and tackle a man that appears out of the bushes dressed in all black! The policemen follow and wrestle the man to the ground. They got the guy!

It was crazy! This all happened right in front of our house and we watched it all go down. The neighbors were calling us to ask what happened and the police stayed outside looking for other suspects for another few hours. But there ended up being no more suspects to capture (thank goodness).

Just another night in the Perry household! :)

I'm the next Rachel Ray!

2007-12-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

This week I have made 2 recipes out of the Rachel Ray Cookbook. First Mike and I made "Cashew, God Bless You" Chicken and then tonight I made Enchiladas with Mole red sauce! Look at me be all domestic! It's a miracle. (Although on the cashew chicken the other night I had a little incident with the knife and Mike had to finish dinner because I had to stop the bleeding (way gross and Painful!) So atleast I know I'm marrying a potential chef! Rachel Ray get out of the way! Because in the kitchen, Sommer is No Bummer!! And cooking is what Mike likes!

First teacher story EVER!

2007-11-27T01:04:00.000-08:00

Today was my first lesson. EVER! It was on Simplifying and Comparing Fractions in a 6th period Pre- Algebra class.(easy enough, right?) However, everything that could have gone wrong WENT wrong and More!

So these are my Top Five Reasons why my first lesson became quite the disaster in a matter of 35 minutes:

1) My resident teacher was sick today so there was a substitute which automatically makes students extra squirrily

2) The substitute remarkably resembles Abraham Lincoln which we come to find out works in his favor as he is an actor in historical reenactments where he plays the 16th President of the United States. He decides to take 25 minutes of the period to explain this along with the meaning behind Mr. Lincoln's "four score" speech

3) Because of this drawn out tangent of the Lincoln inside of him, I am left with 35 minutes to do my lecture and have the students complete their classwork

4) I begin to give my lesson and the substitute attempts to "help" minimize the talking of the students by talking over me and telling them to be quiet. Leaving the students confused as to what teacher to listen to and completely undermining my authority as a teacher.

5) The students decided to erase the substitute's real name and replace it with Mr. Lincoln. So at the end of the lesson I refer to the substitute as "Mr. Lincoln" and the students burst out laughing. (that one was pretty funny though- you have to admit)

So as for now, I figure the lessons can only get better from here. So we shall see when I give my second lesson on Wednesday. Hopefully the only Lincoln I'll be seeing is the one in my wallet. :)

Becky & I are famous!!

2007-11-23T23:28:00.000-08:00

Ok maybe not famous famous but we DID make it on the turkey trot website this year with our pilgrim lady instant disguise costumes (the packages name, not mine).

Becky, Me, Jen, Tori, Thomas, Matthew, Kerrie and Corie all ran a 5K on thanksgiving morning and it was fun! Becky and I found last minute costumes to run in and it totally payed off!

So look on the website and you'll see the soon to be celebrities Becky & Sommer! :)

www.turkeybeachtrot.com

RIP Louise the Crab

2007-11-19T19:53:00.000-08:00

So, Thomas and Silvia were getting ready to go to bed the other night when all of a sudden Silvia yelps, "Thomas! There is a huge spider crawling across the floor! You HAVE to get it!". Thomas gets closer to it and turns on another light and realizes it's Louise the crab, not a spider! She had CRAWLED from upstairs in my room on my desk (where the fish tank and her home is located), down 20 stairs around the corner and heading toward the kitchen! What an adventurer!

Thomas picked up Louise and put her back in my fish tank. Sadly I thought Louise had died and so I turned off the filter a few days prior. (I hadn't seen her in a week or so - because she was out roaming the house!)
Yesterday, I saw Louise at the bottom of the tank not moving and so she is now in little crabby heaven. (which unfortunately I am quite thankful about) I didn't want her to get inspired and crawl over to my bed to cuddle!

Although Louise is no longer with us, at least she went out with the greatest adventure of her life.

This girl tri'ed

2007-10-09T00:09:00.001-07:00

I DID THE TRIATHALON! I FINISHED! So amazing... I couldn't beleive it myself! And I couldn't have done it without my sister in law and most amazing friend BECKY! whoop whoop!

Here are my stats:

Swim 00:13:24.0 (my favorite part of the whole event)

Transition 1 00:05:38.4 (I got REALLY dizzy after the swim so I had to take it easy so I wouldn't fall over right when I got on the bike)

Bike 01:32:33.3 (time posted online is 20 minutes more due to bad luck with Becky's bike tire which we had to fix before we could continue the race!)

T2 00:00:16.2 (record timing! especially when your brother and fiance pick up your bike for you!)

Run 00:53:28.1 I would not have survived the run without Becky! She was my little encourager and it was so amazing to have her there! I couldn't believe she waited for me to start her run and we even passed 5 people! I totally slowed her down on the run but we totally kicked butt together! GOO TEAM PERRY!

Finish = about 2 hours and 38 minutes!!! SO EXCITING! I finished! It was a miracle!

The Triathalon in this sat!! OH no!

2007-09-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have decided I am going to die this sat. The triathalon has snuck up on me and now I don't know how I am going to complete this task I have set for myself!

I haven't trained for it like I hoped i would have so basically it's been nice to know you... I'm going to see Jesus... and it's going to be beautiful!

Zebra Love

2007-09-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

The perfect pair of zebra shoes have been waiting for me to find them for several months now and TODAY was the day we found eachother...

it was love at first sight, I walked into the store just casually perusing and then BAM

and it gets even better... heather surprised me by buying me them as a birthday present!

We made our debut together tonight at the Petersons, it was a beautful thing... walking sitting, laughing, dancing foot and foot.