Admittedly, I have been sort of lazy with keeping a book list going. I have one done already, which is the Halloween themed list. I planned on creating one for Thanksgiving as well, but have not found the time, and I blame this completely on school! So, for everyone that checks this daily for an updated book list (anyone?!), here is a short one. Actually, its not all books. I am currently writing a unit plan on Maya Angelou and her autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Well, you can't talk about Miss Angelou without acknowledging her poetry. And, even more so, you can't look at her poetry without hearing her read some. So, this is a list of only works by Maya Angelou, with one speech by Sojourner Truth, and some of them are voice recordings. Please listen to them. They are extremely powerful  and nothing will give you more of a sense of who this woman is and what she came from.



-I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (novel and poem)

-"Still I Rise" - poem and recording http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik4bnjUCTbE&feature=related

-"Ain't I A Woman" speech and recording http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0YR1eiG0us

There are so many more great pieces by Maya Angelou. These are just a few that I have came across and am using in my unit plan. You can google both poems and the speech, but obviously you won't be able to read a novel online! Hope y'all enjoy these as much as I do.

A New Fall Recipe

We all know that pumpkin is THE ingredient for the fall! I had previously posted a pumpkin recipe but I have found a new one that is delicious and a lot easier. Below is the recipe, and I highly recommend trying it! Prepare to be amazed by the easiness and amazingness of these pumpkin muffins!

Pumpkin Muffins:

• 1 can of pumpkin
• 1 box of spice cake mix
• 1/2 can of water (use the can that held the pumpkin)

Mix everything together, bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. I would recommend sticking a toothpick in a muffin to make sure they are done.

And that is all there is to it! They are really, really good-- a friend and I made them the other night. Also, you can make streusel (there is a recipe below) and top the muffins with that, which really adds to the flavor.

Hope you enjoy these as much as Derek and I did!

Christmas

Hey everyone! Well, Christmas is just around the corner, so I decided to make Derek's, Charlie's, and my lists available for all to see. I sent some people my list, but others have been asking what we want. So, here is the list! Don't feel obligated to get anything-- we are just excited to get home and see everyone. Also, please contact me with yalls lists-- I need help!

Derek:
     -Socks (white and black longer songs)
     -Jeans
     -Nicer shirts (not necessarily dress shirts, but not plain t-shirts)
     -White t-shirts
     -Gift cards (Barnes and Noble, Old Navy, Target, Wal-Mart, Bass Pro's)
     -The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Harry Potter books
     -Hunting, fishing, or golf gear
     -Tennis racket

Charlie:
     -Doggie treats
     -Toys (not ones that are easily torn apart... she will tear them up in about 10 minutes. No balls,
      either)
     -A small doggy bed to fit in her cage
     -Doggy rain boots
     -Gift card to Petsmart
    
Molly:
     -Proactive
     -Gift cards (see Derek's list and New York and Company, American Eagle, etc... I need
      professional  clothing / accessories)
     -Brown sunglasses (aviators or larger round ones-- not bug eye though)
     -Tennis racket and balls
     -Bicycle
     -Subscription to a cooking magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, or Southern Living

Molly and Derek:
     -New king size comforter-- any color or style as long as its pretty (preferably dark though)
     -Cam-corder
     -Real camera (not digital, but one that takes great pictures)
     -Non-stick pots (we are fine on pans)

The things listed under both of us are what we need the most. Again, I understand this is a LONG and PRICEY list-- so do NOT feel obligated to get anything. However, do feel obligated to send us your Christmas lists! We love you guys and can't wait to see you soon!

Newer Schedule

Hey guys! The post below is the majority of our schedule for the next month or two-- there have been a few slight changes, though.

First- Derek will be going out to sea at the very beginning of December. They are flying him off of the ship, though, and will be back by December 4th.

Second- We will be going to Charlotte for the ACC championship game on December 4th, and staying for that weekend.

Third- Tammy is definitely coming for Thanksgiving, and we are definitely coming home that Friday for the UVA game. Also, we are hoping to bring some friends to this game.

Finally- We are not sure yet but there is a chance we may not come home for Christmas until after January 1st. It may be a day or two earlier, so the earliest will be the 29th. I plan on coming home around December 20th to spend the night with Lynnsey but Derek wont be able to make it.

Anyone is always more than welcome to come spend the week / weekend with us. We would love to have you guys and see you before the end of the year, but Derek's schedule just doesn't permit that right now. So, we cant wait to see everyone soon and spend some time with the family! We love yall!

Our Schedule

So, because this is dealing with the military, we're not allowed to put up actual dates of Derek's underways / deployments. But, I can give y'all the gist. I have also included bits of my schedule in case anyone wanted to know... Below are the things that we definitely know:

-We will be staying here for Thanksgiving, but will be coming home that following Friday for the UVA game
-Derek's Mom and Nanny will be visiting for Thanksgiving
-Derek works on Christmas day so we will not be able to make it home for Christmas
-Derek's next leave is from December 29th-January 10th and we will be in Blacksburg for a bit
-I have a student teaching orientation meeting on January 5th-6th so we will have left Blacksburg by then
-Derek will be gone soon after we get back for 29 days
-I will be going with Abby, Mom, Chris, and Terry to Nags Head where there is a wedding show on January 7th-8th

Also, I will graduate on May 7th, 2011

We will keep y'all posted if anything changes but this should give everyone an idea of what to expect with our schedules for the next month or two. Cant wait to see everyone soon for the holidays!

Our Halloween

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! As mentioned before, Derek and I decided to lay low this year and didn't do anything crazy to celebrate. We did, however, go trick or treating with our friends and their two adorable children. Peyton, the little girl, was a carton of milk. Excuse me, "a carton of Farm Fresh milk" (she will correct you). Parker, the little boy, was a bottle of root beer. It was hilarious seeing his straw pointing to the ground whenever he got upset and hung his head. The whole night they were referred to as "Root" and "Milk" which was a laugh for me and Derek. It was so much fun seeing all of the little children-- we saw a lot of little bumble bees, a Virginia Tech cheerleader (ironically named Molly) and football player, a cow, Minnie Mouse, several Yoshis and superheros, and a couple of princesses. Needless to say they were all adorable. Afterwards we went out to dinner with our friends at a great Italian restaurant, and then went to.......... THE HAUNTED HOUSE AT VIRGINIA BEACH! If you know me well then you know I had a traumatizing experience there. Lets just say there was crying, cowering, and escorting out of the side entrance. Well, this Halloween I put on my big girl panties and finished it! I had superhero Derek by my side (or gripped in both of my arms AND hands) the whole time protecting me which made it less scary than before. My heart was pounding like I had never experienced before and I was on an adrenaline high. The whacked out people that worked there said "you smell like fear" and "touch my face." It was weird, frightful, and creepy but we made it out! All in all we had a relatively quiet and fun Halloween together. I'm already looking forward next year's festivities! Hope everyone enjoyed All Hallows Eve as much as we did!