Winding down. . .

The school year is officially winding down. Unfortunately, all the rush-rush and busy-busy has taken its toll on me, and I'm sick. I don't get sick very often. Really rarely, to be honest. So I'm not a very good patient. I tried to work last week, but finally went to the doctor and was sent home for the rest of the week. (Costa Rica has socialized medicine. So the school has a doctor that comes in free for all teachers. The doctor then not only treats you but decides if you should or shouldn't work and for how long. He signed the forms to say I couldn't work the rest of the week. I just have bronchitis but it is kind of deep and nasty. I think if the government has to pay for your medical care they are also very interested in you getting better quickly. So I was put on mandatory rest. :o) So what can I say, I have had a forced four day weekend!)

The only bummer is that I really have no energy. So I have a zillion things to get done for the end of the year as well as life stuff around the house, yet I have just laid around in bed all day. I guess that is the meaning of rest. But it is hard for me!! :o) Maybe that's why I'm sick. (By the way, the fella in that picture at the top of this post has been really patient with this gal who's lying around bemoaning her state of late!! I love that picture!! It's from our 18th anniversary a few months ago!)

Anyway, I decided to take advantage of sitting around and update you on some recent activities in the King household!! And of course a pictorial update is more exciting than just my words, so here we go:

A few weeks ago was Teacher Appreciation week, and I made these super simple little post-it note holders for the Student Council to give to all the teachers in the school. Super easy, but they seemed to really appreciate it! I made about 28 in one evening, so it's not too hard!! I love this kind of thing! :o)

While I've been sick this week, I've done some scrapbooking. Since school is ending for this year, I decided it was time to get our back-to-school pictures from fall scrapped! :o) Once again using a kit from The ScrapRoom (that's a link if you click on it). I hadn't used the Bella Blvd. Man of the House set from my March kit yet, and I thought the bright colors looked great for a school layout. Can't believe how quickly this year flew by!
Just to keep it real, here's what my little crafting corner of the room looks like right now. Sigh. I miss having my own office/room for all my craftiness. Darrin is a trooper to put up with this. :o)
On a happier note, I found these adorable green heels on sale the other day. Love them. They are my favorite teaching shoes right now!!
And on a much, much, much happier note, my sweet Chloe girl has been reading and studying the Bible and decided she wanted to be baptized. We are so proud of her!! We invited the ministers from our church, her Sunday school teachers, and some friends of ours and had a special little service just for her. She has a really tender heart, and I can't wait to see what plans God has for her life!!
She also has a bit of her Mom's craftiness. She has been studying bones in science class. And she decided that reading them out of her notebook was a boring way to study, so she got out the paper and glue and scissors and made a much more fun study guide, labeling the names of the bones as she went. Love it!
And since you couldn't see her face in the above picture, here she is. And here is Bella, one of the two little kittens we recently adopted. (Bella and Trixie are becoming beloved members of the King household. And growing so fast from the little kitties we had just a few weeks ago!!) And I didn't realize it at the time, but they kind of match in this picture don't they? :o)
Here is a group of people I sure love!! I truly enjoy my job: teaching English and spending time with this great group of people. I've missed them being gone last week. (and rumor has it they've missed me too!) This is from a recent field trip.
And of course having boys in the house, brings new uses to so many ordinary things. My Wyatt had a friend over a week or so ago and they discovered that cloth book covers also make really cool super hero hat things. Who knew?
Warning: the following information may caused a definite increase in the caloric consumption in your household. (but boy is it worth it!!) I found this recipe online last week and just had to try it. They at first just look like simple chocolate cookies, see. . .

But then you bite into them and find this. Mmmm, yummy soft peanut butter surprise waiting inside! They are so good. (Mom and Amy you need to try these!!)
Finally, as I know you have a life to get back to, the rainy season is starting up again in Costa Rica. Right now it is only here and there, but it is beginning. Now everything will turn back to the really, really vibrant green. Can't wait! (It really is beautiful here. ) By the way, these little palm trees are in all my pictures. This is the view from my bedroom window and we always step outside here for all our pictures. It's still fairly green now, but wait a few months. And that green will POP from all the rain. I'm spoiled aren't I?