The Taflans

DIY Nursery Progress...

2011-11-22T08:21:00.001-05:00

I am happy to say that the nursery is coming along nicely! It's a good thing too, considering our due date is only 7 weeks away (wow!). Along with the crib and dresser/changing table that we recently placed in the room, we received the bedding from Pottery Barn Kids, got a navy blue rug from Target (thanks sisters!), put some color on the walls, and I was able to tackle two DIY projects this last

Nursery Inspiration

2011-10-14T23:44:00.002-04:00

As the arrival of our little boy gets ever closer, my mind is pretty consumed with all things baby! The nursery is a slow process... remember the picture from this post? Yes, well, it's almost all cleared out. We've really come a long way with that considering our spare time on weekends is few and far between. Need I mention that the holidays are just around the corner? And after the holidays

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

2011-10-04T23:10:00.001-04:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... (if you didn't just read that with the voice of Fraulein Maria, I encourage you to read it again and I promise you the happy song will be stuck in your head for a while!) We all have numerous favorite things and lately I've been creating a mental list of my favorite things concerning our new home. I can't help it when I'm outside or inside and

There's quite a few exciting things happening!!

2011-08-15T20:48:00.012-04:00

Yes, I’ve been away from blogging for quite a while, but I really have a great excuse! Remember how we were in the process of purchasing our first home? Well, here it is! We closed on this charming, 1937 country home on Thursday, May 5th. We were beside ourselves with joy and this overwhelming feeling of being blessed. The house is 30 minutes from the rental home, yet closer to

~Spring Happenings~

2011-04-23T18:58:00.010-04:00

Seeds have been planted, chickens are fully feathered, the sun is gradually warming up our days and my break is drawing to a close. We have truly enjoyed experiencing the season here in NC. It's so beautiful to see the new life springing up everywhere we go. Here's some of what's been happening around the Taflan household...I planted some seeds for our future garden a few weeks ago. They're

Meet the Ladies...

2011-03-06T17:17:00.010-05:00

Introducing our newest feathered friends...Meet:LucyEthelLaverneShirleyLizzie (after Sanford & Son's, "You hear that Elizabeth? I'm coming to join you!) and...June (after June Cleaver, of course!) Friends already - just few days oldThey look alike! Almost 2 weeks old - taken while I was cleaning our their cage today. Pardon the chicken rear, she's shy ;)We brought home 5 on

Chicks, Feathers, Eggs... Oh My!

2011-02-22T21:29:00.003-05:00

Yes, chickens are in the very near future for the Taflans! The chicks will hopefully be ready this weekend and their box and heat lamp await them in the laundry room. You may be thinking we're crazy, or have a weird obsession with feathered friends, but we see it like this - when you have a little bit of land, and part of it is already fenced in, and you love the thought of having fresh eggs from

A Handmade Christmas

2011-01-11T20:08:00.020-05:00

I realize I may be a little late in writing a Christmas post, but why not drag out the Christmas memories a bit longer? :) It IS the best time of year you know! Plus, I only just today got around to putting away our tree and decorations (yikes!) so it seems fitting to finish my day with a post about the holidays. That's what a snow day - or should I say ice day - will do for you...it's God's way

Ugly Sweaters and Gingerbread Eggnog

2010-12-13T21:57:00.008-05:00

Christmas festivities are upon us and this is certainly a favorite time of year for the Taflans. Not only is Christmas a joyous time, (Happy Birthday Jesus!), but two days after is our wedding anniversary. It's a season of celebration! In our house we've been crafting, wrapping, and dressing up in ugly sweaters. We dress up in ugly sweaters for fun... at a Christmas party hosted by some friends

A Pilgrim & An Indian

2010-11-27T22:09:00.006-05:00

I would just like to take a moment to post how awesome my husband is and how much of a trooper he can be when it comes to putting up with my childlike ideas. I'm a kindergarten teacher, so silly ideas are to be expected! It was two Fridays ago when all of kindergarten had a Thanksgiving feast together. My students wore their Indian headbands, macaroni necklaces, or Pilgrim hats and I wore an

We're Alive!

2010-11-24T23:26:00.007-05:00

No, North Carolina has not devoured and swallowed us whole... we Taflans are just now slowly rising to the surface of the craziness of life. And by life I mean moving in with mom and dad, boxes everywhere, moving again to our little white house, more boxes everywhere, adjusting to work life 45 minutes away in opposite directions, working busy schedules, and just trying to get a grasp on these

An Answered Prayer

2010-08-14T22:50:00.007-04:00

Let me begin this post by saying God is SO good and will always provide. He quickly answered our prayers for me to find a teaching job and did so in a matter of just two short weeks of living in NC! With the referral of a friend, I had an interview the day after turning in my resume and was offered the position a few days later. Oh and the best part? It's kindergarten, just like I was hoping for

North Carolina Residents :)

2010-07-10T17:24:00.009-04:00

Well, it has been exactly one week since we arrived in NC with the last of our belongings. We said good-bye to Florida as we made the long drive up I-95, stopping at rest areas along the way to capture some video of our trip (hope to be edited soon!). I'm happy to say that the majority of our stuff is organized into some designated area here at my parents' house and we've had quite a productive

Scrapbooking Projects

2010-06-30T15:59:00.009-04:00

I thought I'd share the digital scrapbooking pages I have created with my Memory Mixer software. I'm still new with the whole thing, but I love creating the pages to give as gifts. I do wish to create an album of our first year of married life, but have yet to begin :) My biggest dilemma is deciding what type of paper I would like to use or what embellishment would look best - then taking the

"Where Shopping is a Pleasure"

2010-06-29T21:49:00.007-04:00

My how we will miss this beloved grocery store when we move to North Carolina. In fact, I miss it already. If you have never been to a Publix, and happen to be in the southeastern US, then do make a stop in one and here's why...You see, the husband and I decided to shop at Wal-mart {shudder} for groceries when we were first married because we assumed it was the more frugal option and being

Job Searching

2010-06-23T09:09:00.006-04:00

"Do you have a job lined up for when you move?" is a question both of us get asked at least once a week since we announced our decision to move to North Carolina a while ago. We understand we aren't exactly doing things in the "normal" order - like not having a job before we move to an entirely different state and leave our other jobs behind (scary, I know!). We do know that this is what God has

Sing a Happy Working Song

2010-06-22T22:20:00.005-04:00

All right everyone, time to tidy things upCome my little friendsAs we all sing a happy little working songMerry little voices clear and strongCome and roll your sleeves upSo that we can pitch inCleaning crud up in the kitchenAs we sing alongAnd you’ll trill a cheery tune in the tubAs we scrub a stubborn mildew stainLug a hairball from the

Carolina Bound

2010-06-19T19:44:00.008-04:00

A suburban, one trailer, and 15 hours later my husband and I arrived at our destination in North Carolina on Wednesday. We were blessed to borrow a trailer from a friend at church and spent ALL day Tuesday loading the thing. It was SO incredibly hot and humid - as in over 100 degrees. Of course, this is expected in Florida, but a little break would've been nice. We managed to move all our

Vacation Home

2010-06-04T20:31:00.012-04:00

This past Christmas, my parents bought us a vacation home. It's not just any vacation home... it fits in a large bag, is portable, allows my 6'5 1/2" husband to stand inside, and takes approximately 24 minutes to construct. Check it out:Isn't our tent lovely? The bag it is toted in made us laugh when we saw the words Vacation Home and the cottage style windows in the front. We were thrilled to

We've set the date!

2010-05-16T20:57:00.004-04:00

It is official... the Taflans will be moving to North Carolina on July 3rd! We are both excited and anxious as we wait to see what God has in store for us. We'll be settling in the triad area with my parents temporarily until we locate jobs (yikes!) and figure out where to live in relation to work. We feel at peace about this decision and are thrilled to be near loved ones. Living in Florida has

Appreciated

2010-05-07T19:24:00.004-04:00

This week was Teacher Appreciation week... I must say I am quite blessed with the students and parents who are a part of my first year of teaching. Each day this week I was brought gifts and cards by the students, which always makes me smile when I read what they've written or see what they've picked out as a present. Children are sweet (at least mine are!) and I couldn't have asked for a better

2010-05-02T20:47:00.008-04:00

Where did April go? I feel as though I was just getting excited about spring break and here we are going into May. I believe time is only going to seem to go faster over the next couple months. Every weekend in May is filled with an activity of some sort that we must attend or accomplish, then June is when my year of kindergarten comes to an end. Not too mention we'll be packing in the midst of

Gentle Rain and an Oil Lamp

2010-04-18T18:57:00.013-04:00

It's Sunday evening and my husband and I are sitting in the tiny room of our apartment that we like to call the nook. It barely fits the table and chairs for four, but we love the two large windows and the storage closet :) It's where I set up my sewing machine and where I sometimes bring my computer to accomplish things when I get distracted in our office. Tonight a light rain falls outside the

It's almost time!

2010-03-31T20:28:00.004-04:00

I just have to share my excitement.... spring break begins Friday for me! I can't wait :) I've been working hard and am ready for a week of resting (I hope!). I'm going to miss the kiddos - some of them even groaned about having to leave school ::smile:: The break will be good for all of us. We are getting a bit antsy in the classroom. No crazy beach outings or partying on a cruise ship for me.

Does the Photographer dance?

2010-03-27T17:18:00.010-04:00

My husband and I covered a wedding last night. I left after school to come straight to the site of the ceremony to get ready for pictures and videography. Not much of a break in between and we arrived home at midnight when it was all over. Quite a looooong day, but I do just love weddings! I get to work with my husband and become more skillful in his line of work; not to mention soak in beautiful

Thoughts here and there...

2010-03-13T20:11:00.011-05:00

I have several things I wish to write about, each of which could be a separate blog post of their own. I have been putting off blogging because lately I've been quite wrapped up in reading these other blogs I have found. Amazing craft blogs, thrifty blogs, and sewing blogs have found their way into my bookmarks folder making it all the more tempting to read and set out on a creative craft

Scrapbooking!

2010-02-27T21:56:00.003-05:00

I have to share that I just purchased a digital scrapbooking software that I think I'll be quite pleased with. It's called Memory Mixer and I bought the latest version off their site. I hope it arrives in the mail this week! I've been eyeing the Creative Memories digital software for the longest time, anxiously awaiting their release of a version compatible with Mac (supposedly this Winter). Well

One more thing...

2010-02-21T21:29:00.011-05:00

I know I should get ready for bed, but I just remembered that my husband mentioned he had a blog that he was going to try to devote time to with an emphasis on his passion: pictures in the form of videography and photography. Well, I decided to read it in these past few minutes because I had neglected to do so before. I wanted to share. Check it out here: www.taflanpictures.wordpress.com (it

Critters, critters everywhere!

2010-02-17T22:05:00.007-05:00

Let me begin by saying that I am in no way a fan of small rodents... especially ones with a rat-like tail. Ironically, I happen to have 7 gerbils under my care. Yikes! It all began when I decided to give my students a class pet for their "holiday" (Christmas) present.You see, I thought I'd be smart and let the children vote on either gerbils (another teacher had one and it was all they talked

Be Mine

2010-02-16T21:20:00.005-05:00

Another Valentine's Day has come and gone. Matthew and I laughed as we tried to remember the other 4 Valentine's we've spent together. We can vividly recall our first one - we'd only been dating for about 4 months at the time. I created a valentine on a poster and surprised him with it at his apartment. Probably one of the only times I've successfully been able to show up somewhere and genuinely

Breezy Saturday

2010-02-06T15:30:00.008-05:00

It's so nice to be able to have the windows open and feel a fresh breeze blow through. There's only a short time we can actually do this in Florida and I'm enjoying it immensely. It's a high of 65 today and sunny. I feel a bit guilty freely enjoying this weather when my parents have had wintry mixes, sleet, and snow off and on for the last week and Matthew's parents have a blizzard happening in

Goodbye Weekend

2010-01-24T21:25:00.011-05:00

Today's been nice - beginning with great weather as we headed out the door to church. We learned and studied in Sunday School (our first time in several weeks being with our age group instead of teaching the juniors/seniors - it was great!), and enjoyed talking with friends. The rest of the afternoon was laid back. We took Sunny to get his nails clipped, Matt left for a church meeting, and I

It's a New Year!

2010-01-23T20:52:00.009-05:00

I'm back and ready to set forth in the blogging world again. It's a bit embarrassing that I haven't posted since September... but I'm going to try much harder this year. My life has been crazy busy since my last post, with teaching and the holidays making time to sit and type a bit difficult. I want to record more events that happen with us Taflans because it's important and satisfying to me to

2 Months in One Post!

2009-09-16T20:06:00.005-04:00

About a week and a half ago, I was flying over Georgia during this time. I had about 45 minutes before the plane touched down in Florida and it was back to my husband (smile) and work. I had just spent Labor Day weekend in NC with my family and it was great!So much has taken place since I last took the time to write. I spoke of a cruise with my family to the Bahamas and shortly following our

What's round on the sides and high in the middle?

2009-07-31T13:34:00.009-04:00

oHIo! Matthew and I leave in less than an hour for his home state, Ohio. We'll be spending the next week visiting his family and friends. I'm looking forward to it! We're flying up and then driving back on the 10th in the old suburban his parents are giving us (we plan on selling my rodeo). On our way back to Florida, we'll stay the night at my family's house :) Let the family vacation begin!

It's My Last Week!

2009-07-13T20:56:00.011-04:00

Can you find me in the photo? Ha. I have made it through four weeks as site coordinator for the Freedom School and now I'm down to my last one (Praise God!). It really has flown by, although there were times I thought week 5 would never come. The National staff require that an end of the summer report be completed (it's HUGE) so that is taking up my spare time during the day. We also have our

Freedom School...

2009-06-22T20:53:00.005-04:00

Oh how I wish my days provided adequate time for some much needed blogging. I will not even attempt to explain all that is happening in my life right now. And when I say all, I mean - Freedom School. Remember that 10 day training I attended in TN? Well, we have completed one full week of Freedom School and now have four more to go. As much as I'd like to indulge you in the details of the last

7 Days to Go...

2009-05-31T07:54:00.003-04:00

Here's a quick update. So much has been happening that has left no time for blogging. Last Wednesday I had my final day at the elementary school because I had an early flight Thursday morning (early as in - I got up at 4:40) to go to National Training in Tennessee for CDF Freedom School. Never heard of it? Go here to check it out: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/

Weekend Picnics and Relaxation

2009-05-18T21:27:00.006-04:00

I can't believe the weekend has come and gone so quickly! It was my first full week teaching kindergarten, and I must say that I was ready for the break. Last week consisted of many efforts to get the class somewhat caught up on all the knowledge the poor kids have missed out on. I'm very proud of my students for catching on to the routine of literacy centers and math centers. Although discipline

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-13T16:24:00.008-04:00

Wedding day favorites - I love black and white!

Day 1 of Kindergarten!

2009-05-07T21:43:00.005-04:00

I began teaching kindergarten today! I will teach until the end of this school year (a few more weeks) and then it'll be time for summer break :) My first day went quite well and I'm blessed to have some nice teachers on my grade level. Unfortunately, the original teacher has been out for almost a month - meaning lesson plans and student work are a bit off schedule... I have my work cut out for

Camping Words of Wisdom

2009-05-05T21:02:00.007-04:00

“Camping is about overcoming,” said my husband’s boss Friday morning. We were headed out to camp that evening for a birthday weekend getaway – Matthew turned 25 on the 27th (or as he likes to say, “a quarter of a century”). I picked out the location a month ago and planned the trip, eager to be on our way to Alexander Springs to spend a few days outdoors. We’d both camped quite a few times with

A Mess of Blessings

2009-04-22T19:18:00.011-04:00

What a week it has been! I can't believe this time last Wednesday I was on a flight with my husband to NC. It was an incredible trip and seeing family was so wonderful. Here's some trip highlights:Thursday morning we visited my Papa. It was good to see him because I'm not sure how much longer he'll be around. Afterward, we came home and took my youngest sister to have her ears pierced - second

Going Home!

2009-04-15T08:11:00.010-04:00

This evening Matthew and I will be flying home to see my family. I can't wait! We'll come back late Sunday night - so we'll be able to enjoy 4 days there. I probably won't post while I'm there, unless we have some down time. If not, I'll be sure to post about the trip next week. Our plans are to simply relax and enjoy being with family :) We haven't seen them since the wedding in December and

What's in a name?

2009-04-13T17:03:00.007-04:00

Being a teacher (well, sub for now) means I come across many interesting names quite regularly. If a name really grabs my attention, I write it down because they are always fun to share and look back on :) I thought I'd share a few today...One morning in February I was in a first grade class, walking around the room checking students off the attendance list while they did their morning work. I

Happy Resurrection Day!

2009-04-12T20:33:00.008-04:00

"Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He has risen from the dead! Don't you remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?"Luke 24:5-7What an incredible story! Matthew and I began this morning by having our Sunday School class read of the

Are you being productive?

2009-04-08T16:14:00.006-04:00

My husband shared with me several years ago that before he falls asleep at night, he does a bit of reflecting to determine whether or not he had a productive day. He told me that he considers what he accomplished during the day, apart from fulfilling his expected role at work. Did he work to bring glory to God and go out of his way to reach out to others? Did he have purposeful, meaningful

Finally

2009-04-04T19:31:00.006-04:00

Everyday for the last week or so, I've been wanting to put up a new post. I even went so far as to bring my computer to my babysitting job last Saturday so I could type while she was sleeping. It didn't happen. I wasn't feeling well and opted to just read instead. Then this past week I was busy subbing each day and tutoring at night. Excuses, excuses... no good. Time gets away from me!This is

Hawaiian Island Eruption

2009-03-24T12:08:00.004-04:00

Since I didn't get a sub job today, I decided to pack up my laptop and head to my favorite coffee shop - Volcano's Coffee Bar. Hawaiian Island Eruption is by far the best cold coffee drink and tastes great hot too! I love this particular location because it's rarely very busy and the internet is free. This is where I would come when Matthew and I first got married and internet wasn't yet

Welcome Spring!

2009-03-20T16:45:00.011-04:00

Spring has arrived! I love the idea of the season - despite the fact that we live in Florida and the evidence of spring is not as easily observed as it is in states farther North of here. I am posting pictures of my spring crafts I've been working on. Below are my garden picks and bright birdhouse I painted. We're only allowed one pot outside the apartment for plants... so that's where they'll go

Wednesday News

2009-03-18T08:01:00.008-04:00

I've realized that I must make a more concerted effort to write in this blog on a regular basis. I really do want to, and when I have time I find myself choosing something else to do. I'll work on getting better :)I'm not subbing today. No sub job yesterday either. I have been working 4 days a week for the last three weeks and it's been great! I'm disappointed no phone calls came this morning

Overdue Photos

2009-03-05T20:50:00.010-05:00

I am catching up on the photos I wanted to post a while ago. Above is a picture of Rose's Girls Night Out when they came to our apartment for a Valentine's/True Love Waits evening. It was a bit crowded :)Here are a few of our garage sale items... the $1 chandelier, the window pane hanging with a collection of our seashells, and our photo collage.

It's the 27th!

2009-02-27T18:44:00.006-05:00

I have been married two months today <3 (I finally got a picture to post!) More to come on the details of our wedding later...

It's Friday!

2009-02-20T08:14:00.008-05:00

Click...click...click... That was the sound of me refreshing the substitute website for Orange county (every 3 seconds) so I could have a job for today. Would you believe I did that for roughly 2 hours?! I took a break to make cupcakes for tonight when the girls come over - but that was it. They say Friday is the day they need subs most, but not last night. I was determined to have a job before I

6th Grade Social Studies

2009-02-18T20:09:00.006-05:00

I am happy to say that I subbed two days in a row and loved every minute of it! It was for a 6th grade social studies class, and while I was hesitant at first to be with middle schoolers all day, I have to say that I truly enjoyed it. The school was awesome and I'd like to sub there again if possible. It was certainly a God-thing that I was able to get the same sub position twice - You see, you

In Sickness and in Health...

2009-02-16T16:44:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's been over a week since my last post and there's so much to share! First, I must tell you my excuse... I was quite sick. It came as a surprise to me as we were walking around at an art festival after church last Sunday. The fever and aches lasted off and on for five days - leaving me with an unpleasant cough and sniffles. Thankfully, I am much better and can actually eat full meals and

Escape to Africa

2009-02-06T21:47:00.004-05:00

Where the lions, zebras, giraffes, and hippos roam...Africa. My husband and I just went to see Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa. We both would definitely recommend it - way better than the first one. Quite humorous! We thought it'd be fun to go on a "date" and with the cheap seats less than a mile away, we splurged the $3.oo and bought ourselves tickets :) You can't beat that price for some good

Passing Time

2009-02-04T16:02:00.005-05:00

My day began to the sound of my husband's alarm going off at 5:40 this morning. That's an hour earlier than usual because today he is working on a film crew near Sea World. I wake up with him every morning because I'd feel guilty sleeping in while he readied for work. Plus, I love being able to make him breakfast and pack his lunch (wifely duties are fulfilling!) I do find enjoyment in rising

Another Saturday of Babysitting...

2009-01-31T10:31:00.004-05:00

I'm off to spend the day babysitting in Edgewater. I've been taking care of this little girl since she was 4 months old - now she's turning four next month! She's adorable and hardly ever gives me trouble, so I couldn't ask for a better weekend job :) Her vocabulary always makes me laugh too - like last weekend she said I was "irritating." Then a few weeks ago we walked outside to play and she

Blueberry Waffles & Strawberry Milk

2009-01-28T21:15:00.005-05:00

Here I sit with blueberry waffles for dinner and strawberry milk (my favorite drink!). I was suppose to tutor two students tonight, but the mother cancelled as I was driving to meet her. Hence the reason for the simple dinner. Oh well - at least I was able to see Matthew for a bit before he headed off to praise band practice. He plays guitar :)I've been reading an excellent book lately -

The apartment's clean...Food is made...now I wait

2009-01-23T17:06:00.007-05:00

Tonight Matt & I are having the juniors and seniors from the youth group over to our place. We teach the 12th grade every other Sunday at church and decided it was time for another "night out." We're excited because it's our first somewhat big hosting event as a married couple! Matthew wanted to give it a fun title... so tonight is officially "Captain Planet's Home Party." :)I'm not sure what

My First Blog!

2009-01-21T19:18:00.003-05:00

So I've decided to try blogging... It's a new year and so much has happened recently that it's kind of one of my "new year's resolutions" to actively journal on a regular basis. I love journals and writing in them, but for the sake of time, a blog is much quicker :) I was married less than a month ago (more to come on that later!) and also graduated from university about two weeks before the