My philosophy ... And a little ranting...

"In learning you will teach. And in teaching you will learn." -Phil Collins

Teaching Philosophy:  “I am an agriculture educator by choice, not by chance.”  I have chosen to be an agriculture educator because I want to make a difference in young people’s lives.  I want to be able to inspire young people to go above and beyond what they think or have been told they can achieve.  They say that a smile is infectious, well I believe that the desire to learn can also be infectious if the subject is presented in such a way that the learner cannot help but be intrigued, whether by content matter or by the enthusiasm of the educator.  I want my students to be able to aspire to become responsible intelligent people who can be successful no matter what life throws at them.  I think it is very important that as teachers we assess and help students determine whether they want or are better suited for college or a vocational training.  I believe that not everyone has to attend college or university to be successful, and that an educator should work with their students to determine which post-secondary training is best suited for the student, whether it be attending a university or moving on to a post-secondary vocational school or training.  As an educator, it is our responsibility to ensure that our students are in a healthy learning environment that is free of negativity and violence.  There should be a mutual respect between student and educator.  Without this respect higher education cannot be achieved.  This respect will not only ensure a good learning environment, but it will also aid the student by teaching them real world skills that they will need when they enter the workforce, which I believe is our main goals as educators.  I strive to be the kind of teacher that students can easily relate to, but still respect.  I have an open door policy and will be my students guide to higher education and success.  I will provide inspiration to students to take initiative in their own lives the same way I was inspired to take initiative in mine.  

The more teaching I do, the more I learn. I have learned that my students are individuals.  They are each brilliant in their own ways. They want to be "perfect" but fear failure and in their mind, its better to not care than to attempt and fail. They all have issues.  They all feel they are inadequate at some point. And they all fear the "tests" more than we as teachers do.  Take a moment today and pray for our babies {because every student is someone's baby} that they might:

-realize how brilliant they are

-embrace that individual self that they are

-learn to look failure in the face and make the attempt to overcome it

-strive for their own personal "perfect"

-learn to improve their inadequacies, but learn to celebrate their skills

-and finally, that they are their best self for their tests

-BUT that they don't let that test score rule them or oppress them if it is less than "perfect"

That is my passive aggressive testing rant for today. I hate to see my students  constantly test. And I'm angry that we spend so much time preparing for and testing and that it takes so much time away from actual teaching. So while you are praying for our babies, say a little prayer for our government and lawmakers. That they realize what they are doing and start listening to the people who are actually in the classroom everyday. 

✌️

Annie

So easy an ag teacher can do it

So I have this friend and she's pretty awesome.

She's a small town country girl.

She's a phenomenal public speaker and ag advocate.

She's kind.

She's passionate. 

(She's single ;))

She can brand, cut, tag and vaccinate animals, stand up with her best gal in a wedding, 2 step and shoot a gun. 

..and she's working to improve her cooking skills.
 

And quite frankly this baffles me.  I am by no means a master in the kitchen, but its not hard to mix up a batch of cookies, throw some steaks on the grill or make spaghetti.  So when someone as talented as my above mentioned friend sets of the smoke detector at least once a week the wheels in my head start turning because SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!  
 

Now don't get me wrong, Mr. Right will love you despite your culinary lack-of-skills, however we can at least refine them a little while you await his arrival!

So here's my solution.  Once a week recipes that are so easy "even an ag teacher can do it"  above mentioned Country Girl is not an ag teacher, her job is much much more important and waaaayyy harder, but I figure if I can cook it so can she.  So here is week one's recipe: MUG BROWNIES (because I know you have an insatiable sweet tooth :)) And yes, I know you are trying to be healthy and all that jazz, but surely you have a binge day?!


Now I know there are like 5 million  recipes for mug brownies online.  But I can't just do things the simple way and do something the same way everyone else does.  I thought the recipe I tried from Pinterest was too gewwy so I altered it a little to create this:


In a coffee mug mix:

PINCH SALT (like 2 shakes)

2TBS FLOUR

1TBS AND 2 TSP SUGAR

1TBS AND 1TSP COCOA POWDER (the kind used for baking)

MIX DRY INGREDIENTS TOGETHER

ADD:

2 TBS AND 1 TSP WATER

1TBS OIL

MIX WELL (make sure you get all the lumps out)

AND..

MICROWAVE 1 MIN (if they are still gewwy try another 15 seconds)

       ....AND...

                      ENJOY!!!

Love,

Annie

WILW

What

I'm

Loving

Wednesday

 

Well it has been a while but here are just a few things I am loving on this particular Wednesday...

 

 

1

Today I am meeting with a surgeon to get my gallbladder taken out. Weird I know, but Ive been hurting for three months now and I'm glad to finally know why and get this done with.

 

2

I'm loving these pictures I found this week for my swipe file. These all came from my color folder :)

 

Immaculee #3

by Miles Aldridge

 

Mongolian Baby from Documentary Babies

 

Sylvia Ji

 

 

Vigen de Guadalupe

 

3

 

How to Train Your Dragon :)

 

 

 

4

 

Loving how many people got out to vote this year! Time to take a stand for what you believe in!!

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Annie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



N.B.T. -- Happy Weekend--

In an attempt to blog more here is some more insight into why my blog is titled Nothin' but Trouble...

So you know the long granny-ish broom stick skirts from the 90's?? Ya, well I own one. And I wear it in public.  However, in my own defense it is neon: orange, green, red purple and (not neon) brown.  It is floor length and comfortable.  But here lies the problem.  FLOOR LENGTH.  I wore it to a meeting I had to go to and while I was trying to retrieve some documents from a laptop someone rolled a chair over my skirt and I stood up.  RIP.   No biggee however as I know how to work a needle and thread.

Let me set the seen for the next mishap.  It's a balmy 92 degrees in small-town New Mexico, which feels AMAZING since it has been in the triple digits for the last 2 or 3 weeks.  There is a slight breeze and I am feeling quite cool (I mean temperature wise) in my neon greenpurpleorangered, floor length broomstick skirt.  I decide to run by the local disreputable gas station to pick up a movie at the Redbox.  It's fairly deserted by disreputable gas station standards, but I suppose that is because it is before 5pm and everyone is still at 'work.'  There is a couple of people milling around outside smoking cigarettes, but that's nothing me and my broomstick skirt can't handle! I pull up and hop out shaking my skirt a little to make sure I have all my ends covered.  I start to walk away and slam my car door at the same time.  What I failed to do was compensate for 1)the breeze, 2)my obnoxiously long broomstick skirt, and 3) my not long enough stride.  You know when dogs are chained up and don't realize it? And they run to and hit the end of their chain and sail ass over end? Well that may have been preferable to the elastic in my broomstick skirt giving way and allowing my ass to pop out so inconveniently for all to see. So, whoever got to see the free peep show today.. You. Are. Welcome.

So there you have it... that's one of the million reasons that people say the Sissy's and I get into 'nothin' but trouble.'

Happy Weekend All!!

Annie

~{Confessional Friday}~

CONFESSIONAL FRIDAY

Its time to confess!!!

~{1}~

It is so stinking hot outside that the only time I have gone outside today is because Mr.Bax has to pee.  And the only reason I even went out then is because he can't be trusted to do this on his own.

~{2}~

This leads to confession number 2... Being that I have not had to go outside today other than for Mr.B's needs.. I have not changed out of my pj's let alone showered today.  Hey! A girl deserves a weekday of doing nothing every once in a while!

~{3}~

I found two boxes of RIT dye under the sink that the previous tenant left (my mother.. leaving a trail everywhere she goes;) ) and weeelllll... I mixed them together today and redyed my living room curtains. Blog to follow on that fiasco!

~{4}~ 

Baby Addi is almost here!!!! I can't wait to see her sweet face!!!!

~{5}~

A family friend told me and Sissy that we can work harder than most guys she knows.  

That's one of my favorite kinds of compliments. :)

~{6}~ 

I (the work-a-holic) am looking forward to not doing a dang thing this weekend (with the exception of helping mom and Tater finish painting!)

Happy Friday!!

It's raining babies..

So its raining babies, people!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

This pretty much sums up how I feel right now..

On a more serious and happy note:

My:

Sister from another mister Mama Bird is having a boy!!!

and...

my sister from the same mister is having a girl!!!!

annnnndd...

they are due within days of each other!!!!

So needless to say we (Sissy and I) ended up being hostesses for both of our sistas on the same weekend.

For those of you who have ever been a hostess for anything be it baby or wedding shower, know that you should never double them up.. EVVVEERRRR!!  It causes people who always get along to fight and dislike each other and causes stress for EVERYONE.  So to all my friends who are currently pregnant, plan to soon become pregnant, married or anything else that involves a shower please be considerate to your hostesses.. they love you and are trying their best!

In the long run both showers were successful and we all still love each other! Here are some pictures to prove it.....

Who's the bomb??? The Sisters.. that's who! Mom made 132 cupcakes... Gam decorated 132 cupcakes and the Sisters made Cupcake Bouquets!

Gam and MooMoo

Nana and Momma

The Pregnant Beast... Looking very cute I might add

 ..here too..

and the highlight of the afternoon ..well my highlight anyway.. a electronic booger sucker.  As if this poor kid isn't going to be traumatized enough by having her boogers sucked out we are sucking them out with a battery operated booger sucker! I tell you what! Technology.. geeze!

Unfortunately/fortunately I don't have any pictures of the other baby shower, but it was cute too!

Happy Tuesday!!

Pearls of Wisdom

Pearls of Wisdom...

                          ...from none other than...

                                                  ....my muhtha...

Those who know my mom describe her as funny, caring, intelligent, loud and witty (among other things.)

I would describe my mother as:

• beautiful on the inside and outside
• loud AND witty
• hilarious
• dorky
• intelligent
• caring
• kind
• wise
• short (dynamite comes in small packages)
• strong

So you're getting the picture right? 

I mean who else could raise 3 crazy daughters by herself and come out alive?!

Times of high stress for me ALWAYS involve a trip to sonic.  ALWAYS.  These times also simultaneously involve me calling my mom to _____ (insert: cry, vent, ball hysterically, throw ideas around, ask for advice, etc.)  I don't even plan for it to happen, but inevitably I find myself at some sort of beverage serving establishment trying to pull myself together to speak coherently enough for the disembodied voice to understand that I want a "large dr. pepper."

So, this past Friday I found myself on the phone with my mother and this time at a Starbucks ordering a Grande chocolate chip cookie frappe thing, (which was absolutely AMAZING!!)  

My mom laughed as usual, because I was telling her about life as I know it and ordering an extra sugary, un-healthy beverage.  The topic of this conversation was the death of a friend.  I was upset, but holding it together.  I was telling her how I this friend had barely been married for a year and didn't seem to be living his life on the edge like he used to and suddenly he has a heart attack! What the hell!?  My mom's pearl of wisdom which as usual took me by surprise went something like this: (best if read in a German accent) 

"Well Annie, that's just proof that you shouldn't stop drinking, acting crazy and living life on the edge!  Because you know, only the good die young!  Just proof that getting your life together might end in you dying! Might as well be bad and have fun!" 

So there you have it.. straight from the krout...

                      ....be bad because the good die young!

Happy Monday y'all!

Confessional Friday

Linking up with A Blonde Ambition for Confessional Friday.

Here we go!

I confess that...

I LOVE leftover pizza.  In fact I think I like it more than I like it the day you buy it.. weird!

I have a nasty old sweatshirt from high school that is full of holes that I still wear around the house.  I keep trying to throw it away but so far cant let it go.

I am in a love/hate realationship with the length of my hair right now.  I have kept it short for the last 3 years and am attempting to grow it back out.  Right now its at the length that the majority of it stays in a pony tail but I have to pin the heck out of the rest of it to make it not look like an emo-mullet.. erg!

I'm secretly afraid my right leg is going to rot off.   After injuring it last May (i'm going to have to blog about that someday) 

I re-injured it last Wednesday, when I got kickd by a horse, and am going for another ultrasound and xray today. 

On a more positive note.. I'm ok with how my body looks.. all of it :)

I never know when to use a semi-colon.. what is their purpose again???

Well thats all folks!

Have a lovely day and a fab weekend!!

Love

Annie

Confessional Friday

Wanted to link up with A Blonde Ambition for Confessional Friday.

I confess that......

I love listening to classical music.  In fact i'm listening to a little Andrea Bocelli right now. It's just so relaxing! :)

I can't use a bread machine. My first 2 attempts have come out looking like this...

BOTH TIMES!

(Good news is they still taste ok)

 

I haven't been to the gym in weeks.. :( 

I get to hang out with this little toot today AND tomorrow! (She gets her wonderful sense of style from me)

I'm on 'DUTY' this weekend and have the right to allow or veto going out privilages! I'm thinking that the teenager needs to stay in with her auntie and sister and eat pizza and watch Beauty and the Beast... hehe

Well thats all she wrote!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Love

Annie

Letter to...

I have this friend that writes these amazing posts called "Letters to Mr. Right," that I just love reading!(See them here.)  So I decided to start writing my own letters, except I'm going to be writing to different people.  So here's my first one!

Dear God,

Thank you for all the wonderful people you have put in my life.  The people who I work with or see everyday who put a smile on my face no matter what.  Especially on days like today, when I worry too much about things that I cannot control. 

Thank you for beautiful signs.  Like today at lunch when I was praying the whole time I was eating, and everyone thought something was wrong and I just kept asking you for guidance, patience and love and then you sent me this on the way home from work.

This beautiful sunset that reminded me that you are the maker of all things beautiful or not and that everything would be ok. 

and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU  for the rain this morning.  It was a wonderful thing to drive in this morning.

Love,
Annie

Lazy Day

So today was a gloriously beautiful day outside! However, due to a 'minor surgery' on Thursday, I was stuck in the house not lifting, not excercising, NOT riding my horse.

So I finally tackled a project I have been putting off for some 4 years!

I purchased this painting at Hobby Lobby back in college.  It was on sale for something like $5 (one of those damaged 99% off deals.) This painting had a hidious gold frame, scratches and a blob of goo on it.  So of course I saw potential and bought it! I painted the frame black, but for the next 4ish years it has been toted from room to room, stuck in closets, and storage units. 

Well today was this reject paintings lucky day!

I finally had this great idea (thank you pinterest) that I was going to spruce this bad boy up and write song lyrics around the mat.  I spent the last few months listening, deciding and discarding lyrics. 

  But as usual, all my over planning was for nothing because as usual I started painting and one thing led to another.  So with out further ado......this is my Pièce de résistance! :)

Talk the Talk

So, I'm pretty sure that God doesn't care how much you Facebook about how great He is and what He has done in your life as much as he cares about how you treat other people and live your life. 

Just sayin...

After being snubbed for the second time this week (like --If looks could kill -- and I don't know why) I am SICK, SICK, SICK and TIRED of people who talk the talk but don't seem to walk the walk.

So from one sinner to another please think about how you live versus how you talk and let's just try to get along.

Because remember this guy sees it all--- not just your FB posts..

Thanks,
Me

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Time to link up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday!

ON this particular Wednesday I'm LOVING

 NATIONAL FFA CONVENTION!!

I am in Indianapolis with my kids (and Joshie)having a great time!

Stories to come next week! :)

10 Day Challenge .. #10 .. FINALLY DONE!

Finally!!! Its over.. and here is the  most recent picture of me taken at fair by the ATW after I said that wearing a flower in your hair was "dumb." She promptly put this one in my hair and took this picture.

10 Day Challenge .. #9

Stoney Larue

Feet Don't Touch the Ground

Something about this song just makes me smile :)

Katie Perry

TGIF

All because Bug LOVES this song and ...well folks its "OUR JAM!"

10 Day Challenge .. #8 ----Films

3 more days!!! aaahhhh!!!

ok 3 films..

Numero Uno

This is going to be all time favorite movie ..like watch it all the time

Numero Dos

Beauty and the Beast

Childhood favorite.. according to my family we watched this move ALOT!

 you just can't go wrong with Disney...

Numero Tres

Ok ok I know its another cartoon but Gnomeo and Juliet is such a cute pixar movie and my little Moo Moo quotes it all the time with such accuracy that you gotta love it!

10 Day Challenge .. #7

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

This is a book I re-read at least once a year.. probably my all time favorite book.

Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima

and the current book I'm reading.. its probably not my favorite but it is note worthy because it is stinking HILLARIOUS!!!!

The Big Love

By Sarah Dunn

It's a must read ladies!

10 Day Challenge .. #6

Mom's german potato salad

hot wings

FRITO PIE

Grandma Cast's Chocolate Zuccini Cake

Dark beer (if its dark enough it counts as a food group :) )

10 Day Challenge .. #5

Realized I am totally going backwards .. but o well!

Six Places.. I'm gonna go with my six favorite places .....

Number Six

This is a picture of the valley my grandparents cabin is in.  We spent most summers/breaks/holidays there until we started showing pigs/horses/sheep in middle school.. Lets just say I spent A LOT of time scampering about this valley and the mountains on each side.

Number Five

Indianapolis, Indiana.. National FFA Convention... Need I say more????

I really would like to visit this city without my herd in tow one day.. Maybe Mr. Right can take me there;)

Number Four

 Northern New Mexico.. Spent alot of time here growing up..

Number Three

OK.. In college we girls had a special spot we liked to party at.. and this was usually a girls only drink beer and talk about all the problems our males created in our life kind of party spot.. so really it was more of a get drunk, vent and look at the most awesome view of Las Cruces spot.  Needless to say there was a lot of booze consumed from this look out and a LOT of good red dirt country music played

Number Two

My Backyard

  

Number One

 ANYWHERE these crazy fools are...