The Nester Tour

It's me again with another home tour! I love looking at everyone's decorations and so I'm going to share mine even though it might seem short because well my house is not very big. Keep in mind I took all of these pictures with my phone so the quality isn't great. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Burleson! Excuse the muddy boots on the porch. Our street doesn't go all out with outdoor decorations so we just did the berry wreath, small trees and of course we couldn't not wrap those columns. I think it's plenty for our little house and the trees are so cute lit up at night.
When you come in you'll see my favorite shelf. We don't have a mantle so the knobs on this shelf worked perfect for our stockings. I got these at Kohls for too cheap to pass up at the very beginning of the season. I dug and dug to find a Lee Ann L, an Aaron A and a Chelsea C. We keep the berry garland on this shelf all the time and it just happens to go with our berry theme. I love the deer and you can't see it good but they even have berries on their antlers. Gotta love the Hobby Lobby tree too!

This is our dining room. These old closet doors were a cheap and easy way to add something to the big bare room in the middle of the house. The berry garland matches the wreath on the door and I picked up the box and tree to go in here as well. Since I took this picture, I've started hanging our Christmas cards here too and it is sooo cute!

Christmas trees are hard to photograph but here's ours. I hope to get a lot of new ornaments and things at the end of the season to add a lot for next year. Hopefully I can keep this tree for a long time. I love it!
Of course we kept with the berries and added some poinsettias.


The kitchen doesn't have a lot but this sign is so fitting for a house of three teachers. It says "Please snow I'm a teacher." I found this at Canton after Christmas last year and forgot I had it until I came across it a few weeks ago. I was so excited! It's the cutest thing!

Thanks for stopping by! I'm so excited to see everyone's decorations! Merry Christmas!

Show us Your Tree!

At Kelly's Korner today she is doing a show us your Christmas tree. I was so excited to post mine! Our house has very high ceilings and so I knew as soon as I started thinking about Christmas I knew that a tall tree would look so great. I picked out a tree at the beginning of the season and even though I looked around some I ended up coming back to it and I love it!

I looked for a long time to try to decided on a theme and after Chelsea (my roommate for you newbies) got a berry wreath for the front door I decided to go with the berries all around and threw in a few poinsettas.

I hope to hit some sales after Christmas and get some cute fun stuff for next year.
I love our simple first grown up tree!

Oh and something a little extra. Can you believe we had snow in Marshall today? Of course it didn't stick but my little first grade babies were going nuts! We went to the playground and they ran around singing Jingle Bells the whole time. So sweet! I even had a few kids ask me if since it was snowing if that meant it was Christmas today. So funny!

Happenings

Ah it's been so long! I'm not even going to get into how I never post and blah blah blah because I feel like I do that every time I post.

Today we started back to school after Thanksgiving break. I spent the whole week at my parents house. I know they only live 20 minutes away and I could have just gone over there when I wanted but there's something about being in your own house that makes it hard to relax. I knew that if I stayed at home in town I would be constantly on the go cooking, cleaning, running around town, spending money, etc. so I decided it would be like a little vacation to just get out of here for a few days. The two times I did stop by my house I was so glad that I was away! Chelsea was home with her family and Aaron was staying here alone. Apparently all he did all week was go to football practice, eat out and play his new Playstation 3. My cute little house was a man cave for 6 solid days. I'm glad he enjoyed his break though.

I did a lot of relaxing but had a ton of fun while I was out of school too. One of my favorite things to do is shop alone. I love to shop with my friends and my mom but when I'm alone I can totally do what I want to do and take how ever long I want doing whatever I want. Monday I went to Hobby Lobby and the boardwalk but traffic in Shreveport was horrible for some reason Monday afternoon and I decided that I was not in the mood to be stressed over it so I came home early. I helped Mom get ready for our Thanksgiving company on Tuesday and Wednesday and we cooked and entertained on Thursday.

Now a lot of people have their own opinion about Black Friday but all I have to say is you can't dis it until you try it. We didn't go until just a few years ago and Mom and I have gone every year since. We've never gone after any big ticket electronic but have always gotten some smaller things (GPS, clothes, kitchen stuff, movies, etc.) for great prices. Not to mention there's just something invigorating about getting up before dawn and mingling with hundreds of fellow crazed shoppers. This year we did Wal-Mart and Pottery Tent and then seperated and Mom went to Bealls before she had to work and I went to Shreveport to GAP, Hobby Lobby, Target, Kirklands and back to Wal-Mart for some small topiary Christmas trees I had forgotten to grab that morning. It was a great day!

We had a late Thanksgiving celebration with my mom's side of the family Saturday night and after that I headed home. Aaron had done pretty good at cleaning up but between a little straightning up Saturday night and Sunday afternoon everything is back in order and we were ready for our routine to be back to normal today. Supper is in the oven, the Christmas tree is on, Modern Warfare is being played on the PS3. Everythig is right with the world here in Marshall.

13 1/2 school days until Christmas vacation!

Lasts

So I know I rarely post twice a month, much less twice a day, but today is an exception. A few minutes ago I got in bed and it's part of my nightly routine to check my facebook and blogs before I go to bed. Kelly's blog is kind of a starting off point for me and when I got on I saw she had posted a new post tonight and yall, it is good!

If you don't go over and read it (which you totally should) the gist is that though weaning Harper and the scare of her best friend being really sick today she started thinking about life and taking advantage of moments because you never know when that moment can be the last.

It's funny that came up today because just this weekend Chelsea and I had a very brief conversation with just those same feelings. It was homecoming weekend for ETBU so we went to the parade Saturday morning and she and Matt to the football game that night. At around 10:00 we all met up downtown to see friends that were in town. The boys played pool and the girls sat around and visited. It was a little strange because it all felt so familiar but isn't the part of our life that it used to be. We don't see those people every weekend anymore. We don't go to that restaurant every weekend anymore. We used to worry about papers and tests and now we worry about teaching and coaching.

As we came in the door at home in the wee hours of Sunday morning, we grumbled at how late it was and how tired we were and even laughed a little at how a few hours ago we felt like we were teenagers and now we just felt old. Chelsea said, "How long do you think we can keep this up?" I laughed and didn't really have an answer but the thought was a little scary.

Life takes us places. For me it hasn't taken me very far as far as physical miles are concerned but as far as maturity and experience I've been though a lot. Friends have changed, living arrangements have changed, and I've seen close friends hurt. I've lost the grandparents who partly raised me and seen my family hurt over that. All that said, I've also seen God give my family a peace and understanding. He's also given us the baby my grandma dreamed of.


I know I've rambled but what I really mean to say is that we all need to be reminded sometimes that we don't know God's plans. We don't know because we're not in charge. He gives us sweet moments that we should treasure because we don't know when hurt will come one day and the memories of those moments get us through.



Have a great week!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Monday, October 26

Outside my window... Very wet and cold. When will the rain stop? Besides being an overall pain it makes it so hard to get up in the morning.

I am thinking...I'm tired of being congested and might not be far from some PM cold meds, a shower and watching tv in bed

I am thankful for... a warm dry home, my friends and my job

From the learning rooms...the /ng/ sound, simple fractions, plants, and family

From the kitchen...every man for himself tonight. I got home late and just had a few snacks, Chelsea did the same and Aaron had Sonic. Will attempt to cook tomorrow night.

I am wearing... jeans (paid $1 to United Way to wear them to work today) and long sleeved thermal striped shirt with a Monarch Crest, Colorado hoodie

I am creating... a well run organized classroom. We've had 40 some odd school days and I'm still working on it

I am going...to one day have all of my clothes and towels washed and put away all at once even if just for an hour. I have more clean clothes at the moment than I have in a while which has left me with a hanger shortage so most of them are in baskets stashed behind my closet door.

I am reading... Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under the Bed to my kids.

I am hoping...this congestion goes away and doesn't turn into anything worse. Considering I missed two days of work a few weeks ago with fever, respiratory, sinus and ear infections I really can't afford anymore illness.

I am hearing...Legally Blonde on TV. Chelsea and Aaron are both for whatever reason silently enthralled in it as if they've never seen it before.

Around the house...Things are fairly clean. We usually clean up pretty well on the weekends and let things go a little bit during the week.

One of my favorite things...funny things my kids say. Today in a conversation about things we do at night, somehow things got out of hand quicker than I could gain control and one of my little girls said "My granny had a party and they must have been drunk or something because she was dancing and doing all kinds of stuff that she's way too old to be doing." I had to change the subject while I had this mental picture of drunk dancing granny. They're too much. Just too much.

A few plans for the rest of the week...a normal school week with the exception of a little fun for Halloween on Friday. CANTON IS SATURDAY! I'm so excited to go with my mom and aunts. Chelsea has opted to stay behind. Don't tell her but I think I hit The Arbors a little too hard and fast for her. She's scared she can't keep up.

A picture I want to share... This is probably my favorite fall picture ever! Two years ago Chelsea and Matt dressed up as pilgrims and came to my Trinity class. You'll notice that Henry is standing to the right. I asked him a while back if he remembered when the pilgrims came to our class. He looked at me really annoyed and said, "I know that was the girl in the blue car." Well then.

Whats on my Mind

Just a few quick thoughts for tonight.

1. Why did I look at pictures from the beach on a weeknight at the end of September? I just stirred up all kinds of emotions that make me not want to go to work tomorrow and stay home and play with all of my little ones.

2. How was it that our TPRI and team planning day were both last week leaving my kids with a sub for 3 days? And how in those 3 days did my children conceive the idea that they were in charge?

3. Why is Canton only once a month?

4. Why do I have such a hard time making the effort to spend time and visit with friends I love? On that same note, why when I have a beautiful house with plenty of room do I miss living at Marcy's?

5. Why am I thinking so deep when I should be sleeping?

Enough venting for tonight. This sounds really depressing! My mom has always laughed at how Collin, my uncle who is only 6 years older than me, and I always think the worst things when we are tired at night. Every situation looks awful and hopeless to us right before bed but yet 99% of the time turn out perfectly fine come morning.

What I'm looking forward to the rest of the week-
1. My kids getting back into the swing of things and our classroom being a happier place than it was today.
2. Good behavior reward afternoon Thursday
3. Early release and a Mav football win on Friday
4. Canton with Chelsea on Saturday
5. A Tornado Potato while at Canton on Saturday
6. Loving on my Sunday School babies Sunday

Have a great week!

Thoughts From the Nail Salon

This afternoon I thought I would be very tech savvy and attempt a blog post from my blackberry while at the nail salon. If you stopped by before now you noticed that all that ever became of that post was the title, which I have conveniently left the same. I should have known it wouldn't go well considering earlier this morning I was unable to successfully troubleshoot an incompatible cartridge message on my new printer.

I was at the nail salon this afternoon for two reasons. 1- I got my first pay check yesterday and my toes had been waiting on this day for months, and 2- my sweet sweet friend Jamie's wedding was tonight. She was so beautiful and the whole night was so nice.

Ok on a totally different note from what I usually blog about, I got to thinking today as I was cleaning up around the house and getting ready for the wedding that I wanted to share some of my favorite life saving items that I am constantly buying at WalMart and Target that get me through the day. I've been wanting to do a post like this for a while and never have gotten around to it.

1. Noxzema Bikini Razors
I love love love these! I even use them under my arms sometimes because they are so much easier to control than the wide razors.

2. Tervis Tumbler
These cups are insulated and great to carry around in the car with you while you're running aroudn town. I kept a Diet Coke in mine at all times through the summer. I love that they don't sweat and make a mess. They also make lids for them too.

3. Flip Side Crackers
These things are the best! I keep a box in my classroom and love to snack on them during my conference period or when I'm working after school. They're a mix of pretzel, cheese crackers and club cracker all in one. They're delish!


4. Rehab Party at the Hard Rock
I've always loved tru TV and basically all reality tv. Rehab is a huge party at the Hard Rock in Vegas and this is the behind the scenes reality show. It's dramatic and funny. We're loving it. Other shows we're wathing this season- The Office of course, Black Gold and Glee.

What are your favorite things right now? I want to do more post like this soon!
Have a great rest of the weekend!

Making the Teacher Dream

You know it's been a long week when you go to bed on Friday night and as soon as you close your eyes begin to have visions of your classroom with every hand raised and every little voice yelling "Ms. Thomas, Ms. Thomas, Ms. Thomas!" This is actually what happened to me last Friday night. I immediately opened my eyes and willed myself to make it stop.

This morning when the hand raising and name calling got to be too much I told my kids about the dream and that I didn't want that to happen again. Fast forward to this afternoon during an extra loud stretch and I hear a little voice from the front yell, "Yall be quiet!! You'll make the teacher dream!!" Gotta love them!

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today, Sunday September 13, 2009

Outside me window... dark and wet. It poured this evening and we sat on our porch and told stories of the weekend.

I am thinking... that it's crazy that I check 5-10 blogs a day and don't update my own near enough

I am hoping... for a good nights sleep. I need it to start the week.

I am wearing... A Boys and Girls Club tee and sleep shorts

I am thankful for... my family, friends, cozy house, dish washer, washer and dryer

From the kitchen... a ton of leftovers! We've eaten out all weekend and I think there is some kind of doggy bag from every meal.

I am creating... a well managed classroom. There will be a few changes in store for my little ones when the bell rings in the morning.

I am reading... nothing but lesson plans and blogs. Things have been a little too crazy for me to start any reading for pleasure.

I am hearing... my fan and traffic in the distance. By 9:30 things start shutting down around here and it gets so quiet and relaxing.

Around the house... things need to be picked up and put away and laundry needs to be folded. Everyone is in bed so the chores will wait.

One of my favorite things... sleeping. Can you tell it's bed time?

A few plans for the rest of the week... thankfully not much. We're starting the fourth week of school and I still don't have my stamina built up to where I'm not completely drained by the end of the day.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... my new phone. If you keep up with me on facebook or twitter you'll remember that I joined the world of the BlackBerry this past week, much to Kristen's dismay as apple should really put her on an iphone commercial. Anyway, I love love love it so far! The navigation app got me to a friends house Saturday night and having constant access to useful(less) information via the www is just about as good as it gets for me.
More daybooks here

1 Week Down

I survived the first week is about all I can say right now. My kids are sweet but keep me on my toes. Monday was total chaos. I came home thinking that a) I don't think I could ever be prepared enough for that and b) I'm working toward being an intervention/dyslexia teacher so I don't have to deal with supplies, parents and the first day of school. Compared to Monday though, Tuesday was a breeze. The kids behaved and I felt like I was organized and efficient. The rest of the week has been good too other than the fact that the kids are getting a lot more comfortable which means a lot more talking. There are some big attitudes in those little bodies.

I have one who is a roamer and gets up and aimlessly walks around the room every so often. When I call him out on it he'll say, "I was just coming to hug you!" I always laugh, hug him and send him back to his seat. I can't help it. Of course I have a few who are just going to enjoy themselves and have a good time no matter what. It's a party all the time. I love that they have such a zest for life and school but Miss Thomas needs a small break sometimes. Here's some pics of my classroom finished. These were taken last week. It looks a lot more "lived in" now.



Enough with school. There are other things going on. Maverick football started tonight. Chelsea and I took two girlfriends and we had a good time visiting and even though the Mavs didn't pull it off tonight, it was a great game.

So who knew Randy Travis was coming to Shreveport in September? Mom asked me if I wanted to go and I said yes so fast that I didn't realize it was his gospel stuff. Don't get me wrong. I do love Randy Travis in any genre and know all of this gospel songs because they are on constant repeat in the dollar store by Kroger but I was really hoping to hear Digging up Bones. Speaking of which, I've been strangely into music from my childhood here lately. I think Aaron and Chelsea might be wondering what's going on. I found out last week that Mark Chestnut was playing nearby but sadly it was on my Meet the Teacher night. It truly was a hard decision. Hearing All my Old Flames Have New Names live or the career that I'll have forever?

I'm officially rambling and done now. Will update again soon!

Changes

Summer is going by so quick but there are so many fun things happening around here. Most importantly, we found a house! A few weeks ago I got an email from Dad that said our friend Doug had gotten some info about a house for rent and gave me the phone number. I drove down the street, didn't think it was a very good neighborhood and didn't think about it anymore. Last week, Chelsea was in town and after a few frustrating days of looking I figured I would call and see what happened. We met the lady at the house and walked in and it was furnished. The house was perfect but we don't need or want somebody else's furniture. We hurried through the visit and pretty much marked it off the list and went to meet a real estate agent we've been working with at a house about nine miles out of town on a huge piece of property that was beautiful. We really liked having the space and the layout and room size was perfect for us but the location and price wasn't so great. On Thursday as we contemplated moving forward with that property, the lady called me about the furnished house offering to move the furniture out. The rest is history. We move in on Saturday. I'm so relieved for this part of our grownup life to be over. Well, over for a year at least.

My classroom is coming along really well. I'm working on lesson plans some (not near as much as I should be) and starting to get some organizational stuff put together. I'm really getting nervous that I'm going to not think of something important but I know everything will eventually pan out fine. My sweet Aunt Kim made the valances for my windows and I'm so sad I don't have a picture but they turned out really cute.
Caroline put my calendar up the other day and I hung the alphabet. We had to take a picture of our first official finished project. At just 9 years old, she's all about some classroom decorating. She asks me everyday if we're going to work at my school today. I'll post more pics hopefully by the end of the week when I get some more done up there.

Lastly, I'm so excited about the way cheap, easy and quick project I did that I just have to share. I spent part of Saturday morning in Hobby Lobby. While I was wandering around I saw this lamp. I've looked online trying to find a picture of it but couldn't. Anyway, the base was black and the shade was red. Around the top and bottom there was a thin leopard print piping and a leopard print ribbon tied from the top the bottom. It was darling! I immediately decided that I was adding red and leopard print to my current brown and white room decor. I was set on the lamp until I picked it up and saw the $60+ price tag. I tried to think of ways to make it work but couldn't bring myself to buy it. It wasn't long before I was in "make it myself mode." I went right over the ribbon section and snatched up a spool of leopard and headed across the parking lot to Pier 1. They had throw pillows and lamps on sale and with a little bow tying this is how it turned out. Sorry for the poor quality (and mess on my table.) It's from my phone.
I wish the lamp shade was red but I think with the red pillow and my brown and white duvet it will be perfect. I've had a lot of room designs through the years and I'm thinking this one just might be my favorite. I'll post lost of pics when it's done.

Dodge These Bullets

There is so much to update I think the easiest way to go about such an extensive post is to just go with the bullets. Sorry it's the best I can do for today.

• Chelsea, Aaron and I are still looking for a house. We found out today we were too late applying for the one we wanted. Starting the search over at square one.
• I realized last week that I could buy a house and make payments for what I'm paying in rent. The idea of renting knowing I will probably be in this same position in a year makes me ill. Nobody will give me a loan to buy though so I guess it's not the right time.
• I'm house sitting a few nights over the next two weeks. I told Christina it wasn't a great time for me to stay the whole two weeks but would come in and out. Until I got here a little while ago I forgot how much I love it. I might stay more than I planned.
• I moved my stuff to my classroom but still have a lot of work to do. I plan on working up there tomorrow. I'm fixing to start working on lesson plans and have in service next week. It's all really here and happening quick.
• In anticipation of moving sometime in the near future I did a huge over haul on my closet last week. I still feel very accomplished about that.
• In spite of the triple digit temps I have a Canton craving like never before. I "need" some things in a bad way. My mom refuses to go in the heat and I'm pretty sure my friends will agree but it's really all I want to do for my birthday.
• Cate, Henry, Maggie and Walt are taking swim lessons this week. Half of Walt's lesson today was spent clinging to me as I sat on the edge of the pool and the teacher tried to coax him into the water while he was yelling, "I want to see Ms. Eee Ann!" and reaching for me. I snuck away and I'm not sure how much was really accomplished.
• Potty training update from my last post: Several tee tees on the potty but no number twos. Lots of accidents....
• My sister is crazier about her summer job at Water Town than I thought any one person could ever be about anything involving work. Mom had to make her take a day off yesterday to rest or she would have gone in. She's so tan it looks like she needs a bath and her hair is completely sun bleached white.

Did you survive that? Sorry for the lack of pictures and the overall lameness of my blog lately. I'm looking into ways to spice things up and motivate myself to do better. Keep checking back!

Weekly Update

After a week at the beach with the Trueloves, we're all back home and real life has returned. Actually, it's returned for most of us, but there are some changes in store for Walt. This morning we've started a little potty training. I read Mckmamas potty training tips this morning and she suggested not putting any bottoms on them at all but considering I have 4 other kids here I can't watch him close enough to make sure he doesn't go on the floor in his room and I never know. For that reason, he's wearing training underwear so I'll know if he's gone. So far nothing. We'll see how things go. I feel like this might be the very beginning of a long process.

*Update: While I was typing this I heard the girls screaming and went in to find he went in the toy room. I have the timer set for 20 minutes at which time we'll sit on the potty again. Oh what a day this is going to be.

In other news, I'm a litte too young to be a die hard Michael Jackson fan but I love celeb gossip so I've been stuck on TMZ all week. Mom and I were talking yesterday about how our society hurts celebrities by putting them in a fish bowl (and I'm guilty of playing into every bit of it.) MJ started so young and was famous his whole life to the point that he couldn't have been normal if he had wanted to. It's a shame that being a person of noticed talent can result in such a sad and tragic life and even sadder that there are three kids left behind.

I can't believe that July 4 is this weekend. Our family from Abilene is coming in and we're having a gathering at my uncles house. I'm looking forward to a laid back weekend with them. I would love to go to the fireworks in Shreveport. The traffic is crazy I'm sure so I don't know if we'll attempt it but I think it would be tons of fun.

Last but not least, can you believe whos birthday was on Friday?
Happy Birthday Kristen! I thought of you out on the beach. I love you! Have a great year!

Summer Lovin

I'm an awful blogger. It's been over a week now and I haven't finished talking about Jamaica and haven't blogged about anything else either. In case you can't tell, I'm not worried. I did post all of the Jamaica pics on facebook yesterday and you can go see them here if you wish.

Work is in full swing and we're getting our summer routine down. We're able to get a lot more time in at the pool this year because Walt is so much more independent. Last year we didn't take him at all and could only go when there was someone else to watch him. The girls have had some friends join the country club this year so they almost always have somebody to play with.

Bible school is this week and is going really well. I'm teaching second grade and all together there's about 20 kids that we split up into two groups so I've had around 10 all three nights. The theme is Boomerang Express, this Australian train thing. I was a little skeptical about it at first because it is definitely different from any of the themes we've had before but it's turned out pretty cute. I've been praying all week that the Lord would help me as I get worn down and unmotivated and every night when we the kids get there and we get started I'm always glad I'm there.

I'm starting to get as excited as the kids about going to the beach Saturday. A few months ago the Trueloves asked me if I would want to go on their family (Kurt's family, parents, brother and his family) beach trip. I don't turn down a trip to the beach even if there is some babysitting involved. I would be babysitting at home so why not babysit at the beach? Seven whole days of sun. Gotta love it. I know my dermatologist will in about 10 years.

Have a great rest of the week!

Jamaica Post #1

It's a quiet morning around here so I thought I would do a quick Jamaica post.

We got there on Monday afternoon and didn't do much but ride to the resort, ate a lot because we were starving and then went to the beach.

On the way to the resort

The views from the balcony of our room

The pool at sunset


Tuesday we stayed by the pool except for when we walked down to the local craft market right down the beach from the resort. We expected everything to be really cheap but even after you talked them down it wasn't much different than the upscale shopping we did later in the week. Not to mention the pressure they put on you to look at their goods. It was ok to visit once but we had no desire to go back. I didn't take any pictures down there. You're not missing out on much.

Later that afternoon we went snorkeling on this boat.
It was the three of us and two boys about Lydia's age plus the guide. We got to see the coral and a lot of cool fish. It was all fine and pretty until Lydia and I got sick. The water was way rough and did not mix with our motion sickness issues. I wasn't feeling so great but didn't say anything because Lydia tends to make fun of me when little things make me sick. It was only a few minutes later she looked up at me and said "I think I'm going to be sick." At that point I looked up and realized we were a long way from the boat and still had one more reef to stop at before swimming back. Lydia ended up throwing up over the side of the boat when we got back to it and I just felt nasty for a while. After we took a nap we ordered some room service we felt much better. The guide took Mom's underwater camera while we were out there and took a lot of pictures. I'll be excited to see how they turned out because it was beautiful on the reef.

We had late dinner reservations that night at the little steak house on the resort. I ordered the pork chop and it was delish! Mom and Lydia both had steak which looked good too. We spent the rest of the evening reading in bed and watching tv.

I'll post more later but at least this got me started. Wednesday we went to Dolphin Cove and Dunns River Falls and that is a big post in itself so I'll get to that soon.

I'm watching the Roth kids this morning while Marcy is at an appointment and I think a trip to the pool is in order for this afternoon when she gets home. I also need to go by the real estate agent office and attempt to try to find my roomies and I a house. My hope was that they would find something while I was out of town last week and I would come home to a done deal. No such luck. Now it's my turn to work on it for a while. I know we'll find something, the looking is just so much work. I am excited to see what we come up with. Anyway, have a great day!

We're Home!

After a great relaxing week, we got home to Elysian Fields last night at about 11:00. We had a wonderful time! We swam with dolphins and sting rays, climbed Dunns River Falls, snorkeled, saw some pretty scenery and relaxed by the pool a lot. I'm so glad we were able to go! We had a wonderful time!

I'm uploading pics as I write this and will be posting them in the coming days. I would love to sit here for the rest of the day and relive our trip for you but a family event at the church where my grandpa grew up and Miss Caroline's 9 year old birthday party are on the agenda for the day and I want to do the pictures and stories justice when I do post them all. Here's a quick preview to get you excited to see the rest.

We can go to the tropics...

If you need me between now and next Saturday I'll be in Jamaica.

Have a great week!

Pomp and Circumstance

As we sat in the sanctuary at Trinity this morning I was overcome by the complete cuteness of the 4 year old class as they graduated from preschool. I was so proud because I have had most of them in my afternoon class at some time or another but there are those few who I've kept at home, fed, read to, snuggled with and tucked into bed. They are so grown up. So fun and creative.

As their teachers called their names individually they each walked to the microphone and said what they wanted to be when they grew up. Maggie aspired to be a vet while Henry had decided on police officer. Annabelle's response that she wanted to be a mommy moved some to tears. It was such a fun and special time. We all held back tears as they sang "I am a Promise" to close the program.

Walt watching Maggie walk by

Maggie, Henry and their class

Ada and her class

Henry

Maggie

In continuing with the theme of growing, changing and moving to bigger things, I got to work at the preschool after the graduation and found a huge surprise lunch and gift in my honor for graduation and ending my time at Trinity. Of course we had a ton of food...

Graduation hat cookies
Some of everything else

The biggest surprise was the wonderfully thoughtful gifts that everyone got together and got for me.
They put together this beautiful basket of more goodies than I could name here and a very generous gift card to the teacher supply store as well as a huge stack of carpet squares for my kids to sit on in my classroom. I was overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness. Tomorrow is my official last day and I'm sure it will be a bit emotional but I'll know that my friends will still be my friends, we'll just be working in different places. Thanks so much guys! I love you!