Porch swings and summertime...

I was sitting on my parents porch swing, enjoying the breeze and cloudless sky, reflecting on summer. It truly does not feel like summer until you are sitting on the screened in porch with the breeze blowing and doing nothing! It is so peaceful I can hear birds chirping and the creaking of the swing going back and forth. It feels like a scene from a movie. This is how I have spent the past couple of days! The fact that we can be outside without sweating is amazing! You forget how hot Texas is until you leave and head north. It has been a relaxing start to a great vacation.

My mom and I were fortunate enough to go on a garden walk on Sunday...no sweating involved! The weather was almost as beautiful as the gardens. One of the homes that we went to had a great fruit garden (I'm sure there is a more technical/botanical term but I don't know what it is). There were cherry trees, pear trees and apple trees. It was so beautiful! Some of the gardens were so hidden you had to go hunting for them...it was like the secret garden! Check out the pond behind my mom and me, that is in someone's back yard! 

yeah...it's been a while

You would think that not working would give Sara and me plenty of time to blog. Well...it does. We just dropped the ball. So we are going to play a little catch up.

A couple of weeks ago I thought it would be "fun" to go shopping with my wife. Yeah...I learned something that day; humor can sugar coat almost anything. We were in Ann Taylor Loft when Sara decided to try on some pink pants...you know, the kind that stop mid calf. Well...she came out of the dressing room to ask my opinion. I gave the standard, they're eh...cute. To which she responded, "do they make my butt look big?" (How am I supposed to respond to that) Well, without skipping a beat, I said "They don't make your butt look smaller!" Fortunately, Sara found this most amusing and burst out laughing.

The next highlight of our summer was a co-worker's wedding in Waco, TX. No, we did not join a cult while we were there, but we did go to the Dr. Pepper Museum. It was...charming, but the Dr. Pepper float at the end was to die for! The wedding ceremony was gorgeous and the reception was a blast. Our trip ended with a surprise visit with my sister.

Last weekend I attended the wedding of an old college friend in Houston. It was also great, unfortunately my wife couldn't attend b/c she was taking a test to prove that she can teach. I don't know how a test proves that she can teach...but that's life.

And that brings us to the present. We are getting ready to go on a road trip to escape the hot summer heat.

School's out for Summer!

Unless you are a teacher, or a parent, you have no idea how wonderful it sounds to say that school is out for summer! It has been an amazing, challenging and tiring year! I have learned a lot about myself personally and professionally. I have realized a few things too...

Subbing, is far more difficult than being a teacher in the same classroom all year. It does however have its perks, you only have a group of kids for a short time (in my case anywhere from 2 days to 60 days). Take that for what it is worth! Being the "new" girl on campus monthly is challenging but it has afforded me the ability to meet a lot of amazing new friends. I am blessed. 

Challenges, are just that, challenging! They make you stronger and make you learn about yourself. I found that when I stretched myself beyond my comfort zone major growth happens, but we all knew that! That is a God lesson that I will not soon forget. 

I have learned a lot about myself but I think the most important thing I learned is that I LOVE TEACHING! I can't imagine doing anything else! When I weigh all the good and the bad nothing outweighs a student asking you if you can teach them next year! Thanks to all my friends, family and students for helping me grow every day!

Patrick's sentiments can be summed up in one sentence..."Ha,ha, I don't have to got to work for 2 months!" Happy Summer!

Happy Birthday to me!

How much better of a start can a birthday have then chocolate chip pancakes in bed! That is how my first day of my 31st year started....I have the greatest husband ever! That breakfast was followed by a clean kitchen, clean house and flowers! 

I was sitting in the salon chair today getting a manicure and pedicure and I was thinking about a review that I read. Someone was complaining because this particular salon (I frequent often) was slow. They mentioned that they were there for 2 hours, sitting in the massage chair. Is there something wrong with this? I understand that some people like the quick fix, in and out manicure. When the title of the salon has then words grand and spa in it, I'm not thinking this is a quick fix. It is funny to me that people are in such a rush all the time, even on a Saturday at the nail salon! I enjoyed my hour and half massaging manicure and pedicure!

The perfect ending to the perfect day is dinner at my favorite restaurant with friends. Thanks Steph and Jeff for helping me celebrate! Can't forget to mention the ice cream cake made my my wonderful husband! Thanks honey for making today so special. Here's to year 31!

One More Week

As Sara and I talk about wrapping up our school years, I can't help to think about all the good and the bad. You can tell a lot about a teacher by how they judge their year. Many will tell you about their test scores; if the scores were good, they had a good year. I'm not that person. I judge my year based the growth of the students intellectually, emotionally, and their maturity. Now we all know you win some and you lose some. I feel that I have won a lot this year. I have been able to see all of my students mature in one or more areas. I'm not saying I had a perfect year; there were some tough times. But the good times far outweigh the tough.
I'm glad to be a teacher. I get to see growth. I get to be a part of molding and changing a life. And I get 2 and a half months off during the best time of the year. (Trust me...it's well earned.)

Gotta go...fireworks at the ballpark. I love being able to watch from my patio!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I was reflecting on motherhood this morning when I was talking to my mom. I can't relate to motherhood seeing as I am not yet a mother. But what an incredible accomplishment that must be! I can only imagine what my mom must feel like, someday I will be able to share in those emotions. But for now, I can relate to being a daughter. So Mom, this blog is for you, Happy Mother's Day...

Thank you for the endless hours of doing the laundry, making lunches, cooking dinners, helping with homework, relinquishing control of the phone, television and car, performing ridiculous amounts of comic relief when a boyfriend broke up with us or a friend acted like a jerk, and for lending an ear every minute of the day. Thank you for driving me to college and listening to me cry for 8 hours and driving me home at the end of the year when I cried for 8 more. Thank you for being my best friend, confident, mother and shoulder to cry on. Thank you for supporting me, financially, emotionally and spiritually. Thank you for always being there even when I didn't want you to be, for keeping your distance when you knew I needed to be on my own, for knowing when to give just the right nudge and when to reel me in and for letting me go this summer to marry the man of my dreams. Most importantly Mom, thanks for being you, there is only one and you are the best! 

Here is a hysterical link to a video done by comic Anita Renfroe click here, enjoy! 

Spring in Texas

Today was one of those beautiful Texas spring days. After an uneconomically stimulating trip to the outlets, we decided to take a Saturday drive. We checked out a great neighborhood about 10 minutes from where we currently live. I have lived a lot of places but nowhere have I seen what I saw today just 10 minutes outside of the booming metropolis where we live (population 100,000). 

This was truly beautiful, only in Texas!

Today culminated with yet another trip to Lochrann's, this time to listen to Kenny Chesney! Patrick thought I was a closet parrot head, tonight was ridiculous! I was standing at the front gate with my head between the metal bars singing along! I was that girl! Are you kidding me! As if that was not enough, I moved to the entrance where I proceeded to stand and sing along. What can I say, I'm a fan!