Twas the Night Before School Started...

8.26.2012

Twas the night before school started, 
and all through the house, 
this busy teacher was scurrying around, 
quicker than a mouse

The hubster was just chillin'
while I was a wreck,
I'd lose my head, 
if it weren't attached to my neck

My outfits thrown together,
neatly into a pile
As I pondered which best
to show my teacher style

I smile to myself as I think of tomorrow morning
and those 19 smiling faces
whose lives I'll be joining!


HAPPY FIRST DAY to EVERYONE WHO STARTS TOMORROW!






Moving Away

8.10.2012

If yesterday's post was entitled "Moving on Up" then it is only fitting that today's should be "Moving Away" because that's exactly what my brother-in-law is doing today. He's moving away to Costa Rica. For a whole year. Unless...gasp...he falls in love with some Costa Rican hottie who hates America  and stays there forever...the horror!

Kyle and I have been dating since our junior year in high school, and his brother, Ryan, was just a wee little 8th grader at the time. Needless to say, he's been like a little brother to me for the past 8 years, and we are so sad to see him go even though we know he's going to do amazing things while he's there.

We've had some really great visits with him these past few weeks, and he and Kyle have gotten to do some good ole' brotherly bonding as well. I know that as much as Kyle likes to brush away what he's feeling with jokes and sarcasm...

Exhibit A-- the "good-bye" hug that he had to make so incredibly awkward
...that he's really getting emotional about Ry leaving. We each wrote Ryan an email, as did his other family members and friends, and let's just say I wasn't the only one who shed a tear or two.

We had a wonderful Skype session with Ryan and my in-laws last night and believe it or not, Kyle was actually the first one to break down. And I think I fell in love with him even more, if that was even possible!

Here's to my little bro and his year full of adventure!

And these are the moments we'll all be missing over the next 12 months...

Moving on Up!

8.09.2012


I'll give you a hint...it's not me!

It happens to be...


This handsome boy! 

Yes, the hubs has finally gotten recognized for all of his hard work and devotion, and he is now the head of all children's programs at the hunger relief organization that he works for! If patience is a virtue, then Kyle must be the most virtuous person I know! I am so proud of him and super pumped to see all of the great things he is able to do in his new position!

Funny story about the pictures...of course I wanted us to think of some cheesy creative way to share the big news with our families since we wouldn't be telling them in person and suggested we take photos holding up signs!  Kyle was so not on board. The proposed plan, he argued, should be saved for when we wanted to announce that we were having a baby. Well, the first thing his mom says after she's congratulated him is that we better not tell them that we're preggers this way! 

And don't worry, I'm sure we'll think up of some even more elaborate and ridiculous scheme when we're ready to share that news ;)

Rockstars

8.03.2012

I cannot get enough of the Olympics and have been staying up every night to watch! And I totally revert back to my 9-year old self as I am completely in love with the Fab Five US gymnasts! They have done such an amazing job and seem like all-around good girls! And man, Gabby Douglas is my hero!
I totally remember spending my entire 4th grade year pretending to be Dominique Moceanu after the '96 Olympics! My 3 best girlfriends and I would use a tree in one of their front-yards as our "bars" and we'd just swing and flip and do cart-wheels until our lil' hearts were content. And, we'd inevitably end up in a fight about who actually got to play Dominique because let's face it, we all wanted to be her! 
I've been emailing with some of my girls from this past class who are taking gymnastics, and I hope that they are just as inspired by the Fab Five as I was by the Magnificent Seven when I was their age! There's something just so awesome about dreaming and imagining that one day you could do that too...even if you never become an Olympian!

Here's to all the girls...young (or 25 like me!) who are totally pretending to be Gabby Douglas today!
Me with one of my girls from my first class and 2 from this past years...future Olympic gymnasts...maybe so!

If you really knew me...

8.02.2012

I've loved seeing all of y'alls "If you really knew me" posts and couldn't resist doing one myself...even if I'm a little late with it! There's just something refreshing and humbling about being open and honest with your bloggers.

So here goes nothin'...

If you really knew me... you'd know that I hate having to share the leftover batter or dough when I'm baking...especially with my brother who always happens to wander into the kitchen just in time for the bowl to be licked!

If you really knew me...you'd know that I would make a really terrible housewife and am so thankful to have married someone who actually enjoys cooking. Just even trying to think about cooking or what I possibly might make for dinner stresses me out. And, I can't even reach the shelf with the spices and cooking sprays, which annoys me to no end (and yes, I am aware that there is a very simple solution to that issue...I just choose to complain about it instead!). Let's not even talk about the fact that I can be so messy. I like to think that I make up for these "flaws" with trying to be an awesome wife in every other department!

If you really knew me...you'd know that Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday and that my favorite Christmasy thing to do is to make all of my family members sing the 12 days of Christmas (in an accent of course!), each cousin assigned to a specific day! We laugh to the point of tears every single time!


If you really knew me...you'd know that I am SO excited about having babies but worry that I'm not going to be able to be as selfless or organized as a mommy needs to be.

If you really knew me...you'd know what I meant when I said "I'm going to do my jobs." Stumped? "My jobs" (I'm pretty sure my grandmother introduced me to this nickname)  is everything involved in my a strict bedtime routine that I do  every night, even if it's super late and I'm SO tired. It involves taking my eye make-up off, taking out my contacts, washing my face, putting on my creams, flossing my teeth, rinsing with mouth wash, and brushing my teeth. It takes wayyy too long and I hate it while I'm doing it, but faithfully complete day in and day out. No wonder they call it a "job!"

If you really knew me...you'd know that I have never had anyone close to me die, and it scares me so much. My friend from high school's mom died the summer before our senior year, and that was the first funeral that I went to. And a girl that I used to lead in Bible study's father died while I was in college (she was just in middle school). Those are the only two funerals that I've ever been to, and they just broke my heart. I don't know why my mind does this, but sometimes it goes to that dark place where I imagine what it will be like when someone close to me dies, and I can't even handle that without getting so upset. If we're really being honest, I feel like since I've led such a blessed, amazing first 25 years of my life that something bad is bound to happen. And that's when I have to have those brutally honest conversations with God and remind myself of one of my favorite Bible verses, Jeremiah 29:11.

If you really knew me...you'd know that I blame Kurt Kelly from my 4th grade class for the fact that I have small boobies...he hit me really hard right in the chest with a hackie sack right when they were starting to grow...those poor suckers never had a chance!

If you really knew me...you'd know that I get WAY too excited about presents. My birthday is in November, and I start pestering Kyle and my parents in oh, let's say July, about what they're getting me for my birthday! They never have to worry about thinking about something because I always have a list! And I have definitely been known to snoop for my presents!


If you really knew me...you'd know I can't multi-task to save my life and always have to ask Kyle to rewind whatever show we're watching because I'm distracted by my computer or something else!

If you really knew me...you'd know that I have an extremely goofy side and love to laugh, sing loudly, and dance crazily! Just ask Kyle or my 3rd graders!

If you really knew me... you'd know that I've always been insecure about my weight, even when I was a size 2. I was a little chunky as a kid and remember my best friend telling me that her dad had said that I couldn't run fast because I was fat. Ouch.  I had a major growth spurt from 4th to 5th grade and became teeny tiny (which I know now) but I never really felt that way. I was about 115 pounds when I went to college and gained about 20 pounds since my senior year which I HATE! I talk about wanting to lose weight and "get healthy" all the time but struggle so much with the willpower to make it happen. I've gotten into some really good, healthy habits this summer and hope that I can just continue to move in the right direction! Darn those girls that can eat whatever they want and not gain a pound!

If you really knew me...you'd know I love fiercely and fearlessly...I often feel overwhelmed to the point of tears by how much love I have for Kyle, my family, my friends, and my students.

Now that you "really know me" I hope we can still be bloggy friends! And if you haven't done one of these posts yet, make it your next one!  I'd love to get to know "the real you!"

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