Saturday, September 22, 2018

August and Back 2 Work and School

So its obviously been awhile since I have written. Life has been CRAZY! Well the month of August has been a whirlwind. The first week of August began me going back to work. We had a week of teacher in service. It honestly was boring, but fun. I sat by my 2 besties...Wendy and Rebecca and we laughed and acted like teenage girls the whole time. Well school started on August 8th. So far I am loving school and work. I mean I am tired and its been a balance of how to handle things at home..but all in all I LOVE it. I have 11 little first graders. They are all super sweet and smart. I got 2 new kids this year, but the rest I knew from last year so that made the transition pretty easy. Its been great somewhat co-teaching with my best friend. Kindergarten only has 5 students so we have spent a lot of time together with them. We decided that we could do our social studies/science stuff together. So for the first few weeks of school we focused on "My home, My city, My state, My country, My continent, and My World". We made a cute little project with them the first full week of school. Its been fun just combining with them and hanging out. We also have recess together and our Enrichment times. Needless to say we have a lot of fun at work. Last week before Labor Day weekend we ended the unit with really focusing on NOLA. We had a second line parade and beignets on Friday before carpool! So fun! Anyway its fun to go to work and have someone to laugh with. It makes the work seem so much better. 

On to the kids: Colby is now in 5th grade. This year our school enrollment went really down. So they decided to combine 4th/5th into one class. I think they have 14 or 15 in his class now. Most of them are 5th graders. I think theres only 3 or 4 fourth graders. So far I think he really likes it. I think he likes his teacher too. She's different from his teacher last year, but she still does a lot of hands on learning so that's good. They also still do flexible seating and a lot of centers so that's cool too. And he hasn't had nearly as much homework so that's been nice. 

Lindsay is of course in 1st grade and in my class. So far things are going well there. I mean we got a preview last fall and I knew we could make it work. Had I never gotten that preview though I am not sure I would have ever wanted to teach my own kid's class. Fortunately she and I have a good working relationship. Something Colby and I never had...I think honestly he and I are too much alike. I do notice though that she is getting comfortable with me at times. 

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Weekending

So after a week of camp I was happy to see Saturday come! We were able to sleep in a bit which was amazing! We did have to get Colby up and dressed though b/c he had a scheduled day of fun with a friend. I was happy he was getting to go out and do something. This summer has gone by fast and I don't feel like we've had the time to get them together with their friends as much as we normally do! Anyway Melody picked him up around 9:30. She brought him and Nijel to see The Wizard of Oz at Pyrtania Theater. Afterwards they went to lunch. That morning I just spent with Lindsay. We ended up making a stop by the school so I could get more of my books so I could work on lesson plans. I then brought her to my parent's house so we could swim for a bit. I decided to sit out and let her swim and I wrote lesson plans. Austin stayed behind to work on some house projects and in the yard. Well we came home at lunch and we quickly picked up stuff to eat then we just hung around the house. Colby also got home during that time. It was a nice low key afternoon. 
Sunday we had church. We had made up our minds about trying a new group. Now that I will be teaching and won't be able to attend the Tuesday morning Bible study I felt we needed to jump back into a "lifegroup". Anyway the Schifflin's have a group so I figured we would start there. We knew most of the people in the group anyway. Well it turned out we really liked it. It does create for a much longer Sunday though since we now will be there for both services. After church we went to eat Mexican then just came back home and relaxed the rest of the day. 


Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Calvary Kids Camp Week

So this past week our kids were able to go to Calvary Kids Camp all week. I have honestly never been a HUGE send your kids to camp person. This is Colby's 3rd day camp experience though. He was able to go to camp at Aurora just 2 days a week for the month of July when he was 3/4 and then last year he did the Calvary Kids Camp at the church. This year Lindsay was finally old enough to participate too! I was looking forward to a week ALONE! Now with going back to work I know my times alone will be few and far between. Needless to say I tried to enjoy it! 

So Monday...the kids were off and super excited about spending the day with friends. That day they stayed at the church all day. I know they did worship, arts and crafts, lots of playing outside, and various other things. That morning I was able to meet with the 2nd grade teacher to discuss what belongs in her classroom and what goes in mine. We worked and talked for about an hour. Afterwards I met my friend Tracey at PJs. We talked a little more about school for about an hour. After that I had to go grocery shopping. Once I got home from that it was basically lunch time. It was so so nice though to get the house to myself for a few hours. It was bittersweet knowing that with teaching I won't really get that much anymore. I enjoyed the rest time then picked them up that afternoon. They were pretty tired each day we got home so we would just chill out then have dinner. We were able to take walks still though and then try and get them to bed early! 

Tuesday...so this was probably the BEST day of the entire week. I had plans to get together with Wendy. She's been out of town basically all summer...so I've only seen her like 1 other time. Anyway I was super excited about a girl's day. Also it was Colby's birthday. I didn't feel too bad about sending him to camp on his b-day. he also spent his 4th b-day at camp. I knew he would probably want to be around his friends. We did try and make the day special by taking him to pick up donuts to share with all his camp peeps that day! So back to my day---after dropping the kids off I went to pick up Wendy. She and I then headed over to Another Broken Egg Cafe. As you may recall we did that back in the early spring. We both love mimosas! So we got there probably about 9 and enjoyed a leisure breakfast. We sat and talked until 11:30. At that point we left and headed to the theater to see the Mr. Roger's movie. The movie was so good. It was just such a fun and relaxing girls day! I dropped her off at home about 2:30 then got home only to turn right back around to go get my kids. 

Wednesday was a nice day too...so I got the kids to camp then went to get coffee and went to visit Melissa at Aurora. Now that I know I won't be working there I am so going to miss my visits with those peeps. I ended up staying close to an hour and just catching up on all the things! It was nice. Afterwards I had to go back up to Calvary to meet with the principal about some curriculum. That was nice too to just chat with her. Then I headed off to the Educator. I got a lot of my teacher needs then after that the bottom fell out so I quickly went to Petsmart then came home to relax and enjoy the day from home. That night we had church. I picked the kids up and took them to my parent's house to unwind. After a full day of camp I knew they would be exhausted. We also ended up going to Cane's for dinner b/c none of us really felt like eating what they were having at the church. The night went well at church and we had a TON of kids. We were all exhausted though by the end! 

Thursday I got the kids to camp then ran a bunch of errands. I had to go to Office Depot to get a bunch of teacher stuff then to Barnes and Noble. Afterwards I met Rebecca for breakfast at Chickfila. It was nice once again to visit with a teacher friend. Afterwards I came home and just enjoyed the down time here. 

Friday followed pretty much the same pattern: dropped kids off then met up with Virginia to have coffee and discuss ideas for my classroom. Afterwards we did some shopping at the Dollar Store then came home. I rested and just tried to enjoy my last down day! That evening we did go out to dinner as a family which was fun! We went to Olive Branch. It was nice just getting out like that. 

The kids had a great week at camp and were sad for it to end. Even though I am not big on sending kids away the break was so so nice. Especially with knowing I'll be working and the times of being alone will be few and far between. 


Monday, July 23, 2018

Colby's B-day Party Weekend

So the Friday night before Colby's party we just had a low key night around the house. 

Saturday we woke up fairly early so we could get going on the day. The kids and I got ready and left the house around 9:30. We had to make a quick stop at the store before heading over. We got there and just helped my mom set up and decorated the cookie cake. The friends all arrived around 11:30. The kids all went straight to the pool and had the best time! We had a small crowd this year: It was our kiddos, Grace, Zachary, Noah, and Alyssa. I had such a good time visiting with the moms though. We sat outside for awhile then went inside where it was cool while the kids ate. I pretty much had to drag the kids out the pool by 2:00 so we could do cake and open presents. It was such a sweet time! I am thankful for our tribe of friends. That tribe has changed over the last few years...but I am thankful for the sweet friends that my boy has! Once we got home he couldn't wait to dive into his presents and play. I think we were all kinda tired and just ready to relax that night. 

Sunday was church...we went to the 2nd service b/c Austin was counting. After church we went to Firehouse Subs. There we ran into a few friends which was fun! We spent the afternoon relaxing around the house and getting ready for a week of camp! 


Saturday, July 21, 2018

Summer Week 7

So this week it felt good to have a semi-normal week after the last week's craziness. between being out of town, a holiday, and Lindsay's surgery it was just a weird week. 

So that Monday Colby had an eye doc appointment. We made it to that early. Fortunately all was well and there really hadn't been any changes. After that we dropped Colby off with my parents. He had plans to go birthday shopping and go to lunch with them. I then had to go to the Police Station to get finger printed for work. Lindsay was not thrilled with this idea, but the whole process took under about 30 min. Once we left there I asked her where she wanted to go. I tried asking her if she wanted to go play at a park before having lunch out, but she said no. We ended up going to the mall. She really wanted to go to the big mall across the river, but after crossing the bridge once that day I wasn't really in the mood to go over again. Instead we went to the one closer to us. We walked around some, but didn't even go into any stores. We ate lunch at Cane's then she wanted a cookie. We did all that then came home so we could changed into our swimsuits. It was hot as H-E-L-L that day so I figured it would be nice. We met back at my parents house with Colby and went swimming for about an hour before returning home. It felt good to cool off, but then I was ready to get home and relax. 

Tuesday I had bible study. It was nice to be back with friends and have that focus on God. It was a good morning. I was also able to visit with the school staff a little and get some scoop on the upcoming year. After I picked the kids up and we had to grocery shop. We got that done then came home to rest/relax. 

Wednesday we had a free day. I really didn't want to do too much since I knew we would be up there for church that night. We ended up visiting a park. We haven't really been able to do many park visits this summer. I guess one its either been too hot or wet and we've also been busy. Anyway it was nice to just chill out with them. It was super hot though so we only lasted about 30 min. We ended up going to SAM's then going home. I like to have low key Wednesdays since we go to church at night. Church was good..during the summer its always nice to see friends and such mid-week. 

Thursday I had a hair appointment. I brought the kids over to my parents so I could go to that. It was nice having some alone mom time. After my appointment I had scheduled to have lunch with a friend. It was fun meeting up with Tracey and having lunch. Once I got home I ended up calling Wendy and talking to her for over an hour! It was so great to catch up though after she's been gone basically all summer! That evening we took Colby out to eat and shop for his b-day. Lindsay stayed with my parents for her turn over there. Colby chose TX Roadhouse to eat at. It was fun just enjoying our big. After dinner we went to Target. He selected a few toys and I got some stuff for school. We came home and just enjoyed a quiet and easy night with 1 kid! 

Friday I promised the kids a fun day! We picked up Lindsay and headed off towards the Aquarium. I feel bad b/c its been a weird summer and I feel like we haven't had all the BIG outings we normally would. I am trying to tell myself though its a different season though and thats ok. Anyway the aquarium was pretty busy and crowded but we stayed about an hour. We know the place so well I pretty much just let the kids pick their favorite things and we do that and leave. It was a nice outing though. I am trying to soak up these sweet simple days. I also know how quickly they are growing. I feel like they should still be like 5 and 2!! So after the aquarium we came back to the Westbank and had lunch at Firehouse Subs. We ran a couple errands then came home and relaxed and that was nice. 

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Weekend to Re-Coup

Saturday after her surgery I knew we needed to have a semi-calm day. I decided to let the kids buy school supplies that day. I was anxious to get it done knowing that as the summer goes on I will be more and more busy with my own school things! Anyway we enjoyed shopping and got everything, but 2 things! Once we finished shopping Austin got home and we were able to go all go to lunch. We ran a quick errand after then came home to relax. 
Sunday was of course church day. We went to first service and then had lunch at Copeland's. It was a nice fancy brunch...a real treat! After we just enjoyed our afternoon at home! We also worked on re-organizing the office and all my "teacher" supplies I have. 

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

4th of July Week

So this year the 4th fell on a Wednesday. It was weird with it falling mid-week like that. It was nice though that morning to take it easy around the house as a family. We did get ready and packed up to head to my parents around 11. We got there and the kids and Austin went swimming. I enjoyed just reading my book and chilling for a bit. Randall and Elizabeth arrived around 12:30. We ate and just enjoyed visiting with one another. It seems during the summer we don't all get together quite as much. We were over there until probably close to 4:00. Colby also was staying to spend the night since Lindsay would have surgery the next day. We had a very quiet night. Had she not have had surgery scheduled I really would have wanted to take them to see fireworks. Oh well we got to bed at a decent hour. 
Thursday we were up early for her surgery. I was a little nervous, but not quite as much as last time since we knew what to expect. I could tell Lindsay was a little apprehensive, but she handled things really well. We got there and got checked in and our children's pastor met us there to see her and pray with her before surgery. Things went well once again. We were out of there and home by about 12:30. We were able to pick up Colby and get lunch and come home to relax. Her kindergarten teacher Mrs. Schifflin had left some candy and a card by our door so that tickled her when we got in. That afternoon we mostly spent just resting. She did great though. Even by that evening she was scooting around on her bike! 
Friday I knew would have to be a fairly low key day since Lindsay just had surgery. I knew though we would also need to get out the house or it would be a super long day! We ended up running a couple quick little errands then went to pick up August the class pet "Guinea Pig" from Colby's teacher's house. That afternoon we just hung out and tried to relax. 

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Alabama Beach Vacay

Last Sunday we attended church for the early service then we came home and quickly changed, ate lunch, and packed up to head out of town! We were going to The Grand. This would be our 3rd trip there. The 2nd we took the kids on. They have been extremely excited about going to "The Beach". The last 2 summers we have chosen not to take big summer vacations, but instead opted for this. I hope next summer we can get back on taking a large venture though! Anyway so we headed out to my parents house and we all left together. Traffic was awful so it seemed like it took us FOREVER to get out of Mississippi. We drove on though and didn't stop until the Alabama rest stop. It was nice at that point to just get out the car and stretch a bit. We drove on and arrived at the hotel around 4:30. Well naturally we arrived in the midst of a monsoon. We had to wait a few minutes before unloading. Fortunately it slacked off enough we were able to park and get our things up to the room. We got settled in then decided to go ahead and eat dinner. We had originally planned to let the kids play at the pool and eat a casual pool side dinner but between the rain and also they had changed things up a bit at the hotel we weren't able to do that. Anyway we ate at the little restaurant. The food was pretty good and it was nice to visit with my parents. After dinner the kids wanted to put on their swimsuits so we brought them back to the room so they could do that. At that point the pool was still closed, but they wanted to spend time on the beach. Again it was drizzling rain the entire time, but they still had fun. We spent about an hour just letting them play in the sand and water. We walked around also a little after that and played some of the yard games...in the rain still. That night we got everyone cleaned up and they stayed awake and watched a movie. I knew they weren't going to go to sleep early.  I think we all turned the lights off by 10 and were shortly out though! 
Monday we got up fairly early b/c we knew we wanted to hit the pool before the rains came. We just had a little breakfast of cereal and such in the room. We got down to the pool right when it opened. We got our seats and at first thought it was going to be really nice for awhile. It was overcast and breezy. Well shortly after we got settled though the rains came...and they did not stop. We stuck it out though for the sake of the kids! We literally sat in the rain for about 2 hours!! I was freezing and soaked, but the kids continued to have a nice time. As the rain slacked off we decided to take them out to the beach. We enjoyed about 30 min out there. We then went back to the pool so they could do the slide. By about 11:30 I was DONE! I was freezing, cold, and hungry. We debated back and forth about what to do for lunch. We knew eating by the pool was out. We finally made the decision to ride into Fairhope to find some place to eat. We ended up at a Firehouse Subs. It was nice to get away for a bit and dry off. Ofcourse by the time we finished eating the sun was out and the rain had cleared!! We quickly got back to the hotel and changed into swimsuits. We hit the pool for about 2 hours! It was super hot though with the sun out. I did enjoy laying out though. We got drinks and it was just relaxing. I finally got super hot though and got in the pool. I left to go back to the room though about 2:30. Austin kept the kids out there a little while longer. I wanted to go ahead and shower. We were able to relax in the room for a couple hours before heading out to dinner. We went to get seafood that night. It was nice being with my parents and just all getting to visit together. It was raining again by that evening so once we got back to the hotel my parents headed up to their room. We spent a little time walking around with the kids. We turned in a little earlier that night b/c I think everyone was pretty tired from a busy day! 
Tuesday we got up early to head home. We left the hotel and went to Chickfila for breakfast. We then came straight on home. We made it home by lunch. We got in and unpacked and I even ventured to the grocery store. We had thought about going to see fireworks that night with friends, but pretty much everyone backed out. We also were a little relieved b/c we were tired from the whole trip. It was nice to just spend the evening at home. 

Monday, July 9, 2018

Summer Week 5

Wow its crazy to think how we are marching through summer! So this past week on Monday we just went over to my parent's house to swim. It felt good to relax and get in the pool. We hung around there for a couple hours and even had lunch with them. I really do love that routine. I always think we are going to have so many "swim days" during the summer then it usually ends up we can only go 1 or 2 times a week. It was nice though. Afterwards we came home and just did our usual relaxing and spending time outside. 
Tuesday was an early start to the day. I began the day with an interview...yes and interview! I had applied for the 1st grade job at Calvary. Shocking how my life has changed in a year?!? Anyway I was a little nervous, but not terribly. The interview was set up in a panel discussion form. It was also sort of casual b/c we were in a circle. The group consisted of Marsha (the principal), Ms. Dugas, Mrs. Birden, and Mrs. G. I was odd in a way bc of how well I know all these ladies. I felt pretty good about the interview though. It lasted about an hour total. There were a few questions I wasn't exactly sure how to respond, but I just tried to be honest and be myself! Once we finished the interview I was ready to come home. I got the kids and we just spent the afternoon relaxing. My brain was pretty fried by that point! I am loving our afternoons though! I know I will greatly miss these days when school starts back! 
Wednesday I promised the kids a big outing. I feel bad this summer b/c it seems we haven't been able to do our "big bucket" list things like usual. We ended up going to play putt-putt. Even though it was simple we had a lot of fun. It was hot though. We just played one game then came on home. I didn't want to be away too long since we had church that night. Church was good and the kids had a lot of fun. They had messy night which was interesting. The kids were happy as always to be around other kids. Oh and before church we ended up meeting my parents at Cane's b/c they were having Shepherd's Pie for dinner and none of us were too crazy about that option. 
Thursday we had an early start again b/c I had an interview. I once again dropped my kids off with my parents. This interview was just with Marsha. I was a lot less nervous and honestly most of the time we just chatted. It felt less formal. Anyway by the end she basically told me I had the job! I left there and got the kids and we met Mrs. Dufrene for lunch. It was good to hang out with a friend and also tell her all about the interview process. We had a nice time. Once we got home it was pretty late in the day. We had a low key afternoon/evening from there. 
Friday we had another busy day planned. Lindsay's little friend Genevieve was coming over to spend the day with us. She arrived about 10. I let the girls play for about 30 min before heading out. We left to visit the library. Colby was wanting to check out some new books. We didn't see anything though so we went on to the park. We spent about 45 minutes at the park. It was hot and the only did that didn't seem miserable was Genevieve haha! My kids complained a bit, but I think it was still nice for them to be outdoors awhile. After the park we went on over to chickfila to meet Natalie and have lunch. We had a really nice lunch and it was great visiting with a friend again. After lunch I brought the kids back here and they hung out and played all afternoon. Genevieve left at about 3:30. From there we just had a quiet night. 
Saturday I was up pretty early. I had breakfast plans with my friend Carly. Again I was happy to hang out with a friend and also escape the kids for a little while. I truly love summer and having my kids home, but also the 24/7 some days does get old. So I really enjoyed a little "me time". After we ate I went on to Target. Again another lovely thing to shop by myself. Once I got home we were pretty much in packing for the beach mode and stayed in the rest of the day. 

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Mississippi Weekend

So last weekend we were able to spend some time away in Hattiesburg. We ofcourse try to visit there every summer. Our last trip there was early March I believe. The kids were super excited to be leaving on a trip. We took our time on Friday morning doing last minute things around the house and packing. We were finally ready to leave around 11. We drove to Slidell and had lunch at McAlister's. It was fun just spending time together the 4 of us. We got into Hattiesburg around 2:30. We relaxed at the apartment for a couple hours. The kids played with their "apartment toys" and we just watched tv. Around 4 we left to go out to the country to see Austin's sister and her family. It was good getting out there b/c it had really been awhile since our last visit to their house. The kids got to play outside a little and see and hold chickens. They didn't get to do as much as they normally would though b/c it was just SO hot and the mosquitoes were awful. We ate a delicious dinner though of fried catfish and fries. After dinner we all played a game. That was so much fun! I think we all enjoyed the laughter and fun of that. Everyone except Lindsay ;)....the game was a little over her head. We got back to the apartment late which meant the kids got to bed late. It always takes FOREVER for them to settle down when they share a room! 
We all slept in that morning which was fabulous. We ate breakfast at the apartment. We just shared cereal and such. We decided to first go walk around USM that morning before it got too hot. Its always fun just walking around there and remembering all the fun we had during our college days. The kids don't quite appreciate it though. After that we went to the bowling alley. We played a game which lasted about an hour. I was the winner! It was fun though just laughing and being silly as a family. After that we went and got burgers for lunch. We then went back to the apartment to hang out and swim. Austin ended up taking the kids to the pool and I stayed in the apartment. I honestly just enjoyed the quiet. I was able to work on my Bible study some and just chill. They got in and we all rested and watched tv for awhile. That night we got ready and went to dinner at Cotton Blues. We love this place. It was our second time there. After dinner we decided to go walk around and do some shopping. After that the night was still young so we let the kids go back to the pool. I joined them this time. Austin and I didn't get in though. Its nice they are now old enough we can sit and watch while they play and swim. After swimming we retired back to the apartment. 
Sunday morning we woke up and packed up and had breakfast at McDonald's before hitting the road. We got home around lunchtime. I went to the grocery then we had lunch and just stayed around the house the rest of the day. 
It wasn't a super exciting weekend, but it was honestly nice to just get away and enjoy time together! The summer is flying by! 

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Summer Week 4

Gosh these weeks are just flying by!! Well Monday was free for the kids and I. I had told my friend Wendy though that we wanted to come by and see them before they left for Colorado. Since we didn't get to meet up with them at church I figured we could run by and give a quick hug before they left on Tuesday. I am so glad we did! We only stayed about 15 minutes but it was good visiting with her and Emily. We brought her coffee and cake too! Anyway after that we decided to go ahead and shop for school uniforms. I usually try to knock that out in June (usually after VBS) so it was nice to get that over with. Luckily we really didn't need much this year. Colby only needed a sweatshirt and Lindsay only needed skirts so it was a pretty easy trip. After that we stopped at Petsmart. We needed to get a few items plus the kids always enjoy looking around there. We then went to Barnes and Noble. We don't get there often so this is usually something we do in the summer. The kids had fun looking for a book. Gone are the days though where they play with the train table...that's a little sad. After that I promised them lunch at Panera. It was just a sweet, simple morning with them. We really haven't had many big outings yet this summer, but in many ways i think these are the most memorable. I just love spending time with them. We got home to a rainy afternoon and we just stayed in. And I must say how much I love the summer afternoons. We rest and watch tv and usually go outside and play. We have dinner then we take a walk. These really are the best days! 
Tuesday I had time scheduled with some of the Bible study ladies. I went and picked up my friend Tracey and she rode with me over to Cafe Amore. My parents watched the kids during this time. I am so thankful for their help during the summer. i know they enjoy it and the kids do too! Plus since I am usually with the kids 24/7 breaks like this with other adults is so nice. So we stayed at the coffee shop about 2 hours. I had a great time just visiting and hanging out. Afterwards I picked up the kids and we came home to relax and hang out. That night we had Pinewood Derby. This year it got moved to the summer. We therefore had a short afternoon. There wasn't nearly as many boys participating this year, but it was still a lot of fun. Colby's car came in 3rd place and Lindsay's got 2nd. I don't think their cars were quite as fast this year for some reason. It was still a nice night with them. They both miss friends so much during summer so it was great for them to just see and hang out with other littles. After we ate at Cane's before coming home. It was of course a late night, but during the summer we have been lax about bedtimes and plus they are sleeping in these days! 
Wednesday we had a pretty busy day. I volunteered to keep our pastor's 2 youngest children for a few hours. Ethan had an injury this summer and has had some doctors appointments and Ella was in Hattiesburg doing VBS at a church there. Anyway so we had Eli and Emma come over. Eli is 8 and Emma is 3. We had a good time. Colby and Eli played together wonderfully. I mean they are 2 grades apart in school and I don't think interact much there or even at church, but they have grown up together. Anyway Emma was really great and we don't know her as well. I was worried she would cry coming over here. She did super though, she was just super busy though! I forget how busy that age is! We all had a good time though. I mostly spent the morning following Emma or having Lindsay keep up with her. We did spend a little time outside, but its just SO hot! Once they left it was time to get my kiddos fed. We picked up Chickfila then came home to rest since we had church that night. Church was good, but for some reason I felt "off". They had pizza for dinner and for some reason I just wasn't super hungry and I was really hot. I attributed it mostly to PMS. Anyway as the night went on I just didn't feel great, but I really thought it was just female/hormone related. The kids had a great time at church. They did a "drive in" movie theme. It was cute...they turned boxes into cars. They also had popcorn and ice-cream. I know my 2 had a blast. Lindsay had Genevieve there and Colby had Zach. Well once we got home and the kids went to bed I decided I would follow suit. It was like 8:30...I just felt rotten. Well by like 9:30 I was up throwing up. I was sick most of the night. It was awful! Austin took the next day off work which I was super thankful for. I basically stayed in bed until about 8:30. I got up actually feeling slightly better. I thought and hoped I could move forward with my day. Well after stewing around for about an hour I felt weak and sick. I ended up getting on the couch and staying most of the rest of the day. I finally felt better late that afternoon and was able to eat dinner. I hated that to me it felt like a "wasted" summer day. Austin was great though and took the kids out. I also know that sometimes God calls us to just rest. I feel like this summer He has definitely helped us "rest". Knowing that the fall might be crazy. 
So Friday I woke up feeling like a new woman! It was great to feel back to normal. Well Austin was off that day and we had made plans to go to Hattiesburg. We took our time getting ready that morning and packing. The kids were super excited to be going somewhere. This summer we once again didn't plan a major trip. We are trying to plan a Disney trip of some kind next year. We had thought originally it would be before the end of this year so that is one reason we kinda skimped on the summer plans. Anyway needless to say I think we were all happy to be going out of town! 


Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Father's Day Weekend

So as I posted before Friday night we treated ourselves by going out to dinner then letting the kids play at the park and driving around. Its not normal that we go out on Fridays. During the school year I am usually so wiped out and this was our first Friday that didn't involve VBS or swim lessons. Anyway it was a nice time! 
Saturday we went up to Aurora that morning for the kids to paint their cars and so Austin could help set up the track for Pinewood Derby. It was nice seeing friends that morning and I think the kids enjoyed themselves. Afterwards we came home so we could divide and conquer! Austin took the kids swimming at my parent's house and I went to the grocery store. We all got home later and had lunch together. We mostly relaxed and chilled that afternoon. We grilled pork chops and just enjoyed a family night together. 
Sunday was of course Father's Day. We went to first service as a family. It was a good morning at church. My friend Wendy's husband spoke and it was interesting and neat to hear that. He did a great job. The kids and I stuck around for a bit after the first service. Mostly to try and see the Schifflin's before they left for Colorado. We had donuts and tried to wait it out, but the kids were over it and ready to go. We stopped at Walmart for a couple things then came on home. Austin had to count. I hated he had to stay late on Father's day of all things. We ate a light lunch and just worked on straightening up around the house. That afternoon we mostly worked on getting our house ready for company. We volunteered to host Father's Day this year. We grilled steaks, had baked potatoes, salad, and a wonderful cake for dessert. It was just my parents and Elizabeth that came (Randall was already gone) on his motorcycle adventure. We had a good time though nonetheless. We even got to eat our dessert outside. 
I think we had a nice weekend. I am so thankful for the dad's and men in my life. I am thankful for Austin and all he does for our family. I love that he chooses us over other things. He also has such a servant heart. I am also of course thankful for my dad and all he taught me over the years. He's also an awesome granddad to my kids! I am just glad we could honor and celebrate our guys this weekend! 

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Summer Week 3

So with VBS behind us it was nice to have a slow down in life. That Monday the kids and I decided to go swimming at my parent's house. It was nice to just do something low key like that. We swam for a couple hours. My mom didn't have any groceries so we didn't stay for lunch. Instead the kids voted on Five Guys so we went there. Now that they are older I just love taking them out to lunch. Its nice to actually sit there and have conversations with them. It started storming soon after we got home so we spent a nice afternoon and evening at home. Its been great now to have those slow afternoons and evenings. The kids have loved playing together and we've been doing great with family walks in the evening. 
Tuesday I had Bible study so the kids went back to my parent's house. At first I wasn't too excited about going. I have felt a little disconnected from the group for some reason. I was happy I went though and ended up having a nice time! I picked the kids up and we made a quick errand stop then came home. Again we had the afternoon around here which was just lovely! 
Wednesday I had made plans with Wendy for coffee. Actually had I known about this before Tuesday's Bible study I might not have gone..i just felt bad about shipping my kids off to my parents 2 days in a row...although neither party seemed to mind. Anyway we had both said it would be a "quick" coffee meeting b/c she knew I had the kids home and she's prepping to send her son off to college. Well we met up a little before 8:30 and ended up staying until 12:30! It was crazy! I missed her so much and our talks though. I guess after spending nearly everyday almost together from March-May we had a lot of catching up to do! I had told my parents I would be back by 10 or so...so when I wasn't there by 11 they called a little worried. Well then we proceeded to stay another hour! anyway it was such a good time! Once I got the kids we came home just to relax and hang out before church. It was nice knowing we were getting back into Wednesday nights. During the school year they are often exhausting, but during the summer I feel like my kids crave that friend time. Anyway it was good to get back. They both had lots of friends there too which was nice. They did water night so that was a lot of fun. I am just thankful for the tribe my kids get to grow up with and do life with. 
Thursday we woke up with a free day. I had contemplated taking the kids to the children's museum...b/c honestly we haven't had a "big" play day yet. They slept in though and I was honestly dreading going anywhere far away. Well when they woke up I gave them the option between children's museum or going out to breakfast. Lindsay spoke up and chose breakfast at Parrot Pete's. This is something she's been asking about so I did feel good to cross that off our summer bucket list. It was a really sweet time. It was a moment where I realized I am truly in the golden age of parenting. I mean first off they slept until 9 then they chose breakfast out over the loud children's museum! Wow! Anyway we talked and laughed and just enjoyed our 1,000 gifts moment. Afterwards we went to Target. We spent the afternoon at home which was nice. It ended up raining so it was nice to not get out. 
Friday we had another free day. I hardly knew what to do with myself honestly with all these free days. Well it was the day Incredibles 2 came out...I promised the kids we would go see it. We were able to have a slow pace morning then leave for the movie about 10. We saw the 10:45 show. It was a cute movie---not one of my favs by any means, but cute nonetheless. After the movie we had lunch at Chickfila then came on home. That afternoon we just hung around the house and Austin came home early. We ended up getting out that evening...something we rarely do! We went to eat Catfish at Adam's then took the kids to play at the park. We also rode around after that. It was a nice summer night as a family. We chose not to do a movie that night. I felt like since we were in the theater that morning they needed a night out! The park was just what they needed. It was still warm, but not nearly like it would have been during the day! It was a nice night just to be together! 

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Weekend after VBS

It was nice to come home on Friday and know that VBS was behind us. Although I will truly miss it! Its always bittersweet when it ends. We had movie night that night and enjoyed family time. 
Saturday we had to get going pretty early b/c the kids had a make up swim lesson. We went to that as a family then Austin and the kids came home to hang out while I went to the grocery store. After shopping we went out to lunch and just enjoyed some time together. 
Sunday was church...we went to 2nd service b/c we were going out to lunch with my family. It was a longer/later afternoon, but we enjoyed the time with them. My brother is about to be gone for almost a month on his motorcycle venture. So we sorta celebrated Father's day a week early. That afternoon we just hung out and enjoyed our family time! 

Monday, June 18, 2018

VBS AMPED

So last week was VBS for us. It was truly a wonderful week and we had a blast! Since quitting preschool ministry last year after VBS I knew this year I would want to be involved in big kid VBS. Especially since now both of my littles are in that age group. I had signed up for k-2nd grade. I ended up being assigned 2nd. The first day I was a little overwhelmed just b/c it was all new to me. I feel like I quickly found my groove. I felt like big kid VBS was a breeze compared to the little kid VBS. So our daily schedule was something like this:
We would leave our house about 7 each morning and arrive at 7:30. From 7:30-8 I would look over the curriculum and supplies in the room and make a game plan for the day. From 8-8:30 the kids play outside. This part of the day was probably my least favorite b/c for whatever reason it seemed to overwhelm Lindsay and she would basically hang on me the entire 30 min. I mean I did get to visit with other adults during this time, but still I found it exhausting. From 8:30-9:10 we had large group time. During this time they sang, played games, and had their morning devotion. I really enjoyed this time. After that our group went outside. We were grouped with 2nd-5th. I was able to see Colby's little group of friends hang out. I didn't really get to see as much of Lindsay's group. We were outside from 9:15-9:50 each day. It was nice during that time that the kids just got to play and have some down time and time to get their energy out. From 9:55-10:30 we went back to our classroom for our learning time. I really did enjoy this time of teaching and it went by SO fast! This was the time you really got to know the kids and hear about their life. From 10:35-11:05 the kids went to Missions. During that time it was a little bit of a break. Since there were so many adults in the room during that time I didn't feel bad taking a restroom/water break or making a phone call or what not. I tried to stay around to help corral the kids, but it did allow for some down time. After that we would go to art, this lasted from about 11:05 until 11:30. During that time I tried to assist as much as possible and also go around and just try to talk to the kids. After that they went to their last rotation Music. This was our scheduled break time which was nice. It was nice every day to just sit and visit with friends. Afterwards we did dismissal from upstairs in our classrooms. I usually tried to escape by 12:15 if not earlier due to the kids having swim lessons. 
Our week was pretty routine with coming home and eating lunch then resting for a short bit before getting dressed to head out to lessons. With the 3:00 lessons it really shortened our afternoons. It wasn't bad though. I feel like it kept the kids active and from getting bored. On Tuesday we had bad weather though and they were cancelled and it was such a blessing to have that free afternoon to just rest/relax. 
I think my kids had a blast! Colby is super independent and does his own thing and loved every second of being with friends. Lindsay was a little more shy especially first thing in the mornings. Colby had just about all of us 4th grade friends there so he was in heaven. Lindsay had 2 school friends and then Genevieve who she's grown up with. It was a wonderful week and I am truly thankful! 

Monday, June 11, 2018

Family and Dinner on the Lake

So last Sunday we had a nice day together. We went to first service at church and then came home and had a light lunch. We spent some time resting and hanging out. Austin's family came in that afternoon. It sorta fell at a bad time b/c it was the start of our VBS week and also swim lessons. I wish we could have seen them more, but it was nice to atleast spend time with them Sunday evening. So about 4 that afternoon we got ready and drove downtown to see them at the hotel. They stayed where austin works. It was also nice getting to see his hotel. We hadn't been to this one. I really liked it. We hung out and visited for about an hour then left to go eat dinner. We decided to try this place called The Blue Crab. It was a fun new place. The food was also great. They were super busy, but we were able to eat outside. It was a little hot and sunny at first, but not terrible. We enjoyed being able to sit out there and watch the boats go by. After dinner we were able to spend time on the lakefront. I think the kids really enjoyed being with their cousins. I feel like now as they are getting older all our schedules are so busy so we see them less and less. It was just a nice summer evening. I wish we could have hung out longer and later, but with VBS starting the next day we had to call it a night. We were already like 9 getting home! 

Saturday, June 9, 2018

VBS Prep

So this was our first full week of summer. It was busy, but most filled with VBS preparations. Tuesday we were up and out the house early. I brought the kids to my parents to spend the morning. I try to be careful about how much time they spend at the church/school. And especially since Lindsay had spent so much time the week before I wanted to give them a little break. They were able to swim and play and I was able to focus on VBS. So we started out the morning by meeting Tracey at PJs for coffee. We then went to the church and got a glimpse of our rooms and gathered ideas. We then went in the Worship Center to spend time helping Virginia decorate. Everyone wrapped up by 11:30. I was able to pick up the kids and head home for lunch. We had just a little time before it was time to head out the door for swim lessons. In a way its hard getting out at 2:30 every day, but it also keeps the afternoon moving and from being so long with tired/bored kids. They are both doing great in swim lessons and Lindsay moved to the deep end by day 2. Austin worked late that night so the kids and I had dinner and I let them stay up a tad bit later then normal.
Wednesday we were up and out early again. I had plans to run VBS errands then lunch with some friends. We dropped Colby off at my parents. I figured 1) he wouldn't want to join the "girls lunch" and 2) its easier to run a bunch of errands with just 1 kid. I think he was happy to get out of all that. Lindsay and I hit up the Educator, Dollar Tree, Walmart, and Party City in record time! I was so proud of my little trooper. We even had time to drop all the stuff off at the church before going to lunch. We met our friends Wendy and her daughter Emily, Karen and her daughter Cali, and then another lady Andrea and her son met us as well. It was fun catching up and just having some mom time. Lindsay of course had a blast with the big girls. I was happy to be able to see Wendy and Emily. Even though it had only been like a week of us being finished with school it was crazy not seeing them all the time and talking every day. After lunch we came home to get ready for swim lessons. The kids did really great again. That night it felt good to just stay in. There was no church so we enjoyed the off night! 
Thursday I thought it best to take a break from all the church helping. I really needed to grocery shop and I felt like the kids needed a break from being up there. It was a nice day spent at home. We were able to work around the house and they even did some school work. We did have swim lessons that afternoon though, but it was nice going to swim lessons and not being exhausted. 
Friday we were back to helping at the church. We got there a little after 9. We helped in our classroom about an hour then helped in the sanctuary about an hour. I hope we were atleast some help. That afternoon was swim lessons and then we did movie night that evening! 
Saturday we were back at helping at the church. I hated to spend our normal only real family day working, but I also know serving together as a family is a good thing too. So we were back at the church about 9. I helped in our room for awhile then we all went to the sanctuary. It was actually pretty fun though. There were some hilarious moments of adults trying to ride bikes on the VBS ramps. we all got some laughs and I think also helped in the process. We didn't leave there though until 12:30. We then ran errands and had lunch out. It was a long day, but it was still fun to spend as a family. 

Friday, June 1, 2018

Memorial Weekend

So Friday began the official start to our summer. It felt so good to sleep in and not be rushing out the door! I wasn't sure what we would do. Several thoughts crossed my mind of things to do with the kids. I really wanted a more relaxed day though and honestly didn't want to cross the river and deal with parking. We ended up just going to the park and then having lunch at Chickfila. One of my teacher friends..actually Lindsay's prek4 teacher was babysitting a little girl Lindsay's age so she ended up meeting us. It was nice having someone to visit with at the park. I think the girls had a great time! Colby on the other hand was a little bored though. Its hard when one has a friend the other complains. Anyway we had a good time and stayed about 2 hours until we started hearing thunder. We all went over to Chickfila and by the time we got there the bottom fell out! We all got soaked! It was fun though. We ate lunch and visited. We stayed there about an hour. All in all it was a nice start to summer. It also helped that "let down" feeling of school being out. Once we got home we had a low key afternoon. It was nice to just stay in with the kids and not have to go anywhere. 
Saturday it was nice having everyone home! We had a pretty low key start to the day. Austin stayed home to work on yard work and I got out and ran a couple errands. We rested and hung out around the house until about 3:30. We then left to pick up a few things and head to my parent's house for the Graduation Party. My mom decided that she wanted to host a little get together for some of the interns at the church that are graduating this year. It was a sweet get together. The kids had a blast! Since it was all mostly people who have worked in the kid's ministry they felt right at home. I enjoyed getting to visit with everyone. My mom loves hosting stuff like that! It brought back memories of growing up and us having stuff like that. It was a late night for us too. We didn't get home until after 9 I think. 
Sunday we went to first service at church. Afterwards we went to eat sandwiches at Jimmy John's. We then came home. It was the first Sunday we had like that in awhile. It felt good to just come home and relax. It was nice spending the day together as a family.
Monday was of course Memorial Day. It was nice having Austin home with us and a LONG weekend to kick off summer. We slept in and enjoyed a slow morning around the house. We then got ready and went to my parents house for swimming and burgers. It was just us and them this year. It was nice though to have a chilled gathering. We came home soon after lunch b/c the kids had swim lessons. It was a short afternoon. Austin stayed home to get some stuff done...plus I think he liked having the house all to himself for awhile. Its rare he gets that. The kids started the week great in swim lessons! Its hard to believe how many years we have been going! Even though its a pain and honestly they can both "swim" I want them to continue to improve and plus it something active for them to do. After swim lessons we just came home and enjoyed a night together. 

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Last Week of School

Well even though Lindsay has been out a few days...this past week was the final week for Colby. Monday started out busy! I told the teachers I would come that day to help out. Well I spent a little bit hanging out and visiting with Wendy before heading up to 1st grade. I had offered to help her out some with her class and getting it packed up for the summer. Well while I was up there everyone was talking to me like I was for sure the new first grade teacher! I was honestly so confused. Anyway there was even talk about switching classrooms. Which if I do become the teacher and get to switch I am excited b/c its the biggest classroom in that hallway. We stayed until about 11 before going to meet Virginia for lunch. That day though ended up a little emotional though b/c by the afternoon I received an email from the principal about how we needed to keep everything on the DL about me being the first grade teacher and how we didn't need to create confusion. I felt a little betrayed. I mean I told a few friends that I applied for the position, but somehow it exploded into everyone assuming I had the job. Anyway my feelings got a little hurt, but by Wednesday I was over it. 
After that though I vowed I wasn't going to spend much time up there the rest of the week. With all my helping in kindergarten I had been up there just about every day the last 2 months. 
Tuesday I was upset...it was Field Day...I was torn b/c I honestly hated to miss. I have always participated in the past, but with all this going on at the school I felt like I just needed to fly under the radar. Also Lindsay had been up there so much that I knew I really just needed to enjoy time with my baby girl. Anyway..we dropped Colby off in carpool and I honestly think everyone was a bit surprised! She and I then went to the grocery. After that we came home for a bit before heading out to pick up Subway sandwiches and take them to the park to eat. It was a sweet memory. Nothing big and fancy, but its what she wanted to do! We stayed about an hour...after we ate she played. It was nice just to soak up time with her in the outdoors. Life has just been so busy lately. We got home and rested then I got a text from Virginia wanting my help in the sanctuary so we headed up to the church. I wanted to try and avoid school people as much as possible. I did have to walk through the office...then on my way to the cafe I was caught by Colby's teacher. She basically told me I could take him with me. We then went to the middle school class to talk to Wendy and another teacher Mrs. Dufrene. We worked in the sanctuary about an hour. I was happy to help Virginia b/c it would have been a lot of work to do by herself. Once we got in though it was nice to be in and no where to go. 
Wednesday once again I decided to skip out on being up at the school. It honestly felt weird though dropping Colby off in carpool. It was a 1/2 day though. Lindsay and I wanted to soak up the last few hours of girl time. I brought her to breakfast at Chickfila then we went to Target and the library. It was nice having one on one time with her. I mean I love having both kids home and I love time with just Colby, but there's something about girl time that's just oh so sweet! Once we got Colby home it was nice to relax for a few hours before church that night. It was also nice to go to church and not be exhausted! We had a VBS meeting so I was in that the whole time. My kids were happy to close it down since we left early a couple weeks. 
Thursday was Awards Day. It is always a nice closing to the year. Colby got Beta Honor roll again for 4th Quarter. I was so proud of him b/c he only missed the year honor roll by one quarter and 1 C in Math. He's come such a long way! We were also happy for his friend Zachary who got the Fruit of the Spirit Award. After Awards we took pictures and said our goodbyes then went to my parents house. Since austin was working it was nice to hang out with them. We went to lunch then went back to their house to swim. I was happy to do something special with them to close out the school year! Its hard to believe summer is officially here. Its always so bittersweet though leaving the school. Even though we are up there a lot and see a lot of the same people it still feels like a chapter is closing. Its hard to believe that now I have a 1st and 5th grader. That afternoon we got home and relaxed again. That night we had scouts. It was nice getting out though so the kids could see friends. Colby was excited to see Nijel and Zachary and Lindsay played with Makylee. 

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Feeling Like Sweet Summertime

So this weekend was lovely and with having one kid out of school already I definitely felt in "Summer mode". Plus grades have been turned in since the 10th so we have definitely had a more relaxed schedule too. 
Saturday Austin was itching to get out of town. We decided on just driving to the Coast for lunch. We ate at this place called "The Blind Tiger" I thought it was yummy and a neat place to go. I'm not sure the kids or Austin were super impressed though. The scenery was nice though. They had a lot going on in that little part of town though b/c there was a Pirate Festival. I think Austin wanted to walk around, but it was so hot and Lindsay was already whining I really didn't feel like it. We ended up driving around a bit before heading back home. It was a nice outing though. That afternoon we just stayed around the house and let the kids play. 
Sunday was church day. We opted to go to first service even though Austin had to count. I got the idea later in the week that if I took the kids after first service we could go swim while he counted then we would have a longer afternoon. It was a good service. I was so glad we were there b/c Wendy's son Philip was recognized as a senior graduate. It was also nice to see them and visit in church. After church I brought the kids to my parents house to swim. We picked up Canes for lunch. It was nice to spend a little quiet time doing that with them. We had a good time in the pool. By the time my parents got there we were getting out and drying off. We spent a few minutes visiting before heading home. We came home and picked up Austin and went to go get ice-cream and snowballs. It had been awhile since we had done that! Again it was a sweet weekend that just made me ready for summertime! That afternoon we just spent time relaxing and hanging out outside! 

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Kindergarten Graduation

So last Wednesday was the big day for Lindsay. It feels like in a way time just flew and we got here way too fast! In other ways though it feels like we were preparing for it for so long! anyway we got to school early. This year was so different for Lindsay and I. I was half teacher/half mom. Luckily Wendy's daughter Emily was there to hang out with her. They watched the Greatest Showman while we got everything ready for the big day. We did the final touches in the sanctuary. We were ready with time to spare. The kids got dropped off at 10 in the classroom. From there I helped get them dressed. Her teacher had told me I didn't have to, but that's the way I wanted. They were all my babies and honestly that's the way I wanted to spend the day. Once they started lining up though I went to find my place to sit and be with family and finally be just mom! The ceremony was wonderful! It was the cutest and the kids did an absolute amazing job! It was so bittersweet for so many reasons. I mean knowing that my last baby is no longer a baby, but a big first grader! Also knowing this amazing year had come to an end! I teared up when they first came down the aisle. The other points where I got a little teary was when they showed the slide show from the year and also when they held hands and sang "How Great is Our God". This year with Lindsay's graduation it was so different then Colby. I mean with having 2 kids in school we really had no major plans once it was all said and done. We stuck around and helped clean up then went to lunch with Wendy and her daughter Emily. It was so much fun. We really had a great time. We had Chickfila. I felt a little bad that we didn't make as big a deal out of her graduation, but honestly going to lunch with her teacher and her 13 year old daughter was a bigger deal to her anyway. She loved every second of it. We ended up getting stuck in crazy traffic for almost an hour. Thankfully we were in good company and just all enjoyed visiting. By the time we got back to the school though it was carpool time. Thankfully my parents had picked Colby up from school. We made it in time to go get our stuff out of the kindergarten room and head to my parents house. We didn't even have time at that point to go home and change. I was so tired by that point! I sat down at my parents house though and it felt good to chill and cool off. well we got to church and had dinner. It was nice to visit with some people, but I was so over it! I made the decision and talked to the kids that we would stay for a bit, but would leave early. I hated to do that again and if I weren't dressed up I would have just dealt with it, but I was hot and tired. Anyway I stayed through the outside portion then we came home. I think the kids had a good time, but also weren't too sad about leaving. It had been such a busy week and we were all tired! 

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Last Week of Kindergarten

Wow its so hard to write this and know that its all over now! I cannot believe how quickly this school year went!! It was such an amazing year from so many aspects. So Lindsay started the year with Mrs. Schifflin. I knew her from church, but not well. From what I knew she seemed amazing and sweet and for that I was thankful. It seemed like it would be a great year! well Fast forward to October...I started suspecting that something might be wrong and sure enough we found out she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember leaving the school when I was pretty sure and just crying at the thought. I was broken for her, and also broken for my little girl and the rest of the class. I had no idea what the rest of the year would hold. After a few people saying they thought of me to take over the class it was confirmation that maybe it was what God wanted me to do. I prayed and said that I wouldn't chase after it, but if I was asked then I would know that is what God was leading me to do. Well sure enough less than a week after finding out I was asked to take her class. It ended up being such an honor and blessing! I had a blast and re-gained the confidence and want to teach again! Anyway its been a super sweet year. By the time Mrs. Schifllin came back in January we quickly became friends. By February we were parading together and hanging out on the weekends. By April I spent the last 2 months in her classroom helping her with "all the things". It turned out so differently and now I am thinking of teaching first grade! 
Anyway so Monday was their last regular day of school. I was there all day to assist and just help them get ready for graduation. I was busy doing things like steaming the gowns and such. 
Tuesday was a really fun day. Well the morning began with them doing a "dress rehearsal" for graduation in front of the whole school. They rocked it and were amazing! That afternoon we had water day which was an absolute blast! The kids loved it! I was so happy we were able to do that. It ended up going so well. Mrs. Schifflin's son and daughter came to help along with Austin. Things really went smoothly. That afternoon we stuck around to help Wendy get the sanctuary ready. We left there sometime after 5. It was a long day, but again I was so thankful to get to participate in these last days. It was so bittersweet knowing it was the end. 
Wednesday was of course Graduation day! I'll do a separate post on that! 
Thursday I went back up to help Wendy in her room for a bit that morning. Lindsay and I helped her pull stuff off the walls. We left though by about 10:45. Lindsay was over it and I honestly was too! Plus I think her teacher wanted some quiet time to do paper work. We left and went grocery shopping. It was nice to come home and have a couple quiet hours with just her. I really do miss those days of having her home like that. It went by quick though. We soon were leaving to go get Colby. She had art class so we went by my parents house for a quick visit before going back up there. That evening it was nice to be in at a decent time. We even were able to all eat dinner together! 
Friday was a busy day for me, but I really enjoyed it! I honestly had been dreading it a bit though. So I brought Colby to school then left to bring Lindsay by my parents. I picked up coffee and got back up to the school. I spent time in the room with Wendy. I was able to help her by sorting through her books. We were able to chat and such. By 10 I was needed to go over to the sanctuary and get things ready for the 8th grade graduation. This was the main reason I was there. I was in charge of setting up the petit fours and punch table. Thankfully Wendy came in and helped a bit too. During the graduation I made and served punch. I felt a little spastic. I was so thankful Heidi came and helped me. After graduation I made a run out to Westwego to pick up pizzas for the 6th grade teacher. I got back and hung out with them for awhile and enjoyed pizza and a movie. By the time I finished up I went back down to Wendy's room and she wasn't back but I was able to help out a lot with her stuff. Once she got back we visited a bit then it was time to go home!! It was again so nice to come home after school and relax. We ended up having horrible weather though. Thankfully we were able to be in and just hang out. 

Friday, May 18, 2018

Long Weekend & Mother's Day

This past weekend we were blessed with a 3 day weekend. It was so nice for the month of MAY! Its been so crazy lately that it was great having that extra day. We were able to sleep in and hang out around the house. We went to the grocery store and just spent the day getting the house in order. I would have loved to take them somewhere fun, but with everything going on I knew I needed to stay in. We had a really enjoyable day though. 
Saturday was busy though to make up for it. Their little friend Ella was dropped off at 8:45 and spent the day with us. I enjoyed having a friend though. She gets along so well with both my kids. She got here in time to have breakfast then they played for about an hour while I cleaned and got dressed. At 10 we left to go swim at my parents house. They had a blast over there! It was nice to get out and let them swim and enjoy the nice day. We left their house around 2 and came home. The kids played for about an hour then she left around 4. We had a quiet evening which was nice. 
Sunday was Mother's Day. It was nice going to church and being showered all weekend with sweet little homemade gifts from my kiddos. At church they had the kids come in and bring roses to the ladies which was so adorable. They also made the moms a craft. After church we ran a quick errand then came home to get ready to go to Randall and Elizabeth's house for lunch. It was nice to get to hang out and also not have to cook lunch. We had a nice time visiting with everyone. We got home around 3. By then I think we were all exhausted though. It was time to get ready for the upcoming busy week!! 

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Teacher Appreciation Week

So this past week was extremely busy for us. I mean Teacher Appreciation Week almost always is, but this year I was also at the school just about every day so it was EXTRA busy! 
Monday - So this year I did things a little different. The school had sent out a list of ideas for teacher appreciation and kindergarten also had a sign up. I decided to go my own way this year though b/c I am pretty close to both teachers. Anyway so Monday my treat was bringing the teachers coffee. I think they both liked and enjoyed this. I would honestly rather do this then give them like a mug or something. So that day was really busy b/c I was helping kindergarten, but also helping Colby's teacher prep for the upcoming Wax Museum. I so enjoyed spending the entire day with kindergarten though. I also gave Lindsay's teacher the morning off and did lunch duty for her. I think she was super appreciative of this. Again I would rather do this for teacher appreciation. Afterwards we went out to recess and it was nice to get to visit with her some. I was also trying to get her big gift taken care of that day as well. I ended up also walking them to/from Library. I got the kids to sign the frame during that time which was great. It was a really fun day. That evening we just relaxed and hung out. It was nice not having anywhere to go/be after school.
Tuesday - This was a super busy day! So for Colby's teacher I just sent a pack of Reese's. Lindsay's teacher was getting a big surprise that day. The day went well and we were super busy. The kids made Mrs. Schifflin cards during their art time. So after art I picked them up and we gave her the framed picture and cards and then had cookie cake. It was a fun day and she was totally surprised. I think it made the kids feel good to take part in giving her something. That afternoon we had The Wax Museum for Colby's class. This meant we had to run home change clothes and head back up to the school. The night was really neat though. I was thankful for all the hard work that went into making it happen. Colby and his classmates did a wonderful job. I also enjoyed getting to visit more with the teacher friends and parents.
Wednesday- This was a very long day for me! I stayed at the school all day. This was the day we gave the teacher's their big gifts. We gave Colby's teacher a Starbucks gift card, key chain, and a bath bomb. Lindsay's teacher we gave a t-shirt and a bath bomb. It was a nice day. I mean I really love hanging out with the kindergarten. Its tiring, but fun. That night we also had church. Well now all the kindergarten girls like to eat dinner with me. Its fine and cute, but also exhausting. We also dealt with not being able to get outside much due to ozone warnings so by the time we got upstairs I was over it! Finally around 6:30 I made the decision to go home. Colby was so upset with me, but I just couldn't handle it any longer. It was nice to just get in early. 
Thursday - Another long and busy day! I really had every intention of coming home after I taught music, but I got a random text that morning from a kindergarten parent asking what time the gathering was. Well I knew nothing of it and obviously Wendy didn't either. We both panicked b/c we knew her room was a mess. I volunteered to go up after music and help her straighten up. Anyway so music went well. It was a little bittersweet being the last week and knowing it might be my last ever class since I am considering working at Calvary. I got up to Calvary and it was busy and then we stayed while Lindsay had art. I was in a tiny bit of a bad mood just with the parent drama, but overall it was a good day. I was just happy to be home that night though. 

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Cinco De Mayo

So last weekend was pretty low key which was nice. That Friday I had only worked at the school for part of the morning. I was then able to go to Target and spend the rest of the day at home. It was definitely nice for a change! That afternoon/evening the kids got home and we had a nice family night. 
Saturday Austin was off. We looked forward to a day as a family. I had to run errands to get ready for Teacher Appreciation. Lindsay came with me and the boys went to get haircuts then did yard work. I enjoyed just running errands with my girl. We got all the things stocked up for their teachers. Once we got in we hung out for a little while so the boys could finish outside. We then went out to eat Mexican. We of course had to do that and have margaritas for Cinco De Mayo. That afternoon was quiet and low key. We enjoyed the time around the house. 
Sunday was a nice day. We went to early service. After though we mixed it up some, by going to swim at my parents house. We ate lunch at Subway then went to swim. It was nice to do something different. Afterwards we came home and just spent the afternoon prepping for the busy week ahead! 

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Friends, Fun, and Fests

So last weekend was SO much FUN! Probably the most fun I have had in a long time. I mean I love my family and doing the mom thing, but its been a super long time since I just had fun with a girl friend. So Friday night I had made plans with Lindsay's teacher Wendy to have a girl's night movie night. So after school I dropped Lindsay off with my parents. Austin and Colby were headed to Hattiesburg to spend time with his mom. Well I got home and straightened up around the house and before I knew it she arrived! I had ordered pizza so we ate and just talked for like 2 hours! It was so nice! She and I have so much in common. She had also picked up daiquiris which was super fun too! Anyway we had a great time! We started the movie at around 8 and it ended a little before 10. We then spent about 30-40 more min just talking. She left around 10:30. It was just the most fun! It was exactly what I needed. I feel like since having kids I don't really do a whole lot for myself... and it really hasn't been until the last year or so that I am re-discovering myself now that they are in full time school. Well needless to say after the LARGE daiquiri and being at school all week I slept great!! 
Saturday it was awesome waking up to a quiet house. I tried to just soak it in and enjoy the time alone. I made myself breakfast and straightened up a bit before heading to go get Lindsay. I even stopped for a cup of coffee for myself. I got to my parents house and we spent the morning baking a cookie cake for Austin. We also stayed and had lunch. It was nice hanging out with them. Now with all our busy schedules and the kids being older we don't do that as often as we used to. After lunch and we finished the cake we came on back home. It was nice to have some time to chill out before the boys got in. Once they got home we basically spent the day resting and doing stuff around the house. It was nice to be back as a family of 4. 
Well Sunday rolled around and we had planned to only go to 1st service. We had also made plans the day before with Wendy and her husband Phil to go to Jazz Fest. After all these years I finally got out there to Jazz Fest. Anyway so after church we secured our plans. We brought the kids home and all ate a light lunch then Austin and I started prepping to go to the festival. We left our house around 12:30 to drop the kids off with my parents. We had a few minutes to visit with them before our friends got there. Once they arrived we were off to Jazz Fest. It really was fun just having another couple to hang out with. I think Austin and her husband got along well and that was really the first time we interacted with him. It was fun just feeling like kids again! We got there to Jazz Fest and finally found parking then walked in. It was a little overwhelming at first since I had never been. We quickly found a place to set up our chairs. We sat for a few minutes, but it was hot and we quickly decided we would walk around. We walked most of the fair grounds and got ourselves some daiquiris. We then found the hospitality tents. They had tickets to one tent and we had tickets to another. We split up for about an hour. It was nice to get out the sun for a bit. After cooling off for a few minutes though Austin and I decided to just walk around and explore. We did that for awhile then got hot and headed back to our chairs thinking Wendy and Phil would be there too. Well they weren't there so we rested a bit then decided to go look for my friends who were working at a Kiwanis tent. We found them and visited for awhile. During that time Wendy texted me and told me they were in the Gospel tent. So we headed there. We sat in there for about an hour. At that point it was nice to cool off and sit with them. Around 5 we got ready to go back to our seats for Jimmy Buffett. This was of course the best part of the day. I think we all felt like we were in college again. I just had the best time talking with Wendy. After Buffett we headed home, but it was about a 30 min ride so we still got to visit plenty. It was such a great day! I cannot wait to do something like that again!! 

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Testing Week

So this past week was Testing at Calvary. This was a week I knew I would be very busy. I had signed up to be a "hall monitor" each day. This is the first year I had ever done that. I figured though with both my kids testing that I would do it though. Anyway it made for a very busy week. 
Monday I was assigned the middle school hallway. it was such a LONG morning. I thought I was going to die! I was in the hallway from 8:30-12:30! I was so hungry when we were finished. I ran downstairs and scarfed down my lunch with prek then spent my afternoon with kindergarten. It was actually a fun afternoon though. It was mostly spent gabbing with Lindsay's teacher. I got there while they were still outside so we got to visit there some then the kids went to library so we just chatted, then they napped. It really was just fun girl time! That afternoon we came home after school and really just enjoyed the no homework thing. 
Tuesday I was assigned the kindergarten hall. I was most thankful for this! They finished testing in about an hour. I spent the rest of the morning helping out their class. I left at lunch. I was happy to have a little time at home. That afternoon was short though b/c I hung out in the kindergarten classroom while Colby was in art class. Its never bad though. Lindsay and I stay and help her straighten up her room and such. 
Wednesday was another busy day! I was assigned to the elementary hall. I preferred kindergarten, but this was definitely second best. For one they finish up testing a lot quicker then middle school! Its also the age of kids I taught when I was a teacher so I felt right in my element. Honestly it was this day that I really left thinking I really miss teaching! I just really love being around the kids. I spent the rest of the day in kindergarten. It went well...I had lunch with Lindsay and her friends. I enjoyed visiting with Wendy on the playground and such. The kids got wild at recess though. We brought them in and they had snack and did a few things then we turned on Charlotte's Web for them to watch. It was a nice break. Again she and I mostly just chatted. I swear hanging out with her is like hanging out with a high school or college girlfriend. So that afternoon Mrs. Kauhn offered to let Colby come with her to her creative arts class she has on Wednesdays. I was so happy she did this. I knew staying in the kindergarten room all afternoon would not be his cup of tea. I was also happy he went with her. Anyway from what I understand he did well and had fun. I again enjoyed just visiting with Lindsay's teacher. Lindsay colored while we mostly chatted. The kids and I did stay for dinner, but came home afterwards. I had told them with testing that we would not be able to stay the whole time. I was happy to get them off to bed early that night. 
Thursday was another day another hall monitor job. Thankfully I got put with kindergarten again. These days were the most fun. I hung out with them until lunch then went grocery shopping. I was back up there that afternoon though while Lindsay had art class. 
Friday was quite the fun day! Well I started the morning in middle school...not really my cup of tea, but the testing didn't last as long as the other day. I was able to finish up and get to kindergarten and eat lunch with them. We spent the afternoon outside basically. The kids did have PE which was nice to have that break. We then brought them back outside after snack to play with chalk and bubbles! It was a good ending to a very busy week. 
Even though it was a lot and tiring...I had so much fun! I truly miss the classroom scene and working there! 

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Fish and Ships

So this past weekend we had a really great one. We of course began the weekend with movie night. Well Friday first off my dad had a heart procedure done. Thankfully it went really well. I spent the morning between the school and the hospital. I came home for about an hour, but spent the hour talking to Lindsay's teacher on the phone =). That night we had movie night. The kids wanted to watch CARS 3. Austin had a softball game. I hate we haven't made one yet, but trying to get the kids out to Kenner for a 7:40 game after a busy week just seems like too much. I am always exhausted and they are too by Fridays! Anyway they won there game. 
Saturday we had a lovely family day. We planned to take the kids downtown for Fleet Week. We stopped at the Aquarium first though since the boats didn't open for tours until 12. The Aquarium was nice...I mean since we are members and we go fairly often we can kinda see the highlights and it be no big deal. We saw what the kids wanted and then left. I think we were in there about an hour. It was pretty crowded of course for a Saturday. We then set out to see the boats. Well the lines were super long. We got to see them all up close, but we weren't sure we would get to go on any. Well we finally got down to the last one which was a Coast Guard boat so we decided to wait for that one. Both of their teachers have husbands in the Coast Guard so that was neat for them to make that connection. It was almost a 2 hour ordeal from start to finish but the kids were troopers and hung in there. I think Colby really found it all interesting, but in typical Lindsay fashion she probably could have cared less. we had fun though. After that we had planned to go eat somewhere over there, but after looking at the crowds and how long it took us to get through the boats...we decided to head back to the Westbank and just eat Chickfila. We came home after that and just enjoyed a chill afternoon at home. 
Sunday was a nice day too...we went to second service at church b/c I was teaching in the first service. It was a long morning, but a good one. We had mexican after church then came home to relax and hang out. 

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Weekend Stuff

Gosh I am so behind on posting! So 2 weekends ago...after Fun Friday after the school...I was worn out. I did end up cooking spaghetti though and we watched "The Greatest Showman" once austin got home. He got in around 7 and it was so nice for him to be home and for things to feel "normal" again. 
Saturday morning...life didn't stop. I had a Ladies Brunch to be at. I hated to run off right after Austin got back in, but this was also something I couldn't miss. It was really nice. I got to visit with some friends and just enjoy the "me" time. I got in around lunch. We mostly just hung out the rest of the day. Colby had homework and we worked on getting the house back in order. 
Sunday we went to church. We got to sleep in though and go to 2nd service which was nice. I honestly now enjoy 2nd service better b/c most of my "Teacher" friends go to that one. Its always nice to see them and catch up. That afternoon we again worked more on Colby's stuff and just hung around the house. It was a pretty relaxing and nice weekend! 

Back to Reality & Back to Work

So after getting in from Washington I feel like we all really hit the ground running. austin left bright and early Monday morning for Chicago. The kids and I were up early b/c I was subbing at Calvary that day. Wendy was there for the morning, but went home after lunch. It was a good and fun day. I could tell she was quickly worn out though so I was happy to relieve her. I had a good afternoon with the class though. It felt so good and so natural to be back up there. That night the kids and I came home. I made tacos and we did homework. We had a good first day without dad! 
Tuesday we were back up for the teacher thing. I once again was filling in for Lindsay's teacher. Again she showed up for the first half of the day then left at lunch. I enjoyed just being up there with her though. She's such a great teacher and we just get along and work so well together. When she left at lunch once again though we had a great afternoon. I mean I really feel like I got the easy part. After lunch they go to recess and their enrichment and all I really had left was snack, science, and nap time ;). not a bad gig! Anyway Colby had art that afternoon after school so we just stayed up there and cleaned up her room while we were there. We got in that evening and ate dinner and worked on homework. I was quite ready for bed that night! 
Wednesday was another full day! I brought the kids to school then I was able to come home for a little while. I was thankful for even a short time at home alone. Next up I had a hair appointment. That of course is always a couple hours. After that I had promised Lindsay's teacher I would come up to help so she wouldn't overdo it. It was fun just hanging out once again. I got there while they were working on stuff in their class. They had snack then went down for a nap. During nap she and I discussed graduation stuff. Once they woke up we practiced a song for it that I have been teaching them. We stayed for church that night as well. That meant a full hour of still getting to hang out/visit with her teacher which I enjoyed. Its so funny b/c no matter how long we are together we still come up with plenty to talk about. That night we went to church. I was completely exhausted after all that though. I was definitely ready to get in and get my littles to bed that night! 
Thursday I taught music at Aurora. That afternoon I was able to enjoy a little time home alone which was nice too. Lindsay had art class after school so I brought Colby to my parents. They were going to keep him and bring him to Scouts since austin was out of town. Lindsay and I had plans to meet her teacher and kids at Chickfila b/c her husband too was out of town. We ended up staying probably about an hour and a half. We had the best time. She had her son and his girlfriend there, her daughter who sat with Lindsay and she and I. By the time we got home I was ready to get Lindsay bathed and ready for bed. We were able to chill out a tiny bit before Austin got home. I honestly couldn't believe how fast the week went by! 
Friday I was busy again. I had breakfast with Virginia at Panera and ran a couple errands. I ended up going up to the school though after lunch to spend the afternoon with kindergarten. Lindsay's teacher planned a fun Friday and since she was still recovering from surgery I told her I would come help. Plus just hanging out with her and the class is so much fun I don't really mind it. We had a really good time!