Blessings

It has been a while since I have taken the time to write.  Things have been so busy around here!

First, we went for a week long vacation in Bradenton at the end of the summer, which was amazing.  We spent hours at the beach, stayed up late like we were in college again, and did a lot of relaxing.

Thank goodness for that beach umbrella and beach chairs from the condo!

The amazing peach pie from Yoders.

I had to report back to work as soon as we got back.  Work has been great.  I am enjoying first grade and my new school.  I got a great group of kids, and my first grade team (we are a team of two!) is wonderful.  We both have 23 students, and have since the beginning of the year, so hopefully within the next week or so a new teacher will be hired.  I decorated my room with all kinds of beach paraphernalia, and the kids love it.  I did it in the hopes that I would feel like I was spending every day at the beach.  If the kids weren't there with me, it just might have worked!!!

But all of that seems insignificant since September 2nd, because...

We found out we are having a baby!!!  A real, live baby!!!  We were so incredibly excited when we found out.  We couldn't keep the secret for long, and told our families the following Monday, Labor Day, when they came over to our house for a little birthday get-together.  We pretended we wanted everyone to pose for a family photo, then recorded their reactions.

It was so much fun telling everyone!  

We had our first ultrasound today.  We found out that I am almost 9 weeks and the due date is April 26th.  Seeing our baby for the first time was like nothing I have ever experienced.  I am so in love.

There's our precious little gummy bear!!!

People ask me how I'm feeling, and I feel pretty lucky to say that I feel good, for the most part!  I've had some nausea, but I have kept everything down (so far!)  Eating a few saltines in bed every morning, although making my sheets awfully crumby, seems to be helping with that.  I'm also pretty exhausted at all times.  Once I come home from work and sit down, I have a hard time getting back up.  I am so blessed to have a husband who has gone out of his way to make me comfortable and happy!  We are both beyond excited about growing our family.  He is going to be an amazing daddy!

While I will try to blog more regularly than I have been, I can't promise anything.  I am busy growing a person, you know!

Nieces and Kittens

The last few nights, Jon has been asking me if I am ever going to blog again.  I have been so caught in planning for the new school year that blogging was kind of pushed aside.  I have found some amazing teacher blogs with great ideas, pictures, and lots of free stuff too.  I have also become obsessed with an online store where teachers are able to sell things they have created (worksheets, teacher resources and the like.)  I've been sorting through things trying to figure everything out - I think I'm getting there!

I was told as of last Wednesday that my classroom was clean and I could get in.  I went last Wednesday and Thursday afternoon after getting off work at 2 (schools are closed during the summer on Fridays, or believe me, I would have been there on Friday, too!) to get started on the room.  I've also gone both days so far this week as well.  I am making progress, but moving to a new school is a lot of work.  I hope I don't have to do it again for awhile!  I have forgotten to take pictures of the room every time I have been there, but it's a mess and I'd rather show it off when it actually resembles a classroom.  

Other than working and setting up my room by day and planning by night, not much as been going on.  Last week, we had Kathryn and Anna over for an afternoon at the pool and a dinner of hot dogs, mac and cheese, canned green beans, and ice cream cones.  What fun we had!

Ready to swim!

Anna's favorite part of the whole day!

I love being an aunt to those two!  I am so blessed.

We also have a new addition to our little family.  This new addition is not necessarily permanent, but we are enjoying every moment of being Mom and Dad to an adorable little...

kitten.

This is Nala.  Yesterday evening, we were standing by our front door and Jon heard meowing.  He opened the door and stuck his head out, saw a kitten wandering around outside, then came back in to get some food to try to get her to come to him.  When he was in the kitchen, in ran this little kitten.  She just ran on in like she owned the place!  We think she's about 2 or 3 months old - just a little thing.  We walked around our complex and asked a few people if they knew someone with a cat, and no one did.  So off Jon went to pick up a litter box, food, flea collar, and of course, some Clariten (we are both allergic to cats) while I stayed home and made sure this adorable creature didn't attack our bird or poop on our couch.  She didn't.  In fact, she is the sweetest kitten I have ever met.  She is so quiet and snuggly, and will just sit on my lap and let me cuddle her for the longest time.  She purrs constantly and loves to lick my face.  I am so in love.  

She is intrigued by Bailee.  One of her favorite activities is to hang by all fours on the poor bird's cage.  

We made flyers and hung them around our complex this evening.  Half of me hopes we find her owners, and half of me doesn't.  I tell you, this kitten has captured my heart. ♥

Teacher Blogs

I have become obsessed with teacher blogs this summer.  I have found so many creative, fabulous ideas that I am excited about using this year.  One of the great blogs that I have found is First Grade Awesomeness.  The writer, Mrs. Tabb, is giving away a free unit all about shoes for free to those who blog about it!  I don't think I have many (if any!) elementary teachers who read my own blog, but if you are, go check it out!  I'm excited to us it during the first few weeks of school.

Thankful Thursday, postponed

Thankful Thursday will come tomorrow.  I am a bit tired from the race tonight (why is it that running 3 miles on a regular day doesn't wear me out, but when it's a race, I'm tired??  It's got to be mental.)

I will share more about it tomorrow, but the race was great.  Actually, to be quite honest, most of it was quite miserable, but I still had a wonderful time.  I don't know my exact time right now, but it will be posted, hopefully soon.  I think I was seconds faster than my last (and first!) race.  There was a bad thunderstorm right on top of us for the majority of the race.  It was scary, but we all stayed safe.

More coming tomorrow!

Free T-shirts

My favorite part of running in 5Ks is the free t-shirt.  

Some people have told me that they are not really free - they are $20, or however much you paid to run.  I strongly disagree.  It's a $20 experience that comes with a free t-shirt.

This is for the race tomorrow evening.  I picked up my packet at work today.  Apparently, the roads will not be closed for the race.  Here's to hoping I don't get run over by a car!

(This photo only makes it appear as though it is a giant onesie.  Rest assured, it's not.)

Homecooked

Mmm... dinner tonight was delicious.  We had rice, beans, eggs, fried plantains, and avocado.  

I can't wait for my leftovers tomorrow!

Why I'm Loving Monday

Why I'm Loving Monday

I'm loving it because... After putting a lot of thought into it, and spending hours this weekend brainstorming, I decided on a theme for my classroom this next year - camping!  I've been scouring the Internet for some ideas and have seen some adorable pictures.  I'm especially excited about finding a little tent and some sleeping bags to put in my reading corner.  How cozy does that sound?!?

I'm loving it because... we cleaned the house today.  Not that I really love cleaning, but I love having a clean house!  Did you know that using newspaper to clean windows/mirrors keeps them streak-free?  Jon taught me that!

I'm loving it because... I signed up for my second 5K!  I am so excited.  I think I may have an addiction because I'm already looking at upcoming races.  Too bad they aren't free!  I just had so much fun.  My goal was to beat my time from the Watermelon 5K, but last week Jon and I started strength training.  We found that our times on our 3 mile runs since then have slowed somewhat, so after some research Jon found that starting a strength training routine can slow you down.  It has.  So, we'll see how it goes.  My hope right now is that I'm at least no slower than I was at the Watermelon 5K.

What are you loving today?

"This is the day the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24