Life is getting very Hectic!

I have never been one to get easily stressed. It takes a lot for me to get stressed out! But I would have to say right now I am getting there! I just have so much going on right now that I am feeling a little overwhelmed. Here is a taste of what has been going on in my world... I am of course a first grade teacher and I have been working over the last month or two getting ready for the new school year, which I am so excited about! I have a blind student this year. I am so excited to have her! I am just feeling a little unprepared...I am also a wife and a mother needless to say that too comes with lots of responsibilities! But now on top of that I have added a few things to my plate. I am excited about it all, just ready to get it all into my new routine. I have been working in our church on Wednesday nights teaching music and working with 3rd and 4th graders during their bible club programs. I have also been working with our children's choir on Sunday nights along with my friend Lisa, but now we have added a few things new to our church that I am also involved in. We have started a praise and worship team which I am heading up, so there is lots of preperation and time involved in this. I love to sing and have been doing it all of my life, but never have I headed up a praise team. I have been a member of one at my previous church, but I didn't have to do the planning...(coming up with music, ordering CD's, typing up lyrics, getting them out to the other members, and making copies of words and making cd's and getting together for practices)...whew... it is a lot. I am glad to do it, it just all seemed to come down on me at once. I also have started working with our teens on Sunday's. We have been planning some activities for them coming up and this too will take a lot of prep time. I am excited about all God has in store for our church. I know HE will provide me with the strength and ability to get it all done. So I know I do not need to worry about it, I just needed to get it all out! haha!

May God Bless you and your lives. I know we all have things going on that tend to stress us out, but I pray you too will turn it over to HIM. He alone can get us through it all.

Here are 2 verses that help me in these times, hope it gives you strength as well!


I can to all things through Christ which
strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)


God is my strength and power; and
He maketh my way perfect. (2 Samuel 22:33

Back to School!

Well this week I am officially back at school! (the kids won't be there until next week) I am ready to be back, just not ready for the 6 am alarm. That is probably my least favorite thing in the world... the buzzing of an alarm clock. I am however ready for the kids to get there and to begin another year with a new class. I have 11 boys and only 6 girls this year.

Teaching first grade is such an amazing experience. You get to see so much growth from the beginning to the end of the year. From their reading to their writing, to their math skills, it is truly amazing how much their young minds retain.

This is only my fifth year to be teaching, and I get so excited about my job. I love kids and I love to make a difference in their lives. My goal is to get them to "LOVE TO LEARN!" If you can teach a child that, you have made school an easier, more enjoyable experience. I think that if a child enjoys what they are doing, then they are more likely to remember what they have learned. I try to think outside the box and plan activities that will help them to have fun while learning. That is actually a rule in my classroom...HAVE FUN LEARNING! Whether it be a song, chant, game, or partner activity they begin to love learning and can't get enough of it!

One of the most rewarding parts of my job so far have been the students who say they don't want to leave my class because they had such a great experience with learning.
I hope to encourage all my students to believe in themselves dream big... anything is possible!

I know that this is going to be a wonderful school year, and I can't wait to begin! For all those teachers out there reading this, I hope you have a wonderful year too!

Favorite Vacation... So Far!

Kelly's Korner Blog is sponsoring a blog hop, this week is show us your vacations!

I love to travel. As a child we went on yearly vacations, traveling all over the country. I have also been to Mexico 4 times. However I married a man who has never been anywhere. He was unsure if he would enjoy vacationing. The good news is, he now does. We had to start out with small vacations. Our first mini-vacation as a couple was our five year anniversary trip to Shreveport, LA. Our first "family vacation" was a 3 day trip to Fort Worth. We went to the Ft.Worth Zoo, the Botanic Gardens, ate out, shopped, swam in the hotel pool...etc.

The next summer we took our "Big Vacation". This was a big step for him... a week in
San Antonio, TX. I have been to San Antonio numerous times and I new he would love it. This would also be a great vacation to take a 4 year old. We had a wonderful time, and Shawn wants to go back soon. There is so much to do there.
view of the Riverwalk from our hotel window.

When we arrived in San Antonio around lunch time, we checked in and walked down the riverwalk to eat, then go to the Alamo.




Shawn and Gavin on the Riverwalk



Gavin and I at the Riverwalk!



Us at the Alamo



The Wax museum... I had to take this picture for my dad... he is the biggest Johnny Cash fan!


The next day we went to Sea World...

Gavin watching the Shamu show! (his favorite)

Gavin feeding the dolphins


I love them, they are my favorite sea animal!

waiting on the show to begin!



The next day we went to the San Antonio Zoo...when you have a kid, you always have to stop at a zoo :-)


One of my favorite pictures of Shawn!




We had a lady walking by take a family picture of us at the zoo.





Riding the zoo train. (Gavin loves trains of any kind)




Shawn and I on the train


at the Buckhorn Museum
(a great guy place) Shawn loved it!


at the Buckhorn museum


Then back to the Riverwalk for the last night in San Antonio...
Shawn on the riverboat



On the riverboat


walking back to the hotel our last night there.

Hopefully we will have many more family vacations! Maybe I can even get him out of state next time! We weren't able to go on a vacation this year due to Shawn changing jobs, maybe next year. We want to go to the beach!

Thanks for stopping by!

Favorite Photos

This weeks McLinky is your favorite photos, If you know me, you know I love to take pictures and scrapbook. I love looking at other photos as well. Here are a few of my favorite photos. (sorry there are so many, it was too hard for me to narrow them down!)



Shawn teaching Gavin to play T-Ball in the front yard



Gavin and Breanna! How cute is that?
Her Mom Mandy and I have been best friends our entire lives and we don't get to see each other much since she lives in Pennsylvania now. It was great to take the kids to the zoo this summer.




Mandy and I... we have been friends so long, and I miss her being close!
She is pregnant with her second! A BOY!


Gavin and his Best Friend Dalton. They were on different Teams but they chose the same number this year. I love this picture of them!




Love this picture!



Shawn and Gavin Fishing!




Gavin and I at the Zoo



Being a teacher, I love this picture! I get to teach my child at home.
Parents are a child's first teacher!




One of my favorite pictures of Shawn! I love this man!




My sister, My Mom and I at our Mother-Daughter Banquet





My Family!

28th Birthday!

Last night, Shawn, Ashli, Gavin and I went to eat at the Fish Fry then went to the movies to see GI-JOE. (which by the way is not my kind of movie..haha) Between the 2 we went to Wal-Mart and they got me some "surprises". When we got home after 1:00 am from the movie, I was sent to my room...haha... while they "prepared". Then I was called in and they had a cake, cupcakes, a princess crown, jewelry and a wand. Gavin wanted me to be a princess! awww


Me with all my Princess bling!







On my birthday while everyone was taking a nap I went to Paris shopping by myself... which never happens! I bought some new clothes for school! Then that night we went out to eat at Texarkana with some of our friends and family.

Gavin and Colter... notice Colter is a blur... he moves a lot!

Ashli and I

Joey and Wendy
Best Friends since High School

My Family!!!

My honey! I have celebrated 10 of my birthdays with him! I love him so much!

Pre-Birthday Primping!

Tomorrow is my 28th birthday, so today I decided to treet myself! First I went to get my hair cut and colored, thanks to my friend Corri! (who by the way if you live close to Mt Pleasant you should really use her... she works at Headlines!) I enjoyed getting to catch up with her while I got my hair done. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding over 8 1/2 years ago, and I don't get to see her as often as I would like! I forgot my camera to take a picture of her...


:( Then I went to get my license renewed and my inspection sticker changed... (not part of the primping process, just had to be done!) After that I went to get my mystic tan. I am very fair skinned and it is the only way I can get a tan!




I also went shopping at a few boutiques and got some new jewelry. Now I am waiting on my husband to get home. He wants to go see GI-JOE... not my idea of a good movie, but I will go see it for him. I guess my day is tomorrow!