Howdy!!!

I had so much fun in Nashville! It was so strange traveling without my family, but it was also also a welcome treat! Arrione moved to Nashville a year and a half ago and I have been promising her a visit ever since. Arrione's husband, Matt, works in country music and has given Scott and I concert tickets and backstage passes. It was so fun to go to the home of country music and have tour guides who know so much about country music!!! I felt star struck the entire weekend!

Arrione took me on a tour of the mansions of some country stars. This one is Alan Jackson's...

Kenny Chesney's...

Carrie Underwood's....

I also saw Dolly's house and Taylor Swifts loft. Gretchen Wilson drove right past me. I was such a goof! I just get ga ga about my country singers!



One of my favorite parts of the trip was going to the Opry. I saw lots of performers but most notable are Vince Gill and Patty Loveless. It was a blast! (But my camera broke and so no pictures.)

On my last day, Arrione and I went and had lunch at Margaritaville and we finally got some pictures together...

So much fun!!! Now just 2 weeks until our back east trip!

Mother's Day

I love celebrating Mother's Day! :)

This year Scott had the kids stay the night at his mom's house on Saturday and we spent the afternoon shopping and having a leaisurly dinner with drinks. The kids came home Sunday morning and made me breakfast and showered me with flowers and homemade cards and gifts. I was such a sucker for the sweet things that the kids wronte in the cards. I teared up. I am such a sap! Then, I went to the salon and got my hair cut and colored and we had some dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. The kids did not fight all day!!! It makes me wish that everyday could be Mother's Day!

I told you that they are the cutest kids ever! :)

I may be a tad biased.....

...but my kids are the cutest kids ever!

They make me laugh!!!

For me, it is "Happy to be a Mom Day." I am so blessed!

We have a preschool graduate!

Laynee's preschool class had a cute performance/party yesterday. The kids had caps on and they were presented with preschool diplomas. Plus they played instruments, sang and even did the chicken dance. Plus, they had a slide show of pictures of the kids throughout the school year. Laynee was so excited!Laynee with her teacher- Mrs. Albert....

Laynee got to ride the school bus a little bit during the time I was student teaching. I never saw her get on the bus as it picked her up at a babysitter's house. So one day she asked me to come take a picture of her getting on the bus. When I told her that I couldn't, she told her babysitter to take a picture for me. So cute! So this is as close as it comes for me....

Laynee went to Copper Basin preschool to receive speech therapy. I am so excited about how much she has learned. She knows all her letters and the sounds that they make. She writes most of them. She knows her numbers and she learned all kinds of other fun things. She made beautiful art projects and even went on field trip to the fire station. She will be entering Kindergarten at a higher academic level than any of the other kids did. And seeing as they are at the top of their classes....I can't wait to see what Kindergarten has ins tore for Laynee. But I will still cry on the first couple of days. She is already saying that she doesn't want to go because she will miss me. But I will miss her more!

Time to party!

I am so spoiled! Scott threw me a beautiful graduation party! Dinner, drinks, good friends and a chocolate fountain. What more could a girl ask for?!

I was busy enjoying my guests that I didn't take any pictures. But a friend took some beautiful shots for me to share.

This was my cooperating teacher, Mr. Craig, with his wife....

I love this man. He made it possible for me to go back to school and gave me a swift kick in the rear when I got discouraged. I couldn't have done it without him. (Hmmmm...I wonder if he even reads this....)

When I think about all that happened last October and November- I feel so blessed to have made it to this point. I thought I might drop school! But no! And I am seizure free so far! Lots of reasons to celebrate!

Home Makeover

We started a little home makeover in January....and before long it turned into a large makeover! We started with just about nothing! The front room was completly empty. Now look at it...

Right when you walk in the door...

In the entry...

And the best part is that I took all of the pictures!

The diningroom still needs some additions but it is on the way...And the livingroom....

We love the new look so much!

Bitter Sweet

Today was my last day of student teaching. I don't know how to feel. On one hand, I am super excited to graduate. Getting through the past 2 years of school have been anything but easy. The first year, Scott was in nursing school and GAP training at work. He was never home. At the end of my 2nd semester, we moved. During my 3rd semester, I got very sick and had to drop out of my class. And my 4th semeser, student teaching, has been challenging and stressful. There have been tears shed! I did all of this while managing a home and 4 kids, running carpool and volunteering over 80 hours in the kids' classrooms. So how can I not be excited that all of the hard work, late nights and tears have paid off?

And yet, I was sad today! Each period I had to say goodbye to a group of students that I have grown to care about. It was kinda like losing 100 friends in 1 day! The students threw me a total of 5 parties. I am stuffed full of sweets and my teeth are decaying. They gave me cards with such thougtful messages. One wrote "There are only a few people that influence someone: parents and a few teachers. You are one of those teachers." WOW! I did that? I had no idea!

And so I have started the process of filling out job applications. I haven't done this in over 7 years! I am excited to move on to the next journey- whatever that may be. And I am enjoying a night with no homework, lesson plans or PowerPoint presentations!

Kyler Turns 7!

I have been MIA since I spend every last moments writing lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, papers, and tests and going to staff meetings, IEP meeting, AIMS test training meetings and parent teacher conferences. I kinda thought my student teaching would be a 8-3 kinda thing. I imagined doing all my homework during lunch and plan period. I was sadly mistaken. There is so much to do! Even as I am writing this, I am thinking "I really shouldn't be doing this because I have PowerPoints, lesson plans and a huge paper to be working on." But at the end of the day (well maybe before I fall asleep on top of my computer at 8 o'clock), I am actually having fun. The teenagers were pretty scary at first. I saw and heard some things that I wish I could erase from my mind. But after I came to grips with the fact that they are just kids, I started to enjoy being around them. I am finished with my student teaching on March 24th. I have just 12 lessons left to teach since there is AIMS and spring break in there. I am excited to be done and kinda sad to see it end. Now it is time to get a job! I haven't had one since the twins were born 5 1/2 years ago.

During my 2nd week of teaching, Kyler turned 7. I won't lie...I cried a little about not being home with him and not being able to bring the cupcakes to his class. But Scott took care of it. It all worked out.

Now how in the world did my boy get to be 7?! I feel like January 13, 2004 was just yesterday! I remember that minutes before my surgery, my mother-in-law opened the blinds in the hospital room. The sun was just coming up and it was gorgeous colors of orange and red. And I remember saying "It is the perfect day to have a baby." Now look at my big boy.....

Kyler asked for a camping birthday party this year. We invited lots of family and friends for a fun cook out. We had hotdogs and s'mores. The kids decorated camping bags, made trail mix and played in the tent. After the cookout, Kyler had 2 friends from school stay the night. They made tye dye shirts, watched a movie, used the telescope to look at the moon and had a camp fire. They camped in the backyard. I think the party was a huge success! My little man was very happy!

The next morning with the tye dye shirts...

Now Kyler is already planning his party for next year!