Wa, Wa, Waterpark!!!

After my women's bible study this morning some of us went to Grand Paradise Waterpark in Collins. It's been a year since I've been, and I had forgotten how much fun it is. We had an awesome time!!! McKenzie got to ride tons of rides with a new friend of hers, and Kennedy and I played and played and played. She swam all by herself with a life jacket on, and she held her nose and went under water. If you've ever swam with Kennedy you know why those are two huge accomplishments when it comes to her and water. I hope we can go a few more times before the summer is over. If you've never been, you definitely should go. Support Mississippi businesses! Mondays are only $15 per person.

The More You Sew

So, I always said I would never learn to sew, but here I am and I can't get enough of it. You know what they say: practice makes perfect. Well, in my case, practice makes pretty good, but I'm having a lot of fun doing it. I love being able to create something, especially when that something would normally cost me $50 to $80 (curse you children's clothes makers) and I can make it for under $10. So here are a few things I've created lately. I made an adorable dress for Kennedy, a fun and functional beach bag, and a cute zippered pouch that I put my make-up in. I LOVE all three.

My Newest Creation

I finished sewing this outfit for Kennedy last night. The top has two little pockets on it (that I love) and the pants are capri style. I love this new outfit. It is so fun and colorful. I am especially proud of the pockets. I figured them out all on my own. I'm supposed to make a beach bag at sewing class tonight, so I'll post picks of that later (if it turns out).

Summer is Here!!!!!!!!

Well, I made it through my 5th year of teaching. This, by far, has been my most challenging yet most rewarding year to date. I had some of the sweetest children on the face of the earth this year, and I will miss them tremendously. I am excited, however, to be out for the summer. My brain has become a big pile of mush inside of my head. I just keep waiting for gray matter to come oozing out of my ears. I don't have much planned for the summer, and I like it that way. I want to rest, and rest, and rest, and then have a few spontaneous vacations with family and friends. I am presenting at the Whole Schools Institute again this year in July, and I am very excited about that. I love sharing my excitement for teaching, and I love that I get a WHOLE summer to renew that excitement.

McKenzie's Birthday Party!!

McKenzie had her Taylor Swift themed sleepover party last night. She had four little friends over, and they had such a fun time together. They are so sweet at that age! Here are a few pics.

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays

The end of April and the beginning of May holds an abundance of birthdays in our household. We begin with Kennedy's birthday on April 22nd. She turned four this year. We celebrated with family and friends with a small, "Olivia" themed party at our house. My birthday is exactly seven days later on April 29th. This year my birthday was complete with dinner and a show. McKenzie made her debut performance in a jazz musical at school called "Nora's Ark". She was fabulous of course. Fourteen days after my birthday is McKenzie's birthday. For those of you who can't add or just don't want to, that lands her birthday on May 12th. She is having a sleepover party this Friday with some of her closest friends (yes, pray for me). She is having a "Taylor Swift" themed birthday party. Hopefully, it will go well. As all the birthday bonanza comes to a close, I decided to reflect. Here's my reflection: I feel old and completely broke!!! If you're nearing or have past 30, and you have kids - you completely understand!! (For the record I'm not 30, just nearing it - I'm 27. I thought that needed clarification. For my sanity, at least!)

First Post

Everyone I know is blogging and seemingly having a good time doing it, so I decided I would jump on the blogging bandwagon myself. For my first post I thought I would discuss the process of decision making since I am in the middle of trying to make a few. Why is it that some decisions are so easy, while others are so difficult? When it comes to making life-altering decisions about what and how my students learn and will continue learning throughout their lives - I don't even blink an eye. I feel confident in what I do, and I do it. But when it comes to what's for dinner...I'm lost. And then, often I'll come to a decision, but I second guess myself to the point of sleepless nights and groggy mornings. Sometimes I wish I had a crystal ball so that I could look into the future and know, for sure, what I should do in my life. I guess that's the epitome of faith right there. We can't see into the future. And would life be any fun if we could? Probably not! Therefore, I have resolved to leave it up to God to show me the way as I petition Him in prayer and bible study. (But can someone remind me of my resolution tomorrow?)