Grades are in!

I just received my grades for the semester (I know strange after I have already "graduated", but they didn't give us our diploma at graduation...) but anyway, I got A's in both classes! Super excited after a LONG semester!

Thanks for all the support!

In case I do not get to post, Jim and I wanted to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

***sorry for the quality of the pictures, but we think they are cute for Christmas!***

Graduation!

Well here are some pictures from graduation. We had a great weekend (and it isn't over yet)! We headed up to Muncie, Indiana last night and stayed the night that way we would be ready for the ceremony, since it started at 10:00am. Mom, Kenny, Kayla, Mamaw, Nan (Grandma O) and of course Jim and I had a wonderful time visiting with each other!

FINALLY!!!

Well, it is 11:39 at night, and I need to go to bed, but I wanted to update you all on my accomplishment....I have completed all coursework for my masters degree. I will graduate this Saturday, and have never felt more relieved. This is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders :o)

Maybe now I can actually clean my house or cook dinner for Jim (since we have been bumming off my parents and grandma for at least a month now!)

Also, tomorrow is my last day of class with my students.

I will post pictures from graduation after this weekend!

P.S. It is now 11:42

Night!

Classroom Update

Each day at work has gotten a little better. In college it seemed as if my professors were always focused on how we manage transitions for our students...but I think transitions are equally as difficult for adults. This transition has not been an easy one, but I am getting through one day at a time. The kiddos are slowly realizing that I am not going anywhere and my assistant and I are finding the best ways to work together. Thank you for praying, and please continue to pray that each day continues to become easier!!!

On a positive note, rest time is great! At the school where I taught last school year my students had a rest time and it was lovely. This school year I was placed in a classroom with an AM/PM class so, neither group rested ...until the transition to the new school, and now I have the same group of kids all day, and along with that comes a rest time :o) You have to find the good in things right?!?

As I was doing my quiet time last Thursday morning (my second day at the new school), I came across this verse and I have carried it to work with me each day since. Sometimes it helps to have a reminder in your pocket! It is so neat to see the way the Lord speaks to us! Ever since I received the news I was having to transfer schools, I have wondered why this was happening and how this could possibly be in God's plan...then I stumbled across a verse I had heard many, many times, yet it took a whole different meaning this time around...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11

God is good!

By the way...only 8 more days with kiddos (9 more work days) until Christmas Break (or winter break as we have to call it).

My other countdown I have going....11 days until graduation!!!! YEAH!!!

Oh, and for those wondering, I am going to do another round of Masters level classes....this time I am going to pursue an educational leadership/principalship license and an ESL endorsement added on to my teaching certificate.

Another Update

Day number 2 at the new job and things were still rough....but better (although I am not sure it could have gotten any worse.) Still continue to pray that each day gets easier. 11 days until Christmas Break!!!

Job Update

Today was my first day at my new school. I was unsure what to expect going into a new classroom that has been up and running, but I will have to say it was very rough. Please pray that each day gets easier because if it gets any worse I am not sure what I would do. The classroom is very unorganized and in need of a serious purge of all the junk in the closet and filing cabinets. There will obviously be no cleaning though since I will be teaching all day. Hopefully I can manage through until May and see what path opens up at this point. I will keep you updated!

Since I do not like to post without pictures, here are some of the house decorated for Christmas.

Giveaway!!!!

Check out Whitney's blog (remember the chick I found by blog jumping!) because she is having a great giveaway. Checkout the picture below and leave a comment on her blog!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Jim and I have been discussing the issue of people "skipping over" Thanksgiving and heading straight into Christmas. While I do have some Christmas decorations up, and plan to get the rest out tomorrow, I certainly am not forgetting about what I am thankful for. Jim and I are so blessed to have wonderful families, friends, a home, clothes, food, a wonderful church, and most importantly a relationship with Christ. We wanted to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to all of you!!!! Take a moment and thank the Lord for all he has blessed you with!

*****Now for a "lighter" note on Thanksgiving*****

Check out this email my mom sent me this week. Hilarious!!!! Maybe you can try it next Thanksgiving since I am sure the turkey is already in the oven at this point!

Sexy Turkey
Recipe

Nice way to make your guests smile - (see picture below).....
1) Cut out aluminum foil in the shape of a swimsuit.....
2) "Dress" the turkey and roast like you would a normal turkey.....
3) Bake turkey as you would with your favorite recipe.
The aluminum swimsuit prevents tan lines.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

check out the giveaway!!!!

Okay, so I am a blog-jumper. So as I jumped from a friend's blog to one of her friend's blog I came across Whitney's page. She is too funny. While I do not know her personally, I check every now and then to see what is going on! I am lucky because today as I was blog-jumping, I saw where she posted a giveaway! You all should look at her blog and post to try and win. It is a great prize!

Hope everyone had a great Monday!!!! Hey, only 4 more days till Friday :o)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Since Jim and I have been together, we have carved a jack-o-lantern each Halloween, and this year was no exception. Below are the pictures, and I must say, I think this is the best one we (...I mean Jim) has done. Jim usually mans the pumpkin, while I work with the seeds!!!

Getting the gunk out

Our gunk looked like spaghetti

Jim had to have this picture!

Our BIG nephew!!!

While we were in NC for Jim's high school reunion, we got in some good visiting time with his family. We stayed at Mike and Jenny's (Jim's sister) house and were able to love on our nephew Drew. He is so sweet, and so BIG. He is not even 3 month old in these pictures! We can't wait until Christmas so we can see everyone and visit some more!

Jim's High School Reunion

I am always teasing Jim about "how old" he is....so when his 10 year high school reunion came, it was fuel to the fire! I know that Jim isn't old, but he is older than me, so it gives me the ability to joke with him about it.

We had a great time in North Carolina visiting with his family and seeing all his high school friends. Of course, the weekend FLEW by, but thanks to Jim's parents we were able to go. Jim's mom and dad flew us there so we could visit and attend the reunion festivities. We were so grateful! Thanks Jim and Renee!!!

Below are some pictures from the weekend!!!

Don't worry....we are still alive!

So, I realize it has been an extremely long time since we have posted anything, but in our defense....it has been crazy around here. The next few posts will show that we have been super busy.

I am full force in the middle of my last semester for my masters degree. I can not wait for Christmas to get here. Not only will I be finished with my masters degree, but I will also be finished with KTIP, which is an internship program that teachers have to go through to complete their teaching license in the state of Kentucky.

Jim has been busy with work as well, now that "competition season" is here! He will be traveling some, although his schedule doesn't look quite as busy as it did last year. (I am sure I will be singing a different tune when he is actually out of town!)

One major change that is happening is I am transferring schools (I am talking about my teaching school, not my masters degree school....). There have been some funding cuts in the state, so my district is forced to shut down some Pre-K units. Lucky me, (please sense the sarcasim) I am one of the units that is shutting down. I am being transferred to another school where they have a full time substitute as the teacher now. The big move will be December 3rd, so keep me in your prayers. I am hoping the sub has done a great job, so it won't be completely like the 1st day all over again..... I will let you know how it goes in a month or so!

Sorry to keep you waiting so long without a post, but hopefully this will make up for it!

Our New Wall Art!!!!

Another day off work, and look what we accomplished!

Devon was was gracious to come over and help me put up the new wall tattoo I bought at Hobby Lobby. After a few lost breaths, we made it through and it looks great!!!! Below are some pictures of the process.

Holding our breath, through the smiles of course!

Halfway done...

TaDaaaa!!!

Now all we need are some window treatments!!!

Look What The WIND BLEW In.....

So after a pretty bad windstorm that blew through Louisville this past Sunday, the city has been in a whirl. There were hundreds of thousands of people left without power and many homes and buildings were left with damage, mainly from fallen trees. Jim and I were very lucky to have power the WHOLE time. We didn't loose our power once, we are very thankful and realize how fortunate we are because there are still people without power.

Because of the windstorm, there were many schools that lost power or had damage to their structure. Because of this, JCPS cancelled school all week, so therefore I have had an unofficial fall break this week.

I have had a great time picking where to eat lunch each day with my mom and my great friend Devon! Check out her blog to see the picture of us at lunch yesterday!

Wednesday night Jim and I, along with my mom and Kenny were able to go to the Louisville football game. We had a great time! Luckily the stadium had their power restored, because the game was at 8:00pm.

It was a double treat because not only did the CARDS win, but the great Muhamad Ali was there for a visit!

(PS I did get my nachos with extra peppers!)

TOO FUNNY......

As I was doing "School Work" I stumbled upon this great site: www.yearbookyourself.com! Check out what Jim and I would have looked like in the "older" days!!!


Who knows, there might be more to come....after the homework is complete of course :o)

Wow...time flies

So it has been a while since I have posted last, but life has been quite busy! Not only have my students started coming to school, my college classes have begun as well. Jim is taking one class this semester, so he keeps busy with work and school too. Louisville football season is in full swing and we of course attend the home games to support our CARDS!!!

Anyway, since it has been busy, I guess I have forgot to post, so here is the hodgepodge of some things that have happened!

Jim's parents came to visit us Labor Day weekend, and we had a great time! We were able to get some good quality visiting done since it was a long weekend and we didn't have to worry about work and school stuff. The Sunday before Labor Day was the U of L/ U of K game, and of course around here, that is a major deal. Jim Sr. and Renee were able to go to the game with us, and despite the 90 degree heat, we had a good time. We had high hopes for our Cardinals, and even though they played a pretty embarrassing game, we showed our support to the team!

The next morning when we woke up, we went outside to our yard and house decorated. It seems that some U of K fans had a great time in the middle of the night with our house. It was a shame that it was decorated with such UGLY pictures and words :o)

Below are the pictures: (by the way this was all done with Post-It's)





The next Saturday, Jim and I went to another U of L game. This time, it wasn't as hot outside and the Cards won, so overall we had a better time....oh and I was able to get my nachos with extra peppers which usually gets me through one quarter without asking questions about the game, which Jim has probably answered 100 times. We were happy that the Cards started to regain their name when they beat Tennessee Tech by 40 points. Football sure makes us happy, Jim loves watching the game, and I love the Nachos with extra peppers!!!! :o)

This week we will be cheering on the Cards again. The game is Wednesday night, and we hope the outcome is more like their second game and less like the first!


OK-one more note: Check out my friend Allison's Blog before Monday morning. She is giving away a great gift....a beautiful necklace! Check it out and post a comment on her blog for a chance to win!

Fun-Filled Weekend

It is only 5:00pm on Saturday, but this weekend has been quite busy! Jim was able to get his hands on a few Louisville Bats Baseball tickets for Friday night's game. So after a long day of work, we hurried home just in time to head to the game. We were able to stop and eat at The Old Spaghetti Factory. MMMM... I like eating there, I think it is great that you pay one price and EVERYTHING is included. I can never eat all they give me, so it is usually enough for two meals, although since we weren't heading home, I couldn't take it with us. :o( After dinner we went on to the Baseball Field and watched the game. After the game there were fireworks, which Jim and I both love, so it was a great night for us to go!

Here are some pictures...




This morning, Jim woke up bright and early to take Champ to the Vet. We go to a Vet, which we love, but they do not take appointments, so we have to get there literally an hour before they open. They open at 7:00...so Jim was there at 6:00, and was already 4th in line. Champ has a hematoma on his ear so after the doctor checked it out, they scheduled him for surgery Monday morning to have it removed. Poor Boy....

After Jim got home (with doughnuts from Krispy Kreme- YUM-), we decided to go to the Kentucky State Fair. Jim has never been and since it ends tomorrow, today was the day we needed to go! Of course Saturdays are the busiest day of the fair, so it was good we left early. We arrived right at 9:00 when the exihibits opened. We were able to get a prime parking spot, which is always important to me (Jim says I am one of the laziest people he knows). We had a great time looking at all the booths and being able to move though the aisles without bumping into other people! After a while of being inside (where I like it) looking at the exhibits and vendors we moved to the farm animals.

First of all, for those who do not know me, I am a complete City girl...no country living for me. I do not think that there is anything wrong with country living...it just isn't my cup of tea! So when we arrived where the animals were gathered, within two seconds I was gagging from the smell. Just about the time I am gagging, Jim said "Oh, I love the smell of cows"....YUCK.... I guess opposites do attract! Jim was having a great time exporing through the animals, as I was trying not to spew my Krispy Kremes everywhere when what-do-ya-know?!? I step is a great big pile of POOP. Not the best thing to happen to a girl who is already having a hard time mustering through the farm animal exhibit....

Anyway, we finally made it through the animals and Jim wanted to play a few games, so after ring toss and guess your age/weight, we won two balls that I can take to my classroom and decided it was about time to go home. The fair was crowding up quickly, and it was only Noon. So Jim and I grabbed a corndog, lemonade, and an Icee and went on home to take a great afternoon nap!!!

Below are pictures from the fair (and my poopy shoe):

(and believe it or not, this was after about 10 minutes of scooting my foot around trying to get the excess off....so disgusting)

Free Giveaway...

Head over to my friend Allison's Blog The Pink Potpourri. Every Friday she has a free giveaway, so go on and search through her blog and post a comment so you can have a chance to win! This weeks giveaway is a book (pictured below) that was written by one of her friends.

Have a good weekend!

Breakfast Dinner Bonding

After Jim and I got home today, We started fixing dinner. We often like to eat breakfast for dinner, one because we love breakfast food, and two because it is usually fixes up in no time. I was especially excited about this breakfast dinner because I had located a very special ingredient at the grocery this past week.

When we were in North Carolina visiting Jim's family (and our new beautiful nephew) his sister made pancakes for us one morning. I was shocked when she pulled out what looked like a can of RediWhip and started squirting it on the griddle. Well, it wasn't ReddiWhip, it was pancake batter, and ever since then I have been on the hunt for it!

Jim and I found it this week at Meijer and I was very excited to give it a try. After a few "flops" (no pun intended) with me giving it a try, Jim gave it a whirl and had it down to an art. I guess I'll stick to eggs, sausage (veggie sausage to be exact), and toast! Below are some pictures of our Breakfast for Dinner Bonding!

P.S. The product is called Batter Blaster. It is organic, and found in the refrigerated section!

Classroom Update

So my classroom is finally shaping up. There are still a few decorating things I need to finish to make the classroom look more inviting, but most of the furniture and larger items are in their place. Below are some pictures.