I SURVIVED...JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!!

I survived my first week back at school!!! This week has seemed like one of the longest weeks OF MY LIFE!!! to Miss Bailey's Class! This is how my furniture looked(all in a big pile)before I set up my classroom.

This is the wall outside my classroom where I will display my student's best work(the monkeys have clips on them). Thanks E for the cute motto!My classroom ready for FUN AND LEARNING!

The home living center...I added a palm tree this year and the kids love it! This is the word wall where I will post high-frequency words for my students to use in their writing.
This is where I post class news...it is empty now, but just wait as the year goes on.
My motto for this school year is JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!! Thanks Ames for the motto and reminding me about one of our favorite movies=) JUST KEEP SWIMMING, SWIMMING, SWIMMING is what I'm going to be singing to myself A LOT until Sept. 8th roles around. I have 26 five year olds in my room and will until the early childhood department makes a decision about what to do with ALL THOSE KIDDOS! I have a great group of kids this year, but 26 is too many for one classroom and one teacher(who do they think I am- SUPER TEACHER)!
I thought this year might be different from years in the past and I prayed to have a "normal" classroom(whatever that means). Last year I had an autistic child in my room and this year I have a child with Lyme Disease(mostly affects him mentally). He seems to be a smart little boy, but he has a lot of anger issues and doesn't like to be disciplined and is a runner. Please pray for me. I'm really not sure how to discipline him. I need to do some research to understand his disease so I can have a balance and know the difference between his disease and him just being disobedient. I know that he will be my CHALLENGE for this year. Even though this student makes my job harder, I'm sure that God will use this to make me a better teacher and person. I feel truly blessed to have a job that I LOVE and I see my job as a ministry!!! I LOVE WORKING WITH KIDS!!! I can't believe that another school year(this makes #7) has begun! Thank goodness for a holiday on Monday!!

HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY SIS!!!

My little sister turns 28 tomorrow(18th). Charity, I hope that you have a VERY SPECIAL DAY! I love you!!!

My little vacation to San Francisco and Napa

A couple of weeks ago I took a little vacation to visit my dearest friend Mindy in Napa. Apryl and I flew into San Francisco and spent the day there at Pier 39. We did a little shopping, eating, and site seeing before we headed to Napa.

Pier 39 with Alcatraz in the distance

Apryl and I on the "little tugboat" that took us on a tour of the bay
sea lions basking in the sun...what a life San Francisco is so beautiful, there's a ton of site seeing, and the weather is on the cool side. I really enjoyed my time there.
From there we headed to Napa to stay the weekend with Mindy. Napa is breath taking with all it's vineyards. I love the wine country!

just look at those grapes the Domanine Carneros Estate...looks like a castle and is so beautiful...we did a wine tasting tour here our cute little dinner on the patio Chef Mindy...we got to watch her do a demo lesson at the university...it was AWESOME to see her in action! Mindy, Apryl, and I at the Greystone Restaurant at CIA(Culinary Institute of America)...what a dinner!
Point Reyes lighthouse...we hiked 300 stairs to see fog! the view from the lighthouse...it was a foggy day=( driving on the Golden Gate Bridge...so AWESOME!

We had a fun trip and it was so great to catch up on life with Mindy. It was neat to see what her every day life is like and to see her being the GREAT Chef that I always knew she would be! We laughed a lot which is always the best medicine!! I love CA!!

MEET BREE!!!

I love this pic of Carly holding Bree and mommy holding both of her girls!


Check out the pond for more pics and the full story. I think that she is so precious and can't wait to visit! Congrats!!! Beeda loves you!

Congrats Glo and Daniel!

New babies are in the air. My friend Glo had her baby girl today. Congrats!!!

Eleanor Grace Cooley was born Aug. 12 at 4:21pm. She weighs 6 lbs 10 oz and is 19 inches long. Mom and baby are doing fine.

Welcome baby Gabrielle Rose...Bree!!!

Gabrielle (BREE!) was born tonight, Louisiana time at 8:30 pm and weighed 8lbs 12.3 oz and measured 20 1/2 inches long. Liz is doing GREAT, and only had to push with 3 contractions! After delivery she was put right on Liz's chest, and when Paul spoke, she instantly looked for him. A Daddy's girl already, for sure!
The family that is watching Carly has been amazing. They took her today out to Sushi, a park, and even the movies. Tonight she is even sleeping over, in their indoor/outdoor boat! Carly is very excited to meet her new baby sister tomorrow morning!

Beeda can't wait to see pics of Bree! I will post a pic as soon as Elizabeth post one for me to copy. Congrats Elizabeth, Paul, and big sister Carly!!!


p.s. i couldn't wait to post this EXCITING NEWS! i promise i will post pics of my trips soon, but i am trying to get some much needed rest and watching the olympics isn't helping me on updating my blog. Go TEAM USA!!!

Headed out again...

I got back from vacation around 2:30 a.m. and slept most of the day. I had a blast in San Francisco and Napa and had so much fun catching up on life with Mindy! Ames we laughed A LOT and missed you(E- I missed you, too)!! I had a very restful day, but bright and early in the morning(7:30)I'm headed out again, this time to Glenrose, TX. We are taking our L.I.T. boys and girls to Happy Hill Farm to do mission work. We will be back Sat. afternoon. Please lift us up in prayer! I promise to post pics from my vacation and the mission trip when I get back. This is my last trip of the summer(crazy and busy) before school starts...so my life should slow down then...yeah right!