Hello, 2014

Just going to be honest... I feel like the only reason I crank out a blog post is in the event that Facebook/Instragram collapses and my pictures disappear.  I love this space but I've learned that I now have big girl responsibilities and priorities.  Therefore, the blog takes a backseat.  But every once in a blue moon, I'll show up on your news feed.  Today is one of those days! :)

 

--When we last "met," one of my best friends had just gotten married.  Since that time, we've enjoyed seeing the teasers from her photographer... this is one of my absolute favorites!

 

--I celebrated my first holiday in the classroom... Halloween.  If you need further hints on my costume I shall only wish that "may the odds be ever in your favor."
;)

--I learned that Momma jokes are alive and well in the youth today.

--I befriended a donkey every afternoon in the Fall when I checked the mail.  And yes, it really is that beautiful in our neck of the woods!

--We celebrated Thanksgiving... one of my favorite days of the year!

--KY saw it's fair amount of snow before Christmas ever made an appearance.  As a first-year teacher, I live for and love every single one of my snow days!

--We prettied up the indoors and outdoors for the holidays.  If it isn't obvious, I have a thing for traditional decor... pine cones, holly berries, burlap, popcorn garland, red/gold colors, etc.  Old habits die hard!

--I created a fun, yet oh-so cheesy, Rudolph poem for my 4th graders.  It focused on reviewing our behavioral procedures after Thanksgiving break.

--I watched my favorite little girl cheer in her first Jr Pro basketball game... then I wondered how in the world she grew up so darn fast.

--Hubs and I took our unofficial official portrait for 2013.  God bless self-timers on cameras and stubborn wives!

--We celebrated our 2 year engage-versary.  And I wished that Boone was still that little ball of wrinkles.

--I baked for hours in preparation for Christmas... and that night I caught the stomach bug.  I knew my luck would run out considering I didn't even have a headcold during my first semester as a teacher.  This bug stuck around nearly 4 days and finally made it's way out just in time for Christmas Day.

The bad part of the story is that I was unable to enjoy all the food that comes along with Christmas but the good news is that I was able to wear skinny jeans on Christmas... as seen below.  Ya win some, ya lose some.

--The weekend after Christmas, we road-tripped a few hours North to spend the weekend with our friends.  The reality is that the boys went duck hunting and the girls slept-in and chatted it up.  We watched the UK vs. UL basketball game then proceeded to enjoy our own basketball game.  Our friends have their own arcade game and we fell in love.

--Finally, we said good-bye to 2013 with our annual NYE party.  We added in several Minute to Win It games this year.  It was a blast and took us all the way to midnight!

And here we are, nearly a week into 2014.  I am more than happy to say good-bye to the roller coaster of 2013 and hello to the endless possibilities of 2014.  I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for us... :)

may blog challenge {the finale}

Day 27:  A letter to y'all

To my readers,
Though you may be few and far between, I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you continue to visit my little place in the web.  This blog, along with me, has evolved from a day-to-day recap of my beginning college years to some in-depth posts of stepping my toes into the real world as a new wife.  It is crazy to think how my life has changed since this ole blog started and I'm grateful to be able to look back on it all. 
You guys have give me support, encouragement, and just plain sweet lovin' on many occasions.  I am not sure where my blog future will go but I know it has been a fun ride so far :)

Day 28:  Only pictures
Some of my favorites...

with my 2 fur babies... there is no way Boone could sit in my lap now. 

my bachelorette party. 

our rehearsal dinner. 

a snapshot with my family just before my new husband and I left for our honeymoon :) 

graduation day!

Day 29:  Five of my most favorite songs
"Makin' Plans" by Miranda Lambert... the song that I walked down the aisle to.


"The Best Day" by Taylor Swift... I'm not a huge T.Swift fan but this song came out right before my high school graduation.  I love it so much because it always reminds me of my parents.


"Wide Open" by Jason Aldean... reminds me of my early college years and the potential for endless opportunities.


"Secret of Life" by Faith Hill... nothing like some classic country.  This song is a great reminder of all the sweet, simple things in life.


"House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert... because there's no place like home.  And you shouldn't be surprised that she appeared twice on this list ;)


Day 30:  Reacting to "Letting Go"
Letting go can mean many things to many people.  To me, it means turning over all our problems to prayer and to God.  The stresses of life can consume us so quickly but letting it go to God can bring a sense of peace like no other.  It can give us back our joy and allow us to live the life we've been blessed with.

Day 31:  A vivid memory
It should be obvious that some of my most vivid memories are from my wedding day and the day that Nathan proposed to me.  I feel like I have beat those horses into the ground so look back at past posts if you want to relieve those memories with me.

The May Blog Challenge is officially complete... and now I'm back to coming up with blogging material on my own.  Lord help us all ;)

recent happenings... summer is creeping in.

It appears that summer is beginning to make an appearance here in KY.  The weather hasn't reached unbearable levels (only in the 80s so far) but the humidity seems to be slowly creeping in.  Along with the humidity, Hubs and I have already begun our summer activities :)

 

I sat on the back porch one evening last week and watched the sunset.  I haven't taken the time to do that in far too long.  It was just me, an afternoon breeze, birds singing, and crickets chirping.  I really think the world might have stood still for just a minute.  It was heaven.

 

We have also completed about 90% of our landscaping.  Woohoo!  I was busy planting away with my "helpers."  However, they felt it was more important to nap... can't say that I blame them.

Here's what we have accomplished so far!  I just want to add a couple more finishing touches and I'll quit before it becomes tacky.  If you know me, that can happen quite easily.  The Camry made an appearance because she got cleaned inside and out.  Girlfriend was looking good!

I was running to town one day to run errands when this song came on.  The windows were down and the weather was great.  It was appropriate for the moment.  But, then again, when is 90s country not appropriate?!?

I, along with a couple other friends, are in the process of planning a wedding shower for our friend, Elizabeth.  After browsing Pinterest for many hours, these items stood out to me as our inspiration.  After some discussion, we will be doing a burlap, sunflower, and red chevron theme.  The centerpieces will be adjusted to make them more rustic, of course.  I am very excited to see how it all pulls together :)

Speaking of Elizabeth, we went wedding shopping on Saturday to gather many items for our upcoming DIY craft day.  We made stops at several local craft stores then hit up the consignment shops.  It turned out to be a treasure chest for me.  I got all these items (mason jar, purse, jewelry stand, quilt basket) for under $20 which made for one happy girl!

Finally, frog gigging season is here!  We made our first trip on Saturday to this beautiful spot.  The water is so clear that you can see the bottom.

 

We ended up only gigging one frog so the boys resorted to bowfishing for entertainment.  Meanwhile, us girls had a photo session with the frog gig.  Love these ladies!

I have to admit that I live for summer.  I look forward to the long, warm nights and fun activities that come along with them.  I love the freedom that it gives me... a perk of being a teacher ;)  After this weekend, the warm months bucket list has had a few items crossed off.  Gotta admit that I love crossing things off any to-do list!

I have another two weeks off before I begin working again and I intend to make the most of them.  First up, a lay-out session this afternoon.  This is life, y'all! :)

and yet again...

another update of my life via iPhone and Instagram.

"The Lion King" was on ABC Family last Sunday night.  It's a no-brainer that I tuned into that.  They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

I was beat when I came home on Wednesday.  I usually hit the elliptical but I decided that I really just needed some fresh air and quality time with my pups.  And so that's what I did.  An afternoon walk around the farm did wonders for me.  I'm so thankful that we live in a place where I can freely do this anytime I want!

My teacher gave me a mental health day on Friday.  Student teachers have an allotted amount of days we are allowed to miss.  I still had some leftover and since I don't get paid for them, it seemed only logical to make use of them ;)
I did some grocery shopping, found my graduation outfit, and just enjoyed some time with myself.  And what day out would be complete without Starbucks or Chick Fil A?!

OOTD: polka dot chambray button-up (via CATO), mint v-neck (via Target), mint bead necklace (via Body Central), braided bangs (via me)  ;)

And, finally, I think Nate and I may have started a new tradition.  Big Sunday morning breakfasts... we've kept it up for 2 weeks anyway.  This is the only day of the week that I cook something besides cereal for breakfast, y'all!

This is my last week of student teaching.  I cannot believe it!  I am really going to miss hanging out with my 5th graders.  So much.  But this girl cannot wait to walk the line this Saturday and become a WKU Alumni!  Happy Monday, friends :)

our easter

Easter... the day that changed the world thousands of years ago.  He is Risen, indeed.  What a blessing!

 

As usual, we spent the holiday split among our families with lots of yummy food and little ones running around searching for eggs.  Although I have certainly outgrown my egg-hunting days, my Nanny still gave us grown-ups a plastic egg filled with some "green" stuff that a person would never turn down.  And an amen to that!  She's one of a kind :)

 

Handsome Hubs and I celebrating the day. (gotta admit that I'm happy to be blonde again!)

 

 

The forecast all week looked like Easter would be pretty gloomy but that skies parted in the afternoon so we took advantage of the pretty weather.  We rode around the farm on the 4-wheeler for a bit then he decided some grass needed to be sewed so, of course, we did that.  I can't complain though.  It gives me the excuse to take all sorts of unnecessary pictures ;)

 

(1) our homeplace; (2) the wheat in our fields is looking mighty fine; (3) the pups were our ride-along buddies; (4) the old-fashioned grass tiller

And, yes, some major selfie photos were taken.  What's a girl to do when you're bored with the wind blowing in your hair?!  I never let a good opporutnity pass me by.

Now I am pumped to hit up the candy sales for some mini Cadbury eggs and Starburst jellybeans.  Shameful, I know.

I have yet another glorious week off for Spring Break this week.  I'm hoping to cross off the final items on my to-do list, get ahead on lesson plans, and just plain enjoy not having to go to work :)

Happy Monday (and April), friends!

um, the past month of my life... recap.

Holy cow.  It has been over a month since my last post.  Not because I lost interest... but because I literally couldn't find the time in the day to sit down and write a blog post.  Lesson plans and the Teacher Work Sample recently consumed my life.

 

However, I really can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I know this is all almost over :)

 

Now to more important things... allow me to recap the past month of my life in pictures.

 

1.  For some reason, at the end of February, I had the urge to go all natural... brunette.  I'm not sure if it was the meds from Mono that caused this urge but I did it.  (see proof below)

 

And then a whole 3 days later, I went blonde again just in time for March.  I tried, I really did.  I got compliments but it just wasn't me.  Apparently I am just supposed to have color-treated hair. 

Oh, and a big shout-out to Revlon hair color.  I chose to spend $7 and try the at-home color method.  I was nervous but it turned out to be quite foolproof.  I'm blonde - not orange - and that's about all a girl can ask for!

2.  I wrapped up my first placement of student teaching with my 2nd graders by finishing our "Grammar Garden"...

 ... and got a surprise party from the kiddos!  They gave me cupcakes, classroom supplies, and a book full of notes and pictures.  It melted my heart.  Those little ones were tough and gave me a run for my money most days, but they are the sweetest things and taught me so much.

On another note, my second placement is absolutely wonderful!  I cannot wait to finish out my student teaching with these 5th graders.  They are a great group!

3.  Marriage is still ever-so-exciting.  Nate's reaction below sums it up ;)

For real, though, I love always having somebody around that I can post embarassing pictures of on Facebook.  I mean, when ya fall asleep early, you're just asking for it.  He's a mighty good sport!  We are celebrating our 7 year dating anniversary today... and nearly 6 months of marriage.  It has been an amazing ride :)

4.  I finally took down my Christmas wreath (don't judge!) and made a wreath more Spring appropriate.

With the exception of the white flowers, it is made of items used for decor at our wedding.  I have to admit that it turned out great!  Now I just need to find a rug for our porch that doesn't have Christmas trees.  Suggestions, people!

5.  Wedding season is starting!!! :)
We showered our friends, Brent and Jess, a couple weeks ago.  They are getting married in a couple short months and received so many things to begin their lives together. 

(I have to admit that it's nice to be on the other side of weddings now.  Planning and paying for my wedding was more than enough to last me the rest of my life!)

And, of course, the boys can't go anywhere without getting into some kind of mischief.  Our friend, Jake, locked his keys in his truck at their shower.  So they had to make a trip to Wal-Mart for wire hangers and somehow managed to break-in.  Keep in mind that it was pouring rain at this time too.  This picture was taken in the dry climate of my car while sharing laughter with the girls.  I sometimes wonder if my sole purpose in life is just to document the crap they get into.  Gotta admit, it sure is entertaining ;)

6.  The pups become more spoiled each day.  How can you say no to these faces?!

 7.  Spring break has arrived for this girl!  The district that I'm student teaching in is a year-round school system so we receive two weeks for this break.  And, let me tell ya, I am beyond excited for this break.  My face pretty much sums up my emotions about it.

And that piece of paper on the right is my to-do list for the break.  I am now halfway done with it.  The inside of our home has now been deep-cleaned for Spring.  What a relief!  Today, I'm looking forward to some dinner and shopping with my friend, Nicole.  Then tomorrow, I get to pick up my cap and gown for graduation. Six and a half weeks, y'all!

8.  Finally, it looks as though Mother Nature will be cooperating the rest of my break and may actually throw in some spring weather.  Considering the fact that it has snowed the past two days, I'm ready.  And so is the rest of the state of Kentucky.

9.  What's coming up on my blog?  The final wedding recap pictures, recent obsession, spring/summer bucket list, Easter recap (I heart Easter!), and a few DIY projects that the Hubs and I have tackled.  :)

It feels good to be back, my friends.  Happy hump day!