[photoaday] Week Thirty

Another week down, you guys! Let's get real for a second... I go back to work officially next week (inservice) and the kids come back the following Thursday. 17 DAYS. Yikes. Let's make the last few days of this summer count! As I shared in my last post, we are having our VBS this week so my posts will be few and far between. Enjoy? I'll be back soon: hopefully!!!

[monday july 23]: My classroom has a ceiling! I was so stressed because we were getting central A/C and I had all of my ceiling tiles ripped down... but it's all finished, yay yay yay!

[tuesday july 24]: New year, new job chart! 22 for my kiddos. Each kid gets a job. I make my own chart using poster board (themed of course), library adhesive pockets, clip art, and card stock.

[wednesday july 25]: Multiply this basket by four. That's what me, the 1st grade/2nd grade/3rd grade/4th grade teacher purchased for our kiddos. About half of their supplies! Since we are a private school, the students pay a supply fee and we buy/order their supplies.

[thursday july 26]: Advertising for our VBS! This is Nate and our associate pastor hanging up the sign.

[friday july 27]: OPENING CEREMONIES! We will be Olympic watching fools for the next two weeks (mainly gymnastics, swimming/diving, beach volleyball, rowing, etc, okay pretty much all of the sports)!

[saturday july 28]: Nate sang the National Anthem at a baseball game near us (World Series for 16-19 year olds).

Have a great week everyone! We are SUPER busy with our Vacation Bible School in the evenings and setting my classroom up in the mornings. Whew.

[love] Vacation Bible School Directing

Yep, I'm on the "directing team" of our church's Vacation Bible School. It is a LOT of work.

Our first meeting back in June... oh how naive we were! Next year, planning is starting WAY earlier.

Especially when you're trying to prep for a classroom at the same time! I feel like I'm having to prep two classrooms... This week, we have been shopping twice for supplies (both trips had overflowing carts). I've spent about 16 hours setting up, organizing, and decorating (that was in two days).

My shopping cart (and I wasn't done) during one trip

I'm not complaining (although it super sounds like I am... ha!), because I really do enjoy it. But I didn't realize it was this much work! God bless all of the VBS directors out there, especially the ones that have to do it alone. Goodness. Thankful I have four others on the directing team, plus a couple of other helpers who have taken the initiative to come help set up. Thankful for those people!

Nate and our associate pastor hanging up a VBS advertisement outside of a local restaurant

We are definitely burned out, but when we see the kiddos (starting tomorrow-Thursday evenings) I think it will be all worth it. We are praying for the kids who will come to us, hoping that they hear and understand how much God loves them. That He loves them so much, he sent His Son to die for their sins so they could spend eternity with Him in Heaven if they believe in Him. All the glory goes to God for what happens at this VBS. Wahoo!

So that is why I haven't posted anything in the past two days. Busy busy busy. Hopefully I'll get some pictures in of our set up and I can do a wrap up post next week.

Happy Saturday!

P.S. Did anyone else watch the Opening Ceremonies? The beginning was a bit odd... but I thought when they fashioned the Olympic rings and lifted them in the air, letting them spark... that was so cool! And then the parade of the nations, c'mon. USA! USA! USA! And the very end with the fireworks all across London? Beautiful! Our DVR will be busy for the next 17 days :)

[love] Wedding Weekend

As I mentioned earlier this week, we were in Dallas this past weekend for my cousin's wedding. He married an amazinggg girl named Emily and we are so excited to have her in the family! Their wedding was so beautiful and everything looked fantastic- especially the bride! It was such a fun night of celebrating the couple plus reuniting with friends I haven't seen in for-ev-er!

Here's a few photos from the weekend!

Posing in front of the Texas Discovery Gardens (at Fair Park for all of you North Texans)

 With the groom pre-wedding attire: So excited!

 Her cake- gorgeous and delicious!

Isn't. This. Gorgeous?! Beautiful background for their nuptials. 

 Reuniting with best friends, Kristi and Derek!

Us with our moms, how precious :) I think this needs to be framed!

Reuniting with a dear friend, Heather! She was the Matron of Honor and she did an awesome job at all of her MOH duties! Excited to have a triple-date with her, her hubs, my cousin and his new wife, and me and Nate the next time we head to D-town.

Reunited with another friend, Abby! We have known each other forever, it seems like. Our older siblings are friends (since Kindergarten, I believe) so we have known each other since we were 3 years old most likely!

 Cutting their cake, mmmmm

 

With my cousin, Sarah (to my left/your right, the shorter one- only because I was wearing 3+ inch heels!) and my soon-to-be cousin HOPEFULLY (if Matthew gets on it) Brittany :) They were absolutely gorgeous as bridesmaids!

Yep- this happened. Oh Joshie!!! Ha!

 Love them! My cousin Matthew & his girlfriend, Brittany (seriously Matt, get on it!)

With the gorgeous couple! Congratulations again, you guys!!! 

Wonderful weekend with gorgeous people celebrating good times. Nothing better!

I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. To get a filling. Pray for me.

Happy Wednesday!

[taste] Mini Apple Pies

Y'all.

(I can say that, I'm from Texas)

I found this recipe for mini apple pies from Little Bit Funky and I immediately knew I wanted to try it. Now I am not a chef/baker at all. That would be a hugeee stretch to say that! But since I'm home for the summers, I figured why not.

We used Granny Smith apples, sugar, flour, and cinnamon for the apples (the recipe calls for nutmeg but we didn't have any nor do I like nutmeg). My favorite part is using refrigerated Pillsbury pie crusts (semi-homemade baking, my favorite).

I used a Mason jar as my cookie cutter for the bottoms of the pie, used my mini muffin pan, and assembled. 400 degrees 18-20 minutes later and you have a delicious mini apple pie! They were divine. DIVINE.

Click on the link above to visit Little Bit Funky to get the full recipe. You won't regret it! And if I (a non-baker) can make them taste yummy, you definitely can too!

Happy Tuesday!

[life] Nate Jumped On The Bandwagon

Well friends, it happened.

Nate saw how much fun I was having blogging and he made his own blog! Of course, not filled with home, crafts, and sewing like mine...

His blog is called "Gospel Ruminations" and focuses on topics concerning the gospel and theology. I did tell you he was a pastor, after all! He also shares noteworthy [a blog segment of his] articles and other gems from the Internet that he enjoys.

I have to brag on my husband for a bit. He is so very intelligent, insightful, thoughtful, and does wonders with his words. He can say things that I would have NEVER thought of in a million years. He is so smart! This is not for his head to get big but honestly to praise God! All of those gifts come from Jesus and Nate is simply God's instrument for spreading the Word.

Go by his blog and check it out. Even become a follower and/or leave a comment letting him know you stopped by from this blog. He'd love it! And you will learn so much: about the love of our God, how He cares for you and loves you, how He has a plan for your life. Really, go check it out!

(I should probably get a new signature for the bottom of my blog since he has his own now!)

Happy Monday!

Photo a Day: Vacation Edition (Week Twenty Nine)

Another week in the books, y'all! This week was spent in Dallas-Kansas-Missouri-Dallas, so we'll be all over! Enjoy!

[july15, sun]: ate at one of our favorite restaurants in Grapevine, Uncle Julio's! Mmm... best fajitas, queso, tortillas, everything!

[july16, mon]: ready to kick off NWLC '12 with 1800 worship leaders! see more here.

[july17, tues]: our nightly snack after the worship concerts... Freddy's vanilla concrete custard with rainbow sprinkles. YUM. If you put sprinkles on anything, I'll eat it. Most likely.

[july18, wed]: picking up the men from one of their sessions at the church's chapel. Pretty, pretty.

[july19, thurs]: Of course I found a Mardel in Kansas, they were having their 20% sale on all teacher supplies. I stocked up quite nicely :)

[july20, fri]: just landed in Dallas!!! (we are sitting in the last row of the plane)

[july21, sat]: happy wedding day to Josh and Emily!!! It was a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple!

[july22, sun]: today- I'm good, I know- I worshiped with my family at my childhood church! The one Nate and I met at in college and eventually were married in!

We've had a crazy summer full of traveling and weddings and conferences and whatnot, but this was our final trip of the summer: wahoo! Now to get back to start setting up for our church's VBS and then I'll be in FULL classroom mode. I'm sure I'll be sharing too much some of my school projects and classroom updates, so get excited...? Haha we'll see, we'll see.

Happy Sunday! Praise Jesus today, thank God for what He has done in your life, and let the Holy Spirit come into your hearts as you prepare for the week ahead :)

Life: We're Not In Kansas Anymore...

Sorry for no post yesterday: we were in route via flight from Kansas to Texas and we were exhausted by the time we got back!

We had a wonderful week in Kansas (Nate, his dad, and our associate pastor would attend conference sessions while Nate's mom and I shopped)! At night, we would all attend worship concerts by different artists every night: David Crowder, Gateway Worship. All Sons and Daughters, Israel Houghton, Rend Collective Experiment, just to name a few. Here are some pictures from our week!

The church was h-u-g-e. This isn't even a third of it, there is still a huge section of seats behind me and to my left/right.

Lenny Leblanc, who wrote "Above All" and "There Is None Like You, for all my old-school Christian music listeners!

Gateway Worship from Southlake, TX!

And my favorite, another Texan, David Crowder! He's hilarious, as well as being a very talented musician!

It was a great time of worship and I was so glad to be worshiping WITH Nate! He's always on stage singing/playing guitar/keyboard so I never get to worship with him. It was a nice change!

We are in Dallas this weekend for my cousin's wedding and we'll head back to the South tomorrow! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!