Quarter of a Century

Yesterday, I turned a quarter of a century old on August 24, 2009. Yes, I am now 25. Eventhough, I did have two co-workers last week tell me that I looked like a student.(I teach middle school. The students are ages 11-15) I am know I am going to appreciate that one day, but that day is not today. I know they are not trying to be mean or rude, but I mean... I wear a teacher badge! So cleary, I am not a student. I am officially legal to ANYTHING, even rent a SUV. I feel very blessed to have lived 25 years. I have a wonderful family and friends that love me. You can really tell that on your birthday, because those are the people who call, text, or send a card. Speaking of...all of my family called and sang happy birthday to me! It was great! But, I have to admit...Bandit stole the show! This birthday was a little emotional for me, because it was my very first birthday without getting to see my momma. I mean she has been there since the very first one. But, I did get to talk to her on the phone more than once that day, so I can be a big girl when I need to. Love you Momma! She did send a perfectly written card and some money :) to buy "teacher clothes," which I am in need of. Elementary teachers and middle school teachers do not wear a lot of the same stuff. I am excited about spending it. My in-laws got me some sweet cards and more money! I am in the cash flow right now! Brandon Case even was thoughtful enough and bought me an aloe plant. This is really special to me, because my Granny always had an aloe plant, and I have wanted one to be like her. I know it sounds crazy, but I love my Granny. I'll never forget one time I was helping her in the kitchen, and I touched something hot. I was really young, and she broke off that aloe plant and rubbed it on my hand. I thought that was the neatest thing. Anyways, walking back from memory lane. I had a wonderful birthday. I posted some pictures from the events.

Me with my birthday plate made by the one and only Mary Frances

My present from Michael. My sweet hubby got me college diaploma framed. I thought it turned out beautiful. He did an amazing job.
Us before we went out to eat.

My favorite: SUSHI!!!!

Me with my sushi. No, I couldn't eat it all, but is was fabulous! It was great the next night too!

The purse and scarf Luke and Amanda got me. I love them both!

Us at Cheddars. My Dad and Nina came to town to take us out to eat the Saturday before!

The gang at Cheddars

Aunt Jan came too!

Me and birthday apple pie

No, I didn't eat this all by myself. Everyone helped. For the record, Dad ate the most of it. Am I surprised? NO! Love you Dad!

Well, I guess that makes this birthday a wrap! Thank you everyone for an amazing birthday! Love you everyone!

Katie O. is Getting Hitched!

Michael and I went to Katie O'Brien and Brian Victor's engagement party last night. It was absolutely beautiful! The decorations and food were amazing. The patio was decorated in white lights and candles. There was an outdoor kitchen! We didn't actually eat any of the food, but it did look really pretty. We were too busy talking to the bride and groom.I had a blast catching up with the other Katie:) The told us the proposal story, which is really sweet. I had not met Brian until last night, but I definetely approve. He seems like a great guy. Plus, he is a fire fighter! How can you not like a fire fighter? The wedding date is set for October 17, 2009. Congratulations and Best Wishes!

Me with the future Mrs. Brian Victor

Brother and Sister in College Again

Okay, well we have both come a long way since this picture, but I love it and couldn't resist putting on the blog. Luke and I are both back in college. I have to admit that Luke is the smart kid out of the two of us. He has the amazing talent of listening and being able to remember. I don't think he ever studied in high school. In fact I know he didn't, because I quote him telling mom "But Mom, I have a life." It was when he was in the mechanical engineering program at Mississippi State University did he have to first start using study skills. Yes, that is right...mechanical engineering. Me on the other hand....I have to listen, take notes, study, study, and study some more. I had to learn to study in like the second or third grade. Luke made higher than me on the A.C.T. in SEVENTH grade than I made as a senior in high school. So, like I said earlier .... he is the smart kid. So, I guess that makes me the pretty one...JUST KIDDING!

I love my brother, and I couldn't be prouder of him. He has decided to go to law school. He got accepted to The University of Mississippi, and he actually starts tomorrow. If you know my brother, he is a die hard MSU fan. Tailgaiting is his hobby. I think he probrably bleeds maroon. He owns a christmas tree that is strictly for MSU ornaments. But, Ole Miss is known for their law school. I don't think he is going to be changing his loyalties any time in this life. I know he is going to be a wonderful lawyer, and not just because he can argue with a fence post. He is a hardworker and can do anything he sets his mind too. He has a wonderful supportive wife and a little baby girl that smiles everytime she sees her daddy. Love you Luke! You have Michael and me cheering you on from the sidelines!

My fall semester actually started August 17th. I am taking Classroom Management. For teachers, this is the most important thing to master. I am hoping to learn a lot this semester. So, when I am not creating lesson plans or grading papers, I will be writing them and studying, studying, and studying!

Summer is Officially Over

Summer is officially over...school has started back. The month is only half way over, but we have had some busy stuff going on.

Family Dinner

We started off the month with inviting the Cases over for dinner. (not ourselves, but my inlaws). It was to thank them for helping us move. Yes, I know this was long over due considering they helped us move at the end of May, and it is now August. I do what I can. Graduate school took over my life all of July. Anyways, this was the first time I have ever had them over for dinner. I also know that doesn't sound good, but we did use to live 3 1/2 hours away from one another. I wanted to prepare something special, so I got a recipe for chicken pot pie from Amanda, my sister-in-law. I had eaten it at her house, and it was delicious. When it came to the day of fixing it I got extremely nervous and chickened out. Instead I cooked my old reliable and Michael's favorite-meatloaf. We had a Ceasar salad, rolls, garlic mashed potatoes, English peas, and of course the meatloaf. Chocolate pudding pie was for dessert, but we never got around to eating it though. It all turned out great I think. Everyone said they enjoyed it. I got to use my dishwasher for the first time. I mainly just handwash everything. I am sure that will change eventually. It was good to have a night of relaxing and spending time with family. That night the brother and Mr. John watched a movie, Karon went home a early, and I went to bed. I was glad Michael go to spend some time with them.

Back to School

I finally got to decorate my classroom. Here are some photos of it. there are still a few more things I want to put up, but they have not come in yet. The teachers were lucky to get $300 of EEF money to spend. You bet I spent it all! This is my door "Wild about Pre-Algebra."

A white board I turned into a bulletin board to post student events.
My desk area. I am still waiting to get my college diploma framed. I asked for that to be done as a birthday present.

The other side of my room. I created a "bulletin board" I plane to put up pics of mathematician. The title reads "Who came up with the math stuff." The cabinet is to put up math terms.

The board I actually teach on with the rules, expectations, and consequences posted above. On of the side bulletin boards is to post good work of the students and the other is "Algebra Basics." I am waiting on a number line with positive and negative integers to put

up as a boarder on this wall.

The "Assignments Board" and schedules posted. This is to avoid having to answer the questions "What classes do we go to today?" due to having a A-day and B-day (thank you block scheduling) and "When does the bell ring?"

Okay, so most people know that teachers' first day is not the first day of school but there are several work days before. Well, the day before school starts, or I guess should say the day before the students came I woke up to get ready for my last teacher work day dizzy and nauseous. No, I am not pregnant. My stomach also felt terrible. I could barely get out of bed. I got sick and almost passed. I still managed to feel well enough to go to work. I made it through the day, but I still needed to finish my room and go to a meeting to meet with the cheerleaders and their parents. Well, I couldn't stay any longer. I was getting worse. I made home safely, but I got sick again and layed down to try to take a nap. So then, I started shivering. I couldn't quit shivering. I called Michael to rush home. I was still shivering, but he said I didn't even feel cold. He rushed me to the MEA medical clinic. They met me outside of the building with a wheelchair. I am still shivering at this point. They put about 3 or 4 blankets on me. They took my blood , which was so scary since I was shaking, and ran test. All test came back normal. The doctor said that I had a virus of some sort, and I just had to wait it out. I did eventually quit shivering...after about an hour. My body was very sore though. It hurt for anything to even touch me. Karon and John came over. Karon, my mother-in-law, came and sat with me while Michael and his dad went and picked up my perscription and popicicles, since I couldn't eat anything. I did manage to make it through the first day of school not feeling 100%, but I was present. I am completely okay now, but it was scary for a bit. I truly believe God took my shivering away. I prayed and prayed and then I quit shivering. The Lord does take care of you in your hour of need. Michael was so sweet. He did an amazing job taking care of me. I am very blessed to have him.

So, now I have the first week of school behind me. I think it is going to be a great year. I love working at Byram Middle School and teaching my 7th grade students. Everyone is wonderful that I get to work with. It is taking some getting use to being the one with the most experience. Haha! considering my experience is only a year and a half. The other two math teachers call me "Momma Hen." I have never been called that before, but I know it is meant as a compliment.

Speaking of school, Michael unfortunately found out that he will not be able to go to the Police Academy in September. He is the only Animal Control Officer at the Brandon P.D., so he has to wait until they hire another new person for him to be able to go. So, we are praying that happens. The next time he can go is in January 2010.

Kate's Church Baby Dedication

On August 9th, our niece, Katherine Tally Cantrell had a church baby dedication. We were blessed to be able to witness Luke and Amanda, family, and community to promise to help raise and guide Kate in her walk with Christ. There is not a bigger responsibility than this. Luke and Amanda are such amazing parents. We do not get to see them as much as we would like, but it is obvious when we do spend time with them that they are an amazing christian family. It is a great previledge to still be able to "look up" to my big brother. Love you Luke!

Kate with her daddy. This is my new favorite picture of Luke with his baby girl.

Kate, girl after my own heart, already reading...or trying to read! We think she is advanced:)

All the baby's in the dedication

After the service, we headed to the Cantrell's for lunch. It was amazing! There was deviled eggs and grilled peppers over fresh Mozzarella and bread with a vinegar dressing (to die for) for appetizers. There was ham, an apple casserole, asparagus , grits, fruit, and salad with cake for dessert. Everything was delicious. Everyone was there too! Dad, Nina, Aunt Jan, Uncle Johnny, Momma, and Benny. I was so happy Momma and Benny flew in. I am starting to have withdrawals not being able to see my mom. This is definetely an adjustment. I won't get to see her again until Christmas! Anyways, it was a fabulous weekend all around!

Happy 27th Wedding Anniversary

Michael's parents got to celebrate their 27th wedding aniversary on August 14th. We are so happy for them. It is inspiration to see two people still so in love after all those years and raising three boys.

Congratulations Alex and Sherry Kershner!!!

Alex and Sherry Kershner got to welcome their baby girl into the world in the early hours this morning. Kalli Kersher is 6lbs 14 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. We couldn't be happier for them.

Michael with his best friend, Alex Kershner, looking at the beautful baby girl

Michael holding Kalli. He is a natural.

The perfect picture of innocence and perfection

Showing off her outfit. Don't be alarmed by the device around her leg. It is to make sure no one tries to steal this bundle of joy. Sherry is the only one who can take her out of the hospital. Since Sherry had recently given birth I didn't force her to take any photos. Hopefully later I will be able to get one of all three of them!

Happy birthday Kalli Kershner - August 15, 2009.

We know Alex and Sherry are going to be great parents!

Furniture

Michael and I are starting to buy quality furniture. The furniture we hope to have for many years of our marriage. This is a big step for us. We have to decided to just gradually accumulate it until our homes are complete. We have found our kitchen table and chairs! I am super excited by this, because we have nothing right now as shown in the apartment tour. We saw this table and chairs and fell in love with it literally. We put it on lay away today, so as soon as it is paid for we can pick it up!

This is the top of the table.

The chair I picked out. It is not the one that it comes with. Michael likes the chairs that come with the table better, but he is letting me win this one. The chairs that come with the table have leather seats. Leather is nice, but it is too formal for what I am going for. So, I picked out a chair that I really do like. It has a tall back.

It is a gathering table, so in other words, a tall table. My feet do not touch the ground when I sit at it. That is not a big surprise. I can't wait until it is in our home!

After furniture shopping, Michael took me to an early showing of The Time Traveler's Wife. I would definetely recommend this one, but bring a tissue box. Rachel McAdams is amazing. I can't remember the last time we went to the movies. It was so sweet to sit in the theatre and hold Michael's hand. That never gets old. We made a Starbucks stop on the way home. The perfect end to a fabulous Saturday. Love you Hubby!

The Gist of July

I know that I have not blogged very much this month, but I have been super busy! I decided to take six hours of graduate courses, and they completely consumed my days. I was constantly working on reading chapters, writing article reviews, making projects, and studying. I worked from morning until night on school work...so much for sleeping in. I would occasionally wonder, "why am I doing this?" OH! That’s right...I want a master's degree. Live and learn. I will never take six hours of summer courses in the same month again. I like to have a life in the summer, especially since I do not feel like I have much of one during the school year. But, I did survive it and now I am waiting on my grades. Fall semester start on August 17th, and I will be taking classroom management.

On July 18th, I got to go the a baby shower for Sherry Kershner, Aex Kershner's wife. Michael and Alex have been friends since high school. Now he is about to be a daddy to Kalli Kershner.

Sherry the "mommy-to-be" The shower had great food and some fun games. We had to cut off a ribbon that we thought would go around Sherry's belly. I did not win, but it was still fun. That was just one of the games though. Good times. We can't wait for Kalli to be here. It won't be long!

Dad and Nina came for a short visit. It was good to catch up. He and Nina had been going through boxes and passed on about five or six of them to me. They were filled with really old stuff....I mean really really old stuff. Momma and Benny came to visit too. They were making the Mississippi rounds. Momma helped me go through the boxes. It was mainly baby clothes and such. It was good getting to see Momma. I hadn't seen her since she tied the knot. She and Benny got to be our first guest to sleep in the extra room. I made waffles for them in the morning. It was a very quick trip. They got here about 10pm and left by 9am. They had a 12 hour drive home!

I had a new teacher orientation for Byram Middle School and Hinds County Central Office. They were separate orientations. I am super excited and nervous about the upcoming year. Everyone has been really nice. I have started to make some new friends at work. I found out that all the 7th grade math teachers are new to BMS, and I have the most teaching experience. That is a scary thought, because I only have 1 1/2 years experience in third grade. I am sure I am going to learn a lot this year. Everyone I am working with now seems really great. We bonded during all the orientations. On August 5th we will get to meet all the veteran teachers. BMS has 105 employees! I better come up with a good trick to learn names quickly.

Well, I guess our big news of the month is Michael and I bought a car! Michael has been car hunting for a while. He desperately needed a new vehicle. I am so glad that we were able to get him one. It is a Saturn L300. It is silver with four doors and black leather interior. It has about 72,000 miles on it. Yes, I know it is our third Saturn car. What can I say? We like them. We have history in the Saturn cars. Our senior year while we were dating we would go and sit in our cars for hours after school and just talk with drinks from Sonic. Okay, enough of memory lane. The car was at a dealership in Louisiana, so he had to go on a road trip to get it. Michael and his best friend, Will Everett, loaded in Will's truck about at 5:30 a.m. and headed out. They got to the dealership and Michael purchased the car. On their way back and after eating some benyeahs
(Ican't spell), Michael noticed smoke coming out of Will truck. They pull over to find out something is wrong with the transmission and have to get a tow truck. The tow truck took 3 hours to get there! Needless to say they had and adventure...and I don't know if I would call it a good one. But, they both got home safe and sound. Thank goodness!

Us in the "new to us" car for the first time!

Us and the car at Will and Ginger's

We are very proud of it. It is our first car to buy together. A definite milestone! We went to Will and Ginger Everett's to celebrate. Ginger cooked spaghetti, made salad, and baked pumpkin bread. YUM, YUM, YUM!

Well, I guess that is the gist of July!

Our Little Hole in the World

After living in Byram for about 2 months, I have finally got the apartment set-up and settled in. There are a few more items that we need....but we will get them in time. So, this blog is to get a tour through our little home.

Welcome! and come on in!

This is the living room. I was super excited we have a fireplace and mantle. Michael says that we aren't going to use the fireplace, but we might change his mind when winter gets here. I still need candles to put in the candle holders in front of the fireplace. I decorated the mantle with the wonderful pottery my Saltillo Elementary friends gave me, the Willow Tree figurine Courtney gave me, and our wedding picture. I was really proud with how it turned out. I have never gotten to decorate a mantle before.

This is the other half of our living room. We are in search for a much needed coffe table.
This is the dining/kitchen area. As you can see, we need a dinning room set of a table and chairs. We are looking for those too.

The sink side of the kitchen.

The cooking side of the kitchen. And yes, I do cook :) The aparment came with a brand new stove. I was thrilled!

The master bathroom. Michael has a bin, and I have my own bin.

The shower.

The guest bathroom. You can't really tell from the picture, but the rectangular white thing leaning against the mirror is a cartoon picture of me and Michael from our graduation night. I can't believe I found it when I was unpacking.

My laundry area. Notice that that I say MY laundry area. Michael doesn't do any laundry, and it is not because he refuses to. He would gladly do it if I needed him to....but I have a particular way I like the laundry to be done. It is just better that he stays out of the way. I am sure some of you wives out there understand where I am coming from.

Our guest bedroom.

with the office area and my treadmill..but I didn't want to post a picture of the treadmill.

We finally got to hang up Michael's fish that's mounted.

The master bedroom

I hope you enjoyed the tour!