Last week.... UPDATED

I can't believe last week has already come and gone. It was a RIDICULOUSLY busy week for me and hopefully my life will slow down a little bit now...

We had the TAKS pep rally last week. As the Spirit Team Coach it is my job to put it all together. I had some amazing help and it wouldn't of been near the success that it was without their help. The band played. The choir sang. The spirit team danced. The step team stepped. The choir director sang "I heard it through the Grapevine" with the words changed to go along with our TAKS theme. While he sang, 1 student from each team brought a grape that the teams made and put it on the grapevine that I made. Our principals were holding the vine. It was really cool. The vine is hanging in the main hall.


Then it was time for the teacher's to dance. We had so much fun and the students LOVED it. I think it's on You Tube somewhere. :)

It went by SO fast. I'm so glad that it went well and is now OVER! :) I've been calling it my "TAKS TEST". I met up with Jenn and Kate at the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Jenn's birthday and my job well done. It was so great to just hang out and take a breath. I love those girls.

On Thursday my principal ask me if I had recovered yet. I showed her my left over cheesecake (that I brought for lunch) and she smiled. She told me I did a good job. She told me that my passion and enthusiasm is invaluable to our campus. She said that the students may not remember what I taught them, but that they will remember me. How amazing to have a principal like her. I LOVE MY SCHOOL!

After school I went out to the new house. I am making a facebook album with all the house pictures in it. I am trying to stand in the same place when I take pictures so they look like before and after... click here if you want to see it...

The air conditioning and the counter tops in the bathrooms are in. :)

master bathroom:

upstairs bathroom:

outside master bedroom:

I stopped by the sales office to drop off a check and locked my keys in my car. I do this A LOT! It is ridiculous! My Dad was going to go get the spare set but Kevin had just finished his track meet so he was able to bring it to me. Ahhh. I have got to stop doing that. BUT Brad, our sales guy, and I used the time wisely while we were waiting on Kevin and...

WE HAVE A SOLD SIGN! :) YAY! Brad waited with me in the house, but it was already 7:30 and he had to go pick up his daughter. He was so nice. He asked me if I felt safe if he left me there. I said, "This is my house!" :) Kev was only 10 minutes away. No big deal. But this is just another reason why we are building with them. Brad always goes above and beyond to help us out. I spent the extra time furniture planning. I can't wait to decorate!

Friday was a great day! My 8th period class is really small so we went outside and did our lesson on the picnic tables. We learned about pantomime. They had to pick partners and come up with a routine where they were the mirror image of one another. This required alot of concentration and practice. They did great. One group even included jumping and spinning around. They were completely in sync. So cool.

After school I went out to Crowley for my cousin Nicole's 25th birthday party. I had so much fun just talking and hanging out with everyone. She has the MOST COMFORTABLE COUCH that she got from Rooms to Go Outlet and I want one for the new house! It's mirco suede tan with big dark and light brown pillows. I love it!

My cousin April and my Gma made her birthday cake. Red velvet... it was really good. It always is though...

Nicole laughing as we sang/yelled to her:
Gpa, Gma and the birthday girl:

Kevin and Gma (she looks SO small next to him):

Saturday was busy but so fun. I put on my MOH hat, met Ember in the morning and we went to pick up the bridesmaid dresses. They are gorgeous and I can't wait to wear it! We had lunch and went shopping for the baby shower I was going to later in the day. It was great to hang out with Em. We are both so busy that we don't see each other as much anymore. Need to work on that... :)

Saturday afternoon I went to my friend Beth's baby shower. She is due May 25th. The shower was great! She got so many things for Baby Wyatt. It was great catching up with old friends. We played the sweetest game that I am totally going to steal. They gave us each a trinket to put on a chain. They passed the chain around and as you put your charm on the chain you made a wish for Beth and a wish for her unborn baby Wyatt. Her mom totally made me tear up with her wishes. It was really sweet.

Saturday night I headed over to Jessi's for fondue! Jessi, EJ and I made a cheese fondue and a chocolate fondue. It was soooooo good. The shopping experience... that's another story. The child working the express lane was anything but speedy. Let's just say that I seriously think there was a hidden camera somewhere... he literally dropped my items into the bag. We were buying wine and he asked to see my id. No big deal, I showed him... he typed it in, the machine made a noise and he goes, "nope." He looked at me. I said, "well, that's my birthday." He said, "Can I see your ID again." I started telling him my birthday and he goes, "nope. I need to see it." Jessi says I sarcastically said "please..." But I didn't think I said that out loud. ANYWAY 5 minutes, and 3 items later... we headed back to Jessi's.

It was such a busy week... only 7 school Monday's left until summer. :)

PROGRESS!!!

I drove by the house today after school (because it's sooo close to my school) and I was AMAZED by how much they have accomplished since I was there last Friday. I remembered my camera this time:


We have a garage door!!!

We have railing on the stairs! It's SO PRETTY!!

The rock is up on our fireplace!

The kitchen cabinets are in and our pantry has a door!

Cabinets in the master bathroom!

The sign in front of the house still says "available" so that makes me a little nervous. I moved that sign to behind the port-a-potty. But it looks like the house is moving along! Now what's a girl gotta do to get a sold sign on that sucker??

Citizens of the World

My cousin Erin is in town from Japan. She has been living there for a few years. She teaches English to elementary age kids. I am so glad that she is back in the states!!! Even if it is just for a week. She brought her boyfriend Alessandro with her. He seems really sweet and they seem to have a great time together. He is Italian and from Milan. But he is living in Japan right now as well.

Erin and Alessandro:

Last Friday we met up with her at one of my favorite place... Denton, Texas. We went to Loop Hole on the square. I am not really a big drinker and those who know me know what an understatement that is. I can see them all rolling their eyes right now. BUT Loop Hole has the energy drink 360 after 3 of those I am SO hyper! I love it! I'd rather be hyper than drunk!

Beth, Alessandro, Erin, me, Ben and Katie:

On Saturday we had an early dinner with the Coady family. My Uncle Marty, Erin's Dad, came up from Mexico and my Uncle Bill came up from Bryan, Texas. So my Granny had all 3 of her boys there so I made them take a picture. We had such a great time catching up and Erin gave me some Japanese goodies, including a cracker that tastes like fish. Unfortunately Murphy got his paws on the rest of the bag so I didn't get to try it all.

Uncle Bill, My Daddy, Granny, and Uncle Marty:

It was great to see all of them. LOVE YOU ALL!

SB in FWB and our NEW house

Kevin and I have had a jammed packed Spring Break! Last Friday night, we went out with some friends to Bobby's. We had the most fun. I got to meet Josh's friend, Julia (and my new friend) who I think is super cool. Can't wait to hang out again!! I think we actually had a little too much fun because we were about an hour and half late getting on the road Saturday morning.

It was a MISERABLE drive. The drive to Fort Walton Beach is always a long one... but this time it seemed extra long. In case you were wondering, the Lord does make clouds that span from Texas to Florida. And Saturday it poured down all day! But, we made it. And had a fantastic time while we were there. We miss them already.

Kevin entertaining Baby Jack:

We went to the Eglin Air Force Base on Sunday to see Jordan and Brad's friend Matt.

He works in the McKinley Climate Laboratory on the Base. It is a climate controlled hanger where they can simulate extreme weather to test military equipment. We couldn't take pictures of the equipment that they were working on... but we were able to take a picture inside the hanger with our Parkas on. It was 26 degrees and they were working with freezing rain.

The five of us inside the hanger... Brad, Jordan, Baby Jack, me and Kevin:

The temperature gauge on the outside of the building telling the temperature inside:

A picture of a simulation that they have performed in the past:

We went to the Air Force Museum while we were on the base:

Brad and Kevin:

Kevin, me, Jordan and Baby Jack underneath one of the planes:

A Boykin Family picture, straddling a bomb.

It's a baby... on a bomb:

Pretending Jack is an airplane:

We gave Jackson a lemon at lunch:

What? I don't mind it:

Ok wait, do I think this thing?

Ahh, not so much! It cracks me up because he'd make this face and then he'd go and put the lemon right back in his mouth. Precious:

I told you the rain followed us!! We ate lunch on the water anyway:


The rain didn't stop the boys. They set out to fish every night. Rain or Shine:

While the boys went fishing, Jordan and I became Suzy Homemakers and made pizza and a cake complete with fondant icing. JORDAN IS AWESOME:

Brad caught a honk'n Red fish... actually he was too big to keep (by Florida regulation) so Brad threw him back but ran up to the house to show him off:

Day 3: St. Patty's day
Kevin and Jack are greened out:


We went out to the Okaloosa Island. It was breathtaking. The rain FINALLY cleared away and it was gorgeous. I never wanted to leave. Perfect breeze. The water was cold but some people braved it and were swimming:


The boys, of coarse, brought their fishing gear. I think if we would of let them, they would have slept with their fishing poles. Ridiculous!

Baby Jack having fun in the sun before he took his nap on a blanket, under an umbrella on the white sand beach:

Footprints:

Jack finally, after about 15 minutes of fighting it with whaling crocodile tears, passed out in my arms... and I transferred him to his mama so she could lay him down:

Thanks again Boykins! We had the best time! Can't wait to see ya in less than a month!

We made the drive home Wednesday. I feel so bad for Kevin because I slept the entire way! Well, I was asleep more than I was awake. But he listened to NFL talk radio on Sirius Satellite Radio, so I think he was fine.

So, remember the house drama I was talking about in a previous post? Basically our builder sold us land with hopes that it would be released by the city so they could start building. Well, there were 2 builders in the community and one went bankrupt (not ours). This company was technically the developers of the land and because out lot (or the area it is in) had not been released by the city, it got lumped into their bankruptcy. So our builders lost the land AND the money they paid the other builder for the land. They gave us lots of options, including waiting it out as try to buy the land back, taking a our money and running, or buying a different house at a discounted rate that they had already started building. In the end, we decided to buy this house:

How is this possible?? Right place, right time. It is amazing! It should be finished towards the end of April. Just the same as before, a lot can happen between now and then, but if all goes according to plan... this is our new house!

View from the walking trail into our backyard:

Upstairs game room:

Hallway into Media Room:

Looking down from game room into front foyer:


Master bedroom:


The kitchen will have the same countertops and cabinets that I picked out for our other house:

The family room will have the same fireplace that we designed, floor to ceiling stone with a cedar mantle:

Looking into the foyer and then the formal dining from the formal living:

The Lawther's in their new home!!
Thanks for taking the picture Katie:

WE'LL KEEP YA POSTED! HERE'S HOPING IT ALL WORKS OUT!

House Drama and Spring Fever

We are having house drama. :( Everything is fine... and could all work out better than we planned. (Including fulfilling a junior high dream that includes 4 bestfriends and secret rooms, haha) But... right now, it's all up in the air. I will write more when I know more. Just think happy thoughts. We know that whatever is meant to be will happen. We just have to have faith in the meantime.

It is SO spring time! The convertible was so fun today! AND this time next week, we'll be on vacation, SPRING BREAK... WAHOO (Friends reference)... IN FLORIDA with the Boykin Bunch. WE CAN'T WAIT! Jordan sent me a video of them, kite boarding. I got it yesterday. I didn't realize it was a video until today. (My phone and I have a love hate relationship. It loves to piss me off and I hate it.) If I would just take the time to learn how to work it... ahhh well. Needless to say the video made me want to "skip school" this week end head on out there. Baby Jack was sitting up on his own! He's so grown up! He'll probably greet me at the door with a cigar and tell me the happenin's out back.

Too bad my students need me this week! Who else would teach them all that they need to know to become better communicators? :)

OH and I got my evaluation back... lets just say I'm awesome and leave it at that. I will tell you that I was BEAMING for the rest of the day. Talk about an ego boost!

This week may kill me. I might not make it to Spring Break...

Monday- school (duh), Spring Musical Call Backs until at least 6pm, casting... then THE AWESOME DEMAREST MARCH BDAY CELEBRATION!
Tuesday- school, Speech Club, meeting for planning the TAKS Pep Rally (TACKLE THE TAKS), and OPEN HOUSE
Wednesday- school, Spirit Team until 5pm... head out the Southwind, hopefully! Then begin packing?
Thursday- school... dinner with my baby bro... he's taking care of Murph while we are having a blast with the Boykins!
Friday- school... packing! Going out with Kevin, Josh and Julia... (I can't wait to meet her!)
Saturday- 6am... begin the drive through 5 states to hug and kiss my nephew and his rents.

It will fly by! :)

HAPPY 7 MONTH BDAY BABY JACK! and HAPPY 8 MONTH BDAY SWEET CAROLINE!

The Bachelor

I have no words.