eagerly anticipating...

Today is Harry Potter Day at my house. With the 6th movie opening in theaters in a mere 12 days we are celebrating by watching all 5 of the movies.. in order.. and in a row. My best friend, Katie, received a Harry Potter cookbook from her sister (that she created) for her birthday and we used it to make food for the day long extravaganza!

Jamie.. you are so creative and amazing! I want a copy. Let's pretend it's my birthday too!

We made:
Honeydukes Cockroach Clusters
Hogwarts Express Pumpkin Pasties
McGonogall's office biscuits
Sytherin Stew
Madame Puddifoot's couples coffee
Holiday at the Burrow's Mince Meat Pies
Felix Felicis
Harry Potter Cookies
and
a veggie tray

I will post pictures later. We just started the 2nd movie. :)

If you are a Harry Potter fan, click the link below. This a link to a hilarious summary of HP 4 told in 15 minutes by Cleolinda Jones.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Fifteen Minutes

Happy Early Harry Potter Day!

The Beach and Pier Fishing

What a day! We loaded up the car and headed to the Emerald Coast today! I am exhausted and all we did was hang out on the beach and swim in the surf! We set up umbrellas and made our own little place....

Jack had so much fun playing in the sand!

His poka face...
We left around 2pm because there was a storm rolling in... We totally could have stayed... because it rolled right on by. :) But my back is fried so I am glad we high tailed it when we did. I'm so frustrated because I put on soooo much sunscreen! Ah well....

jordan hanging out under our umbrellas with the storm in the background...

Jackson staring at the ocean...

I really love the Emerald Coast. It is so pretty. Didn't love the June Grass that decided to wash in with the tide today... little pieces of sea weed look alikes... gross!

In the evening we went out the pier to do some fishing. Jordan and Brad both hooked some big fish. SO big that they broke their lines.
They were too big to keep anyway... but it was a bummer that they couldn't bring them up.
A cool looking bird scouting for some dinner...

We saw a SEA TURTLE today!! A sea turtle!!! Brad (the sea turtle expert.. kinda a big deal) said it was a Logger Head. Jordan thinks it was heading to the beach to nest. Every other Monday she helps patrol in the wee hours of the morning for turtle nests. :)

The sun setting from the pier... I think this picture is super cute! :)

We are going wakeboarding tomorrow!

Sippy cups and Girls Night Out

Ahhh... another day living the life! The big boys have been working on the boat all day. We feel so bad for them. Today was supposed to be their big day of fishing! But instead, they are spending the day trying to get the boat to stop screaming at them. :( hopefully the last trip to the store will produce the magic part that will fix the problem.

Here are some pictures from yesterday and today:

Jackson and his mama:

*kiss kiss*

talking to Gdad on the phone:
look!! I'm standing:

Jordana and I went out last night. The boys watched Jack and we had a fabulous time. We ended the night at Pat O'Brien's on the water in Destin. They are famous for their hurricane's... and it was so good! We walked the pier and then headed back home.

my flash didn't work :(

Today... Jack ate ravioli for the first time... and LOVED IT!
This is the face Jack makes when you ask him what an elephant sounds like:

He figured out the sippy cup today!!!
And clapped for himself when we told him "YAY" for being oh so smart!
never want to leave... :)

Hanging with the Boykins

We are having the best time in Florida with Jordan, Brad and Jack-a-roo! They bought a boat last week and we took it out last night. Brad drove us over to Destin and took us through the Harbor. We stayed in the bay, it was much calmer... and we had Jack with us.

After we drove around for a while we stopped at crab island. It isn't really an island. It is a sand bar where the water is knee to waist deep. We threw the anchor in and Brad actually jumped out of the boat to set the anchor. The water felt great!

We trolled for fish on the way back to the boat ramp. Kevin caught a Blue fish. Which we ate for dinner last night. Brad is an amazing cook and he made fish tacos with the fish the boys caught. Jordan and Brad's lifestyle down here is so relaxing.

Needless to say we are having a great time! We so grateful to have friends like them!

Jordan and Brad's boat:

Baby Jack:
Jack enjoying his big toe as a snack:

gorgeous sunset on the Bay:
Baby Jack asleep on the boat:

Best friends for over 10 years!

Jordan and Brad:
Kev and me:
The boys:

Internetless

Well.. the move is on going... we've been making trips back and forth for a WHOLE WEEK now and we are STILL not done getting everything from the old house. I am determined that tomorrow is it. We are both physically and emotionally spent. I didn't realize we had SO MUCH stuff!

The kitchen in the new house is ready. The shelves are lined and everything has a place and is in said place. Let's just hope it stays that way! Our dishwasher was running for 3 days straight! I wanted everything spotless before I put it away.

The other rooms are not so much. I am having my cousin's lingerie shower (I'm her MOH and SOOO excited about it!) at the new house on Friday so I am on a deadline. It will happen... I have faith and GREAT friends!

We still do not have Internet. I am actually at a friends house right now and they are super cool because they are letting me use their Internet instead of interacting with them. haha We should be up and fully functional on Wednesday. We are getting the at&t u-verse... We have had direct tv for the past 4 years so I am anxious about this... but we will be saving 75 dollars a month by bundling the Internet, phone, and tv. Plus the universal DVR is pretty cool.

I owe the blogging community a blog about:
last day of school
our 4 year wedding anniversary
our move
and
pictures of our new house

Alright.. I am being summoned and was just told by the birthday girl that it's time to stop being anti-social! Come on Wednesday!!!

2nd to last day

Today was the 2nd to last day of school before the kiddos are released into the world for their summer break. Most of my classes are finished with their finals. I have one class tomorrow and then I am done.

Now, I normally am VERY strict about writing on my board. I only have one in my classroom. But as you can see in the picture above.. I let the students go nuts. :) If you click on the picture, it will open up bigger and you can read all of their comments.

BTW... they are not calling me a HAG!!! :) HAGS means have a great summer. HAHA I had to clarify. And one of them calls me Mrs. Swagga...

The 8th graders were so funny today. They were all hugging each other like they were never going to see one another again. Uhhh, guys... we have school tomorrow! I am told to expect tears from here on out. I am ok with that... it's a big transition.

I have really enjoyed signing yearbooks. It's so different as a teacher. I can't write the lame-o "Have a kick ass summer" because, well, you can't cuss in a student's yearbook... and a message from your teacher should have SOME wisdom in it! Basically I have been telling them they are ROCK STARS... cuz they are.

It hasn't set in that next week I won't be going to school. I won't be sitting at my desk, starting up my computer and getting everything ready to mold the minds that will walk through my door. The young adults that walked through my door this morning as my 7th/8th grade students may walk through my door again, but they won't be my students. I can't imagine not seeing them all everyday. The thought of not being at my school and talking to my fellow teachers... but that said, I am REALLY ready for summer!

I've been so INCREDIBLY corny this past week and laughing to keep from crying. Even my students have said, "Wow Mrs. Lawther, you ARE corny today!" :)
At the beginning of the semester I had the students do an assignment where they told me their dreams. I put them up on my dream wall, and I have held on to them for the past 6 months.
I took them down this week and a few noticed and asked me what I did with their dreams! haha
The last day of class before finals, I gave their dreams back.. I told them I took care of them all this time. I tried my hardest to help them get closer to their dreams and now it is time for them to forge on without me. SO CORNY! :)
I walked around the room and handed each dream back to the student. It was a really cool moment. I actually teared up and some of the kids made sad faces and told me they were going to miss me this summer.

My students have taught me so much over this past year. I can't wait to see where they go and who they become. Every one of them has the potential for greatness. How cool that I get to say that I knew them when... that I taught them....

1 more day with students... 3 more days until SUMMER!

AHS here we come!

For those of you who don't know...my husband is a Coach. Today, he got promoted to AHS to teach world geography and coach the o line/d line of the 9th grade football team. This was something that he was hoping to do in the future, move up to high school, but we didn't think it would happen this soon.


Coach Peach (who Kev played for at Martin) is the head coach. Kev is really excited to be working for him. He's sad to leave his coaching staff where he is now... they all really get along. But, he's excited for next year.

He'll also be coaching wrestling. That should be interesting.

So.. Congrats Coach Lawther from your wife... Coach Lawther!

Prom & Our New House

We have one more week of school until the summer break. I can't even believe it. I know I am going to be so emotional next week...

Last Saturday my baby brother went to Prom with his girlfriend Christa, who is still in high school. They looked soooo cute! I had a total rewind from last year. Jeff has one year of college under her belt. Hopefully next year will be easier for him.

Jeff and Christa:

On Wednesday, Kevin and I took the day off and went out to Plano to sign the papers and close on our house!!! I can't believe it is ours. I am really waiting for someone to come by and say, ahhh... ya know what... we made a mistake, you can't move in... we're gonna need our house back! Crazy, I know.. but I am not a rational person. :)

I told a friend of mine this fear and she said that by law we have the right to defend our property. Anybody got a musket or daggers????

We will be moving in the Wednesday after schools out. I can't wait!

Our keys:

Our house:

Entry way, looking into dinning:

foyer:

kitchen:

family room:

back of family room:
Family room from stairs:
bedroom #2

bedroom #3

bedroom #4

gameroom:

media room:

upstairs bathroom:

master bedroom:
master bathroom:
I am loving being a tour guide!