See ya later, Summer.

In mid July, when I was feeling very artsy, I made a little to-do list.  The things I wanted to do before August 15th.  Today, I very timidly flipped to the list to check on my progress.  And there it is-- following a delicious lunch with The Husband today, my summer is officially d.o.n.e.

What I Make

I am an addict.  Yes, I am addicted to Pinterest.  The time I have spent pinning education ideas to my "Hot For Teacher" board should count towards my professional development hours.

While fueling my addiction today I came across this video.  Taylor Mali defends the passion for teaching in his poem "What Teachers Make."  It gave me a little tickle in my chest and I sat up a bit taller- a bit prouder.  Yes, teaching is my greatest option in life, because it is the only option I have ever wanted.  Teaching children has never been anything less than my first choice and I am proud of the "definitely beautiful" difference that I make.

Keeping 2012 Happy

Well, I wish I could say that I have spent the last 6-1/2 months traveling the world and was without internet access, but then again, I've never been a very good liar.  My last post on January 3rd was about my "Wall of Happy" which I have spent the last 6-1/2 months trying to fill.  I've done a pretty good job.
January
-We welcomed a new washer and dryer into our home!
February
 -We spent a weekend with my family in Edisto and saw Botany Bay for the first time- AMAZING.

   March
-We celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday and he handled it pretty well.
-My oldest friend and The Husband's cousin got engaged!  I couldn't be happier!
-Spent a (much needed) weekend with my girlfriends and one of them announced she's due in November.

 -The Husband and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.

 April
-A friend and I were invited to spend an evening on the tour bus of one of our favorite bands...yes, I felt like a well-behaved Penny Lane.

May
-I graduated with my Masters in Literacy Education...WOOHOO!  My amazing sister threw the best Graduation Celebration at her home...Happy Cinco de Mayo!

-Matt came to visit all the way from Montana!
-We welcomed a new air conditioning unit into our home!  

June
-My first year at my new school ends as my summer starts creeping in.
-We spent a week vacation with my family in Edisto and I drove the boat for the first time.

Photo taken by Sister

Photo taken by Brother

 -We celebrated The Husband's 30th birthday.

Keeping 2012 happy.  Hope you are too.

Wall of Happy

Some of you may call me crazy.  Some of you may find a bit of inspiration.  I can only hope for the latter.  Part of my resolutions for this year is to have no resolutions.  Instead I sat down last night and opened the journal I have kept since I was 10 years old and I wrote down my hopes for 2012.  One of my first hopes was "to be happy."  I have heard that happiness lengthens your years on earth, and I know that I want to stay here as long as I possibly can.

TO BE HAPPY.  As we know from previous posts, I'm a collector (not to be confused with hoarder).  I treasure ticket stubs, old pictures, old notes, shadowboxes, souvenirs, receipts, etc.  If it has any good memory attached to it, I will generally keep it tucked away somewhere.  Thinking about all of this, I created my own Wall of Happy last night on an open wall in my closet (it later spread to 3 walls).  I wanted it somewhere that I would see it at the start of every day and smile.  As happy memories continue to happen this year, I will add them to my wall. 

This morning I stumbled into my closet to find my Wall of Happy and IT WORKED.  My day started with a smile.

I smiled as I looked at old pictures of my family, the house I grew up in, cherished pets, and even an old magazine article I've kept for many years about the Dalai Lama. 

Find whatever it is that you need to be happy and may 2012 be your happiest year yet.

2011

2011.  Sayonara!  Arrivederci!  So Long!  Farewell!  In my opinion, 2011 was a bust- awful, horrible, sad, disappointing.  But I will not end this year with the same poor attitude that it showed up with.  I will find the positives within the year of negatives.

New job.
Lots of time spent with family.
Clemson Football... ACC Champions.
Passed all my classes in grad school.  Only 1 semester left!
Our best friends married in March and moved back to town.
I learned a new hobby- knitting.
July 4th fireworks show was best ever.
New babies arrived on both sides of our families.

Happy New Year y'all!  See you in 2012!

Something to Admire

The Husband and I just recently spent the night with two of the most incredible people to ever walk this earth.  They don't know it, but their every move and every word is watched and heard.  They are just that important to other people.  These two folks are loved so ridiculously by others.  Even more, they love each other wholeheartedly and when you are with them, you realize that their love for each other is contagious.  You see it and you immediately know what you want or rather, what you need.

After 64 years, she still cooks his breakfast and he still tells her it is the best he's ever had.  She still tells him that he makes her happy and he still jokes with her that it's because he's perfect.  She still worries about him and he still tells her that she needs to chill out.  She still occasionally tells stories wrong and he still reminds her of that.  He still teases her about growing old and she reminds him about how young he really is.  And after all this time, they continue to keep their promises to each other.

They can still tell about how they met, moved 7 different times, raised 3 hell-raising boys, and created the most amazing family of teachers, leaders, builders, protectors, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters .  They can tell you stories upon stories about their journey together.   Each story's significance is echoed in how their life has unfolded and how their values live on through their children, grand-children, and great grand-children.  I am as thankful for each event as I am for the two of them. I admire their love for each other, their family, and for their life together- as it all comes from the deepest and purest parts of their hearts.

Sunday Scaries

I have a friend that refers to his as the "Sunday Scaries."  It's the most perfect term to describe that painful feeling on Sunday afternoon when you realize that Mondays are oh so near.  I feel terrible about the creamy, cheesy, greasy, chocolaty, fried deliciousness I have consumed for 2 days.  And I have to have "The Talk" with myself which scares me just as much as Monday does.  "Okay, after today, starting Monday, I am going to eat better.  I'm gonna exercise.  I'm gonna to be nicer to my body.  I promise!  After today, I'm really gonna go to bed on time and get up early.  I'm not gonna watch so much TV or eat so much junk.  After today." 
I get so worked up about "The Talk" and about Monday, that I'll generally have to relax on Monday afternoon.  I can't cook because I'm still recovering from the Sunday Scaries.  That's about the time that I forget about "The Talk" and order some creamy, cheesy, greasy, chocolaty, fried deliciousness to make me feel better.