TGIF

This short week has felt like a 6 day week!  So glad for it to finally be Friday.  I'm behind on blogging but at the moment I don't have a whole of fascinating things going on :)  We had our weigh in today and I only lost a pound this week but that's ok, better then gaining a pound.  Hoping next week will bring me better news! 

I guess Wed was an interesting day here in Dallas.  We had our first tornado in like forever.  Campbell and I were really enjoying his choir class at church when they evacuated us all in to Fellowship hall, where what else went on, but a full on hymn singalong of course!  Were not cliche or anything at PCBC :)  Tornado touched down a couple miles from church but didn't stay on the ground long so we weren't confined for too long.  Wish I could have seen it but I don't think Emily would have been too thrilled with me storm chasing with her son! 

I got to babysit Ellis and Campbell last weekend, where as I learned that Ellis has some strong lungs :)  Here are a couple of really cute pictures I took with my new iphone!  I was up for an upgrade so I went ahead and got the new one.  The camera on it is way better then my old one and has a flash and zoom.  It's better then my digital camera!

Camp sporting the new hair cut

Baby Ellis

Both the cuties together

It's happening

I've finally found something that works and that I'm really excited about!  This morning was our second weigh in and I've lost 3 pounds since last Friday.  It's not a lot of weight but to me it's the begining of many more pounds I'm hoping to shed!  I've walked every day, and done 3 days of weights and cardio classes after school with my co-workers.  I watch everything I eat and eat much smaller portions and dont' feel hungry at all.  I put on some shorts I've been fearing to wear because I'm so self concious right now, but I put them on this morning and they're actually baggy and I"m not about to rip through them!  I'm so glad were doing the biggest loser at my school because it's such an incentive to not have to pay those 2 dollars when you weigh in. 

Today is Friday and I have a fun long weekend to look forward to :)

Happy Labor day weekend!

Biggest Loser or Winner?

So this year my school is doing the biggest loser challenge on our campus.  It's a 10 dollar pay in fee and our wonderful school nurses weigh us every Friday (keeping our weight a secret).  If you gain weight you pay 2 dollars if you maintain the same weight you pay a 1.  On Tuesday's our Art teacher who is a certified Yoga instructor is leading a Yoga class right after school then on Thursday my team teacher Matt Byrd is leading the cardio class.

The pot right now is at 200 bucks and can continue to grow, the challenge is over on Dec 16th.  I weighed in this morning, I already knew my weight since I weigh myself every day so I wasn't suprised to see the number :)

I think as I continue on with this challenge I'll try and post pics of myself so for those of you and really myself can see the changes I'm hoping will happen this semester.  I"m really glad my school is doing this because it's going to be so much more motivating for me to work out with other positive people then to do it on my own :)  I don't expect to drop 50 pounds in 16 weeks but I'm leaning towards the 25 pound mark!

So here we go folks!

Here we go!

Well this week was teacher work week and at the begining of the week we had lots of meetings to attend!  But today and yesterday have been work days in our rooms and I can say I've gone above and beyond with my cutting, taping, stapling, word clip arts, and laminating skills to last me a lifetime!  I love my room this year and I think back on my very first year where I literally had like 3 little pathetic posters up because no one gave me any guidance on things to put up!  But every wall in my room is covered and I'm very pleased :)  I'm hoping I'm over prepared for the year so as things hit me later in the year I can be like "I already got it." 

This weekend Heather is in town.  She Matt and my friend Haley all share the exact same birthday, so Matt and I and some friends are taking her out tomorrow night which will be fun.  I only see her about every 6 months so I'm happy to spend some time with her before school starts back up and things are CRAZY!!!  So many extra things to do this year but it's my job!  Just wish we got paid over time ;)

Happy Friday!

Random Pictures

I just figured I would post some pictures from my summer, as quickly as it's gone by!

My best friend and old college roommate Haley got married!

Pretty Bride

bridesmaids and new sweet friends!

My main Squeeze

In June my friend Heather and I went to Arkansas to stay with her aunt and uncle who live in Mena.  They had chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, catfish, and we even ran across a snake!  We shot guns, went to Walmart endless amounts of times, swam in their pool, and mainly just enjoyed each other's company :)

The rest of the summer was quite a blur!  I took a two week music class at SMU that put my teaching to the test! Then  Ellis Jane Kretz was born on July 15th.  I was so excited to see her, that mom and I got up and waited all morning to meet her.  I didn't have my real camera to take pictures of her so this picture was taken the day after her birthday.  I bought her that onesie:)

Precious Angel

This was taken at Baylor's baby gift shop.  We were walking around the store and turned around and Campbell had found a babydoll and was rocking her.  Too cute!

Paige and Clay came and visited and Camp and her loved to bang on my piano!

Matt also became an uncle.  Cooper Jameson Bourland was born on July 21st!

I'm sad to see my summer go, but I'm also looking forward to the new school year, (not the 6am wake up call though) But I have great co-workers and the other music teacher and I are a great team and get along really well!  It will be great to see what all is in store for me this year!  Bye summer, see you again in 9 months!

No, No I won't go!

 I've had an extremly busy summer considering I didn't work at all this summer which is the first time I haven't worked since I was like 13! 

Last week my brother and niece paige came to visit and meet baby Ellis.  I don't know why I call her baby Ellis but now whenever I'm around her that's what I call her.  Maybe it's because Campbell calls her his baby.  We had lots of fun all playing together and spending some good family time :)

I can't believe that two weeks from Friday I'll be returning back to school for another full year of teaching!  The anxiety has already set in along with the sleepless nights.  The images of choir concerts, lesson planning, field trips and so much more have got my mind racing each night.  Most people aka my mom, would say all you can do is take one day at a time.  Well when you're a teacher then that's not possible.  There is always something to do and always something more to be added on to.  I should count my blessings though that I work in a school where there are two music teachers for we really do a great job of helping each other out. 

I'm grateful for another year of teaching and I have a feeling it's going to be a busy one at that!  This will be my 4th full year of teaching.  Before I blink again 10 years will have passed and I'll hopefully be a pro by then!

Here's to two more weeks of sleeping until 9, eating cereal on my couch in my pajamas until 10, working out at my leisure and being able to help out with Camp and Ellis.  I know Matt is greatful for my time off as well because I'm not near as tired or grumpy when we eat dinner together during the week.  Which reminds me, Matt became an Uncle last week for the first time and he's so excited!  He really is great with kids and it's fun watching him with Campbell.  I know he will be the best uncle Matt around!

Here's to hoping the school nightmares stop and I can enjoy my last two weeks of freedom!

It's july?

So my first month "off" I put in quotes because I hardly had a time to breathe it feels like during June.  When I started my music course at SMU I was in class for 9 hours then would go home and do homework for 2 sometimes more!  I can say that I learned a lot in my class and am really excited to get back in August to teach my kiddos some really cool things.

Now that my course is over I don't have a whole lot going on.  I've started back at the gym in the mornings which is really great to get done first thing so I can have the rest of my day to do pretty much nothing.  I haven't visited my pool but once this summer, but I havent' have much of an inkling to lay out really.  I'd rather spend my afternoons in the air conditioning reading a good book, which I'm on my 3rd of the summer!

Last weekend Matt and I spent with friends which was so much fun.  I really appreciate the close knit group of friends we've accumulated over the past year.  We've really enjoyed doing things with them.

Yesterday Matt and I had our first softball game with a Dallas league we joined with one of my teacher friends from school and her husband.  I asked to be put in outfield thinking I wouldn't have to really do much, but silly me forgetting were playing with men not boys and every ball hit I was running every which way to catch it.  Oh well I need the extra cardio!  Matt caught two fly balls and made it to home twice, I struck out both times but made a good effort:)

Next week Ellis Jane Kretz will be here, my second niece and I'll get to be an Aunt for the 4th time.  Babies everywhere I feel!  Matt's sister in law is also due next week and I'm praying those two kids don't share the same birthday!  I can't wait to meet Ellis as I know everyone else in my family is excited as well.

Much family time together in my future I can tell which is fine with me :)  I babysat my nephew Campbell yesterday while my sister went to the store at her Liege to get some things.  I took this picture with my camera and a new app I found which makes all your photos turn out pretty cool I think.  You can shake it and get it to change colors.  He looks so tall in this picture! 

I now have 5 weeks of summer left so I'm hoping it goes by SLOWLY!!