My Favorite Things

I keep finding myself say, "I just love that!"  From the colorful totes in the Dollar Store to  everything in the Target Dollar Spot, I just keep spotting things that I LOVE.  This week, here are my favorite things...


At School...

The 4th/5th Grade bulletin board to recognize students that finish passing facts.

The lollipop tree---used in my room for instant incentive.

At home...

"We do not remember days; we remember moments."

lighted vines in tall skinny vase!

Wedding gift from Bri and Colby: "Loved you yesterday, love you still...always have, always will"

The most relaxing spot at the house...when it isn't 100+ degrees, of course.

Open House=Complete!

Yesterday, our school had Open House.  I was excited about putting faces with all the names on my student roster.  I was nervous about meeting the parents (lucky for me, I have some amazing, already volunteering, I love communication type of parents!)  I got to my classroom about four hours before people started arriving.  I wanted to help other teachers set up and get a chance to visit with everyone.  Here is what awaited me in my mailbox...

MY OFFICIAL "MRS. HOWARD" NAME PLATE FOR ABOVE MY DOOR!  [Please ignore that I look extremely hot and sweaty...it was a sauna outside that day ;) ]

                                         

I immediately tore down my "temp tag" and replaced it!

Now, it was time to change, get ready for Open House, and stop taking silly pictures! ha.

Just when being the "new teacher" feeling was really getting old, my students made me feel much better about it. They always have a way of brightening my day :)  I hear the pitter patter of feet running up to the class list outside my door...then a voice exclaims....

"YAY!  Mom, Dad...I got the NEW teacher!"

Kid Translation:  "Yesssss!  She's going to be super nice, easy, and I can do whatever I want!"  

Awwh, it won't be long before they are disappointed.  I promise I will not be easy, I will be challenging.  I promise I won't be a push over, but I will love each of them for who they are.  And I certainly promise that they cannot do whatever they want.  Like I told each of them at open house yesterday, "Come rested.  Get excited.  We have a lot to learn this year.  Welcome to 4th grade!"  I will always remember my first open house, but I will vividly remember my first class...they will be teaching me more than any other class I will ever have. And only 5 days of school until the journey begins!

Busy, Busy Day!

The days of summer are almost over!!  In just two months, I graduated college, bought a house, got married, and in nine days...the First Day of School will be here!!  Wow...those two months were the shortest, busiest of my life...and looking back, it all feels like a blur.  I have my classroom set up and ready for open house this Thursday.  Pray that all my parents are amazing and my students are angels :)  I can't wait to begin what I was born to do!

Today, I woke up at the crack of dawn because the phone company was ringing at my doorbell.  I now have Internet, phone, and DISH.  (The DISH guy was odd; he kept telling me stories about his life in Tennessee with his crazy ex-wife.  Then, he heard something fall and asked if my house was haunted.  lol...I was so glad when it was time for that silly man to go.) Imagine how strange the house felt before we got these things set up?  Without those distractions though, I did get a lot of cleaning and lesson plans done!  Now, I'm at WKU (using free ink to print first day materials!) but I cannot wait to get home and use the DVR.  haha, strange, I know...I've never had it before and it excites me that I will no longer miss True Blood and Teen Mom every single week! 

Upcoming Howard Happenings: Our at-home reception is Saturday, August 6th at 6:00 at my parent's home.  We cannot wait to see all our family and friends!  Lately, more than normal, I've really felt blessed.  I know that I am loved and surrounded by generous people.  This great network has made me the person I am today.  I know that success does not come by chance; it comes to those that work at it.  The people in my life have been my motivation to work towards this success, even when I felt like giving in.  So, to them...THANK YOU!!  I love you :)

We're home!!

We returned before the sun came up at 5:30 a.m. this morning!  We drove through the night because (1) we missed our new home, (2)  we had lots to do before getting back to work, and (3) the furniture store called and said the rest of our furniture was being delivered today!  We originally planned to be home sometime tonight, but it worked out better this way. 

For those of you not in Florida, here's what you missed...

-The first three days:  God blessed us with an abundance of rain showers.  They say rain showers come and go in Florida, then the sky gets beautifully sunny again....ha, well...not while I'm in town!  Surprisingly, it did not bother me one bit.  It was MAJOR good luck.  This wasn't just rain on my wedding day, it was a monsoon!  And if it didn't rain, we would have faced the opposite problem---heatwave or 100+ temperatures.  The day was wonderful.  It was such a special time for us and we are glad to have shared it with our closest family and friends.

-The honeymoon:  We visited a few places on our own, but wanted to spend lots of time with the people that traveled the distance for us.  One day, we went to a 4D moving theater and Ripley's Believe It or Not Titanic Ship with John and Mary.  Another day we laid on the beach with Troy, Mal, and Rob.  Every night we picked a different restaurant and met everyone there.  (Eating at new places is my favorite part of vacation!)  And on the last day, we met the Waddell's in Destin! 

Now it's time to get back to reality, which we are looking forward to!  We still have our home reception on August 6th, but until then we have lots to do at the new house and in my classroom.  :) 

Getting ready to be Mrs. Howard!

Last Saturday, we had our rehearsal dinner at Mom and Dad's house.  We had to hold it a week early because everyone was leaving at different times for Florida.  Everything turned out great; it makes me even more excited for the wedding!

Fun Facts About Us:

1.  Where did you meet?  Mrs. JD's sophomore English class and we had mutual friends

2.  When did you start dating?  October 7, 2005

3.  Where was your first date?  O'Charley's

4.  When did he propose?  June 26, 2008 in Florida

Tomorrow morning, we leave at 6 am to drive to Florida!  I dread the drive, but can't wait to arrive.

We'll be back next week as Mr. & Mrs. Howard ;)

The First Year Classroom

Finally...
I remembered to take my camera with me when I worked in my classroom.  The room is not exactly how I would love it to look, but right now, I am focus on the importance of student success.  I don't want to get caught up in the decorative things that have little impact on learning, because that happens SO easily and will distract me from my main job: teach my kiddos what they need to learn!  So far, I have already planned for the first three days of school and cannot wait to meet my 4th graders :)

Objective/Homework board

Helper chart---my whole room has a puzzle theme going on, with lots of bright colors.  Bright colors=bright minds!

My desk.  I love my Mrs. Howard cup (a graduation present from Bri)

my bookshelf

behavior incentive (works the same as a Caught Being Good Jar)

whole class behavior incentive

I just love the Target Dollar Spot!

This board will display student work behind the hands.

Hand-me-down curtains for the backpack area

Wow...I have storage!  

Unfinished reading corner

Whole class view

Another view

Compliments of my dad :)

Calendar (birthdays of the month to be added)

With everything I've accomplished at home and in the classroom, I feel like I can leave for Florida on Thursday and enjoy our wedding/honeymoon without feeling stressed about the work that I will return to.  Wow...in FIVE days I will be Mrs. Howard!  Still hasn't hit me yet that the wedding is this close...after dating for almost six years, I am SO ready.

The Howard Home!

This weekend was extremely busy, to say the least.  We worked Thursday night through Sunday night, usually 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.  We wanted to be moved before we leave for Florida on Thursday.  For now, we are unpacked, situated, and our feet hurt! When we return from the honeymoon, it will be time to paint the entire house--I already have the colors picked out.  That will make a huge difference; I love the look of fresh paint.  This will be a long post, so without further babbling, here is a tour of our new home.

"One doesn't love his home for the things within.  He loves it for the memories that are made there."

This is the only thing in the living room right now.  Couch, love seat, and end tables arrive tomorrow!

The master bath.  The shower curtain has rhinestone details.

Master bath

Kitchen.  Countertops, flooring, and bar stools are temporary.  That's our next project after Florida.

I love doing laundry now.  I'm so amazed with how smart my washer and dryer are.

144 pc. China set that Brian's dad gave us as a wedding gift before he passed away.  He bought it when he was in Korea with the military 30 years ago.  It was never opened and removed from the original packaging until this weekend.  It holds so much meaning to us.

Other view of kitchen

The office...this area is still under construction. Eventually, it will have a lavender, gray, and black theme.

Guest bedroom

Master bedroom

Walk-in closet...a necessity! 

Pictures to come:  Living Room and Dining Room when the furniture arrives.  Also, the basement is partially finished with a full bath and three rooms.  We just need to finish ceiling and flooring.  A great project to keep Mr. Howard busy. ;)

The Joy of Decorating

I love decorating.  For years, I've only been able to decorate my bedroom at my parent's house and help with Brian's apartment.  But now, it's my turn to design how I want my own home to look...this is very exciting for me.  I believe the best way to decorate is find those pieces that make you feel "inspired" with colors that you are naturally drawn to.  Next, take your time and wait until you find coordinating items that feel perfect.  I don't settle for something that is just so-so; if I'm not in love, I'm not buying.  Now, the only problem with this is...you will find yourself in stores ALL THE TIME.  This weekend, because Brian was with me, we only went to two stores: Furniture Liquidators and Kirkland's.

Here is some of the furniture we ordered...(the pictures aren't the best)....

Mahogany/Honey dining set

Coordinating server that will be in the dining area

My mom went with us to help pick out furniture; she has very good taste in that type of thing.  

Matching love seat ( I feel like it looks better in person! ha)  & we ordered a matching recliner as well, but I didn't take a picture.

Our coffee table.  We also ordered two matching end tables (but no picture!)

We were very pleased with our furniture finds!  Also, our bedroom suite is at Garrett's in Hodgenville.  It is a very dark wood king-sized bed with coordinating chest of drawers and nightstand.  

At Kirkland's, they were having a major sale.  Basically everything in the store was drastically reduced.  In addition, if the sale tag was green, it was an extra 25% off!  We found 1 large clock, four paintings, a lamp set, and other lighting.  I could have stayed in that store all day!  

Now, all this buying is filling up my parent's garage rather quickly, so I cannot wait to get the keys on Friday and move it all in!  

COUNTDOWN: 2 days until the keys, 6 days until I find out if I will have a niece or nephew, and 1 week and 3 days until I'm Mrs. Howard!  I think my head is spinning....

Days without Work?

Today was my first Saturday that I wasn't waiting tables. I was at a loss; usually 1 p.m. means it's time to get ready for the upcoming night shift. Not having to work today threw my routine for a loop. Here's a peek into how I filled my day...

1. Woke up, wandered around house...decided to eat toast and change blog layout.

2. Soaked up some sun with friends...lounge chairs, pool floats, kiddie boats.

3. Went to town with Ashley to figure out what the new "Jewelry and Bridal" store looked like...ha, don't go there. Then meandered around the mall, which is beginning to look more like a jail because of all the vacant stores.

4. Ordered Snappy Tomato Pizza for dinner

5. Photo Session with sunset and hay bales. (Photos courtesy of Dad)

This is Brian's pride and joy...camo-covered golf cart.

I really felt like the hay bale was about to roll away.

Dad's idea of a "serious shot". haha, yes...that is a piece of hay in my mouth!

Shew...I feel so wrong by doing nothing all day long.  But it was much needed and much deserved.  I think I'll finish out the weekend by doing the same tomorrow!  Happy 4th of July weekend!