Happy October!

Wow! It is already October!  I have been student teaching for almost 2 months! I switch to my 4th grade placement on the 18th! I will miss my little 1st grade babies!


Sorry my blog has fallen by the wayside lately! I've been busy! Our poor house suffers too! I am still trying to find the balance of school and housework, especially now since when I get home I'm tired!  So usually our house suffers until Saturday or Sunday when I clean. I'm going to make a household cleaning chart and assign different jobs to days, so that I will do a little work each day!

Oh, I found something I would love to do on my blog...it's called What I Wore Wednesday. You can see an example here. Each Wednesday other bloggers post what they worn each day the week before. The purpose of it is to inspire the blogger to be more creative with her clothing.
I said I would love to do this, but you poor readers would see the same stuff over and over. I have...um...gained a lot of weight this year(not pregnant weight...just happy marriage and not exercising weight), so my clothes are not fitting as I want, so I have my favorite fitting clothes. Plus you will see all my student teaching clothes! lol I need to put temporary buttons in my dress pants so I can wear them. Since I haven't yet, I've been wearing my Dockers (got on clearance at Kohl's for $14.46!), my dresses and skirts. We'll see, I would love to be inspired to be more creative with my clothes!

On my to-do list:
- Start walking during the evening (at least twice a week)
- Fix dress pants
- Get my black heels fixed (the paper on the sole came unglued)
- Find some leggings...so I can wear my cute shorter dresses to school


The weather here is so nice right now! Today especially was a nice day! I woke up early (6 am) to go take my TExES Generalist test and it was chilly! I was excited, it actually feels like Fall! :D

As I just mentioned, I took my Generalist test today! I think it went well. I gave the outcome to God! If He wants me to pass, all glory goes to Him, if not then He will provide the $120 to retake it. The test took me about four hours, we had five! I came home, ate lunch and napped.

This evening we went to the Fort Bend County Fair! :) We don't ride the rides! Tonight we walked around, looked at the stuff, listened to the music, ate, and got a funnel cake! We had fun! The funnel cake people got smart this year. They put a truck at the entrance, so you don't even have to go into the fair! Of course, that's not as fun!

Ok, I am tired, so I'm going to bed! I hope to get some crafty stuff on here soon!

Have a beautiful weekend!

Labor Day Weekend

For labor day weekend this year, Joey's step family rented a house in Wimberly, Tx. It was a huge river house! You walked about 300 feet and there was the Blanco river! :)

That vacation was much needed! I got to relax! 

We floated in the river, me twice, Joey three times! We swam in the pool! Ate tons of yummy food! We saw black squirrels, beautiful birds (plus hummingbirds!), deer, and a possum! We stuck our feet in the river and walked on the rocks in the river up stream. I enjoyed that lil adventure!  Most of all had fun time with family! I re-found my smile. 

Yeah, you read that right. For some reason, I had found myself not smiling that much during the day. Poor students, I must have looked grumpy. It was not that I was unhappy or anything...it just took less facial effort. So as soon as I realized that I have made an effort to smile at the students and throughout the day!

Anyways, back to labor day weekend. Picture time! :D Oh yeah, it was beautiful!!

The view from the patio

The river once you walked down the dirt road

See that big rock right in the middle (the front-most one). 

Joey and I walked up stream to it and sat on it :)

It was fun!

A beautiful tree that was right by the river

Loved this! The water was cool, but it felt good!

A pretty butterfly!

The scenery was so lovely that I wanted a cute picture of us. 

I should have worn something cuter, but I still love it! :D

Thanks to my sister-in-law for taking it!

Have a nice night!

Let the Teaching Begin!

I started my student teaching this week! No, the students were not there...and HBU doesn't start until Monday. However, we started this week!

The nice thing was, I didn't have to be there until 8 :) So I got to leave my house at 7:20! Next week I will have to be there by 7:30, so I have to leave by 6:55 or 7! Eek!

This week was pretty good, Monday I had student teacher orientation, then Tuesday I started going to the school :)

Tuesday I went to the school and found out that my teacher was in training at Kempner High School (my school is on the opposite side of highway 6- near Murphy road). So I get to Kempner...oh my gosh, that place is big! lol  I found the room and met my teacher. Then I learned for 3 hours about their new grade book/report card system. Did I mention 3 hours?! We leave and I eat lunch with my teacher and another 1st grade teacher at Boston Market :) Pricey, but really yummy!

Oh! Yeah, I went in Tuesday thinking I had 2nd grade and then 5th grade later in the semester. While my teacher was looking at the new grade book software, everything said 1st grade. I didn't think much of it, since it just got released for everyone. Then she asked who I had for 5th grade, I tell her the name and she goes "Um, that's 4th grade!". I asked her which grade she was in "Your second grade right?" Nope! My professor accidentally put 2nd and 5th grade, but I really have 1st and 4th grade!! Yay!! I was soo nervous about having 5th grade! I've done 4th grade before, so it calmed my nerves!

Back to Tuesday....we went back to the school, got to be in my teacher's classroom for about an hour, maybe. Then another meeting! This one I think lasted 3 hours as well. Needless to say, Tuesday was not a very exciting day!

I was/am excited and was/am happy that I have such a nice teacher! She has been teaching for a while so she is knowledgeable! :)

Wednesday was just a work day! So I helped my teacher with her classroom. I cut out a ton of laminated stuff, which is easy, so I didn't mind! My teacher is so cool, she has a projector and screen in her room...so to  fill up the silence, she put an episode of The View on and then an episode of NCIS. Pretty cool! lol
Wednesday was the last day I got to hang out with her this week, since her daughter is a freshman in college and she is going to college in Fort Worth, so she went to help her for the rest of the week.

Thursday, wow! I don't really remember anything! lol All the days get mixed up right now! We had a yummy breakfast catered for the teachers (and me) then there were meetings. I got to see their TAKS scores and how much they have improved! I was impressed! Thursday night was Meet and Greet! I got to meet 17 out of the 22 students and their parents! Since my teacher was not there another 1st grade teacher helped me out. When she wasn't in the room and I was all by myself, I was a little excited, it was like I was a "real" teacher and had my own classroom! hehe

Then today we had another meeting in the morning. Yep, a lot of meetings, but how else is everyone going to get the info that efficiently? Then we had lunch catered! BBQ! Yum! Then this afternoon I helped another 1st grade teacher with getting her supplies organized. Some of the students brought supplies Thurs. night, so I helped her put them away. I got some folders ready for my teacher, cut out some laminated things, put the community supplies away, and put the rest of the items some brought in their desk :) All that without her knowing :) I'm sure she will be happy to see those things already ready!

Monday is when the students start! I will leave my house, prob. at 6:30 or 6:45...the 1st day of school, especially an Elementary School is CrAzY!! My teacher, of course, will be there on Monday. I am excited, but I know I will be so tired! I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning! :D

Even though waking up early can be hard to do, I realized something this morning. It is so peaceful! With everyone sleeping (well, Joey sleeping), the kitties calm, the sun just starting to peek over into the windows...it is so nice and quiet! I wish I would have had time to just sit and rock in our rocking chair. Something about it calmed my spirit this morning while I was rushing to go get ready.

That is one thing I loved to do at OneCamp, when I was a camper. I loved to wake up early, watch the sun rise and do my quiet time. I felt so connected...of course that could have been because I was isolated at camp too.

To be honest, sadly, I am not doing a daily quiet time. I want to, I do! I just don't have the drive. I don't have a devotional, I don't know where to start in the Bible. I was reading through it, but stopped in Deut. Then I tried to read randomly...that didn't last long. I need something! I want to thirst for God's Word! I know I need that spiritual food! It is important for me and to me to be in a close, forever seeking to be closer, relationship with my creator!

Please pray for me that I may crave God's Word, may be patient next week, that in my lack of energy I will not get crabby towards others! Pray for my husband, poor guy...I've been so tired (and haven't been planning ahead) that we've had PB&J's and hot dogs this week for dinner! He is such a great man! I am blessed!

I am on the last part of my college journey to begin another one that God has called me into! Here I go! :)

Cheap, Lovely Crafts!

I decided today that I wanted to share with y'all all of my favorite low cost crafts that are around our house! All of these have cost me less than $3!!

Total Cost:

FREE! 

- Jar: from my grandma

- Filler(wooden spools, thimble, and ribbon): 

was in an old sewing kit from my grandma

Total Cost:

$2 (or $3...can't remember)

Mirror: from a garage sale

I posted about this before! It was an ugly flat black...I sanded it, perfect!

Total Cost:

.60

Basket: set of 3 from Hobby Lobby .60

Clay cups: Joey made them (Free!)

Greenery: leftover from wreath

I really like the natural-ness look of this! 

It looks like I just picked a few branches and put them on display!

(Lighting in our guest bath is not nice for pictures)

Total Cost:

FREE!

Frame: already had, just took out another picture

Print: from http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ (Free!)

I just had to print it out, I used a glue stick to put 

the picture together and to make it looked aged(it gave it the crinkly/discolored look)

Yep! A good ole' Elmer's glue stick!

Cost:

.79

Vase: from IKEA (originally clear)

Flower: Free! Leftover from our wedding

I spray painted the vase with my white primer. I love how this turned out! :)

Total Cost:

$1.00

Candle Holders: (yep those are candle stick holders) Free from my grandma!

Rocks: bought a few years ago...reused

Fake Moss: $1 from Dollar Tree

I just put these together yesterday! I really like how these turned out! :)

Total Cost:

Free!

- Pitcher: from my grandma (free!)

- Greenery: leftover from wreath

I hope you enjoyed looking at my thrifty crafts! :) Some of these things we already had around our house and  they just needed some sandpaper/spray paint love, others just needed to be put together! So look around your house, you might find some items that can be paired with something different to have a whole new look! :)

Crazy Times

Sorry I haven't made a post in a while, I have been BUSY!

I had a comprehensive final to study for Tuesday. Of course we had the last test before the final the Friday before. Then last Tues. I find out that I need to sign up to get approved to take a practice test for the TExES Generalist. Umm...I haven't studied at all by that point.  So by Monday I had to meet with a lady and convince her that I am ready to take this practice test.

ACK!

So if you are a little stressed reading this then you know how I feel!

Well I took the practice test on Thursday. I need a 80% in order for them to approve me to take the real test in Oct. For the real test, you only need 70% to pass. They figure if you can do 80% on the practice you can surely pass the real test.

Well...I made a 77%. 3 points away. Ugh. I was happy though that if that was the real test I would have passed!  I am happy that God allowed me to do so well :)

Oh, I also got my student teaching assignment! *smile/nervous smile*

I will be doing my student teaching at Quail Valley Elementary (FBISD)! I will have 2nd grade and then 5th grade!

I read my assignment and was like *EEK* 5th grade!! I've never taught higher than 4th. However I talked to Joey (he is so wise and can always calm me down) and he reminded me that it will be good experience! By the time I will graduate, I would have worked with K, 2, 4, and 5th graders :)
*EDIT 08/28*
   I have 1st grade and 4th grade!! :D The paperwork was wrong! Yay!! 5th grade would have been fine, but I am so relieved that I have 4th grade!

I am excited and scared about what is coming with this new step!

Scared because this is it! After this, I have to grow up and get a job! That will be the last step in growing up. Sounds silly, since I'm married and have a house...both which are really "grown up" things. However graduating college is the final step for me into adulthood. I don't know if that makes sense, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt this way!

I am excited also for what is to come! That also scares me, but I know this is what God wants me to do with my life! I can feel it, the naturalness of it, when I get into the classroom! At first I am nervous, then I get over the newness, and I am ok :)
I am excited about graduating, about the paycheck that will come with this new job, about having my own classroom!

I have looked at student teaching as a scary thing so far. Something that will make me wake up early, make me nervous, challenge me. However I should remind myself that this is the journey God has set out for me! I should be excited that I am doing something that God has called me to do! He will not put more on my plate than I can handle!

What an amazing God we have!

Seventh Day Slumber!

So this past week, on Tuesday, we went to go see Seventh Day Slumber at Kemah! KSBJ put on a concert to kick-off a new radio station of more rocking Christian music (I'm excited) that will come I think this August or fall.

Joey and I took 2 girls from the youth group and his sister.

It was a lot of fun!

Only complaint: IT WAS SOO HOT!!

We stood in the front(ish) in the crowd and that made it hotter...thankfully God provided a breeze that would blow every once and a while that felt like AC :)

I failed at taking good pictures, but I did take a few.

If you don't know who Seventh Day Slumber is, here's one of their songs:
"Surrender"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuTdeMng_co

They are a  rockin' Christian band. :)

They sing:
Surrender
From the Inside Out
and others

I had to make the picture bigger, otherwise it was hard to see and you can't really see the bass player on the right. In the original pic I only got half of him! Poor guy!
P.S. Check out the boy jamming on the playground slide roof :D (to the left) It was awesome!

The lead singer told us his testimony, it was amazing! It's so amazing to hear what God can do!

He grew up in a house where his dad abused his mom, he became addicted to cocaine by age 14, became a 4 time convicted felon by the age of 22 and tried to commit suicide twice. The second time he took a lethal dose of cocaine, his mother came home early and she walked in on him as his heart stopped and called the ambulance. It was in the ambulance that he gave his life to God.
You can listen to all of the story here:
http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=7839d1baac6aea8357e7
(The volume is kinda low, might just be my laptop though)

It is amazing! One thing I love about this band is the lead singer and his tattoos. It shows that even though someone may have tattoos and look "rough", they can be a person who's heart is after God! He is the one who really matters and it is your heart that He really looks at.

It was a great time :)

I Love Thrifting!

I have been thrift shopping a lot lately it seems! I promise these trips have been spread out!

I checked out a place that was recommended to me by T. Bird at Nestled in Rosenberg.

Here is what I found:

I only paid $5 for all this!

- Apothecary Jar: $5

-Plates: Free!

- Plaque: Free!

One of the things I loved about this shop is they had a basket marked free! How awesome! So many times places will hang on to things...well these ladies knew when to let things go!

Here's what's on the plate: it's one of those anniversary plates...I would guess. My grandparents live in Iowa plus I thought these were pretty so I couldn't pass up the FREE price :)

No, your not crazy, they are the exact same plates, just in different colors. I would hate to see them get thrown away or out so I took both! I'm thinking I will start a wall in our formal dining with church plates in blues and reds :) It's different and interesting!

I also got this. It was in the free basket as well :) I figured I will spray paint it and paint something cute on it. 

When I was checking out one of the older ladies said "Oh, that's Hummel, what a shame that it's chipped". I had no idea what Hummel was or who it was. So I looked it up...apparently some of the pieces can be worth some money. However this one does not have the mark on it to say when it was made and it's very weathered. So my plan is to still paint over it, or try to somehow get the picture off and preserve it or frame it. 

Lastly, I got the apothecary jar:

This was inside. When I got to the register I casually asked the lady if she wanted the decor inside the jar. Poor lady...she looked like I said I hated her! She was like "You don't want it?!" and told me it was a part of the jar, it goes with it. We got over that and I am now a proud owner of a toothpick palm tree with a felt monkey on it., a shell, and lil rocks. We started talking about what I could fill the apothecary jar with. She told me about how she has used old cookie cutters in one (Cute idea!) and how one lady that goes in there a lot had put shells in her's. I told her about my chess pieces I put in my other one and our seller/buyer relationship seemed mended. 

Lesson learned: Even if you have no idea what to do with the stuff inside something you want to buy...just take it. 

Plus:  The monkey has grown on me and I have moved the decor into another jar I have to go with my shells I had in the living room :)

I bought this jar bc:

It matches the one I got at Goodwill perfectly! :) Yay!

Have a great evening! :)