School ended on June 10th. That was a very hard day for me, as my students were treasured by me. We had really become a family by the end of the year. I would have totally looped with my class from this year. Luckily, I am moving to 5th grade next school year, which means I will have some of my students from last year--also a great group of kids! I am excited to see some familiar faces again, but a little anxious about the curriculum. I will be teaching Math and Science only next year, which is also exciting; however, Science is a subject I am going to have to work at a lot more than Math. There is so much to learn in Science for me and the kids. Math and Science are the areas that our kids are weakest in, so my work is for sure cut out for me. I am excited about the challenge, though! I have lots to learn and lots of retraining the brain, as I am going to have to step back in to my older kids mode as a teacher. I am excited about building more solid relationships with my kids, as they are older and can understand more of solid relationships...healthy, respectful relationships. To know that I can be an example to them everyday is refreshing, yet also a heavy load to carry as they are watching every move I make. When I am frustrated, how do I control it? When I am stressed, will it show? It is crucial to show the older kids how to handle yourself when the going gets tough. It is also necessary to stay grounded with all positive character traits displayed, so they see an example of how to handle all situations without acting out violently. Our kids need this piece displayed daily!
In other news, DANIELLA IS HERE IN TEXAS!!! Her fabulous-o boyfriend, Trey, drove the 9 hours out here with her. He was such a big help, as we were moving those "light" pieces of furniture in, right? :) We enjoyed having him here, and hope he comes back again really soon! 
I am so happy to have her here. It has been a long-time coming. She is out here completing the alternative certification program so she can teach. I am so excited for her, as she will be a fantastic teacher! Please be in prayer for the job situation for her. I just want to go to all principals and say, "She rocks!" She said she wants to tell any principal, "I won't let you down." This is so a Daniella comment...it makes me smile! While she has been here, we have been tackling some fun times. First of all, her room looks amazing!! 
Secondly, we have been indulging in frozen yogurt at Tappy's...16 flavors and over 50 toppings...can't beat that. Okay, so I do get the same thing everytime, but I will eventually try something else. Cake Batter yogurt with cookie dough, sprinkles, and caramel. Daniella likes to pile on the yogurt pretzels. Megan is our experimenter...she tries it all, with Pistachio yogurt being the new favorite. Kristy likes Cake Batter as well, but she is more diverse in her topping selection. I mean with the toppings being on fat-free or low-fat yogurt, they are also fat-free or low-fat, right? :) We have also gone to a Texas Rangers baseball game. The bummer to that was the Rangers ended their 12 win streak. They are really rockin' it this season, but that night...not so much. It was sad to watch that game, as they were not the team that had showed up to all the other games. Ian Kinsler got thrown out early in the game, which totally changed the vibe. We celebrated Daniella's birthday on the same day we celebrated our country's. July 4th. These are the beautiful flowers that her fabulous-o boyfriend had sent this way. Any girl would wake up early to have this happy at the door, right? :) 
We had so much fun on that day...Bundt cake, gift card tree, grilling out, and fireworks. I mean, what more could you ask for, right? :)
I am so happy to have her here. It has been a long-time coming. She is out here completing the alternative certification program so she can teach. I am so excited for her, as she will be a fantastic teacher! Please be in prayer for the job situation for her. I just want to go to all principals and say, "She rocks!" She said she wants to tell any principal, "I won't let you down." This is so a Daniella comment...it makes me smile! While she has been here, we have been tackling some fun times. First of all, her room looks amazing!! Secondly, we have been indulging in frozen yogurt at Tappy's...16 flavors and over 50 toppings...can't beat that. Okay, so I do get the same thing everytime, but I will eventually try something else. Cake Batter yogurt with cookie dough, sprinkles, and caramel. Daniella likes to pile on the yogurt pretzels. Megan is our experimenter...she tries it all, with Pistachio yogurt being the new favorite. Kristy likes Cake Batter as well, but she is more diverse in her topping selection. I mean with the toppings being on fat-free or low-fat yogurt, they are also fat-free or low-fat, right? :) We have also gone to a Texas Rangers baseball game. The bummer to that was the Rangers ended their 12 win streak. They are really rockin' it this season, but that night...not so much. It was sad to watch that game, as they were not the team that had showed up to all the other games. Ian Kinsler got thrown out early in the game, which totally changed the vibe. We celebrated Daniella's birthday on the same day we celebrated our country's. July 4th. These are the beautiful flowers that her fabulous-o boyfriend had sent this way. Any girl would wake up early to have this happy at the door, right? :) We had so much fun on that day...Bundt cake, gift card tree, grilling out, and fireworks. I mean, what more could you ask for, right? :)
Lola has grown so much!! She is now 35 pounds...
Kristy's 
Kristy playing in the snow...can we say "aggressive"? ;) 
Megan's Easter Baskets
My Easter Baskets
Kristy's Easter Baskets 
This is the infamous, wonderful, yet "calorie-free" 
This is the sign on top of Kristy's 
These are the beautiful flowers that Kristy got at school.
Jackson is tearing into his pizza at his second birthday party!!
Jackson, Josh, and Tiffany at Jackson's 2
2. The amazing housemates: Kristy, who is the most amazing best friend/sister a girl could ask for...she puts up with me and loves me despite my bad days. She is the best shoulder to cry on, ear lender, and pick me upper...all grammatically correct, which she will be thankful for...right, Kristy? :) She also allows me to be a housemate for a little while longer...until one of us meets the man of our dreams. Megan, who is fun to share a floor with in the house. Although I don't see her much, I love it when I do. We have lots of fun cooking together! She, too, is a great listener and encourager!
3. Lola...the cutest dog in the world!! She has brought me so much happiness!! I just adore her, well, most of the time. It was quite exhausting at first, kind of like having a child, but the house training part was really hard. She has only had 1 accident in the last 2 weeks, so I would have to say that is pretty good. She is teething, though, which is quite an experience. It is hard not to get frustrated with her when she doesn't get it...don't bite anything except your toys and food. We are getting there, though.
4. Great class: My students really are amazing!! We have challenging days, but all in all, they are quite a blessing to me. I have such high expectations, but this bunch really has taken it to the next level of being nothing short of amazing! I hope they are learning as much from me as I am learning from them. (Here are 6 of my kiddos...dressed up in their 80s outifts...aren't they cute?)
5. Job: I have such an amazing job! I get to go to work every day and teach kids that I just adore. I also get to work with some of my best friends. I love building new relationships with new people each year. I am getting to know new friends this year. They are great teachers, but more than that, great friends! Also, my job provides me with the funds to pay for my bills every month! 
6. Photography/Camera: My passion, after teaching, is to take pictures! I absolutely just get all giddy when I get to take pictures of my friends and their families!! It just thrills my soul!! I hope to really be able to get good at it in the Spring when I take a class and experiment more!
7. Internet: The 
