SUMMMMMEEEEERRRRR

I'm in love with summer.

Kyle and I had a great Memorial Day weekend by making our first trip to the lake with the James family. I just enjoyed a little boat time while Kyle had to go out and pick on all the kids!
Kyle & Griffin

Kyle being a pain & sprayin water

Girls vs. Boys

Dawson making sure we know who won!


I'm even more in love with this summer because for the first time in three summers I am not totally stressed about my job. Even though I'm not going on a cruise or to Vegas this year (tear) it is sooooo nice not being worried about what the next year holds. I had a WONDERFUL year of teaching and can't believe I've already been in it for 3 years! I'm hoping next year that I will CHOOSE to have a great year even if I don't have great classes!

It was really hard saying goodbye to my 8th graders. There were some great mentor-like relationships built this year. It's been fun to encourage them and have "real-life" talks with them that will help guide them in high school. I cannot describe in words the joy I have felt from meeting some of their parents & them being so thankful for the positive impact (hopefully!) we have made. Teaching is tough, but it's so rewarding!

Love this kid. Even wished me a Happy Mother's Day for bein like a mom to him. *tear*

Our boys. Intramurals will never be the same.

Hannah and Addison. Addy is my special kid...can't wait to watch her grow up!


Don't I look like I fit right in with these ganstas?! (talent show day)

Look how much Keshon & Rasheen changed from 6th to 8th!! Love these boys!!

They are on opposite sides in this one:

Texan Talk

I have been made fun of more this year for my Texas talk than any other year! Even though many people here use "y'all", I apparently use it "different" than others. I still get told I say "hill" and "male" funny...but the 2 new ones for this year are "field" and "goal". Apparently I say "field" more like "feld". And apparently you are supposed to say (in basketball instructions) "go shoot at that hoop" not "goal".

One of the first things Kyle and I noticed was that everyone here always puts the emphasis on the 2nd word in 2 word things...like in Six Flags and Taco Bell. In Texas we. For the first time, one of our youth noticed and made fun of Kyle for emphasizing the first word. Crazy how different we can be!

Next weekend I am going to Texas and I will be made fun of for talking like a northerner...and adapting words like "soda" and "salsa" and "you guys"! Everyone will also notice how I say my O's different, like in "stop", and think St Louis has corrupted me. I don't know where that came from...its more a Wisconsin thing...and I even get made fun of here for that lingo! (and I was told in college I sounded like I was from WI - and I was all Texan then!)

There is no point in this blog really. It doesn't bother me a bit, I actually like when people from either side bring it up & tell me it sounds funny b/c I think it's such an interesting thing that people can talk so different in regions that aren't really that far from each other...and I'm like a mutt - I can be labeled so many different things! :) So there is your random, pointless blog post for the day.