Catch Up!

Well, Christmas break was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed my two-week vacation from school by spending time with my family and friends, and of course celebrating the holidays. As if two weeks weren’t enough, we had Monday and Tuesday off the week we were supposed to go back to school because of the very low temperatures. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a “cold day” before, but I wasn’t complaining.

Last weekend we were in Indianapolis celebrating my cousin’s wedding…and what a FUN wedding it was! My cousin and his lovely bride looked amazing, and both the wedding and reception were absolutely perfect. It was a great celebration of the love of two very special people.  This marks the second of four weddings this year for the boy cousins (and my brother) on my mom’s side of the family. The first one was in September in our beloved Hilton Head and was an absolute blast. The next one will be in June and my brother will finish it off with his wedding in September. So much to look forward to! =)

This past Tuesday, Scott and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary. I lucked out with a snow day and was excited to spend more time with him (however, it ruined his plans of surprising me with roses at school…I will remind him that my birthday in March is on a Monday – hint, hint =) ). We had a great day together and enjoyed dinner at the Cheesecake Factory later that night…mmm!

This past year has definitely been the hardest on us – going from long distance for 4 years to finally being back in the same city, not to mention entering the real world and dealing with the changes/stresses that come along with it. Things are much different when you are 22/23 than when you are in high school, without a care in the world. We have overcome the obstacles that have come our way so far and I have complete faith that we will continue to do so in the future. Scott and I always say the bad times only make us stronger as a couple, and I firmly believe that. And with the bad, comes the good…and we have had a LOT of great times in our relationship. We have had 7 wonderful years together and I am excited to see where the next 7 will take us.

As for a school update, I am LOVING teaching middle school and am head over heels in love with the school where I am teaching. Everyone always asks how my first year has been, with the anticipation that I am going to say “hard” or “difficult,” but honestly it has been awesome. Sure the first month or two were pretty overwhelming, but once I got in my routine and had a little bit of an idea as to what I was doing, it was great.  My students are outgoing and always keep me laughing. I am happy to say I love what I do and enjoy waking up every morning to go to work (however, with all the delays we have been having lately due to weather, I could get used to sleeping in just a little bit more each morning =) ).

Hope everyone has been having a great start to the New Year! It’s hard to believe in just a week it will be February! Woah!

A Look Back at 2013!

Happy New Year Everyone! =)

It feels like forever since I have been on here. If you’ve noticed, my last post was in September – over three months ago! Oopsies! I kept trying to keep up with this blog, but always seemed to fall short due to my crazy/busy/wonderful new life as a big girl in the real world.

What a year 2013 has been! It was filled with lots of changes including graduating college, moving back to Louisville, living with my parents, starting my career as a teacher, and adjusting to no more long-distance with Scott (hooray!). With these transitions, I’ve experienced many ups and downs, but wouldn’t have it any other way. 2013 was a great year and the start of a new chapter in my life. Here’s a review in pictures of my most favorite memories…

[celebrated 6 wonderful years with this stud in January]

[enjoyed my last semester with these lovely ladies]

[celebrated my 22nd birthday in March (while having double pink eye) with some great friends and family]

[went to the beach with my parents for spring break]

[completed my student teaching]

[graduated in May from the University of Dayton]

[received a beautiful new car (her name is Stella) for my graduation present from my parents]

[spent a wonderful weekend at the lake in July with my best friends and celebrated Scott’s 23rd birthday]

[went on not one but TWO trips to Hilton Head this summer]

[fulfilled my life-long dream of becoming a teacher in the fall]

[went to Hilton Head for a long weekend to watch my oldest cousin get married on the beach]

[football season started which was weird and nice having Scott sitting with me, instead of seeing him on the field playing]

[enjoyed many nights out with some great people]

[spend Thanksgiving in Indy]

[got the house all ready for Christmas]

[loved my first Christmas as a teacher]

[watched Scott graduate]

[had Christmas at our house with my mom’s side of the family]

[went to Orlando to watch the Cards play in their bowl game]

[celebrated the New Year with my one and only]

Well that pretty much sums it up. It was an amazing year and I can’t wait to see what 2014 will bring! =)

Five on Friday

Here are my five favorite things from this past week:

1. Last Saturday after I got home from Hilton Head I went to Downs After Dark at Churchill Downs with some friends. For those of you that don’t know it was started a couple of years back and every summer they have night racing, usually six different Saturdays during the summer months. We had a lot of fun watching the horses!

2. I was so excited to get back and see the kids I nanny for after being away from them for a week. We had some fun in the sun playing outside in their new blow up pool!

(clearly it was sunny)

3. On Monday night a couple of my girlfriends and I went out for happy hour and pizza. It was so good catching up (plus you can’t beat beers for $1.99!!)!

4. Thursday night Scott came over and I made him dinner (I know, so domestic, right?) I made him a recipe I found on Pinterest a while back. To see the recipe go to one of my precious posts: Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

5. And the most exciting part is I leave to go back to Hilton Head today! I’m very excited to go there with Scott’s family and show them the place that has become my second home.

Happy Friday! =)

My Bedroom

Well my room (back at the parents’ house) is finally just the way I want it! Since I am entering the real world…on a teacher’s salary…I decided to move back in with mom & dad and save money, at least for the first year. Decorating is one of my passions and my bedroom has been a project of mine for the last year or so. Last summer I painted my room and re-did all of the furniture pieces. Since I’ve moved back home, I added some curtains, shelves, an over sized mirror, wall collage, and other little knick-knacks to get it just right. =)

Tips I’ve found for decorating on a budget:

1. Pick a color scheme! It’s so much easier when you have 3-5 main colors that you want to incorporate in to the design

2. DIY: Make your own art. I LOVE painting on canvases and did so with the monogram above my bed and with the quote on my dresser. Other fun ideas are to frame anything from scrapbook paper to decorative napkins to paint chips. All very inexpensive and super cute!

3. If you want a “new look,” paint old furniture that you currently own or go to a thrift store and purchase an inexpensive piece that you can re-do. It’s so much fun and allows for lots of creativity!

3. Buy fun little decorations – Hobby Lobby is fabulous! You can always find great deals and they always have a 40% off coupon that you can either print off from their website or pull up on your phone and show at checkout. (Hobby Lobby website: http://www.hobbylobby.com/weekly/weekly.cfm)

Decorating my room makes me VERY excited for the day I get to decorate my future house. But for now I will enjoy living at home with the roomies 😉

So many reasons to celebrate!

The last couple of weeks have been extremely bittersweet! I’ve experienced a lot of “lasts” and the realization that I am indeed graduating and moving on to the next chapter of my life. 

One of my first lasts was my last day of student teaching. These kids have taught me so much and helped me to become the best teacher I can possibly be. I love each and every one of them and miss them so much already!

my farewell note to my students…

…and the many notes I received back in return 🙂

This was our last day of seminar with one of my favorite professors. I still can’t believe I’m finished!

As if everything wasn’t already exciting enough, I went home last week during finals week (since I didn’t have any) and was surprised with this little beauty! This is my graduation present from my mom & dad and I couldn’t be more in love!

Graduation weekend begins…

 my loving and supportive family

 so blessed to have ALL four grandparents celebrate with me during this special weekend

 my very best friends the morning before graduation

 Scott & I

forever a flyer!

University of Dayton, Class of 2013

Such an amazing last couple of weeks it has been. I am officially a graduate of UD and couldn’t be more happy with the decision I made four years ago in deciding where to attend college. Dayton has truly become my second home and has been a place that has shaped the young woman I am today. I have made lifelong friends, had the most amazing experiences, and received an education so that I can fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher. I feel confident that I am ready for this next chapter in my life, but will never forget the wonderful memories I made these last four years. Thanks to my friends and family and especially my parents for their unconditional love and support. Next step: one last Daytona trip to celebrate! 🙂 

Spring Break Recap

So a couple weeks ago was my spring break and my parents, aunt and uncle, and I all went to our condo in Hilton Head, South Carolina. We enjoyed a week of sunshine, laying out by the pool, LOTS of delicious dinners, bike rides, and my favorite: shopping! 🙂 

Below are pictures from our wonderful week at our home away from home…

my wonderful mom & dad

dinner at the harbor 

toasting to my brother and future sister-in-law on their engagement! such exciting news we found out while on vacation! couldn’t be more excited for them 🙂 

the gorgeous harbor

aunt Sandy & uncle Kendal

sunset

momma & me

I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect spring break. It was just what I needed to relax after such a busy semester of student teaching. Now that I am well-rested I can get through these last couple of weeks and enjoy them! I dread the day I have to say good-bye to my cooperating teachers and my students! 😦

Twenty-two Things I’ve Learned at 22

Happy birthday to me! =)

Since today is the big 2-2, I decided to list twenty-two things I have learned in my 22 years of life. Here it goes…

1. Cherish each day because we are not promised tomorrow
2. Little children have the best outlook on life
3. Momma really does know best
4. Believe in your dreams with all your heart
5. When in doubt, just say a little prayer
6. No matter who comes and goes in your life, family is always there
7. Serving others feels good
8. No one is perfect
9. Life is too short to hold grudges
10. Ice cream can solve any and all problems
11. No matter how horrible a situation is, it will pass
12. Take lots of pictures
13. Complaining and negativity will get you nowhere
14. Treat everyone as you would want to be treated
15. “Don’t put God on the back burner” – Grandpa Jack
16. You can’t compare yourself to others; everyone is unique and different in their own special way
17. Sometimes you just need a good cry
18. Always be sweet, kind, and loving
19. You can’t worry about the things you can’t change
20. Surround yourself with friends that are going to lift you higher
21. Pursue a career you are passionate about and give it your all
22. Do what makes you happy =)

 

Life Update!

Life has been crazy busy lately, as usual! But it has been fantastic. I have absolutely LOVED student teaching this semester and can’t believe my last day is only five weeks away! 😦

My cooperating teachings have been phenomenal and have taught me so much. One of my favorite things that I implemented was this quick and easy version of an “exit slip”:

I put post-its on the students’ desks in the morning and at the end of class I have them write down what stuck with them from that day’s lesson. It is such a cute and easy way to see how much students actually comprehended. 

Aside from student teaching, I have also been on the job hunt! Being a teacher it’s somewhat difficult finding a job because schools don’t post openings until late spring.  I have been fortunate enough to have been in contact with some schools from home that already know open positions for next school year. I even have a job interview next Friday at one of the Catholic schools in Louisville! 🙂 AND we had a career fair today at UD where I interviewed with two school districts from Louisville. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and trying to stay proactive about completing on-line applications and keeping in contact with schools. I can’t believe the real world is quickly approaching but I couldn’t be more excited about it!

A couple of weekends ago my two best friends, Liz and Morgan, came to visit! I can’t wait until we are all living in the same city again!

And of course with senior year coming to a close, the roomies and I are trying to enjoy every second of our last year at Dayton. I have been so blessed living with these 6 amazing girls and know that we will keep in touch long after graduation. 

The wonderful St. Patty’s day was last Sunday and campus was a sea of green as usual! 

Now I’m just trying to get through this last week and a half before SPRING BREAK! I cannot wait for next Friday because my mom, dad, aunt, uncle, and I are all going to Hilton Head!! I am so unbelievably excited for this much-needed vacation and quality time spent with family. 

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day

My life has been a little crazy since the start of this semester. The first weekend back I went on a retreat with 10 other UD students to prepare to lead one of our school’s retreats called Metanoia.  The weekend after that my sorority had our recruitment and added 52 new beautiful ladies to our wonderful chapter.

Last weekend was finally the retreat that the team and I had been preparing for since November. We had an excellent turnout and everyone had a great time. It was a nice opportunity to get away from campus and connect with others on a deeper level. It helped me to put my life in perspective and realize what really is important to me.

With all of these events keeping me busy on the weekends, I have also been extremely busy during the week with student teaching. I started soloing two weeks ago which means that I have fully taken over teaching. I teach both math and language arts to my sixth grade students. It has definitely been an adjustment learning how to plan and stay organized and on top of things but I think I am starting to get the hang of it. Each day has it’s ups and downs but I really am enjoying it and couldn’t be happier with my placement. Even on the days the kids make me want to pull my hair out, I know that they really are a great class. And my cooperating teachers could not be more supportive- they have been so helpful and have really welcomed me as a part of their teaching team.

And as we all know this past week was Valentine’s Day. I was able to celebrate with my adorable little munchkins on Wednesday where we made some crafty cards for their mom and dad and for Scott.

Then on Thursday my lovely boyfriend came to visit and stayed for the weekend. We enjoyed going on a couple of dinner dates and seeing the new Nicholas Sparks movie “Safe Haven” (yep, that’s right- I convinced him to go).  I love all of his books but sometimes his movies don’t always impress me; this one however was really good and even Scott approved. We had a great weekend together and it was another reminder of how blessed I am to have someone so special in my life.

Happy SIX Year Anniversary Babe!

Scott,
Six years ago today we started dating and I could not have imagined back then all that would be in store for us. These last six years have been the best years of my life. We have shared so many wonderful memories and I have enjoyed every second of being your girlfriend. We have had our share of ups and downs but we always manage to come out on top. You have taught me so much and you push me to be the best person I can be every single day. I absolutely adore you and feel so lucky to have found you. I am so blessed God put you in my life and I can’t wait to see what our future holds. As long as I have you by my side, I know it is going to be amazing.
Love you forever & Always,
Lisa