Catching up on pictures from Destin...

Anderson with her penguin from Royal B's


Seaside


Eating ice at Bud & Allie's


Baytowne

Well, I got my new computer! I can now post pictures from my phone, but I can't find my cord to my real camera, so I have to either find the right cable or buy a card reader.

This picture is the only one I took the day of Christmas at Camden...Anderson, of course! It was crazy, and I was running around like a crazy person. The kids were so excited, and we were so glad that it was the last day of the semester!


These are the few pictures I took of Christmas on my phone. I took way more with my camera, so hopefully I can post those soon.

Slightly ridiculous, yes!




Rebecca was explaining how different Anderson's dirty diapers are now that she is finally eating baby food (peas for the last few days).

Yay for 60% days!!!

This semester has been crazy! My poor computer died (or has a bug or something...) so blogging has not been one my of priorities. I have been using a laptop from school and pictures won't load right, so I gave up.

Thank goodness that tomorrow starts Christmas Break! The kids are leaving at 11:30, and we get to leave right after them. I'll try to post pics of our Christmas at Camden project going on tomorrow morning. We have several companies that have adopted each class, and they are bringing a gift to every student at CES! This is our 3rd year to do this, and is probably my favorite day of the year! The older kids have it figured out I think, but we lied to them and told them that the wish list they filled out last month was just a survey for the high school kids' project. They might have fallen for it...we'll see tomorrow.

After I leave school, I'm off to shop. I have only bought 3 presents (and 2 are for Anderson!), but I KNOW what I'm buying, so that should make it easier. Unfortunately, the places I have to go are scattered all over town, so it'll probably take a while. My goal is not to have to get out at all on Christmas Eve, but I always forget something and am running around like a chicken with my head cut off (I always have to explain this expression to my students...not pleasant!). Oh well, we'll see... and rumor has it that Santa is bringing me a new computer for Christmas, so maybe I can keep up with my poor abandoned blog more often!

Ok, happy, Rebecca?!?!

world's worst blogger...

...would be the award I would get. Yes, yes, over a month, I know (as my super-blogger sister reminds me!). Of course Rebecca has a little more to blog about than I do. Everyone would much rather read sweet little Anderson's posts and see funny pictures of her than read about my boring life.

Let's see...we started school, my kids are well, um, I'll say "interesting" for lack of a more appropriate word (one has already gone to alternative school!), and I've been totally exhausted for the past month. We're talking major dark circles! I would show you a picture, but you all know by now (all 4 of you that read my blog) that I don't do pictures. Every year I keep thinking that I'm going to be caught up, feel comfortable with what I'm teaching, but they have to keep changing it up. I guess they want us to earn the big bucks they are paying us...ha. This year not only did they change the math framework and let us know that the state test (MCT) is going to be much more difficult, but I also have to teach health one day a week! This may not sound bad, but when I'm already worried about the math test and science test, and they haven't given us any curriculum, this means more time looking for activities! Leah, don't forget your promise to come talk to my class (maybe even twice!)!!!

Anyway, since I'm sure you're bored out of your mind reading all of that, here are some pictures of Andie and JP that I've managed to take. All of these are from my phone, so they are not great quality, but they are pictures of the cutest kids in the world! Enjoy!

Anderson had SO much fun at Mark & Amanda's reception!

Anderson & her cousin Erin watching "The Singing Bee"

First time in her exersaucer...that thing was in a million pieces!

Apparently, my phone doesn't resemble a camera, because John Parker actually smiled!

Okay, maybe he figured it out by this point!

Turning 30...

is not so bad when you have a fun surprise party! My parents and sister threw me a great one Tuesday night. I only thought that I was getting to babysit Anderson! They are pretty sneaky and everybody lied to me a lot, but Michael says that it's okay to lie if it's a surprise party. Anyway, my family and friends were awesome to go to all of the trouble of braving the heat and cooking out at Patrick the Pavilion (see Rebecca's page for explanation). They were sweet enough to bring gifts, too. Of course the most exciting was an iPhone from my parents! I was so surprised (even though I have been talking about it ALL summer (obsessively)!!
I got other really cool things, too, like gift cards, candles, Tervis tumblers, picture frames, earrings. Anderson went ALL out! I'm thinking that she really takes after her mama, because she is so thoughtful and loves to give gifts as much as get them!!! She also wore her new cupcake outfit for me!

Amanda used her new scrapbook room at their new apartment in Hazlehurst to decorate a paint can for me. I'm going to use it to put my bribes, I mean candy, in at school! I haven't loaded pictures of that yet, but I'll get those up soon! She is just TOO creative! Leah, John Parker, and I went over there yesterday to help her unpack and wash kitchen stuff. She has the den looking really cute. I took these with my iPhone camera...

End of summer...

Not much has been going on since we got back from Gulf Shores. Leah has been working during the week, so I've gotten to hang out with John Parker a lot. I had to go to school last Wednesday and Thursday to look at our new curriculum, and I'm already stressed out! So now I'm a little sad that this is the last week of summer. It seems to have flown by! Of course, it doesn't help that this is also the last day of my twenties. That was really weird to think about this morning! Tomorrow I'll be 30!!! Yikes... I keep thinking that I haven't really done everything that I expected to have done by 30. Oh, well, at least I have read the whole Harry Potter series...haha! Here are some pictures of John Parker. I'm sure I'll have some new ones of Anderson tomorrow. I'm babysitting for her tonight, so I'm hoping to get some cute ones. We have to work on getting some good ones of them together soon!

I LOVE my fingers!

What? Do I have something on my face?

AHA!! I found the thumb!

This was from the morning that I kept both of them. It reminded me of working in the baby room at Colonial Heights Daycare...except there I had 5 at at time! (of course, I WAS a bit younger then!)

The Beach Wedding

This week we have been in Gulf Shores for Mark and Amanda's wedding. At 11:00 yesterday morning, it was storming so bad that tents were literally tumbling down the beach, and The Weather Channel reported that it was going to get worse throughout the day! But by 3:00 it was actually sunny again, and as you can see, the weather was perfect for a beach wedding!! Amanda looked beautiful, and even during the worst of the storm, she stayed calm. It was a sweet intimate wedding, and I'm so glad I got to be there. Here are some "unofficial" pictures that I took. Amanda's friend Jenny took pictures, so I'm sure that Amanda will post those on her blog soon!Thank you Lord...our prayers were answered and the storm disappeared!


Mark seeing Amanda in her dress for the first time




The Wedding Party


The Smith Family









You may kiss the bride!


The Sand Ceremony...very sweet!


Yes, yes...actually a picture of me. Leah gave me the ultimatum of having my picture taken with John Parker then or the next day in my bathing suit...

Last day at the beach...

I'm so sad that we have to leave tomorrow, but I do miss Anderson and John Parker. I forgot that I had these on my camera from Anderson's last day here. We were sitting out on the balcony watching the boats in the harbor while the rest of the family took a pontoon boat out.

This is right after they dropped Mimi off and picked Rebecca up.