Now for the featured presentation...........
Drum role please.....
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That's right!!! It's a BOY!!!
We are elated!!!!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
What is Baby D????
A little while ago my husband and I found out what our precious little one is!!! To tell our family we had them gather for pizza and choose either a pink or a blue balloon for what they thought it is. I had previously poked holes in the color of the balloon that was NOT Baby D's gender. We told them that when they blew up the balloon, if it is a girl the pink balloon would stay inflated and the blue balloon would deflate, and visa-versa if it is a boy (the blue balloon would stay inflated and the pink balloon would deflate). It was SOO much fun!!!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
The next chapter...
Life has changed so much for me since the days I first started this blog. I have never been a "true blogger" so to say. Every once in a blue moon I will think about my small space on the World Wide Web, and then when a bluer blue moon came around I may actually post something.
In my very first post I said that this was a place for me to log some of the projects that I was creating for home and school, and I did do that (with some of them when I thought about it). The other part of that post said that this may be a place where "I tell my story as it is being written." That is what I am going to do today.
In 2010 (the birth of this blog), my husband and I had been married for slightly over a year. We were both still in college with plans to conquer the world, and to an extent we did that. The world we lived in at least. God blessed us so much as He guided us to complete everything we set out for. We have both since graduated (he multiple times, finally receiving his doctoral degree in May!!!). I was got a job teaching 3rd grade literacy at the school I interned with. We moved into our first "real" (non-campus) apartment. The next chapters to our book seemed to be logical to me... Jacob gets his dream job... We {finally} buy our own house... Eventually, we begin to start a family... And we all live happily ever after, right?
Well, any literacy teacher should know that I forgot one very important thing in my fairy tale... the problem. There is always a twist in a plot of a thrilling story. That is what makes us unable to put the book down until we relish the last few words, and my rough draft had no thrilling plot twist. Don't worry though; God was my editor and inserted for us the missing parts (for this chapter anyways).
On a whim, my husband applied for a couple of residency programs that specialize in the areas of his career he is most interested in. He was accepted! I was/am so proud of him. That same week I came down with this horrible virus that had been being passed around my classroom. So bad in fact that I willingly went to the emergency room. Let me be clear in that I have NEVER been to the hospital before (for a personal illness). I am not one who doesn't believe in them; I just know that with viruses and other non-serious illnesses they have to simply run their course. Anyways, Jacob rushes me there. I am dehydrated and have lost about 10 pounds in 9 hours. AND....... I find out I am pregnant!!!
At this point, most people probably think that I am being over dramatic, and that there is nothing taxing about any of these situations, and to be honest there really isn't. The part that makes it hard for me to swallow is that the residency program is in Florida... Miami, Florida. Still not bad at all, right? But...
We will be 20 hours away from any family, friends, and comfort.
I will be moving this far while 6 (close to 7) months pregnant.
I am very worried that I am going to have a hard time finding a new doctor because I will be so far along when we move.
I had to quit my job (of course), but his will not begin until August causing us to be without any income whatsoever for the three months prior/during the move.
This is our first child. My parents first grandchild, and the first grandchild with his families last name. I wanted more than anything to be surrounded by love and support and spoils (for Baby D of course) during this amazing time. And I know that technically we still will be, but I still can't help having a hard time being excited about this move.
God has always told us that He knows the plans he has for us. There is a reason that He is sending us to Miami right now. I just have to shut up and follow. (Much) Easier said than done. I want to be like Jonah and sail to Tarshish instead of Nineveh. Lol, but I am not so keen on being swallowed by a whale. ;) I know this is God's plan for us. There have been too many signs pointing in the same directions (and doors closing to the others) to think otherwise. I also know deep down in my heart that everything will work out perfectly, and I truly am excited for all the new adventures that we will be having. That is what we wanted when we got married isn't it? To embark on new adventures together? Well buddy, I do believe that this qualifies =-).
So, this is where I leave you. This chapter has no ending yet. The plot is still unfolding as we go along.
If you have made it this far then you deserve some type of medal for listening to the rantings of a pregnant woman outside of her comfort zone. Lol, I wish I had one for you!
Until next time,
Olivia
In my very first post I said that this was a place for me to log some of the projects that I was creating for home and school, and I did do that (with some of them when I thought about it). The other part of that post said that this may be a place where "I tell my story as it is being written." That is what I am going to do today.
In 2010 (the birth of this blog), my husband and I had been married for slightly over a year. We were both still in college with plans to conquer the world, and to an extent we did that. The world we lived in at least. God blessed us so much as He guided us to complete everything we set out for. We have both since graduated (he multiple times, finally receiving his doctoral degree in May!!!). I was got a job teaching 3rd grade literacy at the school I interned with. We moved into our first "real" (non-campus) apartment. The next chapters to our book seemed to be logical to me... Jacob gets his dream job... We {finally} buy our own house... Eventually, we begin to start a family... And we all live happily ever after, right?
Well, any literacy teacher should know that I forgot one very important thing in my fairy tale... the problem. There is always a twist in a plot of a thrilling story. That is what makes us unable to put the book down until we relish the last few words, and my rough draft had no thrilling plot twist. Don't worry though; God was my editor and inserted for us the missing parts (for this chapter anyways).
On a whim, my husband applied for a couple of residency programs that specialize in the areas of his career he is most interested in. He was accepted! I was/am so proud of him. That same week I came down with this horrible virus that had been being passed around my classroom. So bad in fact that I willingly went to the emergency room. Let me be clear in that I have NEVER been to the hospital before (for a personal illness). I am not one who doesn't believe in them; I just know that with viruses and other non-serious illnesses they have to simply run their course. Anyways, Jacob rushes me there. I am dehydrated and have lost about 10 pounds in 9 hours. AND....... I find out I am pregnant!!!
At this point, most people probably think that I am being over dramatic, and that there is nothing taxing about any of these situations, and to be honest there really isn't. The part that makes it hard for me to swallow is that the residency program is in Florida... Miami, Florida. Still not bad at all, right? But...
We will be 20 hours away from any family, friends, and comfort.
I will be moving this far while 6 (close to 7) months pregnant.
I am very worried that I am going to have a hard time finding a new doctor because I will be so far along when we move.
I had to quit my job (of course), but his will not begin until August causing us to be without any income whatsoever for the three months prior/during the move.
This is our first child. My parents first grandchild, and the first grandchild with his families last name. I wanted more than anything to be surrounded by love and support and spoils (for Baby D of course) during this amazing time. And I know that technically we still will be, but I still can't help having a hard time being excited about this move.
God has always told us that He knows the plans he has for us. There is a reason that He is sending us to Miami right now. I just have to shut up and follow. (Much) Easier said than done. I want to be like Jonah and sail to Tarshish instead of Nineveh. Lol, but I am not so keen on being swallowed by a whale. ;) I know this is God's plan for us. There have been too many signs pointing in the same directions (and doors closing to the others) to think otherwise. I also know deep down in my heart that everything will work out perfectly, and I truly am excited for all the new adventures that we will be having. That is what we wanted when we got married isn't it? To embark on new adventures together? Well buddy, I do believe that this qualifies =-).
So, this is where I leave you. This chapter has no ending yet. The plot is still unfolding as we go along.
If you have made it this far then you deserve some type of medal for listening to the rantings of a pregnant woman outside of her comfort zone. Lol, I wish I had one for you!
Until next time,
Olivia
Saturday, August 4, 2012
DIY Class Rug
Ever since having my own classroom became a reality I have been drooling over super adorable rugs to give it that cozy "home away from home" feeling. Unfortunately, my just out of college budget along with my husbands still attending Physical Therapy school budget meant that those dreams would still remain entrapped in my pillow...
So I did what any right minded female would do and hit up Pinterest. I had seen many pins and blog posts before about painting a rug, but I was never sure of how it would turn out so I passed them by. However, after finding a bland $24 rug at Lowe's images started flooding back into my mind....
I don't have an exact link to where I got the tutorial from because to be honest I looked up about a million (possible slight exaggeration). All you have to do is search DIY rug and you will have all the resources you need.
I picked up some spray fabric paint and Scotch fabric protector from Hobby Lobby (I already had painters tape) and was on my way. Now, because I'm anal retentive I had to make a sketch to scale of the width of the tape I used (about 2") before I created my designed on my rug. I highly recommend this step because it saves the time of pulling up tape a gazzillion times over.
*hint* It is no exaggeration when said that painters tape will have a hard time sticking to the rug. Just put it down best you can and spray the paint directly above appointed area.
I had a blast making this, and I plan on making another one for my desk area (this one is for the library), and updating the one I have in my craft room already!!!
So many possibilities! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.
Until Next Time,
Olivia
So I did what any right minded female would do and hit up Pinterest. I had seen many pins and blog posts before about painting a rug, but I was never sure of how it would turn out so I passed them by. However, after finding a bland $24 rug at Lowe's images started flooding back into my mind....
I don't have an exact link to where I got the tutorial from because to be honest I looked up about a million (possible slight exaggeration). All you have to do is search DIY rug and you will have all the resources you need.
I picked up some spray fabric paint and Scotch fabric protector from Hobby Lobby (I already had painters tape) and was on my way. Now, because I'm anal retentive I had to make a sketch to scale of the width of the tape I used (about 2") before I created my designed on my rug. I highly recommend this step because it saves the time of pulling up tape a gazzillion times over.
*hint* It is no exaggeration when said that painters tape will have a hard time sticking to the rug. Just put it down best you can and spray the paint directly above appointed area.
I had a blast making this, and I plan on making another one for my desk area (this one is for the library), and updating the one I have in my craft room already!!!
So many possibilities! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.
Until Next Time,
Olivia
Friday, August 3, 2012
Books, books, books, books... Oh! More books
Do you ever have that feeling that as you are digging a hole the dirt is falling right back down so you're getting nowhere? Yah. That's how I feel about my classroom at the moment.
I am so fortunate to have great teacher mentors in my life, and one provided me with her entire library (over 2500 books!) which is absolutely fabulous and a true God send (before I had maybe 10 books to fill this reading teachers shelves). The only problem I am having is organizing all of these books :/ It is what I have been doing all week and it still looks like a mess.
But it will get there. As will the rest of the classroom, and I'm sure it will look much better with eager third graders in it.
That's all I have for tonight (because I haven't been doing much of anything else lol). I do have a couple posts of some things I have made for my room that will be up shortly.
Until next time,
Olivia
I am so fortunate to have great teacher mentors in my life, and one provided me with her entire library (over 2500 books!) which is absolutely fabulous and a true God send (before I had maybe 10 books to fill this reading teachers shelves). The only problem I am having is organizing all of these books :/ It is what I have been doing all week and it still looks like a mess.
But it will get there. As will the rest of the classroom, and I'm sure it will look much better with eager third graders in it.
That's all I have for tonight (because I haven't been doing much of anything else lol). I do have a couple posts of some things I have made for my room that will be up shortly.
Until next time,
Olivia
Monday, July 23, 2012
Celebrations of Terror
Drum Roll Please...................
I received a call around 8:30 pm a couple weeks ago informing me that I am an official 3rd Grade Literacy teacher!!! YAY
And I can honestly say that the nightmares started that night.
"Oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into....!"
"I am responsible for the education of 50 students....!!"
"What if I can't reach them....!!!"
"What if I miss out on what they really need to know....!!!!"
AAAAHHHH
Needless to say I am secretly terrified (though not so secret at this point) Lol. Don't get me wrong. I know with all my heart this is what I am meant to do. I have never felt so comfortable as I have with my students in a classroom. It's just a little a LOT nerve racking for it to be MY classroom this time.
God has blessed me so much to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of teachers. I know they will be my support lifeline throughout this year.
Walking into my classroom for the first time this is what I saw:
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Now, being a person who thrives on organization this slightly overwhelms me, but I have been working on it and will hopefully have some finished pictures soon enough. Even my wonderful husband has been up there helping me =-)!
Until Next Time
Olivia
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Great Pinterest Hunt!
Have you heard of it? There is a scavenger hunt going on on Pinterest! Pretty cool huh? It is sponsored by The ScrapBox and you can find all the details at IHeartOrganizing. Go check it out and join in on the fun!
Olivia
Monday, July 9, 2012
Splish Splash
I spent almost 7 weeks staying with my Grandmother in Louisiana earlier this summer. The great part about it is that I was able to see my family for more than just two days (the last time I was able to do that was when I lived there in jr. high and early high school). My Granny shares a lot of land with my cousin (and her family), and they both live across the street from my aunt.
They all live right down the street from the first house that I have ever lived in *the house my father built*. The same people live in it now who bought it from us when we moved away to Memphis, TN all those years ago. It was almost a surreal feeling to drive past it every day.
Anyways *exiting off Memory Lane*, I had some fun times with all my little cousins, and I was able to scrapbook a few of those while I was there. *There are more to come now that I am home too*
This particular layout is my first shot at making a two page layout:
After a series of extremely hot day the kiddos were getting a little stir crazy, so out came the slip and slide!
I added some stitching and journaling after the pictures were taken, just to add some spice. The accents and pattern paper are from Imaginisce Animal Crackers collection. The ribbon is some I had in my stash (I'm not positive where it is from).
In other news, I am trying to decide on a theme for my classroom. I really kind of want to go with a travel/adventure theme; however, I want it to focus on world travel not just the USA, and I don't want the emphasis to be on transportation (which is what almost every thing I look at for this theme focuses on). So, I am trying my hand in making my own cutesy classroom theme printables that you see all over the teacher blogs and websites. We shall see how this turns out. If you have any suggestions that would help with any aspect of this I would love to hear it (through email, comment, whatever).
I believe that is all I have for you now (mostly because watching Rachel Ray while I am typing this is making me hungry).
Until Next Time:
Olivia
They all live right down the street from the first house that I have ever lived in *the house my father built*. The same people live in it now who bought it from us when we moved away to Memphis, TN all those years ago. It was almost a surreal feeling to drive past it every day.
Anyways *exiting off Memory Lane*, I had some fun times with all my little cousins, and I was able to scrapbook a few of those while I was there. *There are more to come now that I am home too*
This particular layout is my first shot at making a two page layout:
After a series of extremely hot day the kiddos were getting a little stir crazy, so out came the slip and slide!
I added some stitching and journaling after the pictures were taken, just to add some spice. The accents and pattern paper are from Imaginisce Animal Crackers collection. The ribbon is some I had in my stash (I'm not positive where it is from).
In other news, I am trying to decide on a theme for my classroom. I really kind of want to go with a travel/adventure theme; however, I want it to focus on world travel not just the USA, and I don't want the emphasis to be on transportation (which is what almost every thing I look at for this theme focuses on). So, I am trying my hand in making my own cutesy classroom theme printables that you see all over the teacher blogs and websites. We shall see how this turns out. If you have any suggestions that would help with any aspect of this I would love to hear it (through email, comment, whatever).
I believe that is all I have for you now (mostly because watching Rachel Ray while I am typing this is making me hungry).
Until Next Time:
Olivia
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