Post Wedding Eating

Pre-Wedding Eating (This can also be called Summer Eating):
 - Whatever I want               - So many desserts!!
 - Lots of fast food               - Huge, celebratory dinners
 - Too many diet cokes


Post Wedding Eating: 
Back to my healthy eating and my main 3 items... spinach, yogurt, and water!!! 
The first new thing I attempted was baked chicken. I do not have a grill... and, obviously, fried is not the way to go.. but I do have an oven!! I looked up several recipes and knew I had a teriyaki marinade in my fridge...  So my choice was to marinate some chicken breasts and then bake them. Easiest thing ever! And tasty too! I was really worried about not cooking it all the way through; but these were pretty thin, so I think I overcooked it just a smidge. I put it over a herb risotto and just some corn! 

I've already cooked several other excellent meals. So stay tuned. 

This Just In!!!!!

I REACHED MY BVB GOAL OF RAISING $1000 DOLLARS!!!!!!

With a little over 2 weeks remaining, I have reached my minimum amount needed to play in the game! I did not think I was stressing out over it, but I just feel so relieved now that I am there! I am so grateful for all the people that donated! And it's 1000 dollars that is going to the best cause in the world. I am truly hopeful that we will find a cure one day for Alzheimer's. Until then, some of this money will go to helping the 70,000 people in the Dallas area that are affected by Alzheimer's at this very moment. Thank you to everyone; you make me feel so loved.

Here's a few pictures from practice!

Go Bru Crew!!

Pulling flags left and right!

Uhhh there's no way you're gonna catch that ball!

Interception!!

A Summer Apt

I've calculated... and I think I've stayed at my apartment for a consecutive 3 nights during this summer! I've been in and out of town, living out of suitcases, and having the time of my life. 


And if you walked in my apt.. you would know it! I'm constantly throwing clothes everywhere, trying to find where one of my two toothbrushes is located, and cramming in some arts and crafts when I have the chance! I've had zero groceries all summer and this is what my apt looked like for a solid SIX minutes when I returned home from the ranch.

It's been one of the best summers ever, even if it looks like the wicked witch of the west has been living in my apt. 

Ribbon Bouquet

I'll get to bloggin about Hannah's wedding in a bit... but first comes the ribbon bouquet I attempted to make her for her rehearsal dinner... in pictures.

The original chaos that I started with..

uhhhh.. this isn't working.

Plan B... worked much better. A toilet paper roll!

I did a base layer of purple ribbons.. all with scotch tape! Easy once I started!

Then I filled in the top with the pretty ones! With turquoise on top, duh.

How it looked when she held it!

I was so worried I would forget about it for the rehearsal dinner, but I didn't and she looked radiant carrying it down the aisle and it was only the rehearsal.

Rule 1 and Rule 2

So I have decided to completely throw out all of my rules for next year.


I hate rules; even now. So I want to get rid of the rules I have and make them plain and simple. I will have two rules that encompass everything I think you need to be successful in my classroom. Here they are:

1. Work hard and 2. Be nice. That's all we need; that's all I need my kids to remember. I am going to hang these signs above one of my white boards! I like the black background. I think it will help the rules to pop more. I also know that no other classrooms (at least in my school) have something like this. 

Are you wondering how I did it?? 

I got wood letters from Hobby Lobby and I painted them! 

It took me the longest time to decide on what colors I wanted the rules to be! Once I got the colors I started painting away... being the first child, perfectionist that I am, I made sure to get every crevice of every little curve. I then mod-podged them to the foam board. I plan on hanging them on the wall with velcro! Simple as that! 

New rules, new school year. Bring it on. 

NYC and USA

I know I said I would post about NYC... but there is no way I could possibly tell you everything we did in the short time span of 3 days! It was an incredible trip with such a fun group of people! We laughed so much I literally think my abs got a work out every day. I am going to share with you my favorite aspect of the entire trip, but first a little background. My first time to New York was June of 2002, just 9 months after the September 11th attacks. We went to ground zero and the clean up process was still in full swing; to me, it just looked like a whole lot of rubble. It was a very emotional moment as we sang "This is the Song for the Heroes" and the "Star Spangled Banner" just as a group. We, instantaneously, had a crowd and I just remember feeling so proud to be able to stand there and sing for my country. (sidenote: we did go to ground zero when I went to NY in 2006, but at that point it was just a big hole) Flash-forward to this trip in 2012. I was so excited to be able to see the work they've done on the memorial. The building looks awesome so far, especially at night. This brings me to my favorite aspect of our trip. We took a boat out to William's Wall, which is a stationary barge floating in the Hudson. We got out there around 3 pm and stayed until 9 pm. We saw the city in the light, at dusk, and when it was lit up at night. It was phenomenal and something I will never forget.

The dusk picture is taken of the New Jersey side of the Hudson.

The Group!! 

Keeping with this patriotic theme... last Sunday Caroline and I went to the World League Volleyball Semi-Finals! They happened to be at the Dallas Convention Center and my dad happened to be filming it! This is the team that will be representing the USA at the London Olympics, and it looked like it! These guys are 6"10 hitting on a 8 foot volleyball net. It is insane what they are able to block, dig, and hit. I am not gonna lie... I would be terrified! ha! It was so much fun and Caroline and I loved every second of it (we even caught a shirt!!). It was probably the best volleyball I will ever see in my life. It's a good thing the finals are in Belgium, because if they were anywhere in the US... Caroline and I would be taking a road trip!! :)