Baby Shower for Mac

We can't wait for Baby Mac, Jack's cousin, to get here! He's due at the end of May and it can't get here fast enough! This past weekend, we through a shower for Aunt V. It was lots of fun!!

The theme was "Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails, That is What Little Boys are Made of..."

On Friday night, Tim and his buddies entered their homebrew at Foam Fest (a fundraiser for Arthritis Foundation). They won FIRST PLACE People's Choice! They're quite proud of themselves (as they should be).

st. pattys day

We had a blast at the Irish Channel St. Patty's Day parade. We love our family so much!!!!

6.28.11-summer equals...

Playing catch up. Wow. I have been SLACKING on updating this blog with pictures!!

Squirrels Gone Wild Spring Kickball!!

V's Lingerie Shower, April 16, 2011 (Midsummer Night's Dream Theme):

Baby Olive is very interesting to Miss Pip...

Sign in to V's Lingerie Shower

Decorations...

Food table:

V's Bachelorette Shower, April 1-2, 2011:

We dressed up for the occasion. ;)

Cheesy Games...

Oops! She got dizzy! ;)

Our trooper. Cup says, "Bachelorette Parties are NO FUN when you're Preggo!!"

The group:

Bride-to-be at the Races (she hated that veil until she figured out it equals free drinks)

V made a friend (and shared her tiara)

The group at the races...

9th Annual BUG BASH, April 30, 2011:

Girls Pic!!

Boys setting up baggo:

Whatcha doin' bubba?

John John!

Mama opening her Mother's Day Gift:

5.23.11

So, I have 10 school days left until the summer, and let me tell you...I CAN'T WAIT! I've been overwhelmed learning the ends and outs of end-of-year band concerts, choir concerts, open houses, dance concerts, academic awards...you name it. It has been a truly challenging experience, and I can't say I've loved it all. I thank God that I have such a supportive department of co-workers that let me ask a bajillion questions, cry, complain or just reach hysterical laughter through these past three weeks and supportive friends and family. ESPECIALLY, I thank God for my supportive (and understanding) husband, since I haven't been home in about three weeks until 8 or 9 at night. I promise hubby, the kitchen will get cleaned someday...

10 more days. I have my Stage 2 kids fixing up and cleaning the auditorium, getting it ready for the summer, so I don't have to. :) More poor little Stage 1 kids keep getting the boot out of the auditorium, so they may or may not finish this year's final lesson plan. =/

On another note...in just two weeks, my baby sister will say "I Do." How exciting is that?!?! In honor of Miss V's upcoming nuptials, here are a few pictures of some of her "leading up to the day" revelry:

Here are the hostesses of V's lingerie shower and V...

The attendees (well, the ones that came to the race track) of V's bachelorette party. SO MUCH FUN!!

A Moogie and her daughters at Oaklawn.

5.10.11

So, I just turned in my last assignment of my last class of grad school. YAY! Hopefully, my professors think my work is passable. ;) All I have left now is to wait, wait, wait for scores to be released. I'm waiting for scores from two huge projects, two small projects and then the BIG (final written) test for Praxis. I should (hopefully) know everything by Friday, May 20th. If you feel it in your heart, I'd appreciate any good thoughts of PASS, PASS, PASS (and if you feel really ambitious, A's and a score of 184!). Dream big, right? I'd love to finish this program with a 3.8. I can't score a 4.0 because I opted to take a "B" last Spring--as there was an assignment (BIG PROJECT) due on April 23rd. My professor gave us the option of completing the project for an "A" or not completing the project and taking a "B." For my sanity, my mother, sister and husband's sanity, I opted for the "B." LOL.

On deck: I have dress rehearsals beginning tomorrow for our Spring Dance Concert (I'm heading up the technical side, with an AWESOME crew). Then...Monday is the high school band concert, Tuesday is a middle school concert, Thursday is a middle school open house, Saturday and Sunday I have a rental (dance recital)...then AHHHHH....so much to get done for V's wedding (especially the bridesmaids' gift). So much to do, so little time. As my Facebook page appropriately stated today: "FIVE WEEKS LEFT." What's five weeks? June 7. Last day of school. No more rentals. No more assemblies. No more concerts. No more UALR. Just two months of completing home projects (because my poor little house has been seriously neglected).

Please don't take any of this as complaining. It's simply an explanation as to why this blog is still being seriously neglected. Thank goodness it doesn't need to be fed and watered! I honestly look at my life and wouldn't change a second of it. I love what I am doing and look forward to growing and becoming a strong part of the Drama department at NLRHS. I work with incredible people and can't wait for 2011-2012 (but, don't get me wrong, I really have no need to rush through summer, LOL). I thank God every day for the blessings He has bestowed upon my life. Every. single. day.

To end this post, thought I'd share with you the Mother's Day present we got Mama this year. I think we outdid ourselves, there is NO WAY we can top this for awhile (I'm thinking probably not until we can give her grandchildren to spend Mother's Day with, honestly).

4.29.11

Wow. Time is still flying. I'm at home studying, I have to take a big test in the morning, so of course, I'm procrastinating right now. What better time to blog, right? ;)

Tim and I celebrated our year anniversary last Sunday. This year, we got to share our anniversary with Easter, one of my most favorite holidays. We went to Dallas to spend time with the in-laws. Cherie and her crew and MawMaw El came to Dallas, too. It was a full house, but so much fun! It was nice to spend time with the family.

Give me a couple of more weeks, and I promise I'll get back to being a good blogger. Til then, just know I miss my blog, I really do, but I just run out of time and/or energy at the end of the day.

Here is our cake one year later. Let me tell you--after all the horror stories we heard about cake a year later, we were a bit skeptical. No need. It was still as fantastic as it was on our wedding day a year ago! Yummy cake!

day 17 thru day 36....OOPS.

To put this as lady like as possible--I have been getting my booty handed to me these days. I am so terribly sorry I have been neglecting the blog, I sure do hope you forgive me. I plan to pick up the 19 days I have missed posting, but honestly, it may not be until this summer, when I have free time. Until then, please know that I am very thankful for the blessings in my life each and every day. For my wonderful family, friends, pup, career, opportunities, fun, etc.

What have I been doing these past couple of weeks? (Pictures to follow in later posts)

Bachelorette Party
Rentals at my auditorium
Studying for yet another Praxis exam (this is the last written one!!!!)
Showers for Veronica
Wrapping up my FINAL semester at UALR
Lesson plans/prep for my classes
Got new furniture for the kitchen (new table and a china cabinet)

Our neighborhood escaped the last leg of terrible storms (thank goodness!), though, they're telling us to get prepared for more bad weather tonight, and periodically the rest of this week. They are not joking about April showers this season! Maybe it means we'll have a cooler summer?!?!

So this isn't a completely boring post--here is a pic of some of my worker bees, lol:

no worries, mon

Seriously...no worries, mon. We were in our own little paradise for seven days with NO KNOWLEDGE of the crime sprees happening in Kingston. No worries, we're home safe and sound and had no clue that a drug lord was running around town bombing police stations with mortar bombs. The only thing that caught my attention the whole week we were there was--on Friday, the military showed up outside our resort's gates and stayed there all day. Being from a military background, I didn't put as much thought into it as I should have--but like I said, we're all back--safe and sound, relaxed and wishing we could go back tomorrow!! It was so perfect!

I promise I'll post pictures very soon. I have TONS of them!!

Just wanted to let blog land know we're here--back in good ol' Rock Town...

P.S. I'm now officially a Raff gal after driving around town ALL DAY long. :)