It's been a good Sunday...

Overall, today has been very productive and nice. A few things have been accomplished, such as work laundry, dishes, and plans for the school week.

I am now placed on the couch after a relaxing day. What's great is that it's not even 9 p.m., so we're going to be in bed before 9:30 p.m.! As I think about the day and how well it went, I realize that not only do I enjoy my job, but I also enjoy the schedule of things in life. I like that each week I can look forward to Friday (oh so much), relax or have some fun on Saturday, and sleep in on Sunday a little, knowing it's a "lesson-planning day." It's also fun to think that every lesson I plan and every piece of literature I read is going to help me in the future. Each year I teach, the easier it's going to be on my evening (at least I'm thinking this will be the case). Once we have children, we should both have a good grip on our lessons and be able to not be so stressed in the evenings before the next work day.

Speaking of children, I heard something on House Hunters this evening that made me kind of excited. There was a family with three children, one of them named "Clover." Justin and I gasped, looking at each other. We couldn't believe we actually saw a child name Clover for the first time! It's not completely unheard of! Now, I should back up. Did I tell you all that "Clover" is Justin's #1 favorite name for a girl? I was a bit hesitant at first, but it began to grow on me over the months. Anyway, I hate to say such a secret this early, but you never know, if I have a girl, I might just name her Clover. Chloe for short, if necessary. I like it; it's darn cute.

In other news, the weather has been feeling a little cooler lately, and it's reminding me of the short time I have left to enjoy the pool, but it excites me about the fall season.

Unfortunately, these are things I will miss about summer:

swimming

sunroof and open windows

tank tops/short shorts

flip flops (tear)

days off

warm weather

traveling

energy to talk on the phone more

visiting friends

lemonade

Panera's strawberry salad

However, these are things that excite me about fall:

boots
apple festivals
street festivals
windows down in my house
bonfires
hoodies
crisp air
blue sky
colors
football games
cuddling
taking pictures
new nephew
hot chocolate
food

first fall as husband and wife

That last one is particularly exciting. I hope you all have a great week! Maybe you'll actually hear from me this time... if not, I tend to write on Sundays. :)

Mixed Feelings

Before I begin speaking about school (the time has come!), I have to begin by saying how absolutely gorgeous the weather is right now. I have windows open, and I'm listening to the bugs and birds of the trees. It's just great!

I've been at work for a little over a week now for teacher work days. Tomorrow is the first day of school, and I'm as ready as I'll ever be! I'm excited to get started at a new school, but I'm also a bit overwhelmed about switching school systems, learning new grading tools, and prepping for over three classes. However, with that said, I am still very excited to get going. I need the energy and happiness!

It's going to be quite a year because J is starting his first year teaching. I've only had half of one year under my belt, but for him, it's allll new. This is great because I can be there for him, but it's going to definitely add that extra stress to our (first year of) marriage. Luckily, J is the glass-totally-full kind of guy, and for that I am so thankful. We will work together to get through, and I'm sure the year will, in a way, fly by. The weekends from now on will probably consist of pajama lounging, hang-outs with friends, and planning more than ever. To be honest, weekends are kind of fun like that :)

Have a great week(end)! Talk to you soon, hopefully.

The school year is just around the corner...

I started work on Friday. Since then, I've been organizing all of my school papers from last year, and it is a much larger job than expected! Surprisingly enough, I did keep most of my papers in order from last year -- I have an 11th grade notebook and a 12th grade -- however, the few papers (okay, small pile) that I threw into a box and didn't organize...is now taking up all of my time. Thank God I had some of it organized!

I'm pretty excited because, although I have a lot to learn and gather, I have a good little bit of information to use with my classes this year. I have 11th and 12th grade notebooks filled with a chronological order of ideas and paperwork for the year. I'm going to add activities and journals to it this year. I also have a good number of reading help books, which is super. I have old textbooks that I might be able to use for reference (old school was giving old books away, so I gladly took some!). Lastly, I have my syllabai and other project materials from last year that I can simply edit and re-use.

This year is new for me because I will have three preps. Last year, I had two, and that was enough to keep me busy through the night.

Among other things, I know that this year is going to be very, very busy with J and I both beginning our first full year of teaching (I'm a little ahead because of my half-year). It's also going to be interesting because it's our first full year of marriage together as a true couple (I already notice differences between dating/living together and marriage-they're not bad differences, just new). This will be the first full year of car payments, which is completely new to both of us, but hopefully worth it. And, it is the first full year of living in our first "home" -- or, townhome, but it's much better than an apartment! I should also mention that it will be the first baby between my friend D and I--she's due in November! Crazy.

Ah, to think of everything new is so exciting. I know that on my weak days, I'm going to feel very overwhelmed and probably break down, but thank God for sweet family and friends to keep me going--and my babies.

I hope every one of you are happy and healthy, and I wish you luck as your start your year -- or continue the year! I'll continue to keep you posted on new happenings and daily mishaps and joys.

Beach 2011

Justin and I made our way to the beach this past weekend, and it was wonderful. We enjoyed a one-night stay at a great hotel on the ocean. On Sunday after we played in the water, we had dinner on the bay (amazing). The next morning, we got up to watch the sunrise at 5:50 a.m., then played (yes, "played") in the ocean for another few hours before leaving. It was great, and we got to drive the smooth new car! I figured out the last time I went to the beach was in '07, so it was much needed. I didn't bring my good camera, but here are some pictures from the phone:

I found a CAR & other happenings...

I ended up with a beautiful candy-apple Toyota Camry, and I couldn't be happier. It is just so...smooth, and it's the perfect shade of red. It's got great tinted windows, a sunroof, heated seats, leather, and more. I never thought I'd be driving something so nice, but we got a good deal on it, and it is perfect for our use. It's large in the back seat, so it will be great to have for children and trips (and yes, it works for the dog!). The trunk is huge. The car is a great Sedan for our future family, and hopefully that's how long it will last! I have the rest of my life to upsize in cars (kids, more dogs, who knows!), but for now, I'll stick with the sweet, red Camry.

Other than car shopping, I've been keeping busy. I went kayaking yesterday with a bunch of J's family. It was great! However, I am super sore today because we spent 4 hours paddling down a river. I ended up on a canoe with my sister-in-law (after her husband had to try to kayak;), and when the river got more shallow, we just kept getting stuck. It was hilarious because we both just started rocking back and forth furiously in hopes to get off the rock. I'm sure it was a sight. Along the trip, we also came across a rope swing from a tall tree leading into the water. After Jen did it twice (painfully lol), I had to try. Well, turns out we both sucked at it, because I also ungracefully fell into the water. She and I just didn't have the wrist/arm strength to hold on very long. Oh well! At least I did it. I was scared to death because I hate the heights.

Today, I went with my bf Dana to her baby appointment. I got to hear the heartbeat, so that was fantastic. We went to Target (always a good time), and had Taco Bell for lunch -- totally random, but the pregnant woman gets what she wants! I gotta say, the chicken with avacado (?) taco was really, really good. I then went to babysit my beautiful niece with Jen. We had a blast! We took her to the pool to "kick kick kick!" She's such a sweet little girl.

Tomorrow I'm going wine tasting with Jen, and I'm really looking forward to it. I've only been wine tasting once, and it's always neat to try all the different types.

It's my last full week of break before I start work, and so far so good! I'm excited and nervous about the job, but I'm hoping it will go really well all year.