Adventure #28: School Spirit Week

This week is School Spirit Week- the kids get to dress up everyday in different themes. I loved these days when I was little- and I still do!!

Monday: Crazy Color Day!!

Tuesday: Red, White, and Blue Day! My partner in crime was home sick today :( So no picture with her, but here are the super cool new wrist bands from Legacy Traditional School!!

Wednesday: Career Day! I already get to dress up for the career of my dreams everyday, so Ashley and I did a little brainstorming and decided that when we were 6 like our students, we always thought it would be really cool to be Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen! So that's exactly what we did :)

Thursday: Western Day! My favorite cowgirl- and the winner of the dress-up contest for the day :)

Friday: 80's day/Field day/Half-day!! It was a busy day- field day in the morning which meant chasing 24 1st graders from one side of the school to the other in the hot Arizona sun then wrapping it all up with a trip down the waterslide- no black eye this time thankfully! Then we had a little extra time since it was a half day so Ashley and I painted the townspeople booths for the musical :)

Adventure #27: Aladdin Sets and Easter Pizza!

Number of meetings about the musical/set this week: 4
Number of 2 x 4's bought at Lowe's: 58
Number of screws, nuts and bolts bought: probably 100s
Number of cardboard tubes painted: 4
Number of backdrop frames constructed: 6
Number of staples put into canvas: probably 100s
Number of hours spent in a parent's garage and driveway builing a set: 8
Number of trips to Lowe's this weekend alone: 8
Having the backdrops ready to paint and lined up in the gym: priceless


It was a long weekend of set building! Ashley and I were a little concerned about how we were going to get the set together as we really had no idea how to do it. We do not have any power tools, or any idea how to use them and we had an idea of what we wanted to construct but no idea how to actually build it. But thankfully there are a few wonderful parents at our school who took their Friday night/Saturday to guide us. We built 6 beautiful frames that will be used as backdrops for our play. We are so proud of them and so happy with how they turned out! I'll have to take a picture of them now that we have canvas on them and they stand up nicely- they look awesome! It was a long weekend, but it was so worth it to have that weight lifted off our shoulders. One thing crossed off the checklist, only a couple 100 more to go :)


Happy Easter, by the way! It was a little bittersweet to celebrate it today. This is the first real holiday I have spent away from my family since moving down here and it was a little sad. I missed hanging out with my family eating and enjoying their company and of course watching (okay participating in) the Easter egg hunt and the hunt for Easter baskets on Sunday morning. But we made the best of it! Ashley made a wonderful homemade pizza and we decided to start our own traditions. This is the part of being a grown up that is a little scary and weird, but its good to! All a part of growing up! I hope you all had a wonderful day enjoying Easter with your family and remembering the wonderful gift Jesus gave us so many years ago when He died on the cross and then defeated death and the grave so we could be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with Him in heaven!

Adventure #26: The Things That Make Me Smile :)

This week was a good week. It went by quickly- they all do it seems like. The weather was goregous at the beginning of the week and has gotten a little chiller towards the end of the week, but its kind of nice to have a change. My kids were awesome, especially the second half of this week. They got their work done and did it quietly and the first time they were asked :) And as I thought about all this, I thought about all the things that have made me smile this week- some of them are big, some are little, but everyone has brought joy to my life. So I thought I'd share a glimpse with you!


Beautiful flowers delivered to school- causing some fascinating conversations with my kids :) Thanks Travis!

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My crazy, amazing roommate- who got ENGAGED on Tuesday! I'm so happy for her and Steve and a little sad that we don't get to be roommates any more, but trying not to think about that part and focus on the exciting parts- like helping plan her wedding :)

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Random conversations about life with my kids. Sometimes they come up and ask me the most random questions or just want to chat- I treasure these moments!

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Watching all my students sprawled out on the grass reading books with their fourth grade buddies. Listening to them laugh and enjoy the sun and a chance to do something a little bit different is something that never fails to bring a smile to my face!


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Having a sleepover with a friend. I'm 21 and have a job and an apartment and bills to pay, but there's nothing like a sleepover-hanging out with friends, eating good food, staying up late talking in bed about this that and the other thing! Becca- you're welcome anytime! :)

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Ice cream with two cuties. Joey is the son of one of our secretaries and we took his sister and Lexi and one of the other staff kid girls out for ice cream last week. Today was his turn and he and Reese kind of secretly like each other- it was adorable to watch them interact. And how can you not smile at an ice cream covered face :)

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Life isn't always wonderful. There are days where I am exhausted and have a million and a half things to do and a half hour to do them in. But when I stop and look around me, I am so blessed. I have a family and friends that love me. I have a job that I love going to everyday. I have a car and clothes and food. I see the sun shine almost everyday. So many things, big and small, that make me smile :)