Let Summer Begin!

Wow...I can't believe it's summer.  This school year has flown by (and I'm sorry I haven't been posting as often as I would have liked).  The end of school came and went in a flash and I am now just sitting down to write.  School let out a week ago and I can't believe everything that has gone on.  To do a brief recap the last week of school was fun because I had some major surprises I did not know about.

Getting into their team spirit :)

8th Grade graduation was bittersweet for me and I know I will miss them all.  I was able to see the Talent Show and participate in the "End of School Bash" with the middle schoolers.  My surprise was that my section leaders and assistants all sang a song to me (which I was unaware of) and could not have been more surprised.  They did a fabulous job and looking around, I saw all my kids that I love dearly.  I was able to spend extra time with them and talk to them as they went down the slip-n-slide and got all soapy.  I was also able to spend some time with them the last day of school which was Field Day.  Instead of being covered in water...I got covered in mud this year :)  They're lucky I love them!

How muddy they got...and thanks to them I was muddy as well :)

I also had a job interview last week PLUS a demo lesson this week for the same district which I am just waiting to hear back from :) It's been one whirlwind of a couple weeks and am very thankful to be spending the summer with friends and family :)   Hoping to make a trip to Tennessee once this summer :)

My extremely muddy 6th graders

Top events the past two weeks:
1. Sing in church and get to know more people through band practice
2. Voice lessons...adding new students :)
3. Interview and Demo lesson going well
4. 8th Grade Graduation and seeing the 8th grade song go over so well :)
5. Lots of cards, emails, and gifts from students and parents
6. Surprise song dedicated to me at the Talent Show
7. Having pictures and videos to remember the song sent by parents and colleagues
8. Field day and feeling the sense of "closure" as I emptied my rooms

9. Spending Father's Day in the city to see "Godspell"

10. Cleaning each room a little bit at a time...but being able to relax
11. Spending the evenings reading out on the deck watching the sun set
12. Lunch at the Iron Horse to celebrate a 10th birthday :)
13. Hearing his voice after a couple days, knowing he arrived safely to his job destination

View of the city :)

The days are long, nights are short...and the weeks just keep flying by

Surprise on my board by my desk

Here I am at the end of another week.  It's been awhile since I last posted and a lot has happened.  To really sum it up it has just been one where my head has been in a thousand different places.  My prayer and devotion time, which had taken a back seat, has become a main focus in my life lately.  The major points have been...my grandmother being back at my parents house and needing to use a walker (major household changes) and my brother being robbed at gunpoint in his own condo.  Needless to say it's been a very crazy week and I am grateful for good weather and some plans this weekend.

My other surprise on my big board

Top events of the past week:
1. Hearing my brother and his housemates were unharmed in their robbery
2. Having my 3rd "brother" come and pick me up and spend some time catching up in the car
3. Finding an interview suit and shoes
4. Supportive family in time of need
5. ECES and ECMS faculty end of year parties
6. Starting to clean out my classrooms...which means my apartment is full of school items
7. Laughter and fun with my elementary school kids
8. Seeing the principal thrown in the pool by his loving staff
9. Having a loving mom to go out of her way to meet me for shoe shopping and shortening my pants
10. Having the most amazing friend to spend our prep time encouraging each other
11. Seeing student projects completed and the comments on how much fun they are having with it
12. 8th grade song rehearsals...finally coming together
13. Gorgeous canvas painting/collage and gift card from the schools

Canvas gift from a good friend :)

14. Getting word my brother and his housemates got their stuff back
15. Seeing my brother's first post on twitter and Facebook since getting their stuff back
16. Texting with my brother...knowing he's safe
17. Surprises from students in the morning: drawings/notes on the board, hugs, words of encouragement...will miss them dearly

My 8th grade choir members

Me with my favorite kids :)