TAKS WEEK IS OVER!

When you teach in the state of Texas you dread TAKS all year! It's a time when your kids show how much they've learned or how much they hate tests. This week was TAKS week and since we are both teaching this year, it's been a LONG week! Our kids have done their best to use strategies, sit quietly & not totally lose it, but it's been tough. On top of a crazy TAKS week, I've been sick with a terribly sore throat, our computer died & the IRS denied our $8,000 tax credit for the time being because Brian owned rental property in 2006 that never got rented out. (We are fighting the denial since it was not our primary residence, but it is the IRS we are dealing with soo.... be praying that they allow us to use the information we have to show we didn't live there) Needless to say, it's been a rough week & I'm so glad it's coming to an end! On a positive note my grandaddy is recovering well & we did get an escrow check right at the time that our computer crashed. I love how God looks out for us when unexpected expenses come up! This weekend is the first time in months that we haven't had plans. The only thing on the calendar is Braden's 2nd birthday & since I'm sick I have a feeling we will just be laying around this weekend. I need that! It's a beautiful time of year & I absolutely love Spring, but I am really going to be loving life when Memorial Day comes! That will mean summer is here and other than working a half day for three weeks, the lazy time of life will begin! I'm so excited about that! Anyway, that's about all that's going on with us for now! Hope everyone else is having a great week. :)

Summer is getting closer...

I truly love Spring! It's a time when the weather is beautiful, people are generally in good moods because things aren't too stressful & fun things are going on. I think we are both to the point that we know summer is upon us, & are so excited for school to be out. However, just because we are excited we know that while we still have a few precious moments with our kids we have to use our time wisely. Each of us have students that are going through some really difficult things. I have students doing drugs, huffing, dealing with the death of a sibling, thinking about suicide, going through custody battles & just learning that people aren't always who you think they are. It's been draining. However, when I'm exhausted because I spend my day trying to convince them that there is more to life than junior high and the struggles they are facing now, I think of what they are dealing with and press on. It's crazy to me that 12 year olds have the amount of pressure on them that they do & how hard it is to go through this time in their life. I don't think I'd return to junior high even if I were offered a large amount of money because it seems to be such a tough time of life. I'm just glad that things do get better, that I am able to have the time I have to try to make a difference in their lives & that soon they will get a break from dealing with the every day stress of school. The kids need a break, they are mentally drained and so ready for summer. It's exciting to me that summer will be here in just over a month...Hopefully I will be able to get through what God wants me to in that amount of time.

What a great weekend!

This weekend was great! We started it off by going to the Dynamo game with Scott & Cortney on Thursday! That was a new thing for us, but we had a blast! Brian actually ended up being on the news that night talking about his predictions for the season. After that we slept in on Friday, (what a good Friday), went out to eat, did a little shopping, cleaned the house up for company and then had a few friends over for dinner. We celebrated our sweet friend Amanda's birthday with games & good food. It was fun. We decided while playing games that soon we want to host a TNT game night for all of our friends at church. So often we get to hang out in small groups, but it's rare that everyone can get together. So... we want to make that happen soon. On Saturday we slept in again, got up and worked on the yard a little & then went to the home show in The Woodlands. It was fun. We walked around looking at AMAZING homes that we would never own but getting some cool decorating ideas. We got a picnic lunch out of the deal & again had fun just hanging out with The Worley's squared. We rushed home to get dinner together for mimi and grandaddy to come hang out. Brian grilled steaks & mimi made fudge! The boys hung out and watched the ball games while Mimi and I worked on getting Easter stuff together. It was such a special evening. As my grandaddy begins to have more and more health problems, I begin to cherish my time with them more and more. I've always been a mimi & grandaddy's girl, but I sure do appreciate moments with them now more than ever before. Sunday we went to church with Brian's parents and then had lunch there. After finishing lunch we came home to get things ready for the week. This week is TAKS week so things are a little hectic for the kids & the teachers. We are trying to make it!! I think I heard someone say 41 days left of school. It's so hard to believe. Other than that, we got to go to opening day of the Astros season last night and loved our sweet date night. Since we've been married we've made Astros game a date night favorite and look forward to the season starting back up again! Memories with my sweet husband are special & I cherish all of the time I get with my coach! :) Soccer season has begun so our life is about to get crazy again! We're having fun, loving life & just living day to day!