showered with love: round three

Round Three

Title:  The Friends Shower

Date: Saturday, December 10, 2011

Theme: A new fishing buddy

Hostesses:  Megan and Sallie (High School besties and bridesmaids)

use with the hostesses

some of Tuck's goodies

adorable cupcakes

it was the PERFECT theme for us ;) 

showered with love: round two

Round Two

Title:  The School Shower

Date: Monday, December 5, 2011

Theme: The Gingerbread Baby (kinder does a huge gingerbread unit and play so it was PERFECT ;) )

Hostesses:  My awesome kindergarten teammates! (Michelle, Wendi, Nicole, and Andrea) 

the whole kinder team

delicious cake from Nadlers

decorate a gingerbread baby

we love children's literature in kinder ;) 

showered with love: round one

So... baby Tucker is so popular already that he got not 1, but 3 showers!;)  We have some pretty awesome family, friends, and co-workers I would say.  Everyone has been so very thoughtful and generous in helping us celebrate and prepare for the arrival of our little guy!


Round One
Title:  The "Family Shower" (even though not everyone was a relative…)
Date: Saturday, November 26, 2011
Theme: Baby Boy Adorableness
Hostesses:  Erin Haby (My amazing sister-in-law & Tucker's Godmother) & Allison (Tucker's Godfather's girlfriend)

the hostesses

sweet Maci from my class 2 years ago came :)

there goes my niece kissing her cousin again ;) 

amazing cupcakes

the spread

Tucker's best buddy, Jaxon

gifts galore

Tucker's mommy, grandmas, and great grandmas

31 weeks and 5 days

Your Love is a Song

"All your love is a symphony, all around me, running through me.

  All your love is a melody, underneath me, running to me.  

All your love is a song…" ~ Switchfoot

I am so very blessed.  And each day that goes by, I seem to realize it more.  God is so good and right now he is showing his amazing self in so many aspects of my life.  No, life is not perfect, nor will it ever be, but I have been austounded at how just a change of perspective towards one that includes the Lord and his desires on most any situation can make a world of difference.  And naturally, he is teaching me how to apply this on a daily basis at an ideal time in my life since my world is about to be turned upside down. 

Tucker is due in 25 days

Sure, we are pretty much as "prepared" and ready as new parents-to-be can get, but who is really every ready for a newborn no matter how much attention you pay to every single detail.  Up until a few days ago I was terrified of him coming early and of the whole birthing process itself and when I finally accepted that he is going to come whenever he's ready and that God already has the whole entire process mapped out, I had this overwhelming sense of peace with everything.  Now, I am at the point where I am simply enjoying the experience.  These past nine months have gone by faster than I ever imagined and I want to just take it all in.  Every single aspect of a baby from conception forward is truly a miracle and an amazing event orchestrated by God and my relationship with him has deepened and strengthened so much during this process.  

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~ Psalm 139:14 

* Side note… Since another teacher at school told me she was having "blog withdrawals" Tammy and the whole point of this thing was to write on a consistent basis and document things in life, I plan to actually get back in the grove of things over the next few days with a week of "baby backtracking"  where I will share what happened during my 2 month blog absence.  Check back soon. :)  

- Pinterest on Pause - Fishing First

Yes, this blog should be titled Pinterest Day 5 and should have some way cute crafty stuff posted on here for you.  I'll get back to that, promise, but first let's discuss the following… 

There are days when I really think I am losing it or can't seem to get/keep it together.  And recently there seem to be a lot more of them.  Brett has even told me he is concerned sometimes because I can't remember things that occurred/ we discussed the night before...

I'm attributing this to pregnancy, hormones, and lack of quality sleep because of my back/ getting up to pee 50 billion times and then having my mind race instead of just going back to sleep...

Friday was definitely one of those major, "WHAT is the deal with me today?" days, so when Brett texted around lunch asking if I wanted to go down to the coast and try our hand at some redfish, for once my way-plan-ahead self let it be and said yes.  We literally got home from work, threw clothes and food in some bags, packed up the dogs and fishing gear and headed down to port A. 

Brett catching bait

Saturday morning we cooked a big breakfast, geared up the boat, and headed out to fish.   Naturally the bite was late and we got there early so I had one bite that got off, then nothing for a few hours.  That's okay though because I laid down at the back of the boat and took one of the best naps I have had in weeks.  :)  Brett said it is because I finally got to just rest and not just lay there and worry about getting my back comfortable, or worrying that I wasn't going to get enough sleep because I couldn't get comfortable.  He had a good point…  I was awoken from that nap by Brett hollering,  "reel in the other line babe, I've got a fish on!"   

Sure enough, he had caught him a 23" redfish. :) 

About 15-30 minutes later, another pole bent over, and I reeled in a big boy who put up quite the fight.  Thank goodness I wasn't fishing with my little pink reel because this particular fish was a fighter and he would have spooled it. 

Yep, he really is that big.  29" to be exact.  We had to tag him, and had to look up where to tag a redfish since we have never caught one big enough to have to tag before.  

Isn't he pretty? 

We didn't get many more bites after that and wanted to be back before the sun went down, so in we headed with Brett saying.  "A bad day fishing is better than a good day anywhere else, except Disney World, because that's where dreams are made"   Oh, Brett, you're a keeper too. :)  Although I must note that we both agreed that it was a really good day fishing, you don't have to limit out to have fun although it would have been a nice perk. 

This beautiful shot was taken from the boat as we were coming in and reminds me that sometimes we all just need to slow it down.  Am I right? 


btw:  Us Against the World by Coldplay so sings this thought out nicely…if you like Coldplay… the hubs can't stand them, thinks they are whiney and depressed, but I love their music and think it calms me, so it all depends on you and your own music taste...

Here is Brett with the two fish back at the condo.

And here is me with my redfish and baby Tucker at 28 weeks.  :)

Pinterest Day 4

Today I decided to take on sewing with minky dot.  In case you are unfamiliar with the term, it is this super soft and snuggly fabric that is used in a ton of baby things (blankets, burp cloths, changing pads, bumpers, etc.)  It is a little pricey but worth it because it is so very cuddly and cozy, but you better know what you are doing with it so you don't waste the costly goodness.  Oh, and did I mention it is slightly stretchy and rumored to be kinda hard to sew with. Now, I am far from a pro at sewing and usually make things up as I go along/ follow tips from sewing blogs, but I found this pin which inspired me…. longhorn minky blanket

and then this one that provided me with simple directions easy for this intermediate sewer. minky how to

Since I LOVE super soft blankets and always want to be snuggled up in one, I am assuming Tucker will appreciate them too.  So, scary to work with minky, BRING IT ON! ;)   I had bought some fishing/outdoorsy flannel material awhile ago at JoAnn's with no idea of what I wanted to do with it, just knowing that I would use it for something for little guy.   I paired it with some brown minky, pinned it in like 50 billion places which is apparently the trick to sewing minky without a walking foot, and started up the machine. 

Stitch some, remove a pin, repeat again and again, trim, turn out, iron down the seams, stitch a simple topstitch, jam out to the new and super awesome Coldplay cd,

tell your husband to quit asking if you are done yet (yes like a little kid who wants to know if we are there yet), shake it out and then end up with this…. 

A super soft and extra cuddly blanket that is just right for Tucker.  It turned out pretty good for my first time making a blanket and using a difficult material at the same time! :)  

Happy Pinning!  Tomorrow is Friday and it is FINALLY starting to feel like fall! :)

Pinterest Day 3

It's another classroom one.  I don't think I could do a job where I didn't get to be creative and come up with new ways to teach stuff.  :)  

Here is the original idea playdough order

and here it is recreated in my classroom during math tubs today! :)  They even left out some numbers and had their partners problem solve to find the missing number.  Sometimes the easiest things are the best. 

I've been washing/drying material all evening in preparation for tomorrow's project. :) 

Pinterest Day #2

A few weeks ago I saw this on pinterest and loved it!  frame, burlap, letter

I couldn't quite figure out exactly what I wanted to do with it, but knew I wanted to incorporate it into Tucker's nursery decor somehow…


I found awesome letters in boyish colors/ fonts that matched Tuck's nursery color scheme at Hobby Lobby (50% off of course ;) )  Snatched those babies up and then laid them on the floor in his room for about a week while I figured out what to do next.  I had one wall taken care of, one is literally a wall of windows, and I knew I wanted the strip above his closet to say "I'm a keeper".  (For those non-fishers out there reading this, when you get a good fish that is regulation or bigger you say "It's a keeper!") We already think little man is pretty awesome and sure won't be throwing him back. ;)


So when I ran across this picture again, I knew what I wanted to do finally.  Too bad I wanted it in a random specific size that frames don't come in which meant we were literally starting from scratch here.  Thank goodness for a husband that is good with power tools who is very used to me showing him a picture and then describing how it looks in my mind and making it happen.


We used base boards to frame it out, wrapped plywood in burlap, mounted the letters, and then wonder undered the letters I cut out of suede onto it.

Tada! :)  

This hangs over his closet and brings the room together really well.  I keep telling Brett that I love it and it turned out better than I imagined it.  (btw, the fishing lure was his idea.  We hung it last night after working on it all weekend and once it was up, Brett said "Wait, it is missing something", disappeared into the garage and came back with one of his lures.)  I like the extra Daddy touch. ;)


Here's a close up.

Biggest pinterest undertaking ever so far, but I think it turned out awesome!

A week's worth of Pinterest - Day 1

I have been a very, very bad blogger…  
This could be attributed to things like being super busy/inspired to do new fun stuff in my classroom, scary seisures in Sako dog, lots of recent extended family gatherings for a variety of reasons, and weekend events like weddings and football games, on and on and on. Oh, and dealing with some dizziness, exhaustion, and back aches from growing a baby might be playing a role too… 


Anywho, let's not dwell on the past but rather talk about my new fun plan/ motivation to get back in the blogging grove!  


I am seriously addicted to pinterest.  It is AMAZING and has provided so much inspiration for some cool stuff.  I was putting up student made pumpkins in the hall today and when someone complimented me on them, I informed them that I got the idea from pinterest.  Not 10 minutes later, another teacher popped in and I showed her a math tub idea also gathered from pinterest and she suggested the following genius idea to get back into my blog.  


Pick a few of your favorite pinterest ideas, do them, and then share the original inspiration and the result.  I have been going through my pins and have selected a few to do and share.  (Naturally I don't have time to do one EVERY day, as I do have a full time job and a home, classroom, and family to keep up with so some I share will be ones that I did recently, aka within the past week) 


Let's begin with pinterest pick #1 (The pumpkins in the hall) 


Here is the original inspiration silly pumpkins pin

And here is how the kiddos in my class did them.  (ours are painted too, you just can't tell in this low-quality pic ;) ) 

Adorable right? 




Check back in tomorrow for pin/project #2…
 You can bet good money I will be at hobby lobby gathering supplies for the many projects after my chiropractor appointment! ;) 

Oh, and just for laughs…. This is what I found on pinterest tonight that I am STILL laughing about…. enjoy ;)  Ohhhh, so this is where peanut butter comes from!

25@25 - The list

Way back in the fall of 2010, about 3 weeks before my 25 birthday, I came across the idea of a 25@25 list.  The idea was to create a bucket list of sorts, of 25 things I wanted to accomplish at the age of 25.  Seeing as I only had a year to complete these things they needed to be realistically achievable time wise and financially. (Catching a Mahi Mahi couldn't be on this list, even though it is a big dream of mine) I thought about goals I had, both big and small, easy and hard, and came up with a list that I started working on on October 6, 2010.  

I had 365 days to cross off 25 things.  Ready.  Set.  Go.  

here she is in all her glory.  The official list.  

the actual goals are in purple, (date completed) and comments in black 

25@25 

1. Learn to "let go & let God" (year long)  This was a big one.  It is one of those things that you never fully accomplish, but rather is a constant work in progress.  I would say I have come a long way though and enjoy life much more thoroughly in all it's splendor after changing the way I live and view it.  The Lord already has it all planned and by golly, usually his plan is 100 times better than anything you could ever imagine.  I finally figured out the best way to live life was to do my best, live with God as a focal point, and sit back and let him do the rest.  (The necklace was something I got to remind me of the importance of this way of living life and has the Bible verse Matthew 6:34 on the back.  It is now my favorite item of jewelry besides my wedding rings and UT ring.
  

2. Complete my master's degree (8/5/11) This bad boy was totally worth the exhausting 14 months…


3. Start keeping a "journal" of some sort (6/28/11) Welcome to the world of blogging. :) 


4. Learn how to make an old family recipe (12/31/11)  Brett's grandma makes something called "new years" bread during the holidays every year and it is a tradition in his family to eat a loaf on new years day.  It is delicious, especially with a little butter and browned on the stove.  It is harder to make than you would think though.  Everything is from scratch, you have to let it rise like 4 different times, and then bake it just so with egg whites on the top.  Brett has been bugging me for years to do it and I finally did! 

5. Become pregnant (5/17/11)  Loving being pregnant too btw. :) 


6. Finish hand sewing our Christmas stockings  I haven't actually finished these yet, and have been working on them for over a year, but WILL before the 6th. These are the kind where you buy the stocking on felt pieces and then cut, sequin, hand embroider, and attach tiny piece by tiny piece. This is also a Haby family thing.  Brett's mom made them for all her boys and Brett said it wasn't Christmas at our house without them so I though I would get it going for our family. Mine is done except for the name and Brett's is close… (I'll post pics when I do)

7. Have mermaid hair (8/1/11)  Yeah, I know you have probably never heard of this term but basically it is the only way I could describe how long I wanted my hair to grow.  Have you ever seen those pictures of mermaids where they are topless but decent because their hair is long enough to cover it?  Bingo.  My hair grows really slow and is fairly thin, so this took forever even with a head start. I never had long hair though, even as a kid, so it was a cool thing to accomplish. 


8. Make at least 3 home improvements (9/5/11)  We are big do-it yourselfers and I love to decorate so this one was fun.  We did way more than 3 improvements, some big and some small, including but not limited to - new ceiling fans in the living room, hardwood floors in the main living area and hallway, painting and installing a new ceiling fan in Tucker's nursery, painting an accent wall in the living room, and redoing the nook leading into the master bedroom.  

9. Vacation outside of Texas (6/17/11) Arkansas for our anniversary trip.


10. Find a church (9/4/11)   Brett is from a traditional conservative Catholic church family and I have been exposed to many different styles and even taught Sunday school.  We tried out a bunch and either they didn't feel right or one of us didn't like something about the service.  But, thanks to an awesome recommendation we are loving Northrock so far. :) 


11. Quit biting my nails (June 2011)  Awful and gross habit which is why it was so important to break…


12. Learn Brett's "love language" and strive to "speak" it (constant) If you have never read the 5 love language, you totally should.  It makes so much sense and so helps your spouse get it too. ;)  Brett's love language is quality time and mine is words of affirmation. 


13. Donate to a worthy cause (8/12/11)  Chopped 10 inches off my "mermaid hair" for Locks of Love.


14. Get a massage I have never had a REAL massage.  I'm working on convincing Brett I need a good prenatal before my birthday since it is on my list, but if that doesn't work, technically I had a 15 minute massage the morning of my brother-in-laws wedding that could count. 


15. Learn how to sew something new (several times) Man my sewing machine has been getting a workout!  I made this sparkly cape for a grad school video/ future librarian job and also spent 6 hours on Tucker's bedskirt.  Neither of which I had a pattern for. :) 

16. Take my vitamins daily (constant) This was easy since I started taking prenatal way back in October of last year to get ready to get pregnant.  But, I used to be really bad about it.  I think it really is true that if you do something for more than 30 days it becomes habit because I have no desire to bite my nails at all anymore and can't stand if I go out of town and forget my vitamins. 


17. Go to a wine tasting (10/9/10) The music and wine festival in Gruene was the perfect way to spend last year's birthday weekend.  My aunt, mom, and friend Karen helped me accomplish this one. :) 

18. Create new centers/ activities for my classroom (constant)  I created oodles! :) 


19. Send at least 5 people heartfelt and handwritten letters I've got one more to write and want to send it to my cooperating teacher from my last semester at UT.  She played such a role in who I am today as an educator and I can not thank her enough for all that she taught me about teaching and myself that semester. 


20. Create unique crosses (constant)  I did a whole post on this experience a few months ago. :) 


21. Go to a "big deal" baseball game (6/12/11) We got to see Texas win the super regional on their path to Omaha.  Hook 'Em! 

22. Purchase and learn how to use an e-reader (6/15/11)  I love to read and actually used to get in trouble for trying to read at the dinner table when I was a kid.  However, I was not a fan of e-readers when they first came out because I love the smell and feel of a real paper book. But, now that I have my nook, I LOVE it! :) 

23. Reread all 7 Harry Potters and see the movies Still haven't finished this one either.  I have reread all the books, but still have to see movies 6 and both parts of 7.  But, by no fault of mine, part 2 of 7 won't be out until November…  I'm still gonna count it since reading the books was the main thing. 


24. Cut back soda to special occasions only (constant) I used to drink a Diet Coke a day.  Now I have a soda about once every few weeks. All about breaking a habit again... Vitamin water and La Croix helped me kick this one. 

25. Pull off a surprise party (5/25/11)  I think my in-laws had a pretty awesome 30th anniversary.  They were definitely surprised! (You can see the excitement in their faces) :) 

Loved this list. 

Loved what I learned as I worked towards the goals. 

Loved the changes I've made.

So, I've got 4 things to finish up and 10 days to do it.  Better get on it...