Presenting....

...this year's classroom! I got the idea from a colleague to do a football theme....but I couldn't leave it there. Everything is Packers and/or green and yellow. Well, not everything, but you get the point!

My classroom job board

Teacher area...a bit of a brighter green and yellow but it does the job!

Wish list for meet the teacher night...they're footballs w/yellow tags requesting items

Packers shrine leading into the next room...sorry Erin!

For AR tests...

These are a little hard to read, but say: AR CHAMPS, TOUCHDOWN! AR POINTS DUE, and PENALTY: MISSING WORK. All to go with the theme :)

This is where the student of the week information will go (aka Wolf of the Week at our school)

Are you ready for some birthdays???!!!

Aaaaaah, the infamous lunch choice area, a necessity here at Towne Meadows.

I am so happy with the way it all turned out. Yes, it was a lot of work at the end but when I walk in it makes me SUPER happy! Thanks to all who helped with ideas, and putting up with my million questions :)

(fellow teachers will love this part: I spent MAX $20 on the whole classroom-the rest I owned)

Summertime BFF

This post is inspired by Jill...I saw her post about her BFF (iced tea-good choice!). Right now, I am longing for my summertime best friend:

Camping has so many perks:

• fresh air


• clear mind


• amazing memories


• beautiful scenery


• patience


• no rush of time


• family time


• relaxation


• a happy Jamie

Downsides of camping:

• lack of shower :(


• miss my bed

As you can see, there are many more positives to the outdoors than the negatives!

July Camping 2011

If you know me, or anyone in my family, you know we love to camp! With all the health scares we have had this summer, camping has been put on hold...until this past weekend! It was a planned trip with the whole family: Mom, Dad, Jared, Chel and the kids, and a few of my friends (Josh, Tom, Joe, Meg, Jess, and Jen). We stayed just outside of Clint's Wells, and it was absolutely beautiful. The trees were so green, the weather was gorgeous, and we all were so happy to get away for the weekend.

This was Abby and Kayla's first camping trip, and my sis' first trip in about 5 years:


Needless to say, they had a lot of fun!!!

We took a trip to the lake to take the girls fishing. It was a success, despite the fact that there were NO fish caught, NO bites, hours in the sun, and a little fun with the crawfish :)

I also enjoyed the panoramic feature on the camera!

England Friends

This is dedicated to the two newest family members....Josh and Tom.

1. I was a bit nervous at the thought of you guys staying with me.
2. I am SO glad you chose to stay with me!
3. We had a blast with you here, and I still think you should come back...
4. Forget Vegas and its pretty lights, come back here!
5. Their kindness and polite way of handling things is amazing.
6. I could learn more from them.
7. I still have your accent stuck in my head (I swear, my thought are now in a British accent instead of American Englihs).
8. Can't wait to see you again!!
9. I enjoyed every moment of you being here. Being so kind to my dad and loving on my mom made some great memories.
10. Tom-thank you for taking Abby and Kayla under your wing. They LOVED you.
11. Josh-you will be here soon enough...in less than a year....and I am so happy!!
12. Love you both like brothers. Seriously, LOVE my real brother, but you guys are awesome.


Thank you for the memories!

Too long...

Ok, I can finally commit to a blog post. It has been too long...so here's a quick wrap up of the past few months:

• School year ended. I was sad, but happy, to see this group go. I get so attached each year, but look forward to the "big bad 6th graders" they will become. I tried a new thing this year: as I took down bulletin boards, I put up the board for next year. Teachers, you know what I am talking about. Especially if you like to change it up each year like I do. Now when I return in August, I just have to fill the boards and set up desks!


• STRESS. Know what that is? Why yes, I do. We became frequent visitors to Mountain Vista Medical Center. First time around: fabulous. Treated my dad the very best; we ranted and raved about their great healthcare. Second time: terrible. Misdiagnosed multiple times, had us believing my dad was doing terrible...and he wasn't. Won't go back there, EVER, even in a major emergency. I will beg my mom to drive the extra few streets to get to Banner. (Yes, this is the same hospital I had to stay in for my leg infection. And the same hospital Kayla was born in!!)


• Summer. It's finally here! I enjoyed my 1.5 weeks off work before the summer job began. LET ME TELL YOU....I was looking forward to camp this year! So excited to go in, knowing what to expect and what was expected of me. I jumped in, head first, to this round of camp. It's a fantastic camp with wonderful staff and even more amazing participants. I am loving each moment with them!


• Visitors. We were very lucky to have Lissy and Erica come out from good ol' Wisconsin to visit. They stayed a few nights here with me, and then some time at Jared's. It was good to get to know them better (since we just met them last year on our visit to WI!). I am looking forward to them coming back soon!


• Wedding. Have I mentioned Amanda is getting married in a year....and I have been asked to be the maid of honor? And, have I mentioned, I have seen BRIDESMAID'S twice and am now fully prepared for the job?


• Nieces. Adorable. That's all I have to say :)

Until next time...

Anyone, anyone?

So I am a total blog stalker...and have noticed some really cute fonts. How are you guys doing this? Is it free? Can anyone help me, talk me through it? Preferably in a reply to this so I can follow the directions???

Thanks...

Dear Diary

I apologize, to this dear blog, for the lack of attention it has been receiving lately. Things have been crazy, which is no excuse....but it's all me, not you. I take full blame.

In nine days school will be over, and I will have more time to focus on us. We can try to form and build our relationship again. Until then, I hope you understand.


Sincerely,

Jamie