Summer Sleepover

Oh...I wish I had the pictures! While I was in high school I did annual tea parties and sleepovers with my nieces and nephews. We had a great time! Since we've gotten married, we have been taking school or teaching school during the summer. We decided we didn't want to let another summer pass without our party, so we had a sleepover. We started off with some take-n-bake pizza, we projected Penelope on the side of the house (a true theater experience;) and ate candy until we were sick. We all slept on the floor at my brother's house-slept? I don't know that we all slept that well-but we had a wonderful time laughing and giggling. In the morning we woke up to a yummy breakfast and then went home. I cherish the times when I can be a kid with my nieces and nephews- except when I get them in trouble for some misbehavior that I started. Shawn just rolls his eyes and shakes his head, but, secretly, I think he likes that about me!

Denver

I have been super slacking as a blogger but I will try and redeem myself! We spent ten days in Denver with Shawn's parents over the 4th of July holiday (see -16 post). It was so nice to be with his parents and just have those moments to listen to their wisdom and advice- as well as play with them!

Shawn and I went to the Air Force Academy and Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. There is a beautiful chapel on post with stained glass windows that cast their beautiful colors inside the room. We were also able to see some of the academy students march by us- we were hoping that one of our seniors from last year would pass us but it was impossible to pick her out because they all look the same. Hopefully she could feel our support from the sidelines :)



I am trying to learn how to golf, but I am finding that the bigger challenge is to learn to be patient and love to golf. I don't know if I can do it. We golfed at a par 3 which was much better than our par 9 million on base, but I'm not sure that the fire has been sparked within. I will give it another shot before I completely cast it off.





We, of course, went to a Rockies game and had a wonderful time. Shawn's parents bought season tickets and have some super sweet seats. Shawn was in heaven! Shawn also went to a game just with his dad and I got to go shopping with his mom. It was lovely.

We had a great time in Denver. Thanks Mom and Dad!

We are on Adoption.com!

We have listed our adoption profile on a site called parentprofiles.com that is affiliated with adoption.com. If you want to visit our profile, go to www.parentprofiles.com and type in our ID# which is 22974.

-16 Years

The last week or so we have been in Colorado visiting Shawn's parents. It is always fun to go to Colorado because Shawn is very happy when he is home and his inner child comes out. I have been surprised this time by my inner child who has come out like a crazy monster. For example, I have a gold medal in my favorite Wii game--the shooting one--on Wii Play. Yes, that means that I have been spending my free time shooting balloons, pop cans, targets, etc. I take some sneaky pride in breaking my father-in-law's records on the Wii but have really only been successful in that one game...he he he.

We then went to Waterworld, a water park, and I could not stop smiling and laughing. Shawn and I rode down a particular slide in a two man tube three times in a row and we just giggled and screamed the whole way down. I was having a fabulous time and I was with my very best friend-who wouldn't love that? The point is, I laughed like I was ten. No barriers. No guarded emotional outlet. Nothing holding me back...pure fun. I LOVED IT! (I think that is why we repeated the ride so many times!!! )

To top it all off, we went to see fireworks. We were actually sitting in the parking lot of a Coldstone Creamery, and being the ice cream connoisseur that I am, my mother-in-law bought us ice cream and we watched a 30 minute display of fireworks. Can life get any better than watching fireworks while sharing an ice cream with my hubby? I have let my inner child release havoc on my life the past few days and I have had a wonderful time! I wish I could be ten again!

The Shining...er...The Shiner

So...we play on a community softball team. I was nervous because I haven't played softball outside of PE but I do love the sport. I am certainly the handicap but I sure am trying hard. On Monday, Shawn and I were warming up when the ball bounced off my glove and hit my cheekbone. This is probably one of my proudest moments...my "trophy for bravery" if you will. I am not proud that I can't catch...just proud that I got hurt trying something new!

The Great Debaters

I loved it! I LOVED it!

HOORAY!!!!!!!

Today was my last teacher day! I love the students and I love giving so much time to them and their activities but our little three month separation will be good for all of us. I am really excited to get lesson plans in order for next year and I have some fabulous ideas that I hope will be fabulous in reality.

We officially finished the play last week and it turned out to be a HUGE success. Our students are SO talented and great. I learned how to create the illusion of aging with theater make-up and how to apply a bald cap. Who knew these skills would EVER come in handy? (I really mean EVER!) Our school has a very rich tradition of athletics and band (our band took 1A State for the 23rd year in a row) but there isn't much for anyone else to be involved in. When we came to this school last year, Shawn told the principal he would be willing to help with the theater program and she chuckled then informed us that we were the theater program. So, here we are. We don't have the first clue about all of this but the students are AMAZING, and they are SO thankful that we have set up the program again. We had them all over for cast party last night and I relished in listening to them laughing hysterically over silly games and the little things that would spark lines from entire scenes in the play.

Graduation made me cry a little, but I get so excited for our students and the exciting things in their futures. I loved high school, but I CHERISH my memories from college. College was the best time of my life and I would go back in a heart beat if we could eat and have a house while I went. The speeches rejuvenated my desire to be a better teacher and to create ways to better prepare my students for college. A new year will be refreshing!