Back to School 2012!

Hello, friends!

I have been MIA for a bit due to prepping for the new school year,

and I have NEVER been more excited to go back to work!

I am venturing into a new adventure in my teaching career as an ART teacher!!

My classroom is completely out of this world.

I have so much space, and the view out of my ginormous windows is beautiful!

Every single time I walk into the room,

I have to pinch myself.

I feel so blessed to have found a career that doesn't feel like a job.

With that being said, I must thank my parents

for instilling in me the strong value of an education.

Despite the fact that I had a newborn baby,

I was determined to finish college and earn my degree.

That degree has enabled me to find my dream "job".

Thank you,

Mama and Daddy!

 

On that note, checkout my new art studio

where all kinds of fun will take place with

the 700+ little artists at my school...including my own son, Carter!

 Here's a quick look at my huge windows!

 Can you see the "word" ART on top of my bookshelf?

 My desk area.

 

Look at all my storage!

 I painted this dresser with chalkboard paint and used 8 different colorful knobs for the drawers.

 This room makes me happy!

 Welcome!

 One of the posters I made last year.

 I love all the brand spankin' new supplies!

 The ART letters I made over the summer

 The "chandelier" I made =)

The bulletin board outside my room

"Art is everywhere!"

The ART letters are made from cardboard.

 

I love this.

My principal asked me to decorate on of the display cases at the front of the school.

This is what I came up with:

 The Starry Night

Van Gogh's Cafe

I love this quote.

 

I cannot wait to see what this year holds!

Carter is so excited that I will be at school with him again this year.

I love that kid.

Here's to a great school year, friends!!

We now have a sophomore in high school...WHAT??!!...a 6th grader, 5th grader and 3rd grader.

Where does time go!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!



Hello From Lake Hamilton!

Hello from beautiful Lake Hamilton!

Ryan and our 3 little guys packed up the car on Sunday and headed out for the lake

while Austin stayed behind with me because he didn't want me to drive by myself

 as I had a 3 day art staff development to attend. 

They were just a tad excited.

Can you tell?

 The dogs had their own spot in the backseat.

 As soon as they arrived, the fun began!

 I was so proud of Ryan for taking pictures while I wasn't there.

I've trained him well.

 What is it about the boys wanting to cover themselves with clay?

They did the same thing last year.

Boys.

Gotta love 'em!

 On Wednesday, Ryan got together with a family we're friends with from Prosper,

and the kids had a blast together.

 Raleigh and Carter

 They brought their dog, Junebug, along for the ride.

Normal dogs like the water.

Ours are terrified.

I'm convinced they're not real dogs.

 The whole crew...minus Preston.

He's not a huge fan of picture taking.

 Austin and I packed up on Wednesday and waited for my

SIL to drop off my niece, Ashlynn,

who was going with us.

I adore her.

We arrived in Hot Springs late Wednesday night, and the boys were so excited to see their cousin.

The good times continued into Thursday.

 The Teenager couldn't wait to get into the tube!

 See all the beer cans at Carter's feet?

He collected all of them from the bottom of the lake at a sandbar.

He's saving the planet one beer can at a time.

That's my boy.

 Typical Trysten.

Love him!

 Do you know how much food it takes to feed 5 kids every day?!

A lot.

 Brothers...

 My favorite captain.

 Carter and I

I'm seeing braces in his future. =)

 And I leave you with a quick video as we're about go out on the boat for the rest of the day.

It's about a family tradition we have here at Lake Hamilton.

See, there's a dam at one part of the lake where the water

comes in from the very bottom of Lake Ouachita on the other side.

You can imagine how incredibly cold the water is.

It's so crystal clear that you can see straight to the bottom,

and it begs you to jump in.

In fact, when Ryan took us there for the first time,

The Teenager and I jumped in

only to immediately climb the ladder to get out.

It is so cold that it literally takes your breath away.

This time it was Ashlynn's turn.

Poor Ash.

She was such a good sport!

Have a great weekend!!