Where Does the Time Go?

Wow! It's been close to 2 months since I last wrote anything! Argggghhhh! Where does time go?

I have a new daugher in law! Zach and Alyssa were married November 8 and had a beautiful Fall/Country wedding. It was a perfect day and evening! They returned from their honeymoon in Mexico and are all settled.  She is a preschool teacher so now there are 2 Mrs. Maddens in our district! Her school will be joining our school next year which is under construction of an addition!

Here are just a few pics so far! I promise I'll be back soon to update more!

My family! 

Mr & Mrs. to Be!

23 days until this beautiful girl, Alyssa, becomes my 4th daughter! Okay....daughter in law.....but she is my #2 daughter's best friend so she has grown up around us!

We are so excited to have another wedding! It is going to be so pretty and fun! They are doing a Country and Western theme and all the details are so exciting! The 6 bridesmaids are wearing the cutest ivory dresses with their cowboy boots and the boys are wearing jeans and nice leather vests! 
Lily-Jo and Tripp and Baby Barrett are ring bearers and flower girl.

I can't wait to share all the fun and details with you soon!

Bridal shower this weekend! Yippee!

Then it's time for this Mom in Law to find a dress! I have a "vision" of what I want.....wish I was wealthy enough to hire someone to design and make it for me! HA! Not going to happen that's for sure! 

So I will be dragging the girls to go shopping with me SOON!

I have decided have a "boy/son" getting married is A L O T easier than a girl! Goodness gracious!


*Order male attire for the ceremony! (check!)
*Plan/organize/hire caterering for rehearsal dinner! (check!)

Stay tuned! I'll fill you in on all the excitement! :0)

Aloha!

I have got the sweetest little group of 1st graders! You know....they really are still little babies to their mommas !
We had our Aloha party to end our August days!

I was so busy that day...I forgot to get any good pictures of my kiddos in their grass skirts, leis, sunglasses, hair flowers. They looked adorable!
We had sherbert punch with umbrellas and straws in their drinks....fruit salad....and they made the cutest picture frames to take home. I really wish I had pictures! (NOTE TO SELF.....make sure you get the camera out next time! UGH!)

We I have been so busy with school and organizing. I had been in this room for 15 years and then when I moved to 1st grade last year...I had to switch rooms...ugh...exhausting...overwhelming! I was in that room 1 year and we passed a bond issue to add on to our campus (preschool and Kinder) so 1st grade was booted from our pod to get ready for construction and I MOVED BACK TO THE EXACT ROOM I HAD BEEN IN! Yikes! In all honesty, I'm happy to be "home". It feels more comfy and just right! I love my location....I look out over a beautiful hill and can see for miles....fun to watch deer pass by my windows occasionally! 

It's Apple time now that it is September you know and we have been really enjoying "Apple" learning! Last week we had apple day and graphed all about our apples and then had the best snack! APPLES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE! We were a sticky icky mess but so yummy! :0)

Then we read the story "The House with No Doors or Windows" and we cut the apple to find the STAR! They were mesmerized and amazed! So cute!

And what a great weekend it was on the Home Front!


Great news! My #2 daughter and her husband and baby Tripp have moved closer! My son in law is making job changes and training in new management in the KC area! So excited! They will be staying with us until their house sells! ONE HAPPY YAYA and POPPY! 
Got to spend the weekend with all three "littles" and it was so fun!
 

My 3rd Grandbaby! It's a Boy!

Barrett Allen Draper arrived on August 19th, 2013 at 2:55 p.m. He weighed in at a hefty 9 pounds and 1 ounce and was 21 inches long! When his sister, Lily-Jo, was born....her Daddy brought pictures to the waiting room and we were 

S H O C K E D 

at her dark dark massive amount of hair!

And then along came Barrett.....and my word....he is a Mini Me of Lily-Jo  minus a bow  !! Here came Daddy again to the waiting room and there he had pictures of the spittin' image of Lily! 

We are just feeling so blessed. He is healthy and well! What a blessing from God!

The School Year is Off and Running!

The 2013-2014 school year is upon me! I started the year on August 8th in meetings and then my 22 First Graders came on the 15th! They are eager, energetic, and adorable. They are quite affectionate and so sweet! I get so many hugs throughout the day! Last year was my first year in 1st grade after 20 years in 3rd! What a smart move! I'm not quick on change and don't know WHY I didn't move sooner! Ha!

I did a Beach/Hawaiian theme to start the year. They kids are loving it. We wear leis, sunglasses a lot in my room! Friday is our celebration end of it and we are having a Luau party and will break out our grass skirts! It's time to think Fall/Apples/Johnny Appleseed next!

Here's a taste of what my days consists of :

Back to School Day! 

We got new tables this year.  My team got to pick and we choose flower tables in red, blue, yellow, and green! I spent the summer stocking up on supplies in those colors to use. My hubby helped me cement the tiki torches (unlit) into little pails. 

 Love my teacher table!

Big kudos to a great Blog I found.....www.surfinthroughsecond.com....Corina in Hawaii lives the life every day! I love her site! I'm so envious! So cute and got lots of great ideas from her! Thanks Corina! You are so talented!

Be back soon to share my new baby news! (NO not MY baby news...my GRANDBABY news! Goodness gracious!)
I'm soooooo behind on everything!

And so you know!!!!!!!
A great giveaway from Marie at www.cotesclass.com ! Whoa! Go check it out! :0)

29 Years !

Happy 29th Anniversary to my best friend, my sweetheart, Daddy to my babies, and Poppy to our precious Little ones! You are the absolute best and God REALLY blessed me! I love you and appreciate you more than you will ever know!

Summertime!

I can't help it....I love S U M M E R !!!!! It's probably because I'm a teacher August through May and so June and July are pure relaxation. I stay up late and sleep in late. No guilt here! :) We go for late walks...10 p.m. many nights!  I get so many projects done in the summer that I just can't get to in the Fall/Winter/Spring! In May, my hubby and I make our "work list"  and we love to draw that line through it when we finish it! Oh so fulfilling!

The rain has been plentiful and so wonderful. The grass is green, the grass is full, the trees are gorgeous! Praise God for the rain!

Getting to read books which I don't accomplish much outside of summer! Reading To Kill a Mockingbird now, and have a stack to get to....A Glorious Becoming:Embrace Your Royalty (Thank you Kelly!).....Happy, Happy, Happy (Phil Robertson's book).......Welcome to the World Baby Girl (recommended by Aunt Ruthie of Sugarpie Farmhouse) and would love some suggestions.
I lay in the little pool and float and we just got the hot tub up and running so that will be really a great reading spot.....or just sit on the porch on hot days and listen to the birds as I read!

Lily-Jo and I have weekly slumber parties and little Tripp is becoming quite the sleeper so I have requested him on my schedule now! Lily loves YaYa's milkshakes and never turns one down!

Flowers and planting has really kept me busy outside. My fingernails will vouch for that! I got my raised bed gardens in, my herb garden in, lots of pots of annuals, and some new perennials in. My son in law is a Landscape Designer so he got me some gorgeous hydrangea and peony plants.

And cooking/baking! Loving grilling out! Don't you just love the "summer" foods....corn on the cob, watermelon, canteloupe, homemade ice cream ( don't know how many freezers we have made already), berry cobblers, jalepeno poppers......

Then the icing on the cake is:

Definition of ALFRESCO

: taking place or located in the open air : outdoor, outdoors alfresco

lunch> alfresco café> alfresco>

My family knows that Mom will always say...."Let's eat outside!" 

Random shots of June so far!!!!!!!!!

Mother's Day gift....pots for my porch that I painted black!

 Flea Market bargain.....$60 for the set (plus an umbrella!)

Redo pics are coming! 

I'm out of control with spray paint this summer!

Little Miss Lily-Jo loves to sit on YaYa's island and ..... eat!

I found a nest in my Boston fern on my porch when I was watering!

 

 Listening to some country music at an outdoor concert!

Hot tub is up and running and Lily-Jo is loving Poppy's pool!

Poppy and his boy!

Poppy and his girl!

Bathtime at YaYa's!