Flower Power!

Looking for foods that are sugar free, salt free, & low in fat is enough to make anyone feel a little sad/frustrated in a grocery store.  Had to purchase these flowers today at Trader Joe's as a little pick me up. 

More on my new diet tomorrow.

An Easy Schedule

(Some of our baby shower thank you cards)

I have gifts to organize, thank you cards to write, pregnancy books to read, some returns to make, etc.  

Instead-I'm going to enjoy the fresh blueberry muffins that are (at the moment) cooling off and watch hours of my favorite TV shows.  Sometimes we just have to be lazy and put tasks or errands on hold! 

All About Me in a Good Way!

(Picture will be explained)

Sometimes you just have to put yourself over everyone else. Today is my first day off of work and let me tell you it was very difficult for me to walk away. I am blessed this year with awesome co-workers and three amazing ninety minute classes. 

My first class is my gifted group who loves a good debate and to speak passionately about literature and other topics. A few weeks ago we started a unit on Anne Frank and we discussed how the media still has such a powerful influence on us. Kim Kardashian (yes I find my clip funny) even entered our conversation because we are currently brainwashed to think true beauty exists in a woman who couldn't be more fake. She paints her face (as Tom calls it) with too much makeup and wants to look picture perfect all of the time.  This process has to be exhausting and we believe true beauty is real beauty. My first and second period are like a family and they have shared many personal experiences/conversations as a group while shedding some tears. I have not experienced an open and close class like this since my first year of teaching.

My second group is one that consists of many struggling students, but this is the class that I have seen the most improvement from.  Their confidence in their reading and writing abilities has skyrocketed since the beginning of the school year. A student named Juan used to stare out of the window and probably wish he could be anywhere else. I can honestly say I have changed him because he writes poetry at home, shares it with me, and tells me how much I have improved his writing. All he needed was some encouragement. He sadly shared with me that no one really supports him at home and after all of our talks, I now have faith that he will be fine and make good decisions. 

My last class is filled with goofy but respectful boys and the quietest group of girls I've ever seen! Thank goodness the girls are introverts because I have a handful of boys in that class that love to joke around (but they get their work done).  This class is a great way to end my day because who doesn't like to laugh a bit while working?? 

I remember struggling with my decision to leave Self-Contained (SC) because being with the same students all day enabled me to have a close bond with them. The 2011-12 school year started and I still missed SC, but now I've come to love my current position so much more because I'm able to see close to ninety students a day and hopefully change a high percentage.  

However, like I stated above, it is time to take care of me. I've been experiencing some bumps along the road with my pregnancy. I am trying to stay as positive as I can because I know pregnancy is a blessing from God. I'm really taking this time to sleep in, relax, eat right, and maybe just maybe complete some things in my Paris themed journal that I previously wrote about.

PS: This morning, I ate a spinach and tomato omelet and went for a relaxing walk. I'm trying, really trying this time for a whole new me.

Shower pics!

( Click on image to enlarge)

Our shower with 60 of our closest family & friends.

Jake's godmother Carol thought of the favors and my sisters helped her put her creative idea together.  The "Something is About to Bloom" favors  were flower pots with blue seeds that had other goodies inside. 

Love these two!

Happy Dad to be :)  

The bump!

My sister Joyce picked out the football themed cake.

Greatest sisters in the world who put all of the details together.

Jake received a lot of gifts-everyone was so generous!

What's a shower without games??

Missing a few friends that were there but are not in this pic.
(I feel like the Godfather, I mean Godmother in this picture ;)

Baby Shower

(Photo: Pinterest)

Only a few people were missing on this wonderful day.

One week ago, I was quite the emotional sap at the end of my baby shower because I couldn't be happier with the family and friends I've been given. I have a family that is nothing short of the word amazing. My sisters. Where do I begin? We are incredibly close, love to laugh, and act silly. (My friends are always telling me that they want to hang out with my sisters!)

As for my friends, we are true friends. We don't call up a friend and talk badly about another friend in our group. We love each other and support each other, as true friendships should be. So in a room filled with people who care about Tom and I and who we love so much it was difficult to not get emotional when I thanked everyone at the end of our shower.

I'm so glad all of you are a part of our lives.

Some pics coming soon....

Happy Friday!

There are so many things I love about today...

I love the intense kicks, jumps, hiccups, and flutters I have been feeling this week.

I love reading blogs as soon as I come home from work as my way of winding down.

I love the smell of my Slatkin & Co. Cranberry Pear Bellini scented candle.

I love the fact that I am officially off of work for a month.

And most of all I love the note (pictured above) that my husband wrote to me before he left for a weekend fishing trip.

It is indeed a happy Friday!

The Little Things

There is a bit of an extra pep in my step when the holidays roll around. Why? One simple word-tradition. During my younger years, I remember my mom hiding an Easter basket in my house and I would wake up feeling eager and ready to begin the hunt for my sugary surprise. Once I became a bit older, she would hide plastic eggs all over the house that contained money/change inside. We would dye eggs and our house would always be decorated. (Oh, how I love to reminisce.)

Time=change. However, I still find happiness in little things whenever Easter rolls around. Who else do you know that snaps a picture of a new nail polish color in her car?!?

Look at the title of this entry. The Little Things. Yes, even a new mint green color on my nails makes me smile whenever I look at my hands.

(A must for spring: Re-fresh Mint by China Glaze)

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!! XOXO

Oops!

Please scroll down and read the entry that I forgot to add on March 11th!

With love, H