Summer To-do List

• Read at least 5 fun/non-school related books.
  
• Re-do my bedroom and make it cute
• Create at least 1 somewhat crafty project
• Learn how to sew simple things
  
• Start to make a t-shirt quilt
• Spa day...(that has already been checked off as of today!)
• Clean out my closet
• Go swimming at least once a week
• Go on a hike
• Small act of service every day
  
• Run a 10k
• Cook a new dinner recipe 3 days/week
• Go to an outdoor movie
  
• Read World History for Dummies
  
• Attend the temple at least once/week
• Study Preach My Gospel again
• Add a new state to my list
• Visit 2 new historical sites
• Organize my flash drive/desktop
• Learn the Hoedown Throwdown
• Go bike riding with my nieces and nephews
• Hold hands at the Jefferson Memorial
  
• Learn what weights to lift at Golds
• Convince MJ to sing a song of my choosing on her Ukulele
• Take a jumping picture in front of the Washington Monument
• Tube down a river by Harpers' Ferry
• Eat a Popsicle every day
• Call/hang out with at least 5 old friends
• Watch the entire Dr. Quinn series while wearing my "I Love Sully" t-shirt
• Attend at least one baseball game
  
• Oh yeah...and plan next school year. :P

I LOVE SUMMER!!!!!

I DID SURVIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was the last day of school...for the students. I need to go in for a few hours tomorrow and for a meeting on Monday then I am outta here...for the summer at least.

I can't believe I actually survived. For the last 5 months I honestly felt that I was drowning in first year teacherdom. And I didn't even do a full year! I did the fast-trek route and it was absolutely exhausting: emotionally, mentally, and physically. For 5 months I planned 15 lessons/week, graded papers and projects, sat in IEP/faculty/department meetings, called security on myriads of students, wrote about 50 disciplinary forms, designed assignments and tests, broke up fights, called parents, cried on a weekly basis, and felt completely inadequate a majority of the time. Yes, it was absolutely miserable.

But I survived. And according to my administrator, my main job this past semester was to simply survive. And guess what? I am actually coming back next year! So the misery did not deter me from my destiny as a teacher.

I feel at a loss of words, honestly. But as I have communicated in the past, I couldn't have done it without 1. the Lord 2. the Savior 3. My family/friends 4. All of the prayers I have received on my behalf. So if you're reading this: THANK YOU for your support and words of encouragement.

YOU HELPED ME SURVIVE!

ps. School's out for the summer. Peace.

BSB Blast from the Past

Yes, you read the title correctly. I went to a Backstreet Boy's concert. No shame at all coming from this post, by the way. It was my teenage dream come true. We celebrated MJ's 26th birthday and lets just say this: it was a complete blast from the past.

Quinn and I pre-show.


MJ and Sarah.
KA with cupcakes in hand

BSB groupies.

We love Backstreet!

Roomies...MJ, KA, me.

There they are with some lame girl dancers. Who wants to see girls at a time like this?

Whohoo!
More of the boys. Oh they are so not that cute, but still...

Dancing our little hearts out...

And if you forgot how good they are, here's a little reminder. Just try to tune out the screaming girls in the background. And if you're wondering why the movie is so jumpy that's because I am jumping up and down. Ha.


I present to you, Incomplete, by BSB. Enjoy.

What happens at Deep Creek Lake, stays at Deep Creek Lake. (Except for the parts that I'm telling you about on the blog)

As a young single adult in Washington DC, it is inevitable that you will do something over the Memorial Day weekend. While most of my friends were off at Duck Beach in North Carolina, I opted for the road less traveled: Deep Creek Lake. With some of my besties, we headed northwest to Maryland and landed ourselves an amazing vacation spot; just the thing I needed to help me through the last few weeks of school.

Check out this amazing packing job. We had 5 people's things in this little SUV. Kaleb packed like a pro.

Smushed in the back seat. So were the oreos in my mouth.

The candy we ate at the lake...not a good weekend in the healthy eating department.

Hot tubbing with the peeps.

Quinn, MJ, and Kaleb got into some kareoke. You better believe we busted out the kareoke 3 nights in a row.

Some sights of the Lake House...


All naturale...no makeup on moi.

More pics of the doc...

Oh the swing looking over the lake. Romantic.

That's our house back there.

The explanation of DCL before going mini golfing

Jon, Kaleb, Kate, Sarah

Weirdos.

FUNLAND
GQish...

Hi.
The group...part of it.

Go carting. Yes.
All naturale take 2. You better believed I schooled all those folk on the race track.

Jon loved his arcade games, as we all did.

Pre-Church fashion show. Cheek to hand.

Slip n' slide. That thing hurts.

Water balloon fight. Sarah got schooled.

Water falls close by...



The whole clan

Cool picture of Quinn and MJ.

The last hurrah before going home.

Lets just say it was a successful weekend...and one of the funnest I've had in a long time.

Chalk another one up for living in DC. I absolutely love it.

Havanna Nights: unscripted/uncensored

Here are the highlights of our theme party at DCL: "Havanna Nights"

Girls getting beautified...


MJ and I sporting the red lip stick...yah, I don't know if red is my color.

Kaleb made 4 types of non-alcoholic drinks. These were avocado smoothies.

Oh the ambiance...


BFF's.

The whole kitten caboodle.

My prom date couldn't get enough of me (that's what I like to think at least :)

Jon
MJ spicing up the party with some cider.

The boys couldn't get enough of me...obviously.

Dancing.

Pin the tale on the donkey.

All the "donkeys." Check out those bums.

The party was so fun that we all felt a little hungover...the sober way, of course.