Exciting Times!

Lots of pictures, lots of rambling, and LOTS of excitement

(oh, and a freebie if you can make it to the end)

Don't say I didn't warn you. ;) 

What a fabulous week! 

Here is what's been going on in my corner of the world...in list form...because there has been a lot of JOY to share.  I am SO blessed.

1. I hosted a brunch for my beautiful best friend, Maegan, who left for Uganda this week as a missionary.  Sad to say goodbye...but she'll be back in a few months for my wedding, and I'm so very excited for her new adventure in life.  I love a good excuse to get together with awesome friends and scour Pinterest for party ideas...and eat donut holes. 

If you are interested in her journey...she started a blog to document her work in Uganda - www.wordsoftruthindeed.wordpress.com

Trying out the "self timer" setting on the new camera to show off my messy house and fabulous friends. 

2. I met my student teacher and she is sweet as sugar.  I think I am going to love working with her this semester!  YES! 

(no picture of her...don't want to scare her off, yet.)

3. I HAVE A NEW NEICE! My brother and his wife welcomed their sweet girl, Hadleigh, into the world on Wednesday morning.  They got home safely today and we are planning our trip down to meet our new neice and goddaughter on Monday! I am ridiculously excited.

This is my beautiful momma. She will probably shoot me for posting this picture because she (gasp) forgot her makeup when she made the trip to my brother's house for Hadleigh's arrival. Clearly, she doesn't need it.  My dad didn't understand the trauma of forgetting her makeup.  He's a boy, what can you say?

4. It snowed like CRAZY on Thursday evening and we got a FREE snow day on Friday...making a 4 day weekend.  FREE, I tell ya! As in...no stealing our ONE teacher workday of the whole year on Tuesday, no snatching days from spring break, no crazy Saturday work days...FREE.  

Granted, I worked on report cards all day on my "free" snow day...but I did it with PJs on, Today show on in the background, snuggling with Sawyer so it barely counts.

Pure. Joy.

Sawyer helping dad "hit the books" to study for his paramedic exam on our snow day.

5. I have been busy trying to learn how to use my new camera.  I am 100% overwhelmed but I'm trying!  My favorite things so far have been learning to "blur" the background a little and playing around with the "sports/action" setting and taking way too many pictures of Sawyer on the move. Ta-da!

Does anyone know if there is a Guinness World Record for dog with the longest tongue? I feel like we might be in the running.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

I promised you some examples of work from my Winter Math Pack when we got to it.  We dove head first into some geometry this past week and the kids LOVED it.  I'm currently searching for some good tangram puzzles to challenge my smarties because they seemed to LOVE the pattern block work we did.

One of my favorite activities, as usual, was the "At First it Was a Shape" books. 

He later told me that he made this crown for me because I look like a princess...say no more, you got your "A" on this project. ;)

Can you read the sign? It says "Get hot dogs for free."

I'll be there.

If you are getting ready to teach geometry or patterns.... or if you need need some winter problem solving goodies...check out my latest product on TPT!

And lastly, we made some Martin Luther King Jr. portraits.  I am kicking myself for not getting pictures of them for you because the mustaches were out of control.  Here are some sweet examples of their dreams, though.  Some of them "got" the assignment right away...others needed some help.

One little boy wrote "I have a dream that I get some chicks."

We didn't get into whether or not he meant the bird kind or the girl kind.  Either one is a legitimate dream, I suppose.  

Wish I could draw as good as this firstie!

Amen, sister.

My dream is I wish for everybody to be safe from the storm.  

My dream is people "picken" flowers because it is nice. LOVE!

My dream is that people will not judge on there disabilities. Love that invented spelling and love the message.

My dream is every "wan" to smile.  This makes my heart smile.

If you need a writing template for a "dream" writing, feel free to grab this one for, ummm...next year since I'm so late posting this. :)

Happy weekend to you!!