Last day of May!

It was a rainy day today.
We were super lazy. Lot of lounging.
But we played house, built with Dora legos, wore some cranky pants, and read a few books :)

And, I am listening to Adele's new album 21 (which I just downloaded before dinner) and it is amazing! I highly recommend it.

Dinner Party at the Lawson's

Two families from Wendy's church came over tonight for dinner.  We ordered Thai food (yumm!!!) and the kids played on the trampoline.  The dad's put up baby gate upstairs.  There was already one and now there are two so the second floor is completely cordoned off and Wendy won't have to take babies into the bathroom with her :).  After a delicious dinner there was homemade cheesecake (Thanks Mrs. Sadler!).  

Piper got to taste...

And Charis just couldn't get enough!

Jump for that high-five!

saying goodbyes...

Blessings of Technology

Today we went to church (great Sunday school and good sermon!), then there was a hamburger potluck lunch where I got to meet lots of Wendy's friends (they all seem so nice!), and with psychic-like timing Richard called to video chat as soon as we got home. How amazing is it that they are able to talk to each other from such a distance? I feel very blessed to live in this day and age with all of the advances in technology that allow me to call my family from Europe without a huge fee!

I'm Pooped!

After breakfast there was...

Then bikes (with a neighbor)...

cut up a sweet potato to bake fries

Rest time in the living room

to finish up last night's movie

(Hilarious!)

off to the park (where Asher waited, not so patiently, for his turn)

then a playdough session

I baked sweet potatoes, Wendy was at the commissary, and Charis crawled around :)

my gifts...

All BEFORE dinner!!!

What a day so far...

The first thing I did today was walk to aldi's and buy more Kleenex. How sad.

Ticket to Ride

Today Asher and Piper showed me how well they could ride their new bicycles (and how little Aunt Katelyn knows about how to put on helmets - took about ten minutes)...

Wow! we are so related!

My Apple Lovin' family...

Aunt Katelyn

So yesterday I hopped on a plane from Memphis to Toronto (worst turbulence-was genuinely frightened) then caught the Toronto to Frankfort flight (8 very long hrs with no sleep. Perhaps next time I travel I will have saved enough money for first class...). But one really cool thing about Air Canada is that you get your own private touch screen tv right in front of you! And you get to pick your movie or tv show, and you can charge your phone or computer if you want! How neat!

And then I rode the train from Frankfurt to Landstuhl where I met up with my sister, two nieces and nephew....and learned that have a new nephew!!! Isaac Ryan Vawter. Sarah had her baby while I was traveling!  And then we jumped on the trampoline before dinner :)

I love being Aunt Katelyn!

T-minus 20hrs and counting!

In less than 24hrs I will be on my way to Germany (well after a layover in Canada).  I am very excited,  extremely nervous that I will forget something, and already looking forward to the long night's sleep I will (hopefully) get on the evening of the 24th when I am actually at my sister's house. 
Right now, I am packing - Yes, I know that I am leaving for a two month trip overseas and should have started before now, but it is looking good!

I have packed three books and have one in my carry-on (plus clothes of course)...Gotta pack toiletries and stuff for my nieces and nephew and then I should be done!!!  Wish me luck :)

What a great friend!

Kirie and I are hanging out because I am going out of town on Monday for two months (and what kind of best friends would we be if we did not spend a little time together before that?)  So tonight should be filled with crafty things, dinner out, and her laughing at me as I try to pack - cause no I have not even begun.  However, right this moment she is trying to piece together a quilt on the floor of my incredibly junky craft room/bonus room, while I laugh (in support of her efforts, of course) and type up this blog post.  Hahaha!  What a great friend I am!

I have been placed!

So I got an email today...with my student teaching placements!  I am so excited (and incredibly nervous)!!  I now know where I will be in the fall - whew!

Zoo Day

zoo day...filled with fun and sun :)

I hung out with Dawn and Brennan all day.  The weather was great...for the hour and 1/2 we were there...then on to Perkins and Jerry's!

we lifted some of the kids sunglasses - but we gave them back.lol

oh yeah...we rode the carousel.

best snow cones ever!!!

ahh!  can't finish it!

Zoo Day was a blast.  Jodie - next year we will all go out to lunch:)

Last Day

So today was the "unofficial"  last day of school (tomorrow is techniqually the last day - but it is Zoo Day and only the supervising teachers are required to attend).  I am so sad. 
No more writing the morning message in Jodie's class.
No more group time in Jodie's class.
No more Clean-up, putting out mats, or naptime in Jodie's class.

What will other classes be like?  Man, this is gonna be weird.

one of my students took my photo for me.

"Opps, Ms. Katelyn, I forgot your head."

where will i get new bow inspiration from?

I am gonna miss those kiddos!  And every one at Lipman!

Pamper Me

Yep we got pampered...

Me, Momma, and Leslie all got pedicures!  So much Fun!!! 
Guess which color I picked...

friend time

As a slightly obsessive compulsive person who is a student, and working three (or so) jobs, I don't often get friend time.  My time is work - school - work - homework - work - etc.  However, since I am leaving the country a week from today (yay!!!!) I have a week filled with friend time.  Tonight, friend time took place at the bestest place ever: 

 

Oh, yes, be jealous!  

grunge is not me...

I like white shirts...but I hardly ever buy them because I think hey get grungy and dungy looking after a short period of time.  Well, i decided that I was going to bleach my white shirts so they would look nice and white and no longer yuck...Lucky me I told my mom before I did that.  She told me that bleach would not do the trick, and that I should try vinegar water. Say what? Yep, vinegar water.  So, I followed her directions:
                     
                         a little bit of detergent
                                cold water
                   and vinegar (1/3 to the water)

I left the shirts in the tub of vinegar water mixture for 24 hrs...then washed the shirts.  I think it helped.  Not perfect - which is what I would have liked...but better.  Thanks Momma!
Now if anyone has and even better solution - let me know!