twas the night before Christmas...

i'm at my parents ready for santa...that's right. i'm 27, and i'm going to get up early to see what gifts are sitting out on the couch from the big guy in the red suit...and i'm proud of it!!!

here are some pics of my preparatory week...

this is my Sunday school class at our Christmas lunch. since we're all young and single, it's easier to meet for lunch than to have covered dish!here's my cute baby, Sassafras, in her santa baby shirt...she hates it!!!my tree all decorated with red and black!my parents didn't have a tree up when i came home, and i insisted that they get one! mama and i went on friday morning...with starbucks in hand, and picked one out. of course, we left it on top of the car for daddy to unload it :)my great aunt didn't have a tree either. she sold all of her Christmas decorations years ago, then bought a new pretty house this fall. her daughter and son-in-law are coming to stay with her in the new house, and i think they needed a little tree! i bought this one for her, and we decorated it on saturday. she was thrilled!!

as Christmas traditions go, this one is probably my fav...the candle light service at church. i brought in the camera and snapped a pic this year! it's a little blurry, but i think it's a cool effect!

well, now that all the prep work is finished, it's time to enjoy the holiday. have fun celebrating this CHRISTmas with your family!

decorate tree-check!
buy gifts-check!
wrap gifts-check!
hang other decorations-check!

i can not believe i'm all caught up on Christmas prep! now it's time to relax!!! of course, relaxing means cleaning the house, taking out trash, washing clothes, and maybe then i can do a little scrapping! as soon as i get some decent pics of the tree, i'll post them!

as a teacher, i love this time of year. not because i get half a month off (which is FABULOUS!) but for many reasons...the kids are in the best mood. sure, they're wild and crazy ready to get out, but still, happy students are better than bumbed out students! also, it's exam time...those are easy days for everyone...especially when giving scantron tests. i've said from the beginning of the year that this was going to be a good one, but i've been really surprised at how close i've gotten with some of my students. one of them came with her mom to visit me on monday. she gave me an amazing gift, which made me think...how did i get so lucky? it's not about the gift, it's about students who care as much about me as i do about them. if i wouldn't have followed God's direction sending me back to t-town, i wouldn't have these amazing 140 8th graders that i look forward to seeing each day! as i approach two weeks without them, i know i'll them! however...for now, i'm enjoying time without grading papers, any lesson plans, or getting flip charts ready for the next week! woo hoo...Christmas break is here!!!!!

i'm sick :(

well, i had to leave school early today to go to the doctor...have i ever said how much i hate the doctor? if not, I HATE THE DOCTOR! except for this one time where he was hot...and single, but that's a different story! anyways...i have gastritis. how yuck does that sound??! my dad told me i'm turning into an old woman! so, i'm going to lay here, watch full house and hope my tummy feels better...it couldn't get worse than it felt this morning!

hope you're feeling great today...i'm sure i'll be better once i get some drugs in my system!

a quick update...

i've done a little scrapping lately; not enough, but that's what Christmas break will be for! here's they are...

1-Living with a boy...about the messiness i always came home to when i lived with my brother

2-watching the world RUSH by...me sitting on a train on vacation

3-sonny money-the $100 classroom teachers get thanks to sonny perdue

4-a frame for my friend anna who is teaching in Africa (hope she doesn't see this...if you do, hope you love it!)

this is the last week of the year with students! teachers go next monday morning, but then we're all out for the year! that sounds so amazing!!! two and a half weeks of sleeping in, scrapping late at night, and having time to do the little things around the house...like clean!

42-30...GO DAWGS!!!

this is a 2 parter...so much to share since the last bit of bloggage!

part one...

so, this weekend was the GA/FL game. i ended up going with my parents, which was really ok with me. instead of going to the landing, i had dinner payed for, worked on my school stuff, and slept! the BEST part of the trip was WE WON!!!!!! finally, i was at a ga-fl game that ended up the right way :) GO DAWGS!!! here are some pics...

part two...

have you ever wondered who your true friends are? i'm going through this right now. things have been happening around me that make me question the people who i called my friends. from skipping out on my birthday to talking behind my back, i just don't know who to trust. pray about this if you will. it's making me depressed to the point that i would rather sit at home alone:(

part three...

ok...i had to add a third one...here is the cover to my this is me journal.

it started like any other monday...

this was such a great day...i felt i needed to write a little so i can remember it :)
it started off like any other monday...but i stopped at Truet's for breakfast...yummmmm!!! this, of course, made me late, but not too late! today was the last day of ITBS so i had a little time to get things straight before i had to start teaching the kiddos. all of my classes were really, really good today. like, just about the best overall they have been all year...even my class that makes me want to cry was great! i'm giving them treats tomorrow :) i left school at a decent time, and i took a short, yet refreshing nap. then, as i am watching tv, the phone rings and it's this amazing...yet younger :/... guy. we talked for a while, which totally made me smile :) :) :) i watched the first episode of dancing with the stars, made my votes for jennie garth, watched lauren on the hills, then caught the end of the bachelor (more yummy than breakfast!). i know it wasn't all that eventful, but it was A FABULOUS DAY!!! now, i'm up too late, so it may not be repeated tomorrow, but i hope it will carry over!

hope you all have a TERRIFIC TUESDAY!!!!!!!

playing catch up...

it's amazing how far behind you can get when the summer comes to an end! on this official last day of summer, i'm still trying to catch up on everything...including this :) school is great! i love my kids...i had some of them in 6th grade, so the back to school transition didn't last very long. we have so much on us trying to reach AYP. i know that public school is a government run institution, but it seems that sometimes thing would be better if teachers could teach instead of doing paper work for the state! anyways...enough of that!

football season has started...my favorite time of the year! i love waking up on saturdays in athens, watching game day on ESPN while getting ready for the game...tailgating in 100 degree weather then spending the afternoon/evening with 96,000 of my closest friends wearing red and black in sanford stadium! for those of you who aren't in to football...you don't know what you're missing! here are a few pics of the past 3 weeks at UGA games...

we also went to the braves game for stephie's birthday...fun game...even if there's no hope of any post season action :(

other than that, not a whole lot going on. not a lot of time for anything else! i do have an opinion question for those of you reading this...what is too much of an age difference between couples? i am 26...what age is too young for me to date???

toby kieth...

guess where i'm going on thursday night...to see toby kieth!!!!! yay!!! i'm pumped up! another teacher had bought the tickets, and she won't be able to go...so...i am! my friend andrew and i are going. the only problem...i have to get up on friday and teach :/

ok...i'm really back!

FINALLY!!! i'm back among the living...i have cable and internet! i felt like i missed out on so much over those 2 weeks without it! here's a quick catch up...

in july i went to the mountains again..it was fabulous! so relaxing :) here are a couple of pics from the trip.

lots of hanging out with holly...4th of july and laying out. i got so burned i peeled for a month!!!

one of my really good friends, Anna, left for 2 years. she'll be in Africa teaching at a missionary school. we had gotten really close over the past few months, and i already miss her! here we are at her surprise going away dinner and on the morning that she left...
my cousin caroline got married...she's a year older than me, so i guess all the focus is going to be on me since i'm the only single girl left in the family! if i'm ok with that, why can't everyone else be??! :)
i started back to work on the 23rd. can you believe school starts in july??! my kids came back on the 26th. i already feel like i had never left. so far, things are going REALLY well. all of my classes are wonderful. i can't wait to see all we can accomplish this year. i just want the kids to love math! hopefully, then they will want to learn :) i'll have to take some pics of my classroom to share! here i am walking out the door on the first day...

ok, so now i'm back online, and i plan on blogging everyday...even if i have nothing to say :) leave comments, because i've missed my stalking time when it comes to your blogs! fill me in...

i'm still alive...

sorry i've been such a BAD blogger!!!!! hopefully, i will be able to get on tonight or tomorrow and post more, but for now...HEY!!!!! have a fabulous friday!

i need rest!

sleep...i love you, and i miss you so! i can't wait until all of this moving business is over and you and i can meet up again!


sorry, that is my love letter to sleep! to everyone else, make sure you go to these places...

M2R...moments to remember is a FAB online community of scrappers! there's an online store, fantastic forum, and an amazing gallery to peruse! plus, i'm on the DT!

greg...an amazing Christian guy that i worked with a few years ago. he's going on a mission trip to Bosnia next year. this is his site to keep people up to date with it all...included specific prayer requests.

happy hump day! please pray for me as the moving continues :)

here's my new house!!! i've been scrapping the past few days, and have a lot to share, but the top proiority is moving over the next few days!

hopefully, this link works so you can click on the house to go to my photos!

a little scrappiness...

i house/baby sitting this week, and while the internet time has been low, the scrappy time has been great! (ok, it's not really babysitting...sarah is 17, so it's a super easy job!) here are a few things i've done!

this is my TT challenge for this week...use all quadrilaterals!for the one little word and scrapjacked challenges! killing 2 birds with one stone! :)these 2 are for other TT challenges...this was my sample LO for my soap opera challenge last week!

hope you have a WONDERFUL wednesday!!!

the Ron Clark Academy...

AMAZING!!! that's all i can say about this place and the man behind it! the 60 kids who will be the first class from the school are so lucky! check it out...i would kill to be a teacher at this place!

here we are with our 2 tour guides, jonathan and stephen.

here i am with ron!!!

and the winner is...

ok...i'm a BIG BLOG LOSER!!! i can't believe i haven't posted the winner...and i apologize! VBS is this week, and it's taking tons more time than i though! i'm in charge of the 6th and 7th grade missions, and this is my first time leading by myself! anyways...the winner is.......HOLLY!!!!! yay!!! email me your address, and a fab shipment of goodness will be on it's way!

guess what happens tomorrow...i meet RON CLARK! ok, i hope i get to meet him! i'm going to the opening of his new school in atlanta. i'm completely pumped up!!!

as soon as the week is over, i will jump back on the blog-wagon!!!
have a terrific tuesday!!!
-jenn <><

happy day...part 2!!!

i can finally spill...I MADE THE DESIGN TEAM AT MOMENTS TO REMEMBER!!!! wooo hoooo i'm so super totally excited! i stayed up way to late hoping that it was posted, only to wake up late and not see it until this morning! i can't wait to get started working with these fabulous ladies! this site really has become my online home made up of the friendliest ladies around!

RAKalicious...

ok people, the time has come!!! i'm almost at my 1000th hit, which makes me so excited i'm going to buy you something! i'm going to start the shopping tomorrow for the super scrappity RAK i'm going to send out. just leave me a comment between now and Thursday morning to be entered...can't think of something to write...tell me about your favorite organizing strategy for your scrap space. i'm always looking for good tips! tell your friends...unless you don't want to add more names in the drawing :) j/k! once i hit the LSS, i'll post pics of the loot!

happy scrapping!!!
xoxo...jenn <><

happy day!!!

:) i have happy news...i'll share it later tonight after the announcement is made!!!!!

7 things...

i'm trying to do some blog catch-up here, and to start things off...jo tagged me, so here i go!

here are 7 random facts/habits about me!

1- i'm a huge UGA fan...i know, not all that interesting...but, i can count on my hands the number of home games i've missed in the past 20 years on my two hands! GOOOOO DAWGS!!!

2- i danced for over 10 years...tap, ballet, and jazz. i broke my collar bone tailgating at a UGA football game, and that ended the dance career. don't worry, i still made it to the game after a trip to the ER!

3- i hate the water! i can swim...even took lessons when i was young, but i hate it! maybe it's the bathing suit!

4- i have a dream of becoming a drummer in a band. i know i'm getting a little too old for this dream , but i don't think it will ever fade...I WANT TO BE A ROCK STAR!!!

5- i have OCD...that's right, i should be medicated :) i have to eat in even numbers, walk in even steps, and just feel balanced all the time. for example, if i get tapped on my left shoulder, i have to touch my right shoulder so it evens out. it's pretty bad, but not all that noticeable unless you're looking for it!

6- my cat's name is sassafras; here's how i named her...i was with the boy i was...ummm...dating...hanging out with...whatever...and we were laying around looking at a rhyming dictionary. we started looking at the bad words, and sassafras was my favorite choice that rhymed; plus, i can call her sassy for short!!!

7-i've moved 5 times in the past 2 years, and i'll be doing it once more in the next month! it's craziness, but it helps me from collecting too much clutter! i'm hoping that this next move will be for at least a couple of years. unless i meet the man of my dreams and get married...which i don't see happening any time soon...unless someone reading this knows someone ;)


ok, they may not have been the most interesting things, but i did it! now i have to tag 7 more people...if i tag you and you've already done this, i'm sorry...forgive me!
1. frankie
2. heather
3. dee
4. holly
5. micayla
6. tammy kay
7. valerie


The rules:Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves.People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things,as well as these rules.

lots 'o layouts!

so, i'm finally posting some of the LOs i did last week...i'm almost caught up on my 2007 album!

i have so many fun ideas for mini albums; i just hope i can get them all done-or at least started-before i have to go back to school!

on this memorial day, take time to remember those who are serving or who have served and given their lives for our freedom. we are so lucky to live in this nation.

haze...

there have been fires in south georgia going on for a while now...and today, the haze and smell of smoke are covering the state! as soon as i walked outside, i thought the house was on fire! the smokiness covers all of metro atlanta! i heard on the radio that 600 square miles are covered with a black cloud...CRAZY!!! rain, please come and wash the haze away!!!

another great weekend has come and gone, and judging from the temp outside, summer is just about here!

saturday was a good day...went to my lss, and the owner asked me if i could work at the store this summer while she's gone for a couple of weeks!!! wooohooo!!! maybe i'll get some things done while i'm there! on the way home, my mom and i went and played bingo. i know it sounds rediculous...but it's way too much fun!

yesterday was a great sunday...after church, anna, tim, and i went to the art show and the taste of fayette. you buy tokens and use the tokens to "sample" local restaurants that are all set up in tents downtown. we had really good quisadillas and topped them off with cotton candy...my fav! there were some beautiful things at the art show. i wish i had money to buy some of the things. tim is all about art, so he had more of an appreciation for the things we saw. anna and i zoomed in on the jewelry! i wish i would have taken more pics; i only got this one of anna and i as we were headed back to the car...

i'm headed back to my house tomorrow, and i plan on doing nothing but scrapping all week!!! it's been too long since i've done that! hopefully, you'll see lots of those LO's posted soon :)

i'm off to lunch with anna banana...have a marvelous monday!

what to do??!

i'm sooooooooooooooooo bored! there's only so much time you can spend here or here or playing sudoku! i'm stuck at my parents' house, so i have no scrappy supplies :(

if you read this on sat night, give me something to do...until then, i'll be sitting here...so pitiful!

EDIT-ok...i was wrong! i've been on those two sites all night! i guess i wasn't too bored after all :) good night!

hollyberry...

my holly...i'm going to miss you sooooooo much! God has blessed me by putting you in my life, and i can only imagine the things he has planned for you over the next month. the mozambique people better be nice to you and let you come home safe! i love you, and i'll see you at bagage claim in june :)