Springing into Summer!!!!

I'm absolutely love loving this warmer sunshiny weather we are having. It's done wonder's on my pale skin and brightened up my home as well. I've brought in some beautiful flowers through out the back and front yard. Even added some veggie and fruit plants, well see how long those hold up. However I have been really good about remembering to water them, so fingers crossed. I've been enjoying our back patio quite a bit here lately. It's so relaxing to come home from a long day at work and just sit outside with the pups, have dinner and listen to the birds and bugs. I've spruced it up a bit so its cozy and cute, I've still got a few idea in mind to add to it but for now its just perfect!!! It's much more enjoyable then plopping in front of the tv, which I find I'm doing less and less through out the work week. I am oh so excited about the new season of the Bachelorette starting up this Monday though. Should be interesting to see how this season play's out with there being two Bachelorette's. Sadly I'll have to wait till Tuesday night's to watch it since we do not have cable, only Net-Flix and Hulu. It took a while to get used to not having cable but I can proudly say I don't miss it one bit. We didn't watch it nearly enough before and so it just made sense to do with out when we moved to TN. I don't know that we'll ever go back, I like to enjoy the simpler finer things in life and I grown to realize tv isn't one of those.

Everybody loves a little local Strawberry pickin. Sarah and her sweet little family where kind enough to share part of her mother's day with me. We met out at the strawberry farm to do a little picking of our own. Little AB couldn't stop eating them, she was def. enjoying the her first adventure of S. picking. I didn't blame her one bit though, they are so fresh and tasty!!! 

This past week at work has been absolutely crazy and exhausting. I'm so glad the weekend is here and I hope it creeps by because I'm not ready to start another work week yet. I am scheduled to work a 40 hour work week and from time to time I'll have a hour- two at the most of collective over time though the week. Yesterday when I clocked out at 5 min. till 6pm mind you I am suppose to get off at 4:30pm, I had 46 hours for the week. That's 6 hours "SIX" hours of over time. That's more than a hour a day people. Talk about one of the longest weeks ever!!!! I still managed to come home and walk the pups and pick up the house a bit before settling down for dinner. But boy was I beat, between my weekly workouts, runs and non-stopping working I was more than ready for a break.
I'm not sure though how long this "break" is going to last. I start a new workout / nutrition plan on Monday. (some of you may have heard of the 21 day fix extreme, through beachbody, ya I'm going to do it, wish me luck!!) And we have less then a month till our pre-school graduation, so I'm going to have to really start buckling down with my kiddos even more to get them ready for that. Not to mention there was / is a possibility for me to take a summer course and when I say summer I mean a whole 15 week course crammed into a single month. Through the month of June. A little part of me was kinda hoping it would fall through and I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed but it didn't and here I am. I have the weekend to decide if I'm going to do this or not. Like the husband said, I've got to take it at some point so why not just go and get it over with. But hello its 5 Tuesday night, 2 Thursday nights and 4 Saturday's through the month. 45 whopping hours aaaahhh!!!! I don't know what to do. The one good thing is I know the instructor teaching the class, and my girl A who took the last two classes with is doing it, so at least I'll know someone. And I suppose it would probably help pass more time with the hubbs not being home.
Speaking of that handsome fella himself, he really needs to hurry and get his booty home. I know not like he has any control over that matter. But would be nice if he did. Still no word on when he's coming back either, which totally down right sucks, seeing's as his whole company came back early April and he was moved to another company. Talk about a bummer. But we have officially decided where we are going for his / our post deployment trip and I'm beyond excited. Crazy as it was to it was all his idea, I most certainly didn't see that one coming. We're keeping it under the radar for now but I can't wait to share!!!!

Well now that I've sat out and enjoy the morning rain and chirping birds this lovely gloomy morning I suppose it's time for me to get ready for the day, Sarah and I've got a little adventuring to do this morning. Time with her is always the best and frankly not always that often enough so I'm soaking it in and enjoying it while we can. Because I'm sure gonna miss her here soon, but we aren't talking about that. I'm in denial!!!!!

Class Canvas's

 For our school Spring Art Auction each class is given canvas's for each child. These are then placed up for purchase as the School's Spring Art Auction at $15.00 each. I think they are pretty priceless it you ask me, although I might be a bit partial. The canvas's are yours to do with as you wish and must be 100% the child's art work. Well since our kiddos are a bit to small to do it all themselves we of course have to help them. And since I'm super anal when it comes to our class art project's, I make it a priority that our canvas's are perfect. This year we went around and around on what we were going to do. I like sticking with a theme were each child's is the same just personalized to them. I originally wanted to take the easy way out and just do the same design that we did last year. But one of my assistants wasn't crazy about that idea. Not that they weren't cute, they were adorable but she suggested we do something different and I'm so glad she did. On one of my late night dates when it was just me and the Macbook I came across this idea on FB. A friends mom's actually posted it and tag another teacher friend in it. I just loved it and though it was so fitting for our class. I showed my assistant teachers and they loved it as well. We got to work that next day on them and were done within less than a week. Once we settle on a theme or idea we don't waste any time getting them done. My afternoon assistant is extremely talented when it comes to her hand writing and we've deemed her the writer of the class. Her work is just beautiful, thank goodness she enjoys it. Other classes were still working on them up to the week of the Auction.  I was so excited for our parents to see them. It was so hard not to show them when they came in. The different teachers I showed just loved them.
*Spring Art Auction evening verdict, everyone LOVED them and we got endless comments on how everyone though they were so cute. Definitely one of my favorite parts about the Auction. I'm going to miss doing them next year for sure. #bittersweetmove

Puppy Park on Mother's Day

I may not be a momma to any two legged babies but I a momma to two four legged fur babies. They warm my heart and always seem to make me smile. Sure they annoy the nonsense out of my sometimes but I wouldn't change them for the world. We've been through so much together in the past 4 years. It's just been the 3 of us over the last month and we've had some extra bonding time. We've gone on lots of walks and runs together like we always do when daddy's home. We've spend a lot of time at the Dog Park (I wont take them in the wooded trail area by myself like we do when the hubbs is home) letting them run some of their energy out. I love that we have a dog park on post and its only half a mile from our house. Not only do they get a good walk in up there but then they can run around free and play. We've been pretty lucky here lately and there really hasn't been anyone there. I say luck because Bailey is kinda crazy with dogs she doesn't know when in a confined area. 

I couldn't think of a better way to take advantage of this beautiful day then a trip to the puppy park. 

Sweet Bailey Girl taking a break in the shade, its only 9am and its already pretty warm out. 

They love playing on the ramp, its so fun to watch them run up and down because they get so excited.

(the below left pic. shows B's double ridgeback hair line so well, I love it) 

Bailey hasn't quite figured out the tunnel yet but Dingo just jumps right in. 

They love the dog park and we had so much fun running around playing this morning. We spent over a hour there. Now I have two pooped puppies and this momma is relaxing for a bit before I go get some fresh local Strawberries. Yum :) We're officially on count down mode till daddy / hubbs comes home and I can't wait. 

Happy Mother's Day to all you Momma's & Momma's to be out there!!!!! 

Spring Art Auction

Each year the school I work for does a Spring Art Auction this is the school's spring fundraiser.

 Part of what goes into that is the Children decorate a canvas. Each child has their own and they are to do what they want on it. There is no direction, no theme or story to go by, simply them using their imagination. Its a lot of fun for the older kiddos and seeing the out come. However with the little ones they need a bit more guidance. We wanted them to be a creation all of its self but knew some help was needed. We've been talking about this since the beginning of the year (Jan. 2013, our school year runs just as a public school August- May) and what we wanted to do. I had some what of a idea in my head that we had been talking about. We had been trying to play off that and add to it just a little. Last Friday we got out Canvas's and set on them for the week. Even though the Auction is less than 20 days away and 6 of those day's we will be on bring break we didn't want to rush into it. We wanted to make sure they turned out perfect and we didn't mess up anything. 

Well this morning we decided we would give it a try, "we will start with one", we said and go from there on what we think. One led to Two which led to Three, Four, Five, next thing we knew we had done all eight children that were there for the day. (we had a few out) We were / are very please with the way they turned out. They were completely done by the children as far as the painting goes. So with out further ado here are our Classroom Canvas's for EDS's 2012-2013 Spring Art Auction 

Step-1

Step-2

Step-3

Step-4

I think they are so cute and I can't wait to see what the parents think of them.
Its going to be hard keeping them a secret from them till April 18th. 

What do you think, did they turn out cute?!?!? or what?!?!

 I do think they look so much better in person, but they are still cute!!!

Spring Art Auction

Our Spring Art Auction has finally come and gone thankfully. It was kinda different then I was thinking it would be but I didn't really know what to expect either. I guess it turned out all right, all the parents loved their children's art canvas's so thats good. 

It started at 5:30pm so it didn't make sense to go home and come back since I get off work at 5pm. 

Dinner was served, catered by a local joint here called Zoe's. It really pretty good I've gone there a few times with my new friend K for lunch. 

There was four sections set up of silent auction items, most of the stuff had to do with children or the local sporting teams here so I wasn't to interested. There was two paintings that I fell in love with and decided to place a bid on. I later found out that the very popular artist is a local man that goes by the Chicken Man. (he mainly paint chickens.) He makes the paintings right out of his truck and sells them on the side of the road. After hearing people talk about him tonight I put the to and to together, it clicked I knew who he was and were he parked to sell his paintings. Driving down through Five Points (a very popular area) I've seen him and always wanted to stop but was a little skeptical. However next time I'll for sure stop and check out his work.

I hadn't planed on staying long because I needed to get home and let the pups out since I didn't go home on my lunch. Well that didn't happen, after I ate and walked around a bit next thing I knew the silent auctions were ending. I wanted to find out if I won my painting and figured I'd suck it up and wait out the extra 5-10 minutes. And GUESS..... WHAT I WON!!!!!!!!! I was super excited because I won my item!!!!! I waited around a bit more to try and pay for it so I could take it home but the line to check out was just crazy long and wasn't moving. I'm super excited about it though and can't wait to hang it up in our home. Since our spring break starts tomorrow I probably wont get it till we get back but I'll for sure post a picture so you all can see it!!!! I'm sure your dying to any how right lol. 

But for now I'll leave you with a couple pictures of the Class Room Pots that were also in the silent auction. Some of them went for over $50.00 I was really surprised but hey I guess when a parent wants something they keep bidding. I placed a bid on one of the pots as well but got out bided on it and wasn't going to pay more than $25-30 for it. 

The one I wanted is the last one in the first picture below. 

Around the rim it says "Give Thanks to The Lord, For I am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made".

~DAY 168~

Springing Forward!!!

Spring is among us, its coming its coming!!! 

Day Light Saving time has hit us and we jump ahead a hour late tonight / early morning. 

I'm totally looking forward to it being lighter out later. That means after work I can hit the gym and still come home and go for a run with the pups before it gets dark. 

I'm not looking forward to the 6 hr time difference vs. 5 hrs from the South to Hawaii. 

The trees are starting to bloom and the rose buds are starting to open. The church across the street from were I work has Tulips lined along the stair way and its simply beautiful. I hear this place it absolutely beautiful during the spring / summer time and I can't wait to see it. 

However the pollen that is in the air is totally killing my throat. I have come to the conclusion that its the reason behind my horrible cough. I'm hoping it doesn't last to much longer because its making me miserable. 

The weather has been warm with a slight breeze to cool things off so its not super hot. I'm looking forward to it warming up more but the stories I've been hearing about the 100+ degree temperature is heart wrenching. Gosh why can't every place be like Hawaii 85 degrees and a chance of rain every day, sounds pretty good right. :)
My plan is to spend as much time outside as possible, and soak up the beautiful sun shine.
Don't worry I'll be sure to capture loads of pictures in the near future. 

~DAY 149~