Scrapbooking for Charity!

I am branching out and have begun scrapbooking for charity! We found this really cool company called Scrapbook Royalty that sponsors scrapbooking sessions to raise money for different charities. It is really awesome! So, on July 14th, I'll be scrapbooking with my pal Catherine to raise money for the John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles (the clinic supports families with children and infants with hearing loss). Here is the link if you want to check it out...http://www.scrapbookroyalty.com/jtc.html . I need to raise at least $100 for this charity, so if you like to donate any amount, as little as $5, I'll take it! Just let me know!

How this came about, you ask? Well, Catherine has two sisters with MS and when we saw this company at the Scrapbooking Convention in San Diego, she thought about doing a crop to raise money for MS research. So, she looked into it and the crop on the 14th will be our first, "experimental" crop. After we go, we'll be setting up a crop night to raise money for MS! It's so neat to see that we can put our passion to use to help others. I hope you'll support us, or at least check it out! :) See my list of favorite websites for their website. Love you all!

My bounty!

Hey! I just thought I'd share the beautiful bounty of roses that bloomed in our back yard last week! I've never been much of a gardener-in fact, it's been said that I manage to kill silk plants- but for some reason, these little guys keep blooming and I'm loving it! My favorite are the orange-yellow ones-they have swirls of color in them and they are absolutely gorgeous! Anyways, enjoy some pretty flowers, compliments of me.....

School's Out!

It is with mixed emotions that I meet the end of my 1st shool year as a fourth grade teacher. We had a crazy last two weeks of school, what with our 3-day Sacramento trip, Father's Day gifts, A trip to Disney's CA Adventure, a pool party, making memory books, room clean -up, and final tests and everything else. It was a whirlwind, but I got it all done and practically dropped dead at the end of school on Friday. I can't believe it's over! I was very emotional-this was a big deal for me to say good-bye to my very first class. It was an extremely difficult year, but also a huge blessing-I learned a lot, cried a lot, slept very little, tried to laugh as much as possible, and prayed more than I ever have. I truly learned total dependence on God for my strength, wisdom, and endurance. This was quite possibly the most stretching 9 months of my life. I was tested and pushed and pulled in way I never thought possible, but it was all good in the end. I can truly say that I was right where I was supposed to be and God is good and took care of my family, my students, my friends, and me while I labored. I wouldn't change a thing! I went home Friday night and slept for almost 12 hours straight-now it's Sunday and I feel almost refreshed=one more good night of sleep and I should be good to go! This week entails packing up my room, finalizing grades, report cards, and closing up all loose ends. My kids are still in school till the 21st, so I should get some time for all of this! Thanks for reading this and check in again soon for more exciting updates!

Sacramento Here I come (and then back home)

So, I'm sitting here in the Sacramento Airport waiting to board the plane home. I have spent the last 3 days in San Fran and Sacramento with my 4th grade class and boy was it fun! A little overwhelming-not for the weak or easily frustrated, but very fun. I brought 20 students and their parents from my class and we traveled with 22 students and their parents from the other 4th grade class-a total of 89 people, I believe. We went to San Fran, visited Alcatraz, ate clam chowder (my fav), went gold-panning in Coloma (the discovery site of gold) and swam in the hotel pool-yes, I swam with the kids. I was little worried about scarring them for life with the sight of me in a swimsuit-but they don't seem very affected. Today we visited the capital and Old Town, along the with railroad museum. Needless to say, I am totally exhausted, but in a good way. Everyone behaved, the parents included, and we are all flying home with a smile. The best part? I got to bring Benny here with me and he had the trip of a lifetime. Ask him about it! The pictures are of Benny and me at the airport on Wednesday morning, at Alcatraz on Wednesday afternoon, panning for gold in Coloma on Thursday, my class in front of the capitol building, and both classes in front of the capitol. There are 200+ more pictures which I will spare you from. If you ever want to see them-let me know! Love to you all!