The Honest Truth.

Want to know a secret?

It's a big one.

You might be surprised.

You probably wont believe me.

Teachers are more excited about Christmas Break than the kids.

I promise.

The Holiday Season...

I have really been feeling the Christmas spirit lately.

Does this mean all of my Christmas shopping is done? 

Does this mean our Christmas cards are addressed and ready to be mailed?

Well, no. Don't you know me at all?

What I mean is that Christmas is really on my mind. All the time. 

I have the "Christmas Melody" station playing on Pandora around the clock. (I might be playing it now.)

My tree is always plugged in when I'm home.

My cranberry woods candle stays lit when I'm home. 

There are only 3 more days of school until Christmas Break. (But who's counting?)

My car radio stays locked on B98.5 (except of course for when I'm listening to Garth- getting ready for the concert THIS SUNDAY!!)

Last night, Karen, Katelin, Des, and me went to The Fox for their annual Holiday Movie. I can't tell you how much fun I had (even though I'm still battling this EXTREMELY ANNOYING cold from my dear, sweet, wonderful first graders). 

These girls have become so special to me. I think about my life this time last year and how much has changed. I've formed friendships here.I've said it before but I'm really just so thankful for these friends. These girls who braved the 20 degree weather and 8 degree windchill (yes... really...in Atlanta) to get the car so "my cold wouldn't get worse."  :)

I'm Thankful For...

 Good friends

 A somewhat clean house

Clean laundry

 The chance of snow

Alka-Seltzer Plus: Cold and Flu. To fight off this annoying cold my dear, sweet, wonderful first graders have given me.

The Big 2-7.

I'm back! Sorry I haven't posted in a week. 

I've been busy decorating for Christmas, handling rowdy first graders, and celebrating my birthday.I have to say, I "feel" this birthday a little bit. I'm getting on the other side...closer and closer to 30. I have to admit that my life is pretty great right now though.

Let's get caught up with some pictures, shall we?

First up...some new pictures of me and my good man.

Isn't this ridiculous? 

Everyone always says how much they like our "serious" wedding picture poses and we don't really like them. At all. 

Guess we're making fun of that.

Look at the flowers my momma, brother, and sister had delivered to school on my birthday.

Check out the balloons and Edible Arrangement the parents in my class had delivered.

Jimmy and Desiree came over on Friday and we had tacos and cheese dip (which is kinda my usual birthday supper). We watched Home Alone (which is THE best Christmas movie ever made, in my opinion) and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Those two are such sweet people and I just had the best time visiting with them! 

My good man spent his Saturday (and missed the first part of the SEC Championship Game) taking me birthday shopping. 

(Can I stop here and say, "Go HOGS! Sugar Bowl.! ) Thanks. 

But after a great birthday with a million birthday hugs, supper with good friends, tons and tons of Facebook Messages, calls from family, calls from friends both new and old, and a special video message from my brother...want to know the best part of a birthday?

 

Leftover chocolate cake for breakfast the next day.

A Night Filled With Favorite Things

Like...

Grilled cheese sandwiches.

Real coke with a touch if Malibu.

Watching Home Alone.

Putting up the Christmas decorations.

A vent and a blanket on a chilly night.

A warm bed with clean sheets.

A cranberry woods candle smelling up my house.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

I've had a hard time catching the Holiday spirit this week.

Between the warm Atlanta weather and long list of things I needed to do before heading to NY I just didn't really feel it.

I'm happy to announce that I am kinda catching it now. Somewhere between the Christmas tree at my good man's parent's house and the Christmas music and the cider sipping and pie smells... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet.

Now all I need is to hear Blue Christmas and Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and I'm back!

P.S. I caught my first graders at school playing "Pilgrims and Indians" yesterday at recess.Complete with a Mayflower Ship. Precious!

P.S.S. I also caught some of them singing some song about glitter on the floor and taking it off and turning it on and freaks coming around. Not precious!

I realize that this blog has been super boring lately.

Honestly, I just flat out haven't really had anything to talk about. I still don't really but lets see if I can round something up.

I cut all my hair off last week (sorry Dadio) but I don't have a picture to show you. I love the cut though... I just felt like I needed a change.

 On Saturday some couples from our small group at church had a Thanksgiving dinner and it was SO much fun.  I can honestly say that I will be sad when we all start going in different directions. It has been such a blessing to share this time of our lives with people in the exact same situation. Getting connected and making good friends has made all the difference!

My good man and I are leaving tomorrow night to spend Thanksgiving with his parents in Binghamton, NY. His mom and I are hitting the city on Saturday and I'm so excited! Hopefully it will help me get in the "Christmas spirit." I've been trying to catch it but I guess I have to get through Thanksgiving first. Maybe the fact that it was 70 degrees today has something to do with my non-holiday-mood. 

A friend was telling me about the "Favorite Things" episode of Oprah the other day and how she was doing a part 2 episode today. Honestly, I kinda ran home quick so I could catch some of it. Those people act insane! Not that I blame them at all, but it is pretty funny to see them go crazy. 

I would love to keep rambling but I have clothes to wash, a kitchen to clean, and a bag to pack.

Say What???

  I should have been in bed 56 minutes ago but here I am wasting time on the internet. On the MSN homepage is the headline America's 15 Most Popular Professions. Check out this one:

15. Elementary school teachers: The category includes elementary school teachers except those who teach special education. Elementary school teachers are responsible for instructing students in kindergarten through fifth grade on a variety of subjects.
Total employment:  1.54 million
Salary: $53,150
Requirements: Bachelor's degree, teaching certification.

I beg your pardon? 

$53,150 with only a bachelor's degree? Where in the heck are these people working?

It is most definitely not Atlanta, GA.

I'm Shamelesssssss

Raise your hand if you'd like to know a little secret about me.

I'm a major Garth Brooks fan. Have been since the Alabama June Jam where my brave momma and dad drug all three kids to this outdoor country music festival in what couldn't have been any later than 1988.

Anyway. This love for Garth Brooks seeped into my early elementary world with a T-Shirt and a video taped copy of some concert that we watched about a million times screaming every single word to all his songs. 

My dear friends... I'm kinda proud to admit that I sang Friends in Low Places in the second grade talent show. This happens to be the same talent show where they pronounced my name ka-ki (like the pants). But that's a different story for a different day.

My mom and dad made me change the lyrics to "Where the Pepsi drowns and the Root Beer chases by blues away" and I was so stinkin' frustrated at them for that. I get it now but I sure didn't understand why I couldn't say "whiskey" and "beer" in that show. 

(P.S.    LRL... do you remember looking up More Than  Memory on YouTube in between our Facebook stalkings?)

Anyway, for the past 5 years I've made it known that I will see Garth Brooks in concert before I die. The problem was that he wasn't touring.  Last week I heard that he was coming to Nashville and it was almost more then I could take. I mean, Nashville is only 3.5ish hours away and the concert is $25 and in December which is perfect and the very FIRST station I ever made on Pandora was "Garth Brooks!"

It's meant to be. My good man and I don't agree very much on music but we can agree on Garth. Callin' Baton Rouge gets sang on pretty much any trip we take. We are going to the December 19 show and I am soooooo excited! 

Almost to the point where I feel kinda giddy and happy when I think about it. I've already warned my good man that he might see a new side of me and it might not be pretty. I plan on being one of those people who belts out that mysterious third verse to Friends in Low Places. Get ready.

Life Lately

I kept meaning to put up some pictures of the Halloween stuff but Halloween is kinda long over and no one really cares about all that anyway. 

But, I do want you to see my pumpkin (momma)...

This picture is kinda funny from the flash but it looked really cool in person!

My poor good man has been sick all week so we have just kinda hung around and watched Mad Men. I really like it so far and I hear it gets even better.

Yesterday was one heck of a day in the elementary word. A big ole' glass of Moscato (or two) and some leftover Halloween candy helped.

Enjoy your Friday!

A Fun Fall Day

Once again, my Saturday didn't disapoint.

My good man is feeling pretty under the weather but we were able to drink some coffee and start Mad Men.

I headed down to Atlantic Station with some sweet friends to see  
Life As We Know It.

It was really cute and I would highly recommend it.

Before the movie we hit up Bath and Body Works. I should stop here and say that I have a really hard time in that store. I sort of have a problem where I HAVE to smell everything. I can't help it. Shampoo, candles, honey, soap... you name it I smell it.

(This has gotten me in trouble on more than one occasion but I come by it pretty honest.)

(*cough* cough* Dadio).

Either way, after about 1000 smells I've found a new favorite smell.

The Leaves candle at Bath and Body Works smells amazing!

I just carved a cool looking pumpkin with all kinds of polka dots, have my new candle burning, am listening to the Razorback Game and am sipping on a Diet Dr. Pepper. Maybe I ate a mini-sized Butterfinger (or two!) to officially welcome Halloween.

I do love me some weekends.

Hogwild

I miss the AR Paper. 

I can see some of it on my iPod touch but it isn't the same.

Since I was home this weekend I couldn't wait to see the Sport's Section on Sunday after the Ole Miss Game. What with the two weather delays and a win over Ole Miss Houston Nutt (our old coach) and all.

Check out the front page story...

The headline is hilarious but here is the great part...

Yep. We've seen that face a time or two on the Hill but it sure is nice to see it on the other side.

Sorry, Houston.

60 Years!

I am so glad I was able to go home and help my grandparents celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary. (We got a kick out of the fact that me and my good man will celebrate our 60th in 2068. )

We ate great food, drank some fun champagne, and enjoyed each others company.

Enjoy the pics!

 The pretty wedding cake with a gf top layer.

 The cake table with punch that was so good I kinda want to make a jug up and keep that sucker in my fridge.

Uncle Mike passing out the champagne for a toast. 

 Nana and Grandpa Bud cutting their cake. 

 Me and my Dadio.

 Me and my Garrett (who started watching The Wire and earned major bonus points in my book!).

Me and my Kelsey (who I haven't convinced to watch The Wire...yet).

 The whole grand-kid crew (minus my good man).

 Dadio making sure we weren't going to get blown away by a tornado during the party.

Happy Anniversary, Nana and Grandpa Bud!

Saturday!

In case you didn't know... I love Saturday. I have told you this many times before.

Today I woke up at 5:00 on my Saturday and flew to LR. 

My grandparents will celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary tomorrow and I can't wait for 

the party at my aunt's house.

Right now, I'm sitting at my momma's house painting my nails watching this Hog Game. (Will it ever end?) It's been delayed because of the weather two times already. We ate at US Pizza earlier where I was able to squeeze in a DDP and gluten free pizza. We might even hit up the Wal-Mart later. Yes, sir... I love Saturday!

Don't want to talk about it but I'll show you pictures...

On Saturday my good man and I headed to Auburn for the game.

We tailgated with the Atlanta Chapter of the Alumni Association.

 

Met up with a best friend's sister. We go pretty far back and it was great to catch up!

We had awesome seats. Right behind the band, surrounded by AR folks.

 

Like always, we tried to get some decent pictures. (FAIL!)

We had a great time... until the end. Lets just say that it didn't end like we all hoped it would and I don't really want to talk about it.

I will say this:

The people in Auburn were some of the nicest people. So many people "welcomed us to Auburn" and told us they were glad we were there. We felt very welcome in our Razorback Red.

It was a fun trip and a good ending to the Fall Break.

Hello, Fall Break.

One of the great perks of being a teacher in Hotlanta is the Fall Break.

Since I got a whole week of this wonderful Fall Break, I decided to take me a trip to The Rock.

First up, I went to church and lunch with my family on Sunday. An absolute MUST DO on a trip home. Sunday night I spent some time at my old stomping ground (The Tuckers) and realized that I've been out of the Youth Group for a long time but can close my eyes and not realize that I've gone to and graduated college (and Grad School) and gotten married and moved to Atlanta. Time flies!

Next up, was a trip to the Fair with Kara. 

 

There was a FREE Joe Diffie concert going on so we decided to check it out. I'm all about something free and I've always liked Joe Diffie. We were able to get pretty close up to the stage...

We were right up there in the action and all these old good songs (John Deere Green, Honky Tonk Attitude, Bigger Than the Beetles, Pickup Man, Prop Me Up, and Home) took me back. Fun times!

Next up was a day in the country with my Dadio. I'm kicking myself for not getting any pictures but I held cute baby chickens, shot a 12 gauge pump shotgun (impressive, I know!), drove the 4 wheeler, and gathered up all kinds of nature-ous things for my class. You know...things like gourds, buckeyes, turkey feathers and hickory nuts are important parts of teaching 1st graders. Seriously!

Next up was a trip to...wait for it... El Porton.

The rest of the time was spent catching up with my sister, momma and both sets of grand-parents.

I was able to squeeze in one more dinner date with my cousins. We went to a new Pizza Place that has a gluten free crust. I can't say it was as good as Maddio's but it wasn't bad.

So there you have it. The first part of my Fall Break. 

Happy Thursday!

Moving on with my life...

Over the past six weeks, I have developed a little problem.

I've become hooked on The Wire.
I'm not exactly sure why... but this show sucked me in instantly.

My good man and I just watched the final episode and I'm satisfied. I'm also glad to get my life back.

For the past six weeks...

All I've wanted to do is watch it.

I haven't really cooked great suppers.

I haven't really deep cleaned my house.

I've dreamed about Avon, Bubbles, and Stringer.

I've had great conversations with other Wire watching folks.

Maybe shed a few tears. (Season 4, anybody?)

 I've turned a few people on to watching it.

It's been great. I'm headed to The Rock tomorrow (for my Fall Break) and I already have plans to call some folks and discuss it.

It is officially over and time to move on with my life.

Now if I could just get that theme song out of my head...

Dear Saturday,

You are my new favorite friend.

Thanks for not judging me when I slept late today. And for making my husband feel like having coffee, bacon and eggs, and toast ready to greet me when I finally got up.

Thanks for giving me time to file a thousand papers and clean my bathroom. Oh, and for letting me squeeze in a couple episodes of The Wire too. (You know, because I'm addicted.)

Thanks for sending a friend for me to laugh with and to eat cheeseburgers and brownies with.

Next up for today... football and Halloween decorations.  Maybe a Diet Dr. Pepper or two.

Yep, Saturday... you have my permission to be my new best friend.

Pressing the Shady Button

Sorry I've been all shady on here lately. To be quite honest, I've been kinda shady with everybody in my life.    
I blame The Wire. Anyway, I'm back.

Let me update you on life. I don't want to talk about the AR/AL game. Up until the last 6 minutes, life was good. Here is a picture of us from the Atlanta Chapter (of the AR Alumni Association) watch party.

I've told you over and over how hard it is for me to get a picture with Seth Borin. I might as well show you that we NEVER get it right on the first try.

 I need to tell you about a place to eat in Atlanta. Do you like burgers? Fries? Onion Rings? Well, if you ever come to the A-Town you might need to eat at Yeah! Burger. I forgot to mention that they have gluten free food too, so take yours truly with you, please.
Check this out...

For the first time in a looonnnnggg time, I was able to get a hamburger with a bun, fries, onion rings AND a beer and it was all gluten free. It was a little pricey, but very worth it.
 

Well, kids that's about all I have. I'm still loving my class but drowning in an ugly sea of paper work. Just when I get my head a little bit above water, "they" dump more on me and I'm right back underwater. Such is life, I suppose. Enjoy your night!

Go Hogs Go!

My good man and I just got back from the Arkansas/ Georgia game and it was pretty much awesome.

Actually, it was way too close of a game for a minute towards the end but the Hogs held it down.

I didn't really take very many pictures since we were busy hog callin' and socializing, but here are a few.

Like always, it is pretty much like pulling teeth- trying to get a good picture with Seth Borin.

 

I'm not sure why I look really pale in this picture.

Right now, I pretty much look like a lobster.

A lobster with pale circles around her eyes from the sunglasses.

 

It was freaking hot!

We were just glad to see trees.

 

If you look really close, you can see GA fans leaving with 12 minutes left in the game. 

The "game" hadn't even started at this point. 

 It was so good to be around AR folks again. All the Razorback red, Woo Pig Sooies, tailgating action, and the win made today a good one. 

Go Hogs!

Nine Years

My good man and I go waaay back. 

We've only been married for 2 years, but today marks 9 years of dating. 9 years. Holy cow. (How can it be 9 years?) I knew you couldn't get rid of me, Borin.

We started dating in High School and have never really looked back. The next thing I knew, we were "going out" and then I graduated, then we were sticking together, then we were going to Fayetteville, then he was going to GA Tech, then we were getting married, then we were moving to Atlanta, and BAM! Here we are today.

He's my best friend and I can't imagine my life with out good ole' Seth Borin. So many of my memories have him in there and I really do think he knows me better than I know myself.

Enough of the mushy stuff. Lets get to looking at pictures of us over the years, shall we? 

 

 

 

Happy 9 years, Seth Borin. I love ya!