My DC & NYC Trip

Hello friends! I thought I might have a bit more time to blog this summer while I'm off from work, but it seems I have been busier than ever.  Let's see...here's a recap of what June has been for me.....

*1 day training at school

*I turned 48!

*6 day trip to Washington DC & NYC with my nephew Riley

*took Sadie and Rooster to the vet for their yearly check-ups

*celebrated Dakota's 22nd birthday (my son)

*painting party with my teacher friends

*1/2 day training in Google Classroom 

*got the great news that my mother-in-law's cancer is nearly gone!

*celebrated my mom's 68th birthday

*attended my 30 year class reunion

*celebrated Father's Day

*2 more days of professional development

*celebrated my birthday late with my friend Jeana

*celebrated Joey's 50th birthday

*drove to Tampa with my teacher friend Kaycee to go to IKEA!

*repainted and put new floors in my craft room which meant taking everything out (not fun)...but I am in love with the transformation and will blog about it soon

*began cleaning out the shed today until it started pouring rain (will finish soon)

* every Tuesday and Thursday workouts from 7 -8 AM and Every Friday from 9-10 AM

*working on things for my new 1st grade classroom

So...I'm sorry I haven't had much chance to blog but hopefully July will be a little slower paced!

I do have a few pictures of my trip to share today. I picked out the highlights. 

This was my fourth trip to Washington DC and my second trip to New York City and I enjoyed them both again....especially NYC!

Day 1 in DC....

Korean War Memorial

Lincoln

Vietnam Wall

World War II

Martin Luther King 

(this was my first time seeing this one)

Jefferson

Arlington National Cemetery

We also went to the Smithsonian Air & Space and Natural History museums and we saw the White House. We walked over 8 miles on this day! My year of working out helped significantly with all the step climbing and up and downhill walking. I never got tired!

Day 2 was just pictures in front of the capital before we headed to NYC.

We arrived at our hotel in New Jersey around 4 o'clock and got ready to head to the city for dinner and to see Aladdin on Broadway. It was absolutely awesome and I was happy to get to add another Broadway show to my growing list.

We saw it in the New Amsterdam theater and it was just beautiful inside. I believe this is the same theater I saw Lion King in years ago.

Day 2 in NYC...we saw some things while riding in the bus on the way to the harbor cruise. I had done this before as well but it was nice to go again. The boat we were on was the first one to respond to the plane going down in the Hudson River. Have you seen the movie about it...Sully? I loved it! So...that tall building you see in the photo below is the Freedom Tower built where one of the twin towers used to stand. It is a beautiful building. 

Ellis Island

The Statue of Liberty

Another skyline shot

After the cruise, we went to lunch and then toured the grounds of where the twin towers stood. This was new for me...the last time I went there were just 2 massive holes where they stood. Now one is occupied by Freedom Tower and the other by this amazing wall and waterfall. There is no way to get a perfect shot of this. The names of everyone who dies are etched in the wall all the way around. It is breathtaking!

This is the Survivor Tree. It barely survived the fall of the towers but it did and was uprooted and planted in the Bronx. When they finished the grounds, they returned it here. 

China Town (didn't care for it before and didn't this time either) 

Same opinion of Little Italy

We rode by the Bull on Wall Street

Then we headed to the Rockefeller Center to do the Top of the Rock. This giant ballerina balloon was nearby. Isn't it pretty?

The view from the top was amazing! Before when I went , I went to the top of the Empire State Building which you can see in the photo below. It's the tallest building you see in the center. That tall building on the right in the distance is Freedom Tower and beyond that is the Statue of Liberty although she looks like a speck in this photo. 

After we were all safely back on the ground, we walked over to Times Square for dinner and shopping. It is a busy place! That's my nephew in the green shirt and hat. He bought it in Chinatown. :)

This view of Radio City Music Hall was too pretty not to photograph.

Our last day was spent in Central Park. I love the park...you truly forget you're in one of the busiest cities in the world. The real estate around Central Park is the most expensive in the city. If I was a billionaire, of course I would choose this view as well. Our guide said Jerry Seinfeld lives or did live in the building you see on the left. It has a castle like appearance.

The Angel of the Waters Fountain

Hans Christian Andersen

There were so many beautiful things in Central Park but this post is already long!

Next we were off to Grand Central Terminal for lunch before we headed home.

This is a beautiful building!

We had a yummy lunch and then went to Magnolia Bakery where we got something sweet for the long ride home. 

Oh my...so many delicious choices!

Unfortunately on the ride home, the bus had some issues and we were delayed by 6 or 7 hours. It was a long and miserable experience but we made it home and that's what matters. 

So...have you been to either or both of these beautiful cities? Please tell me your favorite thing about them if you have. I'll be back to share my craft room redo soon as well as my Ikea haul and a couple other things. Thanks so much for visiting and until next time.....

A Little Red, White, & Blue

Hello there and.....

I spent a while out on the porch today, cleaning and sprucing it up a bit for summer. Yesterday, after my chiropractic and massage appointments, the hubby and I went to Kohl's so I could see what children's books and stuffed characters they were featuring. I wanted some for my class library and was lucky to find they were featuring Golden Books and characters. I will share those soon. As we were walking to the shoe department to look for hubby some shoes, we passed  a rack full of Americana decor for 50% off. There were many pretty things, but I decided to pick up this metal welcome sign to use on the porch for June and July. It was normally $19.99 but I only paid $10 for it which I thought was a great deal.

We went to lunch after we left Kohl's and Miranda met us on her lunch break. It was good to see her as I have been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to do any visiting. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Square 1 and then we parted ways. Miranda went back to work and the hubby and I headed to Rack Room shoes since we didn't find any he liked at Kohl's We had success at Rack Room and then we went to Target. I picked up these two stars for $3 each to hang on the door. 

I went to Target to look for some shorts for my trip next week. I bought one pair and then we went to Old Navy where I purchased two more pair. My shorts from last year are too big now so I had to have some new ones. We stopped by Publix on the way home and picked up a few things and that was our day. 

I need to find my box of Americana decor in the shed to see if I have anything else to add to the porch. I did find my little red wagon in the decor closet and added it to the table.

 I want to find some flowers to put inside instead of the aloe plant but it works for now. I'm hoping to find some when I run to Wal Mart tomorrow to pick up last minute items for my trip and groceries for the hubby and son while I am gone.

This Americana porch seems fitting since I am leaving Monday (my birthday) to head to Washington DC with our Safety Patrol group. You may remember me going last year as well. My nephew is going this year and I am his chaperone. We leave at 4:30 am and will arrive that night. We spend Tuesday and part of Wednesday in DC and then head to New York City Wednesday afternoon. We will eat supper in Times Square and see a Broadway show Wednesday evening! I believe we are seeing Aladdin. I am excited since I have not seen this show yet. I have been fortunate to see Phantom of the Opera, Lion King (on Broadway), Wicked, and Beauty & the Beast. I love Broadway and am super excited to see my second show in NYC!

We spend the following day and Friday morning touring NYC. We depart the city around noon to head back home. We will be driving through the night. If you would, please say a prayer for safe travels for us. We will be traveling in a charter bus. 

I have been too busy to get excited about the trip but I am sure it will be fun once I get there. This will be my fourth trip to DC and second trip to NYC. I've seen and done most everything already but my nephew Riley hasn't so this will be an awesome trip for him. 

I actually celebrated my birthday in NYC several years ago and this year I will be celebrating while traveling to DC. 

We still have lots to do to the porch but I am so enjoying it. The hubby has been working on the skirting around the front. I am looking forward to planting some things and landscaping around it. We are also hoping to lay sod soon.

So much to do and so little time to do it. It will all get done though...eventually.

I hope your Sunday is a restful one and my your week ahead be blessed. 

As always, thank you so much for taking time to stop by and visit. I appreciate your visits and kind comments so very much. 

Until next time.....

May Was a Whirlwind!

Hello friends! I am happy to report I am finally coming up for air...lol!

I always forget how busy the end of the school year is and this year was a little more busy than normal as will be explained in this post. So, stick around and see what I have been up to these past few weeks. Here's a little teacher humor to get started!

Seriously though...I love my job and I am not complaining, but there truly is no tired like end of the year teacher tired. :)

I decided to look through the photos on my phone and pick out a few highlights from the past month. Let's start with Field Day with the kinders. Here they are being silly!

The second Saturday in May I helped my sister throw a baby shower/gender reveal party for one of her sons and his wife. We did a bee theme and it turned out so cute! As usual, I used a lot of my own decor. Here's a few of my milk glass pieces filled with toppings for the ice cream bar which was requested by the daddy to be.

I made the banners and we ordered the balloon kit from Amazon. So cute!

He or She...What Will It Bee? This was my first gender reveal party and it was so fun!

Isn't this little crocheted bee hive and bees just adorable?

The little honey jars and dippers were cute little gifts for the guests.

And...it's a girl! My prediction was correct!

The following day was Mother's Day and my kids treated me to lunch and a movie. I picked Chuy's (Mexican food) and the movie Gifted. It was so good...we all loved it!

We went to one of the recently renovated theaters and it now has reclining seats...so cool! Here's a picture of my feet! Let me just say I am loving the shoes I am wearing here. So much so, that I now have three pairs in different colors. They are Bob's by Skechers. They are called Flexpadrilles and are made from neoprene which is what diving suits are made from. They have memory foam in them and are amazingly comfy! I have a lot of pain in my feet due to arthritis and I have wide feet as well and these shoes are so perfect for me. I have them in khaki, navy, and black.

So...the Monday after Mother's Day, I had a training at school and was out of the classroom for the day. My principal comes in and asks me to step outside with her for a minute. I was like...uh oh...what did I do! You former teachers know the feeling...lol! Anywho, turns out, she just wanted to ask me if I wanted to move to first grade since a position was opening. I had recently told her I would like to move up to second grade if something opened so she knew I might want this position...especially since one of my partner teachers was moving up to first grade too. Kaycee and I work really well together and my principal knew I might want this position so I could continue working with her. So...I pondered on it for a bit and accepted the position. 

I am moving back to first grade. I taught first for 6 years but it has been several years since I left. I am super excited and this is one of the biggest reasons I have been more exhausted than usual...moving ALL my stuff! The best part is, I asked her if I could have my kiddos I had this year and she said yes, as long as their parents were OK with it. All my parents were thrilled and so am I!

I love my kids so much...look what one of my little sweeties wrote for me. I love how she put my signature smiley face "Y" on my name. I always sign my name like this at school and if I occasionally forget, the kids remind me quickly. 

I made sunshine gift bags for my team and the librarian. They turned out super cute.

Sweet little bouquet from another one of my kinders.

I gave my kiddos bubble wands again this year.

And ring pops...:)

I also made them a DVD slide show of photos from the year which is very time consuming, but oh so worth it!

Last week was the kiddos last week at school. Thursday morning one of my little sweeties brought me roses. Her mom thanked me for everything and told me how happy she is that I get her little girl again next year. She was crying as she was talking to me which made me want to cry too. I'm so thankful to do what I do and hearing these kind words from a parent just reassures me I am doing what I am meant to do. 

We have water slides on the day before the last day of school every year. The kids love it! The last day is an early release day and the kids don't have to come. I had three show up and they just played and helped me finish up a few things. It was a great year and I can't believe it is over!

By Friday afternoon, exhaustion had truly set in and I spent that evening doing NOTHING! I think I was asleep before 8:30. The next morning, I got up and cleaned my house which had been neglected terribly in the weeks prior. Sunday, the hubby and I ran errands. I went to Michael's to look for a few things and bought this pretty washi while I was there. Love the tropical vibe. I bought some other things as well which I will share soon.

I used it for this week's spread in my planner.

Monday (Memorial Day) we went to visit Joey's mom and then came home and ate supper at my parent's house. I got some plants from my mother-in-law. She is gone a lot and doesn't have time to care for them and keep the squirrels out of them so she gave them to me.

I also added this shelf to the porch. It was in my classroom and I don't need it in my new room so I brought it back home.

Tuesday was my last day of work. We have a district luncheon each year to end the year and honor the retirees and those celebrating years of service milestones. Next year I will get a 15 year pin. After the luncheon, I dropped off some clothes at consignment. I cleaned out my closet Saturday and had a bag stuffed full to sell! Yesterday I stayed home all day...well, Mama invited us down to eat leftovers for supper, so of course we went. She lives close though so I don't consider that leaving home. Anywho, I played in my craft room most of the day. I made a rag garland for my new classroom to use up some fabric scraps and remnants I had stashed. I also printed and laminated a ton of resources and things for first grade as well. I finally found a good use for my light box I bought last year as well and am excited about that.

Today I had a training and tomorrow I have a chiropractor appointment followed by a one hour massage (early birthday gift to myself) and then I have to do a little shopping for a trip I am taking next week. I'll share more soon! Sorry this was such a loooong post. If you stayed until the end...thank you. I appreciate your visits and hope to find some time to visit each of you very soon.

Until next time.....