Why Justin is NOT a teacher.

Yesterday my kiddos were bouncing off the walls. It is the week before Easter and all they can think about is the Easter bunny coming to their house and getting a nice 3 day weekend...oh wait that last part is me. Anyways, I texted Justin and this is how our conversation went:

me: my kids are wild!!!
justin: punch them.


So matter of fact, so down to the point. I laughed and told him that is why he is the engineer and I am the teacher.

P.S. What do yall think about blogs being private? I am contemplating making mine private (like email invite only) just because its kinda creepy to think about people out there reading this- not any of you, but you know what I mean) What are yalls thoughts on it?

Gaming Nerds...I'll admit it.

Yesterday Justin and I headed to Best Buy to look at TV's but ended up coming home with a new game for the Wii!! I really think Justin got it so I would leave him alone while he plays his PS3. : ) So far it worked cause last night I felt like the two biggest nerds. Justin was in the living room playing Battlefield 2 and I was in the bedroom playing...Super Mario Brothers!! Check out the new Mario Brother website! There is so much new to learn! : )

Why Ants Bite

Did you know that ants bite humans because we eat junk food? Ants ONLY eat junk food according to a certain kiddo in my class. Another classic....

Spread Philly!!

Tonight for dinner I switched up the menu a little because I found this website I'm obsessed with.

www.spreadphilly.com I am in love with cream cheese! So tonight I made a version of spaghetti but it was a good different taste! : )

Tonight was this.

Hatch

I am sooo happy to be back at work. I love my kids and my room (my SMARTboard) and teaching! I have had a great two days back now lets just keep up these great days! Today we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and we talked about how he hatched from his egg and was very hungry (first two pages of the book, if you know the story) and one little boy raises his hand and goes

"That is just like a human...when they hatch they are really hungry, thats why they cry"

I loved it. Apparently we "hatch" Oh 1st graders....

Chicken & New Days...

Tonight I made chicken stuffed with cheese and asparagus. OMG it was good and super easy. All I did was get chicken tenderloins, butterfly them, stuff the inside with finely shredded cheese and 1 to 2 asparagus depending on size of chicken then close up the chicken. Place chicken on greased cooking sheet and sprinkle top with parmesean cheese. Cook at 400 degrees for about 17-20 minutes. They turned out great! I made stuffing to go with it. Neither Justin nor I are big stuffing fans but we had it in the cabinet and I am trying to use what we have! : )
Tomorrow is my first day back. I am sooooo excited and soooo ready! I made a bug powerpoint tonight to begin our unit on bugs and tomorrow I am going to get SMARTboard software installed on my computer then I'll be able to use all the wonderful resources out there!!! Well its 9:40pm and I want to make sure I am good to go tomorrow morning so I'm gonna hit the pillow!! I'll let you know how it goes!! Have a wonderful Monday yall!!!

My Room!!

I was so excited today! I went to the doctor and got released to go back to work Monday and then headed to school. My room was a diaster. I really wish I would have taken a picture when I got there, but those of you who are teachers know what your room looks like after a day or two of subs...mine has had 6.5 weeks of subs!! YIKES!! I spent the afternoon cleaning and reorganizing.

This is what my room looked like at the beginning of the year
but this week while Spring Break was happening a little fairy came in my room and mounted and set up MY SMART BOARD, plus since I just got back from my training I wanted to move around my desks a little so here is what it looks like now...

Prayer for a Friend...

I have someone in my life I have done all I know to do. This song is my cry right now.

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44

What do tigers dream of....

Monday morning Justin and I got up and headed to Pearland to meet Daniel and Megan before heading to Lake Charles for a day trip! The whole trip there Daniel and Justin quoted Hangover and we had the "Tiger Song" stuck in our head the rest of the trip! Once we got there I hit a slot machine for $100! I was ready to cash out and go home! : ) It worked out nicely because the money I won I just used to play other slot machines! We headed to dinner before long and then crashed for the night! We got up Tuesday morning and headed to Waffle House! : ) Once back in Pearland we rested and got ready to go to the Houston Rodeo!! Mr. Knight got us tickets! Justin & I (with my new bangs) I'm not a huge fan of this picture because I am super pale. I am going to start tanning tomorrow. Daniel & Megan (Justins best friend & his wife)

Once we got to the rodeo, we walked around and got fat. We got Papa's BBQ. I got a baked potato stuffed with BBQ! YUMMY! Then we walked towards the carnival and got fried oreos ( I was too much of a baby to try one) and beginets! After getting fat we headed inside to watch the rodeo before Keith Urban performed! This picture is of a bull who was NOT happy!! It was hilarious! You always hear about the bulls who stomp their feet and blow their noses...well this one did! I have never seen one actually do it in person! The clowns were all hiding in the barrel! It took them a few minutes to get it under control! And then the main event began....KEITH URBAN! He was a great performer. I also had to the pleasure of going to Toby Keith with my daddy on Friday night for a daddy-daughter date (love my daddy- hadn't had any alone time since the wedding, so that was nice!) Toby Keith didn't "perform" as much but I knew EVERY song he sang where as Keith Urban was a great performer but I couldn't sing along to all of his. Overall, I am so blessed that I was able to go see TWO huge performers perform in my home town and I can thank both my dad's for that!! Thank you thank you! Love you both!!

Wednesday we got up and headed back to College Station. Since we have got home we have just been around the house. Justin mowed the lawn and I went grocery shopping. Now Justin is back on his PS3 and I am back on the computer...whats new right? : )

Made my Day

So the other day I got on to check my blog after being gone at my training *which was amazing* and I was checking everyones blogs. Well, I get to Tickled Pink and start freaking out! She gave me an award!!Needless to say, I run outside to Justin and start going on and on about how I got an award from another first grade teacher and then had to explain to him no I don't know her personally, just through my bloggy friends! : ) It is perfectly okay to talk to random people on PS3, but totally weird for me to huh? Oh the logic of a man...but anyways he congratulated me and I went back inside to keep reading! So thank you thank you Mandy!!

the rules:
1.) When you have received this award you must thank the person that awarded you this in the new post.
2.) Name the 10 things that make you happy
3.) Pass this award on to 10 other bloggers and inform the winners

1. Justin2. Pip (he is the little brown & white one on the left)3. College Station ER- they saved my life
4. Being a teacher and watching the little lightbulb go off
5. My camera & love for photography
6. Candy- I am a candy addict.
7. Stuffed Animals (still waiting on one from the hubby...nudge nudge)
8. Coming from a family who loves the Lord and having a mom & sister who are my best friends
9. Being able to live in my beautiful new house10. Getting followers on my blog (haha, lame I know but I get so excited for comments & new followers)

I tag....

1. Karen (mom)
2. Elissa (cousin)
3. McKenna (friend from high school)
4. Taylor (sorority sister)
5. Carissa (blog friend)
6. Little Daisy May (blog friend)
7. Kelly Marie (blog friend)
8. Chelsea (friend from high school)
9. Jenn (sister's old roomie)
10. Cocktails & Cashmere (blog friend)


Considering it is now 1 am and we are watching our neice and nephew tomorrow I better get to bed! More on the training, lake charles and the rodeo tomorrow...well later today : )

Menu Take Two

I have so much to fill my bloggy world friends up on. Today I have had a migraine and slept a few hours but now I am just finishing up our menu for the next week. I really LOVE sitting down and writing out what we will have all week, then going to the grocery store and getting it. It keeps my grocery bill down as well as I don't have to stress about whats for dinner once I get home from school (granted this week is spring break, but you know what I mean). So here it is...

Thursday:
Lunch-Grilled Cheese & Chips
Diner- Hot Chicken Salad (same one from last menu, I never made it)

Friday:
Lunch- left overs
Dinner- Chicken, Broccoli, Rice with cheesecake for dessert : )

Saturday:
Lunch- egg salad
Dinner-Sloppy Joes, Chips & Fruit Salad

Sunday:
Lunch- out after church (we are still using gift cards from the hospital-THANKS!!)
Dinner- Parmesan Stuffed Chicken (stuffed with asparagus & cheese...yummy), mac and cheese, & green beans

Monday
School is back in session which means Justin is on his own for lunch and I am back to PB & J with goldfish and some cookies in my lunch sack. But dinner on Monday is probably going to be something quick and easy seeing it will be my first day back in 3.5 weeks (really a total of 6.5 weeks out) to school and I will be probably be exhausted but I just found an easy recipe for pork chops with rice and cashews with broccoli, perfect. : )

Tuesday
lunch will look like monday, either that or I will buy a tray lunch at school (haha, i feel like im in 3rd grade still however the tray lunch is no longer $1.10 but $3.00! Its a little insane if you ask me, esp the days they serve mac and cheese as the meal, not the side!!)
dinner- Parmesan chicken, pasta and corn

Sorry if this is a total boring blog, but I like to have our menu typed out to refer back to it and this way is the easiest and I figure there is someone out there that likes to read our menu! I know I love to read yalls! : ) Plus Justin will be here ALL WEEK! yIPPIE! Also, when we go back to work on Monday, he won't have to leave to go to a job next week either!! Yippie!!!

Baby Bird Humans?

I know you all are patiently awaiting a new picture of the hair but you will just have to wait a little longer...I am waiting till I put on make up to take a picture....hasn't happened yet. Plus, I ordered the dress and some other things from Forever 21 so once I get my dress in (supposed to arrive tomorrow) I'll put it on and model it and my hair : ) Today has been great. Justin was originally leaving to go on a job but since he has the whole week off he didn't go! Yippie so instead we cleaned house, washed cars, been together and now I am currently sitting on the couch watching Justin play PS3 Battlefield 2! (P.S. I just asked Justin..."what are you playing??" His response: "Battlefield....TWO!" haha apparently the TWO is important).

I am soo excited. I LOVE photography. If you have been reading for awhile or know me you know my obsession. When Justin and I got married we purchased a Cannon 50D and some extra lens so I could start my business! I even ordered business cards, that story I will save for another day. Today was a perfect day to photograph, yet I had no one to capture. But I am super excited because I am about to get busy. I am going to be taking my cousins engagement session and her bridal portraits. My friend from work I am taking her family portraits and then easter photos of her two girls (one 7, one 7 months!), my other friends engagement/family photos, two maternity shoots (my cousin & my friend) I have a photography blog, Lauren Knight Photography where some of my stuff is, but I havent been able to do alot of people because you have to HAVE people to photograph. Also, you can become a fan on facebook. Just search Lauren Knight Photography! So if any of you live in College Station or Houston or somewhere between & want some photos, hit me up! : ) I have spent the past few hours sitting on the computer looking up photography props and ideas. I am obsessed with this one idea I have for my friends 7 month old and any future babies to photograph....I want to do this sooooo badly. However, $175 is a little pricey...I am trying to figure out how I can make it myself. Also, I really want Justin to make me a picket fence. (leave one side natural and one side white). I also told Justin I want to turn half the garage into my studio! HA! Works great now while it is still cool but sweaty studio this summer might not be as great! Alright, I'm off to do some more research! : )

Bangs for the 80's?

I got my hair cut and colored today. I personally love it. It is just what my face needed. : ) However, I forgot the reason I had grown out my bangs in the first place...Justin hates them. I have been gone since Wednesday and when I get home he goes...You cut your bangs? In a very oh no voice, not oh i missed you, oh come give me a kiss but you cut your bangs voice?


So overall my husband won't look at me because I have bangs. Isn't he great? haha (I'll post pic tomorrow)

P.S. He said bangs are from the 80's!!! RUDE!

Penguins, Tribes, & Pip

When I was little anytime my parents would hug I would insist on being in the middle of them : ) Mom sent me this picture yesterday and said it reminded her of us! Mom, Dad with baby in the middle.
I am getting ready to leave to go to my training for the next two days. It is called "Tribes Training" Tribes is what my school uses and I have yet to be trained in it. I am super excited to learn all the new strategies, get a HUGE new book and start using these things in my classroom!

Also, Pip is sooo weird. This weekend Justin filled in some holes we had in the backyard with some fill dirt and we came across a rock. Not a pebble, a rock. Not a boulder, a rock. Anyways, Pip has been OBSESSED with this rock for days now. He pushes it along the backyard with his nose, plays with it with his paws and carries it around in his mouth. He has even gone as far as peeing while it was in his mouth. He just sits in the backyard with this rock in his mouth. Totally random....poor guy maybe he needs more bones. (Justin would disagree, there are dog toys all over the house). : )

Sorry this post was so full of randomness, I guess I better go pack and get on the road!!

Top 2 Tuesday

I am home yet again so here we go with Taylor's Top Two Tuesdays!!! This week is

Top 2 Baby Names

I currently know 9...NINE people pregnant! 3 of them being family members so baby names have been on the brain. I am only sharing my names in faith that no one (if I know you) will steal them and if you do, I will know.

1. Girl- Justin and I have fallen in love with the name Tenley Grace. (yes dont judge, its from the bachelor- we just like the name) My all time favorite name is Addalyn Grace. Addalyn was my great grandmothers name but my cousin has already called it and since she is pregnant...she just may get it. Also, Justin isn't a fan of that name. I love it. I really like Addison but it is so popular now I don't want it. I also have always said I would name my daughter Hope Leigh-Erin (Hope because I love it, and Leigh-Erin after my sister) however, Justin thinks Hope is a stripper name. : (

2. Boy- My favorite is Hardy Trice (my maiden name and j's middle name)- Justin doesn't like it. I also like Cadyn Hardy. I fell in love with Cadyn at an SAT class given at a preschool and I sat at "Cadyn's" desk. I really want Hardy somewhere in our future son's name because the Hardy family name is done. Dad was the only boy and he had two girls. I really don't have that many favorite boy names...I'll have to go check out everyones favorite at Taylors blog!

Quizzes

So I took these facebook quizzes like how old will you be when you have your first kid? what is your kids name going to be? etc. Well here are my answers...

Will you have a boy, girl or twins? Twins- one of each

How old will you be when you have your first kid? 30

What will your kids name going to be? Oksana or Gwdeon (BARF)

So then, I was laughing at all these answers and decided I would take a quiz that tells you the name of the person you are going to marry. At first I was really excited, my results were JUSTIN! So then, I retook the quiz getting Justin's answers....his result...MAEGAN! That is his EX-GIRLFRIEND! Spelled the same and everything! I took it twice and it said that twice! I offically hate facebook quizzes!

Bad Day = "Window" Shopping Online

I will explain more later but for now I WANT THIS DRESS!!!

It is only 23 dollars at Forever 21!!! Off to Taylors birthday dinner!

The Story

My mom got a blog like a year ago but didn't blog a lot, however with my hospital visit being rather traumatic mom got to writing so if you want to know the story from a mothers point of view go check her out! She has done some blogs since then but the story starts with Post 1: The Beginning of the Worst Week of Our Lives (there are three total) Click on the side where it says February if you want a direct link to the first two. HERE Leave her a comment, she would love it and let me know what you think!

Pippy Poo

We played in the backyard this evening. He was crazy dog! He ran around in circles CRAZY!!! I like these pictures, however, I would like them better if the grass was green...spring come quickly.P.S. This is my third blog tonight so make sure you read on...

P.P.S. JUSTIN IS HOME!! Happy day! : )

SNOW!

I just put photos from the camera onto the computer and found these pictures of Pip and I playing in the snow a few weeks ago! Don't tell! I wasn't supposed to be outside! Don't worry I only was out there for like 2 minutes to play with Pip and take the photos. : )
I know the snow like isn't even fully covering the ground but for a California girl turned Texas girl snow is snow!!!

The Results Are In!!!

They Worked!! : ) Granted, I am not a food stylist so my pictures and food don't LOOK as perfect but hmmmmm hmmmm are they good!?!?!
SOOO easy and SOOO good! : )

Photo Shoot & Brownies

This morning the hospital PR people came over and took photos and interviewed me for the newspaper!! It was so much fun. Next week we are doing the TV commercial : ) who knew that almost dying would get you in the newspaper and TV? They are going to email me the pictures we took this morning and I'll share with yall once I get them. The photographer was leaving our house to go to George and Barbara Bush's (ya know the PRESIDENT) apartment to take photos! I told him thanks for making time for me! : ) Also, told him to tell them to come on over! haha

After they left I went to the grocery store. I just finished checking all my blogs and now I am going to attempt "S'mores Brownies" My cousin, Elissa, made them and she said they are amazing. She just crushed up 4 graham crackers and mixed it in with the brownies then put marshmallows on the top when it was almost done cooking. Yesterday when I was looking up all the recipes I came across one recipe that looks amazing....
You can find it HERE. I'll let you know if mine turn out as pretty as hers did. : )

Food on the Brain

There is no other way to put this other than my principal thought I needed more time to recover so I am off until after Spring Break. I haven't decided how I feel about this. Half of me is excited because it gives me more time to recover and get back to 100% fully, the other half of me is sad I am missing so much school. My little kiddos are the reason I get up and get to school every day. Anyways, I have been doing house work and going on a lot of walks with Pip to get my strength back up. Every time I go for a walk I think of how I could hardly walk to the bathroom now I can walk all the way around the block...such a small step for some but soo exciting for me. I also have been menu planning since Justin is coming back home and I am home all day. So here is what I have planned until Justin goes back out of town again...

Tonight:
Eggs ( J isn't home yet so its just me and the dog)
Thursday:
Lunch: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich with goldfish
Dinner: Spaghetti with Garlic Bread & Brownies
Friday:
Lunch Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup
Dinner:Out with one of our gift cards & then to Spoons (my favorite yogurt store) for a date night (Justin and I haven't had ANY time alone! He is either gone or we have plans for the weekend)
Saturday:
Lunch: Deli Sandwiches
Dinner: Tacos (this was our staple when we first got married and we haven't had it in awhile, figured I'd pull out this old staple) : )
Sunday:
Lunch: Chicken Salad (my moms recipe)
Dinner: Cream Cheese & Ham Omelet or left overs from lunch
Monday:
Lunch: Turkey & Cheese Wraps
Dinner: Road House for Taylor's Birthday
Tuesday:
Lunch: Easy Taco Salad
Dinner: Taco Soup
Wednesday:
left overs

I am leaving Wednesday evening to go to a training until Friday. Justin will most likely be leaving on Wednesday morning for his next job.