Happy 85th...

Happy 85th birthday, Papa...

You are thought about and missed everyday.

I'll always be your "Punky Brewster"!

A Much Overdue Catch-Up!

WOW!  It's been awhile!

Hi friends!  (If there is anyone still left!)

It's been a busy 4 months since I last posted... (in no particular order...)

*I was RIF'd... which means my school district had a Reduction in Force.  3 positions were eliminated, including mine.  I'm currently "stalking" 38 school district websites on a daily basis trying to find a new job for next year.  I am at the top of the "call back list" if anything should open up at my school... but I'm not holding my breath!  I've been trying to look at this as an opportunity for me to find a job a little closer to Westin's job and our families.  So far no luck.  I've applied for probably 20 openings and finally got my first interview last week at North Ridgeville for a long-term 5th grade teaching position.  The principal doesn't think the teacher will be back at all and it could turn into a permanent position.  She said I should hear something by the end of this week... so I'll keep you posted!

*I planned "Westin Day" for Westin's 30th birthday in February!  We did all things we've talked about, but hadn't done (together) before.  We ate at Melt Bar & Grilled as well as the Hard Rock Cafe.  We went to the Auto & Aviation Museum, Tower City, and a Lake Erie Monsters hockey game!

*My original Little Buddy, turned Big Buddy, (aka Sean!) graduated this year!

*During Right to Read Week my class read the most minutes (at home) and won a Pizza Party from the principal!

*School ended.  I was doing really well about the end of the school year... until the day before the last day!  Campus K & 1 classes made me cards to say how they would miss me.  I BAWLED!  It wasn't pretty!  The last day fell on my birthday (due to an overabundance of snow days... we had to make up 2) and I cried 3 more times that day!

*I packed up my classroom... and it's all sitting in our dining room now!  I have realized that I have WAY too much classroom stuff... but it's just so hard to get rid of stuff when there's a possibility I might need it again someday.  I did decide though that the next time I have a classroom to set up (hopefully soon) I will be investing in plastic storage shelves/containers that have wheels on them.  Anything that is my personal stuff will go in these... then I'll be all ready the next time (if there is a next time) I have to pack up!

*We had Cousin Camp 2011 the weekend after school was out.  I forgot to take pictures.  Sarne, Sean, Tess, & Ben all came and hung out Saturday.  Sarne was the only one who wasn't able to spend the night.  We played games, watched movies, ate pizza, and got ice cream!  Successful evening, if I do say so myself!

*We went to a Cleveland Indians game in April with Brandon & Amanda.  Tribe won!!

*Memorial Day weekend Mom, Dad, Westin and I took a road trip to Atlanta for my cousin Kyle's wedding.  We had a BLAST!  My first "southern wedding!"  It had all the bells and whistles... including being at an old plantation!  The wedding was on Friday night.

Saturday morning Westin and I went flying with my cousin Kris in his airplane.

That evening we had a Low Country Boil at Kris and his wife Janet's house.  SO FUN!  Westin and I are planning to do one soon with friends up here!

*Westin traded in the Escape... for a 2011 VW Jetta TDI!  We LOVE it!!!

Hopefully I'll be better about posting!  So much for that New Year's Resolution of mine!

Snow Days!

It appears our Snow Days happen in 2s this year!

Now if only the state government would pass the House Bill that will give us all 5 of our calamity days back!

Or off to school on my SUMMER birthday it is... again!

I have been slightly productive (of sorts) the past 2 days though!

Yesterday afternoon/evening and this morning I traced the genealogy of my Mom's Dad's family all the way back to Elder William Brewster of the Mayflower!

I have always known that our family line went back to the Mayflower, but I actually traced it myself!

Elder William Brewster was my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather!  (Yes, that was 10 greats!)

I was also able to find the draft registrations of my Great Grandfather (GG, as I called him!) for WWI and WWII:

Hope you're enjoying your day wherever you are and that the weather is nicer than it is here!

You Capture - Top 10 of 2010

My top 10 pictures of 2010

(in no particular order)

Of course, ones of Westin and I made the cut:

Westin completing the Warrior Dash in Georgia:

An "artsy" shot from New Year's Eve 2009/2010:

Westin playing on his iPod at his cousin's wedding:

(I don't think anything important was happening yet!)

The morning after the Cousins Only Sleepover:

(Renamed Cousin Camp for 2011 - stay tuned!)

Westin being goofy at the park in Huron:

Uncle Wes and Makayla:

My special ice cream sandwich from Westin:

You can play, too!  I Should Be Folding Laundry

You Capture - Feet!

Ok, so I KNOW the point is to go out and take new pictures...

but I had the PERFECT picture in mind as soon as I saw this week's theme.

Only problem?

Can't find it.

DRAT!!

So, instead... you get Sean's shoeless CC race from this fall...

He set a new Personal Record that day!

For more FEET... check out You Capture at I Should Be Folding Laundry!

Happy Anniversary!

Mom and Dad!!

Hermes Winery ~ Sandusky, OH ~ April 2008

Grand Canyon, AZ ~ May 2008

32 YEARS!!

Kim & Ro's Wedding

Over the weekend we went to Columbus to attend Westin's cousin Kim's wedding.

There was definitely a feeling of love between these two!

All you need is love...

P.S. I spent a whole day this week in Google training for the classroom... so now I'm playing with Picasa.  I figured out how to get collages from Picasa to my blog... now I'm trying to figure out how to get edited pictures from there since they don't change in the folder I downloaded them to.  Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated!