God is so Good!

I am always amazed at the ways God works! I am settling into my career as a teacher, and while it is sometimes easy to get frustrated and discouraged, I seem to have been stuck in this rut for a while now. Although I have seen friends from Angelo and been home quite a bit, it's hard to keep my attitude positive when I get back to Killeen and feel like I'm all alone again. Well, this past weekend totally pulled me out of my rut! I am feeling a thousand times better and it's so nice to be back on the positive side of things! You are probably wondering what happened...

Lacie and Niki! That's what happened! We met through school(Lacie) and church(Niki) and God just couldn't have had more perfect timing! Friday night we had a girls night and just sat around and talked (and ate pizza and cookies) and it was just so nice to connect with people who are going through the same things you are! We talked about all sorts of stuff and I really feel like they are friends now, which is exactly what I've been missing since moving to Killeen. Saturday we went to my aunt and uncles vineyard and just had a fun day hanging out and tasting some wine. It was wonderful! I can't tell you how much it helps to know that there are people who actually know me in this town now :)

To all my Angelo friends- I have loved getting to see you on the weekends too! It's just a little bittersweet when I know you guys are all going back to Angelo together and I'm headed the opppostie direction by myself. I still love you guys so much and couldn't make it through without getting to see you every so often!!

The Things They Say!!

It's late and past my bedtime, but I can't sleep and since I don't live with anyone to tell my stories to... you get to read them on my blog! Let me start off by saying that we are now into our 4th week of school and I'm loving it. Well, the kid part... all the other stuff is a little overwhelming at times (they should really teach you about all the behind the scenes stuff in college)!! But my favorite part of my job is the kids (duh!) and of course, the things they say. So here are a few cute stories to catch you up on my life as a kindergarten teacher so far...

1. I got presents on Monday. Brownies from one little girl and sunflowers from a little boy!! Man, do my kids know me well or what?! My favorite snack AND my favorite flowers AND ALL on a Monday. It was a great start to the week :) On Tuesday I got a cute little notepad from another little girl. And today (wednesday) I got a handful of flowers some little boy picked on his way in the front door of the school :)

2. If you know me at all, you know that I have a thing with feet... like keep them away from me and dont touch mine! Well, noone told my kiddos this. So, the other day as they were all sitting on the carpet and I was reading a story to them, a little boy started tracing the sandals I had on and then he started tracing my foot. It took everything in me to calmly ask him to stop and not freak out.

3. I have a little boy who pronounces his n's as m's. So my name (Ms. Lane) becomes, yes Ms. LAME! ahhh...

4. After finishing reading a rhyming story about ducks and trucks, I asked the students if they could tell me any other words that rhymed with duck and truck... (just use your imagination)!

5. A science lesson I taught recently involved making a chart of things you can do as a baby, as a kid, and then as an adult. When we got to the adult part they came up with things like being able to drive, having a job, staying up late... and drinking beer. I hope they didn't run home and tell their parents that one ;)

A Quick Update

So much has happened since I last blogged so I'll try to do a quick update but it's late and I'm tired so there probably won't be many details. Here goes...

Friday, August 7 I moved into my new apartment. It's cute, I like it. But it is taking some getting used to. On one hand, I'm lonely. I miss my old roomies and friends and my family. On the other hand, I'm loving having my own place and my own stuff. Almost 2 weeks later though, the walls are still bare and there are zero decorations up because.....

I've been working in my room like a crazy person! All of my time... and money... has been spent on getting ready for 5 year olds to walk into my room on Monday! It is coming along great- the room is all set up and I feel pretty good about it. There are a few small things that need to be completed still but overall, I'm ready for the kids :)

The past week and a half have been full of fun training and orientation and that finishes up on Friday. This Thursday is "Meet the Teacher Night." I'm thinking a new outfit is in order for that?!?!

Lastly... it't Tuesday night and I just got back to Killeen from a quick trip to Marble Falls to... pick up my new car! Yes, it finally happened. After months and months and months and months of back and forth between my dad and just about every Hyundai dealer in the state of Texas- he went and picked up my car this morning and I went to get it as soon as I was done at school! It's beautiful and I absolutely love it! I'm thinking road trip sometime soon- I'll drive- any takers?!

So- lots of big stuff happening in my life right now. There are so many emotions I can't even begin to describe in the blog (you'd be reading forever) but overall, I'm loving it. It's exhausting and at times a bit overwhelming but I know my Father in Heaven is still in control and He's got me where He wants me :)

Best Weekend of the Summer

I had such a blast this weekend and the week is going to be great too!
I spent Thursday and Friday at the lakehouse all day- did some swimming, kayaking, cooking, reading and storm watching. It was nice to just kick back and relax. Saturday I went floating on the Comal with a friend from school and her siblings that I've gotten to kinda know over the summer. I haven't laughed that hard or that much is forever. The people we went with were seriously hilarious- it was great. And floating the river is always awesome anyway!! Then that night we went back to their house in Burnet and ate pizza and played Mario Cart and laughed some more. It was a great (and tiring) day! Sunday morning I woke up early and drove to San Angelo. I went to church and it was amazing- and great to see some people I haven't seen since graduation. I spent Sunday afternoon hanging out with Megan. We messed around on the wii fit- it was fun. Eventhough I apparently need to gain some muscle and work on my balance. Then for dinner, we met up with the rest of the girls at Francos for some yum-o mexican food and then just spent some time talking and catching up. Today I went shopping for some stuff for my apartment, went to lunch with Bek and Megan and went to visit the family I used to babysit for. And tonight is Chi Alpha and I'm super pumped for that. And to top it all off... Anissa and Lauren are going to be MF for the week so I'll have gotten to see almost all of the people who make me smile in just this one short week... pretty awesome :)

rain!

I'm laying in bed listening to the rain outside- one of my favorite things ever!! Plus- we really, really, really needed the rain. And I got off work a little early because of it too- not a bad deal :)

Contract Day

I just got home from signing my contract with Killeen ISD! Super exciting :)
I got to meet another girl who will be teaching at my school and she gave me some contact information for one of her friends who also teaches kindergarten at the school. They both seemed extremely nice!!! I can't wait to get up there and get settled-- its all happening so fast, I can't believe it!

Kindergarten Here I Come!!

Yesterday (Wednesday, July 15) I had my first 2 interviews for teaching jobs. After filling out applications with like 10 school districts, I was pumped to FINALLY get a call. So Wednesday morning I headed to Killeen nervous and excited! I went through my the interviews at two different schools- and then it was back to waiting. At the conclusion of the first interview I went on they told me that they would have a decision by the end of the day and that if selected I would be contacted Thursday. At the conclusion of the 2nd interview they simply said we hope to make our decision soon, no time frame or anything, just soon. So-- it was back to waiting.

This morning as I was getting ready for work and watching some music videos on CMT, my phone rings. I knew it was the school district because it came up as "unavailable." Nervously and excitedly I answered the phone- hoping it something I wanted to hear....

me- "hello?"
"is erin there?"
"this is erin."
"hi erin, this is .... with killeen isd. you had an interview with mountain view elementary yesterday and they are offering you the kindergarten position"
"really?!"
"yes, would you like to accept?"
"um... yes! thank you so much...."

I am so excited to get started!! It's finally happened and I am going to have my own students in my own classroom--- such a rush of emotions!! I am also so relieved to have the application/interviewing/waiting process over for at least a year :)
So- next Tuesday, I go in to sign my contract. Then, new teacher orientation is a few weeks after that and the kiddos start aug. 24!! AHH!! I still cant believe it! God is just so amazing and I know that He has some awesome plans for me in Killeen/Harker Heights(where my school actually is). And what blows my mind- is that He already knows all the students I am going to have- and there is a reason He is putting them in my life. WOW!

Another Key

I think I may have solved my key mystery from Angelo. Remember when my truck key mysterioulsy went missing a few posts back. I think I need to get a new key ring!! I went to the store last night and had 2 keys on my key ring- my truck key and a house key. I just had my wallet and my keys, went in, grabbed a few things, and came back out to my car. When I got back to the house- no house key. So, my theory is this- my keys simply fall off my key ring. In this situation the lady I'm living with was luckily home and had another key for me to use :)
I plan on getting a new key ring today!!

A Sight For

... well, a sight that makes for sore eyes (and sore abs from laughing so hard)!!

I have had the honor every morning this past week of driving past this little old man out working in his yard. Now, there is nothing unusual about someone working in their yard in the mornings- especially in Texas during the summer- you've got to beat the heat right!?! It is also not so unusual when you spot a male with his shirt off while doing said yard work. But- imagine my surprise when Wednesday morning I'm headed to work (most likely jamming out to something on the radio) when I drive past this little old man working in his yard in a t shirt and.... wait for it... his tightie whities!! No joke. So funny.

Don't Ever Trust Me With Keys...

I have an amazing ability to lose keys. It just comes naturally. 

I lose my keys all time.. I've locked them in the car numerous times, left them in a movie theatre, thrown them in the trash can. When I was living in the dorms during college I locked them in my room so many times the lady at the front desk stopped asking me the security questions because she knew me by name. Of all the crazy places I have lost my keys- this latest incident is the craziest!! 

A couple of weeks ago, some friends and I took a road trip to west Texas for a wedding. I drove my truck to Angelo and left it there. As we were leaving- I decided to leave my keys with Megan so she could move my truck from in front of the neighbors house so it didnt block their house all weekend. And, it was probably safer to leave them there so I didn't have to worry about keeping up with them. Well.. we got back to Angelo on Sunday afternoon and after a very eventful weekend- Lauren and I were ready to get in the truck and finish the trip up. So, I went in the house to get my keys.... just to find that the house key was on the ring but not my truck key. We tore the house apart looking for that key, we searched the yard, all of our bags and clothes we had taken on the trip and couldn't find it anywhere. I decided to call a locksmith to come unlock the truck because I thought maybe it had gotten locked in there. Well, 30 bucks later, we discover the key is not in the truck. So- I called my wonderful brother and he met me and Bekah in Brady with a key and Lauren and I finally made it back to Marble Falls late that night. 

I still dont know where that key could possibly be- but this story definitely tops all my other lost key stories!!

Summer So Far

So... I haven't blogged in forever. Here is a quick run down of what has been going on during this very exciting (lol) summer. 

- First of all.. graduation!! yes, it came and went and i didn't blog about it.

- moved back home.. a temporary placement til i know where i'll be teaching next year.

- working... wednesdays thru sundays.

Other than that I've been hanging out at the lake with friends, took a very exciting road trip to a friends wedding (you had to be there to fully apprecitate it), and have been hanging out with my cousins that live in Burnet a lot. 

On top of all that, I am still looking for a job for next school year. I'm getting a little anxious about where I'll end up. I've been filling out applications like crazy but am not hearing anything back and am starting to get a little worried. I never even thought about what I would do if I dont get a teaching job... YIKES!! Hopefully something will start happening soon- please pray!!

Lakehouse Weekend!

my favorite place + my favorite girls = a great weekend!!

My friends and I went to my famiy's lakehouse this past weekend!! It was wonderful! We sat around the lake, talked, kayaked, canoed, boated, tubed, skiied, and soaked up what little sun there was :) Saturday afternoon we went to my aunt and uncles vineyard and did some wine tasting, but mostly played with Charlie (their newfoundland dog) and the horses. Bekah and I took them into Marble Falls on Friday night and we ate at Bella Sera's, an italian restaurant we ate at a lot in high school. It was an... interesting... meal- to say the least and on Sunday morning we came back into town for Super Taco breakfast tacos and of course, Starbucks!

There is something you need to know about the lakehouse- the boat likes to act up. This trip I thought maybe we would get lucky... my parents reassured me that the boat had been working great the weekend before. So, all excited, I head down to the boat Friday (after my parents left) and turned the key... nothing. Are you kidding me?! After lots of searching and finally some help from Brandon (an old friend that stopped by to visit for a while) the boat started. We made sure we charged it before we took it out each time and it did great... until Sunday afternoon. I had pulled Megan tubing, I had skiied, and Bekah had skiied. When Bekah was done skiing and we were all ready to head back in- I turned off the motor so that Bekah could come up the ladder without cutting her leg open. She got it, we pulled the skis and ski rope in and I went to start the boat back up and head for the dock... nothing. Great. So I start paddling. We were right by a dock where a guy was standing and talking on his cell phone. You would think he would have helped us, considering he had a boat right there and was just looking at us. Think again. So, Emily, Bekah, Megan, and I jump in with lifejackets on, tie the ski rope to the front of the boat and start swimming. We are a good ways from the dock- we couldn't even see it- and there were NO boats on the lake. We did make it back to the dock- and in pretty good time.

So, the weekend was great- including the trouble with the boat. It just isn't quite a trip to the lakehouse without a little boat drama. Needless to say, after all the paddling in the kayak and canoe, and the holding on for dear life on the tube, and all the skiing... and yes, after pulling the boat back to the dock, I have become VERY aware of how out of shape I have gotten this semester and 3 days after getting back to Angelo am still insanely sore!

The next few days

I am super excited about the next few days!! To start things off, I get to go back to the 2nd grade class I student taught in the first 7 weeks because the teacher is going to be out and I am going to be helping the substitute out for the next 4 days!! I've missed the little kids so much and am so happy to get the chance to go back :)

Even more exciting... just one week left of student teaching! I can't believe it- it has flown by, especially these last 7 weeks. I am so ready to be done and get to do it on my own next school year!!

But, by far the most exciting... it's a lakehouse weekend with the girls!! I cannot wait to be at the lake with the best friends in the world and just get away from everthing for a while!! Friday after school, Bekah, Megan and I are heading out and a little after us, Bethany, Pauline and Kelli will be on their way. And on Saturday afternoon Heather is going to meet us there too! Did I mention how excited I was?! Hopefully it will be sunny and nice- no rain!

Only til 3:30?

Every Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:00-3:30 we have after school tutoring called extended day. There is a certain group of kids that stay on those days and everyone else goes home at the regular time- 3:00. Well, today, one of the boys in my class came up and asked if he could stay for tutoring. He definitely does not need tutoring- he's one of the top students. When we asked him why he said (with a goofy smile on his face) "cause I need them." When we assured him he did not infact need tutoring, he said, "well, i just really want them." I couldn't help but laugh- why would you honestly want to stay after school for 30 minutes to relearn stuff you already know... so with a little more questioning he finally said, "i want to stay for tutoring cause it's boring at my house." More laughter. He then of course wanted to know what time tutoring was over... here was his response. "Only til 3:30- that's not very long. I want to stay here til 5!" Even more laughter! I love my soon to be job (fingers crossed, lol)!

Today was my last evaluation for student teaching too! hip-hip-hooray! It went great and the kids were wonderful- which after my last evaluation is saying something :) Only 13 more days of student teaching and 25 til graduation!!!!

Sirens

It's now 2:02 am... I should so not be awake. But, about an hour ago, I woke up to sirens.
I dont know what was going on but they seriously lasted for like a good 5 minutes- and then randomly I could hear other ones go by.
This is 2 times in the last 12 hours that a fire truck/police car has gone right in front of our house with its sirens on.
Sunday afternoon, Megan and I were sitting in the living room with the doors and windows all open and we started to hear sirens and then a fire truck drove right past our house. Of course, we head outside to see what's going on and it's all smoky. So, like everyone else in our neighborhood- we walked down to where the fire trucks were parked and sure enough, a house was on fire. Thankfully, everyone was ok and out and it didn't take too long for them to get the fire out.

Now, I'm going to try to fall back asleep...

pup??

The time has finally arrived for me to get a dog!! I am super excited~ just ask my roomies :)
This weekend we went and looked at the pound in Angelo- they just had a lot of puppies!
I love puppies but dont have time to train one right now-
So, if you know someone that has a dog that is around 1-3 years old and needs a good home for it- let me know!!

p.s. only 15 days left at the elementary!! ah!!!!!!

stressed...

I am not a big fan of change- or of having to make big decisions that cause change. But, that's where I am in life right now and it is totally stressing me out! I am so excited about being done with school and graduating and about my first year of teaching. I have waited for this for so long. I finally get to be out of Angelo- if you know me at all, you know how pumped I am about this especially!! But, here's the thing... leaving Angelo means leaving a lot of things that I have fallen in love with:
1. my friends- these girls are amazing! i am going to miss them so much and dont quite know what i am going to do without them.
2. chi alpha- through this amazing young adults ministry, i met all my amazing friends! i love having a place to go each week where i feel at home with a group of people who are earnestly seeking the Lord.
3. san angelo first assembly- i love this church. i feel more at home in this church than i did in the church i grew up in.
I am also so nervous about the job seeking process. My resume is complete and cover letters are typed and ready to go- but pushing submit on online applications just hasnt happened yet. I am scared and stressed and happy and excited and sad.... and all these mix of emotions are getting to me! I know that God has an amazing plan for my life- that there are more memories out there waiting to be captured and that things will work out exactly as they should.... but can I just skip ahead through the weeks of wondering and questioning and just be there!?!

SpRiNg BrEaK!!

Lakehouse-Family-Friends-San Antonio-Spurs-Road Trip-Lakehouse!

Sunday- got to the lakehouse! lounged around in the sun, read, ate, visited!! this is why this is my favorite place in the world :)
Monday- anissa's home! i got to hang out with my bff... and meet her boyfriend- i approve ;-)
Tuesday- san antonio day!! met sam downtown and finally got to see mykah! she's precious! and it was good to see my old roomie and catch up! SPURS game with heather and bekah- always great :) late night drive back to marble falls- yay for bekah having gps on her phone or i may still be lost in san antonio!
Wednesday- woke up super early to go get my mom from the lakehouse and then spent the afternoon at the vineyard! they are actually open for tasting now- it's exciting!
Thursday- lazy day around the house :) went shopping with mom to get some plants for the house!
Friday- Mini Road Trip! Mom and I woke up early and spent the day driving to different towns I might want to teach in! It was so much fun! I saw some places I really loved and some places I will definitely not be applying in!
Saturday- lakehouse!! and driving back to angelo :(

My Spring Break was GREAT!!! I could not have asked for a better week! So, now I'm back in Angelo, a little pink from being out in the sun all week, and ready to hit the sack so I can be ready for the upcoming week!

2nd Grade

I have absolutelty loved student teaching so far! And who knew that in 7 quick weeks I would get so attached to my little 2nd graders that I wouldn't want to leave them. But, those 7 weeks have flown by and I had to say goodbye on Friday. I held it together most of the day... When I got to school in the morning, there were blue balloons, blue cards and a blue poster on my desk that said "we'll be blue without you!" There was a table set up that had a blue tablecloth, blue cake and blue hawaiian punch... it was so cute! When the kids came in I gave them their little presents and cards and then we went on with the normal school day. We had our little going away party in the afternoon after lunch... We took some pictures, ate cake, watched cartoons and I opened my gift. The kids had all typed me letters in computer lab that week and had snuck them into my present... they were such sweet letters (and apparently I am really good at teaching math and science, ha ha!). I also got some bulletin board borders and lots of other teachery type gifts! Luckily, Friday was parent involvement day, so the kids kind of trickled out of the room one by one as their parents showed up... I think that if I had had to say goodbye all at once, I would have totally broken down. When all the kids were gone, I packed up my stuff from my desk and fighting back tears said bye to my teacher and headed for home. I got all my stuff into my car... and then the tears came. I'm going to miss this class so much! They were such great kids and I just absolutely adored them and had so much fun getting to work with them for a little while. Now, after spring break, I have to go to 4th grade. I'm terrified and worried and so nervous about it... hopefully it will turn out alright!

A Weekend Home

I had a great weekend at home! I got a meal from China Kitchen (my favorite restaurant in MF), a trip to Grandma's house (where I taught her how to use their new DVD player, she even had me write down directions for her, lol), a quick stop at the vineyard to see the Martins, and my dad took my car in to get the flat tire fixed! But here is one thing I learned while at home this weekend... never will I share a bed with my 11 year old sister again- sleeping in a pile of ants might be more peaceful than night I had on Friday:
Usually when I'm home, I sleep in Emily's room because she has 2 beds in her room and it's just easier. But Elizabeth asked me to stay with her this time, so I told her yes. BIG mistake. She is crazy. She talks in her sleep and moves around and takes all the covers away. I literally had to turn her body so that she was not laying horizontally across the bed with either her feet or her head on my back I dont know how many times. And then when I would move her, she yelled at me. It was ridiculous... I dont think I slept hardly at all. First thing Saturday when I woke up I told her I never staying in her room again... she laughed. Lucklily on Saturday night she stayed the night with some of our cousins so I had the bed to myself :)

Field Trip

What about a school bus makes kids think they have to talk 5 times a normal tone of voice. Today we went on a quick little field trip to the Planetarium at Angelo State- oh gosh, the 10 minute bus ride there was probably the loudest 10 minute period of my life. EVERY single kid on the bus was screaming- and about the most ordinary things.... like a YELLOW car of a BLUE car or hey, that car is BLACK so lets yell it out for the whole world to hear. Some of the girls were singing who knows what at the top of their lungs, the boys were all arguing about different kinds of cars they saw and which ones they wanted to race - they even decided they were going to steal a car ( i told them to think of something better to do) and a few others were engrossed by a ladybug that was crawling around on one of the seats. It was just hilarious to sit there and listen to them "talk" aka SCREAM about these things that they see everyday. It took everything I had to not break into laughter at some of the things they were saying. Keep in mind also that in the 2nd grade when they get that excited and start talking loudly, it is really hard to tell boy voices from girl voices- it just made it that much funnier. Out of all the many things I love about student teaching one of my favorites is that every day is different... you never know what one of the kids will say or do that will just stick with you forever and today was just one of those days that reminds me why I love working with kids so much :)

Phone Calls at 1:00 am...

Call me crazy... but if you are calling someone at one o'clock in the morning, you should MAKE SURE that have dialed the right number. On a normal basis- especially a school night- I am not a late night person, something about having to be awake and ready to face a classroom full of 7 and 8 year olds at 7:30 in the morning requires a good amount of sleep. People who know me know this about me. So when my phone rings at 1:00 one morning, I freak out. The first thing running through my mind is that something bad has happened to someone. So, I try to force myself as much awake as possible and answer my phone. "hello?" The response (from a girl who obviously wasn't very remorseful) "oh, I guessed I called the wrong number." ARE YOU KIDDING?! Not even an apology- and it was very obvious I was not awake when I answered the phone. I just hung up the phone, not trusting myself to say anything very nice, and went back to sleep. I realize that it really did not affect my night that much- I maybe missed out on about 30 seconds of sleep- but the rush of panic I felt when my phone rang and the very sudden, unexpected wakeup call didn't put me in the best mood. I am an early morning person. I'm not one of those people that gets mad at their alarm clocks when it goes off- I just like to know that I am going to have to be up and then the time isn't that big of a deal. The middle of the night though, is a different story... I am not a middle of the night person especially if I have already been sleeping. Anyway, just thought I would share my story and remind you that if you are going to call someone in the middle of the night, make sure you have the number right BEFORE you call!

"Ahhh!"

Ok, so sometimes I get this really freaked out feeling where I get all paranoid for no reason at all and then I get all jumpy and put way too much thought into every little noise I hear. Wednesday morning was totally one of those mornings. I woke up at my normal time but for some reason I was freaked out. I got out of bed and dashed back to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Normally waking up and getting ready is no big deal- why should it be, both my roommates are always still home and asleep and I kinda like having the mornings to myself. But Wednesday morning was quite entertaining. So its a couple of minutes into my shower and the shower curtain moves- I let out a scream. Now, your probably thinking a loud, shrill, scared type scream. You would be wrong. It was the most pathetic scream I have ever heard- and I so hoped that Bekah and Megan hadn't heard it. No such luck, Bekah totally heard it but she figured when she didn't hear anything else after it that I was ok, so she went back to sleep. So that night I had to explain to my roommates the paranoid morning I had and Bekah and I checked all the closets before we all went to bed- just to be sure. This is so not normal- I'm used to being up before my roommates in the mornings- but Wednesday was a weird morning eventhough it's quite hilarious to hear and think about how much of a scaredy cat I can be :)

25 Random Things!

So I've gotten a bunch of these on Facebook and since I haven't posted on here in a really long time I'd thought this would be a good way to get started again.... So here a 25 random things you may not know about me :)


1. I really, really LOVE to sing… but I’m so terrible that it’s become the running joke in our family! But it doesn’t stop me from singing at the top of my lungs anyway!!

2. My absolutely favorite place to be is at my family’s lake house on Inks Lake!

3. Some day I would love to live in Colorado!! I have loved living in Texas, but come on people, it’s not the only place in the world!

4. I do not like living in San Angelo, Tx. I have fallen in love with my friends here, my church and chi alpha though and those things have gotten me through the last 3 ½ years!!!

5. My favorite flower is the sunflower… they are so bright and cheery and they make me smile!

6. I love black and white pictures!

7. Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies… but I don’t do it very often because I don’t like to cook for just me. I have a huge collection of recipes and love surfing the web for new ones!

8. I’m addicted to White Chocolate Mocha’s from Starbucks… hot or iced.

9. I hate putting gas in my car. It’s my least favorite errand… lame, I know, but I really don’t like to do it.

10. I love working with kids and am super excited about being a teacher!

11. I love road trips and going to new places!

12. My family means the world to me!

13. I love visiting wineries and vineyards with my best friend Anissa when we’re both home!

14. One of my favorite things to do is eat dinner at home and then go out for just dessert!

15. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

16. I love to go camping… if you haven’t been- go! My friends and I have had some VERY interesting trips but at least you get a good story out of it!

17. I don’t like to swim in swimming pools- I prefer lakes or hot tubs.

18. I like to run- it keeps me from getting too stressed out and helps me unwind from the day.

19. My favorite fairytale is Peter Pan and I love all the different movies too… Peter Pan, Hook, Finding Neverland (one of my all time favorites)!

20. I love all the Jane Austen books/movies- Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Northanger Abby, Mansfield Park- and sometimes I wish I had lived in those times.

21. My favorite colors are all shades of blue and green!

22. I love going to sporting events!

23. I love going to the mall with my sister Emily and trying on dresses for fun :) Its one of our favorite things to do when I go home to visit!

24. I always have chapstick with me!

25. I could probably go to Hobby Lobby everyday just to walk around and look at stuff!