Welcome to my house!

So it is rainy and cloudy outside... but I am about 80% unpacked so I thought I would post some pictures of my cute little house :)




This was my house-warming present to myself from playing tourist today in town :)

This is where the other 20% of the stuff is. There is a guest bed under there somewhere :)




More pictures will follow sometime :)

I'm here!!!

Here being Estes Park :) My wonderful parents helped me Uhaul it up here (yes, Uhaul is a verb!) yesterday. Special big huge thanks to them!!!!

So I have a new address and a new cell phone number. If you didn't get it in your email... then let me know and I'll send it to you!

I'll update more soon -- but currently need to make an island in the chaos :)

Happy Birthday Aimes!

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday! In honor of what a wonderful woman she is... here is the drawing I did during my art class of her and my nephew Sam:

Thanks for Coming!! :)

So I am still working on collecting graduation pictures from my sources... but here are a few extra special ones :)

Old family friends the Weidmans came :)


My Aunt Shirley gave me this bell which was my grandmother's when she was a teacher in a one room school house (almost 100 years old!) My granny isn't with us anymore, but I'll never forget her!


Me and Grandma! :)

Graduation Eve

That's right!

The classes are over, the papers are done!
The tests are all finished, it's time for some fun!
A silly black robe and a funny square hat,
A few little speeches 'bout this and 'bout that.

A toast to our efforts,
and hugs for dear friends,
off to the next chapter
'cause this one soon ends.

Sooooo close!

Tomorrow is my last day of class. THE last day. The LAST day. I cannot actually believe that it is almost here. I have this weird empty feeling where all this stress has been over the past 14 months.... like it's almost hard to NOT have something to think/worry/stress about. No more homework, no more papers, no more chapters or articles to read, no more books. What will I do with myself?? :)

I know that before I blink I will have a whole new ballgame at my new school with lessons to plan and papers to grade and many new worries and stresses for my kiddos... but I think (I hope) that I will be able to balance that all a little more and enjoy having a life again. Besides... teaching is now part of my life! :)

I'm putting it in my speech (my classmates elected me to speak at graduation)... but for those of you who can't be there Saturday to hear it... I've got to thank people that supported me this past year during this crazy process. It is almost insane to consider the work I have put into this program, and I couldn't have survived it without people to love me and cheer me on. So thanks! I love you!

Colorado Weather

Gotta love Colorado summer weather! Bright sunny skies, hot but not humid, and the 4:00 afternoon thunderstorm. Here are a few pictures... one from a late evening thunderstorm (cool huh?... there was A TON of lighting)



And the other from a different day where the setting sun was making a rainbow


Love it! :)