A weekend without plans...

Yes, you read that correctly.  I have no solid plans for the weekend.  I am beside myself with excitement, but because this never happens of course I have many ideas floating through my head of what I want to do.  It includes:

• Go to the circus
• have a grill out party with friends
• watch the Hawks first football game of the season
• help my friend decorate some walls of her house
• swim at my parents house
• do some laundry
• go shopping

I mean, that doesn't seem too lofty of a list, right?!?!  I don't care what off that list gets done and what doesn't, all I really care about is spending lots of time with my family and RELAXING. 

I. can't. wait.

Have a blessed weekend!

86 Hearts, 1 Beat

I feel so blessed to be a part of such an amazing family at our dance studio.  Each year, we have a competition retreat where all the dancers gather for a night of fun, friendship, and focus for the upcoming season.  It is always a highlight of the year - and this year was no different!

The girls had such a wonderful time getting to know each other, creating cheers and posters, eating lots of junk food, and just having fun together.  They were up most of the night and us adults enjoyed our time sitting in the hallway laughing and having a great time together!

Here are some pictures :)

Wordless Wednesday - A week of family fun....

Home Sweet....

Home.  CLASSROOM.  :)

I spent the entire day in my classroom attempting to get things in order for the fast approaching beginning of the school year.  I cannot believe how quickly this summer has gone!  I think after 7 hours in my room, Kaitlyn working like a set of twins on the to-do list I made for her (she LOVES helping me!), and me crossing things off left and right - I think I'm close to ready.  Here is a photo tour.  Enjoy :)

The door to my classroom.  *smile*

View from the door.

Small group table

View from back by the small group area

My new Daily 5 Cafe board.  I am irrationally excited about it....

View from the other corner of my room towards the front

My desk area

View of the entire room from my desk

I cannot believe in one short week I will be back at work and just a few days later, my students will be filling those blue chairs!!  Wow.  :)

Wordless Wednesday

Family

As I mentioned previously, Kevin recently began searching for his birthmother and found her!  We were privledged enough to be able to meet face to face while she and her husband were visiting Iowa this month!  We were honored to spend many hours asking and answering questions, looking through pictures, and laughing with extended family.  Many nights we were up WAY past midnight trying to squeeze the most out of such precious time together.  She and her family live in California, so it will be difficult to see as much of eachother as we would like, but thank God for technology, the phone, and planes - we will see eachother again very soon.  :)

Here are some pictures of our 2 week visit.  Enjoy.

Walking out to meet his mother for the first time in 41 years.  A pretty remarkable thing :)

Kaitlyn meeting her grandma for the 1st time.

 Kaitlyn read Peggy every single word of her scrapbook and Peggy loved every minute of it.  Such a heartwarming sight. :)

Kevin with some of his new Aunts.

At lunch with Peggy's family.  It was such a blessing to meet so many of them all at the same time!

Kaitlyn and her new cousin, Meghan on the beach in Clear Lake.  These girls really hit it off!

The girls learning to fish with Uncle Dick.  That man was VERY patient!  I love Kaitlyn's face looking at that worm!  ICK.

Fishing on the dock.

The girls got to drive this golf cart with one of the neighbors in Clear Lake.  They squealed with delight everytime he walked through the door!  Such great memories.

Peggy came to Dubuque to meet all of Kevin's family.  They stood around the island in the kitchen for hours listening to her story, asking her questions, and telling funny stories about Kevin growing up.  It was a wonderful night. :)

Kevin & I with his mother (Peggy) and her husband (Steve).

What a beautiful experience to witness a mother being reunitied with her child after so many years.  They are so alike it's uncanny and meeting with Peggy and Steve seemed to be the most natural thing we've ever done.  Easy conversation, hearty laughter, and tearful goodbyes.  We feel so blessed to have been able to spend so much time with them and are very much looking forward to the next time we can share our time with them.  :)

Honeymoon... a little late

Since we've been home from Punta Cana for a month now, I figured I'd update with a picture walk of our wonderful, relaxing week in the Dominican.  Loved it.  :)

Kevin bartered with these two men for nearly an hour.  He loved it.