Lake Geneva Trip 2013

Tommy and I went up to Lake Geneva October 11th-12th. I have been there two times before:
- 6th grade for a trip with my class and I only remember three things from that trip....(1) Making paper, (2) It was during my bday, and (3) HEBERTISME (I still don't know what that means, but I remember the spelling he-bert-is-me, lol)

- A super fun bachelorette party this past summer that made me think, "hm, ok, I have to come up here more often!"

So we booked a cheap hotel at Harbor Shores on the lake for Friday to Saturday. We drove up Friday after work, checked in, and walked around down town a little bit. It was cold, but totally fun Fall weather! Love me some boots and a scarf!

Anyway, then we ate at a restaurant because it was close and had a funny name, Scuttlebutts (HA), and headed back to the hotel where we watched SHARK TANK! Because what Friday night would be complete without it?

Saturday we went to a place called Pearce's Farmstand where I seriously contemplated taking a helicopter ride for the first time, but decided to buy doughnuts, cider, and kettle corn instead...I mean...
We also got some sweet pumpkins and got to put everything in a wagon to pull around while we shopped! So fun. There was a guitar player/singer that we listened to while we ate our doughnuts and then we were off on our way home.

We HAD to stop off at Walmart and get some Spotted Cow, and Two Women, which are beers that I like and were introduced to me by a friend on that super fun bachelorette party I mentioned 200 words ago, and you can only get it in Wisconsin, which makes it all the more coveted.

Then we drove home. Super fun weekend!
The End.

Learning

I am learning something in 2013 that I never anticipated, but that's how it goes right? So here it is...

My life and my job are two different things. 

Believe it or not, it has taken me a long time to learn this lesson. I'm not sure why, it seems pretty clear to me now, but 2013 has been a learning year for me apparently.

It has been a lot easier for me to separate what I do on the weekends, and after school with what I do at school. Some days are easier than others I have found, but mostly, I have been able to separate the two FINALLY.

Maybe it took a change in schools. Maybe it took a change in grades. Maybe it took a change in heart. But above all, it has brought about a change in me and my mood when I leave work. I am a Kindergarten teacher, but I am also a wife, daughter, sister, friend, chef, blogger, reader, and runner.

Mostly I am trying to be a better person and a better wife with the newfound time that I am spending on the other areas of my life. It has made me feel all the more blessed to have this time to spend on being a wife, daughter, sister, friend, etc. I am only sorry that it took me so long to figure this out!

100 or 10 Days of Real Food

{10 Days of Real Food}

There is this blog/Facebook page that I follow called "100 Days of Real Food".
I must say, every time something of hers pops up on my Facebook feed, I am intrigued. Her name is Lisa Leake and she is pretty fabulous when it comes to food.
She does a lot of posts about what she packs her children for lunch and, if we're being honest here, I want to eat it myself, fancy toothpicks and all :)

So anyway, she has these pledges on her website. Lisa and her family are doing a 100 Days of Real Food Pledge (hence the name of the website). She also has a 10 Days of Real Food Pledge. I am considering doing the 10 Day Pledge, or at least trying some of her meals because they look and sound pretty good.

Check her out friends.

Starting after Halloween?

Ben Folds Concert 7/9/13

So Tommy and I went to a Ben Folds and Barenaked Ladies concert on Tuesday and it was AWESOME! Ok, mostly everyone was there for Barenaked Ladies, but that's not why I went! And I'm proud of it.

Tommy and I left early to go to Kona Grill because we had a buy one get on free appetizer coupon! When we got there, we sat on the patio and found out that it was Happy Hour, which included half priced appetizers, so we saved our coupon for another day :)

{Kona Grill Yumminess}

We decided to get the pot stickers, calamari, and the Philly Roll. All were delicious. I still can't believe my husband likes to eat the tentically calamari, but not jelly on his PB(minus the)J sandwiches. Weirdo.

Then we went got on the road to the Charter One Pavillion, which is now called the FirstMerit Bank Pavillion. It took us a while to drive there, but we got to listen to some sweet Ben Folds tunes on the way :)

We parked in the Museum Campus Parking Garage, and took the shuttle to the concert. On the way in we got free samples of Diet Coke, lol, and then we stopped and bought my Ben Folds t-shirt that I LOVE!!

{Woot}

Then we found out seats just in time for the opening act. It was not Guster :( But then Ben Folds came on and he was awesome! Here is the setlist:

1. Michael Praytor, Five Years Later

2. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces

3. Missing the War

4. Landed

5. Erase Me

6. Sky High

7. Draw a Crowd

8. Philosophy

9. Do It Anyway- (Love this video...)

10. Brick

11. Narcolepsy

12. Song for the Dumped

13. Army

It was amazing. Seriously. I was vastly disappointed that the couple sitting next to me didn't know the words, and failed at the horns sections in Army, but whatchugonnadoaboutit. They were clearly there for Barenaked Ladies, but they were nice, so it's ok.

I got some sweet videos, with my sweet iPhone (ha). Please excuse my singing....I simply couldn't help but sing along.

       {Michael Praytor, Five Years Later}   

{One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces}

{Brick}

I am also very, very happy he played Philosphy, and Army because those are two of my faves :)

After Ben, Barenaked Ladies came on and I must say that I am impressed! I will not purchase tickets to see them again, but I'm glad that we did see them in concert. They played all their hits and them some, and it was a good time. They even made up a few songs, which was pretty sweet.

{Barenaked Ladies}

It was a pretty good time and I'm so glad we went!

 {On the shuttle}

{Just got our seats}

 {The view for the night}

{Opening Act}

{Us and the stage+A Beached Whale}

                                             

                                                   

{Ben Squished}

 {Piano Hands}

 {Got to see Lauren and Jay there!}

 {Barenaked Ladies}

 {So fun. So tired.}

Oh yes.

Two of my favorite nerdy piano rock singers have joined to create some of the most poetic swearing I've heard in a while. Yes.

{Thanks YouTube for making it possible for me to share this with my corner of the internet}

STOKED to see Ben Folds in concert this month!

Life is hard sometimes.

If I am being honest with myself, I have to tell you that I have 
Many things have changed for Tommy and I in the past few months
This is not easy for me to write about
Why is this so hard?
kladfljkaldkjfasiofuqoweirjklnf,amndsf


Ok. I have been thinking about how to begin this post for a while now, and none of the above sentences seem right. Even this one that I just decided to go with doesn't seem right, but whatev. I'm tired of thinking about it. So here it goes.

Many people know this already, but I am starting a new teaching position in the Fall.
wow.
That felt good.
I have been feeling like this is some big secret that I shouldn't be talking about because it feels so weird to say.
The end of this past school year was a bittersweet feeling. I was excited for summer and the opportunity to relax, but sad that it was my last year there.
The people I have met and worked with are wonderful. Those three years encompassed the hardest times I have even encountered in my life (might be some of the hardest times I ever encounter) and I couldn't have done any of it without the people on my team(s).
{And even some friendly people who were never on my team}
People have said to me on more than one occasion, "You are so strong", "You are so brave", "You have such integrity". But do you know what made me feel strong, brave, and full of integrity? Those people that supported me.
There's a good chance that those people are reading this right now. And if you are, thank you. You are the reason that I was able to come to work each day and be all those things. Your belief in me. Even when I didn't believe in myself, you were there to make me feel like I should.
And as I think about this new position that I am starting to prepare for, I have doubts that I can do it. That I am not good enough to do it. But I think of the kind words, and gestures from my friends there and I feel brave enough to try.

Thank you for your sweet words. Thank you for you kind gestures. Thank you for your support. But most of all, thank you for your belief that I am a good person and I can do what I know in my heart I am meant to be doing with my life.

:)

Fourth of July 2013

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!

I love the 4th of July. It's the best. It has the 3 F's- Friends, Food, and Fireworks.
So far our plans are the same every year: Go to the munch, listen to music, ride some carnival rides with friends, and end the night with fireworks by Rogan's.

I'm excited to do it again this year!
Pictures to follow :)