One Year Anniversary

Scott and I headed to the mountains of Charlottesville to celebrate our big One Year. We stayed for a long weekend at the Boars Head Inn (boarsheadinn.com). It's similar to the hotel we stayed at on our wedding night with its vintage elegance, luxury, and charm (berkeleyhotel.com). We arrived at the inn mid-afternoon, settled in, and then enjoyed wine tasting with other couples retreating for the weekend. We had dinner reservations in the Old Mill Room at 6:30 so we got fancy and enjoyed a delicious meal by the fire. The rest of the weekend we visited Michie Tavern, enjoyed some other restaurants, explored, and went to see "The Book of Eli"- a great movie! We loved unwinding together all cozied-up in the mountains.
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Charlottesville still had some leftover snow from the first big snow fall this year. And speaking of snow, we got hit with 9.5 inches this weekend! Scott has the weekend off so it's been fun getting snowed in together and thankfully we didn't lose any power! Schools are closed for tomorrow, but I'll be busy getting report cards done. Exciting.

Enjoy some photos from our trip:


The Boars Head Inn



Michie Tavern - We ate the delish "Midday Fare" and then took a tour.


I pulled our wedding cake out of the freezer to thaw and when I unwrapped it, most of the icing stuck to the foil. After a whole year (plus a couple weeks) it was still yummy! I think I'll add a photo of the cake from our wedding day.
Random shots: I took these photos from our deck on two different mornings. Seriously, how can someone think God doesn't exist, when we're surrounded by so much beauty?

Ringing in the New Year

Happy New Year!
I think I say this every year, but it's hard to believe another one has passed.
Scott had to work on New Year's Eve; however, I did have the company of his parents to celebrate with...and by celebrating, I mean I went to bed before midnight because sleep seemed more important than trying to keep my dreary eyes open for the ball drop. It was great. And it was cozy.
The Saturday-after is when we celebrated party-style. We invited all our friends over for a night of food and games. I meant to snap a bunch of photos, but all I managed to get was one photo before all the guests arrived of Ben holding baby Jilli as awkwardly as possible. It was too darn funny not to - I don't know if the pic will do it justice. I also couldn't pass up putting a photo of the sweetest (and I mean sweet, dude) Christmas gift from Britt. I heart it. Here they are:
On Monday the 4th, it was back to the daily grind. It was tough getting into the swing of things after a two-week break, but somehow I managed. I know, rough life ;) Sooo...when's Spring Break?
My job is challenging, but I do love it...and not many people can say that. This job was one of 2009's blessings from heaven.
And speaking of blessings...how about our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY...tomorrow! I can't believe Scott and I have already been through our first married year. Wow. There's no better way to start off the year than getting to marry your best friend...and NOW getting to celebrate that momentous day! (Because I didn't want Scott to worry about taking this whole weekend off, we're celebrating next weekend when I have a Monday-holiday off from school and he has off. Perfect for a long weekend getaway. Can't wait!) The wedding was such a special time filled with overwhelming love and joy. The day could not have been more beautiful, elegant, or simply amazing. I'll spare you all the cheesy, romantic thoughts floating around my head when I think about our wedding day so I don't sound like a babbling fool drunk on love. However, I will leave you with the lyrics from our first dance as husband and wife :)

"Everything" by Michael Buble

You're a falling star, you're the get-away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy but it's kinda cute.
Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true.
'cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

[Chorus]

So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
You're every song, and I sing along.
'Cause you're my everything.
Yeah, yeah

So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
So, la, la, la, la, la, la, la


Happy Anniversary, Babe :) You're my everything and I thank God for you everyday. I'm glad we get to grow old together. I love you.

2009

Dear 2009,

Words cannot express how wonderful you have been to us. Thank you for all the special, unforgettable memories. Don't tell the other years (they might get jealous), but you have been, by far, one of the best.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Your Biggest Fan

Tis the Season

I LOVE Christmas. It's my favorite time of the year. Decking the halls, Making spirits bright, and of course, Bringing Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary. I am in awe of the King - the birth of Jesus - a true Christmas miracle. The hustle and bustle of the holidays brings excitement and cheer. The story of Bethlehem brings wonder and amazement.

This year, Scott and I had the enjoyment of attending both of our work Christmas parties. The Sheriff's department is like one big family so hanging out with them is always a good time! The food was dE-lish, the drinks were plentiful, and the entertainment was hilarious. There's nothing like being around a bunch of law enforcers letting loose...and boy, do they deserve to!
My work festivities started out at Northside Grill and then continued on to Sine. It was fun to hang out with my colleagues outside of school with no munchkins to worry about.
School let out for the holidays on Friday the 18th. The euphoria of that day was long-awaited! 2-week vacation...YESSSSS. It started off with my in-laws coming to town for a long weekend. They spoiled us with cooking yummy meals, treating us to Outback (I could eat bloomin' onions every day), and taking us to Christmas Town in Williamsburg (totally worth going to!).
I almost forgot to mention the SNOW! Oh so beautiful when it first falls. However, when it prevents you from getting out of your slope-of-a-driveway, it can make ya a little stir crazy. No worries though- we got to keep Bruce and Audrey for another day and thank God that we didn't lose power!
Scott and I exchanged gifts early because he had to work on Christmas day. My new toy is a Garmin which will forever help me get from point A to B with smooth sailing...my world has been rocked. Thank you, Scottie. On Christmas Eve Eve, the usual family and friends gathered at Mom's for a gift exchange, food, and games...and of course the night wasn't complete without side-splitting, knee-slapping laughter!! Christmas Eve brought relaxation as all the presents had already been wrapped. Scott and I ventured downtown to our church's service and then came home, plopped ourselves on the couch with some warm drinks, and in the stillness of the night, the reason for the season settled into our hearts.
On Christmas, I headed to mom's in the morning followed by grandmother's house in the afternoon. Gift-opening from oldest to youngest, then a tasteful meal and dessert. I love chatting around the table enjoying the company of family. Highlights: new boots and my grandmother sipping bourbon to soothe her throat, rather quickly I might add, while exclaiming, "It really helps!"
Today, mom and I went out early to catch some of the after-Christmas sales. So fun when you find great deals. Now I'm home, watching Food Network- Iron Chef of course- and desiring to eat everything I see on the screen. *sigh* Bruce and Audrey, please come back soon. Oh wait- you are! Tomorrow! Yay!

I hope you and your family had the merriest Christmas. Happy New Year!

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2nd Grade Field Trip to the Children's Museum - Me, Frosty, and Ashley (Grade Level Chair & Mentor)


Grubb's Farm - a good friend of the Sheriff's lodge



Sine - Ashley & Jen's hubby (Jen is on our 2nd grade team)


Topping the tree


Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow


Christmas Town

"Hi penguins! Can I have you for Christmas?"





Mmmmm...steak is what's for dinner.


Oh how I love my jolly husband and this photo!



Mom's casa:

Matthew laughing at a gift from mom- funny story.

Hostess with the Mostess

La Bebe's

Dad in his super sweet new sweater

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Scott and I started the Christmas season early...and by early, I mean before Thanksgiving. Yes, we were some of "those people" this year. You know, the ones that don't let one holiday pass before focusing on the next. Well, Scott had to work all weekend and we wanted to trim the tree together, so the night before Thanksgiving just happened to be the perfect time. With a pizza, bottle of wine, and Christmas tunes in the background, we laughed while hanging the ornaments...the hand-blown glass pickle- a Smith family tradition, the cop holding coffee and a donut, the fat Santa, and my favorite- the super cute penguins from Hallmark that were on sale last year. One of them had the name "Scooter" so of course I had to buy it. When I first met Scott, he was introduced to me as Scooter- a nickname from back home that stuck with him for a long time.
We headed to Gloucester for Thanksgiving. A trip to the Bartons must include several rounds of dominoes, lots of laughs, and good eatin'! The next day while Scott headed to work, I headed to the big city to see my family. Although my mom doesn't live in the house we grew up in any more, her home is just as, if not more, cozy, warm, inviting, and comfortable. It was nice to just R-E-L-A-X and enjoy some downtime. And by the way, my mom makes THE best deviled eggs. My sis was home from college so we had a good time hanging out and being silly. She doesn't believe me when I tell her that I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning when I was in college because these days, bedtime is 9 p.m. and I was struggling to make it to 11 p.m. watching movies.
Thanksgiving is a good time to pause and reflect on everything we have to be thankful for and to put things into perspective. I am so thankful to God for salvation through Jesus and for His love towards us. He has richly blessed our lives and given us joy, peace, and beauty for ashes. I am thankful for the love from a husband with forever eyes who makes me laugh every day and always has the right words to say. I am grateful for family and friends who love us and pray for us and help us and make the road more fun to travel. I am thankful for jobs and a home and our troops and a car and food and sight and the list goes on and on...
Thinking about all the things we are thankful for is a perfect gateway into the Christmas season which is now officially upon us! With all the things God has blessed us with, we want to be a blessing to others...give up our wants for people who really have needs. We will be giving up a portion of what we would normally spend for Christmas and in turn, bless villages in Africa with clean drinking water. The movement is called Advent Conspiracy and it is something our church is particpating in. Check it out! It is our challenge to bring Christmas back to its true meaning.


With that being said, this time is definitely one of the most wonderful times of the year!! I love Christmas!!
Now it's back to school for three more weeks and then, *teachers of the world rejoice,* a two-week break!! :)

Autumn Has Settled In

Fall is my favorite season!

Pumpkins and all their goodness. Pumpkin-carving, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pie. Hay rides. Changing leaves. Crisp, cool air. Turning the clocks back. Camping. The mountains. Thanksgiving. Apple-picking. Mom and Matthew's birthdays. Stores starting to set up for Christmas.

Fall. A deep breath of refreshment.

So far this fall, my big brother got hitched in Louisville where he and his wife live. Also, one of my dear friends from college got married. Spending the weekend on the Eastern Shore was a nice getaway and especially getting to be a part of her big day. (Plus, I had the best pedicure of my life that weekend.) In addition, some friends had their baby and we've been getting to experience a little of that with them. We get to be Auntie Christi and Uncle Scottie. We also had the opportunity to help move some other friends into their newly constructed house. Another set of friends are having a baby and another set are getting married in a few weekends! Scott's parents are also going to be coming to spend Thanksgiving with us. Lots of joy this fall!

Busy.

Life has been B-U-S-Y. The last post was about getting a teaching job, which is the very reason I haven't been keeping up with the blog. I have a feeling these posts will be few and far between. I hardly even have time to check Facebook. (GASP!)
So I got hired the week before school started. I spent all week organizing my classroom. Thank goodness for a long Labor Day weekend and then on Tuesday I had 22 faces staring back at me on the first day of school.
The situation with my students is that most of them looped up from First Grade together. Apparently, the kids ran the show last year and don't have a clue about how they should act in school. (I'm not speaking for all of my students, but quite a few). Their first grade teacher (who was supposed to be with them again this year) resigned right before the start of the school year which is how I inherited the position.
Don't get me wrong- I am SO thankful for this job and wouldn't want to be doing anything else. I also know that I'm here for a reason. God is always up to something. But lucky me, I get to be this class' intervention. It has been quite the challenge to say the least. I keep telling myself that we'll get there eventually. I love each student individually, but collectively, they are a handful! On top of a class with several behavior issues and many academically low students, being a first-year-teacher is challenging enough as I'm learning the ropes. Thankfully, I have a great Second Grade team to work with and lots of support from administration and other teachers. I've put in a lot of long days and the to-do list never ends, but my heart is in it 100%. I chose to be a teacher to make a difference in the lives of children and that's exactly what I get to wake up and do every day.

Needless to say, I so very much enjoy my down time. I love coming home to just relax and curl up on the couch with the hubs. With his crazy hours and my busy schedule, we sure do cherish our time together!