last day in paradise

our thanksgiving break has come to an end. we'll be heading back to reality tomorrow. this has certainly been one of my favorite vacations. i've been able to spend quality time with mom, dad, and playing with my kids. even better, i spent alot of time thinking about me....which i don't do very often these days.

mom has enjoyed her time so much that she's re-booking the condo for next year. dad loved it so much that he told her to book it for the entire week instead of just the thanksgiving holidays. silver dunes has great off-season rates!

the pictures below start with the sunrise at about 6:45 this morning. they end with the sunset around 5:00.

another day in paradise

again, we hung out on the beach for most of the day. another beautiful, sunny day but with gustier winds. we wrapped up around three to get ready for pictures. then off to Osaka for "swow white rolls". we look forward to destin each year for these rolls. now, we have mom addicted! after yummy sushi, we shopped for christmas gifts at the outdoor mall. they have a huge christmas tree with flashing lights. so strange to see when you usually associate destin with summer. even odder to feel such warm temps!

tomorrow will be our last day. i'm hoping to brave the cool water and dive in some waves. the weather is supposed to be even warmer than the last couple.

thanksgiving in destin!

this year mom and dad invited us to spend thanksgiving with them in destin. how could i turn down an offer like that? we usually spend the second week of june here, but never in the fall.

so far we've been lucky. weather has been in the 70's during the day. water is cool, but it doesn't stop people from swimming. a bit chilly in the mornings and late evening, but overall perfect as far as i'm concerned. of course, it could be raining cats and dogs or snowing and i'd be completely content waking up to the sound of waves crashing and a salty sea air.

i spent the early morning wrapped up in a blanket reading a good book on the beach after a short walk. once mom, dad, and the kids came down we took a long walk and collected tons of seashells. the rest of the day we played on the beach and watched the sunset...gorgeous!

right now we're preparing our thanksgiving meal. mom brought everything prepared and frozen. although, i included my garlic mashed potatoes...mmmm! our condo smells divine! can't think of much better than being in destin having our family thanksgiving meal. so grateful for mom and dad and the invitation!

chris stayed home and is spending his thanksgiving with the allens. we miss him like crazy! hoping the allen's forgive us for not being there.

7th grade Bible Ceremony

on september 14th, 7th graders at harding were presented bibles with their names engraved. it was a really special ceremony, much like a graduation. however, they entered the stage from the left. the idea is that when they graduate as seniors, they will walk across the stage from the right holding the same bible that has guided them through their journey. the seniors even formed a circle around them in candlelight and sang a song.
taegan and molly
of course, that's my daughter in the middle...not paying any attention.
collin, parker, manuel, taegan, isabelle, and kameryn

st. agnes/st.dominic dance

the kids were invited by one of manuel's teammates, bradley. he attends st. dominic. the dance is an 8th grade fundraiser. i didn't want taegan to be the only girl with a bunch of soccer guys (though that's usually how it is around here), so she invited some friends. can't believe how grown up they are!
payton, carson, taegan, isabelle, manuel, and ethan
tell me that's not my daughter!!

first day riding the bus

first day of seventh grade...and to ride the bus! i cried. are you surprised?
manuel, taegan, and molly
big day ahead of them...new bus, new school, new friends, new classes

3rd graders at kingsbury

my class "looped" from last year. this means that we all moved from second to third grade together. i got a few new students, but most of my class came back. the first week of school is always exciting...getting reacquainted with others and talking a lot about themselves. one of the great things about looping is that after the first week we can hit the ground running. i don't have to spend six weeks figuring out each child's learning style and their individual reading levels. i already know! here are a few pictures from our first week together.
waiting to go home...
all about "me in a bag"
the kids love to be the center of attention and talk about themselves. i love hearing them speak!
this was a project where the students had to create a poster that illustrated a rule he/she felt was important for our school or class. interesting part was that i gave each group 2 googly eyes, one pipe cleaner, one foam sheet, and one yellow puff ball that had to be incorporated in some way. it was clever to see how they were used.
here's another group's project.
it takes "teamwork" to put together a puzzle.
i love watching them work together!
after reading "chrysanthemum" we made "name art". i thought they turned out great!
this is a great class!
using the letters for "third grade", the students had to make as many words as possible.
to celebrate our "3rd day of third grade", we did a lot of activities pertaining to the number 3. here, the girls are pulling out dominos to see if the two numbers can be added or subtracted to make 3.
after reading "whoever you are", we chose faces that matched our skin color to tell how we are all different, yet the same.
the whole class worked together to piece together the book "rezoom". i absolutely loved watching their minds turn!