IT'S OFFICIAL!!!! I'm a new teacher at Barr-Reeve Elementary!! I am beyond thrilled for this opportunity and super excited to begin!! Now that this title is finally sinking in I am beginning to get very anxious to start planning lessons, decorating a classroom, and buying tons of stuff :) I will hopefully find out which grade I will be teaching on Wed. or Thurs., but I have a feeling I'll either be in Kindergarten or 1st grade. It is amazing how quickly things can fall together when only 2 months ago I felt like I had no direction as to where I was headed in my life. Now I atleast know that I'm meant to be here, which is right where I wanted to be :) God is sooooo good!!!

I'll be sure to post lots of pics when I get my classroom all set up. But right now all that I have done is a notebook full of pictures, classroom ideas, and books ready to be ordered haha! I hope August 10th doesn't come too quickly!

The Dash

We received this little book from my dad's funeral and I sat down to read it for the first time the other night... I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)

I read of a mon who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on his tombstone from the beginning... to the end.

He noted that first cam the date of his birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time that he spent alive on earth and now only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own, the cars... the house... the cash... What matters is how we live and love... and how we spend our dash.

So you think about this long and hard; are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real... and always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives... like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile... remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read... with your life's actions to rehash... would you be proud of the things they say... about how you spent your dash?

I fell in love with this little poem only because it speaks so much! It's so so easy to forget what is important in life at times :)

~JM~

Melissa & Eric's Wedding

This weekend I got to take part in a friend's wedding that I've known all of my life!! I felt so honored to be able to stand beside her on her big day... It seems only yesterday that we were playing "wedding" and I always made her be the groom so I could be the bride haha! They took off this morning for Jamaica- I can't wait to hear all about it!!!! Here are some pictures of the big day:

Unknown Future

As I get closer and closer to my college graduation, I get a little more nervous and anxious about what's around the corner. Where do I go next? I really have no idea. I'm at a "fill-in-the-blank" part of life, except I don't know what to put in the blank. I'm graduating college without a job; as of now there will be no teaching openings for next year; I'm without the security of knowing that the next year will be any better, and I just told the guy that I thought I would one day marry goodbye. I feel so lost and down in the dumps about the future when I should be excited. I don't know how to be excited about the place that I'm at right now because I'm always the one that plans ahead...I know what I want out of life, but it still isn't here. I need to learn to be patient, but I'm not good at it. I have so many blanks, so many questions to ask...when to I get to find the answers????

Some pics of my graduation party:

My sis, one of my besties, and baby Mason at my graduation party
Some of my best friends from high school :)
I felt so, so blessed by all of the loving & supportive friends and family that came today!! God bless all of you!

On the first day, God created the dog. God said, "Sit all day by the door and bark at anyone who comes near or walks past. I will give you a life span of 20 years." The dog said, "That's too long to be barking. Give me ten years and I'll give you the other ten years back." God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey. God said, "Entertain people, do monkey tricks, and make them laugh. I'll give you a 20 year life span." The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for 20 years? I don't think so. The dog gave you ten years back, so that's what I'll do too, okay?" God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow. God said, "You must go to the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves, and give milk to support the farmer. I will give you a life span of 60 years." The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for 60 years. Let me have 20 and I'll give back the other 40." And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man. God said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry, and enjoy your life. I'll give you 20 years." The man said, "What?! Only 20 years? Tell you what... I'll take my 20, and the 40 the cow gave back, and the 10 the monkey gave back, and the 10 the dog gave back. That makes 80, okay?"

"Okay," said God, "You've got a deal!"

So that is why the first 20 years we eat, sleep, play, and enjoy ourselves; the next 40 years we slave away in the sun to support our family; the next 10 years we do monkey tricks to enterain the grandchildren; and the last 10 years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.




I found this on a website and thought it was cute and mostly true!! :) Hope everyone has a blessed Easter!

Florida Favorites

Time to enjoy the sunshine...

Beautiful scenery

Visiting family we rarely get to see..

Playing cards with the Miller family..

Parasailing..

Pretty painted toe nails...

and lovely family photos.. :)

One of my favs!!!

New Babies...

These past couple months have been filled with babies- literally!! I've fallen so in love with these two precious little bundles, so I thought I had better show them off:)

Mason & Nyah

Nyah Jalaine Knepp

Mason David Graber

Love it!!!