13 in 13

 I'm linking up with Hadar, Traci, and Kristin for the 13 in 13 party.

Link up here:
A Teeny Tiny Teacher

 

 

I just discovered these this year:

Sonoma knit jeans

 

Seriously, y'all - if you have not tried these, you HAVE to!  They feel like sweatpants and look like jeans.  They are super stretchy and oh so comfortable.  I got mine at Kohl's for about $20.  I would so live in them  if I could.

 

The only movie we went to see this year was:

The kids loved it and I have to admit, it was pretty good!

Yep, got totally sucked into this show this year, but this is probably why:

 

I mean, who wouldn't want to spend a Monday night looking at that?

 

If you've never eaten at BJ's Brewhouse, you so have to go!  I've been about 10 different times and have gotten something different each time and still have not found one item on their menu I didn't like.  The best part, however is their dessert - the famous Pizookie:

It's a big cookie that they put through their pizza oven to get it nice and hot and then serve it with two scoops of ice cream on top!  YUMMY!

We tried departmentalizing in first grade this year.  I am only teaching math and science/social studies and my partner is teaching reading/language arts.  I wasn't sure about it at the beginning, but now I'm loving it.  I'm able to really spend my time focusing on just math/science and even though I have double the number of students (a morning and an afternoon class), I feel like I really know where each child is in their math progress.  After the first 9 weeks, the other first grade teachers decided to go back to having only their homerooms, but we decided to stick it out for the year.  I'm glad we did and we are already talking about doing it again next year!

My favorite gift this year is my early Christmas present from my Mom.  She came from Kentucky to Florida for Thanksgiving and went ahead and let me pick out my Christmas present.  What is it, you ask?

Yep, it's a new Ipad Air!  This is my first Ipad and I am loving it.  I debated whether or not to take it into school (for about 2 seconds) and then decided, nope, this one is just for me!

Since I am definitely a Pinterest addict, I really can't pick just one.  I could MAYBE pick a favorite from each board, but that would be...yeah, let's just say they're all my favorites!

 

I hate to say this, but I've been sooooo bad this year about blogging, I just don't have enough to choose from.  I'm hoping that this year will be better.  Forgive me?

I'd have to say that my best accomplishment this year has really been making more time for me.  I've gone from spending weekends at work to taking Friday nights and Saturdays as no work times.  I still end up doing some grading/planning on Sundays, but I'm hoping to change that in 2014.  

This picture has special meaning for me for many reasons: 

1.  This is our first real family vacation.  

2.  We visited Biltmore Estate to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.  This is where we went on our honeymoon and we thought it would be neat to take the kids back to see it. 

3.  This summer was when my hubby and I really started to reconnect.  We have been together for 18 years, married for 15 and for the last 6 or 7 years or so, we had been really struggling.  We had grown so far apart over the years that we were only months away from calling it quits.  We both decided that we needed to re-evaluate our marriage and just put God first.  I really believe that that is what made all the difference.  We are happier now than we have ever been.  

My favorite memory this year is from Halloween.  

We were on our way back home from trick-or-treating.  We live out in the country, so we actually drive the kids from house to house.  We were almost home and decided to stop at one last house around the corner from us that had their light on.  The woman had a table set up in her yard from which she was handing out candy.  When the kids got out of the truck and ran up to her, she told them that she had gone in to use the bathroom a few minutes before and someone had come by and taken all of her candy.  They started to run back to the truck and then my son turned around and ran back.  I couldn't figure out what he was doing.  When he got back to the truck, he told me that he had run back and had given her some of his candy out of his bag so that she could pass it out to any other kids who came along.  I was so proud of him!

My goal for 2014 is really to back off from school.  I need to really spend more time focusing on my family  and strengthening my walk with the Lord.  He has blessed me so much this year, and I often get so busy and wrapped up in day to day stuff that I don't give Him or my family the time they really deserve.  

My one little word for 2014 is: PRIORITIES.  I need to really take a good look at what I have in the past set as a priority and make sure that my priorities are in order. 

I can't wait to see your 13 in '13.  Hurry and link up!