We're done!!!

Yay!!! We're done! If you listen closely you'll hear the sounds of teachers cheering for joy!! I know I'm not the only happy teacher out there! I love my kids, but it was time for all of us to have a break! We had a great party today, and I received lots of great gifts. I am so glad that we have a two week break ahead of us! I can't believe Christmas is next week!!!

Daily Verse

Today's verse:

"So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes is breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God." James 3:5,9

I've heard it said many times that the tongue is an evil thing. It can cause such damage. It's scary to think how "two faced" we can be: like James says, using our tongue to both praise and tear down. I know I don't think about that very often. What's even more scary is to think that the Bible tells us that "from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45) We can't blame our tongue for talking. We speak from our hearts. I hope that my tongue does more praising than tearing down. That's my prayer.

Daily Verse

I'm reading through James right now, so you'll notice most of the verses are from there.

"So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds in not faith at all -- it is dead and useless." James 2:17

Claiming to have faith is more than just saying you believe in God. When we experience true faith, we are transformed. We can't help but be, act, and look different. Once we are saved, our actions should confirm our faith and commitment to Christ. James uses Abraham as an example. His faith in Christ gave him the willingness to sacrifice his own son, and he was rewarded for it. I wonder if I have that kind of faith. I don't want to simply say I believe. I want my life to reflect that.

Daily Verse

Ok, I'm setting a new goal for myself. In addition to simply blogging more, (since I've been recently told how pathetic I am), I'm going to try to post a daily verse. Now, I know "daily" is a pretty big leap from someone who hasn't blogged since August. So, we'll see how good I do.

Micah and I are trying to be more diligent in the amount of time we spend during our daily Bible reading and quite time. So, I thought this might be a good idea. It'll give me a chance to share what I'm reading, and possibly reflect on what God's showing me.

So.... today's verse:

" Dear brothers, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything." James 1:2-4

I'll be the first to admit that I don't look at my "troubles" as joy. However, this is a great challenge! Maybe I'd be a lot better off if I'd use the "troubles," however big or small, that I walk through as opportunities to grow and learn, instead of always having a negative attitude towards things that don't go my way. Something to think about....

Successful Year #3

Year #3 is off to a successful start! I had a great first and second day. I've met all three of my classes, all 62 kids! This is the first year I'll have three classes. The past two years I've taught two classes Math, Science, and Social Studies. This year, because of an increase in numbers, I have three classes. But, the good news is, I only have to teach Math and Science! I'm super excited about that!

After two successful, yet slightly stressful years, I'm ready for a new start! I'm going in hoping for a fun, exciting year! Good luck to all you teachers out there!

Neely Wedding

This past weekend we had the privilege of celebrating with some of our closest friends from college. AJ and Holly were married. It was a beautiful wedding, and one of the most upbeat and exciting weddings I've ever been to. I managed to get some good pics. As you can see the bride was gorgeous, and the groom, well, he wasn't too bad either!!

Congrats you two! We are so happy for you!

Prayer Request

I'm going to have an MRI done today cause I've been getting really bad headaches for the past month and we can't figure out what's causing them. Pain meds work for a little while, but then they come right back. Anyway, we're sure that it's nothing, but doc just wants to make sure we rule out everything. So, I'll be going in at 4 this afternoon. Say a little prayer for me please. Thanks!

Splashway

Last week we took some of the kids from church to a water park. It's a small water park that's great for letting the kids roam and do their own thing. It's very safe, Christian owned, a fun place to hang out with the kiddos. We had a good time!

4th of July

4th of July is a big holiday in the Gilbert family. It's our annual family reunion. We always have a great time with family!

In the past, we've enjoyed a friendly (and sometimes not so friendly) competitive game of Charades. This year, however, we chose to play Farkle. We had lots of fun. Some of us did much better than others. As you can see below, I've lost yet another game!

This is after lunch. Everyone is full from all the yummy food we had!
Cole is enjoying a cupcake made by Micki. Yep...that's me! 

My patriotic dessert. 

We hope you had a great holiday weekend with friends and family!

 God Bless our Troops!!! We're so grateful for all they do!!!

I have been tagged....

Thanks to Erin!!

8 things I am looking forward to....
-Being a mom
-Being a stay at home mom
-Having the summer off! And enjoying every minute of it!
-Getting our wedding pics
-More vacations with my husband
-Joining a gym and losing weight
-Learning how to use my camera, and hopefully taking decent pics one day
-Buying a house!!! (SOON!)

8 things I did yesterday....
-Went to Hobby Lobby
-Went to Target
-Lunch at McAllister's with my faimly
-Shopped with Carrie (probably will be happening a lot!)
-Cooked dinner for my hubby
-Painted some flower pots
-Uploaded over 1,300 pics
-Cleaned our apartment

8 things I wish I could do...
-Buy a house already
-Take good pics
-Lose weight
-Be more organized
-Not have to work (or at least do something on my own!)
-Travel the world (with my hubby!)
-play an instrument (or two)

-go on a cruise

8 shows that I watch...
-NCIS
-Reba
-Criminal Minds
-The Mentalist
-Lifetime Movies (yeah...I know)
-Bathroom Renovations
-Flip this House

-Ranger's games (not always by choice!)

8 people I tag...

-Rebeca Carpenter

-Sarah C

-I don't know who checks my blog. So if you're reading this...TAG! You're it!

Winning team!

The last week of school there is always a staff volleyball game. It's the principal's team vs. the vice principal's team. Last year, I played on the principal's, and even with all our talent, we lost. This year, I played for the VP's team. And, for the 4th year in a row, we won! The kids love it! And, I must admit, the staff has a lot of fun too!! The following is a picture of the winning team! 

Swim Day!

Ok, if this isn't the cutest little fish you've ever seen, I don't know what is! We took Jarid to the pool yesterday, and he loved it!!! He's not even two yet, and I give him a couple months. He'll be swimming on his own in no time! 

That would be his "cheeeese" face!

He's the cutest kid I know! ;)

Kemah Weekend

Last Friday was my last day of school. Micah decided to celebrate with me by taking me to Kemah for the night. We stayed on the boardwalk at the Kemah Boardwalk Inn. I've always wanted to stay there, and I was finally able to. We had so much fun!!! We've decided to make it an annual trip... celebrating summer!

Friday night was the first firework show. We got tons of pics. Just decided to share one. I thought it was cool!

The ferris wheel at night. With the moon in the background. 

The fireworks are in the background, but the stranger we asked to take our picture didn't really know how to work the camera. so, it's a little blurry!

The view from our room when we woke up. We had a great time. We spent the day in Galveston walking the strand and having lunch outside! I can't wait to do it again next year!

Rain, Rain Go Away

I don't know why I'm just now getting around to doing this, but I thought I'd share our Tuesday with you. Micah left at his normal 5:15 am for work, and it took him about 2 hours to get there because of the rain. That's 30 min extra to his already long drive. He had already been frustrated cause it took him 3 hours to get home in the rain Monday night. We thought things were going to be better since Tuesday afternoon was rain free. Not so much! He didn't know before he left or alternate routes might have been an option. However, he discovered after sitting (yes, no movement) on I45 for 3 and a half hours, all lanes of I45 were under water and only the shoulder was passable. He left work at 3:30 thinking he was going to have an early night, and he didn't get home until 9:00. Yes...over 5 hours on the road. And we thought his 1.5 hour trip was a long time! Needless to say, neither of us were in a good mood when he got home. Pretty much ate and went to bed! Fun times! 

Bad Day

Earlier this week (Monday I believe it was), I was having  a bad day. Just a lot going on, and I was tired and frustrated. I called my husband while he was on his way home from work and cried and vented on the phone for a good 30-45 min. I was at church when he got home, so when I arrived, I came home to this. Gorgeous flowers, awesome chocolate truffles, and a very sweet card. (There was also a box of honey buns on the table, but they didn't make the picture cut). It was SO SWEET! It made everything disappear for a little while. I'm so happy I married him! 

New Toy

This is my new toy. For a wedding present, my sweet hunny got me this new camera. I absolutely love it! Although, I'm beginning to wonder who it's really for. He has it just as much, of not more, than me! Anyway, he knows I like pictures, scrapbooking, etc, so he got me this. And, he wants to get me into some type of class. I'm not sure if I'd ever be a photographer, but it would be fun. I love taking pictures, and I'd like to have some pointers. Especially for trips and kids down the road. For now, I just have fun playing with it! He's so good to me!

Honeymoon

Our honeymoon was AMAZING!!! We had such a good time! We went where several of our friends have gone, and we loved every minute of it. It definitely came highly recommended, and now we know why! We didn't do anything, as far as excursions go, other than spending half a day in Cancun, but we had so much fun just relaxing and being together. We're ready to go back! We're already planning an anniversary or "just for fun" trip back! Again, pictures are on Facebook, but here are a few as well.

Beach in Cancun

Our friend at the resort.

Dressed to go out to dinner.

This is there version of napping on the beach. An actual bed! Talk about amazing! The only bummer is it doesn't do much for tanning!

Outside of the Lobby

Where we got our massages on the beach.

Laying on the beach.

Our room.

I'm Alive!

Alright, I know some of y'all were beginning to wonder if we were still alive since I haven't updated the blog since before the wedding. Yes, we are, and we're doing great!!! For those of you who weren't at the wedding, it was great! It was such a special time for Micah and I. My father and Micah's grandfather performed the ceremony, and we had lots of friends and family there celebrating and supporting us! We have some pictures up on Facebook. Below are a few from the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. We had a blast!!!

Last few days as Miss Gilbert

So, today was my last day to be Miss Gilbert at school. I took of tomorrow and Friday to prepare for this weekend. It was really the best choice for my sanity and the safety of my students! ;) J/K They've been so cute all week. They know when we get back from spring break, my new name will be Mrs. McMahon, so all week long they've been "practicing" calling me by my new name. I even had one of my sweet students buy me a gift off my registry. How cool is that??

 I don't think it's really clicked yet that I'm getting married in 3 days. It's a very surreal feeling. Even still, I'm very excited about this weekend! I hope we can enjoy and take in the whole thing, not just rush through it and only remember a blurr! 

Recent Happenings

So, I realize I've become pretty bad at keeping up with the blog. Apparently I can only handle so many things. Work, house buying, wedding planning, blogging, running (to prepare for the wedding), etc...

Micah and I are still in the process of buying a house. It's taking the bank a REALLY long time to get the water turned on, and until they do that, we can't get our inspections. So, we're looking at pushing our closing date back, which runs right into the wedding and honeymoon. Right now, we're just praying we have a house to come home to. Whether or not it's livable is an added bonus!!

As of today, we are 17 days away from the wedding! I know, it's crazy! It's hard for me to believe. Every day, I realize how close we're getting and it's so exciting. While I feel like it's forever away, I know it's right around the corner. 

I think that's everything right now. It seems like there's not much going on, yet we're crazy busy and I'm sure we will be for the next 17 days!

BTW...

BTW... in 24 days, I'll be Mrs. McMahon!!!!

House!!

So, if you haven't heard the good news already, Micah and I are house owners!!! Well, not officially! We're waiting on inspections and such, but they've accepted our offer and we have a closing date! So, all fingers crossed, on March 4th we'll be home owners! We are SO excited! God is so good! I wish you could all see how it fell into place. It was all so amazing! 

I don't have any pictures yet, but as soon as I get them, I'll post some. Like I said before, it's a fixer-upper, so there will be LOTS of before and after pics! 

Sick!

We had an eventful weekend! We spent all Friday night putting together wedding invites. Once we were done, and I was headed to bed I came down with what I'm hoping isn't the flu! Although, I'm headed to the doctor this afternoon, so we'll find out. I feel horrible! I tried to go to work today, but didn't even make it a full day! I bet a third of our staff is out today with the same crud! Anyway, for those of you who feel the same way, I feel your pain! Those of you who don't, stay away!!!

CRAZINESS!!!

So, it's been crazy in the Gilbert/McMahon lives lately! With only 40 days (seriously???) until the wedding, I am beginning to feel the stress that I hadn't yet felt. Things have been going smoothly, but we're getting down to the wire. I think we have plans every weekend from now until the wedding. We had our first shower this past weekend. It was given by my side of the family. It was super nice! I don't have any pictures yet, (cause my camera died, of course) but I will post them when I get them! Micah's parents came down for the shower, and they met my parents for the first time. All went well; we can finally breathe! ;) Micah's mom went with us to the shower, while him and his dad went to the shooting range! It just goes to show the difference between men and women. We like presents and they like guns!

We'll spend Valentine's weekend in Dallas for a shower on his side of the family, then we'll have one more for church and friends! I feel like we're already off to a good start! 

Nothing yet on the house! We're putting a bid on our third one. We keep saying "third one's the charm"...we'll see if it holds true! If not, we might be living month to month in an apartment until we find the "perfect" house! It's all good!!

I think that's about it for us. Just counting down the days. It's less than six weeks away! Hard to believe.......

On the Hunt...again!

We finally heard back from the bank about the house we had put an offer on, and it sounds like all offers are on hold at this point. The bank is selling the house in a "loan pool"...still not exactly sure what that means! Anyway, we went back out with our realtor today, and we've found another house we like. So, hopefully tomorrow we'll be putting in another bid. We've learned our lesson though. We're going to try not to get too attached so soon! We'll see how it goes. I'll keep you updated! Thanks for all your prayers! 

Rock Band

Micah and I went to Best Buy today to get a GPS and to see if they had any Wii Fits in stock. We've been wanting to get one for a while, but they're not in stock anywhere. So, when we walked in there was a huge selection of Rock Band for the Wii. I could tell he was kind of looking at them, but I didn't think anything of it. We picked out our GPS, and as we were walking around he finally looked at me and asked "think we'd have fun if we bought Rock Band?" I knew it was coming and it was only a matter of time. So, I said sure, and after he spent a lot of time convincing himself, he finally bought it. We've been home from the store for about 5 hours now, and Rock Band has been on for about 4 of those. My whole family has been playing it. It's actually pretty funny to watch them. Enjoy these pics....

Ryan's still trying to figure it out!

He has it down now!

Get it boy!

She's the little pro!

Family Night

So, we have a new tradition in the family. Every 3rd Friday night we get together at my aunt's house with several cousins and family members, and usually some type of game is involved. This past Friday we decided on dominoes--chicken foot. Micah apparently got bored waiting on everyone to play, so he created his own domino game. By time he was finished, the whole family was watching intently as he played. He's really just a big kid!!!

It was a success everyone! He stacked all 91 dominoes up without knocking them down! I'm pretty convinced he set some type of world record! We're still looking into it!