Happy Mother's Day!

Mark and I took my Mom to Lombardo's for dinner on Mother's Day. The food was delicious. We had a wonderful time laughing and talking. Mark and Mom get along best when they are making fun of me. Nothing is better than being with the two people you love most and laughing at the same time.

Oh...Pandy and Sarah Belle had Mom buy a Mother's Day gift for me. They bought me a pink and white geranium and a beautiful card. Those two kids are so thoughtful. I have raised them well.

Vera Bradley Madness

Kim, Kim's mom-Sandy, and I survived our first "Vera Bradley Outlet Sale." We took off for Fort Wayne, Indiana this weekend. On Friday, we arrived at the venue in Fort Wayne. The line was out the door and around the side of the building. We waited about a half an hour outside and then another 30-45 minutes inside before we could get in to shop.

Inside, it was pure mayhem. Women and Vera Bradley purses, wallets, backpacks, towels, etc. filled the auditorium. At first look, it was overwhelming. We just looked at each other like, "Oh my!"

We decided to take it like women and we went in for the kill. We found so many awesome buys. Many things were half off or more. We found things for ourselves and early Christmas gifts for our friends and family.

After shopping for awhile, we decided to get in line to check out. That is where it got ugly. As you can tell by the second picture above, we had quite the wait to buy our "finds." It took us over two hours to stand in the line to check out. It was ridiculous, but we did it.

Once we left, we went and ate dinner at TGIF's and then headed back to our hotel. We stayed at a very nice hotel called Staybridge. I had never heard of it before, but it was comfortable and clean. When we got back to the hotel, we took inventory of our loot.

We headed back today. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed myself for the past two days. Kim and Sandy were great to travel with making me feel comfortable. I'm glad we went.

Next year when we go (yes, we are doing it again), we will no longer be rookies and we'll know what to expect. It was definitely an adventure I will never forget.

One weekend closer to summer vacation!

On Friday evening, we went and picked up Allie since she was going to spend the night. Her Young Author Conference was the next morning, so it was easier to have her stay over. Anyway, we went and ate at Red Lobster for dinner. Then we went to Aunt Audrey and Uncle Jack's with their groceries. We came home and Allie decided she wanted to do a craft. She ended up making a double page layout of herself and Sarah (at her request). We had such a wonderful time making those pages together. Allie is a very creative and artistic little girl taking her time with every little detail.

On Saturday morning, Lynn (Sarah's mom) and Brenda (Mark's step-mom) came over to go to the conference with us. After we registered Allie, we took her to the classroom where she was going to be with her group. Then we went to the auditorium for storytelling and presentation of awards. Each child had the title of their story read and received a certificate from the Regional Superintendent of Schools. After that, the kids went for a snack and then back to their classroom for an activity. Allie's teachers had them share their stories and make paint a flowerpot with marigolds. It turned out very cute. We left and Allie decided we would have lunch at McDonald's.

That evening, Mark and I went to a Chinese restaurant in Edwardsville which was really good and we ran to Michaels. Mark needed more scrapbooking stuff. Geesh! How much scrapbooking stuff can one guy have?

Today, I went and met Toni and Mindy (girlfriends from high school) at 54th in Edwardsville for lunch. Mindy is close to delivery and looks really good. Toni is busy running around chasing her boys. Once that was over, I went to St. Louis to eat dinner with Mary. We went to Pi in The Loop for pizza. It was rather yummy. I am so glad that we have reconnected because she is a sweetheart. We have so much in common as far as our old neighborhood, teaching, values, etc.

I'm looking forward to a four day week and a personal day on Friday. Only 19 more school days until break. Yeah!

Easter

On Sunday, we had Larry, Brenda, Jeff, Theresa, and my Mom over for lunch. We sat and talked and exchanged Easter treats. Mom gave me some tulips which are beautiful. She gave Mark a pirate hat with candy. There's a long story behind that. Don't ask. Dad and Brenda gave me a hydrangea which is gorgeous. It meant a lot to me that they remembered that I loved hydrangeas.

I had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard for the girls. Sarah Belle got the hang of it rather quickly. She would go from egg to egg playing with them. Pandy was no dummy either. She'd hunt an egg and Mark or Mom would crack them open for her.

Overall, Easter was very nice. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Macenzie and Allie had been there with us. Unfortunately, they were out-of-town in Louisiana with Maw Maw seeing family.

Spring Break Part 1

Well, spring break started off kind of rough. I left work at lunch on Wednesday for a doctor appointment. I had been coughing, sneezing, and blowing my nose continually. So, I got in to the doctor and found out I had a sinus infection. They gave me some meds and they slowly but surely started to work.

On Thursday, I pretty much stayed in bed all day. Then Friday, I ventured out of the house. Mark was off work too, so he helped me to go to the grocery store and run various other errands for Easter Sunday. That evening, we went and met Larry (Mark's dad), Brenda (step-mom), Jeff, and Theresa for a "congratulations on your wedding" dinner. I still wasn't feeling up to par, so I just ate a salad and tried not to cough on everyone. Ha!

On Saturday, I took Mark to the Cardinal game for a belated birthday gift. It was AWESOME. We saw Albert Pujols hit a GRAND SLAM! It was very exciting. Neither one of us had ever seen a grand slam before, so it was quite memorable. Despite the cold, we still laughed a lot (Mark kept asking in the first inning if this was a playoff game for the World Series. He said it quite loudly so almost anybody could hear. LOL!).

What a great weekend!

I had a really nice weekend!

On Friday night, I met Mrs. Weber at the CK Scrapbook Convention in Collinsville immediately after school. We had a wonderful time finding all kinds of good "stuff." We found some real bargains too. We stayed at the convention until about 5:30 and then I took Mrs. Weber to dinner for her birthday (a little early). We went to Bandana's Barbecue and I gave her the present I had bought for her. I made her a basket with a cookbook inside of some of her favorite dishes. Then I bought all the ingredients for one of the dishes. She seemed to like it quite a bit. It made me feel good. I always have such a marvelous time with her. People like Mrs. Weber do not walk into your life everyday, so I value her friendship a lot.

On Saturday, I took the girls to get their hair done at a new groomer in Wood River. Their hair turned out really cute. It's a bit short, but it looks nice on them. Pandy will love the short cut for summer.

Then we had Maddox's fourth birthday party at Bounce. Maddox and his friends loved bouncing around in all the fun houses and playing. It almost made me wish I was a kid again, so I could play too. We bought him a tent (which I found out later that he and Teddy loved in the basement), Spiderman pack of goodies, and his three year old scrapbook. The scrapbook was more for Sherry than Maddox. Hopefully he'll appreciate them one day.

After the birthday party, we went to St. Louis to do a little shopping/errand running. We had dinner at P.F. Chang's near Chesterfield Mall. Mark was quite talkative and we had a sweet waitress, so we had a nice dinner. We talked and smiled pretty much throughout dinner. Being with Mark is unlike being with anyone else. He makes me feel so good no matter what. I am SO lucky that we became what we are. We are not only best friends, but we are in a relationship. I have never had that before. How lucky am I?

Today, went and saw Aunt Alicia for her birthday. I admire Aunt Alicia so much. She's 86 years old and she's as young today as she was years ago. Aunt Alicia has such a positive outlook on EVERYTHING. After giving her her presents, we had lunch that we picked up from Ravanelli's. It was quite yummy.

We made plans for me to come down and spend the night in May right after school lets out. I am looking forward to that. Spending time with Aunt Alicia is invaluable.

Well, I'm off to bed. It's a three day week. We have off this Thursday, Friday, and the following Monday for spring break. Thank goodness! I need some time away from work. I'm happy to have some much needed time off.

Family Birthday Party

We had the family birthday party this weekend for Pandy, Sarah Belle, and Mark. We had the friend party last weekend, so it was time for the family this weekend. Sherry and Maddox came too because she got sick last weekend and couldn't attend. Maddox was not a happy camper so she tried to make it up to him.

The Chestney's, Lang's, and Sebold's all came. My mom also came which was nice. It went really well. The food was fantastic and everyone seemed satisfied.

I liked watching Mom with Aunt Audrey and Uncle Jack. They all sat in the dining room and talked. The only part missing was Dad. It seemed as if he should have been sitting there with them. He would have thought a dog party was ridiculous yet he would have loved being with family.

Mark got many nice gifts from bike parts to a bike clock to gift cards to monogrammed towels. Yes, my cousin, Sue, is a floozie and will do anything to get to Mark. Monogrammed towels for goodness sakes! The extent that some people will go to is just ridiculous.

Par-tay!

Pandy and Sarah Belle had their birthday party today with friends. About 15 people showed up for lunch, cake, party games, and fun! In lieu of gifts this year, we asked for items for a local animal shelter such as dog food, toys, treats, etc. I know everyone loves to harass me about these parties, but people keep coming back year after year. Plus, these parties give me an excuse to entertain and spend time with my friends that I may not always get to see and hang out with on a regular basis.
I was very happy because friends actually brought things for the homeless animals along with some treats for Pandy and Sarah Belle. I have such wonderful friends.
I really enjoy having my friends over for events like this. Since I don't have a lot of family, I feel like my friends ARE my family. I am a lucky person to have so many caring and loving people in my life.
Next weekend, we have the family dog party and we will be celebrating Mark's birthday as well. Yes, he has to share his birthday with the children. It will be a good time as well.

Another week...

The I.S.A.T. is next week and there's not a whole lot more we can do to prepare the kids. The I.S.A.T. is a mandated state test that all students in Illinois take during this week. There is a lot at stake for this test. At least it is almost over, so maybe these headaches I have will go away. I have been getting them a lot lately.

Everything at home is great. I am preparing for the girls' birthday party this weekend. Pandy is turning four and Sarah Belle is going to be one. I have 16 people coming to the party on Sunday. In lieu of gifts, we are going to accept treats for the local animal shelter. You know everyone makes fun of me for these parties, but they still insist on coming back each year. They should know that only encourages me to keep having them. Anyway, the theme is Winnie the Pooh and I can't wait. I love entertaining!

We didn't do much this past weekend because Mark had a case of the cooties. He didn't feel good. It was nice though for me because we actually got to sit home more than usual. He usually just keeps going and going and going. Kind of like the Energizer bunny! Ha!

I hope everyone has a good week. I'll see some of you on Sunday. Take care!

Surprise!

At work today, a couple of office workers brought me in a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a Valentine's Day balloon attached. At first I thought, "Mark!" Then I read the card and they were from Mrs. Davis. I was so tickled. Here she is facing her first Valentine's Day without Mr. Davis and she was thinking of someone else. I was pleasantly surprised and so happy. What a kind thing to do!

We don't have anything planned in particular for Valentine's Day. We're exchanging cards this year, since we have a wedding to pay for. Plus, we never know what to get one another so it's an easy way out for both of us. Ha! However, we do want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

P.S. We have EVERYTHING for the wedding now. I am tickled pink. We have a harpist, disc jockey, minister, venue, reception, seamstress, cake lady, etc. Now I can sit back and breathe. Phew!

Weekend

Well, we finally got a new T.V. for downstairs. It's a 50 inch plasma. I have to admit, it does have a really nice picture. We took the T.V. from downstairs and put it in our living room upstairs. While Mark and Jeff were picking up the T.V. on Saturday evening, I took Macenzie and Allie to dinner at Red Lobster. We had a good time. They crack me up. After dinner, we ran past Aunt Audrey and Uncle Jack's to drop off some groceries. Then I took the girls to their Maw Maw's.
We watched the Super Bowl yesterday. I don't know much about football, but I did hang out downstairs with the Mark and the dogs and watched the game. Pandy and Sarah Belle weren't amused by the game because they slept through most of it.
I'm off to work. I hope everyone has a good week.

Snow!

Pandy & Sarah Belle went out to inspect the snow today. Pandy was definitely in her element. She LOVES snow. Sarah Belle ran around as usual having a good time. Mark went out and played with the girls for a little bit too.

This weekend we went and saw Mark's grandma and told her we were engaged. She seemed to enjoy our visit and we enjoyed talking with her. We went and did a little shopping and ate dinner out. Mark worked on Saturday so I did a little running on my own.

On the wedding front, we have EVERYTHING now except for a disc jockey. I/We are so excited. It's all coming together so well. It's been wonderful. I am so thankful to be marrying Mark and I am so looking forward to our life together. The first twenty-three years have been good, but the next twenty-three will be wonderful.

Back to work...

After having two "cold weather days" last Thursday and Friday causing school to be called off and with Martin Luther King Day today, I had an extended weekend.

I had a good weekend. Friday night, Mark & I went to dinner at Olga's at the mall. Then we did Aunt Audrey & Uncle Jack's grocery shopping Friday night. I really like going over to see them. They make us laugh at least once while we are there. They have been married for 63 years and they are so wonderful to watch "in action." They tease and joke with one another all the time. You can tell they were meant to be. Love like that doesn't happen everyday.

On Saturday, we went to St. Louis and did some shopping at Kohl's, Michael's, etc. We ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant that is one of Mark's favorites. It's called "Happy China." However, the staff isn't particularly happy so joke about it all the time.

We went and met Mom for lunch yesterday in Collinsville. Then we went to her house to see her new furniture. It was a good visit.

Then today, Mark had to work and I was off. I met Mrs. Davis for lunch and it was a nice time. We talked about Mr. Davis and the wedding. I love her so much. She's such a strong person.

Oh! Oh! Oh! In the world of dog news...Sarah Belle has started going down the stairs. She's trying. She usually hits about every other step since she is in such a hurry.

The Big Day

We went and looked at Pere Marquette Lodge and decided that we HAD to get married there. They have a beautiful fireplace and reception hall right there, so no one will have to leave to from the wedding to the reception. I can't wait.

We will be getting married on December 12, 2009 at 5:00.

Uncle Jack is going to give me away since Dad isn't here to do it for me. I look forward to our "Big Day." It is going to be wonderful!

He asked! He asked!

Mark gave me my engagement ring on my birthday before going to dinner at The Melting Pot. We went and had a fantastic dinner.

He actually proposed to me on Christmas Eve morning. He gave me an engraved Christmas ornamnet with two snow people. It read:

Mark & Bethany

Engaged

12-24-08

As I opened, he said, "Will you marry me?" Of course, I said, "No." Just kidding! He also gave me a Precious Moments with a boy proposing to a girl.

I smiled the rest of the day!

New to This World

Hello. I decided to start a blog since my students were stalking me on "MYSPACE." So here it goes...

My life has changed a lot over the past two years. I ended one chapter of my life and opened up an entirely new chapter. I think this chapter will lead to a very happy ending.

Mark proposed to me on Christmas Eve of 2008 and we are getting married on December 12th of this year. I could not be happier in life. I have never had someone treat me so well. In the words of Monica Geller (from "Friends"), "I never thought I'd be so lucky as to fall in love with my best friend." I don't know what I did to deserve him, but I'm so glad I get to spend time with Mark each and every day. He makes my days brighter with a text message, email, hug, or phone call. He is my "true love."

I enjoy scrapbooking, photography, card making, going to dinner with friends, and spending time with my family. I have many cute nieces and nephews. They each have their own personality and quirks. Although my nieces and nephews are not blood related, I do consider them my family. I am so lucky to have Macenzie, Allie, Erin, Justin, Hobbie, Courtney, Tim, Kaden, and Maddox in my life.

I have been blessed with many things throughout the years. I was lucky enough to go to college and graduate. I grew up to become what I always wanted to be...a teacher. Now instead of teaching my stuffed animals in my bedroom as a little girl, I teach eye rolling middle schoolers who are sooooo much smarter than I'll ever be.

I am fortunate to have a good job, nice home, and I am surrounded by many good people in my life. It took me years to get to this point, but I am just happy to be there.

I want to thank all my friends who have supported me and been there for me through thick and thin.