A Trip to the great state of TEXAS!

So mom and I have made it to Virginia after a lovely trip to Texas where were busy busy visiting with family. mom and I arrived on Wednesday and the Fosters arrived on Friday.
Here is my gorgeous cousin, Emmie and my adorable nephew Will! Notice his precious outfit!


Here is my great aunt Dorothy and her son Tommy at what we know as Camp or a house on the bayou!
Here is Maeve-rini in her Grandmother made sailboat dress! She enjoyed "Camping" and wanted to go back!
Here is Grandmother and her Will. Notice his matching outfit to Maeve's. Grandmother is a rockstar!
This is the NINE month outfit that I bought my FOUR month old nephew. It is oh so very UVA prep :)
My "little" Emmie who is the sweetest, coolest, most fun 16 year old I know! And it helps that we are both the baby of our families :)
Here is my 19 year old cousin Will (confusing, yes - Will the nephew is chubby and 4 months, Will the cousin is tall, skinny and much older). Both are sweet as pie. When THIS Will was little (and so was I), I wanted to marry him because I thought he was just soooo cute. Still is, but incest is gross. Plus I found a hottie :)
And here is Lindsay, my 24 year old cousin who is making OUR Grandmother proud by following in her footsteps by being a Liberty Math teacher! However, if her boyfriend joins the family, he might want to brush up on his photo skills :)
Lindsay and her boyfriend Lance...
The Henrys: Aunt Cindy, Uncle Paul, and my mom (Susan)
Thanks to our Texas family for a fun visit! I am off to Charlottesville for a wedding of a first year hallmate of mine! I am excited to get to walk the lawn and to see the Rotunda! Oh sweet UVA!

Heading to Texas!

and there are just a few things I am looking forward to...


And you will forever be missed on those trips, Uncle Earl... May you be with us in spirit.
And I have been NEEDING one of these...
So Liberty, Texas you best be prepared to churn out lots of Cherry Limeades while I am there because I am planning on getting my years supply! (And Beth, I will drink one in honor of you and your Texas brood!)

Henrys, VanEttas, and Sharpes, here come the Buchanans/Vaughns/Fosters!

Last Day of School!

Although I only taught 3/4 of a school year and at that it was part-time, I am glad to say that I have finished my first-ish year of teaching! This year has certainly been different teaching at a very small, private, Christian school which is not exactly what I pictured, but then again, when does that Navy life ever give you what you pictured?

With that said, I have learned lots.
- How to deal with angry parents.
- How to deal with unmotivated students.
- How to teach a tiny class.
- How to plan a field trip.
- How to integrate Jesus into the classroom.

So thanks for all who supported me during this first year! Here is a picture of my students when we hiked at Deception Pass.

A Little Pomp...

The school that I work at has just had its graduation! We had our first ever graduation this year, and there was only one graduate! This was the best graduation I have ever been to because it was short and sweet. A little slideshow, a little violin playing, a little speech about the graduate, and a little prayer! The young woman who graduated is one of the sweetest people who sincerely cares about everyone around her. She will be missed at our school. Here are a few pictures of the big night! (sorry for the poor quality; these were taken on my phone at major zoom)

Sara being presented as a graduate.
Sara being charged with being a productive, Christian citizen.
The graduate!

Congrats to all the graduates out there including my cousin, Will who graduated from Liberty High School this past Saturday!

Happy Birthday to DAD!

To the man who raised me, taught me to play lacrosse, kayak, and stand up to high school boys. To the man who would always yell, "Go baby, go!" when I ran cross country and was at the back end of the race. To the man who held back my hair whenever I was sick. To the man who NOW treats me to fountain sodas at 7-11. To the man whom I would have gladly shared a birthday with, I was just a little eager to get out (sorry dad). To the man who gave me my love of a good snickers bar.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Dad's second visit to Washington on top of Hurricane Ridge...
Dad and I at our final Chi Omega Parents Weekend...
Dad with the Maevester - a little bit like a mini-me
Dad and his headlamp with the Maevester... She LOVES her Doc!

The man is 69 years of age and still going strong!


And just a little side note, for pictures of my birthday extravaganza, go to Beth's blog because she so kindly captured the night for me. Thanks to all of the VQ-1 ladies who helped me celebrate and enjoy the big 2-5 despite Kenny being gone. And don't you fret, that great hubby of mine threw me a fabulous pre-deployment/bday celebration that included hiking, a decorated house, steamed shrimp dinner, favorite bottle of pinot grigio, and ice cream cake! AND A BRAND NEW GUITAR!

(Please excuse the less than glamorous lighting. It is hard to take a picture of one's self with a guitar!)

So Happy Birthday Dad! And thanks for all of the birthday wishes!!!!