Job Opening

Alright. This is huge. My principal is about to inform the world- er- the church community- about my job. Is wailing uncontrollably, falling to the floor, etc... a bit overreacting? YIKES! Okay I didn't really do any of that...but WOW this IS happening folks! Barb, my principal and friend, has been AWESOME! She has been the best boss I could ever ask for. I am so lucky and thankful to have had her in my life. She kindly informed me that she was putting a note in this week's church bulletin about my opening. I'll be at church on Saturday. Normally I am out of town (with my soon-to-be hubby) but nope not this week. I'll be there. People will gawk. People will whisper. People will point. OKAY they probably won't do any of that. Maybe they will come up to me, or maybe they will run the other way. Maybe they will jump up and down and shout HOORAY SHE'S LEAVING. I can't help but be emotional. I am still hoping and praying for a teleporter. My students PROMISED. I should be working on my applications for a new job, but instead I write this journal entry. I know I need a job, but maybe one will magically appear??? Okay okay okay. I am really sad because I am missing yet another family birthday party this weekend. The Higgins will be celebrating Jason and Jared's birthdays this weekend and I AM MAD that I am missing it. :( They know I will be there in spirit. It just makes me sad to miss yet another family birthday. BOO! 86 Days til our weddng! WOOHOO!!!!!!

Teacher of the Month

Today was a fun day in my classroom. The kids were super excited to see me back in the classroom today. They were cute telling me how much they miss me when I'm not there. Love it! Well, while I was in the middle of helping a couple students my principal came in and said she had three important visitors...then the visitors proceeded to enter and give me the exciting news that I was chosen as Teacher of the Month for our entire county. It is quite the honor!!! I got a plaque, a nice framed certificate, and $500 for my classroom! YAY! I asked the students to give some ideas on how we can spend the money. Their best idea was "Buy a teleporter" so you can still teach here next year! :) I love them. Of course I started to cry when they presented me with the check and frames. It truly makes me realize how much I am loved and appreciated at St. Paul. I was able to read the nomination letters and one of my students wrote my name as "Mrs. Kindmige"....he isn't the greatest speller!

Honeymoon BOOKED

Brian informed me tonight that the honeymoon is booked. He had to let me in on some of the details because he had to have me double check how my name was on the information...otherwise I wouldn't get to go!!!

Jamaica here we come! We'll fly out the Monday after the wedding...I'm pumped because the flight isn't until the afternoon, which means we'll have time to unpack from the wedding weekend and sort of settle in! WHOA! This is happening folks! (And by folks I mean future family members because several of you are reading this post!)

I mention quite a bit on FB how sad I am to leave my family, friends, job, etc... but what I fail to mention is how excited I am to become a Higgins, marry my best friend, and start this new adventure! Yes, I am sad. Of course I am scared and nervous about the changes, but I have a very special guy by my side. I have very supportive family and friends. I have an awesome family-to-be (who I can't wait to get to know even more). I have God, my faith, and an understanding that things happen for a reason!

Brian and I are flying out for a wedding on Friday. A very close college friend is getting married in Las Vegas on Saturday. We had a very close group in college (eight of us) and everyone is making the trip to witness them getting married. I think we'll just go ahead and tie the knot while we are there.... JUST KIDDING FAMILY! I wouldn't do that to you....or would I? :)

Caulking All By Myself

I am proud to say that I can caulk a tub by myself! :) While Brian was busy eating...I was in the bathroom at my apartment removing old caulking around the edge of my bathtub. It has bothered me for quite some time and I finally decided to do something about it.

I removed the old, nasty looking caulking. It was gross. I almost threw up. (Just kidding). As I was taking it off, I felt like a plumber- minus the plumber pants. I asked Brian if he wanted to help, but he said NO. Hmm...nothing like spending quality time together.

So then I started to put on the new caulking. It wouldn't stick. I started to panic, but thankfully it did stick. The only bad part is that I ran out of the caulking tape with just a little bit left to do. Oh well. It sure looks pretty!

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We had a pretty good weekend! Brian came up on Friday evening and met me at my parents. We went back to Macomb on Saturday and met with Monsignor Pricco. We passed with flying colors. HA! He told us we only have to meet one more time, and that is just to make final wedding arrangements. WOOHOO!!! I can't believe it!

Life is Good!

New Haircut!!!

WOOHOO!!!! I absolutely love my best friend and hair stylist, Jeanie Campbell! She always works wonders on my hair. I went in for a cut and color today and decided to go short. I had it cut this way before, and it has been a couple years since it was this short!!! As she was cutting it, I was sort of having doubts....but once she finished I was convinced! LOVE IT!!!

Spring Break 2011

Mom and I made it safely back from our 3rd Annual Spring Break Trip to Southern Indiana! We took off early last Saturday (6:30ish) for my Aunt and Uncle's. Mom retired from her full time teaching position three years ago and we decided we'd finally take a "spring break" trip. We love spending time going to flea markets and antique malls...and my Aunt Kris told us they have dozens down by her...so we were convinced! We love it!

I found lots of good deals this year. I bought several vases for wedding centerpieces (now if I can just figure out what to put in them! HA!). I also found several things for the house. I bought a few pictures and even an old chalkboard. As you all know, I love reading blogs! One of the blogs I read, Kelly's Korner, wrote about her inspirational quote board one time....and I decided I wanted something similiar. One of the things I was most excited about teaching was getting to write with chalk on an actual chalkboard...I used to love going to my mom's classroom and writing all over her board....then I graduated from college, was hired for my very first "adult" job, and discovered NO CHALKBOARDS! Oh well...it was just one of the things I was excited about! SO NOW....I'll get to write with chalk on my little chalkboard.

We went to Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and several other crafty stores to look for wedding deals....things are coming together folks! 99 days from today I'll be getting married! WHOA!!!!! That is crazy! I am super excited though! No worries guys, we'll get the tuxes figured out soon! HA :)

I love spending time with my Aunt Kris. She is m Godmother and I love her! She has been having some serious health problems these past three or so years....she was diagnosed with early onset Alheizmer's and it is progressing quickly. There is still so much to learn about this deadly disease, and I want to do my part in helping out. Kris is such and amazing woman, mother, aunt, and grandmother and I hate knowing what is happening to her! I really wish we lived closer to them (seven hours is just way too far!). I will be only four hours away from them once I get married, so maybe I can get over there more than just once a year.

I found out I am Teacher of the Week for the second time this school year! YAY!

Alrighty, I'm off to enjoy my last few days of Spring Break. Brian is on his way tonight and we meet with Monsignor tomorrow morning! Pray for us! HA! No it will be awesome!

American Idol

I LOVE AMERICAN IDOL!!!! I have two ultimate favorites so far this season and they are awesome!!! Pia is my favorite female singer and Paul is my favorite male singer! I just listened to Pia right now and she made me cry! LOVE HER!!!

Okay back to Wedding Wednesday planning! Oh and I'm super excited because all my bridesmaids have their dresses ordered! The wedding dreams have begun, and I can't wait to make them come true! :) Life is Good!

I'm still looking for centerpiece ideas and deciding if favors are necessary. Hmm... Any ideas blog friends?

Ash Wednesday Stories

I love my job. My students are hilarious! There is never a dull moment in my classroom because they are pretty funny! They even listen most of the time! HA!!

Today is Ash Wednesday. Our Lenten Journey has begun. We spent quite a bit of time discussing Lent today and I encouraged the students to make small sacrifices throughout these next 40 days. I shared with them how they shouldn't look at it in a negative way. I gave them plenty of examples of things they could "do without"...and then gave them the chance to share with the class. I feel that this holds them accountable and gives me a chance to encourage them.

Some were giving up sweets and snacking (which is what I am going to do), while others decided not to watch television! I am impressed with this one. WOW! I don't know if I could do it. Some were going to quit playing the computer. Overall I was very impressed with their "sacrifices".

Well... this afternoon we were having a Baby Shower for a student and his family, when one of my students came up to me and said..."I can have the cookies because they aren't really sweets. AND my sacrifices don't start until tonight!" HAHAHAHA!!! I don't think she quite understood the concept.

Another student said he was going to quit getting confused with another student. I didn't understand him, and he said "I'm going to stop people from calling me Mason, when my name is Gunnar." AGAIN, not really a sacrifice. HA!

Then while giving out ashes at Mass...I missed a first graders forehead and got her nose! A huge pile of ashes fell from my thumb...It was one of the hardest things NOT to laugh!

House Updates

Two old pictures:

Updates:

Brian and I haven't had a picture in a LONG time...so of course we had to use our self portrait picture! We are so excited to have such an awesome house to call our own! :)

Our furniture for the upstairs living room. One of the couches is going to go...probably the plaid one from my brother! We have awesome family members who have been so generous!

This awesome lamp came from Pam and Jason. It looks great there!

A different view of the upstairs "formal" living room.

This was the "blue room". It looks SO much better!

This was the kitchen table my principal had given me a couple years ago. It is awesome! I love it in the kitchen! I have a bakers table (or whatever it is called) that goes with the table.

This was the "two toned green room". Again, it looks much better.

View of the old "blue" room.

Our new furniture! I love, love, love it! It looks awesome in our informal family room! WOOHOO!!!

Another self portrait! :)

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease affects families everywhere. My godmother has what is known as early onset alzheimer's. It is worse than the "regular" form. Please join me in saying some prayers for her and the rest of my extended family! I'll update more later.

Walking Weather Has Arrived!

Thankful. I am so thankful for the weather to finally cooperate! I got out and about this afternoon for an hour and fifteen minutes! I love it! I totally need to get back into the routine of exercising daily, eating better...you know the drill! If I can only train myself not to eat everything when I get back! HA!!!

I have officially declared myself with "wedding brain". I know there is such a thing as "pregnancy brain", and I've decided there must be something similiar for brides-to-be. I have so many lists. I make a list, lose it, make another list, lose that one, find the first list, add more to the that list, set it aside, find the second list, lose it, make a third list....and so on... I am feeling much better about things...major things this weekend:
1. Meet with a potential florist
2. Find a hotel for after the reception
3. Finalize the guest list
4. Register at a few places
5. Make Rehearsal Dinner reservations
6. Find Brian's wedding band

WHOA I better stop with this list! :) I think I'm getting a cold/allergies. I. HATE. BEING. SICK. Being sick=A cranky Miss Keimig. BOOOOO!!!! Not only do I feel sorry for myself, but I feel sorry for my students. I think I must have started not feeling the best earlier today because I think I made three students cry (bad for only having 13!) Sorry kids!

I've decided this is a random post. Sticking with the "randomness" I'll go ahead and mention my love for reality television. DWTS cast was announced last night. YAY FOR THE KARATE KID! Ralph Macchio has my vote for sure. The top twelve guys sang on American Idol tonight. I really like Paul McDonald. He has an awesome voice!

A special shout out to my future nephews. Just so you know I pray for you every morning with my students. They are just as excited that I'll have four nephews in less than four months!! (I already consider myself to be Aunt Kari though!)

Okay. I need sleep!