Lauren's Wedding

My sister Lauren got married a couple of weeks ago, and had a beautiful, intimate ceremony at a museum in Perryton.  I was honored to be her Matron of Honor.  Abby was one of the flower girls, along with my brother Scott's twin girls.  Wyatt was supposed to be one of the ring bearers but he had other plans.  When it was his turn to walk down the aisle, he screamed and cried and simply refused to go.  Ironically, he had no problem following the flower girls out.  Sheesh!  Here are a few pictures from the wedding.  I apologize that some of them are blurry and not so great, but they're all I have right now.

Lauren and her dad (my stepdad Denny) walking down the aisle

My nephew Trey carrying the rings (Wyatt was supposed to be next to him)

Abby dropping petals

Addison dropping petals.  Ashlynn is right in front of her crying her eyes out. :(

The Newlyweds

Getting ready to make a toast (ridiculously bad picture of me)

Siblings.  Scott, Lauren, and me.  I love how we're all looking directly at the sun and squinting. ;)

Aunt "Lolly" with her nieces and nephew

My mom, stepdad, and Lauren

Those are a few of the highlights from ceremony.  I'm happy for Lauren and Michael and hope that they have a long, happy marriage.  Love you Sister!!

Summer is Starting!!

Today is Abby's last day of school and also marks the unofficial beginning of summer in the Tolliver house.  I'm excited!!  I absolutely love summer and all the wonderful things that it brings...cookouts, swimming pools, vacations, long summer nights on the deck, VBS, etc...  Love it!

We've been hard at work getting the loose ends tied up on our vacation plans.  We are going to Colorado in July.  I've never been to Colorado before but my husband has and he's told me how beautiful it is.  We've got some really fun things planned.  I can't wait!

We've got a fun Memorial weekend planned, with lots of grilling out and swimming in the backyard.  It's supposed to be in the upper 90s all weekend so I hope we can stand the heat.  

Have a great weekend!!!

What We've Been Up To

It's been way too long since my last post, but student teaching is over and school is almost out so I promise that I will post more consistently.  Summer is almost here!!!!  We are SO ready for it here at the Tolliver house.  Fun and relaxation are in store!

First up, I finished student teaching.  I'm sad that it's over because I loved it so much but now I am all ready to have my own classroom.  Hopefully, this hiring freeze will be lifted soon and I will find a job for the upcoming school year.  If not, I'm planning on subbing and taking care of my babies.  It has been just wonderful to be home with them again after three months of student teaching.  My house is clean, the laundry is caught up (well, almost ;) ), dinner is on the table at a decent hour, and my babies are happy.  It can't get any better than this!

I'm also recovering from a bout of walking pneumonia.  Bad stuff.  I had it 2 years ago and was seriously hoping that I would never have it again, but I did.  After steroid and antibiotic shots, oral antibiotics, and breathing treatments, I'm finally feeling like I'm going to be normal again someday.  I've still got a cough but it takes awhile for that to completely go away.

Unfortunately, I was pretty sick on Mother's Day.  Casey and the kids tried so hard to make it special but I was too sick to really enjoy it.  We usually always go out to eat on Mother's Day but since I was sick, Casey made my favorite: enchiladas.  They bought me some beautiful flowers, some new earbuds for my iPod and an iTunes giftcard, and some goodies from Bath and Body Works.  Plus, I got serenaded with some really cute songs from the kids. 

We were in Perryton this weekend for my sister's wedding.  More on that plus pictures to come very soon!  It was beautiful and special, but I'm glad that it's finally over!  I did get to see some family that I haven't seen in years and even meet some new, tiny family members (my cousins' babies).  It was a great weekend!

This will be my first full week at home in three months, so I'm planning on getting caught up on some sewing and decorating projects that I've been putting off. 

Happy Monday!!

 

Happy Easter!!

I know it has been forever since I have blogged, but I have been totally overwhelmed.  Student teaching.  Abby's extracurricular activities.  Wyatt (enough said).  A huge door knocking campaign that our congregation is doing in June- since Casey is the deacon over evangelism, we have a lot to do and prepare for.  Teaching Sunday school.  A million other obligations.  A house, family, dinner, laundry (please make it go away!!).  You get the idea!!  Just too much to do and unfortunately, blogging is the last thing on my list.  BUT...student teaching is almost over and my life will be a little calmer, at least until June.  Amen and hallelujah!

But I digress...I posted this to wish you all a wonderful Easter and to tell you a little about ours.  We have had a great one.  Last night we began our preparations.  We have a tradition of coloring eggs.  I actually hate coloring eggs.  It's a huge mess, and I'm the only one that eats hard boiled eggs, but the kids love it so I suffer through.  I didn't take many pictures during the actual coloring process because an unsupervised Wyatt + food coloring + light colored carpet equals bad news.  Here is a picture of the finished eggs:

I bought the roll-on egg dye this year thinking that it would be less messy, but not so much.  At least we put down a paint canvas before we started.

Another tradition we have is making Resurrection cookies.  Easter Bunny, eggs, candy, and all that fun stuff aside, the real reason for the day is to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on that cruel cross so that we can have salvation.  When Abby was just a baby, I came across THIS recipe for making a cookie while telling the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.  Each ingredient represents something that helps illustrate the story.  The finished cookie is hollow on the inside to represent the empty tomb. 

Abby and Wyatt making the cookies.  I think every picture I have of Wyatt recently shows him without a shirt.  I can't keep clothes on the boy!

The finished cookies.  Not only are these cookies an excellent tool for teaching the Easter story to children, but they are very tasty too.  (FYI: the plate that the cookies on were my great-grandmother Helen's wedding china.  Very special to me.)

Goody bags that I made for my Sunday school class.  I couldn't find Easter treat bags at our Walmart because it is under construction and everything is in the wrong place, so I opted for brown lunch bags and ribbon.



The Easter Bunny came! 



Checking out their baskets.  Can't you tell that Wyatt just woke up?

Getting ready for church.  Wyatt was not in a picture taking mood this morning at all.  This was honestly the best I could get!

 



Lots of sweet people at church gave Abby and Wyatt lots of treats (i.e.: candy), so they left services on a sugar high!  When we got home, I made a nice lunch of ham, roasted asparagus, baked potatoes, rolls, and strawberry salad.  Then it was time for the egg hunt!

Again with the no shirt thing.  He just won't wear one!  Shoes either, apparently.

Ignore the brown grass.  We spent all day yesterday gardening and working on the lawn, so it will be really green, really soon!

Abby showing off one of the prize money eggs she found.  I wanted to hunt for these eggs. ;)

Well, that's the gist of it.  I hope that you and your family had a great day too!  Stay tuned for some fun (and more frequent) blog posts.  I have a lot of things to share including some wedding preparations (my sister's getting married and I'm her maid of honor), some decorating and outdoor projects,  gardening posts, fun stuff with the kids, and lots more.  Plus, I'm getting a blog makeover really soon!  I can't wait!!!  I've been on a waiting list for over 2 months and it's finally my turn. 

Happy Easter!!!

Weekend in Review

It's been a busy, wonderful weekend!  It just went by way too fast, as usual.  I've got a busy week ahead of me so I'm gearing up for it. 

Friday:  Friday started off great!  It was Hawaiian day at school, so I brought leis for all my students and greeted them with an "Aloha" at the door.  They loved it!  The rest of the school day went off without a hitch and all was well until I got home and discovered something very important was missing- my college and student teaching ID badges.  I wanted to throw up when I realized they had fallen off my lanyard.  I drove back to the school (on the other side of town, might I add) and searched the teachers' parking lot.  With the lovely Panhandle winds, there is no telling if it was there and just blew away.  I'm praying that they fell off in the classroom or the school somewhere.  If not, it's going to be a hassle to get them replaced. 

So after all the ID drama, the family and I went and had dinner at our favorite local Mexican food restaurant, Fernando's.  We ran a few errands, came home, and I went to bed at 9:00pm, which is a rarity for me. 

Saturday:  Saturday was a relaxing family day.  Casey got up with the kids and let me sleep in.  I didn't wake up until 9:15am.  That's a far cry from my usual 5:30am!  After we picked up the house and did some laundry, we headed out for some shopping.  Our first stop was haircuts for the guys.  Wyatt was starting to look like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, so I knew it was time to take him in.  Next, we headed to Old Navy to pick up a few things for the kids.  We decided to stop in for a treat at Bahama Buck's before picking up groceries.  After getting home and putting everything away, Casey made homemade Italian sausage pizza. We got the kids bathed and in bed, and Casey and I watched some UFC fights before going to bed.

Sunday:  I'm teaching the 3-5 year olds Bible class this quarter at church, and I had 9 students this morning!  That's the most I've ever had.  It was fun lesson.  Our wonderful preacher had an uplifting, encouraging lesson about keeping your focus on God.  After church, we headed to On the Border for lunch (we love Mexican food!).  Casey and Wyatt took an afternoon nap while Abby and I headed out for manicures.  I got a hot pink mani with the new OPI Black Shatter polish over it.  I like it!  Abby got a purple mani with silver polka dots.  She's a free spirit!  I love Sundays.  The only down side to today is the 50 mph winds.  I'm praying that we don't have another round of wildfires around here. 

The rest of the afternoon I've been busy getting things ready for school this week: planning/prepping lessons, getting outfits and lunches ready for the kids and myself, etc...  I'm hoping that I can take a relaxing salt bath this evening to rejuvenate myself for the week ahead. 

Hope you all have had a great weekend!  Have a blessed week!!

A Sweet Visitor

Recently, we had a really sweet little visitor stop by our house...my nephew Trey!  We don't get to see him nearly enough since he lives in Perryton, but I love it when I do get to see him.  He has the cutest curls and the brightest smile! 

Okay, so he's not actually smiling in the picture (or any of the other ones I took!) but trust me when I say his smile is the best!

Look at those curls!  Trey and Wyatt loved playing WonderPets!



We love you, Trey!!  Come back and see us soon!

Girls' Day!

Since yesterday was Friday and the very last weekday left of spring break (sniff, sniff), Abby and I decided that we needed a girls' day out.  After dropping Wyatt off at daycare, we headed to eat some breakfast at The Donut Stop.  Not the healthiest choice, but it was delicious and gave us the sugar boost we needed to start our day!

Next we headed to Barnes and Noble for a little browsing.  I love looking around in bookstores and usually find several books I want, but we were mainly just killing a little time before our next activity....

The Discovery Center!!  It is our local science museum/center geared toward children.  They have recently renovated and put in some new exhibits (plus our membership was about to expire) so we decided we needed to check it out.  (Just a brief note:  We went as a family a couple of weeks ago, so Wyatt got to check it out too!)  We watched two fun shows in the Space Theater which is something we can't usually do when Wyatt is with us. 

The new dinosaur exhibit is so neat!  The dinosaurs are robotic so they move and make sounds. 

The Triceratops babies.  Aren't they cute hatching out of their eggs?

Abby standing in front of a T-Rex.  It looks like he is hunting her!

After the dinosaurs, we headed over to the "geometry playground" for some fun.  Can you spot Abby hanging on the edge?

Ride 'em, Cowgirl!

Bed of nails.

After the Discovery Center, we headed to McDonald's for lunch (Abby's choice, not mine).  We had to wait forever for our food because there was apparently some hold up in the kitchen.  We got a little bit of a show when the man in front of us got pretty upset over having to wait for his fries!

After lunch, we went to Ulta so that I could give Abby a "makeover".  I put a little eyeshadow, blush, and lipgloss on her, and she was one happy girl!

Shopping was up next, of course!  We bought Abby some spring clothes from Kohl's. 

Part of our loot.

How cute are these shoes?  Abby has the tiniest foot (she's almost 7 and still wears a 10-11 in toddlers.  It makes her so mad!) so we are limited in the shoe selection. 

We found these gladiator sandals at Target.  I wanted her to get the sensible black pair that would go with everything, but in true Abby fashion, she chose the bright turquoise ones with a bejeweled angel fish embellishment. :)

We finished up our fun day by going grocery shopping at Market Street.  It was a lot of fun spending time with my sweet girl. 

We're already planning our next girls' day out...manis and pedis!!

Lisa Lately

Corny title I know, but I didn't want to label another blog post "Random" or "Catch Up".  Oh, life has been so busy lately so I just haven't had the time to blog nearly as much as I want to.  The good news is that spring break is coming up so hopefully I'll have some time to get caught up.

Goodbye Papaw

You may remember that we lost Casey's Mamaw just a month ago, and now Papaw has passed from this life too.  They were married for over 65 years and enjoyed a beautiful life together.  We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon to travel to Oklahoma. 

Two Front Teeth

Abby lost her other front tooth and is now missing her two front teeth.  This is her fourth lost tooth since she started first grade this past August.  I'm telling you, the tooth fairy is headed for recession at this rate. ;)

Wow, now that's a smile.  :)

Spring Decorating

The daffodils and tulips are starting to come up in my garden, a sure sign that spring is near!  I did a little spring decorating this past week.  I haven't put my Easter decor out yet since it's a little early, but I wanted a fresh, spring-y feel.

The mantel.  I couldn't part with the coffee beans because I just love the look, so I decided to tie some pretty turquoise ribbon around the jars.  The white flowers and little birds nest remind me of spring.

A close up of the cute little birds nests and eggs from Target.

I just love how the colors of the mantel match so nicely to this pretty cross I have hanging around my mantel.  I didn't even realize until I was taking pictures.

More eggs in a nest on the dining room table. 

I have some more pictures that I will post later, after I finish decorating.  Yay for spring!

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

My sweet neighbor surprised us with these delicious little chocolate cakes on Valentine's Day (yes, I realize that has been two weeks ago but I am really behind).  They were so decadent and rich and simply divine.

I could go for one of these babies right about now!

Handwriting Challenge

Emily at The Johnson Five posted this fun handwriting challenge on her blog a while back, and I decided to join in.  All you do is write your answers to the following questions.  Easy peasy! 

1. What's your name / blogger name?

2. What's your blog's URL?

3. Write "The quick fox jumps over the lazy dog."

4. Favorite quote?

5. Your favorite song?

6. Your favorite band / singers?

7. Anything else you want to say?

8. Tag 3 - 5 other people.

 

I hope this will enlarge so you can actually read it.  Have you seen the video blogging, also known as vlogging?  I think it would be really fun to do a vlog post if I ever have the time to get everything set up.  Maybe over spring break.

Lesson Plans and Evaluations

I had my first student teaching evaluation this past Friday and it went so well!  I was so nervous since I knew my University Supervisor would be taking notes and evaluating my every move, but I was able to block everything else out except for teaching my students.  My Supervisor gave me a great evaulation and told me that I'll be a great teacher.  She said that moms always make the best teachers.  It was such a boost of confidence for me.

I've been up to my ears in lesson planning and prep but I truly love it.  It is really hard with kids though.  I feel like I have two full time jobs right now and finding the balance is not easy.  Hopefully it will continue to get easier as the semester progresses.

That's a snippet of what we've been up to this past week.  I seriously miss blogging and hope to get back to posting more regularly very soon.  I just need about 8 more hours in a day. :)

Happy Sunday!!

Remembering Mamaw

Those of you who read my blog might remember that Casey's grandparents have both been very ill and under hospice care.  We got a call this past Saturday that Mamaw was not doing well and probably would not make it through the night, so Casey drove to Altus, OK to be with her.  All six of her children and all but 4 of her 15 grandchildren were there with her.  Casey came back on Sunday evening and as soon as he walked in the door, we got the call that she had passed.  She waited until everyone left then peacefully and quietly passed from this life.

Even though her health was failing and hospice had come in, it still doesn't make it much easier to deal with her passing.  Of course we are relieved that she is not suffering anymore but she will be sorely missed.  She was a such a sweet lady and loved her family tremendously.  You could just tell how proud she was when everyone was gathered together for holidays and family reunions.  She always treated me like part of the family.  I'm sure her husband Papaw is struggling with her passing in his own way.  Casey told me that when he was there, Papaw came in and they just held hands and looked at each other for a long time without saying anything.  Kind of like he was telling her that it was okay to go to heaven. 

Casey and the kids are leaving this afternoon for Altus for the funeral tomorrow.  I will be home alone.  Why?  Because I have a MANDATORY student teacher seminar.  Mandatory as in if you miss it, you will not student teach.  Believe me, I have already tried to explain my situation and find a way to go to OK, but it is just not possible to miss it without messing everything up.  I feel terrible and desperately want to be there to support my husband and his family and pay my last respects to Mamaw.  I have already talked to the family and Casey and they have all assured me that they completely understand but I'm still really upset about it.  If you would, please say a little prayer for Casey and the entire family.  It will be a tough few days for them. 

Wyatt's First Day of "School"

First of all, I have to mention that this is my 100th blog post!  I can't believe I've blabbered this much since I started this blog last September!

Okay, so today is a really special day...my little Wyatt started "school" (aka: daycare, although the name of the place he goes to is actually called a day school)!  It is bittersweet for me.  I'm so glad that I found a place that has been highly recommended and had a really good "vibe" to me.  I'm also excited that I get to start teaching soon.  But I am sad that I won't be able to be home with him anymore.  I keep telling myself that if we are not adjusted after my 12 weeks of student teaching are up, I'll stay home until he starts school. 

Here's my big boy!

Wyatt did not want to cooperate for pictures this morning but I did manage to get a few...

This is the Kindermat cover I stayed up late making last night.  I can't have my baby napping on a cold, plastic mat!

*A note about nap mats:  I really wanted one of the all-in-one nap sets with the mat, attached blanket, and attached pillow.  However, I looked online and called a few places here in Amarillo and was shocked by the price.  The absolute cheapest I could find one started at $50 and they went up from there.  Since we already had a Kindermat from when Abby was younger, I decided to just reused it.

Wyatt's napmat, blanket, and PillowPet.  Welcome to the jungle, baby!

Here's Wyatt working really hard (notice the tongue!) on arranging his Wonder Pets in the schoolhouse.  This type of work takes extreme focus and persistance. ;)

(Ignore hangers and other misc. stuff in the background...mornings get a little hectic around here.)

I couldn't leave Abby out this post, even if it's not her first day of school!

When I dropped Wyatt off this morning, I stayed a while to get him adjusted (actually, it was more for me).  He was doing great, playing with the other kids and having fun.  I really like his teacher from what I've seen.  She has the sweetest personality.  Of course I had to call to check on him just a bit ago, and she told me he is doing great.  No trouble (so far!).  Whew!

Abby was really concerned about her baby brother this morning.  She knew that this is his first time away from me and she was really worried about how he would adjust.  She is a little mama hen when it comes to her brother.  I surprised her with lunch from Rosa's at school today so I could reassure her that he is fine. 

The moral of this story:  Hold your babies tight because they grow up too fast.

Weekend in Review

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  My weekend did not start out very well, but it did get a lot better.  I tried to find the silver lining in everything that went wrong.

Friday:
Friday morning started out wonderful and unfortunately went quickly down hill.  The kids got up without a fight and were ready early so we didn't have to rush around.  After dropping Abby off at school, I stopped to get gas before running errands.  The gas pump handle got stuck and I spilled gas all.over.the.place.  Not only was my hand and coat covered in it, but it was all over the ground.  I went and told the attendant what I did so that they could clean it up (I was so afraid someone might pull up and throw out a cigarette and blow up the place).  I got in the car, wiped my hands off with WetWipes, and decided that since I was already at Walmart, I would just get my grocery shopping done.  Wyatt and I made a beeline to the bathroom so I could scrub my hands and we got that task done.

Then things took a nosedive.  My laptop had been acting up:  overheating, loud fan, etc...  It's about four years old and has been used and abused.  Anyway, the screen wasn't coming up at all, so I took it to a computer repair shop.  The motherboard was completely burned up.  I was able to get any pictures and documents off that hadn't already been backed up and sold it for parts.  But now we are going to have to spend $ out of pocket to purchase a new one.

The silver lining:  I'm getting a new laptop.  I'm considering going with a Mac for the first time ever.  Anyone have one?

My cell phone was next.  It had actually been dropped so many times before by my children that I was surprised that it still worked.  Well, the last drop it took was the fatal blow. 

This was my phone.  (Yes, a flip phone...I'm old school, okay)  I actually really liked it and was a little sad that it broke. 

The silver lining:  I got a new cell phone.  Fortunately, we had an upgrade available so it didn't cost a whole lot out of pocket. 

Here's my new phone.  It's an LG Vortex.  Like I said, I'm not one of those people that has to have the newest piece of technology out there.  This one is pretty cool though.  I just dread having to transfer all my contacts and such over. 

Okay, so anyway, back to the story of my weekend...

(Here's a hint...it involves my Durango.)

Wyatt and I went to pick Abby up from school (right after I found out the bad news about my laptop).  We got out to talk to some of the other moms, got Abby in the car, and then the creme de la creme happened.  [This was when my nervous breakdown really began ;) ]

I stuck my key into the ignition and it wouldn't turn.  Not that engine wouldn't start, but the key would not turn to even start the engine.  I sat there for 25 minutes trying to get it to turn.  The steering wheel was completely locked up.  I called my husband and he was just leaving work.  The problem:  He has a 35 minute drive home.  Fortunately, we only live 2 blocks from the school, so we were able to walk home.  But I hated leaving my car there, especially since all the windows were rolled down. 

After Casey got home, he went to the school to try and start it but got the same result.  Turns out it was the cylinder (?).  So we had to call someone to come up to the school to install a new one.  The bad news:  another $100+ out of pocket.

The silver lining:  It's fixed.  :)

By this time, I was so overwhelmed from the day, I just lost it.  I cried in front of my children, which I HATE doing.  Both of them were crying and hugging me, telling me everything was going to be okay.  I felt like a terrible mom for breaking down in front of them. 

Saturday:
Casey let me sleep in since I was still trying to regain composure from the previous day.  Saturday went much better.

source

I deep cleaned the house, got caught up on all the laundry, organized and cleaned my kitchen cabinets, and had a pretty productive day.  We spent the day just hanging out and relaxing.

Sunday:

We had to make a special trip to Altus, Oklahoma to visit my husband's grandparents.  They are not doing well at all and hospice is about to come in.  We went to visit just in case we don't get to see them again.  Very sad, but they have both lived long, happy lives (and have been married for 65 years!) and are at peace with leaving this earth. 

I'm so glad we have tomorrow off.  Another day to get things done and enjoy my children (Casey has to work :( ). 

I know this post was full of negative things, but I tried to focus on the positive side too.  God is good all the time, no matter what challenges and obstacles come my way. 



What I'm Looking Forward to in 2011

I can't believe it's the last day of the 11 in 2011 blog challenge!  It's been so much fun!  I've been inspired and have found some great new blogs. 

Today's Topic: What Are You Looking Forward to in 2011

2011 has started out great, and I'm hoping that it continues on this path!  I have many things that I am looking forward to this year, Lord willing.

Student Teaching

I'll begin my student teaching in February, less than a month away.  It's exciting and a little scary all at the same time.  I'm hoping my maturity (aka: age) and experience as a mom will help me in the classroom.

Holidays

I love decorating for and celebrating holidays with my family.

Vacation

We are planning a great trip to Colorado this summer and I just can't wait!

10th Wedding Anniversary

I feel so blessed to have spent the past 12 years with my wonderful husband.  I'm so glad we are celebrating 10 years of wedded bliss this year!

Romance

I'm looking forward to a romantic getaway with my hubby and some date nights.

Summertime

...and the living is easy!  I think it will be especially true this year since I'll just be finishing up student teaching and balancing the other three million things I have going on.  Summer is my time to relax.  Bliss!

Birthday Parties

My children have birthdays five days apart in June, and I absolutely LOVE planning their parties.  I seriously start planning months in advance, and I think I get more excited about it than they do! :)  I really want to do a combined circus/carnival themed party this year, but my daughter wants a party at Chuck E. Cheese. (Boo)  We'll see how this one pans out, but I will plan a party sometime this year!

Balloon Fiesta

We are planning on going to the annual Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM this October.  Our youngest hasn't been yet, so I'm excited for him to see it!

Being Thin Again

This was me right before I found out I was pregnant with my youngest (who is 2 1/2 now).  Big difference from where I am now, but I am working on it and am determined to lose the weight.

Spreading God's Word

Our congregation is organizing a huge door-knocking campaign to spread the Gospel.  It is happening in June, and I'm really looking forward to it.  I'm praying that it will be a huge success and that we will be able to reach a lot of people.

Wishing you all a fabulous 2011!!!