I can explain!

So um, yeah. I disappeared for a while.

Like a month.

But I am not a quitter! Things are CRAZY busy at work right now with the beginning of a new school year, a new yearbook to publish, and all kinds of new tasks and adjustments since we have a new principal. Things are, for the most part, going really well :)

Johnathan and I spent Labor Day weekend in Durham/Chapel Hill. Saturday we dropped our little dog at the kennel and headed to BLUE HEAVEN for the Carolina opening football game! There is really something about driving into Chapel Hill; I always feel like I'm coming back home. I hope that feeling never goes away. It was a blazin' hot day but we had SO much fun! As we were talking, we realized that it may be the first game we had ever been to on our own without one or the other set of parents. Hmm, and it only took us 4 years of marriage to pull it off all by ourselves!

We enjoyed a nice brunch with Ashley and David on Sunday morning before we did a little shopping and headed to Greensboro to spend the day with Matt and Erin. We had a ton of fun with them, too! I am so happy to see my friends getting what they want out of their lives; there is something very fulfilling about being sincerely happy for someone.

Anyway, I am adjusting to school, adjusting to a new gym routine (like, having one!) and trying to still find time to read and blog. Those last two things, as you may have noticed, have slowed down. This will not last. I will be back blogging more than you can stand before you know it!

New find!

I have posted this on my facebook and twitter accounts already, but today I discovered netGalley! I have a Barnes & Noble nook e-reader, which I absolutely adore when it comes to reading the books that I don't necessarily want to put on my bookshelf in my classroom. As if that wasn't reason enough to love digital publishing, netGalley put me over the moon: on this site I can request digital copies of books that have not been released to the public to read and review.

Oh. My. Gosh.

So today I requested 5 books that looked interesting to me in the Teens and YA section of netGalley. When you're browsing you can search by date, genre or publishing company. One book that I have been itching to get my hands on is Ashfall by Mike Mullin. I follow the author on twitter and have entered giveaways and participated in charity auctions trying to get a copy of this book. Today I requested it via netGalley.

Two hours later, it's on my nook. I can't wait to read this one and write a review. I'm so behind on my reviews as it is, though. Today I tore through Shine by Lauren Myracle and that book deserves your attention, too! And there's Hourglass by Myra McEntire and Divergent by Veronica Roth that I also need to share :)

So, maybe a book review of Shine tomorrow and Hourglass on Thursday and Divergent on Friday? Hmm, maybe if I get my wheels turning I can write more frequently, and you'd love that, wouldn't you?!

Ash2Nash!!

In which my inner nerd comes blazing out!!

Ok, so just when you thought my anniversary couldn't get any more exciting, there's this! I spent part of today while Johnathan worked driving up to Morganton to a book signing. This event, part of the ash2nash tour, featured some awesome YA authors (from L to R):

Beth Revis, author of Across the Universe

Myra McEntire, author of Hourglass

Victoria Schwab, author of The Near Witch

Michelle Hodkin, author of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

These 4 authors talked about their books, answered audience questions and signed all of our copies of everything!! I had a copy of the first three books listed here; Michelle Hodkin's book has not been released but I cannot wait to read it! All of these ladies were very warm and down to Earth. It was such an incredible experience and I honestly cannot say enough nice things about these writers :D Oh, and go buy their books!

My inner geek may have been on the loose, but it was SO worth it! I could not have asked for anything more today :) Thank you to these 4 amazing authors!

August 4, 2011

Today is our 4th wedding anniversary. Johnathan and I were married 4 years ago on a blazin' hot day in Lincolnton:

We had a beautiful ceremony surrounded by family and friends. I will always cherish that day as one of the most special I have ever experienced. And 4 years later he still likes me, too!
Our gift to ourselves this year were 2 lawn seats to the Maroon 5, Train and Gavin Degraw concert on August 2. We had SUCH a great time! The music was absolutely incredible; I couldn't believe we were at a live show! Neither of us had ever really been to a bonafide concert before so it was a good experience all the way around. We sang, danced and had so much fun!

Johnathan thought Maroon 5 was the better act, but I disagree. Train was AMAZING! Both groups are really really good and just released great albums. I think the lights and set for Train's performance put them at a slight advantage over Maroon 5. But, have you SEEN Adam Levine, the lead singer for Maroon 5? Definitely something to look at ;)

We had such a great time :) Definitely a great way to spend an anniversary date night!

Tonight we had a quiet dinner at home and just enjoyed each other's company. I know that we didn't do anything all that exciting for our anniversary, but sometimes it's nice to just be able to enjoy the company of another without the need to entertain or be entertained. There's a feeling of comfort that isn't complacency. I couldn't be more content. We have had 4 really great years of marriage and know that we have many more ahead. I am so grateful to have married someone who is my partner and my friend. I know there is much happiness ahead <3

525,600

*sings from Rent*

That's how you measure a year.

I've moved right along to the age of 27. In celebration (mourning?!) I'm making a list of 13 things to be happy about at the age of 27 :)

1. I'm in a happy marriage with the most amazing and supportive person I have ever known.

2. I will NOT be attending any graduate school next year!

3. I am starting my 5th year of teaching (and my colleagues ROCK)

4. I have read LOTS of books in the last 12 months and acquired more than I read.

5. Johnathan's last colonoscopy was clear; no cancer here!

6. I attended my brother's beautiful wedding :)

7. Acquired: MacBook Pro

8. Traveled to New York to see the many, many sights including a show on Broadway!

9. Seeing the last of the Harry Potter films, completing my streak of seeing them all in the movie theater

10. Finishing The Hunger Games series

11. Watching the students I've taught for 3 years graduate last May (my babies!)

12. A new school year is on the way and I have lots of exciting ideas

13. Books, books and more books!

I LOVE celebrating birthdays, especially my own. But, I really can be incredibly vain about getting older and worrying about my looks and how people perceive my exterior before they get to know me. I guess we all feel that way sometimes, but after making this list I'm feeling much better about what's ahead for me. The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!

Completion

Well, I can mark another item off my lifetime to-do list: graduate school.

Last night I attended my last class as a grad student at Appalachian State University. I started my MA in Curriculum and Instruction in August of 2008, and participated in the Commencement exercises for that degree in May 2010. The following fall, I went back to ASU to add a license in School Administration to my credentials. I completed over 600 hours of intern time in my school and through coursework. In the last 8 weeks I have written 6 evidence documents proving I have the know how to be licensed as a school administrator K-12. Aside from my vacation, I would suppose that's why I haven't been blogging as actively as I would like. Those documents have been submitted for review and I should know if I will be awarded the license in about a week or so.

I am SO relieved to be finished with all of the coursework. I'm actually, dare I say it, looking forward to just focusing on my regular classroom job and my work within my school, including yearbook and Relay for Life. I'm looking at this as both an end and a beginning. In the grand scheme of things (go ahead, call me an overachiever), I taking classes for the majority of my life. I took one year off (my first year in the classroom) and then went right back to night classes and summer school. I'm not sure what I'll do with the time! Well, I'll probably read more books ;)

For now, I'm kicking back and enjoying a lemonade and the rest of my summer vacation. My birthday is next week and we are going to have a blast celebrating! I can't wait to spend some quality time with my family without the looming licensure documents. It will be nice to just be a teacher for a while and not a student, too!

More books?!

Yes, it's possible. I could have even more books. There's a contest going around in our local area about the Asheville to Nashville (ash2nash) book tour some local authors are sponsoring. How cool would it be to meet Beth Revis (author of Across the Universe, which I LOVED!)?

So here's the thing, I'm posting about the tour as part of a contest AND because I'm excited about going if it's a possibility. The prize pack is AMAZING but just meeting local authors would be more than enough for me! Hey, Steph, are you in? Let's go meet people who write the books we love!

In honor of the ash2nash tour I'm taking Hex Hall out to the beach with me today. I've been busting to read it forever, and today is as good a day as any!!