love from the 801...

missing this little dude today!

love you, squints!

welcome to Room 5...

well, folks... today was the day!

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

and I just gotta say

i have the BEST friends and family in the world!

Thanks to everyone who called to let me know of their support today.

i couldn't have felt more support on such an important day.

although it's 10:45 at night and i'm not finished planning for tomorrow,

i wanted to post these before and after pics so you could see the fun changes that have taken place in the new home I call "Teacha Pad 005"

the "Computer Corner"

the "Literacy Library"

our "News Center"

our lovely bathroom/sink area

(smells divine...)

i'm not sure why, but the kids call these their "lockers"

Ha... goofballs.

and the "don't touch anything. this is MY space" corner

these DARLING surprises were delivered to my room

during our morning writing time.

thank you to the sweetest people in the world!!

(you know who you are...)

and here's what's on the menu for tomorrow:

"Counting the ABC's" with Alpha-Bits. Yum!

okay. i think it's time for bed.

down to the wire...

well folks, the time has come. the object of all my stress and worry is coming to fruition.

i've spent the last three days at the school having faculty meetings, Parent/Teacher Conferences, cleaning my room, getting prepared because...

I START MONDAY!!

...no doubt i'm a little scared.

what is it...

...about teachers and mugs???

this is such an odd practice in our society.

i simply just do not understand...

WHY DO WE GIVE TEACHERS MUGS??

remember last year when I was gifted this mug at the beginning of my student teaching?

well, at my official District orientation this week, what was the first gift to be handed out?

you guessed it... this fine piece of pottery.

thank you Granite School District,

for your kind donation to the already overflowing shelf that is set aside especially for

lonely, dusty, unwanted mugs.

maybe i'll remember you in December

during cocoa season.

lyricalness...

the summer of too many goodbyes...

i'm not a fan of what the end of summer is bringing me.

and i'm not a fan of growing up.

it feels like my circle of friends keeps getting

smaller and smaller and smaller...

and i know they'll always be there regardless of where "there" actually is,

but it's been sad to have to say goodbye

and to feel the pain of growing up.

brooke was the first to bid us adieu.

she took a big girl job in advertisement.

Detroit, Michigan

then this one in the middle; that's Steph.

steve got into med. school and took steph with him... not cool.

Fullerton, California

these two leave us in just another month or so.

Eric got himself a big-boy job.

Seattle, Washington

and then there's this one.

the one who shares all of her Cafe Rio runs with me.

she's off with her hubby to law school.

Denver, Colorado

i guess now with my recent increase in salary

(thank you Granite School District),

i have my fair share of places to visit.

love you ALL!

going for the triple threat...

july really proved to be a good month.

i knew it would.

(it always does...)

but this year, july really rocked.

i committed myself to whipping my body into shape

by reshaping my exercise habits.

first...

i signed up for my favorite race of the year.

the Pioneer Day 10k.

it felt so good beating my previous finish times.

i love this race

because it's always full of so many familiar faces.

then...

i renewed my pool pass and have gotten myself back into swimming.

i swam an entire summer a few years back, and i had never felt so good.

so, i decided it was time to revisit the past

and get back into swim shape.

(i wish i could say i rock the pool like this chick...)

but then, the crowning moment of summer, completing the triple threat...

I GOT A BIKE!!!

whooohooo.

i am SO excited to get on this sucker and cruise up the mountain with my mom and bro.

they've promised to coach me all the way,

and Jon even said he'd whip me into shape for a

Sprint Tri this fall.

i'm not making any promises,

but that would be AMAZING!

IRONMAN 2011?

haha... yeah.

adventures in Sierra Lima Charlie...

how could anybody not love the summer?

the past couple of months i've begun to realize that i really did choose the right profession.

having summers off with time to play and travel

(all while being paid)...?

umm, yes please!

this summer has been no exception.

though i've been up to my eyeballs in work, preparing for the coming school year, i've been grateful to have found time to get in some serious fun.

here are just a few of the crazy adventures of the past week:

brad took Smash and I flying over the south tip of Utah Lake.

and it was amazing!

the girls got together for one more hurrah while brooke was in town and before cute Steph took off to Cali.

LOVE YOU STEPH! Miss you already...

then the crew got together for a little homemade pizza, pizookie, and Invictus.

not to mention some ultimate pranking.

and on Sunday,

the Cracroft Crew rendezvoused at the cabin for a little R&R.

three weeks to go...

i'm sure gonna miss you, summer.