my bed...

I just got home not long ago for the first time since I left this morning, so I am very thankful for my comfy bed that I am about to get into.... sweet dreams!

God bless our troops

I am thankful today for all of the troops who have served our country and especially those who currently are.  Thank you for giving us freedom and protecting our country.

God bless all the troops and the families of those currently serving. 

Happy Memorial Day!

Drive until the map turns blue...

This will be a quick post because we are about to walk out the door to head to my friend Jenna's beautiful lake house on Lake Martin!!  Today I am thankful for the lake...there's not much that says beginning of summer much better than a lake trip! 

I will not have internet up there, so I am going to name another thing for tomorrow .(dont want to let my readers down! haha) I am also thankful for a chance to get away from it all with best friends! :)

Enjoy the long weekend!

Summer!

I am thankful to have a summer break!!!!!!  Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend everyone!

First For a Reason

I am so blessed to work with people that I consider very, very dear friends of mine.  The first grade team is so tight-knit and we always have the best time together!  They are a huge part of why I love my job so much and look forward to going to work each day.  We are getting together tonight for our monthly "Recipe Club" and even though I have been with them all day, I am so looking forward to chatting over some wine and good food!  I am so thaknful to have these wonderful women (and men- Daniel, you will always be considered 1st grade!) in my life as co-workers and friends!

My sweet babies

As I sit here thinking about the fact that I have only two days left of school, I am overwhelmed with how much I am going to miss this class.  This group is truly different than any other group I have taught before.  First off, every child in my class has such a distinctive personality!  I love to sit and laugh with them over some of the hilarious things they say.  They are also so incredibly smart, and I am not exaggerating when I say I learn something new from them every day whether it is facts about science (and I get a lot of those from this group!) or life lessons.  Last, they are such sweet, tenderhearted children.  They all get along so well with one another, and as cheesy as it sounds- we are a sweet little family together.  I am extremely thankful to have had these children in my life this year and I'm going to load up on the tissues Friday when I have to say good-bye to them!

iPad!

Today I am blogging from my iPad 2!! We have a pilot group at my school is going to use them in the classroom and I am one of the lucky ones who received one! I am super excited because there are some very cool educational apps that I cannot wait to use with my students! Today I am very thankful for my new iPad and for my principal for giving me one!!

a clean house

I nanny after school three days a week, so I recently gave myself a present- a housekeeper who comes every other week!   This little gift has completely changed my life!  I know that sounds silly, but it gives me such peace of mind to not have to worry about cleaning after a long day of teaching and then nannying!  Today I am extremely thankful to go home to a clean house!!!

our church

Richie and I have been going to Stonecreek Church for about a year and a half and we abolutely love it!  Our preacher is amazing, there are a lot of young people who attend and while Richie may not always agree, I love the music! Lately though, I have been feeling like I want to give back and do more there, but Richie and I are gone so often on the weekends that I did not want to jump into something I couldn't commit to.  However,I decided that was a silly reason to not volunteer, so I recently signed up to be on the Food and Beverage committee.  You volunteer once a month with this team, which fits into our hectic life!  So this morning, I had my debut as a "coffee maker" for our church!  You would not believe how much coffee gets made for all the workers, members and guests of the church- I had to be there at 8 to start making it and we weren't finished until after 9!  Today I am thankful to be part of a church that Richie and I can continue to grow with and get more involved in!

"never wanted nothin more"

We went to Kenny Chesney last night with some of our best friends and had the best time! I am thankful for a wonderful night with wonderful friends!

Papaw

Yesterday my grandfather's sister passed away, which has gotten me thinking about him today.  I am so thankful to have had him as my grandfather.  My papaw was one of the greatest men I have ever known.  He was an incredibly generous man; he helped care and provide for many of his siblings children (this came out at his funeral since he never bragged about or really discussed those things as he was not doing it to be recognized).  He loved his family (he used to say meeting my nana was the "best thing that ever happened to him") and was always so proud of his children, grandchildren, and extended family.  You used to hear the term "patriarch of the family" but you don't really see that much anymore in our culture, but that was my papaw...all he wanted in life was for his family to be happy and taken care of, so that is exactly what he did.  He was such a selfless, kind-hearted, giving man and I am so blessed to have had him in my life.  He helped teach me the things that are important in life (God, family, and helping others) and he molded my own dad into the man he is and I am so thankful for both of those things.  I miss Papaw every day, but I know today he is very happy  to be seeing his little sister again. 

my new laptop!

Today I am very thankful for my new laptop! I have had the same work laptop since I started teaching 5 years ago and in the past year, it has lost a few keys, gotten unbelievably slow, never had the newest software, etc.  So I was very happy when I was able to trade it in this morning for a brand new one!

Yay for my new computer!!

Almost done!!

Today I am not thankful for a thing per se, but rather I am thankful that I finished my entire end of the year grading today!  For those of you  non-teachers, basically this means I am smooth sailing for the rest of the year! For the next week and two days we will have Field Day, theme days, and lots of fun! Normally the end of the year is all of these things along with the stress of grading our students' end of the year writing, language arts, and math as well as entering in report cards and progress reports. But today, I am done, done, done!  To me,that is something to be very thankful for! :)

memory verse

I am doing a memory verse "challenge" through Beth Moore's (love her!) blog.  Basically, you have to comment on her post on the 1st and 15th of each month with a new verse.  Then, you memorize it (hence the memory verse part) with the idea being you will memorize 24 new bible verses over the year.  I have had a crazy, hectic day today and I took a few minutes after my kids left to find my new verse and enter it on her site.  It is amazing how you can go from feeling so frazzled to calm in an instant when you immerse yourself in God's word.  It was just what I needed this afternoon and I am thankful for my memory verses that I can pull out of my mind right when I need them...

In case you're curious, this is the verse I picked today:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8
Enjoy!

Crock Pot Convenience

Today I am thankful for my crock pot.  Yes, I know I am officially an old married woman when I am thankful for appliances, but they make life so easy!  I nanny until 7:30 on Monday nights, so the last thing I want to do when I get home is cook dinner.  So this morning I made dinner in the crock pot and it will be ready and waiting when we get home! Easy and delicious! What's your favorite crock pot recipe?

Lazy Sundays...

I am thankful for what I am having today- a lazy Sunday.  I had friends in town this weekend and they all left early this morning.  So I got up with them before they left and then got back in bed and slept late (which I feel I am never able to do anymore).  Since then, I have just been lounging around in my pj's hanging out with my honey and puppy, doing some laundry, and catching up on tv.  I finally got the motivation to go to the grocery store for the week but just came home and am back in the pajamas.  I'll be getting to bed early tonight after a nice, relaxing Sunday.  Hope everyone had a nice and lazy Sunday!

blueberry muffins just got better

This morning, my friend Jenna and I woke up early and made blueberry muffins. 

I am a big fan of them already, but then Jenna taught me a little trick her mom used to do when she was little.  You make the muffins, but when you take them out of the oven, you dip the tops of them in melted butter and then in sugar. MMMMMMM! This morning I am thankful for blueberry muffins that just got even more delicious (and a sweet best friend to make them with)!

Normal yummy muffin turns into....



utter deliciousness!




"to practice day by day love, honor, truth"

Today I am thankful for my sorority, Phi Mu! You're probably thinking that is a random thing to be thankful for at 27 years old (as I am obviously not still in college and an active Phi Mu), but the reason I am thankful for Phi Mu is for the friendships it has brought me! When I went to Auburn and went through rush,I felt at home the second I walked into Phi Mu.  I had never met a group of girls more like me and all the pink didn't hurt either! :) I never would have dreamed though that I would make the types of friendships that I did in the next four years.  These girls will all have their own separate posts (and one was already part of one as the female member of the Harrison's), so I won't go too much into each of them personally today, but I can say that they are some of the best friends I ever could have dreamed of having.  They have been there through a LOT of fun and crazy times, some sad times,  some very special times (my wedding!) and I truly know that my life be different (and not nearly as good) if they were not in it.  We have been graduated for five years now and live in different cities (Bryn is the only one in Atlanta with me), but we are all still as close as when we lived within 5 minutes of one another.  We have the type of friendship where I know we will be old ladies and still calling ourselves "the divas." I am especially thankful for Phi Mu for bringing me these unbelievable friends today because they are all coming in town this weekend for a girls weekend!  I have had a smile on my face all day thinking about seeing all of them this afternoon! So, thank you Phi Mu for giving me such incredible best friends and "sisters".

LIOB,
Ali

ALIpharetta :)

When I originally wanted to start a blog (but wasn't sure what I was going to do with it yet), Richie suggested the name of it be Alipharetta.  Needless to say, I (sweetly) told him I was not going to call my blog that! However,  it is very fitting as today's post is about the wonderful city we live in; Alpharetta!  I consider myself very blessed to now live in (well, near) the city I grew up in and so close to both mine and Richie's families!  If you have never been to Alpharetta, it is the perfect place to raise a family- great schools (including the one I work at!), parks, good restaurants, and you're only about 20 minutes from Atlanta.  Every spring, Alpharetta puts on a Taste of Alpharetta where you can go try food from local restaurants.  I went to this event every year during high school and now Richie and I will be going tonight with my brother and sister-in-law Robbie and Laura! So today I am very thankful for where I live!

Bible Study!

Today I am incredibly thankful for my bible study girls.  It is the greatest group of 11 girls and we all know one another in a variety of ways (through being related, co-workers, high school friends, college friends, and roommates!) We are currently studying the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan which has really sparked some interesting conversations among us! We all come from very different walks of life which keeps the dynamic interesting.  One of the things I love best about my bible study is how even though everyone did not know one another when we started, we have all become very close and all are able to be so honest and open with one another each week.  It is so important to have a network of people to be able to share your faith with and these girls are that for me!  I get so excited every Wednesday for our group and I am very thankful to have each of them in my life! :)

Shoes, shoes, shoes!

Today I am thankful for my shoes! (Superficial, I know but hey, they can't all be big things!) These shoes are so summery and they put me in a good mood when I put them on.  So, today I am thankful for my adorable, summery shoes! :)  What are your favorite shoes?

Aren't they cute??

               

Red Rover, Red Rover....

No I am not thankful for the childhood game, but today I am thankful for RECESS! There are wonderful things and perks about being a teacher (many of which I am sure will be my topics on here) and recess is definitely one of them! Most adults are able to leave their office for lunch, but with a 30 minute lunch time (25 after you get your kids through the lunch line, 20 after you check the office for notes and use the restroom for the first time all day) that just isn't feasible for teachers.  However, we do get our vitamin D kick each day during recess!  My favorite things about recess is watching my students get to run around and play with their friends after a busy day of working so hard (and getting to talk with all my teacher friends while we watch them of course!) I am especially thankful for recess on beautiful days like today!  Enjoy your afternoon!

Happy Mother's Day!

My beautiful mom and me!

Today I am thankful for moms, but especially my mom! If you know my mom, you already know what an amazing person she is to everyone in her life.  Today I am going to do a Top 10 Things I Love About My Mom!

10. She gave up so much of her time when I was growing up to take me to cheerleading practice, dance lessons, rehearsals, etc.  This is a mom who whenever I was in a play came to every single rehearsal as well as every single performance (and these were shows that ran for about 6 weeks!)
9. She overcame some pretty tough times and turned into the strong woman she is today.
8. She is SUCH a good cook!  (All my good recipes come from her!)
7. She is an unbelievable decorator; to the point that all my friends say they want her to decorate their houses!
6. She is the best nurse- especially to the children at her school.
5. My mom is incredibly generous to everyone in her life.
4. She is not only a good role model as a mom, but as a wife, daughter, sister, and friend as well.
3. She is very big on family and always arranges the best trips and activities for us.
2. She has become my absolute best friend and the person I know I can always go to.
1. She is everything that I hope I can be when I am a mom one day! If I am even half as great as she has been, my future kids will be pretty darn lucky!

Happy Mothers Day Mom! I love you!

The Harrisons!

Today I am thankful for some of mine and Richie's best friends; Nate and Bryn Harrison!  For anyone who doesn't know (and considering my 3 followers are my husband, my mom, and my sister-in-law, I'm sure you all do know this...) one of my best friends from college married one of my husband's best friends from college! While I am sure this happens considerably often, what I think makes it unique is the fact that Bryn and I went to Auburn while Richie and Nate went to Tennessee- so it's not like all four of us hung out during college.  Add the fact that Nate and I also graduated from high school together and you've got yourselves a pretty neat little story! THEN add the fact that another one of mine and Bryn's best friends is dating another one of Richie and Nate's best friends and you have yourselves a friendship fairy tale! :)
Anyways, back to being thankful for the Harrisons! Typically when you hang out with other couples, the two girls are friends and the two boys just get along or vice versa, but with us it is the best scenario possible since we are both getting to spend time with our best friend! I am thankful for them today because we will be going out with them tonight to celebrate Bryn's birthday which was on Wednesday (I'm not going to say what I got her for her birthday in case she is reading this...) :) 
I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday- it's beautiful! Get outside and do something!! I also hope you all have as wonderful of friends as Richie and I do to spend time with this Saturday night~

Hello!

Hello everyone reading my blog (all 2 of you I am sure!) I consider myself a pretty happy-go-lucky person, but sometimes I feel like I don't take time to appreciate all the people and things in my life.  In order to remedy this, I have decided to start a blog and name one thing each day that I am thankful for.  Some will be serious and I'm sure many will be silly, but I am going to attempt to come up with different things each day.  Surely I have 365 things to be thankful for, right?? 
For my first one, I will start off with something I am sure we are ALL thankful for- Friday's! I am lucky enough to have a job that I adore, but there is something about a Friday afternoon when all of my students have left and I get just a moment of silence....ahhh! Fridays to me have the allure of the weekend to come- sleeping in on Saturday, church on Sunday, and hopefully some time with friends and family in there as well!  This Friday, my wonderful sister-in-law and I are going to see the movie "Something Borrowed" (loved the book!) while our hubbies play golf.  Then we will meet up with them for dinner; hopefully somewhere with a patio. Yes we are old married couples, but it sounds like a pretty perfect Friday to me! I hope you all are thankful for your Friday as well... Have a great one!