School Days

It has been one quick summer and now it's back to the school routine. I don't think I've ever been more excited for a school year to start. This is going to be one of the best years for our family!

Even though the school year has started and we are making the slow transition to fall we're still holding on to summer. I just love this sweet picture my mother-in-law snapped. She may be a peach but she likes watermelon too! :)

Wednesday was a big day as it was opening day for Butler County Schools. My first official day is actually Monday but I was able to attend this kickoff to the school year. Even though I know a lot of my colleagues having gone through the system not too many years ago it was nice to meet new people and catch up with old acquaintances.

Everyone in the district attends opening day so Marcus and Mom were there too. I never dreamed I would be working in the same organization as them! It feels good to be "home".

Since I am in a supervisory role I had to say a few words about my programs. Speaking in front of 400 people is not something I do everyday but I did it without falling or hurling so it was a proud moment ha! Thanks Paige McKinney for the picture!

After lunch when I returned to my office I found this sweet gift on my desk. An inspirational book, planner and chocolate. I felt so appreciated! God has placed me exactly where I am suppose to be.

Wednesday was also a big day at AKK because it was the annual day-before-school pajama party! All 25 preschool and school kids celebrated one last day together. Of course Georgia Grace couldn't miss this event. She even received a new pair of pj's to match her Aunt Shanna :)

And then Thursday was the first day of school and the first day of Marcus's fifth year of teaching. He is now tenured! He is teaching 4th grade this year and will have exactly all the same 3rd graders he had last year. One mom said her son wants to have Mr. Harrison every year until he graduates :) He has a lot of little fans and I think it's a testament to the teacher and role model he is to his students.

Happy daddy and daughter. Matching dimples and everything. She's so proud of him just like I am.

Next week will be the first full week for all of us so this weekend we are just going to relax and do fun things. We don't have any plans except maybe a little lake time and that's exactly what we need. I'm thankful for the newness this time of year brings and the opportunities we have been blessed with.

Vacation All I Ever Wanted

I am currently on an eleven day vacation from work and I couldn't be happier about it. I love my job but I love my family more and I'm thoroughly enjoying my quality time with them. And today was the last day of school for the husband so we are all kinds of happy over here. To celebrate the occasions we are headed to the beach in the morning for a week of the salt life! I hope Georgia Grace's second trip to the beach is just as fun as her first beach vacation. Minus the flat dry and bee stings on the way down, I can do without that nonsense.

Thursday I had some errands I needed to tend to before our trip so I spent my spa gift certificate from my sister-in-law/brother-in-law and treated myself to a massage and a facial. I never treat myself to something like this so it was extra awesome. I'm accepting any other spa gift certificates anyone wants to send my way ;) Thanks Aunt Shanna!

While I was at the spa our cousin Payton kept GGH for us which I know they both looked forward to! She always takes sweet pictures for me so I know what she's up to when I am away from home. 

And this one takes the cake. I've never been more proud of anything in my life than I am this girl.

Today we visited Daddy at school to celebrate summer break and say goodbye to his sweet third graders. The good news is he is looping to fourth grade next year so he will have all of the same students which he is really excited about. He will attend a conference the week we get back to help prepare for fourth grade curriculum. His daughter thought all of this was worthy of a big smooch! She was extra friendly to his students and blew kisses to them as we were leaving. She's our little politician.

I will try to post a few iPhone pictures from the gulf coast but I will basically be blog-free this week. It's good to take a break every now and then. You can follow me on Instagram for daily pictures (or you can do what I just did and go back to view the early baby days and cry about how fast time is going...)- love the convenience of an IG feed!

See y'all next week!

TGIF

I have been anxious for Friday with much anticipation for the "Battle of the Bluegrass"! We play Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen game in Indianapolis tonight. We have a strict dress code at my hospital with one exception-the NCAA tournament when state schools are in the tournament. Today will be seas of blue and red no doubt.

Highlights from our week:

Baby girl has been sitting in the preschool circle at AKK on the mornings she is with gram but just this week she has started participating in Show & Tell. Aunt Shanna got her saying "Uhhhh" before words because there was a book that she read her about colors and before she would pick a color to add suspense she would say "Uhhhh" first. Hilarious! I can't believe she's big enough to be participating in preschool already.

Tuesday I had the privilege of going to a local elementary school to observe a school lunch and gym class as part of a population health committee. I know school foodservice has a bad reputation but I was impressed with the meal we received. Whole grains, lean proteins, and fresh fruits and vegetables were all on the menu. This is the generation we must target to change lifestyle habits and create a healthier population.

Tuesday night I had a court date for the first time in my life. I received a parking ticket at the beginning of the month that I contested related to the ice storm and safety (I could not see the yellow lines) and I won!! It was nerve-wracking. I had to appear before five judges, it was filmed and I had to take a legal oath. It was serious business but all worth it when it was waived.

Yesterday Georgia Grace and I attended Career Day at my old high school. Since my mom is a high school business teacher I had a built-in babysitter so I didn't have to take time away from her on my day off. I had a small group of potential nutrition majors and we had some great conversations. I hope I was able to make a difference!

 I caught this little cutie standing in the hallway practicing her new mooing like a cow trick :) We are learning animal sounds right now and it's the cutest thing ever. She actually went and got one of her animal books from her room last night and brought it to me to read to her. I hope she is always interested in learning and that it comes easy for her.

It has been nine years since I walked these hallways as a high school student. I will be planning our 10 year class reunion next summer. My former teachers were so sweet to me, I felt like I had never left.

Yesterday afternoon Aunt Ash came over so we could see her new piece of jewelry-she is engaged!!!  I told her mom I was almost as excited for this engagement as I was my own ha! I couldn't be more happy for her and James. What a breathtaking beach bride she will be!

Georgia Grace was over taking pictures for the day as you can tell. I told Marcus when he came home from school that I had disciplined her more today than I ever have before. I felt like "No" was my word of the day and I was constantly redirecting her. It was mostly safety-related redirection due to her climbing and standing on chairs, playing in the trash can, and running toward the street while I was getting stuff out of my car. We have seen a streak of defiancy this week out of our strong-willed child. Bless her heart she didn't stand a chance in that department ha! We are staying strong and practicing tough love in order to do what's best for her.

Well that recap became quite lengthy but I had quite a bit to cover. I'm looking forward to a slow weekend at home with my family. Spring Break starts today at 3:30 pm for Marcus and we have a couple fun trips planned for the end of next week I am super excited about.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and GO BIG BLUE!

Five On Friday

Happy Friday! We have a fun weekend of football coming up so I am extra excited to see the week come to an end. And it has finally cooled off here and it is supposed to be 75 with no humidity all weekend. Am I dreaming? No, fall has arrived!

One

I mentioned back in August that we were beginning a memory preservation idea I had that we've titled Film Fridays. Five Fridays have come and gone since we started this and I am happy to report that we are 5 for 5! I was worried that we would forget but so far so good.

They have all been very random segments but nonetheless entertaining. Last week we filmed GGH "reading" before we left for the football game. The footage probably won't be worth two cents because whoever is filming is usually laughing and the camera is moving the whole time ha! Oh well, that's our real life.

Two

Wednesday we took this looking way too big girl back to her pediatrician to check her ears, get the first dose of her flu shot, and discuss an issue we have been having. Her ears are healed (hallelujah!) and the flu shot only warranted about a 30 second blood curdling cry :). We weren't sure if her ears were ever completely healed because she continued to pull at them but it appears she has just developed a new habit (like her daddy).The other issue we discussed with him is her frequent vomiting. Since we started introducing table food we have noticed that she gags very easily. And more recently she has gagged which resulted in her throwing up. Her pediatrician thinks she just has an overactive gag reflex (like her daddy) and really isn't concerned about it. She has had consistent normal weight gain and is very healthy so we will just try to make sure all her bites are little and she chews it up really good. And slows down, she may be a fast eater too (like her daddy). Anyone see a pattern here?!? Ha! :)

She also has another tooth (right lateral incisor to be technical) which makes #5. It woke her up last night from the pain. The left one is swollen so I'm sure we will be seeing it soon. 

Three

School pictures came back this week and I am smitten over this portrait of my professional man! I tried to get him to order some but he won't do it. Maybe I can turn in his form without him knowing...

Four

If you are local I am sure you have already seen this but for documentation sake here we are on a billboard! The hospital I work for approached me about marketing obstetrics/L&D services in my town to try to increase our market share and voila! Thanks to all who have contacted me to let me know they seen it and thought it looked great :) I was a little anxious about seeing myself 2 1/2 hours post-delivery magnified on a billboard but I think it turned out great. I love how it says "Georgia Grace Harrison & Her Parents"! That is spot on. It is her life and we are just living in it :)

Five

First birthday planning is filling up my daily to-do list along with ideas for her 1 year photo shoot. I am dying over this picture I found on Pinterest! And I totally want to try it. I hope Georgia Grace obliges :)

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! This day gets me very excited for Halloween!

Goodbye Summer, Hello School Year

Today Marcus started his fourth year of teaching. He will be teaching third grade again this year at Morgantown Elementary. They had Open House Tuesday night and he came home excited about the awesome turnout he had and the wonderful parents that filled his classroom. I know this is going to be another great year for him!

 First day picture comparisons. He really hasn't changed that much. He was hired at the ripe old age of 20 and started teaching at 21. Just a wee lad! As you can tell he loves to dress professional which I really admire.

I'm praying for a year full of opportunities and achievements for Marcus and his students. I'm praying he can be a positive male role model for his students and that he can build strong, thriving relationships with his peers and administration. 

Georgia Grace and I watched the school traffic out our window this morning. Our little street becomes grand central station once the school year begins. My heart was warmed seeing the children's excited faces on the buses and watching moms and dads in and out of the building dropping their babies off for the first time. I was completely content just watching this morning and not participating. I know this will be us all too soon.

Even though it typically stays warm here during the whole month of August and on into September for me the much celebrated first day of school sort of marks the end of summer. Our lives revolve around a school calendar instead of a traditional January to December calendar. Even though we will still enjoy summertime activities as long as the weather allows it it doesn't carry the same excitement as it did in June.

A new school year definitely puts me in fall mode. I start daydreaming about hayrides, trips to the orchard, pumpkins, scary movies, football games, a halloween costume for my little ggh, crewneck sweatshirts, a special first birthday and so much more. Fall is my favorite time of year no doubt. Summer is a close second but fall has my heart.

So goodbye summer and hello fall. It's so nice to see you again! Such an exciting time of year for our little family.

Five On Friday

 
I always look forward to linking up with Five on Friday! I don't know if it's the fact it involves making a list or because of the day of the week it falls on. I love both of these things equally! =)

One

School starts back next Thursday and I know one teacher that is not looking forward to leaving his baby that he has spent his whole summer with. However he is very excited to meet his new students and get in a routine so he will be ok. Plus he gets to see her on his lunch break. And he walks to work. And gets a homemade meal everyday for lunch. He lives the life, folks.

photo cred: Landon Hampton

Two

We celebrated Marcus' birthday last weekend at the lake and on Tuesday night (his actual birthday) at Jake and Shanna's house. He really wanted to trap shoot so they had us over for a meal, cake, and some outdoor entertainment. He has really been hounding me to get familiar with a gun just in case the unthinkable were to happen and I were to ever have to use one. So I did. I'm no Annie Oakley but I didn't kill anybody either so I call it a success. :)

Three

So I posted a few weeks back that I was going to attempt making some homemade laundry soap (which was an idea I found from Darci of Five on Friday-how neat!). I finally found time to do it and we LOVE it! It smells so fresh and clean and it makes SO much. I have about three times the amount in the picture in a separate storage bin. I'm so glad I went all Michelle Duggar and tried it! It was super easy (besides grading the soap) and I love not having to pick up a bottle of detergent every time I go to the store. It's a win-win all around!

Four

We are less than three months away from our big first birthday bash! HOW?!? The fastest year in history. I've started pinning away party ideas. Lots of pink, gold, monograms, and pumpkins are filling my board! We tentatively have our date and location set. Looks like it's going to be a first birthday on the farm!! More to come!
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Friday

I think I have an obsession with trellis pattern. I didn't realize my obsession until I bought FOUR things in it. The chenille throw and curtain panel are the newest additions to our master bedroom which we have been redoing. I will post pictures of the finished product soon. I'm still looking for a few final pieces.

Update on Georgia Grace-she continues to feel well despite having the ear infection. She does not like taking her medicine so we are having to get creative. She is also eating SO much better now that we hold her while we feed her. Last night I was eating my supper and she crawled over to me and acted interested in my plate (this is after we had fed her supper). She ate so much! We compared it to going to a restaurant and wanting what the other person ordered because it looks so much better ha! Whatever works.

Happy Weekend, y'all!

Letting The World Go On Without Us

This weekend felt like we really scooted under the radar and I didn't mind it one bit. No big plans, no time table, no agenda. It was heavenly!

I had a three day weekend because on Thursday I co-coordinated a fish fry fellowship at my hospital. It turned out to be so much fun and we had a great turnout. My friend Robin and I were in event planning overload all day. We even went to her house to cut cattails when we realized we weren't going to have enough as the RSVP list grew. It's all about the details. This event reminded me of what an amazing organization I work for. I'm thankful God placed me at TLRMC.

Friday GGH and I hung out at the Hidden Valley Golf Resort while these two played nine holes. The sweetest story-Jagger, Marcus' student he has had for the past 3 years, called him Thursday to ask if he wanted to play golf with him. He had recently started taking lessons and wanted to show Marcus what he had learned. Is that not the cutest thing ever?!? The boys had a GREAT day. Both of them chipped in for birdies!

Mommy and baby chillin' and polka dot matching on the porch at Gammys. The pool is ALMOST ready! (insert gritted teeth emoji here-we are excited and READY)

Saturday we met my dad, my grandparents, and Paige and Eric at Garcias for lunch. Paige and Eric were in town for a wedding, we hadn't seen them in two weeks and Paige couldn't believe how much Georgia Grace had grown and changed! We love having them home.

The rest of our Saturday was spent at Lake Malone celebrating Marcus' birthday (early). Georgia stayed home with Grandma Harrison (thank you Shannon!), we didn't want to chance taking her since she had been under the weather at the beginning of the week. We (my dad) supplied the boat and they (Rachel's dad) supplied the cabin. Rachel took her first boat ride and first tube ride, the men caught 47 fish, and Rachel and me caught up on girl talk that was long overdue. The guys fished until dark and we ended the night with a good ol' wienie roast and a juicy watermelon (running down our chins of course). The weather was perfect for a lake day. We actually welcomed the fire once the sun set. It really felt like early fall instead of the dead of summer. We are loving these lake weekends!

This is one of the pictures I received while we were at the lake. It's too bad they didn't let her have any fun while she was there...

Today Georgia stayed in the church nursery for the very first time. Our cousins had nursery duty so I thought this would be a good test to see how she would do with people she was familiar with. They said she did great (doubt they would tell me otherwise though ha!) and even started reading her bible while she was in there! Our nursery starts them young :)

The rest of our Sunday was spent eating BBQ and homemade Heath bar ice cream (my all-time favorite) at Mamaw Carolyn's and exploring the church where my sister will be getting married in December!! They have set the date-December 14th, 2013! Five months! Ahh!!

I'm thankful for this low key weekend. I checked my phone sparingly, I never opened my planner and I don't believe we turned the TV on one time. We let the world go on without us. It was nice to just live in the moment without a care in the world.

My heart is full!

Schools Out For Summer

It's time to celebrate because summer has arrived!

Marcus came home yesterday singing School's Out by Alice Cooper. And then proceeded to spend the majority of the rest of the evening repairing our Big Green Egg for grilling season. He is PUMPED!

I don't have school-age children yet but I do have a husband that is a teacher so I think that earns me the right to make a first day/last day collage :). Isn't this just precious? He was two months from being a daddy at the start of the school year and now we have a healthy, vibrant 6 month old! Three years down, ??? to go. We are thankful he already has 3 under his belt.

This was a daily routine for daddy as he dropped baby girl off at grams before going to school. Yes, he walks her to grams and then walks to work. The man has it made!

But the end of summer does mean that Georgia Grace will be home with daddy now. I know two great-grandmothers that are probably a little sad about this. I'm sure the duo will make frequent trips this summer to visit them and I know my mom has already requested to keep her one day while Marcus golfs and does other manly things.

She has enjoyed her days with her great-grandmothers so much. I can't begin to tell you how thankful we are that they are able to keep her while I continue my career. If it isn't me/Marcus-they are the next best thing!

We have fun things planned for this summer that I'm really excited about. Can I tell you how excited I am to see this little princess in a 'kini on the beach? Oh my gracious it's going to be amazing!

So here's a sweet sugary cupcake to celebrate another school year in the books.

Let's get this summer party started!