one reason i love my job...

...TWO WEEKS off for Christmas!

I honestly think that I've slept more than I've been awake since Friday. I seriously might have a condition/suffer from extreme exhaustion. Erk and I have been watching movies, shopping for last-minute gifts, decorating our little place, and lounging in our comfy clothes. We're really thankful to have jobs that treat us so well. Having said that, I think spending 6 1/2 hours a day with anxious six- and seven-year-olds, weeks before Christmas, warrants a long break.

We're going home Tuesday to spend time with my favorite person in the world, Grandpa Granger. I can't wait to see him. We'll also get to see the rest of our families and spend time with our best hometown friends. I'm also totally planning to read the following books over break:

The prequel to The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo. Is it possible to reinstate Book Club? Coop? Bingy? Baby Hendy? Dr. O?



I love David Sedaris...hilarious.



And the classics...rebound. What a dream!



Happy Holidays!! XO

christmas wish list

"Christmas is about Baby Jesus and family and loving each other....but I mean if you want to buy me a gift or two, this should help you out."
(direct quote from the ever insightful kate bing)

this vintage alarm clock would be so perfect in our guest bedroom. found on etsy at sadieolive.



basically anything from old soul, new heart, like these pretties:




a pew for our dining room



pretty ear warmers...because i look terrible in hats



a claw foot bath tub with a ruffled shower curtain



OPI nail polish in "yoga-ta get this blue"



a new pair of flats for school



and if santa happens to stop by our blog...we could really use one of these:


(the car...not the granny. ours is shot...again, our car, not our granny)

where the magic happens...not that magic, sickos.

here are some photos of my legit windowless classroom (i made some fake ones). it's a fun...and sometimes crazy...place to be (i.e. - we learned to encode words and what one of my students' bare bottoms looks like at the same time).

22 reasons why i love my little sister!

happy birthday, katie bear!

1. she's a cute kid.


2. she used to have a crooked little smile, and she would follow me around when we were younger, literally finishing my sentences.

3. we shared rooms, and even a bed sometimes, when we were little. when we couldn't sleep, we'd stay up all night and do hundreds of back walkovers off our beds. one time we even put on our school clothes in the middle of the night to "save time in the morning". we thought we were clever.

4. kate started cheerleading when she was about 8 (to be like me, of course) and was scared to stunt for the longest time. she ended up being the best darn flyer to ever come from mercer county. she once went to a BGSU cheer practice as a favor to a friend, and they didn't know what to do with her. she's that good :)


5. she knows EVERY SINGLE WORD to EVERY SINGLE SONG.

6. my mom and dad often told her to "take care of her older sister" in college. she did...like when i locked myself out of my car and apartment, knocked out my front tooth playing snow football, and maybe had somewhat of a slight mishap at the brathaus once ;)

7. she'll dance anywhere...especially if i agree to dance with her. the girl has no shame.


8. she's not afraid of grand lake and its toxic water. not even a little. in fact, she's pretty awesome at wakeboarding.


9. she sometimes bought groceries for both of us when we lived together and i was broke. thanks, kath.

10. she "let me" borrow her clothes. or sometimes i just took them without asking...oops.

11. she weighs like 80 lbs soaking wet...wait, i don't really love that.

12. kath's a natural with kids, especially with our "niece and nephews".


13. kate loves to work. i totally admire that. me, i could live without it.

14. she's (kind of) a browns fan. erick mostly loves that.


15. she'll willingly throw up gang signs at a wedding.


16. kate does her school work like 20 days in advance. i think she's adopted.

17. when she was little, my dad called her "toot bucket davis" hahahaha!!

18. she eats as much, if not more, than i do. we used to have eating competitions at end-of-the-year cheerleading banquets. keepin' it classy. and we also strongly believe that lean cuisines are snack-size.

19. she'll wear a painter's glove as a prop for a michael jackson impersonaton in front of 600 people. awesome.



20. we have the same favorite movies. dirty dancing, flashdance, chitty chitty bang bang, and father of the bride I and II. she's also known every word to grease since she was 6.

21. she was the best maid of honor EVER. she planned my shower, bachelorette party, and basically my wedding. and she even managed to say a few nice things about me in her speech. what a good sister.

22. she's the super cutest, nicest, best sister ever. happy birthday kate. sorry i can't be there. i love you!!!

carnies and mullets and fair food...oh my!

last weekend we spent time with erick's parents as they bought a brand new car, and then they took us to the ohio state fair! what an experience! we found a roast beef sundae (not a joke), the world's best mullet, a cow entirely made of butter (WHAAAAAT?!), prize winning cheeses, and a whole pig being roasted on a stick.











despite the cat-calling carnies, child-beating deadbeats, and barn-full-of-cow-doo-doo, we had a lot of fun. i felt like i needed 12 hot showers...in rubbing alcohol...by the time we left.

my broski is soooo cool

erk called me while i was watching the boys yesterday, and said we just got the best gift in the mail. i thought he was talking about our new couch, which was also delivered that day. nope, he was laughing too hard to talk and wouldn't tell me what it was.

sooooo, when i got home, he gave me the box, with my parents' return address*. there was a card from by little brother, andrew, congratulating erk on his new job. inside the box was this...


i laughed A LOT. the rock and message reference an episode of the office. we LOVE the office. it's such an appropriate gift from him (and i'm sure my baby brother, ty). unfortunately, i can't find a clip of the episode...you'll just have to take my word that it was hilarious.

* my mom said she gave andrew $10 to send the package, and he was so excited he spent every last penny overnighting this three pound rock. whaaaaat?

MGDubs forever in my heart

one year ago today i was enrolled in the culminating course of my reading endorsement, the practicum. oh man, was that ever rough...and only the beginning of a very challenging year. i didn't really know anyone in the program, and i was sure none of us would be lifelong friends. boy was i wrong.

i met some of the most amazing, smart, beautiful, and funny people i know (all thanks to Martha Gesling Weber aka MGDubs) who died and gave her money so that we may attend graduate school for free and teach cute kids to read.

i want you to know them, so here's the quick and dirty:

em-j

em-j is the cutest thing since minnie mouse. she is no bigger than a minute. young and old men alike swoon over em. she shares a love of dr. o with me, and she was our very own GRADUATE STUDENT OF THE YEAR. this is the trophy she won for her accomplishments (completing an outstanding project under the supervision of a not-so-outstanding chairperson/committee). she also listened to me complain and cry A LOT.


lynnie

lynne is such a wonderful little surprise of a person. she's professional, responsible, and mature, yet she enjoys the occasional oversized pair of colored sunglasses as much as the next person. she can cook literally anything and can plan any event in 15 minutes. ladies and gents, lynne.


MO

her parents didn't give her this name; M and O are her initials (although, she does look like a MO, doesn't she?! hendy thinks so at least) MO likes strawberry daiquiris like you wouldn't believe. i mean, if kobayashi drank daiquiris completitively, MO would KILL him. she also has somanygreatdancemoves...like jai ho. and she has a wonderful boyfriend who watched over us all year. thanks, nolan. look at that face...i love her faces.


cooper

cooper is a dream. she's SO FUNNY and she lets me swing my hair in her face in professional settings. reading and watching what not to wear are of equal importance to her. i once saw her interview at a job fair, and i wanted to hire her. she can make you feel better about yourself in less than a second, guaranteed. oh! and she looks really good with a flower growing out of her head.


bingy

bingy is SO PRETTY (for the record, i only have pretty friends...it just worked out that way). she's wayyyy smarter than i am, and she is always wearing the best dress/skirt/headband ever. mail carriers tend to fall madly in love with her, and she shouts some of my favorite quotes at inappropriate times...actually, inappropriate is not even a word in her vocabulary. these quotes include, but are not limited to, "that's what she said"; "nothing to see here!"; "what's ____"; and "whyyyyyyy?" she's so witty...and looks like one of my style icons, michelle obama.


i love and miss them SO MUCH!

our little weddin'

we were married almost a month ago, in celina, ohio. the whole darn thing was outside and on the lake. we had the most wonderful day ever.
we are immensely blessed with the most beautiful family and friends who made this day what it was for us. thank you, everyone of you. we loveeee you!


kate (my sister) with trey bug and reecer baby


my best friends and beautiful bridesmaids


best entrance everrrr (RIP MJ)



and we're hitched :) (how cute is bub?! okay, i'll stop...)