I am officially on summer vacation! Summer has never tasted sweeter, especially after the long gruesome winter we had, and after spending a semester away from my sweet baby during the day. Don’t get me wrong, she was in great hands, but I missed her and craved her every single day. Now I can’t wait to spend almost 2 months with her (and Ryan too of course!)

It truly is hard to believe that I just completed my second full year of teaching. It certainly has been a roller coaster, but in the end, I know that I am doing what God wants me to do and I’m doing what I can to make a difference. When I tell people that I teach fifth grade, they say, “I don’t know how you do that…you must have a lot of patience.” This may be true, but I love the age that I teach. They are still kids that like to have fun, but they are old enough to talk to them like adults. I have daily conversations with my kids about sports, music, and books (the Harry Potter series in particular…I got my class obsessed). I’ve always tried to be a role model and help them learn the life skills that they need before they enter the middle school and the years beyond. If I can make an impact in only one student’s life, then I feel like I’ve done my job. Here’s to the class of 2021…the newest members of Cascade Middle School.

I also have 3 very special people that I’d like to thank for helping me get through this school year. My mom, my mother-in-law Bev, and my sister-in-law, Megan. They took turns watching my beautiful baby girl while I was at work. Like I said earlier, it is not easy leaving your child with anyone, but knowing that she was with one of these 3 amazing women eased any concern I may have had.  Not only did they watch her, but they took her to the doctor when needed, fed me dinner on a regular basis, and let Kinsie and I hang out as long as we wanted while Ryan was in Muncie so we wouldn’t be so alone. We are so blessed that both of our parents live so close and were available and willing to help me when I needed it.

Kinsie had SO much fun with her grandmas and her Aunt Megan, and I loved seeing pictures of what she did throughout each day. She always had Ryan’s grandmas, aunts and cousins come to visit while at Grandma Bev’s house, and Grandma Kay (also known as “Yaya”) took her to Aunt Krista’s house to play with Briggs and Kerigan once a week. What a lucky girl! I am not saying that there is anything wrong with daycare, but as a previous employee of one, I know that Kinsie is getting much more interaction, love, and learning from this arrangement, which I am incredibly grateful for. I cannot thank you 3 enough for taking care of my baby girl and contributing to the happy, goofy, loving girl she is today. We love you and appreciate you more than we could ever say!

I may not have a very long summer (thanks to the balanced calendar), but you better believe I am going to soak in every second with my family throughout the next 8 weeks. Happy summer vacation!