What is it about the swiftly approaching fall and the ever impending start of a new school year that puts a knot in the pit of my stomach? If you know me at all, you know that I have a nervous personality anyway. Throw me out of my routine and into something new, and I can be a wreck. This year is definitely no exception. I am embarking on a "new" workplace/school, faculty, and administration. While the physical location will be unchanged, we will no longer be Riverton Middle School. As of August 6, you are looking at a 6th grade teacher for the brand new Riverton Intermediate School. I am beyond excited at the changes; however, that uncertainty still drives my nerves.
As I mentioned in the previous post, Lauren is starting pre-k in a couple of weeks as well. She and I made a trip to town a few days ago to start knocking out that insanely long supply list. Well, $50 later, and we're still not finished. Can you believe that educating a 4 year old can break the bank like that. I guess I shouldn't really complain until we start paying the tuition. It is actually about the same as what we were paying in daycare costs, so I'm not too taken aback. But, I do look forward to the day when we can save more money and enjoy the fruits of our labor a little more. The girls are totally worth it though!!! We feel the blessings everyday!
In the words of Meg Ryan in "You've Got Mail", "There is just something about the smell of freshly sharpened pencils". Bring on those loads of supplies, stacks of textbooks, school bus stops, students with nervous stomachs, and frazzled parents.
God Bless!
Brandi
Showing posts with label Fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fall. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Fall is in the air
Growing up, I hated this time of year. It meant that everything was dying and the carefree days of summer were long gone. Well, as an adult I have learned to appreciate the beauty that fall brings. It is my absolute favorite season. The colors, the crispness of the air, football, Halloween, Tate Farm pumpkins, and cider are among some of the things that make this time of year so appealing. Since I'm on maternity leave, I've had a little time on my hands for decorating the house. I am in full autumn mode and am feeling anxious for all that is ahead. In keeping with the theme, my blog is also newly designed. I hope you enjoy it as much as me.
Comment on your favorite season. Why is it your favorite and what are your memories surrounding that time of year?
Comment on your favorite season. Why is it your favorite and what are your memories surrounding that time of year?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Pumpkin Patch Pictures
Here are a few pictures from our day at Tate's Farm. Enjoy!
Lauren and her cousin Lizzie looking for the
perfect pumpkins.
Lauren and her cousin Lizzie looking for the
perfect pumpkins.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Long weekend and Tate's Farm
Wow...What a crazy few days we have had. For starters, Chris had a night out with friends on Friday. They attended a Christian hard rock concert in Muscle Shoals. If you know my husband well, you know that he used to be into some wild music in the day. Apparently this group "rocked the house". Chris could not talk by the time he arrived home. This in turn interfered with the rest of the weekend...I'll explain more in a bit. While he was out, I spent the entire night baking cookies and cleaning the house. Lauren entertained herself most of the evening with movies and Delilah. Delilah you ask. Yes, my child loves to listen to the nationally syndicated Delilah radio show. I am assuming it is her soothing voice that L finds so intriguing. I am not sure. But, she is definitely her mother's child!!
We got up bright and early Saturday morning for a short drive up the road to Tate's Farm. If you are unfamiliar with Tate's, they have the best pumpkin patch in this area. There are hundreds of acres of pumpkins, corn, gourds, cotton, etc. We were all very excited about the day ahead of us. When we first arrived, Lauren immediately ran to the jungle gyms to play. She climbed many stairs to the tops of the slides, slid down the twists and turns, and repeated the aforementioned steps about a million and a half times. We then made our way to the other children's obstacles, hay maze, and mini trikes. As the frigid morning wore on, we had the opportunity to pet goats and hold the cutest rabbits. Lauren was smiling from ear to ear. We do not have pets, so this was a treat for her to experience. Moving on, the next adventure that we, or shall I say Lauren stumbled into was the corn crib. Tate's has four huge 'cribs' full of corn. The kids had the best time diving, swimming, getting buried, throwing...not the best idea, and wrestling in the large vats of corn. I would have jumped in too if there were not so many small children. It looked exciting! Anyway, once we dug a pound of corn out of Lauren's pants and panties (don't ask), we were ready for the hayride. We boarded the flat bed, found our seats on the hay, and went on a short excursion around the farm. Ultimately, we made our way to the pumpkin patch in search of the best pumpkins we could find. We did just that, after having to pass on many that were rotten. I wander what causes that to happen so early into the season. The pickings were slim considering the acreage. As I digress, we selected a large 'family' pumpkin and a small one for L. While we road back to the main farm area I could feel my eyes beginning to swell. The term hayfever is definitely appropriate. I felt stuffy the rest of the day. It was so worth it!! We enjoyed great family entertainment and made wonderful memories.
We returned home for a chili lunch and some Bama football. This game nearly gave Chris a heart attack. If you recall from earlier, he had no voice. That did not matter. He screamed at the TV as if they could hear his frustration. I guess his ranting was justified, as the Tide's performance in the second half against Ole Miss left much to be desired. We were happy for the W that will be on our record, but it is bittersweet considering the way they played. What a game and what a day!!!
Chris was scheduled to sing a solo at church Sunday morning. He had NO voice by this point. Needless to say, he called the minister of music Saturday to inform him of his dilemma. That was not a problem, so he just rescheduled Chris for another Sunday. So, the weekend continued with Lauren waking us up at the crack of dawn Sunday morning barking like a dog. She had a nasty case of chest congestion and a terrible cough. She also complained about her little ears 'hurting in the holes'..as she put it. I put her in bed with me, rubbed vapor rub on her chest, and sent Chris to the couch so he could at least get some rest. We stayed in this arrangement for several hours until we decided to return to the land of the living. The remainder of the day was us just moping around, trying to recover. I am thankful that I am still feeling relatively healthy!
I know I have rambled and bore you to tears. I'll try to be more upbeat next post and add pictures from the farm. Until then, have a great beginning of the week and enjoy this beautiful fall weather.
Brandi
We got up bright and early Saturday morning for a short drive up the road to Tate's Farm. If you are unfamiliar with Tate's, they have the best pumpkin patch in this area. There are hundreds of acres of pumpkins, corn, gourds, cotton, etc. We were all very excited about the day ahead of us. When we first arrived, Lauren immediately ran to the jungle gyms to play. She climbed many stairs to the tops of the slides, slid down the twists and turns, and repeated the aforementioned steps about a million and a half times. We then made our way to the other children's obstacles, hay maze, and mini trikes. As the frigid morning wore on, we had the opportunity to pet goats and hold the cutest rabbits. Lauren was smiling from ear to ear. We do not have pets, so this was a treat for her to experience. Moving on, the next adventure that we, or shall I say Lauren stumbled into was the corn crib. Tate's has four huge 'cribs' full of corn. The kids had the best time diving, swimming, getting buried, throwing...not the best idea, and wrestling in the large vats of corn. I would have jumped in too if there were not so many small children. It looked exciting! Anyway, once we dug a pound of corn out of Lauren's pants and panties (don't ask), we were ready for the hayride. We boarded the flat bed, found our seats on the hay, and went on a short excursion around the farm. Ultimately, we made our way to the pumpkin patch in search of the best pumpkins we could find. We did just that, after having to pass on many that were rotten. I wander what causes that to happen so early into the season. The pickings were slim considering the acreage. As I digress, we selected a large 'family' pumpkin and a small one for L. While we road back to the main farm area I could feel my eyes beginning to swell. The term hayfever is definitely appropriate. I felt stuffy the rest of the day. It was so worth it!! We enjoyed great family entertainment and made wonderful memories.
We returned home for a chili lunch and some Bama football. This game nearly gave Chris a heart attack. If you recall from earlier, he had no voice. That did not matter. He screamed at the TV as if they could hear his frustration. I guess his ranting was justified, as the Tide's performance in the second half against Ole Miss left much to be desired. We were happy for the W that will be on our record, but it is bittersweet considering the way they played. What a game and what a day!!!
Chris was scheduled to sing a solo at church Sunday morning. He had NO voice by this point. Needless to say, he called the minister of music Saturday to inform him of his dilemma. That was not a problem, so he just rescheduled Chris for another Sunday. So, the weekend continued with Lauren waking us up at the crack of dawn Sunday morning barking like a dog. She had a nasty case of chest congestion and a terrible cough. She also complained about her little ears 'hurting in the holes'..as she put it. I put her in bed with me, rubbed vapor rub on her chest, and sent Chris to the couch so he could at least get some rest. We stayed in this arrangement for several hours until we decided to return to the land of the living. The remainder of the day was us just moping around, trying to recover. I am thankful that I am still feeling relatively healthy!
I know I have rambled and bore you to tears. I'll try to be more upbeat next post and add pictures from the farm. Until then, have a great beginning of the week and enjoy this beautiful fall weather.
Brandi
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Styles Family Blog..First Post- Take 1
This is a wee-bit nerve racking. The thought of managing a family blog amidst the daily chaos of our lives is overwhelming; we'll give it a try. I hope to post at least weekly if not more. Bear with my ramblings, occasional grammar goofs, and bad photo ops. Happy reading!
Chris and I have been on Fall Break this week. It has been an absolute God-send! We spent the first half of the week in the Smokies and the remainder of our time relaxing and whittling away at the never ending to-do list. I must say, Gatlinburg in the fall is breath taking. For starters, we made a day trip to Cades Cove on Monday. This was a great experience. We previously visited this site on our honemoon going on 8 years ago. It was very neat chasing Lauren, our very rambunctious 2 1/2 year old, around the grounds. She had a great time and especially liked the picnic in the field surrounded by the georgeous mountain scenery.
The rest of our trip included a kids' amusement park, go-kart rides, shopping, several stops at the MANY candy shops (mostly just viewing..with a little tasting), and lots of good eating. The Pancake House in Pigeon Forge was among the best spots for a tasy breakfast. Lauren scarfed her mini plate of blueberry pancakes. She also got a cheap amusement out of Daddy trying on a "Bubba" hat in the gift shop. What good times!! Finally, on the last night of our trip we visited the Old Mill. This is the most yumm-o ("Thanks Rachael Ray") eatery in that area...in my opinion. We endulged/over-endulged on southern favorites like corn fritters, corn chowder, fried chicken, pot roast, and family style side dishes. We were seconds away from exploding but full nonetheless. What a blast!
I guess you can say that we've had a blessed week. We look forward to hearing from you and getting updates on your busy lives as well. Please drop us a comment along the way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)