Spring Travels

It's April 7th... when the heck did that happen? March was such a busy month. Josh and I both had lots going on with schools like tests, papers, parent teacher conferences, my school's play, and spring break for both of us. Josh and I both went places for spring break, which was so awesome. The only bummer is that our spring break's didn't fall on the same week so that means that during the past three weeks we have only been together one. That's just more to talk about though, right?

Josh's spring break came first and he went with a Christian Dental group to Jamaica. I was so excited for him to go and experience how awesome mission work is. He worked on his first patient while he was there and then worked or assisted with work on  about 40 more people.

I was amazed that he was able to learn so much, so quickly and apply it all in the short time that he was there. It was so neat to think about and know that Josh was helping so many people. He also loved the Jamaican culture. Here are some pictures that he brought back  to share.

All of the UofL dental students that went on the trip at the airport bright and early  on Sunday morning.

This clinic

Isn't this beautiful? This is the view from where Josh stayed. Some of the other people stayed at the house you can see up on the hillside. Josh said they walked up there most nights for dinner and to swim. 

This is Josh's very first patient! He made a veneer for one of her front teeth that had broken off right above her gum. 

These kids go to school right beside the clinic. Josh said that when the pulled up the first morning the kids were chanting, "dentist, dentist, dentist!" 

Josh with the other UofL students, Dr. Jim who started the clinic, and the pastor of the church where the clinic is housed. 

This little girl made a big impression on Josh, she apparently had a lot of sass! After the dismissed her from the clinic she showed back up and requested Josh for some other things that she wanted. 

No filter with an iPhone! Can you imagine how pretty it was in person?

Out fishing for the morning.

The view from Josh's bed. Ridiculous isn't it?

This bar is a mile of the shore. It is held up by stilts. 

Their final count, amazing!

While Josh was away, Hallie and I managed to survive by ourselves. Our main issue was playing who can freak the other out more when we went to bed. Sleep didn't go so well. He finally made it home, after a flight delay and a missed connection, on Sunday morning. We were both in Louisville for about 6 days before I headed to Saint Augustine, FL with my sisters and her family.

I had so much fun with the whole Schlosser fam. Being with all of the girls is so fun, it just makes me miss everyone more when I come back to Louisville. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Cobblestone streets in downtown St. Augustine

Sand Mermaid

Miss SB's birthday was while we were there. We made a sand birthday cake to celebrate!

The "big girls"

Miss Maggie

Emma Kate

230 steps later Annie, Emma, and I made it to the top of the lighthouse. I wish I had a picture with all three of us, but those are on my sister's camera so here is a nice little selfie. 

The trip was perfect (aside from some Schlosser sickness). Having nice weather was AMAZING.

I am so glad to be home with Josh, it was weird not being around him last month. We are enjoying this spring weather in KY, finally! We ended my spring break by watching the Cards play in the final four and hanging out on Bardstown Road with our friends, Kurt and Carley.

After two years, we are loving the home that we have made here.

Twenty Dollars In My Pocket

So you've seen/heard "Thrift Shop right? Josh and I love it. It makes us laugh the whole time we listen to it and we just can't help but to genuinely like it. BTW: if you haven't actually seen the video, it seriously makes the song. I was going to post the video.... but even the edited version is a little questionable (but so so funny!). Considered yourself warned.

Anywho, I had a three day weekend and it was glorious. In my opinion all weekends should be three days. It's just more balanced! Who's with me? I knew I wasn't alone. SO, Friday when everyone else was still working (sorry to rub it in) I was having a super ME day.  I drank coffee out of mug, not a travel mug, in my PJ's. 

This people, is the way to drink coffee. I took a solid two hours getting ready. I had time to attempt creativity with my wardrobe, question my creativity, text my fashionista friend Mar, get confirmation that I didn't look ridiculous, and head out the door.

This is me saying, "Marlowe is denim on denim actually a thing?". Thanks for knowing, understanding and contributing my need for a gold star Mar!

My next step was getting a new drivers license. This was an extremely necessary part of my day. I got married and moved nearly TWO YEARS ago and this was my first new license since I turned 21... eek! 

Okay. Finally we are to the thrift shop err... antique mall, it counts right!? I spent hours in roaming around Crazy Daisy. During these hours I saw all of my Pinterest dreams coming true. I am all about awesome finds for a good price. 

I saw this kitchen at Young House Love and this kitchen at Flower Patch Farm Girl and loved their light kitchens and wooden bar stools. Don't these remind you of them?

I also found this light fixture, so fun!

What do you think of when you see this giant wooden spoon and fork set.

Please say you thought "Everybody Loves Raymond"! 

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I really enjoying my leisurely browsing. I did in fact only spend twenty dollars just as the song says. I got this be-u-tiful blanket,

and discovered my love of milk glass. Is this pretty? I am hoping I can weave it into a plate display on my wall similar to this one.

I throughly enjoyed this day and spent only $20. This first grade teacher enjoyed her quiet alone time... a lot. 

Now, I am off to bed with this one. Ridiculous, right? 

Josh left for Jamaica today. We miss him already, but are so excited for him. I know he got there safely and had a wonderful first day! 

So long for now! 

A Pencil In My Hand and a Thought In My Head

As I mentioned before, I teach first grade. I may be a little obsessed with teaching. I love it-- creating new things for my kids, trying things that other people have tried, making crafty things for my room, reading about new strategies, and scouring teacher blogs and teacherspayteachers.com on a daily basis. Sometimes I need someone to say, "Dee Dee, let it go." This is not a 9-4 kind of a gig.

Don't get me wrong. There are rough days. There are days when three kids puke in the classroom (not the trashcan, not the bathroom, the floor). There are the days after a full moon (it does make a difference, just come and visit). But, generally I am in love with first grade.

My school has been exploring using thinking strategies with our regular curriculum. I have to make sure that I am keeping myself focused on our content, because if I skip straight to the higher order stuff without covering the basics these kiddos are in t-r-o-u-b-l-e when they get to the upper grades. You can't build a house on unsolid ground, right?

Okay... I have totally left my original thought process (see what talking school does to me?). The strategies are all about thinking while reading. This means thinking while you read a fiction story, an article, a math word problem, a science text book etc. The kind of thinking we are working on involves your background knowledge, making connections, asking questions, determining what is important, and their are several more BUT this is not a post about how to teaching.

I have told my kids, the best reader has a pencil in their hand and a thought in their brain. Real reading involves real thinking. The past few weeks I have been thinking about how valuable this truly is.

I am really working towards a consistent, quiet, focused time with God everyday. Some weeks are better than others, as are some days. I have been thinking, how awesome would it be to teach thinking strategies using the Bible? What better book to connect to, question, visualize and determine importance? It is the ultimate thinking book. I would love to be teaching my kiddos the word of God as I teach them to think.  Talk about increased learning.

Then I think, am I practicing what I preach? Do I read the bible with a pencil in my hand and a thought in my head? I have the opportunity to practice these strategies with words from God, I can't pass that up. I do this when I read professional books for my graduate classes. I take notes on presentations that are given at school. Why.... when it comes to God is that when I let my thought process slide? I want to change this. I am so interested to see how this changes my time in the Bible. Here goes, time to practice what I preach during the most important part of my life.

This is not the first time I have gained clarity from 6-year-olds and I feel certain, it won't be the last. I hope.

Things I Should Have Learned In College: Part 1

You know, after graduating from college you would think that there would be things about being an adult that you were prepared for. The longer I am out of college and an early twenty-something, the more I think "HOW DID NO ONE TEACH ME THIS IS COLLEGE????" Don't get me wrong, I loved college, I was all about some Western Kentucky University, Go Tops! (We are headed to the tourney!!)

Lovin' WKU or not, when I try to do something like oh... getting a money order I again think..."HOW DID NO ONE TEACH ME THIS IN COLLEGE??". Let me fill you in.

Our first rent payment was to be delivered to our landlord in the form of a money order. I can do this, it's simple right? Josh and I had just opened a new bank account and all I had was a temporary check. It's a check, it's money right? Thanks. That's what I thought too. So I google "where do you get a money order?" like any stubborn third child would do and happily find the answer to be, the post office. So my temporary check and I head our happy little butts right on over to the post office. Now, I'm from a small town and people in small town post offices have always been very friendly to me. I walked up to the window, 

"Hi!" I said cheerfully, "I just moved into a new apartment and my first rent payment has to be a money order. So, I am here to get one for X amount of dollars." 

The lady looked at me like, "Gee thanks for the story when you could have said 'I need a money order'". She rung me up, got it ready and I was feeling very proud of myself for not having to call on any parents or older siblings to assist me in this task. Just about that time I whip out my handy temporary check. 

The lady looks at me again, like she was almost in disbelief at my stupidity and says "Are you planning to get a money order by writing a temporary check?". I immediately wanted to say "Of course not!" and run away, but I decided that was my story and I was sticking' to it. 

"Yes." 

"That won't work, come back when you can pay for the order." 

And that my friends something I wish I had not learned the hard way. As I took the walk of shame out of the post office I could swear I heard my Dad say "here's your sign." Thanks Dad, Love ya. 

I love growing up, but sometimes that sign would be awfully handy. 

Growing Up

It's hard to believe it's been two years. Two years since we graduated from college, got married, moved, and became adults (or tried). Everything we had always talked about in college happened in about a second. It was awesome, crazy, exciting, and scary all at the same time.

During the past two years there have been a variety of emotions. 

I actually married my high school sweetheart. How does that happen? We first dated in 8th grade until I tragically ended it. Josh knew so early that things with us were right. He was, is, and probably will always be the level headed one. I tend to make quick decisions and unfortunately at times over think things. Who finds their husband in 8th grade??? Apparently this girl. I thank God for the wonderful man that he is.

We headed south after the wedding to Sanibel Island, FL. SO-MUCH-FUN. I have never eaten so much sushi, felt so free as a bird, or been so stinkin' lazy. Absolute heaven. 

Then it was the last night and I felt weird. My wedding, my honeymoon all over. College was all over. Living at home was all over. 

Welcome to reality Dee Dee, you're now a big kid. I may have cried that night. Bless Josh. 

Once we headed with a moving truck up to Louisville the excitement returned (still anxious about the unknown) but we were actually doing it! Josh was started dental school at U of L later that month, we settled into our first apartment together, and I got a first grade teaching position (praise the Lord!) and life was grand. 

I had just been so excited about all of the new things that were headed my way, I hand't taken the time to really absorb everything that was happening. I think it all hit me on that last night of our honeymoon. It kept hitting me for about 10 months. I have learned so much about myself in the past two years. So much about my priorities, about not being a control freak, about loving someone, and about growing up. More on all of these things to come. Growing up can be quite funny. 

 It can be rough and it is awesome and I love it. 

Celebrating Every Single Season

Hi All! Oh wait, no one there? No worries, my intention for creating this blog is to document, be present in, and celebrate every season of life.

My name is Dee Dee. I am 23 years old and I am a dreamer and goal setter, a live-in-the-moment and be grateful for every second kind of a girl. You see the issue here? I love dreaming of the somedays, but I certainly don't want to let minutes (days, months or years) pass by as I look to someday.

I do have dreams, but at one point in the past, the very life I am currently living was the one I was dreaming of (with me still?, boy that was wordy).

I am so thankful to be living a life saved by grace, married to my best friend, loving my wonderful family, and exploring my the ins and outs of the world. I don't want to forget a thing.