Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe our Anniversary is here again! This year we celebrated by eating dinner at Carrabas (yum!) and then we went and saw A Tuna Christmas at a cute little theater in Crown Center. It wasn't near as cold this year so it was a little more enjoyable to be out and about. However that has drastically changed today and our temperature has plummeted into the teens. Don't y'all want to live here too?? : )

Well I know everyone says it, but I truly do love my husband more today than I did the day we got married. We have had good times and bad, sickness and health, and we have been richer and poorer but I wouldn't want to do this journey with anyone else.

Here are a few pics from last night and from our wedding day two years ago...

Merry Christmas Y'all!

Well we finally put up our Christmas decor...a little late, but better late than never! We've actually had it up for about a week but just haven't gotten around to taking any pictures!

Gotta show some Texas Pride!

Our stockings...hung off the countertop with care...

Halloween in 3rd grade!

Three posts in one day! I am definitely getting all caught up on my blogging! Well, Friday was a busy, crazy, but really fun day with my class. I loved seeing them in their costumes and watching them have a good time at our class party! First we had a parade around the school and then we had our party complete with Limbo! They absolutely loved it. I was doubled over laughing when they all started chanting, "How low can you go? How low can you go?".

My team was 80's. Amy, Kristi, Me, and Shelley

Heather was a red lifesaver. So original!

After all the festivities at school Chris and I went to Rob and Inessa's house and hung out with some other couples from church. Present at our get together were, Mario and Luigi and Sarah Palin and Joe Six Pack. Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera inside!

Branigans in Branson!

Last weekend, when my parent/teacher conferences were over we headed to Branson to meet the rest of our Branigan crew! We had a really fun weekend and were able to spend some good quality time together before the craziness of the holidays. We stayed at a condo on Table Rock Lake and enjoyed some incredible fall foliage. We mostly hung around the condo and ate, ate, ate! But when we were out we went to a Cowboy Chuck Wagon Supper, shopping at the Branson Landing, and rode The Ducks! All in all we had a fabulous time and can't wait to do it again next year!

At the Circle B Chuck Wagon

Shopping at the Branson Landing. Chris had to get a wheelchair because his feet were giving him trouble!

About to get on the Ducks! We had to go quacking all the way there! It was hysterical!

They even let me, David, and Chris drive!! What were they thinking!

Two Weddings and a Date Night

Well earlier in October we had two weddings back to back on the same weekend and I am just now getting around to posting some pictures! Shelly and Andrew were on a Friday night at a gorgeous mansion in Lee's Summit and then Matt and Deborah were on Saturday in Oklahoma City. We had a really fun time at both weddings and especially getting to see some friends in OKC!

This was the first wedding, Shelly (who I teach 3rd grade with) and Andy.

They had a gospel choir come and sing for their recessional! It was incredible!

Wedding number 2: Matt and Deborah in OKC

The grooms cake! So cute...his old car was a yellow bug.

The next weekend Chris booked a hotel for us to stay in for the night! It was really fun and nice to "get away" even if we only stayed in Kansas City! The start to our spontaneous date night...Chris told me to pack a bag and get dressed up!

ON the way!!

Yummy Olive Garden!

Our hotel room.

I think that this is something that all couples should do! Get away for a night even if you just go to a hotel down the road!

Well...

I don't really have that much to say right now, but I haven't posted in awhile so I figured I should. I think they call that "blog guilt".

This the 3rd or 4th rainy day we've had this week and I'm ready for some sunshine. I guess I shouldn't complain that much though because at least we're no where near all these hurricanes.

We have officially made it through one month of school. Yea! I still love, love, love my kids. And my job. Some days are hard but thats ok. On Friday my kids earned a party for their good behavior so we had a "Read In". It was pretty cool. They all brought their pillows and books and some even wore their pajamas. I made the mistake of telling them they could bring popcorn for a snack, so I spent about 30 minutes running back and forth to the lounge popping popcorn. Ha! Lesson learned Mrs. Branigan. My principal came in while they were all reading and I was glad he got to see my class doing something fun.

Last Tuesday night I got together with some girls from church and it was a blast! We hung out at Rachels apartment and just gabbed and snacked. I am definitely looking forward to next week!

I don't really have that much more to say but I did want to share this funny story...This week in writing my kids were writing stories that went along with the children's books If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. So one of my students wrote:

If you give a lion a lollipop, he's going to want some meat to go with it.
So you'll give him your dog! (hahahaha...it gets better)
If you give him your dog he'll probably want some barbeque sauce and coleslaw on the side.

Stinkin hilarious. I love 3rd grade.

One week down...

Alot to go...

Well I just have to say that I had a really awesome first week of school. It was super exhausting but so rewarding. I really love all my kids and my team. On Monday we all lined the main hallway and greeted them while they were walking in. (There was also a man on stilts greeting them outside, and some jammin music...only in Leawood y'all). And while we were waiting in the hall for all the kids to start coming in this great bouquet of flowers was delivered for...ME!! Chris sent me flowers and pretty much the whole staff saw them being delivered. Isn't that like the whole point of getting flowers at work? Way to go Hubs! : )

Well the rest of the week was kind of a blur. My class is really sweet and funny and they are good listeners (I know its just the first week...but still...) Chris is also taking a class this week and last week so thats been a little hard not having someone to spill your guts to at the end of the day. But we had breakfast at Cracker Barrell on Saturday and had some "us" time.

Honestly there is alot more I have to say but I'm just too tired to write it!

Without Further Adieu...

Ok! Here are some pictures of my classroom...

*disclaimer* I only had about 24 hours to pull this all together so it might look different if I had had say...two weeks...however I love it all the same!!

Also I'd like to note that here in Kansas "themed" classrooms are unheard of. So for the risk of being mercilessly made fun of, I went with generic, colorful classroom.

OK! OK!!

The view from the door.

My little reading corner. The plan is to jazz it up a little more later.

My entire back wall is basically a huge bulletin board because my room was built out into our pod.

My desk area. Umm...note the Chick Fil A cup.

This is the view from my desk area.
Mail boxes. It says "You've Got Mail"...I stole that from Kristin Lewis thank you very much!

So thats it!! School starts tomorrow!

Just Have to Brag on the Lord A Little...

Ok...I mean ALOT. This might be a long post so...buckle your seat belts. Or just come back when you have some time : )

So to effectively tell this story I have to start back in August of last year. As I'm sure everyone knows, Chris and I moved here to Kansas City last May right after graduation. All summer long I applied for job after job in the infamous school districts of Johnson County. (Basically the surrounding school districts are sub par so everyone and their dog wants to work in Johnson County so it is NOT easy to get a teaching job, especially when you know NO ONE.) Ok so...August was upon us and I basically had two options. A.) I could substitute teach for a pretty good pay check but no health insurance or B.) I could take a Para job with a tiny pay check but I would have health insurance. So we prayed about it and really felt , for several reasons, that the Lord was leading us to take the Para job. So I spent all of last year at wonderful Leawood Elementary as their Math Para. Honestly it was the most unfulfilled job I have ever had. Everyday I just felt like I was surrounded by all these fabulous people who were doing the job I really wanted to do...teach. So there were many hard days, and lots of tears and lots of confusion as to whether or not we made the right decision.

So this Spring rolled around and I had all my ducks in a row to get a teaching job all lined up for this year. Well...I applied and applied and applied some more and nothing really came of it. I should also mention that there was a possibility that a new section of 3rd grade would be opening up at Leawood but nothing would be sure until the numbers came in. So all Summer long we just waited. I had a few interviews but none were the right job for me and the Lord took care of that by graciously giving them to other people : )

Ok...so fast forward to this past Monday. I knew that the numbers were supposed to be in at my school (Leawood) by then so I rang up our trusty secretary with a huge knot in my stomach waiting to hear my fate. Well she let me know that they did in fact get approved to open up a new section of third grade...YAY!! But....due to teachers being displaced from their classrooms in other schools the district had already appointed one of them to be the new 3rd grade teacher. So I hung up the phone with her and immediately burst into tears. All of a sudden this job we had been praying and praying for was gone. We had prayed for more students to enroll so that I could have that job and in an instant I had nothing. So we did the only thing we could do and prayed like we have never prayed before. And y'all I have to tell you that God made a way, little by little, one step at a time. Every time we prayed it seemed like soon after we would get another phone call, or hear some encouraging news.

SO...on Wednesday afternoon I got a call to come into our District Office and was offered the 3rd grade position at Leawood Elementary! Praise Jesus! We had been up and down on an emotional roller coaster all week and finally the Lord did what he was planning to do since a year ago. I just love being able to look back already and see how the Lord led us to our apartment, which is a 5 minute drive from my school, and how He led us to that school last year knowing all along what would happen. It has just completely filled my heart to overflowing to be able to be a teacher in this school. I love that I already know all the staff...and they know me. I love that I already know a lot of the kids, and their parents. And I love how everyone has been so excited for me and how I know it is going to be an awesome year.

So even though I didn't get a full time teaching job last year (which was probably the hardest year of my life) I feel like I have gained something so much more valuable and that is the powerful, powerful lesson that I learned on prayer. I have experienced what its like to pray constantly and consistently and see God move. He hears ours prayers y'all and He is faithful to answer.

Well school starts here on Monday and I am completely excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I never expected to have such a short time to get everything ready but I don't think I would have it any other way. My team has been absolutely amazing on helping me, even teachers who I didn't know that well last year have been in my room helping me with stuff.

I think hands down the best part is knowing that I am absolutely exactly where the Lord wants me to be and it could not be more clear that this was ALL Him working it out and nothing that I did at all. And eventhough I had to wait a year, it was a year that was well worth the wait.

Glory to God y'all, Glory to God...

I'll try and put up some pictures soon!!

Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

Well last night I had the pleasure of attending a candle party with some of the other seminary wives and it was such a blessing to my heart! I think that has been one of the biggest challenges so far being up here in Kansas City...just being away from my close girl friends. But last night was such a blast. We laughed and talked and smelled yummy candles. I even bought one! The yummy smell of Strudel and Spice should be filling our home in 5 to 7 business days.

We also had a fun time last Saturday night, again hanging out with some Seminary folk. When I asked Joanna if we could bring anything to the get together she said "Bring something Texas" and you better believe we did! We brought some homemade Texas Salsa, recipe compliments of Steven. And I have to admit that our Texas Salsa was a huge hit! This just goes toward our theory that everything is truly bigger and BETTER in Texas.

Well unfortunately we did not take any pictures at either one of these fun gatherings...we're trying to get better at remember that...so we'll try and post some pics later!

Alot of Nothing

Well I had a little time on my hands today (as you can tell...) so this is the fruit of my labor. I'm telling you, I am totally addicted to this whole digital scrapbooking thing and the best part is...I haven't spent one penny! Now theres something husbands can really stand behind!

Chris and I are both just having a lazy day today...just waiting. Waiting to hear about several different circumstances. I think waiting is Gods way of seeing our true character. I know that Chris and I have certainly learned more about ourselves...and the Lord in this time than we have in a long time.

Oh yes, and I have to mention this story for Robin...Last Saturday we were at the farmers market in our downtown buying lots of veggies (etc.) and Chris is looking around at all the cute young families with little babies in strollers and says to me, "I think we need to have a baby just so we can put all our bags in its stroller..."

So now I have 2 great reasons for us to have a baby
1. It would make my blog more interesting
2. and I quote "We can put all our bags in the stroller..."

For my parents and in-laws who read this and are hyperventilating right now...don't worry...we're smarter than that : )

Dogs, Swimming, and New Glasses!

Well this past week we got to spend sometime with our favorite doggies out at Tim and Christine's house! They travel alot and so we get to stay at their house when they go and watch their dogs and basically veg out. They have about a billion channels on their TV, a pool, and a hot tub so we really enjoy our time their! Not to mention that they pay us!!
Introducing...

Baxter and Ruger!!

We also spent some time swimming while we were there....

We also enjoyed the wildlife that ventured into their backyard...and their bird feeder, let me emphasize BIRD feeder.

AND...Christopher got some new glasses!! Here's a pic of what his new specs look like! The best part about the glasses (Chris is making me put this in here, eventhough I'm a bit embarassed about it) So the best part is that he found them on the STREET last summer when he was working at the Nazarene Publishing House. His job was to work the grounds and picking up trash was part of the daily routine. So one day he literally stumbled upon these frames, still with the Perry Ellis lenses in them. (And freshly stolen from some Lenscrafters I'm sure...)

Thanks Hubs!!

Ok y'all I just have to brag on my hubs a little bit! He gave me these gorgeous flowers yesterday (for no reason!) I really do have the greatest husband ever. : )

Summer Reading

Ok y'all I have been reading some pretty good books this summer and just wanted to share!! Now, there is a little disclaimer to this first series...IT IS COMPLETELY FOR FUN. I would in no way recommend this to anyone looking for a serious read. OH yes, and be prepared to be mocked endlessly by your husband. Without further a due (?)...

The Shopaholic Series

If you haven't heard of it already, it is a series of books starting with this one Confessions of a Shopaholic about a British compulsive shopper named Becky Bloomwood. The series has about 5 or 6 books ( I think) and they are all absolutely hilarious!

Now if you are in the mood for a more serious read I would recommend Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. All of the books I have read by her are absolutely gripping and this one is no different. This book is about a highschool shooting and all that takes place before and after. This book really made me think about myself as a teacher and how much influence I have that I don't even realize. Its a page turner y'all!

Happy Reading!