Summer!

 The school year came to a teary end last Tuesday as I hugged the kids who had found a special place in my heart good-bye and scooted them out the door towards the awaiting buses and the fourth grade--my first class, kids full of spunk and attitute and wonderful strengths.  I think they taught me as much as I taught them; patience with one another, forgiveness, kindness, the eagerness to learn. I couldn't have asked for a better first year of teaching (overall.) Sad to say good-bye, but also a huge sigh of relief. I'm finished. I made it. It wasn't perfect, but I survived my first year of teaching, and with some special memories that I will never forget.

I spent the weekend unwinding at Kentucky Lake with the family. A weekend full of sunbathing (getting slighlty crisp), pontoon boating, cold drinks, peanut butter milkshakes, dinner at Patti's, hikes in the woods, and lazing in the pool. It. Was. Marvelous. And just what I needed to refresh myself for summer school.

You can tell that summer is in  full swing at the Bowman household, because I have begun baking and cooking again! I made homemade brownies and icing, blueberry zucchinni bread (wonderful!!), and today I have chicken tacos simmering in the crock pot. I have to keep this up. Josh made fried zucchinni last night with our dinner and he actually liked it! Good thing, because it's practically coming out of our ears.

I'm looking forward to this summer. So many things to cross off the summer to do list. . . 

• Teaching summer school (day 1 was definitely a pleasant success)
• Long bike rides! (Had a 22 mile one on Sunday with a great friend! :)
• Relaxing poolside (Can't wait for Thursday with my best friend!)
• Pool parties
• Kentucky Lake trip (3 weeks and counting)
• boating
• reading (Currently Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter for a book study and Ephesians from the Bible.)
• working on my classroom (library and literacy centers)
• cups of coffee on the patio in the early morning (Sure wish Donut Bank delivered...)
• long walks with Riley
• cooking yummy summer pinterest dishes (Feel free to post if you have any good ones!)

Happy summer everyone & thanks for reading!