18 weeks

A week ago from today close friends and relatives gathered at our house to find out the gender of our little one, after much suspense. The votes were in.... 9 of our friends and family voted boy, while 7 voted girl. Turns out my initial instinct and daddy's gut feeling were....... wrong. The cake was very pink. Baby Bowman is a little girl. Her name will be Eden Ansley Bowman. Can't wait to welcome her to our world in April! It's becoming even more real...

This week I began feeling the little flutters of baby kicking for the first time....It's easiest to feel when I'm laying in bed or sitting still. . . It would be easy to miss if I wasn't paying attention . Sometimes it just feels like a little flutter and other times a little bit stronger. It is wonderful, and I can't wait to feel her even more.

I've had a few cravings lately---brownie batter frozen yogurt from Orange leaf with mini chocolate chips and hot fudge is a recurring craving. I've had to fulfill it multiple times, and each time it hits the spot. Another craving.....sushi. I fulfilled it with a California Roll, which I didn't really like before being pregnant, but I knew it was as good as it was going to get until baby is born. It tasted much better than I remembered!

:)

Fall & Baby

Fall is in full swing and I am loving every minute of it. The cool, crisp air is perfect for long walks, baking cutout pumpkin cookies with the husband, corn mazes,hot soup, apple fritters, Fall Festival, hiking, long naps on Sunday afternoon, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread, apple picking, and apple cider. All of the things I have already had the pleasure of enjoying this Fall. Still waiting for bonfires, camping trips, passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, class field trip to Goebel farms, and baking homemade apple dumplings. Notice how many of my favorite Fall things this year involve food?

I am now 14 weeks and 3 days pregnant, and it has been a quick, mostly painless, and joy-filled filled ride so far. Although, I am quite the worrier, as always, and I find myself worrying now more than ever. When these worries creep into my mind, I try to think of the words that God has given me...and then for a brief moment, I wonder, why did I ever worry in the first place?  Everything is in his hands and his plan is the perfect this. I know this. Just have to be reminded, again, and again, and again....

-Phillipians 4:6-7- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, present your requests to the Lord with thanksgiving, and his peace which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

-Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
 
-Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

In other baby news, next week we will possibly find out the gender of our little one. I say possible, because it may still be too early..... Will it be a girl (Eden) or a boy (Hayden.) I am not sure, but cannot wait to find out. God has blessed us so much, and I am so thankful for all that he is doing in our lives right now.

Hope you are all enjoying this season as much as I am!

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!

Spring Break 2012

Ahhhh, Spring Break was a breath of fresh air---I may not even have known how badly I needed it, but it was a wonderful blessing of a break. It was simply a bonus that the fresh air happened to be Sunny Florida air. :)

Our trip started out with a hail storm. but alas we made it out of Evansville and away from the dreadful Spring storm. For those of you who know me, you know how happy that made me! We drove through the night with a short stop in Georgia to sleep, and then on we went.. Not sure that I want to know how much caffeine Josh had that night.

We arrived in Lakeland on Saturday morning bright and early. I  think Josh's Grandmother was a little surprised to see us so soon. While in Lakeland, we lounged by the pool, read, watched the Hunger Games at the IMAX theater (totally a fan!) enjoyed the best strawberry shortcake ever (a must have if you're in the area) at Parksdale Farms, went to a flea market and a mom and pop restaurant, and played Bingo with the folks in the retirement community. (Josh was totally in his element here.)  We also attempted to play tennis (without much luck) and took a couple of walks at Lake Parker.  It was a nice/relaxing time.

On Tuesday morning we said our good-byes and headed onward to the happiest place in the world--Disney World!! We spent the day at Epcot. It wasn't too crazy-busy, so we were able to do pretty much everything that we wanted to do. We ate lunch in Germany. The buffet was good, and we chatted with the families seated at our table. We also enjoyed the drinks in Mexico. Yum! It was fun, maybe even better than I remember it as a kid.

Tuesday evening we headed to our final destination----Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. My cousin Daniel is assistant principal at an elementary school there. He and Clint live there, just minutes from the beach, and with my last visit to Daniel being Spring Break my senior year of high school, I figured it was time for another trip--long over due! Highlights of our time there were: beach time, lunch at the Floridian, going on an air boat tour in the Everglades, going to West Palm Beach to the Cheesecake Factory to meet my cousin Ben and his girlfriend Amanda, visiting Miami, and walking along South Beach. Definitely a wonderful time and even better to spend it with family.

On Thursday night, Josh and I began our drive back to Indiana, and it was dreadful. I was so tired of being in the car and I know Josh was too. When we crossed over into Indiana, I don't think I had ever been so excited to be in Evansville. I probably could have done a happy dance, but I was too tired. As wonderful as our vacation was, I think I can honestly say that it felt just as good (if not better) to be home. We went grocery shopping and I was excited to get some new workout clothes and some healthy groceries. When we got home, I took a shower and we walked across the street to Rounders Too. Pizza never tasted so good! Some other highlights of the weekend were Josh finishing up the patio (It looks fantastic!), Zumba and Core on Saturday morning, pedicures with my mom, highlight with Justine Brock, grilling out and eating dinner outside, teaching at Sontown at church, Palm Sunday service, lunch with our small group friends, bike ride, walk, and swim for Riley at the Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife Area. Wow, I feel so blessed.

This week has been wonderful. I am so thankful and so happy..
I am also so not ready to go back to school . . .but I'm sure tomorrow morning at 4:30 a.m. when my alarm clock goes off, I will be bouncing out of bed....umm. . . positive thinking, right? Have a great week everyone!

Sushi and Wine Kinda Day

Awesome workout tonight. 

Followed by one of my favorite dinners. California Roll and Red Wine. Don't worry, I added it into my calorie counter, and still have some calories to spare! Surprising, since I sat at my desk during my planning period indulging in skittles and m&m's, which I really don't think I even tasted..... I was just at a loss of what to do, so munching on those treats (meant to be for my students) is sadly what I did. .  .Unfortunately the m&ms, sushi, and red wine, won't be friends of mine tomorrow when it comes time to stand on the dreaded scale. . .Oh, the price I pay for my team.. . 

I love my job. I am so blessed to have a good job! So, never take me as complaining when I say that I am stressed. It really isn't a bad stress. It's just the, I really want to be the best teacher that I can be, and I really want my students to learn to their full potential!

On that note, I have post assessments to grade, lesson plans to make, house to clean, and eventually sleep to get. :)

Awesome Work Out!!

Work out tonight was tough, but awesome!! We did lots of squats, standing lunges, and a pretty good workout on the step. We did some arms, but the focus was on the legs and glutes, and mine are burning! Came home to a wonderful dinner prepared by my amazing husband; baked fish, green beans, and corn. I contemplated a margarita but did not want to add 279 calories to my total for today! Woah! After dinner we had a walk with Riley. I told my students that one of my New Years Resolution's was to walk my dog ever day---now I can finally tell them that I am actually following through. It was a nice walk, but walking in the cold makes me long for Spring even more. . . or at least Spring Break! 

Well, it's back at it again tomorrow, and I'm excited for the kiddos to be back!
!

Time to Get Serious- 34 Days to Go!

The Husband and I have been working on the whole "healthy eating thing." I have to do better now that the Valentine's/Birthday festivities are over....No more excuses!! A girl's body can only handle so many pasta entrees from Biaggis and DiLeggis, it really can only take so many Valentine's chocolates, spoonfuls of cookie dough (I was making my class Cookie Pops...who can resist funfetti batter???) It's time to say enough when it comes to chips and salsa and sugary drinks....time to take a break from pizza and breadsticks, and the delicious treats that Mary Paul also seems to want to share on our daily lunch dates. It's time to put the four boxes of Girl Scout cookies on the top shelf of the pantry (out of sight, out of mind).It's time to  say good-bye until after Spring Break  . It's time to get serious! 34 days until Spring Break! We plan to spend some time with Josh's grandparents in Lakeland, Florida, visit Disney, then make our way down to Ft. Lauderdale to spend some time with my cousin, Daniel. I am so looking forward to sunny weather, strawberry shortcake, and spending time with family.

We cleaned out our pantry and fridge/freezer today and got rid of a box of foods that are too processed or unhealthy. We are working on eating more whole/naturals food products. Tonight Josh made Italian Parmesan Crusted Chicken, broccoli, and fruit salad. We had a piece of Healthy Life  bread with it and it really was a pretty good meal. I biked 18 miles today at the gym and then we took Riley for a walk. I'm so ready for warmer weather so that we can take longer walks each day and so that they can actually be enjoyable.

This time last year, I was using this blog as a place to share what I was reading from Lysa Terkehurst's book Made to Crave.  A year later, I truly believe that this book changed the way I look at food. Now, I year later, I plan to use this blog again as a way to keep myself accountable when it comes to the lifestyle that it is sometimes a battle to maintain. One of healthy eating and exercise, but not of obsession with the two. I feel like it is a fine line that I am often dancing around.

On a school note, most EVSC Schools are off tomorrow, but not us. We will be spending our day going over student data. I'm hoping that this will help me feel even more prepared for the upcoming testing. I saw the picture below, and thought it fit.

Have a nice week, everyone!!