Gobble till ya Wobble

Thanksgiving 2013 went down in the books as a great time full of family, food, and fun.  My mom's side of the family hosted us down south and as always, they didn't disappoint. 

Aunt Pam and my cousin's wife, Brooke, made us these cute state pillows.  I hate to admit it, but Oklahoma does look cooler than Kansas.  Poor little rectangle Kansas.  And don't miss out on that cute cheese ball Reese, front and center!  

Kid is always my sidekick at family gatherings.  

Separate sister pics will have to do.

Before the big meal

After the big meal

We enjoyed an evening shopping and looking at lights (and sipping Starbucks) at Utica Square. 

It's hard to believe it's already December and Christmas break is a few short weeks away (Can I get an amen!?)  So I'll leave you with this.  

Christmas cheer around our place!  And I'm modeling my new leg warmers made by my Grandmama. 

Well, with the blogging track record I've had lately, you may not be hearing from me till after Christmas. 

Happiest Place on Earth

Allow me to introduce myself.  I'm the girl who apparently has had either nothing to blog about or more likely, no motivation to blog for the last month. But have no fear...I'm back with pics from the happiest place on earth!  We took a girls trip to celebrate Birthday Barbie's 21st!  Who wouldn't want to celebrate at Disney?!

Before we hit up the International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot, we enjoyed Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party at Magic Kingdom.  Costumes and all.  :) 

Meet Minnie, Micky, Pirate, and Flapper Girl 

We were able to enjoy the Halloween party after park hours and trick-or-treat.  We were under the impression that costumes were required to join in on this event, but soon discovered that regular clothes would have sufficed.  No worries, there were some crazy people out there in full costume get-up; I'd say we we fit into the "mild and cute" category.  

My Disney travel agent aunt got us the hook-up with a breakfast in a backstage prop room before Hollywood Studios opened.  Which also allowed for our group to enjoy the 3D Toy Story ride before the mobs of people joined us in the park.  If you're even the slightest Disney fan you know that is like money in the bank.

It was a fast trip, but such a fun one!  Beautiful weather and great memories made while celebrating the coolest 21 year old I know.  

Luke Bryan...and the Little Things

Hello, cyber world!  Yes, it's me, huffing and puffing as I'm running to catch up with life.  That Life is a fast one.  Just when you think you've got a handle on her, she goes and decides to fly by quicker than ever before.  She's sly like that; trying to sneak October through the door without you noticing September's gone.  October will be a big month for the Sauder girls.  The Kid turns another year older, (the big 2-1...how can she be that old?!) and to honor her we're going to the happiest place on earth, Disney World!!

What you are about to see is the most random conglomeration of pictures in my attempt to make a dent in my happenings lately.  A few weeks ago some friends and I went to the Luke Bryan concert.  Two words for you: Hip Thrusts.  If I had a dollar for every time that boy thrust his hips I could probably quit my job and be just fine.  Now don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it, but it did throw me off a bit.  My group thought we were so smart by using a promo code for pre-sale tickets, but let me just tell you, if you have a fear of heights, you would not have made it in our seats.  I could have touched the back wall of the place.  :) But did that stop our high-pitched screams, fist pumps, and sweet dance moves? No sirree.  That guy was amazing.

Thought I'd help you out with an arrow because that's as good as I could get from where we were.  His opening acts were amazing! Florida Georgia Line & Thompson Square. 

Part of the crew

I'll spare you the rest of my hundred pics from the concert, because with the combination of a camera phone and our seats, they're just really not worth sharing.

On to a few of my favorite things lately.....and it's clear I'm all about the little things here.

This book was recommended to me by a teacher and I have absolutely loved it! Seriously, check it out.

Yes, confession.  I've recently picked up a new hobby of going to the Zumba classes at the YMCA and I love it!  Do I look like a fool? Most definitely.  Is it full of old people? Sometimes.  But I've found it's the one thing that can actually make me smile while working out.   

The stupid picture won't turn, but this water bottle has been the best $12 spent in months.  Thank you, Target!

Seriously, people...it's the little things.  

Labor Day Weekend

We've enjoyed our first three day weekend and Jana's Labor Day Recap is so good, I'll let you check hers out and will leave you with just a few pics.

Birthdays were celebrated, laughs were had, ladder ball was played, and the boy team was dominated.  (*cough cough* The Kid and are undefeated) Enjoy the pics!

This lovely bouquet arrived in my classroom last week after I finished my Master's degree. Thanks Mom & Dad! 

The fall decor is in its place and football is in full swing.  Now for the cooler weather...Happy Fall!

Back to School

Well, my lack of blogging these past few weeks can only mean one thing: school is back in session.  I've set up the classroom, attended the new teacher meetings, planned some lessons, and welcomed the little 6th graders to middle school.  The first day was like trying to herd 200+ cats as they made it to their lockers and tried (and tried...and tried) to open them.  I could barely step out my classroom door during passing period before at least three wide-eyed kids would be asking for help.  The best part would be when you'd watch them try multiple times, then see them look up at the locker number, and proceed to move over to the next locker that was actually theirs.  They really are good kids.  They ask the funniest questions and want to please you so much.  Despite all the change and being back in the "just be a day ahead of them" stage, I'm really loving it.  And you wanna know a really great thing?? Sixth graders eat first lunch, which makes Miss Sauder very happy :)

Before the busyness of life set in, I made a trip to KC to see Jana and the crew.

Cade loves playing "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" 

Little blondies

My sweet Grandmama and Papa had a plant delivered to my new classroom!

All in all it's been a great start to the 2013-2014 school year!  And some exciting news--I will be completely finished with my master's degree as of this Sunday! Woo hoo!!

Good bye summer....until we meet again.

New Classroom Pics

Please forgive me for my lack of creativity with my title, but thanks to blogger you can see how many page views each post gets (confession, I'm a tad obsessed with that) and I've noticed lately that titles that include the word "new" or "change" had sky-rocket amounts of views!  Apparently people like to look at change going on in someone else's life.  My Operation Beach Bod also received a crazy amount of views...interesting.  I'm sorry to have created any disappointment when it was really just more of a title and less of anything regarding a beach or a bod.  What? You weren't expecting a fully clothed Gentry sporting a YMCA Changing Lives folder?! :)

Anyway...my awesome mom continued our tradition of helping me out in my classroom to start the school year.  View this post and this post if you'd like to travel down memory lane of previous years in my classroom. Despite the fact that I haven't really come to terms with the fact that I return to school THIS WEEK, I have really enjoyed setting up a new classroom.  Thanks to my mom's sewing skills and willingness to work into the wee hours of the night (because let's be real, she does the majority of the work and I do the majority of the watching), I got a bit more crafty in this classroom with a valence in the windows and cute throw pillows in my widely expanded class library.  Enjoy some pics!

Couldn't seem to get rid of the red eye...

 

Mom sewed some cute cases for some throw pillows.  Complete with Velcro to remove & wash!

Bulletin board has since been completed, but forgot to snap a finished pic. 

A before and after.  And actually before this before the wall was covered in shelves that I took down.

So there's a brief tour of the place!  Wish me luck as I head off to new teacher training (again) and try to make friends and adjust to a new place.  I'm looking forward to it! 

New Normals

We've successfully moved into our new place and now it's time to create new norms for life.  You know, the annoying stuff like finding a new grocery store.  I'm a small store snob and hate to have to navigate the aisles with several other people toting around their screaming kids (no offense people...just not my current phase of life), so I've been a huge fan of the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets.  Smaller parking lot, fewer people, familiar layout, I like.  I've got one 2.7 miles from my house.  I'll take it.

I've been making trips out to my new classroom to set things up.  So far I've timed it at around 14 minutes from our place; we'll see what morning school traffic adds.  I imagine the commute might look a little different when I'm on the road before 11am, but why rush things just yet? T-minus 16 days. The room is really coming around and feeling like my own space.  I'm one who has to invest a chunk of time in a place for it to feel familiar and comfortable to me.  I'd say I'm accomplishing that in room 610.  Pics to come in a future post.

We've had two visitors in our new place.  Jana entrusted the kiddos to Matt for a night and we enjoyed some girl time.  If you checked out my Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving list for her birthday, I would have to add that she is a very hard worker!  Seriously.  You can tell she's a mom of two little ones and is used to going non-stop because she helped me knock out hanging all of our decorations in the house and we crossed off a lot of things in my classroom.

If you check out Jana's blog or follow me on Instagram (gentrys10....you totally should!) then you've seen this before.  But know that we enjoyed a Sonic picnic in the park, worked hard, and enjoyed a night out together!  Thanks for coming, Jana!

Then a good friend of mine from college, Ellie, came to visit.  We enjoyed a dinner out and some chocolates and hot cocoa at Cocoa Dolce.

Yes, hot cocoa in the summer.  But in our defense, we had a crazy rain storm where the weather dipped into the low 70's.  It's been a good week adjusting to the place and creating new normals.

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

Happy 30th Birthday to my older sister, Jana!! So, she's not really flirty, as she's been happily married for almost eight years.  But...surely some of you caught on to my Thirteen Going on Thirty quote, and she is definitely thriving! :)

Here's a tribute to the birthday girl--

Thirty Reasons to Love Jana!

(in no particular order) 

30.  She let's me borrow her Friends Dvd's to watch at night :)

29.  She's one of the greatest moms out there!  Seriously, her kids adore her

28.  She has a very large capacity...she's known to say yes to random things 

27.  She's a regular at the zoo and any other fun, unique place with her kids

26.  She gives great advice!

25.  She's always available (Remember my summer in Brazil when I never slept and we'd have phone dates??)

24.  She likes a good glass of wine now and then :)

23.  She randomly busts out toe touches (hasn't been a cheerleader for over 10 yrs) Impressive.

22.  She uses just the right emoticon at just the right time 

21.  She loves the pool and the beach

20.  She's a great teacher who has the patience to teach 12 yr old boys how to sew 

19.  She makes for a great phone date on commutes home from school

18.  She's always giving me great new recipes

17.  She lets me sleep with her if Matt's out of town when I visit

16.  She brought the two cutest.kids.ever into the world

15.  We have several inside jokes to laugh about

14.  She loves Dairy Queen ice cream cakes 

13.  She's ambitious with her crafts (totally re-doing her bathroom right now)

12.  She's a very efficient shopper (don't have to "shop till I drop" with her)

11.  She made me an aunt

10.  We can still laugh about "She'll have pretzels" years later.  (see #15)

9.    She's taught me to be annoyed by the "just calling to say hi" voice mails 

8.    She plans fun things for us to do when I come to town

7.    She follows all kinds of sports news (and is shocked when I don't know who someone is)

6.    She's great to "collaborate" on school stuff together

5.    She's a night owl

4.    She's a nurturer to her kids

3.   She's a great example of a woman following after God

2.   We have 26 years of memories together

1.    She's my BGF (Best Girl Friend)  

Love you, Jana!  Have a fabulous day!

Cute Kids and Crafts

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times.  My niece and nephew are the cutest darned kids ever.  (Of course that will reign true until I have my own).  I got to spend some time with them a few weekends ago in GB and have these precious pictures to share with you all.

What's a weekend without fort making, bubbles, and watering flowers?

Oh sweet Reesie girl

Cader-tot is becoming such a big boy!

What's a stay in GB without a craft project with mom!  She whipped up a case for my sunglasses in no time.

Then we got into the refurbishing business and turned a drab chalkboard into fab.  Have I mentioned how talented my mom is??

 In other news...we're moving to the east side this weekend, which means our house is full of bare walls and boxes.  And today marks the first day of my LAST master's class!  Wahoo!  Light at the end of the tunnel.

The Only Sooner Post I'll Ever Make...

 WARNING! The following views expressed in this publication are those of the pictured and do not necessarily not at all represent the official poster (me).  You're about to see plenty of crimson and cream, but please let me remind you that purple runs through my veins.  :)

 My cousin, Zach, will be a Senior this fall at OU and he has a sweet gig working for Sooner Vision.  He helps run the cameras for OU sports and has even worked with ESPN!  The extended family all united in Norman recently and we got a backstage tour of where the magic happens.  

We found a few props along the tour and of course, had some fun.  Like these microphones used for our own mock interviews.

We may have also come across a few OU friends along the way.  Now, of course my Wildcat ways would not consider these men friends...but Nathan and Matt sure didn't mind getting up close and personal.

A green screen for shooting

With the help of this wig we found, I'm impersonating a Sooner fan :) 

Nathan trying to prove to us that an alarm will sound if someone steps on their coveted field. Please.  Though I must admit I freaked out just a bit when my flip flop blew down closer to the field and I had to scramble to grab it.  No alarm.  Safe. 

Dad pointing out the Oklahoma State license plate spotted on campus

  We spent a day down at Bricktown and enjoyed a boat ride tour along the river. 

Closest we got to a group pic.  Only missing a few of us. 

We made a stop by the OKC National Memorial.  Very sobering. 

Found our own corner of the lobby for game night

Lots of statues along the river

What's a summer post without a Sonic reference?!  I was told this location was Sonic Headquarters.  They actually had a restaurant inside where you ordered and could sit down and eat.  Sonic dreams complete.  

Cade and Reese are great entertainers! 

Pool time

And because I just can't end a Sooner post any other way...I leave you with this :) 

Future Wildcats!