Summer Lovin'

How can it be that we're already halfway through June!? This is the panic of a school teacher watching summer slip through her fingers....

You better believe I will soak up setting my alarm for 9am, hitting up Sonic in the middle of the day, and basking in the sun's heat pool side as much as I can :)

It's become my daily routine to try to get school work done in the mornings.  But you can see in the picture who my biggest distractions are.  Kelly and Michael are stinkin' hilarious.  Michael's been on vacation this past week and the guest co-hosts have just not been the same for me.  I've decided she definitely has the best job EVER.  Someone else does her hair and makeup, she gets to wear the cutest stuff, just talk about her life, meet crazy famous people, and attend all kinds of important events.  Also, have you seen the man she's married to?!

Meet Mark Consuelos

So basically I'm saying, if I had to work year round, I might as well be a daytime talk show host :)

Feast your eyes on my greatest summer purchase...

I read about this Mio on another blog and snagged me some at Wal-Mart for just $3.48.  I'm one who always wants to drink more water (less pop...blah blah blah), but I just get so sick of plain water.  This is the yummiest, easiest flavor thing ever!  Much better than those silly powders that never fully dissolve.  Just put a few squirts of this (Berry Blast is the only one I've tried, but you better believe all their other flavors are on my shopping list) and you will think you're basically sipping an Ocean Water from Sonic.  (Yes, I know I reference Sonic like an addict...if the shoe fits...) I do think this will help me drink less pop.  Or at least I'm making it past 10am before drinking a pop.  Seriously, if you haven't tried this you're missing out. That's all for now.  Keep on keepin' on.

It's a Girl Thing

I am fully convinced that getting away with a group of girl friends for a weekend is one of the best forms of therapy.  Myself and four friends left work early on Friday (Ok--insert Gentry doesn't work this time of year) and headed to KC for a weekend getaway.  We planned the trip around First Fridays, an event held in downtown Kansas City the first full weekend of each month. First Fridays features multiple warehouses full to the brim with awesome antiques, refurbished items, and every kind of cute & crafty thing imaginable for sale.  It's the kind of place that you walk in thinking you don't need anything and walk out with five items you couldn't live without.  It's a girl thing.

We stayed on the Plaza which made for great options for food and fun in the evenings.  Of course we stayed up too late and definitely overate.  It's a girl thing.  We laughed so hard we cried, shared life stories, and talked about poop.  Again, a girl thing.  We shopped till we dropped, always had dessert, and drank a bottle of wine.  Yep, girl thing.

  We jammed out to music, crammed four in the back of a car, and photo bombed pictures (see above top right).  Love these hilarious girls.

Somehow three of us left with wine racks :) 

We enjoyed a sunny day, truck vendor food, and taking silly pictures of the girl who fell victim to falling asleep in the car.  It's a girl thing. Thanks for a fun, girly weekend! Loved every minute of it!

New Journeys

Because this blog was originally created to chronicle my journeys in life, (and because I'm more of a writer and less of a scrapbooker), here's Gentry's next journey for you all.  They say that the only thing constant in life is change.  I fully believe this, but don't always embrace it.   So when I felt God tugging at my heart to prepare for change last fall, I knew I'd better listen up.  Over the course of the school year, God continued to open doors (and soften my heart) for a change in my career.  No, I'm not leaving the teaching profession...let's be real, anyone who knows me will testify that I'm not cut out to work year round. ;)  I did, however, decide to take an opportunity at a new school in a new district.  After four years as a Gorilla at Haysville West, I packed up my classroom, turned in my keys, cried only once, and left my classroom for the last time.  This fall I will join the Trojans (I haven't had the best luck with mascots) at Andover Middle School with 6th graders.  I'm very excited for this new journey and am confident that this is where God wants me.  I'm thankful for His clear direction and constant faithfulness in my life. 

A favorite verse of mine is James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." 

I'm so glad to serve a God that remains constant in an ever-changing world.  Among a change of schools, this summer the girls I live with and I are uprooting and moving to the east side of Wichita.  They already both work over there and Andover will be much closer on the east side.  This summer will be full of packing, cleaning, moving, unpacking, masters classes (I'm completely finished in August!!), and getting a new classroom ready.  Of course I will also find the time to lay pool side, stay up entirely too late, read good books, enjoy Sonic happy hour, and make a few trips to see family and friends.  Thanks for letting me share my life with you! I think that's all for now!