Myrtle Beach

I know, suddenly I'm a blogging junkie! :)

We also discovered a new favorite jam, because, well duh, Carolina girls are the best in the world! So turn up your speakers and listen as you read! 

This past weekend Sam, Emily, myself, Chris and Dennis (our neighbors), Lauren (Dennis's girlfriend) and  JE and Ashely (our friends)  all went to Myrtle Beach for a long weekend.  It was Chris's birthday so we were there for a vacation AND for celebrations! 

On the way there, we made a pitstop in Wilmington at Wrightsville Beach. So beautiful. 

The weather was absolutely perfect every day we were there.  Bocce ball, reading, and just relaxing on the beach seemed to fill our days. 

We also went parasailing one day! So pretty on the ocean! 

 

Dennis and JE parasailing.                                                                             The parachute! 

Gettin' ready to do this! 

Dennis, JE, Chris, Sam, me, Emily

Lovebirds for the weekend! :) 

Family pic :) Life doesn't get better than this! 

Per usual, Dennis had to check out things on the boat...with the captain and the mate...

So, umm....who's driving the boat?! JE's nervous!

One night we went out and I had my first piano bar experience! So fun! 

Having so much fun I can't even keep my eyes open! 

                                           *Lovebirds*                JE and Ashley, Dennis and Lauren

Going out and exploring the town!! Happy birthday Chris (Bryan!) 

 The father and son in the background were having a deep convo, which was not going well.  The son was pissed.  It was the father's birthday.  #happybirthdaytoyou but.... can we eat your friend pickles? 

Owning the dance floor, per usual

Convo before this picture: 

Chris: Sam, give me your camera. 

Sam: Why?

Chris: Cause I see something pretty... 

Chris and Ashley---Happy birthday Bryan! 

<3 <3 <3 

Yes, we live the good life.

Lady Antebellum Concert!

For my birthday, my two best teacher friends got tickets to attend a Lady Antebellum concert in Raleigh on...get this...the last day of school! What a perfect ending to a fabulous day!

Pactolus Teacher Family:   Tiffany, Alli, Molly, me, and Melissa :) 

With the coolers loaded, sundresses on, and cowboy boots rocking, we headed to Raleigh.  Opening for Lady A was Darius Rucker (yes, Hootie fans!!!).  He was amazing and, luckily for us 90's fans, sang plenty of Hootie songs.

"Hey, we're just lookin' for a good time!"

Then came Lady A! Their concert was amazing.  Sometimes you go to concerts of artists you love and they sound nothing like they do on the radio.  However, not Lady A.  They sounded even better live and put on a great show.  My only complaint is it was over much too quickly! We enjoyed the drinks and beautiful weather at the amphitheater.  :) Enjoy the pictures!

Pactolus Teacher Family plus friend! 

"We owned the night"

Just a quick shout out to Alli and Molly for the best birthday gift ever! Thank you so much! I had a blast!

Me, Molly, Alli

It was the "Perfect Day"

#BFFs

End of the Year festivities!

Wow....the end of the school year came and went so quickly!!

The last few weeks of school were consumed with EOG (End of Grade) testing at my school.  My students were tested in reading and math.  For all my Iowa friends who aren't familiar with this, students are given a (ridiculously long, over analyzed) standardized test and then given a score ranging from a 1-4, where a 3 or 4 are considered "passing".  No matter how you look at it, this is one of the biggest ways teachers are "assessed" on their performance for the school year.  Anyways, students 3-8 are all tested on the same day for reading and then math (which is a 2 day test).  They are long...and I mean 3-4 hours long.  And as an "administrator" I was expected to stand the whole time and walk around, monitoring for "foul-play".  Without going into much detail, it was awful and so stressful.  This took about a week to prepare and then take the tests.  THEN.....if students did not pass, they had to remediate for a week in whatever subject they did not pass, and then RETAKE the test.  Without being too "political" on this topic, I will at least say I was so glad it was over.  My students did very well and I was so please with their scores! :)

Once EOG's were over, we were finally able to celebrate the end of the school year.  Thanks to a great idea from my stepmom, Kim,  the 4th grade teachers arranged for our students to have a "Minute to Win It" day filled with games from the TV show.  To say we had a blast is an understatement.  The kids were so happy to be outside and playing (noneducational) games after a long 3 weeks of EOG prep and testing.  I wish I would have been thinking ahead to bring my camera but, per usual, I forgot.  Sorry! But imagine (organized) chaos with students running around balancing balloons on their heads, trying to eat Oreo's off their foreheads without using their hands, and squeezing Tic-Tac's with tweezers...Good mental picture, huh?

The last day of school was so bittersweet for me.  I had been thinking about this day for weeks and it was finally here and I was SAD! I didn't want my first class to leave me! They all found special places in my heart over the school year and will stay there forever! They have taught me more about life and teaching than I could have ever imagined last August when I started.

The last day was filled with games and, of course, an ice cream party! We celebrated and enjoyed our time together before loading the buses one last time for the school year.  All of my students rode the bus this year so we walked out and the students got on their bus.  Then...one of my favorite memories of the school year took place.  Normally the buses just tear out of the school and the teachers leave.  HOwver, on the last day, it's a bit different.  The teachers all line up and follow the buses over to the road.  Then the buses drive by one by one and the teachers wave them off.  The buses were honking their horns and the students were (literally) hanging out the windows trying to wave goodbye to all their (favorite!!) teachers.  It was the perfect way to end the school year! Again, I wish I had pictures but I forgot.

Anyway, now it's summer time and I can't wait for the festivities to begin.  I am so anxious to enjoy my relaxing summer filled with the beach, sun, drinks, celebrations, vacations, and friends!

#cincodekirstin

Our alternate ego's getting after it on Cinco de Kirstin 

Anyone who knows me, knows I love my birthday.  It's the very beginning of beautiful weather, school is almost out, and it's Cinco de Mayo!! This past weekend was, in fact, my 24th birthday.  I was a little weirded out about becoming so old but then I realized a very important fact...My age still rounds down to 20 so, to me, that's technically still "young", right?! :)

My birthday started with my students throwing me a "surprise" birthday party.  Of course I knew about it because, well, 9-10 year olds suck at keeping secrets.  Especially when it's the girls planning it and the boys (who want NOTHING to do with the girls....yea right!) found out about it.  So obvi the boys told me on Monday and I had to wait in suspense until Friday to celebrate.  Little did I know, almost every student had either made me a card or gotten me a present.  It was one of the most heart warming experiences I have had yet in my short, young 24 years of life.  They had all planned who was bringing in plates, cups, drinks, chips, cupcakes, the whole shebang.  We ate and celebrated and it was perfect! 

I should also share that one of my students, whom I love dearly because he is sooo sweet, brought in flowers.  When he walked up to give them to me on Friday he said, "Miss Kerian, these are for you.  I picked them from my mom's garden and they are your favorite color!".  Umm....adorable.  Pictures of the flowers are attached.

Another student brought in this legit chicken decorating thing that said "Laugh" and she explained the gift like this, "I got you this because you always laugh and because there are so many animals in Iowa."  For realz?!?! Can't you just feel your heart melting away? How sweet! 

Friday after work I went out with some "teacher friends".  I have really become close with two and I feel so grateful I was able to meet them! I can't imagine my life at Pactolus or in Greenville without them.  Anyways, their present to me was a ticket to the Lady Antebellum concert in Raleigh on the last day of school.  #solegit I can't wait for that as I'm sure we will be stoked from the last day of school (#bye) and I can guarantee the stories we come back with will be cray-cray. 

On Saturday, I awoke on my birthday to 3 missed calls, 2 voicemails, and 2 texts from my father.  He decided that he was going to keep calling every hour until I answered the phone.  I mean, he's the one that says it's your "birthday week" so why can't a girl sleep in a bit on her big day?! :) Either way, once I was up, the texts/calls/messages kept rollin in.  Yet another reason I love birthdays.  It's such a wonderful reminder of the blessings you have in your life and what wonderful people you are surrounded with.  Even me, living half way across the country from my entire family and friends, I still felt the love! #soblessed #feelthelove #friendstilltheend #familyties

Saturday was amazing. Sam, Emily, and I were able to lay out ALL day Saturday and soak up some sun! For those of you who attended Courtney Shimek's bachelorette party, you may see a small piece of memorabilia.... The margs and sun were the perfect combination for a perfect day.  We later celebrated by going to see a band we love, the Emily Minor Band.  She was so fun and I think, if I do remember correctly, she even gave a birthday shout out from stage! As always, my friends and I had a blast! I love them for hanging with my on my birthday and for being groupies with me.  Always a pleasure.

I think that's all for now.  

Love and miss my friends/family back home but, listen, the weather's a.maz.balls and life is good, so maybe someone should come visit? anyone.... :) :) 

Until next time...

Concerts and Trains

Hello!

Sorry my world has been flying at 200 mph..I know, I know...Not an excuse. :) Since I last blogged, my life has truly been..well...very boring! I seem to be living that day-in, day-out lifestyle that so many adults used to talk about. :)  It is now my life! But I appreciate the predictability though and am very blessed to have a job!

If I forgot to mention this earlier, I have decided I would like to marry a male country singer; preferably one  who is single so I don't have to be considered a home-wrecker.  What brings this on, you ask? Well, in February Sam, her boyfriend, Chris, and I went to a Brantley Gilbert and Eric Church concert in Greensboro.  It.  Was.  Un. Be. Lievable.  When both were singing, it was like they were giving a private concert just for me. And I  believed they were.  Especially during the love songs as I swayed to the music in pure bliss...

Now, Sam and I have been to MANY concerts in our days so we know what a good concert consists of.  This, however, was one of the top we have ever attended.  The crowd was out of control.  They knew every single word both artists had to sing.  They were loud.  They were crazy.  They were energetic the ENTIRE CONCERT.

You know that feeling you get when a really amazing, feel-good, happy song comes on the radio where you can't help but drown all your sorrows and just smile? That's what this entire concert was like! I feel like my words can't even begin to describe the energy.  When Eric Church's new song "Springsteen" comes on the radio, I can still here the coliseum singing to it as he went acoustic and help up the mic.  Between the concert and just a weekend getaway, the weekend was perfect!  I will attach pictures of this life-changing experience.

In my recent travels, I have also added to my list of "new experiences" by taking the train.  My grandpa's brother, Jerry, lives out in Alexandria, VA with his wife, Corinne, and their kids also live in the area.  While I was student teaching in VA, I had the pleasure of living with Corinne and Jerry and getting to know them better.  I wanted to go back and visit them so I took the train a few weekends back and stayed with them for the weekend.

Let me just rewind here for a minute.  While I was living with Corinne and Jerry last Fall, I found a very unexpected friendship in both.  I found that I could talk to both and really open up about many, many things.  Corinne soon became more than just my "great-aunt" (or whatever that relationship is).  She became a dear friend.  It was for this reason that, while returning to VA just a few weeks ago, it felt like going home.  I had the sense that when I walked into the house, I was walking into my house and my bedroom.  It was definitely a feeling I have missed being so far from home.

While in Alexandria, Corinne and I got busy doing "me-time" things.  We ate out, we shopped, we explored, and we visited her kids and grandkids (who are, for obvious reasons, adorable! :) Hi Harrison, Harper, Jackson, and Brooklyn!  We talked and read, we ran errands, and just enjoyed each other's company.  While Jerry was busy helping fund raise for their church, we were living in the moment! I was also able to catch up with my cooperating teaching from student teaching! This was especially exciting as she is expecting in June! :)

My weekend with Corinne and Jerry was memorable but, more unexpectedly, heart-warming.  It's like that feeling when you are away at college for long periods of time where you sometimes forget "who you are" and where you came from....then you go home, feel grounded again, and return to "yourself".  My weekend was very similar in that aspect.  I left feeling grounded and complete again.  :) So thank you again to Corrine and Jerry and family, for making my mini-vacation so "perfect"... ;)

Besides these eventful weekends, here is what I have done in the past two months:

1) Went to the Hunger Games....twice

2) Had 13 conferences in one night

3) Been called the "best" and the "worst" teacher...all in one day
4) Taken on my own car insurance... eww
5) Had bonfires and roasted marshmallows!!
6) Laid by the pool, in my swimsuit
7) Played the Finger Game at Happy Hour
8) Given up candy and pop for Lent...Easter can not come soon enough!
9) Balanced an egg AND a broom during this freaky "planet alignment/gravity" thing
10) Become obsessed with and made my class obsessed with the Decorah Eagles.  (We are watching them hatch this week!)

Strength.

As I sit here on a Friday night, relaxing from a long (short) week, I find myself with some deep thoughts...(which is very unusual, as I normally gorge myself in mindless, reality T.V. and books typically written for teens...The Hunger Games, Twilight, Harry Potter, etc.).

This past week I had (yet another) new student enter my class. While I can't tell you much, I can tell you this student received a new home as well as a new school all within one weeks time.  Immediately my heart was aching for them.  However, they came into my classroom with one of the most positive outlooks on life a 4th grader could have. This student is so full of energy and so eager to learn. I asked my student today how the first week was at a new school and a new home. My student replied with a simple shrug of the shoulders and a smile and said, "Well Miss Kerian, it's good!". If only I could have their strength some days. I admire everything about my student right now.

As my dad and I were exchanging emails today and discussing this, he said to me, "All problems in life look pretty small and silly when you just look around." I'm the first to admit I rant and vent (mostly to my very kind, very patient roomies!) about some of the most silly things in life. I get myself all worked up over the "small things". As I see my student and imagine what this person has gone through and seen in the past week of their life, I realize it is more than I will probably ever have to endure.

With that said, the next time I find myself upset I will follow my fathers "wise words" and think of the strength my 4th grader has...

Becoming an Adult....SUCKS!

Hello friends!!!!

Sorry it has been so long! I feel like once the holiday season hit, my life has been in fast forward!

Our first Thanksgiving away from Iowa was successful! We joined the boys downstairs and had a lovely meal complete with ham, potatoes, chicken, salad, 2 desserts, and more! Yes, we overcooked and yes, we overate but let me tell you, it was blissful! :)

I will admit, we got a little crazy with Christmas decorating! We transformed our living room into a Hallmark store.  I will attach pictures below.  It definitely made the holiday season seem more "festive", even if the weather was mid 60's and sunny!

For those of you who don't know, I was lucky enough to be able to go home for 10 days over break.  My trip was home completely and utterly perfect.  I was able to spend time with my family, pick on my brothers and sisters (which was long overdue, obviously!), and tear up Cresco with my friends.  Let me tell you, it was everything I missed about Cresco and more.  I had no idea I missed home as much as I did until I was home.  With that said, it was one teary goodbye.  I mean uncontrollable crying, tears streaming down my face, and not in a pretty, one glistening Jennifer Aniston tear; I'm talking black Lauren Conrad (when she is talking to Audrina) tears x 1,000.  Imagine that while going through security trying to convince the security man that I am actually okay, just sad I'm leaving home.  He thought I was crazy.... Needless to say, I left Cresco with a very heavy heart but it was full of new memories! It definitely gave meaning to the saying, "Home is where your heart is".

As hard as it was to leave everyone, say goodbye, and travel  back to Greenville, I was surprisingly excited to be back.  I realized how much I had missed my kids at school.  They were so excited to see me, as I was also to see them! I realized as I am writing this how many funny stories have happened during school just since we came back from break.  I had a mouse, yes a MOUSE, loose in my room, and the endlessly funny things my students say to me.  To read them and stay up to date on "$h!t my students say", keep following me on Twitter and Facebook! :) It is pretty hilarious.

We had a pretty great New Years Eve.  We went to one of our favorite local watering holes and saw a local favorite band "Emily Minor Band".  She was amazing, as always.  The drinks were also amazing, if you catch my drift! :) Haha.  I will also attach pictures from that.  Enjoy!

Now....to get to the adult portion of this blog....Since moving away from home, I have been faced with many "adult" challenges.  Some of them which were pretty easy; setting up a checking account, a saving account, changing my address, etc.  Then there were the more difficult things; figuring out and setting up my medical insurance, figuring out and setting up my benefits package, figuring out and setting up dental and vision packages.  I mean this stuff is endless! I have successfully done the things I  just listed but today I started a new venture, which I can already tell is going to be the most difficult; finding car/renters insurance! Renters insurance is no problem but car insurance, forget about it! "What's your VIN #? Uninsured Motorists Bodily Injury? Collision? Comprehensive? Property Damage? Medical Payments? Roadside Assistance? Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists? etc, etc, etc." My most common response, "Umm, can you explain that to me?"  Trying to find the answers to these questions yet still maintaining a confident front so I don't "get taken advantage of because of my youth and lack of knowledge, and, well, let's face it, my looks! Haha, just kidding.  But man, being an adult SUCKS...sometimes! I can tell this process may take a while and I can't wait for it to be over!

As I am writing this, there was a HUGE crash outside and we found there was an accident right outside our apartment...crazy living in the "city" sometimes.  So loud...all..the..time..!!!

Anyways, I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe, and heartwarming holiday season!

We are in the process of purchasing tickets to an Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert concert so you have plenty to look forward to for our next adventure!

Miss you all terribly!