Changes

No you aren't imagining things, I did change the name and layout of my blog! I just wanted something different! So look for some fun, different posts throughout the week, like "Teaching Tuesdays," and some others!

I have a busy week coming up. I am going to Memphis, TN for the first time! However, it's for business not pleasure. I'm going to the Lausanne Laptop Institute. It's a technology conference that I'm attending with 4 other teachers from my school. We're staying in the Peabody Hotel, and yes that's the hotel where the ducks stay. I hope to eat some Memphis BBQ, visit Beale St., catch the ducks swimming in the hotel, and get a tiny glimpse of Graceland. I'm only going to be there 2 days, but a girl can dream! Once I return it's back to the classroom to get it ready for my new kiddos. I can't believe that summer break is half way over! It's been a busy summer!

I look forward to sharing some of the things I did and saw while in Memphis. Until then!

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Teaching Tuesdays

As many of you know I teach 2nd grade and I started thinking that I should have a post every Tuesday about things I'm doing to get ready for school, cool ideas I've found, funny stories during the year, and cool activities during the school year!

I have about a month before I start back to school, but I'm constantly on the look out for things to use/put in my classroom. Pinterest has been a really big help. I'm so thankful that there are so many teachers out there who have great ideas and are willing to share them! I'm also a thrift store freak. I go at least twice a month. I look for gently used books, nic-nacs, and things I can use to make crafts. You have be patient, but I usually find some good deals. So look forward to my "Teaching Tuesdays" posts coming up!

Happy Birthday America!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! I spent mine at the beach. We took our annual Fryer Family beach trip; which consist of Josh and myself along with Shadow and Bouncer. Josh doesn't get a lot of vacation time (that could be a post in itself), so it's nice spending a week together doing nothing. That's pretty much what we did; we ate, we sunbathed, we napped, we caught up on some reading, Nothing too exciting. I did notice one thing; when you go on vacation and it's just the two of you, you seem to take little, if any pictures. So here are the few pictures I took on our trip.

My Best Friend's Wedding

Remember that movie? "Before I put on my make-up, I say a little prayer for you! Forever, Forever you'll stay in my heart...." OK music montage over. Anyway, my best friend Amanda, who was also in my wedding (see below) got married! 



Getting her hair did for my wedding (she's going to kill me).

The wedding weekend started Friday with the bridesmaid luncheon. We had a wonderful, laid back lunch at a local resturaunt, Girlfriends. Amanda gave each of us the signature wedding flip-flops made by Aunt Becky and Beverly and a button-down shirt with our initials on them. 

Allie, the flower girl & entertainer, and I at the Bridesmaid Luncheon

The bride and I




The crew with their Bridesmaid's gifts

After having lunch we went to get our toes and nails done for the BIG day. I guess I should tell my funny/embarassing story that happend to me while we were there. I was sitting in one of the pedicure chairs talking to my friend Kaley while her toes dried. As we were talking we noticed that the chair next to mine was overflowing with water. As Kaley tried to get the attention of the girl getting her toes done I got up from my chair and totally missed the step down from the platform where the chairs sit. As I wave my arms in the hair I manage to grab the chairs that the people sit in while giving the pedicures. However I did not realize until I grabbed it that it had wheels on them. So you know what happens next; the chair rolls as do I. I feel flat on my face! Everyone in the place died laughing! Thank goodness most of the people in the place were with us and that I only have a few brusies on my knees and arms from my fall. Did I mention I am kind of a clutz?

After all our toes are pink and my face was no longer red from embarrassement we got ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.


Katie, Darrell, Josh, and I at the Rehearsal Dinner




Heath and Amanda listening to his dad's speech.

After hours of getting beautiful and taking lots of pictures Amanda and Heath's time had come. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was so happy to be apart of their special day. I wish them nothing but luck in their marriage. Being married is a wonderful thing because you always have your best friend by your side.

We looked good! :)

The Bride and I.



My handsome hubby and I.



CMA Fest 2012

We're back! We had an amazing, hot, awesome, memory filled, no injuries, great time! Yes it was extremely hot, but I made sure to stay hydrated at all times. I think I drank about 10 gallons of water during our trip! I also think I walked about 10 miles while in Nashville. But it was all worth it!

Here's how our days were spent. Concerts started around 10:00 in the morning, however with a group of 10 we never got there before 11:30. There were several stages around downtown Nashville, but we mostly stayed at the Riverfront Stage (below).

Each concert lasted about 30 minutes so we got to see a lot of artists during the day. Most of the artists that played during the day were just starting out (Lee Brice, Jerrod Niemann, David Nail, Glorianna, etc.), or were big at one time (Jo Dee Messena, Sawyer Brown, Neil McCoy). These concerts were great because they played their most popular songs and then maybe 1 or 2 songs I didn't know. They also did cover songs or songs from other artists they helped write. For example Lee Brice wrote Crazy Girl, but the Eli Young Band are the ones with the song out. The only complaint was the heat! It was soo toasty out, but I had expected that and dressed accordingly. I also had to make sure that I wore tube tops because my best friend gets married this weekend and I couldn't have any tan lines!

At night, concerts were held at LP Field (where the Tenn. Titans play). These usually started around 7:00, but again with 10 people trying to get ready and out the door we usually didn't arrive until 8-ish. Which this was OK because we didn't really want to see the first act each night; let's just say we weren't old enough to enjoy those artists. I think I stood the entire night. I also think I sang and danced the whole time too. I love music and I love concerts, so I enjoyed myself thoroughly!

I recommend CMA Fest to anyone who likes Country Music. You get to see popular artists and also artists that are just starting out. I hope to return next year.






Stay tuned because my best friend gets married this weekend. Yayyayaya!!

Road Trip!

Tomorrow the Fryers will make the trip to the home of Country Music... Nashville, TN! We will be attending CMA Music Fest. Go here and check it out. I love music festivals, so I jumped at the chance to go. It's going to be H-O-T (and I don't mean all the country music stars we are going to see)! I will make sure to give you all a wrap up of our week when we return!

Mud Mania

So back in October I started this work out group with some of the ladies I teach with. We meet about 4 days a week and our "trainer" (I say this lightly because he may look intimidating, but he's the nicest guy you'll meet) is a former Alabama football player that now coaches at our school. I have definitely noticed a difference since starting; I'm stronger, my endurance has changed, I sleep better and just all around healthier. Now I'm not saying I'm an extreme health freak because I am a Southern Lady and I love me some food, but I am eating more fruit and veggies.

Anyway a couple of months ago a friend of mine told me about this race that was happening in Auburn called Mud Mania. It's like an obstacle course/ 5K. So one night at workouts I mentioned it to one of the girls in my group and she was all pumped about signing up. So after talking to the other girls we decided we would train and check it off our Bucket Lists. We trained for a couple of months working on our arm strength, running massive hills, and other out of control workouts.

The last weekend in March was the race, so we all piled in a 15 passenger van with our neon pink t-shirts (thanks to a lovely friend whose husbands has a t-shirt business) and bandannas and headed for Auburn. We didn't really know what to expect, we had read the description of the each obstacle on the website, but I had to see it with my own two eyes to fully understand what I had gotten myself into. The day before the race it had come a huge rain storm so everything was nice and muddy for us. We checked in and "fellowshipped" before the race started. There were a couple people that had gotten injured in races before ours which made us a little nervous. They even had to close one of the obstacles down because people kept getting hurt...yikes!

So the time came for our race and boy were we pumped! The first obstacle was to run through a pond (that by the way is in the middle of a cow pasture) filled with Lord knows, but we trucked through laughing the whole time. I think that was the theme of the whole run, laughter, because we did A LOT of that! The mud was horrible! It was so bad that there was no way you could run; it was so slippery that you would start to run and you would bust it! There was one point where you had to run against the current of a small creek. However because of the rain the night before this creek was more like a rapid! I was so thankful for those awful leg workouts we were pushed to do.

I completed the race with all my limbs and none of them hurt. I had a great time and I even got a medal for completing it. I recommend this to anyone who wants a good laugh and a good time. Below are some pictures from the race!

 Just trying to survive!

 My only injury-the bruise this guy's knee gave me coming down the slip-n-slide!

 The youngins' before the race!

 We weren't so clean afterwards, but we still looked cute!

 Enjoying the van ride to Auburn; getting our hair braided and telling stories!

The lovely ladies in the back of the bus!