spring break part 1: st armands, anna maria donuts and the tree graveyard

i'm sure you are all wondering: what in the world is julie doing now?! so, i'll tell you!

so...i was a little worried on friday night, when i hadn't heard from nicolette, because she had agreed to take me to the airport for my spring break trip, but i'd not been able to touch base with her, because i had to leave early to drop the boys off with mom and dad...and then when i did text her (around 7:30pm), i didn't hear back; i was worried about a delayed messaging, or that she might have had something come up last minute...but at the same time, i didn't want to keep texting and drive her nuts--#nottheannoyingperson so instead, i thought of a couple of different possible scenarios just in case. you can imagine my relief when i got her text the next morning around 4:30, asking what time she should come over.

and then on the way to the airport, i (always the one to be too literal and mess up directions by actually looking at the finer details of the signage-and analyze them) steered us wrong..fortunately the airport toll-area has a u-turn station, because we definitely passed up the first entrance to AA terminal C- #mybad. beyond grateful for the ride.

the flight itself was nothing out of the ordinary-got in a little coloring, and everyone around me pretty much zonked out-love the early morning flights! (i may have started with a little snooze as well). then i watched a little bit of the movie a guy sitting kitty-corner (nic, it really is a variant defined in the dictionary!) from me, because it had sub-titles, and seemed to be an oldie.

upon arrival, i was greeted by my personal greeter/driver, with a sign, no less!

i even moved closer to try to get a good angle on the sign- JROB! she did a great job pretending not to know me #jobopportunities

 my vote was to come straight back to the house and see the new place, and get started on unloading and sorting through her items that were in a storage pod. i love the new place! what a beautiful home! so we got the kitchen supplies out and sorted through them-washed a couple of loads and shea hand-washed several pieces, but now everything is in its place, and she can figure out what else she needs! the best thing we found: the QUESADILLA MAKER!!

and we opened the patio pieces! 3 pieces of choice furniture-the LEGIT OUTDOOR HAMMOCK, the bench (until the couch arrives), and the fire-pit...life is good and the place is coming together! this thing is going to be great for sleeping outdoors at night...just sayin'.

it's big-which means it's just right!

 and of course, the first things that she ordered had already arrived-and some of her friends who live in the same neighborhood had come by to help get the pool floats ready and mount the t.v. before i got here-

are these two great, or what?! they still need names, but it's like a stinkin' amusement park! 

 when we finished doing most of this, we took the short trip to st. armands and walked the loop, grabbed a little dinner and mojitos at the columbia- beyond filling and delicious! we tried a new salad with artichoke hearts and avocado-yummers! i will need to be stocking up on some of those for my own salads! we found the spice store (not that it was ever lost, or we didn't plan on going there anyway, because we did!) and of course, we had to hit up the samples at the nut shop-i love all of the samples! shea may or may not have eaten 4 malt balls...but that's nothing, because she saw an old lady grab a handful; proud of that old lady, LIVIN' the LIFE!! and while we were there, we saw that crazy lady with too many dogs!

there were about 7 or 8 of them, and she drew a crowd. they were so well trained

DAY 2
we decided to go hammocking-to find the perfect hammock-set-up! but first, of course, we had to stop at the donut experiment on anna maria island! always a must. so we got our amazing donuts-fresh and light--again, the donut machine and process reminded me of the homer price story we read in elementary school-a classic!  omg, the raspberry, though... and just walking down to the pier was the most relaxing thing; i could do that often. bad day? walk the beach/pier, it changes everything! it changes the mindset, and without exception, soothes the soul.

i haven't craved donuts in awhile, but there they were-we will go again!

not an easy feat in flip flops-

shea, the animal whisperer-this pelican was a star

then we took a short drive to longboat key, a turn-off into a neighborhood where there was a beach access that led to a trail where, as shea said, the perfect setting for a movie! we made our way through the trail to the "tree graveyard" as shea dubbed it so perfectly. there are so many trees downed on their sides with the roots sticking up. we found one spot to set up, but it only fit one hammock.

excellent place to set up 

and then we found a place to hook up both hammocks! the second spot was a little more difficult, but we did it (and by we, mostly shea-she's become a hammocking expert) some tall boys came by to offer help-but by then, it was almost all done, so we used them to take pics the next time they swung by!

while the place was perfectly ideal, we really needed to get the hammocks up a little higher, as about every 7th or 8th wave was big enough to break against the bottom of the hammocks-they're nylon, no big deal, but the water is still a little cool! so after being beaten by the water for awhile, we pulled it in and went for a walk around the point to where the boaters were partying by the bridge/near the sandbar, until we stepped in some prickly spurs, and had to pull spikes out of our feet-not the most pleasant part of the walk! then we got back to our stuff and laid out to get some sun (as if we had not already gotten some).

we'll have to keep working to get the perfect beach pic, bummer.

traffic was backed up-good thing there wasn't an emergency evacuation! when we got back, we ran some errands and grabbed some grocery necessities. salmon and veggies for dinner! delish! and a movie!

yum! hard to find the veggies you like in the quantity you desire at a restaurant-sometimes it's just better to make them yourself!

 let's see what today will hold!

 julie

it's time to make memories!

it's definitely the day before the day i leave for spring break! WOOOHOOOO!!! 
yep, nothing like waiting 'til the last minute! last minute for what? well...i'm a little embarrassed to say so, but i waited last minute to figure out what to do with the boys. (bruno is looking at me shaking his head right now in disbelief). so, i called mom and dad (today) to see if they could meet me halfway to pick up the boys and watch them for me...and of course, they said yes, because that's what they do! (pretty sure i get my: do-anything-for-the-people-you-care-about from them). the boys are going to be happy to stay with mom and dad-familiar territory. 

woah! i needed a snack tonight, so i chose some hazelnuts and semi-sweet chocolate chips-it's solid nutella! heavenly. new favorite snack!

fortunately, i am pretty much packed for spring break...i don't need to take much..it's going to be beach and pool time for the most part! i threw in some other stuff after the basics...trying to think of what i can take and leave-i've gotta make 'my room' feel like it's mine, right? winking emoticon, please. 

hammock, flat iron, swimsuit, shorts and tanks

OKAY-update-
it's 8:57 pm. i just got back from oklahoma to drop the boys off with my parents. again, they are amazing! i got there about 10 minutes before they did, and found a chili's (there really isn't much in atoka, ok..and i think this chili's is brand spankin' new). so i went in and when they came in, dad told me the trip was great until they pulled into the parking lot, and the transmission went out! he had to push the car into a parking spot...oops. so when the waiter came by, i asked him if he knew of any mechanics in the area, and he smiled and said, "you're in luck! this guy in the booth behind you is a mechanic!" and my dad got up to meet him and tell him the situation. they were pleasant and helpful, and he said they'd go try to find the part tomorrow and hopefully get it fixed. so, in the meantime, i called to find a hotel that accepts dogs, and reserved their room. so, that was fun. 

on the way home, i stopped at a starbucks, and got a gift card. when i walked in, i thought i saw one of my friends from school, but then i decided it probably wasn't because she was at a table with some people that didn't look familiar, and it kinda' didn't look like her for a second (i was exhausted, so i really wasn't sure), i got my gift card and walked out. then i saw a car that looked familiar, but i thought, "no, couldn't be." so i continued to my car...got in, then thought, wait, what if-and so i walked back to the car and saw men's shirts hanging in the back hanger-holder...nope, so i went home. (i just didn't want to leave without saying something if it'd been her, because that'd be rude). 

alright, so now i really have to get my stuff together, get ready and go to bed so i can get up in time for my flight!

pictures to come soon!
julie

be silly, be fashionable, be alive!

it's been a good week-a busy week. we had a group come in to give us a formative observation with some great feedback. the whole procedure was valuable, and i am thankful that everyone involved, especially the focus groups were so  honest, because that is the only way that we grow and challenge ourselves! so valuable!

yesterday was read across america, and we had a great volunteer turnout! it was also dr. seuss' birthday! and i had the rare opportunity to don a pretty spectacular cat-in-the-hat outfit, thanks to nicolette, who had no intention of wearing it herself, and offered to bring it for me to wear. the students had a great time, and that made the day pretty spectacular. 

i also took a minute to go out to the garden (which i have not really had much of an opportunity to do lately), and i saw the flowers, that i planted a couple of years ago, blossoming-that was pretty cool, because the grounds crew usually chops them down! i also took the shears out to chop up the plants that were invasive and taking over the pond...it was a bit of a task. i began pulling, and before i knew it, i was struggling with roots and all sorts of heavy overgrowth. it was a bit of an undertaking, but don't worry, i cleared it all up, and the fish are still alive-they are probably pissed at me for taking away their hiding places...it's okay, i hear they have 5 second memories! so i need to check on them again tomorrow to throw them into the compost bin..the plants, not the fish.. (when i am actually dressed appropriately); they will be great for the compost, because the silt that came from the pond will be so good in creating rich soil!! i'm such a nerd. but that seriously makes me smile! i've been wanting to extract some of that from the bottom of the pond for awhile now!

beautiful, right? 

i wish computers were scratch and sniff, because these are so aromatic!!

and i was amazed by the fun that is happening in preK! everyone needs to go by and visit their centers! the nasa station rocks, the campsite-rocks!! it's such a fun atmosphere for our kiddos! way to go amanda and marlon! you are making memories for these little ones! 

houston, we have no problems!

planetarium, hello!

i wore a dress again today, and while i was upstairs, one of nafia's girls said something really cute. she said, "ms. robinson, ms. hamilton is making you fashionable!" i like being comfortable, but i will admit, it's been fun mixing it up. smile. 

is it strange to say that i know things are good because i've actually been writing letters again? when i write letters, things are good. that said, i am still not back into a good sleep habit-i have been staying up later than normal...maybe that's just my body preparing for spring break, as shea is a night owl...? part of being in a good place involves knowing that spring break is around the corner, but an even bigger part of the equation is surrounding myself with people who make me laugh, who make me think, who just value hanging out...these are simple things, but they are the things that make the difference. i've said it before-community is everything...living life in color, choosing to be positive, supporting others however we can, that makes me feel alive. it's good to be alive--take a minute, and think about it...what is it that makes you feel alive? pursue that!

julie

western day, round-up and butterfly club

nothing beats going to an apartment complex after school on a friday to wave at cars and play with balloons. okay, i lie, i can think of about a million and one things...and again, i lie probably only 1,999,999. but then, it was a little okay, because i was among some great company. it was a good turn-out of teachers-from kinder, pre-k, first grade, second grade, not to mention the principal, asst principal, counselor and coaches. several families turned out, and a few of them were there for quite awhile; it's always great for the families to talk to prospective families. we are trying to be proactive in the hustling rounding up students for classes next year.

the best part was just being able to interact with people i usually don't get to interact with outside of their classrooms.

xochitl! i loved working with xoch in 4th grade, and love the bond we have forged since!

andrea and ciane-it's been a good year! i need these two to get through my days! they keep me sane!

we have begun something fun at school. we talked about it at the beginning of last school year, but no one jumped in and took charge, so it was brought up in casual conversation with one of our teachers a couple of months ago, and i ran it by our principal-he said: GREEN LIGHT, GO FOR IT. (ok, i said green light, he said go for it).  so we sent out an email and schedule. the first theme day was 80s, and we had several participate-i'm pretty sure a shout-out for PRE-K and the TA's is in order!! they all participated! i need to do better at going around and getting good pics! this week was western day, and a few more people jumped on board. so hopefully we will continue to get an increase in participation as we move forward!

wrangling students daily!  #westernday

showing off the cowgirl look-olivia's students were probably wondering what was going on.

i'd been looking forward to today for quite some time now. i had a hard time finding something to wear, because most of my array of clothing is not bright and butterfly-ish...so i went out to get a shirt today, which i will wear again. nafia has talked about butterfly club for quite some time now, and she has been quite invested in it. i know she has grown spiritually as a result of being a part of it. so today they had a meeting and she was allowed to invite guests, so i was honored when she invited nicolette and me. conversation, lunch, and the topic: prayer. this was a great topic. pastor giles spoke on prayer and was talking about some of the different issues/problems that can interfere with a strong prayer life. each of us had at least one of the 'short circuits' that rang true. 

erica shared something that really resonated with me, as she talked about how much effort and how much time she put into trying to get tickets for something, and then coming to the realization that truly, that is how we should approach God. if only we put as much effort into calling on God and craving that relationship, how much more would we be able to impact others? how much happier would we be? how much more satisfied? how much more able to care for others and desire good things for them? i need that. i've become complacent. i've become comfortable. i don't want to be comfortable or complacent in my prayer life and in my relationship with God. i am most alive and most able to be a friend to others when my relationship with God is strong. because the truth is that God created us for relationship, and the relationship that we have with others is a reflection of what we have learned from our relationship with him. #grateful   

beautiful ladies #butterflyclub

the honorees (birthdays in the month of feb), were supposed to give a little presentation/talk, but time was running short, so they didn't get the time that they needed, and they just gave a brief overview. i was so looking forward to hearing nafia's because i know that she had spent a lot of time and prayer over it. i did enjoy reading the handout that she created, and i am feeling inspired to read the joyce meyer book that inspired it. her handout is really a great catalyst for good conversation about prayer!

bask in the precious privilege of prayer! (nafia's words)
julie

ode to shea-don't hate me, it had to be done.

ode to shea. (she may kill me for this-don't care) [and please disregard chaco in the background as he barks at me for attention!]

"why?" you ask. well, shea is one of those friends, who would tell you herself, that she is not a super emotional person. but at the same time, she is probably one of the most thoughtful people i know. she thinks of people on birthdays and other occasions that are important..and she remembers the details. shea makes fun videos and puts together picture collages because she knows how important memories are-she documents them well. i am so excited for her because she has so many great things going on in her world right now, and she deserves every single one of them!

shea is an adventure friend. my child-at-heart-friend. my kamp friend. my laugh-so-you-don't-cry friend. she doesn't need a lot of conversation, but the talk we do have is funny. she is not afraid to be silly in public.

kamp memories: unit 4, trip, hiking like bear grylls, caving like hip hop kids-we know our sedimentary rock formations, yo! sneaking up to the blair witch house, ice cream in the face, k2 dance parties, speed boat rides, blueberry farm runs (or sneaking in the night with stevie), sleeping under the stars on the blue mat with a host of counselors, fake tattoos, making chaco a code word before it became my dog's name.

she insisted on the fake tattoo...on the last night, no less.

bear grylls explorer wanna-be's #hardcorehikers

ah, caving-good for the soul!

quite possibly one of the funniest memories of k2

gangsta party

oklahoma memories: norman girls' house, cards, soccer games, volleyball games, golf course prom pics, thanksgiving at the yates, baby hands, religious things, art work, hanging with the boys, ted's, weddings, silo climbing, ou game time,okc thunder, real tattoos.

first climb in a silo #addictive

special wedding!

okc thunder #rollthunderroll

after party on the parking garage roof!

ted's

trust me, you don't want to meet with this group in a dark alley (they don't carry flashlights)

quiet times in shea's foyer.

moral support

because the evangelizing glove-it works.

night-spin-and-throw-the-football like a drunk #totallysober

volleyball with the one-and-only LO

boomer!

embarrassing shea on the soccer field

and this is what she do-she makes bday collages!

florida memories: shark tooth hunting, go-pro in the waves, coconut bread, alligators in the park, too much food, #foodcoma, sarasota, st. pete's, kilwin's, did i mention too much food?

swinging bridge to the tower

saturday mornings with the kids on the block! 

relaxing-est beach ever!

playing with the go-pro like a puppy.

the ever-necessary jump pic

#jawswashere

texas memories: meeting at camp copass, hanging out in allen, tx/ou weekend, the fair, thanksgiving, looking for a bridge (in the rain), playing board games.

first time hanging out with the group i adore!

4 gals, a dog and a hammock #summerdays

petting zoo-ou/tx weekend

no one i'd rather watch the game with!

thanksgiving-wonderful surprise!

so today i got the best surprise in the mail! i was shocked that i had a package, because i'd ordered some things, but i wasn't expecting anything this soon...so when i got this package from shea in the mail, i was smiling the biggest smile all week. each item-meaningful and preparing me for spring break-the kilwin's gift card, though....pure evil. so when i say thoughtful, not kidding- pressure is on for creating a plan. that was the ask: i need to share some bucket list items and ideas-shouldn't each visit have a little 'epic' in it?! duh.

#bestsurpriseever

so shea. she's one of my people. she's in my inner circle. we're a part of the same tribe. #sofortunate !

may you have someone as thoughtful, fun and adventurous in your world, who reminds you to be light-hearted!
julie