My heart explodes.

This year, my life skills students are participating in a rotation of adapted tech ed, gym, art, music, family consumer science, and computers. It is absolutely incredible to see this team of 10 different teachers work together to provide my students with the opportunity to do some incredible projects and activities. It is especially fun to see them do projects in tech ed. Some of my students whom I would not normally see working with machinery and dangerous equipment are right in there, working hard to make their own woodworking projects. I sometimes walk down there to check on a student or a situation and I find myself stuck, just watching this wonderful process. I brought my camera in a few weeks ago to snap some pictures. I can't post the pictures of their faces for privacy reasons but I had to share these of their hands, working right alongside the teachers and aides.

Lake Erie

We went to Lake Erie for a weekend... it was a wonderful weekend!!! I have no pictures because THIS is what it looked like all. weekend. long. and I was afraid to take my camera out of the bag!

Church Picnic

Last month, our church had a big renewal weekend and it finished up with a fun church picnic. Janie had the BEST time - it's so cool to see her interact with other people... she is so outgoing and social!

Searching for treats in the birdseed bath.

Tree climber.

Just dancing. No big deal.

Signing "eat" as she waits for her watermelon.

Watermelon eating contest!!!

Go, Janie, go!!!

Checking out her competition.

Back to work.

Kisses from Mr. Lou!

Janie, Mr. Lou, Pastor Rick, and his daughter's "son"

Highlands Festival

I finally dumped my memory card onto computer to post some pictures I've taken recently... "recently" being a little subjective seeing as these first pictures are from AUGUST!

We spent one day at a Highlands Festival at a local amusement park. The whole park was shut down and filled with bagpipers, Scottish dancing little girls, and dogs. Lots and lots of dogs. It was fun, but I've never been to anything like that before!

Weekly Recap!

I know I've posted these pictures on Instagram, Facebook, and Instagrid already BUT I love them so much that I thought it'd be fun to make a collage like I've seen other people do each week. These pictures are from the last week, since the day that my little brother Zachary and his girlfriend Ana came to visit!!

Janie's Birthday Cookout

Jason and I decided that we wanted to have a fun cookout for all of our friends before school started back up again, and we thought that Janie's birthday was the perfect excuse to get together! So we invited a lot of our friends up to the playground at Jason's school (across the street from our house) for hamburgers, hot dogs, and cupcakes. As soon as people started arriving, it started to rain. And rain. And rain. I thought for sure everyone was going to pack up and go home so I told Jason to hurry up and grill the meat so we could at least give people a burger or hot dog to go. I was so surprised when no one left! Not a single person! Everyone pulled their cars right up onto the playground, waited it out for 15 minutes, and then we had the best time for the rest of the evening. We definitely want to make this a tradition and do this every year from now on!

Everyone hiding out in their cars.