Playroom Fun

Hayden is into everything these days. I can't take my eye off of him for a second!

Toys!

Somebody sure has had a good time playing with his new toys! 

Happy First Birthday, Hayden!

How lucky we are to have such a special little boy.  He came into our lives at just the right moment, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through the past year without his constant smile.  He truly has been such a blessing during a time that my family needed a little sunshine.

Here is a little taste of his cake smashing.  I'm pretty sure he would have eaten the whole thing if I would have let him.  The rest of his birthday pics are coming soon! 

Yummy!

Hayden got a little practice opening presents tonight.  I see we need to work on not eating the paper! 

Haircut

Hayden got his second haircut today in preparation for his first bday! He actually laid down and let the lady wash his hair in the sink! Brooklynn wouldn't do that until she was four! Hayden sure loves water! 

I'm Back . . . I think!

Well my laptop is officially dead and I couldn't figure out how to add pics from my iPad to the blog. Of course, there is an app for that so let's give it a try. 

As you can tell Hayden has discovered food! His favorites at the moment are bread, crackers, and more bread.  Really he just wants to eat what we are eating! 

My Sweetie Pies

10 Months

Hayden has hit the ground running the past few weeks.  He has been pulling up and walking with his walker.  He is also walking from the chair to the table and back.  He hasn't attempted to walk without holding on to anything, but I'm pretty sure he will try that before too much longer.

He is into everything and when I say everything, I mean everything.  He loves the bathroom especially opening cabinets, pulling out towels and unrolling the toilet paper.  I really think his goal every day is to get his hand in the toilet.  He always has such a look of accomplishment if he gets away with this!  He is a booger!

Garden City 2013

 Hayden at the aquarium checking out the sharks swimming above.  He wasn't real sure about the fish.

 B touching a shark and a horseshoe crab.

 Meeting the mermaids

 Hayden loved the sand the water!

Rub a Dub Dub - Read a Book in the Tub

Last week I went to a workshop to learn about the new reading curriculum that we will implement this year.  This specific curriculum includes 30-40 minutes of independent reading for students every single day.  During independent reading students need special places to read.  

I've always wanted an old claw foot tub for my classroom and what better time than to get one than now?!  Dad found one in a matter of hours and we drove to Hendersonville to pick it up.  The lady who sold it to us had it in her front yard full of flowers.  We dug it up and brought it home.  Here is a pic of my new tub.

After I get back from the beach I'm going to work on repairing and painting it.  Then it's off to find some pillows and it will be ready for reading!

I've also started a new Donor's Chose project.  I definitely need more books for my classroom library in order to meet the needs of this new curriculum.  Check out my project here:

Click Here

For $208 I will be able to add lots of new books.  The good news is that all donations that are made before June 26th will be matched.  So, if someone donates ten dollars I actually get 20!!  Just enter the code INSPIRE if you are interested and the Board of Directors will match your donation dollar for dollar!  Even five bucks will help!

Relay Wrap Up

Last night we had our final Relay for Life meeting.  Team Moxie has raised a total of 10,852!  That isn't our final total yet.  I won't know the exact number until the end of August.  We did win a few awards last night at the meeting.  Check it out:

These signs will be placed outside our tent for the 2014 event!  Go, Team Moxie!

Running with Hayden

This week I have finally gotten to use my jogging stroller that I got for Christmas.  Hayden has really enjoyed our runs, and I haven't heard one peep out of him.  I must say that running and pushing a jogging stroller is a whole different type of workout, especially when you are pushing a 23 lb baby.

Boston Strong

Nick and I celebrated our 9th anniversary last Wednesday.  I decided that we would skip our normal out to dinner routine and instead run a humid 2.6 miles to raise money for the Boston One fund.  The Greenville Drive, our local baseball team, held this race to donate money to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.  Somehow, I talked Nick and Blake into running it with me.  Kayla, Nick's sister, joined in on the fun too.  

Little did I know when we signed up for the race that it was going to be the hottest day of the summer.  When I say hot, I mean HOT!  I have run two half marathons this year and neither were as difficult as that 2.6 miles.  That was the toughest race I have ever run.  The course was fine, but it was just too humid to even be outside.  The race was a struggle, but it was well worth it when standing at the finish line (which was home plate at the Drive stadium) was the entire Drive team waiting to give you a high five.  

Blake, me, Nick, and Kayla

Relay for Life 2013

Wow, it's been one month since our Relay for Life night and I still haven't posted pics.  Thanks to all of our friends and family that donated and especially those of you who came out to the event.  A big shout out to those who ran a half marathon in the middle of the night in Mom's memory.  52 laps around a track at midnight can be tiresome and boring.  So thank you, Stephen Bolding, Kayla Farr, Sarah Smoke, and Sarah Joy Smith!  You are the best!  I really am lucky to be blessed with such wonderful friends.  I could not have survived the past year without them. Sarah Joy, Mary Margaret Hewitt, Tracy LeGrand, and Sarah stayed the whole night, and we were lucky enough to get packed up and out of there before the downpour.

Here are some photos:

Sarah Joy and me after a long night of no sleep and a lot of running!  Sarah Joy lost her brother, Peter, to cancer.  She has been such a great source of comfort and is one of the best people I know!  Love her!

Dad's roommate from Rabun Gap, Stephen and his wife came up from Georgia.  Mom was best friends with his wife while they were in high school.  This pic was taken at the halfway point of our half marathon- lap 26.

Brooklynn made a luminary in memory of Mom.

Sarah, me and Kayla sporting our Team Moxie shirts!  Don't worry Jess I still need to send yours!! :)

 The remaining few who stuck it out all night-  Tracy, MM, and me

Our group shot of those of us who ran 13.1 in memory of mom.  I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends!

Sore feet relaxing in a cold cooler of ice around 3 am.

I can't wait for next year!!

Father's Day

We had a busy Father's Day around here even though Nick was in Montreal.  First, we took Pops to breakfast at Cracker Barrel and then we headed over to Nick's Aunt Bidney's house to celebrate with his side of the family.  Later on the afternoon we cooked out with Dad, Blake, and Kaley.  B and Hayden were pretty tired when we got home last night.  Brooklynn managed to stay awake until Nick got home.  We are glad he is back home!

This picture is from the church last Sunday.  Four generations of Farr men!

Here is a pic of Hayden napping with Pops yesterday.

Baptism

A week ago today, Brooklynn and Hayden were both baptized.  Hayden seemed confused as to why the preacher just dumped water on his head.  He gave him the strangest look.  Brooklynn had a tight hold on Nick's neck the whole time and was relieved to get to Sunday School afterwards.  Above is a picture as we left for church.

Catch Up Time!

Ok, I admit it!  I have been such a bad blogger.  I just got too wrapped up in the end of the school year and the next thing I knew school was out and it is finally summer break.  I have lots of catching up to do, so be prepared for lots of blog posts in the coming days and weeks!  

Let's start with Brooklynn's dance recital.  This year she is still in the tap/ballet preschool class.  Here is her sweet recital picture.  

She did such a great job at her recital and we were glad that Poopa and Gram could attend!  I know it can be painful sitting through forty something dances just waiting for Brooklynn to dance for a grand total of 2 minutes.  Well worth the wait though!

Brooklynn seems to really enjoy dance much to my dismay.   I'm not a fan of sitting and listening to dance moms for 30 minutes every week and it can get pretty expensive.  I tried to persuade Brooklynn to try gymnastics in the fall, but she just isn't interested in anything but dance at the moment, so dance it is.  In August she gets to start a new class that isn't a mix of tap and ballet.  She has chosen ballet.  We shall see how she likes it come August.

Relay Fun

We recently had Relay for Life week at my school.  My new principal agreed to allow me to plan and organize events all week long to raise money for Team Moxie.  It was a lot of work and I will be very happy if I don't ever have to roll coins again, but it was well worth the effort.  Chandler Creek raised over 3,000 dollars! 

At the end of the week, any class that raised 100 dollars got to throw a pie at their teacher or Mrs. Mills our principal.  Check out the pics.

Ready for our pies!

 Right to the face!

Love this pic!

All the teachers who participated were such good sports.  It's going to be hard to top this next year!

Relay for Life is one week away and I'm getting excited about seeing everyone and honoring those who are currently fighting or have lost their lives to cancer.  Today, Kristy, and I made luminaries for people who have bought them in honor or memory of loved ones with cancer.  We have sold a total of 17.  Here are a few that I made today.

On Relay night these will line the track.  

It's not too late to buy a luminary in honor or in memory of your loved one.  They are only ten dollars and all the money goes to the American Cancer Society.  Message me if you are interested.

My First Half Marathon!

I finally completed my first half marathon!!  Nick's sister, Kayla, and I went down to Myrtle Beach on Saturday and ran the Divas Half Marathon on Sunday morning.  We meet Sarah and Monica, friends from work, down there.

Here is our pic at the starting line.

I was sad that Nick couldn't be there, but we didn't want to drag both kids on such a long ride when we were only going to be there a short while.  

My next half marathon will be in November in Savannah.  I actually talked Nick into running the relay half with me.  I'll run 6.9 and he will run 6.2.  Tonight he started Couch to 10k.  We shall see if he sticks it out.  I told him that's what I wanted for Mother's Day, so it looks like he may be stuck with it!

I am sad that I actually ran a hole into my shoe yesterday.  These were my favorite pair of running shoes, so I'm upset to see them go.

Happy Birthday, Mom

One year ago today on Mom's bday we found out that I was pregnant with mom's first grandson.  I;m glad we didn't know on that day what they next few months would hold, but I wish more than anything that Mom would have lived long enough to meet Hayden.

Today we remember Mom and remain thankful for the thirty wonderful years I was blessed with such an awesome role model.  I decided yesterday to clean out this flower bed.

We headed to Lowes and bought one of Mom's favorite flowers and planted it.  We will continie to do this on her birthday every year.  How lucky I am to have this big empty bed which is perfect for growing Hydrangeas.

Hayden was an excellent supervisor!