A Spring in Our Step!

I am SO excited about collaborating with some truly AMAZING bloggers again to start getting excited about the SPRING!  I'm not sure where you live, but where I live we have set snowfall records with over 110 inches of snow!  Temps have yet to go much above 40 and usually by now we are seeing 50s and 60s.  If ever there was a time to get excited about spring, it's now!

Just a few weeks ago, I announced that I was expecting my second child in August!  We were over the moon about the news of course, but just this week we found out the baby is a boy!  Our family will be complete!  Addison is truly excited to become a big sister to baby TJ!

Easter is coming and while I know that not all of you celebrate, I think some of these cutesy crafts we made will make you think of spring!

Bunny Crossing Sign

Spring Centerpiece

Clothespin Butterfly Treats

Salt Dough Eggs

As spring begins, I always start to fast forward to the summer, but this spring I am trying to stop and smell the flowers for bit too! Of course there are things that I wish I had taught or handled differently, but I am working on thinking positively as to what has gone well.  And one thing that has been a huge blessing to me as a teacher is TPT.  Yes, as a seller I have benefited, but I am referring more to how I have benefitted as a teacher.  Whenever I have begun a new unit there are resources to supplement the materials I have.  Just today as I plan to begin a unit on poetry I have NEVER taught before I spent time on Pinterest and TPT finding some AMAZING resources that will in the end save me time and money!  And best of all my first graders will have the benefit of the learning!

Here is spring in Eastern Massachusetts!  

See I wasn't kidding about all of the snow!  

Certainly not looking so springy....

Teaching your kiddos about saving the Earth?  Here is a response pack for use after reading any biography about Rachel Carson - the author of Silent Spring and the woman to get the "save the Earth" ball rolling.  She work tirelessly in the 60's to help control pesticides.  

Rachel Carson Reader Response Pack

Looking to practice some math facts with a quick match up activity!

Spring Math Fact Match-Up

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Hopping Into Spring!

It's been awhile since I have participated in one of these hops - this baby is taking a lot out of me! But I am excited to be almost half way and gaining energy by the day!

This month I was able to join up with some AMAZING blogger friends and create a Facebook Hop!  Each of us has a freebie to share and each page leads to the next blogger in the hop.  Click on the map below to start hopping!!

Better get moving though...the Hop started last night 3/27 at midnight and runs through 3/29!

Where Have I Been...We are Getting A Little Personal Up In Here!

Where in the world have I been?

I know…I know….

I looked back the other day and I realized that I haven’t posted  on here since December – Holy Guacamole!

I promise you I have a good reason.  After way longer than planned and after more challenges than expected we are expecting baby #2!!

I usually don’t get too personal on here, but in a nutshell here’s what’s been going on with me for the last few years… 

In the spring of 2009  the HUBS and I decided we wanted to have a baby and BOOM – It happened – FAST!

So fast forward to the summer when Addison was 2 ½ (2012) and we were ready again we thought it would be just as easy.  Right??  Wrong? 

After many doctor’s appointments and tests they realized that we were in that group of “unknowns”.  They have NO idea why were were having so much trouble, nor can they tell us why the first baby was SO easy!

We tried Clomid for 5 cycles – nothing.  Then we were told injectibles with IUI was the next step.  That took a bit for us to swallow, so we took a break – a long one- from March 2014 until this fall when we gave the shots a try.  I was lucky.  I did not have the moodiness that some women get and overall it was an easy experience given what we were doing.  The first two cycles were unsuccessful and we began the final cycle using new drugs.  However, we were told that if this cycle didn’t work the only other option would be IVF.  Honestly, we weren’t ready for that, so I thought of this cycle as our last, spent some time praying and talking to my Uncle John in heaven and low and behold two days before Christmas we got the BEST Christmas present ever!

Baby at 8 weeks:

Baby at 12 weeks:

We are over the moon happy and I have been AMAZINGLY sick.  I forgot how miserable the first chunk is!  I’m 16 ½ weeks now and finally coming out of the fog!  Energy is coming back and we are looking forward to finding out if Addison will have a baby brother or sister!

Thanks for putting up with my absence.  I am hoping you understand!  I will still be posting – hopefully more often now that I am feeling better.  I have lots of new products swarming in my mind, so stay tuned the best is yet to come…