We left Saturday morning and drove into Dallas to go to the Dallas World Aquarium. I had my junior prom there, but hadn't been back since. It was crowded on the weekend, but it was really fun to wander around and look at the jungle animals and fish. Plus, it was cooler than being out at the zoo to see these kinds of animals! It was a fun excursion.
{in front of the waterfall}
{monkeys, otters, penguins, crabs, turtles and manatees, oh my!}
Saturday afternoon we checked into the hotel and explored before dinner. We ate at the Bob's Steak & Chop House in our hotel, and it was delicious!! Really nice food and a classy atmosphere.
We went back to our room and enjoyed the celebration package from the hotel. They delivered chocolate, strawberries and sparkling cider! I even got to enjoy it in a champagne flute. :)
Sunday morning, we slept in, thanks to the heavy blackout curtains and comfy bed. I went downstairs to get a massage at the hotel spa, and enjoyed every minute of it. The table was heated, I got another body pillow to hug, and the woman worked out all the kinks of stress from my back and shoulders. I was in heaven and had that really nice "sore, but in a good way" feeling afterwards. I got to sip cucumber water in the spa robe while I rested after my massage. That was a nice treat!
The rest of the day, we lounged and did NOTHING. We planned a day of rest and took that literally. We watched 4-5 movies on the big TV, took naps and got lunch from the cafe downstairs. For dinner, we drove up the highway a bit to Babe's in Burleson. We had been to one before, but not that one, and I was so excited to indulge! I ate one glorious piece of fried chicken, green beans, corn, potatoes, biscuits, sweet tea and apple cobbler. Oh. My. Word. My belly was bursting at the end of the evening!
The next day was Memorial Day, and we checked out of the hotel and drove to Irving to have lunch with M&D. They had picked up our crib from Babies R Us earlier in the week when it was delivered, so we hung out with them for a while and loaded up the giant box and drove back to Waco. (Side note: the next time we have to buy a crib or baby furniture, we're either buying it from the local Target or paying to have it delivered. This furniture is perfect and I can't wait to put it together, but it's been a hassle to get it to Waco in 2 separate trips. Thankful to M&D for helping so much!)
As soon as we got back to Waco, we went to Mike & Cindy's to celebrate Ricky's birthday. We swam in the pool with Mase, had Bush's (Ricky's request) and more family time. It was really fun, and one of the last times we'll gather together before Cari has baby Murphee! I know she's ready for her to be here...
The rest of the week was a blur of final exams, cleaning and packing my classroom (they'll use my room for summer school and I might be moving classrooms in the fall, so everything had to be secured...), saying goodbye to my kiddos and wishing them well. I had a lot of ups and downs with my classes this year, but for the most part, we ended the year well, and I will always hold them dear. These are the kids who journeyed (suffered?) through my pregnancy with me and fought through a year of lots of changes and upheaval at our school. They have a special place in my heart.
{cool Picasa photo collage: from top left--2nd 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 4th periods}
It feels really great to be done with school, but it also doesn't feel real yet. I have a SUPER BUSY June with school workshops, showers, VBS, visits to and from friends, etc., so I'm not in the relaxed mindset yet. I will get there! We had WHS graduation today, and I got to celebrate and say goodbye to my very first set of students. What a proud moment for me to think back on the year I had them and how they've progressed and succeeded! We've also been going to lots of Baylor baseball with the Regional tournament going on. Here's hoping we have more games to come!
I'm grateful for another year with sweet Chance, who continues to be my helpmate in the most literal sense, my rock and my best friend. He's going to be such a fantastic daddy to Cara, and one of the most exciting things about her arrival is thinking about that. And I'm grateful to have my 3rd year of teaching under my belt (if I still was able to wear belts...). This was a tough year overall at school, and it's gratifying to put it in the past and look forward to some changes for next year, both sad and exciting. I may not go back until October! :)
Next up: a week of rest, hibernation and pool days with friends. Finally!!
No comments:
Post a Comment