School

Teacher Talk Tuesday

Posted on December 16, 2025December 15, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

Well, yesterday’s snow day was just what I needed to (finally) get a few things crossed off my list. I was able to order the last few gifts, wrap gifts, and work on some things for school.

Now, at the end of this four day week, we’ll be on winter break!

Since the first semester is wrapping up, I thought it would be fun to take a look back on the semester.

I always feel like first semester flies by, and this one was no different. Overall, it was a really great semester too!

New classroom:

I started the year by moving classrooms. I’d been in my previous room for about six years, and it was in an entirely different part of the school building. It was a bit of an adjustment moving rooms, but I have a really spacious room that I’ve made my own.

Classes:

Last year, I only had three classes of English 1, and then I had a couple of intervention hours. This year, I’m back full time, and I’m teaching English 1 and English 2.

I had such a great co-teach situation last year that I requested co-teach English 1 again this year. I have a different co-teacher this year, and she’s been wonderful to work with as well. Co-teach classes mean many students in the class have an IEP (individualized education plan), so they receive additional support from myself and my co-teacher. Half of one of my classes has IEPs while the other co-teach class only has a few. So, even those two classes tend to work at different paces; it’s ok though…I just make adjustments: reteach/add enrichment when needed.

I also have two Advanced English 1 classes, and I really enjoy those students as well. I have a few of my kids’ friends in those classes, and I think it’s always more odd for me than for them. haha!

My other two classes are English 2, sophomores (and a few freshmen who took English 1 in 8th grade). I hadn’t taught English 2 in a few years, and we have a new curriculum, so it has been a bit of an adjustment for me as I plan lessons. That being said, I enjoyed teaching both units this semester, and the kids have been great.

I don’t want to jinx it, but when I tell you I really love my schedule and my students, it’s just a great feeling to have a good year…and no classes that take all my energy. I honestly think I’ve only written one referral this entire semester…and it was for a student who didn’t return from our class restroom break.

I don’t know if I’ve gotten lucky with a good year, if it’s experience that makes things easier, or if we’re seeing kids who weren’t as affected by the Covid years. This year’s freshmen had a full fifth grade year in the classroom, so they wrapped up their elementary school experience rather routinely.

Block Scheduling:

One of the biggest changes this year is that we moved from a traditional six class day to block scheduling with four classes a day. So, we have an “A” day and a “B” day with ninety minute classes. I really love block scheduling, and wish we’d moved to it sooner.

I thought with block scheduling there might be one day that I prefer over the other, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

It’s so nice to have a big chunk of time with students, and I haven’t had any issues with planning lessons for a larger amount of time. I thought I’d have to be more intentional when planning my lessons, but we’ve gotten through the curriculum, and every class period has had a variety of learning opportunities with whole group and independent instruction.

I’ve always heard (there’s actually math and numbers to it) that with block scheduling even though you see students for a longer amount of time, you see them for less minutes in a semester. Around fall break, I felt that. I felt like we should have been further in the curriculum, but by the end of the semester, everything evened out.

Tech/phones:

In my October Teacher Talk post, I shared about the new house bill that banned phones during instructional time. I honestly didn’t even have to be too strict about it. I guess as a school we were probably more cohesive with our expectations, so that helped. I’ve been surprised that I really have had zero issues with students being on their phones when they shouldn’t be. Again, I hope I’m not jinxing it, but I do appreciate that we had a great first semester without issues in regards to technology.

Looking back, this semester really was all about change…and it’s been good changes. New classroom, new schedule, new rules, and new students/courses. I hope second semester is just as good as the first one.

Even with it being a great first semester, I’m ready for a break! Four more days!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…

School

Teacher Talk Tuesday: The Tech Battle

Posted on October 21, 2025October 20, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

One thing that really has changed in my twenty-four years as an educator is how technology affects student learning.

Today, I’m sharing a bit about some of the procedures I’m using this year to ensure students are giving me their full attention. haha!

Kentucky has a new law, House Bill 208, that requires school districts to create policies that ban student cell phone use during instructional time.

In recent years, cell phones have been a constant battle. I will say that middle schools have always been somewhat strict about phones, so teaching ninth graders, they come into high school with the expectations that phones should be put away. So, as a teacher, if I’m strict with my expectations, they know that they shouldn’t be on them. It really hasn’t been a huge issue for me through the years, but I’ve had to be strict about it.

I appreciate that now there’s a law and a school wide policy. Last year, one of Hayden’s teachers started using pencil boxes at her tables for students to put their phones in during instruction. That way, the phones are nearby in case they need them, but they are put away. This year, my school gave every teacher an over the door calculator pouch, but I started using bins that I got at the Dollar Tree to start the school year.

Honestly, these have worked fine. I have one for every two rows, and students place them in there before the bellringer to start class. Again, I have freshman four of my six classes, so they are used to limited phone use thanks to middle school.

With my two English 2 (sophomore) classes, I told them that I will treat them with more trust and responsibility, and their phones shouldn’t be out. Truly, I figured there would be a honeymoon period and then I’d have to have them use the bins. Well, we’re in week 10 of school, and it’s truly been the easiest start to the year in terms of not having to fight with students about technology. As a teacher, I’m good about sticking to my expectations, and I think they know that by now.

My previous district was smaller, and students were 1:1 with technology my last few years there. My current district is much bigger, so I never thought we’d be 1:1 with students and computers. Well, of course, Covid changed all that. Chromebooks are so beneficial in regards to learning. I post everything on Canvas, so students know what we are working on. I still do some assignments on paper, but I actually prefer grading online. I’d say 75% of what students submit is on Canvas and the other 25% is on paper.

We have Go Guardian that we set up at the start of the year, and it blocks what students have access to during class. On my end, I can see what is on their screens at all times, and the sessions are recorded. So, for example, if I think a student cheated, I can go back and view the session to see what screens they were on during that time. It really has eliminated students being on random websites when they should be learning.

Technology is a blessing and a curse, that’s for sure! I tell the students we’re trying to teach them how to use technology responsibly since it will always be a part of their lives.

Friday Favorites, Kids, School

Friday Favorites {#274}

Posted on September 19, 2025September 18, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Where did this week go?…but also…TGIF! We had a good but busy week. I feel like we’ve finally gotten into a school and evening routine which feels nice. Of course, this is just in time for us to have one more week and then a week off for fall break! I’m not complaining, but after that week, we’ll have to get back into a routine again.

Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are a few faves from the week:

Last week, I went to Bath and Body and picked up a few fall things…three hand soaps and one candle. See, I can show restraint in Bath and Body! haha!

One of my favorite seasonal things to do is to swap out the hand soaps in the bathroom and in the kitchen. I only purchased one candle, because I have quite the fall candle stockpile in my hall closet.

I also purchased a set of three candles from Trader Joe’s, and they’ve quickly become a favorite as well.

Last week, I had a dermatology appointment. It had been over two years since I made a skin check appointment. The PA had no concerns, and I was happy to cross this off the list. I did joke with her that they should just team up with a gynecologist, so we can get two awkward appointments over with at one time!

Last weekend, I spent time in Tennessee with Hadley and the volleyball team. They had a fun weekend of volleyball, but they also were able to hit up the indoor water park. I had fun with some of the moms, and I also enjoyed a bit of downtime at the hotel.

The girls were 5-2 on the weekend and the runner up in the silver bracket. Overall, they played well, and I feel like they found their groove.

The weather was pretty and the views were pretty too. I got a walk in on Saturday morning before the games.

The kids’ school pics were available to download this past week, and they turned out sooo good! I asked Hayden to wear something besides a t-shirt, and he obliged!

Hadley “understood” the assignment too!

A couple of weeks ago, I shared Hadley’s volleyball pics….

…and Hayden his pics last week! My boy is growing up!

We had breakfast out one morning at one of our favorite places. Not the best food pic, but it hit the spot!

Other than that, this week has just been about school, sports and family time.

Favorite Mom Meme:

How many times do you all go to Chick-fila-A in a week?!

Weekly Recap:

After taking a few days off from blogging, I bounced back with a couple of posts this week:

Trader Joe’s

Thursday Thoughts

I hope you have a great weekend! It’s so hot here, our pool decided to stay open for yet another weekend! I’m ready for some fall temps, for sure!

School

Tuesday Talk Tuesday

Posted on August 19, 2025August 18, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Another Tuesday, and I’m talking about school. Can you tell that the first few weeks of school are time and energy consuming?

Now that we have our first few days under our belt, students are already starting to get to know me a bit as well as my expectations and routines in my classroom. Today, I’m sharing about the first few days of school activities.

Quite a few years ago, I developed a Google Slides presentation that has almost forty slides on it. The slides are anything from our bell schedule to my email address to the units of study for the year and more. This presentation is actually a great “crutch” as I’m getting back in the swing of teaching after a couple of months off in the summer.

I always over plan, and this presentation is one that will take two to three class periods, even with our new block schedule ninety minute periods! That being said, it’s filled with info, routines, literacy strategies and get to know you activities.

Sharing the syllabus is important, but it’s also redundant and boring for the students (and the teacher!), I’m sure.

I’m the queen of literacy strategies, and one of my favorites is “text coding” which is an active reading strategy.

As we read through the almost three page syllabus, I have them follow along and mark up the syllabus as we go. They highlight our NTI Google Meet link, star the unit they think sounds the most interesting, circle our grading category percentages and more. This method keeps them involved and teaches them a strategy we’ll use often.

My classroom scavenger hunt is one of my favorite activities. I give them a worksheet with fifteen questions, and they wander around the room to find the answers. Of course, the purpose is to get them acquainted with the room, and I love seeing them work together to find some of the tougher answers.

We start every class period with some kind of bellringer. They vary from vocab to grammar to quote analysis and more. The start of the year is the perfect time to show them the variety of bellringers they’ll do, and what the expectations are for each one.

I give them a worksheet, and we move through each type of bellringer. Some bellringers take longer and others, and the kids get the hang of how to complete each one as we work together before they work independently.

What’s the start of the year without a “four corners” get to know you activity. I have a few slides of these, and I choose different ones for different classes just to give myself a variety too.

I love to join their groups and see what they have to say. Of course, it’s awkward a first, but I have them figure out whose birthday is next, and that person shares first and so on. With having longer class periods, I do plan on incorporating these a bit more into our class time to give the kids a time to stretch their legs and move around a bit.

And on the fourth day of school, I was really itching to start learning names. They spent a few minutes yesterday (and my other classes will do this today) making a quick table tent with their names, class period, and a favorite.

My example:

I wait a couple of days, but eventually, we do this dice rolling get to know you as I take attendance. I’ll do this with my students Wednesday and Thursday this week. I like to let them get settled in the class before I “force” them to do too many get to know you things.

I have foam dice, and as I take attendance, they roll the dice and tell the class something based on the number they roll.

Unless you are a teacher, one thing you might not know is how much our rosters change within the first week of school. So, I wait to do this note card activity until I know my classes have settled. As the slide says, I use these note cards throughout the year to call on students or put students in groups.

I use different colored note cards for each class, students write their name on one side and then a Haiku (which I now have corrected the misspell on this slide! ugh) on the other side…anyway, the Haiku is a good reminder for them about poetry and syllables, and I get to learn a little something about them.

My example that I share with them:

Anyway, the first few days are some of my faves because I don’t have to plan much, it’s ok not to have a learning target on the board, and I enjoy getting to know the students.

They received their textbooks yesterday (and today), and later this week, they’ll do a “text walk,” where they flip through their textbook to answer questions. This gets them acquainted with this resource we’ll be using all year and refreshes their memory on how to use text features like table of contents, foot notes, the index and more!

Anyway, I think the year is off to a pretty good start!

Friday Favorites, School

Friday Favorites {#271}: Back to School

Posted on August 15, 2025August 15, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I can honestly say that even though the first two days back to school have been great, I’m also very happy to say, “TGIF!” Your girl is Tired…with a capital T! I’m very much looking forward to this weekend.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

I’m keeping it short and sweet this week and just sharing our back to school traditions and photos.

Last week, the stars aligned, and we could actually have dinner together. We took advantage of that opportunity and headed to IHOP for dinner. This is the second year we’ve done this, and while the kids still had a few days left of summer, I appreciated the tradition.

This week, the night before school started, I baked a Krusteaz cinnamon coffee cake for the kids to have for breakfast on Wednesday morning.

I thought these plates and napkins were so cute. I picked them up at Target or Michael’s…I can’t remember now.

These kids are really growing up! All set for their sophomore year…

I appreciate the first day of school smiles.

And, we always take one more pic without the signs.

I actually saw both kids a couple of times on the first day because my room is a little more centrally located now.

One of my friends from my former school is now at my school, and she’s my classroom neighbor…and Hayden is actually in her class. Anyway, she snapped our picture after school which I really appreciated.

One thing about block scheduling is that I realized I now have two first days of school. I was ready to roll yesterday to meet my other classes.

Hopefully, we’ll all have a great year.

Favorite Mom Meme:

WHY can I relate to this one so much? haha

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

With it being back to school, of course I’m sharing first day of school pics through the years…

Kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade.

Time flies!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week:

Share Our Lives

Teacher Talk Tuesday: classroom

Throwback Thursday: Hayden’s day

I hope you have a great weekend. I’m looking forward to not setting an alarm and hopefully doing what it takes to feel like I have my life together next week!

Kids, School, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: Before K-Hayden’s Day

Posted on August 14, 2025August 13, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

We did it! We made it through the first day of school, and all three of us had a great first day back to school.

Speaking of school, last week I shared a special day I had with Hadley before she started Kindergarten, and now I’m sharing about the day I spent with Hayden.

Hayden had similar day, but he still got to choose some of our activities. After dropping Hadley off at the sitter’s house, Hayden and I went to the same park to walk the same trails…

…and he completed the same nature scavenger hunt. My other cute little lefty:

It was a nice morning!

Then, we headed to get a gas station treat. He chose Twizzlers and an Icee.

After that, we spent some time at a pet store. During this summer, both kids had gotten little fish bowls, and his fish didn’t last very long. So, on this day, we went and picked out a new fish…

…and took it home to put it in the fish bowl.

Then, it was time for lunch…at Chick-fil-A.

Like Hadley, we went and played a couple of rounds of putt putt golf.

I’m sure he beat me! 😉

Then, it was time for tennis!

He used to spend lots of time running around these courts.

After tennis, of course we had to cool off with some FroYo!

A sweet treat to cap off a sweet day with Hayden! It was a special day, for sure.

Amazon, School

Teacher Talk Tuesday

Posted on August 12, 2025August 11, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

Yesterday was a really productive day at school, my new classroom is ready to go, and I have the first few days planned.

I’ve put a lot of time, effort (and money!) into my new classroom, but I know it will be worth it in the end. The good news is that for the next few years, I will be in this classroom, so I won’t have to do as much next year.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a few things I’d purchased for my room, and today, I’m giving a little tour of my space.

Here’s a peek at a few of my favorite things in my new classroom.

This little purple stand came from one of my trips to Five Below. I will have a few meetings on Zoom, so I can prop my computer on it, but for now, I’m using it for my phone which then gave me a little bit of space underneath for pens and pencils.

Behind my desk, I have some shelves, and I’ve made the most of them. I have a few decorative items, things students have given me through the years, as well as trays for the papers I need to pass back and binders with my unit plans in them. This space is a mix of cute and functionality.

Earlier in the summer, I shared that Hadley helped me put up the bulletin board paper and border and that “August me” would thank “June me” for doing that task. Well, it’s true! It was nice to have the paper and border up, and Hadley helped me with the parts of speech and writing posters a couple of weeks ago. This is a colorful corner for sure.

Hadley also helped me put up my magnet border, and these white board magnets also make my white boards more colorful. Now, I need to actually write the date, learning target and success criteria for tomorrow. (I honestly loathe writing the LT and SC…the kids don’t look at it…it’s all for show!)

I’ve had these “how to pass” and “how to flunk” posters my entire teaching career, so of course they had to go with me to my new room. The banner brightens up this wall, and I outlined the posters with border.

Every year, some student looks at these and says, “Oh…it’s easier to pass than to fail?” #myworkhereisdone !

Under those posters, I put a cute lamp from Home Goods and new trays for papers. My old ones are the traditional plastic ones that I’ve had for years, so I did purchase these new wire ones in a fun purple color.

A few weeks ago, Hadley helped me with my faux bulletin board. When I show it to people who stop by, they think it’s an actual bulletin board. haha

I’ve had the “what good readers do” criteria for many years, so I thought this was a fun way to display that info.

My new rolling podium is for sure a fave!

This little calendar was an impulse buy at Michaels. It makes me feel like an elementary teacher because I feel like many of them have the flip calendars on their white boards. I love how colorful this one is.

I’m going to put a few school related items on this white board, but the clock is a fun touch, and then I added two baskets for papers I will need for class.

You know I love a lamp!! So, I picked up another cordless lamp from Walmart for my desk.

Lastly, this little note pad has come in handy the past week. I picked it up at Michael’s (I think?), and it’s helped me stay organized lately.

The school bell officially rings tomorrow! The thing about having to go back over a week before students start means that I’m definitely ready for the kids to come to school and for classes to start.

Kids, School, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: Before-K Hadley’s Day

Posted on August 7, 2025August 6, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday! Well this week is just trucking right along. With school starting next week, it got me thinking about the kids and their elementary school years. I feel like I’m always nostalgic for those days. Today, I’m taking a look back on something fun I did with each kid before they started kindergarten.

I was so nervous, but also excited, about the kids starting kindergarten. I wanted to spend a day with each of them before we all went to school. So, I chose a day and let them both choose a few activities, and I sprinkled in a few as well.

Here’s “Hadley’s Day” in 2015 before school started.

I dropped Hayden off at the sitter’s house, and Hadley and I went for a walk in a nearby park to get our day started.

We did a scavenger hunt while we walked. My cute little lefty:

We’d been on these trails before, and she had a great time.

We found everything on the list!

After that, we made a pit-stop at a gas station, and she could choose whatever she wanted…apparently, her love for sour candy started early!

Then, we stopped by the dance studio and signed her up from classes. In kindergarten, she took a combo ballet/tap class, and that was the start of her falling in love with dancing.

(This pic is at one of the classes once those started…missing a tooth and smiling!)

Then, it was Taco Bell time. Hadley still loves Taco Bell…I think she’s had it twice this week!

After that, I took her for a pedicure. This was her first time getting one, and I found a place that had the chairs for kids. She’s been a diva ever since. haha

Then, it was time for putt putt golf which was the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day.

One more treat for my sweets…we stopped by the cupcake place, and she chose a cupcake for herself…

…and for Hayden. She’s still a very thoughtful girl.

As you know, I’ve always made a big deal about going back to school. I want the kids to be excited about the start of a new year. We used to take a day to get back to school haircuts and go by school supplies followed by lunch. Sometimes, we still make it to the outlet mall for them to get some new shoes. At this point, some years, we’re just winging it!

During the elementary years, I did a back to school breakfast …

…and in middle school we did a back to school brinner.

Last year, we went to IHOP for dinner a couple of days before school started. I hope we get to do the same thing this year.

Anyway, this was a special day with Hadley, and I will share Hayden’s day soon!

Do you have any back to school traditions?

Amazon, School

Teacher Talk Tuesday

Posted on July 29, 2025August 4, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

I hope your week is off to a great start. Well, this time next week, I will be at an all day professional development with my fellow high school teachers. To say that I’m clinging to summer would be an understatement. That being said, there are a few things I that I actually look forward to when going back to school…buying my new lesson planner and desk calendar as well as setting up my classroom.

This year, I moved rooms! Moving rooms is a headache, but I was able to get a much bigger classroom after a fellow co-worker retired. So, setting up my classroom has meant a bit more than in years past…by a bit more, I mean what used to take about an hour has now totaled about seven hours of classroom set up…so far!

I’m not sure how many educators read my blog, but you might find other uses for my purchases too. Today, I’m sharing some of my recent classroom purchases.

This wall clock is something that I’ve had saved on one of my Amazon lists, and decided this was the year to buy it on Prime Days! I have it all set up, and I love the fun colors.

My new room has a few bookshelves on the wall, and these clear book ends have worked well for my teaching resources.

I saw this game and thought it might be a fun bellringer idea. I haven’t even read the rules…haha!..but the cards have random ideas…anything from pickles to Harry Potter to public speaking. Anyway, I think this would be a great way to get my students thinking…pick five topics, then rank them first to worst and tell me their reasoning. We’ll see how it goes.

I bought these binders last year, and they worked out perfectly for the four English 1 units that I taught. So, I bought the same four pack for my English 2 classes this year. (I have English 1 and English 2 this year)

With the binders, I bought another pack of dividers. I don’t need a full set per binder…just a few tabs.

I was so excited about the next two items…both magnets.

How cute is this magnetic border? I bought two packs, and Hadley helped me and put it around my white board.

Then, I decided to order this pack of colorful whiteboard magnets. Yes, I can erase the whiteboard every day, but some magnets will stay put all year (like the date, agenda, etc), but I can move around the colorful magnets for classes and activities.

Not the best lighting, but here’s my board:

…and magnets:

I have a “comfy” corner with a chair and a lamp. This rug was a good fit for the space.

Thanks to chrome books, we need lots of extension cords and plugs for charging, so I bought this 5 foot power strip…

…as well as this 10 foot one. In my new room, only two of four walls have outlets which means I’m using lots of extension cords and power strips.

I also purchased this magnetic dry erase marker holder. I have two white boards put together, so I figured these would be good at each end of the boards.

This pencil holder was too cute to pass up.

Lastly, I’m cheating on “Happy Planner” with this Hadley Designs planner. I’ve purchased other Hadley Designs things like lunch box notes when the kids were in elementary school, so I knew this would be a good option. My school is moving to the traditional A day/B day block schedule, and the layout of this one seems like what I need.

I also purchased these Hadley Designs parts of speech/writing posters to use to finish up my last bulletin board.

During Prime Days, I also bought the rolling adjustable podium that I’ve had on my list, and Trav just put it together for me. It’s perfect for the front of my classroom. It seems to go in and out of stock, but this is the one that my friend has and it seems the same as what I purchased.

The same friend has these light covers too. How cute! Classroom lighting can be harsh, y’all! I haven’t purchased them yet, but I just might in the future.

Besides Amazon, I picked up a few organizational things at Target and replenished some school supplies at Walmart.

I know this may seem like a lot, but most days, I’m at school more than I’m at home. I like for my room to feel organized, cozy, and a spot that students will enjoy. Also, next year I definitely won’t have to buy as much because I will mostly have what I need for this classroom.

If you are an educator (former or current), I’d love to hear what you teach/taught and how many years you have been/were in the classroom.

{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}

Friday Favorites, Kids, School

Friday Favorites {#261}

Posted on June 6, 2025June 5, 2025 by jgalvinwhite

Hello Friday but let’s slow down summer!

How was your week? Ours was really good. Some mornings, the kids have slept in; some mornings they’ve gone to sports performance training. We’ve been to the pool a bit. Hadley had a sitting job, volleyball, and pool time. Hayden has power washed for a few people, gone golfing, and continues to run. So, every day has been different, but we’re settling into a bit of a routine.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

With this first full week of summer under our belts, I have a lot of favorites to share:

Last Friday, we celebrated my niece’s birthday! She’s 8 and oh so cute. We had cake…

…and then kids swam in the pool for a bit. It was a lovely Friday night.

Saturday was the state track meet, and Hadley ran in the 4×200 relay and the 400m race. When the kids started this season, we truly had no clue what to expect. Of course, with every race, they do their best, but qualifying for state is different than qualifying in middle school. Hayden was a very supportive brother for both of Hadley’s races, and she also had a lot of family there cheering her on.

Her relay had a PR and placed 7th overall, and she ran a solid 400, placing 8th. She’d hoped to break 1:00 in the 400; she was close, but fell short of that. The top 8 receive medals, so I think earning a medal for both races eased her mind a bit. No matter what, it was such an amazing experience for her to run those races as a freshman coming out of one of the toughest regions. Hayden had an awesome season as well.

We were blessed with some amazing photos…a friend of my brother-in-law’s is a photographer for a local news outlet and took these photos of Hadley to share with us:

…and…one of the kids’ friends and teammates has some serious photography skills. She took these pics which I love.

Hadley with her bling:

It was a beautiful morning for a track meet…and then it was time for Railbird.

After the meet, we made a pit stop at Chipolte because my girl was hungry and she went home to shower and change for the Railbird music festival. She was gone from 3:00-11:00 hanging with friends and listening to some of her favorite country music artists.

Also, how brave is she? We ordered these boots last minute, and she wore them to the festival. Who breaks in new boots while on her feet for eight hours? This girl! haha

Oh the things we do when we’re young! Also, bonus — we wear the same shoe size!

Sunday was fun as we went to a graduation party…and the sweet graduate is headed to MIZZOU this fall. What a small world.

My mom came to visit, and we went to First Watch for breakfast before she headed out on Tuesday morning. The avocado toast I ordered was delish, but even better was the “Watermelon Wake Up” juice that I ordered. 10/10 recommend!

On Wednesday, Hayden caddied a round of golf for his friend who was playing in a tournament. It was a hot day, but I know he had so much fun.

While Hayden was on the course, Hadley was driving me around town. She drove me to Hobby Lobby, so I could check out their bulletin board paper selection. So, because of Tik Tok, I’m just now realizing that Hobby Lobby has quite a few school/teaching supplies! This roll of cute polka dot paper is exactly the width of the bulletin board. My mind is blown. I’ve always used the rolls of paper that we have at school, and you end up having to overlap the paper. Please know, that the last time I put up a bulletin board was five years ago…and I won’t do another one for a few years. High school teachers are very different than elementary teachers. haha!

I’m changing rooms for the upcoming school year, and Travis helped me move my stuff on Tuesday. After Hobby Lobby, Hadley drove us to Chipolte (she loves a burrito!) and then to school where she helped me put up my new bulletin board. My August self will thank me later! That being said, I’m finished thinking about school for now!

I added a few June reading trackers to my Instagram highlight. Please feel free to use them and tag me. I love sharing what others are reading.

I was out front watering my ferns and flowers, and noticed that I have two pretty blooms on my hydrangea bush. Hydrangeas and peonies are my fave flowers in the summer.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Hello, summer!

Share Our Lives:

It’s hard to believe but we’re almost halfway through 2025…and we have another Share Our Lives link up…We’re sharing unique things about where you live. I can’t wait to read those posts.