aaahhhhh.

It's Summer break! Those three words make me just breathe in and exhale slowly... "Aaaahhhhh..."

It feels great!

Last summer, I nannied the most AMAZING children- Abby (7), Macy (4), Judah (2 1/2), and Levi (1 1/2). Judah and Levi had just come home to America from Ethiopia, and it was an honor to spend their first couple months with them and their ecstatic sisters. 

Aren't they just the most adorable children EVER???

This year I am not nannying every day, although I hope to spend some time with these babies! Their family is vacationing on Anna Maria Island, my home beach!! I am sooo excited to spend a week on the beach with these kiddos, and then extend my trip a little longer to spend much-needed time with my rents.

Other plans for this super short, but nonetheless, much needed summer break???

Spending time with my Love, Jon...doing whatever it is we want to do. (It was a crazy spring semester of school...read previous post.) We have fun no matter what we're doing. We just need some time to be love birds.

Earn additional income and be an effective Stella & Dot stylist! (More details to come in following posts.) Let's go, debt snowball!!

Read. And read lots of books. I am starting with "Empty Promises" by Pete Wilson. Right now it is rockin' my socks off and I can't put it down. I have a stack of books I've previously selected for my personal summer reading list, and I can't wait to trudge on through.

Goodness knows in the three days of summer we've already had I've done my share of pinning on Pinterest. Now I'll finally have the time to create/bake/cook/make some of the things I've had my eye on!

Host some house guests... my mama is coming in town in just a couple hours, and then our dear friend Matt is visiting us from Fort Myers! We can't wait to host these guys...and anyone else that wants to visit the Darcy household!

Attend the beautiful wedding of Danielle and Jonathan! Soooo excited for these two frands to tie the knot!

Volunteer at VBS. Our theme this year is "Sky", and I am the preschool leader. Excited? Duh!

Potentially go to teen camp? I know, I know. You need an answer, Jason!

Attend sure-to-be boring, but required by the state, workshops on Common Core Standards. Here. We. Go. (Can you feel my excitement?)

Get my wisdom teeth pulled. (A newfound must-do. Excitement is just as much as read above.)

Pray. A lot. Last semester was a particularly difficult one, career wise. I was successful at teaching and received rave reviews on my evaluations, but I am struggling a bit with direction. Prayer is much needed.

Finally breaking out my workout DVDs. I just gotta do it!

Work out so I can eat this:

Plan a little for next school year. Yes, I said it. I am moving to 6th grade next year, and I really need to get acquainted with the 6th grade standards. Also, I need to check out their essential literature lists and fall in love with these books!

See my frands!!! Girls' nights are much needed!

Clean the house, top to bottom. (Oh, wait...my mom will be here in a couple hours, so I already did that. Check!)

Return our Altima (good riddance, car payments!), and purchase a car with cash to help with our Debt Free Plan!

Blog.

Stay up too late.

Sleep a little later.

Sip my coffee a while longer.

Breathe.

Enjoy.

I truly am thankful for this time "off" of work.

In my spirit I feel like this summer is a time of preparation for us, Jon and me alike.

He's calling us to "Get Ready." 

For what? I'm not sure. 

But I'm falling in love with Him more and more everyday this summer. 

And choosing to just breathe and find His joy in everything that happens.

Smash.

Did you watch the new NBC show "Smash" this past season? I am not one to get hooked to a TV show, but I became addicted to this show from Episode 1. I was smitten by the beautifully orchestrated music, dreamed of living the New York lifestyle, and was mesmerized by the choreography, the big names (Debra Messing), the captivating voices (Megan Hilty), and yes, especially the drama. This show filled my usually empty Broadway tank on a weekly basis. (I even got the hubs to watch part of a couple episodes with me!)

 Here is a clip form the very first episode. Ivy (Hilty) and Karen (McPhee) are preparing to audition for the leading role of Marilyn Monroe in a hot-off-the-press Broadway musical, "Bombshell". Check it out!

Let Me Be Your Star

With the kick-off of a hot new series revealing the behind-the-scenes life on Broadway, NBC gifted 20 schools across the country with a grant to produce their spring musicals. Did you read that correctly...20 schools in the country...and Oliver Middle School was one of them! We were exhilarated to receive this grant money, and were filled with hope of building a musical department in our middle school!

I co-directed the musical with three other teachers. We each had our areas of expertise, and it was such a beautiful thing to see all our personalities and unique experiences come together as one directional team. 

Although I had never directed a musical before, I've had much experience on the stage. It was both a challenge and a huge thrill to use my different areas of experience to coach middle schoolers. My favorite times were spent coaching the soloists- choreographing and teaching them how to utilize entire stage, sing with expression, and pass energy to everyone else in the Company. I also managed our fundraising, booked our sound system, designed/assembled the 15 page program, co-directed the Chorus, and processed any administrative "stuff" to be sent home to parents and local businesses. 

I learned soooo much during our two rehearsals/planning segments with our correspondent from NBC, Cynthia Ripley. This lady knows her stuff! And she's a genius when it comes to producing musicals with students! I can truly say I was inspired. And I think this area of "teaching" brought new life to my career in education. 

We have had auditions/rehearsals since mid January. (This means that for almost the length of my marriage, I've had after school rehearsals three nights a week until 6:00-6:30. And tutoring two days a week before school. And math meetings every Wednesday morning on top of that. My hubs sure is a trooper!) Although the spring semester was a CUH-RAZY one for sure, and my social life was pretty much nonexistent, I can honestly say that it was worth it. The students amazed me, and we pulled off a show we can truly be proud of!

Now to make my mind stop racing with ideas for next year... Hmmm...

dirt.

There's just something about getting your hands dirty that just feels good sometimes. 

Stirring up the earth, clearing out the old, making way for the new... it's just... refreshing.

Luckily, since we live in a townhome, we are not required to cut our own grass. (We aren't even supposed to trim our bushes, however, our Home Owner's Association has been hounding our lawn care people for months now to do so.) Anywho... 

This morning, Jon and I got to work in our yard. I pulled weeds, Jon trimmed and shaped the shrubbery (great job, Babe!), and we even planted some tulips given to us from one of my students.

At the end of the day, not only does the entrance to our home have increased curb appeal, but Jon and I feel accomplished. 

We did it. 

Together. 

We had fun doing it.

And that's how we like it.

Enjoy our photos!

(And don't get too jealous that you don't have this smashingly handsome man working in your yard.)  :)

Ushered In.

Tonight, as I'm waiting for Jon to get home for our late-night date, I am overcome with an urge to listen to  this song; a song that I grew up hearing my mom singing in church services. You know, one of those worship songs where the whole congregation lifted their hands and wept as living testimonies to her praise. (Man, I'd do almost anything to hear my mom sing this at church tonight.)

I decided not only to listen to the song, but watch this video on YouTube. The video shows Cece Winans singing the song live. 

Cece Winans - Alabaster Box

As I sang along to the words and meditated on the meaning behind them, I was ushered into His Presence- right there at my kitchen table. 

Before I knew it, I was weeping over my turkey-provalone melt. 

It was as if the heart of the Biblical woman became more real to me than ever before.

Her sacrifice of praise was so real. so intimate. so crucial.

I am overcome right now by this Biblical story, by this beautifully arranged song, by the powerhouse voice of Cece. But mostly I am overcome by the anointed Presence of God. It knows no time and place. His Spirit falls on us whenever we ask to receive it. And I'm thankful for that.

new heart.

In our church's youth group, we've been studying the story of Jonah. Last night, as we met in our girls' small group, I listened to middle school and high school ladies discuss their "running" from God, something I'm relating all-too-closely with these days. Another one of our sponsors (an amazing woman; a true Proverbs 31 woman whom I love and desire to be just like!) shared this verse with the group. 

Today, I just can't seem to get away from these words.

Ezekiel 36:26

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Today my prayer is that I will receive this new heart, and allow this new spirit to be at work in me.