yikes! it's been a while...

well, i last updated when i got my pink snuggie... aka my bff. i love it and it loves me and we're as happy as can be! wow...

i spent most of july in florida. it was AMAZING! i came back super tan, but unfortunately it keeps fading... there's still some color, but i don't look tan anymore. sad day. i also decided that i want to move to florida... no, i'm not crazy. i'm gonna marry a rich guy so i don't have to work and can just lay out on the beach all day - and by beach, i mean the gulf. we do the west side of florida. it's the polarek way. and i love it.

i came back to move... it was bittersweet. i moved out of the cutest apartment ever and into one that i really do love just as much... it's super cute, just not as structurally cute as the old one. with the change in apartment came a change in roommates. dana moved into the townhome that would soon be hers and josh's. i moved in with rachael in a 2-bedroom unit in her same complex. the drive to work is much nicer. and i have to admit, living on the second floor instead of the third is pretty great, too... don't judge, my classroom is on the third floor so i do lots of stairs every day, up and down, up and down... eek!

the day after i moved, i left for a conference for work. i went with my two work bffs, jenny and shmonica. we LOVED the conference! it was AMAZING! the only bad things were 1. i forgot my phone charger and 2. the hotel charged like $12/day for internet so we had to go to barnes and noble to check email (and facebook!). so you see how the bad things had nothing to do with the conference itself, right? this conference was the greatest - if you are a teacher and have a chance to go to any PLC institutes, GO! they are amazing... i'm talking CIY good, but for teachers! i know! crazy! but it was awesome!

after the conference, i had a couple days off (three) and then school started! eek! no wonder i haven't updated this thing! school has actually been really good so far this year. we're just now a month in so true colors will probably start showing soon, but my classes are good. sometimes scary good. even my low class has their moments. they were probably my best on class on friday! yeah, friday! and all but one kid worked and stayed on task until the last few minutes of class. it was bliss!

life outside of school has been quite busy and eventful as well. the last weekend in august, we all went up to chicago for melissa's bachelorette party and then came back sunday afternoon and had our make-up party for dana's wedding! the following weekend was labor day weekend... aka bachelorette extravaganza for dana! i started it off by going to central's football game against urbana. at half we up 8-0. at the end, it was 50-0. crazy! then saturday we went out to lunch, and hung out, went on a scavenger hunt, ate yummy food, played a newly-wed game, and then went to soma! sunday was brunch and then caramel apples (i got injured... about five minutes after rachael said something and i responded, "that's why no one likes hanging out with nurses." i learned my lesson. keep those thoughts to myself or only say them behind her back! j/k) then anna, rach, dana and i had a super fun sleepover where we played the twilight game and ate candy necklaces and made popcorn and watched now and then. oh how it brought us back to junior high! except for the whole we went to bed at midnight thing. yikes, we're getting old!

finally, the big day came... september 12th... josh and dana's wedding! the night before was the rehearsal dinner and then a bridesmaids slumber party at dana's! we went to bed early again, but we had a big day ahead of us! saturday morning came and it was time to get our hair done. i was first at 8:30 and everyone was finally done by 11:30ish. then we went to the church, ate lunch, put on our make-up and dresses and then it was picture time! and after that came the ceremony! and then we took a super sweet limo to campus to take pictures and then to the reception hall. the limo was basically the coolest one i have EVER been in! it was amazing! the reception was a blast... i danced the night away... completely sober because unlike some people, i don't need alcohol in me to dance... i guess i have no shame! ha ha... whatever i'm white, i'm not supposed to be able to dance! i probably looked like a fool, but at least i was a fun fool!

this past weekend was nice and relaxing with no real plans. this coming weekend is a busy one... melissa's wedding is on saturday and it's up in madison! why did kate have to go and move? the current plan is to most likely go home (to beecher... whoo hoo!) friday and then up to madison saturday afternoon, back to beecher post wedding/reception, and then back to champaign sunday evening... in time for small group at 6? we'll see how i feel. i do have to come back sunday night, though, because even though i have monday off, i have a doctor's appointment at 10 and don't really feel like leaving beecher at 8... i'd rather sleep til then (or a little later!). we shall see.

okay, that is all... this is probably crazy long! i apologize, but thanks for reading! :)