Brooks

She texted and said, "I have a baby!!"

My heart sighed with relief and my mouth arched into a huge smile.

All night long, I had been texting with Casey's sister, Donna, and she was kind enough to keep me right in the loop.  The whole day I was crazy anxious.  I kept checking my phone, texting Donna, praying, and hoping that Case and Brooks were going to be okay.

I remember this same anxiety last June when Rex was born.  Not being able to be at the hospital was painful.  We (the girls) encompassed Case in prayers and kept a check via texts.  Once we knew Case was in the "homestretch" we switched over to a text with me keeping the girls posted from my texts with Donna.  I'm eager to show Case that string of conversation!

After a very long day, I finally got the happy text from Donna, and then the heart relieving, never-been-so-happy-to-hear-my-phone-ding text from Case.  She said, "I have a baby!!".  I texted back and said, "You have a baby!"

My hands are anxious to hold him.  My arms are eager to hug Case and make sure she's okay.  My heart, though, oh, my heart is so happy.

Welcome to the world, Brooks!  You have so much love surrounding you!

Moments - Special Memories from 2013

Last year, I made the resolution to blog more.  Mainly, I wanted to do this as a cathartic way to release my thoughts and what not.  I have the same resolution this year...among many, many others.  What better way to start 2014 than looking back at the wonderful moments that 2013 captured?

I thought about just doing a huge photo dump, but that would entail loading and posting over 100 pics...and in the words of sweet Brown..."Ain't nobody got time for that."  Instead, I decided to do a top 10 of sorts, except they're in no particular order!!

Rex's Birth - As stated before, I think one of the top moments of 2013 (and my life) would be the birth of my nephew.  After a long wait (stubborn little thing), he was finally born on Friday, June 21st.  Holding him for the first time is a memory I will never forget.  Being able to watch him grow has been such a treat!  Making the little steps that all babies make (rolling over, teething, finding his voice, cooing, smiling, etc) and watching him develop has just been amazing.  I wrote more here and I'm sure that there will be just a few posts about him in the upcoming year!

Baby Journi - Our family is growing so much!  In addition to Rex, earlier this year (March 14th to be exact), my cousin welcomed her beautiful daughter into the world.  I was fortunate enough to make it into town and visit the evening of Journi's birth.  I am beyond excited that they will be traveling back this way.  Watching my family grow is a cherished memory and beautiful thing.

Casey and Kelly's pregnancy - Still in the world of babies, 2 more miracles will be born in the upcoming year!  Both Casey and Kelly found out they were pregnant in 2013.  We are so excited to have new little babies to welcome into our group!  Case told me via a picture in a gift bag - she said she had gotten me a present for mother's day.  I jumped up and down and yelled and was ecstatic!  Kelly's story is funny because it was so us.  We played phone tag for an entire afternoon and finally got in touch.  She wanted to facetime me and then told me the good news!  Lots of little ones to love! Finding out about Case's pregnancy can be read in more detail here.  Excited for all my besties!

Teaching an AP Course - One of the more difficult things I've done in my career happened this past year.  In January, my principal asked if I would consider teaching an AP course within our English department.  I knew that it would be a challenging class to teach, but I welcomed the opportunity.  Throughout the past semester, I have most definitely been challenged.  I've been overwhelmed at the literature, vocabulary, writing, test, so on and so forth.  However, I know this is making me a better teacher.  Maybe not a sane teacher...but, I know I'm growing. More details about my thoughts on the training can be read here.

A perk of all of this is that I've gotten to go to extra training.  This included the AP Summer Institute at Wake Forest this past summer.  The best perk was that one of my best friends is getting ready to teach an AP course too!  It's nice to experience the same things with someone you're so close to!

Visit to Philadelphia - One of my closest friends moved up to Philadelphia a few years ago.  I have wanted to go visit for a long time, but finally made it work this past July.  We ate, walked, toured, talked, and caught up.  It was a wonderful visit, and I'm hoping to make another trek up there again!! Way more details and pics can be found here.

NCTE Conference in Boston - I was able to travel up to Boston and attend the National Conference Teaching English.  It was INCREDIBLE.  If you are an English teacher and ever have the chance to go - GO!  I learned so much and also got to visit a beautiful city.  The presenters and workshops were some of the best that I've ever been to.  I was able to see many of my "teaching heroes" speak as well as young, enthusiastic educators hoping to get their passion out to others.  I was also able to spend time with one of my best friends, Emily.  She traveled to the conference as well.  Always happy to spend time traveling with a friend!

Memorial Weekend Beach - My best friends and I usually try to make it to the beach at least once a year.  For the past six or so years it has become a tradition that we always look forward to.  It's gotten harder as our lives have gotten busier to find a long weekend that fits seven schedules, but we try to make it work.  This past year we traveled during Memorial Day weekend and had a great time!  We missed Case (she was traveling back from Mexico), but got an awesome surprise when she facetimed and shared she was pregnant!  We enjoyed the sun, water, and sand, but most of all, being together.  More pics and details written here.

Baby Showers - I've gotten to celebrate not one, or two, but three babies this year!  (Technically, four, but we haven't had a shower for Kelly yet!!).  The year started off celebrating Baby Journi and her sweet Momma, Katy.  I threw my sister a shower in March to celebrate the arrival of Rex.  Brooks had two showers that I got to attend in November and December!  These babies sure are loved!

Carrie's Walk - In October, I walked in honor of my dear friend Carrie.  We celebrated her fight with Juvenile Diabetes.  It was a wonderful day and they raised a ton of money!  I wrote a post about Carrie earlier in the year.  If you ever have the chance, please help to support this amazing foundation.  Carrie is one of the strongest people I know, and I am so proud to call her my friend.

There were so many more...beach trips, sweet baby snuggles, watching Stevie graduate from Betsy Bus, ending my 5th year of teaching, traveling all over to see friends and family, finding out Brooks' gender at the reveal party, hearing the sweet heartbeat of Rex and Brooks inside the womb, and so many more.  I hope 2014 has more memories in store!  

2013 - Where Did the Time Go?

Two months later, I'm finally getting around to updating the ole blog.  I've said before that this blog certainly isn't written to get buzz or be this thought provoking series of writing, but rather, this serves as a virtual journal for me.

The last day of the year is here!  Once all the "memory rolls" start coming out on all the news channels, I know that we're wrapping up a year.  The slow, sappy music plays.  People we've lost grace the screen.  The "big" moments are put up to be celebrated one more time.  It kind of makes the bad look minuscule and the good look more prominent - which I suppose is how it should be.

It gives me a chance to reflect and look back.  This has certainly been an important year.  It's been a rough year at points, but by going on the motto of the montage...there's been more good than bad.  This has been a year of immense growth and opportunity.  My cousin gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, my sister gave birth to a handsome baby boy, and two of my best friends found out they were pregnant!  The world is sweeter with new life around and babies to snuggle.

Continuing with that thought, my nephew being born was probably the highlight of my year.  I am honored to be his auntie and godmother, and I pray for him every night.  I pray that he grows up with the knowledge of everyone who loves him, I pray he knows how much God loves him, and I pray he will grow up with a heart full of understanding and peace.  I've never been more proud of my sister and the incredible mom she has become.  Seeing her with Rex has been a delight.  My heart is filled with wonder and amazement every time I look into his eyes and hold his sweet little body.

Having two of my best friends tell me they were pregnant was another bright moment.  Going through the journey of "adulthood" with them has been so much fun, and it's been even more amazing to see them turn into soon-to-be mommies.  2014 will be another year filled with baby coo's and sweet snuggles!

With the good, which has certainly outweighed the bad, always comes moments of frustration and confusion.  I have been blessed with incredible opportunities within my career, but with those comes stress and a little lot of anxiety.  Teaching a new course, attempting to fit on a couple more professional "hats", and smiling while doing all of it has proved to be hard.  I've enjoyed all the opportunities, and I love my students, colleagues, and county, but whew....there have been a few times this year where I've thought, "I can't do this anymore."  However, I know that this journey is part of the bigger plan that God has in mind for me.  Learning to listen to Him and follow His lead is difficult.  But...I'm learning, and that in itself is worth the confusion.

I'm not sure what 2014 will bring.  Lots of love, I hope.  Lots of peace, I pray.  Lots of healthy family members and friends, I know.  I love "clean slates" and this is my favorite thing about a new year!

Wishing you and yours a happy New Year and a wonderful beginning to your "clean slates".

Conquer those mountains...or 400 steps ;)

Week (or so...) in Pics

These pics cover a little more than a week.  Even though I feel like there is a lot going on in my life, I don't have many pictures to prove it!  I take a ton of pics, but not as much for everyday life.  Here are some pics...

I've been trying to write a little more in my journal.  Get it out. Write it out.

There is a popular song my kids are listening to called, "Royals".  In it she says, "You can call me queen bee."  Many of my students call me "Ms. B", so I told them to draw me as "Queen Bee".  They never fail to make me giggle.

SO EXCITED TO TEACH THE GREAT GATSBY FOR THE FIRST TIME!!

This is pretty much my life in one picture.

Love.

Got to visit and have dinner with some sweet friends.  Ended on a lovely note - dessert!

Four Months

Rex,

You are four months.

When I get to visit and hold you, my heart is so happy!  You coo and giggle, smile and snuggle.  I am so blessed to be your aunt.  Thank you for the constant joy you bring into all of our lives.

Love you to the moon (and back a few times),
Auntie Coley

Flying Time

I remember it vividly.  The night before my first day as a high school teacher.  I talked to my friend Kelly, and she gave me some pointers.  She had already been in school for a few weeks, so it was nice to hear she made it out alive.  I packed my lunch. Laid out my clothes.  Set my alarm, and I put my bag by the door.  Sitting in that little apartment in Eden, I had absolutely no clue what I was getting myself into.  Luckily, on that night before school started, I was fortunate to have one of my best friends staying with me.  Caroline was on her way to DC to start her year long AmeriCorp program.  I doubt either one of us slept very well that night.  I slept as a child sleeps on Christmas Eve...but the anticipation was so different.  We got up early and gathered our things.  We walked down the stairs and awkwardly hugged goodbye.  I was reminiscent of the sad goodbye years before when she left my college dorm room.

Caro was on her way to DC, and I was on my way to RCHS.  Butterflies and other cliches entered the scene really quick.  I was nervous beyond any words imaginable.  I quietly walked into that building and six years later, I'm still there.

It's sometimes hard to believe that I've spend six years of my life doing one thing.  Up 'til now every four years I've switched it up.  Middle school for three years led into four years of college which was followed up by another four years in college.  Life up til now has been sectioned off nicely, but now I've spent the most years since elementary school doing something.

There have been moments of immense joy within the past years in teaching.  There have also been moments of extreme frustration.  Time passes and I learn something new everyday with teaching.  How could you not?  I told my students the other day that if I ever felt like I wasn't learning or doing a good job, I wouldn't want to teach.  I don't think it would be fair to the students.

Here I am six years later.  I sometimes don't know how I feel about this job.  I have been disappointed in North Carolina's government in their (in my opinion) unfair treatment of teachers.  But, I have to question why I do this.  It isn't for the gov't, it isn't for the people that clearly don't care about education.  I do this for the kids.  For my kids.

Beauty, Hope, Love, and Change

I've been a little frustrated and down this week.  One of my students had me edit a paper for him.  I won't share his name, but wanted to share this beautiful conclusion to his essay.

"When it comes down to it, things are most likely going to change.  The majority of the human society realizes that we must move past the biases of old to make way for the innovation of the future.  We are stronger united than we are separated.  Our cultures are learning to love one another and help one another more.  As my English teacher has said from day one in her class, "Everybody has to love everybody."  And that is the way it will be one day."

I was absolutely blown away.  Not because I was mentioned, but because maybe...JUST MAYBE...my students take what I say to heart.  Maybe, just maybe, they listen.  It gives me hope that I have students with bright minds, beautiful hearts, and words that can take them far.