The Gist of Life

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sunshine is good for the soul

the in-between

Happy Monday rosebuds! Let me just say – I’ve never felt so good on a Monday; hence the title – sunshine definitely did wonders to my soul the past four days. For the entirety of five days, Puerto Rico gave us amazing weather, tasty sangria, & loads of memories. We stayed in two different locations…

another kind of two year celebration 

cancer

Here I sit in paradise; I have the sun on my face & the ocean breeze has me wrapped in it’s arms. Our vacation has not disappointed & I can’t wait to share pictures when we return.  One of the main reasons Tony wanted me to come along on this trip was because the timeline…

packing essentials

the in-between

I love packing. Yes, you read that right: I love packing. I love putting together list [weird!], I love laying out outfit options, & most of all, I love organizing everything neatly in suitcase. [I’ve actually been known to empty an entire suitcase because one shirt doesn’t lay the right way].  However, I’m also known…

a happy heart

the in-between

This weekend made my heart happy; actually my heart was blissfully happy. Let me break it down for you in a few words and multiple pictures: Friday: Joined by two of my favorite people in the world, we attended a cooking class. There were others in our group, and we experienced making tapas & sangria….

happy 1st birthday gistoflife!

cancer

I have been blogging for a year! I can’t believe it! Tony didn’t believe I would last three months & here I am, a year later, with a beautifully designed blog & over a hundred posts. Amazing. To celebrate, I decided I would tell you a little story; a story on how & why this…

relaxed & rejuvenated

wellness

Holy smokes, I feel like I haven’t written in years, [it’s been like 4 days ]! I had a nice, long weekend to relax & spend time with family. Unfortunately, I don’t have a spring break this school year because of the construction [we’re getting out in mid May], but had this past Friday &…

spinach power salad

wellness

Along with a full heart, this week also brought a chest cold. Getting sick has been pretty consistent the last couple years. I always know, a sixth sense if you will, the moment I pick to stay out late and get less rest, I can expect a cold to knock on my door a few…

a full heart

the in-between

A full heart, indeed. My weekend was finished off with a family bridal shower for my soon -to-be sister in law, [I got to snuggle with my favorite little two year old for a good hour while he fell asleep in my arms], & a wonderful two year celebration brunch, put on by some of my…

march 28th

cancer

March 28th is a day that I will never forget. It is not a day to be celebrated. It is not a day to wallow. It is, simply put, a day that will be forever ingrained into my memory. March 28th was the day I was given my cancer diagnosis. My very first post on this…

friday vibes, again

the in-between

This week’s highlights..  Work It is now the start of 4th quarter; the home stretch. We are lucky enough to get out of school in May this year. I. Can’t. Wait. The biggest challenge for me as a teacher are these last months of school. I have to prep for the MCA tests, keep students…

middle school quote of the day

the in-between

Just a little something to make you giggle on this Thursday. My Homeroom class was trying to convince me to play silent ball this morning. We had finished our activity early & had some spare time. I tried to explain to them that I didn’t have a nurf ball for them to play silent ball,…

snowball chasin’

the in-between

Just a picture of my handsome boy for your viewing pleasure 🙂 Sunday night/Monday morning we had a mini snow storm – it is hard to believe only a week ago we were sitting outside in t-shirts getting pink cheeks from the sun; welcome to Minnesota. Before getting back to my piles of papers to…