Busy, busy, busy

The last few months have been super busy; school starting, work is hectic and the little one is growing up too fast.

Here are some snapshots of recent activity here from the Shatto family.

H2O+pizza+friends= a good spontaneous night

We had a great spontaneous evening at our local FREE water fountain playground. Adam and Diesel had such fun walking through the water and splashing in the fountain sprays. Our friends the Denbows joined us and we all ate pizza at the park. We love summer nights and being free to be with our boy.

Two cold, wet and worn out water players! Diesel couldn't get enough even though his lips were blue by the end of the night.

I spy with my little eye...

Oh what do my eyes spy at my front door...

something exciting and worth waiting for.

Goodies and yummies all wrapped up in a box...

from my dear friend Rachel curlylocks!

I never have been very creative, or least I don't think so. But, I've decided that I need to be expressive and start somewhere, so she sent me so wonderful goodies. She is an accomplished and published artist/creator, so she sent me some leftovers that I can start playing with. It was very generous of her and I truly love my dear friend(not just because she sent me stuff), but she is a dear friend from the "good ol' days".

Hopefully I can tear my self away from work stuff to be able to have fun and create something.

looooong time, no post...

lots of new happens have been going on. work, school, adoption, winter gatherings. too much to list right now, but just wanted say that we are doing fine and have been on a new adventure. if you haven't caught up with our journey check out www.myspace.com/shattojourney

here's some pics from our family in these lazy winter evenings; ones that make you want to cuddle under a warm blanket with a couple of dogs to snuggle with.

it just isn't as good...

it just isn't as good to blog without some sort of photo to add with it. Don' know when we will get another camera, kinda not a priority right now(money is tight and being saved for other needs).
Busy, busy week..parent-teacher conferences, report cards, evaluations, class work to do...busy, busy not enough hours in the day.......*yawn* time for bed......

so sad....:(

so sad....*cry*cry* I(well not I, but one of my students) broke our camera. we haven't even had it a year and it's a goner:( I haven't taken pictures in a week and it's kinda sad. Hopefully we will get one soon.



*pretend there is a picture here of our broken camera*

I love thrift stores!

So today I feel inspired by others to go find the "gems" in the rough..thrift stores here I come.

I limited myself to $20.00(tight budget) and set off to find some cute things. I found a fun dress, a lovely yellow bowl, some fun sheets (that will be transformed into a journal cover and small satchel) and some funky handbags(one houndstooth, a red satchel and a small clutch purse that is pink and orange) All that fun stuff for $20.52..so I went over buget, but it was a fun day.

Just breathe...

" see prayer as a connection, as a way of living and breathing, a way of being connected to and communing with the Creator."

Most of the time I forget to breathe... I need constant reminding to breathe and breathe deeply...

just a plain good ol' day...

had a great day, no kid problems, no pain from kidney stones, honey being the husband ever... just feeling plain good today....

Ode to Vinny

After a longgggggg, hard day defending myself from biting, mauling children....I come home to this.......He makes me laugh...*he*he*

Doby the house elf...(Harry Potter fans will understand)

I love him!!

Anyone who knows him, can laugh because he backs up where ever he goes. He's a strange dog!

much cooler now...

Thanks to Reganne @ Mo Jo Pies, I now have short hair. Much cooler now in this scorching heat wave of the midwest! My locks will be sent with love to Locks of Love and hopefully my hair can adorn a new head. I encourage all those who can and will to grow out thier hair and donate it, it is a simple gift of love that costs nothing, but the postage to send it. Think about it....

27...can you belive it?? I can't!

I am 27 already...boy has the time flown by. Why it was just yesterday I was making mud pies in the backyard. Ahh, the easier days of gone bye....I don't think that I have fully grown up.

Oh yeah, my husband is the best! He bought me some cd's, a new porch door and installed it and best of all a wonderful pedicure. It included a massing footbath, foot scrub and wash, lotion massaged and toes painted....I love him!

abe lincoln shaved....

It had been 1 year since this handsome husband had shaved his beard. It was long and scraggly, people called him abe lincoln, amish, meninite, islamic and a terroist, but he was neither of those..just a cute hubby with a mission to grow a long beard........but the long beard had to go, it had been 1 year and he shaved it short...he was not happy that he did it and wouldn't let me take pictures(i snuck this one).

I love him no matter what size beard.....xoxo

new pretties for school

lookie, lookie I got new shoes for school. Even teachers get to get new clothes for the new school year. I love that flat, comfortable, cutes are in. Teachers are sometimes frumpy and drab and i don't want to be like that, I want to be the cute, upbeat teacher..so these new shoes make me feel peppy.

kids don't judge...adults think otherwise

Perfect example of how kids don't judge the bearded wonder.....

Adam and I were talking about this the other day....about how kids al love him, but adults think otherwise when they see a dark haired, tanned skin, bearded man talking or playing with kids. The other day in the store Adam was waiting for me and these two boys starting talking to Adam about the Old Navy doy and how it talks. The parents on the otherhand just gave Adam a weird look and moved their kids along. This has happened more than once before..is it just a "man' phobia or a beard man sterotype or does Adam look creepy to them? what is it?? Adam has a heart of gold, but people don't give him a chance, it's sad. He is so wonderful with children and they sense his kindness, but adults don't. Our society has ruined any chance of pure hearted men just talking with kids without someone thinking " oh he's a molester" Sad, sad, sad :(

no, not yet...i still need more time..........

28 more days, kids come back and back to the grind. well today is my offical first day of summer, that's right 2/3 into summer and it finally begins. no more teaching summer school, no more professional development, just days at home tidying up and getting things ready for school. who ever thinks that teachers get 3 months off in the summer is out of their sweet, blessed minds! a teachers job is never finished, it goes all year long, 60-80 work wks and the kids are always some where in the back of your mind " what can i do to help my kids??" anyways...please don't make me go back right now.....in 12 days, but not tonight ;)

FYI- these two don't go together!

I thought it would never happen to me, but it did...the toilet ate my phone and I had to fish it out (yuck!) Well I have been without a phone for four days and I feel as if a part of my body is missing. Isn't that sad, remember the time without cell phones- could we survive now?? Well, be safe and make sure that your phone doesn't fall victim to John!

seeing double....

Fourth of July fun was had by all, the kids ran and played on the home made slip and slide(so hillbilly) and then did they watch the fireworks???.....no! they were too involved with the puppies. We all had loads of fun throughout the holiday!

sometimes we had to resort to caging them :)
anabell....get in the kennel! Look she's a good girl, she needs a treat!

the world could have been exploding with fireworks, but they didn't care they just loved the puppies.

Fireworks in the background, but she's lookin' for the puppies!

Giddy up Vinny!!

Not everyone can be happy all the time

summer lovin'

FL time was spent at the beach lounging( besides the hospital visit for kidney stones..again..) We enjoyed St. Andrews island, skim boarding and Pineapple Willy's. Not enough time for vacation, but thankful for what we got this year. Back to the grind......

I am sucessful!

So I have always killed anything that I grow, but finally I have been sucessful and plan on eating these tomatoes anyday now. Yeah, i didn't kill it. actually I have been pretty sucessful on the garden/flowers that are growing in the flower bed in the front of the house(only 1 casuality). Maybe I don't have a black thumb afterall :)