why I do what I do...

http://vodpod.com/watch/970676-dalton-sherman-%E2%80%94-dynamic-speaker-extraordinaire

This is why I teach.

It's a longer video...but well worth watching. This boy was gaving the opening day convocation to 20,000 Dallas teachers.

Old Time Base Ball

Last Sunday we joined John and Amy for a day of base ball. It wasn't baseball the way we usually think of base ball. It was 1865 rules and attire.

I especially enjoy the touristy cooler :)

Amy and I enjoyed watching these two boys who would have fit right in with Laura Ingalls and her antics :).

They even had the little kids changing the score and outs.

a year ago...

Yesterday Matt and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary :) It is hard to believe that it's already been a year! This year has been filled with blessings, challenges and growth. I love going through life with my best friend beside me...it makes all of life's moments extra special.

This weekend we were able to get away to celebrate our year together. We were so blessed to have found such a wonderful bed & breakfast.
We arrived Friday evening to find the hosts and another couple sitting on the porch enjoying the view over Seneca Lake. We quickly settled our stuff and joined them for some porch sitting. We soon learned that the hosts were originally from Rochester area then moved to their vacation area to build this beautiful home. We also found that the husband was a former RIT baseball player. The baseball conversation took off as we continued to enjoy a relaxing evening. We woke up Saturday morning to the amazing smells of breakfast. The 4 guest couples gathered around the large breakfast table as our hosts served omelets, french toast, fresh fruit, scones and endless coffee. Matt and I mentioned that we were planning to go kayaking that day and before we knew it our host had already called and made kayak reservations for us.

We spent the next 3 1/2 hours enjoying the views of Seneca Lake as we kayaked a total of 8 miles. We were sore, but the time together, the beautiful views and the workout were totally worth it!
Sorry about the last picture...you do what you can when you need to use a pile of rocks for your camera stand and the only view of the lake looks directly into the sun.

We headed back to the bed & breakfast for some more porch sitting and a round of ladder golf before we headed out for an early dinner. Our hosts had suggested a restaurant on Keuka Lake with a beautiful view. They were right...it was a beautiful view...however, the food could have been a little less greasy. By this time we were ready to crash for good after our busy day. We went back for an evening of good conversation with our hosts and a few of the other couples.

Sunday morning we woke up to another amazing breakfast: egg casserole, pancakes, fresh fruit, banana bread and coffee. The weekend was perfect. If anyone ever needs a nice get-away place let us know...we'll gladly pass on the information. You can't beat the incredible hospitality and relaxation we enjoyed.

it's been too long...

I apologize for not keeping up with my blog this summer. I'll do my best to capture what's happened this summer:

*Grandma passed away on July 14th. Thank you for everyones thoughts and prayers.

*I've been able to catch up on scrapbooking :) I think I'll have our wedding album finished by the time summer's over.

*What summer isn't complete without a weekend at a cottage? John and Amy invited us to join them for a weekend at their family's cottage. It was the perfect time of relaxing and enjoying the company of good friends. Check out the pictures on Amy's blog.

*Matt has always told me about the civil war re-enactment at Genesse Country Museum. This year we were finally around for the event and spent the day wandering through the village and going back in time. It was an incredible event!

*This past weekend we traveled home for a Brown family reunion. It was a great family weekend. We spent Friday and Saturday with my family then went to Matt's parents for the rest of the weekend. Standing out to me as one of the best times was hearing Laura's laugh for *most* of the car ride home on Saturday. She loved having an audience to entertain.
This box cover helped with the entertainment. And of course, I gave it a try as well...but didn't look nearly as cute as Laura. I'm sure Andrea will make that photo known soon enough :)

*And lastly...the large beam in our apartment *almost* fell on Matt last night:
Last week I noticed the beam was slowly inching away from the ceiling. We let our landlord know, he checked it out and assured us we'd be okay until he returned from vacation. We were fine for the week. Last night they came to fix it and realized they didn't have all the necessary tools. Right after they left we went to the kitchen to get some cookies and milk, came back to the couch, sat down and CRASH! Do you see the fan cord? That's all that kept it from falling on Matt's head! Fortunately, 2 hours later the beam is fixed and secure!