The Time You Have

I just saw this video on Lindsay's Facebook (thanks, Twinny!) and couldn't help but share it.  It is so interesting to me and really puts things in perspective.

So, how will you spend your time?!

BCMS News

I feel a little funny posting this, but in September I found out I was voted "Best Middle School Teacher" in the "Best of Burke" competition this year.  Our Board of Education ran this ad in the newspaper a few weeks ago, which features the "Best of Burke" teacher from each school. :)

[You can see last year's ad by clicking here]

In other school news, I also recently became the assistant cheerleading coach, and so far I just love it!  The girls are adorable, and it's been fun being involved in a school activity outside of the classroom.

Go Cubs!! 

Bulldog Nation

Our 26-41 loss to Mizzou was frustrating and gut-wrenching to watch, but I do still adore my Georgia Bulldog football team. 

[via]

I finally watched "A Letter for Larry" this afternoon and it reminded me, yet again, why I love my school.  Win or lose, our team has such heart and our fans have so much passion.  I couldn't seem to embed the video on here, but you can watch it by clicking the link below:

A Letter to Larry

It's a real heart-string-puller, isn't it?  Georgia legends are forever.  The Bulldog spirit is eternal.  

Color Run 5K

Last weekend Kristina and I ran in the first Color Run to come to Augusta.  It was a 5K run through Augusta and over 5,000 people participated.  Their slogan is "The Happiest 5K on the Planet" and it is SO TRUE! 

We headed to the start line...

and were part of the first group to start.  

There were four Color Stations along the way...

and we ran through each one just like this. ;)

[via]

Even though it isn't a timed, competitive 5K Kristina kept track of our time on her Runtastic app, and we were super excited when we realized we ran the entire thing in about 29 minutes, which was a full 4 minutes shorter than the last 5K we ran just two weeks ago. 

Each registration packet comes with a small bag of colored powder, which is used in the Color Explosion after the race.  After a ten-second countdown everyone threw their color packets in the air at the same time, which was one of the coolest things I've ever been apart of.  There was so much colorful powder in the air that it was hard to see for a few seconds.  It was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience! 

[via]

I think I speak for Kristina when I say we had the best time and would definitely recommend running in the Color Run if it comes to a city near you. ;) 

Wedding Bells

Whoopsies.  I'm a couple weeks late in posting this, but two weekends ago we drove to Douglas, Georgia for the wedding of our friends Tyler and Jasmine.  The ceremony and reception took place on Jasmine's family's farm so needless to say Gaines felt right at home. ;)  I didn't take a whole lot of pictures, but we had a great time catching up with a lot of our UGA friends! 

Congratulations to the Bells!! 

Shrimp-N-Grits

So, I am usually not a very picky eater, but growing up the one thing I absolutely hated was grits.  Something about the taste and texture were so weird to me, but still really wanted to like them.  I still don't think I'll ever eat grits with breakfast, but something about the combination of shrimp and grits has really grown on me over the years.  I tried my cousin Lisa's recipe (from our recipe box) last week and absolutely loved it, so I wanted to share it.  :)

Cousin Lisa's Shrimp-N-Grits

Ingredients: 

1 cup of grits (w/ bullion)

3 tbsp. of butter

1 cup of shredded cheese

1 pound of shrimp

6 slices of bacon (cooked and chopped)

4 tsp. of lemon juice (1 lemon)

2 tbsp. of parsley

1 clove of garlic

scallions

Directions:

1. Cook grits according to package instruction.  Add the bullion and then the cheddar cheese.

2. Fry bacon in a skillet and drain the grease.

3. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until pink.

4. Add lemon juice, bacon, parsley, scallions, and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.

5. Add a serving of the shrimp mix onto a serving of the grits.

Enjoy! 

Birthday Weekend

My 27th birthday was so wonderful and I was lucky enough to celebrate it over three days. ;)  Saturday morning we got up and made a yummy breakfast while watching ESPN Gameday, which was in Athens.  We did some much-needed yard work, and then settled in to watch the UGA vs. LSU game.  How sweet was it for Mark Richt to order a win for my birthday?  But seriously, how 'bout them dawgs!! We then headed to dinner at Good Day with Jason, Caroline, Kristina, and Drew, who also had a birthday yesterday. On Sunday we went to church, enjoyed the nice weather, and grilled steaks for dinner.  And yesterday I got to celebrate with my hubby, my students and teammates, my family (from long-distance), and Gaines' family, who had us over for one of my favorite meals. :)

 I'm not sure how in the world I got so lucky, but I have been blessed with the best family and friends in the world and cannot thank everyone enough for all of the sweet calls, texts, gifts, and messages.  I had the best day ever!! Here's to 27. :)