Tuesday, July 27, 2010

christmas in july

my darling fiance surprised me with these today. our first christmas ornaments<3
i thought it was the sweetest thing ever.
sometimes the little random things are the best ever.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

my little lovies

last month my nieces and nephew came down to visit. i absolutely love spending time with them and since it happens only about once a year i treasure the time with them. it was also meagan's 3rd birthday. meagan is so special, she is the most lovable little girl i've ever met! even if she doesnt know you she'll give you the biggest hug like she's known you all her life.
 won't they make the cutest flower girls and ring bearer:)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

just saying

my dad is the goofiest man you will ever meet.
he bought this hat with the craziest hair and he LOVES wearing it around to see people's reactions (not going to lie it's pretty funny). 
you gotta love this man:)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

back from new york

and i have some fabulous news...
:D

Thursday, June 10, 2010

no more pencils, no more books

wow i sure have neglected my poor little blog. i've just had a lot on my plate these days but thankfully my plate is about to get really empty. yes sir summer vacation is 1 day away from me. my head is about to explode from excitement and happiness. this past school year has been one of the hardest years of my life but i won't get in to all the details of why the school i work at completely sucks. i just want to think about having a wonderful summer and going on a well deserved vacation in 1 day to NYC with my guy<3

but i won't lie i sure will miss my kiddos. their last day in school was yesterday and it was bittersweet. one of my little ones said "i'm going to miss you, can i hug you?" and i literally had to fight back the tears. those kids were the only thing keeping me going at that school, thank God for those kids:)
my kiddos on field day. of course they kicked butt and got 1st place!!!!!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

take me to the place i love

the beach is one of my favorite places to be.
i love the water, the sun, and the relaxation.
i had a great idea to run on the beach and then have a picnic and relax. 
it was a great idea and it felt so good to get in the ocean after my run.
i also got to play with some new apps on my phone.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

just saying

all girls should receive surprise flowers

can't help but smile:)

Thursday, April 22, 2010

the fair, be there

a few things i loved at the fair this year...

robots on scooters

my dad finding the silliest things to do

eating a ton and sister actually eating more than me (thats a rarity!)


newborn chicks


p.s. in case you were wondering about the outcome of my last post, crist actually vetoed the bill, thank God!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

nix six

if you don't live in florida or know a teacher then you probably don't know about the madness surrounding teachers and public education. there is a bill that has been passed that will base teacher's pay on how their students do on the fcat, which is a standardized test in florida. this is the craziest thing i've ever heard. one thing that i have learned this year as a teacher is that if the parents don't care about how their kid is doing there is a 99% chance that the kid won't care, no matter how amazing of a teacher you may be. i can't tell you how many letters and phone calls i've made to certain parents and they just don't care and neither does their child, so is it fair for me to be penalized? not only that but teachers in low income schools don't get nearly enough resources like a teacher in a high income school would get. a teacher can seriously only do so much on their own. 

for a kid to have the best chance at being successful they need a good teacher, caring parents, and a good school that is providing the child with the appropriate resources to learn. if one of those components are missing it's going to be rough. sometimes you do get those kids that come from horrible parents and horrible schools and they do amazing things but come one, thats the exception, not the rule.

i think the main factor is parenting, i know i did well in school because my parents demanded it. i remember getting a "c" for the first time and i was terrified to come home.
people don't realize how hard it is and unless you're a teacher you never will. this year has changed my whole view on teaching. i came in with that idealistic view of changing kids' lives and although i still believe that to a certain degree, it's not as easy as i envisioned it.
i think i am a very positive influence in my student's lives but i do see that no matter how hard i try some kids just don't care. and i get it, i work in a very poor neighborhood and some of these kids have it very rough, so school is at the bottom of their list of worries.

 i can't tell you how many days i've come home crying. but even so i still love teaching. i love my students and every now and then you have moments with them that make everything worth it.
but will most of these kids kick ass on the fcat, probably not. not only do i have to deal with uncaring parents but i get no support from my school. anything i need for my classroom or for my students for lessons i have to buy it with my money. i still don't have basic things like dictionaries and math manipualtives so lets not even talk about technology, like a class computer.

and now the state wants to punish teachers like me instead of help us.
another bad thing is that they will not be paying teachers more for higher education degrees. which is so dumb to me. shouldn't you be encouraging educators to be the most educated! 

well i will not be one of those people who complains and does nothing about it so monday i attended a protest which other teachers from dade county. it was nice to see so much support and so many people standing up for what they believe in.
kill the bill!

this is what my master's degree will be worth, garbage!

thank God for good co-workers!

there is still hope though, governor crist has until friday to veto this bill.
pray hard.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

see, told you i was back!

slowly but surely easing my way back into blogging.
i really want to share a little bit about my easter weekend.
easter might be my favorite holiday and not because of chocolate bunnies and easter eggs but because of what it represents. it always reminds me and blows my mind how much God loves us. it is so humbling and words can not express how thankful i am to serve such a wonderful savior. 
my mother got me the best easter gift...
 this beautiful cross necklace. but thats not even the greatest part....

the message on the back is so beautiful and has a double meaning for me. it'll always remind me of my mom's eternal love for me as well as God's:)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

here's to our heroes

wow it has been a while lovies.
i don't really have a good reason for being m.i.a., just that life has been wonderful and i've been keeping it all to myself. but now i am ready to return to the blogging world.

what really motivated me to post is a special surprise i received in the mail. if you don't know micaela from dolce vita well then you are missing out because her blog is just lovely and so is she and she has a super awesome brother.
a while back micaela asked if anyone wanted to send her brother a birthday card because he was in iraq. i jumped at the chance because those men and women are risking their lives for our country, for us, and that is the least i could do.
well today i received a package in the mail and it was from micaela's brother. i was very surprised because i wasn't expecting anything in return but this is the coolest thing ever! it's an american flag that was flown over iraq on a blackhawk! how many people have one of these?



a million thanks to ssg lechuga not only for this awesome piece of history but for what you've done and continue to do for our country.

Monday, February 22, 2010

bee mine...

i have been a terrible blogger and i think my blog feels very neglected.
my social calendar has been quite empty the past few weeks and all of a sudden everyone wants to hang out. so that is what has been keeping me away from my dear little blog.
well lets go back to valentine's day shall we?

my valentine's day was truly delightful. although i don't have a special someone in my life i was determined to not be one of those people who hates valentine's day just because they're single. there are so many other people in my life who i love and care about and who love and care about me. and i definitely felt loved and appreciated on v-day.
my students spoiled me the most.


then my dear friend, amie, left me these.
i have the best friends.

Friday, February 12, 2010

fill in the blank fun



1. I am hoping my Valentine's day this year includes  a boy would be nice, not going to lie lol  .

2. My biggest guilty pleasure is   watching the disney channel, i love it  .

3. I am most proud of   how much i've grown and matured in just the past year .

4. If I could choose one outfit to live in it would be   a cute dress, tights, and heels  .

5. People are  very inspiring. the more people i come across in this blogging community the more amazed i become at all the talent and creativity  .

6. I would rather    receive valentine's from my students     than   receive them from some dumb boy  .

7. I love my    family    more than   anything  .

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

more hours in a day please


i really do need more hours in a day when it comes to weekdays. i feel like i never have time for anything. after work i run, shower, eat dinner and then i have maybe an hour before i need to get to bed. during that hour i should be doing important stuff like studying for the gkt, working on my application for grad school, or reading my daily devotional but i'm so tired from the day that i just do nothing. then i also want extra time to do non-important things like watch tv, read my book or write a new post for my blog. right now i should actually be in bed instead of writing this but oh well.
anyone else have this problem?

in other news i finally found what i will be sending my person for the knick knack exchange! i'm so happy because i was kind of stressing out about it. i'm not the most creative person in the world so it takes awhile for things to come to me. i think i found the perfect knick knack though because it really shows a big part of me and i love it so i hope she will too.

also krissa received the book i sent  her! she was my person for the book swap.
you can read all about it in her cute blog randomness
can't wait to receive my book, i'm so curious:)


{photo credit}

Monday, February 8, 2010

leaving so soon weekend...

this weekend went by too fast. but i guess you could say that about every weekend.
on saturday i spent the day with my mom and we did some shopping, and then we went to see "dear john". the movie was ok, but i actually prefer the book even though at first i didn't care for it much.

on sunday i set out for a seven mile run and i ended up doing an eight mile run! and it was fairly easy for me so that really gave me the confidence to think i'm going to kick butt in the half marathon. 

then at church they had former miami dolphins player, glenn blackwood, as a speaker and he was very inspirational. i love hearing people share their love for God and what He means to them.
of course i also watched the super bowl. i was cheering for the saints, so yay saints! i think its funny how when i was a cheerleader in highschool i had no idea what was going on during football games but after attending a dolphins game last year i have a new love for the game.

so now after talking about football i'm going to be a total girly girl and tell you about the cutest shoes i bought this weekend. they were a steal, regular price $100 and i got them for $23! don't you just love that.
my mom says she thinks i have way too many shoes. i say you can never have enough shoes.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

it's the little things


i just need to tell you about the amazingness that is sally hansen insta-dri nail polishes. i love painted nails but i absolutely hate painting them myself and then waiting for them to dry. i also hate when you think they're finally dry and you do something and you smudge a nail and have to do it all over again. but with sally hansen insta-dri my problems are solved! they dry in less than a minute and with only one coat the color looks great. oh sally hansen i love you so!
it's the little things in life sometimes i tell ya!



Thursday, February 4, 2010

dear john

just finished reading "dear john" and i must admit i'm very disappointed. the previews of the movie made it seem so promising, it even brought tears to my eyes (no joke i cry over anything even slightly sentimental). but the book just didn't do it for me. anyone else read the book? thoughts?

of course i will still be going to see the movie this weekend if nothing else but to stare at this gorgeous gentleman.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

darn you bug!

hello blog world, so nice to be back!
i've been very sick the past few days which is why i've been slacking on the posting. last week a few of my students had been absent due to a stomach bug and on friday i thought i had done a good job of steering clear from it. saturday i felt so good i even ran 6 miles. yes 6 miles! but then that night my stomach started to feel a little funny and sunday that bug officially caught me:(
 i finally feel better today and i got back to my running(and blogging). 
now that i'm back in blogging mode i want to make a pretty blog header and katie from color me katie (who i think happens to be one of the most creative and inspiring people ever) is being so kind and letting me use one of her amazing photos.

what do you think?
now i just have to figure out how to do it:/

i also must tell you i just started reading "dear john" and i must finish before this weekend so i'll be m.i.a. again for a few days starting... now!

Monday, January 25, 2010

weekend update

i had such a lovely weekend.
this weekend i...

  • visited my second home orlando. sometimes it feels more like my first home bc i've lived most of my adult life there and all my wonderful friends are there.
  • went to a bridal shower for the fabulous emily who is such a dear friend, i couldn't be more happier for her. she is the epitamy of a sweet southern girl from alabama. gosh i love her!
  • ran 4 miles, yay!
  • went to viv's going away party. she's moving to the lonestar state. so glad i was able to be there and say goodbye to an awesome friend.
  • got to spend time with my old roomie and very good friend, michelle, who i haven't seen in so long it was really making me sad. good thing we changed that!
  • had a night of girl talk and wine with aimee and sara, two of my other very dear friends.


i feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends. i just wish i was able to see them whenever i wanted to. 

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

on my quest for gold, disney princess gold

my run today put me in such a wonderful mood. i did 3 miles today no problemo! i could've done more but i didn't want to push myself too much. i know its just 3 miles but it was such an uplifting 3 miles.
last friday i ran 2 miles and it was cake. so saturday i wanted to go for 4 but for some reason after the first half mile i was dying out. i only did 2 miles and it was the hardest 2 miles. it was so frustrating and i couldn't understand why it was so hard when the previous day it was so easy. i  just wanted to cry and give up.
thats why i am so happy about today because i see progress! my hope has been restored and i know if i push myself a little everyday i'll make it. i was also praying the whole way to the lake before i started my run and He always comes through.

when i get home after a run i just lay on my floor and stare up at the ceiling for awhile. its calming.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

live love laugh

i noticed some of my favorite words on my word wall in my classroom.





nice little reminder.

Monday, January 18, 2010

knick knack exchange



i'm joining this knick knack exchange and i'm really excited about it. there's this whole big blogging community out there and this is a great way to meet some fellow bloggers out there. it's a pretty neat idea, everyone who joins is going to get someone and they have to send their person a little knick knack that tells them a little bit about themselves along with a handwritten note. sounds fun and really who doesn't love snail mail?!

i heart headbands




i love this heart headband from ban.do. it would be so cute to wear on valentine's day. 

Sunday, January 17, 2010

dog park


took mr.bailers to the dog park yesterday and we took the cutest polaroid together.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

you should be green with envy



i am so excited because yesterday i bought tickets to see wicked!!!!
i have been dying to see this show and will be counting down the days until march 18th.
aaahhhh i can't contain my excitement.

Friday, January 15, 2010

kids say the darndest things



my student: i'm sitting next to my best friends (he looks at me) you're one of my best friends right ms.serrano?
me: i'm your teacher
my student: yeah and you're my best friend

:) my heart melts


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

"camp annawanna, we hold you in our hearts..."



growing up in the 90's i was all about nickelodeon and one of my favorite shows was "salute your shorts". after seeing that show all i wanted to do every summer was go to a sleep-a-way camp. unfortunately for me i don't come from a very affluent family so i never went:(

which is why i will live out this dream as an adult and get paid doing it!
my friends, i will be going to pennsylvania this summer to work at a summer camp. and i won't be just any counselor, i'll be a division director and if you know me you know this is a good thing because i am much more of a leader than a follower.
to some people being with kids all day outdoors doesn't sound very fun but to me its the most exciting thing ever! i love working with kids and i get to go horseback riding, water skiing, wakeboarding, atving, camping, white water rafting, try a flying trapeze and lots more. i was amazed with all there is to do. i'll also be only 2 hours away from my good friend amie in nyc so you know where i'll be spending my days off! counting down the days till summer.

Monday, January 11, 2010

dear miami

what is this craziness i found on my car this morning?!


miami, this week you have not been living up to your reputation whatsoever. yes i remember this but i'm over it. like i said short and sweet.
forecast says we may get back up to the 80's by the end of the week.
i may start to forgive you.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

freezing in florida



this is a pic of me in my winter gear when i use to work at discovery cove.
everyone always asks me if i miss it and on days like today i can say 100% without a doubt no! how would you like being soaking wet in 30 something degree weather?! it's not fun even if you have a dolphin in front of you lol.
sending warm thoughts over to my awesome former coworkers at dc.
this weather needs to hurry and warm up because us floridians can't handle this for much longer!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

on your mark

you now how one of my new year's resolution was to run a half marathon, well i'm going to be forced to try this out a lot sooner than i would like.
you see back in october i registered for the disney princess half marathon on march 6th. and it seemed like a great idea because i had been running all summer and i could do 4 miles easily and for me thats huge. this girl (me) hated running with a passion. i couldn't run down my block without needing a break. but when i lived in chicago for a few months my aunt inspired me and turned me into a lover of running. anyway it seemed like a good idea and i had all this time to train so it would be cake come march. well my birthday rolled around and so did the holidays and i did some traveling and my running was put on hold. but it was ok because i had a training schedule that started the first week of december. well december comes and i decide to do something that puts my running on hold for even longer. at this point i try and find out if i can get out of the marathon and get my money back but alas it is non-refundable, non-transferable.
so here we are today, i haven't ran in over 2 months and i have to be ready for a half marathon in 2 months. so today i decided to do a light run, mind you i'm not supposed to be exercising or working out but i figured jogging 1 mile wouldn't hurt just so i can see where i am. and where i am is kind of scary, i finished my mile without stopping but there was a lot of heavy breathing going on. there's a big part of me that is nervous as heck and thinking i won't be able to do this but there's a little part telling me maybe i can pull this off.
if you finish the marathon in a certain amount of time you get a disney princess medal and you all know how much i want that! so keep your fingers crossed for me!


state of reluctance




can't get out of bed this morning.
i can't believe its the last day of winter break already.
boo.