Just the 3 of Us...

A month of Thanks...

2011-11-03T22:33:00.006-04:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, I'm trying to focus on one thing a day that I am thankful for. God has blessed our family so much, that this will be easy...but getting on the computer to update is another story!

Day 1-This is a tough one...do I pick husband or baby first??! I'm going with...husband!

I'm so thankful for Tim! I was telling a student today about he and I got together. God had a perfect plan for us coming together; it was in His timing, and at a place in both of our lives when we were ready to find each other. One thing I love is when people ask how we met, and I can say church. I want people to see that Christ is the center of our marriage and now the center of our family.

Tim is so thoughtful and always wants to do what's best for me. He puts Parker and I above himself. He's working so hard to finish school, and I'm so proud of him for that.

There's TONS more I can say about him...but it all comes down to how much he loves me. I never doubt this, and that's one of the bazillions of reasons why I'm thankful for Tim!

Day 2- Parker!!!

You always here that a baby changes everything...and it's so true! Sure, there's the lack of sleep, stress from feeding and changing, and all the other baby-things...but there's so much more. There's the first smile, the point when the weight loss (or whatever your baby is struggling with and you cry about every day) finally turns into a gain, now comes the rolling over and the almost crawl. It's pure joy! Parker brings a smile to my face just thinking about him. When I'm at work, everyday I get a PPoD (Parker pic of the day), and it gets me through to the afternoon. I love learning all of the little things that he likes/ dislikes, things that make him laugh or smile, but more than that I love watching him learn things. I've been so impressed with him this week. If you move something, he looks for it. He knows where to look...so hiding things is starting to be a new favorite activity. I could keep going on and on and on...I just love him so much!

Day 3- My Mom...

The older I get the more I appreciate her, but now, as a mom myself, it's doubled (probably more!). She is the reason Parker doesn't have to go to day care, and for that I will forever be grateful. She has taught me so much, and there are so many things that I hope to pass down to Parker that she has shown me!

It's about time...

2011-07-23T21:49:00.004-04:00

I guess a 3 month break has been enough. I mean since I last posted, I HAD A BABY! How could I not have put that on here yet??! We finally have Internet at our house, so I have no excuse for no updates...plus, I've taken over Tim's Mac, so I enjoy using the computer :) I will be blogging again. I have an AMAZING son that I need to keep people posted on. He's too awesome for me to keep to myself! So, blog world, this is a promise...at least once a month, I will be writing on here! I have so many things to catch up on, so I will begin my next post with Parker's birth story and then his monthly updates with lots, and lots, and lots of pictures! Here are a few to hold you over until I write again...

35 Weeks and a Shower Surprise!

2011-04-02T21:56:00.004-04:00

Wow! 35 weeks...it's CRAZY to me that things are going so quickly.

People keep saying that the nesting feeling will start soon, but I'm still more into the sleeping. This is causing a problem because nothing is ready. Our poor "nursery"...I use the quotation marks because at this point nothing about it resembles a room fit for a baby...is a disaster. Tim did stain the dresser today, so I'm going to say that his nesting phase is beginning! The dresser does look amazing! Anything with cherry stain is good to me :) My goal will be to have the room cleaned out by the end of the week so Tim can paint next weekend. I'm writing that

on here so people can ask me about it and I feel a little accountability!

About us at 35 weeks...We went to the doctor on Thursday. For the past 4 visits, which means 8 weeks, I have measured to the day the correct size. I've loved it because each midwife we've seen during those visits has used the word perfect! Sadly, the chain of perfection ended with this visit. I measured 35 weeks and 3 days...3 days ahead of where I actually am. Tim tells me I'm being ridiculous, but I told him I'm just being pregnant! Everything else in the visit was great! We actually saw an intern instead of a midwife this visit. We have met with her before and think she's great. We really hope she's at the hospital when the time comes. She's the person who let us hear Parker's heartbeat for the very first time several months ago. This visit, Parker would not stay still long enough to hear the heartbeat for an extended amount of time. Quick little beats, then he or she would jump around. When I say jump, I mean jump! Tim said it was the most he had ever seen my belly move. I let him know that it happens all the time, he just doesn't see it because I'm usually not laying down! She also told us that Parker is not very big. She's guessing he or she won't be much more than 7 pounds, but he could be long. This marks the visit where we will begin going every week. That scares me a little because I know that means we don't have much longer.
Other things that are happening at this point in time...
hiccups-they happen all the time...and I love it! That's one thing that Tim can see from across the room. We both think it's great!
heartburn/ acid reflux-AWFUL! The doctor told me to give up on the Tums and Rolaids and go straight for the Zantac. It has helped a lot along with the 3 pillows at night!flip flops-I got a doctor's note to wear flip flops to school...woo hoo!!! The feet swelling is at it's worst in 4th and 5th periods, so even though it sounds silly, I know the flippy-floppies will help!Pictures-we had maternity pics made by a friend of mine last weekend. We haven't told a lot of people so it will be a fun surprise when we get them back!

Now, the shower surprise...
This year, I am only teaching freshmen, but for the previous 2 years, I have taught sophomores and juniors, many of the same students. They're amazing. I was their class sponsor last year, and I just bonded with this group of kids. Well, they surprised me yesterday with a baby shower after school. Tim even came! They planned it all themselves...pizza, cake, drinks, decorations...I was totally impressed! I felt honored to be their teacher!

Parker's First Party!

2011-03-21T17:44:00.003-04:00

We had our first baby shower last Sunday! A wonderful friend of my mom's and her daughter...who happens to be a great friend of mine, threw it for us. We got some AMAZING gifts!!!!! My parents gave us the crib, Tim's parents gave us the high chair, and two of Tim's aunts and cousins-in-law gave us the "cadillac of pack and plays". We got lots of cute clothes, books, bath stuff, a vibrating seat, and a shirt for me that says "Baby Loading.

..Please Wait". I love it! People keep asking us how they're supposed to get anything for Parker not knowing if we're having a girl or boy, but I think I like it even more! It's fun to think about how cute a girl will look in a little outfit with a big bow or flower, but then how a little man will look in the same outfit. I've always thought I had a good imagination, so maybe we're just putting it to use a little more! Julie and Aarika who threw the shower along with Regina (Julie's future daughter-in-law) had the place decked out in rubber duckies. It's funny...I've always liked rubber duckies. (That's how I wanted my bathroom decorated in high school.) Som it only makes sense that we register for things with rubber duckies on them. I mean, hey, they're yellow, and that's good for a girl or boy! They even made cupcakes that had duckies on them! Here are some pics...

More later...new things are happening every day!

More than a Miracle

2011-03-09T20:00:00.003-05:00

Have you ever thought about pregnancy? I know those of you with kids have...of course...but the further we go, the more I really think about it. The way that Parker can move around and everything else inside of me stays where it should be, well, all I can say is it's more than a miracle! To think that not only is there a little person living inside of me right now, but knowing that I'm living with the same body is crazy! Of course there are plenty of changes...my internal heater is on overdrive, my hair and face are all kinds of oily, I sleep more than should be allowed (that's my favorite!), and the gag reflexes find a new source everyday...but those changes aren't enough to stop the everyday. God is amazing! How can people be pregnant, have a wife go through pregnancy, or even think about having a baby, and not realize that He's got it all under control. He planned it all out...perfectly! It really is more than a miracle!

28 Weeks

2011-02-15T13:45:00.003-05:00

Wow! Things are going soooo fast! I wish I had a chance to get on the computer everyday and go on and on about the things I'm feeling. Luckily, I have a little time today. (I took the day off of work for a dr's apt.) First, I want to say congratulations to Bekka. Liam is beautiful. I hope things are going well...and that you're taking a ton of pictures! Ok, so here's a little update...We have a name...PARKER. Boy or girl, we love it! For a boy it will be William Parker, and for a girl, Parker Elizabeth. Not sure where the name came from on our long list, but it's perfect!

We had the 28 week visit today at the doctor. Things went great. It was the best visit yet! The midwife we met with today was our favorite so far. I've gained a few pounds, but I'm still not up to where I started...which is wonderful! My belly is measuring right where it should be, and I didn't even bruise where they took blood for the glucose test.

I've been feeling good lately. School stuff is a little stressful right now, but 2 hour naps a couple of days a week help with that. The baby moves all the time. Tim gets to feel him/her quite often, and he's seeing my belly move now, too! The only problem is my red face. My skin has started breaking out. Luckily, Belk has a free gift for Clinique right now, so I hope a little new make up will fix that!

With all of the feeling good, one would think that we're making all kinds of progress on the nursery...WRONG! We've barely even begun working on things. Hopefully, there will be some before and after pics to post!

Here are some recent pics...

This is the newest belly pic...taken Valentine's Day

Tim and I at a UGA basketball game.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-15T12:03:00.002-05:00

Ok...I know...it's 3 weeks late, but I'm going with the saying "It's better late than never." I hope your new year has started off on the right foot. With 3 snow/ice days this week, I'm pretty pumped up about mine! Reading Lindsay's blog, I was inspired to tell you about NY 2008.
Tim moved back to Georgia from Florida in 2007. He had been working and going to school in Orlando. We've gone to the same church for a while, and when he moved back, we were once again in the same Sunday school class. He had asked me out several times, but I always had an excuse not to go. He told me that he was going to Atlanta for New Years, and he asked me to go. I, of course, already had plans. Plus, it was going to be a little reunion for his high school class, so that was an added reason to stay away! My group of friends has been doing something since NY 2004 that I can remember, but something happened to ring in 2008. They all cancelled! Everyone found something to do with other people, so I was left with nothing to do.
I'm guessing you can see where this is headed...
The week of New Years came around, and I still had nothing to do. Reluctantly, I called Tim and asked if the invitation was still good to go with him. He said yes, but we confirmed that this was not a date! For "not a date" I remember stressing out about what to wear (that should have been a sign!). He picked me up and we headed to 14th street for the party. His little reunion was just that. There were less than 20 people in his graduating class, and not everyone was there. Turns out, he went to school with an amazing group of people! I totally felt welcomed and had a really good time leading up to midnight. Keep in mind that this was not a date, and we let everyone know whenever they asked! As 12 o'clock came closer, something happened, and then by the time it arrived, there was a major change! It started with a kiss at midnight...and 4 months later we were engaged! I'm not sure how God worked it out, which is good with me, but he did something in both of us that night. From that point on, it was pretty obvious to us and those around us that we would be together for much longer than we imagined going into that night!

Tim's Christmas Gift

2010-12-26T19:41:00.005-05:00

We woke up a little early early yesterday to finish wrapping gifts and to get things ready to go to my parents. We also like to have a little "just the 2 of us" time to open our gifts. Since we let the fat cat sleep with us, Tim woke up before me and had to kick her out, so he was sitting in the chair in our bedroom when I awoke. The first thing I felt was Peanut saying Merry Christmas very vividly by roaming around my belly! I told Tim to come feel, and for the first time, he could! I think it was the best Christmas gift I could give him, and I think he agrees!

Here are a couple of pictures from our last Christmas with only 2 people in the house...

Peanut's Pictures

2010-12-20T14:47:00.003-05:00

We just got home from our doctor's visit. We had our 20 week ultrasound today!!!!! I know I may be a little biased, but my kid is so cute! The nurse told us that our baby has chubby cheeks and is very photogenic. I must agree; he (or she) did keep looking at the camera. During most of the time while we were watching, he had his hand up to his mouth, so we're thinking we have a thumb-sucker. I'm good with this, because I was too! It was super tough, especially for Tim, but we kept our eyes closed anytime the nurse got close to the legs. We didn't even see the feet until we got the flash drive home. Now, onto the most important part...the pictures!

A few other things from the visit...

the glucose test was great...I was right where I need to be.

all of the results from the blood work that was done last visit came back negative (down syndrome, spinabifida, and something that I can not remember right now)

I GAINED 4 POUNDS!!! Finally :)

Movement!

2010-12-05T20:10:00.002-05:00

Yay...Peanut is moving!!! It's small and I can't feel it often, but he/she is moving! It happened the first time at Applebee's when Tim and I had a hot date eating dinner on Thursday at 5 pm...yep, early bird special! I felt it again yesterday when I was driving. I'm going to say it's when I sing, not because my singing is great, but because I enjoy singing Christmas music so much. I think when I'm super happy, Peanut feels like dancing! In the book we're keeping up with, it says that the baby is sleeping like a new born. I guess that means there's more still times than those when Peanut is jumping up and down. :)

The Announcement was Made...

2010-11-30T23:18:00.003-05:00

Well, it must be official; it was on the afternoon announcements at school yesterday. Tim was subbing for the co-teacher in my 6th period when the end-of-the day news started, and then...there it was "Mrs. Dooley's pregnant!" It was pretty exciting. The 9th graders of course wanted to make comments like, "I knew you were getting fat," and "We know what that means y'all have been doing!" The student making the announcements had my permission and was totally pumped up that we allowed him to tell the school. I must say, it was easier telling everyone at one time like that, and I'm glad we decided to approve it! I knew I would have to tell soon because my belly is getting harder to hide!

In other news...we had a doctor's appointment last week. It went well. I took the glucose test and had to drink a yummy orange drink, but we don't have any results yet. We heard Peanut's heartbeat...155. Sounded great! While we were listing to the heartbeat, we heard him (or her) kick! It was pretty exciting since I haven't felt any flutters yet. I'm really ready for that, by the way! During our next appointment we will have another ultrasound! I'm thinking putting those pics in frames will be perfect grandparent Christmas gifts! The only negative from the visit is that I lost another 2 pounds. The midwife said it's not bad, but that I need to be gaining by now. The only time I will ever hear that, I'm sure!

We had a great Thanksgiving with the fam. Here are some pics of the day...

15 weeks

2010-11-13T17:55:00.003-05:00

Here are the promised pics...we need to be better about taking them, but there are not a lot of changes that can be seen. The first is at 6 weeks, then at 12 weeks, and one on the beach at St. Simon's from GA/FL weekend (13 weeks).

I'm feeling a lot better now. I still get a little gaggy (is that a word??!) in the mornings every once and a while, but not often. I'm loving chips and dip of any kind, and for the past couple of weeks, I've wanted Brunswick stew. In fact, I want some right now! I bought my first piece of maternity wear. It's a BeBand to wear over my pants. It's made to go over unbuttoned pants or too big maternity pants. I'm wearing it over neither. I've lost about 15 pounds, so I'm still wearing my regular pants. The problem is...it hurts to sit down with a belt on. The band has allowed me to continue to wear my regular clothes without squishing peanut with a belt :)

Peanut is about the 3 1/2 inches long right now. It's crazy to think of the amount of growth taking place. He or she has toenails and everything! Speaking of he or she...we're still very excited about our decision to wait and be surprised in May. We're talking a lot about the nursery these days. We went to Target and bought several plastic storage containers this week to start packing some of our things away. Over Thanksgiving break, there will be a transformation from scrap booking room to blank canvas to get ready for Peanut's room. I'll make sure to document that with lots of pics too. Any suggestions on what to do/where to put all of the scrap booking stuff? We have to extra room and very little storage, but I can't get rid of everything...I just can't do it!

Showing!

2010-10-27T17:17:00.002-04:00

One of the administrators at school yesterday said she could tell while she was walking down the hall. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing to say I was showing...I told her it was definitely good!!! I'll make Tim take a pic tonight, and I'll post later this week so you can see if you think I am or not! :)

If you're in the Atlanta area and get Fox 5, watch in the morning. We're the team of the week, and they will be broadcasting and presenting awards during our pep rally in the morning! Go Bears!

New Addition...

2010-10-23T18:00:00.003-04:00

Nope, it's not a puppy, not a new kitty, new car, or new house...it's a new Dooley! We're having a baby!!!!!

We found out a couple of months ago, and it's been killing us to keep it a secret. I'm 12 weeks (and a day) and things are going great so far; our due date is May 5th. We had our 3rd doctors visit yesterday. The heart rate was just where it needed to be at 172! We have pictures from 8 weeks that I will include on here.

I'm filling a lot better now...much better than a couple of weeks ago. I was sick, morning, noon, and night for the first several weeks. I found out that there are many smells that are stinkier than I ever thought they were before. Some of my favorites like apples and bananas quickly became least favorites. There's a certain aisle at Publix that I can't walk down without gagging. It's all just crazy to me how much things can change by something smaller than an inch! Thankfully, at about 10 and a half weeks, I woke up hungry instead of sick! Now, I want chips and cheese dip all the time, rice is a weekly necessity, and I drink apple juice with every meal.

We've revealed the news to family and a few friends...but over the past 2 weeks we haven't been able to keep our mouths shut! Our parents, brother and sisters, and nieces and nephews know. I've told some of my fellow teachers at work as well as some friends. We went to a wedding last week and were able to tell several friends at the same time. Last night we even told a few students...but just 6 that we're both pretty close to. It's super exciting to put it on here to share with the world!

So, I guess I'll be blogging much more now that we have something so fun to write about. Plus, I'll have to keep up on Bekka and Julie who are also expecting! Congrats to you two...and Amanda and another Julie who I don't think have a blog.

PS...nope, we're not finding out if it's a boy or girl :)

Time Apart...

2010-06-08T21:35:00.003-04:00

...is no fun :( Tim started his new job with full force last week. He's one of the youth interns this summer at our church. We're very excited about it, and there's no doubt that God called him to do this. Last week, he, along with several other adults, took a group of kids to camp. According to him it was pretty amazing (I'm a little jealous that I couldn't go...shhh...don't tell him!) Tim got home on Sunday, and Monday morning, he left again with the student leadership group to hang out at the lake. He is still at the lake, but now he's there with the seniors from church. While he's there, I'm at Callaway Gardens at a leadership training for school. It's terrible being apart from each other. We have gotten to talk to each other every day, and it was wonderful to see each other for a few hours on Sunday. I can't wait until Friday when we're both home together!!!!! We get to go on Saturday and get a hammock from my cousin to put in our back yard. I'm really excited because I'm going to need a break after all the sitting in meetings this week. I have pictures of our lives lately...with my new red hair...but I haven't uploaded them to my computer. Maybe I can get on that tomorrow and post more tomorrow, but here's one of us on Easter until I do post more recent ones!

Have a great night :)

Spring Break

2010-04-25T20:18:00.004-04:00

Spring break is drawing to an end...sad. Of course, this means that there's only a month left of school this year! Other than cleaning the house and grading papers, I really didn't do much. It was wonderful. I have been wondering around in the land of blogs...crafty blogs especially! Here's a treat...just check it out!Tim and I are watching season 3 of Prison Break right now. We don't have cable, so we go season-by-season on DVD. This one's great! It's just hard to concentrate on other things while I'm watching...so this blog is drawing to a close!
Have a wonderful week :)

Prom!

2010-04-14T20:48:00.002-04:00

One of the joys of teaching high school is prom! Tim never actually went to a prom. His little Christian school only had junior-senior banquets...no dancing of course! We volunteered to chaperone and had so much fun! All the dancing was a tad bit inappropriate, but maybe that's just because we're so old. We made a whole night of it. We had dinner at Maggiano's (delicious) and then afterwards, we had "adult time" and went out with some of the other teaches and their husbands. We even had a hotel room! It was a night we will never forget :)

Why don't I blog???

2010-03-11T21:36:00.002-05:00

Is it that we're just so boring that there's nothing to say?
Is it that I'm oh so busy I can't find time to sit and type?
Is it that we don't have the Internet at our house?

Who knows what it is...but I wish I were better at it! I was never good at keeping a diary when I was little, so I guess that has transferred itself into not keeping up with a blog!

For all those reading, we're still alive, God is still blessing our marriage, and at some time I will write a "real" post...with pictures and all!!!

Fall Break...

2009-11-21T15:26:00.002-05:00

Yes, we do have a week off of school coming up, but the fall break I'm writing about is apparently a break from blogging! I've not blogged in 3 months...that's crazy! It's even worse because I haven't really even read any blogs since then either. I'll have to schedule some time with a cup of coffee, grey's anatomy, and the computer this week to catch up!
So...over the past 3 months, not much has really happened. It's been busy at work. Our football team is number one in the state and we're moving on to the quarterfinals next Friday. Right now we're undefeated; let's hope it continues! We're getting close to exams, so things will be busy again soon getting those ready. Other than that, not much is going on. My dad has kidney stones and is in terrible pain, and my mom fell and has a bad sprain in her foot. This means I'm skipping the last UGA game tonight to stay home and take care of them...it's ok, I wanted to! This is the most excitement I've seen in a while! Tim's doing well, too. He's taking 2 classes right now and working. He's been searching for a new job for a while, and he's finally found one! We're both realllllllly excited. He'll be working with one of our friends, so that's nice!
We've both had birthdays since I last blogged. I'll have to post pictures from the party we had for mine in October. I'm now 29, so this is the last birthday I plan on letting people know about! We had an 80's theme...It was fantastic!
I promise to blog more this week and to post pictures...cute ones ;)

Oh...and guess what tomorrow is...OUR 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY! YAY!!!

9 months

2009-08-22T16:08:00.004-04:00

No...I'm not going to tell you what's happening in 9 months, I'm reminding you of the amazing day that was 9 months ago. November 22, 2009 I married the man of my dreams, my Prince Charming, my knight in shining armor (I've sufficiently made him blush by now). Thank you Tim for making me so happy and making our first 9 months wonderful. I love you!

2009-08-09T21:34:00.004-04:00

We're back in to the swing of things with school now...it's like we never left! I almost know the names of all of my kids, and I've already given homework and there are quizzes this week. I must be one of those mean teachers who really make you work! The best part of the year so far...Tim showed up after school on the first day with a large sweet tea from Chick-fil-a. The best surprise EVER! He's just wonderful like that :)

Here's a history in pics of what's been going on (since it doesn't look like I'm going to get around to in depth blogging any time soon!)...

My friend Jessie got married on Friday...here we are at the reception (above) and that's her (below) with Aaren.We're lucky enough to get free school supplies from a local company and several other sponsors. This is my full closet after going through everything!
This is before we went through it all. That's a super tall stack of graph paper...yay!!!
Above is from yesterday at the back to school bash where we gave out school supplies to kids in need, and below is from last month at the Braves game.

So much...

2009-08-03T17:42:00.003-04:00

Well, even after testing to make sure I could post in Maine, I never did...sooooo...now it's make up time!

Maine was wonderful. I mean, so wonderful that we made a business plan for when we move up there! Here's all we did...

The first day, we drove to New Hampshire and rode a steam powered train to the top of Mt. Washington. The engine pushes the passenger car instead of being in front. It was crazy...and a little nerve racking! Once we were to the top, the views were great!

The next couple of days we spent time in Boothbay Harbor, and we went on a sight seeing cruise and whale watching. The first boat ride was pretty good...good weather, not too bumpy, and tons of sights to be seen. We saw several light houses, a baby bald eagle, and even the black pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean! The second ride, however, was a little less great. We did see a couple of whales, but the ride made both of us sick. If you've ever been motion sick, you understand how miserable this can be :(

We also went up close to a couple of lighthouses. One was at Pemaquid Point. It's the light house on the Maine state quarter! We climbed up to the top, and we climbed on the rocks at the shore while we were there. It's was so much fun!

The most fun we had was going to Schoodic Point. It was a long drive, but it was totally worth it. It's part of Archadia National Park...lots of long rocky cliffs to climb on. They make me nervous, but the boys loved it. It did make for some beautiful pictures. You could look out and see Cadillac Mountain. When we left the shore, we drove to the top of that mountain and looked down to see where we had just been. It was amazing! I get nervous driving up mountains, but Tim is an excellent driver so it wasn't too bad. I don't know which was better, the top of the mountain or on the rocks!

Over the rest of the trip, we did more sight seeing and visiting other towns around Boothbay Harbor. It really was the best vacation!

There are tons more to write about...the trip and since then. Maybe I'll blog more this week! Until then, here are lots of pics from Maine...

Just a Test...

2009-07-08T17:22:00.000-04:00

Just testing out Tim's new blackberry to see if we can blog in Maine without the computer...I think I can!

PS...My classroom is all finished. Posters on the wall and everything!

My Superstar Pitcher

2009-07-06T10:18:00.003-04:00

Tim pitched last Thursday for the first time...EVER! His debut was a hit. He did an amazing job. I hate that it was the last game of the season, but it does provide something to look forward to in the fall! Here he is being all amazing and me with my mom being fans...

In other news...

We're gearing up for vacation. Maine is finally approaching! We're working on getting the house ready. I hate coming home to a mess, so we've cleaned and cleaned and cleaned! We put up our new king size bed. It fits perfectly in the bedroom. Our friend Nicole is moving, so we made a deal on a lot of brown and blue accesories for the room as well. I can't wait to finish everything up!

We had a fabulous 4th of July. We hung out with Tim's sister, Lindy, and her family. It was our nephew's birthday, so we gave the kids Dance Dance Revolution for the Wii. It's so much fun! We also went to my friend Katie's house for dinner. It was nice to spend some time with friends. Then, we headed back over to Lindy's and watched the fireworks. We saw a great show! So much fun!!! Here we are in our red, white, and blue...

Also, I've joined Twitter...I'm not sure why! You should totally follow me! http://twitter.com/MrsJennDooley

Well, I really should get back to cleaning the house. Have a wonderful day!

You should be jealous...

2009-06-19T16:49:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to take a minute and brag on my wonderful husband...I've been wanting to do this for about a week, but life and calculus got in the way! I came home last Tuesday with a terrible migraine. At first, I tried to be suborn and do some laundry...soon I realized that all I needed to do was go to bed! Tim convinced me to do this, and boy was he busy while I slept. I woke up around 11 when he was coming to bed. I went to the bathroom, and it was surprisingly clean! He had not just tidied up, but he had scrubbed it...the tub looked whiter than I've ever seen it! That's not all...he had cut the grass, finished the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, and picked up things around the house. He let me sleep in the bedroom while he did all of this; he even stayed in the living room so he wouldn't wake me. God has truly blessed me with with an amazing man, and I just wanted you all to be a little jealous!

Summer time...

2009-06-10T09:02:00.006-04:00

IT'S OVER...school that is. Of course I'm teaching summer school, so I still can't completely relax. At least it's only half-day...totally do-able! I've been catching up on my blogs this morning, trying to that is! Congrats to Kelly and Casey as well as Chris and Lindsey who are both having little girls! And to all of my teacher friends...hope you're enjoying your summer.

Here's what's been going on with us...

We went up to Helen for a VW show. I admit it was fun!

The end of school was of course as exciting event...I had so much fun with Lauren and Jessie over the week of post planning. I'm going to miss Jessie sooooooooo much next year! She's getting married and leaving us.

We went to another car show...this one was local and it was an air-cooled show. Lots of old cars! This one was Tim's favorite!

Also, we went to a Braves game with Patrick and Jennifer...super fun, and amazing seats! We were actually sitting with the players' families!

Also since the last post, we celebrated our 6 month anniversary! We went out to dinner and took pics of us with Sassafras!

Have a great day!!!

10 days...

2009-05-14T22:12:00.003-04:00

Yay! The end is in sight...summer is so close I can taste it! It seems that life is so busy this time of year. Tim and I have something on the calendar almost every night of the week, and the weekends are the same. After those 10 days, which I'm sure will fly by, are past, I look forward to sleeping in. I must admit, sleeping in is one of my favorite things...ever! I wish I had one of those jobs where I could work either super early so I could take a nap every day, or where I could go to work late so I could sleep in every morning. I guess if I slept in every day, it really wouldn't be sleeping, would it??! Anyways...school is how it is, so I will continue early morning tutoring at 7:15 and I will work until the grading is done! In other news...I was nominated for teacher of the year. It is such a huge honor, especially since it's my first year at the high school. I'm sooooo excited!!!!! I know that I will not be elected because it is my first year, and there are a couple of other amazing teachers nominated, but I was just excited to see my name on the ballot!
Other than the end of the school year, we're staying busy with Tim's softball games (he had an incredible hit tonight), family events , and all other kinds of crazy things that come up! This weekend we're going up to Helen for a VW car show type thing. I plan on having a couple of scrapbooking magazines with me...just in case!
I hope everything in life is treating you well...please leave a comment to say hey and tell us you're still out there!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2009-05-05T18:07:00.003-04:00

This has nothing to do with Cinco de Mayo...but I hope you're having a good one!

We've been so busy lately. I think we need an extra weekend to rest up from the past couple of weekends! It may be tiring, but we have been having a great time. Our friend Joseph is home from his army training in Oklahoma, so we've been hanging out with the big group of friends lately. We went out when he first got home (2 weekends ago)...here are a cute pic of us!

Then, this weekend, we did Relay for Life with my mom's school on Friday, The Braves game on Saturday, and the Cotton Pickin' Fair on Sunday. Here are more pics...

I can't believe it's getting so close to the end of school. We're doing End-of-Course Testing this week, so I'm all stressed out. I think I take it way more seriously than the kids! Other than that, not too much is going on here. We're about to head out for some Mexican in honor of the holiday...speaking of holidays...it's teacher appreciation week. So, to all of you teachers reading this, I hope you have a wonderful week, and from one teacher to another, I truly appreciate all you do!

Back to work...

2009-04-26T22:45:00.002-04:00

Well, the end has come...the end of spring break that is :( We're sitting here watching The Unit soaking in the last few minutes of a wonderful week. That list of things I talked about wanting to accomplish this week...well, I didn't get to any of them. It was wonderful! I look forward to 5 weeks from now when I can sleep in again!!!

Spring Break Picnic...

2009-04-22T14:40:00.004-04:00

Tim's boss gave him a couple of days off so we could spend some time together over my spring break. Yesterday we got some things done around the house (like laundry and dishes) and went grocery shopping. We even had my parents over for dinner. Today was the day to chill! We slept late, watched a little tv, and then we had a picnic! It was so nice. The weather was perfect and the sun came out right after we got there. We saw ducks, geese, and a man in a boat! We're so lucky to have the lake so close to our house. Here are some pics from the day...

Spring Break!!!!!

2009-04-18T15:55:00.003-04:00

Finally...spring break is here! I have so much I want to get done, but the best part is, I don't have to do any of it! I've already cleaned up the bedroom, and I'm going to do a little grading tomorrow, so I can totally relax all week. You should expect to see some pics of new scrapbook pages by the end of the week!
Tim's at a car show, so I slept in this morning. It's so weird waking up without him there next to me. It's one of those perks of marriage that you don't miss until he wakes up early!
Enjoy your weekend!

One of those days...

2009-04-16T20:59:00.004-04:00

I've had one of those days...one of those, everything was great and then one bad class hit-kind of days. I LOVE being a teacher. I know it's where God has put me at this point in time, but teenage girls can be mean! They stress me out. I guess it's a good thing spring break is less than 24 hours away.

This year has gone so quickly. So much has changed...I moved out of Thomaston (which I miss terribly) got married (the best thing ever!), and started a new job. This job has brought me friends, long days, and a sense of belonging. It's crazy to think that in 6 weeks the year will be over. I'm so excited about next year though. I already have ideas in mind and a list of posters I want to buy! I get to teach AP Calc next year, which to most people seems insane, but to me it's a dream job. The only problem is I haven't had calculus in 6 years. I have a book and plan to start studying over the break and more in the summer.

Anyways...enough about high school...

Sunday was Easter. We spent Saturday at Tim's parents house with his sisters and their families. I love having nieces and nephews! They're way to precious. I have high hopes about how cute our kids will be after seeing them :) Tim and I made Easter baskets for each other. I love doing things like that. I think he's learning how much I love it, and he's giving in to the cute-sie little things like that!

Other than that, things are calm. I'm exhausted, Tim's at softball practice, and we call this a Thursday! I love how blogging can take the bad day feeling away. It also helps to stalk others on their blogs...man I love the internet!

Nothin' new...

2009-04-03T19:04:00.004-04:00

I guess a month and a half is about long enough to keep you in suspense of the activities of our lives, so I guess I should write a little something! We really haven't been up to anything big...just work and sleep and eating and church and more sleeping ( I heart naps :)). I did get a hair cut and Tim now has a little hair on his chin, so I guess there is a little change!

We went to a couple of Butch Walker concerts last week...Atlanta on Wednesday and Athens on Saturday. Here are a few pics from the show at the 40 Watt in Athens.

We getting all cute tonight...I'm taking Tim on a hot date. We're going to see the Fast and the Furious 4. I haven't seen 1-3, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to catch on. It's a good thing I love him or I just don't think I could sit through it!-Jenn

Cathcing up...

2009-02-22T13:30:00.003-05:00

I guess it's time to play catch up!

Q5-How do you feel today?

Honestly...not that well. I woke up a little sick this morning. I didn't even go to church! Other than that, I feel great! I was on winter break this week, and I got sooooo much done! Our house is finally starting to feel like home. Here's the living room with our fabulous new rug...

This means the scrapbook room is just about ready for use as well. Tim doesn't like for me to call it the scrapbook room...he prefers the red room since one wall is red. He says that a scrapbook room is too girly! Anyways...with the new clean, organized house, we had people over yesterday. Ben and Jeni (one of Tim's good friends and his wife) came over and we cooked. I made burgers that has potatoes, carrots, and onions in them, which means Tim actually ate veggies! For those of you who don't know him, Tim does NOT eat fruits or vegetables, so this was a big victory! Nicole, you would be proud of my cooking! After that, we played the Things game which is amazing amounts of fun! Then, on to Rock Band and the Wii. When they left, some of our other friends came over and we played the same games, but the Things game took an interesting turn...and by interesting I mean gross! So, I guess that sums up how I'm feeling today!

On to Q6...If I could do it all again, would I change anything?

I always say that the one thing I would change would be taking AP English in high school. I went into a regular class since no gifted class was offered, and I think a lot of things would have been different if I had gone into AP. I would have to change my answer now to day NO...I would NOT CHANGE A THING! I love where my life has brought me...to my amazing husband, a job I like (most of the time), and friends that are wonderful.

I know that doesn't completely catch me up...but it's better than no blogging at all! Here are a couple of other things I would like to mention...

-Tim and I have been married for 3 months today! Happy quarter year anniversary!

-A family at our church suffered a tragedy last week. Their 13 month old daughter died. Please remember them in your prayers.

-Back to work tomorrow...have a wonderful week!

Jenn <><

52Q 3and4

2009-01-26T16:46:00.002-05:00

Well, I was a week behind on the 52Q's which works out...because I'm still at home sick, and I have time to answer both!

52Q 3-Do you believe in fairies? Well, no, not really, but I do believe in angles. Angles are way better anyway because they're sent from God! We watched The Nativity Story over Christmas break, and I now see angles in a new light. (It's a great movie, WATCH IT!)

52Q 4-When I look into my eyes, I see.....
If I had to answer this week, it would be sickness :( I've been sick, so my eyes look tired. Normally, would want to say I see hope in my eyes. I want to see the hope I have in my job, with my husband, and for my family including those future little ones we want to have! Even when times are no good financially, I want to have the hope of success. When I am sad, I want to have the hope of a happy tomorrow. And when just the fear of the future sets in, I will have my hope in a powerful God who controls that day.

just because

2009-01-24T16:21:00.003-05:00

well Jenn is a little under the weather so i thought i would fill in and put something here. It seems like hers generally have a purpose but i don't rather than just to write. Today is the ultimate lazy day and I am enjoying it immensely. We are on the second movie of the day and it's still pretty early. I don't want Jenn to be sick but being able to take care of her is something i am glad i get to do.

52Q...2

2009-01-22T17:54:00.002-05:00

The second question...Am I afraid of change?

YES!!!!! I'm not afraid of it, I'm just not good with it! It takes me a while to adjust. Sleeping in the bed with someone has taken a lot of getting used to...and I know Tim will agree :) The only change I can think of that's bigger than the one that happened to us two months ago is one that we hope to experience in a couple of years ;) I think through my marriage to the most wonderful man in the world I have gotten a little bit better at change. We have made adjustments to succeed this far...and I know the compromise will continue. I have learned that change can be a wonderful thing if you're changing in a good way. Luckily, the changes I have made over the past couple of months have been wonderful, and I can't wait for them to keep coming!

Happy 2 month anniversary Timothy...thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world! I love you!

52Q

2009-01-14T18:33:00.002-05:00

I've found a bit of a connection, so I'm taking full advantage of it! I started going through my old list of blogs (which I haven't visited since last summer) and I found a fun challenge for the year. It's a new question every week. The goal will be to scrap these thoughts and questions eventually, but I thought it would be a god start to get my ideas out on here. We'll see if Tim plays along...I'm not sure he's all about the blogs like I am! :)

So, here's the question for this week...What do I wish for this year to bring?

There are so many things I look forward to this year...
The first thing and most important thing to me this year is the new marriage. I hope that Tim and I grow together as husband and wife, individually as people, and closer to God.
Another thing I am looking forward to is there being less of me by the end of the year! I already lost 2 pounds last week :)
I guess my job is another thing I'm looking forward to. The year ended with a lot of stress in the math dept. It has started off much improved, and I'm am looking forward to it continuing!
The last thing I really, really, really hope comes this year is a clean scrapbook room with time to sit down and create! I'm so looking forward to coming home after work and scribbling pretty things on paper!!!

So, those are a few of the many things I'm excited about coming this year. Let me know what you are looking forward to.

Have a great day!!! :)

Welcome 2009...

2009-01-01T16:45:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

Tim and I are recovering from the 80's party we attended last night...which was totally tubular dude! Our outfits were radical! My memory card is acting stupid, or I would load pics now. Let's just say...leg warmers, blue eye shadow, a crimper, and Marty McFly!

Hope you have a wonderful 2009 :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T22:43:00.002-05:00

We still have no Internet at our house or this would be updated much more regularly! Sorry for that...hopefully it won't be too much longer. We're sitting here at my parents house watching Christmas Vacation. It's one of our traditions :) We're looking forward to all of the new memories and traditions we will have in our marriage, but for now, we're hanging on to those with our parents! We went to the Christmas Eve service at church tonight (one of my favorites), then tomorrow at my parent's, lunch with Tim's family, and ending up at a movie with my parents and brother. I'm sure when kids come along, we'll have to give up a thing or two, but for now, we're sticking with what we know!

Not a whole lot going on other than the holidays. I'm happy to be home for two weeks...it was definitely time for a break. Tim's planning on enjoying the days he's off as well. Maybe we'll manage to get all of the wedding gifts put away and finally get the thank you notes written.

I guess I'll get back to the Griswolds and their Christmas...have a WONDERFUL day tomorrow. Remember the reason we're all celebrating.

PS...Please remember my friend Stephanie's family in your prayers. Her mom passed away yesterday, and I know it will be a rough time for all of them.

WE'RE MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-22T18:35:00.001-05:00

...just thought you should know :)

3 more days...

2008-11-19T13:06:00.002-05:00

Finally, no more work until I'm Mrs. Dooley! The next 3 days are going to be crazy...but the outcome will be the best day ever! I can't wait :)

the parties are over

2008-11-16T15:29:00.002-05:00

So the bachelor and Bachelorette parties are over. We had our fun with our friends and i came to realize that i don't like being away from Jenn for more than a couple hours. The parties being two different days meant that i didn't really get to hang out with Jenn for two nights. It was a long weekend and we had great times but personally i would take a weekend sitting on the couch all weekend watching TV with Jenn over anything else. There should be some pics and maybe some video posted soon.

single digits...

2008-11-15T00:00:00.002-05:00

The countdown continues, and since it's midnight...WE'RE GETTING MARRIED IN ONE WEEK!!! This is crazy...it's going by so quickly, and yet I've waited my whole life for this! Tim's at his bachelor party tonight and I'm going to the bachelorette party that my amazing friends are throwing tomorrow. I'm sure there will be funny pics to come...

Our first blog...

2008-11-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

As the wedding draws near, and we're finalizing plans on how to start our life together as husband and wife, we decided a blog is a necessity! This can be a way that everyone can keep up with what's going on in our lives and hopefully we can keep up with you. As of right now we are 17 days away and have just met with the pastor for our final session to plan the ceremony. It's so real now! I remember when I proposed looking at the countdown and it was over 200 days; now it's just over two weeks...and I remember thinking I had tons of time to plan every little detail and find the perfect dress. Almost all of those details have been planned and we're still counting down the days to the wedding, but what we're really looking forward to is the life God has planned for us together!