New blog and a linky!

Yes, I'm blogging again. haha...

Today was my first day home from the hospital (did you see my Introducing post??), and what is the first thing I did??? Ok, well, I went outside and played with my 2 year old because it was just SO GOSH DARN BEAUTIFUL outside!! 70 degrees and perfectly blue skies!! I was NOT going to waste another day cooped up inside!! (Yes, it is SO weird NOT to be in pain or tired or wanting to just sleep! All I want  to do is get up and going - SO not like my first birthing experience. I'm not sure if it'll hit me in a few days, or if I just got REALLY lucky this time??)

So, I guess the question should be, what was the 2nd thing I did when I got home?? CLEANED!!! lol!!! I'm NOT even lying! I came home and my house was a disaster (apparently, my OCD gene did NOT come from my mother - though I'm very thankful she was here to take care of Autumn while we were in the hospital, and that's all that matters, right?!). So, I couldn't take it and I started cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry, and throwing things away...WHAT is wrong with me??? lol!! I have to blame it on Brooklynn though...I think this was the easiest birth ever. In history. I feel like I could go ahead and start working out or running...but I won't. Not yet. lol.
And the 3rd thing I did??? Started looking through all my emails....OH EM GOSH!! This is going to take me FOR. EV. ER!! Seriously. I left for the hospital with 65 emails (all of which have been read, so I didn't even count them), but now I'm up to....hold please...217!!! WHAT??? I need to go through 150 emails! lol...most of which I sent myself while I was being OH SO BORED sitting in the 4x4 hospital room. bleh!

One of the emails I came across that I HAD to do tonight was about a new blog in town!

Yay!! I'm super excited about Erika's new blog! (someone put the title of their post about this as NBOTB - and I got totally excited because it made me think of NKOTB! lol...I don't remember who it was, but I DID send myself that post so I could comment on it!) ANYWAY, when Erika posted on her teacher blog,





I was instantly interested in being a contributor! 
She has created a new blog called

and has invited anyone to come contribute to it! It's like a book club, that you don't have to go to...lol.

I have been neglecting my reading  for a little while (can I blame it on doing National Boards, then getting married, and having a baby, and then doing my masters?? lol), but I have been collecting books (real and electronic) that I want to read during the whole "lull" so hopefully being home for a few months and this new blog will give me the motivation I need to pick it back up!

Head on over to see {my intro post} and check out all the other contributors as well!! There are TONS of great contributors!


I also wanted to link up with Clutter-Free Classroom....

Although, I  probably should wait on this, because TECHnically, WE have another WHOLE week left of vacation. Teachers here go back on the 6th, and that's even a "work where you want" day. And quite honestly, I have like 6 weeks left of my vacation..lol. 

But none the same, I wanted to link up so I can meet new friends :)

Our vacation just started, but we've done A LOT in our short time...

We've gone to Sea World and participated in their Christmas Celebration

LOVE this picture of Autumn with Santa.

And we've gone up to St. Augustine to see the Nights of Lights...

And we celebrated Christmas....at the beach!

where we built our annual "sand"men

And the best thing we've "done" so far is have our new daughter, Brooklynn!

We are now home, and I will be spending a lot of time figuring out how to juggle both my "needy" baby (not that she's needy, but you know how babies are- gosh I love them! I had forgotten how cute their movements and little sounds are) and daughter who LOVES her mommy! And I hope to be starting my workouts and running soon too...if not, then maybe my Kinect sports will help me out a little until I can get back in my routines :) And then of course I will be working on getting through all my emails (see above). ha!