My Summer In Photos

Our first official week, "Week Zero", is over. Kids and teachers alike survived Liberty's version of "boot camp", and I know I'm excited to get back to real school next week, with math lessons and book club and time to get to know my new babies. But I'm also very grateful for a weekend, even if it will involve quite a bit of work (still a lot to prepare for our first set of math lessons). And by the look on the kids' tired faces as they lined up for the buses yesterday, they need it, too.

My energy is drained, so instead of trying to recap the past week or my entire summer, I'll just add some of my favorite pictures. Enjoy!

Possibly the most spontaneous thing I've ever done in my life happened this summer: I booked a ticket just hours before boarding a plane! I decided to surprise my parents and crash their Chicago trip to see my sister for the 4th of July. I also got to see my cousin, who recently moved to the city to begin her residency, and old roommate/good friend from Teach for America. It was a great weekend, and I enjoyed spending extra time with family and friends that I don't see very often.

I've mentioned "the girls" many, many times, and this summer we experienced two life-changing events within a week of each other. We celebrated the birth of our first "girls baby" when Brittany and her husband welcomed sweet baby girl Nora into the world on June 26. On July 3, Jenna's beautiful mother, Jill, passed away after fighting pancreatic cancer for over five years. I could never even begin to capture the spirit of Momma Ward in words, but she is one of the most optimistic, generous, unassuming and strongest women I have ever met. A few weekends later, all nine girls were reunited for a bittersweet celebration of two very important lives - it was the first time many of us got to meet baby Nora, just hours before attending Momma Ward's memorial service. Many tears were shed that weekend, and I often had a hard time distinguishing between the happy and the sad ones. My heart aches to find the write words to explain the significance of that weekend, but my mind still can't quite fathom it. Instead, one of my favorite pictures from my short time home (the new momma is top right):

The new school year technically began on July 8, with four weeks of professional development, curriculum writing, and transitioning into the new building. As much as I would have loved a few more weeks of summer, it was great to have my friends back - since my network of friends still hasn't expanded outside of work. We added almost 15 new staff members this year as we expanded to include seventh grade, and I love every single one of them. A quick picture from a happy hour outing a few weekends ago, with new and old friends:

And a picture of the "new" old building that is our new home:

This summer I also experimented with my old sewing machine, making a few random projects, all of which are less than perfect. But there's something to be said for the feeling of creating, of holding something up knowing that you put it together from scratch, that you made something useful from a few yards of fabric. Probably my most successful project was an apron, and it still looks pretty good even though my impatience led me to scrap the pattern and start sewing pieces together where it "looked right". Don't look too closely - rough edges and imperfections are everywhere - but it's practical!

The rest of my summer was spent enjoying Nashville, with outdoor concerts and movies, new restaurants, and good friends. I am in love with this city, and even though my summer is officially over, the season and its festivities continue to live on, and I'll continue to enjoy it all as long as possible. Next up on the agenda: 3 of my favorite musical artists in concert, a 5K Color Run, and the famous East Nashville Tomato Festival (today!).

Next week we are in full swing, and my color-coded schedule says it all:

CRAZINESS. And that's only Monday (and doesn't include our 7am start time)...