A Great Beginning to Spring Break

This year, the hubs and I decided to start spring break with a 3 day weekend.  A little while back, we made plans to meet the brothers (Sam's brothers, that is) in Dallas for St. Patrick's day, but we really didn't want to have to drive.  Sam came up with the awesome solution of riding the Heartland Flyer (a train that runs from Oklahoma City to Dallas).  Since I had Friday the 16th off due to parent-teacher conferences that we completed earlier in the week, Sam took the day off too and we boarded the train at 8 a.m. Friday (the train only goes to Dallas in the morning and to Oklahoma City in the evening).

It was awesome riding the train since a.) we didn't have to drive, b.) we had a lot of room to stretch out and relax, c.) you can bring your own drinks and snacks to enjoy as you please or get stuff from the snack car, and d.) you can get up and walk around if you need to stretch.  Sam's back really started hurting in the week leading up to our departure, so it was nice that he was able to recline and walk around as needed.  We decided that if we ever have kids, we will definitely be taking them on a train trip or two.

Here I'm stretching my leg as far as I can to show you how much leg room we had.

We sat mid train both times.  The chairs face two directions, so we ended up riding to Dallas backwards.

My bearded hubby.  He started growing his beard at the beginning of the year with a goal of not shaving until St. Patrick's day.  He has since shaved it off.

After we got to Dallas, we all decided that we didn't want to fight the crowds.  Instead, we hung out in Ty's back yard and enjoyed chatting with friends, playing horse shoes, jumping on the trampoline, and a fire pit once dusk hit.

Pete really wanted to get every bit of bark off of the logs.

Can you see the wake board rope and handle hanging from the tree?  Ty has a special wake board for the trampoline to practice flips and jumps.

 

Seriously, how cute is this dog?!?!?!

Of course, I made a shirt for the occasion!

 

Oh, and even though this has nothing to do with the weekend, I have to include a picture of the St. Patrick's day mantle I made for when I hosted bunco.  And, for the fun of it, let me tell you a little more about St. Patty's day bunco.  I served a loaded baked potato bar, leprechaun floats (sprite and lime sherbert ice cream), Skittles (taste the rainbow :), and Oreo balls (because they're good).  

I'm an Aunt!

He's here!!!  My sister delivered her amazing 8 pound 7 ounce, 18.5 inch long miracle yesterday!  Sam and I are very excited to have our first nephew (so excited that I've already driven to Oklahoma City to visit him twice!).  I could tell you all about how amazingly perfect he is, but I think I'll just show you a couple of pictures instead.

Isn't he handsome!?

I think he looks pretty comfortable in Aunt Courtney's arms.  (Look at his head.  Instead of a cone head, he has the cute little crease of a breech baby.)

It's hard to imagine that my little sister has a baby!  She's a great mom already!

The whole Bowling family.

In true Courtney fashion, I made a hospital survival kit for Blake and Mindy including snacks (both healthy and non-healthy), Gatorade, chapstick, pony tail holders, wisp disposable toothbrushes and a magazine.  Of course, I found the idea on Pinterest :).   

 

Freezer Paper + Silhouette = One Stencil Crazy Person

Dr. Seuss' birthday was Friday.  To celebrate, in true crafter fashion, we helped the kids make shirts using freezer paper stencils.  It all started last weekend when I made 22 freezer paper stencils that looked like the cat in the hat's hat (we only have 18 students, but the teachers and assistants wanted shirts too :).  We were just going to put the hat on them until one of my friends suggested we add all of the kids names so, of course, I broke out the Silhouette again.  Wednesday night, Bailey (my co-teacher) and I divided the shirts in half and ironed on the stencils.  (Have I ever mentioned how much I love ironing?  I haven't? Oh, that's because I despise it!)  Thursday, we put the shirts in the art center and let the kids go to town painting them with red fabric paint.  After snack that day, when they were dry, the kids all got to peel off their stencils.  They were pretty excited to see the shirts they made!  We kept the shirts over night so we could heat set the paint, then passed them out Friday at group time so the kids could wear them all day.  We took a super cute group picture in our shirts but, since I can't post pictures of the kids on here, you have to settle for pictures of the shirts sans kids.

Here's the whole group.

We didn't put names on the teacher shirts (because I really don't want to be known as Ms. Courtney for the rest of my life).

The kids did a great job covering the whole stencil with paint.  I think the thinner spots add character.

And, in case you are interested in some of the other things I have made using freezer paper stencils, here you go:

Valentine's Day Shirts

Mom's 50th Birthday Party Shirt

Initial Onesies

Cowboy Outline Onesie

Initial Super Hero Cape

And, one of my person favorites, Gabe's onesie with the nickname I gave him in utero.

These are just a few of the many things I have made using freezer paper!  Someone should probably stage and intervention.  On second thought, don't.  I'm having too much fun!!!