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We had the best time learning and engaging in the charter school world this summer.

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We took our son to meet Big Foot at Austin Lake.

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My cousin brought me the old Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph that my grandfather played as a kid in Basking Ridge, NJ. It took some TLC to get it rolling again, but you can see the excitement in his eyes as he listened for the first time in over 70 years. He was extra excited to share his love of 'Mrs. Murphy's Chowder' (he still remembered all the words) with my boys, his great grandchildren.

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I took my son, Anderson, to his first baseball game in Lynchburg, VA, to see the Hillcats, which is something I enjoyed doing growing up. He loved all the music, food, and fireworks at the end of the night.

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This summer, I mainly crocheted. I made three blankets, two cardigans, three shawls, and I am working on a scarf to go with this piece I made for Mrs. Workman :)

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My husband and I honeymooned to Disney World! Here is a picture of us enjoying one of the terraces at our resort.

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We did a LOT of swimming, went on a couple small vacations and adventures, and knocked a few WV swings off our list!!

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We went to Dollywood and had a blast!

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I made a cozy space to focus on work. I thought it could also be a good place my daughter could learn too. I think Freya took it over!

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I went mini-golfing with some close friends. Other than that, I worked and cleaned my house. Very low-key, low stress summer this year. It was too hot and rainy to camp for us this year.

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My family and I went to the OBX this summer. It was my first time and we will definitely be going back. My oldest is missing from this picture because he wanted stay home and go to work (weirdo :) lol). We also went camping several times and did a lot of stuff outdoors.

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My family spent the summer celebrating birthdays, going to the beach, and spending time with our parents!

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After being tossed to the tech gods and plunged into a four-week summer school session on Canvas—a platform new to all of us— I emerged battle-scarred but still standing. The switch itself wasn’t a surprise to teachers, but I think someone forgot to tell the students. They didn’t know how to find assignments, live sessions, or even check their email on the new system. That meant teachers spent hours on the phone, walking confused kids through basics instead of teaching.

Canvas glitches piled on, tabs multiplied, and my patience wore thin. But somehow, despite all the chaos, the students learned, grades got posted, and I lived to tell the tale.

To recover, I escaped to Amish Country with my daughter and parents. In Sugarcreek, Ohio, we hit the jackpot and arrived just in time to watch the world’s largest cuckoo clock come alive. The dancing figures felt like a reward for surviving the digital disaster.

Our days were blissfully slow—wandering quaint shops, catching afternoon naps, and intense Phase 10 and Yahtzee battles (Mom won four times—yeah, she might be sleeping in the car next time, but she laughed when I said it).

We wrapped up at Heini’s Cheese Chalet, where we made cheese and bought enough to open a small deli (okay maybe a medium size deli). I’m still working through the stash, and honestly, it’s exactly what I needed to heal before jumping into a new school year!

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After 3 years of living in a camper we finally had a house built for our property. Nothing like indecision 😉

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We spent as much time together as a family that we could! My husband was back and forth for military training and flying helicopters. Between his trips, we spent seven fun filled days in Pigeon Forge, movie dates, trampoline park trips and chauffeuring our six year old to gymnastics practice. While he was away, Ember and I had girl time going shopping, getting pampered at the nail salon and so many pool days!

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I am the WORST at taking pictures when I go somewhere fun. However, I did snap this pic one day to brag to someone about where I was, lol.

My husband and I discovered our new favorite hobby this summer... shark tooth hunting!! There are tons on the west coast of Florida.

I also started raising guppies....I have an aquarium next to my desk now at work and they are fun to watch when I need a quick break from thinking!!

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The highlight of my summer (which is honestly still not over) was going to the Kendrick Lamar concert in June. This was his last stop in the US. The parking was AWFUL but the sound quality? Amazing - he sounds exactly like he does on the recording.

I don’t think any other concert can top this one. One of my former students from my last teaching position was at the concert too, it felt good to reconnect with her again!

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This was such a sweet and joyful summer break for our little family. We went to some Cincinnati Reds games with the kiddos (first MLB games for them) and they even got to parade on the field and check out the dugouts (family pic above). In our few weeks off we have checked off most of our summer bucket list that included building a fort, going to Dude Perfect World Tour show, making s’mores, catching fireflies, and so much more. We still have a few more things to check off, but we are close! We have had short trips in our weeks that included visiting family, going to water parks, visiting the Ark Encounter, and my son participating in baseball and basketball ball camps. I am thankful for a job that has provided time to make these joyful memories.

I am looking forward to this new school year and working to encourage and inspire our students toward success.

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We’ve had several adventures this summer from the girls first trip to the zoo, their first beach trip, and our anniversary trip to Gatlinburg. I’ve had the best summer with my two little besties! 🩷💜

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We had a few adventures during this extremely hot and rainy summer! My husband and I spent a few days exploring Lake Erie. We saw America's longest covered bridge haha. We also went to visit Natural Bridge Virginia. It was beautiful. I made a lot of art and set up at a few shows.

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Tennessee Adventure!

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I spent my entire summer trying to renovate our new house- built in the 1800's. It has moved through many hands and had lots of updates to push through, just like an old computer that hasn't been connected to the internet for a while... Does that make me a nerd?

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After dropping our youngest off at camp in NY, my husband and I visited Niagara Falls. My favorite part was the rapids before the falls. Absolutely stunning!

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My summer was actually a wonderful summer vacation all together from camping, beach trips, large family dinners, grandbaby time, Hay making season which means eating and picnicking in the hay fields to my last big Trip to Washington D.C. I got experience so many things at the National Archives, US Capitol, and Museums as a teacher. Wonderful experience!! Thank you WVVA for helping to make this happen!

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We and our entire family spent the 4th of July at my parent's Lake Ontario lodge. It was so great to have everyone together and spend time by the water. And of course I spent lots of time at the Equine Therapeutic Riding Center! My favorite place to be.

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My husband, daughter, and I went to the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Memphis, TN, where you can ride a boat inside the hotel and has all these indoor waterfalls. It was stunning and is pictured above. Then, we went to Dollywood and the Smokies on the way back home. Last, right before school started back, I had to get a quick trip to the beach so we went to Rehoboth and Bethany Beach in DE. We lucked out and had the best weather; a high of 80 degrees and the ocean water was beautiful.

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My in-laws celebrated their 50th anniversary by taking the family to Disney World. My boys had a blast and have now become roller coaster enthusiasts. We also went to the beach, went swimming almost every day, went to the kid's free movies a few times and went to a few dirt track races. We had lots of time with family and had a blast.

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My two older kiddos participated in their first livestock show and auction! The animals were a huge learning experience for our whole family, and we can't wait to do it again. The cherry on top was their excitement over earning over $1000 each at the auction to put towards future projects and start saving for college!

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I got to meet my all time fav character Pooh Bear and the boys loved every minute of it. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom resort and woke up to giraffes, and zebras out our window every morning!