Happy First School Day.....Picture Overload!!!

With the beginning of school comes the neglecting of my blog. I know...so stinkin' sad....haha! It is now Back to School and so the Acker Family is in full swing again! The kids started back to school last week at a new place and absolutely love it! I am not even gonna lie, I shed a couple of tears. Our big boy is in Jump Start which is a program for kiddos who turn 5 but miss the Kindergarten cut off date. They do Kindergarten curriculum and set the class up in a similar way. He is too proud!!! He has got his Kinder and 1st Grade sight words down and we have been reading up a storm. We couldn't be happier with such a sweet boy!

back to school and so excited

love the part about not getting in trouble...haha

is he really turning 5? : (

Ella loves being back to school. I think she just likes wearing a cute backpack. She picks out jewelry to match her outfits and has even been able to get her WHOLE class (teacher included) to call her Princess Ella. She is definitely our little princess and has amazed us at how much she talks and how much that she can do already. She definitely wants to keep up with big brother.

Accessorizing!

Ready for school!

At church in Mommy's class

Asleep in a princess tent with a purse and sparkle shoes....

Right before the kiddos went to school, they enjoyed some time with Pawpaw (my dad)

Braum's

Showing Pawpaw all that he wants at Target

They also spent some time exploring at Papa and Nana's

flashlights in the laundry hamper

The Friday after we all started back, poor Joey got sick. Joey rarely gets sick so I felt so bad for him. Y'all, I swear I thought he had West Nile and it totally scared me but then Ella got a fever 2 days later and we realized it was a little flu like bug. I just tried to take care of him the best I could and let him relax, even if it meant taking BOTH kids to the store BY MYSELF!!! Is it just me or do you spend more when you have two little ones with you???

don't worry this was BEFORE she had a fever

I started back to work and now feel like I have the year organized and planned out all thanks to my new Erin Condren planner. I SO love it and me and my sister in law Lauren hope to buy one for each other each school year (we didn't this year but hope to start next). Is it weird that I want to color coordinate all my dates I write in it??? I feel like it's too pretty to get messed up!

And here's a peek into my office and a shirt made by Kristee's Designs (look her up on facebook).

my door near the staff hallway

area for small group counseling

I will be adding group posters/charts we make to all my lovely cabinets

this table will be moved to fit kiddos on the floor

my cozy space

the door the students see

And today is also a special day. My adorable niece Olivia started her first day of Kindergarten. I was SO excited to call her when I got off to ask about her day. All I got was, "I went to school, my mom made chocolate chip cookies, and now I am talking." Little stinker! She sounded happy so that's what matters!

how cute is she???

We pray that you all have a great school year whether you are an educator, mommy to kiddos in school, or grandparent. We pray that God will use you to make a difference in the lives of children and that we can all set a Godly example for our students even if we can't say the words. We pray that the children in the schools will learn as much as they can so they can one day make a difference. God bless you all and have an amazing year!

Love the Acker Family!!!

Chisholm Baptist Church Birthday

Can we please hit "pause?"

Last week, I blogged all about how I was enjoying some down time and wondering in what order to watch tv shows and whether to make waffles or pancakes in the morning.....so sad, right? Haha! I loved every.minute.of.it!!! This week was a little different, we had something scheduled almost every day. some were play dates, a date with the hubby, and some good ol' shopping but it was a bit tiring.

But before we dive on in, let me recap our last weekend! We headed to the sweet little lake town of Granbury (where my sis in law lives) and celebrated my in-laws 30th wedding anniversary. It was all kinds of fun. We enjoyed some yummy meals and some shopping on the square for the kiddos. Then we all met up for a nice dinner to celebrate the two lovebirds. It was truly special and it is a blessing to have in-laws who set such a great example of what marriage should be and on top of that...I am blessed with my amazing parents and their almost 32 years of marriage!

ready to shop

just relaxing with a tootsie pop

being rascals

Joey loves being an uncle....Sawyer and Liv have his heart

me and Lala

Ella and her little cousin having a very important conversation

We had a blast and so did the kids! Then on Monday, Grayson and I enjoyed a little Mommy/Grayson Day at the movies to see Brave (which was so good)! It was so nice to spend a little time with my sweet boy! Oh...and his Papa (Joey's dad) gave him an Alabama jersey which he L.O.V.E.D! He is an official fan and already has college plans!

Tuesday, Ella and I enjoyed a Mommy/Ella day and headed out for breakfast and pedicures! She loved every second! The guy commented on how still she was for being 2!! If only he knew....

The rest of the week we had play dates and Joey and I enjoyed a nice dinner date and some Mardel shopping. I saw all of the owl stuff and told Joey that part of me wanted to be a teacher again so I could get this shirt...haha!! Don't judge...

making pizzas

I had a meeting Friday and will finish up tomorrow. I am so excited because I get to learn so much about new district goals and get to be a mentor to a new Kindergarten teacher! So fun! I hope to complete my office soon and take pics!

Today we enjoyed a day at church and then headed to my parents which was soooo nice. My mom made some amazing food and we just hung out and relaxed. They even let Joey and I take a nap while they watched the kids...it was heaven!I didn't want to leave!!!!

I have about 3 or 4 days to soak up every bit of summer and SO wish I could hit the pause button. But on the other hand, I am ready and excited to see what God has in store for our family and I look forward to all of the wonderful memories we will make!

Oh and please vote for my school! It is a high poverty area and could use every bit of help. Click the link below and you can be a part of helping our students have the supplies they need!! Thanks!
Help Jack Lowe Elementary

Y'all have a blessed week!!

What? It's August....

I was talking to a friend on the phone the other day and we were talking about school starting back up. In my mind as we were talking, I thought I had about a month or more left...then when I realized it was August, I literally...almost...fell out of my chair. How did August already get here? I still have tons on my to do list and have spent too many lazy days in my pajamas, cuddling with the kids, and watching old sitcoms on Netflix. I told myself I would make photo books from where I left off last on pictures, work on the kid's baby books, and paint our house (which now may not happen since our house is on the market). Maybe I can still clear some time between episodes of Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl...lol.

This summer has been full of such amazing things so far and hard times, as well. I just don't want to let it go just yet. I have loved making breakfast for the kids every morning and simply taking our time. I have enjoyed our days at the park and ice cream shop. We have read about 73 books (still working on our goal of 100), we've enjoyed many fun times at the library, we have had sweet playdates with some sweet friends, and have just enjoyed family moments.

playdate fun

So I hope to embrace these next two weeks!! I am super excited about going back to work and having a fresh year to start off with (if you remember, I started my new job at the end of February). My office is for the most part done and I have already planned my guidance and activity schedules through December. I will be starting a school counseling blog as soon as I have some things made and ready to post. So be on the lookout for that!

And...we are done school shopping!! Yay! We love to school shop even though the kiddos aren't in "big kid" school yet. They had a blast and were so stinkin' excited about their backpacks!!

I told them to turn around but they wanted to show them off! Haha!

I better get some rest because we will be off to celebrate my in-law's 30th wedding anniversary so "Happy Anniversary" to them!! Y'all enjoy your weekend and God bless!

-Mel

Update from the Dr.

I may have blogged almost everyday this week but I am trying to enjoy it because I know once school starts  I won't have the time plus I am going to be starting another blog which will be school counselor related. My reason for all this blogging is...laziness. We have literally been just hanging out this past week. I think NYC really wore me out and with all that has been going on with my brother in law passing away, I just didn't feel like doing much. Even the kiddos have just been playing around the house and relaxing. If you know me well, you know this does not sound like me at all but I think we all just needed it physically and emotionally.

So this will be a short blog because I just wanted to update you all on my stomach issues because this has been a problem for me for YEARS!!! I finally have a clear answer from an amazing doctor over at Baylor. I have what is called Gastroparesis. (below is some information from gihealth.com in case you're curious)

Gastroparesis literally means stomach paralysis. It is a condition in which the stomach muscle becomes slow and weakened. Following a meal, it takes too long for the stomach to empty its contents into the small intestine. 
Changing how and what foods are eaten is helpful. It is best to eat six small meals a day, instead of three large ones. Liquid dietary supplements are often recommended since liquid meals pass through the stomach more easily and quickly. Avoid high fat foods that naturally slow gastric emptying and foods high in fiber like citrus and broccoli because the indigestible part will remain in the stomach too long.  

Super cool, right? Haha! I am just so thankful to the Lord for some answers. The dr. said that he thinks I can best control it with what I eat. If symptoms are worse or are not controlled with a majority of a liquid diet then we will look at meds and other things. I told him I really wanted to try to control it with my diet so please pass along any healthy smoothie/protein shake recipes.


I am just so stinkin' happy to know what is wrong and how to treat it even if I had to wait at the dr.'s office for awhile on a Friday! : (

Thumbs down!

WHooo are you Linky Party?

http://whatshappeningintheackerfamily.blogspot.com/

I am starting a Whooo Are You? Linky Party. So link on up and let's get to know each other!

1. What is your name, nickname?
Melanie and a lot of friends and family call me Mel


2. What do you do for a living?
I am an elementary counselor which I LOVE and am also a wife and mommy which I love even more

3. What job would you have if you chose another career?
I started out pre-med and sometimes I think it would be cool to be a dr. or a Rockette if I weighed less and grew taller..lol!

4. What is your style?
Classic, girly...I swear I wear a dress 6 days out of the week

 5. Food you could eat every.stinkin'.day?
Sushi

6. Who is your inspiration?
I try to live Christ like each day so it would be Him. I also have a lot of special people in my life that inspire me each day.

7. What are your favorite brands?
Henri Bendel, Kate Spade, Tory Burch are my fav big brands for accessories but I usually shop at Groovy's, Nordstrom, Express, Target, Forever 21, and any place I can find cute stuff on sale

8. What is your favorite vacation spot?
I would have to say Disneyworld and now New York City

9. What are three things you couldn't live without?
My bible, family, and Starbucks

10. What is your favorite thing to collect?
OWLS! I have always loved owls and then I became a Chi Omega and their symbol was the owl. Now I teach at a school where the mascot is an owl...I just love them. Throughout our house, you can see subtle owls here and there. I am currently on the lookout for some cute owl salt and pepper shakers and an owl pillow for ella's room.

11. What are things that make you laugh./smile?
My husband. Our babies. The old Saturday Night Live skits (with Adam Sandler, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Farley). My sister Megan and brother Jordan. Really Silly Humor. Awkwardness. The Swog video on youtube (cracks me up everytime, its the opposite of swag...hahah).

12. What is one thing you want to try?
Sewing! I practiced some with my aunt and it took me about 5 hours just to make a cape!!! One of my aunts bought me some super cool sewing books with tips and patterns. I so want to learn how to sew...maybe I will try again next week!I want to be able to make cute stuff for the kids and Pinterest has so many neat things.

13. Favorite song?
I think Benny and the Jets by elton John is probably one of my top fav songs. I love so many types of music so it's really hard to choose but that song puts me in a good mood.
Also, my fav Christian song would be 10,000 reasons by Matt Redman...beautiful!

14. Favorite bible verse?
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

15. What is the craziest thing you have done?
I sang "Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid in front of hundreds of people at the Hyatt in Dallas. Super embarrassing but I secretly loved it!


16. Who would you say is your favorite person?
That is so tough I have a lot of those...but my other half is pretty amazing. My husband Joey is my best buddy and the person I trust with all my heart. He makes me laugh and is always there for me. He is an amazing dad to our kiddos and is my best friend.

Hope you enjoyed and link up. Also, PLEASE vote for the school I work at below. For every 25 votes, our school will receive a $25 Target gift card to go towards supplies. The school I am at is extremely low income and is filled with some pretty amazing kiddos:
 Vote for Jack Lowe Sr Elementary


Have a blessed week!

When People Think You're "THAT" Person

Today, I am linking up with Courtney over at Women Living Well Ministries
If you have not checked out her blog or You Tube channel, it's a MUST! She is too stinkin' cute and it's amazing to see how God gives her the wisdom and words to speak to other women's hearts.

So....as Joey and I have grown closer to the Lord (You can read my testimony here: The Moment My Life Changed ) I have noticed that some of the people that we encounter think we are the "Crazy, Religious People"......ya' know...."that person." When I say "that person" I mean the one that people feel like they can't be themselves with, they feel like they can only talk about church with you (which isn't a bad thing), and they feel like if they have one drink or smoke a cigarette in front of you, you are judging them.

I know it sounds a little crazy but I have noticed it more and more. I am thankful to the Lord that He is shining through our lives and that our faith in Him is evident but I want people to also know that just because you make choices in your life that aren't of this world that it is not a bad thing. When I think back to the time in our marriage when Joey was truly saved and I was not yet, I can recall getting so frustrated and angry with him because he wanted to cut out a lot of worldly things from our home. I remember thinking he is going overboard and trying to shelter us. But the day I became saved, it all became so clear to me. To truly follow the Lord means doing things different from the world. It can be a struggle and we have even had comments made from some family but when I think of building our family's relationship with our AMAZING father in heaven, nothing could be sweeter.

So, in essence, I am thankful for some people thinking we do things a little different. But we are still normal people. We have struggles just as anyone else does. WHY? Because we are sinners in need of a savior and that makes being a Christian even sweeter when you think of Jesus who is so perfect dying for our sins and forgiving your past, present, and future when you repent of your sins and TRUST in Him. I have days that I may struggle more but I find so much peace in one of my favorite verses:

Psalm 73:26
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

So LOVE it! It brings so much comfort and joy to my heart! Please feel free to share below what verse brings you comfort in time of struggle!!! : )

To close on out.....I would like to share with you all that my brother in law's funeral was today. It was extremely emotional for me and I can't even imagine how hard it was for his family and my sister. I swear I cried so much my head hurt and I fell asleep on the way home. Josh was a great guy and a wonderful brother in law and uncle to our kiddos. He will be missed so much. Thinking about losing someone so young just made me think about how important it is to share the gospel with everyone you encounter, whether its verbally or sharing a gospel tract. So please don't be afraid to share your faith...be a light in a dark world.

Have a blessed week and, again, please keep Josh's family, our family, and his friends in your prayers.

God Bless and Have a Fantabulous Week! : )