IM BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

OK so it has been WAY TOO LONG since I have posted last and I have noticed that I'm not on some of my friends Blog list anymore but I can get over that. NOT! Y'ALL need to ADD me I'm still your friend even if I am not a Frequent Blogger. I dont remember how to put my friends on my friend list so I am sorry if you are not on mine but when i get a chance to call Lynette I will make sure all of yall will be on my list.

I'M BACK!! Yall can stop bugging me about the update I know the last time I blogged was in January, and no I don't have a good excuse, but the fact is I never get on the computer and when I do I just go visit yalls blogs read all the cute and wonderful things that go on in yalls life get depressed about my life and then go lay on the couch and sulk. So in reality I HATE BLOGS because it makes me miss EVERYONE which makes me sad and sometimes cry. So now you know why I have not updated my blog. I'm not very good at this so here I go!!!!!!!!!!!

In February I ran in the Austin Half Marathon with a close friend of mine Maria Loveday we finished in 2 hours 7 min. and I ran it with strep throat. I know you don't have to say it I ROCK!!

Then lets skip too the end of school in May my husband went to Canada to visit his folks and while he was gone I was bored so I decided to buy a house. Yep I found the perfect house for us and Colin told me to buy it if I liked it so I did. WE LOVE IT!!!! Having a house is so nice and it beats climbing up three floors everyday.

Sorry I don't have a picture yet I promise I will Post one.

The next big thing I have done is starting my own camp "Camp Journey where everyday is a new adventure" for people with disabilities. It has been my dream since I left college to do this and I finally did it! I love my job and I have had a blast doing it. Thanks to my father in-law Tom for helping me with naming my camp and thanks to Lynette for helping me design everything: shirts, websites, flyer's, headers, and even certificates. She is the best and I love her work. Coming soon: Designed by Lynette you will have to check out her stuff she is really talented.

I have had a really busy this summer with camp, teaching summer school, swim lessons and the new house. This is my last week of camp and I'm getting sad because school starts next week and all I want to do is play. I remember one day when my sister Lynette asked me when I was going to stop playing outside and grow up and I told her never! I was in the ninth grade when she asked me that and I don't think I have let that comment bother me seeing how I still play like Im a kid.

The first week trip we went on was to Garner State Park where we went camping for a week and had tons of fun!

I have day camps were we go to a different places everyday.

Camp Journey also offers weekend camp outs so we took a group to Lake Summerville.



Then I took a break to go to Camp Smiles with a former student of mine Riley who has Cerebral Palsy. He moved away after my first year of teaching to Austin and Camp has been our connection ever since. I love him with all my heart and have been going to Camp Smiles with him for over four years and I look forward to seeing him next summer too.

When I got back from camp with Riley I had a day camp that week and then a weekend vacation trip where we took a group of seven to Sea World. That was so much FUN!!!

After that trip I had to go back to summer school for a week and then I was off to Camp Champions. I have been to this camp for seven years now. My husband has joined me the last two years and I think he loves it just as much as me.

Cabin#1 Rocks!!!

Well I have about 700 pictures that I would love to show you but I'm getting tired so I hope that this is good enough for now and that you will visit Coates Corner soon. We are having tons of fun and loving life. We look forward to the school year to slow us down. I dont beleive it will slow us down but I like thinking it will.

We love and miss everyone so please drop a line and say hello.

Love,

The Coates

Well hello again Friends and Family. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to get something on the page but I have been so busy with life and sitting around and enjoying my vacation. I am so excited to be in a New Year with new goals. I hope that everyone is ready to start this year off right. I sat my co workers down before school and gave them a motivational speech on how we need to stay positive until summer time. Before we know it it will be time to get into our swim suits and start hitting the pool. I hope everyone can look at the positive side of life and SMILE. Life is wonderful and there should be nothing to complain about. If there is then YOU need to make that CHANGE.

I remember once hearing that we choose how are day is going to be. So today I am going to state that I want to wake up everyday and choose to smile and BE HAPPY!

I had to add these picture because no matter what life deals you and how hard it can seem. I want you to remember that my Autistic students even SMILE at life!

Love yall,

Suz

Well I guess blogging is the new thing to do and all of my sisters are doing it so I am following once again in their paths and I am now blogging. Thanks to Lynette for the cute design of my blog layout and a thanks to my mom for the cute name. We got it part from one of Colins favorite Canadian TV shows called Corner Gas which is about a small town in Canada. Well I am excited to share with yall what is going on in my daily life and I look forward to keeping intouch with yall. I hope to hear from yall soon.

Well Colin tells me that I am one of those crazy dog owners. Yes I bought a sweater for my dog Schautzy who I love so much, and then I went out and bought matching outfits for Colin and I. I mean come on we had to match for our Christmas pictures.

I teach children with Autism in the public school setting, but in a self contained class room. It is a very demanding job the requires much of my time both before and after school. I help a few of my students get on the bus in the morning at their homes because they are unwilling to get on some days. I also work in their homes after school as an In home trainer. I work with the parents and student on different areas that they are battling. My husband works with one of my students as well. This is Marcus and he goes on community outings with Colin every Tuesday. He is so funny. Every Tuesday he comes into my class puts his backpack up and asks me is Mr. Colin coming over today? Now you have to picture him with a British accent it makes the whole picture complete. I have to answer promptly because if i don't he will start nagging me for the answer. Colin takes him fun places like the mall, the gym that has an indoor pool with slides, out for fast food and more. So Marcus has grown a close bond with Colin. The best part of this story is that Marcus models what he sees and the other day he came off the bus with a hat on backwards stating that he was wearing a hat like Mr. Colin. When Colin takes him out he is most likely wearing a hat either backwards or forwards but almost always wearing a hat. I love them both and I am so grateful for Colin and supporting me in my life dreams as I work with these Angels.

It was Megan's Birthday and her Mother and Father brought cup cakes to school to celebrate. They left a bunch of them for us to enjoy throughout the day and I was playing around with Megan and I pushed the cup cake on her nose and she started cracking up. I was so excited to see her laugh that I did it more. It turned into a game and we all had a blast and I haven't laughed that hard with my students in a long time. Megan has a beautiful smile and I am so happy to share it with yall. What can I say but that she is too cute!

This is new baby Ben sporting his new look as a Longhorn. Colin and I went to Flordia to visit Erin, John, Faith, Susan and Baby Ben and because I am a crazy Texas fan I had to dress the newest member up in style. HOOKEM!!