Holiday Plans

Well, I think we've got our trip back all planned out (mostly). Dan will be coming with us and we'll leave Friday evening. We'll arrive in Kalamazoo late Saturday night and stay there with Dave's family. Then we'll Christmas it up for the next 3 days while making our way north to Grand Rapids. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be for catching up with friends, going on Meijer's visits, touring our old haunts, and other miscellaneous things like sledding (hopefully)! It's coming so fast, I can hardly believe it. So many things have changed and I'm interested to see how it will feel to be back in GR.

For Thanksgiving we'll be going to Tuscon for the day. Mmmmm...actual real Turkey this year! I can't wait for that either...maybe this year I'll go shopping the next day...by myself (cue sad, pathetic music). I wonder if IKEA has Black Friday sales?? If so, I think I'll be there!

The Great Outdoors

We just returned (on Monday) from our first Arizona camping trip. We drove about 3 hours Northeast to the White Mountains and stayed in Fool Hollow Campground. We chose it because it was on a lake (not in the way we expected) and it had showers and flush toilets. It is beautiful country up there and the drive there and back was amazing. We camped on a cliff that dropped down to the lake below. It was very windy the first night and the next day and very cold because of it. After the wind died down the temps ranged from a high of 64 in the daytime to a low of 41 at night...chilly, but not unbearable. It was nice to be cold for a change! The campground was nice, although because we had three vehicles they made us pay $15 per vehicle per night even though we were only on one campsite. We decided that since we were paying for it, we would just take over the site next to us too. I don't think we'll camp there again...there was only one hiking trail and although it was beautiful, it just wasn't that exciting. We had a great time and can't wait to do more exploring of this amazing part of the country!

Fa la la la, la la la la

This is a strange and exciting turn of events...the temp inside our little apartment is close to 80 (we turned the air off last night) and the current temp outside is 64. Weather-wise, I had quite a nice little stroll with the doggies. I feel like crap, my throat is closing up, and doggies behaved poorly, but what can you do? Ah yes, fall is coming to the valley. Just last night we were at Costco and they were making room for the parkas. Tomorrow we're driving up to Flagstaff, or "Flag" as the locals call it, and perhaps we'll even see some yellowing, deciduous leaves! Soon we'll be in full-fledged winter...you know, when the temp drops to about 50 and nothing much else happens.

Shadow Mountain

We got up at about 7 a.m. today and took the doggies for our morning walk. Our road pretty much dead ends into Shadow Mountain and since the weather has cooled off significantly we decided to make our first trek into the preserve. Initially there was a pretty steep hike and I was winded right away. There are several trails that are pretty flat and kind of circle the mountains, and one that goes way up. We stuck to the flat trails for now, but plan to come back often and eventually climb the trail that goes up. The dogs were pretty good, still need a little training especially going downhill. The views were nice although it was a little hazy...and we saw a coyote. We can't wait to get out and do some more hiking! Fall Break up north...here we come!

workin' for the weekend

Another week gone by and somehow we made it. Dave had a particularly rotten day yesterday. Just a bad day all around at work, and then to top it all off he got hit by a car on his way home. He's okay, just shaken up and upset about it...but the front tire of his bike is mangled. So, when he gets home today we'll be off to find him a new bike...and maybe some armor.

As for me, I've now made it through the first 6 weeks of school. My class is getting better as a whole, I still have those few specific behavior problems, but who doesn't? Only three weeks away from Fall Break and I can't wait! We're going camping up North where there are trees and water and temps that can dip into the 30s! It's kind of a gloomy, lazy day here...my favorite kind of Saturday. I brought lots of work home to keep me busy but I may find a cozy spot on the couch instead!

Mrs. Deliveries

Ah...school has started once again. I made it through my first three weeks and am now rewarded with a three day weekend. The trouble is, I've also come down with my first cold of the school year. I feel like I've accomplished almost nothing...last week we DIBELed our kids for three days in a row, had three sunny/rainy day schedules (because of the heat advisory we had indoor "recess" on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday), we showed three full-length Disney movies because they aren't independent enough to work on their own while we test, and we still have DRAs to do which we figured will take us 17 hours if all goes perfectly. Hmm...when are supposed to teach them?? I know I have accomplished some things...they are much better at the routines and procedures, and can even walk in a semi-straight line semi-quietly. Boy the beginning of the year is rough! I had it good last year...not to mention I have 7 more students now than I did for most of last year. I won't even get into some of the behavior problems I have in my room...again, I had it good last year.

Dave is now biking to and from work most days...which must be brutal on the way home. He's irritated with one of his co-workers right now so that makes a lot of his days less-happy. We've both got Sunday and Monday off and are really excited. It's like having an actual weekend together! Can't wait to see everyone at Christmas time, take care!

Still hot in Phoenix...go figure

It has been relentlessly hot here the past couple of weeks. We are expecting the monsoon storms to arrive any time now...apparently they have a cooling effect. We have had a couple light storms and what turned out to be only a lightning and dust storm last night. No cooling yet though.

Dave has been riding his bike to work in the mornings and I have been picking him up in the evenings. So far it's working pretty well. It's going to be very hot yet when I go back to school so I don't how it will be for him riding home those evenings. I have been in to work at school several times already. Next week I'm going to a conference in Las Vegas and when I get back I only have three days off before I really start back. The first three days are really more conference-type things, but on Aug. 6 I'm back for teacher orientation and the kiddos start on Aug. 13. So the summer is coming to an end quickly. We had a wonderful 6th anniversary on June 30th and I hope Dave is having a great birthday today! (Although he's at work so it probably doesn't seem that great!)

Yeah...what else would "pop" be called?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The South
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The West
North Central
Boston
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

New Apartment Pics

Here are some pictures of our new, finished apartment.

Our courtyard, taken from our porch.

Our porch complete with cool new furniture.

The living room with new IKEA loveseat.

A different view of the living room.

The kitchen...big and bright.

The bedroom with a view into the bathroom.

Our new duvet cover and lamps.

New digs and a new do

Dave and I are in the process of moving again. This time we have over a week and we are only moving 2 miles away vs. 2000 miles away. It's very hot and the moving is difficult...thankfully we have the time. I can take over lots of small loads in the morning, unpack or clean in the HOT afternoon, and then when Dave and Dan get home, we can move the big stuff. Here are some pictures, more will be posted when our new place is set up!

...and the livin' is easy

Summer school is now more than half over! Yeah! After tomorrow, I will have only 4 days until my summer REALLY begins. Things are going well, the kids are good...they of course would rather be outside or playing video games or something. Then again, so would I.

Dave is doing well and is still working at Sears. He now bikes to work and loves it. The bike was necessary as we will soon be much farther from Sears than we are now. While I can't imagine not have a vehicle at my disposal, I think he actually likes it...I'll reassess that after his daily commute in the 100+ degree weather is 3 times longer.

We have 2...check that...4 boxes packed (two were never unpacked from our BIG move). We will be making the move next weekend to our new place. Our poor, Bishop-loved leather couch will not be making the trip with us...it will be donated either to Dan or the dumpster. We discovered an IKEA about 30 minutes away and scoped out a suitable replacement sofa on Sunday. Suitable = cheap, lightweight, and low-maintenance. Keep an eye out for our new address and such...I'll be updating you either through email or snail mail. Take care!

Hello again

Oops...a whole month without a post. Well, it's been pretty busy around here lately. All my deadlines were coming up at school and it felt like I would never make them. But I did and then we escaped to Las Vegas for the weekend. It was a lot of fun, but very exhausting. I made it my goal as a Las Vegas newbie to see everything I possibly could...as long as it was free. This resulted in several long journeys on foot with disappointing destinations. Things we thought were free turned out not to be, and things we knew we'd have to pay for turned out to be too expensive. We still had a lot of fun and did see A LOT of things...including Jay Leno taping a "Jaywalking" segment in front of the Mirage!

I only have 1.5 days left of school and I cannot wait! It was a great year, but I'm ready to start again, this time with a little bit more experience. I'm already getting sad when I talk about saying good-bye to my students...I wonder what Wednesday afternoon will be like??

Once school is out I'll be busy moving to a new classroom, preparing to begin teaching summer school the following Monday, and then moving apartments. It will be another busy month, but I'm ready for it! I miss you all terribly and can't wait to see you again!

Missing you!

We'd like to wish Bruce a very happy birthday today! We know we have missed many birthdays and special events...but even though we are far away, all of our friends and family are in our thoughts. We'll see you soon!

Catching up

No news on the Deal or No Deal audition yet...Dave said he had fun just trying out. He got to meet and have his picture taken with two of the models, Haley Marie and Anya. He also got a pretty wicked sunburn from standing in the desert sun for 7 hours.

Recently we got to attend a spring training Diamondbacks game. It was a lot of fun. Chase Stadium is in downtown Phoenix near Sky Harbor Airport and it is a beautiful stadium. The crowd was very small, I can't imagine what it would be like to attend a regular season game. We still had a lot of fun! Apparently there is a famous concession vendor who also works the Suns games. We got to hear his trademark call: "Lemonade, Lemonade, just like Grandma made! You know you want some!"

The school year is winding down for me and I'm praying that I've sufficiently built up my immune system for next year. I had to stay home yesterday because I got pink eye in both eyes! Right in the busiest time of the year. At least it was the end of AIMS week (Arizona MEAP) and it was a pretty light day. Hopefully I'll be 100% healthy by Monday and stay that way through the end of the year!

Today's the day

Okay everyone, Dave's on his way to go try out for Deal or No Deal. Please send your good thoughts and good vibes his way!

Exciting things are happening in Arizona! We returned last night from an overnight trip to the Grand Canyon. It was amazing! If you have not been, you must make it a goal to go see it. There is so much to see and do...we went on a sunset tour that took us to several locations before resting at a final spot to see the sun set over the Canyon. I wish the pictures could do it justice. I'm sure that many posts to come will contain pictures from this trip!

Today we visited my school, just the outside because it's all locked up for Spring Break. Then we finally made it to Oregano's for a very large, very delicious lunch. We also saw some other good sights like Papago Park and Hunt's Tomb. We rounded out the day with a short swim and are now getting our wii on. Yes, even my mom and dad are enjoying our new toy. Dad's doing his best not to fall over playing tennis and mom is hitting homeruns...she actually hit two! We've got one more day with my mom and dad and I think some shopping is on the itinerary for tomorrow. Fashion Square Mall here we come!

Paradise Valley?

Ahh yes...it's a balmy 85 degrees here in the Valley. And if you're feeling jealous, please don't. If it's 85 degrees in early March, I shudder to think what it will be in late July. Please send some frosty weather out this way!

Looking ahead...

The weather here has been really nice. It's chilly in the morning but it warms up nicely by 11...it's really strange to not have to wear a jacket in February and March. We hear there was record snowfall in February for GR and we somehow feel as though we missed out! No sledding for us this year. We've already concluded that we need to make a pilgrimmage to Flagstaff next year.

We've been trying to take the dogs for at least a half hour walk each day. Some days are crazy and our schedules won't allow it...but the dogs are much more calm when we're able to fit it in. My mom and dad will be coming out in couple weeks, and we'll be able to visit the Grand Canyon! I'm super excited about this, I think it will be just breathtaking! Then I think Dave's dad is making a trip out this way soon...not quite sure when. We're looking forward to seeing family and doing some more sightseeing! I'm sure I'll have some awesome pictures to post soon...the one above is not mine!

Happy Heart Day

Well, Valentine's Day is fast approaching and you know what that means...sugar filled parties, hopped-up kids, and wouldn't ya know it, conferences. Yes, that's right, my distrtict decided to hold conferences on Valentine's Day and since the "conference book" began in 6th grade, 4 of my meetings were scheduled on this night. It's not that big of a deal because Dave and I don't really celebrate this "holiday" but it will certainly make for a very long day.

On a brighter note, I think it may rain soon! Out here, any weather is good weather. Every day it's pretty much the same thing...anything different is cause for excitement. Hope all you Michiganders are enjoying your blizzard...go sledding once for me and Dave!

Times been a movin' slow...

Well, what can I say? Not much to report. I've been pretty tired lately after work and I don't have the ambition to do much of anything when I get home. I suppose that's kind of the way it goes for teachers around this time of year. The time between winter break and spring break doesn't seem so long, and when I first came back I thought, this will be a breeze! However, this week especially has been tiring. I've now lost three students, gained one more, and two tell me they're leaving soon (confirmed with parents). It's very strange the sort of "turnover" that seems to occur out here. It's very difficult to maintain continuity.

I met with four other ladies from work on Wednesday to discuss a bible study! It was great meeting with them and we've planned to meet every other Wednesday. I am very excited to participate in a bible study again and at the same time, get to know more people. Nothing will compare, I'm sure, to my first study group...I really miss you guys!

Dave's work continues to be sporadic. Busy one day, frustratingly slow the next. But we're both carrying on and gearing up for the Super Bowl next weekend. Go Colts!

Some local wildlife...

Well, it's been downright cold here lately. Yesterday morning when I took the dogs out the grass was frozen and any standing water had become ice...it was amazing! Now, all we need is a little snow and we'll be all set.

My first week back at school was good...it was nice to get back into the routine again...even if it was completely disrupted again by Thursday. We are doing our DIBELS testing and since we have no money, we were told to be "creative" in the administration of this testing. Our best solution was to double up classes. So on Thursday, one of my teammates took my class for the day and I pulled them one at a time to test...and on Friday I took her class all day while she tested. It was...chaotic, to say the least. I'm glad to have an extra day today to recoop. We'll be doing it all over again in a couple weeks to complete some other testing.

Dave's work has seriously picked up and he has been making some great commissions. When it is slow, he's able to complete in-store training to continue moving to the next level. However, he doesn't really get this chance very often because they are so short staffed. One day last week, he was the only tech in the store until 11am...and he went in at 8am. At least he's able to keep busy on most days!

We are having a lot fun out here despite lots of work and no snow! We continue to learn about our new surroundings and are acclimating well. Hope all is well with everyone else!

Happy New Year!

The Holidays are over and life carries on. Thank you to so many of you for your cards and well wishes! This past week has been very restfull and I'm now preparing to go back to work bright and early tomorrow. Dave is doing well with his job...things seem to be picking up now which is helpful. Bishop and Hudson enjoyed many good walks as well as a couple lazy days on the couch this week. Dave and I briefly entertained trading in the Ranger for a hatchback style vehicle...but after two intense nights of high pressure sales, we decided to hang on for a while longer.

In other news...we are now official Arizona residents! Dave and I made the undesireable trip to the DMV on Thursday to get our pictures taken for new licenses that don't expire until we're done being 64. This DMV was extremely efficient...we spent less than an hour there and walked out with our new licenses in hand. I'm considering this vacation to be a grand success...much was accomplished!