First Days of School

My poor sister-in-law had a horrendous first day of school...I felt awful for her. Especially because mine could not have gone smoother!

I honestly have no eventful stories to tell regarding my first 8 (that's right, 8 already!!!) of school. My class is amazing. They are sweet, respectful, and extremely immature (which is a soooo wonderful!). All I do is give them a look and the fix their behavior. The worst behavior problem I have is a kiddo who has little self-control and talks a lot. (compared to my kiddos last year...1 no self-control kid is AMAZING!) These kids are just funny and eager to learn. I love it. I have truly enjoyed coming into work.

My goals from my last blog post are actually working out quite well. I have not been leaving at 6:30...more like 6:40 and getting to work at 7:10 but I have learned that I get a lot more work done in the morning then I do in the afternoon. I have left just after 3:30 every day! I am loving the freedom I have in the afternoons and I love that I have given myself limits. I really find myself prioritizing things that need to get done. I hope I can keep up this schedule.

My pregnancy symptoms have really died down. I have a all too good appetite (really, I'm a bottomless pit!!!) I am not nauseous at all. I feel a little light-headed in the mornings. I am working really hard on drinking enough water (today I failed miserably). My stomach has popped out big time. I have put on a couple of pounds (I can feel it in my legs and butt and especially my tummy) it's hard on me to come to terms with it being okay to put on weight. I have really bad posture and I can tell if I don't start improving it, I am going to hurt my back. My tummy is really popping out. I have taken some belly pictures but because of my lost camera cord, they are not able to be posted.

Long and random post. I am going to go downstairs, get some water and then fall asleep. :) ~N

AAAAAAHHH

Oh my...I report back to school tomorrow! I cannot believe it...I don't know what to think. I am excited, kind of. I am not looking forward to the stress. I was reading my sister-in-law's blog and she is starting to teach this week too. I completely agree with her in that the school year just brings STRESS! I am not looking forward to it.

I have a couple goals this school year. The first is that I am going to go early to school. I am going to leave at about 6:30 to get there at 7:00 so that I can do the work in the morning with less distractions. Also, I am going to leave school at 3:30 except for on staff meetings. I am not going to teach intervention this year (which is hard to not do because it is a lot of money per hour!) but Matt has picked up an extra shift at PF Chang's to help us out. I am going to stay on top of my paperwork and remember to put things away right after I use them. I am also going to utilize my students in cleaning more.

All these goals are going to be soooo great if I can stick to them. Matt has many concerns about me overworking myself and teaching pregnant. I understand because without being pregnant I was always exhausted when teaching. Sticking to these goals are going to be vital to my health and my baby's health!

So, tomorrow I get up early and head to a day of meetings. I have to start doing my hair again. (I've done it a total of, hmmm, 4 times ALL summer!) I will get kids on Wednesday and I am so excited to meet my new class! (Excited and a little anxious, I mean, what if they are CrAzY!)

Blessings,

~N

1 year anniversary

For our 1 year anniversary, after we found out I was pregnant, we drove up to Tahoe to spend the night at the Mont Blue. We had a really nice room. It was strange because we had this news that we didn't know how to deal with it. We were kind of stunned and it kind of just hung over us while we were there. Last time we went to Tahoe I was able to be able have a few cocktails, this time I couldn't have any!

We went to a really, really fancy dinner at a place called Evan's. This place was very much beyond our fanciness. It was comical. Luckily we had planned to dress nicely and we fit in in that regard but it was pretty comical. The food was soooooooo yummy and beautifully set out. I had almond crusted halibut, with some kind of yummy risotto and a grapefruit sauce. Matt had veal medallions and yummy mashed potatoes. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! mm mmmm...other than that will never go back. Over $100 for 2 entrees and an appetizer? Um, Red Robin is more our style! :)

Otherwise, we didn't do much on our anniversary. We were so dumbfounded by the news we had just learned that we just kept looking at each other like: are you kidding me???

Here's some pictures!



~N

SURPRISE!

I know it has been so long since I have updated and I am SO sorry. I can't guarantee I will get better but I truly am going to try.

June 22, 2009 Matt and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary of being married. However, we had so much more to celebrate! A few days prior I could tell my body was not, hmmm, "normal." I don't keep track of my cycle but I knew, just knew, I had a little something growing in there! So the morning of our one year anniversary, I took a pregnancy test a friend had given me, just in case a few months prior. Matt was the lucky one to check the results and sure enough it was POSITIVE! Happy anniversary to us!

We were so overwhelmed, we didn't know what to do. I always dreamed of telling my family in a fun way and so Matt and I went on a walk. Matt couldn't contain himself so he called and I called Beth just so we could tell someone and decide how to tell our families. Beth and Ryan were so excited for us. Especially since their baby is due November 27th and so ours will only be 3 months younger!

On that walk we ended up calling Matt's whole family. And when we got home we told my mom and then drove to my dad's work to tell him. I waited a week or so to tell the rest of my family. I was so overwhelmed I didn't know what to think or do!

We were planning a get away to Tahoe again and planned on a fancy dinner so we headed up to Tahoe and on the way I insisted I buy another pregnancy test...just to be sure. Sure enough I was! We had a great time in Tahoe...but that will be another post!

Our first ultrasound was on July 21 where I was just over 8 weeks. The baby measured at 8 weeks 6 days and I was 8 weeks 2 days. Everything checked out normal...except Matt couldn't be there! Ugh, I was so sad...but fascinated at the sight of our little baby!

Here is it's first picture. Do you see the arms, legs, and little eyes! Amazing! This was at 8 weeks and it was so tiny I am not at 11 weeks and it is already the size of a large plum! WOW!

(sorry if it is upside down...)
I will post again soon, I promise! ~N

Camera

Well, I can't seem to find my camera cord that plugs into the computer. It is probably in a random box or something somewhere. Needless to say my blog will be very boring without pictures...I will try to post the best I can!

~N

Friendship and misc...

Do you have a friend that at one point you spent countless hours with and then drifted apart? Now with this same friend do you get together and feel like you know each other and can pick right back up where you left off? I have a couple friends like that. Specifically, Alexia. Alexia and I became friends when we were at The Dance Gallery 2. We would love and make up ridiculous things and eat Frosty's all the time! In fact one time we went to get get a Frosty from Wendy's and the guy offered to sell us the Frosty machine after hours. We still laugh about that to this day. A lot has changed since our DG days. Alexia has had a tough loss in her life and I've watched her grow from it. We both got married, friends came in and out of our lives, but we have remained friends. Sometimes we don't talk for months because our immediate lives become too busy but we have always found a way back to each other. Every time we say, "let's not wait so long next time." Maybe, this time it will be true! :) Either way, it doesn't matter. Alexia gets me. I can cry, pig out, laugh, talk about sex, get angry, say something crazy, babble on forever...and she still gets me. What's really cool is, I get her too. Friendships like that, friendships that are true and raw, and real, friendships that make you feel lifted up, loved, friendships that would truly hurt if they were over are rare, special...

Well, what brought up this sense of nostalgia tonight was the fact that the other day Alexia texted me saying we needed to get together. So we did! Tonight we had some Thai food. I have never had Thai food before...it was interesting. My meal smelled like dog food. Alexia's was definitely better then mine but I still wouldn't CHOOSE to eat Thai food.

What is funny about me not liking Thai food (and I will admit I only tried 2 things, I'm willing to give it a second chance) is that I am going to Thailand in July! Totally crazy! Matt's older brother Robbie is getting married in Singapore on July 4th. After the wedding the family is flying to Thailand for what Robbie and his fiance are calling the Familymoon! Matt and I went back and forth on whether or not I was going to go. It was almost always for sure that we were going to be able to send him as he needs to support his brother. Well, really on a whim, we decided I would go too. Matt's mom had give Matt some money for graduation and we are able to use that for the Thailand trip so that really helped. (Let's be honest, a trip to Singapore for two across the world is not too cheap...it's been struggle!) But I am going and I am excited to share in Robbie and Felicia's special day.

So, I've heard (and seen pictures) that Thailand beaches (we are going to Phuket) are amazing ~ Hawaiianesque or better! This is exciting as I have always wanted a tropical vacation. Though I never thought I would go to Thailand for it!

On a side note next week Matt and I are celebrating our one year anniversary! WOWOWOW! I cannot believe we have been married a year. Now as we are being UBER frugal and saving every last penny we will not be doing anything too crazy. But, remember this post? I don't think I mentioned at the time that when we went to the hotel the room we got was kind of gross. Used towels on the floor, and a ketchup like substance left on the wall in the bathroom...I know gross. Well, we complained and got a free night to stay there again. (I know, why would we want to do that!?) So, I think we are going to take advantage on the 22nd. I mean, it's free, right!? Maybe we will play Roulette and win big so that when we go to Singapore/Thailand we can actually DO something!

I am excited about our trip...we have a busy month ahead of us:

June 28th-30th: Family camp at church
July 1st-???: Thailand/Singapore for Robbie's wedding
July 13th-18th: Church VBS
July 15th-17th: Tahoe with my teacher friends
July 26th-August 1st: Mexico Mission Trip

Have I mentioned that I am taking a class where I have to log 150 hours of work time in my classroom? Oh man, that is another entry!

Organizing my life...

So, I have mentioned before that I am not a naturally organized person yet it is my biggest desire to be. Especially since we are going to be getting a new house and I am going to be starting a new school year.

Laundry is a big thing that Matt and I both struggle with to keep organized. (I know, I know it seems silly but...I'm being honest!) Randomly Matt said to me, "Do you want to get a laundry sorter/organizer?" Um, when Matt suggests that we buy something we DO it! He is such a minimalist, which is really good for someone like me, but it can be hard sometimes to convince him of a good idea. My friend Laura had been talking about this new organizer thing that her parent's had got for her and her husband. She LOVES it! We went to check it out at Costco and sadly they did not have it. BUT, we found it online and it seems perfect! It even has a hanging bar for my clothes that I like to air dry, which I have a LOT of! I will let you know how it is working out! Check it out:




Matt cannot stand that I buy baskets or tubs to organize. He had never told me WHY he didn't like it but he just doesn't. Honestly, I thought it was because I don't use them correctly. I buy things like tubs and baskets with good intentions but I never really put them to good use. So we have "junk" baskets around the house. My opinion is that at lease the "junk" is in a nice basket! However, I understood. Well, today, again we were in Costco and Matt found something similar to this:



I was so excited! The reason Matt hates my baskets is because we have no where to put them! He has no problem putting junk in baskets but when they just sit open he doesn't like it. I TOTALLY get that. So, he said that the drawer baskets would be a great compromise! Plus, it looks super cute! Housewarming gift...? Maybe! :)

~N

School's Out for Summer!!!

I feel as though a million trillion bazillion pounds has been lifted off my shoulders. I don't know what it was about the end of this school year but ooooooooh man was I aching for it to be OVER. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork...that's what the end of the year looks like a teacher this day and age. Assessments, inventories, report cards, CUMs, etc. I made it through and I feel 10 times lighter.

I don't think that I have realized fully that my 20 little ones will not be MY 20 little ones anymore. I did get a little emotional when Matt came in to say good bye to them. I also got emotional when I read them a poem called "I'm Glad I was Your Teacher." When I teared up 3 of my little ones teared up too. Oh how I love them.

On the last day of school we held a graduation and invited families. So many families showed. The kids all painted graduation caps and each received a diploma. My curly haired little boy yelled out, "This is the best day of first grade!" It was definitely special and a great end to a great year.

So, goodbye first graders! Thank you for being my students and letting me be your teacher. You have taught me so much and I thank you for that. Remember to always try your best, be kind to others, and that I will always love you!

And 20 new ones will be sitting nervous and ready to learn on August 26th. With all that I have learned this year, I am really excited to start next year. Until then...it's VACATION time and Matt and I have some exciting things planned! Stay tuned!

~N

Goodbye Shearer Street...hello mom's!?

Matt and I have had a very busy weekend. We moved out of our little house to move in with my parent's for a little while. We have a goal: save money for a down payment for our own home.

We spent this weekend packing and packing and moving and moving. We were blessed that our church let us borrow their extra trailer to store all of our things. We took as little as possible. Our bed, clothes, and other "necessities". Bathroom stuff, a dresser to put the clothes in, and of course Banjo. :) It is absolutely amazing and a little disgusting how much CRAP accumulates is such a short amount of time. We only lived in our house for 10 months and have been married for 11ish and yet there was so much stuff! We took LOTS of bags to the Goodwill and will take more when we move into our new house. It's funny because earlier this week we had gone to our friends Jennie and Jesse's house. There house was amazingly clean and clutter free. This is something Matt and I know very little about because we weren't raised that way! My parent's keep everything and store everything. Instead of putting something away immediately we wait until we "want" too or until it must be done. Wow, what a difference. Now my desire is to change our ways. I am not a naturally organized person. By nature I guess I am a pack-rat but I am not too sentimental about things. I think my moto should be take a picture and then throw it away! Matt however is VERY sentimental about things and he wants to keep EVERYTHING! (Yet, he isn't very willing to let me buy tubs and put these things away, organized and safe - he's so funny!) This weekend though Matt changed some of his sentiments...we trashed a ton!

Anyways, I'm rambling now. I am so tired. A lot is put away but there is still so much more to do. I think I will be doing laundry forever. That's okay though because on June 4th I am out of school for the summer and I am SO happy about that.

Matt's a graduate!

Earlier this month Matt and I traveled to Birmingham, Alabama so that Matt could graduate from Beeson Divinity School. We were blessed because last year when our honeymoon was canceled due to airlines going bankrupt we were given vouchers for airline tickets. We used them for this trip. It was such a great escape away. We had a great time visiting with Matt's friends, catching up with past professors and really just relaxing. I felt so stress free! (Well, then I got really sick!)

Now, Matt has a masters in divinity and as one lady in our church asked, "Does that make you a pastor now?" We have no idea!







~N

Hayden! again...

My nephew Hayden is my pride and joy! I love him so much. He is such a good baby and so much fun to watch!

Now, I wish I could watch him more but I will take what I can get, I suppose. I never knew how much I could love a little person! I cannot wait for our own baby!

Oh Banjo! Part 2...

Banjo is our baby! He still follows us everywhere. He climbs the screen if we are outside. He is such a funny cat.

Yesterday Matt and I were hanging out on the couch and Matt put Banjo in my arms and this is how he fell asleep! Funny little cat..



Gotta love him...

~N

Oh Banjo!

On Saturday Matt and I were cleaning up the backyard getting ready for a bridal shower. Banjo was going in and out of the house just hanging out. All of a sudden we realized we didn't know where he was. See, he follows us around like a little puppy. He has to be in the same room as us, he cries when he can't find us. He sits on the tub while we take a shower. He is very funny.

So, we couldn't find him. We searched everywhere. Checked the cupboards, the rooms, under the deck, etc. Standing in the kitchen I could hear his small cries. They were faint and far away. But we couldn't find him. So, we kept looking and started to feel a little panicky.

Well, on a whim, I opened the refrigerator and guess who popped out! BANJO! The little freak had got himself stuck in the refrigerator! Our fridge doesn't always latch. Really I don't know how he got stuck in there.

He was fine, his paws were a little cold. I'm not sure how long he was in there...

He's sound asleep on my arm right now! He is a funny little cat!

~N

Banjo

So, we got a kitten. This is really funny as I am NOT an animal person at all. Matt however LOVES animals so much. I grew up having cats and dogs but we never connected. I always have been rejected by animals and now I have a small fear of animals.

Well, nothing changed about our kitten Banjo. He is the cutest thing you have ever seen! He has a great personality, although he is rather stupid. But, he LOVES Matt and could careless about me. He does provide me some company when Matt works night, though! He is all Matt talks about. It's pretty cute but can get pretty annoying!

He is bigger now, but here are some pictures of our Banjo-cat!



He used to sleep on my shoulder.


~N

Daffodil Hill

We went to Daffodil Hill with Matt's parents who came into town to visit this week. (My spring break!) We also went wine tasting and made some amazing dinners. It was a great visit. I had so much fun with our nieces. I also had so much fun wine tasting. One day I want to go on one of those wine tasting tours through Napa or Carmel valley. Here are a couple pictures of our time together.


Madalyn and Regan




haha! I'm SO cool
~N

Yosemite

On the last weekend of February Matt and I drove to Yosemite to meet his mom, stepdad and, 2 brothers for the night.

I had never been to Yosemite so it was really fun for me. We got there Friday night and went out to pizza. On Saturday it was a marathon to try and fit as many things in as we could so that I could see as must as I could. It was beautiful and I really loved it. I can't wait to go back and explore more. We had to leave on Saturday night to be back for Matt to lead worship on Sunday. It was great to be able to spend a little time with Matt's family!




Paetz Brothers

The Gathering Inn

Our church participates in a ministry called the Gather Inn. Every first Wednesday of the month we make a meal for homeless people and serve it to them. They are bussed to a local church and they eat and have a safe place to sleep.

On March 11th it was Matt's youth group's turn to prepare and serve the meal. We made Mexican Lasagna, had chips and salsa, sour cream, and salad. We had all the kids over on the 10th and prepared the lasagnas. I was so nervous for the meal. I wasn't sure how it would turn out made in bulk but it turned out amazing! The kids were awesome and the people loved it!

Here are some pictures of the youth group helping (or playing!)



Cleaning Up




Playing Games


Yum




9 Mexican Lasagans!

~N

Update!

I am going to try and update more. I had misplaced my camera cord and so I wasn't able to upload pictures. It has been found!

~N

The Joy of Teaching #2

I have had a crazy few weeks in my classroom. 3 of my students have left and I have gotten 3 new ones. One of the students who left was a personal project of mine. He spoke little English and was leaving having conversations in English (his native language is Spanish). Anyway, 3 new kids definitely changes the dynamics of a classroom...

I have a special boy in my class, who I love very much, but challenges me in many ways. He is one of my lowest students but he is by far "dumb". He can't read but 6 words per minute and his math skills are touch and go. I have struggled with figuring out his ways of learning. He also has emotional/anger problems. He doesn't know how to control himself, he freaks out, throws tantrums, screams at kids and adults, throws things at people who he doesn't trust...the list goes on and on. (Oh, and this is the same little guy that peed in the grass)

Okay, so today, I find out that this student has ripped a page in his anthology and has scribbled in it (out of frustration, I am sure!) I was so mad at him. I didn't know what to do. I decided that he needed a "logical" consequence. He is going to be "earning" back the money of the book by taking out the recycle bins in the classroom and picking up the trash throughout the day (inside the classroom). He took to the jobs right away, (he definitely knew he was in the wrong) and took them pretty seriously. (Though he was EXTREMELY concerned that I was not going to allow him to eat lunch!) Towards the end of the afternoon he was getting frustrated and yelled out "can you guys stop putting trash on the ground! I have to pick it up!"

Oh man, the joy of teaching. My life is dedicated to those 20 rugrats right now. I have completely reorganized my classroom and it feels great...I am EXHAUSTED though!

Oh man...this you've got to see...

So, one of the few blogs I stalk posted this today and I think it made my day! Check it out!



I will try and be a better blogger.

~N

25 Things About Me

1. I love Beverly Hills, 90210. I wanted to marry Brandon for a time.
2. I can quote Anne of Green Gables, it is probably my favorite movie.
3. I loved (and still do, when I can) reading the Little House on the Prairie series.
4. I would love to have lived in the 1800's and churned my own butter!
5. I love being married. I think everyone should do it.
6. I love it when the sheets in my bed are nice and tight, and freshly washed.
7. I get mad at my husband because he moves around a lot and always loosens the sheets.
8. I love eating sushi, but it makes me have to cough afterward.
9. I will not watch movies with violence or sadness in them. I closed my eyes during the boxing scenes in Cinderella Man.
10. I love to make cards.
11. I am terrible at sending thank you notes. Even if I write them, I will forget to send them.
12. I am just a cluttery person. I leave stuff everywhere. (Something I am working on!)
13. I am on the 4th book in the Twilight series and have become slightly obsessed.
14. Matt is my favorite person to hang out with. I rearrange my schedule so we can hang out and do nothing.
15. I love being an Auntie. 2 nieces and a nephew! So much fun.
16. I love the relationship that my mom and I have. There were some hard times. But I love our friendship.
17. I constantly plan a computer game called Luxor. I finally got past stage 8.
18. I love the feeling of soreness after a good workout but I hate working out.
19. I love talking on the phone.
20. I am very emotional and cry so easily. Especially when it comes to spiritual things and my dad.
21. I can't wait to be a mommy.
22. I have dreams about becoming more organized.
23. My wedding colors were brown and green. My house is now decorated in brown and green. You would think I would be sick of it.
24. I love my first graders like they were my own kids. I wish I could take some of them home with me.
25. I find the Old Testament in the Bible amazing.

Peace and Quiet

I am sitting on the couch with nothing important to do for the first time in what seems like a LONG time. I am sitting on the couch, not because I am sick, or because I am beyond exhaustion, or because I need to catch a breath, no, I am sitting because I want to.

I love being busy, I love working, I love having friends and family in my home. I love cleaning and cooking, I love reading and watching TV. But sometimes I just want to sit and listen to the peace and quiet. I want to sit with no sense of urgency to move for a bit. I want to sit without reason of "getting better".

Well, Matt is coming home now. I am so happy. But, I have enjoyed my time to just sit. Maybe read a book, maybe take a nap, maybe check facebook. Now, with my wonderful husband home the sound of the refrigerator will fade into the background and the tick tock of the clock will no longer be heard. I am not happy about this, I am just glad that I had some peace and quiet!

:)
~N

Finally, an update! Christmas...

Things have been wild! I think I posted a before Christmas, my schedule of events for my two week Christmas break. It was SO crazy! However, amazing all at the same time.

Christmas was amazing! It was Matt and I spending Christmas together for the first time (married, and otherwise). In honor of our first Christmas we decided to give ourselves a high limit of spending. Basically we spoiled each other. But, that wasn't even the best part. The best part was being able to share my traditions with him. My brother, his wife Meghan (Hayden too), my dad, Matt and I went out two days before Christmas searching for a coffee maker for my mom. It was so fun to be altogether. We were all getting along, all laughing and having fun. On Christmas Eve we always get new pajamas and we take a picture by the tree. This year Matt and I got my mom and dad new pajamas too, so we all had new pajamas. We wrapped and went to bed late. Santa came and spoiled all of us and we just hung out all day in our pajamas. Matt and I had a blast just hanging out eating and being with my family.

It was hard to leave on Christmas night for Southern CA. I have never done that and it was really hard on my dad. I am thankful that he did not try to make us feel bad for leaving but I know that he was saddened.

We were so thankful that we had the chance to stay with Ryan and Beth in Southern CA. WE always have such whirlwind visits that we never have the chance to hang out with them. This time we thought we would stay with them and a least get to see them a little bit, plus they offered a car! They were so easy going, even when we came in in the middle of the night and talked with them until the wee hours of the morning.

We had Christmas with Matt's dad the day after Christmas. We had a lot of fun, enjoying each other. Catching up with everyone and just spending good quality time together. It was nice and relaxed!

The next day I woke up feeling miserable. Tired, stuffed up, sore throat. I felt so bad that this was the day we were to hang out with Mike and Jo Ann and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed. Thank goodness they were understanding and Jo Ann led me to the room where I slept for almost 3 hours. I felt a bit better when I woke up so I tried to go downstairs and help with dinner. JoAnn and Sarah just know what they are doing so I more just stand around and watch. We ate, opened presents, hung out and talked. It was also nice and relaxing! Matt and I were so excited because Sarah and Josh (Matt's sister and husband) bought us knives as a wedding gift! Nice knives that cut things! We love them!

After that we headed to Mexico for our mission trip in Ensenada. Sorry, no picture from Christmas but I have plenty from Mexico and will post about that soon.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, filled with family. I am so thankful for all of the loved ones I have. The Lord is good.