The Paetz Parade

First Days of School

2009-09-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-24T08:53:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-06-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-06-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

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!?

2009-05-31T18:41:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-05-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-03-03T21:41:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T20:29:00.001-08:00

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...

2009-01-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

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.

My Phone... part 2

2008-12-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

It was stolen. $370 of downloads. I was so irritated. Thank goodness for ATT, they took care of everything. I am sad...

Don't call my cell phone. It is off. Call my house phone. If you don't know it, email me.

Again, I'm sad.

~N

6 months!

2008-12-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

Matt and I have been married 6 months today! Totally crazy. We have learned so much and are continuing to learn. We are having fun learning how to be together and spending lots of time together (making up for the long distance, I suppose!)

On Thursday, my last day of school, Matt and I planned a trip to Tahoe, just for a night. We stayed at the Montbleu on the Nevada side of Tahoe. We got there around 4 and explored the hotel. It was pretty nice. We were cheap and got the 2 queen sized beds versus the 1 king because it was cheaper. Whatever though, we sleep on a full so queen is bigger!

We played the Deal or No Deal slot, I lost 20 bucks fast and could no longer play. (I over think and just wanted to keep my money). Matt was winning a lot so we kept going. We ate some yummy Mexican and had a margarita (which was really strong). I learned how to play Roulette, which Matt won at also. We ended 20 bucks up!

The next morning I got a manicure from the spa! Very nice...and then we drove home. Chain control was in effect so it was a LONG drive home. But, we made it in time for Laura and Eric's rehearsal dinner!

It was a nice time to get away!

~N

Winter Wonderland!

Driving

The Road

The manicure was great. The nail polish actually stayed.

The Longeneckers!

2008-12-21T21:47:00.001-08:00

So, Laura and Eric's wedding was beautiful! I am so happy for them. They day went smoothly. Laura looked stunning, Eric was handsome, and they were both super excited! Now they are on a cruise! I love them both and can't want to have some married friends in town!

Laura and I at my wedding!

Laura and I at her wedding!

So beautiful and happy!

The only picture with Eric in it!

Me and Matt!

We have been married 6 months tomorrow! Yay! We went away to celebrate last week, I will post pictures soon!

~N

Oh, the things I learn...

2008-12-21T21:34:00.001-08:00

This week in my first grade class was crazy, crazy but fun. The kids were wound up on Monday and I really hard to get as much academics in as I could. The pressure to get all these kids to read by June is really setting in. We did a lot of Christmas crafts and activities. Wednesday, as we were getting working I had one of my lovely little guys poop his pants, for the 2nd time in a week. I just shook my head and sent him out the door.

On Thursday, we decorated cookies, we had a Christmas sing, Santa came to visit, and it was a day of fun! One of my little guys, whom I adore and hold very dear had to go to the bathroom so I sent him off. A few seconds later, one of the 2nd grade teachers brought my little guy in and told me she would be escorting him to the bathroom. She came back and told me that he had walked to the grass part right outside my classroom, unzipped his pants, and begun to pee.

Funny thing is, a few days prior he had been taking a long time to go to the bathroom so I told him from now on I was watching the clock. So the next few times, he was coming back SO fast. I made him promise that he was really going to the bathroom.

Sure enough, he was, he wanted to make me happy by not taking too long to go. Lesson learned, first graders are resourceful...don't time them when they go to the bathroom!

Busy, busy, busy

2008-12-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

I have a crazy schedule these next few weeks:

Thursday 12/18 - Last day of school for Christmas break! Matt and I are going to Tahoe to spend a night away!

Friday 12/19 - Laura's rehearsal dinner

Saturday 12/20 - Laura's wedding...crazy!

Sunday 12/21 - Youth Christmas party

Monday 12/22 - Work on classroom, surgery at 3:30

Tuesday 12/23 - Lesson plans/classroom

Wednesday 12/24 - Christmas Eve

Thursday 12/25 - Christmas Day

Friday 12/26 - Christmas with Matt's dad

Saturday 12/27 - Christmas with Matt's mom

Sunday 12/28 ~ 1/3 - Mexico Mission trip

Monday 1/5 - back to work

Oh my, I need prayer! I will post pictures as much as I can!

~N

My Phone...

2008-12-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

...it's gone. Lost. Stolen. Who knows. It's gone. Don't text it. Call my house phone if you need to get a hold of me. I'm bummed! I'm irresponsible!

~N

My husband

2008-12-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

I love my husband! I love being married! I love having a Christmas tree to share with someone. (He cares a lot more then he puts off!) I love sharing a bed with someone. I love Matt...

Today, I came home and the kitchen was cleaned, the floor was mopped, the family room was picked up. We had been so busy lately, barely at home, and when we are we are exhausted...so our house has fallen through our fingertips. Today, Matt made me smile. I know he just wanted to do something nice for me. I love having a husband.

Thank you Matt! Thank you for being my best friend and loving me for who I am!

~N

The Joy of Teaching

2008-12-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

This year has been a lot tougher for me than last year with teaching. I've felt burnt out a lot more and I feel like I am working a lot more hours. First grade is just a lot tougher than second, which I expected but I just get worn out

This week though confirmed to me why I am a teacher and why I will stay a teacher. (Besides the fact that I know the Lord has called me where I am). I have a student this year who at the beginning of the school year I thought would be one of my more difficult students. He was REALLY low. REALLY REALLY low! For the last couple of weeks there has been a change in this little boy. He is sitting taller, he is able to sit still, and more importantly he is reading! READING. I sat down with him on Thursday and we read a little book together and he read it. With some help but more reading then helping. On Friday, I tested his sight words. (I do a weekly sight word test). He had a long list of sight words that he did not know. I asked him if he knew any on the page as I was writing something down and he just started reading off the words. As I began formally testing him he began to get more and more excited with the words that he knew. His voice got higher with excitement, he was looking at me for approval. I was so excited. He only missed 4. 4 out of 30! I was so proud of this little boy. He was so proud of himself. I had tears in my eyes as I watched his pride. I looked at him and said you can read! I called his mom to let her know...I hope she is as excited as I was!

This is what makes teaching worth it. I did not do anything for this boy but give him an opportunity to learn. I am so thankful I could be there to help him!

My class!

~N

Thanksgiving???

2008-12-02T21:08:00.001-08:00

Wow! Thanksgiving has already come and gone and I don't know where it went...I had a week break? I'm more exhausted then I was when break happened.

My break started with meeting Hayden. We went to church on Sunday and Matt led worship for the first time! My parent's came to see him and I think it made him a little nervous. He still did great. I think I get more nervous then he does. That night I had the chance to go to youth group and see Matt lead the Bible study. He did really awesome with that too! The kids are super involved and I could tell Matt loves to lead it. My teacher instincts kick in though and I constantly want to simmer the kids down. I resisted though.

On Monday I went to my classroom to work on somethings but I caught a cold and didn't go the rest of the week. However, I did not get enough done.

So, early Thanksgiving day (like 4am early) we headed out to Riverside to see Matt's family. The drive went pretty well and pretty quick. It was great to see Matt's family and spend time with them. It was hard at the same time because I knew my parent's didn't have very much family around, my brother and his family were at her family's, and this was my 2nd year in a row being away from them. Praise God they are so understanding! They know that as their kids grow they are not going to be around as much. It would be even harder if they gave us a hard time!

We had a great time at Matt's Aunt Jill's house spending time with his family, playing games and eating yummy food but let me tell you, we were so tired!

The next day was a wonderful day to hang out with Matt's mom and stepdad, Mike. We went and spent time with Matt's Grandpa Russ. Whom I asked if I could call him grandpa too, he said yes! :) We had good conversation and I learned so much at about Matt's grandma, which is really great because she is such a beloved person in their lives. Then we went to this great restaurant that Matt's older brother told Mike and JoAnn about called Viva Madrid. It was so yummy! We ate lots of tapas and drank wine and talked. We went and walked around in a little Christmas shop and bought some ornaments. It was just a nice, relaxing evening!

The next morning we got to see Matt's sister's new house. It was a great house and it was fun to spend time with Sarah, Josh, and the girls.

I really didn't take any pictures, sorry! I just forgot! I have lots more to post and now it is time to get ready for Christmas! Yay! Anyone get their Christmas tree yet?

~N

Hayden!

2008-11-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have lots of pictures of the Hayden boy! He's so precious. We celebrated my mom's birthday and Thanksgiving yesterday and I could have taken that baby home with me. He is so precious. He is so sleepy! I fed him, burped him, changed him...Meghan and Justin were so great in that they were so easy going and just let me do my thing with him. I love that he is MY nephew! I love him very much, I didn't know I could love someone else's baby so much.

Meghan is doing great. She is always energetic and always bubbly and just because she had a baby and is up every 3 hours throughout the night doesn't faze her. I respect her attitude so much and hope I can learn from her easygoing personality.

Justin is also doing great. It's incredible to watch him interact with Hayden. Justin is clearly much more gentle, patient, and we can interact so much better! It makes me happy to have him that way!

Here are some pictures of the sweet baby boy. He is so pretty!

~N

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

It is so amazing to be a part of a church family again. Actually, I don't know if I have ever been in a true church family (other than the Inn). I mean when I was at Adventure it was just SO big. Now, with Westbridge it is small, it is a community. At the last minute, Rick (the pastor), asked the youth group to adopt a family for Thanksgiving. What this meant was that the youth would get together the necessary food for a dinner. The family that we provided for was a single mom with a 10 year old son. On Sunday we gave the kids a list of foods to volunteer to bring. They had just over two days to get the food. Matt also sent out an email to the kids. It was amazing! We had way more food then necessary for a Thanksgiving dinner! WAY MORE! These kids and their families went above and beyond what was asked of them. Everything was dropped off to our house before noon today and Matt and I delivered the basket to her. We bought a gift card for the little boys birthday and one of the kids in the youth brought a $20 gift card for Walmart.

It makes me so joyful to be a part of a church that wants to serve. I know times are tough out there for everyone. I know people are struggling. I love working with people who know the LORD is bigger then money and are willing to sacrifice what they have!

Here is the basket Matt put together:

This is the extra food:

The little boy's favorite food is chocolate chip cookies...so I made them. (They were SO good!)

End of world???

2008-11-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

There is so much talk in the Christian world about Jesus' return. There is so much talk about the end of the world. I have to be honest: I have fears about the end of the world. I have desires in my heart that I, selfishly, want to have fulfilled.

I am publicly claiming that I will not live in fear. Fear is not of the Lord unless it is fear of the Lord. I know and believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I know that he has died for our sins and rose again. I know that I have nothing to fear because if Jesus is coming to take his people, he is taking me with him. I am going to live in that promise, I am going to live in that faith, and I will not dwell in the fear of the unknown. I will live my life for Jesus daily, proclaiming the truth, desiring his will, and live excited for him each day.

I am saying this to all of you blog reader's out there to hold me accountable. I no longer want to live in this bondage of fear as it knocks me down and drags me in. Please pray as I can do this only with the Lord's strength.

Thank you!

~N

Hayden Pierce

2008-11-20T22:04:00.000-08:00

My brother and his wife Meghan are currently in labor! They should have their baby boy in just a couple of hours, right on his due date. I am excited to meet him. Hopefully, I will have pictures soon.

~ Auntie Niki...haha :)

Swings

2008-11-16T19:29:00.001-08:00

Matt and I took a walk around our neighborhood - taking advantage of the amazing weather right now. We ended up at the park a few blocks away. We played on the jungle gym and swung on the swings.

Swings remind me of my childhood. I still get the funny feeling in my stomach as I come down from the swing. It just makes me smile. We jumped off and ran around.

I love moments when I feel like a kid again.

~N

Veteran's Day and Apple Hill

2008-11-14T22:38:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday I had the day off, woohoo for Veteran's! I've been so tired, so worn out, so in need of a break that this middle of the week day off was very welcomed. I left early on Monday and didn't bring any work home! Do I regret it, NOPE, should I have? Probably.

Matt and I had planned to go to Apple Hill. We went out to breakfast and headed up to Apple Hill! I was so excited because I didn't think we would make it up this year, it is the end of the season. We went up and just walked around. Enjoyed the cool weather, the beautiful colored leaves, ate apple pie, bought Christmas presents. It was so nice, relaxing, and extremely needed.

After we had a wonderful scenic drive we went to old town Placerville. There we walked around and looked through the shops, bought our nieces Christmas presents :) and just enjoyed each other's company. It was really the best day off I had had in a very long time. Thank you Lord!

Here are some picture from our day!

~N

Update on the gross...

2008-11-13T16:48:00.000-08:00

I went to the general surgeon today to have my infected lump checked out! They couldn't do anything. I was so upset I wanted to cry, oh wait, I did! Poor surgeon guy. Once I explained why I was upset (this isn't the first time, I have been in pain for a few weeks, it's disgusting, everytime I go to the doctor it cost 20 bucks!) and he totally understood and took action. He was pretty mad that my regular doctor said there was nothing that could be done. We scheduled "surgery" (it's outpatient and really no big deal) and sent me on my way.

December 22, 2008 @ 3:30 pm the nasty thing will be out of my body!

Praise God! :)

~N

Gross!

2008-11-11T18:16:00.001-08:00

So, this might be kind of gross but it is an interesting story. I have had a cyst on the back of my neck for years. It became infected a few years ago, so I took some antibiotic and it went back down. It's normal size is a size of a pea. It's current size is that of a walnut, perhaps bigger. I made an appointment for a consultation with a general surgeon for Thursday to see if I can have it removed. However, it started swelling more, turning strange colors, and hurting. And then on Saturday night, while unable to sleep from being sick to my stomach, I found an extra lump. Gross! This one was the size of a marble. You can see it by just looking at me. So, Sunday evening I decided to call the advice nurse at Kaiser. She advised me to go to the ER as soon as I could. Needless to say, I freaked out! I think I went to the ER one time when I sliced my head open on the cutting board when I was 4 or something. After I finally got a hold of Matt we headed to the ER. Before that I sat on the phone with my mom and had to cancel dinner plans with Erica and Casey. I got my wrist band and sat in the waiting room. They are nothing like what is on TV. When I finally saw the doctor she decided she wanted to cut into my cyst to "drain it". She numbed my neck and cut into it. Nothing came out and Matt almost passed out. And she said the extra lump was a swollen lymphnode. So, she put me on antibiotics and sent me home. Now my neck hurts even worse, my swollen lymphnode is so sore. I can hardly turn my head over my right shoulder. Gross! Matt did say that my cyst has gone down some, which is good.

The funny part of the night is when we went to go look for our car. We knew right where it was but because the hospital is under so much construction we were unable to get there in what seemed to be a logical way. We ended up in the lobby of the hospital with the security guard, thinking we were going to be able to walk straight through, we let him know we were looking for our car. He immediately presses his walkie talkie and says *alpha 10-4 this is Bob looking for Matt 3* or something like that. Matt and I thought he was kidding and we laughed out loud. He was not kidding. We were escorted up the stairs and then back down the stairs as the phone was ringing. And then, we were escorted out the front doors (where we originally came from) and then another security guard drove over in a car, picked us up, and drove us to our car. It was quite comical. After a very late dinner of Taco Bell, we got to sleep around midnight. I was exhausted on Monday and the antibiotic made me very woozy.

I can't wait to find out when they can take this nasty thing out. I'll keep you updated. ~N

Kristin's wedding day...

2008-11-08T22:27:00.001-08:00

Kristin's wedding was wonderful! It was really strange to be back to the Flower Farm, as it is where we got married. It was scheduled to rain right about the time the wedding started. However, the rain held out until all the guests were inside. She looked beautiful and they were really happy. I had a glass of wine tonight and was definitely feeling it. It had been a long time since I had a drink. Here are some pictures.

The bride and I.

Erica was a bridesmaid

It was a fun, busy day! I am so happy for her! ~N

Wedding...

2008-11-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

My friend Kristin's wedding is this weekend. The bachelorette party was on Thursday, the rehearsal dinner was last night, and the wedding is today. Pray for no rain! I will post pictures. I'm not in the wedding, I am organizing the walking down the aisle and what not. I've been to enough (and had one of my own) to know what I am going to do!

~N

Decorating

2008-11-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new love of decorating. I have enjoyed putting our little house together so that it is warm and classy. I wish I could do more with my kitchen (ie. paint, new fixtures, etc) but it is what it is.

I look at different decorating websites sometimes and I found a picture of a room. I would love a room like this in our home someday.

Here's the room!

~N

I need to brag a bit

2008-10-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

I love my husband. He is so amazing to me. First of all, he takes such good care of me. Loves me unconditionally, even when I am emotional or stressed out. When I was sick, he made sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed.

So, today I come home and there is a present sitting on the coffee table, wrapped and everything. He had bought me a "prize". And if you know me, I LOVE prizes. Call it my love language, I don't know. I just love them. I opened my prize and he had bought me Anne of Green Gables on DVD! Oh my gosh I was so excited. Judge me if you like but I think Anne is my favorite movie. My parents used to rent it for me all the time. I only had Anne on VHS and I don't have a VHS player anymore. Now, I have it on DVD! Yay!

Isn't he the best, most thoughtful guy every!? What is really special about this is that he listens. I had briefly mentioned at one point that I wanted it and then didn't think about it again...I love him and I am spoiled. :)

~N

Associate Pastor?

2008-10-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

It's not 100% solidified but it looks like Matt is now the newest paid employee at Westbridge Christian Church! It's so exciting for him that he has the opportunity to serve in the way that God has called him. He will still be working at PF Changs because the money isn't enough but he can drop a shift or two! We are very excited and I am a little nervous. Matt says he's not, but I think he is a bit.

Praise God!

~N

Bridal Showers

2008-10-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Laura is getting married in December and I am a bridesmaid in her wedding. The bridesmaids threw her a shower on Saturday. (I'll post pictures when I get some!) Her main wedding color is purple so the shower was purple explosion everywhere! The shower turned out really nice and Laura seemed really happy, which is what matters most! Everyone I tell about the showers I am in constantly say, "Oh, it's your age." I think that is so funny because I had never thought of it that way. There were so many people in my life that were married a few years ago that I feel like I am on the end of it.

Next up, baby showers! hehe

~N

Date Night #7

2008-10-29T19:25:00.001-07:00

This week for date night we stayed home. I didn't go to work so I stayed in my pajamas. We had really spent a lot of time together that week as I didn't go to work on Monday so we hung out then. But I made a point that we DO something on our date night. So we made dinner together. Stuffed mushrooms with ground turkey, grilled onions, and cheese. Matt was starting to feel pretty miserable at this point. And, I think we discovered he has some sort of reaction to cooking or raw onions. He didn't feel good at all, his throat hurt, his stomach hurt, he was dizzy. I had to run to the gas station for Peptobismal. So date night was...a night full of snotty noses, and stomach aches. Hopefully this week will be better.

Substitutes

2008-10-29T19:19:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I have updated. I ended up being SO sick last week. I took Monday off, went back Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Thursday our language arts coach came in and told me, basically, I needed to call in sick on Friday. I had no voice, I was exhausted and obviously I looked terrible. My principal and coach found a sub for me, and she was AMAZING. I never thought I would be so pleased with sub. Honestly, she told me not to make lesson plans and just tell her the page numbers. I was so thankful and feeling so miserable by that point I had just decided that I would make up for what they missed on Monday. I didn't have too! I came in on Monday and my classroom was clean. The dates were changed. I mean, it was pretty amazing and such a relief. And don't worry, I feel better. :)

~N

So Sick...

2008-10-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have such a bad cold. I have hardly moved from the couch all day. My chest hurts, my neck is so swollen and sore. Matt has taken good care of me all day. It was wonderful. He's so good to me. Now he is at work and I miss him, even though we said two words to each other all day (simply because it hurt too much to talk). I think I have watched every possible show on Food Network and HGTV. My mom is supposed to be coming over with some soup. I still have quite a few report cards to finish...and I have to go back tomorrow! I just got a call from a parent who said her son did not have any homework today. I forgot to put that in the sub plans! Stink... ~N

What did I do?

2008-10-19T18:23:00.001-07:00

Matt's idea and I went with it. He was inspired by our niece Madalyn, "It will grow back!" What do you think? ~N

Nothing

2008-10-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is the first Saturday in quite a while that I have had nothing to do. I didn't have to get up and do whatever. I had no commitments, no appointments, nothing! I needed this! Especially since the next 3 weekends are jam packed! 2 bridal showers and a wedding...I am so excited about the showers and the weddings for these women too!

So today, I woke up at 7 and laid on the couch. (I don't think I can sleep in anymore.) Matt woke up a few minutes later and played guitar. He had worship practice this morning. I tried to make some muffins but they were so nasty! I ordered some pictures from our wedding and I put those in a photo album. I took a long nap. I didn't even clean...well, I did just do the dishes.

Good thing because I think I have a cold. My throat has been on fire all day long, my nose is at that beginning stage of running and my eyes feel heavy and my body is achy. I told Matt I wanted to call in sick. I never want to call in sick. Too much work to make sub plans, but I have report cards due soon and a burning throat! What should I do?

~N

Date Night #7

2008-10-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

For date night this week we planned to walk through Old Sacramento. It's about a 5 minute drive from my school. We left after I cleaned up the classroom a bit and walked around for a little bit. Matt was starving and so we searched for a fun but different place to eat. I think originally we wanted to go somewhere locally owned or something but we ended up going to Joe's Crab Shack and shared an appetizer of crabbed stuffed mushrooms covered in cheese and a giant bucket of crab, shrimp, corn, and potatoes. It was soooo yummy, I love crab. Joe's is a fun place to go. Definitely not romantic but it is fun to laugh at your waiter as they have to dance. Matt was thankful that he does not have to work there!

After dinner we walked around some more and sampled salt water taffy (so good!) and people watched. We also bought a caramel apple that is currently sitting in the refrigerator waiting for me to eat it. We only spent about 2 hours total out there because we were both EXHAUSTED! We ended up coming home and putting on pajamas until my parent's called and wanted to take us out to frozen yogurt. We hadn't seen them in a while so we went a hung out with them for a few minutes.

It was really a nice night but man was I tired and my throat was feeling really strange. Needless to say I was in bed early and probably asleep by 10. :)

~N

Give him a break?

2008-10-14T17:39:00.001-07:00

I love my husband, he does so much for me. He drives all the way to my school just to bring me my lunch. He works in my classroom stamping kids stinky feet. He works at PF Chang's even though he doesn't like it! He is so patient, so loving towards me. He does the days dishes and makes the bed everyday! Now, the latter two he does with a little heckling but yesterday when I got home and teased him about playing video games all day, he laughed and thought it was pretty funny that he completely forgot about making the bed and doing the sink full of cereal bowls. Needless to say, I don't need to give him a break, I just need to give him a hard time every once in awhile! :) I love him too much not to!

~N

*Auntie Meme, you are totally right, they just aren't born with the idea to make the beds! I guess that is why they need us and we need them!*

Preach it Babe!

2008-10-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Matt preached to the church about worship. He did so amazing! I was so very proud of him. It was really the first time I had heard him preach for real. I heard him preach for the youth group but that was definitely different. He did so good and I was so nervous. Thank you LORD!

~N

Productive Weekend...

2008-10-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

This was really a productive weekend. I was complaining about the messiness and the laundry but everything is dusted, put away, and it feels great! We even cleaned up that special room a bit! I was so so happy to have everything put in it's place and good. I got home tonight and the bed was not made (Matt was the last one out!) and the days dishes were sitting in the sink...I was so bummed! Come on Matt!

~N

Date Night #6

2008-10-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

So, on date night was actually really great! See, we had a dessert to go to with the church elders. So, Matt and I went to dinner at Mikuni's. Mmmm, so good! Sushi is my favorite, thanks to my in-laws. :) We had a nice dinner hanging out and relaxing with each other. After that we went to Target. Some of you may laugh but I love Target and Matt actually has fun looking around. So we just walked around Target and chatted and goofed around. It was just fun!

After that we went to the dessert. Funny story, we went to the pastor's house where he told Matt the dessert was going to be and when we got there we found a babysitter! He forgot to send us the email that told us he had changed the location. When we finally made it to the house where everyone was we hang out and chatted. We got to know some great people. It was just really nice to be able to be around church family.

After the dessert Matt and I came home and watched a movie that we had bought from the $5 section at Target. Actually, Matt watched it and I fell asleep!

It was a nice night!

Kristin's Shower

2008-10-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

My friend Kristin is getting married in November and today I went to her bridal shower. It was a great bridal shower. I honestly don't like shower games at all but these were pretty good. I didn't throw the shower at all but we played some pretty great games that I suggested! :) I think that I could professionally throw showers now. Anyway, Kristin is the girl that I went to the State Fair to see her get engaged at the hypnotist show. So, today was her shower and it was really fun. It was great to honor Kristin in that way. I am so excited for her. She met her husband-to-be in Romania, they were/are missionaries there and are hoping to go back in the future. The picture is of Kristin and I a few years ago at a Brooks and Dunn concert. We had some good times.

Laundry

2008-10-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

I love laundry, I really love laundry. I love the smell of laundry. I love crawling into freshly washed and dried clothes. I love folding laundry. I HATE putting laundry away. I don't know why. I just hate it. I think part of it is because we don't have enough space. Matt doesn't really have dresser. Our room is kind of perma-messy. Our closet is so tiny. We took of the doors to our closet so it is just hanging out. We want to put a curtain type thing over our closet so that the stuff is hidden put nicely hidden. I think one of these days I am going to go out and find a curtain rod and some curtains have Matt hang it. Maybe if it was hidden I would feel better. Haha, I got way off topic. So, the laundry sits on the floor, folded and not put away because I hate it. I tried to make it Matt's job but he doesn't care if it is put away. I think he is still shocked that I fold his underwear! :) ~N
*sorry the pictures are a little strange. I have to use my computer because I don't have my camera back yet from my mom*

Kitchen Table and Preaching!

2008-10-11T18:09:00.001-07:00

So we are going to a really great church. Currently, we are praying Matt gets hired on to lead worship among other things. We really enjoy the people and the pastor. Matt somehow mentioned that we needed a kitchen table and Rick, the pastor said that they have one in their garage they don't need. We checked it out and it was perfect! Perfect and free! It is so great because we are able to eat inside and not be eaten alive by mosquitoes. Also, it offers more space to cook! AND, Matt has a place to study and get ready for the sermon he is preaching tomorrow for church! That is why the table is messy. Honestly, the kitchen is super clean because I spent all morning scrubbing...it feels so good to have clean kitchen, with clean floors, and clean ovens, and clean everything. But this is our table and Matt is preaching tomorrow about worship! Please pray, we are excited and nervous...(okay, maybe that is just me...) ~N

Messiness

2008-10-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

We had our first guests spend the night last weekend! Super fun to see some old friends. They are from the East Coast and flew out here to visit some friends at Bethel in Redding, CA and stopped by to hang out here too. I spent the summer of 2006 with Bekah at The Inn in North Carolina and Janeen is Jackie's sister. (Jackie is a good friend of mine that I met at The Inn too, she was one of my bridesmaids!) It was fun to see their faces, in person. :) But, because we had guests we had to clean out the ridiculous room that is what we call our spare room. Really it is a junk storage room. I mean look at it! Gosh, so embarrassing. So, we spent Sunday afternoon "cleaning" the room. What really happened is we pushed everything aside so that the girls would have a place to sleep. Combining two people's things are so tricky. We have a lot of crap! I'm hoping my sister-in-law and her family come up to visit. This will encourage us to organize ourselves. There just isn't enough time in the day! Any suggestions on where to start? Anyone, unbias with our crap want to help? ~N

My camera

2008-10-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have some things to post but all the pictures are on my camera that is with my mom. She forgot to bring on Sunday when I asked her. I need to go get it and then I will update about our kitchen table :) and my nephew's baby shower! N

Date Night #5

2008-10-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it wasn't really a date night. I mean...we were both exhausted and the Angels were playing in the playoffs.

We went out to dinner at Lucilles and it was fun. Then we went to RC Willey to check out some furniture. We still have a gift card that Matt's dad gave us for our wedding. We want to buy something perfect. Then, we came home and watched baseball. I actually fell asleep on the couch. And Matt watched, frustrated. They lost and I was in tears because he was so upset. Sports are dumb.

Date nights are going to be hard in the next few weeks. It is busy, busy, busy. Lots of bridal showers and weddings coming up. Plus, we are going to a dessert thing at the church next Friday night. Oh, busyness. Yuck.

Exhaustion

2008-10-01T19:29:00.001-07:00

I am so tired all the time. I come home from work tired. I wake up tired. I try to go to bed early but I am still tired. I eat better foods and I am still tired. We even took a walk last night to get some exercise. Work is swallowing me a alive this year. I think I liked it last year because I never realized how MUCH I was drowning. This year I know more and expect more. Plus, first grade is extremely hard! People have always said that and I completely understand now.

So, this is why posts are few and far between. I am tired.

Comments

2008-09-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, I think I have made it so anyone can comment on my blog and you don't have to sign in or be a member! Hopefully this will make it easier for some of you!

Date Night #4

2008-09-27T11:06:00.001-07:00

I am really bummed because we didn't have a creative night pl anned for date night. I was so busy this week I hardly had time to just relax, which if you know me, is necessary. What we did have planned was to hang out with our friends Laura and Eric. Laura was my roommate before I got married and we all used to hang out a lot. It had been a long time so we made a date. Matt and I ordered pizza and ate it on the coffee table. When Laura and Eric came over we just talked up a storm. It was good to catch up and hear stories. We went to get some frozen yogurt (my favorite) and when we got back to the house Matt pulled out Cranium, the game. We basically played charades for an hour or so. It was really fun! We laughed a lot and enjoyed each other's company. The pictures are of our ridiculous game!

Cookies!

2008-09-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

When I got home from work on Monday I wasn't ready to be a vegetable. Which is usually what I do when I come home. Matt was working that night and it was the first day of Fall! So, I decided to bake some cookies! In honor of Fall, I baked pumpkin cookies. They were very yummy! I also bakes peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Also yummy but I think I over cooked them. You have to be careful with peanut butter, it is usually done before you think. So, I spent the evening baking and took the cookies to work the next day to celebrate Fall. The pumpkin cookies were a hit! SO GOOD! Sorry, no pictures of the peanut butter ones!

So Sad!

2008-09-21T12:11:00.001-07:00

Matt's parents bought us a really great frame that we were going to hang between our two bookshelves and put some wedding photos in. When we opened up the plastic to hang it the entire frame literally shattered in our hands and flew everywhere. I was so bummed!

Operation Clean House

2008-09-21T11:59:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we had plans to clean the house thoroughly. So, we got up and walked to the meat market down the street (good meat!), bought sausage, and came home and made breakfast burritos! I love breakfast burritos sooooo much. After yummy burritos, we set to work. We scrubbed the kitchen and then set to the family room. Ultimately the house wasn't too dirty. We really just wanted to rearrange furniture because the room was way too crowded. So, we did and we love it so much more! After the living room, we scrubbed the bathroom and moved into the bedroom. It feels nice to have a clean house. It needs a deep clean every once in awhile. The coffee table looks messy always, but right now we have rebate stuff that we MUST send in so it is there to not forget. Matt wants to put a guitar stand there. We had a few arguments over all the books! Eventually they will go in the spare room.

Date Night #3

2008-09-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

The plan for date night was to MAKE Asian food, play boccie ball in our backyard, and watch the third Lord of the Rings movie! After a week of crazy work and making dinner every night, Matt and I flipped a coin and the coin decided that we were going to FAT'S. Mm mmm, my favorite. Cream cheese and crab won tons...so instead of making Asian food, we went out. We will fix it this week for dinner! When we got home we searched everywhere for the boccie ball set and discovered it was lost. (It's probably at my parent's house!) So we played catch until we struggled to see the ball and began getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Super fun! Finally, we cuddled up on the couch and watched the movie. I have a hard time in suspenseful movies and continually asked Matt questions because I kept getting so stressed. He had to tell me the endings to keep me from freaking out! It was a fun night! Food, exercise, and movie...I love our "special" time!

The Biggest Loser

2008-09-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, don't laugh at me but I am watching the Biggest Loser on TV and I have teared up at least 3 times. There is a father/daughter team where the father is so sick (because of his weight) that he could not compete so the daughter competed alone. She RAN up the hill and won the prize of immunity so her father and herself could stay another week. She just loves her dad. I think of my dad and how much I love him and for some reason it just brought me to tears. I too would run up the hill when it is killing me to help save my dad's life!

Overwhelming house!

2008-09-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

My house is overwhelming me. The living room is really crowded, we really want to move around the furniture and change things around but we have had no time! We bought bookshelves from Target and all of Matt's books don't fit on them. Plus, I wanted to use them for decor! The front room is LOADED with crap! I mean, it's embarrassing.
Our kitchen has a very large green floor. It gets dirty so quickly and I hate dirty floors. I hate when things stick on my feet, or it is sticky. I try and sweep the floor every couple of days (though it should be daily). Here's the problem, sweeping is my least favorite chore. I don't know why, I just hate it. I get really impatient and just kind of give up. Well, tonight I swept and mopped the floor. I guess the floor feels different but it still looks dirty green. Can you tell the difference?
I know I seem to be complaining, I am extremely grateful for our house and I love having a place to call home. I am just overwhelmed. You know that feeling, when you can't seem to catch up? That's how I am feeling. Plus, I haven't gone to the gym in months and I never drink enough water...but that's another story.

Knives

2008-09-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Matt and I received so many amazing gifts for our wedding, everything we "needed" and more. Matt's parent's gave us a set of knives to get us through until we could afford a really nice set and we are so appreciative of them. They totally work well, they are sharp and cut through things. They have been great. I think that my husband is just too strong! I thought this was so funny!

Clean Cars

2008-09-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

After the winning of the dirtiest car award at the River Cats game I had to clean my car. Matt and I spent Sunday afternoon detailing our cars. It was nice to do something outside as the weather is cooling down (finally) and to accomplish something, especially with the house and my classroom so out of control. I hate that I clutter my car. I hate that I throw things in the back and don't bring them in. I had so much stuff back there, from our honeymoon, moving, school supplies, bank statements...no food though! It's so sad because my cluttered car is a learned habit, from my mom! (Sorry mom!) I always promised myself that I would never clutter it... The point is, it is clean now and I am soooo happy! I want the cleanliness to stay! We'll see!

Date Night #2

2008-09-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

This week it was Matt's job to come up with a date night idea. He came up with going to the Melting Pot for dinner. I was excited because I had never gone there before. We had so much fun and ate a LOT of fondue. We were so surprised when they brought the meat and it was raw! The best part was definitely the dessert! We had chocolate/caramel fondue. Mmmm mmm. It was so good. Fondue takes a long time and by the time it was done we were exhausted, plus Matt had to get up super early the next morning for a funeral...he drove to and from southern California in one day! All in all it was a nice date night. It was so fun just to sit and talk...

Oooh and we dog sat this weekend and so that paid for our date, which made it more fun! :)

River Cats

2008-09-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

My school district was giving out River Cats tickets this week for the playoffs. I decided to take a couple and take Matt to the came last night. He was so excited! I was excited because he dropped me off at school and worked in the classroom for a bit. I wish I could have a full time assistant in the classroom, I so much to do...but that's beside the point. So, we went to the River Cats game and had so much fun. Well, I was exhausted by 8 o'clock and could have fallen asleep but made had so much fun.
We did benefit at the game though! At the game they do a dirtiest car in the parking lot competition. I happened to glance up at the screen at the time and noticed my license plate number up on the screen. I told Matt that I thought that it was mine, and it turned out it was! So funny, and slightly embarrassing, but we went up and claimed it as ours. The lady told us to go back to our seat (after we gave all the information) and someone will bring us the prize. Well, we waited until the middle of the 8th inning (which by then I was falling asleep, and it was cold!) and I made Matt go ask where our prize was...someone else had claimed it after us and they game the prize the them! So stupid...but the lady that took our information said that we were the actual winners so they gave us a prize anyway. Why do people lie?
So, we have dirty cars. Inside and out right now. I would love for it to be clean but oh my, I don't have time to worry about that. I struggle trying to keep up with the house. Matt said today he would like to help out more and asked me to leave a list for him to accomplish. That brought a smile to my face and took off some pressure. I mean he works, and I am so thankful he has a job but he is home all day long. He really doesn't know what to do with himself. I just love him so much and when he said that...well, I was grinning from ear to ear!

*I have pictures but it is not working, I will try to post them later*

Date Night #1

2008-09-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a blog about a family that has family night every Thursday night. The mom does amazing things with her family with themes, crafts, and food. I think it would create wonderful memories for the kids and something to look forward too. With Matt and I working such conflicting schedules it has been hard to spend quality time together.

So I decided we need a date night. Some planned time to spend together either at home or doing something out on the town :). So, last night I did some research and found a batting cage. Took a coupon for a pizza place and we had a night of pizza and baseball! Our friends Keven and Brenda came also, they are looking to relocate (out of California) in the near future. It was good to spend time with them. Next week though, we will have just Matt and I!

Unfortunately my camera ran out of batteries so pictures of me batting are not available! However, I was so good! Literally, I can hit a baseball! Matt had a hard time, his wife totally out shined him with the bat! He should be excited, our children have a shot...it made me want to play softball or something.

It was a great night! Anyone have any new or different ideas for date night?

Southern California

2008-09-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

We made it back safe from Southern California. We had a great time visiting family and friends. We got to Riverside at about 10:30 on Friday, phew, I was so tired. We woke up the next morning and went to breakfast with Matt's mom and stepdad and then took care of my broken ring (It had a bent prong) and ran other errands. That evening we went to Laguna beach with Matt's parents and Beth and Ryan! I had never been and loved it! I love the beach and I wish I could have spend all day there! I was walking through the waves, having a great time when a wave came up and drenched my shorts, before dinner too! Thank goodness JoAnn (Matt's mom) brought extra clothes. After a quick switch in the parking lot Mike and JoAnn took us to a great dinner over looking the ocean. Thanks for dinner guys!

On Sunday we visited Matt's old church, as well as his dad and stepmom. Then we went back to his mom's for a Labor day bbq! We swam and ate and hung out. It was busy and fun. We also played soccer in his cousin's backyard which was a blast and made me want to do the indoor soccer thing again. (It's been over a decade since I have...) I also took a walk with Matt that night which I hadn't done in so long and I loved it. I sure wish Matt didn't work nights...:(

It was too short of a trip for sure. I would have liked to spend more time with Matt's family. By Monday though I was extremely overwhelmed with everything I had to do for school. I did a lot of work in the car on the way home and luckily Mike and Jo Ann helped me throw together some folders! Thanks for that too! Back to school night was tonight plus I had to have lesson plans and everything prepped for school. I still feel like I am trying to stay afloat this year. First grade is so much more work. Tonight I didn't let myself bring home any work.

Needless to say it has been a busy week. But Praise God! I forget how much I thrive off being busy. Without being busy I become less organized and extremely lazy. So, this season is busy...and I think I like it! ~N

For Laura

2008-08-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

My friend Laura is getting married in December and since I am in Southern California this weekend I checked out a color for bridesmaid dresses she had been looking at. I told her to check my blog to see if she liked to color. It was really beautiful! It is a little more purpley in person.

The little house

2008-08-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

We recently moved into to a little house in old Roseville. It's adorable with lots of character. However, it is small with no dishwasher and only a swamp cooler. We are having a great time decorating but even with the few extra square feet it is a lot more to take care of! (ie clean... (: ) We love the extra space and we love the backyard! Here a few pictures of the house, including the original stove!

State Fair and SoCal

2008-08-28T22:23:00.001-07:00

After my wonderful BTSA meeting I rushed over to the State Fair to meet some friends, Erica and Casey, Bobbi, Kevin, and Jake, and Kristin. I am not really the throw down type of girl but I had to trick Kristin because her fiancee was planning to propose to her at the hypnotist show. I will give more details later but it was a wonderful surprise and it is so great to see her happy!
Now I am packing to go see our family in SoCal! Matt is driving all the way to SF and back to Sacramento tomorrow and then we are driving to Riverside for the long weekend. It will be nice to see family. I know it will be hard to see them before the holidays. It is going to be a busy few days! ~N

I have to sneeze!

2008-08-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

Whew, today was crazy. Teaching is crazy. 1st graders are crazy! I love teaching, I really do, but man do they exhaust me! When they come into first grade they are babies, confused to why they cannot go home after lunch like in kindergarten. Some struggle with holding a pencil and for the first few days the poor little guys got lost coming back to the classroom for recess. With first graders you have to be on the ball the whole time. If you look as though you are wearing down they too will wear down. I am using my perky teacher voice all day every minute. They can smell if you are unsure of something. With teaching you must make a lot of quick decisions and once in a while I get out of teacher mode and go right into Niki mode and forget that I have to make quick decisions. You can lose them fast!
Yesterday I had all my students sitting in perfect little rows quietly looking at me for directions when one little girl raises her hand. I can on her and she says "I need to sneeze." I say in my perky teacher voice, "Honey, you don't have to tell me you need to sneeze you can just sneeze!" She just continues to look at me. So I say, "Do you need a tissue?" She said, "No, I have some in my backpack." Finally, while still looking at me with big, innocent eyes, she coughs twice. It was so funny. Her first language is not English so I know that she was so confused! It was really cute!
Oh, the joys of teaching! If only they learn how to sit in a chair! ~N

Love and Marriage

2008-08-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

I love being married. I love having someone with me all the time. I love having someone to wake up to in the morning. I love to have someone always "doing" things for me. And, I love having someone to always do things for.
Don't get me wrong, it's not all beautiful and perfect, we have had our fair share of fights these first 2 months of marriage. We are still learning how to live with one another and we especially struggle with time together. Right now our schedules are completely opposite of each other. I work all day and he works all night. And now that I have started teaching and don't remember ever being so exhausted!
I love Matt though. I love how he loves the LORD and how he loves me. His desire is to make me happy and I never thought I would find someone who loved me so much. What a blessing! ~N

Blogging???

2008-08-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

So, I love to read blogs. I find them so interesting. I am constantly checking the few blogs that I read. I guess it is a case of nosiness. But then again I love seeing how the people are that I have crossed my path are doing and what they are up to.
Today I was inspired to start my own blog. I had sent my mother-in-law some pictures of the work Matt and I have done on our little house and realized I needed to email her another update. Then I thought, my grandma would really love to see that also. And, it would be fun to send my friends pictures in the south and keep them updated on my life in the west! Plus, half my family is in southern California. While washing dishes by hand (oh the joy of no dishwasher!) I made my decision. I am going to start my own blog. I don't know how do it. I don't know how to add pictures or put up links. I want to learn. Let's see if I update! ~N