Happy New Year!

I don't know what has gotten into me and why I have been such a slacker on the blog.  We have been busy, but not terribly so.  We settled into our school routine.  Mike loves his job this year.  I am so thankful he found this job and really seems to enjoy it!  The after school program he is working at can be a little tiring because he works until 6:30 Monday through Thursday, which makes it around 7:00 before he gets home.

I am enjoying my job, but the traveling adds a whole new challenge to my day.  I like both schools, but look forward to only being at one school again.  The fall semester always seems so busy with football season, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

We went to Chicago again for Thanksgiving with my extended family.  We made a stop in St. Louis on the way and really enjoyed the zoo there.  For the third year in a row we spent Christmas at Disney World, which we all enjoy.  We tried to relax as much as possible, and came back more rested than we ever have.

We have made it back to Fayetteville and haven even managed to get all of our Christmas decorations down and put away.  I wishing you all a very happy and blessed 2013.

Catching Up, Starting With the Great American Road Trip

WOW!  It has been forever since I have felt inspired enough to write a post.  This year has gotten off to a fast start.  I usually get into my school routine in just a couple of weeks, but this year I still don't feel like I am in my routine.  I have taught at the same school for the last three years, since we move to Northwest Arkansas.  I thought I would be doing the same this year, but a couple weeks ago I found out I would only be at my "home" school half days and would be traveling to another school in the afternoons.  So, to make a long story short, I am now working at two schools and trying to adjust.

Change isn't really my friend so while I am trying to cope with this big change, I have been thinking a lot about the slow and easy pace of summer.  I have also been reminiscing about how much I truly enjoyed this past summer, even though it was so stinking hot!  Hubby didn't have to go to school and we were able to enjoy our time together without worrying about his job situation.  By the way, he totally loves his job. (I'll share more about it later.)

The big highlight of the summer was our Great American Road Trip.  We ended up being gone 15 days and traveled around 5,000 miles.  We all survived all those miles in the car and saw some really breathtaking and amazing sights.  I have been looking back over our pictures and wanted to share a few with you.  Well, I'll probably be sharing more than just a few, but it was so hard to narrow them down. Believe me when I say that the pictures in no way do justice the the magnificent sights we saw.

We left Arkansas and headed to the Chicago area for the annual 4th of July picnic we our extended family on my mom's side.  We also met up with Mike's brother and visited with him while we were there.  I am sad to say that we took no real pictures during our visit.  We go to Chicago fairly regularly, but it still would have been nice to have pictures of the friends and family we only get to see about once a year.  Hopefully, I will do better at this.

In recent years, we have kind of become Frank Lloyd Wright buffs.  We have visited several homes he designed and read some books about him and his life.  He was a brilliant architect, but led quite a screwed up personal life.  So when we left Chicago, we headed up to Spring Green, Wisconsin to visit Taliesin, his home.

Our first stop was the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison.


When we left Madison, we travelled another hour to Spring Green.  In case you haven't been there, Spring Green is a tiny town and Taliesin is  one of the only tourist attractions.  We stayed at this cute motel call the Round Barn Inn.  Our entertainment for the evening was swimming in the indoor swimming pool and have dinner at one of my new favorites, Culver's.  If you haven't eaten there, they have good burgers and even better frozen custard.



We spent the next day touring the Taliesin estate, starting with the little church on the property.


We also saw his grave.  Well, it used to be his grave until his wife had him moved to Arizona.


This is Hillside.  It used to be a school run by Frank Lloyd Wright's aunts.  Then, he turned it into an architecture school.  It is still in operation today.  We were able to see some of the students at work.


This is the Romeo and Juliet Tower.  The hill we waled up to get a closer look is a lot steeper than it looks.


The Wisconsin countryside was beautiful.  I'm sure I would have enjoyed it much more if I hadn't walked across it in the blazing heat and humidity.


This is Midway Farm.  It is located about "midway" between Hillside and the house.


We finally made it to Taliesin.  The only thing between us and the house was another hill.


We were rewarded for making it to the top of the hill with cool drinks and a snack!


Here is a view looking back across the valley.


Let me just say, the house was pretty amazing, especially considering it was built in the early 1900's and has been rebuilt due to multiple fires.  We weren't allowed to take pictures of the inside, but it it pretty incredible.  I would highly recommend touring the house if you are ever nearby.

Here are some views of the house from the courtyard/garden area.



After our tour, we headed out to South Dakota.  Our next destination was Badlands National Park, which I will share with you soon.

So Much to Say...

It has been forever since I posted, almost 3 months.  I got busy wrapping up school and then there wasn't a whole lot going on.  About the middle of June things started happening and I got so overwhelmed with it all that I couldn't decide what to write.  At the end of June, we left on our 2 week Great American Road Trip.  It was amazing!!!  I'll try to post more about it later.

Now, I feel the need to start blogging again so that I can document our life.

The last post was about Mike's graduation so I'll pick up with that story.  We filled out a TON of applications for him.  Teaching applications sure have changed a lot in the last several years.  They are no longer little 1 page deals that take just a few minutes to fill out.  They are all electronic (which is nice) and they take FOREVER to fill out.  They want to know everything you have ever done and every thought about teaching you have ever had.  Anyway, we filled them out.  He had a couple interviews at the end of May, but we feel those were just interviews to fill their quota.  Those schools seemed to already have someone in mind.

Fast forward to the middle of June and we are starting to feel a little discouraged.  Well, I was feeling a little discouraged.  I am NOT known for patience.  He went ahead and signed his contract for his current school knowing that if something else came along he could always get out of it.  It was an at-will contract meaning that he can leave the school at any time for whatever reason with no penalty.  He got a call to interview for a middle school science position at a school district really close to where I teach.  He felt the interview went REALLY well.  We felt good about it and were excited about the possibility to be back to together!  A week went by without hearing anything.  Then, he got a call to interview at the new middle school in the district where I work!  We were beyond excited!!

He interviewed for that job.  The day before we left on the Great American Road Trip he got a call to go interview with the assistant superintendent for personnel.  He had that interview on the day we left and found out he got the job!!  He will be teaching 7th grade math and science.  Elation cannot even describe how we felt!!

Looking back over this last year, I really see and KNOW that God's hand was in this.  Last fall Mike had to do a practicum where he spent time inside classrooms in the grades he would be licensed for.  Mike did part of this at my school in 4th grade and part of it at the jr. high next door in 8th grade.  He visited several 8th grade classrooms there until he went into a science classroom.  He really hit it off with that teacher and continued going into that class everyday until he got his teaching job in November.  Mike stayed in contact with this teacher and would visit his classroom every chance he got.  This teacher later became an assistant principal at this new middle school, which helped Mike get an interview.  Our district is so large and desirable to work in that having someone know you and recognize your name among all the applicants really helps.  I truly believe that God connected these two and has had a plan for Mike all along that finally came to fruition.

I am so thankful for this blessing that has been brought into our life!

Graduation TIme

We celebrated a graduation on Saturday!  Mike finished his master's degree.  I am so proud of him!   He did it in a little less than two years while working full time.  It wasn't always easy, but now it's finished.


This was us before the ceremony.  He looks so happy.  This picture really lets me know I need to stay serious about my exercising.  Gotta get rid or at least reduce that double chin of mine.


Since he was a graduate student, he got to sit on the front row.  He never did see me during the ceremony, but I was able to get pictures with the big zoom lens.  When you're one of the first in line, you have to sit a while and wait for the rest of the graduates to file in.  This gave lots of time for looking around and talking to neighbors/classmates.


Waiting in line to go across the stage.  I was thinking what a journey it has been to get to this point.  Then, in a blink of an eye it's all over.  While this journey is ending, we are beginning a new one.


Mike getting "hooded."  I don't know if that is the correct terminology, but they did put his hood on him.  The purple and grey were the school colors and the light blue is for the field of education.  We now have matching gowns.  That is the same thing I wore 8 years ago when I got my master's degree.  That is something we can show our children one day.


After the ceremony, I was able to snap this picture before the cap and gown came off.  It was hot that day.  It was a very nice commencement ceremony.  Not too long, but a celebration of the transition all the students were getting ready to make.  Commencement really means the beginning.  For us it's the beginning of the job search for a teaching job in Northwest Arkansas.  It's the beginning of a career for Mike.  It's the beginning of a new phase of life.


This is the picture I saw when I looked in mom's newspaper the next day.  Mike and a couple of others made the front page of the paper.  The president of the university asked all the graduates to write a thank-you note to someone who helped them during their time as a student.  They were busy writing when this was snapped.

What a blessing this graduation was!

Five Question Friday

The time has finally come!  Mike is graduating with his master's this weekend!  I am so proud of him and his hard work over the last couple of years.  I am heading down for his College of Education pinning ceremony today and graduation is in the morning.  Yay!  Hopefully, I'll have some pictures up later this weekend or early next week

Now for Five Question Friday with Mama M.


1. What did you wear to prom? Include a picture if possible.
The only reason I had easy access to a picture is because one of my friends posted some to Facebook.  I knew Facebook was good for something.  So here are some shots from junior prom in 1996.

I'm on the right.  I fell in love with the sequined top immediately.  You can't see the bottom, but it was flouncy chiffon that came above the knee.  I remember thinking I was cute and sassy that night.  The best thing about this picture is that it has two of my good friends in it.  We were rocking the red.

2. Would you rather be on the biggest loser or a food eating challenge?

I think a food eating challenge sounds so fun.  I would love to travel across the country/world trying different foods.  My waistline probably has a different idea.  Going on the Biggest Loser would be better for my health.  I'm pretty sure I would be miserable the whole time I was there, though.  I'm really sensitive and wouldn't like the trainers yelling at me.  However, everyone always looks so amazing at the end so that would be the nice part of it.  I would be really happy then so I guess the Biggest Loser it is.

3.  Favorite Sonic Drink?  Refreshing Summer drink?

Oh, how I love Sonic drinks.  The ice and cup that keeps everything cold for a really long time are the best.  My all-time favorite Sonic drink is Cherry Dr. Pepper.  I usually get a Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper or Cranberry Sprite Zero to save a few calories.  There's nothing better than getting your favorite drink at Happy Hour for half price.  My favorite summer time drink is homemade lemonade.

4. What was your first car, and what did you call it?

My first car was a 1994 Pontiac Grand Am.

It looked a lot like the one in this picture.  It had tinted windows.  I used some of my birthday money to buy a nicer radio for it that had a CD player.  I didn't really have a name for it, but I was so proud of this car when I got it.  I was so happy to have this car when I turned 16.  I'm sure I'll always be a little nostalgic about it since it was my first car.

5. What's one thing your child or spouse does that sends you over the edge?

I know this is going to sound so weird, but it drives me completely bonkers when Mike picks at his fingernails or toenails and it makes noise. He is a little OCD about his nails. If they are not perfectly even and smooth he will pick at them to get them that way. I am always bugging him to use the proper grooming tools, but he says they are not always available. But, that little clicking sound gets to me every time!