1 Week Down

In just 3 hours, we will have completed our first full week of school (in other words, 1/36th of the school year). I am teaching the same group of students that I had for my 1st year of teaching in 1st grade. It is great to see them all again. I am constantly amazed at how much they don't change in personality from age 6 to age 11. I already feel like I know them all inside and out. Overall, they are a very enthusiastic group, which makes my job all the more enjoyable. I pretty much have to tell them to stop raising their hands and stop volunteering because they all want to participate. They are the type of class that makes you want to get out of bed to go to work. Hopefully I can say the same thing all year long!

This weekend I will be heading up to LuWiSoMo to do some camping with the family. I am eagerly awaiting 2:35 so I can run home and get ready to head out. I can't believe that we are already to the last weekend of summer.

Goodbye Summer

11 hours, 56 minutes until school starts. Ready or not, here we go. I get to welcome back all of my first students that I had as 1st graders just 5 years ago. Crazy!

Goodbye to a Good Friend

In Honor of Pete:

My dear friend Pete just moved to Florida in pursuit of a new job, which he already has, and love, which he also has and is hoping to grow. I am going to miss him a ton, since he was always so much fun to hang with. We managed to hit Great America at the beginning of the month in order to spend some time together before he left. Here are a few pictures of all the good times through the years. I'll miss you, Pete!

Looking like a dork on the carousel at Great America. I love your adventurous spirit and always wanting to try everything once!

Our road trip to Montana last summer was a blast! (at Mount Rushmore on the way out)

Celebrating my birthday!

Weekend at the cabin with Bible Study friends.

You'll hate me for this one-but again, always wanting to try everything once. (Riding my cousin Hannah's pony)

Celebrating Sarah and your birthdays

Bucks' game with Jenna and Tom

Christmas get together with the Bible Study group (remember the pipe, storybook, and bathrobe at the first ever Christmas party?)

Lovin' the animals at the live Nativity at FIL!

Home Improvements

Well, to say a lot has been going on would be an understatement lately. Between the last minute wedding of a friend, getting ready for school, home improvements, babysitting, broken washers, and meetings, I haven't had time to do much of anything at my house.

The house has been in mass chaos because new siding is being applied. However, due to the incredible amounts of rain that we have had, the sider has not been able to work steadily on it. So, it has been progressing over the past 2 weeks, slowly, but surely. I am ready to have the mess out of my garage so I can park there again and hopefully, get my car up for sale since I bought a (new to me) SUV from the Siverhus family.

Also, my washing machine decided to die 2 weeks ago, which was a major pain since I have not been home a lot to deal with it. I had a guy come and look at it and he charged me $68 to tell me that it will cost $280 to fix the first problem and from there, he isn't sure what needs to be done. I did some research and found that the model (which I purchased used at 2 years old from a family I babysit for) was the worst machine ever made and has a lawsuit against it. So, do not ever buy a Kenmore Calypso. One, they cost over $900 new and two, they won't make them anymore because they are awful. Armed with this knowledge and the frustration of only owning it for 18 months, I went and bought a brand new machine. With my sister and mom's advice in hand, I spent a bit more and bought a front loader, which I do have to say spins the clothes amazingly dry. I would highly recommend it! I am hoping it will last longer than 18 months! This is now my 3rd washing machine in 5 years and I am hoping to keep it as 3 washers in 15 years.

New washing machine-whirlpool duet

New to me SUV-(sorry it is hard to see-just imagine a black Ford Explorer)

Happy Birthday Lupe!

28! How can that be? We are getting O-L-D! Happy Birthday to one fine chica! I love you oodles and oodles and thank God for your frienship!

Back to School

Well, today marked the official end to my summer :0(


August 15th is always the back to school day at First Immanuel and today was no exception. We had an inservice at Wisconsin Lutheran College with a dynamic (funny, thought provoking and interesting) speaker (James Harris-he is on WTMJ on Sunday nights). Anyway, after that I popped out a few home visits and have been working in my classroom. Good times. In fact, I am here right now (at 7pm) and will be for many more hours. I'm just taking a little break to get my mind off of school stuff. I'll write more later and maybe post some pictures that represent the recent weeks.

Updates

I have been on the go lately, with little time to sit down and do much of anything. Here has been my last few weeks:

June 27: Went to Florida with my church for the National Youth Gathering in Orlando. I ran into quite a few people from CUW (Janetzkes, Lisa Griffin, Melissa Whitcup, James Rush, Darcy (Barnhart) Paape, Beth Kiessling, Jen (Foster) Wolf, Todd and Kelly ??? etc...) Plus I saw Dan and Danelle quite a bit. The Gathering was great this year. I loved the theme (Chosen-from 1 Peter) and the mini-sessions were inspiring/spirit building as well. While there, we went to Cocoa Beach for 3 hours and I managed to get sunburned, which wasn't too bad. However, the fever blisters that followed were. I had about 7 different blisters that fused together into 1 giant blister and caused much pain, and still is causing pain. My lip was swollen to about 3 times its natural size and thankfully, a doctor I babysit for wrote me a prescription for Valtrex (yes it's the medicine from the commercial "I have genital herpes. And I don't. And we want to keep it that way!") I almost laugh thinking about it. So my fever blisters are a strand of herpes, but thankfully I did not get them in any way, shape or form that genital herpes is spread) It is still pretty embarrassing going to the pharmacy. I was sure to be very clear that the medicine was for my lip and not other body parts.

Aug. 1: Got home at 12:15 pm (technically August 2) after a delayed flight in Orlando due to storms and running through Atlanta's airport to make a connection.

Aug. 2: Babysat for the doctor who gave me the meds from 9am-3pm and then for another family from 4:30-10:30 pm. At 11:30 pm, my aunt and cousin arrived from MN to stay the weekend and get wedding planning done.

Aug. 3: I ran errands, went through mail, and spent time with Pam and Lissa.

Aug. 4: Great America with Pete. Good fun overall.

Aug. 5: Babysat from 9:30 am-9:00 pm and finally went to church at my own church-yahoo! Pam and Lissa left after church.

Aug. 6: Went to school (tears) to start getting things in order. Saw Bourne Ultimatum and had dinner with a friend (good movie)

Aug. 7: Realized my washing machine is broken (probably the water pump). Bought a Ford Explorer from a family I babysitt for. Babysat from 11am-5pm. Had a great dinner with Tom and Jenna (Thanks for the pork tenderloin and for fixing my fuse and digging the pennies out of the seatbelt, Tom)


In the next week, I am trying to fit in as much fun stuff/time with friends as possible. I have to start back on the 15th and that is way too soon!