Technology

I love technology!

I love the fact that my brother and his family live in a different state and time zone but we can get on skype and see each other face to face to chat instead of always talking on the phone. I love my niece so being able to see her on a regular basis is amazing. Tonight we got to see her playing with my brother, show us her eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, belly button, and watch her use the potty! It was so much fun.

I love using it in my classroom. This week I pulled out the laptop cart and let me kids take a multiplication quiz on the computer. They LOVED it and it is easy for me to see who needs extra help and who knows what they are doing. I'm using it again this week. Hopefully I can keep finding ways to use them on a regular basis.

Other than that we are getting ready for another work week. Hope you have a fantastic week!

Working out...

So I finally decided this week it was time to get back into the workout routine...I am so SORE! Here's how it went this week....

Monday - cardio and arm weights with Doug
Tuesday - Body Combat
Wednesday - Body Vive
Thursday - Body Combat (as as soon as I finish this post)

Let me just say my arms hurt! It is nice to get back into the routine though. I am looking forward to Saturday's Body Flow class. Its a favorite and I am so relaxed when we are done. If you have never heard of the Les Mill's classes you should look them up. I have not tired one that I didn't like. I have yet to try Body Pump - weights for an hour in a group scares me. I also have not tired RPM the cycling class.

I do finally feel like I got caught up on the school routine this week as well. I feel like the first of school extras are coming to an end and my routine can finally be established. My lesson plans for next week are DONE. I just need to make my copies of math stuff tomorrow. I am really enjoying my students this year. We have such a great group. It makes my job so much better.

Looking forward to the weekend. Anyone have any big plans?

Really trying...

Ok I am really trying to update more often. This week has been crazy. We finally were taught how to use our new gradebook Wednesday, not a fan, and grades are due Monday morning at 8 am for progress reports! How fun is that? Ok not really but mine are done and I managed to get a lot done yesterday so that I am not thinking about school all weekend. :)

I do however need to brag on my husband. I don't know if I have mentioned this or not (I'm not going back and reading everything I've posted right now) Doug wrote some software for home health agencies to use to mange their patients and do their billing. Way over my head, I have no idea how he does the things he does. He launched the software back in May and had set a reasonable goal to have 30 clients by the end of the year. Well let's just say that he has signed 5 clients in the last two days to bring his total up to 19 so far! We are barely into September and he is so close to his goal! I'm so proud of him and excited to see his software being so successful. So if you know anyone who owns or works at a home health agency send them his way!

Not only is his work going so well he definitely took care of me all week. We have had so many kids out sick already, this is going to be a long year if this keeps up! I have not felt great since last Saturday. I am finally feeling better, no more sore throat but my sinuses are acting a little crazy.

We are planning on hanging out around this house this weekend and catching up on things around here. Doug is almost done with the yard and I just got home from the gym!

Have a great fun filled relaxing weekend!

Wacky Wednesday

So yesterday was one of those Monday Tuesdays so I kept forgetting that today is Wednesday! I am so thankful that this week is half way over. I need the weekend. I started feeling bad last weekend and I am slowly working my way to feeling 100% better. I do have to say that I have the greatest hubby and I am so glad that he takes care of me!

I also wanted to share this website with you. Doug's cousin introduced me and I am loving it. I'm working on getting enough bucks for the apple giftcard....

Check it out and join me.

Have a great evening!

Hello September...

Those of you that know me well know that I LOVE to make list. I am a list person and I am ok with that. I like organization and know what I need to do and when it needs to be done. So I am going to make you a list of things about the first couple of weeks of school.

1. I have some of the sweetest kids this year. I'm hoping that last all year. :)
2. My kids are really hard working so far. Again hoping that last!
3. I have the opportunity to co-teach this year and I LOVE it! I have the best co-teacher ever!
4. I love watching my kids faces when they "get it."
5. I love grading papers and seeing that my "special ed" children are making A's on regular level work.
6. I love to see the smiles on those kids faces when the realize they can do it.
7. I really enjoy getting to know my kids. I really like it when they just want to tell me a story.
8. I like watching the kinder and prek kids learning to walk in a line down the hall and seeing the looks on their teachers faces. I think the little ones are precious but I could NEVER do it all day.
9. I LOVE hearing from a "special ed" student that he really is getting good at math that he used to be really bad. That made my day when he looked at me and said that.
10. Last but not least, I LOVE that my husband is supportive and helps keep me sane.

I really could keep going with my list. I honestly think that this year is going to be great! I am going to do my best to be better at keeping up with the blog. Right now I must get ready for bed. My body and brain are exhausted. Getting back into the school routine again is hard work!

The joys of home ownership...

We finally have AC again! It has been out since Sunday. We have gotten the worse customer service from these people. It has been a crazy experience. Let's just say that even if it is covered under warranty we will be calling someone else and paying next time. Yes it was that bad. I wrote a complaint about the company to the Better Business Bureau and wrote an email to the customer service representative of our builder.

On a happier note LOTS of Doug's family is coming for a visit this weekend! There will be a total of 8 people staying at our house and many more coming for the day to hang out. It should be lots of fun. We're going to lunch at Spring Creek BBQ Saturday with everyone. Most of them are coming to our church on Sunday. That will be interesting considering we meet in a day care and the room can hold around 100 people. We will about 12 guest with us...that's about two rows worth of people.

On that note I need to get to cleaning! The first of the guest will be here tonight! Going to work in my classroom this afternoon. I promise once things slow down I will take pictures of the things we have done around the house and of my classroom and post them!

Have a TERRIFIC THURSDAY!

Summer???

Where did summer go???? I can't believe next week is August already! I have a couple of half day workshops and plan on getting started in my room. A couple of weeks ago I went to a four day math workshop, it was amazing. I have been working on a few of the ideas I got there and getting them incorporated in my room. I'm really excited about it.

We have done a couple of things around the house. Painted a little bit downstairs and are working on picking a color for our bedroom. Hopefully we can get one picked and do that sometime soon. I love owning our house and being able to do exactly what we want to it.

Doug's job is still going well. They are signing clients and moving right along. His gig as a worship leader is going well too. We are enjoying Summer Creek and the new friends we are making.

That's about it right now. Maybe something exciting will come along later to update...

Funny kids...

We have been keeping our friends kids since Thursday so that they could go celebrate their 10th anniversary. We have kept these kids several times since they were born. They never cease to amaze me with the things they say. This morning Alyssa was up before the other two so Doug got her and put her in bed with us. This is how the conversation went:

Me: Guess what Alyssa? I made chocolate chip muffins for breakfast. Do you like those?
Alyssa: Yes, those are my favorite. Do you like them Doug?
Doug: Yes, they are my favorite too.
Alyssa: Sadie can't have any because she is allergic. Are all dogs allergic to chocolate?
Doug: Yes, all dogs are allergic to chocolate.
Alyssa: Dougie did you know that doggy starts with D?
Doug: I did. Diane and Doug start with D too.
Alyssa: I didn't know that.

I just love their train of thought at this age. It is so fun to watch them start putting stuff together and figuring it all out.

Yesterday we went to the mall since it was raining and couldn't swim. We took them to the Disney store and let them each pick one thing. It was funny to watch them try to decided. Austin knew right away he was getting a car. Alexis changed her mind a few times and Alyssa never could decide. Doug finally found some Minnie Mouse chap stick that both the girls got. Hopefully the rain holds off and we are able to go to the 4th of July parade this morning. Its not raining right now!

Are you on a mission?

It is summer and I'm sure we all know at least one person that is traveling somewhere on a mission trip this summer. We have a friend that is in Corpus Christi right now with World Changers, two friends serving in Japan for 6 weeks, another friend leaving for Ethiopia today, Doug's parents are in China for two weeks, the middle school students are going to Galveston soon and the high school students are going to New Orleans in July. Mission trip to everywhere. Missions focus at youth camps around the country. We hear missions all the time.

My principal last year asked each of us to give her our favorite word and why it is our favorite. I told her mine was mission. I said it was because we as educators are on mission every day to get our kids to the next step, to prepare them for what is ahead, that is our mission in life/work.

The more I think/hear about missions the more I ask myself, am I on a mission everyday? Am I doing my part to be a missionary for Christ right here in Kingwood at work and in everything else I do? Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe there is a place for foreign mission. I believe we are called to go and do in other places but what about our hometowns? I think that as Christians we sometimes look so hard for the "perfect missions opportunity" but yet we forget the people around us that are living without Christ.

This is just what has been on my heart lately and so I thought I would share. :) I hope you are all having a wonderful day! As my parents pastor would say "You may be the only Jesus somebody sees today so make sure they get the right story."

Busy busy....

I can not think of a better way to start my summer than a week a youth camp! It was amazing. I am so excited to continue to watch what God is doing the lives of the youth and the adults. I am thankful for the opportunity to go and hang out with them for the week. I am also very grateful for a husband that is willing to sacrifice a week with me so that I can go and serve. :) I am also looking forward to hanging out with the high school group every Tuesday night this summer for the Amazing Race! It is going to be a blast. Of course I am planning it so it must be great. Every Tuesday during the summer they will receive a text, facebook message and email at 5:30 giving them a clue what to bring and where to be at 7. They are in teams of 3 right now and can grow their team up to 9 people. I can't wait for tonight so we can get started.

Doug's job is still going well. They are getting all the bugs worked out of the software. He is also going to be leading worship at our mission church location, Summer Creek starting Sunday the 27. We are excited about this opportunity. Summer Creek is in the process of looking for/hiring a person to do youth and lead worship. Until they find the right person Doug is going to be leading worship. Doug is taking vacation starting Friday and will be off until next Wednesday. We are excited for a few days to just hang out. We wanted to go somewhere but have decided just to stay around here. There is plenty for us to do around here and this allows us to save some more money to purchase more things for the house.

That really sums up the start of our summer. It has been pretty busy but a good busy!

Summer time...

The school year is coming to an end and I am so ready for a break! However, I have come to realize that I really will miss my kids that I have taught this year. They have been an amazing group to work with. This year as been completely different from last year. I absolutely love 5th grade. I do not think I will ever go back to the world of junior high. I was working on the end of the year slideshow and it all hit me how sad I really am to see these kids go. I will admit we have had a few problem children but on their good days they are great! It has been a treat to get to watch them change and their minds develop over the school year. I didn't realize how much change happened in 5th grade. Working on the slideshow you can see the different from the beginning of the year to now. They are precious. I love my job. Ok enough of that....

I am ready for summer! I am so excited to get plugged in with the youth and to be headed to camp! I can not wait. I am going to be with the 10th grade girls. Doug and I have another opportunity to get plugged in as well but more is to come on that later....

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend! Excited to have an extra day off before the crazy last week of school.

Crazy Two Years...

So yesterday when I showed Doug the blog (he was mowing when I created it) he was a little shocked that I put crazy two years under the about me section. I decided I should clear up any confusion as to why I said it has been a crazy two years. Sorry but this will probably be a long post, a lot has happened in two years of marriage.

May 17, 2008 - We got married and went to Disney for our honeymoon. Definitely recommend a trip to Disney without kids. We had so much fun. We got back and I worked par time for the summer while Doug worked full time.

August 2008 - I started my first year of teaching, I quit accounting a month before we got married. Doug thought I was crazy but I knew it was what I was supposed to be doing. I taught 7th grade math. It wasn't terrible but I do not think I will ever go back to the world of junior high again. Doug was still working and finishing school at this point.

October 2008 - Doug quit working and focused on school so he could finish as quickly as possible. We also knew at this point that a move was in our future. Doug would have his degree and east Texas was not that place for us to be. We had discussed a few options and decided the Houston area was going to be the place we ended up.

February 19, 2009 - Ava Grace Thomas - our niece was born! She is precious!

March 2009 - We started traveling to the Houston area regularly for me to attend job fairs and interviews. Doug finished his degree from Liberty University and started substitute teaching until we could move. He subbed on my campus regularly and ended the last two months of school as a long term sub. We got to see a LOT of each other.

July 2009 - We had everything in place to move to Kingwood and had been packing our stuff up since school had been out. Doug got hired a week before we were scheduled to move. I still did not have a job by the time we moved, I had interviewed for several jobs and been to numerous job fairs. We moved on a Saturday and on Wednesday morning I got a call to come for an interview at Valley Ranch Elementary. I had been to the New Caney job fair before any others and told Doug that I wanted to work at VRE. Every job fair I went to I came out saying I still really want to work at VRE. That same afternoon I got hired. I can honestly say that I have LOVED my first year at "the Ranch" and can't wait for next year. The people I work with are amazing.

August 2009 - We signed papers to start building a house. My brother also left for his second tour in Iraq. Thankfully he should be leaving there soon and will be back state side. Even better he will be stationed in Texas starting in January 2011! Can't wait for him to be closer.

October/November 2009 - The rain finally stopped and they could start on our house!

December 2009 - WE MOVED INTO OUR HOUSE!!! We love it.

So that brings us to today, May 17, 2010. We have been married two years and to me it has been crazy because so much has changed. We have gone from renting a two bed room duplex in Marshall, Texas to owning our on home in Kingwood, Texas. I would not trade it for anything! We both have jobs that we love, we are members of a church that we love and have a great group of new friends in our Sunday school class. We love our life! I can honestly say that after all of these changes and moves and new careers we are where we need to be. I look forward to the next year and seeing the changes we are brought through.

Here we go...

Many of our friends have had blogs up and going for a while. I decided to give it a shot. Hopefully we will actually post things and hopefully Doug will get involved. Check back soon for updates!