New job, new house, new haircut, new internet!

Pictures in no particular order...

*New curtains we finally hung once Kurtis got his drill.. thanks Christy!

*My shoes, they were organized at one point..

*A bookshelf in our bedroom

*Our address :)

I know you've all been dying to see our house and I apologize that you're going to have to wait some more. The truth is, I'm ashamed that I haven't gotten things in order yet and I can't take pictures of my mess! I have some teasers here for you though.. some candids of around the house or your viewing pleasure. :) It was also time to tame the long, stringy, mousy hair that is on my head so I got a haircut! We also got our internet connection hooked up yesterday. YAY! Lastly, starting tomorrow I am the new ESOL teacher at Kellogg Middle School. It's the same school I was at last year. I had many people rooting for me and pleading for a job for me. I am truly humbled by that. I'm going to be teaching 6th grade kids who are learning English as a 2nd (often 3rd-4th) language. I'll be in some regular classrooms (including science!) and reading classes. I'm really excited to be staying at my school and working with more wonderful people.

This is another lesson in faith and patience the Lord has taught me. The Lord works in mysterious ways but we've got to be patient enough to receive the blessing. Today's lesson in Relief Society reminded me of this. It was on Elder Utchdorf's April 2008 conference talk 'A matter of a few degrees' and King Saul from the Bible was mentioned. He asked the prophet Samuel to offer a sacrifice for his armies to defeat their enemies. Saul waited 7 days for the prophet to arrive but listened to his advisors and the desires of his own heart and performed the sacrifice himself, something he was not authorized to do. When Samuel arrived the next day he had to tell Saul, "Thou has done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded theel for now would the Lord have established thy kindgom upon Israel forever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue." (1 Samuel 13:13-14) I know I think I have waited long enough for an answer to a prayer, for some special blessing I think I deserve, etc. but the Lord is reminding me to wait just another day to receive his choicest blessings. I hope I can have more humility to trust in the Lord and not lean unto my own understanding.

The dog we never had...

This is a very selfish post, I know, but I'm feeling wronged here. My mom never let us have dogs-she didn't like them. So now that I'm married and have my own house, I want a dog! Kurtis is allergic and wants an outside dog. Well, you can't have those here unless they are huskies because it's SUPER cold in the winter. I would feel so bad for the poor thing and am not having it live in the garage all winter. That's 6 months!! Anyway, we have friends who have a rat terrior. Max is his name and he's soooo sweet and great with their kids. He's short-haired and doesn't really shed. Kurtis never has a problem when we're over there. So I've been looking for dogs in the paper and found rat terrior puppies for $50!! I even called the lady and wanted to schedule a time to come see them. I consulted Kurtis first (like a good wife) and he struck the idea down saying the dog would be bored all day while we were at work. Dogs are dogs, they do dog things all day. That's their life. It would be fine! Once I stay home with a kid we can get a dog he says. :( I want a doggie. I never got one. Kurtis had 3 dogs growing up. I feel neglected and am trying to make up for lost time. So if you would be so kind as to tell Kurtis how much we should get a dog.. I'd appreciate it. :)

eeeeeeeeeeeeew!

I'm a biology teacher, I can't help but get the kids to do gross things. Most of the time they have nooo problem getting their hands dirty and looking at icky pictures. But every year it doesn't fail that when I start to talk about the bug collection I get eeeeeeeeeeeww!'s and 'I can't touch that!' in chorus from my 7th graders. I have to admit that I'm squemish myself sometimes and didn't like doing a collection but I needed the grade. I'm a but surprised that a few are totally freaked out by their Monarch caterpillars they have to take care of. What is going on!? We are raising a whole generation of children who don't go outside because they can't get away from the Wii or X-box. (I'm a Wii fan myself but I can take a hike too!) So get your kids outside and enjoy nature. Turn off the TV and the computer and garden. I give kudo's to my sis who is always doing something outside with the kids. I'm sure Jana would be too if it wasn't a million degrees outside in Phoenix. :) Hahaa!

Anyway, the kids are slooooooooooowly getting warmed to the idea and are starting to do the classic 'die, diiiie!' chant as they skewer their bugs with pins. Don't worry, it's all in the name of science.

Job Update

As most of you know, my position from last year was temporary and unfortunately was given to another teacher in the district who was displaced from her position. Since she was contracted, the district had to give her a job. So I looked around in many nearby districts for a job but found nothing. I was also trying to get my MN teaching licence renewed. MN is a.. needy state in terms of requirements. I prepared myself and planned on subbing this year. So I completed those and then went on vacation. When I got back the secretary at my old school (Kellogg) called and asked if I would be interested in subbing for the very teacher who was in my position for the first month of school. Apparently, she just adopted 3 children from the state-all siblings. WOW! Sure, I'd love to! So I had to go through many, many hoops to work the system. At first the district said I couldn't sub until I had a subbing licence on top of my teaching licence. I was so upset because I was just waiting on paperwork to renew my original licence and why would I need a subbing licence too? I got really frustrated that I couldn't even do what I didn't want to do (sub) and figured that maybe I shouldn't be a teacher in MN.

Well, the district was WRONG the State told me. The district here is undergoing many changes (for the better is not what I'd describe it as...) and things are NUTS. No one could give me a straight answer about anything! Anyway, I got help from my school and worked the system to get this subbing job. Oh, and I got my 9-12 life science teaching licence. The teacher is planning on returning to school the end of September and I've recently found a few other positions I could possibly take. Things are still up in the air and I'm learning to be patient. I think Heavenly Father is giving me these trials as a lesson in patience. As my mother reminded me bluntly yesterday that I'm not. :) Oh well.. Kurtis is a trooper for putting up with me. So I'm teaching now in my old classroom, getting to know the students, doing a job that no one else could do having only a week to prepare for and no real lesson plans...but I'm surviving and loving it. :) I have so many people on my side that I am truly humbled to know that the Lord answers prayers through people. I have wonderful friends and am so grateful for their support. I'll keep you posted on my next step! We'll see, maybe I'll get to stay in my classroom while this teacher decides to stay home with her kids. But I'm not holding my breath!

PS: I am glad I'm not an English teacher. Thank goodness for spell-check. I still cannot spell "lisence." :)

Summer travel: 2nd stop-Utah wedding

She got the bridesmaid's dresses

made in China for super cheap!

Me and Paola in the rain

Charles stepped up to brother duty and held an umbrella for Lina all morning!

The happy couple before the wedding...

After a week in Arizona, I flew to Utah and met up again with mom who was there to help out my recently-returned-missionary-grandparents! Grandma broke her hand in Italy and decided it was time to come home. I was so happy to see them. I met up with Kurtis' mom and siblings who were in Utah for Lina's (Kurtis' sister) wedding. I spent the week with his family getting wedding details settled and anxiously awaiting the reunion with my husband! We were apart almost 2 weeks and we couldn't stand it. I don't know how you do it Jana and Mark, I don't envy it but admire your strength. :) The pre-wedding partys were lots of fun and full of family. It was mostly the groom's family in charge because they live in Utah! We ran around the valley attending various things, including an embarassing bridal shower (see picture, I think those are for Jordan...ha!) and a wonderful first temple session for Lina. The wedding went by in a blur of course on 8-8-08, not to be upstaged by Kurtis and my 7-6-07. We didn't need the lucky 777 date. :) Anyway, the wedding was very special with a sealing by Elder Quentin Cook of the quorum of the 12. The groom's mom is cousins with another apostle who just had knee surgery, he sent Elder Cook in his place! The SLC temple was a madhouse with over 90 weddings that day and rainy weather. But we survived in style, took naps and partied like it was 1999 at the reception. Oh, and we finally convinced Jordan's mom to let us decorate their 1st get-away car. They hid the real car in fear that we'd trash it. Wimps. :) Congrats Lina and Jordon! We love you!