Life as I know it

Snopocalypse 2012

2012-01-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

After many hours of anticipation, the snow has finally arrived! I woke up this morning to a beautiful winter wonderful and it has been snowing nonstop since then. I went out to build a snowman but the snow was just too wet so I decided to go for a walk and this is what I saw:

Thankful

2011-11-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

During the month of November, I can't help but think of all that I am thankful for. Especially this November as life has taken an unexpected turn for my family and we have had to deal with less than desirable circumstances. There have been many tears, heartache and prayers on my sweet sister's behalf and I know all of us want to help her, erase that pain and yet feel so helpless. I wish I lived in Wenatchee so I could help Heather and love on her as much as possible. I almost feel guilty on the days that I share a laugh with someone else or forget, just for a moment, what is going on. As the days have gone by and life has turned back to semi-normal after our time in Auburn, I have grown thankful for the moments of laughter, thankful for friends who have been there for me and have allowed me to be so emotionally messy and still love me and thankful for the friends that are taking such great care of my sis.

Last night was one of the best nights I have had in a long time and the best part is that it wasn't anything spectacular that happened. It was just a simple evening spent with two of my favorite people: Grant and Melynda, my roommate. Grant and I baked pumpkin pie in the kitchen, laughed with Melynda and watched Cars 2. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for these two amazing people in my life and the laughs we could share together last night.

Over this last month, I have been so aware of how blessed I am with my family. I love my family so much and love how we have all come together on my sweet sister's behalf. I have seen all of us rise up and use our gifts to uniquely love on Heather and her sweet boys.

I am thankful that I get to be Auntie to four of the cutest kids around who constantly make me laugh and feel so loved.

I am thankful for my best friend, Kirsti. We have been dear friends for over 10 years and she has always been so supportive, encouraging and providing humor when most needed. Even though we live states apart, I know I can count on her for anything. Thankfully, I was able to meet up with her this summer and meet her sweet baby.

I am thankful for Grant's family and the fact that I get to spend Thanksgiving with them this year.

Most of all, I am thankful that God has surrounded me with so many amazing people - friends and family. And I am thankful that I am a part of an amazing church that is all about transforming lives and living in the grace of God.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Sovereign Over Us

2011-09-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

A friend who was leading worship this weekend texted me to let me know that she was thinking of me as she was practicing this song. I listened to the song and I don't love the sound but I love the lyrics, couldn't be more perfect for my job situation.

Sovereign Over Us by Aaron Keyes

There is strength within the sorrow, There is beauty in our tears

You meet us in our mourning, With a love that casts out fear

You are working in our waiting, Sanctifying us
When beyond our understanding, You’re teaching us to trust

Your plans are still to prosper, You have not forgotten us
You’re with us in the fire and the flood
Faithful forever, Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us

You are wisdom unimagined, Who could understand your ways
Reigning high above the heavens, Reaching down in endless grace
Youʼre the Lifter of the lowly, Compassionate and kind
You surround and You uphold me, Your promises are my delight

Even what the enemy means for evil
You turn it for our good, You turn it for our good and for your glory
Even in the valley You are faithful
Youʼre working for our good, Youʼre working for our good and for your glory

I love the line, "Your plans are still to prosper, You have not forgotten us". I am clinging to this as I wait for a job. The waiting is always the hardest and the more I wait, the more I doubt God and His provision but I have to trust that He has my best in mind and will provide in His time. Most importantly, I have to trust that He has not forgotten me and that His love for me is constant.

Even though I got yet another job rejection this past Friday, I have felt encouraged and more at peace than ever before. I know this is God working in my heart (and perhaps preparing me for that perfect job ;).

I continue to be so thankful for friends and family that have remained so supportive and encouraging, that is what helps me get through the bad days and what makes me smile more on the great days.

Summer Adventures

2011-09-16T15:36:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Grant and I decided at the last minute to take a quick trip somewhere for some camping and hiking. We settled on the idea of heading to Bainbridge Island, one of our favorite places. We found the coolest park where the campsites are literally yards from the ocean. We lucked out and got the best campsite there, the ranger said that the site we found was the most popular and he was surprised no one secured it before we did.

It was so much fun, we barbecued, roasted marshmallows and just took in the amazing scenery.

This was the view from the beach, which was so close to our tent. Beautiful!

Our humble abode for the night. I am still getting used to sleeping in a tent. It has been so long, I think I need a bit more practice and then I'll eventually get the hang of it. It was fun gazing at the starts as I fell asleep and watching the sun rise as I woke up.

Grant getting the fire doing. Our dinner and dessert were amazing. Okay, maybe not that great but true camping food: hot dogs, chips and roasted marshmallows.

The reflection of the moon on the water is one of my favorite sights.

I got up to go to the bathroom around 6 a.m. and this was what the sky looked like. I couldn't help but grab my camera for this amazing view.

The next day we found a hike in the Olympic National Forest. This was a steep hike, with a 1,300 feet elevation gain. This may not seem that bad but I am telling you it kicked both of our butts. We didn't even make it to the top, it was literally straight up hill. That is not my kind of hike. We have told each other that we are going to 'practice' and get in better shape and then try that hike again though because it seems like it has a gorgeous view.

I am going to miss this part of summer: being able to take last minute trips and camp. I am already looking forward to next summer but also looking forward to this winter when we can go snowshoeing and hang out in the mountains more. I love my boy and I love the adventures we have together.

A New Perspetive

2011-09-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

This has been a rough season in my life as I once again am forced to go on unemployment. Talk about the lowest of lows. I literally have applied for 50+ jobs over the last two weeks. I somehow think that non-teaching job prospects overlook my application thinking that I have no experience other than teaching. Little do they know that teaching requires a lot of secretarial work as well. Sigh. I am not someone that enjoys a lot of down time or just being home all day. I much rather be doing something of significance with my time.

So, with the goal of keeping a happy heart and trusting in God's perfect plan, I reflect on what I am thankful for and some of my favorite memories from this summer:

Thankful for:

-A boyfriend that believes in me and continues to make me feel so loved, even on my bad days.

-Parents who have been so supportive and encouraging through this whole unemployment thing.

-A wonderful church that constantly reminds me that God is in control and not done with me yet.

-Great friends who make me laugh constantly.

Memories:

-Mountain biking with Grant (even though I pushed myself a bit too hard at first and almost passed out).

-Movies in the park (E.T. and True Grit)

- Precious auntie and sister time this past weekend

-Seahawks game with Melynda, laughing until our sides hurt on the way home.

-Meeting up with Kirsti and her family in San Francisco.

-Spending the day with Jen and sweet Liam.

-Time at home - relaxing with Mom and Dad and helping Grampy around the house.

Looking back, there has never been a time when God hasn't take care of me or when I was so desperate. I know He has something planned and I am trying to trust in His timing. Of course I want a job NOW and I have made that very clear on several occasions but I also don't want to miss whatever it is that God is doing through this process. So, for now, I continue to hold on for the ride and trust that God will pull through, even if it is at the last minute. Until then, I pray for a new and better perspective.

Horshoe Bay, Burnaby and Vancouver, B.C.

2011-07-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Grant and I celebrated one year of dating. Where has this year gone? In some ways, it feels like we just started dating and in other ways it seems like we have been a part of each others lives for such a long time. I am so thankful for him and love us together. He has taught me so much over this past year and I am so looking forward to many more years with him.

Originally, we were going to spend the weekend in Leavenworth but then we got word that his aunt and uncle wanted us all to meet up in B.C. so they could share some of the salmon they caught on a recent fishing trip. So, we changed our plans and decided to just spend the weekend in B.C. We went up Friday night, stopping in Bellingham for dinner and then heading up to Vancouver to spend the night. It was so fun being in Canada and experiencing the Canadian life. On Saturday we had a yummy breakfast in a cute cafe in Vancouver and then heading to Burnaby to meet up with his family. We had such a nice visit with lots of laughs and great food. I tried the salmon and actually liked it (I know, shocking!). It was a great time. We then left from there with no real plan and ended up in Horshoe Bay, one of the cutest little towns I have ever seen. It was so great. We spent the majority of the next morning hanging out in a coffee shop, catching up on work and reading and then heading to Capilano Suspension Bridge. During my souvenir shopping, I saw this on a postcard and wanted to check it out so we did! It was beautiful but full of way too many people and a bit too tourtisty. One of my favorite parts was seeing these people literally freak out on their way across the suspension bridge, especially big men who seem so fearless. This was a long bridge and it did wobble quite a bit but it was so fun. We went across it twice. We also walked around so many trails around there and did the cliffwalk which was also breathtaking. It was a fun experience!

Here are some photos from our fabulous weekend together:

Our view from breakfast in Horshoe Bay, B.C., right next to the ferry terminal.

View from the suspension bridge.

The bridge.

Cliffwalk

Us on the Cliffwalk. Love him!

Sandpoint

2011-07-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

For 4th of July weekend, Grant and I decided at the last minute to head to his property in Sandpoint. This was my first time camping in probably 20 years but it was a blast. The highlight for me was seeing a moose, sadly neither Grant or I had a camera to capture that moment. Another highlight was visiting dear family friends who have known me my whole life. We went and had dessert and just a great time of chatting with the Bjorlins. Both Wes and Carolyn make me think so much of Grammy and Grampy, just very warm hearted and hospitable people. It was so great to catch up and have Grant meet this people that mean so much to me.

We went on many hikes around his property, explored the downtown area of Sandpoint and even headed up to the top of Schweitzer for incredible scenery and yummy food. On the way home, we stopped at my favorite restaurant in Spokane...Tomato Street. Yummy! It was such a great weekend and I am already ready to go back.

The views from Schweitzer...

Spokane and Sandpoint

2011-03-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my dear friend Debbie got married. This has to be one of the best weddings I have ever been to. It was so simple, unique and intimate. It was so great to celebrate her and her marriage and see some dear people from my college years.

When we were in Spokane, we walked around Whitworth and went to Tomato Street for dinner...yum! It was so fun walking around Whitworth and reliving those awesome years while sharing all the experiences and memories with Grant. I so loved my education, spiritual growth and amazing friendships that were formed there. I am so thankful for that school and my experience there.

After the wedding, Grant and I headed to Sandpoint so that I could see his property that he is always raving about. I really had been looking forward to seeing his property as I know he loves this place so much. His property is in the mountains so we parked at the bottom of the driveway, strapped on our snow shoes and away we went. This was my first time snow shoeing and it was so much fun! I fell quite a bit which left some marks on my legs and a very wet butt, but it was still a blast!

Our footprints in the snow.

This hill was a big climb but the picture doesn't really show that. It was steep and crazy to climb with snow shoes but I did it!

Grant in his element.

One of the many beautiful views from his property. This view happened after we scaled a very steep mountain, this time without snow shoes.

Here I am at the top, yes my face is a bit red. It was a great workout and well worth it!

Besides seeing Grant so happy, my favorite part of our adventures on his property was seeing many animal prints along the way (deer, elk, moose, rabbit). We quickly found that the animals always took the better route, so we tried following their steps. We never saw an animal though, maybe next time. It was just so great to be out in such beautiful country and breathe in the fresh air.

After such a rough and long week for both Grant and I last week, it was so great to just get away with him. I just love him and love that we are able to have so much fun together, have great conversations and never get sick of each other! What a gift he is!

Life

2011-03-09T18:28:00.001-08:00

Life has been full and crazy these past few months: being in a serious relationship, working at a new job, trying to get over the last job I lost, maintaining friendships, becoming more involved at my church and trying to navigate this thing called life. Now don't get me wrong, life has also been great. I am loving my time with Grant. We have so much fun together! I have an amazing roommate who just makes life fun and I have an incredible network of friends who remind me to laugh often.

God has also been teaching me a ton lately and showing me that He needs to be my #1, no matter what comes my way. When this happens, everything just seems to fall into place and He truly takes care of everything. It is so easy to get distracted and wrapped up in the stress of everyday life and rely on other people more than God. This can become so dangerous and I have learned the hard way that this is not the way to go. People and things will let you down but God will always be there and be your biggest cheerleader. When my mind if focused more on God and what He has for me, life seems so much better.

A couple weeks ago as someone was sharing their testimony he said that, "God never wastes a hurt". I have thought about this a lot over the past few weeks as I have been reflecting on my life and what God has done. It is so great to know that nothing is wasted and that God can and will turn anything into something valuable. I am so thankful for this truth.

Here are a few pictures from the past few months:

Spending a chilly, snowy evening at Snoqualmie Falls, one of Grant and I's favorite places.

Bowling with some of my favorite people, especially these two.

View of the sunset driving home from Tahoe with Grant at Christmastime.

My beau and I miniature golfing during my Surprise 30th Birthday.

Loving some auntie time in the snow.

I am looking forward to seeing how God uses this last year for His glory and also looking forward to life (hopefully) slowing down a bit.

Loving Fall

2010-11-06T13:23:00.001-07:00

Has it really been over 4 months since I have updated this blog?!? Yikes! Life has been....well, interesting. I have been unemployed, not loving the idea that I do not have a full time job (I do teach 5 hours a week right now). I have started dating a wonderful guy who I can see a future with. I have seen my sweet sis move across the mountains. I graduated from my master's program at SPU. I was a part of a dear friend's wedding. I was involved in a small group (where I met Grant) full of amazing people who are now some of my closest friends. I have spent some time on the Oregon coast which has now become one of my favorite places. I have been able to enjoy some great books. I have had some good times with friends. Most importantly, I have had some time to reflect on life and deepen my relationship with God. Although these last few months have not been my favorite, I have learned so much about God and what He has for me.

Here are a few pictures from some of my favorite times over these last few months:

Enjoying a morning walk on Cannon Beach

Enjoying one of the many auntie/sister days of the summer.

Loving some Tillamook ice cream in Manzanita.

Spending the day with some of my favorite coworkers.

Micah and I baking some yummy goodness.

My best friend, Julie, who I spent a lot of treasured time with this summer! Love her!

Having fun bowling with some dear friends

Grant and I enjoying a moment together. Love him!

Katriina, the beautiful bride!

Judy, I and the boys enjoying some fun during my graduation party.

Despite the whole job situation, life has been full and good. I am blessed!

More Sister and Auntie Time

2010-07-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

I love having the best sisters and the cutest niece and nephews in the world! I love being a sister and an auntie!

Earlier this week, Heather and the boys came my way for a day of fun! We went to the Kirkland waterfront (one of my favorite areas around here) for some playground fun, a picnic and a walk on the pier. We then came back to my place and played and baked some cookies. It was such a fun day that went by way too fast!

Levi takes some of the best naps at my house! I love his little face!

Micah is such a great helper in the kitchen!

Cannon Beach

2010-07-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, my coworker friend Suzie and I took a trip to Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast. I LOVED every minute of this vacation! It was so relaxing, refreshing and full of laughter! It was great to spend some time with Suzie and just enjoy the ocean. I love being near the ocean, there is something so peaceful about that place. I am looking forward to heading back down there in a few days for my family vacation.

Each morning and evening I was able to take a walk along the beach. It was breathtakingly beautiful and a great way to spend some time praying and reflecting about all that has been going on lately. Here are a few shots from my walks.

Our week consisted of a lot of relaxing, reading, a trip to Tillamook, shopping, sight seeing and taking a few trips to Manzanita as the sun appeared to show up there more than at Cannon Beach!

Sister and Auntie Time

2010-07-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, a made a trek over to eastern Washington to visit my sis, bro-in-law, niece and nephew. It was a short trip but oh so fun! My sister was able to go on a day trip with her best friend while I stayed and played with two of my favorite little people. We had a great time. We took a walk to a nearby park and enjoyed the sunny day. Here are a few pictures from the day:

Elias and Sydney enjoying some stroller time in the cool shade.

Love her!

I am pretty sure this is my favorite picture of Elias to date! Love his smile!

Elias is in love with Sydney's baby doll!

Loving Auntie time!

Sweet Summer Days!

2010-06-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, I really am getting used to these lazy, spontaneous summer days! This week has truly been amazing and relaxing. I could get used to this! :) Amidst all of the fun times, I continue to look for a job and gear up for my last quarter of my master's program which starts on Monday!

Here are a few highlights from my week:

1) Having Heather and the boys over at my house to play and eat lunch together. I loved having them here and we will have to do that again.
2) Having a coffee date with a dear friend who seems to know me better than I know myself.
3) Having a nice dinner with Julie. I treasure these one-on-one times with my BFF because they are far too rare!
4) Shopping guilt free because of gift cards.
5) Getting a pedicure and my eye brows waxed...so refreshing!
6) Sitting the the backyard today with Julie: laughing, crying, reminiscing and sharing our hearts.
7) Waking up in the mornings with nowhere to go...enjoying a good breakfast and some coffee before I start the day.
8) Having a lunch date with some dear coworkers whom I already miss.
9) Being able to spend some quality, not rushed time with God.
10) Having time to read for pleasure.

I know this season will only last a short time and my goal is to look back on this summer with no regrets and to see growth (and find a job :).

Saying Goodbye...

2010-06-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well I am officially checked out of my classroom at ECS. This has been a sad and painful goodbye as it was not my choice and this place has become my home over the last three years. I had the privilege of leading the staff in devotions last week and I shared with them this verse:

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I will always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6

The staff that I have had the privilege of working with over the last three years is phenomenal. I truly feel like we are family and they will always be a part of me. I really appreciated what my dear friend Todd said in his closing prayer the other day about how those leaving would always feel a part of ECS and live in the knowledge that this will always be their home. That prayer helped me put things in perspective and realize that there are many people there that would love to see me from time to time and I am not going to let anything or anyone get in the way of me returning and visiting the people I call family.

As I have reflected on the last three years at ECS, I have been aware of the amount of growth that has taken place in my own life and I am truly grateful for that. I know that is because of the people God has placed in my life. Here is something else I shared with the staff:

Things I have Learned During My Time at ECS

It is magical when you find someone to share cake with, one person who doesn't like frosting and the other person who doesn't like cake.
Laughter truly is the best medicine. It's okay to snort and have an unusual/annoying laugh.
The lunchoom is a place of letting your guard down and just being you.
It is fun to make a fool of myself in front of my students and staff.
It's okay to make mistakes, you live and you learn.
It's okay to be myself (happy, sad, goofy, angry and frustrated) exactly in the moment and I shouldn't hide anything. I have to be honest with myself and others.
God has gifted me as a teacher.
I have truly come out of my shell. I am no longer this quiet, shy person. I have become comfortable with all of the staff. I am free to be goofy and speak my mind.
I have found friends who celebrate me for who I am, not who they think I should be.
God's grace and love is unconditional and complete.
There is such a thing as having a family outside of your own.

It is hard packing up so many great memories (and SO much stuff) but I look forward to continuing the friendships I have started for a long time to come.

I will leave you with some pictures from the last week of school.

Some of my sweet kiddos who were celebrating their summer birthdays.

Me posing with the awesome kleenex box Julie gave me on the day I said goodbye to the staff.

Apparently I didn't get the memo that I needed to act sad for this picture, there sure were many tears after this though!

My "BFF" Julie. :) Love her!

Heather, Micah and Levi were so helpful in cleaning up and keeping me sane during one of the roughest times I have ever experienced!

I know that God has wonderful plans for me and I look forward to seeing what those are. In the meantime, I trust that He has me in the palm of His hand and will guide me to the perfect job.

Living and Learning

2010-06-13T20:19:00.001-07:00

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted on here. Not even sure anyone is following me anymore since I have been so lame at updating this thing!

My life has taken many turns since the last post, too many to recount right now. The biggest turn is losing my beloved job. This has been such a painful time in my life but I am already seeing how God is using it for His good.

Throughout these last few weeks, I have received tremendous support from my family, friends, coworkers and parents. This has helped me truly believe in myself and also believe that I am a great teacher who has made a positive impact on so many lives. That is priceless and no one can take that away from me.

I am so thankful for the friends I have made at this school and I hope that these friendships last a long time, even with distance. I cherish these friends. Some of my coworkers are the closest friends I have, friends that know everything about me and yet still support and love me. That is priceless!

How do you pack up three years worth of wonderful memories and say goodbye to the people and place that means so much to you? I haven't found that answer yet. There have been so many tears, so much pain and so many unanswered questions. Through it all though, one thing has remained constant and that is God's love and presence. This is what has carried me through and seen me this far.

This next week is going to be extremely hard for me and I am sure there will be many more tears but I know there will also be laughter and more memories to make. I have started packing up my classroom and thankfully I have had help by my sis and nephews which has made this process a little less painful.

Over the last few weeks, I have had two very promising job interviews and I hope to hear back from at least one of those schools this week because it will make saying goodbye a whole lot easier, knowing I have another destination.

I am not sure how to close out this wonderful chapter in my life and I am not sure I am ready to either. Saying goodbye is so hard, especially when it is to people that mean the world to you. I know that there is a long road ahead that will see many more tears but I also know that God will make something good out of this and I need to trust that.

I will close with some pictures of the people that have impacted my life since teaching at ECS.

Two precious boys I had the privilege of teaching.

My most loyal and amazing friend, Julie.

Suzie and Sally, just a few of the teachers that I grew to love and bond with.

My sweet class from this year.

Angela, my traveler friend and Todd, my encouraging, honest and sound advice friend.

Signs you didn't get enough sleep last night...

2010-04-14T09:04:00.001-07:00

1. You freak out when walking out of Starbucks to find your car not there, only to realize that you are looking for your old car and not the car you now own.
2. Spilling coffee on the chair you are supposed to sit in during the day.
3. Calling one of your boys a girl's name.
4. While praying out loud, you end the prayer with "Hello" instead of "Amen".
5. You look down to realize that your clothes really don't match.

Yes, indeed, all of these things have happened already today and it is only 9am! Running on two hours of sleep is not the best! Good thing my kiddos are so cute and lovable because they make the day a bit more manageable!

A Great Afternoon!

2010-03-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today was full of ups and downs! It included major stress with a mix up in a master's class, a major verbal slip with one of my students in which I still feel really bad about, a great conversation with my boss, laughing a lot with coworkers, and holding a newborn baby. Some good, some day. All day, I knew I would be coming home to work on homework, homework and more homework. At the end of the school day, I got a call from my sweet sis and nephews asking to join them at Greenlake for free ice cream at Ben and Jerry's! Who can pass that up?!?! I already enjoyed Free Pastry Day this morning at Starbucks so why not enjoy Free Scoop Day as well? I thought this would be a perfect break between my work day and getting going on my homework. Luckily, we only had to wait in line for about 20 minutes or so as we were prepared to be in line for a good 45 minutes. It was so much more though! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful sister and two of the cutest boys around as nephews.

Here are some highlights from our afternoon:

1) Micah hugging my arm telling me he loved me and just wanted to be with me all the time. He then said, "But not at this moment as I need to get back to my ice cream". :)
2) Holding Levi as he squealed with delight at the sight of the playground.
3) Levi holding his hand out for me to take so he could lead me around the playground.
4) Levi falling in the sand, standing back up, wiping his hands, looking at the sand still on his hand and then decided to lick it.
5) Micah's experience with the merrygoround.
6) Heather driving around trying to find a bush so that Micah could go potty (a four year old can only hold his bladder for so long).
7) Micah's expensive potty break in the Chocolat store! We ended up buying chocolate for everyone, which wasn't so bad afterall! :)
8) Micah being so excited about the chocolates that he forgot about the step outside of the door and fell directly on the ground, getting back up and announcing he was okay.
9) Just being able to spend time, making memories with some of my favorite people.
10) Enjoying being out in the sun (even though it was a bit chilly).

I am so blessed and so thankful to have such a sweet sis that lives so close that on days like today when I didn't even know I needed this respite, I got it. God knew exactly what I needed and I am so thankful!

Oh yes, and we just happened to run into Steve and a youth waiting in line as well, so they joined us for the ice cream treat before we left to go enjoy the park.

Okay, now onto that homework...

Texas

2010-02-18T10:34:00.001-08:00

For part of midwinter break, Suzie and I traveled down to Austin, Texas to visit our dear friend Sally and her fun family. I loved this trip, much more than I thought I would. Sally is such a great hostess and I felt so at home while I was there. We enjoyed time in the hot tub, lots of ice cream, very yummy food that included TexMex and barbecue, lots of driving and bonding time, touring the Alamo, Blue Bell Creamery and the Riverwalk. We also enjoyed some down time that included many card games and watching the Olympics. It was such a great trip and Suzie and I are already talking about when we will go next.

Cooper, the cutest puppy! I so wanted to take him home with me!

Sally and I outside of Blue Bell Creamery, home of the best ice cream around! It was so yummy and we made sure we enjoyed some ice cream every day we were there. We also stopped at Sonic drive-in every day (once we stopped twice in one day). I LOVED their sweet tea and cherry limeade...yum!

Suzie and I outside of the creamery. We enjoyed a nice tour and some samples of their yummy ice cream.

These chairs were right outside the Life is Good store on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. I really want to buy these chairs, they are too cute! I loved this store as it had some many Life is Good things that I had never seen before...pure heaven! :)

Suzie, Sally, and I on the Riverwalk boat tour. This was very interesting! Even though it was very cold that day, we really enjoyed ourselves! We also took a trip to the Alamo as it is very close to the Riverwalk.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-18T10:29:00.001-08:00

My class enjoyed a very fun Valentine's Day party that was put on by my amazing room mom. She had some many fun events planned and yummy food. It was a great time had by all. Here are some pictures to prove it.

Maddie and I enjoying a photo moment.

Stella decorating her cookie in preparation for tic-tac-toe.

Yummy chocolate covered strawberries and cupcakes!

Christmas

2010-01-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been a long time since I posted on here! Oops! Christmas and my birthday were absolutely fabulous! Before I left for break, my students spoiled me rotten with a birthday party and many gifts that were just perfect for me (gift cards, scrapbooking/card making materials and elephant things).

I then went to Auburn for 10 days and enjoyed my time there. Before the rest of the family showed up, I enjoyed some great time with old friends. One who I hadn't seen since Jr. High and we reconnected right away, my 4th grade teacher and my best friend from my childhood who I am more and more thankful for as the years go by.

Once everyone arrived, fun times were had! I just love being an auntie (and I love the rest of my family too)! Some highlights from our family time:

1) Playing the Wii with just about every family member.
2) Going to a King's game with "the boys".
3) After Christmas shopping
4) Shopping with my mom before and after Christmas.
5) Snuggling with sweet baby 'Lias who is a nonstop smiler and giggler.
6) Hearing Sydney call me "Amber" some days and "Auntie" on other days.
7) A late night Carl's Jr. run with Steve and Nick only to find that it was closed.

Here are some pictures to show the fun we had:

Micah, Grampy and Sydney...too precious!

The two "big" cousins

The two "little" cousins. It was so cute how intrigued Levi was with Elias!

Micah and Sydney delivering my birthday balloons...they were so proud!

There are many more pictures but apparently my blog only wants me to post these four! Bummer! I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Cali with my family and then was able to enjoy some vacation time back here in Seattle...loved it!

Now, back to the real world...

Things I love and am thankful for

2009-11-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks have been extremely hectic with gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas with my class, hitting crunch time in my master's classes, finishing up coaching volleyball and being involved in two different small groups. It is so easy to get caught up in all the craziness and feel overwhelmed. I was thinking this morning that I just need to chill and take a minute and think about some things that I am truly thankful for and dwell on those things instead of the craziness that lies ahead.

Here are some things I am thankful for:

1) a wonderful class full of precious students who make me laugh on a daily basis
2) friends who challenge me to become a better person
3) a great family
4) I get to go home in a week and spend time with my parents and precious Grampy
5) new tires on my car that keep me safe during this crazy Seattle weather
6) God's loves and grace
7) a great job which I look forward to everyday

The list could go on but these are just some of the things that I am thinking about today. It really has worked to help me regain my focus and not become so bogged down by all that is expected of me right now!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-10-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

My roommate found this recipe (allrecipes.com) and we have already baked these yummy cookies twice. They are amazing and disappear quite fast. I made some to give to my volleyball girls this week for their tournaments (and for my roommates to enjoy as well!). I thought I would share this yummy goodness with you as well!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies III

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Yields 2 dozen.

The Perfect Fall Day

2009-10-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Micah called me asking if I wanted to join them at the pumpkin patch. Of course! :) We had a great time, it was really the perfect fall day. We went to Swanson's nursery which had a ton of free kids activities including a hay ride, a hay maze, face painting, potato car making and pumpkin decorating. Micah loved it and Levi especially liked the hay maze.

Heather taking the boys for a wagon ride while we waited for the hay ride.

I love the very different expressions on both boys faces. Micah is super excited and Levi really isn't so sure.

It took us a while to get Levi to cooperate for this picture!

Levi peeking at me through the hay.

I can't figure out how to flip this video, hopefully you can get the gist of it. Levi was so proud of his walking skills.

Levi's Birthday Weekend

2009-10-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

The whole family was together for Levi's first birthday. It was a great weekend full of laughs and fun times. Here are some photos to document the weekend. Levi really enjoyed his cake once he figured out what it was. I think he loved all of the attention and laughs he was getting most of all.

Levi was trying to figure out what this big orange ball was.

The cousins ready for an infamous Bobst/Scott/VanArsdel family walk.

Cute baby Elias enjoying some snuggles with Gramma.

I love this video. This is proof that we have some music talent in our family.

Grammy

2009-10-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today has been a bittersweet day as I remember one year ago when Grammy passed. It is hard to put into words the emotions/thoughts I have had over the last day. I am definitely thankful that Grammy is no longer in pain, for those that knew her...you know how much constant pain she was in. The last time I saw her, I had a feeling that it could be my last time I saw her so I soaked in all of the moments with her that I could. I let her squeeze me tight and rest her head against me as she hugged me. I listened to her stories of what happened in her day and I let her see more of a glimpse into my life. I treasured that time just for the simple reason that I could be with her and in the midst of severe pain, she still wanted to sit down and chat...not about herself but about me. She went on and on about how proud she was of me and how special I was. I will never forget those last few summer days that I spent with her.

A few months later, the night before I was to start my master's classes, I was talking to her and Grampy on the phone and sharing my apprehension about teaching, coaching and becoming a student again. She went on and on about how she believed in me and knew I could do all of this. She knew I was going to learn a lot and that I wouldn't give up. It was like she knew this might be the last time I chat with her. Looking back, I am so thankful for that conversation as there have been many stressful moments over the last year and when the tears start to come and just when I think I can't do it anymore, I am reminded of Grammy's words. Those were the last words that were shared between us and I will forever cherish that conversation.

I wish I had a picture of Grammy to share with you but I have none to offer at the moment. For now, I will share some things about Grammy that I so loved and/or admired:

1) her "teehee" giggle (which has been playing in my head all day today)
2) her sweet and caring spirit that had such a way of letting anyone in her presence know that they were valued, significant and loved
3) her hospitality and generosity (I don't think I ever in my life walked away from being with Grammy without a gift of some kind)
4) her quiet yet steadfast faith
5) her constant knowledge of what was going on in the world and never leaving out her opinion :)

I celebrated Grammy today. I tried to do some things throughout the day that would celebrate her: enjoyed a yummy chocolate crossant, took a few minutes to enjoy the beautiful fall colors, took some time to tell some people in my life how valuable they are, went to Ross with my sister (yes, Grammy LOVED that place), watched some Wheel of Fortune, took time to just be still and reflect on God and life. These are all things that Grammy enjoyed and things I hope to carry for the rest of my life (well maybe, MOST of these things) :).

Grammy, I love you and celebrate you today. Thank you for teaching me to value the small things, truly caring about others and giggling when it is needed the most. I miss you so but am thankful that you are in a place free of pain and able to walk around with Jesus, just waiting for us to join you. I cannot wait for that day. I treasure the 10+ years I was able to live only a few miles from your house, the many sleepovers at your house, the shopping trips, and your constant belief that I should be everyone's personal shopper! :) I miss you dearly but am determined to become a better person because of you and what you have taught me through living your faith out and truly caring about every single person that ever came in contact with you.

Awesome Article

2009-10-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, I went to a showing of Invisible Children's newest film titled "Rescue and Recovery". This organization is incredible and I applaud those who are seeking after justice and to stop child soldiers from being abducted. This is a very sad situation and we are have no idea what is going on over there. I encourage you to check out Invisible Children's website to learn more about what is happening and what they are doing to help stop it. It is pretty incredible that these three college students had a heart for this and went all in. They are making huge differences because they followed their hearts and what God was leading them to do.

Anyways, one of my favorite musicians, Jon Foreman (lead singer of Switchfoot) wrote a fascinating article for the Invisible Children blog that has challenged and inspired me. I thought I would share it with you. Here is the link:

http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/?p=2167

He gets it and I love it. I hope you are as challenged, inspired and encouraged as I was after reading this article. We are called to something greater and should live in that truth.

PB's Birthday Cont'd

2009-09-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Diana, one of my youth leaders. She and I have remained close over all these years and I so value her friendship!

Nancie, another one of my youth leaders who is near and dear to my heart!

Micah celebrating in style.

Too precious for words!

Levi finally gave in and fell asleep during the celebration!

PB's Birthday

2009-09-07T10:33:00.001-07:00

For the last weekend of summer, I headed home to CA to spend some time with Grampy, my parents and Heather and the boys. It was a great time full of lots of laughs and bargain hunting!

While I was home, Pastor Bonner (PB as my family calls him) had an 80th birthday party and I was so glad to be able to attend. There were over 300 people there and it was unbelievable! It was so great to see so many people that I hadn't seen in years and years but who were such a part of my growing up years. PB is such an amazing individual and the amount of people who showed up to his party shows what kind of a person he is: genuine, caring, humble and an amazing heart for God and His people. I want to live my life in such a way that I will have 300+ people wanting to attend my 80th birthday...wow!

Grampy had us all over for lunch one of the days and it was so fun. He is so hospitable and such a great host!

My sweet sis and Levi trying to grab the camera.

Family Shot (we missed you Tiffany!)

Me and Jen, my childhood best friend. I am so thankful for our friendship and how it has remained close over the years and miles apart.

Julie, Jen's little sister, and I. I love this girl!

Heather and her childhood friend, Heidi!

Steve Scott, one of my favorite people. He never was my youth pastor but we still bonded and I so appreciate him in so many way! (not sure why this is underlined and I cannot get it off!)

Kirsti's Wedding

2009-09-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

My best friend from college got married August 22nd and I went to be with her in Minnesota for the week leading up to her wedding. As the maid of honor, I wasn't able to do much during the wedding prep part as I live a thousand miles a way, so it was nice to help her out a bit while I was there. We enjoyed a few quiet, low key days together before things got crazy. I treasure those times of pillow talk, giggling and being sassy together. Many memories were made!

The wedding was absolutely beautiful! It took place outside on this really neat farm and the weather couldn't have been more perfect!

Hannah, Kirsti's little sister, Kirsti and I posing at a minor league baseball game we went to. Fun times!

Kirsti's siblings and I practicing walking out during the rehearsal.

The bride and I posing for a friend picture.

Jeremy and Kirsti cutting the cake.

Posing after a very long day.

I loved every part of my time in Minnesota but the highlight for me was bonding with Kirsti's family. I feel like a part of their family and it was so great to spend such a special time with them all. It was great to see her out of town relatives that I have gotten to know and grown to love over the years. It was hard leaving and I must admit that I had tears in my eyes as I said goodbye to these precious people!

Florida

2009-09-06T10:16:00.001-07:00

The first week of August, I took a trip to Orlando with my friend/coworker with her family. We had a very full week of activities so it went by super fast but we had a blast. The only downside to the whole trip was the many blisters I got on my feet because of new shoes. Boo!

Our first day was spent relaxing after getting to our hotel at 2am and trying to adjust to the new time zone. We enjoyed a leisurely shopping time in Downtown Disney and checking in to our nice condo where we stayed for the rest of our trip.

The next day we went to Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, three of the four parks of Disney World. These parks were fun but were more shows than rides so we only spent a few hours at each one.

Angela and I at one of the parks, not sure which one.

The next day was spent at Universal Studios with Angela's brother and his friend. The day ended with a fun dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. I must say that out of all the parks we went to, Universal Studios was my favorite because of all the fun and exciting rides. I did learn that day that I am not into the roller coasters that accelerate and slow down at a fast pace. I was a bit light headed and dizzy after all of those rides. Am I really getting too old for those rides? Sheesh.

Posing in front of Hard Rock

The next day, Angela and I along with her brother and his friend went to the Magic Kingdom. I have to say that I enjoy Disneyland a lot better. Not only was Space Mountain (my fav ride!) closed but Disney World didn't have the Matterhorn or Indiana Jones. It was nice though because we rarely had to spend more than 30 minutes in line for a ride.

On our last day in Florida, we headed to the beach and enjoyed some time in the sun. Storm clouds and rain quickly approached though and we were forced to leave! :) It was beautiful though and the water was nice and warm. We did see a shark patrol helicopter fly over us, which was interesting.
That night we went to Midieval Times, this dinner and show place. It was great. We ate yummy food without utensils while we watched a shown of men with swords riding on horses. It was entertaining to say the least and we had front row seats!

The trip was amazing and definitely a highlight of my summer! Now I can say that I have been to Disney World! :)

Melynda's Birthday/Day of Fun

2009-09-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

My lovely roommate had her birthday in July. Three of us celebrated with her on her actual day and when Katriina got back from Finland we celebrated in style with a day of fun which included a scavenger hunt of sorts that led us to a chocolate factory, the famous troll, Alki beach and Gasworks park. It was a very fun and adventurous day that ended with some bonding time in the hot tub. Good times, good times!

The pictures are a little out of order, but you get the gist! :)

Being our crazy selves on the beach right before it started raining.

Down at the Kirkland waterfront on Melynda's birthday.

Touring and tasting some yummy chocolate.

I love this picture because it makes us look as if we are a band.

Celebrating in style at Olive Garden.

My summer was very adventurous and I already have some things to post from my first week of school but these things will have to wait until this weekend.

Neglected

2009-08-13T21:19:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have neglected my blog this summer. I am so sorry to those who actually follow this. I plan to update in the near future with lots of pictures and stories. Summer school is finally over and I ended up with a B+ in my stats class...woot woot! :)

Until I can update this, I will leave you with a picture of one of my many silly moments of the summer.

Favorite 4th of July

2009-07-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

This 4th of July was nothing really out of the ordinary (okay, maybe some events were) and it ended up being one of my favorites! I really wasn't looking forward to this day and really didn't expect a lot and I think that is what made it so great.

It started with a yummy breakfast with my roommate, taking a trip to Kohl's and finding some bargains, spending a few hours in our garage (the coolest place in our house) and then heading over to some new friend's house for a BBQ. I loved that it was so simple and yet meaningful. It definitely comes with some great memories that we will laugh at in years to come. Melynda and I enjoyed a lot of laughs and conversation. She is such a great friend and I love that we can spend time just being quiet together and also spend time laughing so hard that we cannot breathe.

Melynda and I enjoying some "down home" style lunch in the garage. The only thing we really were missing was a kiddie pool and Melynda figured a foot bath was the next best thing.

Sporting some sexy racquetball goggles that were found in our garage.

Showing our racquetball moves

I do not have pictures to document the BBQ I went to but let me tell you about these people. I met Al and Alyson three weeks ago through a small group at my church. They are some of the most hospitable and sweet people I have ever met. Alyson and I both felt this immediate connection to one another and decided to take advantage of the fact that God crossed our paths. As I sat at coffee for two hours with this dear lady, I couldn't help but be thankful for her and the way we were able to be so real and share what was on our hearts. I totally can be myself and comfortable with that around her and the rest of our small group, it is such a neat thing. I am finding more and more that God shows me His love through people in my life and this is such an indication of that. At the end of our time together, Alyson asked what my plans were for the 4th and I told her nothing (really, at that point I didn't plan on doing a whole lot). She invited me over to her place and I told her I would think about it. Over the next day or so, I knew I wanted to hang out with her and meet her family (she has kids my age and her grandson is my favorite 3 year old that I play with in the nursery at church).

Anyways, with all of that said...I had a really enjoyable time at their house getting to know the family and watching the boys blow up explosives in the middle of the street. I drove home that night thankful for new friends and thankful for such a great 4th of July!

How is summer school you ask? Oh, I am getting used to it but would not categorize it as fun. I am just trying to get through it with decent grades. It is rough spending 4 hours in class and then coming home and spending another 4-5 hours on homework. It pretty much consumes my life but oh well.

Colfax

2009-06-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

This past week, I took a trip over to Tif's to help out and just enjoy some auntie and sister time. I had a great time filled with sweet memories. There is nothing sweeter than hearing Sydney ask where I am so early in the morning, it is hard not to get out of bed when I hear, "I want to see her". It was fun to have snuggle and play time with Sydney, snuggle time with Elias, great talks with Tiffany and movie watching time with Tiffany and Nick. It was a great few days and I hope to go back again soon!

I have some great videos that I took of Sydney's dance moves that Daddy was teaching her. Whenever I figure out how to upload those, I will! :)

I think this is my favorite picture of Sydney!

Sweet Elias

End of the School Year

2009-06-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

With a field trip to Pioneer Farms and Field Day on the last week of school...things were a bit crazy but I loved every minute of it! Here are some pictures of my cute students on these days.

Andrew, Elliott and Amy enjoying a break. Notice Nicholas and Connor in the background, in trouble and sitting on the bleachers...good times!

Nathan being his silly self.

A wagon ride at Pioneer Farms

My sweet students listening attentively!

Joe practicing his shaving skills on Connor!

The end of the school year is always such a hard transition time for me, I cry every year on this day! It definitely is bittersweet though, I am looking forward to some time off but not liking the idea of letting go of these 17 precious lives that I invested in for ten months. I don't do well with change and this always seems to send me over the edge! My kids were super sweet the last day of school and I had so many encouraging words from parents that day. Wow!

It took me a while to get used to this time that I now have. I would find myself sitting on the couch, not knowing what to do with myself because I am so used to being on the go and constantly having something to do. I have had a great first two weeks of summer, relaxing and going on many coffee dates with dear friends. The sad part is that I start summer school tomorrow and that lasts for the next four weeks, so goodbye to my time off. I will survive though! :) After this four weeks is up, I have Disneyworld and Kirsti's wedding to look forward to.

Elias Waldon

2009-06-08T21:28:00.001-07:00

A week ago tomorrow, June 2nd, my sweet sister gave birth to Elias Waldon. It killed me not to be there right when he was born but this weekend was a great time of loving on Elias, trying to help my sister and trying to help with Miss Sydney. :)

I don't have a lot of pictures so I thought I would share some highlights from the weekend with my fam:

1. Sydney calling for "Auntie" every few minutes and following me around...even wanting to go into the bathroom with me.

2. Sydney saying "I have a question for you" as she was in her play store.

3. Seeing Tiffany loving on Elias while also loving on Sydney and having more patience than I can understand for a 2.5 year old!

4. Walking to Taco Time (the food was nasty but the memory is great) with Sydney and Dad.

5. Snuggling with a sleepy Sydney while Tif was at the doctors.

6. Having Sydney look at me and everyone else at the dinner table wide-eyed and saying, "Ha! Her all done" after Tiffany said that I would play with her when I was done eating my dinner.

7. Snuggling with tiny Elias.

8. This should be #1 probably....walking in and seeing Elias for the first time. He was on the couch all snuggled up, I almost didn't even see him!

9. Talking with Tif right before I left.

10. Hearing Sydney say, "Here is my baby brother."

The weekend was great and I am looking forward to going back to help Tif out. Having a newborn and a 2.5 year old can wear you out! Tif, you have my respect and admiration! Love you!

Walkathon

2009-05-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a gorgeous day for our annual walkathon! What a great time of walking around with the kids and my teacher friends. The only silly mistake I made was to have an appointment with my personal trainer the day before the walkathon!!! I was and still am in pain everytime I have to move my arms and legs! Walking did help the pain though, so I guess it was good! Here are some pictures of the day.

Some of my girls followed by my teacher friends!

Two of my boys showing their running ability.

Tori outrunning the boys! :) Tif, she reminds me so much of you!

My kiddos walking back from the park.

My silly class....gotta love them!

My kids were beat once we got back to the class (it was about 11am) so I decided to show parts of Anne of Green Gables (this goes with our Pioneer unit). It was a great way for them to relax and for me to get some work done! :0)

10 and a half more days, but really who is counting?

Picnic Lunch

2009-05-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so nice the last couple of days...it is unbelievable! My students earned a marble party and voted on having a picnic lunch which I thought was a grand idea! We headed out the classroom door and sat on the grass right outside our classroom and enjoyed a fun time together.

Day with the teacher

2009-05-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

For the auction this year and last, I have offered a day with the teacher for a family to purchase. Two of my teacher friends joined me with students from their classes as well. Four out of the six kids that went with Suzie and Angela were in my class last year, so it was fun hanging out with them!
We had a blast. Our day included lunch at Red Robin, a day of fun at Family Fun Center (mini golf, laser tag, video games and bumper boats) and a stop at 7eleven for slurpees. The two boys that went with me are full of energy and so needless to say, I was exhausted by the end of the day! Good thing I ended it by seeing one of my best friends from college and meeting her fiance. Good times!

Mission Healthcare

2009-05-14T12:53:00.001-07:00

Every other month, my students and I take a field trip to Mission Healthcare, a retirement community. Sometimes we will play bingo with the residents and other times we may do a craft with them. This month, we went with questions about history and their lifetimes and it was fascinating! The students asked questions like: how much did bread cost when you were my age? Where were you when MLK Jr. was shot? Who was president when you were born? The answers were very interesting. This would have to be my favorite trip there. We heard from a women who lived in France and escaped WWII by going to Italy. I just wanted to sit down with her and hear more of her story!

After all of my students asked their questions, we enjoyed some rootbeer floats together and then spent a few minutes chatting with the residents. Here are some pictures that capture the sweetness of this event.

Some of my boys greeting the residents.

Nicholas posing for the camera.

My students waiting anxiously to ask their questions.

So sweet.

Teacher Appreciation Week

2009-05-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

A yummy edible bouquet I received from a student.

The beautiful bouquet of flowers I received on Monday.

I woke up grumpy this morning with a lot of things on my mind and not feeling rested. When I got to school, I was quickly reminded that today was the start to Teacher Appreciation Week! What a treat! We were served yummy apple fritters and Starbucks coffee. Then, as my students arrived this morning they each presented me with a flower that became part of a beautiful and quite large bouquet. We also had the option of massages but last year when I had that done, I was sore for like 3 weeks so I opted out of that this year.
The rest of this week is full of fun things such as car washes, a yummy lunch and treats throughout the week.

My favorite part of today was when my students started coming in and I was still extra grumpy and one of my kiddos came up with a flower and said, "Miss Bobst, you are appreciated". Too cute!

Tulips!

2009-04-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

My roommate, Katriina, and I went to visit the tulip fields this weekend. Tulips are my favorite flower, so I loved seeing rows and rows of them! It is absolutely beautiful to see!

Friends Visit

2009-04-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

My dear friends, Debbie and Daniel, came over from Spokane and spent the weekend with me a few weeks ago. We had such a great time. I love them so much. I used to watch Daniel on the weekends when I was in college. I cannot believe how much he has grown! He is 15 now! Yikes! Debbie is such a sweet friend and I just love her to pieces! We had a great weekend visiting and playing lots of Settler's. We visited Pike's Place, ate dinner at Ivar's on the water, went to PF Changs and they got to visit my sweet church. Fun times!

Spirit Week

2009-04-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time with spirit week this year. The kids came dressed up and as cute as ever on each of the days. Here are some pictures that capture their "spirit". :)

Pajama Day

Around the World Day

Crazy Clash Day

Crazy Hat Day

Sports Day

Reading Buddies

2009-04-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Once a month, my students team up with one of the kindergarten classes and read with their kindergarten buddies. It is the cutest thing. While half of them are with their buddy at the school store, the other half are in the classroom reading to their buddy. This has been a great experience for everyone. My students LOVE that they have a little buddy and think they are pretty hot stuff! :)

Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy that capture the sweetness.

Spring Break is Here!

2009-04-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

You know how I know I love my job? I wasn't counting down the days until spring break. Now don't get me wrong, I am loving some time off and hanging out with Mom and Dad and old friends in Auburn but it is not like I am needing a reprieve or to get away. I love that. I love that I love my job and the life I have created in Seattle. I have the most amazing friends, an amazing church, the best roommates anyone could ask for and a great job that I am excited to go to every morning. Life is good!

I took some pretty great pictures over the last few weeks of my students but forgot my camera so I will have to upload them when I get back to Seattle. My kids are so cute and so fun to be around. They make me laugh on a daily basis and are very intelligent. I especially liked this last week as we walked through the Easter story as a class. I read a few parts each day to my students and then had them write a journal entry as if they were one of the disciples that witnessed that event. It was incredible. On the first day, I read their papers with tears in my eyes. They are so spiritually intuitive and I found myself learning and listening to God along with them! They were so struck by the idea that God knew their name and what type of person they would be as He was dying on the cross. They had great questions that I didn't have answers to but they brought about great discussions. Some of these questions included:
-If we were the last person on earth and Christ died for us (this is a concept we talked about and Todd also brought it up in chapel), then who would beat and hang Jesus on the cross? WHOA! Good question! :)
-You mean God forgives and loves the robbers who robbed the store by my house?

See why I love my job so much? :)

The only bummer part about spring break is that I have a huge project due at the end of my week for one of my master's courses! I wish my spring break from SPU coincided with my teaching spring break...oh well! I really am looking forward to some coffee dates, shopping with mom and so much more. Right now I will continue to enjoy watching the Kings games with my Dad...these times are some of my favorite memories!

I just love being an auntie...

2009-03-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, as a distraction from some of life's dramas, I went up to Heather's and hung out with her and the boys. It was a great day full of fun and laughter. I love being an auntie and have been missing Sydney so much lately. I wish that Tif and Sydney could have met us yesterday for a play date. I hope to see them soon! Micah is at such a fun age where he is so creative and just wants to play, play, play. Levi is at a fun age as well, so snuggly and smiley. It really couldn't get any better than this. Just being around these two boys (and Steve and Heather! :) ) brings so much joy into my life! Here are some pictures I took yesterday.

Micah LOVES Levi and Levi LOVES Micah. It is the sweetest thing. Levi can just stare at Micah for so long, he just loves watching whatever his big brother does. Micah loves loving on Levi with constant hugs and kisses. My favorite line from yesterday was when Micah was saying good night to Levi he said, "I love you buddy". It can't get much sweeter than that!

Orcas Island

2009-03-01T11:34:00.001-08:00

For midwinter break, I decided to stick around here instead of flying home to California. Early in the week I was able to have lunch with a dear friend, went to a beloved dentist appointment (yuck) and got to catch up on homework. On Wednesday, my teacher friend Angela and I headed to Orcas Island (one of the San Juan Islands) for three days. It was an adventure to say the least. We were able to stay at a timeshare place that her parents have, so we didn't have to pay for lodging, which was nice. Orcas Island definitely was an interesting place. There wasn't a lot to do on the island and the prices at restaurants there were a bit ridiculous. One of the highlights of the trip was having a private hot tub on our deck. It was purely amazing, especially as we sat there gazing at the millions of stars in the night sky. Very cool. We lucked out as far as the weather, it was clear and sunny every day we were there...simply beautiful! Here are some pictures from our fun trip:

Unit 118 was the place to be! :) It was a fun little cottage/room. We thought there was a kitchen but there was not which meant spending way too much money on eating out. All in all though, it was a fun place to stay!

The view of the beautiful sunset from our deck. It was absolutely gorgeous!

Angela and I on one of our ferry rides.

Approaching Orcas Island...we had fun on the ferry rides!

I love this picture! Mt. Baker was a sight to be seen on this clear, beautiful day. This picture only captures a glimpse of how truly beautiful it was!

I love my job!

2009-02-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday night, there was an open house at my school and it has gone down as the best open house I have every been a part of. Mack Strong, a retired Seahawks player and Todd Green, my friend and coworker, were the two main speakers and they were so inspiring and moving. Mack told three different reasons as to why he and his wife have their boys at ECS (parent involvement, dreams are realized and greatness is obtainable) and Todd talked about how ECS really is the best place to be for advancing the Kingdom. I must admit that my eyes were misty as these two shared and I found myself proud to be in such a great place with such great people. After their speeches, the parents walked around to each classroom. I had previous, present and future parents come and visit me in my classroom. So many of them were so encouraging telling me that they are so glad I am at ECS and I have made such an impact on their child's life. This night was so encouraging and reaffirmed to me why I am here and made me so much more thankful for my job and where I work....really the best place there is!

For those of you who know my past teaching experiences, you know that I have been burned and my jobs haven't been the best. It is so great to be at a place where I can make a difference and also be encouraged and appreciated. I know that God has called me to be a teacher and it is fun to see that this year I am finally becoming comfortable in this role and know what I am doing. I have a lot of room for growth but I have confidence and know that I am doing the right thing. Teaching is hard, it has its days and there are many times when I question if this is for me but I have learned that this is normal. Teaching is so rewarding and I just wouldn't want to be anywhere else! Not only do I love my job, but I love my place of employment. Here are a few reasons as to why I am so thankful:

1. I have a wonderful, supportive boss who appreciates my sense of humor.
2. There really is a sense of family among the staff and some of the staff are my closest friends.
3. For the most part, the parents are so supportive and trust me enough let me do my job.
4. I am able to talk about God to my students.
5. I wake up in the mornings excited for the day and I hate missing a day of work.
6. I look forward to having lunch with my coworkers (most of the time ;)).
7. My teaching style is welcome and appreciated.
8. I have a small enough class that I can have a unique and special relationship with each student.
9. I don't feel judged or condemned.
10. It is evident that God is a huge part of this school.

I am so thankful to be so happy and love my job so much. I have developed friendships with staff and parents at this school that I know will last a long time and that is so rewarding and worth it all. God is good!

Happy Birthday Grammy and Katriina!

2009-01-27T17:44:00.000-08:00

What a bittersweet day today is! I have been constantly thinking about Grammy today, wanting to call her and wish her a happy birthday and hear her sweet voice. I miss talking to her and listening to her giggle as I tell story after story about my students. I miss hearing her call me "Amby" and telling me how much she loves me. I just miss everything about her and wish that I could talk with her just one more time. I am thinking about sweet Grampy and how sad he must be on this day. I want this to be a day of celebration though, not of sadness, and so I keep thinking about the wonderful things Grammy did for me growing up and about her sweet and thoughtful gifts and her tight hugs. This is the only picture I have of her but I think it captures perfectly how much she loved being a "Grammy". I love you Grammy and thank you for all of the wonderful memories!

On a much happier note, today is also my roommate Katriina's birthday. I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful, dear friend that I can celebrate on this special day. Going out tonight and celebrating with her and my other amazing roommate will just make this day complete for me. These two girls have become so valuable to me and I love them dearly. Katriina makes me laugh and I really treasure the three snow days last December that we got to spend together, watching Anne of Green Gables and just having some nice chats. She is a sweet person and I am so proud to call her one of my closest friends! I love you Katriina!

The two of us enjoying the snow.

MLK Jr. and President Obama

2009-01-26T17:26:00.000-08:00

I had a great time these last few weeks talking to my kids about Martin Luther King Jr. and the pending presidential election. We had a lot of great conversations. My students wrote their own "I have a dream" speeches and they were incredible, better than I ever expected! As a class, we watched Obama being sworn in (yes, he did fumble over his words...he is human!).
A couple of questions/statements that my students said that made me proud as their teacher:

1. Obama is president because of what MLK Jr. did.
2. How was MLK Jr. able to give his speech when people hated him? That led to a great discussion!

I have to say that I am pretty excited about our new president. I admit that it is scary that so many people seem to idolize him and I am not too keen on the recent bill he signed for international abortions but I am hopeful as an American. He is a great speaker and I am excited to watch what he does as our leader. I am not worried at all. I am convinced that God is ultimately in control and has Obama in this position for a reason. I was pretty upset on election day with some friends who were just in an uproar thinking that Obama was demonic and evil. My sister reminded me of something that has stuck with me all week. Just because Obama doesn't have a "in your face" Christian faith doesn't mean that he is not a Christian. It is not required that he wear an "I love Jesus" pin or say "God Bless" after each speech. It is what is in his heart that matters and I truly believe that he does have a relationship with God, if I am wrong then maybe we should pray that He does find God. As one of my students said last fall after election day, we should pray for the president every day.

It is often frustrating working with conversative Christians, especially when politics come up in lunchroom conversations (which is more often than not because a lot of these teachers are freaking out). I just try to keep my mouth shut most of the time because when I have spoken up, I have been shot down. I do not call myself a democrat or a republican but I am hopeful and feel safe having Obama as our president.

Crazy January

2009-01-26T17:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, this month has been a bit crazy. It has been rough getting back into the swing of things as a full time teacher and student again. It was so nice having that 3 week break over Christmas! I really am enjoying my classes this quarter though, much more interesting and enjoyable!

Right now I am sick with a nasty cold, thankfully this has been my only cold this season which is a miracle in itself. I just hope this is a short lived cold as it has knocked me on my butt.

In a few short weeks, my friend and I are going to be leading a small group within my church. I am so excited but a bit nervous as well. It is exciting to see God at work and I am excited to see who He brings to our group. I cannot believe that ECC has grown to 2500+ people! Craziness! That means that small groups are vital, I am excited to meet some new friends and be on this journey together!

Southern California Trip

2009-01-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

For the second part of my Christmas break I made the trek down to southern California to meet up with Kirsti and her boyfriend. It was a crazy busy time of visiting different family members and just having fun! It was great to see Kirsti after not seeing her for a year and a half! We enjoyed each other just like old types and especially enjoyed our traditional pillow talk. She is the truly the best friend anyone could ask for and I am so thankful to have her in my life.
Our trip included arriving at her grandma's house at 3am, many trips to relatives houses, a 3am trip to get seats at the Rose Parade, a day at Disneyland and going to the movie with Kirsti's grandma.
While we were down there, we visited and stayed with my aunt Marlene and her family. It was great to play wii with my cousin Cole and just enjoy an evening with them. I felt bad because that was the day of the Rose Parade so we were exhausted when we arrived at their house.

My cousins Garrett and Cole showing how much they love each other.

Me and Kirsti showing our excitement (or exhaustion?) at 4:30 in the morning at the Rose Parade.

Kirsti, Jeremy and I in line for Thunder Mountain.

Modeling our awesome, sexy glasses at Disneyland.

The Magic Kingdom!

After this trip, I will never again fly Southwest. I have so many horror stories from my adventures this Christmas. My flight to Sacramento was delayed three hours after a fiasco with de-icers and such, my sweet grandpa missed his flight after a time from hell in the airport, I almost missed my flight out of LAX even when I arrived two hours before my flight. I think I might have grown a few gray hairs through these experiences. They are definitely not worth the fifty or so dollars I save by flying with them instead of Alaska. Sheesh!

The first part of my trip was spent with my parents and Grandpa at home in Auburn. It was such a nice and relaxing time. I loved every minute of being at home from shopping with my mom to going to breakfast with my dad. I love my parents and couldn't ask for more loving and supportive parents. They are truly a gift!

9 inches of snow (and counting)!!!

2008-12-18T11:32:00.001-08:00

Let it snow!

2008-12-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

So we had a snow day with no snow yesterday, it was very interesting! I was very productive with my time and went out and did some shopping and just had a nice day off. Today, the snow is really here. I am guessing we probably have 2-3 inches outside right now. I am enjoying the fact that I am warm and cozy inside and that my roommates are here with me! :) Here are some photos I took a little bit ago:

My poor roommate's car completely covered.

Why I love my job...

2008-12-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

1) My kids are the cutest.
2) The staff is amazing, I am very close friends with most of them.
3) Snow days.

A few of my precious kiddos dressed in their Christmas best for the Christmas musical.

3 of the 4 girls I have in my class. :)

My class is so precious. After having such a challenging class last year, it is nice to have an easier one this year. There are some challenges but nothing like last year. These kiddos are so well-behaved and make me feel so loved.

Angela and I posing for a picture.

Angela, Todd and I being our silly selves.

Suzie and I posing for a picture.

Last week, our staff Christmas party was held at a board member's house (mansion). It was a lot of fun: we were silly together, ate yummy food, played pool and just enjoyed one another's company. I never really play pool and have never been good but somehow I showed some talent last week as Todd and the guys were trash talking the girls and saying they would win. Let's just say I helped them see who was boss! :) I love my coworkers!

The adventures of Fred Bush...

2008-12-13T11:56:00.003-08:00

Yes, we did name our Christmas tree. He just needed an identity and so we gave him a name. Oh what fun we had that evening! My stomach hurt from laughing so hard...the memories we created!

Melynda holding the tree tight against the car roof. It did a lot of good! :)

Katriina showing off her mighty power and becoming one with the tree.

Trying to conquer the tree and get it off the top of the car.

Lifting weights really does pay off....

Katriina and I trying to figure out the darn tree skirt (yes, both of us are lifting our legs...apparently this helps).

Such a happy family! :)

Showing our frustration with the tree and thousands of pine needles we had to vacuum up.

The finished product! :)

My sweet class

2008-12-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

I thought you all (whoever really does read my blog) would enjoy some pictures of the sweet faces I teach every day. They bring so much joy and laughter most of the time, other times they drive me crazy :) But all in all, I do love them!

Enjoying the Thanksgiving feast. Aren't these faces precious?

Too cute for words!

Here are a few quotes for your entertainment:

"If we keep talking about guns we could get exploded." A student who was suspended last week for talking about bringing a gun to school shared this with the class after a few of them were talking about guns. I am pretty sure he meant "expelled".

"We are just really full as we try and hold it as long as we can so it takes longer to get us empty" A student in all seriousness telling me why he took so long in the bathroom.

"You can't be a teacher, you still play volleyball. You are still a teenager."

Oh the joys of being a teacher!

December

2008-12-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

Yikes! Who knew that December could be such a crazy month? Okay...I guess I did. Sorry that there are no pictures for this post. I need to find my memory card reader so I can upload some pictures.

My December is full with Christmas parties, going home and trying to finish up my first quarter as a graduate student. At this time tomorrow I will be done, yahoo! I am so glad to be done with my statistics class, that was such a pain and I really thought it would eventually become the death of me. I am looking forward to taking more interesting classes next quarter.

Thanksgiving was fabulous! It was great to have everyone together up here. It was so fun to see Grampy up here in the northwest. It was sad to notice that we were missing someone but it was good to be together. While we were all together, we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday and Sydney's 2nd birthday. What fun times! Oh wait! Now I remember that I do indeed have pictures. Here are some of my favorites from our Thanksgiving celebration...

My sweet family...not sure what Micah is looking at! :)

Can he be any cuter?

Sydney in all her cuteness!

Gramma loving on Levi

Grandpa Jim getting some "help" with his candles.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T12:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there! Here is another list of what I am thankful for today as I am mindful of all the blessings in my life:

1. Being with my family for a few days of uninterrupted fun.
2. Watching Sydney and Micah loving on each other.
3. Amazing and supportive friends who have become some of the best friends I have ever had this past year.
4. A great church.
5. Grampy being able to join us in Seattle for Thanksgiving dinner.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys their time with family!

More Thankfulness

2008-11-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

1. Laughter and goofiness with friends.
2. A nice, warm white chocolate mocha.
3. Waking up in the morning excited for the day and my job.
4. The excitement of being with family for the next 5 days.
5. A parent telling me that I am the best.
6. Hopes of a great day.

Thankful

2008-11-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

So many of my friends are writing blog posts about what they are thankful for this week so I thought I would do the same. I have been so emotional and grumpy as of late, so I think I need to be reminded of all the things in my life that I am grateful for (graduate school is not one of them right now :) ).

1. A wonderful working environment where I feel loved and appreciated. Staff/coworkers that are true friends and genuinely care about my life.

2. A wonderful class this year with students who make me laugh every day and make me feel so loved with their hugs, sweet words and sweet cards.

3. The most amazing roommates who are always so forgiving of my faults and make me laugh so hard when I need it the most.

4. My family who I adore so much. I am so thankful to be so close with my family and be involved in my niece and nephews lives.

5. The chance to bake chocolate chip cookies (yes, I was procrastinating).

6. Sunny days with beautiful sunrises with Mt. Rainier in the background that remind me of the beauty of God's creation.

I feel better already! :)

Humbled...

2008-11-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

I have a myspace account simply for the purpose of keeping in touch of some of my favorite (oops...did I say that?) middle school students. I have loved keeping in touch with them and watch them as they start their high school lives hoping that what I taught them or who I was as their teacher affected them in some way. My biggest hope and prayer as a teacher is to make a positive impact on my students. I want to be a teacher that my students can look back on and remember as being someone who impacted their life.

Here is something that one of my old students wrote in her "heroes" section on her myspace page:

Ms. Amber Bobst: You taught me a lot more than just seventh grade math and eighth grade science. You inspired me to become someone so much greater than I would have ever wanted to be. I admire you so much more than anyone, and I can't wait until the kids you teach notice how lucky they are. (:

Wow. Cicely was a great student: sassy and lovable. Her middle school years were rough ones as she had run ins with drugs and dealt with her best friend getting into drugs. Cicely confided in me about this multiple times and I know God used those talks for His glory. I am just so humbled by what she wrote and this verifies the reason why I am a teacher...to make an impact on my student's lives, not through what I teach them but through who I am as a person and the influence I have on these precious lives.

Yikes!

2008-11-18T20:40:00.001-08:00

It has been way too long since I have updated my blog, sorry about that! Life has been a bit crazy to say the least. There have been good days and bad days but overall, I am just surviving right now! :)

As many of you have heard, my Grammy passed away suddenly a little over 3 weeks ago. This has been a hard reality for me. It was great to be able to go home for 10 days and just be with my family as we prepared for the service and just had some sweet family time. There are days where Grammy being gone is a huge reality and there are days that it just doesn't seem real. Grammy was not perfect, but who really is? She was such a sweet and caring lady and that was shown in many ways during her memorial service. I found myself walking away from that service proud of who my Grammy was and all of the lives she had impacted. I also walked away determined to live my life in such a way that I leave a beautiful legacy such as hers. Her death has transformed my life in many ways, putting things into perspective and having this feeling that she is looking down on me from Heaven and watching as I live my life out.

Besides that, I have been super busy and overwhelmed with my schooling. Working a full-time job, taking 3 classes (each require 10 hours a week) and coaching volleyball has just drained me. I am trying my best to stay on top of things but it is hard at times. I never see my roommates, which is such a bummer since I love them so. I am trying to prioritize my life and make time for some small things that bring me joy, I need that. Spending a whole weekend in the library is not necessarily my idea of fun or that great for my mental stability! :) Thankfully the quarter is over halfway over and I am on the homestretch...I just hope I can make it through with decent grades and my sanity still intact!

Thankfully, volleyball is over. I loved coaching the girls this season as especially coaching with my friend Angela but the complaining parents made it a full time job for me and I was ready to be done. I thought for sure that once volleyball was over, I would have so much more time on my hands but that has proved to be wrong! Where does the time go?

I will leave you with a few pictures from my time in California...

Mom, Auntie Brenda and Grampy...precious!

I love this picture for so many reasons.

Grandpa Jim is so popular! :)

Grampy meeting Levi for the first time.

This was where we first started our journey: at the airport. For the first five minutes of seeing each other, Micah and Sydney held hands, giggled and just kept staring at each other. They love each other so much and it is priceless!

Auntie to 3...

2008-10-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Heather's new little peanut was born 10 days ago, October 1st. He is absolutely beautiful and I love being his auntie! I love seeing Steve and Heather as parents of 2 and Micah demonstrating that he has the skills he needs to be a big brother! :) I was over there today and I would be holding Levi and Micah would come right up to us and give Levi a kiss along with a sweet pat...he is in love with his baby brother and that is so sweet to see.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures. There is a movie on the bottom showing how sweet Micah and Sydney play together (along with Grandpa Jim).
My favorite picture of all....they are both just adoring each other! How sweet!

New family of four!

Proud Auntie

So sweet.

Other than enjoying my new role as an auntie to another little peanut, life is extremely full. I started my master's degree last week at Seattle Pacific, am coaching middle school volleyball, teaching 2nd grade and trying to have fun as much as I can! :)

P.B.

2008-09-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

So, I just got off the phone with my best friend from growing up, Jen Picos. She told me that the pastor I grew up with has been diagnosed with cancer in his brain. He has had melenoma (sp?) skin cancer for years and now it has apparently moved into his brain. Apparently he doesn't have long to live. He is in his 80's and has lived a great life but it is still sad to think that his life might come to an end soon. Jen said that she was going to write Pastor Bonner (my family nicknamed him P.B) a letter about how much he has meant to her over the years and all he has done for her family and I couldn't pass up that opporunity myself. I think I will write him a letter but in the meantime, I wanted to let my blog friends know a little about the difference this precious man has made in my life.

When I was home for Christmas last year, my sisters and I took a trip to the grocery store to pick up some ice cream and in walked PB. He asked how each of us were doing and was so sincere with his sweet words, telling us he was proud of us and happy for where our lives have taken us. He knew what each of us were doing and all about my sister's families. It was obvious that he cared about us and was keeping up with our lives via our grandparents (or some other source). This is who PB is, a genuine, sweet man who truly cares for people.

One of my favorite quotes (I am not sure where it is from) is, "Preach the gospel and when necessary...use words". PB lives this quote out perfectly. Looking back on all the years I have known him (or remember him since I have known him all my life), I don't remember the sermons he preached but I do remember him showing me Christ through many things: his actions, his concern for people, his sweet nature, his nonjudgmental nature and his love for life and God. I have respected and admired this man all of my life, there is not one negative thing I can say about him. He has lived his life truly loving and serving God and His people and it shows. I remember PB as someone who always visited the sick in the hospital, attended all the funerals, showed up at many youth events, showed up to graduation parties (I still can remember the hug he gave me at my high school graduation party and the words he shared with me about how he was proud of me), played with the kids, and he seemed to get along and connect with all age groups.

He truly is a man of God and has lived his life to the fullest. I hope that one day, when I have aged, people can look back on my life and say that my love for God was evident and that I showed Christ to others not through my words but through my actions.

PB is a special person and I truly hope that I will be able to see him again this side of Heaven.

Back to School

2008-09-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is that time again....I can hardly believe it! The summer months went by way too fast and I had way too much fun! :) It was a great summer full of great family time, fun weekend trips with friends and nannying for a very sweet family.

I feel like this post is boring without pictures but you will have to wait for some pictures! :) In the meantime I will leave you with some highlights of the first week of school (minus no sleep and the craziness of getting back into a crazy busy routine):

1. Receiving big hugs and love from my students from last year. Even though they were such a challenging class, I miss them and love every time I get to see any of them!

2. Hearing one of my new students tell his classmates that this is going to be his best year ever on the first day of school.

3. Coming back to my classroom not knowing that my students were in there waiting for me! I opened the door and the said, "Surprise! we love you!". On that day, I so needed to hear that!

4. Coaching volleyball with my great friend Angela and hearing my volleyball girls use the word "precious" because they know I am obsessed with that word.

5. Having a parent from last year tell me that my love for my students is so evident and that I made a significant difference in her son's life.

6. Being back in the community that I love and having so many meaningful conversations with my amazing coworkers.

Can you tell I love my job and where I work? :) It definitely has its challenges but it so rewarding all at the same time.

Being an auntie is the best...

2008-08-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

I have had so much fun hanging out with Sydney (and Tiffany and Nick :) this week. I have missed being able to play with her as much as I am able to with Micah. Tonight I am watching Sydney as Tif and Nick went on a date. I thoroughly enjoyed my one on one time with her: we laughed, played, laughed some more and then played some more! :) For the month of August, I am living with Steve, Heather and Micah as I am in transition from one apartment to the next (long story), so it has been fun to see Micah (and Steve and Heather :) every day. Sydney and Micah both have such sweet personalities and are so easy to love! Here are some recent pictures of their cuteness.

Micah and Sydney playing together.

Sydney has been fooled into thinking that yogurt is ice cream.

I leave the room for one minute and this is what I come back to....

She is so easy to love on and make laugh :)

Micah playing in one of my moving boxes. He had a blast peeking in and out of there. He looks so big and handsome in this picture!

Redfish Lake

2008-08-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Once again, our family vacation to Redfish was a blast! We had crazy weather: sunny, warm, thunderstorms, pouring rain...it was fabulous! We spent most of our time at the beach this year which was fun and entertaining with two little ones!

Sydney reading her "booka"

Heather, Micah and Mom doing one of our favorite Redfish activities: sitting in front of the lodge.

Micah showing Sydney some love.

Sydney and Auntie

I only went on a very short kayak run this year as it was so windy and hard to steer but I still had fun! :)

Where has the summer gone? I have had such a blast this summer: traveling and nannying for such a sweet family. I am not ready to give in to the fact that school is just around the corner!

Creation

2008-07-31T15:32:00.001-07:00

I have always wanted to go to Creation and this year I was finally able to go. We had a blast! It is held at the Gorge in George, WA...a very scenic and beautiful place! It was awesome to be able to listen to concerts and/or worship God under the stars and overlooking the beautiful Columbia River! I got to see some of my favorite bands, some of my least favorite bands and was introduced to a few new bands that I enjoyed!

On top of listening to music, I had a blast with the people I went with. Angela is a teacher I work with and we were there with her mom and brother and a family from her church. We all clicked and just had a great time together. It was fun camping, enjoying freezing cold showers, basking in the sun and swimming in the river.

Angela and I, freezing cold the first night.
The sun setting behind the Columbia River.

Sharing one of many crazy moments together.

This is us ready for the candle lighting service...too bad it was so windy that our candles would not stay lit. Oh well, it is still a fun memory.

Angela and I enjoying a bit of sun and music.

Now I am off for family vacation at Redfish Lake. I am SO excited, we have all been counting down the days for so long! Now the time has finally come! After that I am going to be staying with Tif, Nick and Sydney for a week which should be fun! When I get back, I only have one week of summer left and then it is back to school I go! I cannot believe how fast this summer has gone but it has been loads of fun!

Lake Chelan

2008-07-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I took a very quick trip to Lake Chelan. I went over there to cheer on my dear friend Debbie as she ran a triathalon (and her friend Danielle) and hung out with her son Daniel as they participated in the race. I had a blast hanging out with Daniel and also being able to see one of my roommates from college, Meyo, who I haven't seen in five years! It was so great to see her and hang out! Lake Chelan is absolutely beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there!

Meyo and I.

Me posing for a picture as Daniel and I waited for Danielle and Debbie to come by on their bikes. We followed them along the trail and stopped ahead of them so we could cheer them on and take some pictures.
Daniel and I having fun together.
Danielle and Debbie on the run!
Daniel posing with Debbie once she finished the race!

Wordle

2008-07-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

This is a fun little waste of time project! :) Click on the picture to see a bigger version and to figure out how you, too, can be as cool as me and have one of these on your blog! :)

Weekend at the cabin

2008-07-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was invited to a friend's cabin for the weekend. The two friends I went with are the two girls I will be living with next year. We had a great time together. My friend's parents have this cabin near the Hood Canal that is just beautiful. On Saturday we spent all day on the boat on a lake. It was great and the weather was perfect. Sad to say that I got a bit fried even with so much sunscreen on. I look like a lobster! Here are a few pictures of our fun. There will be more to come! :)

Melynda and I on the ferry dock. It was freezing!

A beautiful Seattle sunset.
Melynda, Katriina and I having fun on the beach.

Katriina and Melynda

Mini Family Reunion

2008-07-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Notice that Alauna is wearing my sunglasses! :)

Last Thursday, Heather, Micah and I drove down to Olympia to meet up with my Aunt Kathy and her kids Matt and Maecie and my cousin's husband Angie and their daughter Alauna. We met at Olive Garden and stayed there for 3 hours!!! It was a great time of catching up and hanging out. Micah just loved Alauna and Maecie, he was attached to them the whole time - it was quite precious.

Maecie, Micah, Alauna and Matt enjoying their time together.

Angie and Aunt Kathy

I love Micah's expression in this picture!

On our way home, Heather and I witness a bizarre accident. We were in the fast lane when we noticed a motorcycle coming up on the left, where the shoulder was. We looked closer and realized there was not a driver on this motorcycle, it was just flying down the shoulder bumping against the barrier. It eventually ended up hitting a car in front of us and landing in the bushes. Bizarre, I know! The only thing we can think is that there was an accident behind us that threw the driver off of his bike and since he was going so fast, the bike just kept going. Interesting. Micah slept through the whole thing! :)

Loving summer...

2008-06-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

The sunny weather has finally arrived and it makes me so happy! :) I have been able to go on a few walks/runs and it feels great!

I am nannying two days a week for this sweet family that I found online. I am loving every minute of it! The kids are precious and so fun to be with! Toby is almost 7 and Ella is 2 1/2. They are such well behaved kids! I am so fortunate to have found such a great family!

Since the weather has been so nice, we went to the park twice this week. Here are some pictures of the fun we had. They are oh so cute!

One great thing is that Toby and Ella truly love each other and get along great!

Ella getting the rocks out of her toes.

Relaxing on the couch!

Toby helping me make some yummy cookies.

Some of our favorite things to do together: color, play hide and seek, dancing, singing worship songs (nothing is cuter than hearing a 2 year old sing Open the Eyes of my Heart!).

Toby asks a lot of questions and just loves to talk. Every once in a while throughout the day our conversation will sound something like this:

Toby: "Amber?"

Me: "Yes, Toby?"

Toby: "I love you."

Nothing is sweeter than that.

Tomorrow I am off to smokey northern California for 10 days. I am looking forward to hanging out with old friends and Mom and Dad!

Summer so far

2008-06-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

has been amazing!!! Yeah for summer and for the sunshine! Now that the sun is out, it feels a bit more like summer.

I started my nanny job this week and it has been a blast. The kids are so adorable and just great kids. I am doing this two days a week which is perfect for me. It is something to keep me busy but not too much work. I will try and get some pictures of these cute little kids that I am playing with this summer.

A week from today I head home to Auburn and I am looking forward to some time with Mom and Dad and some old friends.

I know this post isn't the most exciting and pictureless but I thought I would update this for whoever reads it! :)

The faces I grew to love this year...

2008-06-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

School is officially over and I still am unsure of how I feel. I am relieved that this year is over because it was a challenging one. This was a tough class and yet I grew so attached to them. On the last day of school, I told myself I would not cry but I did, BIG TIME! When I saw a few of my other students crying that was too much for me! That showed me the impact I had on these kids though and humbled me to say the least.

Today we said goodbye to all the staff that is leaving. Our 2 hour brunch turned into four hours of tears and laughter. It was wonderful. Once it was over, I was so overwhelmed by gratitude for this school and for God allowing me to be at such a healthy and rich place. I truly am going to miss my family that I have become a part of this year. I am going to miss the daily connections I have with all of the staff. It is only 2 months!

Don't get me wrong...I am VERY excited for the summer and some much needed relaxation. I am going to miss my friends though but know we will hang out.

I sat down and talked with Todd for a few hours yesteday and today and it was such a great time of reflection. It was great to see how much God has taught me this year and how much I have grown as a teacher. It is incredible to be under such great leadership and feel so supported. Todd and Ron gave me the confidence I needed to grow as a teacher and become who I am today. I am very thankful for that. I will definitely miss Ron next year, he has been the best boss to work for!

Todd and I ended our chats in a time of prayer and that was so moving. We prayed for our summers, for what God had in store and gave thanks for the great things that took place this year in us and in this school.

I could not be any happier in my job than I am now and that makes me so extremely grateful! I hope to stay at this school for many more years to come!

Here are some pictures of the precious faces that I am going to miss (but gladly am passing onto 3rd grade :)

How can you not love these sweet faces?
A couple of my girls dressing up like Pioneers
The whole gang, cuter than ever!
My sweet girls
The infamous Mclain, the one that makes me laugh every day by his comments and the one that told me on the last day of school that he had a crush on me.

Super Secret Surprise

2008-05-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday (Friday) all the students of our school knew nothing of the events for that day that included giant inflatables in the gym. They were informed of this in the morning and then went to the gym at a specific time and were able to enjoy the fun times for an hour. My intent was to go over for a little bit and then head back to the class to get some work done but I was having so much fun that I ended up staying there the whole time. My kids LOVED that I went on the slide and kept asking me to go on it again. The problem was that the second time down the slide for me was dangerous and I twisted my knee and ankle and I am pretty sure I have a sprained toe. Am I getting old or what? I am limping around today and icing my injury in hopes that it gets better or I might have to go to the doctor. Here are some photos from the day..the one of me on the slide is hard to see but hopefully you can catch a glimpse of the fun we had! :)

Micah's 3rd Birthday (and Mom's birthday!)

2008-05-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

Despite a nasty flu bug going around, we had a lot of fun this weekend. I love every chance I get to spend time with my whole family. I just hate how fast the time flies when we are together. Now we can start counting down until Redfish...
Micah's birthday was a blast. He is at such a cute age and kept getting so giddy once anyone mentioned his birthday and gifts. The one thing he wanted was a computer and Gramma and Grandpa Jim were nice enough to get him one! :)

Dad got Sydney laughing pretty hard in this swing, it was really cute!

Who knew that I would be into cake decorating? I don't think I have much skills in that department but it turned out pretty cute. Heather and I were very proud of our efforts! :)

Luckily the weather man was wrong and we had a few vey sunny and beautiful days which allowed a trip to the zoo which was fun, fun, fun!

I loved watching Micah and Sydney interact. They LOVE each other, it is so precious! Micah would just love on Sydney with kisses and hugs (sometimes he killed her with his kindness :). Sydney was so intrigued by Micah and whatever he was doing.

One more picture of my fine cake decorating skills. :)

I almost cried yesterday...

2008-05-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Who knew that the end of the year could be so emotional? My students have been so sweet to me these last few days and saying things like, "I am going to miss you next year" or "you are the best teacher". It makes me realize the difference and impact I made on their lives. It is awesome to see the difference in their ideas about me from the beginning of the year until now. At the beginning of the year, I was so hard on them and now I still am but they know what I expect and that I love them. It is so funny because, at times, I see myself as being so impatient with them and hard on them and then I have my teacher aides and parents telling me that I have the patience of a saint. It is interesting what different perspectives can do!

A much as this class has been so challenging, I love each of them and will miss their cute and silly personalities next year. I will also miss the parents of these children because they have been so encouraging and supportive through this difficulty year of teaching! I definitely have quite a collection of quotes in my qoute book from this year, maybe I will publish it some day! :)

In other exciting news, I was accepted to Seattle Pacific University for my Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I am so excited as this program is hard to get into and I was not feeling too optimistic. I will start in October, once volleyball coaching is over and it will last for two years. I am excited to go back to school and learn more but am not excited about the idea of bein in debt! :)

Spirit Week

2008-05-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hello...sorry for the delay in posting. These last few weeks have been crazy! I definately enjoyed the rest of Teacher Appreciation Week with a nice washed car, a yummy barbecue, a hot stone massage and rootbeer floats! I am definately spoiled!
This last week was spirit week and I must say that "Crazy Clash Day" was my favorite. I took some pictures of my kiddos and their silly outfits. My outfit was interesting. I just put on as much as I could and it was pretty silly...

Are these kids cute or what? As crazy and chatty as they are, I sure am going to miss them! The last day of school will definately be bitter sweet! Don't get me wrong though, I am definately ready for a break and to pass them on to the next grade! :)

Miss Bobst rocks because....

2008-04-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

...she is funny and makes us laugh
...she cries when she laughs
...she is pretty (author=troublemaker)
...she has patience when we do not listen
...she is easy to love
...she teaches art and math in a really fun way
...I have learned a lot this year and do not want to leave this class (author=troublemaker)
...she is honest
...she helps me when I am sad
...she is a good person
...she makes sense
...she is a great role model
...she has a big heart for kids
...her good deeds remind us about the heart of Jesus
..she laughs at my jokes

These phrases and more were in my classroom this morning along with more flowers and some goodies. I loved reading their little sayings. My biggest troublemakers were the ones that wrote the sweetest things.

And who said teaching isn't rewarding?

I feel so loved!

2008-04-28T16:54:00.001-07:00

So today was the start of Teacher Appreciation Week. It started with free lattes and an amazing breakfast. Then, each of my students brought in some flowers for me to put in A vase. 4 vases later, we are set! :) I decided to bring home 1 vase and here is a picture of the beauty!

My students were extra sweet today as well, so that was a special treat in itself! This week also entails a massage, car wash, root beer floats, a BBQ and gifts each day of the week! Talk about feeling loved and appreciated! My favorite part is receiving sweet cards from my students. Teaching is so rewarding!

Okay, I am off to talk a nice little walk on such a nice spring day! (T, I wish you were here to join me!)

Intelligent Design

2008-04-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

I was told about this movie put on by Ben Stein about science vs. creation. I was a bit skeptic but it proved to be a great documentary. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed interviews science professors, those that believe in creation and those that believe in evolution. It is interesting the amount of grief the creationists received, some lost their jobs in major universities because of a simple mention of intelligent design.

Ben Stein also went to concentration camps while investigating how much Hitler relied on Darwinism and evolution to prove his theory of extermination.

One of the coolest parts for me was seeing one of my professors, Stephen Meyer, in the movie! He works for Discovery Institute and is a big creationist. It was sweet to see him on the big screen!

It is amazing to see the hatred and anger scientists have toward the idea of God. I do believe that science and faith need to be seperate in some cases and that faith isn't the end all. But, it was amazing to see what great lengths these scientists would go to disprove God. After watching the movie, I was mindful of how faith is so very important. God doesn't show Himself so clearly for so many reasons.

It was an incredible, thought provoking movie that I am sure will not last very long in the theaters. The most interesting part for me was that Ben Stein isn't even a Christian, he is Jewish.

An Amazing Spring Break

2008-04-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

It started with me having an auntie and Micah weekend and then heading over the mountains to spend the week with Tif, Nick and Sydney. Some of the highlights from my time with them: craft time with Tif while Sydney was napping (which resulted in a really cute checkbook cover, two coin purses and a beaded bookmark), golfing with Nick, walks with Tif and Sydney, Sydney crying whenever I left the room and resting her head on my lap to love on me, talks with Tif, leisurely schedule, yummy breakfasts and eating a yummy lunch in Palouse. It was a great time and I am so thankful to have such a great and fun family!

Is she cute or what?

After spending most of the week at Tif's I headed to Spokane to visit some college friends and all of my favorite people from the church that I was a part of during my college days. I stayed with Debbie and Daniel. I used to babysit Daniel during college and he is now 14 and taller than me! How did that happen? It was so fun hanging out with them, they are like family to me and it was great to just be with them for a few days.

Now it is back to the real world and so far it has not been too fun. It was a rough Monday and I am glad it is over! I am hoping that the rest of the week only gets better!

Being an Auntie is so fun...

2008-04-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I stayed with Micah while Steve and Heather were on a retreat. What a fun time we had: going to the zoo, playing with Little People, going to the train table store, playing with Legos, having picnics and watching basketball games. Here are a few pictures from the weekend....

Micah eating his lunch near the elephants at the zoo.

Micah showing me where to go on the map.

Setting up for our picnic.

Watching the basketball games in style.

Silly face time!

This week is my spring break and I am over in eastern WA visiting Tif, Nick and Sydney. It has been a great time so far. Sydney does a great job at making me feel so loved! :) I will post more pictures later.

Easter

2008-03-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Easter was very special to me this year. I was so much more aware than in previous years what Easter is all about and what that means to me. My students and I had a great time talking about Easter and learning so much about Jesus' love for us. Below is a picture of an activity I thought up of at the last minute. I gave each student a part of scripture that talked about the Easter story and they made a "film strip" out of it that consisted of the verse and a picture describing that verse. Here is how it turned out...very cool! The only film strip that is missing from the picture is the "He is risen." Sorry about that! :)

This Easter was a blast as I got to spend it in Kent with Steve, Heather, Micah and Dick and Judy. I haven't done that since college and really was looking forward to it! Judy went all out for the egg hunt, except it was all indoors as it was pouring down rain that day. Micah LOVED egg hunting. It took him a few minutes to get the hang of it but once he did he was SO excited. It was precious. And of course, Steve Heather and I joined in on the hunt once Micah got a few! :)

What better way to end Easter with story time with Gamma? Notice Micah doesn't have clothes on, that is my fault! I leaned over to kiss him with a plate of strawberry shortcake in my hand and it spilled all over his nice khaki pants! Oh the memories!

Nutrition

2008-03-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

For the month of March we have been talking about nutrition and health. We have talked a lot about how healthy food is pretty tasty like fruits and vegetables! At the end of the nutrition part, we had a feast where every student had to bring in a healthy food from a food group to share with everyone else and here is what we came up with.

Valentine's Day

2008-03-25T19:29:00.001-07:00

So, every other month my class goes to Mission Healthcare, a retirement community and just hang out with them. For the month of February we made Valentine's Day crafts with the residents there and it was really sweet to see. Mostly, my kids did the crafts as a lot of the adults said they had never colored before or didn't know how to color! :)

Valentine's Day was a blast this year. I really was not expecting all the gifts I received, I wasn't expecting any gifts at all! I was showered with gifts, lots of chocolate and teddy bears! For our party, the students decorated sugar cookies and it was interesting to see all the sugar they piled on top of the cookie. It looked pretty gross!

My sweet aide, Mrs. Camella.

Being an auntie and God's grace

2008-03-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to upload some pictures of my sweet class during Valentine's Day but my computer at work is not letting me! So for now here are so pictures that explain why I love being an auntie....

Tiffany and Sydney came over last week and I was able to visit with them every night they were here. It was a blast watching Sydney walk, hearing her saying "boo" and seeing her cheesy smile. It was sweet to see Micah love on her and make sure she was not able to reach his legos. I love being an auntie and I love have two of the greatest girls I know as sisters!

On another note, I was able to see Brennan Manning speak at a church this past weekend and it truly was life changing. He has authored many books but my favorite is "The Ragamuffin Gospel." It changed my view of God's grace and was very helpful in allowing me to start seeing God as gracious and loving, not judgmental and disappointed. Brennan's talk was on the compassion of Jesus and he told story after story of Jesus' compassion being witnessed on this earth and it was amazing. Very moving and heart wrenching. I walked out of there feeling like a new person, understanding Christ more and letting Him finally love me for who I am right now and not who I think I should be. It was incredible and seems to change the meaning of Easter for me this year. There is a lot more that can be said about that, if you want to know more you can always email me! :)

Busy

2008-03-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

Wow, this week has been insanely busy but full of fun things. After getting back from my vacation, I had plans every night during the week. Now it is the weekend and I have some time to just relax and I am wiped out!

I have been enjoying getting to know one of the teachers at my school that is my age. Angela and I carpool together and we have started hanging out and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her.

I also am enjoying my small group through my new church that is watching Rob Bell DVDs. I am learning a lot about God and life and connecting with some pretty cool people my age.

I wish I had pictures to show my life the last few weeks but sadly I have not been taking pictures. I need to do that!

Enjoying Time Off

2008-02-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

So, this week I have been thoroughly enjoying my time at home in California. This was a much needed break and refreshing time! I have enjoyed not having a ton of plans and just relaxing and enjoy the small things in life. I have enjoyed going shopping with Mom, going to the King's game with Dad, going out to eat with both Mom and Dad, catching up with old friends and having lunch with Grammy and Grampy.

It has been nice to get my mind off of all the stressful things that took place right before break: my boss announcing his resignation and my kiddos giving me a run for my money!

I feel refreshed and am ready to go back to work next week. It is such a great feeling to not dread going back to work!

Happy Valentine's Day (a day late!)

2008-02-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you had as much fun during the day that I did. I felt so loved and appreciated by my family, my students and their families, and my friends. Who needs a boyfriend when you get as spoiled as I do? :) I am not going to lie, I am ready to date and get married but am waiting as patiently as I can!

I wasn't expecting so many gifts from my students. I think I have enough chocolate and stuffed animals to last a few years! Luckily I am going home to visit Mom and Dad and can share all of my goodies with them!

My day ended with a date with Steve, Heather and Micah. It was so fun to go to PF Changs and Borders to end the day. Micah was a great date and Steve and Heather were very sweet to me. Steve even brought me flowers and chocolates and that made my day! And of course to top it all off, we watched LOST. Have I mentioned I LOVE that show?

I had such a rotten day the day before so yesterday was so needed. My boss who I got to know this year and work for has decided to leave next year and that news has been really hard on me. Finally I find a great school with a great leader and now he is gone. I am a bit fearful of the next person the school will choose to take his place as most of you know my history with working under horrible leaders. I am going to try real hard to trust God in this. I have already had some great conversations and prayers with a few teachers over this and it has been so encouraging!

Today I sent off my application for grad school to SPU and signed up for the GRE! I would appreciate your prayers with all of that and let you know when I hear anything!

More Pictures

2008-02-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

The southern ocean...this is the ocean I was not aware even existed! :)
The inflatable crabs for Goodwill along with their sunken treasure paragraphs. They wrote about what they would find at the bottom of the ocean inside of a treasure chest.

This caption was written by one of my troublemakers...interesting that he wanted to write this.
The coral reef drawing
I am bummed the flash kind of ruined this picture. This is a phenominal picture of the continents and oceans drawn by two of my best artists.
The pacific ocean

Open House

2008-02-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

The kids were SO proud of all their work they did to turn our classroom into an ocean. If you haven't already seen, not every wall space is blue but it still looked cute! I was very proud of them!

We made posters for each of the five oceans (I was taught there are 4 but every book says there is five...weird). We also made a poster of coral reefs and a map of the continents and oceans. The students also wrote reports on ocean animals and those are the papers you see all over the walls.

The blow up crabs and stuffed animals were also found at Goodwill for about 50 cents a piece. It was a low budget project and well worth it!

We got this puzzle at Goodwill and it was missing one piece. I had one of my students draw in the missing piece and was amazed at how well he drew it!

Can I just color?

2008-01-31T21:23:00.000-08:00

Today I had one of the sweetest teaching moments of my career. I have a student who comes from an amazing family that are missionaries in Mexico. Zach's parents are my age and had to come back to the states because his mom had a miscarriage last summer and ever since then has been in intense pain and the doctors cannot find out what is wrong. It is a very sad story, the mom has to walk around in a wheelchair and is just vey weak. This family has to stay in the states until the mom gets better. Like I said, this family is incredible and I love them to pieces. Zach is a sweetheart and we pray for his mom every morning.
Right after school was out this afternoon our school secretary took me aside to tell me that Zach's mom had to be admitted to the ER and that she thought it would be better for me to tell him and then I was to take him to extended care. I was trying to hold it together but it was hard, my heart broke as I thought about the open house being tonight and how Zach was SO excited for his mom to be able to come and see the surprise that we cooked up.
So I told Zach that his mom's doctor appointment was going to be a little longer than expected and that he was going to extended care. He was obviously worried so we just said a quick prayer together.
I took him to where he needed to go and told the girl in charge that if he seemed really sad that he could come back to the classroom and hang out with me.
About 15 minutes later there was a knock on my door and in walks Zach and here is what was said:
Me: "Hey Buddy! How are you?"
Zach: "Good"
Me: "What's going on?"
Zach: "Nothing, I just am thinking about a lot of stuff."
Me: "Do you want to talk about it?"
Zach: "Not really. Can I just color? Do you want to color with me?"
Me: "Of course"
For the next twenty or so minutes Zach and I did simply that, just colored together and were silly and had a lot of laughs. It distracted both of us from what was going on and it was good.
Zach's dad came and picked him up and I could tell that it meant a lot to him that I would take the time to sit and color with Zach and that warmed my heart. It was the least I could do.
Zach's dad was able to come to the open house but not his mom as she has to spend the night in the ER.
I took lots of pictures of the classroom all decorated as an ocean for the open house and will post them soon. In the meantime, say a little prayer for sweet Zach and his family. I will keep you updated.

Why I am a teacher

2008-01-20T18:34:00.001-08:00

I often asked myself the question, "Why am I a teacher?" this week after the hard days and wanting to crawl under my desk and cry! This week I have thought a lot about why I do what I do and why I love it so much.
Mrs. Holt, my 4th grade teacher, is the reason why I became a teacher. She was the one teacher I had that truly showed that she loved me (and the rest of my class) unconditionally. She knew how to have fun and be serious when needed. There was never a question as to whether she cared about us and I learned so much that year because I know she cared.
Often times I think about what kind of difference I want to make on my students and this is the exact impact I want to have on them. I want them to look at their 2nd grade year as a year of growth and fun and know that I loved them even through the rough days.
Mrs. Holt came and visited me and my classroom in December and it was one of the best times I have had! I love how we just picked up right where we left off and she was able to see me in action (and my kids in action :). It meant the world to me that she would want to come and visit. I respect and admire her in so many ways. She is one in a million!

Mini High School Reunion

2008-01-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

When I was home for Christmas, one of my best friends from growing up happened to be in town and we hadn't seen each other in almost 8 years (way too long!). We decided to get together and invite some of our other friends. It was a blast and I loved that we were able to just pick up right where we left off. We have all gone our seperate ways, but it was fun to reconnect and learn about each other's lives.
We all agreed that there was no need to go to our 10 year reunion (scary that it is only a year away!), we just needed to get together again during that time and forget everyone else!
Here are a few pictures from our time together.

Me and Emily, best friends since the 3rd grade!

Me, Kelly and Emily

The gang...good times!

A good reminder...

2008-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

as to why I teach and why I love it. These kids are precious. Despite their behavior and lack of self-control, they are priceless and I love them to pieces. I love talking to them about heaven and trying to answer all of their millions of questions as to what heaven and God are like. I love talkng to them about science and history as they seem to devour everything they learn. I love going out to recess with them and playing basketball or foursquare with them, making them feel loved and wanted.

Admist the challenges and hard days, I know that I am meant to be a teacher and all I need to do is look into one of their faces for a reminder of why I am here. I love them. Here are a few pictures that were taking at our reading party that they earned right before Christmas. They had a blast and I did as well.