It just keeps going and going and going...

Tricia meets Nate

Tricia finds out about this cool thing Nate has called a blog

Tricia secretly starts a blog (she doesn't want anyone to think that she started it to impress Nate or anything because she really does think it's a cool idea)

Tricia finally tells Nate she has started a blog

Lisa and Kortnie start a blog on the same night

Lisa friends from work--Annie and Carrie start blogs

Meesch starts a blog with a very cool title (Meesch Unleashed)

Tricia's parents decide to start a blog because of her mom's surgery

All right, who's next? :)

And it all started because Tricia met Nate

(*Note: I know, it would have been cool to put links to all of their blogs, but I'm too busy to do that)

A quick note

I'm not trying to ignore or forget about all of you who are so dear to me. I know no one has said anything, but I just wanted to let you guys know that I am thinking about you, praying for you, and wishing I had the time to contact you. I've seriously never been so busy in all my life and at the moment am just trying to find time to spend with Nate, eat, sleep, exercise, etc. I will try to get in touch with people soon. Please pray that I don't lose my mind! (P.S. Nate is wonderful and has been such a supportive husband--it's worth saying again. :) )

Yeah biking!

I just got back from biking outside in Texas for my first time. I was getting sick of riding my bike on the trainer in our apartment, so tonight I decided to brave the humidity and go for it. It wasn't that bad--it's actually cooler today--in Houston term's at least! I rode down to Nate's school and rode around the bike track they have right next to the football stadium. Now I just have to get a new battery for my sportswatch and I'll be all set.

I did some major planning today and yesterday for the next two weeks of school. Tomorrow the busyness starts again. It's hard doing planning all in one shot, but I have no time during the week to do it.

Bookkeeping

Elizabeth had a interesting point in her comment left in the post on checkbook registers (Aug 17). She said her dad balanced the register when she was growing up, but most of the women responding who are married are the ones who do it instead of their husbands. I'm not saying this is a bad thing or anything (I enjoy keeing the checkbook balanced--for the most part). Nate is the one who writes a lot of the checks for the bills and he put together most of our budget. Growing up, my dad was the keeper of the finances--although my mom balanced her own checkbook. It's just interesting how that seems to have changed.

Quick break

I have about ten minutes to write in here. I have to go downstairs soon to meet with the insurance guy. School insurance is great!

It's Friday and I'm very happy about this. Two weeks worth of lesson planning and other school work waits for me this weekend, but that's okay. Homework in high school/college/middle school that I used to have is nothing compared to the amount of work I have now. It is never-ending. I hope the second year of teaching will be a bit less overwhelming.

I am enjoying the fifth grade. I never in my life thought that I would like to teach fifth grade, but I'm loving this age so far. They have their moments--which are many--but I really like how I can relate to them a little bit. I can remember how I was in fifth grade. And I like how they get jokes and can make them. It's so fun. There is more I could write, but I should get downstairs.

Busy busy

I just wanted to quick post. I'm so busy. My priorities have been a little switched around lately since I've started my first year of teaching. It is going well. I want to write about it, but don't have time at the moment since it's Nate and my date night and that is the more important thing. :) Just know that we are doing well, just trying to get through these first few weeks of school. More later.

Yay!

We finally got our digital camera--the Canon A70. Pictures will hopefully be up on the Yahoo Groups page within a week or so.

Cell phones

We are looking into a different cell phone company. We need opinions from y'all, please. Which cell phone company would you suggest that would give us unlimited nights and weekends, clear reception, and free mobile to mobile. Our choices are Sprint, Cingular, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless...

Vindication, please

Nate doesn't believe me that I'm not the only one to keep a check register to the penny for my checks and debits (withdrawals from my checking). Could you please help and leave comments to tell him that you do it too? I know I at least have some fellow register keepers in Lisa and my dad.

Visiting family

Nate and I are visiting our parents who live nearby (Nate's parents) and his sister Cara for part of this weekend. We were going to help Cara move into her dorm at her college, but decided that would be too much driving. We just needed to get away from the apartment for part of the weekend.

Good news

God is good (and would be anyway even if I was reporting some less happy news to you)--my mom's surgery went very well. The nurses and doctor's are happy with her progress in her recovery. She is even sitting on the side of the bed. Please continue to keep her in your prayers and go here for additional updates. We value your prayers. And we give glory to God for His sovereign hand in this whole thing and all things.

Please pray

Again, just for y'all who didn't know, my mom is having surgery tomorrow. Please pray for peace for her and my dad, and for the doctor's to do their job well. She is in God's hands and no matter what happens, I know He is good and I trust Him. For updates on the surgery and more specifics, visit my parent's new blog (it's so contagious! :) ) here. Hopefully, one of them will be posting.

Countdown

It's only hours now before this classroom is filled with young ones. I'm so nervous! I know, show no fear, and I will try my hardest not to do so. I'm not afraid of being in front of them, just afraid of not having stuff for them to do. Nate has been so wonderful in telling me that it will all work out okay, and I appreciate it so much, but I still can't help but be nervous. I know I'm supposed to be here, that God has brought me here to this point and I keep holding onto that.

Please pray for me. For real, I have so much to take seriously when it comes to teaching fifth graders. I want to have fun with them, but I know it is also a great responsibility to teach them--especially Bible. I pray and will continue to pray that I speak the truth of God each day to these kids.

Going away

Sadly, I am leaving my husband overnight for the first time. Tomorrow I am going on a retreat with FBBA, my elementary school for one night. It will be strange not to sleep next to him. I'm sure he will enjoy some extra time to play Dark Age, though. :)

In addition, that means no posting until probably Wednesday.

Thanks, Mom

My mom sent me my bike helmet in the mail. Yay! I can bike outside--once it cools down. It's been near and into the 100s. Finally the unbearable Texas weather that everyone talks about.

If y'all could pray for my mom. She is having surgery this Thursday. Please pray that it goes well and that she has a good recovery. It's hard being so far from family when things like this are going on.

Convert

Yes, it's true. I'm getting to be quite a fan of using Linux (an operating system for those who don't know what it is--just like Microsoft Window--except very much not like Windows and free.

That's Texas for you

Some more observations about Texas:

They do everything big--even their thunderstorms! One showed up today out of no where. I went in to get groceries and it was blue skied and sunny. Walking out of the store the trees were blowing, it was thundering like large cannons and missles (according to Nate), the lightning was fantastic and I got my second shower of the day with the huge downpour.

Some of the phrases/words I've heard down here:

Now then (mostly from guys)
Bless your heart (mostly from women)
Y'all (of course)
I'm just tickled (mostly from women)
I'm fixin' to...

I'm still trying to work "Y'all" into my vocabulary. It's quite a useful word, but it just sounds strange to me with my Michigan accent.

MIA

It has been quite a busy week for me. That's why I haven't been writing. I've thought about it everyday, but I've been too tired when I get home and working too hard at school to take a break and blog while eating lunch. I still miss home (as in my hometown) and my friends and family there, but it is good to be busy so that I can at least tolerate this hard time of adjusting. Nate and I were supposed to go to a housewarming party tonight, but I'm a bit worn out from meeting people this past week and meeting a ton of new people tonight. Sorry we didn't show.

Everyone at school is so nice and helpful. I've enjoyed meeting the other teachers and staff. Nate was so wonderful and came up to school with me last night. He helped me a ton--taking inventory of my books, stuffing pencil bags, etc. I felt much better after we left last night.

La cucaracha

Cockroach has now become a bad word around our apartment. Yesterday I was going to get a back for the recycling and freaked out when I saw one on the door jam of the closet. Nate was my hero and killed it for me. He was going to Windex it (ref: My Big Fat Greek Wedding), but ended up Tilexing it instead and hitting it with a shoe. I know, I live in Texas and they are going to be down here, but it's still upsetting to have one in your apartment. Our apartment manager said it's a tree roach, so we shouldn't have an infestation. The exterminator comes next Tuesday.

I was reminded of Kortnie's "Here bear, bear, bear" experience in Alaska when I walked out of the bedroom this morning saying "Here cockroach, cockroach, cockroach"--doesn't roll off the tongue nearly so well.

Ugh

I woke up this morning at the time I will have to leave once school starts (6:30 am) and it almost killed me. I don't know how to get adjusted to early morning rising. I've never been a morning person. Nate was a sweetheart this morning and got up with me even though he didn't have to be anywhere anytime soon. During my quiet time I was trying to remember what God promises about meeting with him in the morning. I was still falling asleep. What am I going to do?!

More on what's going on down here later.

My excuses

We had a visitor over the last couple of days, so that's why I didn't write. Cara, Nate's sister, came to stay with us from Wednesday to Thursday. Cara, Nate, Joy (Nate and Cara's mom), and I headed down to my school Wednesday afternoon to finally get all the boxes out of Sydney and the apartment. They were so helpful and I appreciated it so much.

Wednesday night Cara, Nate, and I had burgers on the grill (after a few casualties--the grill claimed part of our burgers), then Nate cleaned up dinner (I put that one in there because he was so wonderful to do that for us), then the three of us went to Jamba Juice for smoothies and came back here to play Fast Scrabble. I love that game and so did Cara--we played four games of it! Very fun. Cara tested out our new blow-up twin mattress that night too.

On Thursday Nate went to work and Cara and I went back to the school. She was very helpful with setting up my classroom. It's starting to look like a real, working classroom now. I can't believe I'll be teaching kids in there in less than two weeks! Yikes!

The doings of my husband

I thought I'd let you know how proud I am of Nate. Lately he's been working on this program that records where other programs are spending their time and how much time they are spending there. He has come up with multiple good ideas for working his way through the bugs of the program. He and some other people in his department who are part of this project will be heading to New Mexico to Los Alamos Nat'l Laboratories in October for a conference. He's doing a good job at his work. Nate's also been reading, playing FInal Fantasy IX, programming, and spending time with me trying to make me smile and forget my homesickness.

Random messages to people

Gram: Sorry I haven't written in a couple of days. I'm still doing fine down here in Texas. I promise to catch up on my writing now. :)

Kortnie: I'm impressed with you and Lisa's planning for the Colorado trip. I wish I was coming too! :(

Lisa: Work that rotator cuff! :)

Kortnie: You are going to be a wonderful roommate for Lisa. Just make sure not to turn off her alarm for her in the morning. ;) Make sure you guys have a guaranteed night out once a week too--that was always something I looked forward to with Lisa--every Wednesday (okay and every Thursday too--can you say "Qdoba" *in sing-song voice*)

Lisa and Kortnie: I wish I could be there for Coast Guard--enjoy the fireworks for me. I just wish I could be with you guys period. I miss you so much!

Nate: I love you. Oh and work that rotator cuff!