New Year

Finally getting around to posting again....

This New Year's Eve was spent similar to last year.  We went over to friends house.  We played games.  Then we came back here to watch the fireworks from our rooftop.  It was very cool in my opinion.  We could literally see fireworks all around us.  Our heads were spinning trying to catch everything that happened.  The restaurant across the street from us did not do anything this year.  I still dont know how I feel about that.  It was nice because it was MUCH quieter.  But not nice because they were soooo close and sooooo cool.  We enjoyed the festivities for sure.  I later (12 hours later) skyped with my family during the countdown on the east coast, so I am proud to say that I celebrated the new year twice!

In my Bible study we talked briefly about our goals for the year.  I decided I should share mine in efforts to make them happen for real.... (I am well aware that some are way to vague and broad, but I tried to make some attainable and realistic too!)  Also they are in no particular order.

-  Be intentional about relationships
-  Spend quality time with family and friends
-  Cook more dinners/Try new recipes
-  Travel (to the beach, Malaysia, and America)
-  Finish this school year to the best of my abilities
-  Be more specifically encouraging to my students - not just "keep going" "you're doing great"
-  Get organized
-  Blog more - new goal, twice a month....
-  Be more budget conscious & Save
-  Read 15 books.  (I read at least 17 this year, but more than half of them were from my class library...)


okay thats all I have for now.  I would love to hear about your goals for the new year!

This week was quite eventful.  We all started back to school.  And we all got hair cuts.  Sorry for the poor quality, but here is what we all look like now!!

Recap Nov. & Dec.

In attempt to get back into blogging let me go back and share some things that have happened.  I do hope to be better at blogging in the future ;)

Thanksgiving was a great day.  We did have school all day.  Friday was a teacher development day, so no kids but had to go to meetings.  After that Moe and I went to a friends house for Thanksgiving meal. There were 3 couples there.  I made mashed potatoes and corn and we cut up veggies.  I had not ever cooked for that many people before so I had no idea how much to make.  PLUS we had to ride the motorbike.  So it was interesting to say the least.  We are getting very good at being resourceful!  Anyway, dinner was wonderful.  We enjoyed our time for sure!!

Christmas was great as well.  Moe and I both had 2.5 weeks off of school.  We spent a great deal of time relaxing and spending time together. Christmas Eve we watched a movie together and pizza for dinner at our favorite place.  I went to a candle light Christmas Eve service at 11pm with a friend.  It was very nice.  Christmas day we pretended that we were home and everything was closed.  We slept in a little.  Then made French toast and bacon for breakfast.  We took naps, skyped with family, opened presents, and made dinner together.  We made barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn.  It was wonderful.  We enjoyed our holiday.  Hopefully here is a link to look at some pictures.  Christmas images  (included in there are my doors from school.  I love to decorate for the holidays!!)

Also we got a handful of gifts from our family.  We are truly blessed by those of you who sent us things.  Thank you so much.  While we can get many things here, it is such a treat to get a box at school full of goodies!

Overall we had a wonderful holiday break.  We enjoyed not doing much and spending time together.  I however am ready and excited to get back to routine and to school!!

I trust you all had a wonderful holiday as well.  Love and miss you!

3-D Art Museum - Art in Paradise

One of the adventures Moe and I went on during the week off was to Art in Paradise, the 3-D art exhibit.  We had a blast.  Moe is much better at the photo taking ideas though!!

excuse my finger.. But this is the entrance to the museum. 

first room.  

scary sharks

Finally scuba diving.

Moe swimming

Chatting with penguins

beautiful giraffes 

surfing...in jeans.

elephants :)

Moe playing cards

shepherd woman with an iphone???

Moe taking wine 

riding a gondola in Italy... some day!!

crossing a bridge

waiting for the next exhibit and enjoying our time exploring

Moe flying!

Moe falling down the wall

hiding in a sand timer thing

riding on a magic carpet

puppet Moe

My head itched

Moe was afraid

Ive always wanted to be on a magazine for best smile :)

Moe on a magazine not falling off a cliff

jumping over lava

running from dinosaurs

long neck dinosaurs

Moe

just painting the walls.

We had a great time.  Thankfully we got the local price because we tried to speak Thai to them! It was fun and surprisingly very busy.  I'm glad we went.  What fun!

The rest of our break was spent lounging.  Moe had class and a soccer tournament. I went with him to a couple of games when the weather was nice, and gladly stayed home when it was raining!  We went shopping and out to restaurants that we had not been to in a while.  We slept in and cuddled with Chico.  It was a great break, but honestly, I am ready to get back to work! There are so many things to do!!

New restaurant adventures!

October break is a beautiful thing. Whoever thought that up was genius! I love having a week off, especially after parent-teacher conferences.

Anyway, I enjoyed lunch with a friend one day.  We went to a restaurant called Sausage King!

The restaurant was beautiful.  All outside covered seating, with beautiful flowers surrounding. 

Here is the "inside" part. and the bar.

My meal of beef stew... the mashed potatoes but the stew was wonderful!!

Friend's meal: burger and fries. 

Also there were chickens.... everywhere.

It was a great restaurant.  I can't wait to take Moe there.  Food of all kinds: western, Thai, Indian, and more.  This will definitely be added to our list of restaurants!  Welcome to the world of Thai style restaurants.

Boasting on my weekend

I had a SUPER productive weekend!!! I thought I would share.

Friday I took my volleyball players out to ice cream to celebrate our short season. It was fun.  I got back to school excited to get some work done.  I ended up taking a bunch of work home.

When I got home however, I was hit with exhaustion.  I took a nap, made dinner, and was exhausted again by 7, thinking it was 9 or 10!!  I was cranky too....just ask Moe.  We argued a little and he sent me to bed! I gladly went to bed early.  Before I turned out the light I finished reading the book I am reading out loud to my students.  Is it weird that I get excited to read books made for kids?

I slept then for 11 hours!!!!! I woke up in time to skype with a friend. Then I skyped with my momma!

The rest of Saturday and Sunday contained:
-  Planning meals for the week
-  Grocery shopping at 2 grocery stores
-  Printing resources for school (LOTS AND LOTS!!!)
-  Cutting resources for school
-  Buying headphones so Moe doesnt get mad at me!
-  Making dinners
-  Going to church
-  Making things for school
-  Beginning report cards EARLY!!
-  Grading some autobiographies
-  Playing with the puppy
-  Napping
-  Finishing a grown up book
-  Buying a new keyboard for my computer

I think that is about covers it.  With that I am going to bed!

Trip to the zoo

Life has been quite busy recently.  Volleyball and school have kept me quite busy.  This week I had practice Monday and Wednesday.  Tuesday I worked late. Thursday we had late dinner with friends. Friday I had 3 volleyball games after school.  I have been working 10 hour days this week... and I am EXHAUSTED!!

I slept for 11 hours Friday night, which was beautiful. I even took a nap later on the afternoon. And still went to bed at a decent time! haha. I still love my sleep :)

Anyway, Saturday we had the privilege of going to the zoo, for the first time, with friends.  Zoos here do not have as many rules, or at least enforced rules, as in America.  We were able to get close, put our hands through cages, feed animals, pet animals, and walk all over the crazily placed exhibits.  My pictures do not reveal everything we saw.  We saw deer, crocodiles, turtles, and other things that I did not take pictures of.  Sadly we did not get to see the giraffes :( We did see lots of monkeys though so Moe was very happy!

Cute little family

PENGUINS!!!

I thought this one was giving a speech...so cute!

friends feeding the penguins!

feeding the penguins from the outside...they were too full for us to go inside

See the one swimming away after getting food

Baby elephant!!

Friends feeding elephants

photo with elephants

More monkeys. 

Moe hit this one in the head throwing bananas at them.  He did catch one though and eat it!!

Moe feeding the orangutan...he was very happy 

Orangutan eating the banana that was thrown!

After the zoo we went and had delicious Japanese food for lunch.  Then Moe and I went to the export store and I was able to buy pants that fit me for the first time in over a year.  I am pumped.  Sadly I only found one pair in the styles that I wanted so I guess I will have to go back again and look for more!!

Overall it was a wonderful day. Today, Sunday, I have work for school to do. I want to cook dinner to have some leftovers for lunches. I hope to keep it a relaxing but productive day! It has already started that way by watching the Buckeyes!!!!!!! Go Bucks!

School has begun

School is in full swing for both Moe and I.  Moe has officially started his masters classes.  He has class 3 times a week for 3 hours a day.  He is enjoying getting to know his classmates and his professors.  I love seeing him excited about it and talking about what he wants to do.  He is truly a blessing to me.

I am almost done with week 2 of my second year of teaching.  I can hardly believe it.  It is going very well and I am very pleased with things so far. I hope it only continues to improve.  I feel so much more prepared and capable this year.  Last year every event and unit and lesson and everything was new. It is so much more enjoyable when you have some what of an idea of whats going on!

I have also begun coaching volleyball. I am coaching the Co-Ed Middle School Volleyball team.  We have 21 students on the team, so it is a bit of a challenge.  Also, we do all of our practices outside, though we play our games inside.  And we practice twice a week with one of those practices being a game day.  Sports in Thailand, or at least at the international schools of Chiang Mai, is so so SO very different for me!  I am truly enjoying it though.  Hopefully the students are too!

Well thats all I really have for you.  Other than being busy with school not much else new is happening. I am dead tired after practice today so I am going to bed early.  I thought I would share this video with you. Some of you might enjoy it more than others :)