Merica

Upon return to the US of A lots and very little has happened in my life at the same time. I've determined it would be best to just retire early so I've been living a blissful life by living at home with my mother and being retired. I'm looking in to getting a motorized scooter for getting around town since I don't have a car. When I snap back in to reality I email my resume to a million people in Asia hoping that one of them will want me to come teach their children. Its slightly a shot in the dark but after traveling around Europe all I want to do is continue seeing the world.

As part of my retirement stent I came to visit my sister in California. What a perfect way to be retired. Deciding if I would rather spend the day at the beach or by the pool. It was also very exciting that I was lucky enough to be invited to the Cars Land premier in California Adventure...Everyone should probably go meet Mater and Lighting McQueen ASAP.

In my spare time I've been on pinterest an ample amount of time as well. I'm fully prepared to have the worlds cutest classroom if someone would just hire me.

From the one and only Rachel...I leave you with this, "Bees fly approximately 10 to 15 miles per hour and visit about 50-100 flowers in each pollination trip. To produce one pound of honey, honey bees must visit two million flowers and fly 55,000 miles. If they can do that I can do anything." Thank you dear...you're so right. We can do anything!

EVERYTHING

The boys and I have been traveling lots recently!!! After we got home from a wonderful (and yet very sun burnt) week in Turkey we taught for 4 days and then had teacher conferences. It was a pleasant day in our classroom. All of our conferences were very positive and all of the parents left happy...you always have to keep the people happy :)
Last weekend we jumped on an airplane and headed to Oslo, the capital of Norway. Paul has a good friend who is living there and he was nice enough to let us stay with him! We toured the city, watched plenty of European Football and tryed some of the local beer selection, of course!!!
We arrived home on Monday evening and went straight to bed as the day ahead of us was a BIG one!!!
Michael and I, with our cooperating teachers (the amazing Monica and Carol) took our two classes to the Speyer Sea Life Aquarium. Monica had everything planned to a "T" but it was still a big day! We didn't want Paul to miss out on the "fun" so we drug him along to chaperone some of our special friends :)
We made it home without anyone falling in a fish tank or being lost on the way!!!...huge accomplishment with our class!
We've got busy things going on at school this week and the weekend has more in store! Paul and I are going to Paris on a bus...only a 9 hour bus ride...no biggey! While Michael is running the Heidelberg half marathon....best of luck to the boy!!!
Only two more days of teaching the firsties :( Its quite sad actually...I'm really not ready to come home quite yet.
See you all soon though!!! Its been amazing and something I will never forget.
Thank you so much to everyone who I've met in Deutschland! I will miss you all dearly!
Thanks for making this my home!!!!!

Spring Break!!

I honestly was unsure that I would make it to this day! Finishing up the TPA was nearly the death of me...it shouldn't have been but it was just so difficult to stay in and work when there was warm German sun shining through the window! But, I FINISHED, finally so that is a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.
Today was a teacher work day at PHES. It is so weird to walk around school on days like these. A little bittersweet I would say. The peace a quiet was much appreciated but I do miss those little people.
Carol and I got right to work at school today. We put our sign on the door that says its difficult for us to focus so we need people to come back later to chat. It worked well again this time! (It was our second use) I am teaching and planning the last two weeks that I am in Germany so I got the majority of that planned and ready to go. We will be learning about plants, growing plants for mother's day, making crafts, reading lots, practicing for our class' spring music performance, learning all about sea life and heading to the Sea Life aquarium in a neighboring town. Its going to be a whirl wind last two weeks!!! The fact that the time will fly by will make me sad. I've made such amazing friends, mentors and hopefully colleagues, some day. It will be difficult to say goodbye to this place. But all good things must come to an end...I guess. I'm certain I will return some day. And now that my TPA is finished I can focus on my DoDDS application and searching for jobs in the states as well.
We are heading to the Turkish rivera in the morning! A week at an all inclusive resort, beach side is exactly what I need right about now! Pictures will be included soon.
Here's to an endless supply of food and drinks for the next week :) Next time you hear from me I will be so fat and happy!!!

Monday...Monday

Another week is about to be underway here at Patrick Henry. We just switched our clocks for daylight savings time this past weekend so it was tough to get up this morning!
This past weekend we ventured to Gruyeres, Switzerland. It was a perfect little Swiss town nestled at the base of the Alps with a Castle on the hill. Picture perfect! Our first stop was at the first Swiss chocolate factory. We went through a tour on the history and making of chocolate and then went an all you can eat chocolate bar! It sounds like heaven until you get about 2/3 of the way around. I was about to bust with chocolate! Next we moved on to a Gruyeres cheese making factory and tour. That place was the true definition of stinky cheese! Needless, to stay we didn't stay long there. I thought the stench would be forever engrained in my nose! The rest of the day was spent in the fresh Swiss air walking through the hills, having a picnic with the boys and buying a few postcards.
This is yet another busy week in Germany. I have almost all of my TPA writing finished! I just need to scan all of the student work in and finish up a few last questions. It will be a huge weight lifted once we finish that. We are heading downtown one night, to a teacher's house for our usual Wednesday home cooked dinner (a lifesaver for getting through the week!!) and Friday we are heading to Munich for the weekend!
Its a bit strange to have this feeling but I actually miss that little Pullman town!

La-la-la-la

While teaching first grade I've noticed you do a lot of talking and giving directions and hardly any contemplation of life. Therefore, I come home and that seems to be all I want to think about.

Adventures in Deutchland

So the adventures just keep on coming! Over the past few weeks we've been to the Black Forest, seen a play and toured Frankfurt, visited an Easter Egg Market and spent St Patricks Day downtown Heidelberg.
We have been so busy between keeping up with school work and going places on the weekend that our time here just seems to fly by. I can't believe that there is just less than 6 weeks left over here in this fantastic place. So sad to leave but never fear!!....I've done some research on teaching for the Department of Defense! Who knows if I would get hired but its worth a shot!
Here are some pictures that detail our past adventures!

Singing at the bar on post...very similar to the bars found in the back woods of Idaho!...I felt at home

Favorite place to shop...oh wait...its the only place! Still some great times have been had at this tax free fun house!!

Irish drinking quotes to make our night complete!

Irish potatoes made by our lovely firsties!

These last few weeks have been crazy but I wouldn't change a thing! Here is to 4 more weeks in Germany and a week in Turkey. Not sure I'm ready for the "countdown" to be this small!!!

Another week at PHV comes to a close!

We've made it through another week! It was, of course, a very amusing week yet again! They are always surprising me with new sayings and ridiculous antics!
The majority of our weekends are filling up quickly as I look at the rest of the semester.
This weekend we are going to the English Theatre in Frankfurt to see Tommy which features all songs from The Who.
The following weekend is a tentative trip to Amsterdam.
March 23rd is a big day....I will be 22. Quite the exciting day! To celebrate we are heading to a Chocolate and Cheese tour in Switzerland!
Rounding out our traveling adventures is a week long, all inclusive trip to the Turkish Rivera!
Can't wait to see what these next weeks hold. Now if only I could channel my travel bug energy in to finishing up this dang TPA!!