Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Education & Technology Quotes

While writing my thesis, I came across this slideshow of quotes. Enjoy! Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The one with the twins (nope.... not mine)

This past week and a half has been challenging for a friend of mine. Bethany who was pregnant with twins went into labor on Tuesday. She was either 28 or 29 weeks along. We knew that the twins would come early, but everyone was hoping they would grow to at least 32 weeks. Anyways, they were born on December 1, 2009. They are two twin boys, Jaxon and Miles. Jaxon is 3lbs 1oz and Miles is 2lbs 6oz. Jaxon is on feeding tubes and oxygen and doing okay with the circumstances. Miles is not doing as well. He is having challenges with his esophagus and his aorta. He will have to have surgery in the near future. Bethany and Drew are holding up, but I am sure more they are more tired and worried than they let on. Please keep them all in your prayers. Not being a parent yet, I can only imagine what they are going through right now. All the emotions of being a first time parent, with two babies fighting to grow, cannot be an easy thing at all. They have been in the hospital for about two weeks now and we all know that hospitals are not fun. No matter if they have a private room or not, hospitals are not pleasant places. I know they are struggling to adjust, but will pull through for their children. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

The one with a lot of stuff

I made it to my first real break from work. It was a struggle for those last few days, but 5 days to myself is much needed. Not that I am counting or anything, but when we start back on Monday we will only have 15 days before break. I think I can make it!
Wednesday: I started the day with a wonderful haircut with color from Meghan. Then I met up with her mom, Penny, to get some things at Target, grab some lunch and then visit our friend Bethany in the hospital. Bethany is 7 months pregnant and on strict bed-rest. Unfortunately, she started having contractions and is in the hospital for the 4th time. As we would find out later, she is now there until she gives birth. We are hoping and praying that she can hold on a little longer hopefully to 32 weeks. Bethany is pregnant with twin boys, Jaxon and Miles.

Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! This year Scott and I decided to stay home for Thanksgiving. We had planned on going to Bethany and Drew’s for dinner, but as you just read, she was in the hospital. Instead we cooked Cornish game hens, asparagus and cheesy, garlic mashed potatoes. As much as we would have liked going to see family, the both of us really needed a vacation. When we visit our families it becomes either a long day of driving and eating or we stay over, don’t sleep well then have to drive home the next day extremely tired. We spend the next day recovering and then only have one day to relax. It has been a wonderfully relaxing few days.

Friday: My first official BLACK FRIDAY!! I am typing this, so that must mean I survived. I was going to go with my friend Cassiopeia, but she wasn’t feeling well. I switched plans and called Meghan and Penny. I was able to join them. I headed over to Parkway Plaza to meet them at 7. The mall was not that crowded. I did not have to fight for a parking spot and it was fairly light inside too. We were able to go to several stores and found lots of great deals. I think I bought out Bath and Body Works. After the mall we headed to Kohl’s. Kohl’s was incredibly crowded! If I wasn’t there with Penny and Meghan I would have left without buying anything. We waited in line for an hour to get to the checkout line! Boy were we tired after that.

Saturday: I woke up to pouring rain outside! It has been raining on and off all day. I wish it were like this all the time in the winter. I went out to Michaels this morning to get some frames for our new engagement pictures and some other wedding stuff.
For the rest of December I am going to be gathering articles and writing my thesis. My last master’s class is this month! I will be done December 17th! How exciting!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The one with the retirement party and turning 60


Future father in-law celebrating retirement and turning 60!

Scott's Grandfather carved these symbols.

We got this cake from the same place that is making our wedding cake. It was delicious.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The one with the day off!

Yes!!!!! I have tomorrow off!!! YAY for a weekend day in the middle of the week!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Friday, October 30, 2009

The one with the food tasting

Last Sunday we went food tasting at Wiens for our wedding. They have a new caterer so once a month they have a food tasting of appetizers, then a multi-course meal. We were in the Barrel Room, where our rehearsal dinner will be. It was beautiful and gave us some good ideas for what we want and how the set up will be. The food was amazing! We were so stuffed we almost didn't make it through. We started with appetizers which included Casmere chicken (amazing), shrimp taquitos, duck dumplings with a hibiscus sauce, mini cheese burgers with bacon, and some other food I can't remember at the moment. Then we sat down for the meal and sat next to on of the owners, Dave and Leslie Wiens. We enjoyed three salads, a citrus one with a mint cilantro dressing, mixed greens with figs and spinch with a basil/champagne dressing. For the courses we had a mini 12 cheese mac and cheese (beats Kraft!), dirty rice/risotto with sausage and baked cod (cod was amazing), nutty chicken, mashed potatoes, and tri-tip (cooked perfectly...but WAY to rare for Lisa:-)). Then for desert we had a very odd concoction that we are still not sure we liked...or did not like...it had a texture simlar to a thick pudding or soft cheese. It was flavored with prickly pear, a hint of coconut and cardamom. It wasn't bad, it wasn't great...just puzzling. Oh...we also had LOTS of wine of course...we also started with a bottle while we waited outside for the dinner to start. It was a perfect night for sipping wine on the patio.  Here are some pictures!






Saturday, October 17, 2009

The one with the race and the registry

Last weekend we went to the NASCAR race at Fontana. Of course we were cheering for #48 Jimmie Johnson! He, of course, won!!! It was an awesome race to see; especially with our driver doing awesome! We stayed Saturday night at Scott's parents house. We went out to look at wedding things. We were able to find some ideas for invitations, but we are not sure what we are going with yet. We went out to dinner then tried out the new deluxe margarita maker! Wow...what an amazing machine! Overall it was a great weekend!

This weekend we started our registry at Bed Bath and Beyond. We spent about 2 hours in the store figuring out what we liked and needed. We still have some decisions to make, but we were quite tired and decided to do more later. Tomorrow we are meeting with a possible DJ.
















Friday, September 25, 2009

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The one with the engagement pictures

Last Sunday, we went up to Wiens Winery for our engagement session. We were both quite nervous because we do not usually take good pictures. Once we had a glass of wine and relaxed a bit, the pictures seemed to go really well. We get them in 10 days or so and are very excited to see them. We also finished our save the dates..designed them ourselves and printed courtesy of my dad! They are beautiful and will be sent out soon.

As for school....its been really busy as one would expect the beginning of the year to be. So we are in the fourth week of school and we are just finishing up CELDT testing and other ELL and resource tests for placement purposes. Last week, I got one student from another class, this week I got one student from another school Monday, two new students from other districts on Tuesday and I get 7 more...yes 7, transfers from other classes tomorrow. So it is almost like starting the year over. In both my classes I am gaining almost a 1/3 more students...yikes!!! I was spoiled with my smaller class size. Oh well...nothing I can do about it.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

The one with Mission San Juan Capistrano

Today we took a day trip to Mission San Juan Capistrano. We started with lunch at El Adobe then headed to the mission. We used the walking tour headsets and learned all about the mission. It had been a while since both of us had been, so it was nice to see what had changed. It was such a beautiful day and did not get too hot until we were ready to leave. There was a lot of traffic, but we made it home safe and sound!
Here are some highlights:

Thursday, September 3, 2009

The one with the Update

Wow, I thought it had been a week since I posted, but it has been much, much longer. I am currently working at Emerald Middle School in El Cajon. I am teaching 6th grade English and History and a creative writing elective (which is now the school newspaper). I am completely exhausted, my feet ache and its just been a busy two weeks. I hope the three day weekend will help. Anyways, I will post some pictures and update more over the weekend.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

The one with the Sushi

I forgot to post this, but last weekend we made sushi. We used to make it more than we do now because it does take a lot of time. We decided to try some new things this time so we tried using seared tuna, shrimp and scallops. We made several rolls with lots of veggies. Our spicy tuna turned out amazing! I tried making a dynamite roll, which was okay, but I put too much spicy mayo on top. We also tried doing cucumber wrapped rolls which were excellent!







Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The one with the job and more!

The wait is over! I signed a contract for a full time position as a 6th grade language arts teacher at Emerald Middle School in El Cajon. I will be working with my previous principal!! Also, in talking to one of my friends I realized that all the schools I have taught at are off the same road! It must be lucky! So we have 11 days until school starts, at least one professional development day, two all day staff meetings, and I have to set up a classroom. Hmm...what should a middle school classroom look like? I am guessing I won't need cute name tags for the seats or a prize box of stickers, pencils and erasers. So much to do!

I also went to see an allergist today. I was quite pleased with the way it went. Dr. Pauls asked lots of questions and was quite helpful. I am being tested for a gluten allergy, milk allergy, all common food allergies, and some other stuff to. They took most of my blood, so I hope that something comes of the tests. Unfortunately, these tests can often come up with false negatives or false positives, so if that is the case, strict food diets are in my future. I just hope after 25 years of this problem someone can help figure this out!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

The one with Bon Appetit

Today Scott and I went to see Julie and Julia. I have gone to see several of Scott's movies, so it was time he went to see one I wanted to see. A line was actually forming outside the theater so I got in line while Scott got popcorn and a soda. Once I got to my seat I was thinking that some Reeses Pieces sounded good. Although I know I don't need them, a sweet treat sounded good. I didn't want to go back down and lose our seats. Scott came in and guess what he actually bought some Reeses Pieces! I didn't even ask or mention it! Wow..we must really be in sync today. We each had a few and will save the rest for dessert this week. Despite some of Scott's comments during the movie, we both enjoyed it. I have never seen so many elderly people in a theater. WOW! It was funny to listen to them talk about how dark it was in the theater before and during the movie. One group of old people at least 70+ I would say sat in the row in front of us. One lady walked all the way to the end by the wall and sat down. Her husband was getting help walking from what I assumed to be his son. He kept telling him to walk down the isle and sit next to his wife. The old guy responded with "I've known her for 65 years, why do i have to sit next to her? Can't I sit next to someone else, I already know her!" I found this to be quite hilarious. However, no one in his group laughed. As for the movie, I thought the stories were very well paralleled. I also believe I have never seen so much butter in my life. Coming from a person who doesn't EVER use butter (well maybe in brownies)...or like it, I don't know what that says, but if you need suggestions on other ways to flavor food besides butter and salt, just ask! From the foodie inside me, Bon Appetit!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

The one with the complaint

We are having a lot of trouble finding a photographer that isnt outrageously priced and still gives us something for the money we are paying. So far we really like Ashcraft photography but they are REALLY expensive and you don't get much for the money. I think it is ridiculous for people to charge so much extra because its a wedding. AHHH!! We have found a few others in San Diego, but the problem is there is usually a travel fee to go to Temecula. I never knew finding a photographer would be so difficult.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The one with the vegtables

About a week ago we decided to make veggies for dinner. So we grilled bell peppers, anaheim peppers, jalapenos, onions, tomatillos and potatoes. We also had a barbequed tofu! Here are the pictures...

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The one with the vendors

This weekend we started meeting with vendors for our wedding. We met with two photographers, Ashcraft Photography and Brian David Photography. Ashcraft matched our personality better than Brian David. I felt that if we chose Brian David that I would not be able to get the photos I want, or be able to say no to something on the wedding day. His wife was a very bubbly person and I don't think we meshed as well as I would like. Ashcraft was a better match for us. Although my parents feel he is too "artsy" we think we will have beautiful photos that capture us. That being said, we haven't made any decisions yet. Monday I went to meet with Sweet Flowers with my future mother in law. We created our flowers and worked through the ceremony and reception details. We then went to lunch and got to catch up!

Friday, July 31, 2009

The one with the Dress Saga Completed

I have a dress! I love it! Its "the one!" After trying on approx 50 dresses, I finally decided! Yay!..Pictures to come April 17, 2010

Saturday, July 25, 2009

The one with the Dress Saga Continued

After trying on dresses at David's Bridal with several of my friends. I still wasn't satisfied with what I was finding. I did find two i like, but it wasn't the "i love it" feeling. So after being depressed about the experience, I was trying to figure out what to do next. Friday afternoon i decided to take an impromptu trip to Alfred Angelo with Cassiopeia. We went in and were immediately greeted by the owner. The gentleman who helped us out was wonderful. He listened to what i said, offered suggestions and brought me dresses to try on that fit what i was liking. He also informed us that we can have straps added to originally strapless dresses. There was a girl trying on a dress next to me that I liked and it was strapless. I discounted it at first but ended up trying it on and loved it! I also found out I like trains that are separate from the dress. The entire experience was great, the lighting in the store was much better for pictures and I felt like i got things accomplished. Today, Cassiopeia and I were looking at dress pictures on the Alfred Angelo website and looked at a dress i had looked at before, but discounted because of the spaghetti straps, and guess what it was the one i really liked!! How interesting...maybe that is the dress for me!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

The one with the Wedding Dresses

Yesterday I went with my wonderful friends, Penny, Bethany, Khalielah (and her baby Mahalia), and one of my bridesmaids, Cassiopeia, to try on wedding dresses. We went to David's Bridal in Mission Valley and had a much better experience than at the La Mesa location. I tried on several dresses and definitely figured out some things that worked and some that did not work. It was a lot of fun putting the dresses on and getting feedback. When I came out of the dressing room Mahalia always had something to say, it was as if she was telling if the dress was good or not so good. She was very cute. I did learn a few things though. First, you have to leave the dress on longer than you think. Second, they need to put a mirror in the dressing rooms so the bride can see herself before going out. Third, bring every style of bra you own, and get some more, because the one they give you does not always work. I was a little sad with how the pictures turned out. I think the lighting in David's Bridal is just not flattering. Cassiopeia did her best, but the atmosphere does not cater to the "amazing photo" i am looking for. One of the two dresses that I really liked did not look good in the photographs. So now i am trying to figure out if it is the dress or just the photograph. hmmm.... After trying on dresses we went across the parking lot to Mimi's. Overall it was a good day!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The one at Lake Arrowhead

Our family was celebrating my Grandmother's 80th birthday at Lake ArrowheadThe view...and a storm coming in
The House!

We were able to get almost our entire family together from across the country. Although we were not all there at the same time, most of us were there on Saturday for a big dinner celebration. Scott and I drove up on Friday. We were able to use our bike rack for the first time and loaded our bikes on the back of our car. We were a little scared having them on for the first time, but it worked out just fine. Scott said they felt like a sail on the back of the car. Friday night we walked into the village and got some ice cream. They had Scott's favorite, blue bubble-gum! What a little kid inside! I had kona coffee and espresso chip...got to have my coffee fix! We were hoping that when we got back to the house it would have cooled off, but it was still very, very hot (did i mention there was no air conditioning or ceiling fans). Unfortunately, we were also given the hottest room in the house. We debated sleeping outside or in sleeping bags downstairs, but we ended up just sleeping on top the beds. It did not cool off until about 3am. Saturday morning we had planned to go on a bike ride around Lake Gregory in Crestline. We headed out and found a good spot at the lake. We rode for about 15 min. or so and then Scott got a flat tire. We had bought some things that are supposed to keep the tired inflated or help once you patch it, but unfortunately this whole was not repairable. So we had to walk the bikes back a little ways and Scott rode my bike back to get the car.


Tire tubes should be inside the tire

We loaded everything back up and headed back to the house. When we got to the house, most everyone was already there so we visited and shared our wedding updates with everyone. After dinner and cake we packed up and headed down the mountain. It was a very hot, humid weekend, but we made the best of it.
For more pictures go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/SarahMaltese/LakeArrowheadWeekend?feat=directlink