Sarah and Scott

The one with the updates

2010-02-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last updated. I actually can't believe that it has been over a month. However, with the wedding less than three months away we have been spending most weekends either meeting with our parents or planning on our own. We booked our honeymoon a few weeks ago. We will be going on a tour of Italy. We have never been to Europe, so we are really looking forward to it. We will be leaving June 24th and coming back July 3rd.

I have been nominated to attend 6th grade camp. I am somewhat looking forward to it, but I don't really want to make 4 days worth of sub plans. Several of my kids are going and they seemed happy that I was going so I think it will be a good few days.

This past week has been extremely busy. I haven't been able to get home before 530 everyday. I am glad I have a three day weekend. However, I am pretty much booked for the entire time. Hopefully, I will find sometime for relaxation.

The one with the large purchases in 2010

2010-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2010 is going to be a very big year for us. Actually, it already has been a big year for us and it has only been 2 days! New Year’s Day we decided to pick out our wedding bands. We have had this on our “to-do list” for a while so it was nice to get it taken care of. I went into looking for wedding bands thinking that it would take quite a while for us to pick things out. Boy was I wrong. I think we were in the store for about 30 minutes. We walked in, looked at rings for Scott and he found the one he liked pretty quickly. I told the lady what I was looking for and she found a few that were similar. I found one I liked and that was that. We know have wedding bands and so ends Jan. 1.

January 2nd was another BIG day for us. We have been looking at cars for a while, and decided it was time to go test drive. We had no idea what kind of day we were in for. We left the house at 1230 and went to our credit union to find out about getting a loan. We ended up having to open a joint checking account (which we were planning to do eventually). Then we were approved for our loan. We went to Ford to try out the Escape; it was now 2 o’clock. Before we left home, we had printed out an ideal car with all the things we wanted. We took a test drive and really liked driving the Escape. We sat down to discuss finances and finding a car that was similar to the one we wanted. We checked several different styles both new and old. We really wanted black interior and a steel gray color outside. We could not find one that was like this with the other things we wanted. (Apparently, people like the tan interior better) We looked at some used cars on the lot, but again we didn’t see what we were really hoping for. We found a car that was a silver-bluish-gray color (much lighter than we wanted), but had black interior and was about 10,000 less than the new car. It was in great condition. I was not as happy with it as Scott was, but eventually we determined that this was the car we were going to buy. I was still torn as too whether or not this was the right choice, but the two things I wanted were the dark outside and dark inside colors. I got one of the two and the price was much better than building a car ourselves. So in the long run we made the right decision.

So now it’s about 330. We are thinking that it will probably take about an hour or two at most to get everything finalized. We were in for a real surprise. After filling out lots of paperwork…unfortunately a few pages we had to fill out again (minor technicality since we are not yet married). We sat, and sat, and then sat some more. While waiting we were texting the parents, making some wedding plans and updating facebook. Around 6 or so we were finally called back to meet with the finance person who was going to go over all our paperwork….almost the home stretch. The lady was very helpful and went over our mountain of paperwork. We signed, and signed and signed….oh and then we signed some more…wait until we get a house…however rumor has it that cars are more paperwork…I’ll have to ask Matt…who just bought a house! So after signing everything we went to visit “Stevo.” Stevo looked and sounded like a car salesman out of the 1940’s or 50’s. Anyways, he gave us the keys, showed us the ins and outs of the car and sent us on our way.

We said good-bye to my little red car. It was a good little car. On Wednesday I filled up my tank with a 25$ gift card and this tank of gas drove me to and from my parents in Indio and then around town. I think the mileage was 375 or so and I probably had about 4 gallons left…such a good car. The highest mileage on a tank of gas that I can remember was 470 or so. I planned it right by not having to pay for that tank of gas and we got the first tank of gas in the new car free! I have high hopes that this new car will be fuel efficient, but I am pretty sure I will be a little disappointed.

We finally left the dealership around 730. We had not had much to eat and were in need of food and water. We decided to go to a sushi place by our house. Unfortunately, it was closed. So we went to another sushi place which had a 45 minute wait…ugh! So we settled on Sammy’s Woodfired pizza next door. While waiting to order a huge sundae was brought to another table. We decided we should celebrate with one too. But buy the end of the meal we decided that we would just go to Vons and get some ice cream, which in the long run will be cheaper, last longer and be less fat and calories. It was delicious! We got home around 930…what a long day. It felt like we had spent the day at Disneyland. It really wore us out.

Today is a new day…what large purchase should we make today?

The one at Disneyland

2009-12-22T12:19:00.000-08:00

Education & Technology Quotes

2009-12-06T15:18:00.001-08:00

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

Education & Technology Quotes

View more presentations from Tony Vincent.

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

2009-12-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

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.

The one with a lot of stuff

2009-11-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

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!

The one with the retirement party and turning 60

2009-11-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

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.

The one with the day off!

2009-11-10T20:23:00.001-08:00

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

The one with the Pirate Ship

2009-10-31T20:49:00.000-07:00

We made a pirate ship!!!

The one with the food tasting

2009-10-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

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!

The one with the race and the registry

2009-10-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

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.

The one at Ruby's on the Pier

2009-09-25T17:52:00.001-07:00

Last weekends adventure!

The one with the engagement pictures

2009-09-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

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.

The one with Mission San Juan Capistrano

2009-09-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

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:

The one with the Update

2009-09-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

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.

The one with the Sushi

2009-08-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

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!

The one with the job and more!

2009-08-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

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!

The one with Bon Appetit

2009-08-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

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!

The one with the complaint

2009-08-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

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.

The one with the vegtables

2009-08-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

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...

The one with the vendors

2009-08-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

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!

The one with the Dress Saga Completed

2009-07-31T19:16:00.001-07:00

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

The one with the Dress Saga Continued

2009-07-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

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!

The one with the Wedding Dresses

2009-07-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

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!

The one at Lake Arrowhead

2009-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

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

The one at Cafe Coyote

2009-07-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had our McKinney/Ray family reunion dinner at Cafe Coyote in Old Town. (My grandmother's side of the family, she is a Ray) My cousin Laura and her husband Mike and their two kids Kevin and Sean came down for the dinner as well. It was nice to see them becuase we only get to see them a few times a year. Even though they only live an hour away. We also got to visit with my Uncle Ron (Laura's Dad). My dad drove out from Indio, such a long drive for a dinner, but it was great to visit with him for a little while. It was nice to visit with other relatives as well. Next weekend we will be going to Lake Arrowhead to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday.

The one with the vacuum

2009-07-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

We finally bought a new vacuum! We purchased a Dyson 24 and it works great! I vacuumed with our old vacuum a few days ago and then we vacuumed with our new vacuum today. I could not believe how much stuff it picked up! (Gross!) Thanks to 10% off and lots of shower gift cards we were able to get it!

The one on the Bahia Belle

2009-07-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first official night of the McKinney/Ray Reunion. We went on a cocktail crusie around mission bay. The bartender made great drinks...some of the best I have had! I started with a Margarita (of course) then had a Blue Hawaiian (coconut rum, pineapple juice, Blue Curacao). It was DELICIOUS!!! I drank it to fast....so no picture. I highly recommend this to anyone in San Diego! The boat leaves the Bahia and goes to the Catamaran Hotel every 30 min so it is easy to get on and off.

I sometimes can't beleive I live here!

Could it be any better?

The one with Benihana

2009-07-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

Janet and Dave are down for the 4th of July in San Diego! We were able to meet up with them Friday night for dinner at Benihana's. It was so nice to catch up with them and share stories of unemployment! The food was amazing of course, and the knife work of the chef was impressive. We all decided that we need one of those table top grills in our homes one day....and we need sharper knives.

Dave and Scott had Sake Flights:

The four of us....plus Diego the Cat

The one with the surprise weekend

2009-06-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

David and Scott planned a weekend of fun for Cassiopeia and Sarah. We started by heading to Seaport Village for lunch at the Harbor House. Then we walked around all the shops enjoying the beautiful day! David and Scott decided they were going to move the car, which really meant they were going to check in at the hotel. They also ended up walking several blocks to Ralphs to get whipped cream to go with our champagne and strawberries later. (aren't they they best!) We met up again and had a few cocktails on the pier. Then we went to the Manchester Grand Hyatt which would our hotel for the night. What a nice surprise! We rested in the room for a while then got ready for dinner...which turned out to be at NOBU! We walked from our hotel to the restaurant and had some drinks then dinner. Everything was delicious. We had king crab claws, yellowfin with jalapeno, yellow tail with cilantro, black cod with miso, salmon with cilantro and much more. I can't forget we also had Mochi Ice Cream for dessert. It was absolutely amazing! After dinner we went back to the hotel. We went to the "Top of the Hyatt" bar/lounge and had a cheese plate and cocktails...a great ending to the day. After this we went back to the room to have our champagne and strawberries. Sunday morning we woke up and went to breakfast at IHop. What a great weekend of friends, food, drinks and fun! The boys did a great job planning the first of many fun vacations to come! For more pictures of our weekend go to http://sarahmaltese.googlepages.com/ourpictures

The one where I am finished!

2009-06-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

Once it is all said and done, we did an excellent job of becoming a community at Cuyamaca. WE were all there for our kids all the time, worked together and improved constantly. If only we were given a few more years Cuyamaca would have been an excellent school (and i would probably have a job). I don't know what next year will bring, but I know we did our best this year.

I am officially unemployed. I will be filing for unemployment tomorrow. Thank you to those of you who pay your taxes!I couldn't bare to take any pictures of the empty classroom, so instead of imagining what it looks like, take a look at the pictures from the previous post. That is the Cuyamaca Spirit that will be carried to many other Cajon Valley Schools. If my end of the year video was not 16min long, I would post it. I will work on that for anyone who cares to take a look at the Powerful Learning at Cuyamaca.

The one when school's out for summer! insert drum beat

2009-06-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

School is finally out! I really didn't think I was going to make it. The last week is pretty crazy at school, on top of which we are closing our school. Many things were going on from an assembly, end of the year awards, ice cream social (farewell to Cuyamaca), my classes celebration of success party and many other things...like a little bit of academics. Unfortunately, I still do not have a job. I am hopeful that in a few more weeks our district will have a better idea of all the left over jobs available. I am very much itching to get back to the classroom and clean everything out, but I am dreading bringing it home to fill up our already full 2nd bedroom.

Well, I think it is time to start summer. Today I am headed to Kohl's then Scott's parents are coming down for father's day and his mom's birthday celebration. We are going to the fair then to dinner.

The one with the wedding shower

2009-06-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

The social committee at school offered to throw me a shower, even though our wedding is not for 10 months. They were so kind and the shower was wonderful. It was very nice to socialize with everyone and tell the story of Scott and me! We received many nice gifts such as Rubbermaid containers, ice cream maker, lazy susan (one for with sections and one without), water purifier, ice tea maker and some gift cards. here are some of the photos:

The one with the schedule

2009-06-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

We are going to be quite busy over the next few weeks here is a look!

June 8th-Wedding Shower at school

June 13-3 events!
1. lunch with the family and first time to see John since France and probably last time before Christmas
2. Stop by Aunt Tricia's to celebrate cousin Michael's graduation
3. End of the Year/End of Cuyamaca staff party

June 19th-Last Day of School!

June 22th-Start packing my classroom...booo...where is all the stuff going to go?

June 20th-Celebrating Fathers's Day, Lisa's birthday and Scotts' mom's birthday

June 27th- Dave and Scott are planning something

July 4th-Tentative...lots of stuff going on

July 13-20th- Grandma's 80th birthday celebration at Lake Arrowhead (we will most likely be there 16-20th)

Lots of busy weekends. Also during the summer we are planning on picking our florist, photographer, cake, wedding dress, and designing invitations.

The one with the soon to be family

2009-06-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture (courtesy of Lisa) of my soon to be family...well in 10 months and 15days...but really they are family already.

The one where I was rear-ended

2009-05-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

So in the past few weeks a lot of not so good things, and really good things have happened. Here is what I mean. Two weeks ago during the first day of state testing I vomited in class (see blog about this) and was diagnosed with stomach flu (good thing it wasn't swine). I did however make it through everyday of testing! Thank goodness, I really feel it is important to be there for the kiddies. Last week, I spent most of the week eating fairly light and trying to to get sick (lots of vitamins, fluids, etc). Friday night, the 22nd, i felt a tickle in my throat, and sure enough the next morning I was quite sick. I slept most of the day Saturday. Then Sunday, I managed to make it through Kieth and Nicole's wedding...love the meds! Monday was a little better. Tuesday came, (first day back to school), I was not doing good. So at 515 in the morning I called in a sub and rushed to school, typed sub plans and came home to rest.
So we are now to Wednesday. This morning i did not feel great, but had to go to school. It was Field Day...ugh. It was a very busy morning spent using my loud teacher voice, with a cough and sore throat i might add, to control nine groups of students with approx. 20 students each in a noodle relay. After school we had our staff meeting...more depressing budget news. Then i went to physical therapy for my back. Felt good after this session and was on my way home. I was going to stop at Costco, but decided that I was just to tired. So I made a right instead of a left out of the office. Went down the hill to Fletcher and Baltimore. I was sitting in the left hand turn lane three or four cars back waiting for the green light. Then smack. I was hit by a car who obviously was not paying attention to all the cars around him...seeing as all lanes were stopped completely. The freaking out begins. I manage to put hazard on, and proceed to the shell station on the corner. Being quite angry (especially after just having my back worked on) I got out and assessed the damage. The guy also got out and asked how if i was okay. I was shaking pretty bad at this point and proceeded to tell him i was not okay. After trying to calm myself down we exchanged info, more for my back, should the injury affect it, than the car, but still we exchanged. He however, was a tad reluctant. However, for as hard as he hit, my plastic bumper held and my trunk still works. I will have to see how it drives, just to make sure everything is okay. The guy said he was sorry, and went on his way. I responded, "drive safer next time." I don't think he appreciated it, but I was quite upset. So now that i have had time to reflect, I did realize that there was a minivan in front of me, which I can only assume had kids in it. I would much rather have him hit me than the van, so maybe I was there for a reason, maybe I made the decision not to go to Costco (which would of had me in a different lane (or with my original plan of making a left instead of a right out of the office parking lot, on a different road). In order to justify why these thing have happened, I guess I want to look at the fact that the worst did not happen. Anyways, this was a long venting session. I don't know if it makes to much sense...but now you know.

The one at Keith and Nicole's Wedding

2009-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went up to the Rancho Bernardo Inn for Kieth and Nicole's Wedding! Kieth is Scott's cousin. Their wedding was beautiful and despite them both being very nervous, it was great. Take a look at some of the pictures below. Had I not been sick, there would be a lot more.

Beautiful Program

The Happy Couple!

Flowers!

Cake!

Flowers...and my soon to be sister in law, Lisa

Scott and I before leaving....notice my nice sunburn/tan...oops!

The one with the new TV

2009-05-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

When Scott received his Employee Excellence Award, they also gave him a choice of prizes to choose from. We now have a 42" Proscan 1080 HD LCD TV! It's fun to win prizes! I think that is all I have to write for today.

The one with the sickness

2009-05-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

Our weekend went pretty well. We went up to Scott's parents for Nicole's Bridal Shower (scotts future cousin). We had fun and enjoyed seeing what she got. Scott went with his dad to see Star Trek.. (thanks for going so i didnt have to:-)) Then we went out to PF Changs for mothers day. Happy Mothers Day to my future Mother in Law!

Sunday we went out to do some errands and then had a relaxing day at home.

Monday, as usual, I got up and went to school. No coffee this morning. I am trying to reduce. So I got to school and did my usual thing. I had to cover up all the words, charts and take the writing down to be ready for testing. I picked up the CST's and the day began. About halfway through testing I was feeling really hungry. I ate some Cheerios. The last student finished and I was really not feeling well at this point. I picked up the tests...barely. Then i lost it and vomited in the trash can. I went from feeling fine to hot, sweaty and very sick in a matter of minutes. Barely being able to talk I told one of my students to go to the office and tell them Dr. Skube needed to come immediately...i was sick. So she had our Secretary call a sub and I went home. This was a little bit freaky for me. Then I was telling Dr. Skube what to do and I looked down at the top of my hand and it was bleeding....hmmm HOUSE anyone? I think I saw this episode. Fortunately it was just coincidence.

So I came home and took some dayquil...NOT a good idea...medicine the other way is sooo bitter. So i slept most of the day and had a few saltines. I kept down dinner, but still had a horrible headache. Around 7 I decided to call in a half day sub. Being that it is testing week, I really felt that I needed to be their with my students. I do specific things to help them, and I wanted them to know i was okay. This morning I went to school with a horrible headache. I was miserable, but at least I was just monitoring the students. I taught for about an hour and then it was recess and time to go home. I came home, had a little soup and crashed. I am now awake and blogging, but this headache still wont go away. Anyways, this will be a CST week to remember for me and my students. One of my girls told her mom and her mom came to see how I was doing. She told me she taught her daughter how to dial the office from her cell phone just in case...How nice...except the quicker way, and the kids know is to dial 555 from our school phone. But that was really nice and good for safety. Anyways hopefully i will be better for the rest of the week of testing.

The one with the schedule

2009-05-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

Today we are headed up to Riverside for a bridal shower for Kieth's(scott's cousin) finance Nicole. They will be getting married over Memorial Day weekend. Then we are taking Scott's mom out to P.F. Changs for Mothers day.

I received my official layoff notice yesterday. We don't have a clue what will happen for next year, but I hope that something comes through. Please vote yes on all the props. According to the union that will help the job situation. Really, what we are waiting for is how big class sizes will be next year. If Cajon Valley goes up to 25, there is a good chance I wont have a job. However, if they put it at 22 or so, there is a chance I will have a job.

In the meantime I am looking for a summer job. I do not really want to go back to working min. wage, so I am hoping to find something that pays a little more.

The one at Pat and Oscars

2009-05-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

It is taken me a little while to do some updates. I have been very busy with the masters program. It is not hard work, but there are a lot of papers which take up time. Currently I have two classes down, eight to go! Last weekend mom and I went to a Bridal Faire in Temecula (old town) It was very very small, but we got to taste some yummy cake from two local places I have been considering. Afterwards we went to Pat and Oscars for lunch and talking time. It was very nice to share our ideas with mom. We then walked around the pond and enjoyed the beautiful day. I have had Pat and Oscars a few times and thought it was just okay. This time it was delicious and now I understand what everyone is talking about....ooh breadsticks!

This weekend Scott and I are going to attempt to make it to the new SONIC restaurant that opened in Santee a few weeks back. So far our attempts have lead us to a TWO hour long wait....needless to say, we did not wait in line. We are going to be running other errands today and then watching the race tonight.

The one at Disneyland

2009-04-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our 5 year anniversary and being engaged we took a trip to Disneyland. We went up on Friday and spent the day at Disneyland. We wanted to have a relaxing time so we walked around the gift shops, went on a few rides, and then did the guided walking tour of the park. We did not anticipate the tour being as long as it was, so we were quite tired afterwards. It was 3.5 hours, but we learned a lot and got to go on a few rides with the group. Afterwards, we went to check into the Anaheim Plaza Hotel, which is directly across the from the Harbor entrance to Disneyland. After resting for a little while, We went to downtown Disney for our dinner at Catal. We started with some drinks at the bar, then watched the fireworks from our seat. The food was delicious...probably in the top five of restaurants we have been to. Then we celebrated with dessert! The service was great, our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable about the dinner and wine menu. During dinner I was also able to give Scott his present...a new watch. Then this morning we went to California Adventure. We were both quite tired and sore from the sun and walking the day before so we did a few of the tours then had lunch and headed home. Tomorrow we are headed up to Wiens for a meeting about our rehearsal dinner.

To see more pictures click here.

The one at Wiens

2009-04-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

The moment you all have been waiting for.....we have a date and venue set! Our Wedding will be April 17, 2010 at Wiens Winery in Temecula. Our colors will be black and white with sage green and silver. Today we went with Sarah's parents to check out Wiens. We have known we wanted to get married at a winery for a while, since we are members at this one, it was a natural choice. We love their set up and what they have to offer. After meeting with our coordinator, Jaime, we went in to taste their wine. After Sarah's parents left, we tasted some wine and talked with Dave and Jeff Wien. After informing Jeff that we had set a date at his venue, we found out that it is actually the date of his birthday! He felt that was a very important day...as do we. Jeff told us that we could bottle wine in the barrel room. So we went to check it out. We ended up bottling two bottles of the "7 Brothers blend." We got to cork it and put a label on it. Then we had Dave and Jeff Wien sign it. Although this wine will not keep seeing as it is straight from the barrel, we will enjoy it then save the bottle. All in all it was a great day...we are relieved to have a date set.

The one with sushi

2009-04-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went out to Banbu Sushi. This is a new restaurant near our house. We have been there a few times and it never disappoints. They make sushi with a spicy/Mexican flare by using jalapeno and cilantro. We had Fire Cracker Shrimp, which is shrimp with cream cheese, and cilantro wrapped in a wonton wrapper then fried. It comes with an amazing dipping sauce too. We also had spicy tuna (our personal favorite) and yellowtail. It was all delicious. After dinner we went to Costco to get a roast for Easter. One thing I have noticed is Easter became much more of an "everyone celebrates" holiday this year. Everyone has been saying have a happy Easter or happy Easter weekend. I never thought of Easter as more than a Christian holiday, guess I am wrong...pagan ideals are coming back for everyone. Anyways, after that we went to get frozen yougart. Tomorrow we are off to Temecula to look at a site for the wedding...details to come....I don't know anything yet...so don't ask.

The one with the excellence award

2009-04-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Scott receiving the employee excellence award at Sycuan. This award is given out to the top 1% of employees each year. He earned a bonus check as well as a 42" flat screen TV, and a gift certificate to Benihana's. We had a delicious several course dinner at the resort including; mushroom soup served in a pumpkin, salad with a tomato stuffed with tuna, halibut/fillet mignon/potatoes and Neapolitan cheesecake.....lots of food...but it was delicious. We had a great time!

The One with the Wedding Date

2009-03-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Several people have been asking about our wedding date. As of now we have not set a date yet, but are in the process. We will not be getting married until 2010. We are currently looking at wineries in Temecula. We have an appointment in a few weeks and will let you know all the updates as soon as we know them.

The One with the visit from Scott's Parents...the future in-laws

2009-03-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice visit with Scott's parents. They brought us a new kitchen table, which used to belong to Scott's sister, Lisa. It goes great with our furniture and theme! They also brought beautiful flowers! We all went out to dinner at Chevy's...yum! This has been a very exciting weekend for us. I think we are both exhausted and not ready for a day of work tomorrow. Hopefully, we will have a good nights sleep and wake up refreshed.

The one with the Proposal

2009-03-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Scott and I are engaged! Here is how it all happened:
On March 19th, Scott told me that he wanted us to go have a picnic dinner on Mt. Soledad in La Jolla on Friday, March 20th. I was thinking to myself that it was out of the blue to mention going up there. When we first started dating we began a tradition of having a dinner picnic (usually Subway) and watching the sunset. We did this every few months, and then said we would do it every anniversary. We were consistent for a while, but stopped going. So I was thinking, “that sounds good, a nice romantic sunset after a very long week.” Little did I know he was planning to propose.
I tutor on Friday’s and had offered to help my friend Penny with PowerPoint after that. So I ended up being at school until 5. (I had thought it would take that long.) Meanwhile, Scott is at home feeling just a little nervous that I am not home yet. I ended up getting home around 5:15 and we left for Subway and the mountain. I had no idea anything was up at this point. On the way up to the mountain we were talking about the day and I happened to mention that it was my parents wedding anniversary. (Little did I know Scott was thinking, maybe I should propose another day)
Once we got to the mountain, which was freezing cold by the way, we ate our food and looked out over the still, gray ocean. Although, it was not the most picturesque day, it still was beautiful. After we were finished eating, Scott started talking about how happy he has been these last 4 years, eleven months and three days and how he loved me. I thought, wow, that’s more romantic than usual. Don’t get me wrong he does romantic things all the time, but to actually say it like that is a little different. Anyways, then we were talking about the trip we took across the southwest and our memories over the years. I mentioned that I really remember finding the blue bubblegum ice cream Scott liked in San Antonio and driving throught the Texas rain and many other memories. Then he said that he hoped these next five years would be as happy as the last. I said I hope so too. Then the conversation ensued and we were talking about the months and years to come. Scott then said, as he pulled out the ring, “how about forever?” As I looked at the ring and at Scott, I really didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, and talk or what. I said, “I don’t know what to say,” (of course it was out of surprise not out of making the decision) and Scott said, “Just say yes.” I responded, “okay”….”yes.” I was speechless. I really was in shock, and still am 13 hours after it happened.
So of course I am thinking about who to call first and the answer was my good friend Cassiopeia, who called me immediately after she was proposed to in 2007. I knew she was at the basketball game so I wasn’t sure she could hear me, but since she knew what was coming I figured she would answer. Of course the Jenny Craig Pavilion does not get reception. So she had to go outside in order to talk to me. But we did get to talk! Since she was at band…she spread the word. Our phones were buzzing quite a lot…thanks for the congratulations everyone! Then I called my parents and attempted a cell phone speaker phone announcement to mom, dad and grandma.....I couldn’t hear anything. I did get to talk to them each individually though which was very nice! Scott and I then headed to Yogurt Mill…another favorite. Along the way we texted back and forth with other friends. While in line Janet returned my call and I got to share the news with her…and of course the news about getting frozen yogurt. Scott called his parents, who knew of course that this was coming. They were very excited for us. We get to see them on Sunday!

The one where we got Engaged!

2009-03-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

March 20, 2009! More details to come.