The Classroom

Here is my room. The wall is red. You can see the Tattletale Frog there on the counter. He listens to all the tattletales that I don't have time/energy for - he's very busy.






Here's my desk and Clark's tank.








Here are the cubbies, the sink, and Clark in his tank.






This is half of the word wall and the books.








This is the calendar wall where we do the whole "today is the fourteenth day of school" thing.

Trip Back East

A few weeks ago we had the "joy" of dropping off a massive truck to some guy in Ohio and driving all the way back. Despite running out of gas in Wyoming (the gauge was wrong!) and fishtailing and having to pass through the Indiana Turnpike, all went well. We go to stop by Kirtland, Ohio and Winter Quarters, Nebraska, too, so - bonus! Plus we ate a LOT and I read a LOT and Brian drove even more.

Clark

"Look what we found in the park, in the dark.
We'll take him home. We'll call him Clark."

- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

This is the classroom pet, Clark. We got him from a turtle sanctuary in Sandy (!). He'll spend his days at the school, and weekends and holidays with us, changing homes like a typical American child. He loves being in the sink or tub, always under a running faucet, and since that's easier to clean, that's where he usually is. We've taken far too many pictures of him because we don't have any kids.














Eating lunch (small deveined shrimp - yummers).














Trying to fit behind the piano. He eventually did it by turning sideways, and now there's a soccer ball blocking the entrance.














Clark likes to stand up, but always on one leg.














Find the turtle!

He likes to stay under the t.v. stand. One day he found some DVDs and a water bottle, which he somehow scooted away from the wall to make himself a fort.




























Clark startles easily:

My New Room!

Bask in the glory that is North Point Elementary.

Here's my new classroom ... somehow, I got a job here, and this is where I'll be teaching first grade next year. It's about a foot longer than most because of where it is in the school, right across the hall from the office and around the corner from the entrance. I'm ecstatic and overwhelmed and, frankly, pretty hungry because I spent all day buying supplies with the district purchase card instead of eating. It's the best.

First Anniversary!

For our first anniversary, we went to San Diego and Ensenada. For anyone wondering how to get two people to Mexico for under $90 (less than one person's one-way ticket to San Diego ... we checked), here you go:

1. Drive to the San Diego airport long-term parking (Park, Ride and Fly is the cheapest).
Two tanks of gas: $50.00

2. Take the shuttle from the parking lot to the airport.
Free

3. Take the city bus (Route 992) from the airport to American Plaza in downtown San Diego.
$4.50

4. Get on the Blue Line trolley at American Plaza going to San Ysidro.
$5.00

5. Get off the trolley at the border and walk across. Find a Taxi Libre (the white ones, not the yellow ones) and take it to Tijuana Central (the bus station).
$6.00 for Americans :(

6. Get on a charter bus to Ensenada.
$20.00

Total: $85.50

AND it's even cheaper going back, because you get dropped off at the border and don't have to take a taxi. Anyway, we stayed at some pretty bizarre hotels and ate some of the best food in the world. We saw a huge flag, and went on a boat out on the ocean, and haggled for goods, and saw a place where the ocean hits the rocks and the water shoots up about 200 feet and sprays everyone. We rode tiny little buses all over and went to bars and ordered smoothies, and then we got bored, so we went to:


San Diego! We went to the Zoo, and Target, and more bars for more (non-alcoholic) smoothies, and Applebees (!), and the harbor to see the aircraft carriers, and swimming and the temple.

Lagoon

We went to Lagoon on Saturday. We decided to expose ourselves to thousands of bikini-wearing, obese hillbillies at the beginning of the summer to inoculate ourselves. This picture was taken right after Rattlesnake Rapids, where we were all completely and happily doused in filthy water. But we did get to go on the Flying Aces (that one where you're in a tiny plane and you can steer it and try to run into the trees) right before they shut it down because the wind was too crazy and our cables were twisting and snapping. It was fabulous, even though Claire was terrified of every ride and crawled into a ball on the Ferris Wheel.

We Need to Travel More.

We copied this off Marianne and Kory's page. Because we're unoriginal.

101 Things

At least one of us have done the bolded items:

1. Ridden in a train - Brian
2. Slept under the stars - Both
3. Played in a band/orchestra - Brian
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower - Both
6. Given more than you can afford to charity - Brian
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain - Both
9. Held a praying mantis - Both
10. Sang a solo - Brian
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - Brian
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning - Both
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - Both
19. Had a letter to the editor published - Julie
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight - Both
22. Hitch hiked - Brian
23. Taken a sick day when not really ill - Both
24. Built a snow fort - Both
25. Held a lamb - Both
26. Gone skinny dipping - Brian
27. Run a Marathon
28. Seen the running of the bulls
29. Seen a total eclipse - Both
30. Watched a sunrise - Both
31. Hit a home run - Brian
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language - Brian
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - Julie
38. Been on a draw-bridge - Both
39. Gone rock climbing - Both
40. Received a traffic ticket -Brian
41. Sung karaoke - Both
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant -Brian
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight - Both
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing - Brian
49. Been a story on the news - Julie
50. Seen a wild mustang
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - Brian
52. Kissed in the rain - Both
53. Played in the mud -Both
54. Gone to a drive-in theater - Both
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class - Both
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching - Julie
63. Received flowers for no reason - Julie
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - Brian
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - Brian
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - Both
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial - Julie
71. Eaten Caviar - Both
72. Pieced a quilt - Brian
73. Stood in Times Square - Julie
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job - Both :(
76. Won a contest - Both
77. Broken a bone - Brian
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - Brian
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person - Brian
80. Published a book
81. Been in a cave - Both
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - Both
85. Read the entire Bible or other religious book -Both
86. Visited the White House - Julie
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - Brian
88. Had chicken pox - Both
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - Both (Brian - Keannu Reeves; Julie - David Letterman)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one - Both
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person - Both
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit - Julie
98. Been to the top of the Gateway Arch
99. Been stung by a bee - Both
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument - Both

Yay! 62 out of 101!

Real Salt Lake Game

Ha ha ha ha! We got to go to a Real Salt Lake game! It was the first sold-out game of the season (we were there early, obviously), and also the first home loss! As part of our continuous lucky streak, Xango gave out samples of their juicy stuff. I drank mine, then Rory's, and spilled a bunch on my pants.

After halftime, Josh (Rory's buddy) demanded to sit next to me. I was also too shy to buy a pretzel because I had a crush in 8th grade on the kid selling them. Truly, a fantastic time was had by all.

Graduation

Huzzah! I graduated! I'm officially finished with my bachelor's degree! It was a fun day - we got to see all of our friends, and even ended up eating at the same restaurant after. It was sad since it'll be the last time we see Marianne and Kory for a few months, but mostly we're just happy that this part of school is over.

(Jill Sumsion, Me, Marianne Longenecker, and Haley Hales & Twins)

Our Easter Eggs

We have a blog.

We are being technologically advanced and filling the time of having no job by writing a blog. Hooray!

Things to be excited about:

1. Julie's student teaching is done!!!
2. Brian has new rims on his car!
3. Conference?