I am a high school teacher!!! AHHH!!!

So I'm sitting in my classroom waiting for the day to start. Most of the teachers have students in their rooms getting their schedules. I am so nervous but excited. I really loved teaching middle school students and hope to teach them again one day, but right now I have a new challenge and that is teaching high schoolers. I know when Justin and I move again, I will have a wide range of experience as a teacher. From a rural middle school to an inner city high school.

I am so grateful to God for answering my prays of getting a job, there is a reason why I'm suppose to be at this school and I hope to leave my mark!!! He has really looked out for Justin and I throughout our marriage and I know I do not thank him enough. Justin is going to Kingsville today for a meeting and hopefully he will find out when we can come home for Christmas!!! I can't wait to see everyone again. OK...the day is getting started better go!!!

Dana

School Starts Tomorrow!!!

So Corpus Christi ISD starts school tomorrow!!! I am very excited to be teaching this year, I am so grateful for a job and everyone I have met so far seem great!! I told myself that this year I am going to do a better job with planning and staying on top of paperwork. Before, I was so focused on making it through the day that I had a hard time staying up-to-date. I have mostly everything ready for the first week, I'm gonna finish stuff up tonight

I found out soon after I got this job, that things are changing in FCS next year for the state of Texas. They are changing all of their classes, and offering more subject specific classes. We have already started talking about what classes we would want to teach next year. Anyway here is my schedule for this year:

1st - Personal and Family Development (PFD)
"T" Time or Homeroom
2nd - PFD
3rd - PFD
Lunch
4th and 5th - Hospitality with Special Ed Kids
6th - PFD
7th - Planning.

I am a little nervous about this Hosp. class because it is for 2 hours. But I guess I'll make it work. I really have nothing to go on, except for the other teacher telling me to do crafts and stuff!!!

But life is good....I have a job and a wonderful husband!!!

Work

SO, I'm sitting here at some teacher training sessions. Most of them have to do with stuff on the computer, which I already know how to do. So I am bored out of my mind, anyway, I'm stressed out a bit about the start of the school year, but looking forward to the challenges.

Job

Well It's been awhile since I've updated this. Things haven't been great and amazing....so I guess I didn't want to report bad things. Anyway, things have definitely taken a turn for the better in the last few days. I haven't really been finding lots of job openings close by and started looking for opening across the state of Texas and even Virginia. I found a few and decided to take the exams I needed to take in order to obtain my Texas teaching license. I took the AAFCS test mid-July and the Texas teaching exam at the end of the month. I passed both and now had met all requirements for my license. I'm still awaiting official confirmation of it though.

Anyway, I found a school in Ballinger, Texas that needed at FCS teacher and contacted them. The Principal was very nice and the school sounded like a place I wanted to be. However, Ballinger is 6 hours from Corpus Christi, and I would never see my husband. I first set up an interview with the Principal only to decline later the same day. I just couldn't move to a place where I knew no one, it is bad enough here in Corpus. Anyway, I found a job opening at a hotel and applied for that job the same evening. I got an interview for the next day and even had a second interview on Friday. BUT, on Friday I received a phone call from an assistant Principal for a job in Corpus Christi at a high school. She asked if I could come by for an interview and I quickly got ready and went. Everything went great and she recommended me for employment. So, now I'm sitting around waiting for a phone call from central office to offer me a job or set up an interview. The new teachers in this division are suppose to start today, so I know I will be behind but at this point I just need a job!!

My former co-workers all start back today and I miss them all like crazy. Many of them hold a special place in my heart. I wish I was there with them, but I know we will all stay in touch.


Well that is all for now, Hopefully I will have some official good news soon.

Anniversary

So Justin and I just celebrated our 2nd Anniversary. We had a great day together. We agreed that we would journey over to the beach and spend some time there......it was great!! We were pretty much alone and just enjoyed being by ourselves. We parked right on the beach and stayed near the Jeep the whole time. So the day started out great. We came back and chatted with Jessi and Kaeleb for awhile on Skype....so it was nice to talk to our family for awhile on our special day.

We went out to dinner to Longhorn Steakhouse, the same one I mentioned earlier. Dinner was great and the company was even better. We then went and saw the movie "The Hangover." It was very funny and very raunchy. I felt embarrassed at times, even though I am plenty old to be watching a Rated R Movie. Anyway, we had an AMAZING day together!!!

First Week in Texas!!!

Picture from the Trip to Texas!!!

Well I've been in Texas a whole week now. I still don't feel like I belong here, it just isn't home yet. Though, I'm not sure it will ever be home. Justin and I have just been hanging out all day and sleeping in...so it feels more like vacation. Justin heads back out to the ranches on the 24th for a few days, so at that time I will be in job search mode. Something will work out, I'm not really worried yet!!!

We've been hanging out by the pool today and now we are playing this new exercise game on the Wii called "Active." Let me tell you, I've never had a workout like this (atleast not from a video game), everything is preplanned and goes at a fast pace. Unlike the Wii Fit, you don't have to sit and decide what to do next. There is a 30 day workout that Justin and I are both doing, you workout 2 days then rest one for 30 days. Then after that there are other preplanned workout or you can create your own. There are some sport workouts included and "dance" ones too. It is a little expensive at $60, but I think it is worthwhile!!!

Daisy is settling in nicely. She was glad to get off the road and I think she is liking her new place. There is a lot to see out the windows and it stays cool in the apartment.

Back to Texas

Well, I'm back in Texas now!! What a long trip, but we made good time!!

In Tennessee we ran into some concept cars being road tested.





We made it to Mississippi and Daisy was glad to be out of her Box.

Here are some other random shots from the trip.

Super Dome in New Orleans, LA (we made a detour to drive down there)

Crossing the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, LA

The Bayou in LA

Welcome to Texas!!!

YAY we made it!!!

So Erin and I are both worn out and slept in today. I'll post more later....but for now enjoy the pictures!!!