Is it already summer?

The title of my post goes along with Tucson's current weather. This week has been very sunny with the highs in the mid-high 70s. I feel as though we only had a 2 week winter window this year. But this is typical for the desert.

School is going ok so far, I have the usual students who always want to please and do everything right (about 2 of them) and then there are my students who I have to constantly watch over and force them to complete any assignment (about 6 of them). This usually makes my weekends very worthwhile with all of the pressure I have during the week with my troublesome students....and AIMS testing is coming around the corner in April. We did have a nice field trip last week to Sabino Canyon in Northeast Tucson. We went on a long hike around a mountain, sifted for garnets in the creek, and learned a lot about geology and how Tucson was formed. Below I will post pictures of some of our trip.

A few weeks ago, around my birthday weekend, Steve and I also went on another snowboarding adventure. We went to Sunrise ski resort which is in Northern Arizona just north of Pinetop. It was a zoo that day on the mountain. The area just got dumped on with snow and all of the ski bunnies decided to join us that Saturday. Steve and I only got to go on 5 runs due to the longest lift lines of our lives. The lines literally took us about 45 minutes to 1 hour to get through. It was also extremely hot for us because of the blazing sun on us (even though it was only like a high of 35 degrees that day). I am progressively getting more confident with snowboarding....I am falling down less, even falling down on purpose is getting less. I just need to work on connecting my turns to get down the mountain faster. I will continue to try harder and hopefully Steve and I will get to go at least one more time before the season is over. Below are some pictures of our trip.

I am thoroughly enjoying the olympics right now. I just love watching all of the sports and I love seeing all of the scenery of Vancouver and Whistler. Steve and I absolutely loved Whistler when we went up there last March, and it is cool to see all of the places we've been to on TV. The country of Canada is just breathtaking. It was fun to watch snowboarding as well....and I wish I could actually have that kind of talent! Shaun White is practically the God of snowboarding and all of his competitors are his servants. It is amazing how someone can dominate in a sport so well. I was also loving how Evan Lysacek took Gold for figure skating. On a side ntoe, it is really neat how my cousin Nicholas is also at the olympics as a journalist. You can read his blog here if you wish to keep up with what is going on with the press and his releases.

As of now, I am currently at home watching the Ski Jumping/Ice Dancing competition waiting for Steve to come home. Today he got the privilege to go on a "Ride-Along" with Northwest Fire and gets to see close up what it would be like to be a firefighter. So far in his EMT class he is doing excellent: Test #1 he got a 91, Test #2 he got a 92....most of the class averages are in the 70's or failing...so he's doing fabulous!

Enjoy our pictures!!!

It's been a long time.....

Hello All!! I know haven't written in awhile, but life is starting to calm down and get back to normal. We spent a wonderful two weeks in Seattle over Christmas break, and started to settle back into our working lives. I started back to school on the 4th, and Steve has just started his EMT classes. His classes will be a little more intense than they ever were in college....he actually has to read the books this time around and study hard!! Steve is also going to be substituting soon with my school district.

Over the break, I conquered my fear of snowboarding and I am excited to go back next weekend to Sunrise Resort by Pinetop, Arizona. Steve is so excited I am now committing to this, that he went and bought me new snowboard attire!! What every girl wants right? So we'll see how next weekenend goes....

Alright I will leave you all with 19 of my favorite pictures from our Seattle trip to entertain you......

The Drive...

Thank goodness tomorrow is the last day of school as well, and it's a half day! Yes!!! Most of the day the kiddos are going to make gingerbread houses, usual Christmas activity, and watching a video....oh how I love our short Thursdays at school!
Tomorrow we are finally leaving for Seattle. I haven't packed just yet, so I will have to do a lot of it tonight (it will be a lot to do since we are going to be up there for a full two weeks!)Steve is going to pick me up right after school and we will begin the drive. Tomorrow night we will probably stay in Bakersfield, California...an 8 hour drive. Then we will be getting into Seattle around Saturday night. I am looking forward to different weather...and snow! Steve's dad is now going to take us cross country skiing. It will be fabulous.
Alright I will try to blog again before Christmas...hope you all have a fabulous week and have safe travels if need be!

Leftovers...almost gone.

Thanksgiving is finally over and we are almost out of our leftovers. This year we went over to my mom's again and spent the whole day cooking, watching the parade, the dog show, and various football games. It was a very lazy day mostly laying on the couch, or going to the kitchen to get cooking up something. I was very proud of myself this year and I made two new pies. I made an apple pear pie and a peanut butter chocolate pie. I was very proud of my apple pie this year...I had made one when Steve's family came in town in October and it ended up a little too sour for my liking. This new one is soo good! I think the pear added a new flavor that added a new dimension to the pie. The peanut butter chocolate pie was a little rich, and I will probably add more chocolate to it next time.

Since Thanksgiving is over Steve and I are now looking forward to our Seattle trip for my Christmas break. We are leaving on the afternoon of December 17th and we are going to be driving all the way there! It will be nice to see a new part of the country, and we get to bring the dogs. We haven't had the dogs around with us for the past few Christmases so it will be nice for a change. We are going to be spending the first week there with Steve's mom in Lynnwood, and the second week with Steve's dad in Maple Valley. During our trip we are going to be doing lots of exciting things like Christmas shopping, visiting Pike Place market, looking at Christmas lights all over the beautiful city, playing in the snow and....snowboarding....eek! My last experience snowboarding was a little bit terrifying for me. We were in Whistler, BC and it was a very gargantuan mountain filled with professional skiers/snowboarders...or close to it. I was scared to death from falling off the mountain. The whole way down the mountain I went backwards...backside facing the bottom the whole way down...my calves were killing me all week. This year Steve promised to take me to a smaller mountain that has more "beginner" runs...(Whistler's greens were more like intermediate blues on most mountains...can you see why I was terrified, my very first time snowboarding??) So this year I am going to be more positive and practice actually turning the board this year. Wish me luck!!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and that joy finds you in many ways!
Countdown to Seattle trip: 19 days!!

Snoqualmie Ski Resort
Seattle, WA

Almost Thanksgiving!

Hello All! Well the time is almost here for us to stuff our turkey and ourselves. Steve and I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Unfortunately, we're not very thankful that we both are starting to get sick...I feel that I'm getting a sinus infection and who knows what Steve has. I'm so happy I only have 3 days of school this week and a 5 day weekend. In the spirit of Thanksgiving here is a list of 20 things Steve and I have been thankful for this year....

Top 20 of what we are Thankful For:

1. Having each other through the good and bad
2. Having such wonderful dogs
3. Our wonderful families that are so supportive of us
4. Visiting our families that live in such fabulous places (Seattle,WA, St. Petersburg, FL, Texas...)
5. College Football
6. NFL
7. Our lazy Sundays...being in our pajamas for most of the day
8. All of our friends
9. Our dear friend Jon who is doing well serving our country in Iraq
10. Our Whistler trip....me surviving snowboarding
11. Through Steve's unemployment we are doing very well financially
12. For me being at a wonderful school with great co-workers
13. Our health (not at the moment but overall)
14. My new and improved cooking abilities
15. Our families who come and visit us in the hot, dry desert
16. The ability to have patience (my students and Steve bring this upon me everyday)
17. We have a nice comforting home to come home to everynight
18. Steve's musical abilities (he's helping my students with the music in their play this December)
19. Our drive up to Seattle, and our 2 week vacation there. (I'll get to see a new part of our country I've never seen before...so will the dogs!)
20. Christmas is coming soon! :)

We hope you all have a blessed and relaxing Thanksgiving Day!!

Lazy Sunday

Tex Relaxing....

I can't get over how the weekends come and go so fast. Every Sunday seems so depressing...work the next day is what you have to look forward to...me getting back to waking up at 5am...ugh. Mostly my Sundays are consumed with work i.e. lesson plans and grading, and watching a lot of football.

At the moment Steve and I are at my mom's house watching the Seattle/Cardinals game...and I'm procrastinating my work as usual. Last night we had very exciting news about our two close friends, Jeremy and Kaylon....are pregnant! We are so very excited for them and we're looking forward to when the baby is due. The baby is due next May and we are ecstatic to welcome the new baby into the world.

Since Steve and Jeremy's friend from college was visiting, Alex, they decided to tell us the happy news. Most of the weekend, Steve golfed and enjoyed the cooler weather we are pleased to have. Hearing the news about the baby made Steve and I heavily think about our next life choices as well...where we will be living soon, and when we will start having kids. Steve and I are still having the same thoughts of waiting awhile to have kids. I at least want to be 28-30 and finished with my master's program (which I haven't started yet, but hopefully will soon).

Steve and I are very happy with our lives right now...we have two great dogs, we have a nice house, and loving people in our lives. We would love to travel more and have a little more time to just be with ourselves, without children.

Looking onto the week ahead of us, I hope everyone has a fabulous and relaxing week, and you find joy in whatever you do.

Day Off

Today I had the day off and it was wonderful! Steve and I took the dogs hiking up Mount Lemmon. The hike was very strenuous but I am so happy I made it up. I've been trying to go to the gym more often...so hopefully that helped me make it. The dogs absolutely loved everything...of course marking their territory on every tree, leaf and rock available. The weather was much more bearable on the mountain than down in Tucson. It was in the low 60's compared to down in the city being 93 degrees. It is just so weird to have such high temperatures in November. We didn't even have this extreme weather in Texas.

After we got home from hiking, of course I procrastinated the work I had planned to do on my day off, and watched a movie and napped with steve instead. Yes....productive as usual.

Here are some other pictures from hiking today...

Our First Post!

So Steve and I are giving this whole blogging thing a try....we figure it would be a good way to have family and friends keep in touch with us since we are far away from many of our loved ones.

I (Kim) will try to update this thing so everyone can see what we have been up to...work, school, dogs, whatever. Steve says he wants to update this as well...we'll see if that happens!

School for me has been going well lately, very very busy. Steve has finally decided to try the career of firefighter and will be enrolling in the fire science and EMT classes next semester. Let's pray that everything works out!!

Hope everyone has a great week...hopefully you have Veteran's Day off....maybe Steve and I will go hiking....pictures to come!!