In thinking about.....

Evolution verses creation

2011-11-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I could give some sort of update about our lives, or I could just jump in with some topic of conversation that is on my mind. I think I will go with the latter.

I am still teaching 4th grade at a Christian School. Being a christian school, we, of course, do not teach evolution, but rather creation. Recently we had a speaker come and talk about support for the creation argument. I agreed with much of what he said (6 days in creation, God created them in a specific order, with specific purpose, etc.) But enough of what I agreed with and on to what I don't agree with in his speech. :) He told the kids that if someone says to them "the earth was created millions and millions of years ago and we have been evolving since, they should have a response like what follows:

Guy: "...millions and millions of years ago"

Kid (warned to do so respectfully): "were you there?"

Guy "u..ummm...well, no.

Kid: "Well, I know someone who was, and I have a book he wrote."

This conversation is supposed to be an opener for the sharing of the gospel. Apparently a child had this conversation with someone and was applauded for it-seen as couragous. Now my first response is any little kid who says to me "were you there?" I am going to say: "please be respectful with your questions..." and I BELIVE in creation. So this is where the questions is: Am I just being silly with thinking that no matter how respectfully you intend to say this comment, it is still going to be disrespectful or not?

I have a blog?

2011-01-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

I found myself wandering around the world wide web tonight and I realized i still have a blog... hmm, it was intresting to read what i had done over the last couple of years. For a quick update:

1. Josh and I got married in June, we had a small outdoor wedding with close family and friends, the reception was held at Dordt college, approrietly the Eckardt Lounge.

2. Following the wedding we went to Mexico for a week, it was fantastic to be with each other un-interupted for an entire week.

3. Josh moved into my tiny one-bedroom apt, and we conitue to find nooks and cranies to hide things in, but we are bursting at the seams.

4. I began my second year at Heritage Christian school as a 4th grade teacher. This year I have 13 students (all in 4th grade) and they are delightful. The guinea pigs are doing well and continue to be a source of entertainment for all.

5. Josh took on a superviors job at the place he was working before (Systems Unlimited) and enjoys it very much.

6. To start off the new year, we went to Toronto Ontario to witness Ann and Lydell's wedding, it was beautiful.

7. My mum has finished her treatments completely and seems to be regaining strength daily. ,

8. Marriage is wonderful. Better than I could have ever imagined!

That's all for now (and perhaps all for another year... hopefully not)

4 important things:

2010-03-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

1. Josh and I are engaged!!! YAY!!! Wedding planning here we come!

2. School is going fabulously!

3. Mum is recovering slowly from her cancer treatments

4. I am trying to buy more local food in our area and less traditional grocery stores. As summer comes and farmers markets open, this becomes easier i think. Has anyone been buying locally and have any tips?

A long time coming!

2010-02-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

So this post is a long time coming. But i have to say that things are amazing! I have not posted for forever! But my students are amazing! they are constantly questioning things and thier curiosity drives my teaching daily. I am actually getting a 7th student soon.

enough about school, Josh and I have been having an excellent time in iowa city and love our church plant, One Ancient Hope.

We have also taken classes on ballroom dance and that has been a wonderful aspect to our weeks. We have learned alot about each other through these dance lessons as we continue to learn to commuincate and enjoy each others company.

My mum has finished her chemo treatments and is doing very well, we have been very thankful that she is cancer free for the moment. ALthough she contiues to battle with lung infections, she is feeling better overall.

The guinea pigs contiue to be an endless source of entertainment and fun for both my students and myself.

Winter contiues to be challenging as it is dark and cold, and we have had a lot of snow days this year.

So merry christmas, happy new year and its been a great time!

Glorious gobbling Guinea pigs!

2009-09-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Despite the insane paint job in my classroom, i have redeamed it with some fabric and some posters. Scince that point in getting the classroom ready, i aquirred three guinea pigs.
Some of you might be asking, 3?! how did you get so many!
Well, that is simple. A lady had three guinea pigs, they all needed a home... i volenteered!

Ok, so days with the guinea pigs included feeding all three of them, watching them romp in the paper shreds lining thier cages, watering them, and then teaching my studnets how to pick up and play with guinea pigs.

important side note: All of my studnets are sick exept for one with head/lung colds.

All was going just fine until last week Wednesday when i realized that one of my flock was lethargic. After trying to get her to eat fruit I realized she was not eating much either. By Friday I was doing a close inspection. After letting my studnets play with her, i set her on my lap and realized that her nose was running like crazy! So I put her back in the cage.
On Saturday morning I went to check on the guinea pigs and realized that this particualr rodent had died. (there is no poetic way to say that when you see a hard cold little friend on the bottom of their cage)

Well on Tuesday I told my students of the death and they were very sad, in fact they did not cry at school, but many suffered through more tears at home.

On Wednesday I realized that the male guinea pig is seeming lethargic, but the good news is he is still eating and drinking and does not have a runny nose. i think i will take them home for the weekend so that they can warm up and perhaps gain a little bit of health before coming back to school.

Oh, and the remaining femail guinea pig is doing just fine and eats like crazy! In fact in the last two weeks she has gained a considerable amount of weight. Even though I did not feed her as much this week she has stayed the same weight, which leaves me with one question. is she pregnant?

My studnets feel that she could be pregntant becuse the they accidedntly let the male guinea pig sniff her. I reassure them that could very well be possible. (I am trying to maintain innocence here).

If any one out there knows about guinea pigs, i would very much apperciate some advice on this situation.

My mum's husband beleives the guinea pigs could have the swine flue!:) maybe....

Finally Settling? NAH!!!

2009-07-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

All the desks in my room, which are not staying!:)

THe ugly painted wall!
This week I moved into my new apartment in North Liberty, and for anyone who wants to know, i live in a used car lot! Which is an adventure all its own.

There have been a few crazy things, for starters i have all of my stuff and all of Josh's stuff in my tiny one bedroom apt and it is taking up a lot of space. Especially the double bed in the kitchen. :)

Well, with all (or well, most) of the stuff un-packed and put away, I started work in my classroom. That proved to be intresting, i am thinking about posting picutres of this classroom. The walls are soo ugly, they are a burnt orange color with a little bit of coral mixed in and tehy have been sponge painted that way, on purpose! YIKES!

I started un-packing, but i am just not sure where i should put everything and now i am realzing that i will be having three tables for my 6 kids instead of 6 desks! This will be intresting, I think it could make for a realy cool teaching enviroment, but i am not totally sure how to pull off my vision!

Ok, So that is the school building. I reallapperciate my administator and I am living next door to another teacher (in the car lot) and so that has been fun. The teachers I work with made me feel so welcome right away! What a blessing, we have already been hanging out and enjoying getting to know each other. It could be a fun year!

As far as being settled, well don't count on it. i have been here a week and I am leaving to go to Vancover tommorow, but first stop my mums house then follow that up with a wedding and festivities and then i will be heading back to Norht Libetryt, after Josh moves there on AUg 3. So i think i will be starting to be settled for the time being on the 7th of AUg. It seems as though this summer has just flown by and I can hardly even believe how quickly it went by. But I have definitially enjoyed most moments of it.

Just call me the traveling... poet?

2009-06-07T19:40:00.001-07:00

So i managed to move home with out too many troubles. We did get stuck ust outside of great falls in light of a broken belt. But made it home two days later, unloaded and brought the U-Haul back. Its been a good visit at home so far. It is wierd to see my mums with breast cancer and the chemo treatments. I thought the wierdest thing would be the hair loss, but it turns out that the wierdest thing for me is how tired she is. We love to take walks together and right now we are unable to do that and I know that she hates it too.
Having a trial in my life is effecting every relationship i have and i really never thought that would be the case, but it is. That is wierd too.
I have been home now for a totaly of four days and I am off again to travel the world. First stop Iowa City to look for apts. Second stop is Chicago for a day to get our bearings (sharon and I) third stop is Ireland! YAY! I can hardly wait! Then the Netherlands. I am so exicted about this trip, but with everything else going on it seems so difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that I am acutally going! we leave at 7am! I would apperciate prayers for my mum and for saftey traveling. For another milestone, Josh and I celebrated on year of dating on Friday and we went horse back riding, he also brought me a dozen roses and we ordered a pizza from a short bald man from the bronx. it was an intresting conversation and the best mushroom pizza i have ever eaten!
Cant wait to see you all when we get back!

A few things for news!

2009-05-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last week several feet of snow fell out of the sky and landed in COnrad MT. For the first time in 7 years we canceled school on account of snow! It was packed up everywhere. I had a 33" dirift beside my car, a 24"drift behind my car and a total of 2' acculumation everywhere! It was crazy. It was the kind of wet and heavy snow that can only come in the late spring. Stores were closed and I stayed at home and made homemade chai bread. It was delightful.

As people talk about spring coming and seeing new life and being reminded of the return from the depths of winter, i feel as though we are still very submursed in that dead of winter. It remains in the upper 50s and windy, but yesterday was a sight to be seen.

Becuase of all the snow that we had a couple weeks ago, we have recived an intense amount of moisture for this particular part of the country. In fact, the fields are too wet to seed! -Funny that i know that, i realize. But everything is green! I do not rememebr so much greenness last year and it makes me sooo excited to have everything green, including my costantly growing grass!:)

In other news, i am moving June 3rd to Iowa, and storing stuff at my mums house, then moving on to Iowa city in July. But i am very very excited to go to this new school, although i am sad to leave behind my students, friends, and most importantly belly dance class!:) In the month of June, along with moving, I will be going to Ireland for a week and the Netherlands for a week as well. I am very very excited about all of this traveling and vacationing. It will be a fun summer, althoug a busy one at that!:)

cheers!

God's faithfulness!

2009-04-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hello All, I have a great story!
I went to interview with a school in Iowa City this weekend. I had a good time visiting the school and the interview went well. To back up a little bit Josh had an interiview in Iowa City on MOnday (last week)--then this thursday i had an interview.
Josh and I had been praying for God to blow the door wide open or shut it completey for a while now and God does answer prayers very faithfully.
So I had my intervew and after the interview i got a call from Josh, and he had gotten the job in Iowa City and I was like, wow! Josh and I decided to wait a little bit to decided if he should take the job. About an hour after the phone call from Josh I got a phone call from the school I interviewed with and they offered me the job.
I took the job and Josh took his job and we are moving to Iowa city in August.
God is so faithful!

Freedom verses Fear.

2009-04-07T15:06:00.001-07:00

Throughout the day today I have begun to wonder about this country and the amount of fear that seems to grip the hearts and lives of people here. Why not, I mean we could be afraid of terrorists, wall streets constant drops, cancer, cancer causing products working their way into our lives and the lives of our families, schools not fulfilling the "duties" we think they should, teachers being human (not perfect) and institutions failing us. And that is only inside of our country. The very thought of world hunger, aids, epidemics, children who are dying because the lack clean drinking water, women being tormented for religious reasons, among countless other things should strike a fear deep down inside of us.
But what about that quote: "the only thing to fear is fear itself" I think that is becoming more and more true every day in our culture and society.
This morning on the news I heard a family talking about how they had planned on suing the school because their son committed suicide after being bullied. I am sorry if that strikes a cord of fear in you, but honestly what do parents think the school should have done? We can only be in control of our own actions and we can not control the actions of others. So then why should we find someone to blame when our child/spouse/sister/brother/family did something we do not approve of or even hurts us?
What is going to happen to our nation if this fear runs rampant and this deep desire to have someone to blame increases?
My current job is in education, and i know that people need to have rules, guidelines, and general accountability, however when does that accountability allow you to have the freedom to not be ruled under the fear of being blamed? For example, in order to get my Iowa teaching licence i have to teach in an accredited school (with the state of Iowa) be it public or private for 3 years. Then i can get my full licence. Well christian schools are afraid of being accredited because they will be overrun by the state rules leaving no room for Christ to be taught. Meanwhile, teachers that wish to maintain their licence must somehow work under these rules. It seems to me that when you are in a profession you enjoy you ought to be able to do it without jumping through thousands of hoops.
So back to fear, every time somebody becomes afraid and blames another person for the outcome of events that person is forced to re-examine the way they live and how they respond to situations. That doesn't seem terribly problematic. But what if every person feels the need to blame a school for something that they don't like and in return the school's policy gets stricter and stricter? The stricter the school is the worse education the students are receiving. Just think of 10 years ago when you might have been able to teach in a school and teach fun and exciting things to your class, but now with all the rules and regulations (that have been set in because of fear--of failure, not measuring up, etc) as a teacher you are stuck. You have very little freedom to teach in a way that students will respond to.
I have to admit i am so tired of the teaching profession i just want to quit. But to quit teaching, which is my life, brings me to tears. Why is it that a pretty good teacher can't even maintain professional status by simply doing what she loves? I love to teach, i love to see what new ways i can make material jump out to my students. But i don't seem to be able to get a job.
In America today that popular song should not say: "let freedom ring" but instead should say: "we let fear rule our lives" as fear seems to continually grip our lives.

Its been a long time coming!

2009-03-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

SO it has been months scince i have posted and there is really no good reason for that. A list it is in that case:
1. came back to conard and started up on the teaching band wagon!
2. went home for christmas and enjoyed lots of time with my family
3. Came back to conard and batiked a set of chair covers and created an Ephiphany banner for my church
4. Josh came for a visit, we went snowshoeing and it was a blast and a half!
5. Went skiing twice, and got really really sore, but had a great time! I love the movement of that show underneath the skies.
6. deisgned and deligated two lentan banners for my church
7.made 1940's coustumes to be worn this weekend
8. FOund out my mum has been diagonased with breast cancer
9. made some more plans for the future, but nothing definiate has been made... i am a little nervous about what is to come.
10. had the science fair, it was a blast and started searching for curriculum type stuff for my school
11. had a tax appoinment and discovered i do not owe money! YAY!!!
12. wrote this blog finally.

I hope all is well! Rach:)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2008-11-28T17:52:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for all the blessing God has given me this year. A list of thankfulness:
*I have a fun job where I teach tons of grades and teach cute kids
*I am living in a house with new curtians
*I have a loving family, that I will get to see in just a few weeks!
* I have a wonderful boyfriend, whom I also get to see in a few weeks
*I have a church here with lots of people that made me feel loved on thanksgiving day
*I have amazing parents of my students who are always ready to help out at school
*God has allowed me a wonderful friend not to far away
*God gave me a place to go for thanksgiving day
*God has created a beautiful world that I am so privalged to live in

So many things to be thankful for.
In line with one of them (the helpful parents) I have managed to have apple chaos this last week. I gave my students that chance to have a cook off invloving apples. That was a really intresting day beaucse we started up the oven and we noticed that it smelled quite bad. So we kept it on and accedintly burned some apple pie goo to the bottom of the oven and that made the school fill with smoke. However, we also managed to eat these delisious apple treats the next day. We had apple pie with lattice, apple cheesecake bars, and apple ice cream sandwiches with carmel. My personal favorite was the ice cream and carmel slices, it was cool and refreshing.

So i hope that you have a wonderful thanksgiving@

Full Moons

2008-11-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

So this week we must have had a full moon, my kids were crazy! I was crazy! I have heard the fullness of the moon and something to do with tides directly effects students and people in general; emotionaly and physically. So something to think about. What have any of you heard of this story? is it a myth? or something real? i mean i obviously see the effect on my studnets.
BUt the week ended with Young REaders day, i had my students all bring books to school, we read most of the day, and then we ate snacks out of books. I dressed like Miss Frizzle (i think i really need to invest in a better costume then the one that i used) and i read If you give a mouse a cookie to my class and gave them all a cookie. It was a wonderful day! I had planned to post pictures, but i left that at home. Oh well. another day.

A great visit and a crazy afternoon

2008-10-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was amazing! So many things have been going on and October has proved to be a crazy month!
Josh, my pretty cool boyfriend, came and visited to me on Tuesday night and stayed until Sunday afternoon and we had a great time. He came to school with me on Wednesday and we had a major adventure! I decided (somewhat in an informed manner) to try to do two differnt art projects at the same time, one with K and one with grades 2-3. Needless to say things were crazy and paper was flying, but Josh did an amazing job keeping up with the chaos. He also honored us with some guitar playing and my students might actually like him better then they like me!:)
We headed to Kalispell after that and stayed with a famliy there and that was a crazy but very fun time as well. Then to the airport on sunday.
Now that he has gone back to Iowa i have attempted a few other crazy things. One of my studnets invnited me for supper yesterday and that was fun, it is always fun to hangout with them outside of school.
Then today i decided it would be a good idea to paint on the table and make some monoprints. I showed the students some work by William Blake and htat was intresting to find picutres that would really work for young studnets. But we painted on the table and make some monoprints that way. My studnets are so awsome! They even cleaned up thier own mess!:) We had a blast. So with 6 kids totally fun, but i imagine with more students it could be chaos. But where else are you going to get to paint on the tables other then at school. Well, back to planning, grading, and creating report cards! what a crazy week! THis weekend with be very boring, iwth lots of time at school, but the sunset is beautiful!

Eats, shoots and leaves

2008-10-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today this small town Montana teacher taught her students rules about commas. There are five of them. Her students have a hard time grasping the concept of not just, throwing in, commas, willy-nilly. So this teacher read the book Eats, shoots and leaves to her class. It was an illustration of how not using commas in the correct way can change the meaning of a sentance. The students in this multi-grade class loved the book. So with thier imaginations sparked, the students began work on thier very own sentnaces. They made up some wonderful sentances and will be illustrating a book. It is wonderful to see the creative process.
This teacher, because she is young and inexperianced, allowed her studnets to play dress-up in her clothes. This proved to be hillarious as her 7th/8th grade girls dressed up in her long flowy gypsy skirts and her 7th/8th grade boys dressed up in leggings and capris. You may ask "why were they dressing like this?" the answer is that they were hoping to portray people from the colonial era. Miss Eckardt has a fun closet! Only in a small town school....
The best combination of sentances from today was as follows:
"Wrap up, Tom!" said the teacher.
"Wrap up Tom!" said the teacher.
and...
"Tickle him silly, Fred!"
"Tickle him, silly Fred!"
hahahaha! Hopefully they are as humorus to you and they are to this teacher!:)

Crop Walk!

2008-09-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

This is an e-mail I recently sent out to many of you. Please consider dotating to this cause! Thank you soo much!
Hunger is an issue that is very important to me and I have decided toget involved! I am walking in the CROP Hunger Walk and I needyour help.

Our donations will support life-saving programs around theworld. Join me and our family and friends as we work together tosolve this world-wide challenge.

You can be the difference, and you can start by making adonation. Visit my personal page, where you can make a secureonline credit card donation.
http://www.cropwalkonline.org/site/TR/CropWalks/General?px=1021852&pg=personal&fr_id=2089

Click here to visit my personal page.
http://www.cropwalkonline.org/site/TR/CropWalks/General?px=1021852&pg=personal&fr_id=2089

School days!

2008-09-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

There once was a small town (belly dancing) school teacher who taught in the middle of nowhere. Out in a wheat field she played her guitar for small children and taught grades K-8. She loved it for a year (well parts of it) and so attempted to stay and try it for another year. In the second year she learned that she had really improved as a teacher and was learning to set appropriate boundaries. Her classroom management improved daily from tackling problems from a variety of views. She held meetings with her class every morning. The class learned about each other and discussed how to learn the best, what seemed to be giving them trouble and what seemed to be going well were often topics of discussion. The teacher felt as though school was off to a great start. That was until the day she began teaching kindergarten. She began teaching kindergarten with 4 students and added to that 3 2nd graders and 3rd graders. Unfourntuanly for the teacher one of the second graders was illiterate. This new grade level taught the teacher to be patient and the need for direct instruction. But also taught her the importance of imagination and play. As well some what unfourntunally for the teacher she gained a 12 year old reading at a 3rd grade level. So that student joined the ranks of the older class and the teacher consistently stayed on top of this student so that learning could progress in as rapid a manner as possible. By the end of the first month of school the teacher felt good about the year and things seemed to be going very well. Afraid of burn out and crabby parents the teacher has refused to take work home over the weekend and has left school by 4pm all week long. That was due to some extenuating circumstances of making sure a friends house and their 16 year old daughter did not burst into flames. After living with a 16 year old for a week (and proof reading a paper) the young teacher decided she would rather teach grades K-8 than say teach high school chemistry.
Fall is beautiful in this small corner of the country and as the leaves change from yellow to brown and drop from the trees; the teacher is reminded of the consitencey of living in one place for over a year. Eager to learn new things, she is planning many trips to many places, and eager to learn what else is out there is searching to develop her portfolio and learning to be the best teacher she can be. Last weekend she had two long lost Canadian visitors, and would like to remind all readers that she has an extra room (and an air mattress) all set up so should anyone need a place they simply need to call.
To be continued....

a Cross cultural Experanice down by the river

2008-08-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

"Hey Rachel, you should really come to our Middle ages event at the end of August, is is tons of fun! We do a lot of belly dancing!" suggested the belly dance instructor.

"yeah you totally should come! If any one knows how to party it is our middle ages group!" chimed in several other dancers

"well, i do like to dance, but that is the weekend before school starts, i'll probally come some time." I said in response, meanwhile thinking... 'i am not so sure about this, but it is 3 months away, so i should have plenty of time to decide'.

three monthes passes and we move to a new scene, the belly dance class in the middle of Aug.

"Rachel!!! You're back! That means you can totally come to our middle ages event!" Exclaimed the belly dance instructor.

"We were just talking about you, we thought we would send you an e-mail, your coming, right?" chimed in another dancer.

"well... ok, i suppose i could come, can i come on Sat?" i relpied, thinking 'i do love an adventure'.

"yeah, you can... i guess..."started the belly dance instructor, "but really we party pretty hard, you'll have to stay the night i am sure, you can always crash in our tent! seriously we have a blast!" she finished.

I decided to go.

On saturday i had some work to do at school, then i was planning on heading up to shelby. My first thought should have been "camping down by the river? intresting." But my first thought was: "what should i wear". Garbed in my belly dance attire (skirt, trolley top, tanktop, hip-shall, zills, and scarves) I headed up to the river. In 20 minutes i was driving down a gravel road looking for signs of life. To my surprise i pulled up on 50 + tents all along the river, people milling about in middle age attire, and jousting tournaments. I was informed later that middle age attire is anything pre-Elizabethan and jousting is a way to gain "status" with the king and the group. THis proved to be an intresting time.

That event was followed up by a knighting: people cried, water was poured over his head, a new belt was given, a new sword and he was pronounced a knight among many.

THis was followed by a feast and a time of fellowship... i met many people who love this so much and whose whole lives revolve aroudn this hobby, this community. how intresting. One man dressed in a kilt, tights, and a blouse said this "Its just nice to see people reconized for how good they are in everyway... you know we are not reconized beyond these meetings, but here we are and that is what i apperciate the most. Its about more than just dressing up, its about apperciating each other and spending time together".

I was intrigued by that statment becuase it seemsed to me that it was a lot about playing adult dress up and imagination. Beyond that i learned that everyone had made up names and had dishes that would have been used in the middle ages and a story that went along with thier name, plate, and charecter.

After the feasting was court, which is just what it sounds like a group of people meeting togheter with the king and queen in charge. After court was over, we broke off into several small groups and propane fires were started and the drumming began. So for the first time in my life i danced around an "open" flame in the middle of a campsite. Then story telling began about conquering evil werewolves and songs about journeys across the world to save fair maidens were sung.

SOmebody offerd me a cherry soaked in everclear, honey, and cinnamon.... it was like eating a shot.... i had only one... but everybody else procceeded to offer me some of thier "home brew" but due to the fact that they wanted me to drink it straight out of the bottle (and i hate germs) i decilned many of these offers. BUt after farewell wishes and many kisses on the hand (awk) i drove away from teh river on Sat, night and back to my other culture of conrad, MT where i am the only one in my house and no one belly dances or eats cherries soaked in Everclear.

The End.

A list:

2008-08-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have been blog surfing which means nothing really, but i have noticed alot of lists, so i also want to make a list: this list has no particular order: i plan to use lots of colons:

1. i spent 10 days in a car... with my family... day one: LOVE day two: LOVE day three: LOVE day four: toleration, day five: toleration---- day 9: AHHHH!!!! day 10: so glad to be home we all went to our seperate rooms. I guess family vacations with 4 adults just arn't what they used to be, eh?
2. got caught up with extended family: i plan to stay in better touch with them
3. visited with my college roomates, i love them soooo much! I miss them greatly as well
4. learned how much i know alot of people but the depth of how much i know them is little: this bothers me a bit
5. took a class in differneciaton
6. worked at camp: this was fun: this was awkward: this was a time that i loved, always have: always will: i love that place and those people: i am old.
7. celebrated my 24th birthday at the Jersey shore with my extended family: a first time for all of those things.
8. realized school starts in three weeks: on that note: a sub list
a. i have to pack and leave for MT on Thursday
b. i have nothing planned for next year: what did i do all summer?
c. my mum and i are taking a class tuesday and wednesday: i am excited: so is she
d. i got a frantic e-mail from the other teacher: i forgot about school: i tried to calm her down
e. it was a good feeling that i was not freaking out
f. i am (dare i say) actually ready to go back to MT.
9. i realized i am a city girl through and through and i need to live in the city next year
10. still looking into India: we will see
11. realzied i never got around to all the stuff i wanted to do this summer
12. took pictures of buterflies: the butterfly house in sioux falls is open to photographers the first sat and Mon of every month at 8:30 (an hr before they open)
13. ate at a really cute health food cafe in downtown sioux falls: 50% of the menu items were vegan!:)
14.realized again i want to go abroad: NOW!
15. learned i need to spend more time with God: i miss Him.
16. i realized many times this summer that all people have a story to share and everybody, everybody wants to share theirs: this made me think that i need to listen more: care more: and be more selfless
17. I used 35 colons in this post:never mind thier proper use: i used them!

note from a tent on the side of the road...

2008-07-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

I have always wondered what it would be like to live life working odd jobs and live with different people in different situations and see what people do for a living when they work in the food industry. Well this summer i had my chance, and it has been an interesting experience. I began the summer by moving home, jobless. Since that point i have gotten a job at panera (an hr away from my family) Because the commute is long and gas prices are high i have been staying with my dear friend in the basement of her parents house in her bed. Long story short she was kind enough to share her double bed with me on the nights i have to work.
Then on days i don;t have to work i come home to Rock valley and hang out with my wonderful family and superb boyfriend. This has proved to be an instesting time of me cooking portabella mushrooms and playing croquet with them. I would like to note that much nuzzling has occurred and i am not a fan!:)
However life always seems to take an interesting turn and I was requested to come to Inspriation HIlls to work for just two weeks, but i am going to a teaching workshop for the first part of the second week... we will see what happens. I agreed though to go and help for two weeks, which means i stopped working at panera and am going back to I. H. I am looking forward to it, i miss that job and my "dad". BUt that will again prove to be intresting. With a brief trip to Iowa Falls next weekend and then a long two week trip across the country to the east and a 15 hr trip across the country to the west two days following the return from the east, the summer proves to be continually changing and i am loving every minute of it. I like working in the food industry, it helps if you like your product, and so it has been good.. but now for something entirely different: the rest of summer commences!

Summer time=lemonade and family!

2008-06-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

So summer begins and i have spent the morning doing all of the hobbies i have ever had!:) Funny how being home and living with people makes a world of difference in how much time i can spend doing things that i do on my own.
School ended wonderfully i taught nothing other then living and working skills in the last week and i have hte best job ever for the fact that none of my studnets are crazy!
next year, back in MT and i will be teaching grades 4-8 all subjects and i am gaining 5 studnets, loosing three-- so grand total--- who knows the answer--- that is right: 8! Great job!:)
We have hired two other part time teachers who will be teaching math and reading to grades 4-8 and k-3 respectivily. SO that will be good, i will teach everything else, including socials and science grades k-8. What a resume!:)
I think next year i want to teach in India (i mean the year after this coming one) but dare i say anything... Lord willing, i will be teaching in India, i really have been thinking about that country for quite some time now.. so if anyone has any people or places they know, fill me in!:)
I just spent a wonderful weekend in MN and it was fantastic! I mean, wow, friends, food, and the city, what more could a girl ask for!:)
I have a job at panrea in Sioux falls for the summer and i am totally excited! I would like to note that this really appeals to the free spirited nature i posess!:) i am going to be living between rock valley and Tea, sd for the summer working running around and making stuff, becuase i have free time... home made presents here we come. With a one suitcase limit coming for christmas, i will have to buy all presents now and leave them at home!:) funny how that works.
DId you know God is so graceful? Becuase he is, how else in the world could i come home and turn down two other jobs before i even got here, even though i should have taken them, then get a third job offer and have a place to live for free. Not to mention time to spend with the most amazing people i know! (well some of them, others of those amazing people are elsewhere):)
Anwyaz, summer begins i am excited, so much time to get to spend loving and being loved! have a good one!

2008-04-25T09:36:00.001-07:00

My 7th graders helped me write this limerik yesterday: It seems a little bit like Satire, but hey, its all for the sake of learning!:)

There once was a man named Bill.
He really loved pickles of dill.
His wife the republicans hated,
What to do with him the politicians debated.
Finally they threw him off capital hill.

Students and Faith

2008-04-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was teaching....
My students wanted to know what was next, and why we had to do so much work today, and when it was going to end, and why they had to learn math, and why they had to do spelling, and on and on and on. I am sure many of you can empathize with them.
I was getting so frusterated becuase i thought: "just trust me, i know what you need to have done and when and why, if you trust me that i know (becuase i have the teachers manual) then you could worry so much less and your work would be done and you would be rewareded with knowledge."
I think this is possibly a common plight for teachers. A few days later i was driving back from dance thinking about how i wish i knew if i was making the right desision and how it was going to effect my furture, and if i can truly handle living out in the middle of nowhere by myslef... again. Then i realized that i was excatly the same as my students. I ask God "WHere will i go next? How long do i have to be in this position? Am i putting my 'life' on hold to be here? Will i ever have a family of my own?"
Only to hear God say: "If you trust me you will see the answers to all of that and more and have the reward of heaven. I have the manual to your life, don't forget. All you have to do is trust me"
Suddenly i had a lot more grace towards my students. Thank goodness God's grace far surpasses mine for my students. Just something to think about.

Pictures!

2008-03-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of my skiing day with my student! look at me! I am learning to ski!

Change can be a Beautiful thing!

2008-03-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

I think I have found another activity I may really enjoy, dare i say love?
I tried to go skiing again, and i have to admit that when i set out to go skiing i was a little nervous, but I loved it!
I am very blessed to have a parent of one of my students who was a ski instructor and loves skiing very very much! He offered to teach me and started on our ski day (see post from two times ago), but we ran out of time and there were lots of other people who needed to learn to ski, so i ended the lesson early. But he and his wife called me up and invited me to go skiing with their family last weekend.
Anwayz, i only fell three times and only at the end of the day! I went down the run 8 times! which was something else compared to my previous 3 runs (and three falls):)
It seems to me that skiing is a lot like dance, there is a feeling of how to catch your body, the laws of physics and gravity play into and there is such beauty in the movement. As i learned how to turn from one side to another i started to feel the snow underneath my skis and catching the movement of my skis over the snow and down the curves of the mountian.
While watching other skiers, i see so much beauty in how they move and how they get down the mountian. I suppose there is something to be said for the thrill of the sport, but i am not a thrill seeker so i found differnt types of value with the sport. It seems so graceful and what other time can you be in the sun in the winter and up on top of creation being surrounded by all of God's creation.
I have come to a deeper and deeper apperciation for creation scince moving here, i love being outside! I think next summer i may be a ranger... (at the park) But we will see.
Anyhow, that is the most exciting thing in the last two weeks!

a quick update...

2008-03-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

Having a full time job severly limits blog type communication.
But things have been going in full swing here in montanna! I spent a jolly weekend in Billings spending time with Becca and Heather! Yay for good friends i haven;t seen in forever! Also yay for being able to pick up right where we left off!
IN other news i have decided to stay another full year here in MOntana, and i feel very peaceful about the decesion, but i am scared that i will not have any friends out here this year as my current roomate is getting married and my friend (fellow colleage) is moving away. It is a sad day that they are both leaving, so hopeuflly the next year they hire a teacher hre who is young and wants to be my friend. If you know anyone send them to Conrad Christian SChool, COnrad MT. and tell them it is a great experaicnea nd Rachel needs a friend! So i would apperciate your prayers as the school searches for a new teacher, and that will be a struggle for them.
I am still belly dancing and would like to note that i am getting better and better at it, unfourntluy i am still not at a preforming stage!:) Anwyaz, i hope you are all doing well!
Cheers!

They say a picture says a thousand words...

2008-02-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at skiing.....
This was probally the third fall on the second run... skiing may not be my sport!:)
going to an Elizabethan Mystery dinner... dressing up for the period.
We made our BEAUTIFUL dresses from dresses from the thrift store and a few other such items such as chair covers. I would like to draw your attention to the red under "dress" in my outfit which would be the aformentioned chair cover.

... then here are several million words!

A montana Adventure

2008-01-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

So this morning I write from my desk at shcool, and I am so thankful for God's gracious protection on the roads. We finally got some snow here in good 'ole montana, i would like to mention that we have not gotten snow scince two weeks before Christmas. So that was an exciting day. The other teacher, a dear friend of mine, and I went to Great Falls (an hr away) for a concert. The concert was something out of the ordinary for me, but more to come on that later. So we head out of town, with in the first couple of miles we see blowing snow and we realize that maybe the roads could get worse, but we press on....
We are thinking about good coffee and having good converstaion, maybe going a few MPH less then normal when we hit the outskirts of Great Falls.
We are going to take the next exit, so we stay on the road... or so we thought we would... in reality we hit some part of slippery snow and start to slide around a little bit. Bri does a good job of correcting the car, but it is too late and we slide butt first into the ditch. We hit a reflector post and cut it in half... this made for an intersitng looking side of the interstate, but we land facing the direction we came from and on all four tires, this proves to be a better position then i was in last year a little bit earlier in the year. WE are both ok, maybe a little shakin, but pretty good.
Thankfully a snow plow is following right behind us and pulls to the side of the road to make sure we are ok. He is tall, maybe 18--or so he looks, and is wearing tight wranglers, a large belt buckly with a W on the middle. He has a hat, that matches my first graders hat and his family, and it has ear flaps that can be tied on the the top of hte hat, and are indeed tied on top. He gives us direction to get out of the ditch and we make it safely up the hill onto the interstate, we turn around and head into town for the concert.
Now if you remember correctly, i live near an air force base and Bri and I's boyfriends work on the base, but are currently both on TDY (temporary duty assingment) and so we go to this show called "Tops in Blue" which is a show chior kinda show that goes through the last 60 years of the air force. This turns out to be quite a fun time, but very strange to me when they sing songs that show national pride and everybody stands up and looks to the flag or raises thier hands or shouts... in someways it reminded me of a worship event where people shout out and get excited about a particular worship song.... but instead they were all excited about the flag. I suppose they were more excited about what the flag stands for then the flag itself. But it was intresting, prehaps the most american thing i have ever been to in my entire life. It felt like the fourth of July in january...
So that was my montanna, american adventure...
Three cheers for the country!

Finally some pictures!

2007-12-29T18:37:00.001-08:00

I finally decided to post some pictures! here are the promised pictures of Belly dancing, the school christmas play, and some fall pics from Glacier.

Wisemen visit baby Jesus

Wise Men visit King Herod

Some trees turn yellow in Glacier, others do not...
This is Becca, Angel, and I at the Hafla! Don't we look great! Notice the wonderful headgear, which we wrapped ourselves!--also note the outfit, pretty hot, right?:)
We actually do dance at these things, not just stand around and look pretty!:)

Time for a post about something deeper then what i do for a living!

2007-12-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays, etc. I hope the holidays were good for all.
I have been home now for one week and i have one week to go, i am so excited that i have a week yet to spend here!

I have come the relization over this break that i miss my friends who really challenge me and share what God is doing in thier lives and ask what God is doing in my life. Granted there has been just a lot of catching up with people about their jobs and social lives, but there is that element of challenge, and ability to see God in everything that they do and in every area of thier lives. I am not sure i have that right now outside of the people i know here. The other teacher i work with and I talk about what God is doing in our lives... but i feel like something is missing. I wonder if it is becuase i don't know these people where i live as well becuase living in college is such a different experiance, or if people are not willing to share, or if somehow in the last year i lost the ability to ask good questions that allow people to share what God is doing in their lives. To me i wonder if i have become complacent with just living easily and not taking on challenges in my faith and life. Everyday has its own set of challenges i suppose, but what about being challenged in what i believe about living out my faith? What about people who hold me accountable for my actions and desisions? What happend to that kind of community? and how the hell do i get it back!? Excuse the language, but i use it to make a point.. i am annoyed with myself i think, for something... something makes me annoyed and out of sorts! I should make a point to note that i am so thankful for the long distance (and closeby) friendships i have been able to enjoy and seeing those people again to catch up, because they are all such blessings to me!

I am excited and almost ready to go home to conrad, i do feel like that place is home, and i am excited to see people there again and i am not quite ready to go back to work, but i am ready to fall back into routine. But i do feel like i have lost a part of myself scince the people i knew are scattered and lives move on and maybe that is why i feel like it is a lost. I am excited to see where people are and what they are doing and hearing what God is doing in thier lives. and i am excited for them and with them.

But somewhere in the last 5 months my passion for what God is doing in my own life has dwindled and that annoys me. I used to have such a passion to dig and find out waht people think and why and to have discussions that would cause growth for all people invloved, but now i find myself hiding behind the fun and estatic side of myself and i miss the side that thinks things through and tries to grow in my faith and in my relationships with others... i am mostly annoyed with myself. So maybe not a nesscarily happy topic for the holdiays, but something i have been thinking about for the last week. Man, i miss that community of beleivers that is so closely knit and so ready to disscuss issues of faith, joys and struggles. Well, i hope and pray that you all have someone who is challenging you to grow!

2007-12-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

well, the play is tommorow night and my students are excited! they have being doing such an awsome job! I know i promised pictures and tehy are still coming, but coming slowly!:) I have had an intresting couple of weeks. I came back from thanksgiving and my latin cardio dance class ended and my belly dancing class conintuues!
I mangaged to do all my christmas shoping over thanksgiving break, which was amazing!
I went up to Calgary with my boyfriend two weekends ago, and that was lot of fun! we went to an arts district in downtown and then ate at china town, we had a really good vegi dish and he had some kind of wontons.
Then we went to IKEA! It was so nice to be in the big city, it was refreshing, we probally should have stayed longer then a day, but it was about all we had time for!
This past weekend i made brocioli alredo and it was amazing! i would post picutres, excpet that we ate it to quickly!:)
With christmas shopping out of the way, and teh christmas play done tommorow I am counting down the days until I get to go home for Christmas! I will get to be home for two weeks! I leave good 'ole MT on the 21st! I am totally pumped! Oh well, i guess its back to lesson planning!:)
I hope everyone has a very merry christmas! i would apperciate some addresses from anyone who wishes to recive a christmas card!:)

HAFLA!

2007-11-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

The title of this blog is not an experesion, but rather an event! I am behind on the blogging department, but about a month ago i went to a hafla, or a party of all women who belly dance while i group of men and women play the drums. dancing to live music! It was amazing! All the girls in my belly dancing class were there and my instructor and some random albertian girls. It was soo fun! I really am enjoying my belly dancing class and i think i am getting better at it then when i started!:) A random drum playing guy took my camera for a while, so the pictures will follow up soon.
On a totally differnt note Thanksgiving has come and gone and right now i am sitting in a coffee shop in Kalispell MT drinking a white chocolate and hucklberry coffee. It is amazing! THe music is relaxing and i am enjoy myself a lot. I have gone home with my roomate for the 4 day weekend and we have had a weekend of food, fun, and family. Not nessecarily in that combination, but it has been intresting. It is very cold here! I think it is about 30 degrees, and its a warm day. It has been into the teens for the high already this winter and it is only november. BUt we have had very little snow, but there is ice now.
My students wrote the school chrismtas play and so now we are in the middle of producing that, it is going well. i have enjoyed directing it, all that theater experaince at Dordt is finally starting to be helpful!:)
Things have been busy at school with all of the play pracitces, and gaining a new student. Last week, i got a new 4th grader, which means not only did i up my quanity of studnets to 6, i also added a grade i do not already teach. but things seem to be going well. Kalispell is one of the artsier places i have been in montana yet, but my roomate lives on a farm at the treeline. So it is beauftifyl out there. picutres to follow soon!
That about sums up the life in montana, i get to go home for chrisitmas in 4 weeks! I can hardly wait!

random thoughts from montanna

2007-10-29T13:10:00.001-07:00

So school picture day came and went, and i really am not sure what happened. It has been a while scince i have updated so i thought i would sent a shout out. Nothing much has really been going on... i applogize for a boring post.

This month has been crazy! We are trying to do Operation Christmas child, we are making blankets for a pregnacy center, we are talking about drugs and being drug free, we are trying to get through regular curriculum, and some of my studnets are missing which means i have half the class and being gone cause a lot of work for me to get them caught up.

At any rate, i am taking my students to the art muesum, Lord willing, and so that will be an adventure. I had a coule of people hwo homesholl their children enroll them in art, becuase i was actually teaching art instead of just crafts. It made me feel useful. I want to teach art i think, even though i LOVE my studnets and my job here. Oh yeah, report cards go out this week! crazyness has begun!

This last weekend i hung out with a couple of friends of mine who work in the air force, and it was intresting. we went on base, and i was surprised at all of the little details and rules that hte military has. I mean i guess i understand, but it is kind awierd becuase i felt a little bit like the base was like a little extra commuinty inside a bigger one. I guess i shouldn't blog about too much of this, i am not srue what is waht. But i found it fasinating. Typically i am anti-militiary, but i learned alot making it seem a little bit more... i am not sure.... differnet then i thought.

BUt schol is going well, we had some dress up days for drug free week, here are some pictures:

sports day
my fellow teacher in portland with leftovers
my studnets artwork.. pretty good for a 6th grader!:)

School picture day!

2007-10-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

You may think by reading the title of this blog that i am taking a trip down memory lane, but i assure you I am not. I am simply stating a fact about this coming week. Now when i was a little girl growing up on the plains of the midwest, the only decision for picture day was what cool top I wanted to wear and maybe hair and earings. These were important decisions for sure, but now picture day has evolved into something more.
I still have to decide what to wear, earings, hair, ect. But now I also have to decide what color backround i want my photo taken against as well as what particular pose i want to have. When did taking a school picture become such a large course of decision making?
I remember a time and a converation with my Dad in which we talked of all the decisions one had to make in a day. He wanted to have a skit (like whose on first) that made fun of all the decisions that one has to make at a resturant. Like would you like a salad with that? ok great, house or ceaser? ok what kind of dressing? would you like croutons? Alright, would you like a warm plate or cold plate? and so on. I thought that he would have gotten a kick out of my school picture dilema.
The question still remains: What backround and pose to I choose that will look the best with my outfit?

A Breathe of Fresh Air!

2007-10-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

So I arrived from Portland this past sunday at one am and started teaching promptly the next morning. The last few days have been a little.... crazy... that might not even be the right word. But it was totally worth the 5 days in portland.
First, i got to take public tranist and i really like that for some wierd reason! And i got to go to cafes and sip dark warmth and eat healthy organic food prepared by people with lots of cool clothes. I got to layer my skirts and tops in exciting ways and not be looked at like i lost my head! I got to enjoy sun beating on my skin and the biggest breathe of fresh air was seeing Charity and Carlee for an entire day!
Cheers to my mates! We reminsed of our time aboard (?) at drank the darkest coffee, and enjoyed walking 5 miles around the city of portland, that is how one can stay a resonable weight while eating oinon rings, rice paper tofu wraps, and spinich artichoke dip and drinking chai and coffee and eating decedent chocolates!
We also went to a conferance on teaching, that was good too.
But i was amazing how much i missed livingi n the city! I think this summer i am moving to chicago to ride public transit and live downtown and watiress. My mum is all for this idea!:) I love that i have such a suportive mum!
Deep Breaths!

Going to the big city!

2007-10-01T15:14:00.001-07:00

i am going to Portland in two days and i am so excited! That is all!

Two completely different worlds:

2007-09-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

So here are two different journal entries from my personal journal that i thought i would share. They are from my previous experiance in Denver, and one from last weekend. Both were written when i had been in each place about the same amount of time.

Febuary 15 2007:

What a Crazy day! I ended up at some random black baptist church and stayed. It was a good service, just a little wierd to be the only white person there. But now here i sit outside of Enstine's bagels and the sun is shinning. It is so warm here for Febuarry. It is very peaceful to be sitting out here among these strangers and enjoying the sun and my coffeee. I think i am going to really like Denver.

Sept. 22 2007:

What a crazy day! I can't belive that i just drove an hour and a half to take pictures of the beautiful trees all around here. It has been soo cold this week. I though tthat scince it was warmer i would come out to the park (glacier) to sit for a while. But seeing as it is in the mountinas, it is much colder. But the sun is shinning and it is just beautiful! I have only seen two people in the last hour that i have been sitting here and drawing. There is a very bold ground squirrel sitting next to me and occasionaly on my lap. It is very peaceful and there is so much beauty in this place. I think it is going to be ok to live in montana.

I just had to laugh when i got home and was reading through past journals and foudn the one about Denver. What a difference, eh? I can't believe how different those to places are. And maybe not even how differnt the places are ,but how different I am in each place. Strange.

According to those who are young....

2007-09-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

According to my 7th grade boy student: "The romantic Era was when boys decided to be nice to girls, and they just rejected them!"
According to my 7th grade girl student: "To be patriotic means to take your hat off at the rodeo when the flag goes by. I would consider myself to be very patriotic. I am always the first one to take my hat off when the flag goes by."
According to my 6th grade girl student: "Being patritic is not liking the colours red, white, and blue. It's praying and supporting your country.
I thought these were worth sharing. More to come later i am sure!:)

From bars to Belly dancing!

2007-09-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

So this week I decided i needed a new hobby, mostly because the town i live in is very small and the only thing people do here is go to the bar. I have been to a lot of bars to listen to people i don't know sing music that is fun! they have a lot of sing alongs!:)
The problem that i have with going to these bars, is that i am not to much of a drinker. I enjoy a good glass of wine and a drink now and again, but i am not so much for the smoky atmosphere.
So i needed a new hobby, well i have decided to take belly dancing lessons! I had no idea how much work this was going to be, but it seems to me that it is going to be a really good time! i have really enjoyed working on those muscles. The lady who teaches it is a kick in the pants!
I am sore today, but other then that i am excited for next week!
School is going very well outside of that and i have enjoyed my students alot. they are fun, respectful, and sometimes just a little forgetful! but a good two weeks so far!

Glacier National Park

2007-09-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Becca and Kellie and I during our hike.

Goose Island
A Big Horned sheep!

Here are some pictures from this last weekendend when i went hiking in glacier. I did buy a season pass!:) I nkow, crazy! so if you come to visit, i will take you there! It is soo beautiful!

monana, a photo montauge

2007-08-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

mao of the city!
Hiar care products in the grocery store!
Large zuchnni from student
BIg Sky Country!
lightening storm!

I am a terbbile sopeller, but here are some pictures of the place that i live! basicly flat and brown. Some pictures of Glacier to come later!

Story time!!!

2007-08-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Alright, so many of you suspected that i might have some good stories coming out of my recent move to conrad, MT. and i have many....

first, i am renting a house that was built by the grandfather of parents of two of my students (remember i only have 5). Strange... stranger yet they stopped by the see the house the day i moved in....

second, i am in the grocery store... i am looking for cheese. a 16 year old worker starts up a converstaion about cheese.... he proceded to rank the cheeses for me, which brand was the best for the cheapest amount and so on. in case you are intrested in the cheese ranking in montanna it goes tillamook, kraft, something wiht a house on the front, and last the IGA brand. i bouthg the one with the house on the front.

Also in the grocery store i ran into the lady who i bought my mattress from and she told me my principle had come looking for me at the mattress store and wondered if she had found me alright. odd, mostly because i had agreeed to meet her at her husbands insurance agency across the street from the furniture store!
I have a wonderful picture of something i foudn in the grocery store, but i have to get some stuff organized before i post it.

on thursday the mum of one of my studnets wanted to have lunch with me and my mum. we went to a pizza joint, yes folks there are two pizza places in conrad. I will have to post pictures. (not of the lunch, but the town)

Last but not least I have an excellent story. At church (i went with the mum of my one 6th grader), they first introduced me to a guy(25?) whose name is Lock. funny? yes. it gets better. He proceds to tell me how is brother, Lake, quit school becuase he got a job and started buying guns!

Do not let me give you a false impression of conrad, it is a nice community and there are no people in this down in my age range. (expect for lock who lives a couple towns away and only comes to church once the singing is over, just in time for the sermon). BUt all in all it seems good. I am extreemly overwhelmed by the start of school, but the town keeps me laughing. i might forget how to be social.

quality time

2007-08-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! I do not think that i am very good at this posting often thing. Just a quick update! I worked at camp for a week, and i worked my bum off! seriously! I did more work in this last week then i have done all summer. Also i spent some quality time with good friends, i forgot what it was like to have friends who know you well. I discovered how much my adult friends mean to me too, and that was good. I feel so at home at the IH because of my adult friends and the friends i have collected over the years. So a good week spent there. I wish i had some really good picutres, but technology is the bain of my very short and impaint existance.

on other news i have yet to pack and organize and i think it has not yet hit me excatlly what it means that i am moving to Montanna for longer then 5 months. This will be the longest amount of time i have spent anywhere! (in the last 2 years that is) I do have a place to live and that is really a blessings. I just think God is so amazing, He truly does provide. well, that is the end of it! i have no idea what the technology will be like once i get to MT, but i hope good.

Best Decsion of my life!

2007-07-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

It has been almost one month scince my last post! Crazy! But in that month i made the best chioce i could have ever made! I took a road trip with my brother and sister! I think that i have not known them at all for so long because i was in college and too cool to be associated with my family (who lived far to close) ** if only i knew then what i know now** ANwyaz, we took a trip by car to Canada, i found myself finding out things about them i did not know, and finding that they had grown up into adults, pracically over night. What craziness is that! It was just amazing to spend that much time with them, and i would indeed say it was over due. we had a lovely time visiitng our family in BC and some good friends here and there as well!:) We had a blast on an Alaskan cruise and some challenging moments on the way back, learning to show love when driving has become a chore.

Now for the news more of you are really wondering about and secretly hoping that is the reason for the title to this blog. The answer is.....

... i have deicded to take the job in MOntana, I feel like GOd has been telling me all along "i want you there" so i am going, i have a couple of housing options, many look dodgy, one looks good, we will see. I have a classroom, it is HUGE! I cannot beleive the size! I think i will have one challenge after another, teaching middle school again (once again i would like to note that i still want to teach lower elementry!) God has a sense of Humor, i think he laughs with me at the irony in this situation. Also, i have to teach 7th grade math! *HA!* ANwyaz, so that is the desision, we will see if it fits under this blog title at a later date. In the meantime, i apperciate all the prayers soo much, and i covet your prayers as i take a leap of faith into an adventure that i am sure will inspire many many stories!:)

ACK!

2007-06-28T20:53:00.001-07:00

So i have made no progress on my school desision, i am waiting to hear back from my dream job in Chicago. But we'll see what happens.

But in way better news! I bought a camera today!!!!! I have been wanting a digital SLR for ages! and i finally bought one! It cost me so much money, but then i rememebred that most of it was a gift from my step grandma! I am so excited! I bought a Digital Rebel by Cannon, XTi and two accompaing lessons. I almost went the step up the D 30 but it was soo big! i just couldn't see myself actually wanting to carry it around. Maybe i should have up graded, but I LOVE my new camera. I also want you all to know that i have a love-affair with dresses! oh my gosh! I bought two new white dresses today, but combined the cost the price of one white dress.
I know this post is pointless consumerism, but i am very excited!

i thought i might have posted a picture of it, but i am not sure. I may have to try again later! anywaz, hope you are well!:)

WHAT SHOULD I DO??!?!?!?!

2007-06-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

I have been offered a contract:
Montana Conrad Chrisitian
$16,000 for the year
5 students
1 in grade 5
1 in grade 6
3 in grade 7

IS it worth the experiance? Can i really afford it?

most importantly... Do i take the job?

Prayers please

2007-06-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

This time i write in a simple request relating to my past post. I would apperciate prayers for some desicions that are coming my way. In realting to true faith, how does one know what GOd is speaking directly to ones heart? I feel a bit like Jonah right now. i think GOd is calling me to a place i do not want to go.... to a one room schoolhouse in mt. I am not sure that i want to teach 5 studnets all year, grades 5, 6, 7 and make only 16,000$ and live in a town of 2500. its not even that i am not sure, its that i know i don't want to. But i feel that GOd is calling me there, but what exactly does one feel when GOd wants one somewhere?
I have faith God will provide, but do i need more faith if i want him to provide somewhere else, or is it faith to leap and go where i do not want to go, but believe he wants me to go. What if i am wrong? there is no act of reasoning here at all, to any one who knows me this should come as a bit of a surprise that i am even at all concered with reason-- that is usally far from my free-spirited heart. BUt now reason and freedom seem to be conflicting in my mind. Maybe it is not even reason and freedom, but reason and faith.
advice apperciated, prayers appercirted more!:)
Blessings!:)

True Faith

2007-06-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

Week one of Bible camp done. Unfortunatlly we have decided to cancel our first week of family camp, which in reality is fine with me, because i do not feel prepared for that job currently. It seems to me like we have a really good staff, but they are soo young! Three of our conulars are the same age as my little brother and sister, that is kinda wierd to me! But they seem eager to work and seem to really enjoy each other. I felt welcome right away. BUt now i am home, and that is wierd. What else is new. i am not totally convinced that you are supposed to live with your family after you have moved out on your own. But that is ok, it is all part of the experaince. I am still in the hunt for a job, but things seem more promising, probally becuase i have had more of an opportunity to look for a job, amazing how that works.
As part of camp training we had to take a solo, time alone for me and God, something i have grown to cherish, and long for. I know, Sandy Altena would be proud. ANwyaz, I have given this whole job thing to God repeatedly, becuase i have no idea where God wants me to be and i desire to fullfill his purpose where ever it is. Anwyaz, i had begun to doubt that what i thought about faith was really true. I wondered if trusting totally and completely was really enough. So here i was sitting in the middle of a field listening and watching. i watched as about 5 barn swallows en-circled me. Swooping down in front of me around me and then got lifted up and carried by the wind about 3 feet and then they swooped down again and got carried by the wind. When they really wanted to stay somewhere for a while they would stay close to the ground and then they would allow themselves to be carried by the wind. It was extremely windy out that day. So i began to think of that verse (i cannot rememeber where it is found, please help me out) where it talks about not a sparrow can fall from the tree with out the eye of its heavenly father. And i began to think that complete trust is hard, but God takes care of his creation no matter how big or how small the creation is. and GOd will take care of me. That means that i still have to hunt, like the barn swallow, but i can be free in my trust, just as they are free to fly on the wind to whereever it carries them. Maybe i am off target, a little loopy or just plain free, but i would love to hear your thoughts on what True Faith is. I took a look at Hebrews 11 and 12 as well, and i have hard pressed to find a definition that makes sense to me. Thoughts please! Blessings, Rachel;)

School's Out for the Summer..

2007-05-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of school, i will go back on tuesday to clean out my classroom. and probally a little this weekend! Anwayz, i had mixed feelings as we said good bye to my 8th graders and my 7th graders awkwardly said good bye to me. I felt sad. My mentor teacher asked me if i regreted coming to this school for 5 months. I said no. It was God's timing at excatly the right time for me and for the school. What i learned here is irriplacable. My experaince was wonderful and it left me with a deeper passion for teaching. The only thing i regret is that i am unable to get a job for some reason. I don't understand i am doing everything "right". I send cover letters and resumes, i do follow up contact with schools, i fill out countless applicaitons. I have no idea what i am supposed to be doing. I be-grudling fill out applications for schools and jobs i do not even want, but nothing comes of it.
My heart is with this school, i am sad to leave. As i reflected over the last couple of months i realized how much i had grown as a teacher and as a person. I learned to make friends in new places, i learned how to manage a classroom and the importance of routine. i learned how to work with my co-workers and i learned how to be organzied. I struggled through the tears, the parents, the studnets who won't turn in work. but i rejoiced in the letters of thanks, the pictures colored with love, and the paintings that i recived. I rejioced in teaching something i am passionate about and being told that i helped a child 'love art!' It was worth five months just for that. God has a plan. I am confidant in his ability to get me where i need to be, so I will press on, leaving my life in his hands. Soli Deo Gloria-- To God Alone be the GLory!

My teeth are violin strings

2007-05-22T14:06:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

Best friends are good for the soul!

This weekend my dear friend Ann(e) came to visit me on a "buisness" trip. Check out her blog to see her side of the story!:) So we had an amzing time. She arrived at school and watched me teach, and took a nap (behind my desk). While napping my secretary was giving a tour and she popped her head up and smiled (as only ann can). Then my serecarty appologized and moved on. THe family must have thought I sleep on the job or we let homeless people in!:)

Story two, we went to my friend jasons house for a relaxing glass of wine and sometime in the hot-tub. It was amazing! After last week, it seemed perfect!:)

Story three: After eating breakfast on my front porch we went down town on Sat. we ended up at a farmers market (only with ann) :) and i bought some awsome paper, i think i will make a lamp. we wandered around tried on dresses at my fav. dress shop dowtown and ate lunch at a hawain coffee shop. we then sauntered to the art musuem and looked at Claes Oldenburgs sculpture (outside). Then we did some other random stuff.

Here are pictures, i hope!:)

on sunday we at breakfest on my porch swing (in a hurry) and went to my church! THen we made mango salsa and warmed up indian food. Walked at hte park (thankfully didn't run into anyone i knew;) ) and then i brought her to her church for meetings. I miss her.

My life is for Rent.

Best Friends are good for the soul!

New Cell phone

2007-05-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

i was thinking abotu buying a new cell phone, becuase i really need an international calling plan. So i found out that midwest wirless does not have an international calling plan at all, in fact it cost me 49 cents a min for calling to canada.So i found T-moble which has a 600 anytime min, free nigthsa dn weekends would be 40 bucs a month. then i would have to pay 20 cents a min for calls to CA. BUt i can buy a frequetn caller plan for $45/ month and then calls to CA only sost 9 cents a min. So the extra plan is 4.99. ok, but here is the dilema, Right now i ahve a phone card for 1.9 cents a moin, but it charges me 99 cents per min for hook up charges. So if they are not home i waste 99 cents. ok, i have spent $50 in teh last 5 months on calling cards. so the plan would be cheaper in that respect, but then i would have to take into consideration being on the phone for more then an hour, so that would cost me 5.40 per hour. i am just not sure what i should do. What kinds of cell phones do you all have? please give me advice!

orange shoes and a good story about cats

2007-05-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

So i wore the orange shoes again today, my studnets LOVE them! i laugh at how much they talk about my shoes, i will have to post a pic soon!:)
also, parents (the same ones who hated me) are telling me they will miss me. Life is wierd
three: i am going to miss teaching at this school alot! I feel so un-motivated to find a new school, because i love this one so much!

Ok, good story about a cat, "andrew" told me this one last weekend:
So he was driving home from a wedding with a girl in the car. They rounded a corner and a cat came FLYING out of the bushes and ran into the side of his car. THe girl said" what was that" "Andrew"looks in the review view mirror "oh, i think it was a cat" is all he said, but what he saw was a cat flying head over heals across the road. Andrew drives on. Soon a big SUV comes up behind him, weaving in and out and trying to get next to him. HA, finally accomplished, a guy in an SUV pulls up with big muscles and he looks like he could beat the shit out of somebody. The guy rolls down his window and motions for Andrew to do the same. Andrew rolls down the window, the guy yells "HEY! DID YOU KNOW YOU HIT A CAT BACK THERE? I HAPPEN TO LOVE CATS! YOU BETTER GO BACK AND FIX IT!" Andrew thinks " i can take on this guy!" but dressed in a suit, thinks better of it and goes back to where the cat was. The girl gets out of the car, closes her eyes and goes back to the car. Andrew sees a cat lying mangled, but mostly dead and a little alive on the road. Well now what? So he ponders riding over the cat again, but afraid of anyone seeing him purposefully driving over a cat... they might shoot him. So he gets back in the car and drives on. In the review mirror, a car comes up behind him... SPLAT. The cat is offically dead.

That was gruesome, but i thought it was such a good story. Names have been changed to protect the innocent and some details may have been embelished!:)

be careful of cats today!

Funny stories!

2007-05-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

So I only have four weeks left in Denver, three weeks of school, one week of clean and pack. What a crazy time! I still have no job, but i have had an intresting series of events over the last couple of weeks.
Two sundays ago, i was in the park, drawing. When a random girl came up to me and started asking me if she could sit by me and talk. So i agreed, after about 20 min she had told me her whole life story and all of her struggles from the last week. Maybe i am a hypocrite and maybe i am un-compasionite, but it was hard for me to want to sit there and listen, when she seemed to want a listening ear, but expected me to respond as well.
During the course of our converstaion as well as previously i had watch a man walk around the lake 5 times, so on the 5th time i waved. He had a cool camera, so i made a mental note if i saw him again to ask about it. Conviently he sat down ten feet from me. i found out later he was thinking abotu coming over, but he thought that the random girl and i were good friends and he didn;t want to interupt. Awnayz, after the girl left, i went over to the guy and talked with him for a while. I asked about the camera and he asked if i wanted to go for a walk... what hte heck, we are in a park... so i agreed. an hour later at the end of the walk, he asked if he could call me, again, why not. so i gave him my number, we went for dinner on monday night to a GREAT vegitarian resurtant and made plans to go paddle boating in the park if the weather is nice this sunday.
Same day another random guy at the singles church asked me if i wanted to meet for cofee, why not. So i gave him my number, we went for cofee on tuesday afternoon and left it with that. I feel comfortable with only seeing him at church.
I was wondering what is happening with this sudden flood, but as my mentor teacher put it "go out and have fun, you only have a few weeks left" point well taken. I will have fun! and it is sunny, so now i am off for a walk. i wore bright orange shoes today and my studnets loved it!;) hahaha! i miss hearing good stories... if you have one... let me know....

Beauty and the Beast

2007-05-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend i helped with backstage managment, lights, and set moving for the Van Dellen christian middle schools production of the broadway play "Beauty and the Beast". Can you believe that 60 middle school studnets were able to act in a 2 1/2 hour play? I was amazed! They did such an amaazing job! I just love them soo much! I never (ever, ever) thought that i would say how much i love jr high studnets and how proud i am of them! THey are amazing! I had such a good time with my 4 seventh grade set movers! We had our own little club!:) It was super! Plus, i got to do some makeup for my middle schoolers, including old age, grey hair and all sorts of amazing things! I just love theater, i had forgotten how much i love the theater and how much i love my school.
I watched all my students in gems and cadets be involved in my morning church service and it brought me to tears to see that i will have to leave teaching my students. I love them soo much! I am sad to leave, but God always has something new to teach and show me, i wonder what is next.

hahahaha!

2007-04-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

I got confetti all over a friends car from over 1000 miles aways! Hahahaha!

of ice wine and hot tubs!

2007-04-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

yesterday a friend of mine invited me over for ice wine, it was me and these three guys, you know how i feel about that. But we all brought a bottle of ice wine, so we had three to try, becuase one was the same. Three glasses of ice wine later i was sweetened out! that stuff is so good, but sooo sweet! Then we went in the hot tub! ahhh, i felt the stresses go away. I slept for the first time soundly through the night scince spring break. it was amazing. Then i got the funniest story ever from a friend... my day was sooo good.

until... i found out that none of the 5 schools i applied to called me back for interviews and so i have to start the job search all over again and i am soo tired of it! If you think about it, pray that i will have direction about where to apply to. and that anyone will hire me! thanks!
have a good day!

I am a ground troop`

2007-04-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

So today i have been thinking about war. I was thinking about the war of Justice. I was thinking about the vietnam war. i was thinking about the war in Iraq. I was not thinking about being the ground troop in terms of teaching, but that is what our new "advertiser" guy said to us. He wanted to know what the ground troops knew, for us to tell him our hopes and fears in terms of marketing ourselves (as a school) to parents and so forth.
i am reading a prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, and it is an intense yet hillarious, and long, but intriging story about a boy and his childhood best friends. It talks about the vietnam war and the era that was the 60's. I have this constantly on the brain and it intrigues me what that means.
so back to being a ground troop, some days i do feel like a troop daily fighting against the will of my studnets to give me such violent disrespect. I think about daily fighting the desire to sleep and not go to school (although i tried that once this year, on accident and it only proved to be a pain, i made it to school in 15 min). I think about the fight to have a job again someday. I think about the daily fight to love. I never thought that it would be such a fight to love somebody. it takes so much out of me to truly love another human being as well as truly love, evenly toughly my studnets.
Did i mention we are having a monsooon today in Denver and my shoe is broken. So there.

16th-18th century teaching!

2007-04-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

So this week on monday night, i realized grandparents day was on friday and so i was going to have to plan accordingly. The 8th graders were gone this week and so suddenly i had some extra time to move and shift things around. This week i changed my classroom into an art mueseum. I used my currator project from Art history (i can't believe i actually used it!) and i gave my studnets packets to fill out, mini projects to due to explore things, covered my door with a sheet and let them learn on thier own, this is my favourite style of learning. The grandparents of my kindergateners loved it! It was a good day!
but in 7th grade bible i had some students write on the board that they wrote the following sentance exactly "when u sin it is bcuz u r tempted."
i almost died! What is this technology doing to the formation of language and the laziness of the coming generation. I was appalled, and it made me wonder. Well enough about that, but here are some pics of the art museum (and maybe of a beautiful park) -- i borrowed the school camera!
well..i can;t get the pics to work again, surprise surprise, so maybe pics will follow later!:)

Sunshine state!

2007-04-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

Marie and Me at the Salvador Dali museum!
At the beach, turn your head sideways.:)

In the harbor, hmmmm, warm!

i hate posting pics, so this is it! It is frusterating!

FLORIDA!!!!!!!!

2007-04-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

So for Spring break this year i went to Tampa to visit with Marie, it was the most amazing spring break ever! Totlaly relazing and totally what i needed right now! We went to the beach, the zoo, a Salvador Dali museum, the beach, shopping, hte pool, drank sweet tea! It was amazing! I went to the most histerical out doors store, it was like in a forest in the middle of the city, totally wierd! pictures will soon follow! But i loved it! then it will be back to the grind on monday, but in the mean time I intend to enjoy my last few days off of school. It seems a litle crazy to me that the end of the year is coming so soon, and the reality is i still have no job. but i have met a few people who are looking for teachers, but i am already tired of hte process! blah! But florida was amazing, it is sooo good to be with people who know you so well and you know them so well that you are totally comfortable around them. What a blessing!

a sad day in Denver

2007-03-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today my prinipal came and told me that i would not be offered a contract for next year to teach at denver chrisitian becuase the budget is being cut and art is being cut down to only 1 day a week per grade (which would basicly cut the position into thirds) and so i am being let go. I would apperciate your prayers as i look for another job and go through the whole process for a second time. God has brought me here quickly, so maybe he has somewhere else for me to go now. Thankfully God is in control and will be forever!

add on to middle school dance:

2007-03-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today at school my 8th graders asked me if i was a professional dancer!:) i smiled and said yes, i had taken dance classes, they thought i danced hip-hop professionally!:) This is hillarious!:) But we have much better repore now!:)

Middle School Dance!

2007-03-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

So tonight, i went to my first middle school dance in my whole life! It was hillarious! I had a great time hanging out with some of my 8th grade girls and i had a good converstation with the other art teacher! I was so excited! it was a lot of fun, the girls wanted to know "college" dance moves! Hillarious! Anwayz, it was fun and i had more fun with them then i have the whole time i have been teaching them. Maybe 8th graders aren't so bad!:)

Something new (and un-expected) for me...

2007-03-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Last night my roomate (who coaches basketball) and her fiance convinced me to make a braket for March Madness. Now i would like to state that i have never even heard of this, or if i did i completely ignored it and blanked it from my memory!:) But she manged to convice me!:) Then end of the story is that i decided that Florida should win because i am going to go there in a few weeks, but a few people in the running were gonzaga, illionios, and some others i can't rememeber!:) For anyone who knows me well (at all really) knows that this is a streatch! The games start tonight and for the first time in my life i might actuallly watch and care about a basketball game on TV! I know,... have a seat, ... take a deep breathe ....whatever you need to do, this is un-expected news!:)

questions.

2007-03-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Blek! I feel sick right now, but am making an effort to ignore all of Lilian (my parasites) cousins and feel better by tommorow for school. i hate feeling sick without knowing why.
in other news it is so beautiful outside today! It reached 77 degrees F. downtown today! Iwas so excited, i left school and had a smoothy downtown (in denver downtown is my substitute of the beach, in sioux center there are so few people my backyard is sufficant). I wore a tub-top, and i got tanned! It was soo good, but then came home felt sick, took a nap, went for a walk felt sicker, ate toast, felt sicker did some of my mums wedding pictures, felt better, felt sicker, prayed, and am writting.
Something more profound...
i wander around downtown and i wonder why there are so many homeless people. They say we are not supposed to pan-handle, but then what really is the soloution? Why is it htat people have to hurt like that and not have community around them and not have jobs, family, even a place to live that they can call thier own. Why do we allow people ot live like that and what the hell are we supposed to do about it!? Why are people dying of cancer? Why do children get teased mercilly at school and how much impact can a teacher have, studnets make thier own choices. Why don't schools just tell you when you are going to be fired or hired, why don't i know where i will be working in August. why does it seem that weather can make all the difference in a day? Why is it hard to feel organized as a teacher, why to i feel so young and un-professional? Why is moving to new places so wierd and different every place you move? Why do we buy into comsumerism? why do people think they need to have so many things? why is worth based on possesion?

so many questions...

Forgivness

2007-03-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

So in the last post i mentioned forgivness, but looking back i realized that i had not mentioned it. So the story goes like this:
My college roomate and i hardly talked the last two years of college, i am not sure what had happened, but we had a falling out. God brought me to denver to teach and her to denver for grad school. But who would have thought that we would even run into each other in a city of 3 million people. Well, God would know and he knows the importance of forgivness.
I have been going to a church (a good ole CRC church, where people are welcoming and it is small and they invite me for lunch) and the first day i go to the church i talk to the preacher, who is only 26, then he mentions my roomates name and i am shocked, i see her out of the corner of my eye, but i can't be sure, so i ignore it. Going home i think about the awkwardness and i wonder if i should go to this church, but i figure we are both in a differnt place, there is no reason why we can't heal this relationship. I get to church 3 weeks later and we are eating at a potluck, she pulls me aside and says "can we talk" i agree and we go to another part of the church. She says to me, " I am really sorry about under grad..." I smile, my heart is warmed, how can someone find enough courage to appologize for someting that was not entirely her fault. So i contiue to say that it is not all her fault and that she should not worry about it. But she insits on the appology, i simply tell her i forgive her and then tell her we should go for coffee or something some time. We exchange phone numbers, this realationship is on its way to restoration. I am simply amazed because if you would have asked me a year ago, i would have said, good riddens, but God works in the hearts of his people in the most unique ways. We both had to forgive, but i felt like i had recived so much grace, she simply appoogized and i accepted, but for some reason i felt like that senario was harder for her then me. it is hard to accept an appologiy out of the blue, but it is even harder to offer an appology in a situation that lasted so long. One day we will go for coffee or to a movie or something, but the first step as been done and i am amazed by our creator.

Success and Forgiveness

2007-02-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Today has been successful, i got the links back updated and then i didn't get any planning done, but oh well, but i also managed to order my ink for my classroom--i am a real teacher.
This weekend i learned about forgiveness in the biggest way.
Two important quotes:
"Grace is only free for the person reciving it"--pastor Joel
"I just need to do this, i need to applogize"--my college roomate

First lets start with the activties of this weekend:
Friday night: randomer calls me from singles church asking me to come play games, calls me during rush hour, we talk for a 1/2 an hr. This is wierd to me.
Sat. day: i rondevue with a sydney program friend and we go shopping, i buy useless clothes that have no school ability, but they are fun!
Sat. Night: i go to randomers from the singles church and play settlers and a car racing game on nitentdo with a few other people--one girl from Dordt, i know i know her but i don't know how.
I win at settlers, basicly its good, i get home LATE!
Sunday morning: I go to a good ole CRC church because last week i went to a baptisit church, i missed the CRC, but i loved the excitetment in the baptist church!:)
I go to a potluck and run into a college roomate (more to come on this later)
Sunday afternoon: i walk in the park, have a 1/2 hr conversation about cameras with a random lady.
Sunday night: back at the singles church, talk to the Dordt girl, she remembers--we went on a triple date togther one year! CRAZY! another guy asks me to play games on monday night---i decilne, maybe another time.
Monday: No school, good. I sleep in, try shopping again, eat soup, go to Catherine and Timothys, for tea and calzones.
It was a good weekend!

problems...

2007-02-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

I switched my backround to this beautiful pink colour and i have lost all of my links to my wonderful friends. Would anyone be kind enough to place the web adress for adding links in a comment? I am sad about this.

More about this weekend to come later! It was crazy!:)

Extrordinary adventures..

2007-02-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

So I begin writting as i am surounded by stacks of sketchbooks and i have heaps of planning to do and ironicly i am going to a Denver nuggets basketball game after school today! What a crazy time. But this weekend was even crazier!
I think i might have a chance at having some friends in denver. I headed to Bible study on Sat. night. This was all good i was with Catherine and we thought we knew where we were going. but we got lots, so in an effort to turn around i crossed two and half lanes of traffic (to turn left and make a U turn). But a cop pulled me over as soon as i had turned around, asked me if i was in a hurry. I told him i was trying to go to bible study, but was lost, so he gave me a warning and directions, good thing too, becuase i have an iowa license.
Then the next day i wander into what i thought was going to be a white presbeterian church in a town near by. But lo and behold it was really a black, southren baptist church! that was so strange, i was definitaly the minority and that was wierd. But the music was amazing and the preaching was on fire (what do you expect). So good good, then i went to another church recommended to me by the former art teacher and it was awsoem! it was kinda like gift, expet smaller and mostly single people between the ages of 25-30. this was good, but i felt young there, i might have been one of the youngest people there. But it was fun and i met a few people, i hope to meet a greater amount of people next week and maybe find some people i can really connect with. But i will still take any takers who want to move to Denver! I fear i might be roomateless if i stay here another year.
Anwayz, that was the crazy weekend, i contiune to wear out my voice daily with my seventh graders, i try to get excited about stuff with them and that makes my voice tired. I am praying for health and hoping for a relaxing four day weekend. I wanted to go home, but to expenseive! bummer!
i hope you all are doing well!

Will you be my friend?

2007-02-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Will anyone move to Denver and be my friend? i want a church and some friends, it is lonely in a big city by yourself.

I thought these were funny....

2007-01-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

considering i am an art teacher....

You Are Surrealism

Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own.It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy.You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society.You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world.

What Art Movement Are You?

To my roomates:

You Are a Creative Cook

Your cooking is unusual, inspired, and definitely one of a kind. People love your unique style, but you've had your share of kitchen flops.You have the makings of a cult chef. You may not cook at the Four Seasons, but you could have your own little funky cafe in San Francisco!

Are You A Good Cook?

I would have thought 1960!

You Belong in 1972

If you scored...
1950 - 1959: You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!
1960 - 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too.
1970 - 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all!
1980 - 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.
1990 - 1999: With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Picture saga contiued

2007-01-22T17:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures that i have taken that demostrate my life thus far in denver. Still looking for a church, this is a hard and time consuming challenging task. *sigh*

My roof with snow on top (bout 3 feet) Me Shoveling the snow off of my roof

Why was i shoveling the roof? Look to the left... the sky is falling... the sky is falling... snow falliung off of my roof to the right.

Ahhh, the finished roof!:) Now i am snowy from falling down my stairs/sledding hill!:)

Life in Denver

2007-01-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

Someone said to me the other day: "a picture is worth a thousand words" so here are several million words. however to those who know me well i have not been know to keep words to a minimum. So i have included some words that describe what the picture can not. Enjoy what i have expearicned thus far in Denver!:) Driving down the road to my house, ice covered roads, packed down snow by about a foot. This does not really show how dangerous the driving really is, i keep almost hitting parked cars.:)
Lots of snow piled up in the middle of the roads. Sometimes the snow piled up is higher and wider then my car can handle--this causes the hiting parked car syndrom.
The view from the road that comes out of my house. The mnts. are only to the west! I am much better at finding my way around here!:)

now is seem to have trouble posting, we will have to see what happens later!

The little joys...

2007-01-18T14:03:00.000-08:00

There are just somethings that make my day. These are things like when my students come in and show me something that they made in science, and just want me to see it. Or when they show me sketches they have made, searching for approval and affermation. Or when they draw me a picture of our art classroom and what they do when they are in there. Or when studnets have family visiting from other towns and bring them in, just to say hi to me, and show them thier art work. I love being an art teacher.
Other things that bring joy are projects that turn out beautifuly and i did nothing but provide oppurtunity. like 8th grade snow sculptures:

Apple Pie
The Cross
CheeriesSnowman tries to escape

Arn't they great!

Of plays and 7th grade bible

2007-01-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

week one. School is over for the week, but the studnets have homework and so do I. I am planning to try to get the whole week planned today, we will see how that goes. I am then making plans to go shopping. This week has been an intresting one. First I finally had all of my studnets. The class that I had heard the worst things about was my best class! i couldn't believe it! They were super! I also realized taht i love elementry, but middle school is really starting to grow on me. It got really cold in the later part of this week and it froze the already snowy (impossible to drive on) roads. This was a problem, but school pressed on. We have monday off, a holiday for banks and schools. It is good.

A Play:
I went to a play on Thursday night (my roomate bought a season pass, with some other teachers, she couldn;t go--basketball (she coaches), so i went instead) with these other teachers. I first went to a lovely dinning place in the small shopping center near my neighborhood. It was one of those bread and olive oil resturants where fine tastes and delightful menu options are plentiful, and pricy. (especially for a small town girl).
Well, then we went to the play.

So we walk into this large theater (the denver preforming arts center) but the acutal theater itself is small. i felt underdressed in my teacher clothes and black pea coat. But the set was simple, the theater cozy and the plot was simple on the surface, but beneathe that lay a large array of thoughts and post-modern ideals.

THe plot:

Stories. People have stories, people tell stories, stories make them who they are. At surface the plot was a man who wrote stories all ending in gruesume deaths of children becuase that was what had began his story writting. he is being accused of murder. But underneath that plot lay the idea that the stories had an effect on his younger brother who proceeded to go out and kill children as desciribed in the stories.

THe ending:

The play ended on the idea of grace. well, maybe grace is the wrong word, but on the truth being displayed. The images of the play hauted my mind, Children should not be subjected to such things, and why would you choose to protray them in a play

The title/catagory:

The tile: Pillow Man (a comedy)

the comedy was nessary to break up the heart-wretching details of reality

The language had fuck every other word. The other teachers left at intermission. i stayed. i wanted to know what happened, the play write had enteritained me, i had followed his charecters and i wanted to know where the play would go, what kind of message it had. As with most theater, i had a desire to watch it again, just to geta little more out of it. Does that make me a sinner? Would it make me worse of a christian to go and see a play with lots of bad langague? I like stories, that is what drew me to the play.

7th grade Bible:

In 7th grade bible this week we talked about what tempts us. The studnets had to write journal entries abotu what takes them away from God (i assigned this as the first homework i have ever given):) We talked about idols, what do we see as idols and how does that effect our relationship with God. Judah had been living agmonst these large nations and all the nations worshiped other gods, so judah did to, What in our culture does that to us? Many of my 7th graders said that movies, music with bad lyrics, swearing, video games with lots of violence, friends that swear, un-christian friends, families that have hardships, all of these things pull us from God and the first three/four things i mentioned are what they told me our culture tries to sell us. I thought, oh my students a product of christian education. but they are right, i suppose, so that made me think... am i the most hypocritial teacher by going to see a play the next night that had tons of swearing and alluded to lots of violence? I struggle with that.

SNOW DAY!!!!

2007-01-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

So i taught one day, and now we have a snow day! talk about irony, i move from Iowa to Colorado, and i am swamped with snow! litterly! they really do not plow the roads here, it is tricky to get around some days. today i bet we got 4 inches of snow and it is still coming. I wonder if i really do have a job!:) Anywaz, blessings to all!

Day one---Done!

2007-01-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

Well, today was my first day as a real live teacher! i laid down the ground rules and i learned some kids names, i talked to some of the staff, and i planned a little bit for next week. I taught abotu claes oldenburg and sketchbooks. I think it will be a good semester! I even enjoyed teaching my jr. high! I am now excited for tommorow, but i have to plan still. Sigh the work is never done! I hope days are great all around the world!

I am Here!

2007-01-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hello all,
i have arrived in Denver. What an experiance. I was stuck in Lincoln NE for a couple of days becuase of weather. i kept puitting off the trip becuase of weather, but then weather finally was looking clear, but they said the highways were a mess, but i said i had to go, so i did. I was off, and low and behold the roads were clear (ish). I had no troubels. in fact i drove through mid nebreaska and saw the most beautiful thing. There were tons of icicles all over the place on in the trees and grass and everything in between. It was beautiful, even thought there was nothing on the road!But that meant that i got to spend a blessed few days with dear friends, amazing how that can make you feel and make you prepared for new steps.

When i got to Denver, i had been warned that i would need a snow shovel, i thought they were joking, but really they do not plow the roads here! I am going to have to take picitures, they really don't plow the roads. Anwayz, that makes for crazy driving!

As this new year starts i am awstruck by God's amazing grace and faithfulness. I have come to this school, where i am about to start a brand new job and i am livng in a large city where i know only a couple of people and i have to go about finding my way around, find a church, and begin to get a community here. This is a daunting task. But this school seems like it will be amazing. I have started to prepare for my students and prepare my room. i love the fact that i am going to be a realy live art teacher. It scares me, but also makes me soo excited that i might be able to try my wings. I hope that i can do this. I am scared silly, but i am also so excited. The principals wife just came into my classroom and prayed for me and over me and the studnets and it was so amazing. It was what was on my mind and heart. I know God has got me here for a reason and i am looking forward to learning what he is going to be teaching me. I hope that as this new year begins you all are off to a good start.

I GOT A JOB!!!!!

2006-12-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

The title about sums it up! God has blessed me with a job! I am going to be a k-8 grade art and 7th grade bible teacher!!! I can hardly belive it! i move to Denver in 2 weeks!

I'm off...

2006-12-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

to DENVER!!! i am going to get on a plane, fly for an hr and half to Denver Colorado, for......

An INTERVIEW!!!! YAY!!! I hope it goes well. if this is a place i a ment to be i pray that i will know when i visit and if not, i pray that i will know that too. I would apprecaite if you would join my in those prayers to our ever faithful God.
and in the mean time i get to visit a good friend for a brief day. what a crazy adventure life is!

Surrounded by the arms of love....

2006-12-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

You know that feeling of being held by someone you care about? That feeling that you are totally safe no matter what and they will protect you? Well that is exactaly the feeling i have been having lately. Not of human love, but of my ever faithful Heavenly Father. I feel like i am lying in the arms of my Father and he is going to make everything alright.

I have been thinking about God's faithfulness alot right now and i have discoverd that i had alot to learn about God. But one thing in particular happened that made me think of God's ever present faithfulness.

I was driving with my mum and bro and dog in my car (2003 honda, i have had scince march) and i went off the road. I stupidly took a 90 degree corner on a gravel road going 35 mph. I thought i could handle it. My brother warned me, i thought yeah right, i can go this speed around the corner it will be fine. THe moment the words left my mouth i lost control of the car and we went hurdling into the ditch. After a few brief minutes of chaos we were upside down in the ditch. My car... totaled.... THankfully we had all being wearing our seatbelts and God proteceted us. What we came away with was a few bumps and bruises and a renewed trust in the faithfullness of our God.

My mums husband came, he cried over the fact that i was ok. Forgiveness. We drove up to a house, i was cold, appendiges were numb, these people took us in and offerend asssitsients. On the short drive over i thought... everything is going to be fine we are in God's hands. I had never had such peace about something like that. we got into that house, started talking with the wife and she was a doctor. Turns out her husband was an ex- autobody repair man and so she checked us over... you are fine she said... her husband looked at my car... totaled he said. THese people are christians and that made me think of my own wittness in the world. What providence. Only through the divine grace of God are such conections made.

You are not going to belive this....

2006-12-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

First i saw the most amazing thing on my way home from school today. THere was a flock of birds circling a field in a perfect flying pattern, they circled around twice and then flew up up up and headed south. THis wasn't an orrdinary flock but it had a least 100 birds in it! It was amazing.

Other things you maynot believe are true (but are)...
... First i finish school on Friday!! i will be done very soon!

... applications for christian schools (not being Dordt) Ask this question in their application:
Describe what being a reforemed christian in contemproary soceity means to you?

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!

Why can't i find anything that i have already written like that? I swear i have written it at least 12 times.

Maybe i am not competent.... .. but then again

2006-12-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

On Thursday my college supervisor came to vist my classroom for math. I had been off all day, i prepared my lessons so far in advance i had forgoteen what my plan was. So things had not been going well. My students were taking their own run of the classroom. I felt discouraged, then the talk came, and evlautation by my supervisor and then by my teacher. i went home, feeling un-compentant as a teacher. I felt as though i had failed, probaly the worst feeling in a while.

But then.....

.... Friday came. I was so mad at my studnets for acting out that i clamped down immeditally. I didn't allow for any talking to me while they were working, i made clear expectaions and clamped down on all talking. I am on my way to a teacher voice. I realized that you can have alot of fun with the studnets if you run an orrderly classroom. THey learn more, i get to teach more, and that is better. THings arn't perfect, but at least i am learning. It felt better to be successful but then i had to deal with all the "so...what did we learn" statements. Sigh. Only one week left!

A joyus weekend!

2006-11-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

Greetings for the Thanksgiving weekend! Things seem to come in large spurts of activity.
Take this weekend for example. beging with getting out of school on wed, i went and collected aunts and uncles and grandparents from vairous surrouding airports. Then added to my collection some of milt's family and had an amazing thanksgiving dinner filled with good food, laughter, and time spend with family.
Then the relatives poured in on friday complete with a semi-surprise visit by some close friends from Chiago land whom i have not seen for at leats 5 years. Talk about insanity! With a quick visit, lots of hugs and sad farwells finally everyone cleared out by today.
But what is the cause of all this kufuffle of acvity? A wedding, of course (but not mine) my mothers wedding took place this Saturday. It was great to see these family and friends. We have now been joined by a large array of what society calls "step-siblelings" but in reality they seem to be nothing more then an extension of an extended family that i barely know anywaz. I am content to keep that distance between us.
My mother, now married to the afor mention Milt took off for her honey moon today and they seem to be quickly settling in to a condo on the beach of south carolina, in hopes of good weather and deep sea fishing.
Then school began today and i started full time teaching, followed up htat busyness by returning the last of the realiatives to the airport and finally coming home to relax. Teaching makes me tired, only two weeks left... then only the Lord knows!

a week at a glance

2006-11-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

It is getting warmer... thanksgiving promises to be in the 50s. i love it when it is warmer, but it is uncharectisticly warm... global warming.

I am getting excited for my mums wedding... seems as though everything is falling into place. Today we ate our last meal together as my family currently exsists, come this week monday things will be differnt again, then on Sat. Things will be differnt forever. what a strange thing.

I think i am dying. I have been so under the weather the last couple of days, actually scince last tuesday. What is my stinking problem. First i was having headaches on the weekends, strange. Then i had stomach pains, and feeling so nauses for like four days. I would eat, but only to feel better for an hour and then sick again. i am frusterated. Today the stomach pains seem to be gone, but i woke up with a headache! What is the world! i took tylonale, it helped, but the headache is creaping its way back. I think i better go to the dr. I am frusteraed! I better hurry my health insurance in gone on Dec. 15.

Next week will be short school days! YAY! I do like teaching, but i also enjoy a good break!:)

...

2006-11-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

It snowed today... first day scince i have been back to iowa. I liked it. It was a "warm" snow. I wonder if anyone knows any good devotions or sets of passages to read or something... i just finished reading through the bible in three years (it took me 5 years). I am looking for something to do!

Feelings....

2006-11-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Today i was angry... mad... upset... frusterated
Two words... voting... children (who are stubborn and definant)

Then i went for a run.... i don't run... i ran for about three blocks then walked about 5 blocks... i repted this pattern.... until i came to an open feild... then i ran with all the streagth that i had left in my angry body. Then i came to a peacful walk in the trees that use to bring me peace and relaxation when i was burnt out. I talked with God.

Then i began to relax.

Today i am thankful that i have two working legs and lungs.
Today i thanked God for feelings... being able to feel and identify what those feelings are.

Today was a good day!

nothing of imporatnce...

2006-11-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

My life is taking a different course all over again. this time it is crazy and all i can do is hang on tight! i was thinking about how much i miss being a college student when my only purpose in life is to write one lesson plan every three weeks, make posters, bullitian boards, and write reflections are articles that i "read". I get to stay up until midnight or later and i don;t have to report to class if i really really don't want to.
But now, i have to write lesson plans all the time, every night, be at school every day from 8-4 and i have no way of opting out. Strange how growing up seems to take on differnt faces. Well.. this is what i choose... so this is how it is going:
School is going good, i have 16 students, 25% are learning disabled and have IEPs (individualized education plans) and rarely are all my studnets in my classroom at one time. i am working at a school dictated by the rules of No Child Left Behind and anyone who knows me knows how i feel about that. I am frustareated by those rules and see little room to move. Why is it that we have so much emphisis on reading and math, but little emphis on science or socials. I am nervous for what our next generation will amoutn to. We will have people, but trends show that they have less respect for each other and i firmly belive that people are going to be getting stupider if they keep having to be taught to the test. I feel like my hands are tied. i think i need new intrests, education is going to drive me crazy.
At one point this week there were 6 adults in my classroom of 16 studnets. that is almost a 3-1 ratio. What in the world! i think we should set up a coffee bar in the abck of the classroom for all of the adults. I use tothink my teacher was talking loudly to talk over the studetns, but i realized the other day she has to talk loudly to talk over all the adults in the classroom. This will be a challge for me. I am done talking about education
last night i got to catch up with some friends and that was amazing! i had pizza and went to a movie: called Prestige. It was good, creepy, but good. i would almost put it in physcological thriller, but then again maybe not, it was serious, scary, sad, and a whole range of emotions. go see it and let me know what you think. Ok, back to lesson plans i go!:)

What a weekend!

2006-10-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

SO this is probally the most crazy weekend i could have ever imagained! Seriously! I thought to myself on thursday, i have the whole weekend to rest up for the start of my second session of studnet teaching (on monday) (in Ireton at West sioux). BUt little did i know the surprises friday night held.
On thursday i discovered a good friend of mine visiting from washington. Over the course of the next day i went to the play and caught up with some friends. It was weird to see the play simply as an audiance member and not as a person who did the makeup. Boy i have learned alto about theater considering i have never taken a class. I missed it.
Then outside of the theater was one of my closets friends from Dordt! I thought i would never see her again after May and she had come (with another friend) to visit for the weekend all the way from Tronoto (first from quebece, then toronto) I was so surprised! Then another long lost friend from college showed up! WHat a crazy time! We spent the rest of hte night hanging out togehter laughing, sharing about our current lives, cuddling, and learning that come January we are all going to be homeless. I am thinking abotu starting a homeless club.
The steps for the club:
Find a cardboard box
find a blanket
find wood and matches
Bring a cardboard box to a city nearest you
place cardboard box in sheltered area
place wood and blanket inside box
move in
start a fire, but becareful not to catch the box on fire.

It seems like a good idea, laura had boxes from the paper store and brian has boxes from the shoe store if you would need any.

ANwyaz, what a wonderful way to spend a weekend getting caught up and seeing familarity all around! Hope your weekend was a refreshing as mine!

Finally back in the homeland

2006-10-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Just thought i owuld let you know that I made it back to Iowa safely. I got back around 8:30, but then spent somet ime with the fam until now. A quick rundown: (its quite long acutally)
Friday: 11:00--left from home
12:30- finally got through the hour long wiat at the border(everything went fine)
7:00pm- made it to Spokane with out to much trouble.
7:30-- ate supper with my friend and her roomate
Saturday:7:00am--left my friends house
7:30-left spokane (after buying fruit and coffee)
11:15- Got pulled over by a cop (got a ticket) (in MOntana) for safe driving! It was raining, i took off the cruise, i have a lead foot, realized i was going 90 at the same time the cop relaied i was going 90. He pulled me over, clocked me at 86, asked where i was going. I said: "back to college" he said where is your ownership papers? I said "i don;t know. let me look" I produced insurance papers. He asked if i had proof of ownership-- i said "uhh... i have an owners manuel?" He laughed, told me he would mark the ticket down as 85 so it wouldn;t go on my insurance, and i would get a 20 $ ticket.
12:00-started looking for a park--spent 1/2 hr loooking found nothing
1:00pm-- stopped on the side of the road at a campsite-- ate a muffin went for a 5 min walk.
1:30--stopped again
5:00pm--stopped for supper at perkins (got lost coming off the interstate--this took 45 min)
5:45--Got back on the road--heading towards a large black cloud
6:45--snow started
7:30--hit sheridan--still snowing--got gas, contiinued
8:00--took us 20 min to go 5 miles--turned and went back to sheridan (we were supposed to be in Rapid City at 8:00)
Stayed in a motel
Sunday:
8:00am-left hotel
made really good time
stopped only twice
4:00pm-- creep trucker tries to "communicate" something with us, but we don;t know what--we speed up, he speeds up, he slows down, we speed up, he speeds up, he slows down, we speed way up and leave him in our dusty tracks
5:00pm-- made it to sioux Falls (an hr. from my house) just in time for my church (that i only usally go to in the summer) we had good worship, food and fellowship. It was about spiritual warfare--too bad it was the end of the series.
7:30pm--left sioux falls
8:30-- dropped my firend off, went home, had a party with my family--all extras included--shared pictures, cards, and stories. Talked with my bro until quite late
12:21--writting this blog which is draggin on.
Well, if you made it all the way to the end, you can see that our trip was pretty good, mildy unedventful, but enough to keep us on our toes. I hope you all had a good weekend! I hope to hear from you soon!

Good-Bye BC... Hello Iowa....

2006-10-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

A quick update on what is going on....

Last weekend I ate with a friend at a really yummy cute little resurante in down town Vancover. The story:
The Plan: to go to Scinence world to see the human body ehibit.
The wrench: the exhibit was sold out when we got there... it was confusing... the washroom was stupid.
The other problem: Neither me nor my friend is from the area (i have lived here 5 weeks, he has lived here almost a year)
The solution: Get into the car (we drove 1/2 to vancover) and drive up the road until we run into a resurant. The only catch, we don't know where to do. But we just kept driving until we hit the longest road in vancover, and it was good becuase there were lots of resurants.
The Resurant:
it was called Joeys, it was very young, modern, and hip. I liked it. We decided that the walls were short, giving it more of a community orriented feeling, the food was good, a little on the pricey side, but good. Modern is the best way to descirbe it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I finished school on Wed, it was sad, but good. My staff threw me an open house with icecream cake. I felt affimed by them. It was good. I got good feedback from my teacher and my principal, it made me feel like i really can be a competent teacher. My studnets gave me lots of hugs and good-byes, they wanted to come in my suitcase (after pakcing i realized how hard of a chore this would be) :) Tonight, some friends are coming to hangout one last time. Tommorow i leave for Iowa. Mixed feelings here, pray for saftey. I will post again, when i arrive! Until then, Blessings!

All good things come to an end...

2006-10-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

... The story of my life. YOu know what i hate about this time of my life?

... constant switching of communities, changing of relationships, moving to new places and getting lost, but mostly leaving again and saying good bye. Why invest my self in a place only to have to say good bye? Well, the answer... simple... becuase those few weeks, few conversations, few realtionshiops, random strangers who end up friends, is what makes my life totally worth living. I think it is always worth investing in people and places. but i almost (ok i do) wish that i would pick a spot and stay there for a least a year. The differance however is that i like the idea of trying new things and going new places. And it seems almost imposible.

So why this rant on leaveing? Cause you guessed it, i am leaving BC on Friday of next week. That gives me one blessed week. I will be teaching only until wednesday, and i cleaned up my desk today and realzied all i have invested in my students, rejoiced and cried on the commute home. Thier smiles, when they want to hold my hand and tell me they want me to come home with them, and thier laughter, and their tears, and when they get it-finally, makes it all worth it and makes me wish i could invest more. *sigh* Have a great weekend!

good.

2006-10-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

On thanksgiving (canadian style) i had the most signifigant converstaion i have had in a really long time. We shared a mutal expeiance in our past, we empathized, we helped each other, we grieved together. It was simply a blessing from God, the right time for both of us. Good.

I am Old

2006-10-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

Now, i know most of you a thinking, you are not old, your hair is still brown, your skin still smooth and forheavensakes, you are not even thirty yet. But i feel old.
First off i went to a worship thing, and that was not good. The message was based on like 30 passages, and we sang songs i didn't know, and the message was so.... ... milky. I started thinknig should i be craving some kind of deeper spiritual food? I do, so now the question become where do i find it? if i am wanting something deeper, are other people too? then why is it so hard to find. If we are all (as chrisitans) searching to learn more about God and His charecter and grow in our relationship with him, then why is it that so many messages are the same thing... milky. i think i am not explaing myself clearly, (words are not my forte) How many alter calls to you have to hear before you get to learn more about God, who he is, and how he communicates with his people. I have given my life to Christ, so i don;t have a need for altar calls, i know some people do, it is good to provide the oppurtiuny, but what about those of us at differnt points in our faith. Any insight, please!?

I feel old today becuase i am tired. I have been up at 6:30am and to bed by after 11pm and it makes me tired. but i went to a teachers confeacne today and it was good, i felt old there too, because that means i am almost an adult.

Anwayz, my students constructed thier own understanding and am teachnig this unit they way teaching has been modled for me at Dordt, and it is being succsessful! Also, a student and i decided together on a book for her reading level, and that was huge prgress for her, then enthusiasum in her voice was amazing.

fullfillment

2006-10-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

WOW! I went to hear an amazing speaker last night, it was good, followed by good convestaion and company. I like to have such good company, keeps the world turning.
I signed in church on sunday morning, it is harder when the songs are not familar, but God uses the gifts he gives to grow, challenge, and aid in worship. It felt good to be part of a worship service. I wish so much that everyone could be a part of that.

On other news, School was amazing today (despite the fact that i didn't get much sleep last night). I am full time teaching, so the classroom is finally mine!:) But i loved every moment of it. (well the parts when they were listening or learning). I let them go on a "matter hunt" they don't know what matter is, they dont know what solids, liquids, or gases are. but they tried thier best, i created a safe learning envioment (emotionaly) and they constructed thier own understanding. I feel like i was a companted teacher for 50 minutes today. But then i felt like i was just teaching them stuff the rest of the day. i wish that everything i taught i could be as exited abotu as i was this unit. I rearanged the classoom and put up a new bullitan board. my studetns like it i think. One girl told me she liked haveing me as a teacher. I hope i am making an impact. it is those few moments when you know you are, thie eyes light up adn the hours of planning are suddenly worth it. I felt fullfilled today.

Ahhhh

2006-09-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach today. Sigh of contededness entered here. There are days i know i am met to be a teacher. When i can have fun with my studnets, and teach them something at the same time. When they come and ask me questions about books we have never even talked about. Deep beathe and a contected sigh. life is soooo good! Praise God!

Pensive

2006-09-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hey guess what!? Today the sun was shinning, it was warm and i even got to be outside duing lunch! What a good day! I have heaps of planning, but who cares, it is sunny!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok,
So i was in Tim Hortons this morning, as is my friedya moning routine (a good old double double) Anwayz, i came rushing in a little bit late, and a man opened the door for me and the lady in font of me and the lady behind. So we got in line and he got in line behind all of us. So we offered for him to go in front and he simply replaid, "na, i am not in a hurry." I was taken aback. So the women in front muttered work and turned to the front of the line and the women behind me nodded in agreement. THen the man said: "yeah, i have a job too, but i have learned not to worry about it." I agreed with him via a nod, and he said: "yeah, i am too old for that".
Anwyz, his kindness struck me and i rush by so much, just to get to the next thing. You know the days don't go any faster then 24 hrs. so i might as well enjoy them.
My kids struck me today as they usally too. But one of them started crying in PE. She had gotten hit in the head with a ball and she came over tears in her eyes and looked at me. So i aksed if she was hurt, "no" are you scared? She simply nodded her head. I gave her a hug and in 30 sec. she was running back in line and chatting lively with her friend. Wouldn't it be nice if we could solve all the worlds tears with a hug.
Another one: a girl came up to me: "you know something, you taught us something and we taught you something. You taught us how to say coloured pencils and we taught you to say pencil crayons." I smiled and said, yup, that is what happens when people from differnt places come to gether and meet, they can teach and learn from each other. She smiled back and nodded. At that moment one of my korean boys came up to me and said Hello in Korean. I thought how blessed am i to get to live in such a diverse world.

YAY!

2006-09-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

So i didn't want to leave you all hang'in about the hip-hop class!:) I had my first class today and it was awsome! I would totally love to do more hip-hop! i am sad that i am only going to be there for 4 of the sessions. Anwyaz, totally the best!
So more teaching is underway. i have been doing nothing but writting lesson plans this last weekend, and week. I feel like the work is never done. The thing is that i feel like i could do so much a better job once i learn all the little stuff and i stop having to do the formalities (like write lesson plans). I wish that i just knew how to teach everything and then woking with the kids would be no problem. but i am so unsure of myself and so my teaching is not as good, and i think the kids can tell, but i am stating to do more disipline, so that is helping alot. Anwayz, school is school. I am about to rant:

So THE STUPID NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT is RUINING my LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let me explain: Because some guy (who shall remain nameless) got this "great" idea to make sure that no child is ever left behing in math and reading, adn apparently no one thought throught the consequences of this..... (pause for a yell of frusteation). ANwyaz, children are still going to be left behind, because gues what, parents don't get involved, don't read to thier children, and basiclly seem to think they should have no involvment in the childs learning. (ok, so not all parents, but a lot). So if there is no home suppot the school and the one teacher the child has per year can not fix everything, so guess what, children still aren't going to be at the "right" level! Anwyaz... because the US gov. thinks that tests are the best way to assess knowledge (so we can ensure NCLB) is to take a standerized test. WEll news flash.... it takes more to being a good teacher than being able to take a standerdized test. You can do great on that test and suck as a teacher. Whoptiy do! We don;t seem to value good teachers in the US, simply teachers who can get thier students to get the highest test scores. So besides being bad for students and teachers, it is one more stupid step the gov't makes us take to become a teache. For heavens sake, i just want to teach aleady! Stop with all of you hullablaloo and let me teach! Thankfully the state of Iowa is fighting very much against the feds to make this better. Thank goodness someone knows that its stupid!
Anwayz.. End Rant.

in other news, i went to this totally awsome worship thing the other night, and it was like 2 1/2 hs long, but did not seem that way. I was amazed that i could sit though some one talking for an hour with out going crazy. But he talked abotu being made in teh image of God, and how we are made in teh image of God and we are the crown of his creation, just like othe gods of other cultures are the crown of the temple, God made us the crown of his temple(or creation). but i think i just murdred the talk. But it was good, worship was good, good. I guess even the people who support and made NCLB are made in the image of God and i have to love them in a Christ like manner. *sigh* its so hard sometimes.

back to school... i am teaching math and phonics!:) hahahah, my two worst subjects in school:) but all is well.
have a good day!:)

Hip Hop!

2006-09-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hey guess who just signed up for a hip hop class that starts next monday night... every monday night an hr of hip hop!
If you guessed me! Your right, i'd give you a sticker, but i gave my last one to my grade twos today.
Schools good, taught today, thought maybe i should have been something else, my teacher reminded me to talk slow, and maybe tommorow the kids will understand what i want them to do. Cheers!

Extreme weekend!

2006-09-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this has been the craziest, funnest, most advetrous weekend i have had in a long time. I went camping with my cousins and aunt and uncle, it was a party and a 1/2. The fist thing tough was that we had to try like 5 differnet camp sites befoe finally finding one! I promise pictures will come soon, but i have yet to figure out technology as can be seen by my poor map picutre below.
So we took a gondola up mnt. Wistler. and then we took some thing to the top and then we hiked up and down and all around and it was cool. (that is few words to descibe a lot). Then afte the hiking everywhere my bum was sore, btu this could have moe to do with sliding down snow/ice on my bum with my cousin alica. WE also had a snow ball fight and ate lunch by a "lake" and snow.
Again I was surprise how quite it can be on top of a mnt. ANwaz, we swam in a lake or sevela differnt lakes and that was an adventure of its own accoord. after the mnt hike we went to a lake to "wash up" for dinner at a mongolie grill.... which is like a Hu Hut, but you pay pe 100 grams and it was really really good. Everyone but my cousin David really liked it (he put 10xs to much barbaque sauce on his).
ON sunday we explored the falls we were staying at and my cousin Matthew took a air mattress down the river. i thought this was crazy, so devised a rescue plan involving a blanket and assorted other members of the family. Then he nearlly drowned going down the rapids and on a wild chase and all the family and a sopping wet blanket we saved him! ....
...well that is what would have happened if he wouldn't ahve planned well and ended up down the rapids and to the calmer part of the river where we had been "swimmming" in. So the story looses a little bit of flair when the truth comes out, but it was a fun day. THe water was sooo cold! I could hardly belive it! ANwyaz, we played games and took a small hike to the falls, it was beautiful too! Anwayz, we spent monday on a differnt lake and ate and then came home, ahh.. to sleep perchance to dream!
My students came today and it was fun! Only a 1/2 day so nothing to exciting, but a good time to get to know them. tommorow, testing begins!