Indy Top 5 so far...

5. Griffy watching T.V.
We found out that Griffy really like watching Cesar Millan on my families rediculously large TV... (no they didn't buy a TV that big, one of the family friend brought it by last fall... it is seriously the biggest TV I've ever seen in my life!)

Listening intently on what to do to be a well balanced dog.

4.Wildlife... I love all the birds here: cardinals, finches, robins, sparrows, blue jays, and black birds. It's always a flurry of activity and beautiful bird songs to wake up to. Not to mention the bushy tailed squirles and our family's resident chipmunk!

My mom has a resident chipmunk. Besides being constantly chased down by Griffy, and almost being toast last summer, he still manages to come get some of the finch and cardinal food. He's pretty stealthy! (you must realize he's 6 feet in the air in these pictures!) He's always one of the highlights!


3. Gretchen... How I love this girl! We've been friends ever since the first day of Jr. High here in Indy. She's the best! We just know how each other thinks which makes life a whole lot easier! There aren't many people in the world who I would rather spend time with. I need more life long friends like her! Love you Gretchen!

It's easier to take a self portrait when you don't have to wrap your hand around the camera... Hence the upside down picture!
2. Hair cut... I love Marsha, she's the only one who cuts my hair and I love it!

Pre hair cut... Can you tell I'm so excited?
There's all my hair...
Ok, not all of it, but a lot of it!
Short hair! Finally!
Cute hair, cute hair... can you tell I love it?

Marsha's the best... what am I gonna do when I don't come to Indiana to see my mom? Who will cut my hair then? Ah, man!

1. Family...

I love my family and being home... It's been tons of fun working hard and playing hard with each of them! Skylar and John... brotherly (in-law) love...
Tanner on the computer... Sick of me trying to take pictures! I still love you!
Mom and I riding in the Z. Man how we love that car!
John taking down the tramp. Shhh... don't tell Logan. We've decided it will be one of those RM surprises...
Griffy... I love Griffy. He's the reason we have Tuffy. Isn't he a great looking 12 yr. old pup!

Tuffy turns 1... Happy Birthday Tuffy!

Well today is the big day! It's Tuffy's first birthday! I can't believe it! It wasn't very long ago that he looked like this.... What happend to my tiny fluffy puppy? Now he's definately not tiny, but he sure still is cute!

I'm so sleepy..plus I really need a hair cut!

It's so bright out here!

Strrrreeeetch.......... Oh how I like the dirt!

I hear something.... What is it?? I want to go get it!

Tuffy's birthday present...

He loves his doggie door! Yes he was absolutely terrified of it when we first put it in. He sat there for an hour and poked his nose at it. Once he learned to just go through the door he loves it! Plus since the weather has been so nice this weekend he has spent most of his days outside... and it has meant no more accidents in the house when we're not paying enough attention to him! I don't know what we'd do without Tuffy!

What time is it?....Summer time, its our vacation!

Well, the last day of school has come and gone. It is currently 6:19 a.m. Why am I awake? Why have I been up for an hour? I don't know, I know i'm exhausted and wished I was sleeping right now, but I'm not... Perks of getting up when I did, is that I got to see an amazing sunrise. Also, it is the end of May in AZ and it was only 70 degrees outside yesterday and it rained for the first time in 3 months, so this morning it is nice and cool plus it smells like rain...Which here smells like creosote bushes (which I love), not like dying worms and mold as it does in Indiana. Another small perk to where I live. I've opened windows and am sitting here in a sweat shirt!! It's one of my most favorite things to do! Which is one of the reasons I'm so excited about going to Cascade this summer, I have a feeling its going to be a lot of work, but the weather is going to be perfect... (aka not 110 degrees).

I am actually feeling quite sad about not having most of my class anymore, of course there are always a few that if you had them even one more day you're not sure if you could do it. The kids made such amazing progress this year! I have lots of stories, so I'll share a few... First is oneof my boys, he came to first grade and couldn't count to 10, by the end of the year, as long as he had a number line could complete 30 addition or subtraction problems in 3 minutes correctly!!! What a huge accomplishment!

Next is a girl, this little girl couldn't sit still or complete anything or ever keep her mouth closed at the beginning of the year... She was in trouble almost constantly, I had many discussions on an almost daily basis for the beginning part of the school year with her parents... After a while she realized that she got (positive) attention when she was doing things and acting the right way. Once that finally....(after many a talking to)....sank in, she really became one of my biggest helpers. You'd think this child would really not like me since she had been in touble so often, however, she was the one in tears yesterday because she just loved me so much and didn't want to leave(her words not mine). She even made up a song for me about how much she loved school and her teacher... Now that is why I teach first grade!!!!!!!! They are just so great!

One more...This child has been one of my 2 biggest issues the entire time he was in my class. We had made hue progress in his aggressive short tempered behavior until... he missed 6 weeks of school FOR NO REASON!!! (Side note, parents keep your kids in school!) So he came back to school worse off then he had come to me to begin with. Finally, we were getting somewhere and now we have summer vacation. Let me tell you though, that child would have done anything for me that last week of school, he was my best helper all this week. I just hope he can remember that for next year!

So back to the sleeping issue, why on the first day I can really sleep in because I have NOTHING to do am I awake at 5:18 in the morning?

Life after school....

Well this will be an unusual post for me... no pictures just my ranting... I figure if I write it then no one has to read it but it gets it out of my system. We are winding down our school year only 5 days left!!! I must tell you I'm quite excited. This school year has brought much drama to our little school distict. If you want to know e-mail me and I'll share with you. The kids are already done, so it is very hard to feel like you're teaching when they are so out of control! We are loosing quite a few teachers this year, not as many as I thought, which is almost disappointing since all the ones that said they are going and aren't are the ones that need to go. Now most of the ones leaving are some of the best teachers we have! Such is life, it never does seem to go my way.
So now onto all of the hectic things of summer. Ours is looking quite busy this year. I applied for a teaching fellowship with the Department of Education... while at the moment I haven't heard anything (which makes me think nothing will come of it), I really hope that I get it. It would be a nice additional income. If I do get the fellowship, we will be in D.C. sometime during July. Next week we will be in Indiana. Then we come home just in time for me to do some work for school. I get a week off, which will be good so I can go to all my doctor's appointments, eye doctor, dentist, etc... all of those things that I don't take days off during the school year to do. Also Tuffy has to get into the vet for some more shots, a hair cut, and possibly other things... Then, I head to Scottsdale for the reading first conference... I'll be so glad when reading first is done with! After that it's up to Logan, UT for John's cousin's wedding and we'll continue on to Cascade ID to fix up my grandma's house. We're told it will probably take 2 weeks, which will lead us right up to the time when we'd go to D.C. if I get the fellowship. So I guess we'll see how the rest of the summer goes. Whoever said that teachers teach for their summers "off" has never ever been a teacher or had a teacher in their family!!
Well now that I'm done ranting, I sure would love to hear from each of you! Know that we love you all!