BIG NEWS!!!!

Ok, so I haven't posted on here in a while because I have been trying to wait to announce my news...

1 + 1 = 3

We are expecting... Baby coming in May. :) So excited to meet him/her. Had our thirteen week ultrasound yesterday so now its official. :)

The day we found out :)

Here are some pics of our lil peanut.
6/7 week photos

 13 week photos:

I think our baby looks a lil alien like. LOL! 

P.s. We were told yesterday there's an 80% chance its a boy. :)

God is amazing!!! Seeing our baby makes me want to cry and thank him repeatedly!
How great is our God!!!!!

Hope you are staying well and having a cool, but not cold day!
Happy Saturday!!
Ang

First 2 Weeks

The first two weeks of school have been a lil crazy! Its been amazing learning under someone who loves their job. My supervising teacher is amazing! I hope to one day be as good of a teacher as she is, if not better!

     

 Lets see, we had an amazing first week (although not without incident)... and I actually got to teach during the first week. :) I taught some math and learned myself about the lattice method for multiplication which is used for multiplying large numbers... (If you struggle with it, this may be one way for you to figure it out.. just google it). I am working on learning to not just teach what the paper says, but to extend it and use examples that will help the students. This can be hard for me....

Haha!! I sure do hope this isn't true!

Today is the first day of the 2nd week that i was in the classroom... You see, on Friday, I had all four wisdom teeth removed.... BOY DID THAT HURT!!!!! Anyway, I am still dealing with the pain even today, but it is not as bad and I haven't had to take prescription pain killers since yesterday. :) :)

I guess the biggest thing right now is that I learn so much in a day that its hard to remember it all... My goal was to write on here every night... but most nights, I am just ready to crash (I am shocked I haven't fallen over already)....

I really like how my supervising teacher tries to teach me and at the same time treats me as an equal.... It makes things so much better that way... I am almost totally comfortable teaching in front of her... although today I got nervous a couple of times while reading....(Meaning, I had to reread a sentence or take a breath... LOL!).... Who I am most scared of is my university supervisor, who just so happens to be the principal of the school I work at... I am not quite sure where I stand with her.... and well, she is going to be grading me as well as the teacher... Anwyay... I am probably just worrying about nothing...

Hope your Thursday is full of joy!!
Ang

Meet the Teacher Night

Tonight went very well! I met 30/34 of my students and their parents. :) It was a really good night..

My only complaint is my shoes... Why did I choose heels?? I have no idea... But boy, did they hurt!!! I got there around 2:30pm and by 6 my feet were killing me. I've decided the next time I wear them I will bring a pair of flats with me to change to half way through the day... This way I don't die of foot pain! (the sad part is that I bought special "comfort" heels and spent the extra money.. and my feet are still killing me!!!)

Today I learned that copy machines can hole punch... I never knew that before.... Oh and that even on a huge machine, 200 copies will take a little while. LOL! I also noticed a big difference in the decorations from one classroom to the next and how each teacher does their room differently.,.. In other words there is no "right" way.

Oh another thing happened today... That was that I got my id to wear for school... It doesn't say my name nor have my picture but its mine to wear for the whole semester. :D :D

Anyway, I think that is all for now... Im tired and hopefully I will be asleep soon. :)
Have an amazing Friday!
Ang

Back to School Meeting

Today I went to a back to school meeting for teachers which went over a lot including: classroom management, being consistent across the grade level, dress code, school procedures for fire drill/lock down etc.

By the time I got home I was on information overload... It amazes me how much teachers do. I don't think I realized all the work the go through each year just to have their classroom ready. There are so many do's and dont's, and things you have to have prepared for the first day, since you never know what may happen. All I can say is that today has definitely been a learning experience!!

After our meetings (which went from 8am-3:50pm), our grade level sat down for a chat and decided on their behavior management procedures and grading procedures. The biggest thing  I learned about today is that you need consistency across the grade level. I hadn't really thought about it much, but it totally made sense. One teacher, truly shouldn't grade harder or have more projects than the next one in the same grade level...

Something that was greatly discussed today regarding grading was: Should you take student's redos and give them the grade of the redo or average the two grades??...  What is your opinion on the subject?

Tomorrow is "Meet the Teacher Night". I am excited for that! (Possibly more blogging tomorrow. :)) Anyway, I believe that's all I have to say for now... I am very tired as this was my first full day of getting up early and then being busy till 5pm. 


Ang

Wednesday Hodepodge

   

             1.  I'm joining my daughter1 in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?

Finish my degree (I graduate in December)

2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be operated by remote control?

Four, but does Wii controllers count?? The oven or microwave

3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?

Being with Christ. Yes it is!!!

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?

“I want to be like you” from the Jungle Book was my favorite song when I was a child. I wouldnt know what it would be as an adult.

5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop.

Im not usually up on roofs, but I guess it would be the view of the lake in front of our house. J

6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?

How hot it is… Living in AZ means 100+ all summer long.

7. Our weekly Hodgepodge falls on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July.

Very long and yet short Filled with fun and  craziness.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Going to my first back to school teacher meeting this morning…. I have no idea what to expect.. :/
Ang

Excited about Student teaching. :D :D

So today I met the teacher I will be working with this semester. Her name is Heidi and she teaches 5th grade.(If you read a post before about me teaching in 4th, that has changed) I am so excited to be apart of her class. She wants me involved if i'm willing even now, before my semester starts so the students can get to know me and I can get the most out of student teaching. On Wednesday I go to the teacher meeting where they review the teacher handbook, Thursday is meet the teacher night and Friday I am going to help her finish some of her last minuet things. I am also going to go to school the first day of class for the students which is on Monday. She even wants me to do an ice breaker activity with the students. I am leaning towards doing something like: Two truths and a Lie. We have 34 students at various levels.

Anyway, she seems to be an amazing person and teacher. So I am so excited to be working with her!!!! I cannot wait to meet all of our 34 students and to get to know each one. This is going to be a hard, but great experience!

My goal is to write on here a lil each to week to have a sort of journal of my student teaching experience. We shall see if that actually happens!!
Ang

Basketball and Raquetball

Yep, I am actually about to talk about two sports... well actually complain...

Everyone but me, on the court playing basketball

Basketball is fun to me. Last night and today we played and its funny... the rules are NORMAL... LOL!  You throw the ball in the hoop, if it makes it you get a point.. if it goes out of bounds you check it in etc.

When it comes to racquetball however, I swear the boys make up a new rule every time we play...

I mean they told us the rules last night and I thought I had them down... especially since my team one... But today its like oh "it can't hit the wall or it has to be reserved"... The boys keep saying "its just like Tennis" but both Heidi and I have never played tennis...

You missed me chasing the ball like crazy, twisting around in circles to hit it and one time even falling on the floor trying to pick up the ball to serve... Go ahead and laugh...  yep, I totally stink at racquet ball... oh well.

Anyone else play any confusing sports?

Be Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak, and Slow to Become Angry

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1:19-21

Being quick to listen- anyone out there struggle with this one? I know I always like to be the first one to speak... I get caught "assuming" where things were going in the conversation but not truly listening. 
Slow to speak- as you can tell from the one above i have trouble with that.
Slow to become angry- this one it really depends. I try really hard not to become angry with people. 
(obviously this doesnt mean we just dont speak to anyone anymore)


Anyway, my point is... This is something I need to do because "anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires". 

Now how do we come to be "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry"???

By letting the Holy Spirit work through us.... We have to focus on God and who he is and realize, that its Him who is going to make you be able to do those things or anything that he has told you to do. Without Him... we are nothing and cannot please Him.

So.... Don't try to do this on your own.... Focus on God and His word.... He is the one who will teach you to obey His will.  


Pretty much I am saying let go, and let GOD! 


If you are struggling to DO anything that you think is right, then focus on God. With Jesus, all things are possible. But only WITH Him.



"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17

 Have a good weekend!!! 
Ang

Life and the Book of James

The last time I posted was two weeks ago, so I figured it was time to write on my blog.

As of late Saturday night we now have some family staying with us. You may recognize the picture below because it was taken back in May when they got married.

Me, Heidi, Jerold, Mikel

Its very hot here in AZ its around 112 degrees outside... Which means, when you go outside you DIE! LOL!

I recently started a bible study called " James, Mercy Triumphs" by Beth more. I am doing it with my mom and a few of my moms friends. We are emailing each other and watching the videos on our own since we live in different states. Its interesting how every time I read the book of James I get something new out of it.

So far in the study we have been learning who James, the author of the book of James was. I don't think I ever really cared to find out more about the James of the book of James. But this study got me thinking.

James 1:1
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

Did you know that when you look up James 1:1 in the Greek it calls James Jacobus (Jacob)?

Do you remember back in the old testament about Jacob and who he became? (Israel- through him the Jews were chosen. Gen 32:22-32)

Did you realize when you read the first chapter of James that the book wasn't  written to the gentiles?
It was written to the 12 tribes of Israel aka the Jews.

Do you think that the writer of the book of James was James the brother of Jesus?
From what I can tell he was.

Have you looked up where it says in the bible about Jesus' brothers? (John 7:1-9, 1Cor 151:7, Mark 3:21)

Hopefully, I gave you a lot to think about and to research on your own.

Have an amazing Monday!!
Ang

Mikel's Back

Just so you know, Red Robin's peach tea rules!!

Red Robin Yum!

So, we found out whats been causing all the pain in Mikel's back. He has what is called degenerative disc disease.

So, you like me may be wondering:

What is degenerative disc disease?

According to what i have read/researched. It sounds scarier than it actually is. Degenerative disc diesase is not turly a disease. it is a term doctors use to discribe normal changes in the discs in ones back.

What causes Degenerative Disc Disease?

As we get older our disc in our back degenerate or break down.  Most people do not get pain from this problem until their late thirties to forties.  This can be caused by injury or dehydration.

What causes the pain?

The pain is caused by either inflammation or abnormal micromotion instability. The disc degeneration can also cause pinched nerves.

What are the symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease?

• "The low back pain is generally made worse with sitting, since in the seated position the lumbosacral discs are loaded three times more than standing.
• Certain types of activity will usually worsen the low back pain, especially bending, lifting and twisting.
• Walking, and even running, may actually feel better than prolonged sitting or standing.
• Patients will generally feel better if they can change positions frequently, and lying down is usually the best position since this relieves stress on the disc space." (Copied from: spine-health.com)

What are the treatments for Degenerative disc disease?

The known treatments are anti-inflammatory medication, pain patches, epidurals and surgery. 

~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, with that being said... I have no idea whether its something the Air Force will let Mikel deal with while still serving our country or if they will say he is not fit for duty and medically discharge him. We will find out come October... But October is a long way away! I don't know if they decide to discharge him whether we have like a week to get off base or a month or what? That's the scary part, not knowing what will be required of us. My hope is that if they discharge him and do not allow him to retrain, that they allow him to stay in until his enlistment is up and just don't let him reenlist and discharge him with disability pay..... but we shall see. We may have to fight for the disability pay. At least we still arent wondering whats wrong with his back. We finally got that answered. :D

Have a great Wed/Thursday!
Ang