March Madness

No this is not a post about the rediculous hype of University basketball. I am simply referring to the maddness of a teacher's life in March! It's seriously nuts. We have festival, One down and one to go. There are celebrations of learning, which I am currently overseeing. Report Cards, IPP updates and starting to think about spring cleaning and yard work. The last in that list is probably the most daunting when you have a 100 pound dog that eats a lot, therefore creates a lot of 'waste' LOL!! Now that the snow has melted back there, it's like a war zone! Enough about crap.
Life is good for us. We continue to love our work. It's a pretty sweet gig. We are planning some more house renovations which include replacing some windows and some landscaping in the front yard. Well, I'm planning that, Brent isn't sold on the idea. ha ha. We are also planning a little Easter get-away to Missoula Montana. We are really excited about it. 
Now for some very exciting news.... Brent has been accepted to the masters program at the University of Lethbridge. It is a masters of assessment and curriculum development which is right up his ally! I'm so proud of him and excited for him to achieve such excellence. I also will get a masters at some point, but one at a time. Brent's program consists of 3 summers for 3 weeks each summer. Then 2 courses during each term of the school year. so it will be a long haul, but so worth it in the end. His goal is to get into administration, someday.
Well, thanks for stopping by! I hope you are happy and healthy. 
xoxo
Jules

95 days

I'm pretty excited because yesterday I counted that there were only 96 teaching days left! Take away a week of camping in Watertown, 2 track and field days and random other things and its more like 87!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH FASTER EACH YEAR GOES!!  We are deep in the middle of multiplication and solving word problems. Up next on the agenda is division. DUH DUHNDUH! Ha ha
We are so happy with how life is going.

I don't have much else to say today, so goodnight blogger world.
Cheerio,
Jules

Aloha in my dreams.

I am wishing I was in Hawaii, or even that I had a tan like I'd been in Hawaii - thus this post shall be forever known as 'Aloha'.
You know, I forget that I even have a blog and then I read some of the posts (from months ago) and realize that I kind of have a boring life! Here is what it consists of:
 - get up
- get ready and go to work
- teach (which I absolutely love - I'll share some funny stories later)
- plan for teaching
- eat some food
- plan for teaching some more
- take Stanley for a walk (all while trying to stay upright on the very slippery roads because there are no sidewalks!)
- visit with Brento
- do some marking (while watching my shows)
- go to bed
REPEAT

hmmm. I love my life, and I'm not being sarcastic.

On Thursday this week, I had my 21 darling students working on some social notes, which are not my favorite (because it's boring for me waiting for them to write) and I think we all know it's not their favorite thing either, but sometimes a necessary evil. Anyway, we were all a little spent after a gruelling week of academia and we were having a blast. One of my gems, O, (who will probably host a comedy talk show one day because he is beyond funny) asked me if I like my job. Well, let me tell you it took me but a second to respond. I LOVE my job. I get the opportunity to work with young minds and spirits and they truly are amazing! Honestly, the things they think, they way they learn, the kindness they show, the youth and energy they share is so rewarding. Getting a paycheque at the end of the month is a bonus. I am constantly in awe at the compassion and concern they show as we discuss current events happening in the world and within our own community. Really, who else, but a teacher, gets to talk about everything under the sun on any given day? From politics to natural disasters to neuroscience to why a simile can help paint a better picture in a story, to the relationship between multiplication and division and how that relates to 'real life'. How does life get more real than when, as a child, you are learning what life has to offer?! I say again, I LOVE my job. Funny story: E. was finished some work and wouldn't stop talking so I may have suggested some tape to solve the problem so others could finish their work. Well it worked. Suddenly I had a note on my desk asking me if I could draw some lips on top of the tape. Well, how could I refuse such a funny request. So out came the red sharpie and I went to work. Well, the end result was hilarious and we captured that gem in a photo that will surely make the highlight reel at the end of the year.

As for life outside of school, it has been a rough couple of months. Early November we discovered that I was pregnant! We experienced a sense of joy and wonderment as we started to plan and think about a family of 3. However a short 3 weeks later, I had a miscarriage. It was an emotional time and I was happy to have work and directing our school Christmas concert to keep my mind off of it. It was a blessing in disguise that we were so busy. We feel strongly that we will be parents and it will happen when it happens. In the mean time, we are finishing our home and spending time getting our post-Christmas bodies back in shape. We've been hitting the gym and making good eating decisions so hopefully we'll be beach body ready by summer.
Life goes on and we are blessed!
Cheerio,
Jules

I cannot believe that 2 months of school are finished!! Where has the time gone. I totally remember as a kid how it took FOREVER for Halloween and then Christmas to come. As of right now, I'm making halloween costumes for Brent and I. I have also finished casting for our Christmas Play. What the heck?!?! I love my job - I love my students. We have hit our stride and are getting much accomplished. Today we did the most beautiful art project. It is a spooky tree silhouette in black with a beautiful dark sunset behind it with a full moon. I'll try to post a picture at some point, but they turned out beautiful! We have also been learning about Canada. So I realized the other day that my students didn't know that Alberta was between BC and Saskatchewan, that Ontario is next to Quebec. I scoured through the curriculum set by Alberta Ed and realized as well that nowhere in there did it require students to know this! I was appalled. How can these kids not know where we are in Canada, the continent, the world? So we went old school for the week and they had to memorize a map of Canada complete with Capital Cities, correct spelling, and capital letters at the beginning of each word. I haven't marked the tests yet, but I'm hoping they at least know how to spell Alberta correctly now!

We are off to see the movie "Pitch Perfect" AGAIN! It is sooo funny, if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you take the time. You'll build a six pack while watching a movie. :) 

Cheerio!

Jules

Week 2

Another week is done. It is Sunday night and I am ready to go for week 3. This will be a hectic week with PD and sub plans on Wednesday, and IPP day on Friday. I am hoping to hear all my kids read this week and set some goals with them for their reading. As for the home front, we are well. We spent a good chunk of the weekend setting up our new turtle tank and stand. It's so nice now! Hopefully they don't eat too many rocks! We also went to the funeral for little Thomas. What a sweet little one he was. His parents are amazingly strong and faithful! It was a good opportunity to reflect on the importance of loving and forgiving everyday. Until next week, be good, play fair and have fun!
xo
Jules

A long time coming...

Wow! It's been almost an entire year since the last post. I am going to try to use this as a journal of sorts. Here is a quick update on our last year:
- Dog is now Huge! We love him and he is just adorable - even if he cries when we stop to visit people on our walks. :)
- Half our basement is now renovated! Hooray for laundry rooms that aren't in the bathroom! Lovely job Wolsey Works. 
- We finished a school year and have started a new one!
- I went to Atlanta for a conference this summer trying to learn how to better teach reading and writing. 
- We spent a week in Fairmont with the Gilson family and it was a very relaxing and fun week. 
- one nephew and one niece have been added to the family. Beau Baker and Nia Haggarty. We love them both!
- We continue to love high school and our students' sports. We go to whichever town promises the most exciting match-up for football, basketball, hockey and baseball. Cheap date nights! lol
- 

I can't really think of anything else. We are happy, we love our lives and our jobs. We are grateful for our health and the blessings that sneak up on us. 

Cheerio,
Jules

unsure what to call this!

Hello world wide web.

I am feeling frustrated at the moment. I am feeling selfish for thinking there are things in my life that I want to have and so many are suffering with the loss of so much. Why must I be selfish?? How do I get over what I want and when I want it, so I can focus more and appreciate the amazing blessings I enjoy everyday! Any advice would be welcome.
xoxo
Jules

happy new year for me

Teachers get to celebrate a new year twice as much as anyone else!! I feel as though this post is the same every September! ha ha. Oh well, here it goes:
My class is amazing. I have great kids, great parents (which, believe it or not, play a HUGE roll in the atmosphere of a classroom!)  and work with some pretty incredible people!! I love my job and that's the end of the story.
As for home life, we have finished our fence all 300+ feet of it! What a job it was. I am such a slacker and don't quite have pictures of the finished product yet, but that will come. Brent is loving his job and paycheck!! Me too for that matter (going shopping in Kalispell this weekend to celebrate).
Our puppy Stanley is coming home to live with us this weekend! I am beyond excited about that. He has a house, a water dish and a food bowl. His kennel will be set up on Monday next week. It's going to be great. I hope he is as good here as he is out at my parents.
I am also very excited about a Christmas present I have gotten for Brent! It is so fun!!!!!!!! I know it is early, but alas, when you find the perfect gift it's hard to pass up! As for the rest of you... don't get your hopes up! haha.
Now for the most exciting thing that is happening on the home front for us. We are expecting to loose even more pounds in the coming future. To date Brent has lost 9 and I've lost 5 in 3 weeks. It is slow, but steady and the best part is, it's all natural!! No drops, no drugs, no special diet pills or name brand food. Just healthy portions, healthy snacks, healthy meals. I feel so great. 5 lbs isn't too much, but holy smokes it might as well be 100! I have energy, I don't hate all my clothes and life is good. Look for a new me by next summer. I'm very excited about it all.
Anyway, that's about all for tonight. I have to make a new seating plan for the kids tomorrow. It's time for the monthly switch - the bane of my existance is seating plans! ugh. nighty night world.
Jules

In Sickness and In Health: This may be graphic for some readers...

So I have always enjoyed good health. I have never had major health issues or the need to go under the knife. I didn't even have wisdom teeth that needed pulling! As we have been facing the challenge of expanding our family, I have had the unfortunate experience of seeing the inside of an operating room. F.Y.I. IT'S NOT AT ALL LIKE GREYS ANATOMY! Anyway, I don't recommend it at all. While the nurses and doctors were very kind and did everything they could to make me comfortable, I can't say I will ever look forward to it again. AND nobody told me that the regular BM's I've had all my life would come screeching to a sudden halt and that for the first time I would experience the inability to go number 2! Sorry that's gross, but I am feeling quite empathetic towards those of you out there who are plagued by constipation. It is an extremely unpleasant feeling! Anyway, I'm doing much better after some deliciously greasy chinese food, a bottle of Dasani water and a good walk around West Edmonton Mall. Thankyou Oriental Express!! That's all for tonight folks!

It's been a heck of a summer!

WOW oh WOW! I have been sitting here on this Sunday evening thinking about the summer. Lets make a list of what was awesome about it...

• Sara and Ryan's Wedding - Canmore is a beautiful little mountain town and we had a great time photographing the lovebirds on their perfect day. The backdrop was gorgeous and the event was stunning.
• Shannon and Eric's wedding - comfortable and beautiful are the best 2 words to describe this event. Photographing these 2 was a joy. They are so in love and were so excited to be married and start their life together.
• Hamilton Family reunion consisted of  riding bikes off the dock, body-ball, too much food and some great catching up with my cousins. 
• Amazing trip to Seattle: rode a ferry, walked about 15 miles, delighted in attending a glass blowing shop demonstration, shopped, ate fresh seafood on the harbor, got lost on city transit, read a book in the park, relaxed in a beautiful hotel. It was a great trip!
• Got a new puppy!! His name is Stanley and he is a pure bred German shepherd and I LOVE him!
• We are currently putting up our fence. It is a big project and probably the only negative thing about having a house in Magrath - the lots are HUGE! Therefore it is a HUGE undertaking to contain it all. Stanley needs a home so we build a fence! :)
• Time at the ranch was super duper! We tubed down the river many times and Kayaked down the ditch all the way to Payne lake. Brent tipped 2 times and I almost died laughing. It was really funny. It was a beautiful quiet and I saw parts of my backyard that I'd never seen before. We even saw some pelicans really close up and they are huge freaky birds.
• I re-discovered and Brent discovered Waterton Golf Course wing night. Monday nights are sooo delicious. 
• We relaxed at home and just enjoyed sleeping in, reading books both professional and for fun, went to matinee's, played with the nephews and niece, played some seriously good rook (I got 2 300 hands in one game people - that is almost unheard of for those of you who don't know) and fell in love a little more! :-)

Overall it was fun and went just too darn quick. I am very excited to get back into the swing of school and routine and more sleep! I have a great class again this year and will try to be more diligent in my blogging regularity.
Mucho amor mis amigos!

March is HERE

     Last month of Winter. Sure is coming in like a Lion. I drove to work today in almost zero visibility. School is going great. My kids made a Anti-bullying video and we watched it for the first time today and it was great. I teach grade 3 and we discussed the events going on in Northern Africa and how the actions of Gaddafi could have serious implication of the quality of life of Canadians because of the rise in gas prices. I love teaching social studies and i love that the kids are so engaged. Julie is starting a newspaper writing unit as well as doing some great things with labels for education and helping to spread the word of Anti-bullying.

    We have a busy summer coming up with weddings and holidays and home renovations and everything else that will come along. Stay tuned. Southern Alberta might be growing on me yet.

It's A New Year

Dearest friends
Best wishes to you in this new year. I hope that the last year taught you a lesson or two. I hope you loved, lived and laughed with the people that love you the most.

Brent and I are adjusting to life in small town Magrath. We are making connections with our neighbors and the community as a whole. Our jobs are going well and we are building positive reputations within the proffesion here. While we miss our friends in Edmonton, we do not miss the cold! When we left Grande Prairie Christmas eve to drive home, it was -22. By Edmonton it was -18 and by the time we reached the garden city of Magrath, it was a balmy +6... at 6pm!! It was rather astonishing. So no, we are not missing the cold frozen cars and everything else associated with northern Alberta winters.

We have some pretty big plans for our little home in the spring. Finish the basement including bathroom, flooring, ceiling and creating some organized storage. We will build ourselves a fence! That has been the strangest thing to understand here is that very few people put up fences!! It is strange, but we are excited to have some privacy to suntan at will ALL summer! Bring on the sun! We love our first home and soon will have room for you to come visit. :)

I am feeling hopeful as I try to make some changes in my life. Brent is the best cheerleader and supports me in all my efforts. We are working out daily at the school gym and are loving the energy and endorphins from it. We are past our 1.5 years mark and life is still peachy!

Well, that was long winded, but I hope you enjoyed the update. We love you and wish you all the best! See you soon.

Winter is death.

That is a metaphor. I have been working on metaphors with my kids as part of our descriptive writing. School is crazy and busy. The kids are great but the 30 minute drive on the winter highway is not. We have been talking a lot about the rights of a child in Social Studies and my kids are amazing. I am sure all teachers say that but you show me another amazing group of kids that continually rock out fantastic work and truly want to be better little people and i will take back that mine are the best. This last week has not gone by fast and I worry that this is a sign of things to come. Bad weather, bad roads and a student that is not happy unless they are causing trouble has stressed me out a tad bit this last week. I am excited to have Christmas break, i will get to go up and see my new niece in Grande Prairie and spend a little time at the ranch. Might even get on a snowmobile but probably not. One day i will live somewhere that winter never happens. Talk to you all in another 4 months haha.

The school year has begun

Well it has been much too long since I have posted anything on our blog. You see, although the summer has been rather unscheduled, we have been busy. Here are the highlights...

1. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! Thats right. We are in Magrath. It is a lovely small town with very friendly people and so far so good. We moved in on August 14. I have had fun decorating and am having fun planning a basement and HUGE yard!! By the end of next summer I will have perfected my green thumb.

2. We didn't experience a single mouse whilst living in the mouse house. My great grandpa's house is still standing on my ranch and we had the privilege of living there this summer until our housing stuff was worked out. It is creeky, crooked, and fly/mosquito infested but we loved it. Brent never did venture into the dungeon of a basement. It was a little too scary for him ;-)

3. We no longer live out of a trailer/box. In the middle of May, our plan was to move into an apartment in Edmonton. So we packed most of our belongings and were organizing things for that move. Then fate would play it's cards and we got the jobs in Southern Alberta. So our things stayed in boxes and we lived out of them for the month of June while finishing up the school year there. My parents arrived with the trailer and we loaded it up, where most things would sit until our big move into our very first house. I forgot I even owned some of the things I own. I thought I needed to go shopping for more school clothes... then I opened up some boxes. CHRISTMAS!

4. We are both enjoying work. We've spent countless hours planning and re-planning for our upcoming year of teaching. I am super excited about grade 5. It is such a fun and exciting curriculum and the kids still like their teacher!

5. We spent time working with my mom in the garden, baking, (Brent learned how to make fudge) building shelves, and painting my Grandma's fingernails. After all of this we played Rook- not just a game or 2, but hours upon hours of competitive nail-biting Rook. It was glorious. We have about a 50-50 record. Check the Rook Book located on the window ledge in my mothers kitchen if you don't believe me.

6. We tubed the river more times than I care to admit and sweated our brains out in some of the hottest sauna's (fondly referred to as the sweat hut) I have ever experienced. Brent has become the master of the hut.

7. We celebrated our 1st anniversary! Wow time flies when you are having fun. What a splendid year it has been. I love being in love with the most wonderful man on the planet. 

That is about it. We are happy, healthy and ready to conquer the year. Bring on September!

Having a great summer so far!

I was really worried about a summer with no TV no internet and no civilization. Starting my 4th week of summer holidays we have gone to Fairmont. I love it here nothing but family and the lake. Julie and I spent a whole day baking in preparation for the week. We made home made granola bars and eatmore bars and bunwiches. It was a fantastic. The whole no internet and TV has not even been the worst thing in the world. I have been gardening and catching frogs and toads and going on hikes and tubing the river. We have seen Bears and Badgers and a million deer as well as Eagles and Hawks. Walking nightly has helped keep all the good home cooking from adding on the pounds. I don't even miss the TV. The internet i have missed but i can live without it 24-7. I highly recommend getting out this summer and embracing nature. I know not everyone can plant flowers in a yard that is surrounded by the mountains with yellow finches flying all around but we all can take some time to take in the world around us instead of looking at a computer screen. 

So we are going for interviews

Both Julie and I have secured interviews with the Westwind school district. It is an exciting and a little bit scary time. I am hoping all works out how it should. Not sure if living in southern Alberta is something i am all that excited about doing but the bonus is i will get a dog! Correction another dog, i will also get to finally have Thor!!!

Finished University and got a job all in one week.

So after years and years of endless schooling i am done (for now). I finished my practicum last week and while it was great to be finished it was very anti-climactic. I was sad to leave the kids so i decided that i was not going to. I went back and helped out Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and then was offered a PAYING JOB on Friday for the rest of the year. It is not totally in the bag yet because we have to work out the paper work but i am beyond excited and really looking forward to spending the summer with my wife just enjoying being married sitting by the pool at our new apartments. Life is good. God is love-Rev Run.

The Car Saga.

Ok, so last May I decided that it was FINALLY time for me to buy a brand spankin' new car. So I did. I went on the ultimate shopping trip and found a very cute, spunky and delightfully shiney new car. It was a light silvery blue with a lot of bells and whistles to help me feel very comfortable with my purchase. I had worked long and hard to be in a position to own such a beauty. Well there were some little issues with the car stereo, and a very minor fender bender (dam the cold and icy road) which tainted my perfect set of wheels. However, I was still extremely proud of my automotive choice. Then one sunny clear morning in February, my car encountered a life changing event.
As I cautiously drove to work, I noticed a fuel contious citizen waiting to cross the road. So I braked and stopped behind a little red Nissan whose driver also respects the walkers of the world. With a well developed habit, I glanced in my rear-view mirror to ensure the driver behind me was also aware of the change of pace, a.k.a. a complete stop. To my utter shock and horror the rather large Dakota was not slowing down. I all too quickly realized that the truck was not going to stop at all. I braced for the impact and it happened very quickly and very slowly all at the same time. The horrible noise of crunching twisting metal, the quick shattering of glass and the slow motion flopping around on a fully reclined seat. Then the movement stopped, and all I could focus on was a strange whooshing sound that i just couldn't figure out. After wiggling toes and fingers to make sure all those parts were working properly I realized that my leg was throbbing with pain and that nothing else felt funny. As I looked around to assess the cars internal damage, I solved the ystery of the whooshing noise. The rear window was shattered and there was glass everywhere including on my lap. Wild, I know! So I sat for but a moment contemplating what I should do. So I called Brent, who didn't answer but i forgot to hang up the phone so he got a very disturbing voice message of my mumbling and wimpering. A disturbing message so early in the am. He called me right back, I told him the sad news and he ran out the door to come save the D.I.D.. I then realized I should probably assess the external damages. The lady in front of me was already out of her car - as the initial impact has pushed me into her little red nissan. The distracted truck driver was also out of his slightly damaged truck. As I had a look at where my trunk and bumper once were I came to the stark realization that my car was cursed.
Police came, we wrote reports, I called work and gave some sketchy lesson plans for the day and then we went home.
As it all turns out I missed a couple days of work, have a pretty messed up back/neck/hip/knee and my car is a complete write-off, all of which kindof suck. However, I am very blessed. My injuries could have been much worse and the insurance process could be taking a long time. All the components and issues are being cleared up quickly and working out in my favor. AND I get to hit the dealerships on another shopping extravaganza finding a not-so-cursed car for my driving pleasure. I'm thinking a Dodge Journey......

Start the practicum on Monday

Very exciting things are happening and it is going to go by so quick. Cleaning the office today and then watching Zombieland. Tomorrow is a day off, Superbowl Sunday and then it begins. WOW.

January is OVER!

WOOT WOOT! the toughest month of teaching is over over over for another year. We are now on the downhill towards the end of the year and it's very very exciting.
Things at school are going well and I'm still loving my job. I had the opportunity today to meet with a bunch of other jr high teachers who are all in their 2nd year of teaching and it was very reassuring to know that they all have the same frustrations with homework and attendance and all the not-so-fun parts of teaching. BUT we also celebrated the many many many funny, success filled, achievement moments that happen more often than we sometimes realize. It was a good reminder day.
Brent and I went for a very fun and adventurous snowshoeing hike today as well. We ended up down in the river bottom walking in a creek bed under bridges and finished at the edge of the North Saskatchewan river. It was amazing!!! so beautiful and almost untouched. We love our new found hobby! thanks mom and dad for the snowshoes.
Until next time my friends...