Happy Thanksgiving!!

Everyone is always thankful for their family and friends. One thing I'm really thankful for is my health and Craig's health. We have been able to do so much this year because we have changed the way we want to live. Eating better and exercising a lot more has given us more energy and helped us to loose weight. I'm thankful that my hubby has fallen in love with riding again. He loves it and puts a lot of time and effort into his workouts. He's gotten me to enjoy it as well.

Happy Turkey Day!!

So Long to a Great Summer!

Summer of 2011 was great! One of the best summers I've had!

It all started with a family reunion in Tahoe. It was great to see everyone and catch up! I also caught up on my beer pong skills even though the cousins dominated.

I watched New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys....twice!! It was great and took me back to my childhood.

I also celebrated my 29th birthday! My last year in my 20's! I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends! We had a blast line dancing and enjoying beer and cupcakes!

The annual fishing trip with Dad and Craig (minus Jess). Much better fishing than last year. Had a fun trip minus the deckhand that began to seizure and the fact that someone needed the Heimlich Maneuver.

I competed in 2 triathlons, an ocean swim, and a mud run this summer. I am very pleased with all of my finishes. I continued to finish in the top 5 of my division. I've been training all summer for an Olympic distance triathlon on Sept. 11th. I can't wait!

Craig and I also went to plenty of Angel games this summer. The highlight was the Dierks Bentley concert. The Angels won and then we enjoyed a country concert. We had a great time!!

There were some many other memories made during this summer! I feel refreshed and ready to go for the upcoming school year! Wait... how many days til next summer??!

Stella- A Year in Review

On Aug. 23rd, 2010, Stella came into our lives. Craig found her on the Love Bugs Website (Doggie Rescue) and we decided to have her come over with her foster parent to see if she would fit our home. When Craig first saw her, he didn't like her undocked tail. I, however, was already in love. I have never had a dog before. I grew up in a neighborhood where it seemed like everyone had a dog. I think I would have fallen in love with any dog that came through our front door. She was such a shy dog and very scared of being in this new place. Once she got in the backyard she was running around and playing. It was an easy decision to keep her.

It was clear from the beginning that Stella was neglected and abused. You can see how skinny she is in this picture. When you would try to pet her should would cower or even run away. When we did get a chance to pet her, you could feel her spine and her bones. Poor girl.

By October, we had Stella enrolled at obedience classes at Pet Smart. This would change everything. She would graduate from beginner, intermediate, and advanced class. Those classes have helped her get over being so scared of everything.

She loves spending time with us where before she would spend all day and night outside. She is even a therapy dog for BARK (Beach Animals Reading with Kids). I took her to Morse Elementary School this summer and little kids read books to her. The kids were always excited to see Stella.

I love this dog so much! I'm excited for her to be a part of my life for a very long time. She will always be my first dog and I feel so lucky to have her.

2010-2011 School Year

The 2010-2011 school year is over. This year seemed to go by very quick. This was my fourth year at Savanna High School. I was able to see my first group of freshmen graduate. What a difference 4 years can make. These adults moving on to college and careers were once immature freshmen that could not sit still in my class. Many of them visited me during the last week of school and I got to see quite a few at graduation. It is comforting to know that even though I may not be the nicest teacher, many of my former students expressed thanks and gratitude for being in my class.

My senior polo players Audrey and Becky.

Swimmer Chey and Marco, who was in my Earth Science class as a freshman.

Graduation

After two long years, I finally earned my masters degree!! Woo-hoo! I have a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership. I was so proud to have my family with me during this accomplishment. They've been with me every step of the way. Especially my husband who has put up with my craziness for two years. He's been really supportive and has kept my focused during times that I've lost track. I'm also really proud of Jessica who also graduated with her bachelors degree. It was great to share the weekend with her and celebrate our accomplishments!

It's Been 2 Years!

Two years ago we said, "I do."

My favorite picture!

Saying our vows

My amazing bridesmaids: Nicole, Jorie, Jess, and Karen

Happy Anniversary!!

Crazy March

The month of March has come and gone. Though it went quickly March was a very busy month. Every year March signifies the end of the water polo season and the beginning of swim. Swim has been great thus far. We have a few new swimmers that work hard and have improved tremendously. At the end of the month, we hosted the Savanna Invitational. There were less teams which meant less chaos. That's always nice. Plus, we were out of there by 6pm!! The team is usually done cleaning up by 9pm. I was amazed to be home while the sun was still out. And as I do every year, I celebrated the end of Savanna Invite with a bottle of wine. :D

Now that March is over, I'm also that much closer to completing my masters program. Woo-hoo! While the program has been a lot of hard work, it has also provided me with a lot of opportunities. I've been able to participate in many administrative tasks. One of my favorite activities was shadowing my principal, Manuel Colon, and Joe Carmona at Sycamore Junior High. At Savanna, I observed a cabinet and COST meeting. Both are necessary and it was very insightful to be a part of. At Sycamore, I was able to find many similarities and differences between a high school and a junior high school. I truly appreciated the experience and I'm glad those prinicpals allowed me to observe them. Only 6 more weeks and I'll have my degree!!

Craig and I did a lot this month as well. We went ice skating with the swim team, watched the Oregon baseball team, and go to Disneyland. One of the most exciting parts of this month was going to our 1st Spring Training game. We flew out to Phoenix to watch 2 games and visit with Craig's college roomy, Jon. If you've never been to Spring Training and you love baseball, you have to go. It was weird sitting in this tiny stadium and have the pros only a few feet away. We had a great time!

50 years of Halos!

Still can't believe how close we were!! Jeff Mathis coming in to score a run!

The last week of March was exciting, but tiring. Jessica was on Spring Break and we had a few activities. The first was going to see Lady Gaga. We watched her perform at Staples Center and she was amazing!! Talk about an entertainer. She was fantastic and I would pay to see her again. One of the main highlights to watching her show was seeing her hardcore fans. They came out dressed just as outrageous as she does. I could not tell you how many guys I saw in a mesh tank top and high heels. Gotta love LA. We had a great time dancing and singing along.

Craig and I were also fortunate enough to watch a Duck's game from a suite. Freaking awesome!! We felt so important sitting there especially since they bring your food and drinks. However, the Ducks lost, but it was still a fun experience!

We ended March with a trip to Disneyland. Mom and Jess had been there all day and Craig and I joined up later. All of us had fun while we were there. We hit up the classics: Pirates and the Haunted Mansion. We also ate dinner at the Blue Bayou. My sister's first time there. Yummy!!

March was a whirlwind and April is lining up to be the same. :)

Our Graduate!

Stella just graduated from intermediate obedience class!! Woo-hoo! Craig and I feel very proud. She's come along way since hiding under our kitchen table. She can do multiple tricks and she obeys pretty well. I love this dog!!

Big Bear

Craig and I went up to Big Bear for five days. We relaxed the entire time. It was so nice to just get away and do nothing. We basically sat around and watched dvds, scrapbooked, and ate Christmas leftovers the whole time. Stella joined us as well. It was her first time in the snow and she was awesome! A bit cold at times, but no problem. After spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with so many people it was great to just spend time with my little family. It even snowed while we were up there. I love it when it snows. I don't think Stella enjoyed it too much. Besides that the weather was fantastic. A great and peaceful way to end 2010!