Counting Down the Days....

First of all, I sincerely apologize for the boring blog posts the past few months. Student teaching is consuming my life. Mike is a busy bee with his classes and his two intramural teams. We did finally take a trip to visit Mike's mission in Oregon last month though. I will post those pictures as soon as I find time. (psst...the last three blog posts I have done have been at my computer at Highland High School, so that's why I haven't put pictures with them. Keep that on the DL though.) We also took a little weekend getaway to Breckenridge, CO for a McCabe family vacation. Again, another item I need to post. I am so behind.

As for student teaching.....I have 20 days left and then I am DONE-ZO! I am not going to lie...I am worn out. Getting up at 6am, driving an hour, teaching all day, driving an hour home, cooking dinner, working out, and finding quality time with Mike and our friends, is spreading me a little thin. Plus I am not getting paid a dime. Actually I am paying for more for this learning experience than I would be if I was taking 15 credits at BYU-I. I don't know how women teachers with young families do it. The last thing I want to do when I get home from a long day of work is do my domestic responsibilities. I simply don't have the energy. It's hard enough keeping the up with the household duties between Mike and me, let alone children. Those women must be superwomen or something.

Enough complaining though. In all actuality, student teaching has been a great experience. Better than I ever expected. It's funny how BYU-I totally over prepares education majors before entering the teaching field. I mean, I would rather have it the way it is than the other way around, but it's just interesting. My perception of teaching before this experience was that it is extremely intense, you are always monitored by the school administration and district, and you have to create 2-3 page lesson plans every day. Man was I wrong. At least in the case of Highland High. The government teacher next door shows movies every other day. Most teachers text all day long and frequently check their facebook. Class preparation takes about 10-15 minutes before school starts, depending on how long the teacher has been working. Some teachers are big time gossipers too. They talk about everyone including students, other staff members, the administration, all the while dropping an F bomb here and there. Now, this is definitely a generalization because there are quite a few quality teachers here, but it has really changed my perspective.

Well, I bet the next time I do a post I will be completely finished with college!!! I can't wait.

OK, I know I have been terrible at updating the McCabe blog this last month. It's mainly because I haven't had time. Student teaching is consuming my life. I love it though....everything but the two hour drive (to Pocatello and back every week day). I am teaching three senior level American Govt. courses and a current events class that has some immature sophomores in it. I have to throw down every now and again but it's all good. They have to know who is boss. I really do enjoy working with high school kids though. I can get them involved in some really good discussions regarding govt. policies and what not...so makes my job enjoyable. My cooperating teacher, Edgar, is the bomb. Seriously. He just lets me teach and only gives me input if I want it. Real chill and low key guy. We just chat all day long about life, politics, and whatever. No offense girls but I am really thankful I didn't get paired up with a high strung, gossipy woman for a cooperating teacher. I have heard some horror stories from a few fellow student teachers and and I always thankful how cool Edgar is.

One uncool thing about my student teaching experience is when the faculty, always women, assume I am a student. I guess this is a complement because I am short and look young. Usually when they find out I am a student teacher they say, "Oh I am sorry! I thought you were a student! Ha ha!" However, one teacher in particular chewed me out for using the faculty bathroom. When I told her I was a student teacher she exclaimed, "well then you need to wear a name tag!" Mind you this is the second time she has gotten all huffy-puffy about me using the bathroom. There were a hundred things I wanted to say to her but I just walked away. She needs to take a day off or something.

Mike has started another semester at BYU-I and is enjoying being back in school and not selling alarms in the hot California sun. He is playing on two intramural football teams and one co-ed soccer team with me. Because I am gone so much he has been really good about taking over some of the household chores like laundry and straightening up the house. Thanks babe! We don't get to spend tons of quality time together which always bums us out, but what can you do? His family came to visit two weeks ago so it was good to see them for a few days.

Other than that nothing is really new with us. I am counting down the days until I graduate! Student teaching ends Nov. 23 and I can't wait for it.

P.S. Thanks for the advice you all gave me before I started student teaching! I needed the boost!

The latest with us...

Last weekend we moved from Sacramento to Rexburg into our brand new apartment. We are pretty excited about being the first people to ever live in our place. The carpet is nice, we have granite counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom, the main wall in the family room is a gold color, and the kitchen, closets and bedrooms are much bigger than our last apartment in Rexburg. Most importantly we are paying less than we did at our previous complex. More bang for our buck.

Besides moving into our new place Mike still wants to get a few more sales in before fall semester starts, so he is in Denver right now working and staying with his parents. Meanwhile I started my student teaching at Highland High school in Pocatello this week. School officially starts on Monday but this week I have been attending teacher meetings. I am not to excited about the two hour commute (1 hr. there and 1 hr. back), but you do what you have to do right?

So my coordinating teacher is an interesting guy and so far I really like him. He is 59, Polynesian, an Idaho State Legislator, has been a teacher for thirty-some-odd years, and is extremely easygoing. Oh and his wife just passed away from cancer last May and I feel so bad for him. He took last year off to take care of his wife and now he is just trying get by without her. Can you imagine? Poor guy. You can just see the pain in his eyes.

Anyway, since he is going through the hardest trial of his life I think he is not too enthused about the school year, and I completely understand why he wouldn't be. So he basically told me that I am free to run the class and teach the lessons how I want. I wanted to have a heart attack when he told me that. I have very little experience teaching and now I am in charge of three courses of U.S. Government and a Current Events class to high school seniors! Yikes! It's such a surreal experience because it wasn't that long ago that I was in high school.

To make matters even more stressful he won't even be there on the first day of class! I will be running the show SOLO! Thankfully I substitute taught for a semester so I do have some experience having a classroom to myself, but I am still nervous. Sunday is going to be a pretty sleepless night for me but whatever....I will get through it. Thirteen weeks and then I will be a certified high school history and art teacher. Its totally worth it but it is going to be intense.

Any of your teachers have advice for me??? I need all the help I can get!

San Fran with my Mom

My mom is in town for the week so we decided to take a girl's trip to San Francisco. When I say girl's trip I mean going to art galleries, shopping, sight seeing, riding bikes in Golden Gate Park, museums,....basically all the things that would bore most men to tears. Here are a bunch of pictures from our adventure.

This is a picture I took of a picture.

Anyone recognize these homes???

Golden Gate Park

Sitting at the top of Lombard Street.

This random civilian I asked to take this picture failed to capture my shoes and the Bubba Gump sign. Lame!

Scenic views from our hotel room.

Deborah Butterfield

All the while Mike was at home playing with Scout. ;-)

East Coast Vacation

Last week Mike and I flew to Delaware for a vacation with the McCabe family. What's in Delaware, you ask? Exactly what I thought. Mike's parents both grew up there so every two years they take the family back east for a vacation at Bethany Beach. It was a fabulous trip. Everyday we did the same thing: wake up at 9 a.m., beach from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., clean up and get ready for the evening, eat dinner at a delicious restaurant, hang out at the boardwalk, go home and chill, in bed by 12 a.m. My kind of vacation. Here are some pictures of our trip.

This is the house Mike's father grew up in. Mike's grandmother, Mam Maw (Carolyn) still lives there and keeps it absolutely immaculate. Everything is strategically placed and it feels your walking into a Southern Living catalog. I loved it. She has an entire room devoted just to Christmas. Now that I am home blogging about it I wish I would have taken more pictures of her house.

This is our sweet little nephew Jaxon. He is an energetic three year old who loves to chat, explore, throw balls, and cuddle.

Pictured here are Mam Maw, Mike and Aunt Stephanie

Mike and Mam Maw

After a quick visit to Mam Maw's we headed two hours south of Wilmington, DE to Bethany Beach. One of my favorite things about east coast beaches is the sea grass in the sand. I wish I could take some of it home and put it in a pot with sand.

It's hard to believe Mike and Matt used to be Jaxon's size.

Check out this cool frog that hung out everyday on the back deck of our town home. He really is that green!

What is it with boys and their fascination with digging holes on the beach?

Someday.....

My brother, Dave, has been selling for Pinnacle in Phili this summer so he drove down to chill with us. He fit right in with the McCabe family and the trip would not have been as fun without him. It was so good to see my bro.

My first time trying the infamous Phili Cheese Steak. I am a fan...

and so are they!

Coming out of the Haunted Mansion.

One night we decided to eat at this all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant in Ocean City. They pretty much just dump a big pile of seafood in the middle of the table and then you eat with your hands. Mike taught me how to break open crabs and eat the meat.

Poor Matt....he got pooped on the nose by a seagull! We all had a good laugh.

Boardwalk

Eating some Italian Water-Ice at Rita's

This picture was taken shortly after a wave ate me up and spit me onto the shore when I was boogie boarding. I was pleasantly surprised at how warm the water was. I mean, it wasn't as warm as the Caribbean but it was nice enough to swim around in.

If you look closely in the middle of this picture you can see two dolphins. Everyday there would be a school of dolphins swimming not to far from us.

Our spot on the beach.

This was the town home we stayed at.

I told Mike this morning that it feels like I had a nice dream and then woke up to our apartment in Sacramento. The trip was a blast, but of course it went by in the a blink of an eye. Thanks McCabe family for a wonderful trip to Delaware. Mike and I are already looking forward to going back.

Santa Cruz

Last weekend Mike and I took a little getaway to Santa Cruz with our good friends Miles and Chelsey. Santa Cruz is about a 2 1/2 hour drive depending on the traffic, and its the warmest beach near Sacramento. We arrived at about 10:30pm on Saturday night, dropped our stuff off at Miles' sister's house (which is about a mile from the beach), purchased some firewood and junk food, and claimed our fire pit on the beach. We had a good time relaxing, lighting fireworks, eating junk food, dancing to downloaded music on our cell phones, dipping our toes into the cold water, and chatting it up next to the fire until 2 a.m. On Sunday we woke up early to find a good spot on the beach along the Santa Cruz boardwalk and spent the entire day soaking up the sun, people watching (one of our favorite pastimes), throwing the Frisbee, playing volleyball.....well everyone but me because it hurts my arms. I know I am such a wimp. For lunch we ate ice cream at this fabulous little diner on the pier and later on had pizza and Pizza My Heart for dinner.

Doing what we do best.

Thanks Miles and Chels for showing us a great time in Santa Cruz!

Proud to be an American Day

I have always felt like the 4th of July is the highlight of the summer, and everything after that is just a count down for back to school- which was depressing in my book. This year Mike spent most of the day selling alarms in the hot sun and I was at the pool all day with the girls. I felt a little guilty, but that's just our life out here this summer. We ended up watching fireworks at Elk Grove park in Sacramento. I reflected on all the fun 4th's I spent watching fireworks in Idaho Falls over the river and listening to the patriotic music. One of my favorite parts about the I.F. fireworks show is the music....it always makes me tear up. I guess that's the passion for American history in me. Mike and I were pleased that the Elk Grove show had some music as playing as well. This is kind of cheesy but while "God bless America" was playing we both looked at each other and were like, "this makes me proud to be an American." Sometimes I get tears in my eyes thinking about the work our Founding Fathers did for us, and those in uniform who have fought and sacrificed their lives to preserve our freedom. We are truly a blessed nation. Let us never forget or take for granted the blessing it is to be free.

Left to right: Natalie, Hallie, Jeremii, Viv, Aaron, Theron, Heidi, Us

Hallie and Mike....he is such a natural with babies.

Sparklers

Dancing with sparklers

Smoking sparklers.