11-11-11

Today is 11-11-11 ... how cool! :)  It is also Veteran's Day, so thank someone who has served or is serving! I know some people who have served and are currently serving. My cousin, Jonathan Parker is currently serving and I am so proud of him. My friends Keith VanKlompenberg and Patrick Kozal have served and I am thankful for their service. 


Snow
Yesterday marked the first day of snow this season ... YUCK! Who needs snow anyway? Today it is sunny but very cold! Even though I do not like snow AT ALL, I am thankful that I live in Michigan where we have ALL the seasons.

This is the snow falling (DUH!) in my front yard. I do have to admit, it is pretty but I just don't like it especially this early on in the year. It hasn't even been Thanksgiving yet!

Enjoy your day and don't forget to thank a veteran or someone who is currently serving. :)

A Bit of Catch-Up!

I have changed the look of our family blog including the background and pictures. I hope you enjoy the changes. Also, please check the blogs I follow that I have linked. Our friend, Debbie, is currently traveling in India and she has been keeping a blog. I think you would find her journey interesting and fun. Go here and "travel" with her.


 I really ought to post on this blog a lot more than I do. There are some things that I wanted to share with you that I haven't so here you go.


Softball
First of all, Kevin played on a softball team this past fall with our neighbor, Ben, and he really enjoyed it. Their team won the Championship game!! Kevin was excited he was able to play ball all summer (church league) and fall. 

Here is a picture of their team! Buffalo Wild Wings sponsored the team so after this winning game, the guys went to BWW and were able to get some free wings. They also gave the trophy to BWW as a thank you for their sponsorship. 

A Trip to the Zoo

Kevin and I are fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with our youngest niece and nephew. This past summer, we took them to the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids. We went right when the zoo opened so we were able to see the animals roaming around more than they would in the afternoon when it gets hot. My favorite part of the day was seeing the lions up close and personal. In fact, while we were watching them, one of the lions got irritated by us and jumped at the glass right at us! Thank goodness for thick glass!

This is the lion that pounced at us! So cute yet so ferocious!

Although we didn't stay at the zoo for too long. We had a great time! Here are some more pictures from our visit.

 I took my nephew in to pet the sting rays but he didn't want to touch them.

Our niece and nephew. My nephew said he wanted to be a cowboy!

I hope to be more proactive with this blog and update it more often than I do. I enjoy reading other blogs and I know some of you enjoy reading this one so it's only fair that you have an up-to-date blog to read.

And for all you ladies out there, in case you haven't come across Pinterest yet, you should check it out. I have found a wonderful blog on there that I have been following. It's called The Small Things Blog. Please go there and check it out. She has great hair styling tips.

Enjoy!

Another Michigan Saturday

It's another typical Saturday in our household....it's Michigan game day and it's their homecoming. Kevin went to the game today with his dad. They chose a good game to go to since Michigan won but it was raining but the sun was shining! :)


My day consisted of watching the Michigan game, cutting the grass, doing laundry, and scrapbooking (which I have yet to get to...) I was going to make Pumpkin cookies but those might have to wait until tomorrow since I am missing one important ingredient for the frosting...oops!


I have found a favorite blog and I don't tend to read blogs that much but I found it on Pinterest and fell in love. It's called, "The Small Things." Click here to check it out. I generally read this blog for hair styling tips and ideas. I do my hair the same way every single day and I'm ready for a bit of a change and when I came across this blog, I found so many great ideas. You will love it! 


It is beautiful here today ... enjoy!

Glogster

I took a graduate class this summer for my work toward my Master's Degree in education and I did some more playing around with Glogster for one of my many projects for the class. If you don't know what Glogster is, it's simply an online poster. I know a few teachers who use this in their classrooms. You can post pictures, websites, links, videos, music, and more on this online poster. Here is mine from my class: http://klassenl.glogster.com/lauras-glog/. It includes pictures, music, links, and a book trailer video I made for a book I read for the class. All of the books listed on this poster are children's books ranging from lower elementary to middle school-aged students. Glogster is a fun way to do projects and would be a fun technology tool to use with your students. Enjoy!

Fall

Today is the first day of fall and the weather sure shows that. It is beautiful out though with all the leaves changing colors! This weather puts me in the mood to bake and I've been busy looking up different recipes. 


It's the third week of school and I've only had 2 subbing jobs. I will start my long-term in October and still have yet to meet the students. I know most of them but haven't seen them in a couple of years so I'm excited to see them. I will have 31 kids in the class .... 31!!! That is a lot. I hope that they are a good group of kids and we have a good 2 1/2 - 3 months while I am there! :)


Kevin has been busy teaching is Dunes Alternative students and his one hour of freshman Algebra. I think he likes his schedule. He is just getting over his first cold of the year. Crazy how he caught one this early on in the school year. I am going to try my hardest to not get sick this year. New rule for me: Do not pick up random pencils off of the floor! I used to do this all the time because it drives me nuts when pencils and papers and garbage are all over the floor but this year, I am not touching anything that lands on the floor!


Happy Fall! :)

It's back to school time!!

It's Labor Day so that means school starts tomorrow for us! I am very excited! Kevin will be going back to West Ottawa High School for his 4th year of teaching. This year he will be working in the new Alternative School called The Dunes. He will be doing this for most of the day and will also teach 1 class of Freshman Algebra. He has 2 classrooms this year. Laura hasn't found a teaching job for this year but she was able to have an interview at Mona Shores Middle School for a year long 8th grade English position. Unfortunately, she did not receive an offer for that position. She will be doing her third long-term at Oakridge Upper Elementary in 4th grade starting in October for a teacher who will be on maternity leave. Last year, she taught 4th grade during this same time of year, so she will be teaching the same curriculum as before. :) 


We have been very busy around the house and have had a busy and enjoyable summer. To wrap up our summer, we helped Kevin's little brother, Phil and his wife, Cassie move from Royal Oak back to Muskegon. It will be nice having them much closer to us. 


To back track a little, in the spring (May), we got to meet a handsome little guy named Nolan. Shane and Karen welcomed him into the world on May 5. We are the god parents and he is one handsome little dude! :)


We look forward to the school year ahead and the adventures it will bring! 


Happy School Year! :)

It's Spring!

Well, it's been a long time since we've updated this blog .... a really long time. In fact, it was at the beginning of the school year and now we are nearing the end. Spring Break is upon us!! We are heading to Chicago for a couple of days with Sarah and Jordon. We are very excited and anxious to get out of town for a little vacation. Kevin went on his annual Washington DC trip with the 8th graders this past weekend. As always, it was a fun-filled adventure for him! He took a lot of pictures and videos. Here are a couple:


                                        

Here are all the students that went on the trip. The picture is taken with Einstein! 

This is the Washington Monument with the full moon to the right.

On another note, Laura started a new job at Ross Park Elementary 2 weeks ago. She is working as a Title 1 Parapro. She works with students who need extra support in Reading and Math. It is similar to the job she had last year at Lincoln Park Elementary. This is in the Mona Shores School District. It is also not too far from home. She gets to see several students she knows outside of school, which is really fun! She will have this job until the end of the school year. We are not sure what next year will bring for Laura...hopefully good things in the education profession!

Since we last wrote, we have had new neighbors move in on the other side of us. In fact, we knew these people before they moved in. It is nice having neighbors again and we know they will take good care of their yard!  Kevin has already been out doing a little bit of yard work. He is definitely anxious to get outside and work more on the yard when it gets nicer out. He is currently trying to take care of a mole that has been digging up our yard! 

Well, it is officially spring and we wish it felt more like it. Today and tomorrow, we are supposed to have ice, rain, and wind. As I sit and look out the window, it is sleeting/hailing....no fun! We hope the weather warms up a little bit before we head to Chicago in a couple of weeks!