I let my guard down

Why is it whenever I am about to have a day off I get horribly sick? Does this happen to anyone else out there? As a new teacher I must have the weakest immune system ever. One day I will be super woman and germ free. (At least that is what I hope.) Until then the cycle will probably continue. Blech!

In happier news I have been working and you should see some new ideas soon. They are not quite ready yet. But I have a short vowel game, a mini money unit, and a sight word game in the works. It all kind of depends on what I am motivated to finish first. :) Does anyone else have the same conundrum? Anyone interested in a particular item? Let me know.

How it all came together

Disclaimer: This post contains my religious beliefs. I am not trying to force anything on you. I am just attempting to tell the story of how my husband and I met. Feel free to skip this post entirely or ask me any questions.

It's funny how all the little things in life lead you to the one you love. (Just like the Rascal Flat's song, God Bless the Broken Road.) My husband and I grew up four hours away from each other, we went to the same college for a year, but we did not meet each other until we were both missionaries in Japan.

A little background for you. I am a Christian. And growing up I wanted to share the joy and happiness I felt with other people. When I turned 21 I volunteered 1 1/2 years of my life to fulfill that dream by serving a mission in Hokkaido, Japan. (I did not pick the location. If I did I would have picked someplace that does not eat fish or things from the ocean.) My husband did the same thing when he turned 19 except he served for 2 years. (God had a plan for us, we just didn't know it.)

While we served together I got to see him lead, serve, strengthen, and bless the lives of the people around him. I knew I wanted to marry a man like him. But as you may or may not know, missionaries are not serving to find a spouse. They are serving to bless other people. I kept my distance. I didn't even laugh at his jokes. Poor guy, he thought I hated him. He got transfered to a different area and I went home soon after.

When I got home he wrote me a letter telling me about other missionaries and asking me about my life. I wrote back and we became pen pals and then friends.  While he was still in Japan I attempted dating other people, but it was SO HARD. No one was as cute, kind, funny, competitive, intelligent, or compassionate. I could not wait for him to get home!

When he got home I was at college in a different state. Talk about frustrating! We skyped or phoned daily and I fell more and more in love with him. (And somehow he fell in love with me, craziness and all.) Eventually he returned to college and we spent more and more time together. After a couple of months he proposed. I was ready to be married in 2 months, but my mother was not. So we got married 6 looooong months later. And that is how I met my hubby. (All because God knew that we both needed to be in Japan to meet each other.)

Yesterday we bought our tickets to go back to Japan this summer! I can't wait!

One day I might have to tell you the proposal story because I think it is a little more entertaining. ;)

Thank you Buzzing with Ms. B for hosting this Linky Party. This was a perfect post for Valentine's Day! Want to share how you met your Hunny?

Love is in the Air

I received my Valentine's Day Exchange gift on Friday and I tried desperately to wait till Valentines Day to open it. As you can see, I didn't make it. I think my husband has a small influence here. "Are you sure you don't want to open it? Look it says fragile. I wonder what is inside." Hubby knows that if I open it he gets half of all the candy inside. ;) So I opened it and found the cutest gift.

Thank you Melanie! 

Hubby and I both enjoyed the candies and I am thrilled about the dangly earrings.  I love darling earrings! I am really excited to wear the warm fuzzy socks! We finally got our first real snow today and our little basement apartment is a little chilly. I slipped them on my feet right after I took a picture. :D I am also really thrilled about using my awesome cup at work. Now I will be more motivated to drink water at school. :)  Thank you again Melanie! I hope my Valentine enjoyed her present as much as I enjoyed mine.

In the spirit of love, I wanted to share a February Management Chart. I know February is halfway over, but there is always next year isn't there? I use this chart to motivate a student in my classroom who needs a little extra help. Every time I see 5 minutes of desired behavior I give her a sticker. When she gets 5 stickers she gets to pick a small reward. If you can use this with a student in your classroom please download a copy.

You Know You Are A Teacher When

Kindergarten Lifestyle is holding a Linky Party! Think about how you might fill out this sentence:

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Want to join in on the fun? Save the blank image above, add a text box, take a screen shot and make your own post. Sounds complicated, but I promise it can be done in less than 5 minutes. I would love to hear your ideas. 

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