One week down...30-something to go!

1. How many pets do you have? None right now =( We are hoping to get a dog in the somewhat near future, once we figure out exactly what we want and when I am off to train her.

2. If you could switch places with anyone in the world for one day, who would it be? TOUGH! Haha, probably a Kardashian to see if their "normal" life is really that crazy and drama-filled!

3. What is your favorite money saving tip? I have a few, but I guess my biggest one right now is that I have my account automatically draft so much money each paycheck into a separate account so I don't touch it!

4. What do you want your kids to be when they grow up? Hmm, well we don't have kids yet, but I'm going to go with the cheesy "Happy" answer. My dad ALWAYS wanted me to be a Dr. and for a while I wanted to also, but I def felt like when I chose to become a teacher I got some backlash about how I wouldn't make as much or be as successful. But I think now that he sees how happy I am with my life he's realized I'm much better off as a teacher than a Dr.

5. What is your favorite quote? At our convocation before school started, we had a man come speak to us and he used this quote. It fits not only with the teacher in me, but I can use it in my everyday life. "Good enough isn't good enough if you can do better. Better isn't good enough if you can do best."

This weekend is going to be pretty relaxing for the most part. Tanner and I are staying in (at least as of now! ha...we'll see in an hour!) tonight and picking our wedding photos for our photo book and the ones we want to get to hang on the wall! Tomorrow he has a Fantasy Football draft in the morning so I'm going to sleep in (yay!) and probably grade some papers (boo!). Saturday night is my birthday dinner. Sunday Tanner is leaving me for a week to go work in Denmark!! =( I'm excited for him but it's going to be hard having him gone for a whole week!!! Sunday evening I'm going to watch his team play softball (yes I'm THAT dedicated...NOT!) and babysit one of the player's kid. At least it will give me something to do and keep me in my usual routine.

SHOOOOOOL

School starts tomorrow. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm more relaxed about my new partner teacher, but I know she's no Amy! I'm def going to miss working with Amy! The parents that came to our Meet the Teacher didn't seem too thrilled about how far their kids had to walk outside to get to our room. Not that it's FAR, but it'd def a good walk. 158 days to go! Haha, one of our teachers is retiring at the end of the year, and she's been keeping us ALL updated on how many days she has left. I'm not sure if this is a good thing, or if it's just going to make the year drag on!

Tanner comes home tonight and I couldn't be more excited!! I am SO ready for him to be home and he's already called to say his flight is delayed 2 hours, ugh!

Married life?

1. Do you have any nicknames and if so how did it come about?
I have MANY nicknames! My dad gave me the nickname Leonard when I was born, and my friends shortened it to Lenny when I was about 12. People also call me Kare Bear since we grew up on Care Bears and my name is Karen. Those are the 2 I have had the longest.

2. What is your birth order amongst your siblings?
I am youngest of 2. My sister is 4 years older so we were only at the same school together in Elementary school and I think she LOVED it being that way! =0)

3. In a movie of your life, who would play your significant other?
Someone goofy! Haha, I don't know who hubby looks like, but I can think of a few guys I wouldn't mind playing him! ;)

4. What is currently your favorite song?
Hmm, I don't know. I think pretty much EVERY song on the radio is overplayed, and I'm awful at putting in CDs or my Ipod, so I tend to hear the same things over and over again. I haven't gotten sick of Shinedown's The Crow and the Butterfly yet, so I'll say that one.

5. Are you saving your money for anything right now? Big or small purchase?
I am saving money to get my finances back in check! I was in an accident the end of January and totaled my car so I bought a car (paid cash); bought a house in May; got married in July and went to Hawaii on our honeymoon. Tanner's already talking about our anniversary trip, so I guess I could say I'm saving for that! I am also starting a savings account for our future (and very nonexistent!) kid(s). I know I'm thinking ahead, but with the way the economy is and how expensive colleges are, not to mention just the cost of having a baby, I'm getting prepared.


Tanner's in Tahoe right now for his brother's bachelor party and I am VERY jealous! They went on a hike today and he sent me a picture and it's GORGEOUS there! He also spent most (ALL) of last night gambling, but walked out up $350 so that's exciting. I do miss him a lot though. He'll be home 1 week and then is leaving me again for a week, only when he leaves again he'll be leaving the country! Eeek! We've never spent so much time apart.

Tomorrow is our back to school day/Meet the Teacher. I am looking forward to meeting my students, but I do not feel prepared for this year! Thankfully I am not teaching Social Studies like I originally thought (mistake on P's part), but being outside has not gotten better. I don't MIND being out there, but when it rains (like today) there is no going inside without getting wet! The poor kids! We got new books for Reading and the lessons are divided by day in the T.E. which is pretty awesome!

OK, enough rambling! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Summer blues

Today is my last real day of summer before training starts next week! I am excited to still be teaching 2nd grade, but that seems to be pretty much the only thing that is the same about this new school year. I have a new partner teacher (I teach ELA, she teaches Math and Science), a new last name (! yay!), a new classroom (outside no less), and apparently I am now also teaching Social Studies! Our schedule will also be different this year, but we have not been officially told EXACTLY what is changing. Right now it is all just rumor with little bits of fact thrown in from the new boss. Oh yeah, that's another change also! Our principal was transferred to another elem school, so our AP is now our P.

Tuesday was mine and Tanners one month (already!) so we went to Ichiban and ate sushi and snow crab! yum! Hopefully we celebrate every month! ha!

The house is SLOWLY coming along. We put the wedding on hold to buy the house, then we put the house on hold to finish the wedding planning, get married, and go on our honeymoon. Now that we are back and thank you cards are finished, we are starting to buy things for the house. We went to IKEA last weekend and bought a desk for the study. Now we are searching for the perfect supply cabinet for the study, as well as a "craft" desk for all my scrapbooking materials. We are also looking for a linen closet for our bathroom, and a comforter for the "boy" room.

My birthday is coming up and Tanner and I have been discussing getting a dog. I think we have both decided that our original plan of getting a lab is no longer the best choice. We also decided getting a dog as I am starting school (STRESS!!) and he is going out of town for almost 2 weeks is also not good timing. So we are going to really decide what kind of dog we want and wait until later this year (or next summer) to get one. We both still want a bigger dog, 35+ pounds. We both LOVE Golden's, but they are not good watch dogs, which I want a dog that will bark and sound at least somewhat vicious when I am home alone.

Introducing Mrs. Moore!

Well, I changed my name today! I got to the DPS an hour early and was the first person in line. By the time it opened there was a VERY long line and by the time I filled out the paperwork I was probably the 10th in line, but everything went pretty quickly! After the DPS, I went to the social security office. I was there for only 45 minutes but it seemed like I was there longer than I was at the DPS! Thankfully those were the 2 places everyone complained about when changing a name and they're done with! Tomorrow my mom is coming to visit and we're going to change my name on the bank stuff...fun!

At my bridal shower someone gave us a crockpot...a NICE crockpot. We've had at least 4 before this, but our food always seemed to burn or not cook evenly so we were SO excited to get this one. I've used it a few times and tonight I'm making a chicken casserole in it..it was super easy and smells good so far! Hopefully it will taste ok!

Suzanne and Nick

Yesterday one of my childhood friends got married! Suzanne and I have been friends for....21 years...and we got married 3 weeks apart! They are also going to hawaii on their honeymoon. I can't wait to hear about their adventures!

My mom (and dad) fell in love with Suzanne's cousin's daughter. They were getting "practice" on being grandparents in the future. =) And she loved them just as much. She wanted to sit with my mom and dance with both of them. TOO cute! This morning she was getting off the elevator as we were getting on and she got a HUGE smile on her face when she saw my mom and kept waving at her. When they got to the restaurant she ran to my parents and wouldn't leave their sides! Haha, I love it and can't wait to give them their own grandchildren one day!

Tanner did not come with me to the wedding bc he was in Kingwood at his brother and future sis-in-law's couples shower. He said it was tons of fun and I'm sad I missed it! Thankfully nobody is getting married during the other wedding festivities so there will be no more conflicts! =)