Happy New Year 2010

WOW! I can't believe that it is 2010!! An entire decade ago we were celebrating the millenium. I remember as a kid all the things I thought would happen by the year 2000 and not many of them have. We were not driving flying cars and we did not live in space. Another 10 years have passed since then and we still are not doing these things. I know technology has jumped by leaps and bounds since the 80's though. Remember being in the 80's? Remember how far off the future seemed. Sadly, the past (the 80's) is not the same distance as the future felt. I am going to be 34 this year and it does not feel like I should be that old. Time flies like crazy. When you are young people to tell you to live life to the fullest and to cherish every moment becuase by the time you blink, it will pass, but you don't believe them. Well, now I do. They tell you all this again when you are pregnant, and boy, time goes even faster when you have a baby.

Well, I can attest to that! This year my sweet little ladybug will be 5!!! Five! Really, how on earth is that possible?!?!?! She is so sweet and funny and smart, but I was looking back at pics yesterday from when we first moved into our house in Atascocita and she was so darn cute and little. It just blows my mind that in 8 short months this tiny person is going to Kindergarten!!!
She is so excited about it - I don't know if she really gets it, but she knows she gets a big girl backpack and gets to take it to school everyday. AND, she is even excited about homework! Oh she has so much to learn LOL!!

2010 is going to be an interesting year for us all. We will celebrate 15 years of marriage on Thursday, January 7th. I can't believe I have been married so long. Another thought in time flying. Also this month I will start my teaching cert classes. YAY!! I am actually really excited abou them! February will bring my b-day. Whew, 34. Nothing too exciting in March and April, but May will bring Chris' graduation from UH and Kendall's b-day. I am hoping the summer will bring peace and job offers. I am praying that we both get jobs quickly and we can quit working by 07/30. This will give us a week or two off before we begin the HUGE new chapter in our lives. Two new careers as teachers and life with a Kindergartener!

I also thought of resolutions, but I never stick to them. It is the 5th already and I have not written anything down. I have prayed about what I want to change in my life, but have nothing I am going to feel bad about. A friend of mine (Julie) posted in her blog recently that she basically had the same idea. I read it today and was so happy that I was not the only one with these thoughts. Here are some things I want to work on this year...

1. To become a better wife and mother.
2. The keep a cleaner and less cluttered home and car.
3. To exercise more.
4. To spend time talking to God every day.
5. To work on becoming a better me.
6. To try and cook more.
7. To work hard at being a great friend.

I think with my less hectic schedule this year these are things that I can work on and goals I can attain.

Christmas and on to the New Year

Well, we made it through Christmas! It was so fun! Kendall was SOO excited for Santa to come. She did not want us to read The Night Before Christmas to her because it was too long and she needed a shorter book so she could go to sleep faster. It was so cute! She slept with us and everytime one of us would talk she would shush us. I wish every night was Christmas Eve so she would actually go to bed at a decent time. Santa brought her a Mickey MP3 player, a Nintendo ds and two games, a Sleeping Beauty Barbie with a horse and a Barbie Car - she got some cool stuff in her stocking too - she received TONS of presents and to date we have opened everything that she received and bought with her Christmas money except the Easy Bake oven and Bendaroos and those are both on tonight's agenda. Daddy is REALLLYYY excited to be the food tester LOL!

I was sad to go back to work today because I had such an awesome time hanging out with the family for the past three days. Wednesday night we are going to meet the Ieva's in Flint, Tx to spend a few relaxing days doing nothing! I am going to try and limit the new stuff we take on the trip but I know she will want to play :) Maybe a baby, the DS and the MP3 player.

We took down the outside lights yesterday and just need to get the inside stuff down. With the impendinv vacation, that will wait until next week. I am excited for the new year. 2010 will bring 15 years of marriage, my ladybug turning 5, and the start to two new carrers!! A big big year of change!!!! I know I am ready for it, I just hope it all goes smoothly!!! I am nervous about the 5 year old and the carrer change. Even though I have been working on it FOREVER, it is weird that it is finally here!!

If I don't have a chance to post again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OHHH, one last thing - Kendall READ on Saturday the 26th!!! I was so freaking proud of that angel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DONE!!!

Well, I am done. If I never do anything else, I graduated college!! I hope to one day get my masters, but if it never happens, I am content!!!! I was so HAPPY yesterday. It was emotional, but I never cried. I teared up, but I never really cried. That in itself is a miracle. It has not really sunk in yet that I am done. I have two classes that I am taking next semester that go towards getting my teacher cert, but they are the classes I have been WANTING to take for years. I can't wait to take them and learn about being in a classroom. I am now able to get a teaching job. I am waiting to start applying until February, but WOW! I did it! It just feels like another semester over at this time. Maybe in January it will hit me! I am a college graduate!!!!

It was such a great weekend. I got a great gift from Chris and Kendall. I got back from shopping and they had a big bag of stuff. They got me a Wonder Woman ornament for the tree and they wrote on the box "Because you are our Wonder Woman." Crying yet?? I sure was. They also got me a cool UH t-shirt that I had been wanting and two James Avery charms for my bracelet. One was a mortar board and the other was an apple with ABC under it. I also got some Twisted Tea (alcoholic beverage) that I had been trying to find! Saturday night we went out to dinner with friends and I received some great gifts. Courtney and Jimmy got me flowers and a Willow Tree angel and Courtney Ladd got me an awesome basket of bath goodies!! I was so excited! Later we went out to Rock, Wine, and Blues and our friends Liana and Michael came. It was so mch fun!! They gave me some bath goodies too that were for stree, sleep, and energy! I can't wait to use them!!

Sunday was the big day. It was stressful to say the least. I have to give you a back story as to why. On Friday I went to an information session at the school and they had me on the walk list with my name reversed! They had my first name as Buckalew and my last name as Leah??? How this happened I will never know, but my job on Sunday was to get my name card fixed, sit with the people that had L last names and watch for the B's. When the B's came down I had to get up and get put in the correct spot to walk with the B's and be announed in the correct order. This also brought up the issue of how my name was going to look in the program. Well, thankfully it was correct!! I was sooo happy!!! So, it ended up being better than hoped for and I got worked in just fine. Chris found almost front row seats. It was so cool when we walked down in the processional because I was in the outside row and got to see them all well. I got in my seat and it was so great. The speeches were wonderful and it felt so good to be there! I got up and moved to the new seat and it was even better! I was closer to the action! I got lined up and walked across the stage. I was so focused on not falling and shaking the President's hand correctly that I never even heard the family cheer. I got to walk by the family again after I got my picture made and saw Kendall close up. It was so awesome. I am happy that they got such great seats!!!

After the ceremony we went to Spaghetti Warehouse and had a lunch. My parents were so great to host for me. It was nice. I got to see all my family and friends too!!

I am so thankful to everyone who supported me through this journey. It has been a long and hard road, but I AM DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December already!!!

WOW! I can't belive how this year has absolutely flown by!!! Christmas is here again. Another year passing to be thankful for. It hit me the other day that this will be the end of a decade! The millenium was 10 years ago! That just can't be right!! It seems like it was just yesterday!!

Not much has been going on here. Kendall had her first dance recital today! She has been taking dance through her school and they had their Winter Show - it was so sweet. Their teacher is a former Texans cheerleader and a current Rockets powerdancer! I was impressed that she would still take time out to teach our babies!! She did a great job with them. Kendall's class danced to Christmas in the Islands - they did a hula ballet and then they danced What Time is It? It's Christmas time. It was a little hip-hop dance. The teacher let them keep their hair clippy from the first dance and the ball cap from the second dance. Did I saw how great she was!! I tried to put in some pics but they might be sideways - I apologize for that! Sideways or straight, you still just can't help but fall in love with this face!!

I FINALLY graduate from UH this Sunday. It does not seem real yet, but I know it is. I think Sunday when I am sitting there waiting for them to call my name it will sink in and I am sure I will be a complete mess. I just finished one of my three teaching classes. It was such an amazing feeling. I had a great instructor and I loved it! Two more start in the spring. I hope to start teaching in August. Let's all pray that I get a job!!!!

Kendall is so excited about Christmas! She can hardly wait! I love Christmas too and I can't WAIT until Christmas morning!! It is always so fun and Kendall is getting bigger and enjoying it more and more!!!

I am thankful for another great year as a mother, wife, daughter, student, aunt, sister, and friend! I made some great friends and I learned who some people really were as well. I am also learning more about myself as well. I am trying to pray more and let God be my guide. I saw this book that was interesting on a friend of a friend's blog. If she is a friend of Julie's then she must be great. Check out her blog for a cool book review and giveaway!!

http://www.sarahlett.blogspot.com/

Mama's Holiday Wish List

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.
1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
1. Beatles Rock Band
2. Creative Memories stuff
3. Hobby Lobby gift Card
4. a new pair of tennis shoes (Adidas)
5. a digital frame
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
The year my mom was recovering from cancer she made us all handmade crocheted hats.
Those really meant alot becuase they were made my her and we could all wear them with
her while she recovered.
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
I would love to learn how to crochet and make my daughter a blanket.
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
The best Christmas gift I ever received was a huge wooden dollhouse when I was seven. I
was totally surprised. The next day my mom and I went to buy tons of furnitrue to fill it up.
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
My daughter wants a cash register, a Baby Alive that pees and poops, and some Barbies.
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
I love turkey but I think my most favorite are the desserts!!!
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
I will be making a mini-scrapbook for the grandparents, my daughter and I made a
countdown to Christmas paper chain, and I am most likely going to make our Christmas
cards.
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
I have two favorites. First is "Christmas Vacation" and the other is "Miracle on 34th Street".
9. Favorite holiday song?
It definitely has to be "Walking in a Winter Wonderland".
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
I love making holiday sweets with my daughter! I also LOVE to give my daughter one
present on Christmas Eve, it is always pj's for her to wear Christmas Eve and Christmas
morning.

Moving Right Along

I am very bad about updating this thing in a timely manner. I thought I would do better but I am over two months again. School was just beginning for me this semester and now it is coming to a close! I have lust over 7 weeks until I graduate. The big day is 12/20. I am so excited! It really is happening. It is hard to believe but it is!! It seems like a dream! We both went last week to have our acceptance interview into the teaching program at Lonestar College. All they are waiting on for me is my final transcript and I can start applying for jobs. They have it set up that I can start my observations, but I will wait until the Spring to start that! Too much going on here before!

We do take a class at the end of November for 4 weeks called Tools 4 Teaching. It is based on Fred Jones' methods of a good classroom. I have read about this in school and have been advised by many teachers that this a very helpful course so I am excited. I think I am excited because it will be my first class to become a teacher!!! In January we both have to take PPR (Pedagogy & Professional Responsibilities) and another continuing education class - we have decided to take Special Populations because it will be most helpful in a school setting.

I took my content exam back in September and passed! I am certified to teach EC-4 generalist. It was such an awesome feeling to see that passing score. I was sure I had failed!! Chris takes his math in November so keep your fingers crossed!!!

Kendall has been playing soccer for about a month now and is doing SO much better than she did last fall. She even scored a few goals this year!!! YAY!!! She is in dance and is doing great. She really loves her teacher Ms. Tinkerbell. I can't wait until their recital - only about 6 more weeks or so! I will def post pics!!

It is almost Halloween! It is def one of my favorite holidays! I think it kicks off the holiday season and is so fun! Kendall is going to be a hippie - or as she calls it a "Peace Out chick". It is going to be so cute! And what fun! Halloween is on a SATURDAY!!!!

Until next time - Happy Holidays!!!!

Well, I finally did it!! I got a tattoo on 08/08 - It is a ladybug on my foot!! I love it!!

As for the family, a lot has happened since I last wrote in June. We adopted two dogs, Pretzel and Peanut. They are dachshunds. Pretzel is red and Peanut is black and tan and is the daughter to Pretzel. They are wonderful. They needed a home and we needed some new babies so it was a perfect fit! They are house trained and sleep with us at night. Kendall is in HEAVEN!!

Chris took 4 classes in the summer and got 4 a's. I took 1 and got an A as well. Shocking?? I don't think so!! HA!

We start school on 08/24. I am taking two classes and Chris is taking three. I will graduate in December and him in May. I can't believe that by this time next year, we could be in our classrooms!! It seems so far away still!!

Kendall moved up to pre-k last week at Kids Playce. She is in the Tigers. She only got on yellow her first day and has been on green ever since. I am chalking it up to it being the first day in a new classroom. She starts soccer on 09/12. We are playing with a different league this season and the teams are not co-ed so maybe that will help her. She will also start dance through a program at Kids Playce on 08/27. I am excited for her. It is a bit smaller scale than if she was at a dance school and I think that will help her judge if she wants to pursue it next year. They have two recitals - on in December that is ballet and hip-hop and the other in May I believe and is jazz and tap. I am excited for her but her foot has grown so now she needs new ballet and soccer shoes!! What a well-rounded little monkey :)

I got to see NKOTB in July! I touched Joey and almost touched Donnie! It was SO amazing! I felt like a teenager again!!!!!

Well, that is all for now. I will write more next week after I see what my classes hold for this semester!!!