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!!!

WOW! I just realized that I have not posted all month. I was thinking of some funny things Kendall has said in the last few days and wanted to get them down. I have a Willow Tree Angel that is a mommy and a daughter that are looking at each other. The other day I asked her if that was us and she said yes. She said we were talking to each other. I told her I must be telling her that I love her more than anything in the whole wide world. She said no, that I was saying "When you are 6 we are going to Disneyworld". That made me laugh so hard. I wish I could take her now, but it is so expensive. Another funny thing was the other day she stubbed her toe pretty bad and it had some hanging skin. I clipped it off and she was so stressd that it would never grow back. She told me that it has to because she needs her whole body! The things that four year olds think of!!

Father's day was great. We kept our tradition of going to Le Peep in the village for breakfast. Kendall still does not eat whipped cream or syrup. I can't imagine that a dry pancake tastes good, but she thinks it does. We got daddy a new wallet and some cute cards and a day of uninterrupted family time. We watched some TV, went to the pool and let him pick dinner. Kendall gave him tons and tons of kisses and hugs. It was perfect!

I read today that my official graduation date is 12/20/09. I am so excited. At least I will officialy be done with college. I still have to take the alternative cert classes, but I will finally have my degree! I am stressed about finding a job next year, but everyone tells me not to worry. We will see...

On another note, my oldest nephew's wife had their second baby yesterday. His name is Declan and he was 8lbs. 3 oz. and 20". I have not seen him yet. They are not allowing visitors at the hospital so I will have to see him some time after he arrives back at home. Can't wait to snuggle him.

I am so happy. I love my husband and my daughter. I have a great family and we have a great future coming towards us. I just can't wait until next August. I have peace in my life. I am learning to live stress free. I have stress don't get me wrong, but I am learning to manage it better. Kendall is so sweet and funny all the time. She has her moments, but even when she is grumpy I feel so blessed. She has recently over the past few months become a HUGE Hannah Montana fan. She says when she grows up she is going to be Hannah Montana and then when she is done she will be a teacher like Daddy and Mommy. That just melts my heart. She has been taking swim lessons and has gained so much confidence in the water. I am glad that we are members of a gym where the pool is open year round so she can keep practicing! We are all just here. Taking summer classes and trying to reach our goals.

Vacation

Well, All I can say that that was a LONG 9 days!! It started off with Kendall's b-day party on Sat. It went OK except that only 16 kids showed up and they still made me pay for 25. That was kind of crappy but fun party anyway. When we picked up the cake from Sam's they had totally screwed it up so we went next door to Jumpin' Joey's to The Cakery and the lady there SAVED THE DAY. I bought her a card thanking her. She scraped off the Sam's writing and re-iced the top and rewrote HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS KENDALL for us. I was so happy. She did not charge us a cent. It was great.

Sunday was birthday lunch with my family. It was fun. We went to Joe's and Kendall got to play with Max. They had tons of fun together! More presents! Granny got her a new bike. She did no great on it! I was so proud!! Kendall's friend Kayli J. shares her b-day so we went to her b-day party after that. It was fun despite the rain! I love their house! We went home and we were going to do a 6:26 (birthtime) singing, but she was OUT! She took a big nap and then we opened her TV and went up to watch a movie!! It was fun!

Monday was the poker party at our house for Rhonda and Carl's b-day! I won 1st place which meant $60 baby!! I was so happy! It was a great time and we stayed up too late chatting with Courtney and Jimmy. And there was the incident of the missing baby. This tiny girl went running by my house in a diaper and a shirt. She could not have been more than 18 months old. She was crying and there were no adults outside with her. Police were called, parents found. The story is that the mom was out joggin and the tweeny big brothers were supposed to be watching her. She got out with the dog and it took them a bit to realize it!! SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday was a dr. appt for Kendall. She was supposed to get shots and a hearing and vision test, but she had a sinus infection so we had to put that off. She was 40 7/8" and 39.6 lbs. That is so tall! So, we got a new appt. for 06/16 and an antibiotic. After the dr. we went to lunch with the Buckalew's. It was great. Sara was in town and we met her boyfriend! He was quiet! Kendall's Great Paw Paw was there. I failed to bust out the camera. I know, bad mommy!! Wednesday Chris was feeling crappy (he always gets sick when we go on vacation). We went to the mall and decided we were going to go see Night At The Museum 2. Got tickets and lunch. Still had extra time so we went dow to The Picture People to get Kendall's "4" pic taken. Every year she has had a number pic taken there. I am thinking next year will be the last. It turned out so cute. I have posted it. Wednesday night I started feeling like crap...

Thursday we got up and drove to San Antonio - all feeling crappy. Got there and took a nap. Later we went to the pool. It was nice. Friday we for up and went to Sea World. OH MAN was I sick!! I had to leave two shows to go puke in a SW bathroom. Not the most fun I have ever had there. We did manage to see all the shows, feed the dolphins, check out the clydesdales and ride the Shamu rollercoaster while we were there. After I puked a while I was better. Firday night we swam at the hotel and bought smores kits. Kendall had never heard of smores before and that is now all she can talk about. Saturday we got up and went back to SW. Today was a better day for us all. We rode the Shamu roller coaster again, saw the Pirates 4D movie and then went to the water park! Lazy river = super fun! Kendall was in a life jacket and we were in tubes. She had so much fun. We played there for a few hours and fed the dolphins again and said bye to the clydesdales and we were off. We same home Sunday, unpacked and vegged. My house is SUCH a wreck!

I am still feeling crappy but so much better than before. Summer school starts today. This is my next to last semester of college for now! I am taking one class, but Chris is taking 2 this mini mester and 2 the next one! YIPES!!! Well, better get back to work. I will post a few more pics tonight.