A New Opportunity

Anyone who knows me well knows I love my job. I haven't always though. Teaching is a very challenging job; one that is not a good combination with my personality. I give everything I do 110% and always get the job done. The problem is, that teaching is NEVER done. Therefore, over the past 5 years I have turned into a work-a-holic. Michael has been so supportive and has helped to calm me down a bit, but he has spent many a night at my classroom with me until 10 or 11 at night. There was a time I was going to leave teaching and look for something else. I was getting worn down from all of the hard work, emotional stress and long hours. I had a passion for it, but it was killing me. That's when my principal in Murray approached me two years ago and asked if I would be interested in teaching the Spanish Dual Immersion program our school was about to start up. I thought how this would be an amazing opportunity to use and improve my Spanish as well as utilize my master's degree in Second Langauge Teaching. I decided to give teaching one more try. And I'm so glad I did.

The past two years have been amazing. I have LOVED my career. There were still days that were hard, and there were probably even more late nights and long days than before. But I had found exactly where my passion lied. It was in a combination of the language and culture I loved AND education. I also excelled at this job. I have had well over 60 people come to observe my class in the past two years, including teachers, principals, district officials, national Dual Immersion specialists/trainers, newspapers, and t.v. stations. This really built my confidence and made me feel like the extra hours and hard work were worth it if I was doing a good job for my kids and others. On the other hand, over the past two years, Michael and I had been hoping for a family. It had often crossed my mind how I could manage a career and being a mother, while Michael finished school. I could neither give my career nor my family 110% and that would be a struggle for me. Mike and I just said we'd figure it out when we get there. And at least I'd have summers to spend with my baby. But the answer to my question of how I'd manage a family and a career really came to me in January.

I was approached by the state Dual Immersion Spanish Coordinator in January and was told the State Office of Education was interested in hiring me on as a Dual Immersion Specialist to help the Spanish teachers. She told me to take the next few weeks or couple of months to think about it while they worked out the funding and the details. At first, I felt honored and excited. I could not even believe it. It was like a dream come true. But then reality set it. I was not ready to leave my classroom. How could I leave a job I LOVE for the possibility of liking another career? The timing just didn't seem right. I talked to my principal and several of my close friends and family members. They reminded me that I could always return to the classroom and that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I still wasn't sold. I went to the temple with Mike where we prayed. Miraculously, we received a very solid answer...both of us. I was to take the job. I couldn't argue with that, but I could be sad about it. I moved forward to accept the position, truly hoping it was the best thing. It was weeks later that I found out I was pregnant. I was nervous to confront my new boss and tell her the news. But she, also being a spiritual person, told me that she already knew :) She told me she hoped that wouldn't influence my decision to join her team, and she informed me of the flexible hours and options for my maternity leave and being with my baby. I couldn't believe it. It was a huge answer to my prayers. I was actually going to be able to work and be a good mommy. And there wouldn't be many opportunities for late hours or long days. I could come home at 4 and be a mom. I could work from home, as I desired or needed. I could take more time to be with my baby. Perfect.

So now, starting in August, I will be working for the State Office of Education full time as a Spanish Dual Immersion Specialist. I will be coaching and training teachers, and developing curriculum. Two things I love to do. I am very excited for this opportunity, and I've gotten a taste of what it will be like as I've worked on some projects on the side over the past 6 months. I'll continue some small projects over the summer until I begin full time. This includes a business trip to Sacramento!!!

I will miss the kids and the classroom, but this is what is best for my family. As my family and friends have told me, I've been dedicated to other people's kids for many years, and now it's time to dedicate myself and my time to my own. <3

Three Years

Three years ago today I married my soul mate and best friend. It sounds cliche, but it's so true. I feel like I didn't really know true happiness until I met Michael. I didn't really know who I was until I met Michael. I learn more about myself, love, and the important things in life from this man everyday. He is my match and compliments me in every way. I have thoroughly enjoyed the past 4 years Michael and I have been together, and have learned so much from our three years of marriage.

This anniversary seems particularly special since we're expecting a baby. We know that our lives are about to change in a very big way. We are so excited. Both of us have always wanted to be parents and know that a baby is going to make our love even stronger.

Here are some highlights over the past year of marriage:
--We traveled over 3,000 miles together on our road trip to Houston and back last summer, visiting several national and state parks.
--I finished another year of teaching with Mike's support, and he finished another year of school with my support.
--We went to U of U's Homecoming dance together in September.
--We went to Disneyland and the beach in California in October.
--We watched a couple of major shows in Vegas- Human Nature in October and the Lion King in March.
--We stayed in the Excalibur hotel in March.
--We added a new furry member to our family- Maya Monster.
--In March we found out that we're expecting a baby.
--We've added another two nieces and a nephew to the family.
--We worked on some fun landscaping projects together this spring at our house.
--We celebrated our anniversary by going out to lunch, going to the Hogle Zoo, going to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and cuddling up and watching a movie.

Although all of these things we did together and experienced together were a lot of fun, we have fun throughout our every day lives as well. Michael has taught me so much about positivity and having a positive outlook on life. He makes every day fun. I'm looking forward to spending an eternity of fun days with my best friend. I love you Mikey!

The BIG News!

Yes, my news made it on Facebook before I posted it in the blog, but...
I'm Pregnant!!!!!

And that explains why I haven't posted in a couple of months. I've been exhausted, nauseas and crampy. Sometimes I feel great, other times I feel awful. Being pregnant is hard, but I'm trying to enjoy every minute. I honestly did not know if I would ever have this experience. After nearly two years of trying for a baby, this pregnancy caught us a little by surprise. I found out just after we got Maya, and after we returned from Las Vegas. I was so, so sick with my cold which was a miserable virus and double ear infection. I saw three different doctors in a week and a half because my fever was so high and wasn't getting better. I was given all sorts of medicine, and finally a doctor mentioned, "Oh, you should not take this medicine if there is a chance that you're pregnant." Hmmm... wow. There's a chance. I was rather late, but did not notice because I was so sick.

When Mike was at work, I went to the store and bought two of the more expensive pregnancy tests. I went to the bathroom to do my business and threw the test across the room. I saw the control line, and nothing else. Big surprise. That's how it always was. I went into the bedroom, and came back to pick up the test and throw it away... but there was another line!!!! Very faint, but there was another line! I was hysterical! I called my mom and we cried and cried together. I kept staring at the test. I couldn't believe it. I kept expecting the other line to disappear.

I prepared a surprise for Mike. He had NO IDEA. I had thought of a million different ways I would have wanted to tell him, but I still felt so sick. I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything extreme. So I pulled out some baby shower decorations I had just made for a friend's shower and decorated the house. I made a sign for the front door that said 12-5-2011 and I put a rolled up onsie that said Mommy + Daddy = Me with the pregnancy test in a little Easter basket I had. When Mike walked in he was confused at first, wondering what was going on. I handed him the basket, the test fell out as he unrolled the onsie, and it took a couple of seconds for it to sink in. He kept saying, "Are you serious?? Are you sure??" I thought he was going to cry. He hugged me a million times.

Over the past couple of months, I have battled nausea with vomiting at the latter end of first trimester and beginning of second trimester. I survived the last two and a half months of teaching 55 first graders on ZERO energy. I've also endured three weekends of immense cramping pain, certain I was losing the baby, but everything ended up being fine. The pregnancy so far has been very challenging, and has had me freaking out pretty much all the time. Fortunately, I haven't been violently throwing up, my migraines have disappeared, and the mood swings haven't been too bad! I've also been able to eat pretty well, most days.

I've gone through phases of things I'm craving, and then I get sick of them and never want to see them again. I've craved pears, chicken in a bisquit crackers, fruit rolls, pudding, watermelon, pickels, lemons, limes, and hamburgers. I have especially enjoyed many a Big Mac over the past couple of months.

According to my very accurate calculations, the baby will be due around December 5th. After my first doctor's visit and ultrasound, the baby was measuring at 6 1/2 weeks when it should have measured at 8 1/2 weeks. The doctor says my due date was December 18th. I thought about it for a minute, and explained to the doctor that there was no other possible date of conception. I was incredibly sick for three weeks, so there was no baby-makin goin on during those weeks!! haha He said that couples often forget a little event here and there, and that the baby had a healthy heartbeat, and that was what mattered. After going home and staring at a calendar, I knew the doctor's calculations could not be correct. That would have meant that the baby was conceived and then I received a positive pregnancy test two days later. Well, that's impossible. So I'm sticking with my due date, for now.

Mike and I will find out the sex of the baby in July. We'll be hosting a gender party with our family and close friends, as we'll all find out together. We can't wait! We will be picking up baby furniture in the next couple of weeks, and we've picked out bedding for a boy and for a girl. We'll totally dive in to decorating once we know if it will be snakes and snails or sugar and spice! We are so incredibly blessed, and say a million prayers a day thanking our Heavenly Father for this little miracle!