Update: 27 August 2013

Fun fact: we are still in Idaho.

If we don't get tickets in the next 36-48 hours, we were told to plan on being here for another 10-14 days.

It it frustrating to not have a departure date, but we are thankful to have family in the area (aka a free place to stay). Other teachers, who are also still waiting for tickets, have been staying in hotels and every delay just means more money out of their already stretched pockets.

I'll continue to update when there is actually something to share! 

-F

Still waiting...and waiting...and waiting!

We still don't have a departure date.

I just made a list of things we still need to do before we leave - everything can be accomplished in one trip to Fred Meyer. 

We keep being told to be patient and we are enjoying the extra time we are getting with our Idaho family and friends, but whew, waiting for the BIGGEST thing you've ever done in your life to happen is exhausting!

More updates to come (hopefully soon)!

-F

The Big Move and the Waiting Game

As most of you know, we won't be returning to Nampa High for the 2013-2014 school year. We have accepted jobs to teach overseas in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It has been exhausting trying to prepare ourselves to move halfway around the globe: rent the house, find people to take care of our cars, figuring out cell phones - in fact, nothing has actually been easy.

So now we are living with my parents, sleeping in a full size bed (and we are not what you would call little people!), and just waiting.

We've been told that life moves at a slower pace overseas and that this "waiting" process is good practice for our upcoming life for the next two years, but holy cow, waiting is hard!

More to come when we actually have news about when we are leaving, where we will be living, and where we will be teaching.

-F

PS

I am officially terrible at this whole blogging thing, but I'm going to try and do better! More topics to come including a more in depth look at why we decided to up and leave our jobs, home, and life as we know it!

Idaho in the Fall

I'm drinking coffee, cozied up with the two little dogs, catching up on all my blog reading (and now, posting). It's cloudy and "chilly" 46 degrees. I'm snuggled under a blanket, with fluffy socks and a thick sweatshirt, and the heater is running.

Rob is playing golf.

I think that is why I love Idaho so much - to me, it is FREEZING, but Rob can still play in a scramble. Soon, he won't be able to play, not because it's too cold, but because the golf courses close. According to him, it's really never too cold to play golf, the dang snow just sometimes gets in the way!

Other than that, our week was pretty quiet. Neither one of us is coaching anything this week, but we did manage to stay at school at various events almost every night this week. Basketball season is just around the corner, but for now, all that is on our schedule for the weekend is cheering BSU and MSU on to victory.

More to come, hopefully more often.
-F

PS
I've tried to take more pictures as our lives fly rapidly by. Here is how we've been spending some of our (seemingly limited) free time:

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins!



More pumpkin patch fun!





We took family pictures - "You're weird, Uncle Jeep!"



Shakespeare Festival: last show of the year.

A (60 Second) Update

F&R:
School is crazy busy, hectic, and stressful. Our district announced that there is a $4.5 million deficit - we don't have enough books, we can't make very many copies, and we are a little nervous about what that will mean for our students (and salaries) next year!

F:
Still teaching Sophomore English - had a book banned. Not cool.
Coached volleyball with my good friend Leslie this fall. The season is already over (volleyball is by far the best season as far as high school sports go). We weren't good.

R:
Still teaching math: Algebra and Geometry and is the Math Department Head. He is so good at it - but it has been extremely stressful. Lots of "personalities" to deal with/make happy.

More to come when we aren't running around like chickens with our heads cut off! Much love to family everywhere.

-F

So...

So...it's been a while since I posted. I blame teaching summer school and then having to jump right back into the regular school year. In fact, I blamed summer school for a lot of things this summer: mine and Rob's overall energy level, not being able to visit our family in Michigan (hooray for next Friday!), and NOT being ready to embrace the 2012-2013 school year.

But today it all paid off - literally, it (summer school) paid off ALL of our credit card debt with a little fun money to spare! While we still feel like we missed out on a lot this summer in Michigan and we weren't able to travel much of anywhere, we feel accomplished! And the burden of credit card debt is lifted - we are now able to put away savings AND put money into a travel budget so we will (hopefully) be making it back to see the Reader side of the family a few more times a year! Woo-hoo!

I'm very appreciate to have a husband who was willing to work so hard all summer and to give up seeing his family, which is so near and dear to his heart, so we, as a family, could get to a more solid place financially. I am so lucky to have him in my life and we are so lucky to have such a supportive extended family, as we struggled through this rough summer.

So here's to financial freedom (raises proverbial glass to toast) and the ability to get "home" more often in the upcoming months and years!

The Night Before Summer School, Part Deux

We have to go back to teaching summer school tomorrow. I hate it. Rob is trying to keep me positive (one of the many reasons that I love him), but I really do hate it this year. Oh, well...

Anyways, I sit here on our last true night of freedom (for the next three and a half weeks - I know, it's not so bad), I've decided to focus on how much fun we had this last week.

We got the week off for the 4th of July and it was fabulously filled to the brim. Not unlike these delicious Dolcini from Olive Garden that we enjoyed on one of our numerous nights out (I hate cooking in the summer - er, make that I hate cooking always.)

The next few posts (all titles that include the words "One Week Break") are how we spent our time.

Enjoy!

-F