snippets

summer is just flying by.
hard to believe it's almost the end of july.
and i just realized that one month from tomorrow is my first day of the school year - yay for new school years and new little kiddos to mold! :)
a lot has been going on in our little home lately. i could probably blog about all of it individually, but i'll keep it brief instead.
1. matt interviewed with two different companies in the last two weeks. they both liked him and their offers both came down last week. there was much debate about which one to take - and he/we decided on one. i'm super proud of him and am excited that he'll be doing something that he enjoys more and will be a valued employee.
2. with this new job, it's looking like we should move. my job is already 20 minutes away and matt's new job will be 30-40 minutes away. both jobs are north of where we currently are - so a move northbound is what we're hoping for.
3. moving north is proving to be a challenge. somehow, in the last year, rent for apartments has skyrocketed (ours has, thankfully, stayed the same). we're a little shocked at how expensive the rent is for a 1BR/1BA place. we might need to give in and raise our rent 'limit' - but since we're both so focused on 'save, save, save' for the future house, it's hard to justify. hopefully something presents itself soon. until then, i will be a notorious craigslist stalker. :)
4. today was my last day of volunteering at the college. i met a lot of great people, learned how to stretch people, learned some basic massage that won't tire out my hands and heard a lot of interesting life stories. there's been a mutual agreement to share what's going on in our lives - so i'll be updated on all them and they'll hear about my adventures in first grade.
5. we're spending the weekend doing things with matt's friends from high school. i don't know all of them - but they're super friendly and have been welcoming to me (the newbie). there's a wedding on friday night (hooray for a cheap new dress!) and a big barbeque on saturday. i think we'll squeeze in a visit with matt's family, too - so it should be a great weekend.
6. we leave for chicago next week. yay! we're asking friends (thanks hil!) and scouring the web looking for the top things to do and are now trying to squeeze them all in to three days. it'll be great to see our friend ken and my uncle todd and aunt sher. we're looking forward to getting out of san jose for a couple days...even if it means hot weather and humidity. :)
7. school starts soon-ish. i'm excited to get in my classroom, find out who my students will be and get to work on planning the year. i loved back to school as a kid - and i love it even more as an adult. i'm sure it'll wear off with time...but for now, i'm excited to get back to work.
have a great friday/weekend all. :)

huh?

it's july, right?
and july is usually hot and sunny, right?
it seems that the bay area is already looking forward to winter. :)
because it's rainy here today.
rain in july is not something i'm used to, but i'm loving it.
the trees are bright green from the light sprinkle, the air is warm, the sky is overcast with the sun trying it's hardest to push through.
it's a pleasant suprise in the midst of this hot summer.
and, as an added bonus, i don't need to pay for a car wash now. :)

hope you are enjoying a nice july day - whether hot or cold, sunny or rainy.
i'm off to watch 'sleepless in seattle' (sigh...what a lovely movie) and enjoy some yummy lunch.
this has the makings of a good afternoon. :)

frog 'n' bug :)

one more thing...

not sure how many of you have google set as your home page, but i do.

google gives you the option of customizing your home page with a fun 'theme'.

and, for the last few weeks, i have been delighted by the daily antics of frog and bug. :)

they eat, they play, they camp and they have all kinds of fun.

just wanted to share something that has made me smile every day. maybe that's sad...but small things do make me happy.

and...it just looks like they're having so much fun! :)

here's a sample.

enjoy the rest, if you wish. :)

p.s. it's the one called springscape

opportunity :)

after all of the complaining about my lack of things to do, my summer of boredom has been replaced with busy-ness and activity. now...i'm actually thinking some relaxation wouldn't be so bad. ;)
the day after my post about wishing for things to do...an opportunity arose.
a friend from our church small group, jim, teaches adapted physical education for special needs adults at a local community college. i mentioned i was having trouble filling my days - and he had just the answer - help in his class.
so, for a couple hours everyday, i am a volunteer/'physical therapist'/'masseuse'/motivator for some really neat and interesting people.
they are college students, middle-aged adults and senior citizens.
some have suffered an accident that left them paralyzed, some have been disabled their entire life, others are looking for a way to keep their body active and healthy.
it is such a wonderful program because it provides this wonderful opportunity for people who may not receive the care and support they want and/or need.
jim assigns the students to the various helpers, so i've gotten to know some of them a little better.
i work with stephen, a college student with autism. he is sweet and loves to laugh...but sometimes lacks focus. :) so my job is to count as he holds a stretch, help him use the machines/weights correctly and encourage him to push himself a little harder. and - he's making me work hard at the same time - my weak little arms are not used to all these weights. :)
i work with rose, a woman who suffered a stroke in 1980 that left her with very limited use of her left side. she wants to regain function of her left side and she is so eager to improve. she encourages me to keep trying and not let things get me down - she's great. :)
there are others...who i'll try to mention later. all in all, i am so glad that this opportunity presented itself. and even when i am tired and my muscles feel a little beat-up, i know that what i'm doing this summer is something i will never forget.
~~~~~~~~~~~
besides the volunteering, things have been good and busy.
we tried to go 'away' for the 4th - but after some traffic-filled driving and some frustrating circumstances, ended up back home watching a movie, eating yummy food and enjoying the day off.
we saw a good friend get married in slo last weekend. such a sweet wedding and they are so obviously and blissfully in love. *sigh*...weddings. :)
this weekend, we're going north to see the family - and also visit with my aunt kathy and uncle steve (they are the best!) who are passing through town. should be good times with the fam. :)
that's all for now, friends. happy wednesday. :)

we...

although friday ended with bad news of a teeny-tiny cavity in my tooth (darn it, jill!), the rest of the weekend was delightful.
we (matt and i) just relaxed and simply enjoyed one another's company.
we ate carls jr. (his choice) and talked about the future and where/why/when we should move.
we dinked around wal-mart looking for the gaudiest gifts for his brother's birthday.
we ate yummy generic orange creamsicles - can you tell i love them?
we walked around the park and discussed where we want to go on vacation this summer.
we went to a san jose giants game (they're the minor league team) with our friend ken.
we ate yummy bbq, garlic fries and ice cream cones.
we drank icky, but half-priced, budweiser beer when the 'beer batter' struck out. only in the minor leagues, folks. :)
we watched an orange gorilla (the team mascot) seawalk and 'break it down'. it was awesome.
we watched kids run the bases and fall down - then pick themsleves up and run like crazy.
we saw a spectacular (honestly!) fireworks show - especially when one firework went off too soon and probably almost lit the workers on fire. kinda scary...but funny at the same time.
we decided to go on vacation in august to...chicago...to visit our soon-to-be transplanted friend, ken.
we are very excited about this. yay vacation. :)
we went to see matt's brother and the rest of the family for some birthday fun.
we watched game show network (james' favorite) and politely laughed at the contestants they find to be on those shows.
we decided that we would be awesome on those shows and should try out. you may see us soon. check your local listings. ;)
we ate yummy food and the most delicious homemade, from scratch vanilla cake. my mouth is still coated in the vanilla-y goodness.

this weekend was just dandy. good company, good times, good food. good all around.
happy monday/week to you all. :)