Baby Showers Galore!

It's that time of year, ladies and gentlemen!

Baby time!

NO, NOT OURS!

I have been to two baby showers in the last 7 days!

Wowzers....

I am taking a break...I hope the next one I go to is my own.

LOL

Belly rubs for the new moms-to-be!

Back to studying and researching....

ALOOOHA!

What to do in Aloha land at 06:00?

Interesting question, huh?!

This Saturday morning I woke up just to watch the infamous TEXAS/ou game.

I must admit that the Texas State Fair and Texas weather looks GREAT!

The game is finally taking off, after the first half of nothing but field goals, touchdowns are finally happening.

I am especially proud to watch one of my very own students play and SCORE for TEXAS today!

That is very exciting and definitely a PROUD highlight of being a teacher.

So, this is a great way to start my weekend, I am eating pizza that I saved purposely from last night and watching a GREAT football game.

-ALOHA-

Jai

No paper needed...

So Friday afternoon, (yes I am a NERD) I stayed up at school to start some research on one of THREE research papers for this term. I was looking up articles and books to find out one of three things:

1) I am getting old and technology is getting better faster

2) Students are really lazy

3) Paper use is really being minimized

I say this because, I was searching and on the computer screen with my search results there was an option to text or email the book/article information to my phone...

WOW!

University life has really changed since my undergrad days....

I will try to remember to take a pic next time....

Better get to writing.....or not....

Where have we been?

Howdy Everyone!

I mean.... ALOOOHA!

Well, please excuse our absence as the summer took us by storm. This past August was a whirlwind! We returned back to good ol' Texas for a family emergency and we are happy to report that things are looking up! Look at how we have ALL grown up!! Mom and Dad would be sooooo proud!!

I celebrated my 30th birthday with MY favorite Sailor

and what a day it was!

I am now a proud Graduate Assistant at the University of Hawaii-Manoa and teaching Undergraduate Spanish while I pursue a Masters in Spanish.

My 30th birthday has come and gone...........................

......and it was not a bad thing at all. I love the look that my students gave me when they asked my age and I said "30". No one seems to believe me. MY loving husband and favorite Sailor surprised me with a dinner at Top of Waikiki to celebrate and it was a very romantic dinner. We had been there before for our 1st wedding anniversary and it has quickly become a family favorite. He had taken the day off to prepare my gift and dinner reservations, what a loving hubby! He even was my personal driver that day, driving me to and fro Manoa for class. I did feel bad though that I was so tired at dinner, I had been in school all day and that was the end of my first week back in school and it was a KILLER!

I am not a supermodel at the age of 30 and disappointed that I didn't lose the 30 pounds I wanted to but I did accomplish something. I am back in school.

I am so happy and blessed to have this opportunity to attend grad school for GRATIS and trying to earn my place in the program. It is VERY time consuming and I felt like I was neglecting MY favorite Sailor.

Speaking of MY favorite Sailor he is out playing battleship here and there and well that's sea duty....So, now I have NO excuse to do nothing but study. (I guess...)

I must say that our marriage has really progressed even though it has only been a year and half, this last goodbye was NOT that bad. We held it together and smiled and waved. Quite honestly, we are just getting used to it. Not to mention this is our 3rd time to play battleship and it helped that he did not man the rails, it wasn't as gut wrenching to see them leave. I am also very blessed to be surrounded by great friends, military and non military that genuinely care. MY favorite Sailor had his birthday recently and well I will just say this he is one hot Sailor...he DOES NOT look his age either!! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY LOVE!!! He didn't want me to make a big deal about it, but I still did!!

Well, that is all that I have time to write for now, so much for to say but I must read.

I do not remember my undergrad studies being this hard?!?! This degree is very demanding, and not to mention, EVERYTHING is in Spanish! Ay yay yay....

Today Was Inspiring.....

Today is Monday, July 13, 2009.  What seemed like a typical Monday, turned out to be an inspiring day.  As most of you all know, I used to be a High School Spanish teacher and  now I teach little ones at the Navy Elementary in Honolulu.  (changing your job comes with the territory of being a Military Spouse) I have been wanting to blog about my latest adventures in cycling to work.  I was held back by the shear negativity of the many faces that I have encountered the past weeks.  

First of all, I would like to say how disappointed I am.  Personally, I ride my bike for the physical activity and exercise.  As many of you know, I try to jog and I am not a marathon runner, but I try.  Here lately though...I have been starred at for riding my bike as if I had two heads or something, maybe WORSE.  Geez! I have been asked if I can't afford a car. Quite honestly, yes my husband and I can easily afford a second car.  (I left my civic in Dallas for my little sister, bc I think she needed a better car, long story...short version - I LOVE MY SISTER)I have been ignored at the crosswalks waiting for the walking white cartoon pedestrian and better yet, when it pops up cars try to beat it and put the pedal to the fall and drive off without a care and could have ran me over if I didn't know that some ppl were just being a jack@$$.

One of my favorite questions: Don't you get hot riding your bike? Ugh, yeah.  I am not that big of a princess, I plan for it, like change my shirt and wash my face at work and then apply makeup or who cares if I am going home.  I've been lucky though the trade winds have been awesome and makes for a pleasant ride.  I even venture to Target after work with my bike or the exchange and even picked up a few groceries at the commissary, only to be starred at by some wives with the pitiful .... oh my gosh look. (now I know what the poor homeless people feel like being starred at, because you would have thought I was digging through trash and I organized my backpack with groceries) I personally thing the pity should be given to them for wasting their time on staring at me.  Lastly, the poor Target security guy who thinks I am going to steal because I carry a backpack instead of purse well, because have you ever tried to bike with a purse?

Well...

Despite every rant I just typed and negative look and feeling...

TODAY IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!

One of my little girls in class wanted to be just like me. (PLEASE, don't think I want my kids to be like me, that is not it AT ALL! I want them to make good choices and think about their future)

She rode her scooter to school. 

High 5 to the mom!

This mom bikes with her kids to school regularly, I think that is AWESOME!

I ride my bike to stimulate my body, clear my mind, save money (hey...more $ for me later at Target) and.....

HELLO help the environment!

In the grand scheme of it all, I have helped make a positive impact on one of my students and that to me is a sign that I am doing my job!  

I can't explain the pride I felt when the little girl came up to me today before class and said Mrs. ........  Can I park next to you?" "Or course you can sweetheart!" 

Her mom told me, she wanted to be like me...

What an inspiration! :)

Our Awesome Homecoming Pics

 The following were taken this past Homecoming, April 2009. 

A big MAHALO to Gwen at Butterfly Kiss Photography!
Gwen is an awesome, kind person to begin with.

She follows her instinct and captures true emotion.

I am so blessed to have found her, she was more than my photographer that day, but my friend!
Thank you for capturing our memories Gwen! Check out her website for our complete portfolio! :)

One Whole Year, Plus Some

Well friends...

I have been living in Hawaii for over a year now. My love has been here for over 2 and we are really loving the Aloha life.
The past year has been full of events:
-I survived my first deployment (his 1000000)
-We got MARRIED! (here on the island) and had our honeymoon in Waikiki
-became an "official" Navy Wife
-We finally PCS-ed our stuff from Texas
-I moved from Texas to Hawaii
-We moved into our first married home
-I have travelled to two neighboring islands, Kauai (with my love for our anniversary) and the Big Island (thanks M*)
-I was an extra on Lost
-I was on the set of Lost all day
-I have survived countless luaus, the first 3 were great...
-MIL has come to the island
-My bro and sis have visited the island
-My first principal I have ever worked for came out the island and we had a great dinner
-I finally found a job at the Navy elementary
-I became a librarian (I NEVER SAW THAT COMING!!!)
-I am going to grad school for FREE
-I will be teaching at the University of Hawaii-Manoa
-I have met some wonderful new friends
-My old friends haven't lost contact with me
-I have survived my SECOND deployment (his 1000001)
-We celebrated our FIRST anniversary TOGETHER!
-survived countless FRG meetings
-learned how to garden, grill, and keep my sanity during deployment
-welcomed new friends into this world, congrats to the new moms

I am sure that I haven't listed all of the things that this past year has brought, but it's an awesome feeling to have found the love of your life and wake up every morning happy with your life.

God Bless Everyone....

I hope to update more soon.....