Where Will You Be In 5 Years?

If you had asked me that question 5 yrs ago I would not have said where I am today. I would have said I would have the house of my dreams, no car payment, at least one kid, maybe two, coaching a varsity soccer team, and having a social life. Where am I really in that five year span? I finally have a house! Leland and I bought a house in February and I am loving having a house! I don't care that I have higher bills because the happiness having a home brings me takes care of the feelings of resentment. I am still an assistant principal with the same school district, I have a huge car payment because of the accident two years ago that totaled my beloved Dawson. I don't have any kids, just two ridiculously crazy dogs, that I (sadly) treat like they are real human children. I have no social life and I don't remember what relaxation or a vacation is. I am drowning in work and trying to get back into shape with cross-fit (having to try to drop 40 lbs just to be a healthy weight again, ugh!). So far, my life is nowhere near what I wanted it to be.

One of the things I always wanted to be when I grew up was a mom. I watch as all my friends are having kids of their own and posting pictures and celebrating firsts and birthdays. It's really hard when a friend who NEVER wanted kids just had a baby, literally, just had a baby a few days ago. It's hard when you see kids you taught have a kid and they aren't married and still living at home having mom and dad take care of the kid so they can go out and party. It's hard to see girls having abortions when there are couples whose hearts ache and yearn to have a little one and know they can't. It's hard to want something and know you can never have it. It's hard to get older and know there is little time left if you want that. I want my parents to be grandparents and my mother in law to be a grandma. I want my grandparents to be great-grandparents and take a three generation picture. I want to know a love like no other (or so I'm told) from having a kid of my own. But the more I sit here and think about it, my heart grows cold and I realize I don't really care if I have kids. After the things I have seen these past few years on the schools I have been in, I don't really care. There is so much evil and bad out there and it's on;y getting worse. I can't stand to be around kids between the ages of 6 months to 9 years old. Working in an elementary school has reaffirmed to me that I am in no way eligible to be a mom. The snotty noses, temper tantrums, "tie my shoe", defiance, disrespect, entitlement and so forth makes me cringe when I think about kids. The thing I love about my job, I can try to be a positive influence and know that what I am trying to do is hopefully going to be for the good of society. The walls are up again and the feelings are shut down.

Where will I be in 5 years? Probably right where I am today doing the same thing and trying to just keep afloat. I will definitely have more white hair and getting closer to 40, but meh. The world is ridiculous, my wants are pushed down for others needs and wants. Feelings of inadequacy will always be there and the question of "what if?" will still linger. As much as I have the feelings, I know that the Lord can always ease my burden and keep these feelings away and I can have hope again. The Atonement is a beautiful thing. I am a grateful for my knowledge of the gospel and the blessings of the temple. I hear a storm rolling in so I better unplug. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Only time will tell.

Finally Made It Back. . .

to San Antonio!  I have been here two weeks, but this is the first time in which I have actually had the space and time to write about it.  The last two weeks have been absolutely fabulous as I have been setting up the apartment and relaxing a little bit.  Needless to say, the dogs have been VERY happy that I am on vacation  right now and that I have one more week of vacation to go before I start my new job.  I will be doing the same AP position that I did in Houston, but I will be at a K-10 campus.  The school is only four years old and they are adding a grade level each year until they are a full K-12 campus.  I am a little worried that it is a K-10.  I can handle 6-12, but the littles?  It's the K-5 graders that worry (OK, more like scare) me.  I do not do well with the littles.  Hey are way to needy for me.  Thankfully, I won't have to do too much with the kiddos of that age group.  I will also hopefully not have the same schedule and all the responsibilities that I had these past couple of years.  If I do, I will have to figure out how to work things out so I am not at work so many hours in the day.  I will figure something out this year.  I am just hoping there aren't near as many after school/ evening events that I have to attend.  That is my hope anyway.  We shall see what happens.

The ward here is super amazing and I am loving it!  I have a couple of friends that I have known for several years that are in the ward and it makes me way more comfortable to be me in that ward.  It also helps that I haven't been thrown into a calling, at this time, in which I do not attend Relief Society or Sunday School and only have access to a few people.  I am excited to be back in San Antonio and be around people I know and love.  It's been a while since I have felt this way and I am so happy that I am starting to feel like my old self again!  Now, all I have to do is get back into an amazing workout routine and get my body back to my liking.

I am tying to decide if I do cross fit or Krav Maga.  It is such a tough decision!  I have weighed the pros and cons, but I still can't figure it out.  I am leaning more towards cross fit because it's more of what I know will work for me if I can get in enough workouts every week. But Krav Maga is something different and incorporates self defense which is always a valuable tool.  But I am such an indecisive person at this time in my life that I just can't figure it out.  I am going to give myself until September 1 to make a decision.  That will allow me to get into the groove at work and see what my schedule will really be like before I make a commitment.  If I decide in cross fit I can find a place really close to where I work and sign up there is the price is right.  Which would be fantastic!  If I decide Krav then I will have to check scheduling to make sure I could make it in time or they have late enough classes.  So much to think about!  We'll see what happens and what decision I make.

It's July and that means it is Leland Appreciation Month.  I have not been doing a very good job at showing my appreciation to him for being born and making my life so much better.  The problem, I don't know what to do.  What do you do for a guy that is really simple and doesn't need much to make him happy?  How do I make him feel special?  It's irritating as to how simple he is.  I know he likes the Broncos, the Texans, the Spurs, concerts, amusement parks, anything lemon based, wrestling, cards, and of course, he loved me.  But I don't know what to do that I haven't done already.  I have given him everything he has needed in the past and he doesn't really need anything else.  If does need something it's usually contact solution or something for his cards.  What do you get the guy that doesn't say he needs anything and when you're on a really tight budget.  Plus he is going to be at a thing for work on his birthday so it makes it a little difficult to plan anything.  I use to always know what to get people as gifts for different events.  I would walk through a store, see something that reminded me of a friend or family member that just suited them perfectly, and poof!  I had a gift.  Now I have no clue what to give people. I have lost my touch.  I no longer have the gift.  It's quite sad if you think about it.  One day, one day I will have the gift again (fingers crossed).

Today Germany won the World Cup 1-0 against Argentina.  I always knew Germany would win.  So many thought it was Brazil or Argentina's year, but I knew differently.  Germany understands one thing that South and Central American teams don't understand and that's one thing is TEAM.  There are so many individual players that are so great and have all the fame they are relied upon to do everything or they take on so much of the pressure that it is up to them to do it all the teams fail.  Until they all learn that is about team, heart and hard work, they will never win.  Hard work will beat out talent any day.  Trust me.

That's the scoop!  I am in such a better place at this time in my life and becoming what I use to be.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be back in San Antonio and doing what I love to do with the people I love to be with.  It is quite amazing that the Lord has blessed me as much as he has!

It's Getting So Close

to moving day!  I am excited and nervous all at the same time.  Excited for the change and nervous for the future.  The school year ended this past Friday and my job will be officially over in just a couple of short weeks.  For the first time in 10 years I will be jobless.  I'm a little scared as to what lies ahead for me.  What dos the Lord have planned for me? I already told Leland that if I did not have a teaching job by July 1 I would start looking outside education.  One of my co-workers actually gave me the idea of working for the YMCA which I am seriously thinking about doing. I am hoping to have something soon, but I keep getting the "we have all our candidates and you are not one of them" e-mails.  Frustrating!  But let's not dwell too much there.

While I am preparing for this move there is more fun to be had!  Last night was Leland's last night in Houston and I wanted to give him a positive memory of Houston to leave on, so I planned a fun little date night.  We went to Brisket House (mostly for their uh-mazing baked potato salad) and did a picnic on the side of San Felipe Road.  Here's the details:

On the way to Brisket House, as we crossed the railroad tracks, the car in front of us stopped suddenly.  I thought I saw something go into the road right before the lady stopped so I wasn't upset about the sudden stop.  The lady proceeds to put her car in park and get out.  She runs in front of her car and picks up this HUGE turtle!  She runs and places back off the road and we continue on our way to the food stop.  We get our food without any big events happening and start our way to the picnic spot.  There is this mosaic couch that sits back off San Felipe Road in the Galleria area that I have been wanting to get a picture of since we moved to Houston. I know I would forget about it if I didn't take the opp now to get the pic. So Leland gave me the "you're crazy, but I'm not getting out of this adventure" look and we walked to the couch.  I snapped the pic and then we began eating our dinner.  No sooner had we started eating and Leland saw a dinosaur sized mosquito.  These nasty little blood-suckers were gigantic!  Thankfully, I didn't even get a nibble, but poor Leland had three bites on his head and four more on other areas of his body.  At one point he had two mosquitoes on his head and I went to smack them, and smacked him a little too hard, oops :/  We went back to the car and finished dinner.  We were at the light waiting for it to turn green and Leland starts cracking up laughing.  I look behind us and see a guy trying to get back into his car, but he can't.  I thought the person in the passenger seat was mad and had locked him out of the car, but he got out to check something out on his car and the door closed and locked behind him.  He was finally able to get back in the car once his passenger realized what was happening and go when the light turned green.  Then it was on to dessert at The Dessert Gallery and back home for some time with Leland before he had to leave.

What a fantastic memory! Probably the best memory of Houston to date! I may not miss this city, but I will miss the fun times we have had when we were able to have them. I am so excited to get back to San Antonio, though, and start more fun memories!  Only 28 more days!

And So It Begins

The next adventure.  We went this weekend to find a place in SA.  The first place I looked at felt like home.  I was so grateful to have done a lot of research on the internet before going to SA.  The internet is wonderful thing! I was able to narrow down my list to a few places and after stopping at one place I thought would be nice but had a line out the door to see apartments, I went to the place I had pretty much ranked number one on my list of places to live.  It was perfect!  Bottom floor level 2 bed 2 bath with green space behind it and a little seclusion.  I felt peace and comfort when I walked inside the apartment the manager showed me.  Then when she said we can get AT&T for cable and internet (Leland's request) I was hooked! Every time I have found a place to live I have had a peaceful feeling and felt I was "home" when I waked through the door.  I am a little worried about the space inside, but I think it's because the floor plan is not like what I am use to in an apartment.  The PATIO! Oh, the patio is perfect! I am so happy to have a patio for Tyson, and now Sugar, again.  It's been a sad two years living in a place that does not have a patio for him.  More like heartbreaking than sad.  Tyson will be so happy.  I also won't have to worry about bothering the people below me since there won't be any. Great comfort!

Leland is finishing his residency on Tuesday, and starting his new job in a couple of weeks. It's been a long four years with him being in school and residency.  I am so proud of him and the work he has done. I am so happy for the opportunity he has to be working a real job now ;). He has worked so hard to get to where he is now. He has had a lot of upsets and tribulation while going through all of this.  As much as I do not like having hard times to go through, I am grateful to have been on this journey with him.  I truly believe he would not have been able to make it through these times without me by his side. I often wonder how much of help I really have been to him though.  I really don't think I have been a great help, but I know I have been able to encourage him and help him gain the confidence he needed at times.  I also was there to help him fight his battles and and lend a listening ear.  I was ready to pounce on anyone that got in his way.  I have loved him through it all and been frustrated with him as well.  Overall, I do not think I had a great impact on him, but I know things were a little easier with me by his side.

After the trial of our faith comes the blessings.  These past couple of years have felt like a huge trial of my faith, especially the past couple of months.  If we remain faithful and endure it well, it will be but for a small season and the Lord will bless you.  I feel greatly blessed and I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who has given me these experiences and these great blessings! Now, hopefully, a family will come :)

Can't Sleep

And why can't I sleep at 1:00 in the freaking morning?  Because Leland decided to check his e-mails at 11:15pm and saw great news in his inbox.  This past Thursday Leland had a job interview in San Antonio.  Afterwards, I asked him how things went and he was very positive and was told he could expect to hear back from the company sometime next week.  Well, next week ended up being Sunday night.  They made and offer!  All Leland has to do is accept it.  One big stressor out of the way and on to the next.  This is going to be one of those posts about how greatly I have been blessed and the power of prayer and fasting.  I know Heavenly Father is aware of my needs as well as my family's needs.  He has given a great test and I am grateful for that test at this time.  Am I always grateful for tests, no.  But I am grateful for having the experiences.  I can't remember if it was President Hinckley or President Monson who said this, but you have to "Find joy in the journey".  This has been a long journey.  There have been many nights in prayer, many days in fasting, and much doubting on my end of my Heavenly Father.  I should know by now, that I should never doubt God, but I do and I have to be given a reminder every now and then that I shouldn't.  I even gave a talk at church about a month ago about the promise that the Lord will never forsake us or leave us alone.  I guess I should have listened to my own counsel.  I am so grateful for this opportunity.  Since before we even moved to Houston we had plans on moving back to San Antonio.  I am looking forward to the move.  I know it is going to happen very quickly, about a month from now.  Over Spring Break I had the opportunity to attend the temple and while there I had this feeling that everything was going to work out and I didn't need to worry so much.  That feeling, the communication with Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost, was a great comfort.  It has been a journey and one that I don't necessarily want to make again for the next long while, but it's a good one.  Now, for the next journey, me finding a new job.  This is going to be grueling.  If you know of anyone looking for a PE/Health teacher with 4 years teaching experience and 4 years of school administration experience, let me know.  If not, no worries.  Things will fall into place when the time is right.  I hope I can go to bed soon now that I have said what I need to say.  Hopefully, this is a good night all! If you are a regular on my blog, shhhhhh please don't say anything yet.  He has not officially accepted the position, and there could be another position in another city with another offer, so nothing is set in stone.

Another Year Later

Has it been that long already?  I finally have an electronic device that is mine and can make time to get on here.  I bought a Chromebook for myself and I love it!  My school received the Race to the Top grant (RTT-D) so every student and every core teacher was given a Chromebook.  Thankfully my Chromebook is way better and way cheaper than the ones given to the students.  I figured if the kids have a Chromebook and I am in charge of them, I should have one so I know what the kids are doing with them.. At least that is what I told myself to justify buying it.  Anywho... the past year.  Let's get started:

Road Trip to South Carolina:  My parents decided to visit Grandma and Grandpa Gilmore this past summer.  They also decided to drive the entire way.  31 hours from El Paso, TX to Pawley's Island, South Carolina.  Thet made a pit stop in Houston to pick me up and away we went, twenty hours.  COincidentally, my dad's car's blinker went on the fritz as soon as he entered Houston so we ended up taking my new car.  First road trip and the Tuscon was great!  I drove all but about six hours of the trip there and back because I didn't really trust anyone to drive it.  Dad was the only other person allowed to drive on the trip.  Mom always messes up the seat so I didn't allow her to drive. Louisiana has got to be the second worst state to drive in, while Alabama is the worse.  We spent three hours the first day trying to get through Mobile, AL.  There was not accident, it was just poor city planning.  Louisiana had slow downs for no reason whatsoever and half the state is driving on highway over water with no shoulders and trying to compete with semi trucks on narrow lanes.  Never again!  Once we arrived in SC I was able to start my vacation.  The beach was a great place to run and relax.  Grandma and Grandpa are still the best ever and so much fun to be around.  Grandpa even starting picking up his artwork again.  I loved seeing his drawings of the Maine coast lines and lighthouses.  He has so much talent its annoying.  How did no one in my family get his creative/artistic genes.  I just wish Leland had been able to join us ont eh trip.  Unfortunately, he was in a pretty grueling part of his residency and was unable to join us.  I tried to buy him a plane ticket but realized it wouldn't be worth it since he wouldn't be able to stay very long.  I love going to South Carolina, in fact I wouldn't mind living there if we had to, as long as I was close to a beach.  I love spending time with my family and being able to listen to my grandparents stories about my dad and his siblings. I just hope one day I will be able to do that with my own family.

New school year: The 2013-2014 school year came fast and strong and it's still going.  We had hiring issues and the people the other AP's and I fought for turned out to be duds.  I mean, terrible.  They interviewed very well, but when it cam down to actually teaching students, they just didn't get it.  The staff has been nothing but negative and downright disrespectful.  I will be so glad once this school year is over and I don't have to deal with the craziness anymore.  I can't wait to go back into teaching and be with the kids again.  I thought being where I am would be a positive to administration, but it hasn't.  Maybe I will give admin a try again when I can't hang with the kids anymore.  There has been way too much to even begin telling of experiences.  Only seven weeks left of the school year.  I pray I can make it to the end.

New Doggie!: I seem to collect strays.  I was driving to work one morning and everyone in front of me was hitting their breaks.  It was 6:30 in the morning, what was going on?  Then all of a sudden I see this skinny little thing dart in front of my car.  Thankfully I was still stopped so no heart attack for me.  I pulled over into the parking lot at the corner I turn down to get to work.  I saw the little thing across the street and she looked like she was heading into an apartment complex.  I thought that if she went into the complex I would continue on to work and have no worries because someone there would probably take her in.  She then decides to start crossing the street back in my direction.  Once she did that I knew I couldn't let her wander. There is a vets office down the street from my school so I waited there until they opened.  "Sugar" stayed in the back of the car until I let her out and took her inside.  I had them check to see if she had been microchipped. Unfortunately, she was not. They told me that they could not take the dog in unless I was willing to take financial responsibility for her.  I said I would take care of the bills and pick her up on my way home from work.  I called Leland, thankfully he was still somewhat asleep and didn't really know what was going on, and told him that we had a new dog.  He said okay and went back to sleep.  After work I picked her up, took her to Petsmart and brought her home.  Tyson was a little concerned about this new dog that was coming onto his turf.  He, being the sweetheart that he is, has been very patient and loving towards her.  It has taken about six months, but they are a lot of fun together.  We don't know what breed(s) she is, but she is a total goofball and has become quote the cuddler.  She is VERY energetic and loves to play fetch with whatever she can get find to play.  she is always on defcon 5 alert.  It's great, but she doesn't relax very much and it's scary, especially when she decides jumping out of a moving car will be fun. I have loved Sugar from the start and Leland is growing to love her more each day.  He still says Tyson is his favorite, but Sugar will work her way to the top with him and they will be on a level playing field.  Welcome to the family Sugar Page!

Holidays!: This Thanksgiving Mom came to visit.  I feel bad since I had to work most of the time she was here and she didn't really get to do much with us.  Dad tried to warn her that Leland and I were going to be at work and unable to spend a whole lot of time with her.  I don't think it was the Thanksgiving she was hoping for.  We were able to spend Thanksgiving with my boss, his family and couple other co-workers.  I enjoyed it and had a good time, but no sure how Mom liked it.  She did learn the recipe for delicious Turkish rice though.  That's a plus.  Christmas was spent at my fam's place in the 915.  It was a nice and relaxing.  We were able to leave the dogs with my parents for a week while Leland and I went to the frozen tundra (Utah) for New Years.  I was not a fan of the cold, snow, or inversion.  I thought pollution in Houston and El Paso were bad, there were days in which you couldn't see the mountains as you were driving up the mountain side.  Bad stuff man.  Even though I did not like the cold and snow, I had a fantastic time meeting up with family and new friends, and partaking in a Moon/Page family tradition of homemade Chinese food and games until the new year was upon us.  Leland also participated in a Martinelli's chugging contest.  He did terrible, but that's okay he doesn't need to be the best Martinelli's chugger to keep my heart.  Sappy, I know.  But what can I say, I love the guy!

December 29, 2013: Four years as an eternal family!  We weren't able to attend out usual football bowl game this anniversary, but we were able to spend time with family and see some gorgeous lights.  The one thing I really wanted to do in Utah was see the lights at Temple Square (and get a pizza from Pie, mmmm Pie).  The family hopped into Pearl (Mama Ellen's car) and drove up to Salt Lake to see the lights.  It was more beautiful than what I had seen in pictures.  I was very grateful to have that opportunity.  It is an experience that I will never forget! I just wish it wasn't so cold and I had a better camera.  I love my husband and I am so grateful that he came into my life when he did.  The Lord has impeccable timing. Over the past 4 years I have seen how much love can change and grow deeper when you really cherish each other and you remember the covenants made with your husband and your Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for temples and the blessings that come from them when you are doing what you need to do and keep your covenants. I hope we have many more years in this earthly life with one another and that our love continues to grow throughout the rest of our lives.

Job Hunt: Since Leland is finishing his two year residency at MD Anderson, it's time to look for a job and a new adventure.  We are back to where we were two years ago.  Leland is still without a job after he finishes the residency in a month.  It's concerning to me too.I like to know what is going to happen so I can better plan.  I have to know now what the future holds for work.  We were so positive that he would have a job by now that I have already told my principal that I am not coming back.  If he doesn't get a job, we are p a creek without a paddle.  It's frustrating to no end to not know what's going on and feeling like he's not ding anything but waiting for something instead of actively searching.  You can't just wait for something to come along, you have to go out and work for it.  FRUSTRATING!!!!  Hopefully we hear something soon. I don't know how much more uncertainty I can take.  I know this is a test of patience and faith, but there are a few important things that are on hold until Leland has a real job.  I don't know how much longer I can take having these plans on hold.

There is probably a lot more that has happened but I can't remember anything else right now.  I'm going to say goodnight and work on my Primary lesson for Sunday.  Goodnight all!

Almost a year

since I last blogged.  I haven't had an opportunity to do so since the site is blocked on the network at work and I don't use the computer at home when I get home.  A lot has happened since August last year.  I got a new position at work, got in my first ever car accident blemishing my perfect driving record of 16 years, Leland had a rough time in his program and was told he would be kicked out if he didn't do well on his mock oral exam, Tyson has become extra territorial, we were threatened to have to move out if Tyson didn't start "behaving in a normal manner", I received my CHL, my high school soccer team is the TCSAAL State Runner-up, the first group of kids I ever taught graduated high school, and so much more!  I will try to hit some of the more interesting points (maybe not interesting to you, but for my posterity it will be learning points).

Car Accident:

I had this feeling that moving to Houston would not be good for my driving record.  After arriving here, within 2 weeks I was almost t-boned twice while turning left on a green arrow.  In March I was driving to work and decided I was going to go to the Shell station across the highway from work instead of turning to go to work.  There was a truck in front of me so I could fully see the light until the truck turned.  Once the truck turned I saw the light and it turned yellow.  Since I would have stopped in the intersection if I had tried to stop I kept going straight.  I was looking at the light to see if it would turn red, I never saw it coming, BOOM! Airbag deployed, car disabled, slowly crept to the light pole and stopped.  The other car ran the red light to turn left and I hit him.  Thankfully, neither of us was seriously hurt.  But my car, my poor baby Dawson, was totaled.  I didn't think there was that much damage since I was going less than 30mph, but since the car was a hybrid, there are not used parts to rebuild it and everything would have cost more than what the car was worth.  No more baby Dawson, no more amazing gas mileage.  After the reports came in, my insurance company found no fault in me and I was not cited for anything on the scene either, so my insurance will not have a huge impact.  The other guy though was found to not have sufficient coverage (aka no insurance) so I am in the clear.  The saddest part, I was 9 months away from paying Dawson off.  9 months!  I did get a cool scar from the steering wheel cover when the airbag deployed.  The Honda "H" is imprinted on my arm.  It's starting to fade, but if you look at it in the right lighting you can still see it.  It also meant I got a new car after 3 weeks of having one car between the two of us.  the day before I bought my new car, Leland's car literally blew up as I was driving it.  It didn't blow up in the traditional fire and BOOM way, but the engine blew out.  I was driving the car and thankfully Leland was with me and was able to talk me through what I needed to do.  Scary when your car stops in the middle of the U-turn lane as it begins to turn and it's getting dark out.  I am grateful we were both safe and all has turned out well.

I got my Concealed Handgun License!  As an educator in an area of the city where crime is high and you never know what can happen, I am all in favor of teachers being armed on a school campus, IF that teacher has the proper training and licenses.  I even went on a former student's podcast talking about that.  Let the debates begin!

Leland's tough semester.  Last August Leland had to take a mock oral exam after taking all his summer courses.  if he fialed it he would take it again in December.  Well, he failed and had to take it in December.  He failed again and was told if he did not do better in May he was going to be kicked out of the program.  All semester he was enrolled in two graduate school courses while still doing his residency work.  Toughest semester ever!  It paid off and he passed in May and will be in the prgram for one more year then on to a new job, and hopefully a new city.  Maybe San Antonio, fingers crossed!

I got a new position at work in February.  The principal at my campus was moved up to the central office in order to write the grant for the Race to the Top Grant.  We got a new principal and he decided to promote me to the position of AP of Operations and Finance.  I am in charge of HR, Money, Fundraising, CNA/CIP writing, School events, buses, and everything else under the sun that it take to operate a school.  It has been a very eye opening experience and i have learned a lot.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be in this position and learn what I have.

Tyson is finally a much better dog!  He is finally out of his puppy stage and turning into a real dog.  I love it!  He is also starting to become territorial and barking at everything that comes around the apartment.  he is also starting to cover other dog smells with his own.  It can be annoying when he stops every three feet to pee.  At least he is acting like a real dog now.

We are still teaching Primary.  It's been almost a year since receiving that calling.  I am loving the kiddos we have in our class.  They are smart and always ask great questions.  For the most part, they are engaged in the lessons and are learning more about the gospel.

Since Leland and I have been in Houston we have been through many trials.  We have been greatly tested, but greatly blessed as well.  The Lord will not give us anything was can't handle.  He will push us to our limits and a little beyond so we can grow and show our devotion and faith in Him.  As much as I hate the trial, I am able to learn more about myself and my relationship with my husband.  I am so grateful for the things that have happened that have made our relationship stronger. I am grateful for the things that have built my faith and testimony.  The Lord truly does know me and what I need.  Only one more big trial that I am trying to deal with but don't know how I will at this point. Maybe one day I will have the courage to talk about it.  Until that time, I will suffer in silence ;)

As much as I hate Houston I told Leland that we are going to try to make more positive memories of the city for the next year.  So far we have gone to  Dave Matthews concert, gone shopping and I actually found clothes I liked, finding happiness in the little things, and enjoying the limited time each day we have with each other.  The next few things on the list, WICKED, NASA, Kemah, and more exploring the city.  We will get through this crazy next year together and our faith and love will continue to grow.

HOUSTON!

I have been in Houston for about a month and half now and so far so good, kinda.  First the bad.  There is no dog park for Tyson.  There are three that I have found for him, but they all have doggie ponds and come to find out the water has something in it that is giving my poor baby a rash.  Since all the parks around us have these ponds, we can't take him to the park.  He loves to roll around in the puddles and mud created by these ponds thus ensuring the rash each time.  Even if we bathe him right after he still gets a rash. Then last night Leland and I noticed bumps all over Tyson's sides and chest.  We gave him some benedryl and that reduced the bumps, but they were back this morning after going to do his business.  Poor little guy has terrible hives and we don't know why.  Traffic is a total nightmare!  I was almost t-boned twice within two days because people don't pat attention to the lights or they just can't wait to get out of the parking lot.  The heat and humidity are killing me!  San Antonio was pretty humid, but nothing compares to this kind of humidity.  I cannot go outside for a minute without sweating! 

On the bright side, I found a job the first week I was out here.  It is with the sister school of my school in San Antonio.  I am actually writing this post from work since I have nothing else to do and I have to be here.  I will be working with another PE teacher which rocks!  I have never worked with another teacher outside of student teaching so I will have someone other than the students to talk to during the day.  The gym is located in the central office building so I also won't be too bothered by people from the main campus.  The athletics here is also pretty well set-up so I am back to coaching soccer, yay!  I am so excited.  It's going to be nice to be back in the teacher mode.  I will still have stupid parents, but not as many and I can actually work with the kids in a positive environment.

Another top note: Leland and I are teaching Primary.  Thankfully we have the 9-10 year old kiddos.  Any younger and I would have died.  These kids are so flippin' gospel smart!  How do you teach kids the gospel when they know more than you?  At least, that's how I feel.  We have one kid that's a challenge.  he's pretty much a genius kid and we have already butt heads.  All I have to do is think of him as one of my middle schoolers and I will be able to handle it.  The rest of the kids are super duper!  They are fun and light-hearted with inquisitive minds.  I can't believe I am actually excited for Primary.  I get to sing all the primary songs again too!

Bright number 3: Sheikh. aka my all time favorite shoe store.  All the crazy, eclectic shoes I love for not much money!  I was shopping for Leland's birthday gift a couple of weeks ago and saw an amazing pair of heels in the window so decided to stop in.  The choir was singing and the light was shining for I had found gorgeous shoes!  I am so in love with this place!

The Woodlands: Not my favorite place in the world, but lots of concerts come through there and we can listen to them for free!  We paid and went to the Rascal Flatts concerts a bout a month ago and when we were leaving we found a great place outside the venue to listen to the concert.  You may not see what is going on inside, but the sound quality is so much better, plus parking is free and you can bring your own food and drinks!  If you want to know what the place looks like, you can watch that Lipton commercial with Lady Antebellum (I think that's the group) and see it.  That's where the commercial was filmed.  The next concert we are looking at going to is Linkin Park.

The Temple is only about 45  minutes away if the traffic is decent.  We haven't been able to get up there yet, but will soon.

Everything we need, except the temple and my work, is literally within five miles of where we live.  If it were safer to ride a bike I would be riding a bike everywhere.  It's pretty great having things that close.  My dad thinks we live in downtown since everything is so close and there are big buildings all around us, but that's just the Galleria/Greenway area.

Leland has already made up his mind to that we will be moving in two years after he finishes his residency.  He loves MD Anderson, but it's the rest of the stuff he doesn't like.  He is having a hard time with officiating football because it's such a good ole boy system and the refs are arrogant around here.  He doesn't have one varsity game and he's a division 3 and has been told by some of the top officials at the college level that he is a pretty darn good umpire.  If he were in SA he would be doing all sorts of varsity games.  The traffic gets to him and some of the people too.  But I am trying to find the good of Houston.  I am trying to make the best of this crazy place while I am here.

That's the life in a nutshell.  I know, not very interesting, but hopefully I will have some better things to post later.

Goodbye San Antonio!

It's been just a little crazy the past couple of months.  Leland has been in Houston for almost two months now and I can't wait to be with him again!  This Saturday is the big day.  I now have a new found respect for any wife/mother that has a husband that either travels for business all the time or is on the military.  I think the only thing that has been keeping me sane has been being able to talk to Leland every night over the phone.  I really don't get how people can go for days. weeks, months or years without talking to each other.  Trying to take care of all the packing has been no small (or fun) task.  I have a mound of things that meed to get to Goodwill and still have way to many boxes for my liking.  I just cleared out the on-site storage unit at the apartment.  I usually get on to Leland about all his stuff, but after looking at what I have, I am the hoarder.  Granted, once I start teaching PE again, most of the stuff will go back to school, but I still have a ton of stuff from my single years that need to go away.  I guess I am a little more sentimental than I thought.  I have been a little more ruthless than usual and tons of stuff has gone to Goodwill already.  I really hope all this craziness ends soon.  I would really like a little normalcy in the year 2012. So far there has been nothing normal about this year.  I haven't even been able to sit down and write about my last day of school at SST.  It was a doozy of a day!  Hopefully I will get some time to write about all my experiences there.  There have been so many these  past few months that I just don't have enough time right now.  I also have to do my "End of the School Year What I Learned" list.  There is so much that I have to really sift through to get to what is truly important.

Tyson is taking this craziness in stride, the Tyson kind of stride.  During the month of May I didn't have any problems with him.  In fact, he was finally turning into a good dog.  No run-by bitings, no chewing on anything that he isn't suppose to chew, and finally calming down.  Since the beginning of the month, he has reverted back to his chewing and run-by bitings.  Every time I work with boxes he goes bonkers!  He runs around, starts jumping to bite at me, takes my tape and scissors and gets into boxes that have stuff in them that still need to be taped. Thankfully my dad will be coming into town today so I will have some back up and can get everything finished. 

That's the rundown in the Page household.  Only a few more days and I will officially be in Houston.  It's bittersweet, but I am finally handling it and ready to go.

Living the Single Doggie Mama Life

Leland is officially moved into the new place in Houston and I am left alone in SA trying to make it through the last weeks of the school year.  We moved Leland in at the beginning of the month, about two weeks ago.  It has been a rough two weeks since then.  I feel so horrible with leaving Tyson by himself all day and this past week I felt like such a bad doggie mama.  First, it rained at the beginning of the week so the dog park was out of the question and so was the eveing walk.  Then on Wednesday I had Activity Days so an hour after getting home I had to place him back in the kennel.  Thursday night I had to come home for about 10 minutes, let Tyson out, then had to place him back in the kennel and conduct the 8th grade graduation.  Then last night I came home for about an hour then had to place him back in the kennel and go to prom.  I had planned on getting home early from prom, but once again, I was the only administrator at a school function so I had to stay the whole night.  I am officially a bad doggie mama.  But, today I will start to redeem myself by taking Tyson to the dog park to play with his friends and exercise!  I should probably leave my office and do that then shouldn't I?  More on the "single" life later.

Relax with a Little 90's

I love relaxing Fridays!  I don't really care about the rest of the week when my Friday evening are wonderful.  I got off work a little before six, picked up the dog and it was off to the dog park.  Tyson LOVES the dog park.  He gets to play with so many different dogs and their owners.  He is such a joy when we go there.  We were there for about an hour and half.  That's the longest time he has ever been there without looking tired.  I finally had to make an executive decision to leave since neither of us had eaten dinner.  I get home and Leland was there and we were trying to figure out what to do for dinner.  So we looked in the kitchen and had pineapple, mango, strawberries (gotta love when Sprouts has great sales on produce), ground turkey, cheese and corn tortillas.  We decided top do tacos with fruit salsa.   Can I just say pineapple, mango and strawberry fruit salsa is more than delicious?  I don't know what other word I can use to describe it.  While I was meticulously cutting up the fruit I told Leland I needed some noise, but not tv noise, I needed music.  I told him to sing to me, but he struck that down pretty quickly.  He turns on the tv and goes to the music stations on Time Warner.  He asked what I wanted form the list and I told him, very excitedly, 90's!  A flood of memories started to pour into my head.  With every song that came on there was the occasional "I didn't know that was a 90's song.  I thought it was 80's", and then the memories.  Memories of stake dances, going on soccer trips, studying in my room for hours and just hanging out with friends came flooding in.  We even made predictions of what songs were going to played while we cooked dinner and chilled on the couch.  Boys II Men, prediction come true.  We even predicted the right song, Motown Philly.  We were on fire!  After dinner we sat/lay on the couch playing games on our phones and talking while Tyson curled in a ball on the couch where my legs were and slept.  Oh, it was the perfect ending to the not so perfect week.  It was exactly what I needed.  I love relaxing Friday nights!

On the flip side, only two more weeks until Leland leaves for Houston, sad face.  Once he's gone, that leaves only two more months in San Antonio.  It's time to start doing all the things I want to do and eat at all the restaurants I want to eat at (once I have the money).  That also means there will probably be many, many nights at Orange Leaf, happy face!  I'm not going to think about that at this time.  I will enjoy the time I do have with the hubs while I still have it!

30 and Houston

It's been so long since I posted last that I had to go back and see what my last post was about so I could update about everything. Since March 10 my 30th, yes 30th, birthday has come and gone. My dear sweet husband took me out to dinner and told the waiter it was my birthday when I went to the restroom. I knew I shouldn't have left the table, dang it! Like my dad, I don't care about any big to-do about my birthday. I have never had anyone sing to me at a restaurant for my birthday either. Thankfully, Pappasito's was almost empty so it wasn't that bad. I didn't hate the hubs for too long after that. He always finds a way to make it up to me =0)

Leland and I also went out to Houston to find a place to live over Spring Break. The first day was a total disaster! I had contacted an apartment locating company to help since I don't know the city. I gave her the parameters of the search and off she went. Within a day she had sent me a list of places. Unfortunately, when we went to check it all out the things that were in our price range were surrounded by bars and strip clubs, or the apartment didn't have any openings or the things we actually needed. By the end of the day we were more than concerned. I started thinking we were going to be homeless. We went back to the hotel and started a new search. Every site we looked at the same place kept popping up. So we went out there the next day before we left town and, ahhhhhhhh (in opera voice), it was the perfect place. It had an open floor plan, washer/dryer connections, and pets were allowed. my perfect place. So much storage in the kitchen and other areas. I fell in love with the place. If I am in love with it, then Leland is in like of it. Of course, my wishes win out ;) I also was able to visit MD Anderson and meet the people Leland is going to be working with. Nerds, all of them. But, what more could I expect, I married a nerd myself so no biggie. MD Anderson is so secure that you have to have an employee escort you wherever you go if you are visiting. It was pretty interesting. I couldn't even go to the restroom without an escort. I am happy to see that there are places that secure and my hubs will be in a place like that. That was a pretty successful trip.

General Conference was March 31 and April 1, but I will have to review and write more at another time since I was at work for half of it and falling asleep during the other half.

This past weekend we went back out to Houston to sign our lease. I was not happy with the apartment we got. The thing that really sold me on the apartment was the open kitchen. When I walked in to the new place, I had a closed off kitchen and the oven ti about half the size of the one I have now. I will have to buy a whole different set of cookie sheets because mine are too big. The stove is on a counter top not even close to the oven, so weird. But, there is still plenty of storage space. I am a little disappointed in the kitchen, but I can survive it for two years. The dining furniture will not fit (we planned on that already, it was just trying to get my mom to understand that we will have to get rid of it that was tricky). Since the old stuff won't fit, I can finally get the pub table I have been wanting! While we were in Houston I also went on an impromptu job interview. I had made contact with a school in the area through a former co-worker and I received an e-mail that morning from the school wanting me to do an interview when I was available. I e-mailed right back and about three hours later I was sitting in an interview. Yes, I did get a job. I don't know what I will be doing since the superintendent doesn't know what will be open, but he did say I have a job, so whew! Another worry down. Now, it's just the packing and de-cluttering process that is going to drive me (and Leland and Tyson) crazy! All will work out, I'm sure of it. Everything has worked out so far.

A New Adventure is About to Begin

A new chapter in the lives of the Page's is about to begin. Leland got the residency position at MD Anderson in Houston. The Page crew is moving to Houston! It's a bittersweet ordeal, but it will be full of great adventures. It has been a long three months while waiting for Leland to find a job. I am so proud of my hubs and the hard work he has put into trying to find a job. The Lord will bless you when you put in the work. A little help from friends and family goes a long way too. For the past couple of months my mom-in-law has been putting Leland's name on the prayer role at the Temple. About two weeks ago I got a facebook invite from her about fasting for Leland and his job search. I said I would do it, and so did about 15 other people on facebook. Both Leland and I have been waiting patiently since the end of January to find out if he got the position or not. Just before the invite for the fast came, Leland had contacted MD Anderson to find out what was going on so he could know if he needed to start looking at some other options (Seattle was hiring and so was UNC). He received a reply that he needed to be patient and he would hear something within the week. Again, we waited patiently. The week came and went and still nothing. By this time Leland was starting all the paperwork for Seattle and had just received paperwork for UNC. Fast Sunday comes around and we still hadn't heard anything. By this time though I started getting this feeling that Houston was going to be our new home. I just brushed it off because when I start thinking and feeling these things, it all blows up in my face and doesn't happen. This past Wednesday I was sitting in my weekly admin meeting and received a call from Leland. Usually if Leland has to contact me at work he sends a text message so I was a little concerned as to why he would be calling me. My meeting ended and I went to my office to call him back. It's then that he tells me he received something from UPS. I thought it was a package from one of our moms or something like that. He goes on to tell me that he opens it and it is his acceptance letter to MD Anderson. I asked him if he was going to take the position and he says, "I would be stupid not to". Tears start streaming down my face. I have never been so happy in my life. Okay, getting married was a pretty darn happy time in my life, and so was getting into college and all the other good things like that, but I have never been so happy that I have started crying like that. It was at that moment that I remembered the fasting and praying that others had done for us as well as what we had done. It is times like this that I am reminded of how mindful the Lord is of us and our needs and wants.

So let the adventure begin! First step, finding a place to live. Leland's first day is May 14 so we have very little time to find a place for him. I am certain we will find something. I just hope it is everything we need for what we can afford. Second step, finding a job for me. I don't know where and I don't know what, but school admin will not be for me right now. I am ready for a break so I can teach and coach again. Step three, make it through the last two weeks of the school year without Leland. Step four, get an entire apartment packed up by myself. Well, step four is the easy part, I did that last year when we moved into our new apartment. Step five, getting settled into a new city and that's when the adventure really begins. Excited, scared, sad, happy, anxious, relieved and many more thoughts, emotions and feelings all describe me at this point. The best way to describe me though, blessed.

Since the last time I wrote, we had Valentine's Day, a few rodeo concerts and some excitement at school. So, here it goes:

Valentine's Day was a total bummer. It didn't help that I was in meetings all day and kids were crazy sugar hyped so I was exhausted when I got home. The worst part about the day/night was having a husband that was upset and angry all night and wouldn't listen to me. Leland found out earlier in the day that University Hospital decided to contract out the job that he was thinking he was going to get and he still had not heard from MD Anderson. I tried to salvage the night by telling him that we both have to look on the bright side. Yeah, it hoovers that the University job fell through, but there are still opportunities out there. We may not have heard from MD yet, but we will soon. If we don't hear from them there are other jobs out there. Those jobs may be in Ohio and New York, but at least their jobs, right? The love of my life did not want to hear that. All he wanted to do was sulk and be Negative Ned. His mom then called (boy do I love that woman!) and talked to him for a while. She told him the same basic things I told him. After that he was a little better. By that time though, I was so upset because I was dealing with a down and out husband, a rough day at work, and a biting dog that I didn't care about anything else. I tried to calm down the dog by taking him for a walk, but that didn't work. So, I was in a terrible mood all night. Not the way I wanted to spend my Valentine's Day. I was hoping for a nice relaxing evening at home with my husband watching our favorite shows and playing with the dog. That's all I wanted for Valentine's. To me that's the best way to show love. Time with my family. I don't care about the traditional romantic stuff. I just want to relax and have fun. There was one salvageable part of the night, Leland got me my favorite M&M's (peanut butter) and the silicone cupcake cups that I have been wanting from Williams Sonoma. That brought a smile to my face. I love Leland. Sure he drives me nuts every once and while, but what married couple doesn't drive each other nuts. It's how you handle going nuts that will keep you together or tear you apart. Some things you have just got to let slide.


Rodeo concerts were amazing! The first concert we went to was Keith Urban. He was amazing! He sounds the same live as he does recorded. He did the coolest thing at the end. During his last song he jumped off the stage and went into the crowd where there were a bunch of people holding posters. This is the point when Leland and I decided to leave to beat the traffic. What happened after we left was heartwarming. Keith Urban took the guitar he was playing and gave it to a little girl who was sitting on her daddy's shoulders. That will be one concert she will never forget. I love when these big stars do little gestures like that. Totally amazing.
The next concert we went to was Lady Antebellum. They were a fun group to watch. Again, sounded great live. They put on a pretty darn good show too. They had little stories they were share about their songs and they have great chemistry on stage.
The third concert was Miranda Lambert. I love her songs. She's a good ole Texas girl with that East Texas twang. Her music always makes me laugh a little. She is a strong, independent woman and writes music for that. She also has a lot of good, angry, break-up songs. She was a little tipsy, was getting dizzy on the spinning stage, and is really hard to understand because her band drowns her out a little. Other than that it was a fun, light-hearted concert.
The final concert we went to was Alan Jackson. It was weird seeing him without a mustache and 90's haircut. He has really aged. Again, he was great live. He played a couple of newer songs that I hadn't heard before as well as all his number one classics. It was a good time to reminisce. The best part of the evening. . . Leland was shushed by an elderly man! A video clip came on that reminded Leland of a time when he was on student government at UVSC and they were going to do a "White Trash Bash" (sounds bad, I know) and the president of the college found out and came in cancelled the whole thing. He is telling me this story and the elderly guy in front of us looks back a little places his finger to his mouth and shushes Leland! I thought that was AWESOME! How often is anyone shushed at a rodeo concert? I just had to laugh at that one. I could understand if we were talking during a movie, symphony, play, or other theater showing, but a rodeo concert? HA!

We still have not heard form MD Anderson. Leland e-mailed the program director guy to find out what was going on and if he knew anything yet because it's been almost a month and they said he would know in about two weeks and he needed to know what was going on because his wife was nagging him and so on. Okay, so he didn't put it in those terms but I told him he should have so maybe the guy would have a little more sympathy and maybe give him a little more info. The guy replied with, "Patience. You should hear something next week." What kind of answer is that?! It makes me wonder if Leland got the position, but they can't actually say anything and he has to wait for a letter. Crossing the fingers at this point.

Yesterday was an interesting day at school. Mostly because a kid collapsed before school and we had to call an ambulance. We thought he was high on something or got a bad batch of something. A few kids saw him walking behind the building where the students park and so they kept an eye on him since he looked a little out of it. He was walked to a tree that is behind the building and sat down. A guy from the neighboring apartment complex saw him. Another student came to see what was going on and the guy said "He did something bad". The student there knew the kid so was asking him questions. The kid tried to talk but couldn't and a few seconds later collapsed and started having a seizure. A couple of seniors went over and got some help. I received a phone call that I was needed at the back so went out there expecting to find something totally different. I ran to the front office to have our secretary call his parents and someone else was calling 911. When I got back outside another faculty person was out there and she said with what he looked like, he was definitely on something. He was unresponsive. After a couple of minutes he started to come to again so the other teacher and I tried to ask him a few questions and keep him on the ground until EMS arrived. By this time he was trying to push us away and get up. EMS finally arrived and took the kid. A few hours later the kid was back at school fine as can be ready to go back to class. I called the dad to find out what the doctors said, dad was very curt with me and said the doctors found nothing wrong and no drugs were in his system. The funny thing, when I spoke with dad earlier that day I never mentioned anything about drugs or drug use, so why would dad say that unless he suspected his kid was using drugs? It's a cover up I tell you, a cover up! At least the kid's okay and that's all that really matters, right? At least I was able to get a good 30 minute interval training in ;)

Outside of that, not much else. Just the same ole same and trying to keep above water. There are many days that I know I am not above water, but if I keep thinking I am, then one day I will be. =0)

Ok, So. . .

I'm a horrible blogger. I would love to write everyday, but by time I get home I don't want to be around a computer. Right now I feel super lazy. I have to be at school every Saturday for Saturday Detention (I should rename it "Breakfast Club"). That's three hours of things I could be doing in my office. Today, I don't feel like doing jack squat. I played on Pinterest for a little while getting ideas for dinners and healthy snacks. Then I started reading some blogs and realize, I'm a horrible blogger. I have a couple of friends that blog everyday and post pictures and do all that jazz. I am one boring person. I have some blogs with pictures but not many. Probably because the only time I ever blog is when I'm at work and don't have my camera up and running. If I could figure out how to get the pictures from my camera directly to my blog, then I would be set. I guess it's the whole gotta plug the phone into the computer to download pictures that makes me not want to do it.

Ok, so, I should probably have a goal to be a more positive person this year. I have noticed I am always such a "Debbie Downer". I look back and try to figure out when all of this started and I realize, it was when I became an assistant principal. I love being in admin and teaching, but it's the position I am in that is making me such a downer. I only see the problems with everything and it's draining. Rarely do I get to mingle with kids who care and are doing positive things. I find myself searching for those kids everyday. I am tired of always having negative energy around me. I need to get back to the positive. I need happy things and people in my life right now. It doesn't help that I work 12-14 hours a day and by time I get home I am exhausted and can't do much but hit the couch. If only I could figure out how to not work so many hours. I could come in later in the morning, but then no one would pick up the slack. Unfortunately, my counterparts on the academic side don't do much during the school day so that leaves it up to me. While I am talking about other admins, why do we have three, THREE people in the Academic Dean position at this school and only one, ONE, Discipline Dean? I understand there is a lot to do academically and that is what school is all about, but if there is an academic dean for middle school and one for high school, then why can't there be a discipline dean for middle school and a discipline dean for high school? We have five admins on this campus, surely, somehow the duties can be more equally broken up. I better get off this soapbox before I really become a downer.

Ok, so I am one of the Activity Days leaders at church now. Activity Days is for girls ages 8 - 11 and it is set-up to help teach these girls the doctrines and principles of the gospel in order for them to build their own testimonies and become closer to Heavenly Father. I went into this totally freaking out because I don't do well with the littles. I feel much more comfortable with the older kids. The past two times we have had activities, I have loved them! These girls are sassy and sweet. They haven't caught on to smart alleck remarks talking back to adults yet so they are absolutely adorable. I am having so much fun with them. I am excited to be a part of this amazing group of girls. I am also starting to get in touch with the little girl in me. Last night I went to Hobby Lobby and all these things caught my eye that have never caught my eye before. Feathers, beads, jewelry stuff, pretty paper, markers, paints, masks, etc. These things have not been on my shopping list for ages, but now they are the center of my world when I go to Hobby Lobby. It's really nice dealing with kids who don't have to argue or talk back all the time. It's really nice to not have to deal with the attitudes. Who knows, maybe these little girls can change my mind about what I want for kids. I think three kids is a perfect number, but I have never wanted a girl, always wanted boys. I'm a girl (duh), so I know what girls are like. I don't want any of my daughters going through all that drama. I tried to stay out of it, but how do I teach someone else how to stay out of it and not let it get to them? I know these are fears, but they are legitimate fears. Boys, on the other hand, don't fall into all that drama. I don't know. It's going to be a really long time before I have any kids, so I don't know why I am fretting over these things now.

Leland had his interview in Houston last week. Everything seemed to go okay. We haven't heard anything yet, but hopefully we hear something soon. So far things in SA aren't working out. There is too much uncertainty. The more I think about it, the more I am coming to terms with the fact that we may not be in SA much longer. When every open opportunity all of sudden closes just as Leland finishes school and graduates, and others are not meeting deadlines needed so he can get the job he wants, then you really start to think, "is this where we are to be right now?" The Lord has a plan and we have to be really patient right now. Things will fall into place when they fall into place. I would like them to fall into place sooner rather than later, but it's not by my time table. Over the past few years I have learned a lot about the Lord's timing and having faith in Him. I can only do so much, Leland can only do so much, but, if we stay righteous and continue to do those things we need to do, there will be comfort, joy, and the answer we need when we need it. Trust. Trust that the Lord knows you and what you need right now. I know He knows me and what I need right now. I know He loves me and continues to bless me with what I need. I know He lives! I know my Heavenly Father has a plan for me. All I have to do is trust in Him and not let my ambitions and my will get in the way. Good things are coming, good things are coming.

Year in Review

2011 is gone and it is now 2012! Let's take a look as to what happened in 2011 (or at least try to remember)

January: Leland went to the SPIE conference in San Fransisco to present his research and entered a drawing for an Apple iTouch.

February: Went to plenty of Rodeo events and concerts. Just the break I needed for the middle of the month. Leland received notice that he had won the drawing for the free iTouch. SA closed down for a day of sleeted snow.

March (the greatest month ever!): I celebrated my 29th birthday and realized that I only had one more year until I was no longer in my 20's, eek! An amazing surprise happened. Leland was planning on getting me a netbook for my birthday, but when his iTouch arrived he opened the box and it was an iPad. No netbook for me, but I got an iPad that we affectionately call the Prize Pad. Best part, he didn't have to spend a thing on my birthday gift! We also went to Utah for Spring Break and I discovered I never want to fly without Leland again. I also found out that walking around the Phoenix airport with a 20lb backpack on your back for three hours is quite the workout. Six hour layovers are no fun.

April: Mom came to visit for her birthday and Easter. I also started thinking my mono had come back. Trying to get the energy to do anything was ridiculously hard. Started looking for a new apartment to move into in July.

May: Found a new place to live and started packing for a July move. Still no energy. Graduation ceremonies for the 8th graders and Senior class of 2011. First graduation ceremony that I participated in. Ended my first year as an assistant principal.

June: Energy continues to wane and other help issues start popping up. Continue packing and taking several trips to Goodwill to drop off all the junk we have accumulated. Gosh, we have a ton of junk.

July: One of my best friends from college got married and another one had her second baby, a girl. Leland spent 4th of July with his family and surprised his mom with the visit. I spent the 4th with my family. Drought conditions in TX get worse by the day and temperatures continue to rise. We move into out new apartment. I go to the doctor and after three blood tests I find out all my health issues are related to tumors on my parathyroid glands.

August: Meet the new principal and from the start I do not like him or his attitude. Funniest quote of the month, "If you do not have control of your bathrooms, you do not have control of your school". Have surgery to have tumors and parathyroid glands removed. Energy is through the roof! A new school year begins.

September: Still don't like new principal or how he likes to run things. Learn that this year's kids are a total mess and have more behavior issues thane ever. Staff is already counting down the days to Thanksgiving. Worst school year start ever!

October: Didn't dress up for Halloween. We were both way too tired and stayed home from all parties. Leland counts down the days until reffing ends and is sad. Tyson Page (the family dog) entered our lives. It's been craziness ever since, but we love it!

November: Thanksgiving in SA was cancelled due to my dad having back surgery. Leland and I did our first Thanksgiving together. Very nice and cozy. Finally a good relaxing break from all the craziness of work.

December: Things at work are getting more stressful, no support from parents, teachers, or principal. First fight in four years occurs and both parents want to file assault charges. Discipline Committee makes a decision for both kids, both parents appeal the decision. Appeals Committee makes another decision (that I do not agree with and the after hearing the discipline committee decision, appeals does not agree with it either). Principal is MIA and of no help to me. Kids never receive consequences before school lets out for Christmas Break. LELAND DEFENDS HIS DISSERTATION AND IS OFFICIALLY DR. PAGE! Sigh of relief. Job hunt starts, MD Anderson contacts Leland after one of his professors contacts them. Time with family is amazing. Anniversary was fantastic! Alamo Bowl rocked.

All in all, a pretty good year. 2o11 had it's ups and downs, but through it all I grew as a person and my relationship with my husband became closer. I am grateful for all the opportunities I have had to learn, grow, and experience the things I have. I have been so blessed and am grateful for all the Lord has given me. Bring it on 2012!

Out Like A Lion

It's been a really long time since I last posted anything. Sorry for the wait for all my religious followers out there. Things haven't been what I would call "smooth" around here. First, for the good news:

December 14, 2011: Plain old Leland Page became Dr. Leland Page! Yes folks, Leland finally finished his doctorate! I took a whole day off from work (which for those who know me, is the hardest thing for me to do) and went to listen and not understand a word coming from my amazing husband's mouth as defended his dissertation on opto-acoustic imaging. I understood words like MRI, CT Scan, wood, plastic, glass and, well, that's really about all I understood. The whole time I was texting my MIL and giving her updates. I think she was crying the whole time I was texting her. I love her, she's amazing and the cutest thing ever! It was fun watching Leland present and seeing the people in the room get into what he was talking about. I am so proud of him! I love you!

Christmas! We went my parent's place in EP for Christmas this year. I was so upset the day after we got there. Why? It snowed! I live in south Texas because it doesn't get that cold and we don't have snow. It is quite perfect weather for me. The only good part about the snow was watching Tyson run around in it not knowing what to do. It was pretty funny. That day the entire west side of EP closed down. In the valley where my parents live the snow was not that bad. It wasn't really sticking to anything but cars and roofs. Up on the mountain though it was almost blizzard conditions. We left the valley to take my dad's car to get the repairs it needed. Thankfully it was the Grand Prix that need the repairs and the Santa Fe was okay because that is what got us through the snow and crazy drivers. That and a husband who grew up in Utah and snow. I now understand why the city shut down. No one knows how to drive in snow in EP. People were gunning the gas to get going and spinning out. Others were trying to go as fast as possible to get out of the snow and others were skidding because of the ice on the road. It was not the best of times. Thankfully I was able to hand the keys to Leland and have him get us home safely. Other than the snow, Christmas was great! It was the relaxation I needed. Thanks Mom and Dad for all the fun!

December 29, Our Anniversary! Crazy it's been two years since I was sealed to Leland for eternity. I am grateful for that blessing in my life. The time has gone by so quickly! We had a fun anniversary. We went to Cheesecake factory at La Cantera for lunch then it was off to work the Alamo Bowl. We volunteered at the Fan Zone and had so much fun watching all the fans and families from the schools play and have a great time. We were suppose to have a break during our time there but over half the people that were suppose to show, didn't. We ended up working the five hours straight. I don't mind because it was so much fun! After we were finished with the volunteer work, we went to the game. It was a great game! Baylor, and the Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III (RG3), and Washington were the teams playing. It was a back and forth battle, but Baylor ended up victorious. I love that a Texas team won the Bowl. I also toyed with the idea about making a sign for the game saying "I have the greatest wife ever! It's our anniversary and she let me go to a football game." for Leland to hold, but I didn't. Oh well, there will be other years. You have to admit, Leland does have the greatest wife ever ;) For me, that is the best way to spend an anniversary, doing activities that allow us to spend the entire day together, because it's more about the time we spend together than the romanticism and gifts.

New Year's was, meh. We spent the evening with a couple of friends. The older I get the less I care about New Year's activities because I am so tired that all I want to do is sleep. I made it, I stayed awake until we got home then I crashed. Happy New Year to all!

The day after New Year's I got some good news. We have a new principal on my campus. I have no idea what happened to the other one, but the new one is awesome! I love working with him. He helps come up with solutions to problems rather than making everyone else come up with them then throwing them away. He is talking to the students and teachers to get their thoughts on what would make the school better and what they would like to see happen in the future. He is actually talking to people and getting them more motivated to do their work. It has been a refreshing change.

The other evening we went to an Alamo Bowl volunteer thank you dinner and Leland was surprised with a "Distinguished Volunteer Award". I was wondering when he was going to get the recognition he deserves. I know it's volunteer and you shouldn't want recognition, but after five years of him working every event possible and always asking where he is needed all the time while working on his doctorate and all the other things he does, it's nice to have a "Thank you" from the organization.

Now, for the not so good (but could be good in the long run):

Back in October I said something about having great news that I couldn't share at the time. Well, the news was that Leland was going to have a job in SA when he finished with school. well, that news is no longer great. Since there have been budget cuts all over the place, the job he was going to get when the original person left was cut. The company is not going to hire anyone else for that position. On the other hand, Leland was recommended for a residency position at MD Anderson in Houston. The position was suppose to be filled at the beginning of January but it is still open and he has his interviews this week. I think I am more nervous about all this he is. Here is the dilemma in my mind: I love SA and don't want to leave, but I feel like it's time for a change. I have one more year until my 6th grade babies graduate and I would love to be with them until they graduate in 2013. On the other hand, I can always come back and still be a part of their graduation. Neither of us want to live in Houston, but there is nothing around SA and Leland is going crazy not having a job. The other night he even talked about working at a pizza place again. I quashed that idea very quickly. If we moved to Houston, there is no guarantee that I will be able to find work and we don't know how much the residency position will pay. I told Leland that if that is to be an option he has to be making more money than me or the same amount as me. If he does get this position, it is a great career started. Doing any type of program through MD Anderson puts you in the spotlight. You can go anywhere in the world and get whatever job you want in the medical field if you do anything at MD Anderson. There are so many mixed feelings about this. I just have to trust in the Lord and where he wants us is where we will go. Even if he does get this position at MD Anderson, it's only a two year stint, so we could always end up back in SA. Right now, it's just the thought of not knowing what's going on that's killing me. I just hope I know in early February what is happening.

That's the look into my world since the last post. Mostly good things have happened. The end of the year was busy and crazy, but when is my life ever not busy and crazy, right?

Good Stuff Happening

We have had Tyson now for two months. He has proven to be a handful. Terrible twos? Try terrible 11 months! He is experiencing the world through his mouth right now and four pairs of our shoes have been the victims. My favorite heels, chewed. Both of Leland's pairs of dress shoes, goners. My casual Nikes, no more. It would be one thing if he would just chew, but he rips apart and chews. His favorite activity is ripping things apart with his mouth. If he could rip off my arm he probably would do it. When he's not ripping things apart he's a total sweetheart. On Firday I came home after one of the worst days of my life. The first thing he does is make me laugh. My arms were full of stuff from work and I had brough home some extra bananas. As I was standing, letting Leland hug me as I broke down into tears, Tyson jumps on the chair, stands on the arm and grabs a banana from arms. It lightened my mood for a few minutes. The rest of the evening he sat on my lap and let me pet him. It was the first night in a few weeks that he did not try to bite me or act all crazy. Dogs really can tell when you are feeling down. He really made my night and weekend that much better. He is also a whopping 26 lbs now! He is still trim, but boy did he put on the muscle! He is one strong pup. He hasn't grown a whole lot, but hs stout. I guess he really does fit in with the family. The only issue we have right now is his baldness. Last time we went to the vet he had a little bald spot on his head around the temple area. The doc said there was hair starting to grow in, but to keep a look out for any more hair loss on other parts of the boy. This past weekend, we started noticing hair loss on his shoulder, more on his face and his back. I am really hoping it's not mainge. We go to the doggy doc tomorrow to find out what is going.

The best thing, LELAND IS DEFENDING HIS DISSERTATION TOMORROW, EEEEEK! SO EXCITED! HE WILL FINALLY BE FINISHED AND HE CAN BE CALLED DR. PAGE! Can you tell I'm more than a little excited? Five years of this stuff for him, two years for me. School will be over and he can finally get a job. Can't wait for that to happen. As soon as he get a job, he gets the rent payment. I will still cover everything else, but he gets the rent. I am actually going to take the day off of work tomorrow to go watch him present. I will have no clue what he is talking about, but I wil be there to support him. I love that man and all the hard work he has done. YAY!

Wait a Minute Hold the Phone

Did I hear that correctly? Did he really say I am doing a good job? I have finally been told I am doing a good job. It only took nine weeks. I was finally in an admin meeting where I wasn't being chewed out or pointed out for something. Kinda nice when that happens. Things at work have been absolutely crazy! I have never felt so much like quitting than what I feel like now. I am not a quitter though, so I will work it out. I will make it through the toil and strife of this dang blasted job.





On the great side there is good news to share, but I can't share it yet. I have to wait until everything is official and the name has been signed on the dotted line. So you must wait as patiently as I before I can share. Let's just say I will finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief when the news goes public. When I heard it last night I almost cried.





Tyson is doing well. When we got him about a month ago he weighted 11 pounds. As of last week, he weighed 16 pounds. He seems to still be growing and the weight he has put on does not show, so I think it has been muscle becasue he is finally getting the nourishment and most of the exercise he needs. He is still a handful. he has come to the conclusion that Leland is the alpha in the group (we all know I am the true alpha of the family, but I gotta give something to Leland right ;) ) and I am the chew toy. He always so happy and excited to see mw when I get home that now jumps about two feet in the air when I walk through the door. Last night I went down to pet him and he jumped a the same time and my hand smacked his head and went falling, hard. Like a little trooper he got back up and did the same thing as though nothing had happened. He's so much fun and he has been a great heater as the the temperatures have been dropping.

The Page Family is Growing!

I know what you are thinking and I am not preggers! Last week Leland and I adopted the cutest little puppy ever! He is a weimeraner mix. We think he is mixed with pit bull. He is eight months old (almost 9) and a total sweetheart. We found him at the Animal Defense League. I actually had my mind set on a little Boston terrier/beagle mix, but that dog wasn't there when we showed up. We started looking around and went to the small/medium dog habitats. The first little face I saw was Varick (that was his name until we changed it). The other dogs were running around barking and howling and being unruly. Varick was sitting at the fence calmly and sweetly looking up at those who walked by. There was another group that was looking in the same area and they saws Varick as well. My heart completely melted when I saw this guy. I had no intention of getting a dog under 1 1/2 years old. I didn't want to go through all the puppy stages with a dog. But this little guy was all I could think about even after taking another stroll around the complex. Leland knew I was not going to back down, so he gave in and we started the adoption process. We weren't able to take him home right away because it was nearing the end of the evening and the apartment complex had already closed it's doors for the day so the ADL could not get in touch with them. That's okay, because it gave us some time to think of a name for him. Varick was just weird, to say the least. It took us all night then Leland said, "Tyson". I agreed and now we have Tyson Page.

The past week has been full of little surprises on the floor and learning how smart this little guy really is. Leland has been teaching him to climb up on the couch and the bed. Thankfully, he hasn't learned to get on the bed yet. Due to his climbing training he learned to climb over his kennel and take over the whole apartment. We had bought a kennel for Tyson for night time and help him potty train. Since he is so young and we don't know who long he can hold his bodily functions we decided to block him into the laundry room with his kennel door open to his food and water and a wood floor in case there were any accidents. I came home on Wednesday evening and was going to change before letting him out of his enclosure. I walk in and a bunch of Leland's shoes and a a belt in the living room. I knew he was out reffing a game and he would not leave his belt, runners or one dress shoe in the living room. Just as I was looking over to the kennel, Tyson comes running from the bedroom. He has learned to climb his kennel and get out of the enclosure. Right about that time I also saw a nice little present in the middle of the hall too. He is one smart cookie. Now, we keep him in the bathroom where he has room to stretch out and potty on the potty pad if need be.

Tyson is a lot of fun and has a great personality. We love the little dude! He has brought more happiness and smiles to the home and for right now, the family feels complete. I tell people that if we can do a good job with a dog, then we can do an okay job with a kid :) It's great having a fur kid around the apartment. He really does make my day better. Tyson, welcome to the Page family!

PS: I don't know how to upload a photo from my phone, but as soon as I figure it out, I will get a picture up here of him.