New york and blatent fundraising :)

OK, so i may be crazy, but I have decided to take 20-30 of this year's Metro Tech seniors to New York City for their senior trip. Most of these kids haven't been east of Texas, if they have even been out of the state.
And now for the blatant fundraising :)
We raised a lot of money with prom, and the kids are doing a pampered chef fundraiser, if you like their products, go to this site and order :) go to order products and type in metro tech for the organization name ($10 extra to have it delivered directly to your house!)
Seriously, you don't have to order, but if you are as addicted to their products as I am, and you haven't ordered anything lately, a look can't hurt right? I know I am devious ;)
So, other than planning and getting this trip approved, I haven't been doing much else. Mike is still busy with school, really looking forward to being done! My master's program is changing, and of course the changes are retro active, so I can't get in on the old program, so I will be done next spring (that is spring of 2008). It is OK, it will be here before we know it!
That is about it!
Love to all!
Erin and Mike

Holiday Visits

Ok,

So Mike and I were talking and we have tentatively decided to come up for Christmas and New Year's. We think it will be easier to make the trip once and just stay for the week between Christmas and New Year's then to try to make the trip up twice. And that way we are around for the majority of the holiday festivities :)

AND, we both have that time off of work/school so it will be easier and less stressful on that front! :)

And just an FYI, the hotel that is just down the street from the house is a Best Western, it is on 16th St and Northern. Has a great continental breakfast, can get a room with a fridge, I think the pool is heated, and it has a hot tub :)

Love to all!
Erin and Mike

Save the Date

February 23, 2007
That is the date for Mike's graduation :)

Not sure what time the festivities will be taking place, but probably mid-day. I know it is a Friday, but it would be great if everybody could be here!

So, I was on fall break this past week. It was great! I really enjoy having a week off in the fall. It makes things flow really well at school, and everyone will hopefully be well rested when we return!

It has finally cooled down here! (well relatively anyway) We have the doors open and it is beautiful (about 75 or so right now at 3pm).

Hope everyone is doing well -- better go -- talk to you all soon!
Love,
Erin and Mike

Tentative Grad dates

Just for Roger :)
just kidding, thought I had put this in somewhere . . . . . Maybe in my head??

Ok, so Mike's graduation date is Feb 3rd (ish) (he is out riding . . . . . . . ) So, lets say beginning of Feb to be safe :)
IF he decides to stay and complete either BMW or Honda, he would graduate about 12 weeks later, which would put him somewhere in April . . . . .
the decision to stay and take more courses will probably be directly related to what type of job offers he gets (and whether they are willing to wait for him) It seems a Strong tradition that the husbands move to the new place before the wives, so we shall see if we continue that tradition :)

My graduation will not be until Fall of 06 or Spring of 07 as I decided to keep my sanity and only take 6 graduate hours (2 classes) instead of 9 hours (3 classes) -- well, they canceled one, but I am really glad they did! So, depending on which catalog they allow me to graduate under will determine whether it is fall or spring. Anyway, I just plan on having a big party and not worrying about the whole pomp and circumstance of a graduation (as a teacher, I HAVE to sit through a graduation every year, I would just rather have a party!! and if it is a fall grad, maybe we could roll it into a New Year's celebration!!)

ok, so that is it on the graduation front. I know that February is fast approaching, so as soon as I have a definite date for the graduation, I will post so that everyone else knows too :)
Love to all!
Erin

ps all are welcome to come down for the graduation -- I know it may be difficult or a quick trip, but it would be fun -- phoenix is beautiful in February :)

Fun Halloween stuff

So while we were out and about this weekend, we found the perfect pumpkin decorating kits :)
(At Target of course)
Here are the pictures -- hopefully our pumpkins will look as good as the pictures.

The weather is finally cooling down in the morning here -- don't even want to know how cool it is in other places -- we will just be jealous!

Hope all is well with everyone!
Love to all!! :)
Erin and Mike

An interesting August

The title really says it all.
But, a short recap --
I went back to school on Aug 1st. 4 days before that I found out that I would be teaching different subjects in a different room. Biology is still the same only more of it (4 periods) and 1 period of Anatomy and Physiology. Very exciting!! And I now have my own room, also very exciting. However, when I got here on Tuesday August 1st, I found my room in shambles. It had not been cleaned by the previous occupand, and so I spend the better part of 30 hours that week cleaning my room and getting ready for the start of school.
My mom also switched from elementary school to high school and the next week, outsite of teaching, i spend time helping her get ready for her first day.
then, the bombshell -- the next week, on August 19th, my Gramp,
(my role-model, my rock) passed away. He ws 101, so it was not totally unexpected, but not easy to deal with. He, my aunt ruthie and my cousin deanne, (who I was with more than not on the farm from 2 weeks old til kindergarten) helped to make me the person I am today. while that may not always be a good thing (hahaha) -- it could be a lot worse!
So . . . . I went back to Iowa for the week, for the funeral and to visit and such. He was an amazing man and will be greatly missed!
Then, I came back and am still trying to get back into the swing of things. My masters classes started last week and there is always catch-up when you are gone, but it is good.
Mike is doing well in his classes. He graduates in February from Harley, but is now trying to decide if he wants to add on Honda or maybe BMW. . . we will see how it goes. A lot depends on whether or not he is recruited by Harley to work at one of their plants.
So, that was August. I think I am glad it is Sept and hopefully it will be a bit quiter around here :)
Love to all!
Erin

too damn hot!

ok -- so i know we choose to move back to phx and all -- but it is really, really warm!! Brain function starts to dwindle in this heat I am sure!
Other than the melting -- things are good here, finished teaching summer school, and now just working on my own summer school classes. I am taking 3 this summer, 3 this fall and then 2 in the spring and I will have my masters :) Just about the same time Mike is done with school -- timing should work out great.
Speaking of Mike's school -- he is doing well -- was pulled to the side by his instructor last week and told he was one of the two best in class. Pretty cool!
Right now he is in the intro to Harley's block for another couple of weeks, then to electrical or suspension -- not sure which one he is assigned to yet.
We got a call from Nissa a week or so ago asking about the serial killers on the loose in PHX, if you hear about it on national news, they are not in our area, at least not yet. The police are appealing to the community for information, because they are at a loss. It is a bit scary, but what can you do?
Nat's ACL is healing nicely, and my back is feeling better every day -- hopefully by the time I have to go back to school (aug 1st) it will be all better. . . . . . .
Andrea is starting high school in Aug -- I can hardly believe it! It really makes me feel old!
Both Nat and Andrea would heartily agree :)
well -- i guess that is it for us. trying to update more often . . . .
love to all!
Erin

not dead, just busy

ok -- so again we are not dead or abducted my aliens or anything like that, just busy!!
short version
in may -- erin threw out her back at prom (protruding disk)
mike laid down his bike (in a parking lot, not much damage)
end of school year for erin
june -- surprise visit from erin's grandparents,
mike's friend got into a serious motorcycle accident (lifelighted to hospital, but she is ok)
mike finished required classes and moved onto harley's
erin started teaching summer school and taking summer school classes
celebrated 10 year wedding anniversary (happy late anniversary to Roger & Pam and Bryan & Dena)
end of june -- summer school teaching is over
mike switched back to the club for his part time job -- needed extra time during the week for school
other than that -- things are good, oh and I am still in physical therapy for the back, and Natalyn had her ACL replaced -- so we are going to physical therapy together.
now looking forward to not teaching for a month and just concentrating on my own school work. . . . no big plans for the 4th -- Mike has the day off of school, so who knows what we may do. . . . .
hope everyone is well, will try to update more often (at least the thought is there right?)
love to all!
erin and mike

the coolest fieldtrip EVER!

Ok, so i decided about a month and a half ago to take my honor's bio kids on a field trip. We talked about it and they were willing to come in on a sat to go (it is the only way my district will allow fieldtrips that are not sports or ethnic club related to happen -- wouldn't want them to miss educational opportunities in school!!) Anyway, we went to southwest wildlife (click on the name to see) it was too cool!! It is a rehab place in NE scottsdale. The animals we were able to see are ones that they can not reintroduce into the wild. They do have about a 70% reintroduction rate, which is huge! And, while we were there the wolves, coyotes and dogs started howling. The workers call it a "touchdown" because it sounds like you are at a football game for about 30 seconds. If you click on the link above and have your sound on, you can hear an example.
It was too cool!!
everything else is great! mike has moved onto a new clinic, i can't remember what it is right now, and I started my master's (only 7 more weeks of the current classes)
Mike also got another job. he is working at a pet store in PV mall. He has sold 5 dogs in 6 or 7 days. He was told last night that he just surpased their best salesman. He really likes the job and gets to play with puppies the whole time he is there. Odin I think is a bit jealous when he comes home, but that is ok too :)
well, better go -- love to all -- and hey roger, some of that vacation time could be used to come a bit further south :) They repainted Jordan's, you won't even recognize the inside!!

new information

well, so we don't have a whole lot of information. working, going to school, blah, blah :)
Mike is in electrical class now -- still has a 4.0 :) pretty exciting!!!
I am staring my master's program officially on 3/20!! Exciting!!
other than that, just getting through day by day. Been to Colorado, which was fun, and had visitors from Utah, fun too -- got to go to faire as a patron (weird but fun) sorry for all the fun and exciting, gave AIMS tests today, and I am a little brain fried!!
now, at PC, working til 7, but i only have a few weeks left for that
One exciting bit is that I am going to New Mexico over Spring break for NEA training on membership -- i am looking forward to that!
well, better go!
love to all :)
erin

update, update, update

ok, so we haven't died or gone into the witness protection program or anything, just been a bit busy. Mike is now in the tires section of school, and still getting A's (100% on his last test). I am working 2 jobs (pc and metro tech) so I am a bit tired when I get home and don't even really want to look at a computer. :)
So, since we are so busy, we are pretty boring really. Staying home to be able to see each other when we are home.
glad to see all is well with everyone else. (we check blogs even if we don't comment)
well, better go . . love to all
erin and mike

So I posted one

So school at mmi is doing well. Just finish theory it wasn't that bad thank to all the hour spent in the garage and in the truck hunting and fishing with gramps. So thank you for all the knowledge about engines I know it seemed at times I wasn't paying attention but it got in to my head some how. Well got a 95% in theory 1 and a 90% in theory 2 so guess that it a 4.0 which people never thought they would here that from me but I owe it all to gramps ( I loved every minute we spend together I always learned more form you than anywhere else).
the next three weeks are wheels and suspension where I get to learn how to change motorcycle tires and lace the spokewheel (I am excited) then the three weeks after that I go in to precision measuring (not excited).
otherwise we are fine money's a a little tight but we manage. We traded in the van for a hyundai elantra cheaper car payment a little tight fit for me but the only time I really am in the car is to take Odin to the dogpark most of the time I just take my bike(motorcycle).

Mike & Erin

Happy new year and all that jazz

Happy New Year (as always I am running late!)
I know we haven't posted for a while, been really busy down here! Mike got a job as a bouncer at a dance club in Scottsdale, so this was the first new year's eve that we haven't been together at midnight :( oh, well, we both lived, so I guess all is well.
didn't hear from the Christmas 2 party, hope it was good, did you guys get the kringla??
I got a part time job working at Phoenix College in the cashiers office. I worked all this week, and when school starts back up next week, I will be here 3 nights a week. I am also starting my masters program (hopefully this spring, march maybe), I am getting it in Educational Technology. It is an on-line program through NAU and should take about a year, it should match up just about right with Mike's school :)
no, I am not trying to do too much, I am only going to have the part time job until I start school, or only through the end of this semester at the most.
Mike still really likes school, he has gotten A's on all of his tests so far. He has a big group project due next week, so I am sure this weekend, there will be people at the house working. After that he starts into the hands-on stuff. Should be good!!
Well, better go, love to all!!
erin and mike