Manhattan and Wichita and snow, oh my!

Well now that I have a few days on my hands I thought I Would update this poor neglected blog. It hasn't been updated for a few reasons:

*my new (they are not so new now!) class is very emotionally needy and it took me a while to get into the swing of things with them. We are better now although I think it is because I am more mentally prepared each morning when I walk into the building. Also, I have amazing coworkers and that helps a ton!

*todd got a new job in a new city. So we had to find a place for him to live during the week, not to mention simply adjust to spending the weeks apart. So far, so good. It's not ideal, but it's working out okay. And he really enjoys his new job so that makes everything worth it in my book!

So what else have we been up to?

Hitting up local craft shows with the girls!

Getting to know Wichita, including our new doggie friends. Yes, we now have doggie friends. Todd is glad we are their friends and NOT their owners!

We also have gotten into the Christmas spirit by checking out the local Christmas lights.

It snowed last night so we are just enjoying being in our warm cozy apartment together with no real plans for the next four days!

Merry Christmas!

August/September Goings-On

Whew! These last few months have been a complete and utter whirlwind, with a few carefully placed moments of peace.

Todd and I were just called to be temple workers. For my non-LDS friends, this means we drive up to our nearest temple (kinda like a super special chapel, only open to members of our Church) and volunteer. We greet people, we smile a lot, we direct indoor traffic, we talk to lots of old people :) It's a lot of fun, and we do it from 6 am-4 pm. Why? Because we were asked to, and because we believe in the principles of service and sacrifice.

When we got the call, we were really overwhelmed. School was starting, our income was about to be sliced in half, student loans deferment periods were over, Todd was asked to teach Sunday School in addition to being a Webelos leader, my Primary calling was still demanding (Primary Program anyone?), we are still baby-less with no solution to that in the near future. So yeah. But we said yes, and we've gone 3 times, and it's been an absolute blessing. I always knew I wanted to be a temple worker, and now I just think that maybe life will turn out so that I can't do it when I'm older (volunteers are typically older people with more flexible schedules). So, maybe the opportunity is now!

The LDS temple in north KC, off of I-435 and Shoal Creek Parkway.

Speaking of school, it has started, and we've been going strong for a few weeks. My class this year is much more challenging, much more immature, much lower. But they will grow a lot this year :) Work continues to be more demanding as we move to Common Core and a super lame evaluation system. Honestly, I don't know if I can teach forever. It's sad, but teaching is no longer just teaching. I am anti-meeting, and so I just don't know if I'm cut out for a job that requires data meetings, intervention meetings, committee meetings, PLC meetings, goal-setting conferences, and planning meetings in addition to learning labs, grading, professional development, observations, planning for DAILY TEACHING, and oh yeah, meeting the social/emotional needs of 25 kids. All of these "methods" designed to make us better teachers are just making me exhausted. One of my friends asked how I did it all (I firmly believe in leaving work at work in order to have balance in my life), and I told her there are things that just don't get done. I don't grade every paper, I don't organize my desk, I don't read my chapters in between PLC's (I can handle short articles), I don't put every paper up on the wall, and I tell myself I do whatever I can so that I don't have to take it home. And somehow it works. Oh, and I pray that I can keep my life balanced!

In other news, all of this busy-ness has helped us really appreciate the small moments Todd and I have together. This summer was beautiful, and not super hot, and so we got a few hikes in at the Konza Prairie.

For the last three weeks, it's been unbearably hot. Did I mention the a/c doesn't work great in my classroom. I've been a sweaty mess at work (maybe that is contributing to my grouchiness when I get home!). Fortunately, the weather has been beautiful the last two days, and I'm hoping the trend continues. We even got outside for some tennis this morning, and then took a quick walk after that...where I discovered I can do a grand total of 0 pullups. Yep.

We really love our quiet Sunday afternoons, and we now more fully appreciate any moment that isn't spent on the "have-to's"!

Forever Families

Tonight Todd and I spoke for a few minutes with our families. Me, with my Mom on speakerphone (and Dad listening in the background), and Todd with his Mom on Skype.

I'm so grateful for our parents, and for their continued love and support, and for the legacy of faith they are leaving for their children. I think they are like us, they thought life would maybe turn out a little differently than it did, but regardless of trials and hardships, they face the future with hope.

I'm grateful we have parents we can turn to for prayers, for advice, and for a listening ear.

I am grateful for my testimony that families are forever, that these bonds we forge here on earth don't have to end here...they will only be strengthened. I don't have the words to convey the peace I feel in this gospel principle, but Todd and I have been so blessed to truly have been born into forever families.

Transition

I used to think that transitions in life happened for a set time AT a set time. In fact, that's what I teach in school every day, especially at the beginning of the year. "Okay, we're going to put our folders away and get out our silent reading books. GO! 10...9...8.." For me, those are what the bulk of my transitions look like.

I thought our transition to Manhattan would be similar. Move, begin new jobs, begin happy new life here. HA! I should know better than to tell Heavenly Father how life should go, right?

Soon after moving here, we felt something was not right. Not with Manhattan, but with one aspect (and I am purposely being vague here because this blog IS public, but if you know me, you already know what it is).  This happy transition quickly started to turn into, "What do we did do?" "Did we make the wrong choice?" "Did we receive spiritual confirmation before WE decided?" After several months, it became, "How do we get out of this?" "What are we supposed to learn?" "Is this where Heavenly Father wants us to be?" Throw in student loans, a stressful new calling, infertility (you've heard all this), and we had one monster of a burden on our minds.

And so we've been in transition for many months. We knew we needed to change, but sometimes it takes an incredible act of courage to leave something wrong, EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW IT IS BEST. Even making that leap is incredibly scary. Even as we have hoped and prayed that this transition would be quick, it is not happening as quickly as we would like. There is still a fair amount of trepidation and worry about the future. We still have the student loans and the infertility.

But today, we make the leap. And even though I am really excited and happy, we are still hoping and praying (and fasting and praying and studying, as we've been doing for MONTHS) that Heavenly Father has something better in store for us. And we are fighting against an incredible amount of self-doubt and fear, and employing every bit of faith we've got in us.

Gratitude helps. Gratitude for healthy bodies, REALLY old cars that keep ticking. Money in savings, just in case. My job (thank heavens I am employable and have health insurance). Good friends. Opportunities to serve. Confirmations from heaven that yes, He is aware of us and Just hang on! Families that we can call when we need comfort from people that have known us a really long time (and no small thanks to Skype either). Brothers getting married, brothers on missions.

And most of all, for a marriage that has been strengthened this year. We often discuss how we could never survive burdens like these on our own, how having your best friend to come home to makes a world of difference. Our marriage has transitioned over time, but only to become more strong. I think of that object lesson about one branch being easily broken, but you bind it together with more, and it's harder to break. I like to think we are that way :)

So, going back to transitions, I think that they will never go away. I can only hope that we continue to transition into the kind of people that Heavenly Father knows we can be. We have even started to laugh at our burdens because, I mean, what else can you do?  (We also laugh at the hope that our next burden will be what to do with a million dollars). We know we are meant to become more than bitter, angry people upset at God for what He has placed on us. We know Him better than that.

So, here we go!

Manhattan 1 Year Mark

When the Thomasons live anywhere for one year, it's a big accomplishment. Topeka was our record at four years, but still, one year is something to celebrate. I just wanted to quickly recap our year:

July 2012

We moved into apartment 7, on 7/7, for our 7th move. We became grownups and bought a couch, and upgraded to a 2-bedroom...which we really have to use for storage because we lack a lot of storage space. However, we love our fireplace, and the fact we don't have many neighbors (the model is across from us, so no one lives there). The washing machine is now in our building. Cha-ching!

We drove to the East Coast to eat crabs, swim in the ocean, and see my side of the family in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

August 2012

I started school, and we attended our first K-State Wildcats game. We are a fan of both my new school AND the Cats!

September 2012

I love my kiddoes and I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief...this year will NOT be like last year!

October 2012

Somehow my awesome coworkers convince me to dress up with them for Halloween. We are superheroes, and pretty much the coolest third grade teachers ever!

November 2012

We headed down to Wichita to visit our friends for Thanksgiving. They give us some super awesome nuts that we gobble up. Yep, that's what I remember from November :) Probably because I get called as Primary President and I spend the entire month overwhelmed and terrified!

December 2012

It snows! We get a day off of school right before winter break. Christmas was wonderful and low key. We roast marshmallows in the fireplace, and check out the light displays. Christmas Eve is one of the best I can remember (minus Todd having to work that day).

January 2013

I remember how miserable I was in January last year. This year, the kids are super wonderful when they come back. I pinch myself...nope, things are still this good!

February 2013

It's theme week at school, and again, somehow I'm convinced to participate (can you sense a pattern here...I am NOT a costume person!)

I have a birthday, get my hair did, and spend the day in T-town. Todd spoils me again.

March 2013

Head to PA for a little girls weekend!

We ended up sneaking down to see another one of the girls, my Granny Ross. Love her!

April 2013

My friends makes us look super pretty in our pictures. We feel blessed. Even if it's just us two from here on out, I still love our little family. We are healthy, and happy, and THAT is what matters.

We head to Wamego for the Tulip Festival. No tulips, but we did find Toto's Tacoz! Love the land of Oz!

May 2013

School ends, but not before I find myself looking ridiculous in the newspaper. You know you are a teacher on a field trip when you are decked out in comfortable clothes, carrying a backpack, holding a camera, and rolling a third grader in a tube, simultaneously.

We have Field Day, and then it's over :( Many of these kids will PCS out of Kansas this summer. Sad face!

Todd and I celebrate 7 years of marriage. Time flies when you're having fun!

June 2013

Todd and I take a much needed vacay to San Diego and Vegas. I get my fill of Jamba and Cafe Rio (okay, you can never fill up on those!) 

Then, my family comes to visit me! We make weird faces in pictures, it's what we do.

July 2013

We head to Junction City to celebrate this wonderful country we live in. I am thankful that I get to be part of the lives of our servicemember's children. We head to Topeka and watch our friends blow stuff up. Life is good!

 Happy 1-Year Anniversary, Manhappiness!

Las Vegas-Last Day :(

On our last day in Vegas, we took things pretty easy. After we dropped Jeff at the airport, we had a few hours (which turned out to be too many hours, but I won't document the next 24 hours of delayed/missed flights here!). We had already had Cafe Rio for lunch (for the 2nd time in LV), and I just wanted to bag up a crate of that barbacoa pork to take home with me! They do it so well!

We also found a Jamba Juice and hit them up one more time before we headed back to a place with no Jamba or Cafe Rio (someday??maybe??)

Also, you can see a little peeky of our rental car. We drove Hyundai Sonatas in both San Diego and Las Vegas. It was so funny watching us trying to figure out how all of that fancy schmancy stuff worked...we had a difficult time with the cruise control, controlling our Ipod, etc.  But, we loved it all once we figured it out, and enjoyed our free XM radio, a car that runs quietly, etc. This car has more get up and go than we're used to, so we had some funny accelerations. Our Sonata in Las Vegas was a hybrid, and we didn't like it as much, but it ran so quietly on battery power, we couldn't tell it was on!

Other things I will miss about our trip: access to Cheesecake Factory, Ross stores, Downeast clothing, not having to make my bed, the extended Thomason family, the awesome huge shower at Club 36 in Vegas (our hotel), riding the roller coaster at New York, New York and playing skeeball, the Bellagio water show, seeing the ocean, time off with Todd...what a fabulous trip!

Las Vegas-Tuacahn

One of the things I always wanted to do in Utah was go to Tuacahn, but it just never worked out. We decided to do it this trip, but we hit a snag on our first attempt...we forgot the time difference! Luckily, we realized this only 20 minutes outside of Las Vegas (because I happened to glance at the arrival time on our GPS). Luckily, we were able to switch to the same show on a different night...and left an hour earlier!

Anyway, Tuacahn is an outdoor amphitheater. It is GORGEOUS! What an amazing setting for an outdoor play! The breeze was running through the canyon (which helped because it was really hot!) and since most of the crowd was LDS, it was such a different atmosphere from Las Vegas. We really enjoyed the trip, and I wish I lived closer so I could get season tickets!

We went and saw Mary Poppins. The cast did a great job, and my favorite song was "Step in Time" complete with fireworks above the red rocks!

Las Vegas-M&M World, Coca-Cola Store, Gordon Ramsay steak, Zarkana

One of our trips along the strip, we stopped into M&M's Word. They had all kinds of things related to the brand...pretty much anything you could put an M on, they did! I was hungry for some M&M's, but didn't want to pay extra just because we were in Vegas. Todd did like the Rocky M&M!

We also went into the Coke store, which was tons of fun too. I ended up getting 2 shirts, and as we got in line for refreshment, we found that they had an option where you could try 14 different Coke products from around the world. For me, the winners were from China (they seem to like the sweeter flavors...as do I), and the loser was this nasty, nasty flavor from Italy. We were expecting Italy to be yummy, but MAN! We were all gagging!

Later, that evening, we headed out from some dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Steakhouse. We are not high rollers, so I had never really experience anything like that (other than in Brazil), and I felt a little out of my element! But it was a fun experience, and we got to try his famous Beef Wellington. It was all really good (man, even the carrots were good!) I'll never be able to pay that price for food again, but when in Vegas...

We also saw a Cirque show called Zarkana that was really great (other than the fact I got the time wrong and we were a few minutes late and had to crawl over a million people....sorry peeps!) I LOVE live theater, so I thought it was fantastic, and so acrobatic, as these shows are. I loved the costumes, the makeup, the music, the digital effects...so fun!