1200 E. 600 S. to 1700 W. 1700 N. in 15 minutes

I drive to Northwest middle school 3 times a week for my 9 hours of observation for student teaching.  I have to drive from the east bench of SLC through the city, take I80 to 1700 W. then drive on that road for several miles to get to the school.  There are many, many stoplights along the way.  It usually takes 25-30 minutes to commute there.  Today, I didn't hit a red light!  None, nada, nill, zip, zero!  I was able to get there in 15 minutes.  I am shocked!  It will probably never happen again, but the fact that it did happen, makes my day.  Even driving back I only hit 3 red lights.  I love that SLC has properly timed lights.

Learning Experiences

It is interesting how much I am learning in the 9 hours per week I spend at the school.  I already have a good working relationship with the principle, secretary, librarian, and my site teacher.  It is nice to know that I am able to work with the people that are in power at the school. 

I am learning more about what I will be teaching come January and I am surprised that I am starting to get really nervous about it!  Yeah, me!  The girl that has planned on teaching since I can remember.  The girl that was a tutor all through school.  I am nervous! 

The section that I am going to be teaching within the curriculum is the Physical Science portion.  This has a lot to do with science as well as math.  There are some students that don't know how to multiply so I am now trying to think of ways to teach math concepts while teaching physics.  I am glad that I get to practice this portion.  I think that the rest of the sections in the curriculum is easier so it is nice that I will have this one all planned out and practiced before I become a teacher. 

I need to talk to an elementary math teacher to see the strategies that they use.  I think that might be the best way because it is SIMPLE algebra that these students are expected to do.  I might have to buy a textbook to learn strategies.  I am bound and determined that I will be a good teacher. 

He Passed!!!

Endrit passed with flying colors! I thought that I would share.

Deidra's Legacy Creations

My Mom started a business with a quilt shop.  She is hoping to get it up and running by word of mouth at this point.  I am trying to help with that part of the process.  She has several quilt tops that are already made and one quilt that is completely done.  She is an amazing seamstress!  She has a talent with making beautiful things out of fabric.  So, here is the LINK to her new blog.  I hope that you enjoy!

Endrit

Endrit has his pre-oral examination tomorrow.  It is one of those you either pass, or you get kicked out of the program.  We know that he will do great on it, but extra prayers/positive energies sent his way tomorrow would be appreciated. His exam is at 3:00 pm MST.

Postcards

I have a friend that her son is starting his post card collection.  Here is a LINK to her request to have people from around the country/world send him a postcard.  I will be sending him one from SLC.  I thought that I would share this.  You can say that I referred you, or not.

Winco

Endrit and I's favorite grocery store when we lived in Pocatello was Winco.  It was cheap and had sour patch kids by bulk for not much money.  I loved Winco.  Well, Winco is now in SLC.  We went to it on Wednesday night and got some sour patch kids and other things.  It is new so it is better than the one in Pocatello.  But, it still has all of the same great deals that it is known for.  It was awesome!  It isn't even that far away.

MUSE!!

I got a nice code to get tickets to an upcoming Muse concert before the official ticket sale date and I went out on a limb and asked Endrit if we could head to Vegas in December and go to a concert.  WE ARE GOING!!!  The tickets are bought, the hotel is booked and I am so excited I could pee my pants!  It is my Birthday, Christmas, New Years, and Anniversary present.This is the first large concert that I have ever been to (other than the Jonas Brothers at stadium of fire, but that is different).  I got tickets right in front of the stage.  It wasn't a week ago that I told Endrit that if Muse came near SLC I would love to go.  They just scheduled this and I found out about it today.  :)

Man this is a great day!

I am a teacher

For some reason my site teacher decided that I would start taking over her class now rather than in January.  It is more like team teaching rather than just me teaching, but still I get there not knowing anything about the lesson and then she hands over the reigns second period and I am pretty much on my own.  It is crazy.  Today I find myself knowing that teaching is what I do.  I love being in front of the class.  I love to be able to teach science.  There are problem students.  There always is.  I had a few students test my strength as an authority figure today.  I am happy to say I didn't get walked all over.  I may be small.  The 2 boys that I really had to reign in behavior issues were much bigger and taller than me.  I love that I am not intimidated by stature at all.  One kid was out in the commons area on a computer and I went to get everyone back into the classroom and he got right up in my face and I just stood there and told him that I was the teacher.  What a first day!  I am proud of myself. I have been worried about behavioral issues, but even as the rumor of Ms. Frison's substitute teacher trickled down the hallways, I was not going to be used like a substitute. 

The school that I will be student teaching at has 75% minority students.  The largest number of white students in a class is 4 out of 25-30.  Most are of Mexican descent with a few African Americans, and Samoans. I am the little white female teacher.  You do the math as to why I had so many confrontations; but I love it.  I love the students already.  I am beginning to remember names.  There are some students that I will have to work on with being openly belligerent against science, but all in all, not too bad.

I had to take my picture for the yearbook as well as for my official student teacher id card.  Not something that I was expecting, but it is nice that I will be in the yearbook.  I might have to buy it just because.  I am now known as Mrs. Rachel and I am happy to be a teacher.  It is nice to get into a classroom and know that you made the right career choice.

Reasons

Okay.  I have been thinking about all of the things that I have been able to learn while I have been married without having or trying for children.

For one, I found my peeps online that keep me sane.  I love my message board friends that keep me off the ledge and let me vent without making me feel like I was doing everything wrong.  They are just there for me and I am able to be there for them.  I love you ladies.  If I had a child or children now I don't think that I would have met you.

I never would have had the horrid experiences with hormonal birth control and found out the wonders of fertility awareness.  After 2 years of absolute freedom I am thoroughly convinced that there is no other way to limit or space children.  I know more about how my body works than almost any woman I know.  A specific thanks to Shawna for being patient with me and helping me see the light.

I have been able to do research on what I want with children.  How I will be a mother.  How I will approach the joys of motherhood.  There are so many options out there!  I am able to be a scientist about things and it may seem like overkill for some people, but it is who I am; and it is who Endrit is.

Endrit and I have been able to communicate for longer than 9 months what are expectations of each other are in a million different situations.  We have talked about names.  We have talked about not finding out the sex of our children until the birth.  We have talked about what his role will be when I deliver a child.  We talked about almost everything when it comes to childbirth.  I am lucky to have a husband that is willing to talk about these things so we can work out issues before we have a child so that we will know expectations that can be tweaked when they don't work because expectations are already there to begin with.

I have been able to learn about birthing options.  From water births to hypnobabies I have learned what is out there.  From the pros and cons of home births, birthing center births and hospital births I have learned what I would prefer for my experiences.  I have learned what a doula is.  I have researched costs of birthing options.

I have been able to get my degree.  That is more important to me than one might think.  I have been wanting a university degree since I can remember.  It has been my goal in my academic life.  I am excited to know that if anything happened to Endrit I could step in and support my family. All of the things that I do are for my current and future family.  It may not seem like that to the outside world, but to me the things that I do are paramount.

I am not pregnant nor are we trying for a child, but we are able to say that we will be ready when the time comes.  This is good.  There have been lots of cultural differences that have come into play when we talk about things that have needed worked out.  I am grateful that we are being lead by Heavenly Father.  It is like our engagement.  It was long, but I wouldn't have changed anything in the world after how ready I was to get married.  I feel that it is getting to the point that we are ready.  It is a peaceful feeling.

Resurrection

I feel that I am finally coming into the land of the living.  It has taken a week and a half to be able to get this far, but as I start to try and eat normal foods again, I think that slowly but surely I am getting better.  I can't eat much at a time.  It starts to hurt after about 10 bites, but it is now solid food.  For this I am grateful.  Endrit is a sweetheart like always.  I go back to the doctor the end of next week.  And then starting this Thursday life begins to be normal again.  Am I ready for it yet?  Maybe one more nap today then I will be.

Update

So, I was told that I haven't updated my blog after removing my tonsils, so here is an update.

I don't feel too well.  I am healing.  I am feeling better than I have the last few days.  I am still generously taking my painkillers.  I have to or else I can't swallow.  We will see how everything turns out in a week or so. 

Going to the OR Tomorrow

I don't think that I will be in the mood to post this tomorrow before or after my surgery. I go into the hospital tomorrow at 7:30 and should be in the OR by 8:30 in the morning.  Endrit and I went out today and bought me some Gatorade, yogurt, popsicles and other soft things for me to eat/drink after surgery.  Please send prayers/positive energy to me so that surgery will go well and that I will have a speedy recovery.  I know that it will be fine, but with my schooling requirements I can't be out for too long.