Hellooooo~~
Been a long time huh?! Don't even know if anyone is following this blog anymore! :P
Anyway, a lot of updates for you:
- Wedding in less than 2 months!!! OH MY! YAY!! ^_^ I am so stressed right now, but I start break after this coming week and that means I'll have more time to get some organization and planning done!
Major blessing coming next week too!! I applied to take part in the 301 money (we have to do a few "extra" things...that honestly help with my teaching so I don't mind doing them!) and we get half of it before the holidays!! Which means I get some extra income for the wedding!!! :D This makes me so happy and a lot less worried about things. We should probably put it towards the Disneyland Honeymoon so we can reserve our room and such.
- Christmas is coming~!! We are going to spend the Eve with Ian's family and head to NM to see my family on Christmas and possibly stay an extra day. Need to call my mom today and finalize all that.
I decorated the little white tree I have and bought a few extra things to put around the house. Not much but I'll make an effort to hunt for deals on decor that we can use next year. It's a big house to decorate! :P
- Also on the house...we're pretty much moved in! I have a lot of things at John n Ashley's since I'm living there, but that will get moved out probably the last week in January or after the wedding. ;) It's going to be busy!! I am only taking the day before the wedding off from school. But, I've already had a few people suggest I take the week off. It's so much easier not to plan for a sub, tho! We'll see how January goes and I'll decide. I just don't have enough extra days off! I'm using them already with the wedding and honeymoon. I accrue days but enough for what I've already asked off by then. I think it'll work out~~~
- We hosted Thanksgiving at our house too! It was a blast and a little stressful. But our kitchen isn't quite set up enough for more than a few people cooking in there. We had almost 4 people trying to cook some dishes!! It was busy busy~~~The food was delicious!! Had a lot of leftovers even after we passed it out to send home. ;)
- I'm at home today...woke up stuffy and coughing yesterday so I decided to take it easy this weekend. I have another week of school so I wanted to fight this cold off before it got worse. Especially because I have too much to do during break!! Hope it works~~~keep praying for health for everyone during this season!♥
- Goal today: Clean up a bit (need to get my body moving!) and possibly work out. I'll do yoga since that's a little easier on my energy. I slept a lot yesterday and last night, so I should be okay on that but I don't wanna overdo it~
Have a wonderful day and week!♥
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
things to come
It's been even more busy since the last time I updated. I didn't know that was possible!! :P
We put in an offer on a house. It was everything we wanted! Perfect size, gorgeous kitchen, nice layout. Everything! But, it had 7 other offers...and sadly we didn't get the house. We recovered and went searching again last weekend. Found a house just as nice, with a different layout. It's two story, but we feel that with the houses being sold so fast, we have to keep options open (we were only looking at single story). It's a small size, but large enough for us. It's also in Rancho Sahuarita! They have some awesome amenities. :)
Also started teacher orientation last week. The kids come back the day after tomorrow!! :D I am so not ready, but pretty calm about it. I teach Special Ed resource so I won't be seeing the kids outside of the classroom until next week, sometime. That means I'll have time to get a schedule made and some lessons organized.
The classroom still needs work too. But I share the large room with three other teachers, so it was hard to set up without them all there. Finally had that chance today. :) It'll come together!
I moved closer to my work, staying with my friend Ashley and John. They have been wonderful and so helpful to me! It's gonna be a nice transition into the new home once Ian and I are married. Still unsure whether Ian or I will move into the house. He has an apt contract that he might not be able to change. But he just renewed it, so it might be easy. We'll see~~
I guess that's it for now. Getting adjusted to the early days. It's only 8pm and I want to go to bed! :P I might just go and read until 9. One final day to prepare for the kids!!! Meet and greet at school is tomorrow! Wish us luck~~~♥
We put in an offer on a house. It was everything we wanted! Perfect size, gorgeous kitchen, nice layout. Everything! But, it had 7 other offers...and sadly we didn't get the house. We recovered and went searching again last weekend. Found a house just as nice, with a different layout. It's two story, but we feel that with the houses being sold so fast, we have to keep options open (we were only looking at single story). It's a small size, but large enough for us. It's also in Rancho Sahuarita! They have some awesome amenities. :)
Also started teacher orientation last week. The kids come back the day after tomorrow!! :D I am so not ready, but pretty calm about it. I teach Special Ed resource so I won't be seeing the kids outside of the classroom until next week, sometime. That means I'll have time to get a schedule made and some lessons organized.
The classroom still needs work too. But I share the large room with three other teachers, so it was hard to set up without them all there. Finally had that chance today. :) It'll come together!
I moved closer to my work, staying with my friend Ashley and John. They have been wonderful and so helpful to me! It's gonna be a nice transition into the new home once Ian and I are married. Still unsure whether Ian or I will move into the house. He has an apt contract that he might not be able to change. But he just renewed it, so it might be easy. We'll see~~
I guess that's it for now. Getting adjusted to the early days. It's only 8pm and I want to go to bed! :P I might just go and read until 9. One final day to prepare for the kids!!! Meet and greet at school is tomorrow! Wish us luck~~~♥
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Back in the states~
I'm back in town! Have been since July 3rd, but I've been a busy bee~~~I have wedding and job stuff to take care of. Here's an update:
I made cake pops!! :PPPP They turned out better today than when I started them on Monday. Although, the next recipe I might try less cream cheese frosting just to save on those calories and sugar. They're very rich!
We want to use them for the wedding favors! So cute, right?! XDDD Here's the link for the recipe and a pic of my attempt:
CAKEPOP RECIPE
Also found my dress!!!!!! :DDD I bought it last week~~ Here's a link to the pic of me. That way if Ian wants to check out my recent posts, he won't see it. ^o^
DON'T CLICK THESE BB!
FRONT
BACK
Even went and figured out tuxes today! Found a store much better than David's Bridal! Guh they were charging me so much and I didn't like their styles for the vests. Word of advice: Go with the smaller rental shops, they'll charge less and take care of you~~much better customer service! And we haven't even dealt with the fitting...
Still working on bridesmaid dresses. I can't decide on styles/lengths. It's going to be February but Arizona is not that cold in winter and it's an indoor wedding. But, I'll just go with some of my girls and have them try a bunch on. XP One of them is requesting longer styles.
JOB! I HAVE A JOB!! I was offered the Spec Ed position at Continental Elementary School in Sahuarita/Green Valley area (South of Tucson) The only delay is on my end; I have to convert my teaching certificate. It just requires some letters and signatures from my two previous employers, though. It's hard to get a hold of everyone in Korea what with the time difference.
But, I have a job! Ian and I will start looking for houses out there sometime this month. We can get a great loan if we buy before October. I also would like to be out there by August mostly because I start teaching then. We'll see!
That's all for now. I'll probably change the name of this Blog since I'm no longer in Korea. :P we'll see...
Love ya!! <3
I made cake pops!! :PPPP They turned out better today than when I started them on Monday. Although, the next recipe I might try less cream cheese frosting just to save on those calories and sugar. They're very rich!
We want to use them for the wedding favors! So cute, right?! XDDD Here's the link for the recipe and a pic of my attempt:
CAKEPOP RECIPE
Also found my dress!!!!!! :DDD I bought it last week~~ Here's a link to the pic of me. That way if Ian wants to check out my recent posts, he won't see it. ^o^
DON'T CLICK THESE BB!
FRONT
BACK
Even went and figured out tuxes today! Found a store much better than David's Bridal! Guh they were charging me so much and I didn't like their styles for the vests. Word of advice: Go with the smaller rental shops, they'll charge less and take care of you~~much better customer service! And we haven't even dealt with the fitting...
Still working on bridesmaid dresses. I can't decide on styles/lengths. It's going to be February but Arizona is not that cold in winter and it's an indoor wedding. But, I'll just go with some of my girls and have them try a bunch on. XP One of them is requesting longer styles.
JOB! I HAVE A JOB!! I was offered the Spec Ed position at Continental Elementary School in Sahuarita/Green Valley area (South of Tucson) The only delay is on my end; I have to convert my teaching certificate. It just requires some letters and signatures from my two previous employers, though. It's hard to get a hold of everyone in Korea what with the time difference.
But, I have a job! Ian and I will start looking for houses out there sometime this month. We can get a great loan if we buy before October. I also would like to be out there by August mostly because I start teaching then. We'll see!
That's all for now. I'll probably change the name of this Blog since I'm no longer in Korea. :P we'll see...
Love ya!! <3
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Packing tips ^.^
I leave Korea in 9 days! This fact carries a ton of bittersweet feelings. I am very happy to be coming back home, closer to my loved ones. But, I'm sad that I have to leave the ones I've come to love over this past year: my kids, the friends, the food, this country. I have adapted well here and have enjoyed every good and not-so-great moment. It's taught me so much!
But, I digress. My experience can be told another time. :) I'm here to help those who might be in need of some packing ideas~~~
It's amazing the amount one can acquire in just 12 months. I think the amount of stuff I have doubled during this year. I had to send home 3 boxes. Okay, the first box was smaller because it mostly had the gifts I bought. But, today I brought 3 boxes to the post office. One large box contained clothes and 2 medium-small boxes had some books, cds and some clothes to protect everything. I was lucky to bring my co-teacher with me (She's amazing I tell ya! Always willing to help me!) and she explained that the guy in the box-packing room suggested I put it all into 1 giant box because it would be cheaper.
Turns out they measure the boxes by volume, not weight! So, keep that in mind when you think sending 4 little boxes is the way to go.
Anyway, he took everything out of the smaller boxes and wrapped it quick and nice~it only cost me 5,000won! that included the box, the wrapping and his work. :P
I went to the counter with my labels filled out (they want addresses, numbers, cost of items, and a general idea of what's inside) and sent them off! The cost for both large boxes was around $200. I event sent it by plane, which mean it won't take 2 months to arrive! yay~
Another thing I discovered the other day sending a box of gifts home: If you want insurance, it will cost you the amount the items inside the box cost. I averaged all my gifts to be almost $200! Sadly, I did not choose to add insurance to that box. The other boxes are just winter clothes and a bunch of notebooks and cds. Just keep that in mind when writing down the cost of items inside! It might help the keep the cost down, if you really want to use insurance.
Those were the major things I came across at the post office. Hope this helps! If you have questions, feel free to comment. I'll help in any way I can. The easiest way, honestly is to make sure someone who speaks both English and Korean is there to help. There's only so much that can be explained with your hands! :P
Take care~~~
But, I digress. My experience can be told another time. :) I'm here to help those who might be in need of some packing ideas~~~
It's amazing the amount one can acquire in just 12 months. I think the amount of stuff I have doubled during this year. I had to send home 3 boxes. Okay, the first box was smaller because it mostly had the gifts I bought. But, today I brought 3 boxes to the post office. One large box contained clothes and 2 medium-small boxes had some books, cds and some clothes to protect everything. I was lucky to bring my co-teacher with me (She's amazing I tell ya! Always willing to help me!) and she explained that the guy in the box-packing room suggested I put it all into 1 giant box because it would be cheaper.
Turns out they measure the boxes by volume, not weight! So, keep that in mind when you think sending 4 little boxes is the way to go.
Anyway, he took everything out of the smaller boxes and wrapped it quick and nice~it only cost me 5,000won! that included the box, the wrapping and his work. :P
I went to the counter with my labels filled out (they want addresses, numbers, cost of items, and a general idea of what's inside) and sent them off! The cost for both large boxes was around $200. I event sent it by plane, which mean it won't take 2 months to arrive! yay~
Another thing I discovered the other day sending a box of gifts home: If you want insurance, it will cost you the amount the items inside the box cost. I averaged all my gifts to be almost $200! Sadly, I did not choose to add insurance to that box. The other boxes are just winter clothes and a bunch of notebooks and cds. Just keep that in mind when writing down the cost of items inside! It might help the keep the cost down, if you really want to use insurance.
Those were the major things I came across at the post office. Hope this helps! If you have questions, feel free to comment. I'll help in any way I can. The easiest way, honestly is to make sure someone who speaks both English and Korean is there to help. There's only so much that can be explained with your hands! :P
Take care~~~
Monday, May 16, 2011
Down to the wire
So, I have less than two months left here in Korea. My contract is up July 2nd and they cannot renew me (although they do want to) due to money. The budget I'm under isn't giving them enough for the next semester.
BUT. That's ok! Ian and I moved our wedding to February 1st (or somewhere near that date) and have been looking at houses in Sahuarita.
Nothing is certain, but there are a number of schools in the area that I can apply to. I am in contact with one school (Continental) through email and the lady at HR has been very helpful. They seems to have teachers retiring so they have openings. I just finished the application and sent it to them today. They should get it tomorrow, seeing as it's the evening in AZ now.
I also applied with the Sahuarita School District, and they have many schools with positions I am qualified for. I think I uploaded my application for about 8 positions. Something is bound to come up, if that's where Ian and I are meant to be.
Of course, I am looking into TUSD. Of course I won't hold my breath because they are mostly hiring within the district.
I do have a connection in the Special Ed department, but I'm not sure what's available. Oh! I did get a phone call this morning from a school. They are looking for someone for their self-contained Autism class. It's on the South side, though. Not an ideal place, in my opinion.
I am also pretty set on Sahuarita. It's such a nice place and still close to Tucson, so I can see friends and family easily.
We'll see what comes up. Just keep praying it happens positively and with little confusion. It's really difficult to deal with this from miles across the sea. :P
The plan today after work: Groceries, and some gifts-for my wedding party and family. I need to start sending some packages home so I have less to travel with. There's a lot I've acquired during this year.
Hope to update another time, soon! Check my twitter and facebook for more current updates. :)
http://twitter.com/#!/musicsporty1
facebook.com/clairebear05
Love you all!! :D ♥~~~
BUT. That's ok! Ian and I moved our wedding to February 1st (or somewhere near that date) and have been looking at houses in Sahuarita.
Nothing is certain, but there are a number of schools in the area that I can apply to. I am in contact with one school (Continental) through email and the lady at HR has been very helpful. They seems to have teachers retiring so they have openings. I just finished the application and sent it to them today. They should get it tomorrow, seeing as it's the evening in AZ now.
I also applied with the Sahuarita School District, and they have many schools with positions I am qualified for. I think I uploaded my application for about 8 positions. Something is bound to come up, if that's where Ian and I are meant to be.
Of course, I am looking into TUSD. Of course I won't hold my breath because they are mostly hiring within the district.
I do have a connection in the Special Ed department, but I'm not sure what's available. Oh! I did get a phone call this morning from a school. They are looking for someone for their self-contained Autism class. It's on the South side, though. Not an ideal place, in my opinion.
I am also pretty set on Sahuarita. It's such a nice place and still close to Tucson, so I can see friends and family easily.
We'll see what comes up. Just keep praying it happens positively and with little confusion. It's really difficult to deal with this from miles across the sea. :P
The plan today after work: Groceries, and some gifts-for my wedding party and family. I need to start sending some packages home so I have less to travel with. There's a lot I've acquired during this year.
Hope to update another time, soon! Check my twitter and facebook for more current updates. :)
http://twitter.com/#!/musicsporty1
facebook.com/clairebear05
Love you all!! :D ♥~~~
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Dream come true~~
I'll post later about MT...BUT I HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET YUNHO AND CHANGMIN♥♥♥♥
Who are they you ask? (Since a lot of my friends seem to not know) They are 2 members from my all time favorite Kpop group, Dong Bang Shin Ki (TVXQ or DBSK). This group was the group to get me into Korean music, language, and culture. They are the cause for wanting to come here! :D No matter how indirect it may be, I do often think of them when I realize where I'm at now.
Anyway, on to the fansign!!! I rushed home after MT, showered and rushed out to get to the other side of Seoul by 4pm. My friend Krista and I both got in, so I was able to enjoy it with someone. We met by 4 and took a taxi over to the venue, got our tickets after some confusion (apparently they can't figure out what order to read the names in English), and ran off to grab a bite to eat.
The signing started at 6pm. We sat around for a bit kind of interacting with those around us (not many fans can speak English, or won't speak it) and freaking out as time came closer. We were asked to write our names on a post-it for them, but to write in Korean. Luckily I know how to do that! :)
The boys came out...looking gorgeous, as usual. Changmin had on a nice blazer, Yunho had a grey sweater over a button up shirt and a cute heart pin~! Yunho is my favorite, but Changmin is definitely more gorgeous than Yunho. Yunho comes across more handsome. Both looked fantastic though!
We were lined up almost immediately, being in the second row. I didn't have time to really process being there, but I probably would have just psyched myself up too much and been to excited. :P
Krista and I were babbling about how gorgeous Changmin was and how Yunho was going to be the chatty one, as always. His line was already starting to get longer (he takes time to talk to everyone and will listen to you)
Anyway, it was my turn. I was slightly surprised I didn't get a big reaction for being a foreigner but they are used to having foreign fans, I think. I walked up to Changmin, we both bowed and said hello, in Korean. He asked me another question in Korean...I'm pretty sure it was "Where are you from?" but my brain shut down at this point and I was prepared to only say hi and thank you. I responded in Korean "what?" then he asked me if I spoke Korean (Again, brain shut down and I knew I would be rushed so I was having trouble with simple sentences) I told him I know a little. He might have said something else, but I'm pretty sure that was it. He told me thank you, twice in Korean both formal versions and smiled. I replied in Korean and walked over to Yunho's line.
Freaking myself out even more by this time. I just attempted to have a conversation with Changmin and now I was going to be meeting Yunho! I was so nervous. I walked up to him, said hello. He looked at my name, read it slowly then realized it was an English name and repeated it with less of an accent. This is where I died. LOL It was adorable! He asked if I went to Inkigayo (they performed there just before the fansign, and won!!) I told him no. Again, I forget if there was anything else said here, mostly because I was distracted with watching him sign (he added a star next to his ^^ smiley face). He and I said thank you and I went back to my seat.
We stayed to watch the rest of the signing, mostly because it didn't seem like it would take too long to finish and we might not have been able to leave early anyway.
Few highlights from the event:
~Changmin was either resting his voice or getting sick, but he spoke so soft and quietly. It was really nice to listen to, though because it came out slightly lower than usual.
~Yunho was smiley and chatty, as expected. Hi line was getting so long!
~He was also distracted by a fan that had her young son there (he was maybe a year old~so cute!) Every time the baby would make noise, he would glance over and smile. *^_^*
~Two boy fans! But one was awesome cuz he asked Yunho to hit his hand and that made him dance. It was cool! Everyone cheered for him. :D He danced another time and walked off stage with the hugest grin ever.
~Boy fan got a shout out from them, and Yunho even pointed and gave a thumbs up to him at the end. Boy fan was on cloud nine after that! (pretty sure he was crying later~♥) It made my day just to see that. Yunho is awesome~~^^
~Yunho dropped his pen before everything started because he was twirling it in his fingers. :P
We had to wait to leave, because they wanted to get the boys out of there before the fans could get outside and follow them. I went home (took forever! ugh i was so tired from MT) and crashed. I'm sick this morning thanks to the limited amount of sleep I got this weekend. But it was all worth it. ^^
Who are they you ask? (Since a lot of my friends seem to not know) They are 2 members from my all time favorite Kpop group, Dong Bang Shin Ki (TVXQ or DBSK). This group was the group to get me into Korean music, language, and culture. They are the cause for wanting to come here! :D No matter how indirect it may be, I do often think of them when I realize where I'm at now.
Anyway, on to the fansign!!! I rushed home after MT, showered and rushed out to get to the other side of Seoul by 4pm. My friend Krista and I both got in, so I was able to enjoy it with someone. We met by 4 and took a taxi over to the venue, got our tickets after some confusion (apparently they can't figure out what order to read the names in English), and ran off to grab a bite to eat.
The signing started at 6pm. We sat around for a bit kind of interacting with those around us (not many fans can speak English, or won't speak it) and freaking out as time came closer. We were asked to write our names on a post-it for them, but to write in Korean. Luckily I know how to do that! :)
The boys came out...looking gorgeous, as usual. Changmin had on a nice blazer, Yunho had a grey sweater over a button up shirt and a cute heart pin~! Yunho is my favorite, but Changmin is definitely more gorgeous than Yunho. Yunho comes across more handsome. Both looked fantastic though!
We were lined up almost immediately, being in the second row. I didn't have time to really process being there, but I probably would have just psyched myself up too much and been to excited. :P
Krista and I were babbling about how gorgeous Changmin was and how Yunho was going to be the chatty one, as always. His line was already starting to get longer (he takes time to talk to everyone and will listen to you)
Anyway, it was my turn. I was slightly surprised I didn't get a big reaction for being a foreigner but they are used to having foreign fans, I think. I walked up to Changmin, we both bowed and said hello, in Korean. He asked me another question in Korean...I'm pretty sure it was "Where are you from?" but my brain shut down at this point and I was prepared to only say hi and thank you. I responded in Korean "what?" then he asked me if I spoke Korean (Again, brain shut down and I knew I would be rushed so I was having trouble with simple sentences) I told him I know a little. He might have said something else, but I'm pretty sure that was it. He told me thank you, twice in Korean both formal versions and smiled. I replied in Korean and walked over to Yunho's line.
Freaking myself out even more by this time. I just attempted to have a conversation with Changmin and now I was going to be meeting Yunho! I was so nervous. I walked up to him, said hello. He looked at my name, read it slowly then realized it was an English name and repeated it with less of an accent. This is where I died. LOL It was adorable! He asked if I went to Inkigayo (they performed there just before the fansign, and won!!) I told him no. Again, I forget if there was anything else said here, mostly because I was distracted with watching him sign (he added a star next to his ^^ smiley face). He and I said thank you and I went back to my seat.
We stayed to watch the rest of the signing, mostly because it didn't seem like it would take too long to finish and we might not have been able to leave early anyway.
Few highlights from the event:
~Changmin was either resting his voice or getting sick, but he spoke so soft and quietly. It was really nice to listen to, though because it came out slightly lower than usual.
~Yunho was smiley and chatty, as expected. Hi line was getting so long!
~He was also distracted by a fan that had her young son there (he was maybe a year old~so cute!) Every time the baby would make noise, he would glance over and smile. *^_^*
~Two boy fans! But one was awesome cuz he asked Yunho to hit his hand and that made him dance. It was cool! Everyone cheered for him. :D He danced another time and walked off stage with the hugest grin ever.
~Boy fan got a shout out from them, and Yunho even pointed and gave a thumbs up to him at the end. Boy fan was on cloud nine after that! (pretty sure he was crying later~♥) It made my day just to see that. Yunho is awesome~~^^
~Yunho dropped his pen before everything started because he was twirling it in his fingers. :P
We had to wait to leave, because they wanted to get the boys out of there before the fans could get outside and follow them. I went home (took forever! ugh i was so tired from MT) and crashed. I'm sick this morning thanks to the limited amount of sleep I got this weekend. But it was all worth it. ^^
Friday, March 25, 2011
Small update, sorry it's so short!
Hey all~~~ I don't have a lot of time right now. I have to meet the Salsa club at 3pm for the MT (Membership training AKA "party time") ^_^ Basically, it's a chance for those involved in the club to get together and have a nice weekend. On the agenda: Soccer or Kickball, FOOD, dancing (of course!), maybe some karaoke, more food and hanging out. All from Sat evening until Sunday afternoon-ish. It's gonna be fun! and tiring...I woke up this morning with a terrible sore throat so I hope I'll be okay. I would cancel, but already paid the money and am super excited to go~~~ I'll just make sure I sneak to bed as early as possible? :P Which will be hard with all the exciting things going on. I can probably nap tomorrow once I get back home.
More things to update on but I only have ten minutes before I should head out. Have a wonderful weekend, I'll try to update soon!!♥
More things to update on but I only have ten minutes before I should head out. Have a wonderful weekend, I'll try to update soon!!♥
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