Christmas Letter 2007

This year started out with us living in Newport, Oregon. We enjoyed a fabulous trip to Las Vegas in June for Jenn and Brian's wedding, Kay-Lynn's graduation and Brian's baptism. The hot desert sun was nice and Michelle really enjoyed swimming and getting a tan. Family reunions are the best!! Then we decided that it was time to expand our family and Michelle looked into getting pregnant. After many doctor appts., blood work, and ultrasounds, she finally got pregnant. The baby will be born around June 10, 2008. We don't know yet if it is a girl or a boy or even twins. As soon as we know, we will be spreading the news. We moved to Reno in October and are living in a small and cozy house. We decided on no more apartment living. We have a pretty quiet neighborhood and no one bothers us. Michelle can't wait until spring so she can plant flowers or even a garden in the yard.

Barry, 42, is working for the company CLP here in Reno. He does construction work like he did in Newport. He loves his red truck and we depend on it as Michelle's car exploded during our first trip to Reno. He loves to watch sports on TV and hang out with his brother Tony, who is staying with us. Tony is working for Amazon.com as a supervisor. He works many hours and we don't see him much. He also watches a lot of sports on TV. Barry lately has been watching all the Christmas movies on TV at night. It drives Tony crazy because he doesn't like to watch Christmas specials for hours at a time. Michelle loves it because it is not sports!!

Michelle, 36, works as a Kindergarten teacher at Robert Mitchell E.S. It keeps her very busy with lesson planning and teaching 25 wild kids. She enjoys updating her blog and sending family and friends e-mails and pictures. She is almost 4 months pregnant now. The morning sickness is still there but nothing too bad. She loves to eat ice cream at night and craves sweet and dill pickles. Her favorite dish to make is a relish tray with lots of yummy veggies and ranch dressing. She dreams that her baby is a girl, but knows not to get her hopes up. Even if it is a boy, he will be loved very much. But she really wants a little girl to play dress up with.

It is hard to be so far from our family and friends. We definately miss all of you and can't wait for next year to visit. We wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!!

I put some fun pictures of the past year to go with the letter. Enjoy!!

May 2007. Newport Bay had two of the ships used in "The Pirates of the Carribean" movies. It was fun to see the ships up close.

August 2007, Tony flying his kite on the beach in Newport. It's harder than it looks to get it up in the air. It was funny to watch.
Barry, hiding his adult beverage under his shirt.

Barry, next to the famous Reno sign.
September 2007, our first trip to Reno. Me trying to be funny for the picture.

Another view of the sign.

November 2007, Barry is cooking the side dishes.

Tony made us a delicious turkey and stuffing.

Two Lee brothers cooking away. They didn't want their pictures taken, but, I usually get my way.

My contribution to our Thanksgiving meal. Yummy veggie tray!!!

School Christmas Party for the teachers.

Barry and I went to a nice party for all the teachers at my school. We brought veggies trays and dips. The other teachers signed up for all kinds of side dishes and desserts. The social committee purchased the turkey and ham. There were about 30 people who came, 15 teachers and their spouses. We talked and ate and then played the present exchange. Barry and I brought two white elephant gifts from our house. We ended up with a calendar and body lotion and one of those singing fish that is mounted on a plaque. We had fun and the teacher's house was gorgeous. It had a three car garage, 4 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms. Also, a huge kitchen with an island and separate formal dining room, living room, and family room. They said it took them about 14 years to save up for the house. They only have one child and she is in high school. I only took a few pictures of the present exchange.

The family's tree at the house where the christmas party was held.

I brought the singing santa. It was pretty funny.
Another teacher opening up a gift. It was a candle in an apple jar.

3 month pregnant belly pictures.

OK, everyone wants to know what I look like at 3 months pregnant. Here are some photos of me by our little christmas tree and outside in the snow. No laughing!!


I look totally huge in this shirt. Usually, I can hold in my stomache better at school. Pretty soon I will have to start telling people that I'm pregnant. I'm too chicken to tell my principal first. One of these days I will have to break the news to her. Maybe after Christmas break and my doctor's appt.
I decorated the front porch and railing. Some of the decorations melted and the red dye stained the wood. Oops!! Barry said he would sand it or stain it in the spring. See the couple of inches of snow that we got?!


Me, freezing in the snow for more pics.Barry doesn't like his picture taken. I can usually talk him into playing along with me. Say, "snow"!!

Kids making Christmas gifts.

When I first started teaching here in Reno, I got to go to a free teacher store in a warehouse. Companies donate all kinds of things for teachers to use in their classrooms. I took carpet squares for the kids to sit on, free kids books, some stationary and boxes of glass jars. I knew that I could think of some kind of craft to use the jars for. My class cut or ripped tissue paper and glued it to the jars. I'm going to fill them up with candy and the kids get to take them home as a gift to their mom or dad or grandparents. I'm also giving each child a bookmark, an ornament and some homemade peanut butter cookies at their party this Thursday. They will also take home their paperchains, and santa pictures that they made with their hands. We also attempted to make snow flakes out of coffee filters but kindergartners get frustrated when they can't cut out little shapes and make a pretty snowflake. I always try this project and it is good for some of them to learn how to control the scissors and follow directions. My aide and I made plenty for the kids to take home and show their parents. I also ran out of time but wanted to take their pictures with reindeer antlers on and then make picture frames out of craft sticks and put a funny picture inside as another gift to give.
The kid's expressions crack me up. Some look totally happy and others look kind of sad or hide behind the jars.

The first snowfall in Reno.

Today it snowed for the first time this winter. It was so pretty to see all the white covering the ground. The kids at school were so excited and wanted to play in it. The snow only lasted a couple of hours and then it all melted. I ran outside and took a couple of pictures of the street and the school with the snow falling. I love that I have big windows in my classroom, so we could all look outside at the snow falling. We sang Christmas songs and made red and green paper chains today to decorate the classroom. I read a story about a snowy day and the kids loved it. I still have some problem children but I can see some changes and school is getting easier to teach. I have a new carpet for the kids to sit on and each child has a letter of their own. My class is earning a popcorn party. They have to be good during calendar and do their seat work and then I put marbles in a jar every day. I have tables labeled with shapes and each table gets points for good behavior. The table that has the most points wins a prize at the end of the week. I am trying more positive things to get the kids to behave. It also helps that I finally have all the teacher supplies that they ordered for me instead of always borrowing things from other teachers. I think that by January I will have everything organized, filed away, and unpacked and have a good behaving class. I remember my first year teaching kindergarten that by January things settled into a good routine and the kids learn so much from that point on to the end of the school year. My fingers are crossed!!!

Lunchtime recess. Most of the snow was melted already by 11:30 am.

Thanksgiving in Reno.

For Thanksgiving this year we are in Reno, NV. It is definately harder to be away from family during the holidays. Barry and Tony did all the cooking of the food and we had lots of leftovers. It was fun to eat good food and watch a fun football game together. I made the veggie tray and the yams with marshmallows, since those are my favorites. It was nice to have four days off from school. I loved looking at all the pictures on people's blogs showing their meals and families. I took pictures with Barry's regular camera. Mine was on the fritz again. I hope to save up money for a new digital camera for myself this Christmas. I will post pictures of our Thanksgiving soon. After I get them developed and a picture CD made too.

I've been tagged!!!

OK, I have been tagged by Erica. I think this is actually fun. You can learn alot about someone by what they choose to share with others.

1. I have a collection of DVD movies that have to stay in alphabetical order. If anyone wants to watch a movie they have to put it back in ABC order. I think my time in the library at UNLV made me this way. When Dad came over to stay with us in Newport, he would watch a DVD that he hasn't seen before and he didn't know about my rule. I showed him that the movies had to stay in order and he did it. I like to know what movies I have at a glance. Sometimes a new release movie comes out and Barry will say, "Do we have that movie yet?" And all I have to do is look over at the letter the movie starts with and say yes or no.

2. I hate, hate, hate, watching sports!!! Barry and Tony watch hours of baseball, football, racing, basketball, etc... I'm always out-voted 2-1 on what we watch together in the family room. Of course I could watch TV in my bedroom, or the kitchen, but the couch is more comfy in the living room. Sometimes Barry gives in to me and we watch other channels that we both agree on. Early in the morning I find Barry and Tony watching billards, darts, bowling, fishing, hunting, any kind of sport you can think of and ESPN is always on. Yuck!!!!

3. I like to do yard work now. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a cheap rake and some garbage bags. Today I raked all the leaves in our yard and I made 12 big piles of leaves. Barry helped me bag them all. I want to plant flowers and plants in the spring. It's different when you have a house, even a rented house. You can buy patio furniture and bird feeders and take care of a yard. I find it fun and good exercise. I get bored staying in the house all weekend. I need projects to do.

4. I love to eat guacamole flavored tortilla chips. I discovered them recently at the store and want to eat them all the time. The best part is that Barry and Tony hate anything with guacamole on it. So, the chips are all mine!!! Yes!!!

5. I like to fall asleep with my light on now that we have a new place to live. I like to feel warm and safe with the light on until I get really sleepy and then I turn it off. Barry doesn't understand why I don't feel safe with him there to protect me. I hear any sounds outside and I jump up and say, "Barry, go check it out. It might be a burgler." He does it to appease me. After awhile I probably won't do that anymore but where we used to live was so quiet and seemed safe in Newport. Now, we are in a bigger city with a train blaring its horn at night, helicopters circling overhead and police cars that race by at night.

6. I think that I am getting fat because I'm pregnant. I ask Barry if I look different and he says "no." Then I say, "yes I am." I can tell that my waist is increasing and I have to wear bigger pants. I think that I am showing now but he disagrees with me. The baby is only the size of a walnut now. I act like I am already five or six months pregnant with aches and pains and heartburn from eating a big meal. He always keeps me laughing and loves to tease me. I can do or say anything to him and not worry about how he will take it. He has been great so far and takes good care of me.

That's it for me. I'm going to tag six people now. I tag Aubrey, April, Ashley, Alanna, Kris and Jamie, and Rhiannon. I will post a note in your blog to let you know that you have been tagged. Mom, you will have to help Nan with hers.

Pics of my class and of the halloween party.

24 wild and crazy kids in my kindergarten class.

Another picture showing the kids at the pumpkin patch.

The front of Robert Mitchell E.S. My room is the 2nd and third set of windows to the right of the red door.

Another pic of my room from the outside.
The front of the school. You can see the name of the school above the windows.