October and November

It has been forever! Not much has happened in the past couple of months. Here are the highlights: Phoenix Zoo ( we love zoos!), visiting the fun and fabulous Hansen family, visiting my family in California (Welcome Oli!), Halloween, Cub Scouts, etc. I do have another calling to add on to being the Webelos Den Leader. I now teach the Valiant 10 class on Sunday. It is so much fun! The kids in our ward's primary are awesome! I've had a fun time subbing, and now it will be better with being a permanent sub. Here are some pictures from the fun times that we've had the past couple of weeks. They describe everything better than I do in words!

With the HUGE giraffe... this one's for Kajsa! Me in front of the nice lake. It was so hot that day, we just spend most of the time in the shade!
Over at Erin's place for dinner.
Rick and I with CUTE Cole. He is the funniest little baby!




Rick and Cole... such a cute picture! Cole is so darling, especially with his mouth and tongue like that! :)
AND NOW.... Family Pictures!


Trying to talk to Casey about something... is he listening? I don't think so!
Rick and I... really cute picture of the two of us. :)
Carpenter Family... complete with Rick, Casey and Oli.

The family again... cool view.
Russ, crazy Casey, adorable Oliver, and of course, beautiful Bethany.. yes, she just had a baby a few days before this and she looks amazing!
Another one of the family... looks pretty cool.Family again... different view. And the last one....

Trying to figure out which one we like the most. So, I have started exercising! YAY! I love it! And I am doing Weight Watchers so that I can do better with losing some weight. Hooray! I don't have work tomorrow!

June San Diego Adventure Trip!

I realized that I never put on the blog about our adventures in San Diego. So, here goes. We got married on Saturday and then we went to church on Sunday (of course, everyone in our new ward was like, "why are you guys here?" It's okay though because I told them that it was Rick's fault.

We left on Monday morning to drive to San Diego. Our friend, Traci, got us two days in her timeshare, which was really nice, especially the pricing of it. We figured since Rick only had about two weeks off of school, and one week off of work, that we would do a quick little honeymoon, and then we he's graduated go somewhere else.... (like New York, where he served his mission) or to Disneyworld, because we think that it sounds like fun.

So the trip from Phoenix to San Diego was about 6 hours, and it was soooo boring! I was seriously bored out of my mind. We made it to San Diego, that night we went to Hard Rock Cafe. It was so much fun, even if it was a little bit loud. I got steak, and it was one of the best steaks I've ever had before. Of course, we both got sick from the food and traveling all day.

Then on Tuesday, we got up early and drove to the San Diego Zoo. The place where we were staying was downtown San Diego, and it was super-close to Balboa Park. The zoo was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed it. We used some coupons, and Rick's uncle's gift to us (cash). After the zoo, we walked downtown for a bit, and decided to see a movie. We saw "The Incredible Hulk", stopped by a bookstore in the mall there, read for a little bit, then walked over to Friday's. I love Friday's restaurant, and Rick absolutely loved their ribs. It was a really good dinner. Then we walked back to our hotel, and stayed inside for the rest of the night.On Wednesday, we went to La Jolla on the way up to Rancho for the upcoming reception on Friday. I remember going to soccer tournaments when I was younger, and in between games a few of us would go to this cave store. You would walk down these steps to this beautiful type ocean cave. Well, I was on a quest to find it, and we did. It didn't have all the beautiful sea shells like it used to, but we decided to walk down and saw the cave. The cave was gorgeous. Here are some pictures that we took. (Yes, I know that we are wearing matching shirts. They were part of a gift from some friends)
We then travelled up to Rancho, stayed in a hotel for a few nights over there, and then came back to Phoenix and life. Rick graduates in March, so we've been trying to save our money to go on a trip to DC and New York. We would fly out to Washington DC, spend a little bit of time with my sister, Sarah, and then go up to New York. I think that it would be a lot of fun, and Rick and I really wanted to go. Well, Rick approached me earlier today and said, "You know what would also be fun? Disney World!" And I completely agree. Oh well, we'll see where we can go in March.

Ramblings of the Week

So, I love the fall season. It is finally starting to get a little bit cooler here in Phoenix (so it's in the 90 degree range right now). I am optimistic about life and school. I am really tired and stressed with all of the school drama that is going on, but I am happy with my classes and the other more important part of my life ---my family and Rick. My parents got a new German Shepherd puppy and she is the cutest little thing in the entire world. I love the little thing! Here is her picture.
Her name is Kim.I can't wait to go to Rancho in a month to meet her! My sister is also expecting a baby, so of course, we're excited about that too. Now, I was excited about just one dog... My brother Aaron, just got a new puppy too. His name is Strider (yes, from Lord of the Rings). He is absolutely cute too. Here is his picture:



Here is his cute little picture. Isn't he the cutest little furball. While I am writing about cute things, here are a few more of my favorite cute things.

Rick, my hubby:
Here is one of my nephew when he was little and still really, really cute. I love the kid a ton!




There are other things that I enjoy besides Casey, Rick and the puppies. I love reading and talking on the phone to friends. I love sending pieces of flair on facebook. I love teasing my good friends and hanging out with them. And other random, random things that make me happy. I've decided that Cub Scouts are alright, once you rein them in and lay the smackdown. I am so excited for this upcoming weekend. For some reason, I am super-excited about it, and I am not exactly sure why. I hope that everyone has a good weekend and talk to you later!

Wake me up when September ends....

I know, I know. It's only the first week of September, but I am so looking forward to our district's Fall Break in October. Woo-hoo! The past couple of weeks have been really busy. Me with starting up school, and Rick finishing his finals. But, we made it through! We're both a little annoyed at the moment. So, we've been watching Dragon Ball Z for about 6 weeks now, and we have the first 3 seasons on DVD. Well, I am pretty sure that I ordered Season 4 about 2 weeks ago, and it is still not here yet. Everyday I run down to the mailbox in anticipation of getting a nice package so we can start watching the show that we've been slowly obsessing over. It had better come soon, or someone is going to pay.
I am trying to cook more this week than the past couple of weeks. It's really hard to be a housewife and a teacher at the same time. I can't imagine trying to throw in a kid or two to that equation, it must be tough. We recently encountered a song and video on youtube that we really liked (the song, a lot). I am kind of embarrassed to admit that it is by Avril Lavinge (not a huge fan of hers), but this is really sweet song. It's called "Fall to Pieces", and Rick found the guitar chords so that he can serenade me with this song. Of course, in order to practice the song, Rick had to get a brand new guitar this past weekend at Sam Ash. It was a great deal, of course, but he had to get it. It's fun though, he's really enjoying playing with it.


We had our first Pack Meeting for Cub Scouts with Rick in charge. It was a ton of fun. The kids really enjoyed it, and I liked it also. We finally got our broken dishwasher fixed. It's amazing how much a clean sink effects the rest of the apartment. I know that it seems like I am rambling, which is true. I am rambling. I don't know exactly anything wonderful and great that has happened, which is okay. Will update everyone on any news, etc. that may be exciting. We live pretty boring lives here in Phoenix, we'll try to look for something fun to do.

August

So, it's been a month, and I know that I've wanted to write in this more than once a month, but I've been super-busy. School is fine so far. My feet kill me, and my throat has been bothering. It's only been the first week, so hopefully it will get better. We had a fun time the past couple of days. We went out to eat with our friends Kellen and Erin and there cute little guy Cole. We are so happy that they are living in Mesa! So close! We went to Rainforest Cafe, which is a little overpriced but still a fun atmosphere. We went to California about a month ago. My mom took me clothes shopping for school--- it was a lot of fun. And then, I had my birthday. I turned 23 on the 8th for my platinum birthday 8-8-08. It was fun. Rick took me out to eat at Black Angus, then he took me shopping, and then we went home and relaxed for a bit. I had a great time.

In our new ward, I am the Webelos Den Leader in the Cub Scouts and Rick is the Cub Master. Rick is fine with it, because he's all into scouting. Me, however, I was confused. I thought that all the dens were animals, so when they asked me to be the Webelos leader, I thought "What animal is that?" It has been a lot of fun, working with the 10 year old boys. They're really wiry and energetic, but I can deal with it, I do teach 7th grade.

My students so far this first week are alright. I made a lot of mistakes my first year of teaching, and I am absolutely determined not to make them again. I am working hard, and I am showing the students who is in charge. Nice kids..... so far. It's only been the first week though. Rick is doing well. He's almost done with his semester at school, he just got a small job as a translator in the school district that I work in, and he is working hard with his IT job at the moment. I am so proud of him. So excited that he graduates in March! Only 5 more days until my first paycheck since May! Woohoo!

Update from March

So, it's official. I FINALLY get to write in this blog... I know that it's been awhile. Rick and I got married on June 21st, we both can't believe that we've been married for a month already. The day before the wedding, I went to through the temple, and then we set up for the reception in Phoenix. I was so stressed, but it was fun the next day, because everyone catered to Rick and I! YAY! We had a great time. On Sunday, we went to church in our ward, since neither of us like to travel on Sunday if we can avoid it. Then we left to go to San Diego on Monday morning, spent a few days there, went to the zoo, and overall we had a lot of fun. Then we went to Rancho to spend a couple of days there for the California reception, and then we finally made it home. Rick's been back to work for a few weeks, and I am just completely bored for the most part. I am spending most of my time cleaning, buying stuff for my classroom, and getting ready for the upcoming school year.
About a couple of weeks ago, Rick asked me if I wanted to play a computer game that he really liked called "World of Warcraft". I said I'd try for him. I was frustrated really easily with the controls and I wanted to give up. Then I kept playing, and now I am hooked. We play together, and it's really fun, even though it's not something I would usually do. I also joined a gym called Pure Fitness. I've been wanting to start exercising again, and my mom and sisters told me about this program that they found online called "Couch to 5K". I am excited... It's been awhile since I've gotten into shape, and so, I'm making baby steps. I don't just want to walk or jog the 5K I'm planning on running in October, I want to RUN the 5k, which to me is a considerable difference from jogging. Tommorow I go on a hike early with some girls that I met from my ward.
Another thing that Rick and I did this past weekend is that we went to see "The Dark Knight". All I have to say is that it's one of the best movies that I have ever seen. We've been having a lot of fun, and I am so thankful that I am married to a great guy. Life is great, although it will be getting stressful in the next couple of weeks with work starting up again and getting ready for everything, oh and Rick and I have callings in our ward. We technically haven't been sustained yet, but we will be busy.

Road Trips

Everything has been crazy-busy so far. I mean, the weekend after we got engaged, Rick and I went to California to talk to my family. Then a couple of weekends after that, my Mom and sister, Bethany came out to Arizona to help me find a wedding dress. Yesterday and today we were in Thatcher, Arizona, picking up Rick's sister from college for her spring break, asking a relative to seal us, meeting Grandma and Grandpa, and taking engagement photos. It has been CRAZY!!!!! I am really looking forward to June 21st.
It's been stressful, but also fun. Rick, Kajsa and I went to Disneyland when we were in California. My uncle works there and has connections. He's awesome. It was a lot of fun. I was recovering from Strep Throat though, so I wasn't feeling so hot. I mean, I had fun, but I was tired so easily. Rick, Kajsa and I were all pooped out by 3. It's not like we're 60 or anything! We're all still in our early 20s. I am glad that I got to go to Disneyland with my two best friends. I mean, we are awesome.
When my Mom came to visit, I was really excited, but also nervous. We went out to Mesa to find a modest wedding gown, and I didn't like them too much. This is what I said about the best one there: "Well, I don't love it, but I don't hate it either." Wedding dress shopping is depressing. I mean, I have huge hips. There's a big difference between my waist and my hips. So, wedding dresses run 2 sizes smaller, so you have to get a dress that is 2 sizes bigger than your pant size! So depressing. I feel like a cow. I got over it pretty fast when I saw how the dress fit me. I mean, the shoulders were so big that I looked like a linebacker for the Raiders. We finally found the dress in a place that we were not expecting. David's Bridal. And, it was like the only modest dress there.
We took engagement pictures today. Lots of fun. We went to Mount Graham, which is the first real mountain that I've seen in Arizona. Climbed over rocks, carefully stepping around water and mud, and hurling myself over the log. Not to mention the fun bathroom facilities I needed to use, and the mossy wall. AND, after all that, most of the photos, are NOT cute. Yeah, that's what I said. There are maybe 2 or 3 that I like. I look funky in most of them. OR I am laughing. OR my eyes are closed. Oh well. Such is life. We only took like, 12 pictures. And, I guess that my smile is too big and I'm not as photogenic as I think I am.
This week is busy. Finally got a notice on my car from the cops that I needed to get my car registered. I lasted for almost 8 months without having to do anything. :) I am GOOD!!!!! And then, major stress, the state of Arizona education people are coming in to watch us teach and look at kids and tell us what we're doing wrong, and what we're doing right, if anything. Looking forward to a nice week of spring break. Go home for a weekend, and then get things done in Arizona. It will be nice to have time to do all the things that I want to do.

What? An Engagement?

Okay, so I've never done this before, so I thought I'd begin now. I'm currently engaged to this amazing man named Richard Evan Chappell, II, but I just call him Rick. A lot of people asked me how it happened, so I thought that I would just write everything on here, and if people really cared, then you'd read about it. End of story. So here we go.

In June I took a job out in Glendale, Arizona, which is basically Phoenix. It was the place that I felt I should be in. I am currently teaching 7th grade Social Studies, and 1 class of Language Arts. Lots of fun. Especially since I'm teaching in a low income area, where I'm teaching little thugs about American History, and they think that the United States was fighting Mexico in the Civil War. Anyways, I became the Enrichment Counselor in my tiny ward in Glendale, and I was relatively busy.

Then, toward the end of October, I started noticing this really young looking guy that had just got off of his mission. It wasn't until a Roller Skating FHE that I really noticed that he was geeky, but definitely cute. Then, that next Sunday, he helped me with setting up some things with Relief Society, and he sat by me with our after church eating social called Eat and Greet. We talked a little bit, and I began to think then that this guy is going to be a really good friend. I mean, we're both major geeks, and we have the same type of lame (awesome) sense of humor. We flirted at FHE the next day, then he gave the Elders a ride to my apartment for a missionary discussion with a friend, and then I saw him the next day at a game night at my apartment. That's when I really started to get to know him. It was easy to be myself around him, and to smile and laugh whenever he was around. I invited him to go on a hike with some friends the next morning, and he was the only one that showed up. It was nice to get to know him better and to talk to him, one-on-one without anyone else there. I began to learn about his interests, his mission, schooling, etc. EVERYTHING! That night he asked me out, and then, it kind of just started.

When I was around Rick, I always felt amazing. I knew, from the very beginning, that I was falling in love with him, which is crazy-scary. I was just expecting to be friends with him! Anyways, we began seeing each other every day, spending all of our free time with each other, I met his family, he met my family during New Years', and things were going great. We laughed at the silliest things, talked about everything, read books together, laughed, and smiled constantly. We get along great with one another---we're so perfect for each other. It's scary, but amazing at the same time.

I was having a really bad week with school. My students were seriously acting like Satan's offspring. They were serious brats. Anyways, so I decided I was going to take a Personal Day, because my students were driving me crazy. I met up with Rick at around noon, and he took me out to this cute little restaurant called "Kiss the Cook." The food was yummy. Then we went to Encanto Park in Phoenix to feed the birds and ducks. Now THAT was entertaining. When we were finished with that, Rick and I found a bench that wasn't inhabited by homeless people and we sat down. We were talking about something and Rick told me, "Well, it's not enough just to say that I love you." As soon as he said that, I thought "He is so going to propose right now." Then he dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I remember I was smiling like an idiot, and I said "yeah... OF COURSE!" It was a wonderful experience and I am so happy and thankful to be blessed with someone like Rick in my life.

Of course, I'm scared to death, but hey, that's how it goes. I know that it's right, so I have to make sure that the fear that Satan is putting in me doesn't completely paralyze me. Thankfully, Rick is my more rational half, and whenever I'm with him, the fear fades away into complete happiness. I love him. "And for now, that's all I need to know".

The best part was telling all my family about it. I was so nervous about my father's reaction. So this is the best story. I tell my Dad, "Dad, I went to a park with Rick. We fed the ducks and threw stuff at the pigeons. Then Rick proposed to me and I said yes." After I said this to him, I was expecting some sort of body hitting the floor like he had a heart attack or something, but no...He asked me if I had heard of what happened to Shaq. I was extremely confused--- was my Dad trying to brush it off or did he not hear me? So, I asked him about Shaq. Then my Mom came back on the phone, wondering exactly what happened, since my Dad seemed so calm. I told my Mom what Dad had said. We both started laughing hysterically over the phone. Hilarious! Now that definitely broke the ice, even though I had to tell my Dad again... yeah, we won't go into that reaction. So that is a very basic synopsis of my relationship and engagement story. June 21st, 2008! So excited!