Missing Missouri!

I realized a few years back I made a post about all the things I loved about Utah in the years that I lived there. Although, I terribly miss the wonderful things I miss and love about our past few years in Missouri, its been ONE FULL year since we left on this adventure we are on now.  I know our time there was important and essential to our growth.  I met some amazing eternal friends.  I learned lessons from friends and moms that will stay with me FOREVER and has changed the way I live now and has impacted my life for good.

Here is a small list of the things I LOVE and miss about Missouri and Branson.


* Watching my friends perform LIVE!!*
* A town full of my favorite fiddling bluegrass and country music*
* MOPS!*
* FREE Movie Tickets*
*Rec-Plex*
* Dr. Miller, my Chiropractor*
* The BEST girlfriends!*
*My Favorite Mommy Mentors*
* Silver Dollar City*

*The outlets*
*Cousins in a days drive*
* The Temple in a days drive*
*Snowy winters*
*Tarantulas!! I'm not sure why!*
Dare I say it: * Cricket Chirps*
*Skaggs health center with YOGA and ZUMBA*
*WalMart close by*
*Knowing all the back roads!*
* Driving for miles with only a few cars on the road*
* Fun Family attractions always available on hand*
*Andy's Frozen Custard*
*The Panda House*

English Teacher

In August I started teaching at a small private Montessori school here in Puerto Rico.  My homeroom is 2nd grade.  A classroom of 14 Spanish speakers.  They teach me Spanish everyday, I hope I have been teaching them some English.  It has been challenging understanding exactly what they might need to succeed. In any classroom setting everyone is learning at so many different levels.. it is difficult making sure everyone is getting all the learning needs they need personally. I do the very best I can.

This next semester I am making things more interesting, fun, and simplified.  I love to over do and over work sometimes.  I also teach 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades.  I sure do love these students, and WOW I sure do love teaching.  I'm just afraid I love teaching my kids just a little bit more.  My kids are across the street learning all types of new things.  I know the Spanish, the relationship skills, and learning techniques are going to help them over new milestones.  I hope when I am teaching them again we can keep up the habits they've learning in school and in learning Spanish.

It's going to be super difficult leaving the school, and I'm not even sure when I will do that but I LOVE my own kids so much and this time apart from them has been difficult on my, on them, and on our wallet.

Truthfully, sending my kids to school, the school they need and being able to "afford" it has been too expensive.  From the tuition deducted from my pay, the uniforms, shoes, backpacks, lunchboxes, books, "casual days", other things the school might want, snacks time 5, and then trying to afford the gas to drive all around town dropping Adam off at school and then going to work in early morning traffic in Bayamon.  WOW!! It's expensive.

But wow, what a fun time we are having.  I've been making some fun relationships with the teacher and the students. We do some fun things.  I got to go on a field trip to Ariecibo Satellite. The largest Satellite in the world.  I didn't want to go at first because I didn't know what to expect but it was really great!  My efforts to be apart of Puerto Rico and live like them in some ways have been great!  I've learned cute Puerto Rican specific songs and chants.  I've learned the culture a bit and Christmas songs!  However, in my efforts of trying to be apart of Puerto Rico and discover the people and culture I feel like all I do is wake-up, go to work, go home, prepare for the next day and go to bed.  In reality I don't even have the time to discover Puerto Rico.  I hope in the next year or the following I can just discover the land and travel a little bit more!

Here is so a new year, and a good rest of the year teaching my classroom.  I have learned a lot about myself as a teacher, an employee, and a mother.  I AM more thrilled, confident, and excited to homeschooling my own children with the knowledge that I can create engaging, creative and meaningful lessons that will resinate and benefit them personally on their individual learning levels!!

Puerto Rico Chronicle: Beach Paradise

Today is New YEARS DAY 2014 and we went to the beach in Luqullo.  I drove past the Rainforest for the first time.  It looked so well "rainy" and I can't wait to visit it someone day soon.

The beaches in Puerto Rico are amazing, beautiful, and vibrant.  I just didn't go to the beach enough last year.  Someone told me they make an effort to go to the beach each month just to escape the craziness Metro-life can bring. Now, I completely understand the truthfulness.

I LOVE LOVE the beach!  The salty, sandy water is cleansing and refreshing to my skin.  Every part of me relaxes and rejoices once my toes hit the sand.  Lately, the colors layers in the ocean have been mystical and enchanting to me.  I can stare out in the ocean, listen to waves, and love exactly where I am and what I am doing.

The Beach is my medicine!! :) What I love most about going to the beach in Puerto Rico. We don't pack a lot because we don't need to stay all day. Going to the beach for a couple of hours is plenty for us.  We have no reason to stay out and get burnt, dehydrated, or exhausted. 1-2 hours is plenty for my growing family. Knowing we can come back any day we want to makes beach time simple and special.

We usually go to the beach only in swimsuits and lately all we do is jump in the van after rinsing off and take our swim trunks off and put on little boy undies for the ride home! Everyone is comfy, relaxed, and ready for a peaceful night.

I miss the beach already!! :)